In this episode of the Transforming Society podcast, Jess Miles speaks with Malcolm Evans, former Chair of the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture and author of Tackling Torture: Prevention in Practice . They discuss the traps we fall into when talking about torture, including the disturbing normalisation of torture in television and film, why the distinction between torture and inhuman treatment is a sensitive area, and what could be done to help prevent torture more effectively. Tackl...
Jun 07, 2024•40 min
While the sciences naturally evoke complex philosophical questions, the philosophy of science itself remains a relatively new discipline. José Antonio Chamizo, an esteemed researcher in organometallic chemistry, is now dedicated to the philosophy of chemistry. Today, we explore the evolution of chemistry from its early days in 18th-century Europe, the intriguing C60 diffraction experiment, and the deep philosophical questions about the nature of chemical substances. Read the original research: p...
Jun 05, 2024•14 min
Oxygen is activated quantum-mechanically in the body to act against bacterial infections. Professor Robert C Allen shows that the antibacterial action of oxygen can be monitored by measuring the light emitted as the immune system responds to pathogen attacks. He has developed techniques based on the use of chemiluminigenicmolecules which provide unprecedented insight into the neutrophil activity and afford powerful point of care diagnostic tools for immune system monitoring. Read more in Researc...
May 31, 2024•11 min
Language – be it spoken, written, or signed – is a fundamental part of how we interact with the world and each other. It’s also an important developmental milestone for children as they grow. Dr. Vittorio Tantucci from Lancaster University works on linguistic development, focussing on children from China and other cultures. His research examines the reasons and impact of how autistic children struggle to imitate and creatively reformulate others’ speech - an ability called resonance. Read the or...
May 29, 2024•43 min
The key to understanding oxygen activation is the conversion of this molecule into a reactive singlet species within neutrophil cells in the blood. This process leads to light emission, which can be used to monitor in real time how the immune system functions. Based on over 40 years of research, Professor Robert C Allen proposes an exquisitely detailed model of how oxygen becomes an aggressive bactericidal agent in the body. Read more in Research Features: doi.org/10.26904/RF-151-6036339265 Read...
May 24, 2024•11 min
Plagiarism, cheating, and falsification are just some examples of unethical academic conduct among students in Higher Education, and ones which show no sign getting better, despite the best efforts of Higher Education policymakers. However, no studies have so far statistically investigated the contexts in which students have engaged in unethical behaviour. Drs Patrick Harte and Fawad Khaleel of Edinburgh Napier University explore a new approach to upholding academic integrity and the driving for...
May 22, 2024•9 min
After an illustrious career collaborating with universities and research centres, Enric Trillas remains set on working towards a new experimental science, managing the concepts and tools of computer science, and actually interacting with other disciplines on the way. Trillas sheds light on his recently translated The Genesis of Logic to explore the theoretical promise and real-world applications of fuzzy logic. Explore Fuzzy Logic and the FMsquare Foundation: researchoutreach.org/fmsquare-founda...
May 17, 2024•13 min
For better or worse, money makes the world go around. Without it, you may find yourself stuck in place, or worse - left behind. Following on from our previous conversation about race, health and society, we are joined again by Professor Leonard Egede from the Medical College of Wisconsin. In todays discussion, he walks us through the economics of public health - diabetes in particular - and how different incentive plans could help level the playing field for accessing care. Read the original art...
May 15, 2024•30 min
In regions like East and Southeast Asia, where urbanisation has skyrocketed, the interplay between human settlement and natural disaster vulnerability becomes particularly pronounced. Consider China, where over 60% of the population lives in urban areas, including major coastal cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou, or Japan, where coastal cities like Tokyo and Yokohama house millions. Not to mention the Philippines, with vast urban populations in areas like Metro Manila perilously close to the coa...
May 13, 2024•10 min
Professor Peter Doherty has certainly had an impressive and illustrious career as an immunologist. In 1996, he and his colleague Rolf M Zinkernagel were awarded a Nobel Prize for their work on how the immune system recognises virus-infected cells. In 1997, he was named Australian of the Year. Now an indomitable octogenarian, Doherty looks back at his career and reflects on how science has changed in his lifetime. In this illuminating interview with Research Features, we discuss Doherty’s remarka...
May 10, 2024•30 min
How do you make wearable technologies comfortable and unobtrusive for people who need them? Professor Michele Barbour talks to Dr Zeke Steer about how personal experiences with his great grandmother influenced the development of SmartSocks™, an innovative technology aimed at supporting individuals with dementia. ⭐ Highlights § Zeke shares his journey from PhD student at the University of Bristol to CEO and founder of Milbotix. § Zeke explains the challenges of integrating technology into the liv...
May 07, 2024•22 min
Women in STEM careers in Lebanon experience gendered microaggressions at work, including microinsults and microinvalidation. Dr Yasmeen Makarem and Dr Beverly Metcalfe conducted a qualitative study with 21 women in Lebanon working in STEM fields to better understand these experiences. Human resources professionals could use these findings to improve workplaces for women and continue to diversify STEM. Read more in Research Features : doi.org/10.26904/RF-151-6107507694 Read the original research:...
May 03, 2024•13 min
Health problems are not just health problems ; they embody politics, social status, history, money and more. Where there is inequality in those underpinning factors, inequity in healthcare access is sure to follow. Professor Leonard Egede from the Medical College of Wisconsin examines the extent of social biases and their impacts on health, and the global impacts of both diabetes and racism. His research puts forward a holistic view of how healing social ills can help relieve individual health t...
May 01, 2024•37 min
Plasmapheresis, the exchange of infected plasma with fresh plasma from blood, is normally used at the far end of the treatment regimen in cases where no other medication is effective. Dr Kiprov’s research on the different immunoregulatory and neuroregulatory properties of plasmapheresis and its benefits establishes plasmapheresis as a prophylactic measure against neurodegenerative conditions and infectious diseases. Read more in Research Features Read the original research: acmcasereport.org...
Apr 26, 2024•9 min
How can spin-outs leverage end user feedback to refine products and validate markets? Find out as Professor Michele Barbour talks to Dr Jenny Bailey, the CEO and Co-Founder of Ferryx, a biotech company focused on the commercial production of live bacterial products for the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal inflammation in humans and animals. ⭐ Highlights § Discover how a chance conversation with Co-Founder Dr Tristan Cogan sparked the innovative idea behind Ferryx: the disruption of i...
Apr 24, 2024•37 min
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising the field of radiology, making faster and more precise diagnoses possible. However, most radiologists aren’t familiar with AI and report a fear of being replaced by it. Dr Jordan Perchik from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA, designed a free online ‘AI Literacy Course’ which has reached more than 500 radiology trainees from 10 countries. Read more in Research Features Read the original research: doi.org/10.7191/jgr.783...
Apr 19, 2024•10 min
As a society, we have come to rely on smartphones to do far more than make a telephone call. However, concern is growing over the potential negative consequences of their over-use, such as distraction, forgetfulness and cognitive laziness. Led by psychologist Dr Andree Hartanto, researchers from Singapore Management University tracked how long students spent checking their smartphones and using different applications, and how this affected their cognitive functioning. Read the original research ...
Apr 17, 2024•11 min
Financial stress testing generally involves a team of modellers working closely together, applying complex mathematical models to large and granular datasets. So, how can data science support the management of complex mathematical models, such as used in the financial sphere? STAMP€ IT – a data-science platform developed by Dr Jerome Henry and his colleagues at the European Central Bank, can be used to manage models employed in the case at hand for financial stress testing. Read the original res...
Apr 12, 2024•13 min
How can the UK address its technology skills gap? Professor Michele Barbour speaks with Kirsten Cater, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Bristol. Kirsten leads the skills and training aspect of the MyWorld project, addressing the significant skills gap in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. ⭐ Highlights § Delve into the relationship between higher education and industry as Kirsten shares her knowledge of the challenges faced by early-career researchers. § Explore practic...
Apr 10, 2024•42 min
The process of obtaining FDA approval for a new drug costs an estimated $1.8 billion and can take up to 15 years. What’s more, only a small percentage of drugs that undergo human clinical trials are approved. To address this, Bartley J Madden, Research Fellow at the Madden Center for Value Creation at Florida Atlantic University, USA, has developed a free to choose medicine (FTCM) model that is currently being considered by US Congress. Read more in Research outreach Read the original research: ...
Apr 08, 2024•13 min
CEO impersonation scams are on the rise. So, how can employees be made alert to such a scam? Margit Scholl, Professor of Business and Administrative Informatics at TH Wildau, explores a novel approach to giving business employees a greater awareness of fraud. Together with her research team and two corporate partners, she developed both an analog and a digital game-based learning scenario geared to this topic to determine what methods of awareness raising can best protect businesses from this co...
Apr 05, 2024•11 min
Across the world, as in Germany, many employees still want to work remotely at least one or two days a week despite offices reopening. However, many SMEs failed to think about the information security risks associated with home-working. Professor Margit Scholl of TH Wildau leads the ALARM, or Awareness Lab SME Information Security project. Using gaming as a tool for education and training, her team have developed so-called “serious games” to help employees understand the risks associated with re...
Apr 04, 2024•12 min
Elevated blood pressure, called hypertension, is the leading risk factor for death and disability worldwide. However, many patients find it is not possible to achieve a healthy blood pressure despite taking three or more blood-pressure-lowering medications; a condition referred to as resistant hypertension. Professor Markus Schlaich at The University of Western Australia, together with colleagues from other centres worldwide, has conducted the PRECISION clinical trial to assess whether the novel...
Apr 03, 2024•10 min
Recent cybersecurity reports show that the security of firms’ online presences is under ever-greater threat from cyberattack. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are attacked disproportionately often. There is also a link between people’s level of knowledge and the number of attacks. Professor Margit Scholl and her team at TH Wildau have developed the Awareness Lab SME (ALARM) Information Security program. Their goal is to raise security awareness and increase safety education within SMEs....
Apr 02, 2024•16 min
Recent research emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of information security teams, combining creative perspectives with technical expertise. The German “ALARM Information Security” project, led by Professor Margit Scholl at TH Wildau is part of her wide-reaching efforts to establish a landscape where digitization harmonizes seamlessly with robust security measures. Read the original article: doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.12630.22082...
Mar 28, 2024•13 min
How are novel quantum technologies being applied to meet market demands? Find out as Professor Michele Barbour speaks to Anthony Laing, Professor of Physics and Co-Director of the Quantum Engineering and Technology labs at the University of Bristol and CEO of Duality Quantum Photonics. Anthony outlines his career journey from mature student to CEO and the importance of customer-centricity in gaining market traction. ⭐ Highlights Develop your insight into the real-world applications of quantum co...
Mar 27, 2024•42 min
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are growing concerned over business interruptions and cyberattacks, especially in Germany. There is a notable gap in organizational measures relating to information security despite current safeguards, particularly in the areas of awareness and emergency preparedness. Professor Margit Scholl from TH Wildau is leading research across an evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats. Her work highlights how important it is to equip SMEs in Germany with robus...
Mar 26, 2024•10 min
Transport sector sustainability is an important, topical issue that requires prompt and challenging solutions to accomplish the ambitious Greenhouses Gases and CO2 reduction targets. Dr. Dario Di Maio, a researcher of CNR-STEMS in the team of Research Director Dr. Carlo Beatrice, in collaboration with Prof. Daniela Misul and Prof. Mirko Baratta from Politecnico di Torino, address the important challenges facing the automotive sector. Read the original research: doi.org/10.3390/machines10100852 R...
Mar 25, 2024•8 min
Electronic sports, or esports, have evolved the concept of ‘sport’, especially around the mental acuity needed to play. Professor Samantha Punch from the University of Stirling together with Dr David Scott at Abertay University, Scotland, have investigated what’s known as the sociology of mindsport. They have uncovered the intense physicality and team play involved in the card game bridge, drawing attention to bridge’s status as a mindsport that anyone can play. Read more in Research Outreach Re...
Mar 22, 2024•12 min
Professional dance takes a mastery of physicality and form - on top of the business stresses and social demands. So what are dancers to make of motherhood and pregnancy, when their physical form and social availability now comes with dependents? Professor Angela Pickard of Canterbury Christchurch University discusses the challenges facing the embodiment and identity of dancers becoming mothers, and what the field can do to support dancers before, during and after pregnancy. Read the original art...
Mar 20, 2024•35 min
