Fungal microbiota sustains lasting immune activation of neutrophils and their progenitors in severe COVID-19 This study delves into the role of gastrointestinal fungal dysbiosis in severe COVID-19 cases and its impact on the host’s immune system. Elevated levels of Candida albicans antibodies were found in severe COVID-19 patients with gut Candida overgrowth, mycobiota imbalance, and…
Contagious Dishonesty: Corruption Scandals and Supermarket Theft This study investigates whether corruption scandals influence the likelihood of supermarket customers engaging in dishonest behavior, specifically stealing while using self-service checkout systems. These systems enable shoppers to underreport the value of their purchases. The research, based on random audits of shoppers, reveals that the probability of stealing…
Coming Apart? Cultural Distances in the United States over Time This study examines how different groups in the United States, including those defined by income, education, gender, race, and political ideology, have evolved in terms of their cultural differences over time. Cultural distance is measured by various factors, such as media consumption, consumer behavior, social…
Behavioral and brain responses to verbal stimuli reveal transient periods of cognitive integration of the external world during sleep For a long time, it was believed that sleep was a state of complete disconnection from the outside world, where individuals were unresponsive to external stimuli. However, a study challenged this idea by examining how people…
Temporal Instability of Risk Preference among the Poor: Evidence from Payday Cycles This study explores how the income fluctuations experienced by low-income individuals affect their risk preferences. The researchers focused on the impact of payday cycles in the United States and found that those heavily reliant on social security became more risk-tolerant before payday. This…
The episodic resurgence of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 virus Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has seen increased activity globally since 2021, impacting both wild birds and poultry, as well as incidental infections in mammals. This study, using epidemiological, spatial, and genomic methods, sheds light on the changing patterns of H5N1 outbreaks. Key resurgent…
High-resolution maps show that rubber causes substantial deforestation Researchers used Earth observation satellite data and cloud computing to create detailed maps of rubber farming and associated deforestation in Southeast Asia. Their findings indicate that the deforestation caused by rubber cultivation has been significantly underestimated in policy discussions and recent reports. The study reveals that rubber-related…
Chromatin compartmentalization regulates the response to DNA damage This recent study sheds light on the role of chromosome folding in DNA repair and genome stability. When double-stranded breaks occur in mammalian cells, a process driven by ATM (a protein involved in DNA repair) leads to the creation of a new chromatin compartment called the “D…
Unraveling the functional dark matter through global metagenomics Scientists have discovered an immense variety of proteins encoded within metagenomes, which are collections of genetic material from diverse microorganisms. Traditionally, researchers have compared these proteins to known references, limiting their exploration. However, a new computational approach was developed to identify protein families without relying on reference…
How Do Households Respond to Job Loss? Lessons from Multiple High-Frequency Datasets Researchers have used data from a large bank and government sources to understand how households cope with job loss. Over a two-year period, households reduce their spending by 30% of the income they lose due to job loss. The primary method of self-insurance…
