NSF's Science Matters

Check out the latest from NSF’s Science Matters blog
04/04/2022



SCIENCE MATTERS


Friday, April 1, 2022
Happy National Fun at Work Day!

Some of our team members took the opportunity to have a little fun with some of the animals that are the focus of NSF-supported research. Of course, we have fun learning, so below we also share bits of knowledge gained through that research. It's March, so cue the band, turn down the lights and let's introduce the players — it's March Animal Madness! Inspired by the yearly basketball tournament and March Mammal Madness, we've pitted some members of kingdom Animalia against each other in fun and friendly competitions that highlight some of the interesting biological research NSF has recently supported – making each of our "players" student-athletes. NSF experts have weighed in on who they think will win in each bracket below and you can let us know your thoughts via social media.
Continue Reading

For more National Science Foundation Science Matters blog, visit our blog site. Contact the blog team.

What’s hot in science and engineering? Check out NSF research news for the day of April 4, 2022
04/04/2022
Keep up with today’s research news from the U.S. National Science Foundation. This is a daily look at noteworthy scientific findings from researchers around the country.


Mon, 04 Apr 2022
Hawaiian corals show surprising resilience to warming oceans

22-month study provides realistic conditions, scientists say
A long-term study of Hawaiian coral species offers a surprisingly optimistic view of how they might survive warmer and more acidic oceans resulting from climate change.
Researchers found that three coral species studied experienced significant mortality under ...
Continue Reading


Mon, 04 Apr 2022
Freshwater streams and rivers are getting saltier and more alkaline

CDU,update

 

Rufbereitschaft der CDU-Pressestelle

Karfreitag, 15. April 2022   Hero Warrings Telefon: 0151 / 12 49 63 18 Email: hero.warrings@cdu.de     Samstag, 16. April 2022 Ostersonntag, 17. April 2022 Ostermontag, 18. April 2022   Philip Kuhn Telefon: 0151 / 42 26 83 41 Email: philip.kuhn@cdu.de     Das Team der CDU-Pressestelle wünscht "Frohe Ostern"!

Berlin, 13. April 2022

Terminhinweis   Termin des CDU-Parteivorsitzenden Friedrich Merz   Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,   hiermit möchten wir Sie über die Teilnahme des Vorsitzenden der CDU Deutschlands Friedrich Merz MdB an folgendem Wahlkampftermin zur Landtagswahl in Nordrhein-Westfalen informieren:   Samstag, 23. April 2022   11.00 Uhr Wahlkampfauftakt CDU-NRW in Düsseldorf „Castello“ 40599 Düsseldorf, Karl-Hohmann-Straße 1 mit Friedrich Merz MdB und dem Spitzenkandidaten und Ministerpräsident des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen Hendrik Wüst MdL   Presseanmeldungen: über pressestelle@cdu-nrw.de Livestream: www.forum22.nrw     Mit freundlichen Grüßen   Hero Warrings Sprecher der CDU Deutschlands

EUROPEAN BANK's update

 

12-04-2022 04:15 PM BST €17 million for five new trams and smart traffic management in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital

EBRD, Austria and CEI help rebuild water supply network in Brčko District 12-04-2022 10:15 AM BST €6.5 million loan to boost water quality in Bosnia and Herzegovina EBRD welcomes Albania’s EFA Solution to Blue Ribbon programme for leading SMEs 12-04-2022 12:31 PM BST Firm to receive advisory services and finance to spur growth and green transformation EBRD lends €20 million to upgrade Bosnia’s electricity transmission grid 12-04-2022 04:15 PM BST Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Elektroprenos-Elektroprijenos (TransCo) will modernise its core telecoms system EBRD, EU and government boost funding for Albanian agribusiness, tourism SMEs 11-04-2022 12:46 PM BST EBRD provides €20 million in portfolio risk-sharing support to ProCredit Bank Albania for lending to local firms

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on..

Statement by the Prime Minister on the upcoming Royal Tour of Canada

April 11, 2022
Ottawa, Ontario

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the upcoming Royal Tour of Canada by Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall:

“This spring, Canada will have the pleasure of welcoming Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall to Newfoundland and Labrador, the National Capital Region, and the Northwest Territories. During their visit, they will have the wonderful opportunity of seeing first-hand the diversity and kindness of Canadians and the beauty of our abundant natural landscapes that make us proud to call our country home.

“This year, Canadians and people across the Commonwealth are celebrating Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, which marks the 70th anniversary of her accession to the Throne. The Royal Tour, which coincides with this historic milestone, will be an opportunity for Their Royal Highnesses to take part in various initiatives to honour The Queen’s service and dedication to our country, and meet with inspiring Canadians who are making a difference in our communities.

“On behalf of all Canadians, Sophie and I look forward to welcoming Their Royal Highnesses and showing them some of the many reasons why we take pride in being Canadian.”

Supporting small businesses and creating good jobs

April 12, 2022
Edmonton, Alberta

Small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of the Canadian economy and the heart of our communities. That’s why the Government of Canada is proposing new measures in Budget 2022 to support small and medium-sized businesses so they can grow, innovate, and stay competitive, while creating good, middle class jobs.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today highlighted key measures included in Budget 2022: A Plan to Grow Our Economy and Make Life More Affordable to help small and medium-sized businesses.

ΙΜF,interesting latest news

 

Dear maria, We just published a new blog—please find the full text below.  Fast-Moving FinTech Poses Challenge for Regulators (IMAGE: ISMAGILOV/ISTOCK BY GETTY IMAGES) By Antonio Garcia Pascual and Fabio Natalucci Technology sometimes moves at a dizzying pace. When it comes to innovation in financial activities, often referred to as FinTech, the world is seeing major advances. For banks, FinTech disrupts core financial services and pushes them to innovate to remain relevant. For consumers, it means potentially wider access to better services. Such changes also raise the stakes for regulators and supervisors—while most individual FinTech firms are still small, they can scale up very rapidly across both riskier clients and business segments than traditional lenders. This combination of fast growth and increasing importance of FinTech financial services for the functioning of financial intermediation can come with system-wide risks, which we cover in our latest Global Financial Stability Report. Adding risk Digital banks are growing in systemic importance in their local markets. Also known as neobanks, they are more exposed than their traditional counterparts to risks from consumer lending, which usually has fewer buffers against losses because it tends to be more uncollateralized. Their exposure also extends to higher risk-taking in their securities portfolio, as well as higher liquidity risks (specifically, liquid assets held by neobanks relative to their deposits tend to be lower than what would be held by traditional banks). These factors also create a challenge for regulators: the risk management systems and overall resilience of most neobanks remain untested in an economic downturn. Not only do FinTech firms take on more risks themselves, they also exert pressure on long-established industry rivals. Look for instance at the United States, where FinTech mortgage originators follow an aggressive growth strategy in periods when home lending is expanding, such as during the pandemic. Competitive pressure from FinTech firms significantly hurt profitability of traditional banks, and this trend is set to continue. Another technological innovation, which has grown rapidly in the past two years, is decentralized finance, a crypto-based financial network without a central intermediary. Also known as DeFi, it offers the potential of delivering more innovative, inclusive, and transparent financial services thanks to greater efficiency and accessibility.

Αντιπρόεδρος της Βουλής και Βουλευτής Δυτικής Αττικής, Θανάσης Μπούρας..

Αθήνα, 13.04.2022

 

 

Ο Αντιπρόεδρος της Βουλής και Βουλευτής Δυτικής Αττικής, Θανάσης Μπούρας, βρέθηκε σήμερα στο εναρκτήριο δρομολόγιο της νέας αστικής γραμμής 861 του ΟΑΣΑ, η οποία θα πραγματοποιεί καθημερινά, αρχής γενομένης από σήμερα, τη διαδρομή Ελευσίνα- Μάνδρα (μέσω Οικισμού Τιτάν)- Οινόη- Βίλια- Ερυθρές και αντίστροφα.

Ο κ. Μπούρας καθόλη τη διάρκεια της διαδρομής ήταν ιδιαίτερα συγκινημένος και ικανοποιημένος, καθώς πήρε σάρκα και οστά, ένα έργο που από καιρό είχε οραματιστεί και πάλεψε για την πραγμάτωσή του. Η ολοκλήρωση της νέας αυτής γραμμής υλοποιήθηκε μετά από πολύμηνη, κοπιαστική και με πολλά πισωγυρίσματα διαδικασία, όμως, με το πείσμα που διακατέχει τον Αντιπρόεδρο ο στόχος επετεύχθη.

Σε συνομιλίες που είχε ο κ. Μπούρας με αρκετούς κατοίκους, που θα εξυπηρετούνται από αυτή τη γραμμή, έδειξαν την ευγνωμοσύνη τους και την ικανοποίησή τους.

Το σημαντικό αυτό έργο ήρθε για να μείνει. Οι κάτοικοι θα μπορούν να εξυπηρετούνται με υπερσύγχρονα και καθαρά αστικά λεωφορεία και με χαμηλό κόστος (1,20€).

Ο κ. Μπούρας εκφράζει τις ιδιαίτερες ευχαριστίες του για την άμεση ανταπόκριση στον Υφυπουργό Υποδομών και Μεταφορών, Μιχάλη Παπαδόπουλο, τον Πρόεδρο Οργανισμού Αστικών Συγκοινωνιών Αθηνών (ΟΑΣΑ), Γιάννη Γκόλια και τον Γενικό Διευθυντή Συγκοινωνιακής και Εμπορικής Λειτουργίας του ΟΑΣΑ, Δημήτρη Αποστολίδη.

Συμπαραστάτες στις ενέργειες του Αντιπροέδρου της Βουλής υπήρξαν ο ο Αντιπεριφερειάρχης Δυτικής Αττικής, Λευτέρης  Κοσμόπουλος, ο Πρόεδρος της Δημοτικής Ενότητας Βιλίων, Κωνσταντίνος Μακρυνόρης, ο Αντιδήμαρχος Ερυθρών, Μιχάλης Σακελλάρης, ο Πρόεδρος Δημοτικής Ενότητας Ερυθρών, Δημήτριος Παγώνης και βέβαια ο Δήμαρχος Μάνδρας – Ειδυλλίας, Χρήστος Στάθης.

Ο κ. Μπούρας θα βρίσκεται πάντα στο πλευρό των κατοίκων της Δυτικής Αττικής, όπως διαχρονικά άλλωστε πράττει, θέτοντας ως προτεραιότητα την βελτίωση της καθημερινότητάς τους αλλά και την άμεση αντιμετώπιση των ζητημάτων που τους απασχολούν.

Τα αντιηλιακά μολύνουν τα φύκια Posidonia oceanica στη Μεσόγειο: Σκοτώνουν ψάρια, δελφίνια και χελώνες

Τα φίλτρα υπεριώδους ακτινοβολίας που απορροφώνται από το Posidonia oceanica μπορεί να έχουν καταστροφικές επιπτώσεις στα οικοσυστήματα, προειδοποιούν οι επιστήμονες.

Οι χημικές ουσίες που βρίσκονται σε αντηλιακές λοσιόν συσσωρεύονται στο μεσογειακό θαλάσσιο χόρτο, σύμφωνα με μια μελέτη.Οι επιστήμονες ανακάλυψαν φίλτρα υπεριώδους ακτινοβολίας στους μίσχους της Posidonia oceanica, ενός είδους θαλάσσιου χόρτου που βρίσκεται στις ακτές της Μαγιόρκα και ενδημικό στη Μεσόγειο Θάλασσα....

Aναγνώσατε πατώντας εδώ:

https://hellasjournal.com/2022/04/ta-antiiliaka-molinoun-ta-fikia-posidonia-oceanica-sti-mesogio-skotonoun-psaria-delfinia-ke-chelones/

Think Tank reports on the invasion of Ukraine

Library blog
Wednesday 13 April 2022

● General Secretariat of the Council   Think Tank reports on the invasion of Ukraine More than 6 weeks into Russia’s war against Ukraine, think tanks analyse the origins of the Russian invasion and the pre-existing global divisions, the threat and impact of escalation, use of Russian propaganda, the war crimes being committed against the Ukrainian people, Ukraine’s foreign policy choices and its wartime information strategy, as well as assess the impact of the war on the EU’s asylum policy, its security framework and its enlargement agenda, and review the positions of Turkey, Israel and Africa. Think Tank reports on the invasion of Ukraine 13 April 2022 Think Tank Review gsclibrary This is a non-exhaustive collection of Think Tanks reports on the invasion of Ukraine, covering the period from February 2022 onwards, which is regularly updated: 13.4.2022 More than 6 weeks into Russia’s war against Ukraine, think tanks analyse the origins of the Russian invasion and the pre-existing global divisions, the threat and impact of escalation, use of Russian propaganda, the war crimes being committed against the Ukrainian people, Ukraine’s foreign policy choices and its wartime information strategy, as well as assess the impact of the war on the EU’s asylum policy, its security framework and its enlargement agenda, and review the positions of Turkey, Israel and Africa. LA FONDATION POUR LA RECHERCHE STRATÉGIQUE (FRS) One month on in the Ukraine war: what role for the kadyrovtsy? This article discusses the role played by the “kadyrovtsy”, the personal army of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, in supporting Russia’s military aggress in Ukraine. The “kadyrovtsy” group, and other loosely integrated Chechen units, have previously conducted special operations on behalf of the federal authorities in Moscow in Georgia in 2008, Ukraine in 2014 and Syria in 2015. INSTITUTO ESPAÑOL DE ESTUDIOS ESTRATÉGICOS War in Ukraine, a punch on the international chessboard This article analyses the military invasion of Ukraine in the context of geopolitics, seeing the invasion not as the beginning of a new global ordering model, but one more chapter in the long-standing competition between great powers. What is new is the possibility of escalation in the conflict that could lead to direct confrontation between Russia and the North Atlantic Alliance, without any proxies. ILKO KUCHERIV DEMOCRATIC INITIATIVES FOUNDATION Ukraine’s foreign policy choices and responses to the Russian escalation This article considers the long-standing build-up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and analyses Ukraine’s security options in the context of the war, acknowledging that it looks hard to find a solution that can bridge the differences of Ukrainian and Russian security perceptions. BRUSSELS SCHOOL OF GOVERNANCE Bargaining with blood: Russia’s war in Ukraine This brief applies the bargaining model of war to examine the origins, escalation, eventual termination, and long-term settlement of Russia’s war against Ukraine. INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES Ukraine: The shock of recognition The author provides a historical perspective, in particular harking back to the broad anti-fascist alliance from around 1933 to 1947, regarding various factors at play in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. POLSKI INSTYTUT SPRAW MIĘDZYNARODOWYCH (THE POLISH INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS) Ukraine’s wartime information strategy The article looks at the strategic communication policy applied by the Ukrainian authorities during the war and aimed at their own citizens, Russian society, and the international community. POLSKI INSTYTUT SPRAW MIĘDZYNARODOWYCH (THE POLISH INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS) Russia’s wartime censorship and propaganda The author examines how the war against Ukraine is being used by the Russian government to transform Russia into a complete totalitarian state and the censorship and propaganda of military successes are tools employed to this end. CHATHAM HOUSE - THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS Ensuring Ukraine prevails is now the only moral choice According to the brief, a successful outcome to the fighting in Ukraine is critical not only to Ukrainian statehood, but to the future security of Europe as a whole. That means the only way to secure Europe is to ensure Ukraine prevails – and is not subjected to a flawed and unworkable peace settlement that does no more than postpone its reckoning with Russia, while continuing the suffering of the Ukrainian people under occupation. COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS Can Russia be held accountable for war crimes in Ukraine? The author examines what war crimes have been committed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, how investigations might proceed, the role of the US in seeking accountability and the question of reparations. ZENTRUM LIBERALE MODERNE (CENTER FOR LIBERAL MODERNITY) Russland will die Identität der Ukraine auslöschen The Russian attacks on Babyn Yar and other symbolic places and cultural monuments in Ukraine are similar to the practices of the Soviet Union and, according to the author, show that by destroying Ukrainian culture, Russia is trying to erase Ukrainian identity. CENTRE FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES Justice in Ukraine may be slow, but must be steady As the world is demanding justice for the atrocities being committed in Ukraine, the author outlines how achieving it will take both patience and determination. INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP The war in Ukraine raises new questions for EU foreign policy This article looks at how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted the EU to take unprecedented decisions on security, defence and EU enlargement and how it is also starting to shape the EU’s external action more broadly, opening new questions for Brussels and member states. LUXEMBOURG INSTITUTE OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC RESEARCH The Ukrainian exodus calls for better coordination in the European Asylum Policy This policy brief analyses the current situation and give estimates of the number of refugees who could be distributed across EU27 destinations depending on their absorption capacities. POLSKI INSTYTUT SPRAW MIĘDZYNARODOWYCH (THE POLISH INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS) Franco-Russian economic relations in the face of the war in Ukraine According to the article, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine will affect the French economy in micro and macroeconomic terms. The limited reaction of French businesses to the war shows that image losses remain a secondary issue while the risk of losing capital is much more alarming. STIFTUNG WISSENSCHAFT UND POLITIK Perceptions in Turkey about the war in Ukraine