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Airbags for ships save lives, environment and cargo
Airbags for ships save lives, environment and cargo
When a ship runs aground, or two vessels crash into each other, the damaged one may lose its stability, or worse, sink. But imagine if after a ship accident, balloons popped up like car airbags to keep the disabled vessel upright and afloat .
New therapy against rare gene defects
New therapy against rare gene defects
European scientists set up new therapeutic approaches to tackle specific Lysosomal Storage Disorders: a new drug combination and enzyme replacement therapy against Pompe disease and gene therapy against MPS V I (Mucopolysaccharidosis VI).
Schizophrenia enters the molecular diagnostics era
Schizophrenia enters the molecular diagnostics era
With a drop of blood and some laboratory analyses, doctors have been able to tell patients whether they suffer from diabetes or some sort of cancer.
Speed is everything when fighting sepsis
Speed is everything when fighting sepsis
Sepsis, commonly known as blood poisoning, is a bacterial infection of the blood. It is dangerous for adults. And it is often mortal for young children, if left untreated.
Sheltering rising population from storm water
Sheltering rising population from storm water
Storm water is a critical consideration in managing urban water , as it influences the risks of flooding. Unfortunately, a global rise in urban population means that water management in urban areas is now under strain.
Ornate organs
Ornate organs
The German village of Cappel is home to one of the greatest historical music instruments. The ornate baroque organ here is the work of Arp Schnitger, the grand master of German organ construction who built it in around 1680 for Hamburg.
No biomarkers identified to assess potential health effects of GMOs
No biomarkers identified to assess potential health effects of GMOs
Many people in Europe are critical of genetically modified (GM) food, due to safety concerns. A Eurobarometer survey, published in 2010, revealed that the European public tends to be worried on a “mediate level” about GM food , with people in Austria being particularly concerned.
Biomass bonanza as plastics’ raw materials
Biomass bonanza as plastics’ raw materials
Increasingly, many of the plastic products we use every day are no longer based on petroleum raw material . Instead, they are made from biomass such as starch, sugar, corn and other sources that also happen to be food products.
Fibers as immune system boosters
Fibers as immune system boosters
Staying healthy requires constantly stimulating the immune system. Ingesting non-digestible fibres such as polysaccharides is thought to help. Yet companies including such ingredients in their food products cannot claim that they boost the immune system.
Breaking the vicious cycle of antibiotic resistant bacteria
Breaking the vicious cycle of antibiotic resistant bacteria
Bacteria and other microorganisms that cause infections are remarkably resilient and can develop ways to survive drugs meant to kill or weaken them.
Sharing power to foster renewables: the cooperatives model
Sharing power to foster renewables: the cooperatives model
María Regidor co-owns a mini-hydro power plant in Spain, which produces part of the electricity provided to the residents of the Castile and León region.
How battery systems can integrate renewable energy in smart grids
How battery systems can integrate renewable energy in smart grids
Wind and solar energy is not constant and therefore a renewables-based society requires smart grids to transport this power from areas where electricity generation is currently high to those where it is low in order to meet demand.
Meet the skyrmions: exotic quasiparticles could revolutionise computing
Meet the skyrmions: exotic quasiparticles could revolutionise computing
For most of us, any concerns about computing speed or data storage are usually to make it go faster while storing more. We hardly ever think about the enormous amounts of energy already required to power Internet servers or charge the increasing number of devices we own.
Organic waste and insects: animal feed of the future?
Organic waste and insects: animal feed of the future?
More than the 70 percent of the protein sources required by animals bred in the European Union are imported from non-EU countries . Soybean dominates the protein supply for animal feed .
Green energy and politics: crowdfunding to the rescue?
Green energy and politics: crowdfunding to the rescue?
The  Paris climate change pact , which  entered into force  last year, was announced with a huge fanfare. The deal aims to limit the rise in average global temperatures to “well below” two degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.
Do microbes control our mood?
Do microbes control our mood?
If aliens were to examine a human, they would think we were just slavish organisms designed to feed microbes and carry them around. Our bodies contain ten times more bacteria than cells , and there are an estimated 3.
Energy crowdfunding: the new way to boost renewables
Energy crowdfunding: the new way to boost renewables
It's a brand new sector: the first steps date back to 2012. Today energy crowdfunding is a way of financing solar panel or wind turbine projects.
Building retrofits critical to Europe’s low-carbon pathway
Building retrofits critical to Europe’s low-carbon pathway
From thatched roofing in cold regions to reflective walls in hotter climates, for centuries buildings have been constructed with materials that maximize comfort within a given environment.