AlphaGalileo RSS Channel

Manche mögen’s heißer

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:05:15 GMT

Mit Beschichtungen aus neuen Keramiken können Flugzeugturbinen und Motoren bei höheren Temperaturen und sparsamer arbeiten Wenn es richtig heiß wird, sind Keramiken das Material der Wahl. Beschichtungen aus Keramiken schützen Bauteile von Flugzeugantrieben oder Kraftwerksturbinen vor Hitze. Doch bislang ist auch mit den besten Keramiken bei 1200 Grad Celsius Schluss: Bei einer solchen Temperatur versagt selbst die widerstandsfähigste Schutzschicht. Doch die Turbinenhersteller wollen mehr, um die Betriebstemperatur weiter erhöhen. Denn je größer sie ist, desto effizienter wird der Treibstoff genutzt.

Auf Nummer sicher

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:00:59 GMT

Max-Planck-Forscher haben erstmals klar definierte adulte Zellen direkt und ohne Viren in pluripotente Stammzellen umgewandelt Erstmals hat das Team um Kinarm Ko und Hans Schöler vom Max-Planck-Institut für molekulare Biomedizin in Münster einen klar definierten Zelltyp aus dem Hoden erwachsener Mäuse gezüchtet und diesen ohne eingeschleuste Gene, Viren oder Reprogrammierungsproteine in pluripotente Stammzellen umgewandelt. Diese besitzen die Fähigkeit, alle Gewebe des Körpers bilden zu können. Entscheidend für die Reprogrammierung waren allein die Kulturbedingungen. (Cell Stem Cell, 2. Juli 2009)

Space and astronomy digest: July 2009

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:54:42 GMT

Some key astronomy and space news events, from the Royal Astronomical Society. This month sees the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century, a celebration of the world's first observations of the Moon through a telescope and the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing.

Expanding the frontiers of molecular dynamics simulations in biology - Joint BSC - IRB Barcelona Conference

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:33:07 GMT

23/11/2009 — 25/11/2009, Barcelona
This international meeting is intended to join in an informal, relaxed environment several of the most prominent researchers working in the area of molecular dynamic simulations of biological systems. We expect from this meeting a review on the state of the art in the area and a clarification of the dominant trends in the field for next years.

Biological warfare in bacteria offers hope for new antibiotics

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:02:43 GMT

Scientists are to study a group of proteins that are highly effective at killing bacteria and which could hold the key to developing new types of antibiotics.

New Earthscan book shows carbon markets are set to treble in size over the next 3 years

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:51:57 GMT

Evidence in the new Earthscan book Carbon Markets: An International Business Guide, suggests that irrespective of any agreement in Copenhagen, growth will be driven by new emissions-trading schemes in the US, Australia and New Zealand and the broadening of the European Emissions-Trading Scheme (EU-ETS).

The Definitive Guide to Carbon Markets

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:45:41 GMT

"Carbon Markets: An International Business Guide"
A comprehensive and accessible guide to understanding the opportunities offered by regulated and voluntary carbon markets for tackling climate change.

Visit to the doctor: The supply of additional private services is increasing

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:25:00 GMT

Visit to the doctor: The supply of additional private services is increasing Panel physicians are increasingly offering individual health services (IHS) to patients with statutory health insurance. This is documented by Susanne Richter et al. of the Department of Social Medicine, Lübeck University, in the new edition of Deutsches Ärzteblatt (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2009; 106(26): 433-9). IHS include medical health services which are not reimbursed by the health insurance funds and which the patient has to pay for himself.

Telemedecine Echography / ARTIS Project / 03-07-2009

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:04:31 GMT

08:40 03/07/2009
Making echographies from anywhere in the world this is what offers a new ESA Telemedicine project. At the Trousseau University hospital nearby Tours, in France, professor Philippe Arbeille has devised a concept of remote ultrasound scan process. This ESA project called ARTIS (Advanced Robotic Tele-echography Integrated Service) aims at validating a complete end-to-end robotized tele-echography service, which combines know-how and technologies developed for Human space flight activities as well as telecommunications via satellite. For more info on this subject please check the script that is online as a PDF file under :

What prompts young people to take positive action to promote sustainable development?

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:11:42 GMT

A major change in education is the shift towards sustainable development. The United Nations has declared 2005-2014 as the decade for integrating sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning. Ellen Almers, at the School of Education and Commu¬nication, Jönköping, Sweden, based her thesis on her investigation into what prompts young people to take positive action to promote sustainable development.

Rampant helper syndrome – Methane-producing molecule can also repair DNA

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:51:43 GMT

The Archaea are single-celled organisms and a domain unto themselves, quite apart from the so called eukaryotes, being bacteria and higher organisms. Many species live under extreme conditions, and carry out unique biochemical processes shared neither with bacteria nor with eukaryotes. Methanogenic archaeans, for example, can produce methane gas out of carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The underlying chemical reaction, a reduction, involves the cofactor known as F0 or F420 which is the tiny molecule deazaflavin. It has previously been found only in methanogenic bacteria, and has accordingly been considered the signature molecule for those species. A research group working with Professor Thomas Carell of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, however, has now shown that this cofactor is also common in eukaryotes, where it performs an entirely different function: deazaflavin is involved in DNA repair processes. (PNAS Early Edition online, 1 July 2009)

Virus-resistant grapevines

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:46:13 GMT

Viruses can cost winegrowers an entire harvest. If they infest the grapevines, even pesticides are often no use. What’s more, these chemicals are harmful to the environment. Researchers are growing plants that produce antibodies against the viruses and are thus immune.

A researcher at the UPC’s Terrassa Campus has patented a new material made from paper sludge

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:35:51 GMT

In many cases, the new material could replace plastic packaging and auxiliary building materials, The new patented material has unique properties. It is low density, mouldable, fire resistant, impermeable, porous and highly resistant, and it may replace less environmentally friendly materials in many industry and production sectors

Les blagues sexistes favorisent les mécanismes mentaux qui justifient la violence envers les femmes

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:29:48 GMT

C’est ce qu’a démontré une recherche menée à bien à l’Université de Grenade avec un échantillon de 109 hommes universitaires entre 18 et 26 ans. Les résultats de ce travail seront présentés publiquement jeudi 2 juillet, dans le contexte de l’International Summer School and Symposium on Humour and Laughter’, qui se célèbre à Grenade

Sexist jokes favour the mental mechanisms that justify violence against women, according to a study

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:28:10 GMT

Those are the conclusions of a research work carried out at the University of Granada (Spain) in a sample of 109 university male students aged between 18 and 26 years old. The results of this work will be released tomorrow Thursday 2nd of July in the framework of the 'International Summer School and Symposium on Humour and Laughter’, held in Granada

Los chistes sexistas favorecen los mecanismos mentales que justifican la violencia hacia las mujeres, según un estudio

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:26:34 GMT

Así lo ha demostrado una investigación realizada en la Universidad de Granada en una muestra de 109 varones universitarios de entre 18 y 26 años. Los resultados de este trabajo serán presentados públicamente hoy jueves, 2 de julio, en el marco del 'International Summer School and Symposium on Humour and Laughter’, que se celebra en Granada

Printable batteries

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:23:26 GMT

For a long time, batteries were bulky and heavy. Now, a new cutting-edge battery is revolutionizing the field. It is thinner than a millimeter, lighter than a gram, and can be produced cost-effectively through a printing process.

Weight determines the future cognitive development of children born very premature

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:15:26 GMT

Researchers of the Department of Neuroscience and Health Sciences of the University of Almería and Hospital Torrecárdenas are carrying out an assessment of the physical neuropsychological characteristics of children born before 32 weeks’ gestation or whose weight is lower than 1500 grams –very premature-. The main aim of this project, coordinated by Mª Dolores Roldán Tapia, from the UAL, is to accurately define the origin of brain damage, so as to stimulate the affected area early thus causing the adequate cognitive and motric development of the individual.

New study reveals king crabs go deep to avoid hot water

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:12:29 GMT

Researchers from the University of Southampton have drawn together 200 years' worth of oceanographic knowledge to investigate the distribution of a notorious deep-sea giant - the king crab. The results, published this week in the Journal of Biogeography, reveal temperature as a driving force behind the divergence of a major seafloor predator; globally, and over tens of millions of years of Earth's history.

Liverpool to strengthen health research in Africa

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:26:28 GMT

Researchers at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) and the University of Liverpool will work with universities across Africa as part of a £30 million initiative to strengthen research into science and health on the continent.

Homeopathy at risk of being lost in translation

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:44:56 GMT

Homeopathy risks being subsumed by modern medicine, argues a historian of science. Not only does this means that homeopathy’s heroes have become mere footnotes in history, but it could limit homeopathy’s potential to contribute to the treatment of today’s pressing medical problems, she says.

Research Output in Developing Countries Reveals 194% Increase in Five Years

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:40:55 GMT

The partners of Research4Life announced today at the World Conference of Science Journalists 2009 that a new research impact analysis has demonstrated a dramatic rise in research output by scientists in the developing world since 2002. By comparing absolute growth in published research before (1996 – 2002) and after (2002 - 2008) the advent of the Research4Life programmes, the analysis has revealed a 194% or 6.4-fold increase in articles published in peer reviewed journals.

A UPC research group uses the Grenoble synchrotron to study Gothic art

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:11:34 GMT

The Analysis of Cultural Heritage Materials (AMPC) research group, based at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), is working with the synchrotron in Grenoble to study Gothic art.

New Workshop on Biomedical Nanoinformatics

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:55:40 GMT

01/09/2009 — 02/09/2009, Sarajevo
Presented by the European ACTION Grid Project, will be held on September in Sarajevo. On the 1st of September 2009, in Sarajevo (Bosnia), it will be held the Workshop "Nanoinformatics: New Challenges for Biomedical Informatics at the nano level". This event is included in the Medical Informatics Europe 2009 (MIE2009) conference. It will be organized by the ACTION-Grid Project, coordinated by the Biomedical Informatics Group of UPM.

Nueva cita internacional sobre nanoinformática aplicada a la medicina

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:53:31 GMT

01/09/2009 — 02/09/2009, Sarajevo
Tendrá lugar el próximo septiembre en Sarajevo organizada por el Grupo de Informática Biomédica de la Facultad. El día 1 de setiembre 2009, en Sarajevo (Bosnia), se celebrará el workshop "Nanoinformatics: New Challenges for Biomedical Informatics at the nano level". Este evento está incluido en el congreso Medical Informatics Europe 2009 (MIE 2009) y está organizado por el consorcio del proyecto ACTION-Grid, coordinado por el Grupo de Informática Biomédica de la Facultad de Informática de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM).

Plants’ Internal Clock can Improve Climate- Change Models

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:42:59 GMT

The ability of plants to tell the time, a mechanism common to all living beings, enables them to survive, grow and reproduce. In a study published in the latest issue of the prestigious journal Ecology Letters, an international team has studied this circadian clock from a molecular viewpoint and has found an ecological implication: it makes climate change scenarios and CO2 level figures more accurate.

Working towards an optical integrated circuit

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:34:02 GMT

ETH Zurich researchers have successfully created an optical transistor from a single molecule. This has brought them one step closer to an optical computer.

UJI, Girona and Illes Balears are working on the creation of an autonomous robot for underwater intervention tasks

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:32:10 GMT

The project RAUVI: AUV Reconfigurable for intervention, has like principal objectively the creation of an autonomous robot that could realize interventions in the submarine way. Three Spanish universities: Jaume I, in Castelló, Girona and Illes Balears, with about 40 implied investigators(researchers), take part in this initiative subsidized by the Department of Science and Technological Innovation.

The very first all Spanish “surgery robot” is now operating in Malaga

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:20:45 GMT

Laparoscopic surgery has just been performed for the first time in Malaga in a routine operation using a robotic assistant in the Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria. This robot, successfully marketed to many countries, has been developed entirely by the UMA (University of Malaga) and manufactured by the Spanish company SENER.

Synote: Web-based annotation tool wins international award

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:18:32 GMT

Synote, an innovative Web-based annotation tool developed at the University of Southampton, which does for multimedia resources what indexes do for textbooks, has just won an international award.

Lighting revolution forecast by top scientist

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:01:17 GMT

New developments in a substance which emits brilliant light could lead to a revolution in lighting for the home and office in five years, claims a leading UK materials scientist, Professor Colin Humphreys of Cambridge University. The source of the huge potential he foresees, gallium nitride (GaN), is already used for some lighting applications such as camera flashes, bicycle lights, mobile phones and interior lighting for buses, trains and planes. But making it possible to use GaN for home and office lighting is the Holy Grail. If achieved, it could reduce the typical electricity consumption for lighting of a developed country by around 75% while delivering major cuts in carbon dioxide emissions from power stations, and preserving fossil fuel reserves.

Reliable Low Power Computing Systems

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:55:22 GMT

Researchers at the University of Southampton’s School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) have been awarded funding to develop efficient test methods to improve the reliability of low power computing systems.

On the shoulders of ancients

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:40:14 GMT

03/07/2009, Stamford Hall
According to the entrenched wisdom, modern science began in the 17th century when Isaac Newton's dynamics based on the newly discovered law of inertia replaced Aristotle's outmoded dynamics. It's time for this wisdom to be overhauled, says a historian and philosopher of science.

Eine Galaxie als Teilchenbeschleuniger

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:13:50 GMT

Erstmals beobachten Wissenschaftler das Zentrum der Galaxie M 87 gleichzeitig im Gamma- und im Radiolicht

Axel Ullrich Named Winner of 2009 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:46:31 GMT

Johnson & Johnson today announced that Axel Ullrich, Ph.D., director of the Department of Molecular Biology at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Germany, whose discoveries have led to novel cancer therapies including Herceptin® (trastuzumab) , is the winner of the 2009 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research. An independent committee of world-renowned scientists selected Dr. Ullrich, who on September 8 will receive a $100,000 prize during a ceremony in Beerse, Belgium.

University of Surrey experts part of research team awarded £430k grant for pioneering nanotechnology research

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:32:12 GMT

ESPRC and National Science Foundation of China fund three-year 'spintronics' study. A team of researchers from the University of Surrey and two other institutions have been awarded a grant of around £430,000 to develop ultra-small-scale silicon structures for 'spintronic' semiconductors. Jointly awarded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the National Science Foundation of China, the work could eventually lead to cheaper and more sophisticated processing technologies for use in computer technology.

200 water experts from Germany, France and Singapore discussed joint research projects at the “Singapore International Water Week”

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:24:51 GMT

On 22 June 2009 world leading water experts met on the fringes of the “Singapore International Water Week” for the one-day workshop on Industrial Water Management “Germany, France and Singapore: Together for Green Innovation” at the Centre for Water Research at the National University of Singapore (NUS). As part of the initiative “Research in Germany” and its focus on Environmental Technology the event was aimed at promoting international Research and Development (R&D) cooperation in the field of Industrial Water Management.

Special Issue of WORK on Children and Ergonomics freely accessible

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:14:36 GMT

"WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation"
The recent special issue of WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation on Children and Ergonomics (32:3), guest-edited by Prof. Carolyn M. Sommerich, has been made freely available.

Astronomer's new guide to the galaxy: largest map of cold dust revealed

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:06:06 GMT

Astronomers have unveiled an unprecedented new atlas of the inner regions of the Milky Way, our home galaxy, peppered with thousands of previously undiscovered dense knots of cold cosmic dust — the potential birthplaces of new stars. Made using observations from the APEX telescope in Chile, this survey is the largest map of cold dust so far, and will prove an invaluable map for observations made with the forthcoming ALMA telescope, as well as the recently launched ESA Herschel space telescope.

Complaints by the elderly – valuable information or trivialities?

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:58:48 GMT

What is done when the elderly lodge complaints about their services? elderly care? Why is it that staff describe complaints made by the elderly as “trivialities”? In two recent studies, Tove Persson, doctoral student at the School of Health Sciences, shows that staff, as well as social services directors in local administrations often trivialize complaints from the elderly, which in turn makes it difficult for the elderly to influence their everyday lives.

Embedded electronics – cars get cooperative

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:52:10 GMT

European researchers have developed a groundbreaking middleware platform that could lead to thousands of new applications in a range of industries. Beginning with in-car electronics, the platform can access the functionality, but hide the underlying complexity, of embedded sensors, making development and deployment of new services a snap.

Salars andins : mémoire de la Terre et du climat

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:56:25 GMT

Immenses miroirs où se reflètent les cônes volcaniques enneigés, paysages lunaires bordés de cactus géants, seuls témoins d’une vie végétale : les salars, déserts de sel perchés à près de 4 000 m sur les hauteurs andines en Bolivie, au Chili et en Argentine, fascinent par leur beauté et leur extrême hostilité. Mais ils captivent également les scientifiques par les informations qu’ils recèlent. En effet, l’étude de ces lacs salés a permis à un chercheur de l’IRD et ses partenaires de décrire les processus à l’origine de leur formation et de leurs compositions chimiques complexes. Pour cela, les scientifiques ont passé en revue 1 000 km de cordillère et analysé 80 salars en Bolivie et au Chili. Outre les ressources en eau qu’ils représentent, ces lacs salés abritent de nombreuses richesses. Le Salar d’Uyuni, le plus grand des Andes, contient de grandes réserves de potasse2 et de lithium, métal très convoité notamment pour les batteries des véhicules électriques. Les salars étudiés renferment également d’importantes ressources pour les populations andines, telles que le carbonate de sodium ou le bore utilisés dans l’industrie du verre et la métallurgie.

Quand des bactéries protègent des fraises

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:52:08 GMT

Tomates, raisin, courgettes, laitue, ... : plus de 225 plantes sont victimes de la moisissure grise. Chez la fraise, en particulier, c’est la maladie la plus dévastatrice. Le responsable ? Un champignon dénommé Botrytis cinerea qui provoque la pourriture prématurée des fruits. Aujourd’hui, pour lutter contre ce parasite, seuls sont utilisés des fongicides chimiques. Pourtant une alternative biologique est possible. En effet, des bactéries particulières réduisent, voire suppriment, cette moisissure. Des chercheurs de la Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, soutenus par l’IRD, ont identifié, dans les sols tunisiens, deux bactéries du genre Bacillus très résistantes et efficaces contre la pourriture grise. L’équipe de recherche a mis au point un produit à base de ces bactéries qui améliore considérablement leur conservation. Alors que des souches résistantes aux traitements chimiques sont apparues, cette approche biologique offre de nouvelles perspectives aux producteurs de fraises dans le monde.

JRC report on fossil fuel electricity generation in the EU: modernisation needed to meet policy targets

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:17:10 GMT

The future portfolio of European power plants needs to be consistent with the EU energy and climate change goals set for 2020. For an optimal and yet feasible choice, the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has examined the technology and fuel options, together with the conditions that would lead to it. The report “Future fossil fuel electricity generation in Europe” focuses on the assessment of the role that fossil fuel technologies will play in the future EU power system. It assumes that due to the rising electricity demand in Europe fossil fuels are likely to remain the backbone until at least 2030 and foresees a need of up to 635 GW of new fossil fuel power plant capacity. The JRC reference report emphasises that the share of non-fossil fuel power generation needs to be increased and that the share of fossil fuel power generation will only be compatible with the EU policy goals if three factors converge: the commercialisation of carbon capture technology is enabled; CO2 prices are more attractive, and coal and gas prices are higher than today.

University of Kent specialist to review services for adults with profound and multiple intellectual disabilities

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:00:07 GMT

The Department of Health has commissioned Professor Jim Mansell, Director of the Tizard Centre at the University of Kent, to carry out a review of services for adults with profound and multiple intellectual disabilities.

Las microalgas como fuente de energía alternativa

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:41:11 GMT

La Unidad de Energía de TECNALIA investiga la potencialidad del cultivo masivo de microalgas.

Mikroalgak ordezko energia-iturri gisa

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:40:09 GMT

TECNALIAko Energia Unitateak mikroalgen hazkuntza masiboaren potentzialtasuna ikertzen dihardu.

Microalgae as a source of alternative energy

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:39:33 GMT

The Energy Unit at TECNALIA is researching the potential of mass production of microalgae as a crop.

University of Kent to run business leadership network for manufacturing related companies

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:34:41 GMT

08/07/2009, Kent Business School
The Centre for Employment, Competitiveness and Growth (ECG) at the University of Kent will run a series of peer group networking and development sessions for manufacturing-related companies over the next 12 months.

Increasing age of mothers in Spain leads to rise in mortality rates

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:15:48 GMT

A new study examining the evolution of maternal mortality rates in Spain since 1996 shows a 17% increase in deaths. This trend is linked to the widespread increase in maternal age. The highest death rates are among foreign women and those who live in the province of Malaga.

A rush of blood to the head – anger increases blood flow

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:06:28 GMT

Mental stress causes carotid artery dilation and increases brain blood flow. A series of ultrasound experiments, described in BioMed Central’s open access journal Cardiovascular Ultrasound, also found that this dilatory reflex was absent in people with high blood pressure.

New e-science service could accelerate cancer research

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:01:44 GMT

The University of Manchester and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) have launched a major new e-science resource for biologists – which could accelerate research into treatments for H1N1 flu and cancer.

Double success for Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência scientists working on chromosome segregation

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:58:40 GMT

EMBO Installation Grant and paper in leading journal. Lars Jansen’s work on the formation of the centromere, a key cellular structure in powering and controlling chromosome segregation and accurate cell division, has just earned him a paper in Nature Cell Biology and a prestigious EMBO installation grant, of 50 000 euro per year, for a maximum of five years, to be held at the IGC, in Portugal.

RKBExplorer.com – A Linked Data system for more effective research

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:27:19 GMT

A new infrastructure that enables more effective scientific research by linking data in an accessible way has been developed at the University of Southampton.

Las amenazas del mango: estudio para propiciar cultivos más productivos y ecológicos

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:38:24 GMT

El mango es una de las alternativas más interesantes a los otros dos cultivos tropicales más extendidos en Andalucía, como son aguacate y chirimoyo. Por ello, investigadores de la Universidad de Málaga, Universidad Pública de Navarra y la Estación de La Mayora (CSIC) han iniciado un estudio integral de este fruto para aportar soluciones a dos de las enfermedades más importantes: la necrosis apical (del brote) y la malformación del mango.

IOP announces 2009 award winners

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:34:12 GMT

Successful business applications such as drug screening technologies, flat-panel displays and solar-cell designs are amongst the achievements in physics recognised by the Institute of Physics’ (IOP) 2009 awards, announced today (Wednesday, 1 July), along with leading research in a wide range of fields from astronomy to optical physics, and excellence in engaging the general public with physics.

Gedenkbuch für die Opfer des Nationalsozialismus an der Universität Wien 1938 – online-Version im Internet abrufbar

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:04:45 GMT

"Gedenkbuch für die Opfer des Nationalsozialismus an der Universität Wien 1938"
Seit 30. Juni ist die Online-Version des Gedenkbuchs für die Opfer des Nationalsozialismus an der Universität Wien 1938 weltweit abrufbar. Die Datenbank umfasst rund 2.200 Namen von vorwiegend jüdischen Angehörigen der Universität Wien, die 1938 mit der Machtübernahme des Nationalsozialismus von der Universität entlassen und in der Folge vertrieben bzw. ermordet wurden. Damit setzt die Universität Wien eine weitere Initiative, um die vielschichtigen Dimensionen des Nationalsozialismus an der eigenen Institution aufzuarbeiten.

Memorial book for the victims of National Socialism at the University of Vienna in 1938: Online version available on the internet

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:03:40 GMT

"Gedenkbuch für die Opfer des Nationalsozialismus an der Universität Wien 1938"
Since 30 June 2009, the online version of the memorial book for the victims of National Socialism at the University of Vienna in 1938 is available worldwide. The database comprises approximately 2,200 names of those predominantly Jewish affiliates of the University of Vienna who were dismissed by the university following the advent of National Socialism in 1938 and who were consequently exiled and/or murdered. With this memorial book, the University of Vienna takes a further initiative in order to deal with the complex dimensions of National Socialism with regard to its own history.

Food for thought: report published into the UK's health

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:48:42 GMT

Medical scientists from Southampton have contributed to a major new report published today, setting out plans to enhance the nation's health by improving diet, increasing physical activity and cutting harmful drinking. Professor David Coggon and Dr Nick Sheron of the University of Southampton's School of Medicine, are among a panel of experts from health charities, consumer organisations, academia and the food and drink industry, commissioned to explore how business and government can work together to promote public health.

Lack of sleep could be more dangerous for women than men

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:36:53 GMT

Women who get less than the recommended eight hours sleep a night are at higher risk of heart disease and heart-related problems than men with the same sleeping patterns.

International Year of Astronomy 2009 raises millions of eyes to the skies

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:10:16 GMT

As the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) reaches its six-month milestone, over a million people have already looked at the sky through a telescope for the first time, and even more have newly engaged in astronomy. This is just one of many achievements, as countless ongoing projects and planned initiatives indicate that the IYA2009 is well on the way towards achieving many of its goals.

Taking the Pulse of Buildings with Intelligent Monitoring Systems

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:45:38 GMT

22/07/2009 — 24/07/2009, Zurich, Switzerland
Over 180 experts from about thirty countries meet in Zurich at the end of July to discuss the latest developments and newest technologies in the field of monitoring buildings and structures. Empa is for the first time organizing the renowned SHMII Conference («Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructures»), which is taking place from July 22nd to 24th at the ETH Zurich.

Conference "New Worlds – New Solutions – Research and Innovation as a Basis for Developing Europe in a Global Context"

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:49:15 GMT

07/07/2009 — 08/07/2009, Lund
As a part of the Swedish EU-presidency, the Swedish Government will host a conference on the future of European research; New Worlds - New Solutions – Research and Innovation as a Basis for Developing Europe in a Global Context. The Conference will take place in Lund, Sweden, on 7-8 July 2009 (at Lund University), and will be opened by the Minister for Higher Education and Research, Dr. Tobias Krantz, and the European Commissioner for Science and Research, Dr. Janez Potocnik. The overall theme of the Conference is the role of research and innovation in the development of Europe up to 2025.

University of Leicester researchers discover new fluorescent silicon nanoparticles

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:57:45 GMT

Researchers in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leicester have developed a new synthesis method, which has led them to the discovery of fluorescent silicon nanoparticles and may ultimately help track the uptake of drugs by the body’s cells.

Who wants to pay more for green electricity?

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:51:35 GMT

A report in the International Journal of Environment and Pollution suggests that individuals prefer to be involved in a collective contribution to green electricity that involve everyone paying more, rather than having individual higher bills.

Darwin complicit in manipulating photos

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:38:31 GMT

02/07/2009, Stamford Hall
Charles Darwin used photography to capture the expression of human emotions. But though unintentional, the use of this tool involved manipulation of his data.

Researchers unveil whiskered robot rat

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:30:21 GMT

A team of scientists have developed an innovative robot rat which can seek out and identify objects using its whiskers. The SCRATCHbot robot will be demonstrated this week (1 July 2009) at an international workshop looking at how robots can help us examine the workings of the brain.

The Royal Observatory, Greenwich and science popularisation in the second half of the 19th century

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:59:47 GMT

04/07/2009, Stamford Hall
Rebekah Higgitt, a curator at the National Maritime Museum, will reveal how 19th-century astronomers at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, used the daily and periodical press and popular science books to bolster support for the growth of the government-funded Observatory.

The sound of light: Innovative technology shatters the barriers of modern light microscopy

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:50:47 GMT

Neuherberg, 30 June 2009. Researchers at the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technische Universität München are using a combination of light and ultrasound to visualize fluorescent proteins that are seated several centimeters deep into living tissue. In the past, even modern technologies have failed to produce high-resolution fluorescence images from this depth because of the strong scattering of light. In the Nature Photonics journal, the Munich researchers describe how they can reveal genetic expression within live fly larvae and fish by “listening to light”. In the future this technology may facilitate the examination of tumors or coronary vessels in humans.

Chromosomal problems affect nearly all human embryos; discovery may explain low fertility rates in humans

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:45:43 GMT

For the first time, scientists have shown that chromosomal abnormalities are present in more than 90% of IVF embryos, even those produced by young, fertile couples. The Belgian researchers say that the surprising finding mean that current techniques used in preimplantation genetic screening, where embryos are screened genetically in order to select the best embryo for transfer, do nothing to improve pregnancy and live birth rates and indeed can lead to potentially viable embryos being discarded.

Cancer survivors at greater risk of birth complications; special monitoring needed

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:43:03 GMT

Survivors of childhood cancer run particular risks when pregnant and should be closely monitored, say Dutch researchers. Although such women may have conceived spontaneously and considered themselves to be perfectly healthy, their deliveries should always take place in a hospital, they say.

Will IVF work for a particular patient? The answer may be found in her blood

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:40:32 GMT

For the first time, researchers have been able to identify genetic predictors of the potential success or failure of IVF treatment in blood. The Irish scientists say that this research would help understand why IVF works for some patients but not for others.

Women with endometriosis need special care during pregnancy to avoid risk of premature birth

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:35:44 GMT

The largest study to date of endometriosis in pregnant women has found that the condition is a major risk factor for premature birth, a Swedish scientist told the conference today. The researchers found that women with endometriosis also had a higher risk of other pregnancy complications, as well as being more likely to give birth through Caesarean section

Failure to recognise wishes of young female migrants leads to suicide attempts

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:23:49 GMT

Young Turkish women and South Asian-Surinamese women are much more likely to attempt suicide than young Dutch women. On the other hand, their Moroccan counterparts are less likely to do so. These are some of the findings of Dutch researcher Diana van Bergen. In particular, the extent to which young women are restricted in important life choices plays a crucial role.

Energy-Efficient Intelligent House that Can Learn our Routines

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:15:05 GMT

The first home in the UK which can learn from its residents and take decisive action and text if it is being burgled or the door has been left unlocked, will be unveiled this week in Cairo.

Promises come at a price

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:10:15 GMT

Be careful what you promise people. You are not just obliging yourself to keep your promises; other people will hold you to account for them as well. Dutch-sponsored researcher Manuela Vieth investigated how the behaviour of other people and your own behaviour influences later behaviour. If other people say they trust you, you actually become more trustworthy. If you believe you are trustworthy, you oblige yourself to keep your promises. And other people will hold you to account for them; if you do not keep your promise, you can expect revenge.

Computer recognises archaeological material and fake Van Goghs

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:06:58 GMT

People find it very easy to recognise a face, even under very different circumstances. For a computer, on the other hand, it is extremely difficult. Dutch researcher Laurens van der Maaten has developed a new analytical technique which enables the computer to better interpret the content of photos and images, but also of data.

Join the tailback, or get round it?

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:00:44 GMT

It’s the same dilemma every morning: do you take your usual route with its frequent tailbacks, or try to get to work faster by going cross-country? And do you listen to the advice from the traffic information service, or work it out yourself? Dutch researcher Enide Bogers investigated what we actually learn from our own experience and what we do with all of the good advice we receive. Although we appear to be stubborn creatures of habit, good traffic information makes us a bit more adventurous.

Bilingual writing lessons in pre-university education improve foreign-language writing

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:51:35 GMT

Good writing skills in English are essential for bilingual Dutch students hoping to pass their International Baccalaureate English exam. But how do they learn to write fluent English as well as to organise their texts properly? Researchers experimented with different teaching methods with 147 students in bilingual pre-university education in the Netherlands. The research shows that specially developed writing lessons lead to improvements in writing skills. However, the specific forms of training and instruction that the researchers experimented with have not (yet) shown any difference in effect.

When you don't know what you want

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:46:19 GMT

How is it possible that you were not planning on going shopping, but that you still end up going and even return home with four new pairs of trousers? Apparently you really did want to go shopping but were not consciously aware of it. Dutch researcher Martijn Veltkamp has demonstrated that you can motivate people with subliminal messaging: quickly flashing words onto a screen without their noticing. This is only successful, however, if the subliminal message matches a biological need and if the behaviour is associated with a positive effect.

Physics education improves when students make their own computer models

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:41:51 GMT

A current trend in secondary science education is for students to learn by discovering for themselves how things work. Computer modelling is a teaching method that fits in nicely with this trend and also with new learning objectives such as scientific literacy, enquiry-based learning and active involvement. Dutch researcher Sylvia van Borkulo has demonstrated that computer modelling is particularly useful for learning complex structures but less effective for learning simple facts.

Lifespan of HIV-infected cells might be shorter than previously anticipated

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:37:49 GMT

Dutch-sponsored researcher Christian Althaus has used mathematical models to demonstrate that cells infected with HIV could live even shorter than was thought until now. If infected cells have a shorter lifespan then this increases the chances of the virus escaping the attention of the immune system.

Newly discovered gene regulates balance of 'bad' cholesterol

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:31:04 GMT

In an article in Science, Noam Zelcer from the LACDR describes a previously unknown mechanism for regulating the amount of LDL cholesterol. This offers opportunities for supplementing and improving the effect of so-called statins: medicines that remove 'bad' cholesterol from the bloodstream.

Bayer audio update: Automotive glazing with new functions

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:18:10 GMT

Bayer has opened a new technical service center in Leverkusen for the development of production operations for auto makers who want to manufacture large polycarbonate glazing components with special additional functions. Hear more in the news podcast:

Warmer climate can direct flow of tourists northwards

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:10:57 GMT

For over half a century, we Northern Europeans have been heading south for our holidays. A warmer climate may reverse the flow of tourists and encourage more Southern Europeans to head north. But how will future changes in climate affect tourism in Gothenburg? This is the subject of a new, European research project at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Developer of the LCD screens new honorary doctor

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:50:11 GMT

Hiroyoshi Fukuro, manager of the Nissan research centre and maybe one of the most important researchers behind the breakthrough of LCD screens, will receive a honorary doctorate at the Faculty of Science at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

The Friedrich Miescher Laboratory celebrates forty years of successful research

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:46:26 GMT

03/07/2009, Tübingen, Germany
The Friedrich Miescher Laboratory (FML) on the Max Planck Campus in Tübingen celebrates its fortieth anniversary on the 3rd of July 2009. The FML was named after the Swiss physician and biologist Friedrich Miescher, who discovered the DNA 140 years ago in Tübingen. Renowned scientists, among them Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard, worked at the FML. Currently, four junior research groups at the Friedrich Miescher Laboratory investigate how the genetic information is encoded on the DNA and faithfully inherited. A scientific symposium to celebrate the anniversary will be held at the 3rd of July (9.00-17.00) at the Max Planck House, Spemannstr. 36, in Tübingen.

Discovery may provide new treatments for alcohol dependence

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:33:04 GMT

Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have discovered a new brain mechanism involved in alcohol addiction involving the stomach hormone ghrelin. When ghrelin’s actions in the brain are blocked, alcohol’s effects on the reward system are reduced. It is an important discovery that could lead to new therapies for addictions such as alcohol dependence.

A bird’s eye view of art

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:33:44 GMT

Pigeons judge the beauty of art as humans do – by using both color and pattern cues. Pigeons could be art critics yet, according to a new study1 which shows that like humans, pigeons can be trained to tell the difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ paintings. According to Professor Shigeru Watanabe from Keio University in Japan, pigeons use both color and pattern cues to judge the paintings’ beauty as defined by humans, as well as their texture. Professor Watanabe’s work has just been published online in Springer’s journal, Animal Cognition.

Study confirms teenagers are experimenting with cocaine

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:26:14 GMT

A study by Queen’s University Belfast has confirmed that some Northern Ireland teenagers are experimenting with cocaine.

Structure of artificial light harvesting antenna determined

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:22:05 GMT

First step to converting solar energy using ‘artificial leaf’. An international team of researchers has modified chlorophyll from an alga so that it resembles the extremely efficient light antennae of bacteria. The team was then able to determine the structure of these light antennae. This is the first step to converting sunlight into energy using an artificial leaf.

L’Espagne accueille pour la première fois le symposium international le plus prestigieux du monde sur le sens de l’humour et ses applications scientifiques

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:16:12 GMT

29/06/2009 — 04/07/2009, Université de Grenade
La neuvième édition de l’«International Summer School and Symposium on Humour and Laughter: Theory, Research and Applications», a lieu du 29 juin au 4 juillet à l’Université de Grenade. Au cours de cette rencontre sera analysé le rapport entre le sens de l’humour et des aires aussi diverses que l’anthropologie, la sociologie, la médecine ou la philosophie.

España acoge por primera vez el simposio internacional más prestigioso del mundo sobre el sentido del humor y sus aplicaciones científicas

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:14:09 GMT

29/06/2009 — 04/07/2009, Universidad de Granada
La novena edición del ‘International Summer School and Symposium on Humour and Laughter: Theory, Research and Applications’ se celebra del 29 de junio al 4 de julio en la Universidad de Granada. En este encuentro se analizará la relación entre el sentido del humor y áreas tan diversas como la antropología, la sociología, la medicina o la filosofía.

Spain hosts for the first time the most renowned international symposium on sense of humour and its scientific applications

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:12:59 GMT

29/06/2009 — 04/07/2009, University of Granada
The ninth occasion on which this ‘International Summer School and Symposium on Humour and Laughter: Theory, Research and Applications’ has been held is taking place this week (between the 29 June and the 4 July) at the University of Granada. In this meeting they will analyse the relationship between sense of humour and different fields such as anthropology, sociology, medicine or philosophy.

Doubts cast on credibility of some published clinical trials

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:10:51 GMT

Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) are considered the ‘gold standard’ research method for assessing new medical treatments. But research published in BioMed Central’s open access journal Trials shows that the design of a remarkable 93 percent of 2235 so-called RCTs published in some Chinese medical journals during 1994 to 2005 was flawed, casting doubt on the reliability of research that is likely to influence medical decision-makers.

Biology knows best – human-like vision lets robots navigate naturally

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:08:18 GMT

A robotic vision system that mimics key visual functions of the human brain promises to let robots manoeuvre quickly and safely through cluttered environments, and to help guide the visually impaired.

Nanotubes weigh the atom

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:05:25 GMT

How can you weigh a single atom? European researchers have built an exquisite new device that can do just that. It may ultimately allow scientists to study the progress of chemical reactions, molecule by molecule.

One-stop shop for grid computing

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:56:47 GMT

From searching for cures for disease to monitoring the Earth’s atmosphere, grid computing has become essential to data-intensive research. But accessing limited grid resources is not always a simple task. European researchers are making it easier.

Eye-tracking software opens online worlds to people with disabilities

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:42:50 GMT

Technology that allows gamers to control game functions with only their eyes is helping to open virtual worlds such as Second Life and World of Warcraft to people with severe motor disabilities. For people suffering from conditions such as cerebral palsy, motor neurone disease (MND) or so-called locked-in syndromes, being able to move around and interact in a virtual environment is a “truly liberating experience,” says Howell Istance, a computer scientist who helped develop the software.

Hunt for the blood test to determine melanoma survival rates

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:41:08 GMT

Research represents a new approach to the diagnosis and prognosis of aggressive form of skin cancer

Inbred bumblebees less successful

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:30:23 GMT

Declining bumblebee populations are at greater risk of inbreeding, which can trigger a downward spiral of further decline. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology have provided the first proof that inbreeding reduces colony fitness under natural conditions by increasing the production of reproductively inefficient ‘diploid’ males.

Intense heat killed the Universe’s would-be galaxies, researchers say

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:10:01 GMT

Millions of would-be galaxies failed to develop after being exposed to intense heat from the first stars and black holes formed in the early Universe, according to new research.

Bayer audio update: Autoscheiben mit neuen Funktionen

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:57:32 GMT

Bayer hat in Leverkusen ein neues Technologiezentrum in Betrieb genommen, in dem Produktionsschritte für Automobilhersteller entwickelt werden, die großflächige Kunststoff-Autoscheiben aus Polycarbonat mit besonderen Zusatz-Funktionen herstellen möchten.

Wissenschaftler entwickeln Netzwerk zur Verteilung von Quantenschlüsseln

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:38:16 GMT

Wissenschaftler aus ganz Europa haben sich zusammengefunden, um das größte Netzwerk zur Verteilung von Quantenschlüsseln zu etablieren, das je gebaut wurde. 41 Forschungszentren, Universitäten und Industriebetriebe arbeiteten vier Jahre an dem Netzwerk, in dem quantenverschlüsselte Informationen zwischen acht Netzwerkknoten ausgetauscht werden können.

Trinationale Summer School 2009 in Mainz: The South in Global Perspectives

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:57:52 GMT

19/07/2009 — 01/08/2009, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Kooperationsprojekt der Mainzer Amerikanisten in Zusammenarbeit mit der Georgia State University, Atlanta und der Universität Peking

Nuevo sistema facilita el acceso a los datos de las misiones espaciales

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:52:10 GMT

Un nuevo sistema desarrollado por investigadores de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) y de la Agencia Espacial Europea (ESA) consigue mejorar la distribución de los datos de las misiones espaciales entre la comunidad científica internacional.

Patients with Moderate to Severe Periodontitis Need Evaluation for Heart Disease Risk

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:44:08 GMT

Link to periodontitis strengthen evidence that inflammation contributes atherosclerotic CVD

Super-size Deposits of Frozen Carbon Threat to Climate Change

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:34:48 GMT

The vast amount of carbon stored in the arctic and boreal regions of the world is more than double that previously estimated, according to a study published this week. The new estimate is over 1.5 trillion tons of frozen carbon, about twice as much carbon as contained in the atmosphere.

Launch of Les Houches School of Physics summer session in Singapore

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:11:59 GMT

The Les Houches School of Physics is collaborating with Nanyang Technological University’s (NTU) Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS) and National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Centre for Quantum Technology (CQT), to hold its first summer school session at NTU’s IAS from 29 June 2009 to 24 July 2009.

Spanish scientists develop echolocation in humans

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:09:01 GMT

A team of researchers from the University of Alcalá de Henares (UAH) has shown scientifically that human beings can develop echolocation, the system of acoustic signals used by dolphins and bats to explore their surroundings. Producing certain kinds of tongue clicks helps people to identify objects around them without needing to see them, something which would be especially useful for the blind.

Researchers patent a process of ornamental stone consolidation to make it more resistant

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:05:47 GMT

The University if Granada has patented a product and an implementation method to obtain the activation of the microorganisms that produce the carbonates found in construction and ornamental materials. Thanks to this, the formation of a calcium carbonate cement is induced, which can be used to protect and consolidate in situ surfaces made of construction and ornamentation lime materials in general, as well as natural stone too.

The tiny difference in the genes of bacteria

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:26:44 GMT

Researchers from Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Germany, develop new method for better diagnostic of diarrhea causing bacteria. Every year, diarrhea causes around five million fatalities worldwide. Most people die due to pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria or viruses, which were ingested into the gastro-intestinal tract through contaminated drinking water or food. Determining which bacterium is causing the illness in those cases is sometimes very complex. In cooperation with Chilean researchers, scientists from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig, Germany, have now developed a fine-tuned diagnostic method. It is based on detecting short, repetitive DNA segments in the genome of bacteria. Every single bacterial strain has such characteristic repeats. “With this method we are able to identify bacterial strains as well as clarify their genetic relationships. Furthermore, we can show how new pathogenic variants develop,” says Manfred Höfle, researcher at the HZI. The results have now been published in the current issue of the scientific journal “Applied and Environmental Microbiology”. The work is part of the two European Union funded projects “Healthy Water” and “AQUA-chip”. Manfred Höfle is coordinator of both projects that deal with various aspects of the microbiological safety of both, drinking water and sea water.

A thirst for blood sparks toxic algal blooms

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:23:07 GMT

The blooming of toxic algae that occurs during the summer conceal a fight for life and death. Scientists at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, propose in an article published in the journal PNAS that algal blooms are created when aggressive algae kill and injure their competitors in order to absorb the nutrients they contain. "The behaviour of the algae can be compared to that of blood-sucking insects", says Per Jonsson of the Department of Marine Ecology.

Peptic ulcer bacterium alters the body's defence system

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:20:15 GMT

Helicobacter pylori survives in the body by manipulating important immune system cells. This is shown in a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The discovery may lead to new treatments against the common peptic ulcer bacterium.

Reduced ovarian reserve is associated with an increased risk of trisomic pregnancy

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:17:54 GMT

Women who have a diminished number of eggs in their ovaries, either because they are older or for some other reason such as ovarian surgery, may be more at risk of a trisomic pregnancy than women with an ovarian reserve within the normal, fertile range, Dutch researchers have found.

Daily sex helps to reduce sperm DNA damage and improve fertility

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:15:57 GMT

Daily sex (or ejaculating daily) for seven days improves men’s sperm quality by reducing the amount of DNA damage, according to an Australian study presented to the ESHRE conference. Until now there has been no evidence-based consensus amongst fertility specialists as to whether or not men should refrain from sex for a few days before attempting to conceive with their partner, either spontaneously or via assisted reproduction.

Women with cystic fibrosis can have safe and successful fertility treatment

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:13:52 GMT

Women with cystic fibrosis can have fertility treatment to help them have babies without any long-term adverse effects on either themselves or their children, French researchers have found. Women with cystic fibrosis often have thick cervical mucus preventing them from becoming pregnant naturally. However, a pregnancy can be achieved by the use of intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilisation (IVF). This is the first long-running study to examine the use of assisted reproductive technology in these women.

Two studies on polycystic ovarian syndrome shed light on its causes and its effect on brothers of women with the condition

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:11:38 GMT

Australian researchers have found evidence that chronic disease in either a mother or father can create unfavourable conditions in the womb that are associated with the development of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in daughters. In another study, researchers from Austria found that brothers of women with PCOS and insulin resistance are themselves at greater risk of developing insulin resistance or diabetes, suggesting that factors associated with the condition can be passed down to sons as well as daughters.

Research shows it is possible to freeze embryos and reduce multiple pregnancies in PGD cycles without adversely affecting pregnancy rates

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:09:13 GMT

Transferring just one embryo at a time to a woman’s womb after embryos have undergone preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and freezing at the blastocyst stage has become a real option after British researchers achieved pregnancy rates that were as good as those for blastocysts that had not had a cell removed for PGD before freezing. Their results mean that it will be possible to reduce the number of multiple pregnancies after PGD and the consequent complications associated with these pregnancies.

New test that can detect both genetic and chromosomal abnormalities in embryos is ready for clinical trials

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:06:48 GMT

One-step screening for both genetic and chromosomal abnormalities has come a stage closer as scientists announced that an embryo test they have been developing has successfully screened cells taken from spare embryos that were known to have cystic fibrosis. The researchers based in the USA and the UK have been able to prove that the technique, known as genomewide karyomapping, was capable of not only detecting diseases caused by a specific gene mutation, in this case cystic fibrosis, but that it was also capable of detecting aneuploidy (an abnormal number of any of the 23 pairs of chromosomes) at the same time.

Researchers of VTT, the University of Turku and the University of Heidelberg discover new information on spreading of cancer

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:04:22 GMT

A joint research group of VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and the University of Turku, led by Professor Johanna Ivaska, has discovered a mechanism lung cancer cells use when spreading into the body to form metastases. The study has been published in Science Signaling on 30th June 2009. In cooperation with the University of Heidelberg, they have also found a factor controlling the spreading of several different cancer types. The common feature in both findings is that they explain the lethal ability of cancer cells to “start running” and spread from the original tumour to other parts of the body.

A Celestial Mouse: Scottish children make a new constellation (RAS PN 09/45)

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:00:36 GMT

An imaginary mouse (temporarily) occupied part of the sky, as the winning entry for a competition to design a new constellation for the International Year of Astronomy (IYA 2009). The mouse or ‘Wee Sleekit Beastie’ (or ‘Ode to a Mouse’) was created by Laura, a year 7 pupil at Dalmeny Primary School in Edinburgh. She received the award from Liz Lochead, the Scottish Poet Laureate, in a ceremony in the planetarium at Glasgow Science Centre on 30th June.

July 2009 GEOLOGY European Research Highlights

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:55:47 GMT

GEOLOGY articles argue over gold deposits; unravel the processes by which fungi break down rocks; unveil tightly kept secrets about the Amazon River; open a new, small-scale perspective -- magma chambers in a crystal cage -- to the understanding of crustal melting; analyze the topographic distribution of the central Andean Puna Plateau; and investigate the deep geological structures offshore Sumatra, where the giant 2004 earthquake triggered a tsunami that killed over 220,000 people.

Londonland: An ethnography of labour in a world city

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:02:23 GMT

"Londonland: An ethnography of labour in a world city"
An intimate portrait of 21st century London life by University of Leicester ethnographer

Where Nano gets bigger, or, serving imagination at the nanoscale.

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:46:42 GMT

"Bionanodesign: Following Nature’s Touch "
A nanotech book just published by the Royal Society of Chemistry discusses the latest progress and main principles in designing nanoscale molecular architectures

Breakthrough in combating the side effects of Quinine

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:43:03 GMT

Discovered back in the 1600s quinine was the first effective treatment in the fight against malaria – and it continues to be a commonly used treatment against this devastating disease. But the drug is associated with a long list of side effects which can range from sickness and headaches to blindness, deafness and in rare cases death — and until now no one knew why.

Assembling the Virtual Human

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:30:58 GMT

It could mean the end of animal testing and eventually even clinical patient drug trials. The Virtual Physiological Human is a 21st century pan-European project that’s gaining momentum and takes a major step forward this week at The University of Nottingham.

Black gay men may be at increased HIV risk

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:13:44 GMT

Preferences in the race of sexual partners influenced by subtle racism may perpetuate HIV-related health disparities. Black gay men have less choice when it comes to sexual partners than other groups and, as a result, their sexual networks are closely knit.

Prostate screening studies reviewed in European Urology July issue

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:55:05 GMT

The July issue of European Urology, the official journal of the European Association of Urology, features an editorial by Lars Holmberg comparing the results from the European Randomised Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) with the results from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO).

European Society of Cardiology Congress 2009

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:51:23 GMT

29/08/2009 — 02/09/2009, Barcelona, Spain
The latest news on procedures, drugs and equipment in the field of cardiology will be presented at the European Society of Cardiology congress which will take place in Barcelona, from 29 August to 2 September.

Deutschland eines der beliebtesten Gastländer für ausländische Studierende

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:05:45 GMT

Die Zahl ausländischer Studierender in Deutschland blieb im Jahr 2008 mit 233.606 auf hohem Niveau in etwa stabil. Nach den USA und Großbritannien ist Deutschland weiterhin eines der beliebtesten Gastländer für ausländische Studierende. Dies sind Ergebnisse der aktuellen Ausgabe der Studie „Wissenschaft weltoffen“, die der Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst (DAAD) in Zusammenarbeit mit der HIS Hochschul-Informations-System GmbH alljährlich zur Internationalisierung des Studiums an deutschen Hochschulen veröffentlicht.

A bright future for renewable electricity generation

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:08:11 GMT

A series of "Renewable Energy Snapshots" published today by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) provides a timely update on the potential of wind, solar and biomass energy to contribute to the EU's binding target of 20% electricity generation from renewable energy sources by 2020. Based on updated data from the European solar and wind industry, the latest Snapshots show that the currently installed capacity of both solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy already greatly exceeds the 2010 targets proposed in the EU White Paper on Renewable Sources of Energy (1997). However, the JRC concludes that the ambitious 2020 targets can be achieved only if the necessary investments are made to ensure that the system is able to absorb and distribute the additional electricity.

Fraunhofer Know-how for the ecological model city Masdar

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:58:42 GMT

The city of the future is currently being constructed on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi. Masdar City shall be supplied exclusively with renewable energy and produce neither carbon dioxide nor waste. Fraunhofer researchers are involved in the development of new technologies for planning and realising the ecological model city.

Indicator systems for child health and wellbeing developed at the Nordic School of Public Health

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:45:26 GMT

Science-based knowledge is needed to secure effective intervention for the health and wellbeing of children. This can be achieved by developing indicators for child health. Health indicators are important tools in prioritizing child health.

Let’s hear it for head gardeners

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:34:21 GMT

The head gardener has achieved far more than just a pretty garden. In fact, head gardeners have left an indelible stamp on today’s horticultural science. It’s time to celebrate the scientific contributions of these often overlooked individuals, says Toby Musgrave, a leading authority on garden history.

What do Charles Darwin and the rock band Kasabian have in common?

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:31:16 GMT

A set of letters at Cambridge University provides the answer, gives a rare glimpse inside a Victorian mental asylum and casts Charles Darwin in a new role.

New class of black holes discovered

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:21:36 GMT

University of Leicester scientist amongst researchers

Researchers unite to distribute quantum keys

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:35:36 GMT

Researchers from across Europe have united to build the largest quantum key distribution network ever built. The efforts of 41 research and industrial organisations were realised as secure, quantum encrypted information was sent over an eight node, mesh network.

Sustainability Issues in the Northern Periphery (NPP) region

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:22:49 GMT

The Northern ToSIA project will adapt a decision support tool that supports sustainable development with its economic, social and environmental dimensions to specific regional requirements. The project will encourage a multi-stakeholder dialogue throughout the life-time of the project to identify and address sustainability issues in the NPP region, to direct the tool development activities, and to explore alternative regional development strategies with a range of key stakeholders, and to create a quantitative basis for open discussion. The project website is now online at www.northerntosia.org

The conference "New Worlds – New Solutions – Research and Innovation as a Basis for Developing Europe in a Global Context"

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:11:40 GMT

07/07/2009, Lund, Sweden
As a part of the Swedish EU-presidency, the Swedish Government will host a conference on the future of European research; New Worlds - New Solutions – Research and Innovation as a Basis for Developing Europe in a Global Context. The Conference will take place in Lund, Sweden, on 7-8 July 2009 (at Lund University), and will be opened by the Minister for Higher Education and Research, Dr. Tobias Krantz, and the European Commissioner for Science and Research, Dr. Janez Potocnik. The overall theme of the Conference is the role of research and innovation in the development of Europe up to 2025. We expect around 400 participants.

Joint replacement treatment: using clinical pathways works

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:06:45 GMT

Clinical pathways have been used in surgeries since the 1980s, but their nature and usefulness are still subjects of much debate, especially as procedures such as hip and knee joint replacement represent a significant cost to hospitals. Now authors publishing in the open access journal BMC Medicine have concluded that using clinical pathways can effectively improve the quality of the care provided to patients undergoing joint replacement.

Genetic analysis reveals secrets of scorpion venom

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:40:10 GMT

Transcriptomic tests have uncovered the protein composition of venom from the Scorpiops jendeki scorpion. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Genomics have carried out the first ever venom analysis in this arachnid, and discovered nine novel poison molecules, never before seen in any scorpion species.

UK’s greatest minds working together key to nuclear future, says conference head

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:32:21 GMT

30/06/2009, Risley nuclear campus near Warrington
THE UK nuclear industry is entering a period of unprecedented change that calls for everyone involved to work much more closely together, the chairman of a forthcoming meeting on radiological safety said this week

Babies born after freeze-thawing embryos do just as well regardless of whether they were created via ICSI or standard IVF

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:29:28 GMT

Analysis of the longest running ICSI programme in the United States has found reassuring evidence that babies born from frozen embryos fertilised via ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) do just as well as those born from frozen embryos fertilised via standard IVF treatment. The research was presented at told the 25th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Amsterdam on Monday 29 June. The researchers also compared babies born as a result of cycles in which the women had additional hormone medication with babies born as a result of unmedicated, natural cycles, and, although they found a slightly higher rate of malformations in babies born from medicated cycles, the difference was small – 2.2% versus 0.4%.

Study could help target new pancreatitis treatments

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:26:18 GMT

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have identified a gene that could help in targeting new treatments for alcohol-related pancreatitis.

New, less invasive genetic test greatly improves pregnancy rates in older women with poor prognosis

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:22:45 GMT

A new test examining chromosomes in human eggs a few hours after fertilisation can identify those that are capable of forming a healthy baby, a researcher told the 25th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology on Monday 29 June. Dr. Elpida Fragouli, from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Oxford, UK, and Reprogenetics UK, said that her team’s work had already enabled seven ongoing pregnancies in a group of older women with a history of multiple failed IVF attempts.

High levels of cycling training damage sperm – what can be done to protect triathletes from infertility?

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:21:29 GMT

The high-intensity training undertaken by triathletes has a significant impact on the quality of their sperm, the 25th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology heard on Monday 29 June. Professor Diana Vaamonde, from the University of Cordoba Medical School, Cordoba, Spain, said that the triathletes who did the most cycling training had the worst sperm morphology.

Estudian la influencia del gen PITX2 en el desarrollo del corazón para poder reconstruirlo

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:00:16 GMT

Científicos del grupo de investigación de Biología Molecular y Fisiopatologías Cardiacas de la Universidad de Jaén, dirigidos por Diego Franco Jaime, están realizando un estudio en el que analizan la forma en la que interviene el gen Pitx2 en el desarrollo del corazón. Este estudio está integrado en el trabajo conjunto del consorcio Heart Failure and Cardiac Repair (financiado por el VI Programa Marco de I+D de la UE), formado por otros 27 equipos de ocho países de la Unión Europea y la empresa sueca CELLARTIS, dedicada a la aplicación terapéutica de células madre. El objetivo final de esta investigación es la regeneración de los tejidos del corazón infartado.

Ovarian transplantation: new technique gives greatly improved results in this delicate operation

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:57:39 GMT

Ultra-fast freezing of ovarian tissue from women who have lost their fertility as a result of cancer treatment can lead to it being used in transplants with the same success rate as fresh tissue, a researcher told the 25th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology on Monday 29 June. Dr. Sherman Silber, Director of the St. Louis Infertility Centre, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, said that freezing tissue by the vitrification method, which avoids ice formation, meant that oocyte (egg) viability was almost identical with that seen in fresh oocytes.

Ovarian transplantation: first baby is born after a new technique

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:48:23 GMT

A new technique for transplanting the ovaries of women who have lost their fertility as a result of cancer treatment was outlined to the 25th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology on Monday 29 June. Dr. Pascal Piver, manager of the IVF Centre at Limoges University Hospital, Limoges, France, described a new, two-step method of ovarian transplant that has produced excellent results in women whose ovaries have been frozen because of cancer treatment. He said that his team’s technique worked to restore ovarian function quickly and already one patient from his clinic had had a baby and another had become pregnant.

Leeds engineers developing bullet proof vests from cement

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:17:37 GMT

Dr Philip Purnell is actively seeking other researchers, engineers, scientists, designers or even sculptors and artists who also have ideas for new uses for cement.

Ovarian transplantation: first baby is born after a new technique

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:54:10 GMT

On June 22, a baby girl was born to a mother who had been menopausal for two years as a result of treatment for sickle cell anaemia. Dr. Piver and his team used a new, two-step method of ovarian transplant that worked to restore ovarian function quickly. It is the first birth after ovarian autotransplantation in France and the first in the world after treatment for sickle cell anaemia. In addition to the patient who has given birth, another woman from his clinic is pregnant.

Dutch researchers find first evidence that female human embryos adjust the balance of X

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:42:45 GMT

Dutch researchers have found the first evidence that a process of inactivating the X chromosome during embryo development and implantation, which was known to occur in mice but unknown in humans, does, in fact, take place in human female embryos prior to implantation in the womb. Ms Ilse van den Berg said that her findings may have implications for the laboratory cultures that embryos are grown in before transfer to a woman’s womb during fertility treatment, as well as for embryo stem cell research.

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) Diagnosis Time Significantly Reduced Using Telemedicine

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:38:45 GMT

Traditional bedside ophthalmoscopy diagnosis can require greater time commitments, according to a study in the American Journal of Ophthalmology

Who goes abroad for fertility treatment, and why? First ever study of European patients shows large numbers crossing borders for reproductive therapies

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:36:16 GMT

A substantial number of European patients travel to other countries for fertility treatment, both because they think that they will receive better quality care abroad and in order to undergo procedures that are banned in their home country says a study of the subject launched at the 25th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology today (Monday June 29). Study co-ordinator Dr. Françoise Shenfield, from University College Hospital, London, UK, said that this was the first hard evidence of considerable fertility patient migration within Europe. “Until now we have only had anecdotal evidence of this phenomenon,” she said. “We think that our results will be of considerable value to patients, doctors, and policymakers.”

Kejsarsnitt orsakar genetisk förändring som kan öka oddsen för att utveckla sjukdomar senare i livet

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:20:02 GMT

Svenska forskare har upptäckt att barn förlösta med kejsarsnitt har förändringar av DNA (arvsmassan) i vita blodkroppar, vilket skulle kunna ha ett samband med förändrade stressnivåer vid denna förlossningsmetod, enligt en studie i julinumret av Acta Paediatrica. De tror att dessa genetiska förändringar, som skiljer sig från normala vaginala förlossningar, kan förklara varför barn, som fötts med kejsarsnitt oftare drabbas av immunologiska sjukdomar såsom diabetes och astma senare i livet, när de genetiska förändringarna samverkar med yttre utlösande faktorer.

C-section births cause genetic changes that may increase odds for developing diseases in later life

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:17:55 GMT

Babies born by Caesarean section experience changes to the DNA pool in their white blood cells, which could be connected to altered stress levels during this method of delivery. It is thought that these genetic changes, which differ from normal vaginal deliveries, could explain why people delivered by C-section are more susceptible to immunological diseases such as diabetes and asthma in later life, when those genetic changes combine with environmental triggers. The study involved blood samples from 16 babies born by C-section and 21 born by normal vaginal delivery.

Debate Continues on Administration of Magnesium Sulfate to Pregnant Women to Prevent Cerebral Palsy in Pre-Term Infants

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:05:27 GMT

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most prevalent chronic childhood motor disability with an estimated lifetime cost of nearly $1 million per individual. There is evidence that magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) can reduce the incidence of CP for very early preterm infants. Many thousands of pregnant women and their fetuses are exposed to MgSO4 every year in the United States for a variety of indications, and most obstetricians are comfortable with its use. Yet, there is still some controversy over whether magnesium sulfate is truly protective against CP. In three articles published in the June 2009 issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, the authors shed some light on the debate.

Gordon Brown has 12 months to make up for the last two years, expert on Labour Party leadership says

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 11:12:31 GMT

Dr Robin Pettitt, an expert in politics from Kingston University, looks back on Gordon Brown’s first two years in office ahead of his anniversary this Saturday 27 June.

Organic traffic lights

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:42:51 GMT

Controlling road traffic in congested areas is difficult to say the least, a point to which any drive-time urban commuter might testify. An organic approach to traffic lights, might help solve the problem and avoid traffic jams and gridlock, according to research published this month in the International Journal of Autonomous and Adaptive Communications Systems.

ESA to build its third deep space ground station in Argentina

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:35:47 GMT

On 22 June, ESA informed Argentinean authorities that an area 30 km south of the town of Malargüe in Mendoza province, about 1000 km west of Buenos Aires, has been chosen as the best option to build a new 35-meter antenna in support of its programmes.

Language change can be traced using gigantic text archives

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:33:31 GMT

Historical collections that include everything ever written in a dozen American and British newspapers since they started are now available electronically. Donald MacQueen from Uppsala University, Sweden, has carried out the first comprehensive study that makes use of this resource in order to track changes in language usage, a method that makes it possible to attain an entirely new degree of precision in dating.

Freie Universität mit drei weiteren Projekten in der Innovationsinitiative der Bundesregierung erfolgreich

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:05:30 GMT

In der jüngsten Förderrunde der Innovationsinitiative Neue Länder unterstützt das Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) drei weitere Projekte der Freien Universität. Im Rahmen des sogenannten ForMaT-Programms werden zwei Vorhaben von Wissenschaftlern des Fachbereichs Mathematik und Informatik unterstützt, eines aus dem Fachbereich Erziehungswissenschaft und Psychologie. Der Name des Förderprogrammes ForMaT steht für "Forschung für den Markt im Team".

Joint ESA/NASA Ulysses mission to end

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:49:53 GMT

Upon receipt of the last command from Earth, the transmitter on Ulysses will switch off on 30 June, bringing one of the most successful and longest missions in spaceflight history to an end.

Corals stay close to home

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:38:00 GMT

New DNA analysis reveals that corals are more closely related than previously thought; results have significant implications for coral conservation.

Gold treatment relieves pain

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:07:30 GMT

Many animals and people experience chronic joint pain. In dogs, a common source of joint pain is hip dysplasia, a developmental defect of the hip joint. Implantation of gold into the soft tissues around the hip joints of dogs with dysplasia can relieve pain and lessen stiffness for several years.

ESHRE launches international study of polar body screening

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:46:49 GMT

The efficacy of preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) has been one of the most hotly disputed subjects in assisted reproduction over the past few years. None of the trials carried out so far has shown conclusively whether it works or not. Now the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) Task Force on PGS has decided to try to find out if a novel method of doing PGS using polar body biopsy and chromosome array analysis offers a possible solution. The announcement was made at the 25th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Amsterdam on Sunday.

Complications early in pregnancy or in previous pregnancies adversely affect existing or subsequent pregnancies

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:44:56 GMT

Complications in early pregnancy or in previous pregnancies can predict the likelihood of further problems in current or subsequent pregnancies, according to research carried out by an international group of experts and presented at the 25th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Amsterdam on Monday

Danish designed diagnostic included in the design of the fusion energy experiment ITER

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:42:15 GMT

The governing body of the international fusion energy experiment ITER – the ITER Council – has just approved an updated design, which also means that a diagnostic system called Collective Thomson Scattering (CTS) will be part of the ITER experiment.

Opening of Berlin Graduate School Muslim Cultures and Societies - workshop "Prayer in the City - Islam, Sacred Space, and Urban Life"

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:52:21 GMT

26/06/2009 — 27/06/2009, Berlin, Germany
What is "Islamic" about the "Islamic World"? What influence does Islam have on the culture, law, and politics of Muslim societies? These types of questions will be addressed by the Berlin Graduate School Muslim Cultures and Societies of Freie Universität Berlin. An opening ceremony for the graduate school was held on Thursday in the Museum of Islamic Art in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. On the occasion of the graduate school's official opening, a workshop entitled "Prayer in the City - Islam, Sacred Space, and Urban Life" will be held at the graduate school, Altensteinstraße 48, 14195 Berlin, on June 26 and 27.

Minister Conor Lenihan Announces €5.6million Funding for New Science Foundation Ireland Strategic Research Cluster in the oncology arena

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:45:28 GMT

Conor Lenihan T.D., Minister for Science, Technology & Innovation, has today (Thursday, 25thJune 2009) announced a €5.6 million funding from Government, through Science Foundation Ireland, for the establishment of a new Strategic Research Cluster (SRC). Under the leadership of well known Consultant Medical Oncologist, Professor John Crown, with Dublin City University as lead academic institution, the SRC in Molecular Therapeutics for Cancer will assemble and build a fully-integrated national translational cancer drug discovery and development programme that will significantly benefit cancer patients in Ireland

The taming of white phosphorus

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:31:09 GMT

A research team headed by Dr. Jonathan R. Nitschke at the University of Cambridge (UK) and Academy Professor Kari Rissanen at the University of Jyväskylä (Finland) has made a breakthrough in rendering white phosphorus table to air, as reported in the latest issue of Science.

Monarchfalter mit schwerem Reisegepäck

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:22:52 GMT

Zum ersten Mal ist es gelungen, Monarchfalter auf ihrer Wanderung aus dem Winterquartier in Mexiko mit einem Radio-Transmitter zu versehen und sie auf ihrem Weiterflug Richtung Norden über eine lange Distanz mit dem Flugzeug zu verfolgen. Der Biologe Martin Wikelski vom Max-Planck-Institut für Ornithologie in Radolfzell und Professor an der Universität Konstanz hat schon mehrfach verschiedene Tierarten wie Vögel, Schildkröten, Libellen und Fledermäuse mittels Sender auf ihren Wanderwegen beobachtet, aber niemals zuvor wurde der Zug der Monarchfalter, die jedes Jahr tausende von Kilometern auf ihrer Wanderung zwischen den Großen Seen in Kanada und Mexico zurücklegen, mit dieser Technologie erforscht. Ein Team von "National Geographic" begleitete die Wissenschaftler, um das Besendern im Rahmen ihres für 2010 geplanten Films ’The Science of Migration’ (Die wissenschaftliche Erforschung der Tierwanderungen) zu dokumentieren.

PRACE organises an industry seminar for potential European High Performance Computing users

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:06:16 GMT

07/09/2009 — 08/09/2009, Toulouse, France
PRACE, the Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe, a consortium of the 16 leading supercomputing centers in Europe, will arrange a seminar for potential industry users in Toulouse, France, on 7.-8. September 2009. The seminar will focus on industrial needs and expectations of the future European High Performance Computing (HPC) Infrastructure.

Immigration makes Spanish pensions system more sustainable

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:01:14 GMT

Researchers from the University of Valladolid have constructed a demographic and economic simulation model called ‘Carrión’, which projects the costs of pensions, Social Security contributions and GDP up until 2060. The model also includes detailed scenarios about the behaviour of people migrating to Spain currently and in the future, in relation to the length of time they stay, their fertility, salaries and employment rate.

Dino tooth sheds new light on ancient riddle

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:50:39 GMT

Scientists discover major group of dinosaurs had unique way of eating –unlike anything alive today

Exploran nuevos tipos de microalgas que absorben CO2

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:43:54 GMT

Investigadores andaluces buscan nuevos tipos de microalgas marinas con el fin de diseñar un catálogo que permita clasificarlas atendiendo a su capacidad de captación de dióxido de carbono y a la utilidad de la biomasa obtenida. “Las microalgas captan la energía solar y la acumulan mediante la fotosíntesis, absorben CO2 y desprenden oxígeno, por lo que se trata de un sumidero natural. Además, se trata de una fuente renovable e ilimitada que no genera residuos tóxicos ni peligrosos”, asegura Jesús Forja Pajares, investigador principal del proyecto Capacidad de biocaptación de CO2 por microalgas marinas: implicaciones en el cambio global incentivado con 550.000 euros por la Consejería de Innovación.

Uncovering how cells cover gaps

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:33:56 GMT

Scientists develop a clearer picture of dorsal closure and shed light on wound healing Researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, came a step closer to understanding how cells close gaps not only during embryonic development but also duringwound healing. Their study, published this week in the journal Cell, uncovers a fundamental misconception in the previous explanation for a developmental process called dorsal closure.

Discovery of the oldest known elephants relative

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:28:28 GMT

Emmanuel Gheerbrant, paleontologist at the Paris Museum (1), discovered one of the oldest modern ungulates related to the elephant order. The study is published in the PNAS journal.

Von Anfang bis Zukunft: Die Brennstoffzelle schreibt Geschichte

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:12:29 GMT

09/07/2009, Max-Planck-Institut für Polymerforschung Mainz
Themenabend zur Brennstoffzellentechnologie am 9. Juli in der Reihe [polymer populär] des Max-Planck-Instituts für Polymerforschung

Healthcare outcome boost needs better studies

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:41:27 GMT

Evidence suggests that outcomes in many clinical settings leave a lot to be desired, which means that research into quality improvement (QI) in clinical care has the potential to greatly improve the lot of patients. Now a study in the journal Medical Care Research and Review published by SAGE suggests that both theoretical and practical improvements in QI effectiveness studies could make these into much more powerful tools for positive change.

1 billion hungry people: justification indeed for the new journal Food Security

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:10:24 GMT

"Journal: Food Security - The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food "
The second issue of Food Security is now published, and is free online. It documents some of the multiple causes of food insecurity. Topics include desertification, flooding, adaptation of remote communities to modern technology, seasonality of food crops and the corresponding dearth between harvests, lack of iron in traditionally consumed food, resulting in anaemia, and taboos that inhibit people from supplementing their diets with nutritious wild fruits that are readily available. One paper also considers the vulnerability of our crops to acts of agroterrorism. Conversely, the amelioration of dietary deficits is treated by several authors. Procedures include the establishment of policies that buffer countries against price swings of food materials on the international market, encouragement of domestic agriculture, a framework for deciding whether aid should be given in cash or in kind and construction of a dryer out of simple materials, which can be used to remove water from produce and consequently dramatically prolong its shelf life.

Beach Management: The definitive guide for professionals and students

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:49:09 GMT

"Beach Management"
Beach Management: Principles and Practices is an indispensable tool kit for all professionals in beach and coastal/beach zone management including local and regional authorities, planners, park and protected area managers, societies, resort and beach owners and managers. It is also a comprehensive primer for university undergraduate students in professional planning, land, coastal zone and beach management, coastal geography as well as tourism and conservation planning and management.

DFG Science TV mit zweiter Staffel im Internet

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:04:05 GMT

DFG Science TV startet mit einer zweiten Staffel von Wissenschaftskurzfilmen im Internet. Der Startschuss fiel heute im Rahmen einer Pressekonferenz in Berlin. „Wir gehen neue Wege in der Wissenschaftskommunikation, um junge Leute für die Forschung zu begeistern“, so DFG-Präsident Professor Matthias Kleiner vor den Journalisten. Das Video-Portal der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), www.dfg-science-tv.de, begleitet DFG-geförderte Projekte aus allen Bereichen der Wissenschaft bei ihren Forschungen in Deutschland und weltweit. Das Besondere: Das Material für die Filme wird von den beteiligten Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern selbst gedreht. Eine professionelle Produktionsfirma verdichtet das Rohmaterial „aus erster Hand“ nach einem vorher festgelegten Drehbuch zu dreiminütigen Kurzfilmen.

DFG Science TV Starts Second Series on the Internet

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:00:23 GMT

DFG Science TV is starting a second series of short, online science videos. The season was launched today at a press conference in Berlin. "We are exploring new avenues in research communication in an effort to interest young people in science," DFG President Professor Matthias Kleiner told journalists. The video portal of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation), www.dfg-science-tv.de, accompanies DFG-funded projects from all areas of science in their work in Germany and around the world. What makes this project unique? The material for the films is recorded by the participating scientists themselves. A professional production company compresses this "first-hand" raw data into three-minute films according to a previously defined script.

Europe and China watching Earth together

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:31:45 GMT

Nearly 200 scientists from Europe and China have gathered in Barcelona this week to report on the progress of ongoing Dragon 2 research projects using data from ESA and Chinese Earth observation satellites.

El Pacífico ecuatorial durante el último período glacial: ¿fuente o reservorio de carbono?

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:38:31 GMT

Los océanos juegan un rol fundamental en el ciclo del carbono en todo el planeta. Intercambian carbono con la atmósfera y absorben buena parte del CO2 de origen antropogénico. De la capacidad de almacenamiento de CO2 en el océano Pacífico ecuatorial durante último periodo glacial habla ahora un artículo firmado en la revista Nature por un equipo internacional en el que participan los geólogos Isabel Cacho y Leo Pena, miembros del GRC Geociencias Marinas de la Facultad de Geología de la Universidad de Barcelona.

Jurors fail to understand rape victims

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:35:55 GMT

Rape trial juries need better guidance in the courtroom — and a better understanding of rape victims — to help them reach their verdict.

Ein Fenster für die Sonnenenergie

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:03:52 GMT

Durchsichtige Elektroden aus Graphen könnten Solarzellen preiswerter und effizienter machen

Die Evolution der Thymusdrüse

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:02:23 GMT

Vor 500 Millionen Jahren ist das Organ erstmals bei Wirbeltieren nachweisbar. Es spielt eine wichtige Rolle bei der körpereigenen Immunabwehr

Moleküle in der Mikrofalle

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:55:35 GMT

Max-Planck-Forscher fangen Moleküle auf einem Mikrochip und vereinfachen damit viele Experimente drastisch

City pupils use GPS to map heathland

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:30:45 GMT

Pupils from a Nottingham secondary school will use advanced GPS technology to help protect our unique habitats — and the plants and animals that make their home there — from the effects of climate change.

Salt in Enceladus / Saturn's moon hides salt water

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:22:00 GMT

08:40 26/06/2009
Saturn's moon Enceladus may be harbouring pre-biotic processes! A European instrument team on the joint ESA-NASA Cassini-Huygens mission to the ringed planet has discovered sodium salts in the ice grains of the planet's outermost ring. This ring is replenished by the geysers on the small icy moon Enceladus. In a paper just published in Nature, the scientists using data from the Cosmic Dust Analyser developed at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany, say the detection of salt implies that the moon has ocean-sized reservoirs of water beneath its surface. Conditions there could provide a suitable environment for the formation of life's precursors.

Effective solar cells and sensitive bioanalysis

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:50:25 GMT

A new simulation program optimizes the structure and configuration of the metallic contact fingers in concentrator solar cells, thereby improving the efficiency factor, and a highly-sensitive method of producing cDNA fragments from biological sample material has been developed.

Virus filters for medical diagnosis

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:38:57 GMT

In biomedicine and biotechnology the smallest, complex, compound sample quantities must be reliably processed. Microsystems with new mechanisms of action for pumping, filtering and separating will manage this task with great efficiency in the future.

Getting the most out of gemstones

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:35:57 GMT

Emeralds, rubies and the likes are referred to as colored gemstones by experts. They sparkle and shine with varying intensity, depending on the cut. A new machine can achieve the best possible cut and extract up to 30 per cent more precious stone from the raw material.

Fitting squares into circles

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:34:21 GMT

Particle filters are standard in the basic fittings for cars. Construction machines, city buses and garbage trucks must now follow suit. This can be achieved effectively and inexpensively thanks to a new material and design for ceramic filters developed by Fraunhofer researchers.