Articles
WHO moves mpox response to the next level
Mpox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV). Outbreaks result from person-to-person spread through close contact, which may include sexual contact. In some settings outbreaks follow contact with an infected animal or consumption of contaminated meat. The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new Strategic Framework for enhancing prevention and control of mpox in order to […]
Conquering sunlight sensitivity: Dersimelagon’s promise in photodermatoses
Two rare genetic dermatological conditions, erythropoietic protoporphyria and X-linked protoporphyria, bring about excruciating pain and skin damage upon exposure to sunlight. In groundbreaking research, a new medication called dersimelagon is addressing these conditions. Led by Dr Kirstine Belongie and her expert team at Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, a clinical trial was conducted to evaluate dersimelagon’s impact on the onset time […]
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Conundrum in pharmacoepidemiology: Contextualising biases in case-crossover studies
Dr Kiyoshi Kubota, physician and pharmacoepidemiologist based at the NPO Drug Safety Research Unit Japan, has pioneered innovative methods for analysing data in case-crossover studies. By tackling biases inherent to case-crossover studies, including within-subject exposure dependency and lack of pair-wise exchangeability, his methodologies offer a clearer lens for evaluating medication safety and effectiveness. The contributions of Kubota and his collaborator, […]
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Mastering liquid crystal phase technologies for terahertz communication
Terahertz radiation is very useful in a number of fields, including communications and biological imaging, but it has historically been difficult to control for such applications. Dr Masahito Oh-e at the National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan has been exploring how liquid crystal-based technologies might be used to make new devices to harness the power of terahertz radiation. In recent […]
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What tangled webs we weave: Measuring federal public expenditure
The Social Accounting Model (SAM) is used in social and economic analyses to explain the transfers made between institutional sectors. It quantifies these exchanges to analyse the financial and economic structure of a country, as well as the resulting social benefits. Dr Marcela Astudillo Moya and Dr Raúl Porras Rivera at the National Autonomous University of Mexico apply the recommendations […]
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Audible barcodes – a symphony of data
Barcodes and QR codes have become ubiquitous sights in our current information age. However, they have some notable limitations – specifically, the requirement for line of sight, close physical proximity of the reader to the code, and adequate lighting for accurate interpretation. Soorya Annadurai, an independent researcher and software engineer at Microsoft in the USA, has developed a solution for […]
Circular economy for a sustainable planet: Quantifying the effects of circularity
Managing our planet’s resources carefully is becoming an emergency. A committed focus on environmental management and sustainability is urgent, as is our pressing obligation to address climate change. Dr Simone Bastianoni from the University of Siena, Italy, along with his colleagues, is working to improve data-driven approaches to underpin key decisions and strategies for moving to a circular economy (CE). […]
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Vermicomposting: Using the soil ecosystem in new places
Vermicomposting has gained popularity as a sustainable, environmentally friendly method for waste disposal and fertiliser production. Earthworms and soil microbiota work together to break down and reshape solid organic waste into a fertile humus. From small-scale beginnings, much research has been done to scale up and optimise the physical and biological aspects of the system. Dr Jorge Domínguez, head of the […]
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Where is the magic? What exactly is a neural network and how does it work?
The futuristic sounding ‘multi-layer perceptron’ is a term sometimes used for a neural network, or artificial neural network to be more precise. They are everywhere today, eager to tell you which turn to take at the next junction, keen to confirm your face is indeed your face when you log in to your bank account, and duty bound in suggesting […]
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Can citizen science drive social change?
What is citizen science and how can this practice be implemented to benefit communities and boost prosperity? Based at the Institute for Global Prosperity University College London, the newly launched Citizen Science Academy aims to provide the answer. By training residents to the practices of social research and equipping them with the tools to drive social action in different areas […]