Recharge overview
Hospital visit for chest pain not always necessary
Not every patient with chest pain needs to be referred to the hospital. Pre-hospital troponin measurement in low-risk patients significantly reduces healthcare costs while incidence of a major adverse cardiac event was low in both the pre-hospital strategy and the standard strategy. This was shown by research led by Radboud university medical center.
Talk to a deepfake to process a trauma
Talking to a perpetrator with the help of deepfake. It has become possible with the use of an application that has been used in trauma processing therapy by professor of Clinical Psychology Agnes van Minnen. After conducting a pilot with two patients, funding for a more extensive study has now been requested.
Are lonely people more at risk for alcohol problems?
Maybe our RAD-blog readers are familiar with the popular opening scene from the movie “Bridget Jones’s Diary”. It starts with the charismatic protagonist emptying a glass of red wine while dramatically singing along to the lyrics: “all by myself don’t wanna be anymore…”. She rarely stands up from the couch but only to check out her answering machine that, in case the picture was not clear, coldly confirms that there are no messages. This scene might have made us spectators laugh and cry with Bridget but, besides the comedic effect, it might reveal something more concerning about the protagonist’s behaviour.
Gut feelings and textual misinterpretations make hostages of authors
Due to death threats and slander, the Dutch author Pim Lammers has decided to withdraw as the poet of the Dutch Children’s Book Week. The commotion shows how necessary it is to differentiate between literature and reality and to begin doing so in education.
InScience 2023: Film Festival and the Experiment
The eighth edition of InScience will be held from 16 to 19 March in Nijmegen. This international science film festival will showcase documentaries, short films and other science films, with themes such as the climate crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and neurotechnology. As with previous editions, various researchers from Radboud University and Radboud university medical center will be in attendance this year.
Gaming is more social and educational than previously thought
It has long been thought that gaming is addictive to young people and that it makes them aggressive. Behavioural scientist Joanneke Weerdmeester has shown that reality is far from being that bad. Gaming can make young people more social, and it can even help them overcome depression and anxiety, among other things.
The aging brain: can you do something about it?
Aging causes the volumes of our brains to decrease, which mostly affects our memory and thinking capacities. But you might be able to slow down this aging by living healthfully.
Mapping brain connections with water motion
Our bodies are filled with water molecules coursing through the cells and tissues of every organ—including the brain and each of its neurons. Diffusion-weighted imaging can capture that movement at the microscopic level. These days, it’s widely used by scientists and clinicians alike to map the white matter tracts in the brain.
ChatGPT is good at parroting
Kunstmatige intelligentie sloop ons leven al binnen via virtuele assistenten, chatbots en allerhande algoritmes. Eind vorig jaar kwam daar ChatGPT bij, dat op commando elke denkbare tekst voor je schrijft. Is dat een kans of een bedreiging?
Nijmegen students assist in rocket launch and Mars mission
They already had Sweden in the pocket, and now Egypt as well. Nijmegen students fascinated by space travel will assist on a simulated Mars mission and rocket launch next year. The first test takes place in Scandinavia in two months’ time.
The role of language in government errors
Language plays a bigger role than we think in government errors, according to researcher Harrie van Rooij who will defend his PhD dissertation at Radboud University on 8 February. In government institutions, issues are often deemed unproblematic, despite the presence of unresolved internal tensions.
The 1953 North Sea flood was more than a national disaster
During this commemoration, we should not forget about the solidarity from abroad, argues Lotte Jensen.
Artificial intelligence maps Parkinson’s disease
Over the last few years, hundreds of patients with Parkinson’s disease wore a smartwatch which registered their movements. The goal is to more accurately measure how the diseases progresses, Nijmegen researcher Luc Evers explains. It yielded so much data that a new AI lab is being set up to analyse the data.
New Covid-19 vaccine may give longer-lasting immunity
A new Covid-19 vaccine based on a different platform than current vaccines on the market has been tested in humans for the first time by researchers at Radboud university medical center. Administration of this vaccine in healthy study participants was well tolerated and led to a good immune response. The effectiveness of the vaccine is currently being further investigated. First results are expected later this year.
More attention for sustainable IT
The IT crowd is responsible for an increasing amount of worldwide energy usage. That is why the Institute for Computing and Information Sciences in Nijmegen wants to draw more attention to sustainability. According to Bernard van Gastel, environmentally friendly IT can be very beneficial for the environment.
Increased coronary artery calcification in 50+ men
Middle-aged male athletes who play high-intensity sports have more coronary artery calcification than men who exercise less. This is according to research by Vincent Aengevaeren of Radboud university medical center, supported by the Dutch Heart Foundation. The findings are remarkable because athletes live longer than people who do not play sports.
The nonsense of superfoods: ‘It is always about the diet as a whole’
‘Kaniwa is the new quinoa’ or 'Swiss chard is the new cabbage'. Every once in a while, a new 'superfood' pops up that is supposed to turn your body and mind healthy in an instant. Brain and nutrition researcher Alejandro Arias-Vasquez explains whether there is such a thing as a secret ingredient for health.
Astronomers reveal dark side of pre-stellar ice chemistry
An international team led by astronomers from Leiden University used the Webb telescope to reveal the presence of several molecules in ice form in the darkest and coldest spots of a large star-forming cloud. The results show that the chemical ingredients for making larger and complex molecules are already present long before a new star is born. The researchers published their findings in Nature Astronomy.
Sustainable sports participation through online sports networks – does it work?
Radboud University researchers investigated how people influence each other in online sports networks. They share their observations and provide starting points for formulating policies aimed at promoting sustainable sports participation and physical activity.
The paradox of the sky rat
Talking about pigeons might create controversy sometimes. They can be bred as pets and be loyal companions or used for sport purposes. But for most people, pigeons are just sky rats, considered to be stupid and dirty. In the past 30 years, scientists have conducted many studies that prove the cognitive abilities of birds. Here is an overlook of the most fascinating facts about pigeons.