The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the shortage of FFRs – Filtering Facepiece Respirators, also known as face masks - raised questions about UV surface disinfection for surfaces, which has not been well studied for effectiveness and is not regulated. Castine Bernardy, a PhD candidate at the University of New Hampshire, set out to determine if UV is a practical technology for FFR disinfection, and add to the body of knowledge needed to create regulations for UV surface disinfection devices. R...
Jul 03, 2023•10 min
With the rapid growth of online shopping, e-commerce retailers face shifting operating costs and challenges, including shipping across geographic regions and time periods. Research conducted by Yun Fong Lim and Marcus Ang from Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University and Song Jiu from the School of Economics and Management, Southwest Jiaotong University explores strategies to improve how online stores manage their inventory and orderst. Their research concept aims to im...
Jun 30, 2023•10 min
Cybersecurity has become increasingly important in recent years, with cyber-related crime on the rise. This had made cybersecurity, risk evaluation, and mitigation increasingly important, particularly for companies wanting to reduce their vulnerabilities to cyber risks and refine their insurance offerings. Meng Sun, a PhD Candidate at Simon Fraser University and Senior data scientist investigating risk management in life and general insurance, has created a qualitative and quantitative analyses ...
Jun 28, 2023•11 min
Separating the self from non-self cells is an important part how your immune system is supposed to recognise disease, and the same mechanisms are how cancer evades that immune surveillance. So, what if that escape route can be closed off? Dr Alberto Pavan describes his research into how lung cancer can be brought to the attention of immune cells, the molecular signs of treatment success, and how these microscopic changes can hopefully translate to longer, healthier lives for patients Read the or...
Jun 26, 2023•32 min
No longer just for gamers, VR is also becoming progressively more widespread, with uses in medicine to give an interactive visualisation of the human body, to provide employee training with reduced risk of accidents and even beginning to find its place in reimagining education. A team from Singapore Management University has been researching how virtual reality, or VR, can be used in teaching undergraduate university students’ key concepts in computing. Read the original article: https://ink.lib...
Jun 23, 2023•10 min
Psychological science has been trying to understand what exactly causes mental illness, such as depression, anxiety, or eating disorders. Different theories assume that symptoms arise from past experiences in interaction with biological risk factors, and use this as guidance for treatment. A new trend says that we should move away from finding the underlying cause and rather explain disorders by its interacting symptoms. But is this indeed the way to go? This is the question that Inga Marie Freu...
Jun 21, 2023•10 min
In Richard Feynman's words, turbulence is ‘the most important unsolved problem of classical physics’ with seemingly too many mathematical descriptions – each valid, more or less, under a series of restrictive conditions. The research of Professor Fabio Gori and Dr Andrea Boghi from the University of Rome Tor Vergata into turbulence in solutions is revealing new insights about molecular diffusion rates and correlation rules, with impacts ranging from plastic production to solar power – and even o...
Jun 19, 2023•12 min
Quantum computing is coming close to reality, and its applications seem almost boundless. However, the bounds of those applications and of the very atoms involved are real, with research bridging quantum energy, uncertainty, and newly discovered limits of just how fast a quantum computer can get. Dr Gal Ness discusses his research into quantum speed limits opens up new understandings of the cutting edge of physics. Read the original research: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abj9119 ....
Jun 14, 2023•35 min
Proteins are important biomolecules, fulfilling tasks in every cell of your body and with a central role in health and disease. Dr. Harald Weinstabl and Dr. Will Farnaby lead collaboration at Boehringer Ingelheim and the University of Dundee working on PROTACs, a new class of molecules with the potential to selectively target and destroy disease-causing proteins. Drs. Weinstabl and Farnaby's interdisciplinary research team has achieved significant tumor growth inhibition in mice, and this molecu...
Jun 12, 2023•9 min
Voice-based marketing is becoming increasingly popular on social media and video sites - Even in this very podcast, your player may drop an advert in for you to listen too. How successful are voice-overs at increasing sales, though? And for a product or charity still raising funds, is it possible to increase their appeal through narration alone? Researchers from Singapore Management University, Cornell University and INSEAD have been investigating how narrator voices can influence customers watc...
Jun 09, 2023•9 min
Technology has become increasingly responsive to human behaviour, with AI tools and machine learning in high demand in modern society. The unpredictability and vagueness of human perception, however, is incredibly hard to capture, and there remains a certain gap in communication between biological and technological systems. Moreno Colombo and colleagues at the Human-IST Institute in Fribourg, Switzerland, in conjunction with the FMsquare Foundation, have investigated the concept of 'computing wi...
Jun 07, 2023•12 min
Finding out why some collaborations are more successful than others is complex, and includes factors of culture, gender, and attitudes to conflict and creativity. Associate Professor Roy Chua of Singapore Management University and Assistant Professor Mengzi Jin of Peking University have been investigating the way that men and women interact with people from other cultures when they face creative challenges. Read the original research: https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2016.1319...
Jun 02, 2023•11 min
Sudden unexpected death in infancy, or SUDI, is the leading category of death after the first month of life, and it usually happens when babies are sleeping. Modification of unsafe sleep environments therefore provides a focus for possible intervention. One such intervention in Australia and New Zealand, the Pēpi-Pod® Program, is literally saving lives. Professor Jeanine Young of the School at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Young is a registered nurse, midwife, and neonatal ...
May 31, 2023•9 min
Treatment for an enlarged prostate depends on the severity of symptoms, with various treatments available. In rare cases, however, surgery is needed to reduce the size of an enlarged prostate by cutting away sections of the gland, known as a ‘Transurethral Resection of the Prostate’. A team of researchers at the Cedar Healthcare Technology Research Centre in Wales, UK, present updates on a treatment known as the PLASMA system, an innovative approach which differs to traditional forms of treatmen...
May 24, 2023•10 min
Chronic pain is difficult to treat and affects the individual’s quality of life, often leading to severe disability. Ketamine was initially used in anaesthesia, but since the 1990s it has also been used in a much lower dose as a treatment for acute and chronic pain. and also works as an antidepressant Professor Albert Dahan and colleagues at the Leiden University Medical Center managed to unlock some of ketamine’s previously unknown mechanisms of action against pain, its psychedelic effects, and...
May 22, 2023•10 min
The trend of companies using technologies to improve their products, processes, and teams effectively is collectively described as a digital transformation. As digitization proliferates, companies are beginning to put more emphasis on their governance, risk, and compliance - but do investors understand their values and impacts? Researchers from Singapore Management University surveyed non-professional investors on themes surrounding investment practices regarding GRC to find out the importance t...
May 19, 2023•11 min
Culturally responsive teaching is the recognition that culture is a strength that can be used as a resource in the classroom to improve academic and social achievement. But what does this teaching approach look like, what historical methods is it influenced by, and what specific outcomes are achieved for students? Magnus O. Bassey, Professor in Secondary Education and Youth Services at Queens College, explains how this method can help teachers to create a more inclusive and equitable learning en...
May 17, 2023•10 min
Racism is manifested and institutionalised in many areas of life, from education and housing to employment, health care, and the criminal justice system. Dr Ebonyse Mead and and Dr Tameka Ardrey of Georgia Southern University have published a new book, Building equitable early learning programs , which sets out to address racial inequities in early childhood education. With 38 years’ professional experience between them, their new book aims to help education professionals to analyse the causes o...
May 15, 2023•11 min
Well-being is a well-established and growing field within psychology, and an increasingly popular area of study for psychology students. However, it's also challenging to define: What does good well-being look like for any person, and what do we need to know to study it? A team of researchers, led by Dr William Tov of Singapore Management University, attempt to define well-being, not only to guide fellow researchers teaching it, but also for the general public. They uncovered eight major finding...
May 12, 2023•11 min
The black hole information paradox laid out by Stephen Hawking says information cannot be destroyed or disappear, but black holes breach the time symmetry of physics. Dr Szymon Łukaszyk, an independent researcher in Poland, offers a solution to the black hole information paradox. Instead of suggesting novel physical theories, he pursues innovative connotations of existing physics, specifically the theory of relativity. Read more in Research Outreach Read the original research: https://doi.org/10...
May 10, 2023•11 min
Mobile Health, or mHealth, is branch of digital health focussed on monitoring health-related information which can be sent directly to doctors and other healthcare professionals. A team of researchers from the University of Cambridge and Singapore Management University investigate how head-worn technologies have only come about in the last couple of years or so, but look set to revolutionize the ever-popular sector of personalized health monitoring as we know it. Read their original article: htt...
May 05, 2023•9 min
The UK is the world's leading financial hub and the financial sector contributes a substantial part of its wealth. However, cybersecurity risk is an ever-growing topic of significance to the sector. With higher numbers of IT and operational risks coming to light, understanding the landscape is increasingly valuable. Dr Paul Klumpes of Aalborg University has studied markets, risk, and investment across the last three decades. In his latest article he covers the topic of cybersecurity risk managem...
May 03, 2023•10 min
General equality rights can seem quite straightforward. But treating someone equally can become complicated when we apply the concept of equality to a specific government decision. How do we decide if a person has been treated equally in relation to a particular government decision? To what or to whom do we compare them? Kenny Chng from Singapore Management University compares different approaches to deciding whether or not someone is entitled to equal protection under the constitution of a give...
Apr 28, 2023•9 min
Professional workplaces are still a typically male dominated arena, especially in relation to leadership roles. How then should female managers behave; conform to feminine stereotypes or try to fit the mould set by male role models? Prof Daniela Rastetter and Dr Christiane Juengling look at the different expectations and rules for how men and women may display their emotions within the workplace. Their research has led to a coaching strategy to help promote the strategic handling of emotions wit...
Apr 26, 2023•10 min
Earths changing climate is causing more frequent, more severe extreme weather events, which are having a devastating impact on ecosystems across the planet. Some areas show much greater vulnerability to climate change, with countries such as the Philippines, Myanmar and Thailand among the worst affected. Professor David Ding and Sarah Beh at Singapore Management University have produced a study examining the environmental performance of Southeast Asian countries in mitigating climate change. Rea...
Apr 21, 2023•10 min
Measurement of intravascular volume has only recently studied, covering the use of diuretics and filtration during dialysis. Dr Matthew Kaptein of Loma Linda University reviews available evidence that may validate the IVC collapsibility index for measuring relative intravascular volume. He has developed a calculator tool which will help doctors navigate this important step for optimizing the intravascular volume of their patients to offer more effective treatments. Learn more about Kaptein's Cal...
Apr 19, 2023•11 min
Ecological concerns and climate change have risen on governmental policies around the globe, but regulatory differences between nations may leave gaps - or even work against each other - if not planned deliberately. Research led by Associate Professor Ishani Mukherjee at Singapore Management University focuses on the case of biodiesel policy in Indonesia, using policy network analysis to investigate types of relationships between policymakers and between the policies they enact. Read the origina...
Apr 14, 2023•13 min
For almost 30 years, the protein KRAS has been the "undruggable target" of cancer research. Gene mutations in KRAS are responsible for 33% of all human cancers, including pancreatic, lung, and colon cancer. A new molecule identified by Dr. Bhairavi Tolani, an assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco upends conventional concepts of directly targeting the protein KRAS as a treatment strategy. Instead she suggests an alternative avenue for treatment of these deadliest canc...
Apr 12, 2023•11 min
An estimated one in three women has experienced some form of intimate partner violence (IPV), but it can affect people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. Unfortunately, during the course of the pandemic and its ensuing lockdowns, rates of intimate partner violence have increased, with victims facing fewer options to leave or spend time elsewhere. Dr Caroline Piotrowski from the University of Manitoba researches intimate partner violence, its impact on children and the increase in incidents d...
Apr 05, 2023•24 min
Although women make up most of the health and social sector workforce, bias, discrimination, stereotypes, and systemic barriers often prevent women from entering global health leadership roles. Dr Sonya Smith from the American Dental Education Association and Dr Jeanne Sinkford, Dean Emerita and Professor Emerita at Howard University College of Dentistry, USA, have evaluated the disparity faced by women in this sector. Read more about their work in Research Features Read the original article : h...
Apr 03, 2023•9 min
