http://ec.europa.eu//research/index.cfm?pg=whatsnew en Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:08:49 GMT http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=rss For more RSS news feeds click the link above. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:08:49 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_14_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30393 Modern medicine has come a long way, but the mere thought of having a heart defect can still rattle us to our very core. The heart is a human body’s engine room. Each time its beat propels blood through our bodies, it is a reassuring affirmation of our existence.]]> Fri, 14 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-06-14:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_06_14_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30393 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_06_07_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30293 More than 160 researchers across 10 European countries joined together, in what is being hailed as the first international project to focus on ocean acidification and its consequences. ]]> Fri, 07 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-06-07:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_06_07_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30293 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_06_03_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30233 Nothing can be done to prevent earthquakes from occurring, and researchers are limited in forecasting when and where they will strike and how strong they might be. Fortunately, a great deal of progress is being made to ensure that buildings throughout Europe are designed and built to withstand major earthquakes when they strike.]]> Mon, 03 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-06-03:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_06_03_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30233 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_27_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30133 Cities around the world are facing a myriad of pressures, including rapid urbanisation and urban sprawl. As a result, authorities are finding it increasingly difficult to manage scarce water resources, deliver water and sanitation services, and dispose of wastewater. At the same time, authorities must do their utmost to minimise the negative impact of such developments on the environment and urban populations. ]]> Mon, 27 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-27:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_27_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30133 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/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-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-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-pegaso&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29924 Where better to enjoy a relaxing coastal trip than the Mediterranean? However, with large areas of this and the Black Sea basin under threat from environmental change, collaboration within the local scientific communities is more important than ever. ]]> 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-pegaso&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29924 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_04_29_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29833 For Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, of the University of Uppsala in Sweden, news that the European Union (EU) was to provide funding for a project aimed at using research into canine genetics as a kind of 'fast-track' to help provide cures for many important human diseases marked the achievement of a long-held ambition.]]> Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-29:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_29_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29833 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_25_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29793 The UN Security Council has expressed concerns that the adverse effects of climate change could lead to certain threats to international peace and security. However, research suggests that scarcity can lead to cooperation rather than conflict. In order to improve our understanding of the factors involved, the European Union (EU)-funded CLICO project studied the world's most exposed and vulnerable areas to both floods and droughts - the Mediterranean, Middle East and Sahel (MMES) regions.]]> Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-25:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_25_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29793 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_12_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29653 Mobile "smart" phones, wireless Internet access, Bluetooth and other types of wireless communication devices and technologies are becoming so commonplace that it is getting harder to think of the time when they didn’t exist. Most people living in the European Union (EU) use some form of wireless equipment, and the number and variety of uses continue to grow.]]> Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-12:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_12_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29653 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_07_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29593 In countries with well-developed healthcare systems, dying as a direct result of a condition brought on by pregnancy is a remote and shocking possibility. Nevertheless, one such condition, pre-eclampsia, affects 2% of all first-time mothers, and, moreover, to date no viable screening test has been developed. ]]> Sun, 07 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-07:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_07_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29593 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_04_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29555 Millions of people in the Ganges basin depend on water resources from melting snow and ice as well as from monsoon rainfall. However, developments such as retreating glaciers, changing monsoon patterns, and declining groundwater levels coupled with increasing population and enhanced water demand for irrigation are likely to place water resources under considerable stress.]]> Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-04:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_04_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29555 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-tellibox&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29516 Used all over the world to ship goods stamped with "Made in …", containers are at the very heart of global trade. They have been around since the 1950s and have literally revolutionised the way we manufacture, trade and consume goods. ]]> 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-tellibox&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29516 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_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/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-ice2sea&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29474 While the global increase of temperature due to our emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is more or less undisputed among climate researchers, the consequences of the global warming are less clear. Sea-level will rise, but whether we look at half a meter or one and a half meters at the end of the century, is not yet predictable. In terms of impacts on coast and its cities around the globe, these figures correspond to "severe" and "devastating", respectively. ]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-22:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-ice2sea&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29474 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_19_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29413 Faced with tough competition from low-wage countries and economic strife at home, European shoemakers are interested in clever and efficient solutions to design and customise stylish shoes that meet every customer's needs. But is ‘mass customisation’ like this a contradiction in terms? Not according to EU-funded researchers. ]]> Tue, 19 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-19:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_19_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29413 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-sawhot-s3-ingenious&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29414 The goal of enhanced integration between the European Union and the Russian Federation was significantly advanced by a series of three linked EU-Russian research projects. ]]> Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-18:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-sawhot-s3-ingenious&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29414 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_15_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29373 Over the last ten years, high power fibre lasers have moved quickly from the research laboratory into production. In stark contrast to traditional lasers, fibre lasers now offer near perfect beam quality ensuring optimal focus even in long distances. In addition, high efficiency, low operating costs and virtually no maintenance allow for a simple integration into industrial, automated production processes. ]]> Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-15:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_15_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29373