Connecting Science and Society

 Making Complex Science Accesible to All 

Feature Articles

Professor Nancy Burnham | Imaging on the Nanoscale: Improving Techniques in Atomic Force Microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides the means to image surfaces with nanometre resolution, allowing scientists to look at the individual building blocks and forces that make up the world around us. Professor Nancy Burnham of Worcester Polytechnic Institute and her colleagues Lei Lyu and Lily Poulikakos at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) have worked on how we can reduce artefacts in these images and ensure they are accurately interpreted. By considering and applying these techniques, high-quality AFM research can be produced.

Dr Natalia Rohatyn-Martin | Hidden Exhaustion: The Struggle of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in Education

For most students, attending to a typical school lesson involves listening to the teacher, perhaps jotting down notes, and occasionally participating in discussions. But imagine having to concentrate intensely on every word, constantly shifting your attention between the teacher and a sign language interpreter; or straining to lip-read and process spoken content, while simultaneously trying to keep up with the lesson and take notes. This is the daily reality for deaf and hard of hearing students in schools, and new research suggests it’s leaving them mentally and physically exhausted. Dr Natalia Rohatyn-Martin, an educational researcher at MacEwan University in Alberta, Canada, reveals how fatigue affects deaf and hard of hearing students in inclusive classrooms, with implications for teaching practices worldwide.

James J. Driscoll, MD, PhD | Immunoproteasome Activation Enhances the Recognition of Tumour Cells and Boosts Anticancer Immune Responses

The correct functioning of the human immune system depends on its ability to recognise danger, such as tumour cells, viruses, and bacteria. Scientists are learning how immunoproteasome activation can overcome the mechanisms by which cancer cells escape immune responses. Immunoproteasomes are small high molecular weight protein-degrading machines that signpost abnormal proteins made by cancer cells, directing the immune system against them. Dr James Driscoll at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center is using novel proprietary small molecules to selectively boost the catalytic activity of immunoproteasomes, which increases the tumour killing (or cytotoxic) effect of a group of white cells called T-cells. These findings provide a strong rationale for developing personalised therapeutics that target immunoproteasomes, for cancer and other immune-mediated conditions.

New Approaches to Treating Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating condition that strips away people’s memory, thinking, and independence. By 2050, it is expected to affect over 100 million people around the world, making it a high priority for scientific and medical research. Researchers are now exploring the potential for mechanical and light-based stimulation of the brain and nervous system to treat Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. At the University of Minho in Portugal, Francisca Monteiro is developing a PhD project supervised by a multidisciplinary set of experienced researchers, who have reviewed the evidence behind these approaches, including whole-body vibration, auditory stimulation, transcranial ultrasound stimulation, and photobiomodulation. The team aims to synthesize the evidence to support these treatments and understand what further work is needed.

Dr James D. Burrington | Fuelling Hydrogen’s Role in a Net Zero Future

Hydrogen is often touted as the fuel of the future, but how much can it really contribute to global decarbonisation? Dr James D. Burrington, founder of NiceChemistry.com, has modelled how hydrogen technologies, particularly green hydrogen, might support worldwide net zero goals. His research applies rigorous metrics to assess energy efficiency, cost, emissions, and land use. This revealed that, while hydrogen may not directly replace electricity, it could be critical in decarbonising sectors where electrification falls short.

Dr Richard Davies: The Forgotten Pioneer of Blood Research and University Reform

Dr Richard Davies was an 18th century physician whose bold ideas spanned medical science, public health, and university reform. Yet, his name is little known today. From discovering features of inflammation in blood, to proposing a national system to control cattle plague, his work prefigured modern approaches to medicine and governance. Nevertheless, his calls for change often fell on deaf ears, and his contributions were overlooked or appropriated by others. Dr Margaret DeLacy revisited Dr Davies’ remarkable career, exploring how a forgotten doctor helped shape the future of medical thinking.

Professor Yves R. Sagaert | Demand Planning Excellence: The Case for Incorporating Macroeconomic Leading Indicators

Today’s demand planning landscape is increasingly defined by radical uncertainty. Professor Yves R. Sagaert from the research group Predictive AI and Digital Shift at VIVES University of Applied Sciences is one of many scholars who posits that to survive and thrive in this new normal, demand planners must consider incorporating leading macroeconomic indicators into their demand forecasts. This field of research is vital for better understanding how the early warning signals in leading macroeconomic indicators can be used to inform precision forecasting and minimise forecast-reality variance.

Stroke: A Global Challenge in Need of Innovation

Stroke is the third leading cause of both death and disability worldwide, but unfortunately, current diagnostic tools are unsatisfactory. Dr Roustem Miftahof and Dr Alexander Hermann at Advanced Biosimulation Technologies LLC, USA, are overcoming the limitations of existing diagnostic tools with the development of the Neuro-Glia-Vascular Unit Engine. This transformative tool for clinicians and biomedical researchers provides patient-specific health insights with the potential to improve care not only in stroke but across a range of neurological disorders.

Dr Shigetaka Hayano | The Rubber Revolution: Cracking the Code for Tire Recycling!

Traditionally, rubber waste was nearly impossible to recycle due to crosslinked sulphur bonds. But a team of researchers led by Dr Shigetaka Hayano from Zeon Corporation, in Japan, have achieved a groundbreaking feat in rubber recycling. Using mild conditions for the reaction, scientists have overcome the unfavourable cross-linked structure and have achieved recovery of rubber’s original monomers. This process restores cyclopentene monomers with 90% efficiency, allowing old tires and industrial rubber waste to be chemically recycled into high quality materials. If scaled up, this innovation could revolutionise waste management, reduce environmental pollution, and enable a circular economy for rubber production.

Prof Doron Lancet – Roy Yaniv | Reproducing lipid micelles permit early Darwinian evolution

The origin of life has puzzled science and philosophy for thousands of years. While the prevailing scientific narrative is of an ‘RNA world’ or ‘polymers first’ approach, Prof Doron Lancet’s group of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, present an alternative, describing a ‘lipid world’ scenario as a plausible origin for life, in which lipid micelles (simpler structures than cell-like vesicles) could have been nanoscopic protocell precursors. Core to the theory is that these micelles could exhibit catalysis and compositional self-reproduction, passing information through the mixture of their lipid components rather than through a genetic sequence.

Follow Us

Subscribe

Medical & Health Sciences Latest

Earth, Environment & Agricultual Sciences

Dr James D. Burrington | Fuelling Hydrogen’s Role in a Net Zero Future

Dr James D. Burrington | Fuelling Hydrogen’s Role in a Net Zero Future

Hydrogen is often touted as the fuel of the future, but how much can it really contribute to global decarbonisation? Dr James D. Burrington, founder of NiceChemistry.com, has modelled how hydrogen technologies, particularly green hydrogen, might support worldwide net zero goals. His research applies rigorous metrics to assess energy efficiency, cost, emissions, and land use. This revealed that, while hydrogen may not directly replace electricity, it could be critical in decarbonising sectors where electrification falls short.

Physical Sciences & Mathematics Latest

Professor Nancy Burnham | Imaging on the Nanoscale: Improving Techniques in Atomic Force Microscopy

Professor Nancy Burnham | Imaging on the Nanoscale: Improving Techniques in Atomic Force Microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides the means to image surfaces with nanometre resolution, allowing scientists to look at the individual building blocks and forces that make up the world around us. Professor Nancy Burnham of Worcester Polytechnic Institute and her colleagues Lei Lyu and Lily Poulikakos at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) have worked on how we can reduce artefacts in these images and ensure they are accurately interpreted. By considering and applying these techniques, high-quality AFM research can be produced.

Engineering & Computer Science Latest

Professor Nancy Burnham | Imaging on the Nanoscale: Improving Techniques in Atomic Force Microscopy

Professor Nancy Burnham | Imaging on the Nanoscale: Improving Techniques in Atomic Force Microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides the means to image surfaces with nanometre resolution, allowing scientists to look at the individual building blocks and forces that make up the world around us. Professor Nancy Burnham of Worcester Polytechnic Institute and her colleagues Lei Lyu and Lily Poulikakos at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) have worked on how we can reduce artefacts in these images and ensure they are accurately interpreted. By considering and applying these techniques, high-quality AFM research can be produced.

Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences Latest

Dr Richard Davies: The Forgotten Pioneer of Blood Research and University Reform

Dr Richard Davies: The Forgotten Pioneer of Blood Research and University Reform

Dr Richard Davies was an 18th century physician whose bold ideas spanned medical science, public health, and university reform. Yet, his name is little known today. From discovering features of inflammation in blood, to proposing a national system to control cattle plague, his work prefigured modern approaches to medicine and governance. Nevertheless, his calls for change often fell on deaf ears, and his contributions were overlooked or appropriated by others. Dr Margaret DeLacy revisited Dr Davies’ remarkable career, exploring how a forgotten doctor helped shape the future of medical thinking.

Life Sciences & Biology Latest

Stroke: A Global Challenge in Need of Innovation

Stroke: A Global Challenge in Need of Innovation

Stroke is the third leading cause of both death and disability worldwide, but unfortunately, current diagnostic tools are unsatisfactory. Dr Roustem Miftahof and Dr Alexander Hermann at Advanced Biosimulation Technologies LLC, USA, are overcoming the limitations of existing diagnostic tools with the development of the Neuro-Glia-Vascular Unit Engine. This transformative tool for clinicians and biomedical researchers provides patient-specific health insights with the potential to improve care not only in stroke but across a range of neurological disorders.

Education & Training Latest

Dr Alyson J McGregor | Uncovering the Gender Gap in Medical Research: How Sex Differences Impact Healthcare Outcomes

Dr Alyson J McGregor | Uncovering the Gender Gap in Medical Research: How Sex Differences Impact Healthcare Outcomes

Medical research has historically focused predominantly on male subjects, leading to dangerous gaps in our understanding of how diseases and treatments affect women. Dr Alyson McGregor from University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville has devoted her career to addressing this critical issue, highlighting how biological sex differences impact health outcomes. Her work demonstrates that ignoring these differences can have life-threatening consequences and advocates for more inclusive research practices to ensure safe and effective healthcare for everyone.

Psychology & Neuroscience Latest

Dr Natalia Rohatyn-Martin | Hidden Exhaustion: The Struggle of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in Education

Dr Natalia Rohatyn-Martin | Hidden Exhaustion: The Struggle of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in Education

For most students, attending to a typical school lesson involves listening to the teacher, perhaps jotting down notes, and occasionally participating in discussions. But imagine having to concentrate intensely on every word, constantly shifting your attention between the teacher and a sign language interpreter; or straining to lip-read and process spoken content, while simultaneously trying to keep up with the lesson and take notes. This is the daily reality for deaf and hard of hearing students in schools, and new research suggests it’s leaving them mentally and physically exhausted. Dr Natalia Rohatyn-Martin, an educational researcher at MacEwan University in Alberta, Canada, reveals how fatigue affects deaf and hard of hearing students in inclusive classrooms, with implications for teaching practices worldwide.

Business, Economics & Finance Latest

Professor Yves R. Sagaert | Demand Planning Excellence: The Case for Incorporating Macroeconomic Leading Indicators

Professor Yves R. Sagaert | Demand Planning Excellence: The Case for Incorporating Macroeconomic Leading Indicators

Today’s demand planning landscape is increasingly defined by radical uncertainty. Professor Yves R. Sagaert from the research group Predictive AI and Digital Shift at VIVES University of Applied Sciences is one of many scholars who posits that to survive and thrive in this new normal, demand planners must consider incorporating leading macroeconomic indicators into their demand forecasts. This field of research is vital for better understanding how the early warning signals in leading macroeconomic indicators can be used to inform precision forecasting and minimise forecast-reality variance.

Latest Issues
Scientia Issue #153 | Exploring Our World, Our Past, and Our Future

Scientia Issue #153 | Exploring Our World, Our Past, and Our Future

The latest issue of Scientia showcases recent advances in research and technology across diverse fields. These riveting articles provide fascinating insights into our world, our past, and our future, and underscore the intertwined relationship between science and society.

In Education & Training, we highlight developments across the educational system, and in Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, we share insights from the study of history and the present day, as well as advances in economics and data science. In Earth & Environmental Sciences, we are reminded of the necessity of water for life on Earth and the need for sustainable agriculture. The section dedicated to Physical Sciences & Mathematics explores the exciting applications of this field to space exploration, nuclear energy, telecommunications, and healthcare. In Medical & Health Sciences, preventing, diagnosing, and treating cancer emerges as a core theme. Finally, in Life Sciences & Biology and Psychology & Neuroscience, we can read the latest insights into ethnic and genomic diversity, and how psychology can inform our understanding of the challenges faced by vulnerable groups.

Scientia Issue #150 | Big Ideas for a Better World

Scientia Issue #150 | Big Ideas for a Better World

Big Ideas for a Better World This riveting issue of Scientia showcases some of the biggest new ideas across science, research, and technology. While we face many challenges, from climate change to cancer, epidemics to economic...

PUBLIC ACCESS

No paywalls. No subscription barriers. No language barriers. Simple, instant public access to science—opening a dialogue between science and society.

CREATIVE COMMONS

 

We publish under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 (CC BY-NC 4.0)

DECLARATION ON RESEARCH ASSESSMENT (DORA)

We support and encourage the DORA initiative

OPEN ACCESS POLICY

Scientia adheres to the open access policy. Open Access (OA) stands for unrestricted access and unrestricted reuse.

DOI

Scientia is officially registered with CrossRef making our research content easy to find, cite, link, and assess.

NO AI

All research articles published by Scientia are crafted by a talented team of humans, without any AI input