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Depressed and out of work? Therapy may help you find a job

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If depression is making it more difficult for some unemployed people to land a job, one type of therapy may help, research suggests.

In a new study, 41% of unemployed or underemployed people undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) found a new job or went from part- to full-time work by the end of the 16-week treatment for depression.

Those who had a job but found it difficult to focus on and accomplish work tasks because of depression said the treatment helped to significantly reduce these problems. [Read more…] about Depressed and out of work? Therapy may help you find a job

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    Depression in new fathers connected to relationship insecuritiesBecoming a parent often brings great joy, but not always. Parenthood also entails challenges, stress and, for some people, it can trigger depression. A new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that male postnatal depression is more common in men who are insecure in their relationship with their partner.…
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Location tracking apps and privacy implications

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How much personal information can our phone apps gather through location tracking? To answer this question, two researchers – Mirco Musolesi (University of Bologna, Italy) and Benjamin Baron (University College London, UK) – carried out a field study using an app specifically developed for this research.

Through the app employed in the study – published in Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies – researchers were able to identify which kind of personal information the app extracted and its privacy sensitivity according to users.

“Users are largely unaware of the privacy implications of some permissions they grant to apps and services, in particular when it comes to location-tracking information”, explains Mirco Musolesi. “Thanks to machine learning techniques, these data provide sensitive information such as the place where users live, their habits, interests, demographics, and information about users’ personalities”. [Read more…] about Location tracking apps and privacy implications

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    How mobile apps grab our attentionAs part of an international collaboration, Aalto University researchers have shown that our common understanding of what attracts visual attention to screens, in fact, does not transfer to mobile applications. Despite the widespread use of mobile phones and tablets in our everyday lives, this is the first study to empirically…
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CT scans of Egyptian mummy reveal new details about the death of a pivotal pharaoh

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Modern medical technology is helping scholars tell a more nuanced story about the fate of an ancient king whose violent death indirectly led to the reunification of Egypt in the 16th century BC. The research was published in Frontiers in Medicine.

Pharaoh Seqenenre-Taa-II, the Brave, briefly ruled over Southern Egypt during the country’s occupation by the Hyksos, a foriegn dynasty that held power across the kingdom for about a century (c. 1650-1550 BCE).

In his attempt to oust the Hyskos, Seqenenre-Taa-II was killed. Scholars have debated the exact nature of the pharaoh’s death since his mummy was first discovered and studied in the 1880s. [Read more…] about CT scans of Egyptian mummy reveal new details about the death of a pivotal pharaoh

Neanderthals and Homo sapiens used identical Nubian technology

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Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History

Long held in a private collection, the newly analysed tooth of an approximately nine-year-old Neanderthal child marks the hominin’s southernmost known range. Analysis of the associated archaeological assemblage suggests Neanderthals used Nubian Levallois technology, previously thought to be restricted to Homo sapiens.

With a high concentration of cave sites harbouring evidence of past populations and their behaviour, the Levant is a major centre for human origins research. For over a century, archaeological excavations in the Levant have produced human fossils and stone tool assemblages that reveal landscapes inhabited by both Neanderthals and Homo sapiens, making this region a potential mixing ground between populations. Distinguishing these populations by stone tool assemblages alone is difficult, but one technology, the distinct Nubian Levallois method, is argued to have been produced only by Homo sapiens.

In a new study published in Scientific Reports, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History teamed up with international partners to re-examine the fossil and archaeological record of Shukbah Cave. Their findings extend the southernmost known range of Neanderthals and suggest that our now-extinct relatives made use of a technology previously argued to be a trademark of modern humans. This study marks the first time the lone human tooth from the site has been studied in detail, in combination with a major comparative study examining the stone tool assemblage. [Read more…] about Neanderthals and Homo sapiens used identical Nubian technology

Learn what you live? Study finds watching others can reduce decision bias

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New research from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business shows first evidence that watching and learning from others can help reduce bias and improve decision-making.

The research, published in the journal Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, used a computer game designed to decrease bias to see if people who watched others play the game could in turn reduce their own bias.

Through three experiments, researchers found that watching others solve bias-related problems helped the observers learn about decision biases and improve on their own. [Read more…] about Learn what you live? Study finds watching others can reduce decision bias

Fertility treatment affects children’s growth patterns but not for long

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Children born as a result of fertility treatment have different growth patterns to naturally-conceived children but, by the time they reach the age of 17, they are of similar height, weight and body mass index (BMI), according to research published today (Wednesday) in Human Reproduction.

The study of 81,461 children from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) and 544,113 teenagers screened for military service and registered in the Armed Forces Health Registry should provide reassurance for parents of children born as a result of assisted reproduction technology (ART) say the researchers.

Although it is known that ART is associated with lower birthweight, the extent to which differences in growth persist during childhood has not been clear. Further research was also needed to see if patterns of growth could be affected by different fertility treatments or underlying subfertility in parents who conceive naturally. [Read more…] about Fertility treatment affects children’s growth patterns but not for long

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    How parental involvement affects children’s performance in schoolUsing data from the HSE University longitudinal study Trajectories in Education and Careers (TrEC), Ilya Prakhov, Olga Kotomina and Alexandra Sazhina determined which forms of family engagement in the school are useful and which are harmful to the student. This study makes it possible to monitor students' entire educational path…
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  • Disposable surgical masks best for being heard clearly when speaking, study finds
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    Disposable surgical masks best for being heard clearly when speaking, study findsResearcher Ryan Corey recently heard from a friend who teaches at a school where some of the students have hearing loss. The friend wanted to know if he had any ideas to help her communicate with these students while wearing a mask to slow the spread of Covid-19. Corey, who…
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  • Research shows preference for male children is declining in Bangladesh
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    Research shows preference for male children is declining in BangladeshResearch from the University of Kent has demonstrated a decline in 'son preference' by women of childbearing age in Bangladesh. However, the study also shows that fertility decisions are still influenced according to son preference. The paper, 'Is son preference disappearing from Bangladesh?', surveyed a nationally representative sample of Bangladeshi…
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Finnish study shows how the uncertainty in the Bitcoin market responds to cyberattacks

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A total of 1.1 million bitcoin were stolen in the 2013-2017 period. Given the current price for Bitcoin exceeding $40,000, the corresponding monetary equivalent of losses is more than $44 billion highlighting the societal impact of this criminal activity.

The question arises how does the uncertainty in the Bitcoin market – measured by its volatility – respond to such cyberattacks.

A recently published research article from Dr. Klaus Grobys (University of Vaasa, Finland) in the well-known journal Quantitative Finance addresses this question. [Read more…] about Finnish study shows how the uncertainty in the Bitcoin market responds to cyberattacks

Mobile game that uses implicit learning improved children’s short-term food choices

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Rates of overweight and obesity in children are rising around the world, with serious long-term consequences for health and health care costs.

In prior research, video and mobile games have helped children eat healthier and exercise more. A new study examined how Indian 10- and 11-year-olds’ food choices were affected by playing a pediatric dietary mobile game that uses implicit learning – educating players without making them aware of the lessons through innovations in neurocognitive training and immersive technology.

The study found that the game significantly improved children’s food choices immediately after play. [Read more…] about Mobile game that uses implicit learning improved children’s short-term food choices

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Plant-based diet and bone health: Adequate calcium and vitamin D intakes should be ensured

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In a study conducted at the University of Helsinki, Finland, 136 adults adhered to one of three study diets for 12 weeks. One of them corresponded to the average Finnish diet, containing roughly 70% animal-derived protein of total protein, while most of the plant-based protein originated from cereal products.

In the second study diet, half of the protein was derived from plant products and the other half from animal products, while the third one contained 30% animal protein and 70% plant-based protein of total protein.

Sources of animal protein, both red and white meat as well as dairy products, were partially replaced with plant-based proteins by adding a diverse range of legumes, nuts, seeds, and cereal products in the diets. [Read more…] about Plant-based diet and bone health: Adequate calcium and vitamin D intakes should be ensured

Environmentally friendly behavior is easy — tourists just need a ‘nudge’

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A new study in Frontiers in Communication has demonstrated the powerful impact that subtle messaging and cues, or ‘nudges’, can provide on encouraging people to show socially desirable behaviors.

Travelers who were observed on the Indonesian island of Gili Trawangan, a popular tourist destination, were more likely to demonstrate environmentally conscious actions, such as refusing a plastic bag or avoiding contact with a coral reef, when they were ‘nudged’ towards the desirable action with either a written or face to face interaction.

The researchers found that any intervention, whether framed positively or negatively, was enough to lead people to make environmentally conscious decisions, compared to being given no behavioral cues or messaging. [Read more…] about Environmentally friendly behavior is easy — tourists just need a ‘nudge’