New Archives - Triadoro

Creativity and Passion, Intimately Linked According To New Research

Researchers at Northwestern University and University of London, Goldsmiths have teamed up to carry out research will found the link between creativity, and sustained romantic passion in relationships.

I have written a lot about creativity in the past and how it is one of the most important skills to have in the modern world, but this research brings a new detention to the importance creativity.

The authors carried out research where they have hypothesized that more creative individuals would keep romantic passion longer. To test their hypothesis they screened individuals based on the personalities and responses to survey questions. They had 500 people participate, and evaluated people who participated based on their creative personality score, and in a subset study according to their personality habits or behaviors. Both studies indicated that individuals who exhibited a more creative personality sustained a greater romantic passion in their relationship. Although this was a positive finding, the authors wanted to test for time. To do so, they followed participants over a course of 9-months and at the end of the course of 9-months they also asked participants to perform a physical intimacy task, where the passion would be attested by independent coders. In doing so, they wanted to remain as objective as possible and help rule out the self-reporting bias. What the found again that those who exhibited a more creative personality maintained greater passion over time in the relationships, and this was found evident in the physical intimacy task as well.

You may wonder – what it is about creative individuals that keeps the passion in the romantic relationships longer? To answer this question, the authors performed another study. In this study they wanted to understand whether creativity was associated with a positive illusion of partner’s physical attractiveness. In other words, do creative individuals allow their imagination take over and create an illusion or mystery in regard to their partners qualities? The results of this study indicate that this is indeed the case! Thus, individuals who scored higher on the creativity scale had more positive illusions of partner’s attractiveness, than those of the lower score.

Thus, it all comes back to our creativity and imagination. Being able to image a positive illusion, allows us to sustain passion for longer because we are able to overlook certain imperfections and replace them with positive illusions. Thus, rather than be discouraged by our perception of what we see, if we turn on our creativity and imagine something better, it indeed can help us change the situation and help sustain a romantic relationship.

Dr. Anna Powers is an entrepreneur, advisor and an award winning scientist. Her passion is sharing the beauty of science and encouraging women to enter STEM fields.

[“source=forbes”]

New Ford Aspire Review: Better Equipped, Better Value for Money

Ever since Ford came out with the Aspire, the car has managed to create an identity for itself which is of being a good driver’s car. But then there were a few features that the car could have used. Now, though, seems like Ford has heard to their customers as they have now come out with the new Aspire that not only gets new features but also new styling. But does that mean it is better value for money than before? Let’s find out.

Let’s start with the way the new Aspire looks. The biggest visual update is the redesigned front-end. The Aspire gets a new grille design which sports ample out of chrome for the chrome-lovers out there and the fog lamp enclosures now extend into the bumper to give it a c-shape design and yes, gets the chrome treatment as well. The headlamps have been smoked out and even they get a chrome element inside!

There’s ample of chrome on the New Ford Aspire. (Photo: News18.com)

Coming to the back of the car, the thick chrome strip that runs across the width of the boot lid remains the same as the earlier model whereas the rear bumper has been redesigned. Look closer and you will notice that the tail lights get new detailing.

The new Ford Aspire gets subtle updates at the back. (Photo: News18.com)

As for the side profile, well, it still has that muscular and strong shoulder line which is now complemented by new 15-inch alloy wheels.

Overall, the car looks fresh and more up to date. However, there is no LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL), projector headlamps or LED tail lights on offer even in the top-spec variant, which is something that the competing cars in this segment do come with. Is it a deal breaker? and does it make that much of a difference? Not at all, but it is something that would have been nice to have.

Moving on to the inside of the car and the first thing that you will notice is that the cabin has the familiar Ford layout. The build quality is great and so is the quality of materials used – something that Ford is known for.

The interiors of the new Ford Aspire have a familiar layout. (Photo: News18.com)

Gone are the leather seats making way for the new fabric seats that have better bolstering. There is enough room for passengers all around the cabin but the car surprisingly does not have a rear AC vent or a charging port for the rear passengers which is a big miss.

Add to that the absence of cup holders in the rear armrest and no bottle holders in the rear doors which is a bit surprising, to be honest.

The Aspire’s saving grace, though, is the new touchscreen infotainment system.

The infotainment system of the new Ford Aspire in the top-spec variant comes with Ford’s SYNC 3 technology. (Photo: News18.com)

We drove the top-spec variant which actually gets a smaller 6.5-inch screen as opposed to a 7-inch screen that the lower variants get, but it offers the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support which the lower variants don’t. There are also two USB ports placed in the centre console and the car gets the usual Bluetooth connectivity along with steering mounted controls. The outside rearview mirrors can now be operated electronically and I absolutely loved the rotary knobs for the volume and aircon controls which feel premium.

But coming to the infotainment system, it gets Ford’s SYNC 3 technology and simply put – this is the best infotainment system in the compact sedan segment in India right now. The touch response is simply fantastic and there’s also a reverse parking camera that the new Aspire gets.

Then, there’s the addition of automatic headlamps and rain sensing vipers as well.

The new Ford Aspire gets new features like automatic headlamps and wipers. (Photo: News18.com)

So yes, the new touchscreen infotainment system is the highlight of the cabin but what I really liked was the driving ergonomics that the car has to offer. Especially the chunky steering wheel which is just fantastic to hold.

And this isn’t that big of a surprise. Ford cars are known for being great at driving and it is applicable on the new Aspire as well. The other thing that Fords are known for is safety, and the Aspire offers that by offering dual airbags and ABS as standard across variants. The top-spec variant of the Aspire comes with six airbags around the cabin.

The unit we tested came powered with the 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine which was first seen on the Ford Freestyle and it gets the same state of tune in the Aspire as well. The engine makes 96 PS of power at a sky-high 6,500 RPM and 120 Nm of torque at 4,250 RPM. This engine is peppy and when you drive it down low in the RPM range, it is calm and composed like a well-behaved child. But, go past the 3,000 RPM mark and you are greeted with a throaty exhaust note and the car pulls ahead like a cat who is afraid of water, has just been in the water.

The gear throws are short and crisp and the drivetrain feels just so engaging to shift through.

We drove the manual-gearbox equipped variant of the new Ford Aspire and the drivetrain was a delight. (Photo: News18.com)

That’s not it, the chassis is so good that it makes you believe that it can take much more power. And the driving feedback from the steering wheel and the brakes makes the car feel sublime. Yes, the ride quality is a bit harsh at low speeds but it just keeps getting better and better as the speeds climb.

This is a proper driver’s car.

The new Ford Aspire gets new 15-inch alloy wheels. (Photo: News18.com)

Last but not least, the price. The new Ford Aspire is actually cheaper than the old Ford Aspire. And with that, it also undercuts the starting price of the Hyundai Xcent, Honda Amaze as well as the new Maruti Suzuki Dzire making it a sweeter deal than ever before.

So to sum up the new Aspire’s experience. Well, if you’re in the market looking for a compact sedan then you might be looking for things like efficiency or practicality, but if you’re looking out for driving dynamics, then the new Aspire is something that we definitely recommend.

[“source=news18”]

New app allows two-factor authentication for all apps

The traditional method of using a username and password is no longer sufficient to protect your banking, social media, emails and other digital accounts. Passwords can easily be forgotten or even stolen, making two-factor authentication are integral in protecting your identity and online account access.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) does an excellent job securing your digital accounts, but what happens when your phone is stolen or gets misplaced? Or what if you’re updating to a new device and have to re-authenticate everything? And, even if you have the keys saved, manually resetting two-factor authentication for every account is going to take its fair share of time.

Rivetz is a mobile cybersecurity specialist that is ending all your 2FA woes with the launch of a new Authenticator app. Rivetz’s Authenticator app is the first two-factor authentication solution with backup and recovery. The app recovers 2FA keys using a mobile’s existing hardware security capabilities, while also giving you complete control over encrypted backup files. The app was created to eliminate frustrations users face with their 2FA accounts when migrating to new devices.

While 2FA apps generate their code in software, Rivetz Authenticator generates codes in a phone’s hardware chipset, protecting them from phishing attacks, malware and the other threats. This secure hardware chipset is called Trusted Execution Environment, which is already embedded in millions of Android devices. The app also features a Trusted User Interface (TUI) for supported devices that ensures malware doesn’t infect a transaction.

Rivetz Authenticators is engineered from scratch, using hardware-based trusted processing. It is compatible with all your favourite online services like Twitter, Facebook, Gmail, Coinbase, Binance, work accounts and more. The Authenticators also monitors the state of your device for changes caused by spyware or malicious malware software, and will instantly notify you if any such change is detected. You can save all your services as encrypted backups and easily recover then if your phone is lost or stolen. Rivetz strongly believes in prioritising privacy, which is the primary reason why the app functions offline within your device.

[“source=moneycontrol”]

Researchers Find New Insights Into Role of Little-Understood Placenta

More than 15 percent of women in developed countries suffer from pregnancy complications associated with the placenta, the disk-shaped organ that sustains a growing fetus. Now researchers find the placenta adapts when nutrients are scarce. The discovery identifies possible targets for intervention, the researchers say.

“Pregnancy complications are [often] linked to poor placental growth and function,” said Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri, a physiologist and developmental biologist at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, who led the new research. “However, we lack information on what determines how well the placenta grows and functions to support fetal growth during a healthy pregnancy, let alone when the mother is challenged by a suboptimal environment.”

Pregnancy Problem

The placenta is a temporary organ that sprouts a baby’s umbilical cord. The organ then provides the oxygen and nutrients to the growing fetus. It also synthesizes hormones and other molecules necessary for pregnancy and pulls waste products from the baby’s blood. Beyond these fundamental functions, however, researchers know little about what makes for a healthy placenta. But if a placenta isn’t working properly, it can compromise the fetus’ development.

One in 10 infants are born small from growth restrictions in the womb. And those newborns face a higher risk for death in their first few weeks of life, followed by a lifetime of poor health. Hypoxia, an insufficient amount of oxygen getting to tissues, is the chief factor behind growth-restricted babies born at high-altitudes, but is also a common feature of pregnancy complications at sea level.

Sferruzzi-Perri and her team wanted to find out what factors contribute to a healthy placenta during a normal pregnancy, as well as what hinders the organ’s function during complications. The researchers assessed how well mitochondria, the cell’s energy factories, use oxygen and nutrients to produce energy in the placentas of pregnant mice in their third trimester. Some of the mice lived in conditions that mimic a high-altitude environment about 12,000 feet above sea level.

Mighty Mitochondria

In the final stage of labor, the placenta comes out. (Credit: ChameleonsEye/shutterstock

“We found that in the placenta, mitochondria alter their function during the course of pregnancy to best support the needs of the rapidly growing fetus,” Sferruzzi-Perri said.

The mitochondria used more oxygen in earlier stages of gestation than near term, the team reported online January 17^thin the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The results suggest mitochondria are more active when the placenta is growing quickly. It then switches gears closer to term to shuttle oxygen and nutrients to the growing fetus.

The researchers also found that the mitochondria compensate for when mothers are not getting enough to eat or are in low-oxygen environments. “When the placenta is not able to compensate for such challenges then this can lead to complications such as fetal growth restriction,” Sferruzzi-Perri said.

“The next step would be to find ways to target mitochondria in the placenta to alter their function and improve pregnancy success in women where we know the outcome might be poor,” she added.

[“source=discovermagazine”]