Articles
Reframing understanding as a phase transition
When understanding comes to us, it can come suddenly. As we finally see how the different parts of a problem fall into place, it can bring about feelings of satisfaction, and perhaps even frustration that we did not discern the seemingly obvious solution beforehand. In their research, Dipl.-Phil. Elena Popova and Professor Valentin Popov at Technische Universität Berlin argue that […]
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Gendered digital divides: Enhancing inclusivity
Professor Campbell has three decades of practice and research experience in analysing and challenging gender-biased educational design that excludes women. Her recent work presents an in-depth analysis of the multiple layers of barriers women and others with multiple oppressions face in learning with technology and entering science and technology disciplines, which has significant implications within an increasingly digital learning and […]
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How to behave in sloth bear territory
Sloth bears are considered to be one of the most dangerous mammals in India. The number of sloth bear attacks annually rivals and may even exceed the total number of all bear attacks from the seven other extant bear species combined. Communities sharing their environment with these bears need clear-cut advice on how to behave to avoid bears and what […]
Selecting for feed efficiency to improve milk yield in dairy cows
Breeding programmes in dairy cattle have been successful in the past by selecting for high milk yield, effectively doubling productivity over the past 50 years. However, this approach is reaching a plateau, with minimal improvements expected in the future. For Pekka Huhtanen and his colleagues at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute and Natural […]
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Keplerian nest of polyhedral structures in different symmetry groups
Research being carried out by Professor Di Sun, from Shandong University, and Professor Stan Schein, from UCLA, unites two research streams. In the first, they synthesized Ag90, a Keplerian nest with one icosahedral and two octahedral shells. In the second, they realized that the nesting maximized the number of shared axes of rotation, just how the late mathematician John Conway […]
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Asbestos and bile duct cancer
Professor Giovanni Brandi and Dr Simona Tavolari, from the University of Bologna, study the association between asbestos exposure and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Case-control analyses in Italy and four Nordic countries found strong associations between occupational exposure to asbestos and ICC. Therefore, asbestos is suggested as a risk factor for ICC development. This could be due to asbestos fibres becoming trapped […]
Promising results with a new treatment for Foot-and-Mouth disease
Foot-and-Mouth disease (FMD) is a viral disease that affects many farm animals, including cattle, buffalo and small ruminants. In many developing countries, farmers often don’t have access to preventative treatments, and outbreaks are common. Professor Emeritus Peter Windsor and his team at the University of Sydney, Australia, believes a new product called Tri-Solfen may be an inexpensive and effective solution […]
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Understanding water resources in Latin America and the Caribbean region using environmental tracers
With approximately 660 million inhabitants, Latin America and the Caribbean region finds itself vulnerable to decreasing water availability in a changing climate. Increasing temperatures and abrupt land use changes, if not addressed, will continue the decline in surface water quality and quantity, thereby forcing greater dependence on groundwater extraction. Advancing studies into the availability, replenishment rates and quality of (ground) […]
Is faster better? Towards development of quick-growing jute
Jute is an important fibre cash crop grown in Bangladesh alongside food crops. With limited land availability, maximising the timing of crop growth is critical for the farmer. To avoid long overlaps in the cultivation period, farmers benefit from faster-growing crops. Jute is in great demand, yet there are no fast-growing varieties available. With the completed sequencing of its genome, […]
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Quantum light for biomedical imaging
Normally, when we photograph an object, we rely on visible light from the sun that is captured directly by the camera sensor. When it comes to looking at cells and tissue samples though, it is often better to use infrared light. Inna Kviatkovsky and Dr Sven Ramelow at the Humboldt University Berlin, together with their collaborators at Max Delbruck Center […]