http://ec.europa.eu//research/index.cfm?pg=whatsnew en Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:08:40 GMT http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=rss For more RSS news feeds click the link above. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:08:40 GMT http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=rss http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_06_17_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30413 Radioactivity as a result of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster in the 1980s is still present in the environment. But 17 national emergency management organisations and 33 research institutes have come together to prevent or minimise the impact of such a thing happening again. Their objective has been to ensure that Europe can respond better to similar emergencies in the future.]]> Mon, 17 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-06-17:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_06_17_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30413 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_06_11_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30333 We human beings breathe oxygen to live. But oxygen is also part of a class of materials - transition metal oxides - which have excited academics and industry alike. Little is understood of their properties. EU-funded researchers, led by Trinity College Dublin, are keen to change that. The team has developed modelling tools for investigating the behaviour of potential micro- and nanoelectronic devices using transition metal oxides.]]> Tue, 11 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-06-11:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_06_11_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30333 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-crashtest&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30174 Road accidents killed almost 35 000 people in the European Union's 27 member states in 2009, the latest year for which statistics are available. While this number represents a fall of 38% since the start of the 21st century, there is still great scope to improve vehicle safety in Europe. ]]> Tue, 28 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-28:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-crashtest&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30174 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_23_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30093 Over half of the world's population lives in urban areas and that proportion is rising. This has severe consequences for the quality of the air we are exposed to thanks to increased transportation and industry within built-up areas. Rising levels of pollution prompted the European Commission in recent years to fund a number of projects into air quality across the EU at the city, regional and country level.]]> Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-23:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_23_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30093 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_22_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30075 ENRAH-SME was a pioneering European Union (EU)-funded project which laid the crucial groundwork for a major breakthrough in the understanding and potential treatment of a rare childhood neurological disease.]]> Wed, 22 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-22:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_22_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30075 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_21_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30053 It is an all-too familiar scene. A suspect package in a crowded public place like a shopping mall, a train or an airport. Is it harmless? Or is it a bomb?]]> Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-21:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_21_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30053 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=126&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30073 The brain controls our thinking, feelings and movements and a new exhibition in southern France aims to reveal some of its secrets. ]]> Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-21:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=126&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30073 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-pancaresurfup&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30014 "If I have received radiotherapy to my abdomen (to treat cancer) and I have a heart problem or a new cancer 30 years later, to what extent is this linked to the radiotherapy I received?" asks Dr Lars Hjorth of Lund University in Sweden. ]]> Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-16:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-pancaresurfup&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30014 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-fuerex&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29994 Overconsumption of fossil fuels, excessive carbon emissions and threats to air quality are all urgent problems that would be addressed if all-electric vehicles were fully operational and in widespread use. Research conducted by the European Union funded Fuerex project could give consumers in the near future the option of driving a car with almost zero emissions, without compromising on the range of the battery. ]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-15:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-fuerex&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29994 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_14_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29973 The ability to measure concentrations of oxygen inside living human cells is a key requirement to help advance our understanding and treatment of a range of serious medical conditions. These include ischaemic stroke (where the stroke is caused by a blockage in the artery, preventing sufficient oxygen from reaching the brain), neurodegenerative disorders, and cancer. ]]> Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-14:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_14_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29973 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-modtrain&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29955 When Europe's rail pioneers created the first steam engines some two centuries ago, they gave little thought to whether their inventions might be used in other countries: while their ingenuity helped transform travel, they never got round to setting uniform rail technologies across the continent. ]]> Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-13:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-modtrain&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29955 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-3encult&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29954 From Roman temples and Gothic churches to Greek theatres and medieval castles, Europe is peppered with historic buildings that reflect its rich cultural heritage. But these monuments all need to be preserved, a task complicated by age, pollution, tourist demands and climate change. Now science is lending a hand in this task, with a new European Union research project developing measures to reduce energy loss from within old buildings. ]]> Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-13:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-3encult&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29954 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-supra&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29925 For pilots, one of the most difficult skills to learn is 'upset recovery' - righting a plane that has stalled or been thrown into an unstable situation due to weather or a technical problem. When a pilot is not able to fly out of an 'upset' and the plane proceeds out of control, accidents can result. And it is precisely because these extreme conditions seldom occur in real life that it is hard for a pilot to be prepared for them: up to now, no flight simulator reflects adequately how an actual aircraft behaves during upset situations. Alternative training methods – such as using large commercial aircraft for training or smaller ones – are either too dangerous or too expensive, or may not be comparable to how large aircraft behave and respond. ]]> Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-08:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-supra&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29925 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_07_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29913 The health impact of indoor air pollution is a real environmental health issue, which is believed to have a bearing on respiratory conditions such as asthma. This has prompted a European study to take action. While outdoor pollution is often cited as the cause of many asthma related issues, indoor threats are also being addressed in the light of World Asthma Day.]]> Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-07:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_07_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29913 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_04_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29893 Every time a firefighter braves an inferno, a scientist wonders if a new material or special flame-resistant coating could be created to protect him. Today, armed with nanocomposite techniques and insights into bio-based materials, new classes of smart, adaptable super-surface coatings are possible, according to European researchers.]]> Sat, 04 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-04:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_04_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29893 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_26_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29813 Age related hearing loss (ARHL) is far too easily ignored. Its onset is insidious. Its progression gradual. People with declining hearing often mistakenly believe the problem is that their conversation partners mumble or speak too quickly – and as hearing ability diminishes further, social exchanges slowly turn from fluid repertoires to too many non sequiturs. Frustrated from no longer being able to understand others well in social settings, people may stop going to the theatre or senior centres, or even just to a restaurant with friends or family. This social isolation, in turn, is associated with depression and cognitive decline. Disturbances of gait and balance have also been linked to ARHL.]]> Fri, 26 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-26:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_26_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29813 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_17_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29693 Europe and the Mediterranean contain more World Heritage sites than any other global region. These sites include hundreds of museums, churches, houses and castles that capture Europe’s rich history over the centuries. ]]> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-17:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_17_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29693 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_10_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29633 In the decades ahead, landslide risk will probably increase in some regions of Europe as a consequence of climate change and growing population. But landslides’ danger can be hidden: though their destruction is plain, in official data landslides are often lumped in with their triggers, such as extreme precipitation, earthquakes or floods. This means that damage wrought by landslides is generally underestimated by analysts, and public awareness of landslide risk is less than that of comparable natural hazards. ]]> Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-10:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_10_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29633 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_02_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29533 In their quest to better understand the past, archaeologists also take great care to preserve the resting grounds of ancient artefacts. This is not always easy in large digs. But the Radiography of the Past (Radio-Past) project has harnessed the skills of international research teams to develop the next generation of non-destructive approaches to archaeology, including aerial surveying and remote-sensing technology. This approach has unearthed new evidence from buried settlements across Southern, Central and Western Europe which sheds light on how Roman cities and societies were constructed.]]> Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-02:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_02_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29533 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-ecochange&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29514 Human well-being is strongly linked to the biodiversity and functioning of the Earth's ecosystems. To maintain biodiversity and enable future generations to derive the same benefits our planet now provides us with, consolidated policy and management efforts are needed. The findings of the EcoChange project could be instrumental in this endeavour. ]]> Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-26:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-ecochange&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29514 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_25_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29493 An estimated 170 million people worldwide are infected with hepatitis C, which kills more than 350,000 every year from related illnesses like liver cancer. There is no vaccine for it, and treatments are costly thanks to the complicated chemistry used to make the drugs. However, if a way was found to simplify and speed up the manufacture of hepatitis C drugs, it could slash the costs of treatment and at a stroke promise to wipe out the insidious killer disease.]]> Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-25:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_25_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29493 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_22_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29473 Micro-products have become increasingly important in the medical, biotechnology, consumer and automotive sectors. However, products in these sectors such as innovative display solutions and light emitting panels require the integration of different functionalities and demand new mass manufacturing methods and technologies.]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-22:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_22_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29473 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_04_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29316 European researchers are waging war on cancer, a major medical and societal challenge today. Thanks to progress in nanotechnology and strong leadership by Trinity College Dublin, teams from diverse scientific fields are developing sensitive portable devices to diagnose cancer much earlier and to better monitor treatment when and where it is needed. ]]> Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-04:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_04_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29316 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_02_15_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29233 Cancer is one of the most pressing health matters of our time. It is a disease that attacks the very building blocks of life, leading to uncontrolled cell division and disabling programmed cell death. Almost everyone has known at least one person who has had to cope with cancer; it remains one of the leading causes of death in Europe.]]> Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-02-15:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_02_15_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29233 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_02_12_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29193 In nature, all life depends on one simple thing: the ability of organisms to carry out a ceaseless flow of highly varied and specialised chemical reactions. At the heart of all these reactions sits nature’s ‘secret weapon’ - enzymes. These are proteins which act as catalysts, allowing the reactions to take place at a rate which is simply unachievable with ‘classical’ chemical methods.]]> Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-02-12:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_02_12_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29193