contraction

Some roles will contract sharply—and those contractions will affect real people.

A reading above 50.0 signals an increase in activity, while a reading below that level signals a contraction.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said Thursday that its business-activity index for October rose to minus 1.7 from minus 12.8 in October, indicating contraction but at a less sharp pace than last month.

Growth in South Korea, France and the eurozone as a whole accelerated, while output in Germany and Italy stabilized after contractions in the second quarter.

The RNA molecules they detected coded for proteins involved in muscle contraction and metabolic responses to stress.