Articles
The importance of image viewing conditions for timing and precision in minimally invasive surgery
Minimally invasive medical procedures such as laparoscopic surgery are challenging because they involve navigating the instruments in use via image views from tiny cameras attached to them. Surgeons need to interpret visual information correctly to guide their instruments with precision. Understanding how the brain adapts to these procedures will help improve fine surgical skills. Dr Birgitta Dresp-Langley, Research Director at […]
Supernatural curses in Pacific communities: A challenge for modern healthcare
While largely ignored by modern medical science, spirituality and supernatural phenomena continue to play a significant role in the belief systems of Indigenous peoples. In the Pacific and Pacific diaspora, ‘curses’ are commonly cited as the cause of death, poor health, and diminished wellbeing. At The University of Waikato, Dr Apo Aporosa teaches future healthcare workers the importance of acknowledging […]
SAQFT: Algebraic quantum field theory for elementary and composite particles
Quantum field theory (QFT) was a crucial step in our understanding of the fundamental nature of the Universe. In its current form, however, it is poorly suited for describing composite particles, made up of multiple interacting elementary particles. Today, QFT for hadrons has been largely replaced with quantum chromodynamics, but this new framework still leaves many gaps in our understanding, […]
Combatting antimicrobial resistance using novel small fusion proteins
Antibiotic resistance is a public health burden worldwide. Alternatives to antibiotics that can counter the detrimental effects of resistant ‘superbugs’ are urgently needed. Dr Xristo Zarate at the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon in Mexico and his collaborators have worked extensively on developing novel small carrier proteins, like SmbP and CusF3H+, for recombinant protein and peptide expression and purification in […]
Just war and class conflict in Shakespeare’s ‘Henry V’
‘We few, we happy few, we band of brothers’ – King Henry’s speech to rouse his troops before the Battle of Agincourt is one of the most famous in Shakespeare. But what does ‘Henry V’ tell us about theories of war in Elizabethan England? Professor Anne-Marie Walkowicz of Ohio’s Central State University in the USA argues that the play explores the […]
Leaving a legacy of ill health: The trans-generational effects of smoking
The University of Bristol is a respected authority in research at the intersection of epigenetics and epidemiology. Founded by Jean Golding, Emeritus Professor of Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC, also known as Children of the 90s) is one of the world’s most comprehensive ongoing data sets spanning generations. Findings from this multi-generational […]
Early Action Review: Preventing local outbreaks from becoming pandemics
If we are to avoid the fallout of another global pandemic, we need to be better prepared. Dr Stella Chungong and Dr Landry Ndriko Mayigane of the Health Security Preparedness Department in the World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies Programme are encouraging countries to implement early action reviews (EARs) of disease outbreaks. EARs are based on a 7-1-7 metric to assess […]
Proofig AI: An AI tool to ensure image integrity in scientific publications
Proofig AI is an innovative and reflexive AI-powered proofing tool, aimed at researchers, editors, institutes, and publishers. The tool aims to identify the improper usage of images in scientific publishing and beyond. Research Outreach spoke with Dr Dror Kolodkin-Gal, the founder of Proofig AI. He shares insight into the challenges scientific publishing faces with the publication of fraudulent manuscripts, and […]
Science, AI, and securing a sustainable future
Around 95% of the world’s population agree with the concept of sustainable development goals (SDGs) as a way of building a sustainable future in the face of the climate crisis. But SDGs come with a hefty price tag. Stefan Brunnhuber is a clinician and socioeconomist who believes the solution to this conundrum is a switch in the global mindset. Sustainability […]
CRISPR gene editing: Can we make cancer cells easier to kill?
Lung cancer accounts for approximately one in five cancer deaths globally. The high death toll makes the development of new treatments and improvement of old ones a top priority. One of the challenges with traditional chemotherapy is that tumours can develop resistance to treatment. For several years, Eric B Kmiec, PhD, at the Gene Editing Institute of ChristianaCare, USA and […]