http://ec.europa.eu//research/index.cfm?pg=whatsnew en Fri, 24 May 2013 11:34:00 GMT http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=rss For more RSS news feeds click the link above. Fri, 24 May 2013 11:34:00 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_05_24_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30113 Nanotechnology offers human society a vast range of benefits, making possible startling advances in everything from medicines and cosmetics to energy generation, electronics and even 'hi-tech' clothing. What is more, this nanotechnology 'revolution' is still only in its infancy. Research into ever more applications is in full swing.]]> Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-24:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_24_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30113 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-wheylayer&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30114 Plastic films are used for packaging a wide range of products, offering protection against humidity and potential contaminants. Over time, however, these films let in air, diminishing the properties of the packed products. And while multilayer films combining several plastics are often used to improve protection, most of this packaging cannot be recycled. The researchers behind the EU-funded WHEYLAYER project found a cheese-based biodegradable alternative to conventional multilayer films. ]]> Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-24:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-wheylayer&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30114 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=ss-devco-rdi&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30074 It's a phenomenon known locally as the "black cloud", and it plagues Egypt every autumn after the rice harvest: an estimated 4 million tonnes of rice straw is burnt every season, spewing some 80,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the skies. It leaves a choking, toxic layer of thick smog hanging just 25 meters above over the entire Nile valley for weeks, and adds to the already polluted air over the Cairo megalopolis. ]]> Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-21:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-devco-rdi&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30074 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/headlines/news/article_13_05_17_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30033 A European team of researchers is exploring new ways of using fibre-optic technology to deliver ultra-high-speed internet access to even the remotest locations in Europe, at less cost and with less impact on the environment. It is ambitious, but innovative solutions are needed to strengthen Europe's digital economy and provide jobs.]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-17:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_17_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30033 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/headlines/news/article_13_05_15_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29993 Psychiatric disorders are a major, though often "hidden", health problem. It is estimated that mental disorders affect more than 160 million Europeans - 38% of the population each year. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one in four of us will suffer from at least one mental disorder during our lifetime. In addition to the direct impact this has on patients and their families, the impact on national healthcare systems is significant. In Europe, the annual cost is estimated to be more than €200 billion. ]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-15:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_15_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29993 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-hiwi&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29995 Presently, drives for Fully Electric Vehicles and Hybrid Electric Vehicles develop their highest efficiency of around 93–95% within a speed range of usually 1/4 to 1/3 of the maximum, and at an ideal torque, whereas in real-life driving cycles the motor operates at a wider range of speeds and at partial load, resulting in much lower efficiency. ]]> 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-hiwi&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29995 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-fantom&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29974 To make modern aircraft ever lighter, faster and more fuel efficient, manufacturers are continually introducing new advanced materials, composites and super lightweight structures. Before using them on a plane, the integrity and performance of these materials have to be tested in a non-destructive way, to see how they would perform in the real-life pressure and temperature conditions of flight. Among the techniques aero-space testing facilities currently rely on are two important tests: one using laser beams and one using thermal imaging to see inside the material under stress and detect problems in structures caused by hidden defects. European researchers have found a way to replace these two with a single test. ]]> Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-14:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-fantom&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29974 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_13_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29953 Cancer causes some 13% of deaths worldwide. Of these deaths, some 90% are caused not by the original cancer, but by its spread to other parts of the body. These secondary cancers, known as metastases, are most often caused by 'circulating tumour cells' (CTCs) which escape from the primary tumour and travel around the body in the bloodstream. In the process, CTCs often undergo modifications that make them more resistant to treatment than the primary tumours. ]]> Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-13:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_13_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29953 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-one-p&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29936 A radio made completely of plastic? We might see them in the near future, claim scientists. In 1977 researchers discovered that certain types of plastic can conduct electricity, just like metals. Initially these plastics remained a curiosity, but by improving their electrical properties researchers have now opened the way for their use in a large number of electric and electronic devices. ]]> Fri, 10 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-10:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-one-p&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29936 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-autospar&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29935 As a food, asparagus can trace an illustrious lineage back 20,000 years to Egypt; it features in the world's oldest surviving cook book, Apicius's third century 'De re coquinaria'; it is packed with vitamins, and a very good source of dietary fibre. No wonder the asparagus is such a prized food. But its reputation as the ultimate gourmet vegetable is also reflected in its delicate cultivation, with white asparagus in particular requiring labour intensive hilling. And in Europe, this dedicated nurturing is threatening the crop as farmers struggle to find the manpower needed to harvest asparagus. ]]> Fri, 10 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-10:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-autospar&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29935 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/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-map2era&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29922 The use of plants in medicine is as old as medicine itself. Today, in the age of high-tech drug design, the pharmaceutical industry continues to draw on naturally occurring compounds in its search for new treatments. The fragrance and nutritional supplement industries are perhaps even more reliant on plant-sourced chemicals. ]]> 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-map2era&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29922 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-safer&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29921 Even 10 seconds can make a difference. When Japan was hit by the earthquake in 2011, early-warning systems were in place, and within seconds even the high-speed "bullet" trains stopped. About half of Europe is also a high-risk earthquake area, especially Mediterranean countries like Greece, Italy, and also other regions around the Black Sea. ]]> 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-safer&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29921 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/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-mira&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29919 The Mediterranean sea is a huge marine ecosystem with an area of 2.5 million km². The wellbeing of this unique ecosystem is vital for the health of the 427 million people living in the countries around it and the 175 million visitors it receives each year. Nevertheless, it remains fragile and continues to deteriorate due to the devastating effects of pollution. Effective decontamination is crucial and this is just one area where the Mediterranean Innovation and Research coordination Action (MIRA) is making a welcome impact. ]]> Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-07:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-mira&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29919 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-syscilia&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29916 A world without hearing, sight or smell; without music, the light of the day or the scent of a delicious meal. This is the reality for those who suffer from congenital cilia diseases, a condition stemming from genetic defects; they go through life missing one or more senses. ]]> Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-07:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-syscilia&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29916