Research in Germany

In summer 2020, the German federal government lowered value-added tax from 19 to 16 percent for half a year as part of its COVID economic stimulus package. A new study, recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Review of Economic Studies, uses survey data, data on retail purchases, and an economic model to show the extent to which this measure actually influenced private consumption. The study found that lower-wealth households, as well as younger and middle-aged households, benefited particularly, regardless of their level of financial literacy.

Researchers have analysed water samples collected during two expeditions aboard the research icebreaker Polarstern to investigate how life and changing conditions on the Antarctic continental shelf affect carbon carried into the deep ocean. Published in Nature Communications, the study reveals a surprising finding: despite intense biological activity and major changes in the water masses, the amount and make-up of dissolved organic matter remain almost unchanged.

+++ RESEARCH TICKER UNIVERSITY OF BONN: Quantum Chemistry with the Help of Artificial Intelligence+++ Quantum chemistry can be used to calculate the probabilities of which chemical processes will occur. This involves a great deal of programming work. Dr. Michael F. Peintinger from the Mulliken Center for Theoretical Chemistry at the University of Bonn has investigated what happens when artificial intelligence (AI) is used for this purpose.

A supposedly faked pencil drawing by French impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) has turned out to be an original. After comprehensive examinations – including paper and microscopic analyses – the sheet that a private owner handed over to the forgery studies collection at Heidelberg University has proved to be a hand-signed lithographic proof. The artwork originated around 1899 and portrays the famous actor and singer Amelie Diéterle (1871-1941). The lithography is to be presented to the public for the first time in an exhibition in Heidelberg’s Kurpfälzisches Museum.

Simple psychological interventions are often enough to encourage people to change their behavior – and this is also true when it comes to saving electricity. A new study by Mannheim-based consumer psychologist Dr. Yavor Paunov and colleagues shows that comparing one’s own electricity consumption with that of others as well as practical energy-saving tips can help reduce energy consumption.

- New classification: People with ulcerative colitis can be divided into four progression groups. The criterion is the speed of improvement. Those who respond more quickly are less likely to experience complications in the long term. This could help to identify at an early stage whether a treatment is effective. - Possible cause: In cases where patients did not respond to the drug vedolizumab, the researchers found evidence of inflammation of the blood vessels in the intestinal mucosa. - Possible course of action: Clinical practice data suggest that certain blood pressure-lowering drugs could enhance the effect of vedolizumab. Clinical trials are still needed to confirm this.