In East Asia, high marriage rates coexist with some of the world’s lowest fertility rates. So, why are so few children born in these societies?  And  how is this related to the strongly embedded cultural and Confucianist influences?

Professors Sunha Myong, Jungjae Park, and Junjian Yi investigate the cultural and socioeconomic factors shaping these trends. Using a mathematical model, the team explore how deeply rooted social norms – like unequal childcare and stigma against out-of-wedlock births – impact fertility decisions. Importantly, they examine how shifts in gender roles and government policies could hold the key to reversing declining birth rates.

Read the original research: doi.org/10.1093/jeea/jvaa048

The knowledge gained during the COVID-19 pandemic and other health emergencies could prove invaluable for devising responses to and planning for future health crises.

Dr Landry Ndriko Mayigane and Dr Stella Chungong from the Health Security Preparedness Department of the World Health Organization’s Health Emergency Programme recently devised the ‘Nuggets’ of Knowledge (NoK) platform, an open-source platform, to facilitate effective knowledge management and knowledge continuity during health emergencies.

Read more in Research Outreach

Read the original research: doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1427223

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a vital enzyme in the immune system, with the potential to revolutionise antiseptics and cancer therapy.

Professor Robert C. Allen has developed MPO-based antiseptics effective in blood which are systemically safe, while also demonstrating selective anticancer properties. Together with Jackson T. Stephens, the work overcomes obstacles to bring these therapies into widespread use, offering promising solutions for infection control and bladder cancer treatment.

Read more in Research Features

Read the original research: doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.AM2024-2029

Hybrid psychological agents and transformative hybrid contexts offer new ways to bridge cultural divides, foster inclusion, and drive social change.

Dr. Beatriz Macías-Gómez-Estern from Universidad Pablo de Olavide investigates hybrid learning spaces where diverse cultural, social, and institutional worlds connect. From service-learning projects with Roma communities to community music initiatives, her work highlights the transformative potential of collaboration, co-construction, and empathy in education and beyond.

Read the original research:

doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87406-3_2

doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-60583-3_13

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with treatment responses varying widely among patients.

Dr. Carminia Maria Della Corte from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is at the forefront of research into using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to identify immune biomarkers. Her work explores the cGAS/STING pathway, DDR gene mutations, and advanced 3D tumour models, offering insight into predicting immunotherapy responses and tailoring treatments for non-small and small cell lung cancer.

Read the original research: doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12040809

Memory is a problem for many people as they age. To combat this, wearable devices may help older adults recall precious memories through what is called 'life-logging', despite these technologies raising significant privacy concerns.

Researchers at Singapore Management University, led by Thivya Kandappu, have developed PrivacyPrimer, a tool designed to protect sensitive information captured by wearable cameras. Their approach uses selective image obfuscation to safeguard privacy, while preserving the ability to reminisce - striking a balance between memory recall and security.

Read the original research: doi.org/10.1145/3476047

While we may associate Messenger RNA (mRNA for short) with the COVID-19 pandemic vaccination programme, its study in fact began over 60 years ago.

Born in 1955 in rural Hungary, Katalin Karikó battled critics and scepticism for her research into mRNA for over 30 years before its role in the COVID-19 vaccination programme gained her recognition and, in 2023, a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

In this interview, Karikó tells us about this journey and why she loves biochemistry, what it’s like to win a Nobel Prize, and how she would advise young scientists today.

Read Katalin's book: Breaking Through: My Life in Science

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Image credit for Thumbnail : OrionNimrod on Wikimedia commons

While the management of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is guided by recurrence risk assessment, current methods cannot accurately predict disease recurrence.

Professor Oliver Bathe and his collaborators at the University of Calgary, Canada, have developed a test that includes genetic data linked to recurrence. Together, they identified three molecular PTC subtypes, allowing more accurate risk assessment to guide clinical decision-making and treatment.

Read more in Research Features

Read the original research: doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2023.1220617

The COVID-19 pandemic was a wake-up call for governments and their global stakeholders to reform the management processes of infectious disease outbreaks.

Dr Stella Chungong and Dr Landry Ndriko Mayigane of the Health Security Preparedness Department of the World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies Programme are encouraging countries to implement early action reviews (EARs) for disease outbreaks to assess their vigilance and planning, the responsiveness of their health systems, and to better prepare for outbreaks.

Read more in Research Outreach

Read the original research: doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(23)00167-5

Almost every city in the modern world faces the difficult challenge of understanding its citizens’ opinions and turning them into meaningful decisions.

Miloš Švaňa, a PhD student at Technical University of Ostrava, has decided to focus on this topic in his dissertation, with an aim to develop a framework for social media data analysis. By using fuzzy logic and fuzzy set theory to help municipalities understand the needs of their citizens, Švaňa uses this information to inform better decision making.

Read more from Miloš in an upcoming chapter of Springer Fuzzy Management Methods.

For more on Fuzzy logic, visit the FMsquare Foundation website