Research on how people, markets, and policies shape the economy. Covers labor and gig work, consumer behavior, GDP and regional growth, gambling risk, and financial decision-making.
A new study by USC and other universities finds that increasing fuel economy standards for passenger vehicles will bring about significant economic benefits, including $112 billion in estimated savings. The research contradicts the Trump administration's claim that such rules would lead to too many highway deaths.
A new model for calculating property tax could help combat Vancouver's housing affordability problem by transferring tax burden from owners to renters. The proposal aims to raise property taxes and lower income and sales taxes, stimulating the economy and making it easier for workers to afford housing.
Small-head cemented metal-on-plastic hip replacements are the most cost-effective option for men and women over 65 years. For younger adults, small-head cemented ceramic-on-plastic hip replacements are more likely to be cost-effective. The study found no evidence that uncemented or hybrid implants are cost-effective options.
Maroon communities on Hispaniola resisted Spanish economic and labor arrangements, challenging European conquest. The Spanish eventually abandoned the north and west of the island due to African resistance's impact on their resources.
A study from the University of Arizona found that young women who believe men are becoming more involved in childcare imagine themselves as primary caregivers, while those who think men are less involved envision themselves as primary breadwinners. This perception affects their educational and career decisions years before they start f...
A new generation of farmers is shifting towards the outskirts of cities with high demand and purchasing power, driven by a desire for healthier food systems and authentic rural identities. The movement, identified by Purdue University researcher Andrew Flachs, thrives in hotspots like central Texas, Oklahoma, and the Great Lakes region.
Researchers from MIPT and Lomonosov Moscow State University developed an experimental setup combining thermal and X-ray analysis to study semicrystalline polymers. They found that a critical heating rate can prevent structural changes, revealing complex thermodynamic behavior behind the material's melting points.
A new study using national data suggests that many research studies on LGBQ health risks may be inflated due to respondents providing extreme and untruthful answers. Removing potentially mischievous respondents reduced estimated disparities in drug use, suicide attempts, and other outcomes.
The formation of secondary particulate matter in the atmosphere is still not fully understood. Alexander Vogel's research aims to identify its sources and improve air quality by analyzing molecular fingerprints from atmospheric samples.
A recent study by the University of Alabama found that female CEOs are about 45% more likely than male CEOs to be dismissed from their firms. Performance improvements do not protect female CEOs from dismissal, unlike male CEOs.
A study of 102,236 deliveries in France found that higher staffing levels for obstetricians and midwives were associated with lower cesarean delivery rates. A 10% increase in staff levels was linked to a 2.5% decrease in intrapartum cesarean deliveries and a 3.4% decrease in elective cesarean deliveries.
A new study suggests climate change could significantly reduce the nutritional quality of oysters due to ocean acidification and warming. The research focuses on Pacific and native flat oysters, finding that increased temperatures and CO2 levels can decrease protein, lipid, and carbohydrate content.
Research by Jaehee Jung explores the impact of changing gender roles, consumerism, and Western media on Chinese women's perceptions of beauty. The study found that young Chinese women prefer thin bodies and angular faces, leading to increased dissatisfaction with their body image.
A post-city is characterized by dissociation, both social and cultural, leading to a lack of interaction between different demographics and a decline in traditional face-to-face communications. Urban residents are also post-nomads, mobile and dynamic, with multiple roles and activities.
Research reveals unexpectedly low condom use rates among Western Australian sex workers, with only 33% of female sex workers reporting consistent condom use during oral sex. The authors recommend decriminalization, increased sexual health education, and peer support opportunities to address this issue.
A new study highlights the previously underexplored consequence of wake effects from upwind wind farms on downwind neighbors' energy production. The research demonstrates that these effects are measurable and predictable yet remain largely unaccounted for in current U.S. property law.
A study by Kyoto University found that microcredit programs in Bangladesh increased rice yield and overall crop farm income. Households also showed a higher adoption of hybrid and high-yield rice varieties. Additionally, there was a positive effect on cultivating owned land and livestock ownership.
A recent study has analyzed nearly 2,400 protein-coding genes to understand the family relationships and evolutionary history of Hemiptera insects. The findings reveal that piercing and sucking mouthparts likely evolved over 350 million years ago, providing insight into the group's diverse feeding strategies.
Researchers monitored agglomerate fog formation during a cold surge in Southeast China, analyzing the effect of rain, snow, and supercooled fog on wire icing growth. They found that certain meteorological conditions fueled the rate of icing growth, particularly at higher heights.
Research using actual income numbers from two generations of Australians found that family structure matters when it comes to income mobility. The study estimated the intergenerational elasticity of income in Australia at 0.4, indicating a moderate level of income advantage or disadvantage being transferred across generations.
Priming individuals with superhero images, such as Superman, increases their likelihood of engaging in prosocial behaviors. However, the study found no direct effect on perceptions of meaning in life. The research used both self-reported and actual helping behavior experiments to explore this phenomenon.
Research from the Sea Around Us initiative reveals that fishing companies could have increased profits by $50 million and $3-9.1 million by adopting sustainable fishing practices for menhaden and anchoveta stocks, respectively.
The Faraday Institution's £1.6m supercomputer will accelerate UK research on EV batteries by simulating fast-charging, low-temperature operation and thermal management. Researchers can now run simulations overnight, reducing the time to improve battery performance and lifetime.
Researchers found that antibiotic prophylaxis regimens are less effective at preventing surgical site infections following colorectal surgery. The efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis has remained unchanged for other procedures like appendectomy and cesarean section.
Researchers found that antidepressant prescriptions rose by 13.4% after the Brexit vote, potentially due to increased uncertainty among some populations. Strengthening mental health service provision during such periods is advised.
New research by the Work Foundation finds that many businesses are failing to maximise the value of employee benefits for low earners. The report recommends a 'framework of good practice' outlining 7 steps to take, including securing commitment among business leaders and providing additional support to inform choice. By embracing these...
The €13.6 million FutureNeuro centre will focus on understanding brain structure and function to transform the patient journey for people with neurological diseases. Outcomes include improved diagnostics, precision medicine, point-of-care technology and new treatments.
A study found that employee-focused health promotion programs can lead to increased weight stigma, discrimination, and decreased wellbeing among employees with obesity. In contrast, employer-focused programs may be more effective in promoting healthy behavior.
A recent MPIDR study suggests that young adults who move back home after independence experience an increase in depressive symptoms. The study also found that men and minority groups are more likely to be living with their parents, while those who live independently are less depressed and financially better off.
Researchers found that supplementing telephone counseling with access to nicotine-replacement patches and moderate financial incentives significantly improves smoking cessation outcomes in the Medi-Cal population. The study also suggests that modest financial incentives can be an effective intervention for low-income populations.
Research by a University at Buffalo-led team reveals that community organizations with broad, cross-cutting presence are crucial to equitable disaster recovery. These organizations can help mitigate poverty rates and foster economic growth in affected communities.
Researchers found that patients infected with multi-drug resistant and extensively drug resistant bacterial infections, especially Gram-negative infections, had significantly higher mortality rates. The study highlights the urgent need for increased surveillance, research, and antimicrobial stewardship efforts worldwide.
A study found that women face discriminatory attitudes in the Russian public administration, with many preferring male bosses and experiencing bias in hiring. Women often choose informal power over formal promotion, citing societal expectations and physical attractiveness.
Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology suggest that prioritizing fundamental human needs over economic growth could make it easier to reduce carbon emissions. They found that meeting subsistence and protection needs takes half of the global carbon budget, while leisure and identity take most of the other half.
Ben-Gurion University researchers develop process using hydrothermal carbonization to heat raw solid human waste, converting it into hydrochar: a safe, reusable biomass fuel. The hydrochar can be used for household heating and cooking, while the liquid byproduct serves as fertilizer.
Dr. Terry Alger, a Southwest Research Institute director, received the 2019 Edith and Peter O'Donnell Award for his role in developing vehicle engine technologies that lower pollution levels and improve fuel economy. The award recognizes his innovative work on novel hybrid engines, connected and autonomous features, and abnormal combus...
A new study from the University of York found that humans are more accurate at recalling names than recognizing faces, a finding that challenges our everyday experiences. Participants scored higher in remembering names (up to 83%) compared to faces (as little as 64%), especially in unfamiliar situations.
The partnership will deliver a next-generation supercomputer, Hawk, which will be the world's fastest for industrial production, powering applications in energy, climate, mobility, and health. The system will have a theoretical peak performance of 24 petaFLOPs.
Professor Alexander Krot will work at Goethe University Frankfurt for six months, building on his research on the formation of the first solid bodies of our solar system. His work aims to provide fundamental insights into the childhood of the solar nebula, shedding light on the early formations in the solar system.
Renewable energy cooperatives are a viable option for energy production and marketing, offering a democratic alternative to fossil fuels. Despite regulatory hurdles, the number of contracts exceeding 70,000 demonstrates their potential in Spain.
Regularly used forest trails have fewer bird species and lower numbers of birds compared to less-used areas, even with decades of human activity. This suggests that forest birds do not habituate to trail use, highlighting the need for protected areas and adherence to stay-on-trail rules.
A study by researchers at the National Research University Higher School of Economics found that people tend to attribute their happiness to internal factors such as personality traits and control over their lives. However, when they are unhappy, they often blame external factors outside of their control.
The study reveals that online labor platforms provide companies with a simple and cheap mechanism to hire knowledge workers in lower-income countries. Workers from emerging economies can earn more and have more predictable work hours through these platforms, but their income can be less stable.
A new study links international investors to economic activities that modify large ecosystems, including the Amazon rainforest and boreal forests. Financial institutions can play a crucial role in bolstering or undermining climate stability through their investments.
A new index, Human Life Indicator (HLI), measures human wellbeing by considering years of life, similar to life expectancy at birth. The HLI can distinguish between populations with varying lifespans and may provide a more accurate assessment of human development than the Human Development Index.
A new study conducted by Finnish and American researchers found that mothers are more likely to invest in their daughters than men in their sons. The Trivers-Willard hypothesis predicts that parents in good conditions will bias investment towards sons, but the study failed to support this theory.
A team of researchers identified potential decisions that maximize combined ecological and economic benefits by simulating trade-offs and using machine-learning approach. They found opportunities to improve balance between certain criteria by coordinating multiple dam decisions at larger spatial scales.
Researchers developed a multiscale model analyzing economic, social, and ecological tradeoffs of dam removal. The model found that large numbers of dams optimize tradeoffs among ecosystem services, river safety, and economic costs, assisting future damming decisions by considering scale and location.
A new MIT study suggests that most fantasy sports, including football, baseball, basketball, and hockey, are contests that reward skill over chance. The researchers analyzed thousands of fantasy players' win/loss records over multiple seasons, finding a clear signal for skill in the data.
Non-cognitive skills such as attention, self-regulation, and perseverance play a significant role in determining academic achievement, cognitive ability, and language outcomes. However, the existing evidence base in this field is limited due to publication bias and methodological flaws, underscoring the need for further research.
A collective-risk dilemma experiment revealed that participants with fewer resources contributed significantly more to fighting climate change than wealthier people. The poorest groups were classified into 'generous clusters', while the richest were in 'greedy clusters'. This highlights the need for policies to prioritize climate justi...
The employment-to-population ratio for working-age people with disabilities increased to 31.4 percent in October 2018, up 3 percent from the previous year. The labor force participation rate also rose to 34.2 percent, indicating a positive trend for Americans with disabilities.
A new study by the University of Texas at Austin found that where produced water is stored underground increases earthquake risk. The research identified factors that can help reduce seismicity, including managing injection rates and regional volumes.
A new study suggests that reducing US coal emissions through biomass and carbon capture can create 22,000 new jobs in the forestry and transportation sectors. This approach would retain 40,000 existing coal industry jobs while mitigating global warming below 2°C.
Norse World is a new digital resource providing an index of foreign place names in Swedish and Danish literature from the Middle Ages. The tool enables researchers to study perceptions of the surrounding world in Medieval Scandinavian literature, exploring concepts of spatiality and gender.
A study by researchers at Florida Atlantic University and Cleveland State University found a positive association between not having paid sick leave and reporting financial worry. Workers without paid sick leave were more likely to worry about short-term financial issues like housing expenses, as well as long-term financial issues such...
The ORA project investigates the connection between citizens and parliament, essential for democracy. The team, led by Professor Thomas Zittel, will analyze legislators' behaviors to understand if geographic ties offer an alternative to collective representation by political parties.
New research found that accessing high-status social contacts can have a negative impact on health, particularly in societies with high economic inequality. In the US and China, being connected to higher-status individuals led to more health disruptions, unlike in Taiwan where low inequality led to healthier outcomes.
A Scripps Oceanography-led study finds that small-scale fisheries in the Gulf of California are overexploited and unable to support fishermen's livelihoods. However, if fish stocks recover, total annual revenues could increase by 70%.
The four-year project will develop and apply new tools to connect the functions of individual microbes to their genetic makeup in diverse marine and continental environments. Combing single-cell genomics with measurements of microbial metabolism will help understand the role of microbes in cycling biologically important compounds.