Latest news with #PekingUniversity
Daily Mail
19 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
New 'super-Viagra' is 10 times stronger than famous little blue pill and could have fewer side effects, scientists say
A new 'super-Viagra' could be ten times stronger than the famous little blue pill and comes with fewer side effects scientists have revealed. The experimental drug simenafil was tested on 706 men by a team at Peking University First Hospital in China. And the results were staggering. The tests showed that after 12 weeks, the course of pills improved erectile function by more than 12 per cent. Scientists found that the original Viagra, known as sildenafil, only caused an approximately 11.8 per cent improvement compared to super-Viagra's 12.3 per cent results, and it found other brands were even less effective. And the dose is considerably smaller, with improvements seen using just 5mg compared to the standard 50mg dose of Viagra, according to The Sun. Erectile dysfunction is very common and often affects men over 40 years old. Symptoms usually include an inability to get an erection or an inability to maintain one. Most men struggle to get or keep an erection at some point, this can usually be caused by stress, tiredness or drinking too much alcohol. However if it is a common occurrence it may be a result of high blood pressure or cholesterol, diabetes, depression or anxiety and hormones problems and is something that can be discussed with a GP. Drugs on offer include traditional Viagra which is part of a drug group called PDE5 inhibitors. They work by blocking an enzyme that restricts blood flow to the penis, by blocking it, the normal function can resume and the penis can be become erect. Side effects can include headaches, sickness, hot flushes, indigestion, a stuffy nose or feeling dizzy. Writing in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, study author Dr Hui Jiang said: 'Owing to these adverse events, novel and alternative therapies are needed for patients with erectile dysfunction. 'The results so far show oral simenafil was effective and well-tolerated in male patients. 'Therefore, we believe that it will provide an additional reliable treatment option. 'Overall, the evaluation indicated that simenafil was as effective as other PDE5 inhibitors even at very low doses. 'It showed that intercourse satisfaction, orgasmic function, sexual desire and overall satisfaction increased.' The development comes as GPs warn of a staggering rise in erectile problems in young men. According to doctors, watching pornography is driving a wave of erectile dysfunction. Dr Babak Ashrafi, a family medic with Superdrug Online Doctor, said there had been an 46 per cent increase in men under the age of 30 currently seeking help from its erectile dysfunction service compared to last year. But Dr Babak said a spike in younger men experiencing the problem could be linked to the 'exponential' consumption of explicit online material. 'Despite men between the ages of 45 and 54 being the most likely to suffer from erectile difficulties, younger male audiences are increasingly requesting treatment,' he said. Dr Babak explained that while occasional pornography viewing was harmless, frequent or marathon sessions could re-train men's brains and prevent them from becoming aroused normally. 'Repeated overexposure to graphic content can over time make it harder for individuals to become aroused by real-life sexual experiences,' he said. The family doctor added that porn could be giving men unrealistic perceptions about their manhood, or how long they should last in bed.
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
How tough is Gaokao, the world's most intense exam? A comparison with India's JEE
College entrance exams occupy a pivotal place in the academic journey. The fierce competition, the vast range of subjects to master, and the anxiety of unpredictable challenges can leave students feeling overwhelmed. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Every year, millions of students navigate this exam frenzy, and studies have sought to rank these competitive tests, declaring which one reigns as the most gruelling. Factors such as subject variety, depth, scope, and competition are all measured to determine which exam takes the crown as the world's most intense. The winner? China's Gaokao, with India's Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) securing a spot in the top three and potentially competing to reign supreme in the list. Both exams share striking similarities, they attract millions of candidates, demand years of preparation, and offer life-changing opportunities to those who succeed. However, they differ fundamentally in their approach to academic assessment. Gaokao tests a broad knowledge base across multiple subjects, while JEE delves deep into mathematical and scientific understanding. Gaokao is a one-time test with no second chances, whereas JEE offers multiple attempts, albeit with intensifying competition each year. The question that captivates educators, parents, and students alike is both simple and complex: Which of these academic giants is truly more challenging? The answer not only reflects the nature of these exams but also provides insight into the educational philosophies and cultural values of two of the world's most populous nations. China's Gaokao: An exam that makes a nation hold its breath In China, the Gaokao is more than just a test, it's a national event. When exam day arrives, traffic gets diverted, construction work stops, and even flights are rerouted to keep noise levels down. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now That's how seriously the country takes this exam. The numbers tell the story. Over 12 million students sit for Gaokao each year, all competing for spots at top universities. The most prestigious institutions, like Peking University and Tsinghua University, accept barely 0.1% of applicants. To put that in perspective, getting into Harvard is actually easier. What makes Gaokao so tough? It's not just one subject, students must master Chinese, maths, and English, plus choose between science subjects (physics, chemistry, biology) or humanities (history, geography, politics). The exam runs for two full days, testing everything from complex equations to essay writing. Students spend their entire high school years preparing, with many undergoing continuous, rigorous training throughout their schooling. The preparation is so intense that it becomes a way of life. There's no second chance, your Gaokao score determines which university you can attend, which often shapes your entire career path. India's JEE: The engineering dream factory Meanwhile, in India, the JEE serves as the gateway to the country's most coveted engineering colleges. The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are so prestigious that getting in is considered a badge of honour for life. The competition is fierce. Around 1.5 million students take the JEE each year, but only about 200,000 make it to the advanced level. The dream is fulfilled for only 1% students. These odds make JEE one of the most competitive exams on the planet. Unlike Gaokao's broad approach, JEE focuses entirely on three subjects: maths, physics, and chemistry. But don't let that fool you—the questions are incredibly challenging. They test not just what you know, but how well you can think under pressure and solve complex problems. The exam format includes both JEE Main (held twice yearly) and JEE Advanced (for the top performers), creating a two-tier system that adds another layer of competition. Many students start preparing for JEE two to four years in advance, often attending special coaching classes alongside regular school. These coaching institutes have become a massive industry in India, with some charging hefty fees for their specialised programmes. The pressure is immense, as success can transform a student's life and their family's future. Which exam is tougher? Comparing these two giants isn't straightforward, they're difficult in different ways. Time structure Gaokao is like running a marathon. It covers many subjects over two days, requiring students to memorise vast amounts of information and write detailed answers. The mental and physical stamina needed is enormous. JEE is more like a sprint. Students get three hours to solve highly complex problems in maths, physics, and chemistry. The time pressure is intense, and there's no room for mistakes. Subjects Gaokao tests knowledge across multiple subjects, from literature to science to social studies. Students need to be good at everything. JEE goes deep into just three subjects. Students must understand concepts so well they can apply them to solve problems they've never seen before. Frequency and second chances Gaokao happens once a year, and that's it. Your score on those two days determines your future. JEE offers more flexibility, students can take the main exam twice a year and have multiple attempts. But this also means the competition keeps getting tougher as students retake the test. Global reputation Both exams are gaining international recognition. Some universities abroad now accept Gaokao scores for admission, particularly in Europe and the US. JEE Advanced scores are accepted by universities in Singapore, Australia, and the UAE for engineering programmes. So which is harder? The honest answer? Both are incredibly difficult in their own ways. Gaokao challenges students with its sheer scope and scale. Managing multiple subjects, memorising enormous amounts of information, and performing under pressure for two days straight is extraordinary. With 12 million students competing, the numbers alone make it daunting. JEE challenges students with its depth and complexity. The problems require years of practice to master, and the level of mathematical and scientific thinking demanded is exceptional. The 1% acceptance rate at IITs speaks volumes about the competition. What this means for students For the millions of young people taking these exams, the debate over which is harder misses the point. Both tests represent years of sacrifice, intense study, and enormous pressure. They're not just academic challenges, they're life-defining moments that can open doors to incredible opportunities. Whether it's a Chinese student hoping to study at Tsinghua or an Indian student dreaming of IIT, these exams represent the pursuit of excellence in education. They're tough because the rewards, access to world-class education and career opportunities, are so valuable.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Science
- The Hindu
CERN collider reveals major clue to universe's bias against antimatter
The universe is made mostly of matter, not antimatter, but scientists believe that after the Big Bang, both must have existed in equal amounts. One of the big mysteries in physics is understanding why matter dominates the universe today and what happened to all the antimatter. A key clue comes from something called CP violation — a difference in the behaviour of matter and antimatter. While CP violation has been observed in certain types of particles called mesons, it has never been reported in baryons, which are the particles (like protons and neutrons) that make up most of the matter around us. Based on new data, the LHCb collaboration in Europe has now reported the first-ever observation of CP violation in baryon decays, specifically in a particle called the Λb⁰ baryon (pronounced 'lambda bee-zero baryon'). Their findings were published in Nature on July 16. 'For the first time, we have clear evidence of CP violation in baryons,' Xueting Yang, the corresponding author of the study, a member of the LHCb team, and a PhD student at Peking University in Beijing, told The Hindu. 'The matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe requires CP violation in baryons, such that the discovery is a key step forward.' Looking for the signal In CP, 'C' stands for charge conjugation, which means the action of swapping a particle with its antiparticle. 'P' stands for parity, which is the action of flipping the spatial coordinates, like looking in a mirror. CP symmetry stipulates that if you swap particles for antiparticles and look in a mirror, the laws of physics should be the same. CP violation thus means this symmetry is broken and that the laws of physics are slightly different for matter and antimatter. This is important because CP violation is a necessary ingredient to explain why the universe is made mostly of matter. The Λb⁰ baryon is made up of three smaller particles: an up quark, a down quark, and a bottom quark. The antiparticle of the Λb⁰ baryon is called the Λb⁰-bar. The newly reported result focuses on a specific decay of the Λb⁰ baryon: into a proton, a negatively charged kaon, a positively charged pion, and a negatively charged pion. This is denoted: Λb⁰ → p K⁻ π⁺ π⁻. The collaboration also studied the same decay for the antiparticle, Λb⁰-bar, but with all charges reversed. The experiment used data from the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, specifically from the LHCb detector on the machine. The LHCb team collected data between 2011 and 2018, corresponding to a very large number of collisions between beams of protons accelerated to nearly the speed of light. In these collisions, Λb⁰ and Λb⁰-bar baryons are produced and then rapidly decay. The LHCb researchers looked for events where the decay products matched p K⁻ π⁺ π⁻. To reduce background noise — in the form of random combinations of particles that mimic the signal — they used machine learning to distinguish real decays from fake ones. They also used particle identification tools on computers that could tell protons, kaons, and pions apart. The main quantity they measured was the CP asymmetry. It compares the number of Λb⁰ decays to the number of Λb⁰-bar decays: if there is no CP violation, the value of CP asymmetry should be zero. In practice, they measured the yield asymmetry, which is the difference in the number of decays observed for Λb⁰ and Λb⁰-bar. There are some effects that can mimic CP violation. For example, the proton-proton collisions may produce more Λb⁰ than Λb⁰-bar to begin with. For another, the LHCb detector on the Large Hadron Collider might have been slightly better at detecting one charge over another. To correct for these possible biases, the researchers used a control channel — a similar decay where no CP violation is expected. Here, an Λb⁰ baryon decays to a positively charged Λc baryon, and a negatively charged pion: Λb⁰ → Λc⁺ π⁻. Any asymmetry seen in this control channel was considered a nuisance and subtracted from the main measurement. Mesons, then baryons The researchers used statistical methods to determine how many real Λb⁰ baryon and Λb⁰-bar antiparticle decays the detector recorded. Then they checked their results for consistency across different data-taking periods, detector settings, and analysis methods. Thus, the team found a significant difference in the decay rates: about 2.45%. According to the paper, this result is 5.2 standard deviations away from zero, which is well above the statistical threshold required for physicists to claim a discovery in particle physics. 'It was expected that the LHCb group had enough data. They are reporting it now,' theoretical physicist, University of Hawai'i affiliate graduate faculty, and Chennai's Institute of Mathematical Sciences retired professor Rahul Sinha told The Hindu. This is the first time CP violation has been observed in baryon decays. Previously, physicists had reported CP violation only in mesons, particles which are made of a quark and an antiquark, and not baryons, which are made of three quarks. The result matches the predictions of the Standard Model, the main theory of particle physics, which says CP violation comes from the way quarks mix and decay. However, the amount of CP violation in the Standard Model is not enough to explain the matter-antimatter imbalance in the universe. 'The observation of CP violation in baryons still doesn't settle the mystery of the universe's missing antimatter,' Prof. Sinha said. 'The Standard Model predicts a rate of disappearance of antimatter that doesn't match what we're seeing in the universe.' The new announcement opens new ways to search for 'new physics', the name for hitherto unknown effects or particles beyond what the Model predicts, and which physicists believe will reveal the 'complete' theory of subatomic particles. Mind the phase According to Prof. Sinha, the new paper reports observing CP violation in baryons but doesn't say whether the amount of violation is higher or lower than that predicted by the Standard Model. Ascertaining that requires researchers to determine the complex phase. In the context of CP violation, the complex phase is a combination of variables present in the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix, a mathematical tool physicists use to understand how the quarks in a baryon interact with each other. If the complex phase has a non-zero value, it means the laws of physics are not identical for matter and antimatter, leading to observable differences in their behaviour. The Standard Model predicts specific values for the amount of CP violation, which are determined by the magnitude and phase of the variables in the CKM matrix. By measuring the phase associated with CP violation in baryon decays, physicists can compare the observed amount of violation to the Standard Model's predictions. In their paper, the LHCb researchers have reported that the complex phase information proved too difficult to extract from the data collected by the detector. 'Until we measure the phase, we can't say if the rate of antimatter's disappearance is too high or too low compared to the Model's prediction,' Prof. Sinha said. The same technique to measure the phase for mesons can't be used for baryons. To this end, Prof. Sinha added that in 2022, he and his peers Shibasis Roy and N.G. Deshpande described a new way to measure the complex phase for baryons. It was published in Physical Review Letters. Observing CP violation in baryons is important because the visible matter around us today is made of baryons. Some baryons like protons and neutrons are very stable and don't decay for a long time. Others, like Λb⁰, decay in around 1.5 picoseconds. The point is what is true for one baryon should be true for all baryons. 'To definitively resolve the asymmetry problem, both experimental and theoretical progress are needed,' Dr. Yang said. 'Experimentally, more precise and comprehensive measurements across different particle systems are required to build a coherent and consistent picture of CP violation. Theoretically, improved calculations and refined models are essential to connect these experimental observations with the fundamental physics driving the matter-antimatter asymmetry.' The Sakharov conditions How did matter gain an overwhelming upper hand over antimatter in the universe? CP violation in baryons is an important piece of this puzzle — but also only one piece. In 1967, the Soviet physicist and later political dissident Andrei Sakharov said three conditions will have to be met for the universe to be made predominantly of only matter. They are: (i) Baryon number violation: physical processes must exist that create an imbalance between the number of baryons and the number of antibaryons. (ii) CP violation in baryons (iii) Departure from thermal equilibrium: to prevent processes from balancing baryon and antibaryon production, interactions must occur out of equilibrium. The observation of CP violation in baryon decays provides a 'source' that adds to CP violation among mesons. The complex phase of the mesons' violation has been measured whereas that of the baryons is pending. Once the latter is known physicists will be able to compare it to that predicted by the Standard Model. If they match, it will mean the Standard Model is right — but at the same time leave a gap between the predicted matter-antimatter asymmetry and that observed in the universe. If the values don't match, it could be a sign of 'new physics', which physicists will have to explain using new theories and experiments. Overall, the newly reported observation is a milestone showing that the laws of physics treat matter and antimatter differently not just in mesons but also in baryons — the building blocks of the visible universe.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Science
- New York Times
New Clue to How Matter Outlasted Antimatter at the Big Bang Is Found
Understanding why matter and antimatter behave differently is key to understanding why there is a universe at all. Now physicists have discovered the latest example of a subtle difference between the stuff that makes up galaxies, stars, planets and us, and its evil-twin opposite. Particles of antimatter, like anti-electrons and anti-protons, possess the same mass but opposite electric charge as the usual electrons and protons. In a discovery published on Wednesday in the journal Nature, an international collaboration of scientists working at the CERN particle physics laboratory outside Geneva described an imbalance among particles that are cousins to the protons and neutrons that make up everyday objects. That makes the new observations 'very important for us to further understand bigger questions like the matter-antimatter asymmetries in the universe,' said Xueting Yang, a graduate student at Peking University who led the analysis. The Big Bang that created the universe should have produced equal amounts of matter and antimatter. When a particle of matter bumps into its antimatter counterpart, the two particles annihilate. Thus, all of the matter should have annihilated all of the antimatter in a cataclysmic burst of radiation, leaving an empty universe for eternity. And yet, 13.8 billion years later, you — made of matter, not antimatter — are reading this news on a device (or in a newspaper), which is also made of matter. Somehow, in the instant after the Big Bang, for each billion or so pairs of matter and antimatter, an extra particle of matter persisted. This slight tipping of the laws of physics toward matter is known as charge-parity, or CP, violation. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Straits Times
Chinese university expels student for ‘harming nation's dignity' after one-night stand with gamer
BEIJING - A Chinese university said that it would expel a student because she had had 'improper contact with a foreigner' and 'damaged national dignity', after videos circulated online that suggested she had been intimate with a Ukrainian video gamer. The announcement set off heated debate in China. Some commentators applauded the decision and said that Chinese people – particularly women – were too enamoured of foreigners. But others said the expulsion smacked of sexism and paternalism, and compared it to examples of people accused of rape or sexual harassment on campus who had been punished more lightly. Many also criticised the university, Dalian Polytechnic University, in northeastern China, for publicly shaming the student by posting its expulsion notice on its website last week and identifying the student by her full name. 'If there is anyone who truly undermined national dignity in this case, it was not the woman whose privacy rights were violated,' Dr Zhao Hong, a professor of law at Peking University in Beijing, wrote in an opinion column, 'but the online spectators who frantically humiliated an ordinary woman under the banner of so-called justice, and the educational institution that used stale moral commandments.' The university said the student's conduct, in an incident it said took place on Dec 16, had 'caused a negative impact'. It gave no details, but said the student was being punished in accordance with a university regulation about 'civic morality'. That regulation reads: 'Those who have improper contact with foreigners and damage the national dignity and the reputation of the school shall be given a demerit or above, depending on the circumstances.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore July BTO launch to have over 4,600 balance flats, 2 BTO projects with under than 3-year wait Business US tariffs may last well after Trump; crucial for countries to deepen trade ties: SM Lee Asia Indonesia police detain 12 suspects over baby trafficking ring linked to Singapore Singapore 'Kpods broke our marriage, shattered our children': Woman on husband's vape addiction Singapore Las Vegas Sands' new development part of S'pore's broader, more ambitious transformation: PM Wong Multimedia Telling the Singapore story for 180 years Life Walking for exercise? Here are tips on how to do it properly Singapore 'Nobody deserves to be alone': Why Mummy and Acha have fostered over 20 children in the past 22 years Chinese social media users quickly linked the announcement to videos shared on that date by a Ukrainian professional video gamer Danylo Teslenko, who goes by the nickname Zeus. Mr Teslenko, who had been visiting Shanghai for an esports tournament, had posted videos of himself with a Chinese woman to his Telegram channel, where he currently has about 43,000 subscribers. He has since deleted the videos. Screenshots and recordings still circulating online show the two apparently in a hotel room, with the woman seemingly aware she is being filmed, but do not show any sexually explicit behaviour. In an emailed response to questions, Mr Teslenko said that he deleted the videos when he realized they were spreading on Chinese social media. 'I understood that these clips, although not intimate in nature, were too personal and inappropriate for public sharing,' he wrote. 'That was my mistake, and I sincerely apologise for it.' Mr Teslenko also addressed the outcry in two posts on the social platform X on July 13, after news of the expulsion spread. He wrote that he had believed he was sharing 'just a normal moment from life', not anything 'disrespectful'. But on Chinese social media, there was general agreement among commenters that there had been disrespect. The only question was by whom. Users who cheered the university's decision said that the woman had shamed China by making it seem as if Chinese women were promiscuous, especially with white men. A tech blogger with 14 million followers wrote on the platform Weibo that 'fawning over foreigners' would never bring respect, and that 'some mistakes are unforgivable'. Some state media outlets also shared the woman's full name. But others asked why the vitriol seemed to be directed primarily at the woman, rather than at Mr Teslenko, for sharing the videos. Mr Teslenko frequently makes crude jokes, including about women, online; in posts to his subscribers on Telegram accompanying the Shanghai videos he had indicated that he would show photos of her if his posts drew enough likes. Other users criticised the university for trying to enforce outdated moral standards. According to the university regulations, other behaviour that could lead to censure included listening to music too loudly and any premarital sexual activity. The woman could not be reached for comment. The university did not return requests for comment. Some people also pointed out that Chinese men who post on social media seeking or showing off Caucasian wives are often hailed as national heroes and paragons of masculinity. Others highlighted the case of a male student who was found guilty of rape and put on probation by his university, or that of a male professor who was allowed to keep teaching after sexually harassing students. Some prominent legal scholars encouraged the female student to sue the university for infringing on her rights to privacy and an education. 'As an adult woman, whether she has a sexual relationship with others is entirely within her right to sexual autonomy,' Dr Zhao wrote. Some official media outlets also offered measured defences of the woman. The Global Times, a tabloid controlled by the ruling Chinese Communist Party, wrote a commentary that said 'problem students' should be 'guided to recognise their mistakes', but in private. Others noted that the expulsion was not final – the notice said the student had 60 days to appeal – but that the revelation of her identity was irreversible. NYTIMES
