Is more trust always better? It is widely known that trust and confidence are fundamental in high-risk industries, such as nuclear energy and radioactive waste management. While public trust is definitely essential for policymaking, the upsides of mistrust and distrust are often overlooked by practitioners and social science researchers. This was recently examined in a special issue of the Journal of Risk Research , where a series of articles highlighted the ways in which mistrust and distrust c...
Feb 01, 2023•10 min
The COVID-19 pandemic forced many universities to deliver their courses online, exposing the limitations of remote learning strategies. Dr Barrett Caldwell and his team at Purdue University devised a new approach that could help to improve online courses in different engineering subjects. The approach builds on his experience while teaching and developing the ‘Perspectives on Systems Engineering’ course, which is part of the curriculum for the Systems Engineering program at Purdue University....
Feb 01, 2023•7 min
Mining is a particularly hazardous industry, with miners often experiencing health problems, injuries and psychological issues. Dr David Gilkey, an Associate Professor of Safety, Health & Industrial Hygiene at Montana Technological University, has recently carried out a case study specifically investigating workplace safety climate in a metal mine in Montana. The study also assessed the effectiveness of a short training program to improve the metal mining company’s workplace safety leadershi...
Jan 24, 2023•8 min
Eggs are marvellous – they contain all the sustenance needed to make a young bird within their protective shell, and when destined for the plate, they are nutritious and delicious. For many of us, cracking open an egg for breakfast to discover two yolks in the pan is a pleasant surprise. However, if eggs are nature’s miracle of packaging, then double-yolked eggs must be nature’s mistake – a mistake that still holds many mysteries. To answer some persisting questions, Dr Attila Salamon and Dr Joh...
Jan 18, 2023•9 min
The multi-theory model – or ‘MTM’ – of health behavior change provides a theoretical framework for understanding and promoting health behaviors. Professor Manoj Sharma from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, has now applied this model to understand the factors that lead people to take up meditation – or ‘dhyana’ – and to maintain this health-related behavior over time. His findings confirm the utility of the MTM in informing behavior change interventions and open up important avenues for futur...
Jan 18, 2023•9 min
In a recent paper, Professor John P Miller discusses the importance of mutual accommodation and compassion in preserving democracies and ensuring we can tackle some of our biggest global problems. He highlights the way in which Canada has become a more tolerant, cooperative, inclusive society by emphasising the role of compromise and compassion. Using examples from education, he shows how we can nurture these qualities in children and young adults.
Jan 18, 2023•9 min
Dr Julia Gresky of the German Archaeological Institute and her colleagues examined the frequency and content of accounts of ancient rare diseases in the paleopathological literature. By studying published records over the past 45 years, the researchers provide a long-term perspective on the reporting of rare diseases in archaeological contexts. Despite methodological advancements, their work shows that there is much still to be achieved in this fascinating but understudied field.
Jan 18, 2023•7 min
Future food security is one of the key global challenges facing society. Climate change presents significant threats to our ability to produce staple food crops – particularly in regions already vulnerable to droughts. Dr Kahiu Ngugi and his research team from the University of Nairobi and other institutions in Kenya investigated numerous varieties of sorghum – one of the world’s most important cereal crops. Their aim was to find new genes that would allow the crop to withstand both drought and ...
Jan 11, 2023•7 min
The Gold Rush of the 1800s is inextricably tied to USA history. Mining towns popped up wherever precious metals could be extracted, with many of these towns and mines now lying abandoned as ghostly reminders of the old wild west. Abandoned mine land poses a threat to environmental and human health, and methods to rehabilitate this land has gathered much interest over the past few years. Dr Carlos Rodriguez-Franco and Dr Deborah Page-Dumroese from the US Department of Agriculture have been evalua...
Jan 11, 2023•9 min
While the psychological impact of warzone experiences on military personnel is well-documented, the unique gendered experiences of personnel are rarely discussed. Professor Lynne McCormack at the University of Newcastle, along with clinical psychologist Nicole L. Bennett, investigated the ‘lived’ experience of women in the military through a series of interviews with female veterans. Their findings shed light on profound and detrimental dehumanising behaviours directed at the women who participa...
Jan 11, 2023•10 min
The earth beneath our feet is far more than just dirt. Soil is a living ecosystem filled with microbes, worms and insects, and vast networks of underground fungi filaments. Healthy soils are critical to healthy ecosystems and productive agricultural systems. Dr Joji Muramoto and researchers from the University of California have created a framework for Integrated Soil Health Management that could help suppress plant diseases without the use of harmful chemicals.
Jan 05, 2023•9 min
In Australia, like in many countries, substance related disorders remain a pressing societal concern. The Australian government recently introduced a new framework to help regulate the quality of care provided and this has been reviewed by Simone Henriksen from the University of the Sunshine Coast. Her analysis highlights a variety of challenges that need to be faced and she provides critical recommendations to support the implementation and sustained usage of the new framework.
Jan 04, 2023•8 min
An estimated 69 million people worldwide are currently living with traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI can lead to short- and long-term conditions including sleep disorders, depression, headaches and an increased risk of suicide. TBI has recently been recognised as a chronic condition, although the human factors involved in recovery remain understudied. Working to address this is Professor Barrett S. Caldwell who leads the GROUPER Laboratory at Purdue University, USA.
Dec 21, 2022•9 min
Increased use of organophosphate chemicals in industry, agriculture and warfare has led to a rising threat of exposure to these neurotoxins in civilian and military populations. Though their danger has been recognised and efforts made to decrease concentrations used, even at low doses these chemicals can still pose significant risks to exposed individuals. Finding effective treatments to counteract the impact of exposure is becoming increasingly important and is the focus of research by Professo...
Dec 20, 2022•9 min
The black holes found at the centres of most large galaxies are now found to be fundamental to galactic formation and evolution. Until recently, however, little was understood about how these massive bodies affect the behaviours of their host galaxies and beyond. Through their research, Dr Stefi Baum and Dr Christopher O’Dea at the University of Manitoba have made important strides towards untangling the many mysteries involved in this intriguing astronomical problem....
Dec 14, 2022•10 min
So far, very few research studies have investigated the effects of criminal convictions on the families of defendants. Dr Hong Lu, a Professor of Criminal Justice at University of Nevada, along with her co-authors, Dr Yudu Li and Dr Bin Liang, carried out a study examining how the family of Nian Bin, the defendant in a high-profile capital case in China who received four death sentences, managed the physical, emotional, financial, and legal challenges they faced after their relative’s conviction...
Dec 07, 2022•8 min
In the United States, public opinions have become increasingly polarised. This polarisation leads to ‘othering’, which describes how one group of people can view another group as very different from themselves and depict them in negative ways. Dr Megan Schraedley at West Chester University recently carried out a study exploring how othering arises in the context of US politics, and how it can be disrupted. Understanding how this destructive phenomenon can be disrupted could help policymakers to ...
Dec 07, 2022•8 min
Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases that contributes to the global climate crisis. As this gas is produced in the digestive systems of cattle, methane represents one of the greatest problems faced by the farming industry. Dr Robert Bryant, Dr Langdon Martin and their team at Warren Wilson College, North Carolina, propose an innovative feed supplement for cattle that helps to significantly reduce methane emissions: waste yeast from craft breweries. If used on a large scale, this ne...
Dec 07, 2022•8 min
Savannas are characterised by the co-existence of two very different types of plants – trees and grasses. They may be open, with large swathes of grass and an occasional tree dotting the landscape, or closed with a near complete cover of trees and a sparse grass layer beneath. In drier parts of the world, drought may play an important role in determining the balance between the trees and grasses in savannas. Extreme droughts, which are likely to become more common with climate change, could perm...
Dec 07, 2022•9 min
Propaganda is the systemic use of language with the intent to brainwash rather than to persuade. It has the subtle but pervasive power to ensnare an entire populace toward a predetermined attitude or outlook. Deceptive communication is now commonplace in this information age. Dr Robert L. Walsh recently examined how propagandists bend language for mass deception. He argued that what makes propaganda so insidious is a vestige of our prehistoric past – the Neolithic or Tribal mind.
Nov 23, 2022•8 min
Software piracy is a large and growing problem. The methods used to combat it are becoming increasingly complex as technology evolves, costing software publishers and users billions of dollars each year. Dr Alan Litchfield from the Auckland University of Technology and Jeff Herbert from Cybercraft, New Zealand, have developed a new method to suppress software piracy. In a recent paper, they present ReSOLV – a method for software validation based on cryptocurrency blockchain technology....
Nov 23, 2022•9 min
Following exposure to injury or infection, the body elicits a counteractive immune response which involves many different cell types and processes. Cytokines are substances secreted by cells which play a pivotal role in the regulation of this response. Professor Paige Lacy and colleagues in the Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, have conducted extensive research into the exact mechanisms underpinning the regulation of cytokine release during the immune respo...
Nov 17, 2022•13 min
Human skin acts as an important line of defence against the external environment. To preserve this important function, the regeneration of injured skin is critical. Scientists are now able to artificially replicate aspects of the complex microenvironment in which human skin stem cells reside thanks to the technological advances in the field of biomaterial devices. Dr Ilida Ortega Asencio, from the University of Sheffield, UK, and her team have developed a new approach in which electrospun patche...
Nov 17, 2022•7 min
Chemotherapy, one of the mainstays of cancer treatment, can unfortunately act as a double-edged sword. While achieving the intended aim of killing cancerous cells, it also generates an accumulation of cell debris, which in turn, promotes tumour growth by stimulating inflammation in the tumour microenvironment. Dr Dipak Panigrahy and his colleagues from Harvard Medical School, USA, have conducted several studies in mice showing that targeting the tumour cell debris-mediated surge of proinflammato...
Nov 17, 2022•12 min
Children and youth who experience trauma often develop posttraumatic stress symptoms, and some go on to develop posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD. Toria Herd from the Pennsylvania State University, US, is exploring the factors that put adolescents at risk of developing PTSD and also those that may protect against this consequence associated with trauma exposure. Her findings have important implications for the trauma-informed care of young people and the reduction of the long-term impact of ...
Nov 17, 2022•10 min
The multi-theory model (MTM) of health behavior change provides a theoretical framework for understanding and promoting health behaviors. Professor Manoj Sharma from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the originator of this model, has applied this model to breast cancer and undertaking mammography screening in women from groups underserved in current healthcare. His findings have important theoretical and practical implications.
Nov 16, 2022•8 min
Sustainable Development Goal 12 refers to responsible production and consumption. Professor Rafael Ravina-Ripoll at the University of Cádiz in Spain and his colleagues (Luis Bayardo Tobar-Pesantez, Estela Núñez-Barriopedro and David Almorza-Gomar) have addressed a lack of research and understanding in the literature about how management models based on happiness management can help promote sustainable and ethical development in the COVID-19 era.
Oct 26, 2022•7 min
The UK-based Pregnancy Care Integrating Translational Science, Everywhere (PRECISE) Network has set up biorepositories across sub-Saharan Africa to investigate the causes of placental pregnancy complications and enhance research capacity. The project encountered several challenges relating to facilities, staffing, training, cultural barriers, procurement, shipping and sample storage which impacted project timings and budget. However, with appropriate training and infrastructure development, the ...
Oct 26, 2022•9 min
Interventions designed to improve health, including targeted drugs and medical devices, typically undergo a complex and lengthy process of development. In a collaboration between the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Cornell University, the National Institutes of Health and Case Western Reserve University in the USA, experts Dr Clara Pelfrey, Dr Linda Scholl and colleagues have designed a case study protocol to improve understanding of this process.
Oct 26, 2022•10 min
Discovering new phases of matter and classifying such phases are among the most important goals in physics. In a new study, Dr Tie-Cheng Guo and Professor Li You at Tsinghua University in Beijing present a new methodology to discover new quantum phases of matter, using the concept of ‘time order’. Through identifying and defining quantum phases from this perspective, time order could become a new paradigm in physics, helping researchers to gain more insight into quantum many-body systems.
Oct 19, 2022•7 min
