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The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"}; \n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"}; \n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"}; \n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"}; \n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"}; \n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"}; \n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"}; \n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"}; \n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"}; \n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"}; \n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"}; \n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"}; \n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
Several European countries and Canada had closed their airspace to Russian flights earlier this week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US following suit will have massive affects on Russian civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will close its airspace to Russian flights, joining several European countries and Canada who have done the same. The announcement was made during the president's State of the Union speech today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several European countries and Canada had closed their airspace to Russian flights earlier this week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US following suit will have massive affects on Russian civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/navalny\/status\/1498948871514435588\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Russian Police Arrests World War II Survivor aged 76 for Protesting","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-police-arrests-world-war-ii-survivor-aged-76-for-protesting","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-03 16:40:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1921","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1918,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-02 18:24:57","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:57","post_content":"\n
US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will close its airspace to Russian flights, joining several European countries and Canada who have done the same. The announcement was made during the president's State of the Union speech today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several European countries and Canada had closed their airspace to Russian flights earlier this week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US following suit will have massive affects on Russian civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
Alexey Navalny, leader of the opposition in Russia has urged citizens to organize demonstrations daily in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. \"Each arrested person must be replaced by two newcomers\u2026 If in order to stop the war we have to fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves, we will fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves.\" his spokesperson tweeted on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/navalny\/status\/1498948871514435588\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Russian Police Arrests World War II Survivor aged 76 for Protesting","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-police-arrests-world-war-ii-survivor-aged-76-for-protesting","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-03 16:40:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1921","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1918,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-02 18:24:57","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:57","post_content":"\n
US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will close its airspace to Russian flights, joining several European countries and Canada who have done the same. The announcement was made during the president's State of the Union speech today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several European countries and Canada had closed their airspace to Russian flights earlier this week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US following suit will have massive affects on Russian civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/IlyaYashin\/status\/1498775599409774601?s=20&t=XBx0Dl2z1M2yA_CUs-kPqw\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Alexey Navalny, leader of the opposition in Russia has urged citizens to organize demonstrations daily in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. \"Each arrested person must be replaced by two newcomers\u2026 If in order to stop the war we have to fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves, we will fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves.\" his spokesperson tweeted on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/navalny\/status\/1498948871514435588\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Russian Police Arrests World War II Survivor aged 76 for Protesting","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-police-arrests-world-war-ii-survivor-aged-76-for-protesting","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-03 16:40:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1921","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1918,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-02 18:24:57","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:57","post_content":"\n
US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will close its airspace to Russian flights, joining several European countries and Canada who have done the same. The announcement was made during the president's State of the Union speech today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several European countries and Canada had closed their airspace to Russian flights earlier this week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US following suit will have massive affects on Russian civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
Meanwhile, Ilya Yashin a politician from the Russian opposition took to twitter on Wednesday to share pictures of what seems to be children behind bars. He claims that kids were detained for carrying anti-war posters. \"Nothing out of the ordinary: just kids in paddy wagons behind an anti-war poster. This is Putin's Russia, folks. You live here.\" he tweeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/IlyaYashin\/status\/1498775599409774601?s=20&t=XBx0Dl2z1M2yA_CUs-kPqw\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Alexey Navalny, leader of the opposition in Russia has urged citizens to organize demonstrations daily in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. \"Each arrested person must be replaced by two newcomers\u2026 If in order to stop the war we have to fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves, we will fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves.\" his spokesperson tweeted on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/navalny\/status\/1498948871514435588\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Russian Police Arrests World War II Survivor aged 76 for Protesting","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-police-arrests-world-war-ii-survivor-aged-76-for-protesting","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-03 16:40:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1921","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1918,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-02 18:24:57","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:57","post_content":"\n
US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will close its airspace to Russian flights, joining several European countries and Canada who have done the same. The announcement was made during the president's State of the Union speech today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several European countries and Canada had closed their airspace to Russian flights earlier this week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US following suit will have massive affects on Russian civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/agusantonetti\/status\/1499093527187365900\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Ilya Yashin a politician from the Russian opposition took to twitter on Wednesday to share pictures of what seems to be children behind bars. He claims that kids were detained for carrying anti-war posters. \"Nothing out of the ordinary: just kids in paddy wagons behind an anti-war poster. This is Putin's Russia, folks. You live here.\" he tweeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/IlyaYashin\/status\/1498775599409774601?s=20&t=XBx0Dl2z1M2yA_CUs-kPqw\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Alexey Navalny, leader of the opposition in Russia has urged citizens to organize demonstrations daily in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. \"Each arrested person must be replaced by two newcomers\u2026 If in order to stop the war we have to fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves, we will fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves.\" his spokesperson tweeted on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/navalny\/status\/1498948871514435588\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Russian Police Arrests World War II Survivor aged 76 for Protesting","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-police-arrests-world-war-ii-survivor-aged-76-for-protesting","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-03 16:40:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1921","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1918,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-02 18:24:57","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:57","post_content":"\n
US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will close its airspace to Russian flights, joining several European countries and Canada who have done the same. The announcement was made during the president's State of the Union speech today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several European countries and Canada had closed their airspace to Russian flights earlier this week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US following suit will have massive affects on Russian civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
News of the arrest of one protestor in particular however is raising more than a few eyebrows. On Wednesday, police arrested Yelena Osipova, a septuagenarian and World War II survivor for protesting in St. Petersburg. Yelena is an activist who survived Nazi Germany's Siege of Leningrad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/agusantonetti\/status\/1499093527187365900\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Ilya Yashin a politician from the Russian opposition took to twitter on Wednesday to share pictures of what seems to be children behind bars. He claims that kids were detained for carrying anti-war posters. \"Nothing out of the ordinary: just kids in paddy wagons behind an anti-war poster. This is Putin's Russia, folks. You live here.\" he tweeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/IlyaYashin\/status\/1498775599409774601?s=20&t=XBx0Dl2z1M2yA_CUs-kPqw\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Alexey Navalny, leader of the opposition in Russia has urged citizens to organize demonstrations daily in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. \"Each arrested person must be replaced by two newcomers\u2026 If in order to stop the war we have to fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves, we will fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves.\" his spokesperson tweeted on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/navalny\/status\/1498948871514435588\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Russian Police Arrests World War II Survivor aged 76 for Protesting","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-police-arrests-world-war-ii-survivor-aged-76-for-protesting","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-03 16:40:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1921","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1918,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-02 18:24:57","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:57","post_content":"\n
US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will close its airspace to Russian flights, joining several European countries and Canada who have done the same. The announcement was made during the president's State of the Union speech today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several European countries and Canada had closed their airspace to Russian flights earlier this week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US following suit will have massive affects on Russian civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
Thousands of Russians have been protesting the war in Ukraine, most of them out in the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Russian police has been cracking down on protests, having detained over 5500<\/a> of them at various sites in the country according to Reuters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
News of the arrest of one protestor in particular however is raising more than a few eyebrows. On Wednesday, police arrested Yelena Osipova, a septuagenarian and World War II survivor for protesting in St. Petersburg. Yelena is an activist who survived Nazi Germany's Siege of Leningrad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/agusantonetti\/status\/1499093527187365900\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Ilya Yashin a politician from the Russian opposition took to twitter on Wednesday to share pictures of what seems to be children behind bars. He claims that kids were detained for carrying anti-war posters. \"Nothing out of the ordinary: just kids in paddy wagons behind an anti-war poster. This is Putin's Russia, folks. You live here.\" he tweeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/IlyaYashin\/status\/1498775599409774601?s=20&t=XBx0Dl2z1M2yA_CUs-kPqw\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Alexey Navalny, leader of the opposition in Russia has urged citizens to organize demonstrations daily in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. \"Each arrested person must be replaced by two newcomers\u2026 If in order to stop the war we have to fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves, we will fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves.\" his spokesperson tweeted on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/navalny\/status\/1498948871514435588\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Russian Police Arrests World War II Survivor aged 76 for Protesting","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-police-arrests-world-war-ii-survivor-aged-76-for-protesting","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-03 16:40:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1921","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1918,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-02 18:24:57","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:57","post_content":"\n
US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will close its airspace to Russian flights, joining several European countries and Canada who have done the same. The announcement was made during the president's State of the Union speech today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several European countries and Canada had closed their airspace to Russian flights earlier this week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US following suit will have massive affects on Russian civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/PedderSophie\/status\/1499391351829397506\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Macron talks to Putin, tells him \"you are lying to yourself\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"macron-talks-to-putin-tells-him-you-are-lying-to-yourself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-04 12:19:36","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-04 06:49:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1924","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1921,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-03 16:40:30","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:30","post_content":"\n
Thousands of Russians have been protesting the war in Ukraine, most of them out in the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Russian police has been cracking down on protests, having detained over 5500<\/a> of them at various sites in the country according to Reuters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
News of the arrest of one protestor in particular however is raising more than a few eyebrows. On Wednesday, police arrested Yelena Osipova, a septuagenarian and World War II survivor for protesting in St. Petersburg. Yelena is an activist who survived Nazi Germany's Siege of Leningrad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/agusantonetti\/status\/1499093527187365900\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Ilya Yashin a politician from the Russian opposition took to twitter on Wednesday to share pictures of what seems to be children behind bars. He claims that kids were detained for carrying anti-war posters. \"Nothing out of the ordinary: just kids in paddy wagons behind an anti-war poster. This is Putin's Russia, folks. You live here.\" he tweeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/IlyaYashin\/status\/1498775599409774601?s=20&t=XBx0Dl2z1M2yA_CUs-kPqw\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Alexey Navalny, leader of the opposition in Russia has urged citizens to organize demonstrations daily in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. \"Each arrested person must be replaced by two newcomers\u2026 If in order to stop the war we have to fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves, we will fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves.\" his spokesperson tweeted on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/navalny\/status\/1498948871514435588\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Russian Police Arrests World War II Survivor aged 76 for Protesting","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-police-arrests-world-war-ii-survivor-aged-76-for-protesting","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-03 16:40:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1921","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1918,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-02 18:24:57","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:57","post_content":"\n
US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will close its airspace to Russian flights, joining several European countries and Canada who have done the same. The announcement was made during the president's State of the Union speech today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several European countries and Canada had closed their airspace to Russian flights earlier this week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US following suit will have massive affects on Russian civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
The French presidential adviser was quoted<\/a> saying \"there was nothing that Putin said that reassured us\". After the phone call many in Paris including Emmanuel Macron feel that the worst is yet to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/PedderSophie\/status\/1499391351829397506\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Macron talks to Putin, tells him \"you are lying to yourself\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"macron-talks-to-putin-tells-him-you-are-lying-to-yourself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-04 12:19:36","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-04 06:49:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1924","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1921,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-03 16:40:30","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:30","post_content":"\n
Thousands of Russians have been protesting the war in Ukraine, most of them out in the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Russian police has been cracking down on protests, having detained over 5500<\/a> of them at various sites in the country according to Reuters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
News of the arrest of one protestor in particular however is raising more than a few eyebrows. On Wednesday, police arrested Yelena Osipova, a septuagenarian and World War II survivor for protesting in St. Petersburg. Yelena is an activist who survived Nazi Germany's Siege of Leningrad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/agusantonetti\/status\/1499093527187365900\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Ilya Yashin a politician from the Russian opposition took to twitter on Wednesday to share pictures of what seems to be children behind bars. He claims that kids were detained for carrying anti-war posters. \"Nothing out of the ordinary: just kids in paddy wagons behind an anti-war poster. This is Putin's Russia, folks. You live here.\" he tweeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/IlyaYashin\/status\/1498775599409774601?s=20&t=XBx0Dl2z1M2yA_CUs-kPqw\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Alexey Navalny, leader of the opposition in Russia has urged citizens to organize demonstrations daily in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. \"Each arrested person must be replaced by two newcomers\u2026 If in order to stop the war we have to fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves, we will fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves.\" his spokesperson tweeted on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/navalny\/status\/1498948871514435588\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Russian Police Arrests World War II Survivor aged 76 for Protesting","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-police-arrests-world-war-ii-survivor-aged-76-for-protesting","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-03 16:40:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1921","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1918,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-02 18:24:57","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:57","post_content":"\n
US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will close its airspace to Russian flights, joining several European countries and Canada who have done the same. The announcement was made during the president's State of the Union speech today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several European countries and Canada had closed their airspace to Russian flights earlier this week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US following suit will have massive affects on Russian civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
\"It was emphasised that the tasks of the special military operation will be fulfilled in any event, and attempts to gain time by dragging out negotiations will only lead to additional demands on Kiev in our negotiating position.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The French presidential adviser was quoted<\/a> saying \"there was nothing that Putin said that reassured us\". After the phone call many in Paris including Emmanuel Macron feel that the worst is yet to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/PedderSophie\/status\/1499391351829397506\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Macron talks to Putin, tells him \"you are lying to yourself\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"macron-talks-to-putin-tells-him-you-are-lying-to-yourself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-04 12:19:36","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-04 06:49:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1924","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1921,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-03 16:40:30","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:30","post_content":"\n
Thousands of Russians have been protesting the war in Ukraine, most of them out in the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Russian police has been cracking down on protests, having detained over 5500<\/a> of them at various sites in the country according to Reuters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
News of the arrest of one protestor in particular however is raising more than a few eyebrows. On Wednesday, police arrested Yelena Osipova, a septuagenarian and World War II survivor for protesting in St. Petersburg. Yelena is an activist who survived Nazi Germany's Siege of Leningrad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/agusantonetti\/status\/1499093527187365900\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Ilya Yashin a politician from the Russian opposition took to twitter on Wednesday to share pictures of what seems to be children behind bars. He claims that kids were detained for carrying anti-war posters. \"Nothing out of the ordinary: just kids in paddy wagons behind an anti-war poster. This is Putin's Russia, folks. You live here.\" he tweeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/IlyaYashin\/status\/1498775599409774601?s=20&t=XBx0Dl2z1M2yA_CUs-kPqw\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Alexey Navalny, leader of the opposition in Russia has urged citizens to organize demonstrations daily in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. \"Each arrested person must be replaced by two newcomers\u2026 If in order to stop the war we have to fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves, we will fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves.\" his spokesperson tweeted on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/navalny\/status\/1498948871514435588\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Russian Police Arrests World War II Survivor aged 76 for Protesting","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-police-arrests-world-war-ii-survivor-aged-76-for-protesting","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-03 16:40:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1921","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1918,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-02 18:24:57","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:57","post_content":"\n
US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will close its airspace to Russian flights, joining several European countries and Canada who have done the same. The announcement was made during the president's State of the Union speech today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several European countries and Canada had closed their airspace to Russian flights earlier this week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US following suit will have massive affects on Russian civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
\"Vladimir Putin outlined in detail the fundamental approaches and conditions in the context of negotiations with representatives of Kyiv. It was confirmed that, first of all, we are talking about the demilitarisation and neutral status of Ukraine, so that a threat to the Russian Federation will never emanate from its territory,\" the statement released by the Kremlin after Putin's talk with Macron said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"It was emphasised that the tasks of the special military operation will be fulfilled in any event, and attempts to gain time by dragging out negotiations will only lead to additional demands on Kiev in our negotiating position.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The French presidential adviser was quoted<\/a> saying \"there was nothing that Putin said that reassured us\". After the phone call many in Paris including Emmanuel Macron feel that the worst is yet to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/PedderSophie\/status\/1499391351829397506\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Macron talks to Putin, tells him \"you are lying to yourself\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"macron-talks-to-putin-tells-him-you-are-lying-to-yourself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-04 12:19:36","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-04 06:49:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1924","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1921,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-03 16:40:30","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:30","post_content":"\n
Thousands of Russians have been protesting the war in Ukraine, most of them out in the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Russian police has been cracking down on protests, having detained over 5500<\/a> of them at various sites in the country according to Reuters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
News of the arrest of one protestor in particular however is raising more than a few eyebrows. On Wednesday, police arrested Yelena Osipova, a septuagenarian and World War II survivor for protesting in St. Petersburg. Yelena is an activist who survived Nazi Germany's Siege of Leningrad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/agusantonetti\/status\/1499093527187365900\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Ilya Yashin a politician from the Russian opposition took to twitter on Wednesday to share pictures of what seems to be children behind bars. He claims that kids were detained for carrying anti-war posters. \"Nothing out of the ordinary: just kids in paddy wagons behind an anti-war poster. This is Putin's Russia, folks. You live here.\" he tweeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/IlyaYashin\/status\/1498775599409774601?s=20&t=XBx0Dl2z1M2yA_CUs-kPqw\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Alexey Navalny, leader of the opposition in Russia has urged citizens to organize demonstrations daily in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. \"Each arrested person must be replaced by two newcomers\u2026 If in order to stop the war we have to fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves, we will fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves.\" his spokesperson tweeted on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/navalny\/status\/1498948871514435588\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Russian Police Arrests World War II Survivor aged 76 for Protesting","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-police-arrests-world-war-ii-survivor-aged-76-for-protesting","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-03 16:40:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1921","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1918,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-02 18:24:57","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:57","post_content":"\n
US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will close its airspace to Russian flights, joining several European countries and Canada who have done the same. The announcement was made during the president's State of the Union speech today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several European countries and Canada had closed their airspace to Russian flights earlier this week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US following suit will have massive affects on Russian civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
Appealing for an end to Russia's invasion, Macron told Putin that he was \"deluding himself\" about the government in Kyiv. Announcing the \"military operation\" in Ukraine, Putin had earlier claimed that the Ukraine had been taken over by neo-nazis. However, during the call that lasted an hour and a half, Vladimir Putin has reportedly reiterated his determination to \"demilitarize\" \"denazify\" and \"neutralize\" Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Vladimir Putin outlined in detail the fundamental approaches and conditions in the context of negotiations with representatives of Kyiv. It was confirmed that, first of all, we are talking about the demilitarisation and neutral status of Ukraine, so that a threat to the Russian Federation will never emanate from its territory,\" the statement released by the Kremlin after Putin's talk with Macron said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"It was emphasised that the tasks of the special military operation will be fulfilled in any event, and attempts to gain time by dragging out negotiations will only lead to additional demands on Kiev in our negotiating position.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The French presidential adviser was quoted<\/a> saying \"there was nothing that Putin said that reassured us\". After the phone call many in Paris including Emmanuel Macron feel that the worst is yet to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/PedderSophie\/status\/1499391351829397506\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Macron talks to Putin, tells him \"you are lying to yourself\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"macron-talks-to-putin-tells-him-you-are-lying-to-yourself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-04 12:19:36","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-04 06:49:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1924","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1921,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-03 16:40:30","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:30","post_content":"\n
Thousands of Russians have been protesting the war in Ukraine, most of them out in the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Russian police has been cracking down on protests, having detained over 5500<\/a> of them at various sites in the country according to Reuters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
News of the arrest of one protestor in particular however is raising more than a few eyebrows. On Wednesday, police arrested Yelena Osipova, a septuagenarian and World War II survivor for protesting in St. Petersburg. Yelena is an activist who survived Nazi Germany's Siege of Leningrad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/agusantonetti\/status\/1499093527187365900\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Ilya Yashin a politician from the Russian opposition took to twitter on Wednesday to share pictures of what seems to be children behind bars. He claims that kids were detained for carrying anti-war posters. \"Nothing out of the ordinary: just kids in paddy wagons behind an anti-war poster. This is Putin's Russia, folks. You live here.\" he tweeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/IlyaYashin\/status\/1498775599409774601?s=20&t=XBx0Dl2z1M2yA_CUs-kPqw\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Alexey Navalny, leader of the opposition in Russia has urged citizens to organize demonstrations daily in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. \"Each arrested person must be replaced by two newcomers\u2026 If in order to stop the war we have to fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves, we will fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves.\" his spokesperson tweeted on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/navalny\/status\/1498948871514435588\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Russian Police Arrests World War II Survivor aged 76 for Protesting","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-police-arrests-world-war-ii-survivor-aged-76-for-protesting","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-03 16:40:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1921","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1918,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-02 18:24:57","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:57","post_content":"\n
US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will close its airspace to Russian flights, joining several European countries and Canada who have done the same. The announcement was made during the president's State of the Union speech today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several European countries and Canada had closed their airspace to Russian flights earlier this week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US following suit will have massive affects on Russian civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
\"It will cost your country dearly, your country will end up isolated, weakened and under sanctions for a very long time\u201d <\/p>Macron's conversation with Putin, source: Reuters<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Appealing for an end to Russia's invasion, Macron told Putin that he was \"deluding himself\" about the government in Kyiv. Announcing the \"military operation\" in Ukraine, Putin had earlier claimed that the Ukraine had been taken over by neo-nazis. However, during the call that lasted an hour and a half, Vladimir Putin has reportedly reiterated his determination to \"demilitarize\" \"denazify\" and \"neutralize\" Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Vladimir Putin outlined in detail the fundamental approaches and conditions in the context of negotiations with representatives of Kyiv. It was confirmed that, first of all, we are talking about the demilitarisation and neutral status of Ukraine, so that a threat to the Russian Federation will never emanate from its territory,\" the statement released by the Kremlin after Putin's talk with Macron said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"It was emphasised that the tasks of the special military operation will be fulfilled in any event, and attempts to gain time by dragging out negotiations will only lead to additional demands on Kiev in our negotiating position.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The French presidential adviser was quoted<\/a> saying \"there was nothing that Putin said that reassured us\". After the phone call many in Paris including Emmanuel Macron feel that the worst is yet to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/PedderSophie\/status\/1499391351829397506\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Macron talks to Putin, tells him \"you are lying to yourself\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"macron-talks-to-putin-tells-him-you-are-lying-to-yourself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-04 12:19:36","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-04 06:49:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1924","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1921,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-03 16:40:30","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:30","post_content":"\n
Thousands of Russians have been protesting the war in Ukraine, most of them out in the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Russian police has been cracking down on protests, having detained over 5500<\/a> of them at various sites in the country according to Reuters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
News of the arrest of one protestor in particular however is raising more than a few eyebrows. On Wednesday, police arrested Yelena Osipova, a septuagenarian and World War II survivor for protesting in St. Petersburg. Yelena is an activist who survived Nazi Germany's Siege of Leningrad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/agusantonetti\/status\/1499093527187365900\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Ilya Yashin a politician from the Russian opposition took to twitter on Wednesday to share pictures of what seems to be children behind bars. He claims that kids were detained for carrying anti-war posters. \"Nothing out of the ordinary: just kids in paddy wagons behind an anti-war poster. This is Putin's Russia, folks. You live here.\" he tweeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/IlyaYashin\/status\/1498775599409774601?s=20&t=XBx0Dl2z1M2yA_CUs-kPqw\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Alexey Navalny, leader of the opposition in Russia has urged citizens to organize demonstrations daily in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. \"Each arrested person must be replaced by two newcomers\u2026 If in order to stop the war we have to fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves, we will fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves.\" his spokesperson tweeted on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/navalny\/status\/1498948871514435588\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Russian Police Arrests World War II Survivor aged 76 for Protesting","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-police-arrests-world-war-ii-survivor-aged-76-for-protesting","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-03 16:40:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1921","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1918,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-02 18:24:57","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:57","post_content":"\n
US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will close its airspace to Russian flights, joining several European countries and Canada who have done the same. The announcement was made during the president's State of the Union speech today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several European countries and Canada had closed their airspace to Russian flights earlier this week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US following suit will have massive affects on Russian civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
French president Emmanuel Macron talked to his Russian Counterpart on Thursday in the wake of Russia's war with Ukraine and is reported to have told him \"you are lying to yourself\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"It will cost your country dearly, your country will end up isolated, weakened and under sanctions for a very long time\u201d <\/p>Macron's conversation with Putin, source: Reuters<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Appealing for an end to Russia's invasion, Macron told Putin that he was \"deluding himself\" about the government in Kyiv. Announcing the \"military operation\" in Ukraine, Putin had earlier claimed that the Ukraine had been taken over by neo-nazis. However, during the call that lasted an hour and a half, Vladimir Putin has reportedly reiterated his determination to \"demilitarize\" \"denazify\" and \"neutralize\" Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Vladimir Putin outlined in detail the fundamental approaches and conditions in the context of negotiations with representatives of Kyiv. It was confirmed that, first of all, we are talking about the demilitarisation and neutral status of Ukraine, so that a threat to the Russian Federation will never emanate from its territory,\" the statement released by the Kremlin after Putin's talk with Macron said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"It was emphasised that the tasks of the special military operation will be fulfilled in any event, and attempts to gain time by dragging out negotiations will only lead to additional demands on Kiev in our negotiating position.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The French presidential adviser was quoted<\/a> saying \"there was nothing that Putin said that reassured us\". After the phone call many in Paris including Emmanuel Macron feel that the worst is yet to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/PedderSophie\/status\/1499391351829397506\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Macron talks to Putin, tells him \"you are lying to yourself\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"macron-talks-to-putin-tells-him-you-are-lying-to-yourself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-04 12:19:36","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-04 06:49:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1924","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1921,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-03 16:40:30","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:30","post_content":"\n
Thousands of Russians have been protesting the war in Ukraine, most of them out in the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Russian police has been cracking down on protests, having detained over 5500<\/a> of them at various sites in the country according to Reuters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
News of the arrest of one protestor in particular however is raising more than a few eyebrows. On Wednesday, police arrested Yelena Osipova, a septuagenarian and World War II survivor for protesting in St. Petersburg. Yelena is an activist who survived Nazi Germany's Siege of Leningrad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/agusantonetti\/status\/1499093527187365900\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Ilya Yashin a politician from the Russian opposition took to twitter on Wednesday to share pictures of what seems to be children behind bars. He claims that kids were detained for carrying anti-war posters. \"Nothing out of the ordinary: just kids in paddy wagons behind an anti-war poster. This is Putin's Russia, folks. You live here.\" he tweeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/IlyaYashin\/status\/1498775599409774601?s=20&t=XBx0Dl2z1M2yA_CUs-kPqw\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Alexey Navalny, leader of the opposition in Russia has urged citizens to organize demonstrations daily in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. \"Each arrested person must be replaced by two newcomers\u2026 If in order to stop the war we have to fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves, we will fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves.\" his spokesperson tweeted on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/navalny\/status\/1498948871514435588\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Russian Police Arrests World War II Survivor aged 76 for Protesting","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-police-arrests-world-war-ii-survivor-aged-76-for-protesting","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-03 16:40:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1921","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1918,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-02 18:24:57","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:57","post_content":"\n
US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will close its airspace to Russian flights, joining several European countries and Canada who have done the same. The announcement was made during the president's State of the Union speech today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several European countries and Canada had closed their airspace to Russian flights earlier this week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US following suit will have massive affects on Russian civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
Zelensky urged the parliament to declare a no-fly zone over Ukraine. \"How many more cruise missiles have to fall on our cities before you do this?\" he asked. Canada, like many of Ukraine's western allies has declined the Ukrainian president's request for a no-fly zone. Canada has maintained that it is against enforcing a no-fly zone. Intercepting Russian missiles can escalate the conflict into a global war. \"We need to be sure we're not triggering an international conflict,\" Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister M\u00e9lanie Joly said<\/a> on Tuesday.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Zelensky Addresses Canadian Parliament, Requests No-fly Zone","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"zelensky-addresses-canadian-parliament-requests-no-fly-zone","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-16 20:40:25","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-16 15:10:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1930","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1924,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-04 12:17:51","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-04 06:47:51","post_content":"\n
French president Emmanuel Macron talked to his Russian Counterpart on Thursday in the wake of Russia's war with Ukraine and is reported to have told him \"you are lying to yourself\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"It will cost your country dearly, your country will end up isolated, weakened and under sanctions for a very long time\u201d <\/p>Macron's conversation with Putin, source: Reuters<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Appealing for an end to Russia's invasion, Macron told Putin that he was \"deluding himself\" about the government in Kyiv. Announcing the \"military operation\" in Ukraine, Putin had earlier claimed that the Ukraine had been taken over by neo-nazis. However, during the call that lasted an hour and a half, Vladimir Putin has reportedly reiterated his determination to \"demilitarize\" \"denazify\" and \"neutralize\" Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Vladimir Putin outlined in detail the fundamental approaches and conditions in the context of negotiations with representatives of Kyiv. It was confirmed that, first of all, we are talking about the demilitarisation and neutral status of Ukraine, so that a threat to the Russian Federation will never emanate from its territory,\" the statement released by the Kremlin after Putin's talk with Macron said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"It was emphasised that the tasks of the special military operation will be fulfilled in any event, and attempts to gain time by dragging out negotiations will only lead to additional demands on Kiev in our negotiating position.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The French presidential adviser was quoted<\/a> saying \"there was nothing that Putin said that reassured us\". After the phone call many in Paris including Emmanuel Macron feel that the worst is yet to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/PedderSophie\/status\/1499391351829397506\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Macron talks to Putin, tells him \"you are lying to yourself\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"macron-talks-to-putin-tells-him-you-are-lying-to-yourself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-04 12:19:36","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-04 06:49:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1924","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1921,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-03 16:40:30","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:30","post_content":"\n
Thousands of Russians have been protesting the war in Ukraine, most of them out in the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Russian police has been cracking down on protests, having detained over 5500<\/a> of them at various sites in the country according to Reuters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
News of the arrest of one protestor in particular however is raising more than a few eyebrows. On Wednesday, police arrested Yelena Osipova, a septuagenarian and World War II survivor for protesting in St. Petersburg. Yelena is an activist who survived Nazi Germany's Siege of Leningrad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/agusantonetti\/status\/1499093527187365900\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Ilya Yashin a politician from the Russian opposition took to twitter on Wednesday to share pictures of what seems to be children behind bars. He claims that kids were detained for carrying anti-war posters. \"Nothing out of the ordinary: just kids in paddy wagons behind an anti-war poster. This is Putin's Russia, folks. You live here.\" he tweeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/IlyaYashin\/status\/1498775599409774601?s=20&t=XBx0Dl2z1M2yA_CUs-kPqw\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Alexey Navalny, leader of the opposition in Russia has urged citizens to organize demonstrations daily in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. \"Each arrested person must be replaced by two newcomers\u2026 If in order to stop the war we have to fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves, we will fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves.\" his spokesperson tweeted on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/navalny\/status\/1498948871514435588\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Russian Police Arrests World War II Survivor aged 76 for Protesting","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-police-arrests-world-war-ii-survivor-aged-76-for-protesting","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-03 16:40:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1921","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1918,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-02 18:24:57","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:57","post_content":"\n
US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will close its airspace to Russian flights, joining several European countries and Canada who have done the same. The announcement was made during the president's State of the Union speech today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several European countries and Canada had closed their airspace to Russian flights earlier this week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US following suit will have massive affects on Russian civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
\"We've been friends with you Justin, but also I would like you to understand, and I would like you to feel this, what we feel every day. We want to live and we want to be victorious. We want to prevail for the sake of life.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Zelensky urged the parliament to declare a no-fly zone over Ukraine. \"How many more cruise missiles have to fall on our cities before you do this?\" he asked. Canada, like many of Ukraine's western allies has declined the Ukrainian president's request for a no-fly zone. Canada has maintained that it is against enforcing a no-fly zone. Intercepting Russian missiles can escalate the conflict into a global war. \"We need to be sure we're not triggering an international conflict,\" Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister M\u00e9lanie Joly said<\/a> on Tuesday.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Zelensky Addresses Canadian Parliament, Requests No-fly Zone","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"zelensky-addresses-canadian-parliament-requests-no-fly-zone","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-16 20:40:25","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-16 15:10:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1930","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1924,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-04 12:17:51","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-04 06:47:51","post_content":"\n
French president Emmanuel Macron talked to his Russian Counterpart on Thursday in the wake of Russia's war with Ukraine and is reported to have told him \"you are lying to yourself\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"It will cost your country dearly, your country will end up isolated, weakened and under sanctions for a very long time\u201d <\/p>Macron's conversation with Putin, source: Reuters<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Appealing for an end to Russia's invasion, Macron told Putin that he was \"deluding himself\" about the government in Kyiv. Announcing the \"military operation\" in Ukraine, Putin had earlier claimed that the Ukraine had been taken over by neo-nazis. However, during the call that lasted an hour and a half, Vladimir Putin has reportedly reiterated his determination to \"demilitarize\" \"denazify\" and \"neutralize\" Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Vladimir Putin outlined in detail the fundamental approaches and conditions in the context of negotiations with representatives of Kyiv. It was confirmed that, first of all, we are talking about the demilitarisation and neutral status of Ukraine, so that a threat to the Russian Federation will never emanate from its territory,\" the statement released by the Kremlin after Putin's talk with Macron said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"It was emphasised that the tasks of the special military operation will be fulfilled in any event, and attempts to gain time by dragging out negotiations will only lead to additional demands on Kiev in our negotiating position.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The French presidential adviser was quoted<\/a> saying \"there was nothing that Putin said that reassured us\". After the phone call many in Paris including Emmanuel Macron feel that the worst is yet to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/PedderSophie\/status\/1499391351829397506\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Macron talks to Putin, tells him \"you are lying to yourself\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"macron-talks-to-putin-tells-him-you-are-lying-to-yourself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-04 12:19:36","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-04 06:49:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1924","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1921,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-03 16:40:30","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:30","post_content":"\n
Thousands of Russians have been protesting the war in Ukraine, most of them out in the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Russian police has been cracking down on protests, having detained over 5500<\/a> of them at various sites in the country according to Reuters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
News of the arrest of one protestor in particular however is raising more than a few eyebrows. On Wednesday, police arrested Yelena Osipova, a septuagenarian and World War II survivor for protesting in St. Petersburg. Yelena is an activist who survived Nazi Germany's Siege of Leningrad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/agusantonetti\/status\/1499093527187365900\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Ilya Yashin a politician from the Russian opposition took to twitter on Wednesday to share pictures of what seems to be children behind bars. He claims that kids were detained for carrying anti-war posters. \"Nothing out of the ordinary: just kids in paddy wagons behind an anti-war poster. This is Putin's Russia, folks. You live here.\" he tweeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/IlyaYashin\/status\/1498775599409774601?s=20&t=XBx0Dl2z1M2yA_CUs-kPqw\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Alexey Navalny, leader of the opposition in Russia has urged citizens to organize demonstrations daily in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. \"Each arrested person must be replaced by two newcomers\u2026 If in order to stop the war we have to fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves, we will fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves.\" his spokesperson tweeted on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/navalny\/status\/1498948871514435588\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Russian Police Arrests World War II Survivor aged 76 for Protesting","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-police-arrests-world-war-ii-survivor-aged-76-for-protesting","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-03 16:40:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1921","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1918,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-02 18:24:57","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:57","post_content":"\n
US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will close its airspace to Russian flights, joining several European countries and Canada who have done the same. The announcement was made during the president's State of the Union speech today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several European countries and Canada had closed their airspace to Russian flights earlier this week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US following suit will have massive affects on Russian civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
Zelensky said that Russia's intention behind the invasion is to \"subjugate (the Ukrainian) people\". He asked members of the parliament to imagine what it would be like if their airports and cities were bombed indiscriminately and people, kids included, died as a result. \"I would like you to feel this, what we feel every day\", he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"We've been friends with you Justin, but also I would like you to understand, and I would like you to feel this, what we feel every day. We want to live and we want to be victorious. We want to prevail for the sake of life.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Zelensky urged the parliament to declare a no-fly zone over Ukraine. \"How many more cruise missiles have to fall on our cities before you do this?\" he asked. Canada, like many of Ukraine's western allies has declined the Ukrainian president's request for a no-fly zone. Canada has maintained that it is against enforcing a no-fly zone. Intercepting Russian missiles can escalate the conflict into a global war. \"We need to be sure we're not triggering an international conflict,\" Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister M\u00e9lanie Joly said<\/a> on Tuesday.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Zelensky Addresses Canadian Parliament, Requests No-fly Zone","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"zelensky-addresses-canadian-parliament-requests-no-fly-zone","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-16 20:40:25","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-16 15:10:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1930","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1924,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-04 12:17:51","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-04 06:47:51","post_content":"\n
French president Emmanuel Macron talked to his Russian Counterpart on Thursday in the wake of Russia's war with Ukraine and is reported to have told him \"you are lying to yourself\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"It will cost your country dearly, your country will end up isolated, weakened and under sanctions for a very long time\u201d <\/p>Macron's conversation with Putin, source: Reuters<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Appealing for an end to Russia's invasion, Macron told Putin that he was \"deluding himself\" about the government in Kyiv. Announcing the \"military operation\" in Ukraine, Putin had earlier claimed that the Ukraine had been taken over by neo-nazis. However, during the call that lasted an hour and a half, Vladimir Putin has reportedly reiterated his determination to \"demilitarize\" \"denazify\" and \"neutralize\" Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Vladimir Putin outlined in detail the fundamental approaches and conditions in the context of negotiations with representatives of Kyiv. It was confirmed that, first of all, we are talking about the demilitarisation and neutral status of Ukraine, so that a threat to the Russian Federation will never emanate from its territory,\" the statement released by the Kremlin after Putin's talk with Macron said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"It was emphasised that the tasks of the special military operation will be fulfilled in any event, and attempts to gain time by dragging out negotiations will only lead to additional demands on Kiev in our negotiating position.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The French presidential adviser was quoted<\/a> saying \"there was nothing that Putin said that reassured us\". After the phone call many in Paris including Emmanuel Macron feel that the worst is yet to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/PedderSophie\/status\/1499391351829397506\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Macron talks to Putin, tells him \"you are lying to yourself\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"macron-talks-to-putin-tells-him-you-are-lying-to-yourself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-04 12:19:36","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-04 06:49:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1924","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1921,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-03 16:40:30","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:30","post_content":"\n
Thousands of Russians have been protesting the war in Ukraine, most of them out in the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Russian police has been cracking down on protests, having detained over 5500<\/a> of them at various sites in the country according to Reuters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
News of the arrest of one protestor in particular however is raising more than a few eyebrows. On Wednesday, police arrested Yelena Osipova, a septuagenarian and World War II survivor for protesting in St. Petersburg. Yelena is an activist who survived Nazi Germany's Siege of Leningrad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/agusantonetti\/status\/1499093527187365900\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Ilya Yashin a politician from the Russian opposition took to twitter on Wednesday to share pictures of what seems to be children behind bars. He claims that kids were detained for carrying anti-war posters. \"Nothing out of the ordinary: just kids in paddy wagons behind an anti-war poster. This is Putin's Russia, folks. You live here.\" he tweeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/IlyaYashin\/status\/1498775599409774601?s=20&t=XBx0Dl2z1M2yA_CUs-kPqw\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Alexey Navalny, leader of the opposition in Russia has urged citizens to organize demonstrations daily in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. \"Each arrested person must be replaced by two newcomers\u2026 If in order to stop the war we have to fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves, we will fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves.\" his spokesperson tweeted on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/navalny\/status\/1498948871514435588\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Russian Police Arrests World War II Survivor aged 76 for Protesting","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-police-arrests-world-war-ii-survivor-aged-76-for-protesting","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-03 16:40:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1921","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1918,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-02 18:24:57","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:57","post_content":"\n
US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will close its airspace to Russian flights, joining several European countries and Canada who have done the same. The announcement was made during the president's State of the Union speech today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several European countries and Canada had closed their airspace to Russian flights earlier this week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US following suit will have massive affects on Russian civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
\"This attack on Ukraine is their attempt to annihilate the Ukrainian people. There is nothing else to it\u2026 it's an attempt to destroy our future, our nation, our character.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Zelensky said that Russia's intention behind the invasion is to \"subjugate (the Ukrainian) people\". He asked members of the parliament to imagine what it would be like if their airports and cities were bombed indiscriminately and people, kids included, died as a result. \"I would like you to feel this, what we feel every day\", he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"We've been friends with you Justin, but also I would like you to understand, and I would like you to feel this, what we feel every day. We want to live and we want to be victorious. We want to prevail for the sake of life.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Zelensky urged the parliament to declare a no-fly zone over Ukraine. \"How many more cruise missiles have to fall on our cities before you do this?\" he asked. Canada, like many of Ukraine's western allies has declined the Ukrainian president's request for a no-fly zone. Canada has maintained that it is against enforcing a no-fly zone. Intercepting Russian missiles can escalate the conflict into a global war. \"We need to be sure we're not triggering an international conflict,\" Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister M\u00e9lanie Joly said<\/a> on Tuesday.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Zelensky Addresses Canadian Parliament, Requests No-fly Zone","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"zelensky-addresses-canadian-parliament-requests-no-fly-zone","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-16 20:40:25","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-16 15:10:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1930","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1924,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-04 12:17:51","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-04 06:47:51","post_content":"\n
French president Emmanuel Macron talked to his Russian Counterpart on Thursday in the wake of Russia's war with Ukraine and is reported to have told him \"you are lying to yourself\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"It will cost your country dearly, your country will end up isolated, weakened and under sanctions for a very long time\u201d <\/p>Macron's conversation with Putin, source: Reuters<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Appealing for an end to Russia's invasion, Macron told Putin that he was \"deluding himself\" about the government in Kyiv. Announcing the \"military operation\" in Ukraine, Putin had earlier claimed that the Ukraine had been taken over by neo-nazis. However, during the call that lasted an hour and a half, Vladimir Putin has reportedly reiterated his determination to \"demilitarize\" \"denazify\" and \"neutralize\" Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Vladimir Putin outlined in detail the fundamental approaches and conditions in the context of negotiations with representatives of Kyiv. It was confirmed that, first of all, we are talking about the demilitarisation and neutral status of Ukraine, so that a threat to the Russian Federation will never emanate from its territory,\" the statement released by the Kremlin after Putin's talk with Macron said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"It was emphasised that the tasks of the special military operation will be fulfilled in any event, and attempts to gain time by dragging out negotiations will only lead to additional demands on Kiev in our negotiating position.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The French presidential adviser was quoted<\/a> saying \"there was nothing that Putin said that reassured us\". After the phone call many in Paris including Emmanuel Macron feel that the worst is yet to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/PedderSophie\/status\/1499391351829397506\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Macron talks to Putin, tells him \"you are lying to yourself\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"macron-talks-to-putin-tells-him-you-are-lying-to-yourself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-04 12:19:36","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-04 06:49:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1924","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1921,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-03 16:40:30","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:30","post_content":"\n
Thousands of Russians have been protesting the war in Ukraine, most of them out in the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Russian police has been cracking down on protests, having detained over 5500<\/a> of them at various sites in the country according to Reuters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
News of the arrest of one protestor in particular however is raising more than a few eyebrows. On Wednesday, police arrested Yelena Osipova, a septuagenarian and World War II survivor for protesting in St. Petersburg. Yelena is an activist who survived Nazi Germany's Siege of Leningrad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/agusantonetti\/status\/1499093527187365900\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Ilya Yashin a politician from the Russian opposition took to twitter on Wednesday to share pictures of what seems to be children behind bars. He claims that kids were detained for carrying anti-war posters. \"Nothing out of the ordinary: just kids in paddy wagons behind an anti-war poster. This is Putin's Russia, folks. You live here.\" he tweeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/IlyaYashin\/status\/1498775599409774601?s=20&t=XBx0Dl2z1M2yA_CUs-kPqw\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Alexey Navalny, leader of the opposition in Russia has urged citizens to organize demonstrations daily in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. \"Each arrested person must be replaced by two newcomers\u2026 If in order to stop the war we have to fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves, we will fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves.\" his spokesperson tweeted on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/navalny\/status\/1498948871514435588\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Russian Police Arrests World War II Survivor aged 76 for Protesting","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-police-arrests-world-war-ii-survivor-aged-76-for-protesting","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-03 16:40:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1921","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1918,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-02 18:24:57","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:57","post_content":"\n
US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will close its airspace to Russian flights, joining several European countries and Canada who have done the same. The announcement was made during the president's State of the Union speech today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several European countries and Canada had closed their airspace to Russian flights earlier this week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US following suit will have massive affects on Russian civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
Canada has provided military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia's ongoing Invasion of the country. In addition, it has slapped sanctions on over 500 individuals and organizations related to the Kremlin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"This attack on Ukraine is their attempt to annihilate the Ukrainian people. There is nothing else to it\u2026 it's an attempt to destroy our future, our nation, our character.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Zelensky said that Russia's intention behind the invasion is to \"subjugate (the Ukrainian) people\". He asked members of the parliament to imagine what it would be like if their airports and cities were bombed indiscriminately and people, kids included, died as a result. \"I would like you to feel this, what we feel every day\", he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"We've been friends with you Justin, but also I would like you to understand, and I would like you to feel this, what we feel every day. We want to live and we want to be victorious. We want to prevail for the sake of life.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Zelensky urged the parliament to declare a no-fly zone over Ukraine. \"How many more cruise missiles have to fall on our cities before you do this?\" he asked. Canada, like many of Ukraine's western allies has declined the Ukrainian president's request for a no-fly zone. Canada has maintained that it is against enforcing a no-fly zone. Intercepting Russian missiles can escalate the conflict into a global war. \"We need to be sure we're not triggering an international conflict,\" Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister M\u00e9lanie Joly said<\/a> on Tuesday.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Zelensky Addresses Canadian Parliament, Requests No-fly Zone","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"zelensky-addresses-canadian-parliament-requests-no-fly-zone","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-16 20:40:25","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-16 15:10:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1930","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1924,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-04 12:17:51","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-04 06:47:51","post_content":"\n
French president Emmanuel Macron talked to his Russian Counterpart on Thursday in the wake of Russia's war with Ukraine and is reported to have told him \"you are lying to yourself\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"It will cost your country dearly, your country will end up isolated, weakened and under sanctions for a very long time\u201d <\/p>Macron's conversation with Putin, source: Reuters<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Appealing for an end to Russia's invasion, Macron told Putin that he was \"deluding himself\" about the government in Kyiv. Announcing the \"military operation\" in Ukraine, Putin had earlier claimed that the Ukraine had been taken over by neo-nazis. However, during the call that lasted an hour and a half, Vladimir Putin has reportedly reiterated his determination to \"demilitarize\" \"denazify\" and \"neutralize\" Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Vladimir Putin outlined in detail the fundamental approaches and conditions in the context of negotiations with representatives of Kyiv. It was confirmed that, first of all, we are talking about the demilitarisation and neutral status of Ukraine, so that a threat to the Russian Federation will never emanate from its territory,\" the statement released by the Kremlin after Putin's talk with Macron said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"It was emphasised that the tasks of the special military operation will be fulfilled in any event, and attempts to gain time by dragging out negotiations will only lead to additional demands on Kiev in our negotiating position.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The French presidential adviser was quoted<\/a> saying \"there was nothing that Putin said that reassured us\". After the phone call many in Paris including Emmanuel Macron feel that the worst is yet to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/PedderSophie\/status\/1499391351829397506\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Macron talks to Putin, tells him \"you are lying to yourself\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"macron-talks-to-putin-tells-him-you-are-lying-to-yourself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-04 12:19:36","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-04 06:49:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1924","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1921,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-03 16:40:30","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:30","post_content":"\n
Thousands of Russians have been protesting the war in Ukraine, most of them out in the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Russian police has been cracking down on protests, having detained over 5500<\/a> of them at various sites in the country according to Reuters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
News of the arrest of one protestor in particular however is raising more than a few eyebrows. On Wednesday, police arrested Yelena Osipova, a septuagenarian and World War II survivor for protesting in St. Petersburg. Yelena is an activist who survived Nazi Germany's Siege of Leningrad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/agusantonetti\/status\/1499093527187365900\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Ilya Yashin a politician from the Russian opposition took to twitter on Wednesday to share pictures of what seems to be children behind bars. He claims that kids were detained for carrying anti-war posters. \"Nothing out of the ordinary: just kids in paddy wagons behind an anti-war poster. This is Putin's Russia, folks. You live here.\" he tweeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/IlyaYashin\/status\/1498775599409774601?s=20&t=XBx0Dl2z1M2yA_CUs-kPqw\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Alexey Navalny, leader of the opposition in Russia has urged citizens to organize demonstrations daily in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. \"Each arrested person must be replaced by two newcomers\u2026 If in order to stop the war we have to fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves, we will fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves.\" his spokesperson tweeted on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/navalny\/status\/1498948871514435588\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Russian Police Arrests World War II Survivor aged 76 for Protesting","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-police-arrests-world-war-ii-survivor-aged-76-for-protesting","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-03 16:40:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1921","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1918,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-02 18:24:57","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:57","post_content":"\n
US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will close its airspace to Russian flights, joining several European countries and Canada who have done the same. The announcement was made during the president's State of the Union speech today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several European countries and Canada had closed their airspace to Russian flights earlier this week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US following suit will have massive affects on Russian civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

\n
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky spoke<\/a> to members of the Canadian Parliament yesterday. In an impassioned speech, Zelensky thanked Canada for its support of Ukraine's war efforts, requested continued support and urged Canada to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Canada has provided military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia's ongoing Invasion of the country. In addition, it has slapped sanctions on over 500 individuals and organizations related to the Kremlin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"This attack on Ukraine is their attempt to annihilate the Ukrainian people. There is nothing else to it\u2026 it's an attempt to destroy our future, our nation, our character.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Zelensky said that Russia's intention behind the invasion is to \"subjugate (the Ukrainian) people\". He asked members of the parliament to imagine what it would be like if their airports and cities were bombed indiscriminately and people, kids included, died as a result. \"I would like you to feel this, what we feel every day\", he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"We've been friends with you Justin, but also I would like you to understand, and I would like you to feel this, what we feel every day. We want to live and we want to be victorious. We want to prevail for the sake of life.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Zelensky urged the parliament to declare a no-fly zone over Ukraine. \"How many more cruise missiles have to fall on our cities before you do this?\" he asked. Canada, like many of Ukraine's western allies has declined the Ukrainian president's request for a no-fly zone. Canada has maintained that it is against enforcing a no-fly zone. Intercepting Russian missiles can escalate the conflict into a global war. \"We need to be sure we're not triggering an international conflict,\" Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister M\u00e9lanie Joly said<\/a> on Tuesday.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Zelensky Addresses Canadian Parliament, Requests No-fly Zone","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"zelensky-addresses-canadian-parliament-requests-no-fly-zone","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-16 20:40:25","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-16 15:10:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1930","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1924,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-04 12:17:51","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-04 06:47:51","post_content":"\n
French president Emmanuel Macron talked to his Russian Counterpart on Thursday in the wake of Russia's war with Ukraine and is reported to have told him \"you are lying to yourself\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"It will cost your country dearly, your country will end up isolated, weakened and under sanctions for a very long time\u201d <\/p>Macron's conversation with Putin, source: Reuters<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Appealing for an end to Russia's invasion, Macron told Putin that he was \"deluding himself\" about the government in Kyiv. Announcing the \"military operation\" in Ukraine, Putin had earlier claimed that the Ukraine had been taken over by neo-nazis. However, during the call that lasted an hour and a half, Vladimir Putin has reportedly reiterated his determination to \"demilitarize\" \"denazify\" and \"neutralize\" Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Vladimir Putin outlined in detail the fundamental approaches and conditions in the context of negotiations with representatives of Kyiv. It was confirmed that, first of all, we are talking about the demilitarisation and neutral status of Ukraine, so that a threat to the Russian Federation will never emanate from its territory,\" the statement released by the Kremlin after Putin's talk with Macron said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"It was emphasised that the tasks of the special military operation will be fulfilled in any event, and attempts to gain time by dragging out negotiations will only lead to additional demands on Kiev in our negotiating position.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The French presidential adviser was quoted<\/a> saying \"there was nothing that Putin said that reassured us\". After the phone call many in Paris including Emmanuel Macron feel that the worst is yet to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/PedderSophie\/status\/1499391351829397506\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Macron talks to Putin, tells him \"you are lying to yourself\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"macron-talks-to-putin-tells-him-you-are-lying-to-yourself","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-04 12:19:36","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-04 06:49:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1924","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1921,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-03 16:40:30","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:30","post_content":"\n
Thousands of Russians have been protesting the war in Ukraine, most of them out in the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Russian police has been cracking down on protests, having detained over 5500<\/a> of them at various sites in the country according to Reuters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
News of the arrest of one protestor in particular however is raising more than a few eyebrows. On Wednesday, police arrested Yelena Osipova, a septuagenarian and World War II survivor for protesting in St. Petersburg. Yelena is an activist who survived Nazi Germany's Siege of Leningrad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/agusantonetti\/status\/1499093527187365900\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Ilya Yashin a politician from the Russian opposition took to twitter on Wednesday to share pictures of what seems to be children behind bars. He claims that kids were detained for carrying anti-war posters. \"Nothing out of the ordinary: just kids in paddy wagons behind an anti-war poster. This is Putin's Russia, folks. You live here.\" he tweeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/IlyaYashin\/status\/1498775599409774601?s=20&t=XBx0Dl2z1M2yA_CUs-kPqw\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Alexey Navalny, leader of the opposition in Russia has urged citizens to organize demonstrations daily in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. \"Each arrested person must be replaced by two newcomers\u2026 If in order to stop the war we have to fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves, we will fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves.\" his spokesperson tweeted on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/navalny\/status\/1498948871514435588\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","post_title":"Russian Police Arrests World War II Survivor aged 76 for Protesting","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"russian-police-arrests-world-war-ii-survivor-aged-76-for-protesting","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-03 16:40:32","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-03 11:10:32","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1921","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1918,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-03-02 18:24:57","post_date_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:57","post_content":"\n
US President Joe Biden has announced that the US will close its airspace to Russian flights, joining several European countries and Canada who have done the same. The announcement was made during the president's State of the Union speech today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several European countries and Canada had closed their airspace to Russian flights earlier this week following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The US following suit will have massive affects on Russian civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that it had in-turn banned airlines from European countries including Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ban means that Russian passenger and private aircrafts cannot land or take off from US soil or use US airspace. \"Tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding additional squeeze on their economy,\" President Joe Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation restrictions follow a flurry of sanctions announced by the US targeting the Russia economy.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Behind Europe and Canada, the US Closes its Airspace to Russian Flights","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"behind-europe-and-canada-the-us-closes-its-airspace-to-russian-flights","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-03-02 18:24:58","post_modified_gmt":"2022-03-02 12:54:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1918","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1884,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-02-22 12:33:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:48","post_content":"\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Shared experiences that are exciting are known<\/a> to make people feel more connected with their group. A new study has found that being together in physical space is crucial for social bonding through such shared experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers monitored physiological arousal among two groups - fans at a stadium during a basketball match, and fans watching the game in small groups at home to arrive at its conclusions. Compared to fans watching at home, fans who attended the match in-person exhibited greater synchrony in physiological activity, especially heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, when personally meaningful events are shared with a group, there is a fusion between personal and group identities - a phenomenon called \"identity fusion\". Identity fusion leads to a synergistic relationship between the two identities. This can, for instance, make people more likely to take an insult directed at a group as a personal attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When transformative experiences that define the personal self are also shared with others, personal and group identities become fused together, creating the synergistic relationship between the two identities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Although scientists have known about identity fusion for a long time, it was unclear whether sharing physical space was important for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the researchers, fans watching a sports match rapidly go through phases of excitation and calm, providing a opportunity to measure how 'in-sync' they are with each other. The study which used heart rate monitors, continuously measured physiological excitation in participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Group synchrony remained higher in the in-person condition throughout the games, including the half-time interval. Crucially, these differences were not due to people being more physically active in the stadium\".<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Compared to fans watching remotely, the physiological measures of fans in the stadium remained in sync throughout the game and even during intervals. After the game, participants were asked to rate how self-transformative the experience was for them. The study found that greater synchrony was related to higher transformativeness, but only in the in-person condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Greater group synchrony led to higher self-transformativeness when spectators watched the game in-person at the stadium, as opposed to remotely, and this synchrony in turn led to increased identity fusion.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Higher self-tranformativeness was in-turn associated with greater identity fusion as measured by a post-game survey. Read more about the study by G. Baranowski\u2011Pinto, V. L. S. Profeta, M. Newson, H. Whitehouse, and D. Xygalatas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Being in a Crowd During Exciting Events Bond People Through \"Identity Fusion\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"being-in-a-crowd-during-exciting-events-bond-people-through-identity-fusion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-02-22 12:33:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-02-22 07:03:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1884","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1871,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-18 16:41:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-18 11:11:11","post_content":"\n
A study has found that caffeine improves the performance of cyclists by improving power output and cardiovascular functioning. In a 16 km cycling trial, participants who took caffeine completed their run \u223c40 seconds faster than participants who took a placebo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is widely used by athletes as a performance-enhancing supplement. Usually, it is ingested approximately 60 minutes before engaging in physical activity to increase endurance and strength, and reduce perceived exertion. However, there is quite a bit of disagreement between experts on what caffeine regimen is optimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some experts think that when caffeine is taken on a daily-basis, athletes develop tolerance, and that this blunts its performance-boosting effects during crucial events like a competition. They recommend<\/a> keeping off caffeine during training to build up sensitivity in the run-up to an event. This, some studies suggest might make the effect of caffeine more potent on the day of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other experts think that tolerance is a myth<\/a>, and that abstaining from caffeine altogether can have unforeseeable consequences for athletes. They recommend<\/a> a moderate dose of caffeine during training, and a bigger dose on competition day. This is done to prevent any adverse effects of withdrawal during training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comparing Regimens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new study compared the effectiveness of two caffeine regimens against a placebo. The participants (who were recreationally-trained cyclists) were divided into three groups. They took :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
caffeine both during training and on the day of the event (group CC),<\/li>
placebo during training, and caffeine on the day of the event (group PC), or<\/li>
Placebo both during training and on the day of the event (group PP).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$
Time taken to complete the cycling trial was significantly less in group CC (- 39 s) and group PC (- 43 s), compared to group PP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Participants who took caffeine both on the trial day, and for four days prior to the trial were faster by 39.3 seconds on average, compared to participants who took the placebo. Participants who took caffeine on trial day, but took the placebo during days prior to the trial were faster by 43.4 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Findings suggest that both supplementation strategies are superior to the placebo. There is some evidence for caffeine tolerance - PC group did slightly better than CC group on average, but the difference is not significant. This suggests that caffeine's effects are potent even if athletes have been taking it in the days leading up to a competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The excitatory and alerting effects caused by caffeine may explain the increased locomotor activity seen at the beginning of the test \"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Findings also suggest that caffeine leads to better power output during physical exercise. While participants on placebo exhibited a progressive build up of power during the trial, participants who took caffeine experienced a spike in power right from the start. Researchers attribute this power spike to the \"excitatory and alerting effects\" of caffeine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Caffeine indirectly affects the release of (the neurotransmitters) norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and perhaps neuropeptides\".<\/p>Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research.<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Caffeine is thought to improve cardiovascular functioning through two mechanisms - by releasing catecholamines into the blood stream (leading to activation of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system), and by blocking the adenosine receptors (leading to increased availability of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Felipe Sampaio\u2011Jorge, Anderson Pontes Morales, Rafael Pereira, Thiago Barth, and Beatriz Gon\u00e7alves Ribeiro here.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Caffeine as a Supplement Boosts Athletic Performance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"caffeine-as-a-supplement-boosts-athletic-performance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-19 18:49:57","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-19 13:19:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1871","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1867,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-15 10:56:32","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-15 05:26:32","post_content":"\n
A new study done in Germany suggests that faith in god or 'a higher power' was greatly weakened by the pandemic. In a cross-sectional survey, Catholics and Protestants - the two largest religious denominations reported a precipitous drop in faith during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially around the second wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study used self-reported measures of wellbeing, and self-reported changes in faith to arrive at its conclusions. It found that wellbeing decreased significantly with the second wave of COVID-19, when stringent restrictions came into effect in the country. At the same time, stress caused by the pandemic and restrictions in daily life seem to have contributed to increased anxiety, insecurity, loneliness and financial woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith in god is widely thought to serve as a strong hold during hard times for believers. This implies that faith would become stronger during crises. The study, however, found the opposite. 15 % of participants surveyed during the first wave of the pandemic said that they had lost faith in god or a higher power due to COVID-19. The fraction of participants reporting loss of faith<\/em> increased to 21.5 % during the second wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weakening of faith seems to have forced at least some participants to apostatize. The percentage of participants who identified as Catholic decreased during the pandemic, while the number of people who have no religious affiliations increased. In contrast, the percentage of participants identifying as Protestant remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, during a crisis of faith, people may approach local religious groups for help. But this was not an option during the pandemic as most religious activities including all communal rituals were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. During the pandemic people became progressively less satisfied with the support received from local religious groups. This may have contributed to hopelessness and made people lose trust in god according to the researchers who conducted the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"When sacred spaces (i.e., the churches) are not easily accessible, people may lose access to the center of their public religious life, and thus they may either develop new forms of spiritual practices in privacy or simply get used to the loss.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Time spent in religious activities like prayer or meditation also reduced markedly (in Catholics and Protestants) during the second wave, in tandem with the loss of trust and faith in god. Participants in the study were recruited starting in June 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 began. Recruitment continued until the 4th wave of the pandemic (towards the end of 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend has shown signs of reversing starting with the 4th wave of COVID-19. As most people have been fully vaccinated and restrictions eased, anxiety related to COVID-19 has abated significantly. Findings suggest that with a reduction in COVID-19 stressors religious faith is set to make a rebound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read more about the study by Arndt B\u00fcssing, Klaus Baumann, and Janusz Surzykiewicz here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Faith in God Waned During the Pandemic","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"faith-in-god-weakened-by-the-pandemic","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-18 17:53:50","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-18 12:23:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1867","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"2","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1856,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2022-01-10 17:42:48","post_date_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:12:48","post_content":"\n
A new study has found that people who have a tendency to believe in pseudoscience also have a tendency to jump to conclusions. In two games, participants were asked to solve a puzzle and given evidence or clues to help them in the process. They were free to stop collecting evidence and make up their minds at any point during these experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first experiment, participants were shown two jars. One contained 60 red beads and 40 blue beads (mostly red jar) and the other contained 60 blue beads and 40 red beads (mostly blue jar). They were then given a box into which the contents of one of the jars had been poured. Their task was to determine if the beads came from the mostly red jar or the mostly blue jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Researchers took out the beads from the box one by one and showed it to the participants to help them decide. The same color sequence of beads were presented to every participant. The first one taken out of the box was always blue, the second was always red, and so on. At any point during this process, participants could ask the researchers to stop if they had made up their minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After this experiment was over, participants answered a questionnaire (Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale) designed to measure their belief in pseudoscience. They were asked how much they agreed with statements like \u201cListening to classical music, such as Mozart, makes children more intelligent.\u201d; \u201cIt is possible to control others\u2019 behaviour by means of subliminal messages\" and \"A positive and optimistic attitude towards life helps to prevent cancer\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study found that the more pseudoscientific beliefs a person had, the sooner they stopped drawing beads from the box and made up their minds. People who had a tendency to believe in pseudoscience were quick to choose a jar; in other words, jump to a conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another game, participants saw a 'mouse' and a piece of cheese within cells in a 3X3 grid on a computer. Participants could move the 'mouse' in any direction using keys on a keyboard. However, there was a secret rule that decided whether the mouse got the cheese or not - if the mouse reached the cheese after 4 seconds since the start of the game it got the cheese, and if it got there within 4 seconds or less, it did not get the cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participant's task was to figure out this secret rule by playing the game. They could play the game a maximum of 100 times. When they felt they had discovered the rule, as in the previous game, they could stop playing and report their answer to the researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, the number of times a participant played the game correlated negatively with their score on the Pseudoscience Endorsement Scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our results indicate that, compared to sceptics, individuals presenting stronger endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs tend to require less evidence before coming to a conclusion in hypothesis testing situations.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The study suggests that people who tend to believe in pseudoscience are hasty when testing a hypothesis, easily satisfied with evidence and quick to jump to conclusions. Read more about the study by Javier Rodr\u00edguez\u2011Ferreiro and Itxaso Barberia here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"People who believe in pseudoscience are less demanding of evidence","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"people-who-believe-in-pseudoscience-are-less-demanding-of-evidence","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-01-10 17:59:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-01-10 12:29:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1856","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"1","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1805,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2021-12-24 13:01:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-24 07:31:12","post_content":"\n
Merck's antiviral pill 'Molnupiravir' has received approval for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Widely hailed as a gamechanger in the fight against COVID-19, it is expected to reduce deaths due to the pandemic in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA announced<\/a> on Thursday that the drug can now be prescribed to adults \"who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death\". Treatment with Molnupiravir will need to follow a strict regimen, with 4 pills taken every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2, preventing the virus from replicating. Phase 3 trials<\/a> of the drug done in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 had found that it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"At the Interim Analysis, 7.3 Percent of Patients Who Received Molnupiravir Were Hospitalized Through Day 29, Compared With 14.1 Percent of Placebo-Treated Patients Who were Hospitalized or Died.\"<\/p>Press release by Merck<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that \"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FDA has not authorized the use of Molnupiravir in patients younger than 18 years of age due to the possibility that it may affect bone and cartilage growth. It is also not recommended for use in pregnant women in light of evidence from animal studies that it may cause fetal harm. The FDA said that a healthcare provider can however administer the drug if it deems that the benefits outweigh the risks for that individual patient, and after it has obtained informed consent from the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides the US, the UK<\/a> and Bangladesh<\/a> have approved Molnupiravir for emergency use.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Anti-Coronavirus Pill gets Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"anti-coronavirus-pill-gets-emergency-use-authorization-from-the-fda","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-12-29 17:23:46","post_modified_gmt":"2021-12-29 11:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/sapienjournal.org\/?p=1805","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_9"};

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