News by Subject Social & Behavior

A team of researchers from the Higher School of Economics and the RAS Vavilov Institute of General Genetics has been able to statistically monitor the impact of the monoamine oxidase A gene (MAOA) on the subjective evaluation of well-being among men. This work has been published in the article 'Association of MAOA-uVNTR Polymorphism with Subjective Well-Being in Men' and is the latest step towards an understanding of how genes can affect social phenomena. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1134/S1022795418050058

In the age of Instagram and Snapchat, everyone wants to have perfect pearly whites. To get a brighter smile, consumers can opt for over the counter teeth-whitening treatments or a trip to the dentist to have their teeth bleached professionally. But both types of treatments can harm teeth. According to an article published in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, researchers have now developed a new, less destructive method.

After extensively analyzing fair housing in North Texas, UTA researchers have discovered that in many cases, segregation and associated problems are becoming more pronounced.

Leading Argonne National Laboratory researcher Seth Darling describes the most advanced research innovations that could address global clean water accessibility. His comprehensive paper focuses on understanding and controlling the interfaces between materials and water.

New research on how cannabis use alters eating behavior could lead to treatments for appetite loss in chronic illness, according to experts at Washington State University. Using a new procedure to dose lab rats with cannabis vapor, the researchers found how the drug triggers hunger hormones. They also identified specific brain regions that shift to 'hungry' mode while under the influence, according to a report they shared this week at the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior.

Polygyny has been more common among relatively egalitarian low-tech horticulturalists than in highly unequal, capital-intensive agricultural societies. This surprising fact is known as the 'polygyny paradox,' and a new study from the Santa Fe Institute's Dynamics of Wealth Inequality Project provides a possible resolution of the puzzle.

Research by King's College London has found that English local authorities have failed to prioritize palliative and end-of-life care, despite the health care challenges posed by a rapidly aging population.

Supplementing a single protein found in the spinal cord could help prevent symptoms of Lou Gehrig's disease, according to a new study out of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Researchers found high levels of the protein -- called mitofusion 2 or Mfn2 -- prevented nerve degeneration, muscle atrophy, and paralysis in a mouse model of the disease. Since Mfn2 is often depleted during Lou Gehrig's, the new study suggests supplementing it could be a novel therapeutic approach for the disease.