ResearchPod

The history of logic tells us that the binary-based logic proposed by Aristotle was, and continues to be, a pervasive force. Logic does, however, have a complex history and, in more recent years, the concept of 'fuzzy-logic' has emerged as a counter to the rigidity of Aristotelian logic and decision making. Fuzzy logic is an attempt to bridge the gap between mathematics and the fuzzy way...

The COVID-19 virus and subsequent series of lockdowns had a major effect on mortality among the young and old of different countries. Whilst this may be a sensitive topic for some listeners, it is important to understand lockdowns in the case of future epidemics.   Professor Lin Ma and colleagues at the World Bank and University of Michigan investigate the impact of economic downturns following na...

Lung cancer accounts for one of the highest numbers of cancer related deaths, and - among its disease subtypes - HER2 mutations can play a key role in tumour initiation and growth. Unfortunately no targeted therapy is yet available to treat the most common HER2 mutations.   Dr Birgit Wilding, Dr Ralph Neumueller, Dr Flavio Solca, and colleagues at Boehringer Ingelheim have been researching these H...

Ageing populations and the rise of globalisation demand that the life science and healthcare industries keep pace with speedy social changes, and technical advancements demand links with other industries. This can present complex legal problems.  With these challenges in mind, Takanori Abe, International attorney-at-law, patent attorney and guest professor at Osaka University in Japan offers insig...

In a “flipped classroom”, students are introduced to the learning materials prior to the class; the time in class is then used to deepen understanding. But how effective is that style of active learning for computer programming? Professors Benjamin Gan and Eng Lieh Ouh at Singapore Management University study how students taking a beginner class in programming using the Python computer language, d...

Dr Rebekah Humphreys, senior lecturer at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and specialist in applied ethics, considers how it is possible to become desensitised to the use of animals for scientific research. Humphreys explores our emotional responses and moral feelings towards animals within the context of research. She considers those who work in animal research, and the legislation su...

Botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT-A), often referred to as ‘Botox’, is increasingly in cosmetic procedures. However, long-term use and high doses of BoNT-A may lead to immunoresistance, limiting its future therapeutic benefit.   A panel of experts including Dr Mary Dingley , Cosmetic Medicine Centre, Australia, is addressing this emerging issue. They offer guidance to practitioners and promote a cultur...

With a reported 60% of employees reported experiencing workplace bullying within the last 6 months , the negative effect of mistreatment on their work-related attitudes and performance, as well as their general health, can be far-reaching and long lasting , What is causing this alarming rate of anti-social behaviour? An international team of researchers, including Dr Kenneth Tai from Singapore Man...

Decarbonising energy production requires power plant operators to change to green technology.  Using models of the German energy system and realistic future scenarios, Dr Johannes Schaffert and his research partners have been investigating the regulatory system that will be needed to enable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.  In particular, the authors have been conducting a business analysis...

 There are many reasons why people drop out of high school education, from bullying or family circumstances to having unrecognised learning difficulties. So, how can staff professional development bring lasting change in education for those who've missed out?    Research by Dr Alexandra Youmans and Dr Lorraine Godden suggests that paying greater attention to the professional development of te...

The computer chip shortage has prompted Dr Geert van Kollenburg and his colleagues at Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands, to find data-driven methods to optimise chip manufacturing processes. As part of the MadeIn4 project, they have developed a predictive discarding framework in which quality predictions from artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms are used to decide on whether t...

Women with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea, or FHA – one of the most common types of secondary amenorrhoea - do not ovulate.  Johannes Ott and Marlene Hager of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, at the Medical University of Vienna, in Austria are investigating the causes of secondary amenorrhoea - also known as “paused periods” or “missed periods,” which are not due to pregnancy, and...

Electronic waste (e-waste) contains a range of materials, including precious metals, which could be salvaged for reusable components and continue to offer economic value. Dr Aidan Marc Wong investigates the central role of informal labour, in particular the karung guni in Singapore and Malaysia, who collect, disassemble, sort, and transform recycling and e-waste into raw materials for reuse.  Dr W...

Ophelia Mantz and Rafael Beneytez Duran from the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design at the University of Houston present nature as a source of inspiration for architecture in contribution to a new book about urban resilience.  They argue that humanity has forgotten its origins and its dependence on nature, and that what we need is a new contract with nature and a new paradigm – con...

In her book 'Advancing Healthcare Through Personalized Medicine', science writer Dr Priya Hays has compiled an authoritative and highly detailed account of how technology is changing healthcare. Read more in Research Features Read it now at : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80100-7  

Programming codes are traditionally based on binary numbering systems–everything is expressed in values of 0 or 1 in line with the true or false principles of classical logic. Fuzzy logic is different in that it takes a non-binary approach and allows for infinite values between 0 and 1. Andreas Meier, emeritus professor of data science at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences of the Univers...

Preschool children have an extraordinary capacity to learn and use different languages, embracing the gestural, musical, and visual cues associated with languages to make sense of the world around them. This ‘translanguaging’ transcends concerns of socially and politically defined boundaries beyond multilingualism. Dr Gabrijela Aleksić and colleagues designed a programme to help teachers leverage...

Mathematics and physics extend the notion of dimensionality beyond the usual perception of three dimensions to consider higher-dimensional spaces. The formulae describing properties such as area and volume of some geometric objects can result in indefiniteness, particularly when dealing with negative dimensions. Dr Szymon Łukaszyk, an independent researcher in Poland, has discovered recurrence rel...

Lung surgery, like every other type of surgery, can have complications that sometimes require further procedures to be dealt with. Surgeons are always looking for new ways to keep these procedures as minimally invasive as possible, but they also have to ensure these are effective and safe. Consultant surgeon Mr David Waller  and his surgical trainee Miss Michelle Lee at the Department of Thoracic...

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common bacterial infections and contribute to antibiotic use and the healthcare burden each year. Women are more susceptible, and oestrogen receptors have been found to play a key role played by in the aetiology of UTIs and other diseases Dr Rashmi Kaul and Dr Anil Kaul, of the Center for Health Sciences at Oklahoma State University, US, hope tha...

Despite the shocking levels of gun violence in the USA and in the Americas, medical practitioners are taught little more than dealing with the direct biologic outcomes of bullets. Understanding gun violence as a disease requires examining complex behavioural health, environmental, and social issues not commonly imbedded in medical school curricula. Leading American emergency physician and gun viol...

With a predicted global population of 9 billion by 2050, there is a need for increased, sustainable food production.  Additionally, climate change will have an effect on soil and crop health, due to changes in weather patterns and disease distribution.  Dr  Philippe  Rolshausen at the University of California in Riverside specialises in tree crops, viticulture and plant pathology. In today's...

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection globally, more than 80% of sexually active people will be infected at some point. It can cause genital warts and several types of cancer. Although a vaccine against HPV infection has been available since 2006, vaccination rates in the US remain low. This has led to Roanna Kessler and John Gentile, at Johns Hopkins Univers...

Tumour hypoxia occurs when cancer cells lack oxygen, and is associated with decreased effectiveness of radiotherapy treatments. One way to counteract hypoxia is to increase the dose of radiation we use to kill cancer cells, a technique called dose escalation.  However, many side effects have been reported due to surrounding organs being damaged by off-target radiation. Researchers at the Paul Sche...

Transferring human consciousness into a machine has long been a popular motif in science fiction, but for now, seems like a far-off dream. However, Prof Masataka Watanabe at the University of Tokyo believes we’re on the cusp of making mind uploading a reality. Prof Watanabe proposes a new type of brain‒machine interface that is capable of fully reconstructing transhemispheric connectivity, leading...