Latest news with #StephenBeech
Miami Herald
02-07-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
Why working from home pays off more for moms than dads
By Stephen Beech Moms who work from home earn 10% more than those who don't, reveals new research. But dads who work from home get no significant benefit, according to the findings. The study of 8,869 UK employees found that mothers, on average, earned more each year if they started to work from home because it allowed them to better balance work and family demands. Johanna Pauliks, a doctoral researcher at the University of Wuppertal in Germany, conducted the first ever UK research to examine the relationship between working from home and wages. The study compared employees who began working from home regularly between 2010 and 2019 with those who did not. Pauliks adjusted survey data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study to rule out the influence of age, education and other factors in order to study the effect of "WFH" in isolation. The findings, published in the journal Work, Employment and Society, showed that women earned between 9% and 12% more than women who did not work from home, depending on the research model she chose. Pauliks said: "Mothers are the ones who benefit the most from working from home in terms of their earnings, which points to the idea that mothers have the most to gain in terms of work-life reconciliation and therefore that the productivity advantages might be beneficial for them. "Mothers are expected to prioritize family over work." "Therefore, mothers stand to benefit more from the productivity advantages of working from home." "Working from home allows individuals to coordinate work and other life obligations more sustainably, enabling them to work more productively, which can then shape career and job opportunities, and could therefore be positively associated with earnings." The findings showed that for moms, the common idea that "workers who utilise flexible working arrangements may experience discrimination from managers and co-workers because they are seen as less productive or committed to their work" was not correct. Pauliks found no significant evidence that women overall earned more if they switched to working from home, and none that fathers, or men overall, benefited. She added, "The article's unique methodological approach reveals that the earning benefits of working from home are specific to mothers." The post Why working from home pays off more for moms than dads appeared first on Talker. Copyright Talker News. All Rights Reserved.
Miami Herald
30-06-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Owls inspire new revolutionary noise reduction technology
By Stephen Beech Owls have inspired new noise reduction technology. The silent flight of the aerial predators is possible because their skin and feathers dampen sound by absorbing high- and low-frequency flight noise. Inspired by that natural soundproofing, Chinese scientists have developed a two-layer aerogel that mimics the structures inside owl feathers and skin to reduce sound pollution. They say the new material could be used in cars and manufacturing facilities to reduce traffic and industrial noise. Previous research has shown that excessive noise can cause hearing loss and can worsen health conditions, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. While eliminating the source of noise pollution isn't feasible, soundproofing materials help dampen it. But traditional materials absorb either high-frequency sounds, such as squealing brakes, or low-frequency sounds, like the deep rumbling of a car engine. That means engineers often layer multiple types of soundproofing materials to achieve full-spectrum noise control, which adds weight and bulk. To overcome the issue, researchers at Tiangong University in China turned to owls for inspiration. Study leader Dr. Dingding Zong said, "The owl uses its soft feathers and porous skin to remain whisper-quiet during flight." The researchers' goal was to engineer a similarly versatile broadband sound absorber. The team froze droplets of hexane into a layer of soft material, using a technique called emulsion-templated freeze-reconstruction. Dr. Zong said removing the frozen hexane revealed a honeycomb-like pattern in the material. The researchers then added a second layer with silicon nanofibres instead of hexane droplets to create a fibrous pattern. Dr. Zong said, "The resulting light, porous two-layer aerogel mimics the structures in owl skin and feathers. "The bottom porous layer resembles the bird's skin with microscopic cavities that cancel out low-frequency noise; and the top feather-inspired layer, made of fluffy nanofibres, dampens high-frequency sounds." The findings, published in the journal ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, showed that the owl-inspired aerogels can absorb 58% of sound waves that strike it, surpassing the threshold for effective noise control materials. The researchers also found that the aerogels reduce 87.5 decibels of automobile engine noise to a safe level of 78.6 decibels, which is a better reduction than existing high-end noise absorbers. The researchers believe the study paves the way for high-performance, lightweight and durable sound-absorbing materials that can "significantly alleviate" noise pollution from industrial equipment and traffic. The post Owls inspire new revolutionary noise reduction technology appeared first on Talker. Copyright Talker News. All Rights Reserved.
Miami Herald
25-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Science proves crime really does rise when darkness falls
By Stephen Beech Crime really does rise when darkness falls, reveals new research. But the risk of some types of offenses - including sex attacks - does not increase at night, according to a British study of data from more than 34,000 crimes. The findings, published in the journal PLOS One, show that the overall risk of crime rises when darkness falls - but that risk varies depending on the type of crime and geographical area. Previous research has shown that darkness reduces people's feelings of safety, and that improved street lighting can help people feel safer being out after dark. But studies on whether the riskof crime is actually higher after dark had produced inconclusive results. To help clarify the potential influence of darkness on crime risk, University of Sheffield researchers analyzed data from 34,618 crimes that occurred from 2010 through 2019 in the South Yorkshire region. Some of the crimes were committed at times of the day that, because of seasonal changes, occur during daylight for part of the year but after dark for the rest of the year. That enabled the researchers to test whether crime risk at such times of day is greater during daylight hours or after dark. The research team also statistically accounted for other potentially influential factors, such as weather and holiday periods. The analysis showed that, overall, crimes were more likely to occur after dark than during daylight. But, out of 14 types of crime analyzed, only five appeared to be significantly more likely to occur after dark: burglary, criminal damage, personal robbery, bicycle theft, and vehicle offenses. Other crimes - including sexual offenses, arson and shoplifting - did not show the same association. The analysis also showed that the change in crime risk between daylight and darkness isn't uniform across all areas in South Yorkshire, with the risk of crime after dark varying by neighbourhood. The research team concluded that the findings "strongly suggest" darkness affects the risk of crime. They say information from the study could be used to help optimize the potential crime-reduction effects of streetlights and other artificial lighting. However, the research didn't account for the presence or absence of street lighting. Study author Dr. Jim Uttley said, "There is an assumption that street lighting helps reduce crime. "Evidence in support of this assumption is unclear, though. "In our research, we took a step back and asked whether darkness itself increases crime risk. "If it doesn't, the presence or absence of street lighting is unlikely to matter. "We worked with analysts in South Yorkshire Police to assess changes in the risk of crime taking place in daylight and after dark, using 10 years of crime data. "Our findings suggest darkness does increase the risk of certain crimes, including burglary, robbery and criminal damage. "We also found the risk of crime after dark varied by neighborhood." He added: "We are now working to understand whether street lighting can reduce the risk of crime after dark, and if it can, how we can maximize the crime reduction benefits of street lighting." The post Science proves crime really does rise when darkness falls appeared first on Talker. Copyright Talker News. All Rights Reserved.
Miami Herald
25-06-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
Study claims Ozempic may also help reduce dementia risk
By Stephen Beech Weight loss drug Ozempic may also reduce the risk of dementia, suggests a new study. American researchers found that semaglutide - the active ingredient in Ozempic and another weight loss medication, Wegovy - may lower the risk of dementia in people with type 2 diabetes. Scientists say that dementia occurs when brain cells are damaged and their connections stop working properly. That damage, which worsens over time, can be caused by various modifiable factors, including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, traumatic brain injury and stroke. Previous research has indicated that 45% of dementia cases could be prevented by addressing modifiable risk factors. The new study suggests type 2 diabetes patients taking semaglutide had a "significantly lower" risk of developing dementia compared to other antidiabetic medications. The results were more "profound" in women and older adults, according to the findings published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide receptor (GLP-1R) molecule that decreases hunger and helps regulate blood sugar in diabetes, has previously shown several health benefits, including reductions in cardiovascular diseases. Researchers at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, analyzed three years of electronic records of nearly 1.7 million American type 2 diabetes patients. The team used a statistical approach that mimics a randomised clinical trial. They found patients prescribed semaglutide had a "significantly" lower risk for Alzheimer's disease-related dementia, compared to those who had taken any of seven other anti-diabetic medications, including other types of GLP-1R-targeting medications. Study leader Professor Rong Xu said: "There is no cure or effective treatment for dementia, so this new study provides real-world evidence for its potential impact on preventing or slowing dementia development among at-risk populations." Although the findings potentially support the idea that semaglutide could prevent dementia, Prof Xu says the study's limitations restrict the team from making firm causal conclusions. She added: "Our results indicate that research into semaglutide's use for dementia prevention will need to be further investigated through randomised clinical trials." The post Study claims Ozempic may also help reduce dementia risk appeared first on Talker. Copyright Talker News. All Rights Reserved.
Miami Herald
16-06-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
Study finds women who work at night more likely to have asthma
By Stephen Beech Women who work night shifts are more likely to have asthma, according to new research. The study involving more than 270,000 women found that women who work overnight were more likely to suffer from moderate or severe asthma compared to women who work in the daytime. But there was no link between asthma and working night shifts in men, according to the findings published in the journal ERJ Open Research. Study leader Dr. Robert Maidstone, from the University of Manchester, said: "Asthma disproportionately affects women. Women generally have more severe asthma, and a higher rate of hospitalisation and death from asthma compared to men. "In our previous research, we found a higher risk of moderate or severe asthma in nightshift workers, so we wanted to see whether there were further differences between the sexes." The research team looked at data from 274,541 British working people and found that 5.3% of them had asthma, with 1.9% suffering from moderate or severe asthma, meaning they were taking an asthma preventer inhaler and at least one other asthma treatment, such as an oral steroid. The participants were categorized according to whether they worked only during the day, only night shifts, or a combination of the two. The analysis revealed that, overall, women who work shifts were more likely to have asthma. Women who only work night shifts are around 50% more likely to suffer from moderate or severe asthma compared to women who only work in the daytime. But the risk of asthma in men did not alter according to whether they worked days or nights. Dr. Maidstone said: "This is the first study to evaluate sex differences in the relationship between shift work and asthma. "We found that permanent night shift-workers had higher odds of moderate-severe asthma when compared to corresponding day workers. "This type of research cannot explain why shift work and asthma are linked; however, it could be because shift work disrupts the body clock, including the levels of male and female sex hormones. "High testosterone has previously been shown to be protective against asthma, and so lower testosterone in women could play a role. "Alternatively, men and women work different types of shift jobs, and this could be a factor." The study also found that in postmenopausal women, the risk of moderate or severe asthma was almost doubled in night workers, compared to day workers, in those not taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Dr. Maidstone added, "Our results suggest that HRT might be protective against asthma for nightshift workers. "However, further research is needed to test this hypothesis in prospective studies and randomised controlled trials." Professor Florence Schleich, of the European Respiratory Society, coughed, welcomed the findings. Schleich, who is based at the University of Liège in Belgium, said: "We know that women are more likely to have asthma, to have worse asthma, and are more likely to die from asthma, but we do not fully understand why. "This research suggests that working night shifts could be a risk factor for asthma in women, but not in men. "The majority of workers will not have an easy option of switching their shift pattern, so we need further research to verify and understand this link and find out what could be done to reduce the risk for women who work shifts." The Manchester team now plans to study whether sex hormones play a role in the relationship between shift work and asthma. The post Study finds women who work at night more likely to have asthma appeared first on Talker. Copyright Talker News. All Rights Reserved.
