ResearchPod
398 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 days ago -ResearchPod science podcasts connect the research community to a global audience of peers and the public, raising visibility and impact. www.researchpod.org. All content is shared under the Creative Commons CCBY-NC-ND 4.0 licence. For further information, email [email protected]
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Episodes
A low-cost portable sensor system for air quality monitoring
December 05, 2022 11:00 - 11 minutes - 7.65 MBTo tackle the challenge of monitoring air quality and assessing personal pollutant exposure in urban settings, low-cost sensors have become increasingly available. However, most of these commercial devices suffer from limitations in the treatment of the data collected. Fabian Lenartz at the Scientific Institute of Public Service (ISSeP) in Liège, Belgium, has developed a low-cost versatile monitoring device – Antilope – that is suitable for fixed and itinerant measurements, both indoor and...
A trust-based approach to the use of facial recognition technology
December 02, 2022 11:00 - 9 minutes - 6.5 MBFacial recognition technology establishes a person’s identity from a single digital image of their face. This technology to identify criminals and prevent crime, but also in a range of other commercial settings. However, issues including trust, consent and bias, limits its use in some regions. Research conducted by Gary Chan, Professor of Law at Singapore Management University, investigates how to build trust in facial recognition technology via technological measures, ethnical guidelines, ...
Actively using neuroplastic methods to develop inner strengths
November 30, 2022 11:00 - 11 minutes - 7.74 MBLifes challenges can become lasting burdens if we don’t have the psychological resources to meet them. So how can we build up a psychological toolbox containing powerful inner strengths that are readily accessible when we need them? Dr Rick Hanson, of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center US, and colleagues have developed new model of emotional and mental growth, which actively engages people's experiences with neurologically informed methods that heighten the conversion of passing s...
Deciphering the role of time and space in ecological systems
November 25, 2022 11:00 - 9 minutes - 6.5 MBUnderstanding the function of time and space when an ecosystem is disturbed is essential for devising sustainable conservation and management policies, further complicated by anthropogenic disturbances. To understand and predict the response of ecological systems to these disturbances, researchers must develop new theoretical and experimental approaches. The research team at the Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station (SETE) founded by Jean Clobert and Michel Loreau, aims to provide bo...
The heart of the matter: Clinical electrophysiology and beyond
November 23, 2022 11:00 - 18 minutes - 12.7 MBClinical electrophysiology, the application of electricity to monitor or produce a physiological effect, seems such a core part of any modern hospital stay that it's surprising how new it really is. Today, devices and techniques are more accurate and less invasive, making these lifesaving technologies practically commonplace. We spoke with Benjamin Scherlag, Professor of Medicine at the University of Oklahoma, USA, about his role in this part of medical history and why his dual roles in bo...
X-ray histotomography: Characterising every cell of a whole organism
November 18, 2022 09:00 - 13 minutes - 9.5 MBDiagnosing diseases requires understanding of how cells respond to different medical conditions. Histology is a common two-dimensional way of studying such disease abnormalities, however major diseases are associated with three-dimensional cellular and tissue architectural changes. Dr Cheng’s team has created X-ray histotomography, the first 3D imaging method that allows digital cell and tissue diagnostics from entire tissue samples and small organisms. Read more in Research Outreach Rea...
Using patient datasets to track COVID-19 prevalence
November 16, 2022 09:00 - 9 minutes - 6.3 MBThe rapid spread and constant evolution of COVID-19, has presented significant challenges to tracking true disease prevalence . In addition, the way we test for the disease is adapting and changing as more is learnt about the virus and new technologies become available. Some of these technologies can result in bias, and may not present an accurate picture of COVID-19 prevalence in a population. Researchers Amy Hou, Genevieve Pang and Lorrin Pang at the Hawaii Department of Health propose th...
Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Organic Strawberries
November 11, 2022 11:00 - 9 minutes - 6.54 MBThe demand for organically grown food has increased over the past few decades, with environmentally savvy consumers concerned about how the food they eat affects both their health and the planet. However, organic farming usually produces a lower yield when compared to ‘conventional’ methods, and rely on the same CO2 emitting machinery. Professor Sean Clark of Berea College, Kentucky, examined the carbon footprint of organic strawberries grown in high tunnels, otherwise known as polytunnels...
Integrative oncology: Improving survival odds in breast cancer
November 09, 2022 11:00 - 10 minutes - 7.52 MBCancer affects not just peoples physical body but also their mental and spiritual wellbeing. With such complex manifestations, holistic treatment approaches personalised to meet the unique needs of individuals warrant consideration and research. Terri Crudup and colleagues at IQVIA, in collaboration with the Samueli Foundation, USA, demonstrate the value of integrative oncology, combining conventional cancer treatment with what is known as complementary and lifestyle therapies, in improvin...
Advance Elements of Laser Circuits and Systems
November 04, 2022 11:00 - 10 minutes - 7.4 MBOver the course of his career, Dr Ofer Aluf has developed cutting-edge innovations in a wide range of technologies, including computer chips, semiconductors, antennas, and high-power lasers. His latest book, Dr Aluf introduces laser elements as a concept in circuit analysis, and explains the mathematical principles in parallel with their application in real-world scenarios. Find Advance Elements of Laser Circuits and Systems at Springer: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64103-0 Dr Al...
Embodied emissions and engineering in urban design
November 02, 2022 11:00 - 35 minutes - 24.5 MBDesigning, building, and maintaining homes in the 21st century has to consider the wellbeing of residents and the environment. From the heavy machinery required on building sites, to the rubble of its demolition, every tonne of carbon consumed and released over the length of a buildings lifecycle can be accounted for. Dr Stefanie Weidner of Werner Sobek outlines the companies mission in sustainable engineering, highlights their case studies for successful design, and discusses what the f...
Understanding what drives Corporate Social Responsibility
October 31, 2022 11:00 - 10 minutes - 7.41 MBCompanies and businesses generally exist to create wealth. Yet, increasingly over the past three decades, companies have come to regard Corporate Social Responsibliity programmes as an important bottom-line measure Associate Professor Alwyn Lim from Singapore Management University and Shawn Pope from Léonard de Vinci Pôle Universitaire dig into the underlying motivators that propel businesses to design and roll-out these programmes, and their impacts. Read the original article: https://doi...
The collapse of the Polcevera Viaduct – an avoidable tragedy
October 28, 2022 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.53 MBThe dramatic collapse of the Polcevera Viaduct, in the Italian port city of Genoa in 2018, had all the hallmarks of unfortunate tragedy, but to the trained eye it was inevitable. Janusz Rymsza, PhD Eng, is a Professor at the Road and Bridge Research Institute in Warsaw. Since 2009 he has held the position of Deputy Director of the Institute. His professional work relates to the full range of bridge works including designing and field testing, as well as supervision over bridge works. Read ...
For pregnant women, new mothers and those who love them: the latest updates on postpartum depression
October 26, 2022 10:00 - 31 minutes - 21.3 MBApproximately 10-20% of women will experience some form of postpartum depression. Without prompt access to care and support, the wellbeing of both mother and child could be in jeopardy. Dr Maureen Sayres Van Niel and Dr Jennifer Payne discuss working together in the field of women's mental health at the American Psychiatric Association, as well as the many changes and challenges in women's bodies during pregnancy and after birth, and how recognising and treating perinatal mood and anxiety d...
How can we make robots evolve autonomously?
October 21, 2022 10:00 - 11 minutes - 8.06 MBProfessor A E Eiben at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, in The Netherlands, shows how robots could pass on their advantageous traits to new generations, allowing them to adapt to unfamiliar environments. Named ‘EvoSphere’, this system could one day allow robots to perform tasks which, until now, have remained far beyond our reach. Read more the original article: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66494-7_2 Read more in Research Outreach
How play and learning can increase educational equity
October 19, 2022 10:00 - 13 minutes - 9.15 MBChildren from families with low or insecure incomes are at greater odds of hindered language development and cognitive growth, with gaps in ability between poor and secure families evident as early as preschool. Dr. Karyn Allee, assistant professor of Elementary Education at Mercer University asks if guided play could encourage the uptake of language, learning and behaviour among disadvantaged children. Read the original article: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01141-6
A novel plant-based source of Omega-3
October 14, 2022 10:00 - 29 minutes - 20.6 MBOmega-3 fatty acids are essential to human health, and are mainly sourced from wild caught fish. Those same fish are also an essential part of feeding farmed salmon as their own source of omega-3. With increasing demands on the fishing industry globally, there is a pressing need for sustainably sourced omega-3 oils for human and salmon alike. Benita Boettner, global general manager for Nuseed Nutritional, discusses their omega-3 canola oil, and the potential of plant-based technologies t...
The past, present and future of cancer care
October 12, 2022 10:00 - 35 minutes - 24.7 MBThere have been scores of drug approvals across the globe for treating cancer in recent years, and the right combination of treatment and patient can lead to longer, better living with the disease. With all these breakthroughs on top of years of experience in care administration, how much has the patient experience changed? Professor David Stewart, medical oncologist and professor of medicine at the University of Ottawa and Ottawa Hospital, has compiled his decades of clinical experience...
Perceptions of safety and maintenance in cycling infrastructure
October 07, 2022 10:00 - 30 minutes - 21.3 MBThe infrastructure for transport within and between towns offers more than just a means to get from one place to another. It can shape the formation of those towns, and how people relate to traveling from a psychological, not just practical, standpoint. Ole Aasvik of Institute of Transport Economics and the University of Oslo discusses his research into transport access, attitudes and autonomy in Norway, and how the ease of use for any part of public roads can affect or be affected by the p...
To trust or not to trust: A psychoneurobiological framework
October 05, 2022 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7 MBA trusting society is open, inclusive, and promotes both social and personal well-being. Understanding the interpersonal trust between any members of society, be it a belief, intention or behaviour, is of crucial importance to fields ranging from psychology and neuroscience to economics. Prof Frank Krueger of George Mason University brings together economic exchange games, psychological systems and neuroscience mechanisms (e.g. brain circuits, hormones, genes) to build a ‘psychoneurobiologi...
Adaptive Heritage: Creative thinking or abandoning our values?
September 30, 2022 10:00 - 55 minutes - 38.3 MBOur world is always changing. Some of those changes, such as climate change or depletion of natural resources, are coming fast, and could have far reaching impacts on nature and culture for generations to come. Prof Jim Perry of The University of Minnesota describes his work in Adaptive Heritage, and discusses how citizens and governments alike can act now to ensure a future for those fast-vanishing environments. Read the original article: https://doi.org/10.3390/cli9080128
Regulation, prevalence and impacts of cannabis consumption in the US
September 28, 2022 10:00 - 46 minutes - 32.2 MBDepending on when and where you listen to this podcast, you may be legally allowed to possess cannabis for your own recreational enjoyment. Or it may land you in jail. That’s not just a difference between one liberal countries laws and another conservative nation, that’s the difference between New Mexico and it’s neighbouring state of Texas. Today i’m speaking with Dr Michael Sofis of Cannabis Public Policy Consulting about the organisations research into applications and complications a...
'Rebooting' retired endocrinologists to provide vital diabetes care
September 26, 2022 10:00 - 9 minutes - 6.61 MBIn the face of a staff shortage among endocrinologists in the US, patient care for those with diabetes is paramount. Dr Richard Santen at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, offers a solution to improve the care of patients in rural, underserved areas through ‘re-booting’ endocrinologists and telehealth. Read the original article: http://doi.org/10.1177/1357633X221106041 Read more in Research Features
Could nanomaterials be an alternative better treatment for COVID-19?
September 23, 2022 10:00 - 10 minutes - 6.98 MBSince the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple vaccines and treatments have been proposed to combat the disease. However, one limitation of these vaccines and treatments is that they are often developed for a specific form of a virus–meaning they maybe less effective against new variants of the disease. Professor Thomas Webster thinks that this could be achieved by using nanomaterials, specifically those that bind to proteins on the surface of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID...
Smart charging of electric vehicles
September 21, 2022 10:00 - 8 minutes - 5.56 MBForecasts project that there will be around 100 million electric vehicles on the roads in the next few decades. With that additional electricity demand, it's important to consider how we are going to be able to charge electric vehicles. Dr Yangfang (Helen) Zhou from Singapore Management University and colleagues propose an innovative business model for utility firms to meet the stress of electric vehicles on the energy grid, and keep the world moving. Read the original article: http://do...
Making strides in veterinary pathology
September 16, 2022 10:00 - 14 minutes - 10 MBDr Shelley Newman of Newman Specialty VetPath, USA, has improved the diagnosis, classification, and treatment of mast cell tumours and pancreatic diseases in veterinary species and contributed to the literature by characterising many new disease processes in exotic species. Read more about their work in Research Outreach Read the original article: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.20.12.0663
Transition and opportunity - Making the most of China’s future
September 14, 2022 10:00 - 47 minutes - 32.6 MBEven this early in the 21st century, there are signs of economic and cultural trends that may be its hallmarks in history - for better, for worse and in ways yet to be seen. Today i’m speaking with Dr Huiyao 'Henry' Wang of the Centre of China and Globalisation about the future of China in international commerce and diplomacy, how to connect with, and within, global superpowers, and what history might have to say about current events. Read more at the CCG website, or in their recent report...
The influence of toxicity on plant growth dynamics
September 09, 2022 10:00 - 9 minutes - 6.68 MBFor as long as people have farmed, it has been known that planting the same crop in the same field without change over the years leads to reduced crop yield. Decaying plant material from past harvests leaves extracellular, or free-drifting, plant DNA in the soil, that prohibits the growth of new plants of the same species. This phenomenon, known as toxicity, is responsible for a plant–soil negative feedback mechanism Dr Annalisa Iuorio from the University of Vienna, a specialist in the math...
Advancing nuclear fusion with nanotechnology
September 07, 2022 10:00 - 31 minutes - 21.4 MBThe dream of nuclear fusion as a source of near-unlimited energy is decades old, but, with the latest advances by research teams working around the world, it may just be within reach. Dr Tamás Biró of the Wigner Research Centre for Physics is leading research on laser ignition of nanoparticles to bring that goal closer to fruition. You can read more about his research in Research Outreach. Read the original article: https://journals.aps.org/prxenergy/abstract/10.1103/PRXEnergy.1.023001
Reality, information, and consciousness: The universe as a cosmic quantum computer
September 02, 2022 09:00 - 9 minutes - 6.85 MBPeter Verheyen of the Sola Society and Academy at Vienna University, Austria, explores the notion that the conscious reality we experience as human beings is drawn from the information constantly emitted from the real physical world. He argues that the real physical world is akin to a giant quantum computer that gives rise to consciousness itself. Read the original article: https://doi.org/10.3390/sci3040035 Read more in Research Outreach
Cilia proteins as biomarkers of altered flow
August 31, 2022 10:00 - 26 minutes - 18.2 MBThe cellular waste in your blood can tell you a lot about your health -any immune activation, mineral deficits, or stress hormones circulating through you. So, what do you think it means when chunks of cells, knocked loose by the shear stress of your own blood pressure, start turning up? Dr Ramani Ramchandran at the Medical College of Wisconsin and his team are developing new tests for these cellular fragments in blood to determine what they can tell us about your whole-body health. Read t...
Roxadustat: A promising treatment for anaemia in chronic kidney disease
August 26, 2022 09:00 - 9 minutes - 6.61 MBMore than one in seven people in the US have chronic kidney disease (CKD), making it one of the top causes of death. Anaemia is a common, though under-treated complication. Dr Robert Provenzano of Wayne State University and his team pooled together the results of three randomised clinical trials to investigate the efficacy and safety of of new treatment, Roxadustat, in managing the blood disease risks of CKD patients. Read the original article: doi.org/10.2215/CJN.16191020 Read more in ...
How Festivals Bring Mutual Understanding and Harmony to Southeast Asia
August 23, 2022 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.47 MBFor members of The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), festivals are used to promote a concept known as “the ASEAN Way”: respecting each other’s sovereignty, non-interference in the internal affairs of one another, and peaceful settlements of disputes. In his most recent paper, Dr David Ocón of Singapore Management University researches the “ulterior motives” of festivals and how they can be used for political and economic ends. Read the original article: https://doi.org/10....
How Festivals Bring Mutual Understanding and Harmony to Southeast Asia
August 23, 2022 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.47 MBFor members of The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), festivals are used to promote a concept known as “the ASEAN Way”: respecting each other’s sovereignty, non-interference in the internal affairs of one another, and peaceful settlements of disputes. In his most recent paper, Dr David Ocón of Singapore Management University researches the “ulterior motives” of festivals and how they can be used for political and economic ends. Read the original article: https://doi.org/10....
Accounting for biogeographical ignorance within biodiversity modelling
August 19, 2022 10:00 - 12 minutes - 8.71 MBBiodiversity data can be analysed to predict species distribution at various scales of time and space. However, survey completeness and temporal decay in data quality introduce uncertainty into biodiversity models. Researchers Joaquín Hortal, Juliana Stropp, Richard Ladle, and Geiziane Tessarolo, among others, are constructing the first Maps of Biogeographical Ignorance (MoBIs) that account for uncertainty in biodiversity analysis. Presented alongside species distribution models (SDMs), Mo...
Lifting the Resource Curse
August 17, 2022 10:00 - 16 minutes - 11.3 MBThe 'resource curse’, or "Dutch disease“, describes when countries rich in natural resources face reduced domestic growth rates in other sectors due an influx of foreign currency or investment, mixed with market volatility. The Tao of Finance initiative from the World Academy of Arts and Sciences examines the link between this ‘disease’ and the 17 UN-Sustainability Development Goals, and identifies an upgraded monetary system to make the resource curse history. Read more about the Tao...
Cameleer: A deductive verification tool for OCaml
August 12, 2022 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.27 MBHow do we know that we can trust software? One answer is software reliability testing. Dr Mário Pereira and Dr António Ravara from the Nova School of Science and Technology in Lisbon, Portugal, and their collaborators have developed the Cameleer tool, a formal verification software tool for OCaml-written code. Read the original article: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81688-9_31 Read more in Research Outreach
Managing Balance: Sustainability in science and history
August 10, 2022 10:00 - 14 minutes - 9.74 MBAlchemy may be understood as the first scientific paradigm, beginning as a collection of observations, experiments, and recipes for practical processes. Woven into these primary alchemical texts were also a good deal of the symbolism, philosophy and religious beliefs of the time. Dr Julia Kasmire explores the ways in which the seemingly unrelated concepts of sustainability and alchemy can both be understood as strategies that individuals and societies use to further understand our complex ...
Can β-glucan soluble fibre from oats and barley affect weight loss and adiposity?
August 05, 2022 10:00 - 13 minutes - 9.3 MBObesity is a growing public health concern, but studies suggest that soluble fibre from certain cereal whole grains can help weight management. Rebecca Mathews and her collaborators in the US conducted a thorough review of key studies demonstrating the efficacy and mechanisms behind oat and barley β-glucan on weight loss. These findings confirm the importance of whole grains in combating obesity. Read the original article: https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2021.1994523 Find more in Rese...
Quantum carpets from tumbling molecules
August 03, 2022 10:00 - 7 minutes - 5.39 MBMolecules are comprised of charged particles whose spatial distribution is or could be distorted, lending the molecules a handle by which they can be manipulated via external electromagnetic fields. Dr Burkhard Schmidt at the Freie Universität Berlin and Professor Bretislav Friedrich at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society in Berlin, along with colleagues, have been studying the effects of electromagnetic fields on molecular rotation and how these effects could be used to ac...
How can we reduce the public health burden of food and waterborne diseases?
July 29, 2022 10:00 - 11 minutes - 7.67 MBWhile some bacteria are beneficial, such as probiotic bacteria in the human gastrointestinal tract, others can have serious consequences for human health. Professor Aliyar Cyrus Fouladkhah of Tennessee State University studies preventative measures for microbial pathogens and foodborne and waterborne infectious diseases in the context of climate change. Read the original research: https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fmicroorganisms8050748 Find more in Research Outreach
The Future Circular Collider
July 27, 2022 10:00 - 12 minutes - 8.46 MBNew generations of particle accelerators are now in development, in which beams of particles collide ever more precisely and at ever higher energies. Professor Stephen Myers, former Director of Accelerators & Technology at CERN and currently Executive Chair of ADAM SA, identifies both the positive and negative lessons which future projects can learn from previous generations of accelerators for one upcoming project: the Future Circular Collider. Read the original article: https://doi.org/...
New therapeutic avenues for treating Alzheimer’s disease
July 22, 2022 10:00 - 12 minutes - 8.28 MBDr Bradlee Heckmann and his team at the USF Health Neuroscience Institute in the US aim to develop new therapeutic avenues for treating neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s. Read their original article here: http://doi.org/10.4103/1673-5374.317958 Read more about their work in Research Features
Alternative financial engineering to fund our health - The WHO Case
July 20, 2022 10:00 - 15 minutes - 10.9 MBA healthcare system that is preventative, collective and inclusive is far more resilient, and cheaper to run, than private for-profit schemes. Such a preventative system will be much cheaper to invest in building now than waiting to repair our current frameworks after the next pandemic. However, we need a financial plan that is able to ensure this change The Tao of Finance initiative from the World Academy of Arts and Sciences proposes a new mode of finance to fund the WHO, delivering ada...
Searching for inefficiencies in the food–energy–water nexus
July 14, 2022 23:00 - 18 minutes - 13 MBThe WASTE FEW ULL project is developing and testing internationally applicable methods of identifying inefficiencies in a city-region’s food-energy-water nexus. It is achieving this goal through an international network of industry/civic society-led Urban Living Labs (ULL) in four urban regions - UK (Bristol), Netherlands (Rotterdam), South Africa (Cape Town) and Brazil (São Paulo). Read more in Research Features
Industry incentives and antibiotic resistance
July 13, 2022 10:00 - 40 minutes - 28.1 MBIn the face of increasing drug resistance, there is a pressing need to develop new antibiotic compounds. However, the effort of developing such new treatments can go unrewarded, so long as there are still cheaper options in current supply, even as their effectiveness wanes. Olof Lindahl and Chantal Morel review the business interventions, stewardship policies and prescription practices available to incentivise the development of new medicines, and thus support global health. Find out more...
How intestinal bacteria use our dying cells as fuel
July 08, 2022 10:00 - 12 minutes - 8.55 MBUntil now, a great deal has remained unknown about the relationship between programmed cell death and bacterial infections. However, recent work by Dr CJ Anderson and Professor Kodi Ravichandran from VIB-UGent, Belgium, has shed new light on this topic and introduced a new layer to the complex host–pathogen interaction. Read more in Research Outreach Read the original article: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03785-9
The next big thing: A Monetary Inflation Brake
July 06, 2022 10:00 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MBHow should we design a new monetary tool that can cope with external shocks which might affect our economy in the Anthropocene? The Tao of Finance initiative from the World Academy of Arts and Sciences proposes a Monetary Inflation Brake: a targeted, upstream, resilient intervention that could save billions of dollars world wide. Read more about the Tao of Finance at the WAAS website, or read the book ‘Financing Our Future: Unveiling a Parallel Digital Currency System to Fund the SDGs an...
Genome Architecture Theory shakes up cancer research
July 01, 2022 10:00 - 12 minutes - 8.52 MBDr Henry Heng’s Genome Architecture Theory is a new paradigm questioning the status quo of genomic and evolutionary theories. He proposes that cancerous cells are so different in their genome architectures they’re akin to a different cellular species in the host, meaning a total rethink in how those cells are targeted and destroyed. Read the original article: doi.org/10.3390/genes13010101 Read more in Research Features
Genome Architecture Theory shakes up cancer research
July 01, 2022 10:00 - 12 minutes - 8.52 MBDr Henry Heng’s Genome Architecture Theory is a new paradigm questioning the status quo of genomic and evolutionary theories. He proposes that cancerous cells are so different in their genome architectures they’re akin to a different cellular species in the host, meaning a total rethink in how those cells are targeted and destroyed. Read the original article: doi.org/10.3390/genes13010101 Read more in Research Features