All posts tagged: highlights

Conte highlights Napoli improvement after Atalanta win

Conte highlights Napoli improvement after Atalanta win

Published by Sam

Napoli manager Antonio Conte praised his side following a narrow win over Atalanta at Saturday, highlighting the significant growth the team has shown over the past few months. Romelu Lukaku’s late header secured a 3-2 victory for Napoli, boosting their Scudetto hopes and avenging their 3-0 home loss to Atalanta in November. “I had already said before the match that this team has grown a lot. Don’t forget that just over two months ago, Atalanta put three goals past us at home,” Conte told reporters. “I think if we’d had even more time to go through the process, we’d have done even better. The team has above all grown in dealing with difficulties, that is what I want to underline.” Conte acknowledged the challenges his side faced with key player Khvicha Kvaratskhelia having left for Paris St Germain and defender Alessandro Buongiorno sidelined due to injury. “We are facing some situations, both in terms of injuries and most recently the transfer market, situations that would kill a bull, but we are still standing,” he said. …

15 cultural highlights to beat the January blues

15 cultural highlights to beat the January blues

Published by skeptic

Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter A 2020 poll claimed that more than a quarter of people suffer from the phenomenon known as the “January blues”, the slump many of us experience in those bleak few weeks after Christmas. Really, it’s no surprise that we feel this way, when the festive decorations are being taken down, there are no more presents to be unwrapped, and our bank balances are looking woeful. On top of that, the days are dark and the weather is frequently miserable. As quiet and drab as things might seem, though, there is a wealth of films, TV shows, books, plays and music to lift your spirits and keep you entertained while you hide away from the cold. You could dance your troubles away at Abba’s critically acclaimed Voyage show, or watch others dance for you at the raunchy Magic Mike live experience. Curl up and tune into the …

Female leaders face a harsher reality—new study highlights alarming risks

Female leaders face a harsher reality—new study highlights alarming risks

Published by José

Despite some progress, women remain seriously underrepresented in politics globally. As of 2023, women held only 26% of parliamentary seats and 15.8% of the positions as heads of state or government. My new research with colleagues raises one possible factor in this representation that goes beyond discrimination in selection procedures. It is simply more dangerous for women to pursue careers in politics than men. They are far more likely to become targets of violence. In Italy, where we conducted our study, elected female mayors are approximately three times more likely to experience an attack than their male equivalents. The reasons behind women’s ongoing underrepresentation in the corridors of power are multifaceted. Research has explored factors from political parties sidelining women and voter discrimination, to cultural norms and traditional familial expectations. Political violence might be part of the story. Although there is evidence suggesting that women are disproportionately targeted by political violence, researchers have yet to determine whether this relationship is truly causal. The main obstacle lies in data quality. Much of the research relies on …

Largest-ever survey on ayahuasca highlights links to better mental health and wellbeing

Largest-ever survey on ayahuasca highlights links to better mental health and wellbeing

Published by José

A new study published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs has uncovered significant associations between naturalistic ayahuasca use and improved mental health. The research, based on a large international survey, found that frequent use of ayahuasca—a traditional Amazonian psychoactive brew—is linked to lower psychological distress and enhanced psychological wellbeing. However, the benefits appear to depend on factors like the intensity of mystical experiences, self-insights gained, and the strength of community connections during use. Ayahuasca is a psychoactive brew traditionally used in spiritual and healing practices by Indigenous peoples of the Amazon. It is often made by combining the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with the leaves of the Psychotria viridis plant. The mixture contains powerful compounds: N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a hallucinogenic substance, and beta-carbolines, which allow the DMT to be active when consumed orally. Together, these ingredients create a potent psychedelic experience that often includes vivid visual imagery, intense emotional introspection, and a profound sense of spiritual connection. Over the past few decades, the use of ayahuasca has spread beyond its traditional settings to more urban and international …

Can daytime sleepiness predict weight gain? New research highlights sex differences

Can daytime sleepiness predict weight gain? New research highlights sex differences

Published by José

New research published in Sleep Health sheds light on how daytime sleepiness and body weight are interconnected over time, revealing key sex differences. The study found that men with higher levels of daytime sleepiness had consistently higher body mass index (BMI), while women who experienced increasing daytime sleepiness over time showed faster weight gain. Among women, this effect was most pronounced in younger participants. Obesity is a significant public health challenge, increasing the risk of numerous chronic health conditions and premature mortality. Sleep disturbances, including daytime sleepiness, are often associated with obesity. While much research has focused on how obesity contributes to sleepiness—through mechanisms like sleep apnea—fewer studies have explored the reverse relationship: whether sleepiness itself can lead to weight gain. This new study sought to fill this gap by examining how both levels and changes in daytime sleepiness influence BMI trajectories over time. Importantly, the researchers aimed to uncover potential differences between men and women, as previous studies suggest that obesity and sleep-related factors often differ by sex. By using longitudinal data and objective …

IEA highlights uneven global progress in clean energy deployment

IEA highlights uneven global progress in clean energy deployment

Published by skeptic

The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) recent report on clean energy deployment reveals a complex landscape of growth and challenges in the first half of 2024. While the deployment of clean energy technologies is on the rise worldwide, the report exposes significant variations across regions and technologies. This uneven progress underscores the need for supportive policies to help countries accelerate their clean energy transitions. Solar power and electric vehicles drive clean energy growth According to the IEA’s Clean Energy Market Monitor, solar photovoltaics (PV) and electric vehicles (EVs) are leading the global clean energy surge. Solar PV installation has seen substantial growth, with new capacity additions up by 36% compared to the same period last year. In the United States, solar deployment surged by an impressive 80%. This growth is attributed to lower equipment costs and expanded manufacturing, which have made solar energy more accessible for both residential and commercial users. Similarly, EV sales have seen a robust increase, growing by 25% globally. This trend is especially prominent in China, where EVs accounted for nearly 45% …

China space plan highlights commitment to space exploration, analysts say

China space plan highlights commitment to space exploration, analysts say

Published by Sam

Chinese officials recently released a 25-year space exploration plan that details five major scientific themes and 17 priority areas for scientific breakthroughs with one goal: to make China a world leader in space by 2050 and a key competitor with the U.S. in space, for decades to come. Last week, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the China National Space Administration, and the China Manned Space Agency jointly released a space exploration plan for 2024 through 2050. It includes searching for extraterrestrial life, exploring Mars, Venus, and Jupiter, sending space crews to the moon and building an international lunar research station by 2025. Clayton Swope, deputy director of the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says the plan highlights China’s long-term commitment and answers some lingering questions as well. “I think a lot of experts have wondered if China would continue to invest in space, particularly in science and exploration, given a lot of economic uncertainties in China … but this is a sign that they’re committed,” Swope said. The plan …

Strictly Come Dancing Week 4: All the highlights as Nick Knowles returns to the floor

Strictly Come Dancing Week 4: All the highlights as Nick Knowles returns to the floor

Published by skeptic

After the highs of Movies Week, we’re ditching the opening numbers and outlandish costumes as Strictly Come Dancing returns for its fourth week. The same amount of celebrities will be taking to the dancefloor this evening as Nick Knowles makes his grand return after being forced to miss last week due to a knee injury sustained when practicing his Charleston – a routine he will be dancing for us tonight. WATCH: Strictly Come Dancing introduces chaperones Join HELLO! as we enjoy the best moments from the fourth week and bring you all the main highlights… © Guy Levy Who left last week? Last week, it was the end of the road for Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones as their Little Mermaid inspired samba didn’t impress the judges or viewers. Toyah, who survived the first dance-off, wasn’t lucky the second time, losing out to Paul Merson on a unanimous decision. © BBC / Kieron McCarron Who’s dancing what? As we mentioned, Nick will be redoing his Charleston, as the star was unable to train for most of …

New research highlights need for legislation to close illegal schools

New research highlights need for legislation to close illegal schools

Published by skeptic

Counter-extremism think tank Nahamu has published a new Education Policy Position Paper in which it has argued that the UK Government needs to legislate to close loopholes in education law that enable illegal faith schools in England to continue to operate. The Government should also establish a register of home-educated children to make sure they are receiving an ‘adequate and appropriate education’. Thankfully the Government is proposing to do just that through its current Children’s Wellbeing Bill. Humanists UK has welcomed the Paper. Nahamu is an organisation that campaigns for better education for UK-based Charedi Jewish children. In its briefing paper it highlights how many Charedi boys are wholly unable to speak, write, or read English. Using testimony of former students and parents, it reports that this is because many Charedi boys attend unregistered, or illegal, schools, and receive no education in English, maths, or science beyond the age of 13. The briefing further states that parents make ‘spurious’ home education claims and ‘dishonest’ reports to Ofsted including providing ‘theoretical timetables’ and work that has …

New study highlights promising drug

New study highlights promising drug

Published by José

A recent study published in Nature Aging has shown that it is possible to reverse age-related slowing of brain waste clearance, a key process that may contribute to neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Using a drug already approved for clinical use, researchers were able to restore this waste-clearing function in older mice, bringing it back to the efficiency seen in younger brains. The findings offer a potential pathway for developing treatments that target brain waste removal, which could delay or mitigate the effects of age-related neurological disorders. Neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are often linked to the accumulation of toxic proteins in the brain. Over time, these proteins build up due to a failure of the brain’s waste removal system, which clears out harmful substances. In younger individuals, this system, known as the glymphatic system, works efficiently to wash away these toxic proteins using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). However, as people age, the brain’s ability to clear out waste slows down, increasing the risk of diseases associated with this toxic buildup. Researchers have …