ScienceDaily: Society - November 21, 2023
Top society research news
Poor work performance among Japanese employees strongly associated with insufficient sleep
This study examined the association between work performance and lifestyle habits among Japanese employees. The results revealed that insufficient sleep was the predominant factor affecting work performance in men and women, followed by lack of regular exercise and eating late-evening meals. Furthermore, the study indicated that men were more likely to exhibit lifestyle habits that impacted work performance than women.
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Nostalgia and memories after ten years of social media
As possibilities have changed and technology has advanced, memories and nostalgia are now a significant part of our use of social media.
Half of tested caviar products from Europe are illegal, and some aren't even caviar
Wild caviar, a pricey delicacy made from sturgeon eggs, has been illegal for decades since poaching brought the fish to the brink of extinction. Today, legal, internationally tradeable caviar can only come from farmed sturgeon, and there are strict regulations in place to help protect the species. However, by conducting genetic and isotope analyses on caviar samples from Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine -- nations bordering the remaining wild sturgeon populations -- a team of sturgeon experts found evidence that these regulations are actively being broken. Their results show that half of the commercial caviar products they sampled are illegal, and some don't even contain any trace of sturgeon.
Environment and wallet benefit from redispensing cancer pills
Redispensing cancer drugs reduces both environmental impact and medical costs, according to new research. The annual savings could amount to tens of millions.
New global stocktake: Healthy forests could store much more carbon
Natural carbon reservoirs will play a major role at the COP28 world climate conference in the United Arab Emirates. In a recent study, a team of more than two hundred researchers worldwide presents new estimates of the storage potential of forests around the globe. According to the study, forests could ideally absorb 328 billion tons (gigatons, Gt for short) of carbon. However, as many formerly forested areas are now used for agriculture and as settlement areas, the potential is reduced to 226 Gt. 139 Gt of this (61%) could be achieved by protecting existing forests alone. The remaining 87 Gt (39%) could be realized by reconnecting previously fragmented forest landscapes and managing them sustainably.
New study reveals huge potential for future waves of invasive species
Human trade and transport have led to the intentional and accidental introductions of non-native species outside of their natural range globally. These biological invasions can cause extinctions, cost trillions, and spread diseases. A study has investigated how many of these non-native species already exist worldwide and which species groups are particularly prone to become non-native.
Reforms needed to expand prescribed burns
A new paper pinpoints obstacles and suggests strategies for getting more prescribed fire on the ground in the wildfire-prone U.S. West.
No one-size-fits-all solution for the net-zero grid
As power generation from sources like solar and wind increases, along with the introduction of devices such as heat pumps and batteries, a new optimization tool will help the UK plan for a greener electricity network. The researchers developed an algorithm to model how these smaller networks distributed electricity -- factoring in how local grids could become unbalanced by adding too many heat pumps in a single area or generating more electricity than the grid could accept.
Nuclear expansion failure shows simulations require change
A team of researchers looked back at a model that predicted nuclear power would expand dramatically in order to assess the efficacy of energy policies implemented today.
Focus groups can work without a moderator, shows research
Focus groups that feed views, experiences and opinions into politics, business and research might yield more open interaction and discussion within groups by moving moderators to a separate room, shows new research.
The name game: CEOs with favorable surnames receive higher pay
Research from Bayes Business School (formerly Cass) shows that the 'favourability' of a CEO's surname plays a major role in determining their job security and can increase their total compensation by as much as 4.9%.
NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme may have global impact
As ten percent of the world's adult population is predicted to have diabetes by 2030, a major new study finds that the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme has a positive effect on reducing risk of developing diabetes.
Roaming seabirds need ocean-wide protection
Seabirds roam far and wide in the Indian Ocean -- so they need ocean-wide protection, new research shows.
New process for screening old urine samples reveals previously undetected 'designer drugs'
Researchers have developed a more efficient way to find out which new 'designer drugs' are circulating in the community. In a new study, they showed how high-resolution mass spectrometry can be used to analyze urine samples at scale and uncover molecules from emerging designer drugs that have been missed by conventional testing. The approach can support public health and safety by enabling swift identification of new substances, potentially saving lives and guiding timely clinical responses to drug-related emergencies.
US men die 6 years before women, as life expectancy gap widens
We've known for more than a century that women outlive men. But new research shows that, at least in the United States, the gap has been widening for more than a decade.
Shark fear: Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water...
It's one of the most famous taglines in film history, immortalizing sharks as ruthless predators. But beyond the horror generated by Spielberg's Jaws series, a persistent fear of sharks remains, with consequences that extend into reality.
High lung cancer rates in naval veterans linked to asbestos
A new study has discovered asbestos exposure led to a higher incidence of asbestos-related lung cancers in British and Australian naval personnel than in other armed forces.
Reducing 'vivid imagery' that fuels addiction cravings
New research shows promise in treating addiction cravings by combining eye movements and guided instructions to process memories. Researchers transformed dysfunctional memories stored in the brain through processing and integration. EMDR was as effective as cognitive behavioral therapy for cravings with the combination of both resulting in more reduction in craving than cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) alone. Both groups (experimental group and control group using only CBT) had clinically significant reductions in cravings, repetitive negative thoughts, and irrational cognitions, with the experimental group showing greater decreases overall.
Peer educators play key role in new recipe development and testing
Cooking and recipe demonstrations encourage healthy eating and adoption of unfamiliar foods by class participants.
When languages collide, which survives?
Researchers incorporate language ideologies, along with the impact of interaction between individuals with opposing preferences, on the language shift process. The team chose a quantitative approach based on a society in which only one language with two varieties, the standard and the vernacular, existed. The resulting mathematical model can predict the conditions that allow for the coexistence of different languages, presenting a comprehensive view of how language varieties are distributed within societies.
How teachers would handle student violence against educators
For the first time, teachers in a nationwide study have told researchers what strategies they think work best to deal with student violence against educators. Teachers rated suspending or expelling students as the least effective way of addressing violence, despite the popularity of 'zero tolerance' policies in many school districts.
