Trust is the cornerstone to a healthy relationship, to be earned and appreciated, not demanded without evidence. However, trust, expectation, and authority is ever-shifting in society, and for Science too. So, how can trust in science communication be saved? And does it need saving anyway? Prof Nicholas Dirks of the New York Academy of Sciences talks to us today about science and scientists in modern society, and the Academys International Science Reserve, aiming to get ahead of future crises. R...
Oct 04, 2023•1 hr 1 min
Establishing interdisciplinary research networks that bring researchers and innovators together is of utmost importance to all facets of academia. The European Cooperation in Science and Technology Association (COST) does just that. We hear from its Action Chair, María Pilar de Lara-Castells on the COST Action ‘COSY’ which aims to provide computational and experimental building blocks for a fundamental understanding and control of COnfined molecular Systems. Find out more: COST Action CA21101 Ex...
Sep 27, 2023•12 min
Regulating ones own fertility and pregnancy has long been an essential part of women’s health and wellbeing. However, even with multiple forms of birth control now available, there is not global, equal, independent access to them. Dr Tracy Morison of Massey University in New Zealand researches attitudes, accessibility and issues of justice around Long Acting Reversible Contraceptives in New Zealand, and the place of reproductive health for women around the globe. Read the original article: https...
Sep 25, 2023•33 min
In high-speed communications, very fast optical signals connect to your office or even your home. But these optical signals have not yet reached end-of-edge terminals such as personal computers and smart phones. Dr Hideaki Fukuzawa and Mr Takashi Kikukawa ( TDK Corporation , Japan) show that it’s possible to make these optical modulators with standard semiconductor industry processing, significantly lowering costs and creating more compact devices. Read the Research Features article: https://doi...
Sep 22, 2023•8 min
Cardiovascular disease is the world’s leading cause of death. Despite significant advances in its diagnosis, robust treatment remains elusive. US-based cardiovascular specialists Dr Bradley Bale and Dr Amy Doneen have developed a simple, holistic, and effective method to cure cardiovascular disease. The BaleDoneen Method® targets one of its biggest contributing factors: oxidative stress. Read their Research Features article: doi.org/10.26904/RF-148-4831388762 Find out more on their website: bale...
Sep 20, 2023•12 min
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, affecting over 2 million women each year. The most important predictor of both recurrence and survival in patients with breast cancer is if cancer has spread to the axillary lymph nodes. Dr. Alyssa Cubbison at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center specialises in breast imaging. She puts forward an algorithm she helped create that uses preoperative ultrasound imaging of the axilla when facing suspected breast cancer. Read th...
Sep 18, 2023•9 min
Every year, millions of people require organ biopsies to check whether the cells are cancerous or not. However, problems can arise when unintended bleeding occurs after taking the biopsy sample and removing the guide needlerequire additional procedures, open surgery, blood transfusions, and longer costs and recovery time. In very serious cases, it can lead to death. Single Pass Inc. have developed the first and only disposable electrocautery device that could be extremely useful for preventing b...
Sep 15, 2023•10 min
LED lighting provides brighter, lower-power, longer lasting illumination than traditional lighting systems, and can be programmed to change color and brightness instantaneously. Despite this, lighting in smart buildings still consumes a significant amount of energy. Professor Archan Misra and fellow researchers at Singapore Management University look at the development of a smart lighting control system, CS-Light, designed specifically for open-floor indoor layouts, such as offices, collaborativ...
Sep 13, 2023•11 min
Rainer Maria Rilke's poems creatively expressed ideas that are hard to put into words, and his writings on the work of sculptor Auguste Rodin glorified their skill at creating tiny surfaces that reflect light to bring sculptures to life. The poet’s apparent hero worship of Rodin’s sculpting talents is of great interest to Dr Nicholas Reynolds, a Lecturer in Modern Languages and Literatures at Trinity University, Texas. But it was a turbulent relationship that led to a final break in 1913, which ...
Sep 11, 2023•10 min
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease, the precise cause of which is still unclear. Professor Shunichi Shiozawa from Kobe University, Japan, uncovers the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of systemic autoimmunity and identifies a novel key player. Shiozawa demonstrates that overstimulation of the host’s immune system by an immunogenic pathogen kickstarts the generation of new T lymphocytes, which induce SLE and could be a future target of SLE cell therapie...
Sep 08, 2023•14 min
The Austrian poet and writer, Rainer Maria Rilke, explored many powerful and emotive themes, making one consider life, experience, reality and much more. In his monograph on the writings of Rilke, Dr Nicholas Reynolds, from Trinity University in San Antonio, explores the themes of sound and memory, and subsequently posits a theory of how artists tap into their subconscious in their creative process. Read Dr Reynolds' original research: doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74470-0_2...
Sep 06, 2023•11 min
Researchers are passionate about contributing to the ever-expanding network of knowledge. So, how can scholars ensure that their work is available for future generations to access and build on? CLOCKSS is a digital archive for publishers and research libraries. Executive Director, Dr Alicia Wise, suggests that the work of the preservation community is in perpetual motion, and that collaboration between authors, libraries, publishers, and archival services is imperative for passing the knowledge ...
Sep 01, 2023•8 min
Cyanovirin-N, or CV-N for short, is a broadly binding molecule to glycopeptides and glycan structures on viral envelope spikes, which allows for screening of these structures by protein-interaction based sensor technologies. Dr. Irene Maier, Lecturer at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, examines the molecular understanding of immune diseases. Maier has designed new antiviral CV-N variants and measured their binding constants to glycoproteins exposed at the surface of immune-stimulating ...
Aug 30, 2023•13 min
Strokes are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, leaving a pressing need for effective neuroprotective drugs. A team of researchers from the University of Copenhagen led by Prof Petrine Wellendorph have developed a promising drug candidate that may offer a chance for improving brain function and working memory among stroke patients. Their work is funded by the Novo Nordisk foundation, and details can be seen on the Wellendorph Lab webpage here: https://drug.ku.dk/disciplines/molecu...
Aug 23, 2023•13 min
Assessment is a powerful tool in education which can influence the way in which students respond to teaching, and their overall learning experience. Innovative technologies have also paved the way for alternative assessment formats, including video-based evaluations and interactive tools like VR. A research team from Singapore Management University conducted a meta-analysis of the existing research on this topic, revealing four growing groups of technology trends relating to learning environment...
Aug 21, 2023•11 min
Despite being toxic when consumed, lead ammunition is still commonly used by traditional game hunters and makes it way into the diet of millions of people worldwide. Dr Jon M. Arnemo and colleagues from the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences have researched this, and continue to battle to make hunters aware of this great danger. Read the article in Research Outreach Read the original research: doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87853-5_21...
Aug 18, 2023•10 min
There is currently a mental health epidemic among adolescent girls, which was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many have argued that digital technologies are to blame for this, however, empirical reports have been conflicting, with some research highlighting both positive and negative effects of social technology use on teen emotional health Dr. Jennifer Silk and Dr. Kiera James at the University of Pittsburgh are clinical psychologists who specialize in the development of affective disorde...
Aug 16, 2023•10 min
Despite heavy menstrual bleeding, or HMB, affecting many women worldwide, studies into HMB and effective primary care measures remain scarce. Professor Joe Kai and a multi-disciplinary team at the University of Nottingham and the University of Birmingham, UK, have provided invaluable insight into treatments for HMB, and the critical role of the primary care physician, revolutionising understandings of HMB and effective treatment options. Read the Research Outreach article: https://researchoutrea...
Aug 14, 2023•10 min
Migrant women can find it challenging to access maternity care for a number of reasons. Chinese women may also encounter poor treatment as a result of racial discrimination and social stigma as further barriers, besides language and communication issues affecting their ability talk about their medical history and current health concerns. Dr Sarah Gong at the University of Leicester investigates how this under-researched group interacts with and uses digital health resources. Her research touches...
Aug 09, 2023•12 min
The use and management of fluorine-based chemical pollutants is problematic, making better group approaches and analysis necessary. Researchers from the AIST institute, Japan and Örebro University, Sweden have offered novel insight into how these chemicals disproportionally affect younger women, and offer new standards and techniques for better identifying organofluorines, many of which at present remain unknown. Read the original research: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129025...
Aug 07, 2023•10 min
There is an urgent need to focus on women’s health to identify differences between sexes, including response to medications, to allow effective clinical decisions to be made using a person-centered, evidence-based approach. At the University of California Irvine in the US, Dr Dequina Nicholas studies the links between reproductive science, metabolism, and immunology and explores how diet may be a missing piece in the puzzle. Read more in Research Outreach Find their original research at : https:...
Aug 03, 2023•9 min
In recent years, vaping has emerged as an alternative to traditional smoking, with e-cigarette devices forming a key part of plans to reduce smoking rates and associated health risks. Linsey Haswell and Nathan Gale are part of a team that’s set out to measure the nature and extent of toxicant exposure and potential biological effects from e-cigarette use. The team compared clinical measurements from exclusive e-cigarette consumers with smokers assessing the impacts of vaping, and consider the ha...
Aug 01, 2023•33 min
The ever-chaning nature of cybersecurity threats means that up-to-date skills training is critical. Dr Liqaa Nawaf from Cardif Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK, in collaboration with colleagues from King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia, are conducting research into how to make cybersecurity more effective and inclusive, and have launched a year-long project to support women in cybersecurity. Read more about the initiative: UK - Saudi Challenge Fund 2022-23 Read the Research Outreach articl...
Jul 26, 2023•10 min
Meditation has gained increased popularity in recent years, and is a well-established practice in many Eastern cultures. Why, then, has this remained largely unpractised in schools? Dr Veruska Oppedisano and co-authors have been studying the feasibility of implementing and evaluating a meditation intervention in primary schools, with exciting results and direction for future studies. Read the original research here: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.765158/full...
Jul 24, 2023•11 min
COVID-19 infection can have varying affects an individual’s health. So, in the wake of the pandemic, how can we better determine why some people experience severe illness when contracting COVID-19, and others don’t? A research team based at Yale University, USA, have identified a particular gene that may explain the significant variation of the disease, showing great promise for improved outcomes for those who contract COVID-19. Read the Research Features article here Read the original research ...
Jul 19, 2023•9 min
Professor Eriks Rozners and colleagues at Binghamton University in New York, USA, are using innovative nucleic acid chemistry to modify RNA-based technologies such as RNA interference and CRISPR to enhance their utility in molecular biology. These technologies suffer from off-target effects that limit their clinical utility. By replacing phosphates in the backbone with amides, the team aims to improve the stability, specificity, and uptake of these technologies by cells to make them more suitabl...
Jul 17, 2023•12 min
In today’s business environment where a company is judged as much for its moral code as its commercial output, it might seem like integrity is highly prized and indeed, demanded. However, dishonesty isn’t just tolerated – it’s contagious. An international team led by Leopold Ried from Erasmus University takes an in-depth look at the ethics behind buyer-supplier negotiations and the knock-on effect that dishonesty has to those on the receiving end. Read their original article: https://doi.org/10....
Jul 12, 2023•11 min
Loneliness and social isolation are known to cause several mental health issues, as the COVID-19 pandemic reminded us. This can cause long-term difficulties and seriously impact the brain and overall brain function. By studying the different biological and behavioural effects of social isolation on mice, Dr Jing Liang and her team have recently identified a promising therapeutic with the power to reverse these changes, a major development in this field. Read the original research: https://www.na...
Jul 10, 2023•10 min
Online dating has surged in recent years, providing unique opportunities for people to meet prospective partners, find lifelong friends, as well as to form alternative connections, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the digitalization of dating may facilitate genuine connections for some, for others, they are presented with a mixture of love, lies, and surprise, as investigated by Dr Ursula Schinzel. Read her original publication on ResearchGate and via Springer . You can f...
Jul 07, 2023•15 min
Pregnancy and fertility research come with powerful emotive and political connections beyond medicine alone. Professor Richard Santen, a reproductive endocrinologist and past-president of the Endocrine Society of America shares his decades of experience in research and care for patients reproductive health, and shares his view on how to reshape perspectives on, and provisions of care for, unexpected pregnancies. Listeners should be aware that this interview discusses pregnancy, family planning a...
Jul 05, 2023•42 min
