PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Racial disparities in health motivate more support for social action than other racial disparities

2023-12-21
(Press-News.org) Racial disparities related to health and physical well-being motivate Americans to take action for social change more than racial disparities related to other factors, like economics, a new study finds. This is because health-related racial inequalities are perceived to be more unjust. The results suggest that framing racial disparities to tap into feelings of moral injustice may motivate policy reform – a finding of potential interest to policymakers, social movements, and citizens seeking to gain support for actions to reduce racial inequality. “…this work can help us understand why violations of physical needs and safety can be powerful determinants of civilian movements for change,” write the authors. In the United States, racial disparities are systemic across many areas of everyday life. For example, Black Americans experience disproportionally negative outcomes in domains as varied as wealth, health, and social belonging. However, efforts to muster support for the policies needed to alleviate these disparities have had limited success. Movements pursuing social change – particularly those affecting marginalized communities like the Flint Michigan water crisis and Black Lives Matter movement – are often catalyzed and sustained by specific events that garner mainstream attention. Although research has shown that people often support action against situations they perceive as unjust or unfair, the types of racial disparities that are most likely to spark support for change remain unclear. Brown et al. designed a series of experiments to evaluate how groups of randomly assigned Americans responded to information about racial disparities in health, economic factors, or social belongingness. They found that information about health disparities spurred greater support for action compared to economic- or belonging-based disparities and led to greater social media engagement and support for policies designed to reduce disparities. According to the authors, these effects were driven, in part, by the perception that racial disparities in health and physical well-being are more unjust and violate “morally sacred values.” In a related Perspective, Allison Earl and Veronica Derricks describe the work of Brown et al. as highlighting “perceived injustice as a lever to motivate action on racial gaps.”

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Octopus DNA reveals West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse during Last Interglacial

2023-12-21
Genetic analyses of an Antarctic octopus show that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) collapsed during the Last Interglacial ~129,000 to 116,000 years ago when temperatures were only about 1 degree Celsius (°C) warmer than preindustrial levels. The findings suggest that WAIS collapse and resultant sea-level rise could be caused by even the minimal temperature rises projected by the most optimistic climate change mitigation plans. Climate change is driving unprecedented change to Earth’s cryosphere. The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is considered particularly vulnerable to warming ...

Can cryptocurrencies be legal tender? A case study from El Salvador

2023-12-21
In El Salvador, preference for cash and privacy fears deterred the widespread adoption of Bitcoin as an everyday currency, researchers report. The findings suggest that policies incentivizing cryptocurrency adoption as legal tender will likely fail unless populations are financially literate and already trust digital currencies. The introduction of digital currencies is one of the most important developments in monetary economics in the last decade. Unlike traditional digital currencies, which rely on central authorities such as governments or banks governed by regulations ...

Researchers map how measles virus spreads in human brain

2023-12-21
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers mapped how the measles virus mutated and spread in the brain of a person who succumbed to a rare, lethal brain disease. New cases of this disease, which is a complication of the measles virus, may occur as measles reemerges among the unvaccinated, say researchers. Using the latest tools in genetic sequencing, researchers at Mayo Clinic reconstructed how a collective of viral genomes colonized a human brain. The virus acquired distinct mutations that drove the spread of the virus from the frontal cortex outward. "Our study provides compelling data that ...

Organic compounds in asteroids formed in colder regions of space: study

2023-12-21
Analysis of organic compounds – called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) – extracted from the Ryugu asteroid and Murchison meteorite has found that certain PAHs likely formed in the cold areas of space between stars rather than in hot regions near stars as was previously thought. The findings open new possibilities for studying life beyond Earth and the chemistry of objects in space. The only Australian members of an international research team, scientists from Curtin’s WA-Organic ...

Advanced computational tool for understanding quantum materials

Advanced computational tool for understanding quantum materials
2023-12-21
Researchers at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME), Argonne National Laboratory, and the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia have developed a new computational tool to describe how the atoms within quantum materials behave when they absorb and emit light. The tool will be released as part of the open-source software package WEST, developed within the Midwest Integrated Center for Computational Materials (MICCoM) by a team led by Prof. Marco ...

Role of enzyme SMYD3 clarified in prostate cancer progression

2023-12-21
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men other than skin cancer, and more than 288,000 new cases are diagnosed every year, according to the American Cancer Society. The disease’s fatality rate has decreased by more than half since the 1990s, but there is still room for progress—especially in treating or preventing advanced, metastatic disease, which is much more likely to be fatal. A new paper published in Science Advances clarifies how an enzyme called SMYD3 may be involved in prostate ...

Professor Vladimir A. Botchkarev, Boston University School of Medicine, receives Skin Ageing & Challenges Best Scientific Award 2023

Professor Vladimir A. Botchkarev, Boston University School of Medicine, receives Skin Ageing & Challenges Best Scientific Award 2023
2023-12-21
The Skin Ageing & Challenges 2023 conference, held in November 2023 in Lisbon, has recognized the outstanding contributions of Prof. Vladimir A. Botchkarev, a distinguished Professor of Dermatology and Co-Director at the Boston University Center for Aging Research, with the prestigious Skin Ageing & Challenges Best Scientific Award 2023. The award acknowledges Prof. Botchkarev's exceptional research in the field of skin biology and aging. Prof. Botchkarev's award-winning work, titled "Skin Aging in Long-Lived Naked Mole-Rats: Mechanisms and Perspectives", delves into the complicated aging process of Naked Mole Rats' skin. His comprehensive ...

Save the date for the 11th World Congress on Targeting Microbiota 2024 – Revolutionizing Future Medicine

Save the date for the 11th World Congress on Targeting Microbiota 2024 – Revolutionizing Future Medicine
2023-12-21
Targeting Microbiota 2024: Vision, Strategies and Perspectives The 11th Annual Congress of the International Society of Microbiota (ISM), Targeting Microbiota 2024, is scheduled on October 17-18, at Corinthia Palace Malta. Targeting Microbiota 2024 will not only present the latest advancements but also serve as a pivotal hub for sharing visionary strategies and perspectives that will redefine the landscape of medicine. The Congress promises an immersive experience, offering a dynamic platform for the exchange of ideas, insights, and the exploration of innovative approaches that will shape the future of medicine. Save the date and ...

Location, location, location: The hidden power of intracellular neighborhoods

Location, location, location: The hidden power of intracellular neighborhoods
2023-12-21
Highlights Messenger RNA (mRNA) is translated into proteins in the cytoplasm of cells. But rather than being a uniform “soup,” the cytoplasm is divided into multiple distinct compartments or regions. Each region is largely responsible for translating functionally similar types of mRNA, a new MSK study finds. And the location of translation determines the amount of protein produced by the mRNA. The movement of mRNA to specific regions is directed by their size and shape, as well as by RNA-binding protein partners. The findings could help develop new approaches to increase ...

Better prosthetics: $3M to develop more natural robotic leg control

2023-12-21
Dec. 21, 2023 Contact: Nicole Casal Moore, 734-709-1651, ncmoore@umich.edu  Images and videos Better prosthetics: $3M to develop more natural robotic leg control An effort to create a control model that moves seamlessly between different activities like standing, walking and climbing stairs is renewed by the National Institutes of Health ANN ARBOR—A smoother experience for robotic prosthetic leg users is the aim of a University of Michigan project that has received renewed support from the National Institutes of Health. The R01 grant ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

A graphene sandwich — deposited or transferred?

New light-powered motor fits inside a strand of hair

Oil rig study reveals vital role of tiny hoverflies

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia researchers boost widespread use of dental varnish across pediatric network

iRECODE: A new computational method that brings clarity to single-cell analysis

New NUS-MOH study: Singapore’s healthcare sector carbon emissions 18% lower than expected, a milestone in the city-state’s net zero journey

QUT scientists create material to turn waste heat into clean power

Major new report sets out how to tackle the ‘profound and lasting impact’ of COVID-19 on cardiovascular health

Cosmic crime scene: White dwarf found devouring Pluto-like icy world

Major report tackles Covid’s cardiovascular crisis head-on

A third of licensed GPs in England not working in NHS general practice

ChatGPT “thought on the fly” when put through Ancient Greek maths puzzle

Engineers uncover why tiny particles form clusters in turbulent air

GLP-1RA drugs dramatically reduce death and cardiovascular risk in psoriasis patients

Psoriasis linked to increased risk of vision-threatening eye disease, study finds

Reprogramming obesity: New drug from Italian biotech aims to treat the underlying causes of obesity

Type 2 diabetes may accelerate development of multiple chronic diseases, particularly in the early stages, UK Biobank study suggests

Resistance training may improve nerve health, slow aging process, study shows

Common and inexpensive medicine halves the risk of recurrence in patients with colorectal cancer

SwRI-built instruments to monitor, provide advanced warning of space weather events

Breakthrough advances sodium-based battery design

New targeted radiation therapy shows near-complete response in rare sarcoma patients

Does physical frailty contribute to dementia?

Soccer headers and brain health: Study finds changes within folds of the brain

Decoding plants’ language of light

UNC Greensboro study finds ticks carrying Lyme disease moving into western NC

New implant restores blood pressure balance after spinal cord injury

New York City's medical specialist advantage may be an illusion, new NYU Tandon research shows

Could a local anesthetic that doesn’t impair motor function be within reach?

1 in 8 Italian cetacean strandings show evidence of fishery interactions, with bottlenose and striped dolphins most commonly affected, according to analysis across four decades of data and more than 5

[Press-News.org] Racial disparities in health motivate more support for social action than other racial disparities