Loughborough Institute of Advanced Studies Podcast

Dr Alberto Doretto - Siltation in rivers: Causes, impacts, and new approaches for biomonitoring

IAS Visiting Fellow Dr Alberto Doretto delivers a seminar on their research -
Siltation (i.e. the excessive accumulation of fine sediment on the riverbed) is globally recognized as one of the greatest impacts in lotic ecosystems due to the intensification of hydro-morphological (i.e. sediment flushing from dams) and land-use (i.e. deforestation, agriculture, urbanization) pressures. However, the ability to identify general cause-effect mechanisms of biological and morphological impairment are often limited by the context-dependency of individual studies. This seminar will consider a range of different studies and experimental approaches dealing with the response of stream benthic macroinvertebrate communities to fine sediment deposition. The examples include Alpine streams in Northen Italy as well as lowland rivers in UK, thus highlighting parallels and contrasts in the response of macroinvertebrate communities to fine sediment pressure within two different geographical settings. These findings provide valuable insights into biomonitoring approaches including how to monitor the effects of anthropogenically induced siltation in streams.
For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias

Dr Gregory Pearcey - Decoding motoneuron firing to illuminate diversity in human movement control

IAS Visiting Fellow Dr Gregory Pearcey delivers a seminar on their research -
Movement is fundamental for human life, yet little is known about the neural code of human movement. Due to their direct connection to muscle fibres, which collectively form the motor unit, alpha motoneurons are the only cells in the central nervous system that can be routinely recorded in humans. Until recently, it was quite difficult to examine motoneurons in humans due to the invasive procedures required to sample their behaviour. Now, we can routinely record tens of motor units at a time, which has provided us with incredible insights into the diversity in motoneuron properties innervating functionally distinct muscles in humans across the lifespan (i.e., ageing), between the sexes and in response to fluctuations in sex hormones, and in people with motor impairments (i.e., stroke, SCI, etc.). These insights have provided important guiding information required to rapidly advance therapeutic interventions, such as acute intermittent hypoxia.
For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias

Dr Ardila Hayu Tiwikrama - A novel generation of sorbents capable of capturing carbon dioxide using ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents

IAS Visiting Fellow Dr Ardila Hayu Tiwikrama delivers a seminar on their research - 
In large-scale industrial applications, the high cost and energy associated with CO2 capture from flue gases is a significant obstacle. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a technically and economically efficient technology for CO2 capture. In this study, the CO2 absorption potential of functionalized DESs and ILs is investigated. The improvement of the absorption capacity of ILs can be achieved by incorporating CO2-philic functional groups, such as amine, into the cation and/or anion moiety. The anion component of ILs is more efficiently functionalized than the cation component. In the present study, the solubility of CO2 in diisopropylethylammonium-based ILs and polyol-based DESs with a certain molar ratio was measured using a variable volume high-pressure cell at temperatures from 298.15 to 373.15 K and pressures up to 150 bar. The experimental vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) data were correlated with the PC-SAFT. Novel ILs and DESs with promising absorption capacities are conceivably developable.
For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias 

Dr Pınar Kibar - Exploring the Intersection of Learning, Visualisation and Infographic Design

IAS Visiting Fellow Dr Pınar Nuhoğlu Kibar delivers a seminar on their research -
Infographics serve as a powerful medium for integrating textual and visual elements to convey complex information in a structured and comprehensible manner. Beyond static forms, we increasingly encounter infographics in dynamic and interactive formats, such as AR-integrated infographics, animated video-based graphics, and data-driven dashboards. As Generation Alpha (Gen A) navigates an increasingly digital and visually intensive world, exposure to these evolving formats makes developing the skills to critically analyze and design infographics essential for effective communication. This seminar, led by Dr. Nuhoğlu Kibar, will examine research on visualization in education and its broader implications, presenting key findings on infographic design, collaborative design methodologies, and experimental studies using eye-tracking techniques with a focus on visual language. The session will explore the transformative role of visualization in teaching and learning, and conclude with future research directions, particularly the integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into infographic design.
For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias
 

Professor Josef Fahlén - The social organisation of sport...

IAS Residential Fellow Professor Josef Fahlén delivers a seminar on their research, fully titled "The social organisation of sport – investigating separatist and integrative ambitions in Indigenous sport and their implications for participation, organisation and society" -
In Sport, participants need to be separated into opponents so that they can compete. This has traditionally been made along national, regional and local boundaries and avails for phenomena such as national teams and World Championships but also for the Mercyside and the Kentucky Derby. Simultaneously, this principle creates problems for Indigenous people worldwide as they seldom subscribe to colonialist jurisdictions. This is also the case for the Indigenous people of Scandinavia, the Sami people. Having endured severe civil-rights violations and oppression for most of the last couple of centuries, they have since the 1970s experienced a revitalisation process that has involved more recognition and self-determination. In sport, this has entailed the establishment of specific Sami sport clubs and transnational sport federations, while many Sami also participate in conventional sport clubs. In this paper, I describe what effects such separatist but also integrative ambitions have on individual participation, the organisation of sport and broader societal structures.
For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias
#IndigenousSport #SamiPeople #SportAndSociety #CulturalRevitalization #SportResearch #SocialOrganisation #InclusiveSport #CivilRights #TransnationalSport #SportParticipation

Dr Arnoud Arps - Academic Career Q&A

IAS Residential Fellow Dr Arnoud Arps delivers an Academic Career Q&A -
This seminar is aimed at postgraduate researchers to better understand their own position within academia by sharing the academic career experiences of an early career researcher. In this seminar I will briefly talk about my academic career path, including the challenges and opportunities that have led me to an Assistant Professorship at the University of Amsterdam. This will, however, merely be an opening to whatever is most instructive for Loughborough University’s Postgraduate Research Community. May it be questions concerning the impact of research funding, affiliations at foreign knowledge institutes, publishing interdisciplinary research, or presenting at (non-)scholarly events.
For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias
#postgraduatejob #academia #academiccareer

Dr Ranit Chatterjee - Building Ecosystem Service Resilience through Customary Regulatory Mechanism

IAS Residential Fellow Dr Ranit Chatterjee delivers a seminar on their research, fully titled "Building Ecosystem Service Resilience through Customary Regulatory Mechanism: Case Study of Indian Sundarbans" -
Sundarbans is the largest river delta in the world, spread over 200 islands, separated by nearly 400 interconnected tidal rivers and creeks, at the confluence of Ganga, Meghna, and Brahmaputra (GBM) in the Bay of Bengal, spanning across India and Bangladesh. A world heritage site where biodiversity and physiology are intertwined with the lives and livelihoods of the people. In recent years, a change in the natural hazard intensity coupled with climate change has been impacting Sundarbans. As a result, alongside the vital ecosystems, the outstanding universal value of Sundarbans stands at risk of being degraded or destroyed. One of the intrinsic conservation practices is the customary regulations that safeguard and stand as an obligatory rule of conduct by the local communities. For centuries, the customary regulatory mechanism has been able to keep a delicate balance between the ecosystem and the linked livelihoods. The local practice has significantly played a vital role in underlining the place-based framing of environmental consciousness and forest conservation. This seminar will highlight the significance of traditional knowledge and its incorporation that helps in building a holistic cultural conservation forest management system in the Indian Sundarbans. Furthermore, the lecture will highlight pathways to conserve, regulate, and restore the ecosystem and its linked resources.
For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias
#Sundarbans #EcosystemResilience #CustomaryRegulations #EnvironmentalConservation #ClimateChangeImpact #TraditionalKnowledge #ForestManagement #Biodiversity #IndianSundarbans #SustainableLivelihoods #CulturalConservation #NaturalHazards #BayOfBengal #WorldHeritageSite

Dr Maria Carinnes Alejandria - Localizing Resilience in Urban Communities in Southeast Asia: Community-based Knowledge and Responses to Flooding during the COVID-19 Pandemic

IAS Residential Fellow Dr Maria Carinnes Alejandria delivers a seminar on their research -
Between 2020-2022 the Southeast Asian subregion of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines experienced unprecedented flooding in urban areas which impacted thousands of residents while stringent lockdowns due to securitized management of the COVID-19 pandemic were in place. For most affected communities, managing the impacts of compounded disasters entailed engaging new modalities of resilience as conventional processes and sources of aid became inaccessible. In this seminar, I am to nuance the concept of resilience by situating flooding narratives during the pandemic from four cities in the subregion. Specifically, I will discuss the contexts that exacerbated their risks to overlapping hazards. I will also present the knowledge systems and actions they engaged in to reduce their risks and recover after disaster events. Drawing from qualitative data, I aim to discuss inductively generated themes which include, 1) role of informal networks, 2) gendered disaster response and preparation, and 3) forms of community-based humanitarian action.
For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias

Dr Luisa Fernanda Chaparro Sierra - MAITEC: A Digital Twin for Sustainable Urban Mobility and Environmental Planning

IAS Visiting Fellow Dr Luisa Fernanda Chaparro Sierra delivers a seminar on their research -
This seminar presents MAITEC, a decision-support platform utilizing digital twin technology to evaluate the effects of urban mobility strategies on energy usage, air quality, and public health in Monterrey. MAITEC is built on a GIS platform that combines various information layers, such as demographics, road infrastructure, vehicle usage, meteorology, and models for traffic, pollutant dispersion, and flooding. A notable innovation is the use of GPS data from mobile devices, which allows tracking urban travel mode distribution by monitoring the routes of a representative sample (over 10%) of the population for extended periods (over 3 months). This big data-driven method offers a cost-effective solution with enhanced spatial and temporal resolution compared to traditional survey-based studies, providing valuable insights for optimizing traffic flow, minimizing greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing health risks. Through the simulation of different scenarios, MAITEC aids in formulating more effective urban policies, promoting resilience, environmental sustainability, and a better quality of life in urban regions.
For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias
 

Professor Renato de Oliveira Moraes - Responsible Generative AI in Higher Education: A Brazilian Perspective

IAS Visiting Fellow Professor Renato de Oliveira Moraes delivers a seminar on their research -
This study explores the use of generative AI (GenAI) in Brazilian higher education, focusing on its responsible use and unique challenges in Brazil. Despite global advancements, Latin America lags in establishing GenAI policies, which may deepen educational inequalities. While it is possible to categorise Brazilian HE institutions (HEIs) into two main groups, doing so can obscure the presence of many high-performing private HEIs, such as numerous religious institutions, as well as public HEIs of lower quality, particularly those located in isolated regions of the country. Therefore, it would be more effective to distinguish between HEIs that prioritise quality of teaching—primarily found in most public institutions, where students pay no fee—and those that prioritise the quantity of students served, which is typical of many private institutions, and have around 80% of undergraduate enrolments. This research highlights the need for policy development to responsibly guide AI's role in education.
For more information about the IAS, please visit - https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/ias
#ai #brazil #highereducation