https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from Academy of Finland Extended reality makes it possible to artificially modify human sensations. For example, researchers have succeeded in using extended reality to make vegetarian food even more attractive. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-04-reality-meat-flavors-based-meals.html Hi Tech & Innovation Wed, 02 Apr 2025 14:37:04 EDT news662823422 Half of all COVID-19 patients with obstructive sleep apnoea require hospitalization. Moderate to severe sleep apnoea predisposes to severe COVID-19. In contrast, indications are that sleep apnoea does not predispose to COVID-19 infection. These are the key findings of recent research using Finnish FinnGen data, a project supported by the Academy of Finland Center of Excellence in Complex Disease Genetics (CoECDG). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-06-genes-apnea-severe-covid-.html Medical research Tue, 01 Jun 2021 09:11:48 EDT news541757504 Researchers at the Nanoscience Center and Faculty of Information Technology in the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, have achieved a significant step forward in predicting atomic structures of hybrid nanoparticles. A research article published in Nature Communications on 3 September 2019, demonstrates a new algorithm that learns to predict binding sites of molecules at the metal-molecule interface of hybrid nanoparticles by using already published experimental structural information on nanoparticle reference systems. The algorithm can in principle be applied to any nanometer-size structure consisting of metals and molecules provided that some structural information already exists on the corresponding systems. https://phys.org/news/2019-09-artificial-intelligence-hybrid-nanoparticle.html Nanomaterials Thu, 05 Sep 2019 08:00:58 EDT news486889250 Researchers of the Nanoscience Center (NSC) at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, and Xiamen University, China, have discovered how copper particles at the nanometer scale operate in modifying a carbon-oxygen bond when ketone molecules turn into alcohol molecules. Modification of the carbon-oxygen and carbon-carbon bonds found in organic molecules is an important intermediate stage in catalytic reactions in which the source material is changed into valuable end products. https://phys.org/news/2019-05-nanocatalyst-atomic.html Nanomaterials Wed, 29 May 2019 08:25:29 EDT news478337120 The central nervous system of older individuals responds to movement and initiates muscular contraction differently compared to young individuals. This is the result of a study led by researcher Simon Walker at the University of Jyväskylä with Postdoctoral Researcher funding from the Academy of Finland. Walker's team also found links between the ability to sense movement and balance control. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-09-older-people-central-nervous-compromised.html Neuroscience Wed, 26 Sep 2018 11:26:44 EDT news457179995 Using scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), extremely high resolution imaging of the molecule-covered surface structures of silver nanoparticles is possible, even down to the recognition of individual parts of the molecules protecting the surface. This was the finding of joint research between China and Finland, led in Finland by Academy Professor Hannu Häkkinen of the University of Jyväskylä. The research was recently published in the prestigious Nature Communications series and the publication was selected by the journal editors to the journal's monthly collection of highlighted papers. https://phys.org/news/2018-08-high-resolution-imaging-nanoparticle-surface.html Nanophysics Fri, 03 Aug 2018 10:07:56 EDT news452509666 Researchers at the University of Oulu in Finland have discovered novel genes and mechanisms that can explain how a genomic variant in a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs11672691 influences prostate cancer aggressiveness. Their findings also suggest ways to improve risk stratification and clinical treatment for advanced prostate cancer. The study is published in the journal Cell. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-07-prostate-cancer-incurable-stage-uncovered.html Oncology & Cancer Fri, 20 Jul 2018 09:20:09 EDT news451297201 According to research, one's situation in life strongly affects the amount of digital help received from outside the home. Somewhat surprisingly, single-parent families require more external digital help than older people in using and updating the computer and digital television. https://phys.org/news/2018-06-life-situation-affects-digital-age.html Social Sciences Thu, 28 Jun 2018 09:21:44 EDT news449396496 The methods commonly used for water purification are not necessarily effective enough to combat chemical contaminants transported into household waters. Chlorination and UV disinfection work well on pathogenic microbes but are not as effective in removing chemical substances. These are among the findings of a research project funded by the Academy of Finland studying the health effects of microbial and emerging chemical pollutants in water, the economic consequences of health effects and the costs of water purification methods. https://phys.org/news/2018-06-treatment-contaminants.html Environment Thu, 07 Jun 2018 09:44:31 EDT news447583450 What happens when you excite novel assemblies of nanomaterials using structured light? Joint research between Tampere University of Technology (TUT) (Finland) and University of Tübingen (Germany) has shown that carefully structured light and matching arrangements of metal nanostructures (so-called "plasmonic oligomers") can be combined to alter the properties of the generated light at the nanometer scale. In particular, the teams have shown that the efficiency of nonlinear optical fields (e.g., second-harmonics) generated from the oligomers is strongly influenced by how the constituents of the oligomer are arranged in space and how these constituents are illuminated by structured light. https://phys.org/news/2018-04-nanomaterials-ways-tailor-nanoscale.html Nanophysics Fri, 20 Apr 2018 10:51:32 EDT news443440261 Young adults who are driven by extrinsic rewards and money and less by a sense of security are more likely to want to become entrepreneurs and leaders, according to a recent study. The more young people value money and rewards at age 21, the more likely they are to have higher entrepreneurial and leadership aspirations at age 27. https://phys.org/news/2018-03-values-gender-young-adults-entrepreneurial.html Social Sciences Tue, 27 Mar 2018 06:06:01 EDT news441349519 Smoking at least 10 cigarettes a day is linked to a higher risk of psychoses compared to non-smoking young people. The risk is also raised if the smoking starts before the age of 13. This has been shown in a study led by Academy Research Fellow, Professor Jouko Miettunen. The results were recently published in the journal Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-03-heightens-psychoses.html Health Mon, 12 Mar 2018 09:06:20 EDT news440064371 Lasers that emit ultrashort pulses of light are critical components of technologies, including communications and industrial processing, and have been central to fundamental Nobel Prize-winning research in physics. Although first invented in the 1960s, the exact mechanism whereby lasers actually produce such bright flashes of light has remained elusive. It has not been previously possible to look inside a laser as it is first turned on to see how the laser pulses build up from noise. However, research recently published online in Nature Photonics has demonstrated for the first time how laser pulses emerge out of nowhere from noise and then display complex collapse and oscillation dynamics before eventually settling down to stable regular operation. https://phys.org/news/2018-03-ultrafast-technique-lasers-chaos.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 09 Mar 2018 07:05:28 EST news439801515 Adults, who report having received higher levels of parental care in childhood, perceive themselves as more attractive mates. In particular, maternal care is associated with experienced mate value in adulthood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-02-parental-partner.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 19 Feb 2018 09:17:13 EST news438254220 Researchers have shown how the principles of general relativity open the door to novel electronic applications such as a three-dimensional electron lens and electronic invisibility devices. In a new study funded by the Academy of Finland, Aalto University researchers Alex Westström and Teemu Ojanen propose a method to go beyond special relativity and simulate Einstein's theory of general relativity in inhomogeneous Weyl semimetals. The theory of Weyl metamaterials combines ideas from solid-state physics, particle physics and cosmology and points a way to fabricate metallic designer materials where charge carriers move like particles in curved space-time. https://phys.org/news/2017-11-quantum-materials-route-d-electronic.html General Physics Tue, 07 Nov 2017 09:01:20 EST news429267673 According to a recent study, parental support for the autonomy of young people promotes the well-being of the latter in all major educational transitions: from primary to lower secondary school, from basic education to upper secondary school, and from upper secondary school to university. Professor Katariina Salmela-Aro points out that autonomy support provided by mothers and fathers prevented depression during all three transitions and increased the self-esteem of youths in the final two transitions. The study was performed with funding from the Academy of Finland. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-10-impact-parents-well-being-young-people.html Psychology & Psychiatry Fri, 20 Oct 2017 06:06:10 EDT news427698360 Researchers from Finland and Taiwan have discovered how graphene, a single-atom-thin layer of carbon, can be forged into three-dimensional objects by using laser light. A striking illustration was provided when the researchers fabricated a pyramid with a height of 60 nm, which is about 200 times larger than the thickness of a graphene sheet. The pyramid was so small that it would easily fit on a single strand of hair. The research was supported by the Academy of Finland and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of China. https://phys.org/news/2017-09-graphene-forged-three-dimensional.html Nanomaterials Tue, 26 Sep 2017 09:12:52 EDT news425635961 Males with Arabic names confront discrimination in the rental housing market in Finland. According to a study conducted at Åbo Akademi University, individuals with an Arabic name —males, in particular —were considerably less likely to receive a response from potential landlords. Only 16 percent of inquiries signed with a male Arabic name received responses, whereas inquiries with a female Finnish name received responses in 42 percent of cases. The study is a part of the research project Intra-Genomic Conflicts and Social Decision-Making in Humans. https://phys.org/news/2017-09-discrimination-housing-hindering-successful.html Social Sciences Wed, 06 Sep 2017 06:20:34 EDT news423897623 Intergenerational relations include various forms of help and support, but also introduce tensions and conflicts. Although relations with in-laws are the subject of many anecdotes and proverbs across cultures, they remain little studied in contemporary societies. A new study investigates how being a parent is associated with conflicts between family generations. The research is part of the Generational Transfers in Finland, a research project led by Professor Anna Rotkirch and funded by the Academy of Finland. https://phys.org/news/2017-08-parents-conflicts-in-laws-childless-couples.html Social Sciences Mon, 07 Aug 2017 08:20:02 EDT news421309276 The birth of a child is often a long-awaited and deeply meaningful event for the parents. However, the transition to parenthood also forces the parents to revise their interparental romantic relationship and to answer the new questions arising from parenthood. At the same time as the parents learn how to cope with the new situation, the infant undergoes one of the most intense developmental periods in human life. Previous attachment research has demonstrated the importance of the mother-infant relationship to children's emotional development, but there is still relatively little research on the role of fathers, the marital relationship and the family as a whole. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-06-quality-early-family-relationships-children.html Psychology & Psychiatry Fri, 16 Jun 2017 08:01:31 EDT news416818868 Body- and sex related problems constitute a distinct group of psychological ailments that is most common in middle aged women, according to scientific research. The project was financed by the Academy of Finland. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-05-body-sex-problems-psychological.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 30 May 2017 06:56:04 EDT news415346155 Cohort after cohort, fishing typically removes large fish from the population and can lead to rapid evolutionary changes in exploited fish populations. A new study from the University of Turku, Finland, shows that removing the largest individuals from the population can lead to massive gene expression changes in an experimentally exploited fish population. The study was funded by the Academy of Finland. https://phys.org/news/2017-05-fishing-slowly-reversible-gene.html Ecology Tue, 16 May 2017 09:33:18 EDT news414145986 The difference between men and women with respect to their age preferences, when it comes to sexual partners, is smaller than earlier believed. A recent study shows that also men become interested in older and older women as they themselves age. https://phys.org/news/2017-02-men-women-respect-age-sexual.html Social Sciences Fri, 03 Feb 2017 09:29:38 EST news405336561 Researchers have made a ground-breaking discovery revealing new molecular information on how the brain regulates depression and anxiety. In so doing, they identified a new molecule that alleviates anxiety and depressive behaviour in rodents. The research, led by Eleanor Coffey, Research Director at Åbo Akademi University in Finland is a collaborative effort between scientists in Finland and the US. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-01-avenue-anti-depressant-therapy.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 18 Jan 2017 08:50:02 EST news403949914 Self-assembly of matter is one of the fundamental principles of nature, directing the growth of larger ordered and functional systems from smaller building blocks. Self-assembly can be observed in all length scales from molecules to galaxies. Now, researchers at the Nanoscience Centre of the University of Jyväskylä and the HYBER Centre of Excellence of Aalto University in Finland report a novel discovery of self-assembling two- and three-dimensional materials that are formed by tiny gold nanoclusters of just a couple of nanometres in size, each having 102 gold atoms and a surface layer of 44 thiol molecules. The study, conducted with funding from the Academy of Finland and the European Research Council, has been published in Angewandte Chemie, one of the world's leading journals in chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2017-01-self-assembling-d-materials.html Nanomaterials Fri, 13 Jan 2017 09:06:00 EST news403520746 The current method of treating prostate cancer involves identifying gene defects, which could help with the diagnosis of cancer and the development of individualised cancer treatments for patients. Professor Tapio Visakorpi at the University of Tampere is studying the molecular biology of prostate cancer, with funding by the Academy of Finland. The goal is to obtain a holistic picture of the disease's mechanisms and use those mechanisms as a basis for developing new treatments. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-11-identification-gene-defects-treatment-prostate.html Oncology & Cancer Fri, 04 Nov 2016 08:20:04 EDT news397465774 Leukocytes which arise during the embryonic period regulate iron metabolism and the growth of the mammary gland in adults. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-10-embryonic-white-blood-cells-adulthood.html Medical research Mon, 17 Oct 2016 09:44:40 EDT news395916272 Forests provide multiple social and environmental benefits and play a key role in bioeconomy particularly in the Nordic countries. For example, the Finnish bioeconomy strategy aims to considerably increase the use of forest-based biomasses and forest harvesting by 2025. However, new research shows that there are strong conflicts between intensive timber harvesting and the provision of other benefits or the maintenance of biodiversity. The results are part of a research project lead by Professor Mikko Mönkkönen and funded by the Academy of Finland and Kone foundation. The project aims at identifying conflicts and synergies between ecosystem services and biodiversity at forest landscape scale. https://phys.org/news/2016-10-diversified-multiple-benefits-boreal-forests.html Environment Fri, 14 Oct 2016 10:10:02 EDT news395656835 Nature has inspired generations of people, offering a plethora of different materials for innovations. One such material is the molecule of the heritage, or DNA, thanks to its unique self-assembling properties. Researchers at the Nanoscience Center (NSC) of the University of Jyväskylä and BioMediTech (BMT) of the University of Tampere have now demonstrated a method to fabricate electronic devices by using DNA. The DNA itself has no part in the electrical function, but acts as a scaffold for forming a linear, pearl-necklace-like nanostructure consisting of three gold nanoparticles. https://phys.org/news/2016-10-dna-based-single-electron-electronic-devices.html Nanomaterials Thu, 13 Oct 2016 09:58:44 EDT news395571515 The new information necessitates revising the scenarios on how the enormous species richness in Amazonia has evolved and which factors define species distributions. https://phys.org/news/2016-10-unexpected-biogeographical-boundaries-amazonia.html Environment Tue, 04 Oct 2016 09:22:03 EDT news394791716