According to a new paper in the Review of Economic Studies, published by Oxford University Press, the widespread adoption of work-from-home technology has had dramatic consequences for American life. Using an equilibrium model where people choose where to live and how to allocate their time between working at home and at the office, the researchers here find that the pandemic induced a substantial increase in the relative productivity of those working from home. This change has increased housing prices, reduced office rent costs, and will permanently ...

Hydrogen gas is the smallest and lightest of all known molecules, and its colorless and odorless nature makes it easy to leak. Also when concentrated above 4% in a confined space, it poses a risk of ignition or explosion. In order for hydrogen to become a major player in the future energy industry, it is essential to ensure the safety issues via ultra-sensitive gas detection technology over the entire gas-dealing processes such as gas production, storage, and transportation. However, conventional gas-leakage sensors using electric signals are prone to yield electrical sparks, which can cause an explosion of leaked hydrogen gas. In addition, the mainstream electrode-based contact sensors ...

Organic-based optoelectronic technology is increasingly recognized as an energy-efficient solution for low-power indoor electronics and wireless IoT sensors. This is largely due to its superior flexibility and light weight compared to conventional silicon-based devices. Notably, organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) and organic photodetectors (OPDs) are leading examples in this field. OPVs have the remarkable ability to absorb energy and generate electricity even under very low light condition, while OPDs are capable of capturing images. However, despite their potential, the development ...

Arlington, Va. — January 25, 2024 — A new study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) demonstrates that viral particles spread to many restroom surfaces during toilet flushing, regardless of whether the toilet lid is up or down. In this analysis, the only meaningful way of reducing viral particles was through disinfection of the toilet, toilet water, and nearby surfaces.   Scientists have long known that the process of toilet flushing can aerosolize pathogens expelled into the toilet bowl by an unhealthy individual. The aerosol plume created from the force of flushing can ...

European forests with a greater diversity of tree species are more resilient to storms, according to new research published in the British Ecological Society journal, Functional Ecology. A new study by researchers at the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) reveals that in Europe, the forests that are most resilient to storms are those with a greater diversity of tree species and dominated by slow growing species with high wood density, like oaks. The researchers also found that the positive effect of ...

While sustainability reporting is a widespread practice in the private sector, new research shows that the same cannot be said for Ontario municipalities.  Researchers at the University of Waterloo studied 38 municipalities in Ontario, representing more than two-thirds of the population, and discovered that almost all municipalities publish their sustainability and climate change goals, but under half are formally reporting on their progress.  Municipalities are a key part of the equation ...

A collaborative research team co-led by Professor Shuang ZHANG, the Interim Head of the Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong (HKU), along with Professor Qing DAI from National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, China, has introduced a solution to a prevalent issue in the realm of nanophotonics – the study of light at an extremely small scale. Their findings, recently published in the prestigious academic journal Nature Materials, propose a synthetic complex frequency wave (CFW) approach to address optical loss in polariton propagation. These findings offer practical solutions such as more efficient light-based devices for faster and ...

Two innovative teaching and learning projects led by The University of Hong Kong (HKU) earned honours in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Reimagine Education Awards, presented in Abu Dhabi in December 2023. Often referred to as the "Oscars of Education," the awards are designed to honour the most innovative and effective approaches to enhancing student learning experiences and employability outcomes. The 2023 QS Reimagine Education Awards received a record number of more than 1,200 submissions across 17 categories. HKU has garnered ...

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, triggered by the earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, resulted in a severe release of radioactive materials, including cesium, from the damaged nuclear reactors. The loss of cooling capabilities led to partial meltdowns in the reactor cores, releasing a substantial amount of cesium-137 (Cs-137) and cesium-134 (Cs-134) into the environment. The release of Cs-137, in particular, poses environmental and human health hazards due to its long half-life and high mobility in the environment. Environmentally, Cs-137 contributes ...

This essay writes on a building project in the remote southwestern China that is built in uninhabited and is inspired and informed by its landscape context. The essay discusses how an extraordinary building project reacts to three different dimensions about landscape–architecture—a natural terrain being manipulated and recast. A small building needs to find its precise connecting point to a much larger historical and environmental context. A practical project needs to reach a balance between architectural pursuits and engineering concerns. Initially, artificial works might be isolated from and in conflict with the terrain, which requires architectural approaches ...

Flinders University researchers say that cohesive and collaborative action from preventive health communicators and organisations is needed to inform young people about the devastating harms of vaping. “Despite awareness of the potential harms, recreational vaping is increasing among younger people with our South Australian participants seeing vaping as ‘cleaner’ and less harmful than cigarettes,” says Flinders University’s Dr Joshua Trigg. “We know that nicotine vapes are highly addictive and expose people to harmful chemicals, respiratory irritants, and toxic substances.  In order to discourage ...

Kyoto, Japan -- Our understanding of the world relies greatly on our knowledge of its constituent materials and their interactions. Recent advances in materials science technologies have ratcheted up our ability to identify chemical substances and expanded possible applications. One such technology is infrared spectroscopy, used for molecular identification in various fields, such as in medicine, environmental monitoring, and industrial production. However, even the best existing tool -- the Fourier transform infrared spectrometer or FTIR -- utilizes a heating element as its light source. Resulting detector noise in the infrared region limits the devices' ...

According to a new analysis, almost a quarter of Australians with disabilities smoke when compared to just 12.6% of the wider population. While the number of Australians smoking is declining, the barriers for people with disabilities mean targeted support is needed to develop healthier habits. Flinders University and Cancer Council NSW health experts are recommending new strategies to tackle the alarming smoking rate through targeted government policies, data collection on smoking and training for disability support workers on tobacco prevention ...

A Rutgers Health analysis of millions of Medicare records has laid the groundwork for improving end-of-life care by demonstrating that nearly all older Americans follow one of nine trajectories in their last three years of life. “Identifying which paths people actually take is a necessary precursor to identifying which factors send different people down different paths and designing interventions that send more people down whatever path is right for them,” said Olga Jarrín, the Hunterdon Professor of Nursing Research at Rutgers and corresponding author of the study published in BMC Geriatrics. The team pulled the final three years of clinical records ...

Niigata, Japan - Scientists from Niigata University discover macrolide-based molecules that increase the expression of DEL-1 protein and help in bone regeneration Periodontitis is characterized by the loss of teeth resulting from inflammation of gums due to bacterial infections. The susceptibility to such bone loss disorders increases with age. The expression of the developmental endothelial locus-1 protein, crucial for bone regeneration, declines with age. Recently, researchers from Niigata University, University of Pennsylvania team identified ...

Menopausal women who regularly swim in cold water report significant improvements to their physical and mental symptoms, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The research, published in Post Reproductive Health, surveyed 1114 women, 785 of which were going through the menopause, to examine the effects of cold water swimming on their health and wellbeing. The findings showed that menopausal women experienced a significant improvement in anxiety (as reported by 46.9% of the women), mood swings (34.5%), ...

Kiwifruit has proven itself as a powerful mood booster and new research from the University of Otago has shown just how fast its effects can be.   In a study, published in The British Journal of Nutrition, researchers found the furry fruit improved vitality and mood in as little as four days.   Co-author Professor Tamlin Conner, of the Department of Psychology, says the findings provide a tangible and accessible way for people to support their mental well-being.   “It’s great for people ...

Women and people of colour remain invisible to many people in Britain and the USA as people pick white men as their heroes instead, a study shows. Their achievements are often forgotten or not recognised when people are choosing who inspires them, researchers have found. Most people said their family and friends, people closest to them, were their heroes. These ‘everyday’ heroes accounted for one in three choices in Britian and 41 per cent in the US. In both countries, politicians were popular as heroes, with more common choices including Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln, ...

In findings that have implications for potential new HIV therapies, researchers from Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Texas Biomed) used genetic sequencing techniques on the nonhuman primate version of the virus to identify that lymph nodes in the abdomen are the leading source of rebound infection after the first week of stopping antiretroviral treatment. The study regarding simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) was reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine. SIV is very closely related to HIV and is commonly used as a proxy to study HIV in animal models. “Lymphoid tissues are known to be large ...

Microplastics, with a size from 1 micron to < 5 millimeters, are pervasive pollutants that have been found in all parts of the global ocean, and have made their way into the marine food webs. Researchers, led by University of British Columbia UBC’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries scientists and Ecuadorian researchers from Galápagos and the ESPOL Polytechnic School (Guayaquil, Ecuador), looked closely at how microplastic bioaccumulation was affecting the endangered Galápagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) as an indicator species to trace how deeply microplastic bioaccumulation has entered the food web in the isolated Galápagos Islands. An ...

Obesity is a problem in the United States. In fact, 42.5% of U.S. adults aged 20 and over have the disease. Not only is obesity the nation’s second leading cause of preventable death (behind only smoking cigarettes), it also leads to other serious health issues, including an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cancer, sleep apnea and liver disease. The disease and its side effects impose a significant financial burden on America’s health care system. As many make — and often fail to keep — New Year’s resolutions about exercise and weight loss goals, University ...

LA JOLLA (January 22, 2024)—Salk Professor Ronald Evans has been named the 2024 recipient of the Japan Prize in the field of Medical Science and Pharmaceutical Science. The Japan Prize Foundation awards this prestigious international award annually to “express Japan’s gratitude to international society.” "I am delighted to extend my congratulations to Ron for this well-deserved recognition in honor of his discovery of nuclear hormone receptors,” says Salk President Gerald Joyce. “This accomplishment not only reflects the exceptional caliber of Ron’s research ...

UNSW medical researcher Dr David Jacques and his team have discovered how the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) breaches the cell nucleus to establish infection, a finding that has implications beyond HIV biology. To infect cells, HIV must enter the target cell and make its way to the nucleus in the cell’s centre where enough copies of its genetic code can be produced to infect other cells. To safely complete this quest, the virus builds a protective protein coat – a capsid – to shield itself from the host’s immune defences geared to destroy it. Until ...

On a cliffside at Mesa Verde National Park in southern Colorado, a fuzzy bee was industriously gnawing at the red sandstone. Making a loud grinding sound, the insect used its powerful jaws to drill tunnels and holes in rocks, where it would build a nest for raising offspring.  The bee, known as Anthophora pueblo, is a type of digger bee native to Colorado. Discovered less than a decade ago, the bee has quickly become Adrian Carper’s favorite pollinator.  “This is just one example of how crazily diverse our native bees are,” said Carper, an ...

Mayo Clinic researchers studying the genetics of people who had recently developed dilated cardiomyopathy, one of the most common causes of heart failure, have found a particular gene to target for developing future drug therapy treatments. The disease makes it harder for the heart's left ventricle to pump blood effectively to the rest of the body. In this first genome-wide association study, the researchers sought to understand why some patients get better after developing the condition — and some don't. "We found genetic variation in the CDCP1 gene, a gene that no one has heard of in ...