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In mountainous areas, earthquakes can sometimes be amplified by the shape of the landscape. Research by the University of Twente shows that further from the epicentre, the shape of the terrain's topography increases the risk of landslides. Closer to the epicentre, it is mainly the strength of the earthquake itself.

Charlotte Nawijn, PhD candidate at the University of Twente, has developed a new technique to improve ultrasound images of blood flow. Using a smart ultrasound pulse train, she reduced noise in contrast ultrasound images. Nawijn obtained her PhD on this subject on 24 October with the defence of her dissertation 'Bubbles and Waves for Ultrasound Imaging and Therapy' .

In collaboration with Isala Zwolle , researchers from the TechMed Centre of the University of Twente developed a smart system to schedule patients with chronic kidney damage more efficiently. This system assesses in advance whether an appointment with the nephrologist is necessary, which leads to 18% fewer repeat appointments.

Researchers at the University of Twente have developed a new method that allows them to precisely control chemical reactions using metal ions. This marks an important step towards computers that function like the human brain. They recently published their findings in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

The COVID-19 pandemic made remote consultations necessary for good heart failure care, now it appears to work even better than the traditional care pathway. Research from five Dutch hospitals and researchers of the TechMed Centre of the University of Twente found that using digital consultations improved care while maintaining patient satisfaction.

When two solutions of oppositely charged polymers (polyelectrolytes) are mixed, phase separation occurs leading to the formation of a polymer-rich phase and a supernatant phase. The precise distribution of all components, that is polyelectrolytes and counterions, had not yet been determined. Researchers at the University of Twente can now measure quantitatively exactly where these components are distributed using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.

Various studies have been conducted in recent years exploring how paying attention to nature can affect our well-being. A preliminary systematic review of these studies, conducted at the University of Twente, has shown that participants generally experience significantly more well-being compared to control groups.

In a unique experiment, researchers at the University of Twente conducted brain measurements on 20 students at the same time. During a one-hour lecture that alternated between passive and interactive, the researchers wanted to learn more about changes in students' concentration during lectures. This could lead to wearable technology that tells the lecturer that students' attention is waning.

Have you ever wondered what the best way is to pack a finite number of identical spheres into a shape-shifting flexible container, like a convex hull? Researchers from the University of Twente, Active Soft Matter Lab led by Dr. Hanumantha Rao Vutukuri in the TNW Faculty, along with Utrecht University, have investigated this fascinating mathematical sphere-packing problem by combining experiments and computer simulations.

Utrecht University's PFAS Remediation Living Lab recently received funding of 2.45 million from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water to research a PFAS-contaminated field at Utrecht University and other locations. Worldwide, large tracts of land are contaminated with PFAS. Instead of the classic "dig and dump" method, the university wants to explore the possibilities of sustainable remediation.

Anouk Hubrechsen defended her PhD thesis cum laude at the Department of Electrical Engineering on October 26th. We are using ever more (smart) devices connected to the 5G network. The high-frequency antennas they contain are often integrated with chips, and this adds a layer of complexity to testing.

A new comprehensive survey of more than 1,400 scientific studies has shed light on the challenges of climate change adaptation. The study reveals a critical issue: systematic networking of various actor groups has generally been insufficient. Notably, the main burden has been borne by individuals and households affected by the consequences of climate change.

Recognising the urgent need to respond to rapid societal and environmental change, resilience is one of the University of Twente's spearheads. As an academic institution, we have a role to play in strengthening the resilience of the social, technological and environmental systems that support us. In this weekly series of the Resilience@UT programme , UT researchers share their personal reflections on current events and trends that impact our daily lives, exploring their implications for resilience.

Like the MX3D bridge in Amsterdam, opened by Her Majesty Queen Máxima in 2021, one of the bridges on the University of Twente campus is equipped with a sophisticated network of sensors. Roland Kromanis (Facullty of Engineering Technology) is currently working with colleagues applying and calibrating the sensors on the UT campus bridge to measure its performance and, hence, resilience to its daily excitations.

Generative AI programmes can generate images from textual prompts. These models work best when they generate images of single objects. Creating complete scenes is still difficult. Michael Ying Yang, a UT-researcher from the faculty of ITC recently developed a novel method that can graph scenes from images that can serve as a blueprint for generating realistic and coherent images.

Tijmen Vermeij researched how to make steel lighter, stronger and more durable. He received his doctorate cum laude from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering on Friday, April 21. The automotive industry frequently uses steels containing multiple phases, in particular soft ferrite and hard martensite.

Can a scientist, a farmer and a nature organisation ensure that nature can better withstand periods of extreme drought or massive flooding? Can a 'regular civilian' help to counteract drought and improve biodiversity in our country in the near future by sowing certain species of grass and herbs? If it were up to Dr. Edwin Pos , yes.

SBE Researcher Jakob Raymaekers has been granted a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship for his research project on Causal Discovery. The objective of this Fellowship is to support researchers' careers and to foster excellence in research. "I hope this research will help scientists in a variety of disciplines to discover new and valid causal relations" -  Jakob Raymaekers Jakob Raymaekers, Assistant Professor at the deparment of Quantitative Economics (MSCM) Robust Causal Discovery Can we learn causal mechanisms from observational data? The answer is yes, under the right conditions.

Dr. started her academic career at the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience at Maastricht University. There she did the bachelor in Psychology and subsequently, the master in Forensic Psychology. After graduation, Erens went to work at Veilig Thuis (Safe Home): the advice and report centre for child abuse and domestic violence in Heerlen.

Nowadays, it is quite common to develop and use code and software for research. Graduate Keven Quach wanted to know how FAIR the code and software is developed by researchers at Utrecht University. So he dived into GitHub, an online platform where you can develop, manage and publish code and software.