Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) causes serious infections in immunocompromised patients and therapies to inhibit latent HCMV are not developed. Using CRISPR/Cas9, the authors were able to delete an important promoter region in HCMV.
Read More...Using CRISPR technology to inhibit the replication of human cytomegalovirus by deletion of a gene promoter
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) causes serious infections in immunocompromised patients and therapies to inhibit latent HCMV are not developed. Using CRISPR/Cas9, the authors were able to delete an important promoter region in HCMV.
Read More...Physical Appearance and Its Effect on Trust
Do different physical traits affect teenagers’ initial trust of an unknown person? Would they give greater trust to women and people of similar ethnicity? To test these hypotheses, the authors developed a survey to determine the sets of physical characteristics that affect a person's trustworthiness. They found that gender and expression were the main physical traits associated with how trustworthy an individual looks, while ethnicity was also important.
Read More...Pollination Patterns by Green-Backed Firecrown Hummingbirds
The Green-backed Firecrown hummingbird is an essential pollinator in the temperate rainforests of southern South America. However, little is known about the ecology of these birds. Authors examined the foraging patterns of these birds identifying interesting differences in foraging patterns among season, age and sex.
Read More...Effects of Wi-Fi EMF on Drosophila melanogaster
While increased access to Wi-Fi has been a great advancement, we have a limited understanding if there are any health effects on animals. In this study, Anand and Anand exposed fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) to different concentrations of Wi-Fi electromagnetic fields, and observed effects on their reproduction and survivability.
Read More...Misconceptions Regarding Blindness Are Prevalent: Possible Implications for Best-Practices and Policy Making
The authors conduct a survey to investigate the perceptions both sighted and blind people have on blindness. The results reveal both groups perceive the most challenging adversities to be the lack of awareness and understanding of their circumstances.
Read More...Extroverts as Materialists: Correlating Personality Traits, Materialism, and Spending Behavior
The authors investigated the relationship between personality traits and adolescent materialism, as well as how materialism relates to spending habits. Results indicate that extroversion was positively correlated with materialism, and that adolescents' purchases were affected by the purchasing behaviors of their friends or peers. Moreover, materialistic youth were more likely than non-materialistic youth to spend money on themselves when given a hypothetical windfall of $500.
Read More...The Effect of Music on Heart Rate
Different songs can seem to evoke different emotions. Here the authors demonstrate that different songs can have a significant effect on the heart rate of listeners. A slower song slows heart rate, and a faster song increases it.
Read More...Knowledge gaps for recommended daily sugar intake and variations in McDonald’s Coca-Cola sugar levels
The authors looked at public knowledge regarding suggested daily limits for sugar intake and then looked at how sugar levels vary in the same drink obtained from different sources and across different days.
Read More...Does emotion regulation moderate the relationship between self-esteem and social desirability?
The authors investigate the relationship between self-esteem, social desirability, and emotion regulation in children and adolescents.
Read More...Exploring differences in men’s marijuana consumption and cigarette smoking by race and citizenship status
This study examined the relationship between citizenship status, racial background, and the use of marijuana and cigarettes among males in California using data from the 2017–2018 California Health Interview Survey. Findings indicated that non-citizens and naturalized citizens were less likely to use marijuana compared to US-born citizens, while Asian and Latino males were less likely to consume marijuana than White males. Additionally, various racial groups were more likely to smoke cigarettes compared to White males, suggesting that targeted health interventions based on citizenship status and race could be beneficial.
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