ResearchPod

The latest generations of cars now carry technology borrowed from industries ranging from machine learning to medical imaging, contributing to enhanced hazard detection, camera operation and autonomous functions.

In this episode, Florian Friedl from Hamamatsu Photonics joins us to talk about the role of their light sensing technologies play in modern motor vehicles,and what the future may hold for the cutting edge of photon detection.

Find more from Hamamatsu at their website.

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 humans naturally talk, think, and interact with the world.

Edy Portmann is a transdisciplinary researcher and professor of soft and cognitive computing at the Human-IST Institute of the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. As president of the Swiss-based FMsquare Foundation, Portmann is a fuzzy-logic evangelist on a mission to raise awareness of the importance of non-Aristotelian thinking in science and technology.

 Read more about the research at: FMsquare Foundation

Check out the: International FMsquare Springer book series

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 national lockdown protocols, and their link to deaths in respective countries. The researchers reveal an intergenerational mortality trade-off surrounding lockdown policy in lower- and middle-income countries. Indeed, this raises difficult ethical questions for how governments should respond to pandemics in the context of global economic inequality.

Read the original research : https://www.nber.org/papers/w28925

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 HER2 mutations,  and have developed drugs that inhibit the abnormal HER2 signalling driving cancer growth. One of the new inhibitors is now undergoing testing in a Phase 1 clinical trial to safely assess the potential of the drug as effective against tumours, and also reducing side-effects.

Read the original research : https://doi.org/10.1038/s43018-022-00412-y

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 insight for organisations navigating these emerging and challenging fields.  

Read more at: Research Outreach

Read the original article: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-7814-1_11

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, describe their learning experiences.

Read the original paper: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sis_research/7190

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 surrounding animal testing.

Read more in Research Outreach

Read their original article: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97142-7_11

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 culture of open communication with patients about BoNT-A risks, to empower individuals to make a fully informed decision.

Read more in Research Outreach

Read their original article : https://www.doi.org/10.1097/GOX.0000000000004407

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 Management University, collectively predicted that gender and bottom-line mentality would have an interactive effect on mistreatment in the workplace.

Their findings recommend that a more balanced approach is taken to victimisation theories relating to workplace mistreatment, as team characteristics need to be taken into account in addition to the interaction between the victim and the perpetrator.

Read more about their work: https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000936

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 for turning renewable energy, such as electricity, into synthetic hydrogen gas and green methane.

Read more about their research:  https://doi.org/10.3390/en15031174