Neat News - Neat things do happen

Just now, the five planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn form a line in the early morning sky to form a rare conjunction that happened last in 2004 and will happen again in 2040 only.

related: #conjunction

Bacteria were assumed to be tiny and not visible to the naked eye, but now a centimetre long bacterium, T. magnifica, has been detected in a mangrove swamp in the French Caribbean.

related: #bacterium

A plastic free food packaging has been developed. The material is called APF (antimicrobial pullulan fibre) and biodegradable. It increases the longevity of the food.

related: #biodegradable #wrapping

The expression "you're only as old as you feel" has been confirmed for older people recovering from physical disabilities in a study with almost 200 people between 73 and 84: People who feel younger recover faster.

related: #feeling_young

A new antimicrobial, plant based, biodegradable, and non-toxic food wrap has been developed that can replace plastic wrap. The polysaccharide/biopolymer-based fibres are made antimicrobial by adding naturally occurring ingredients such as thyme oil or citric acid.

related: #plastic_replacement

Physical exercise is good for the physical and psychological health. A new study finds that for people with limited mobility also virtual reality training can have positive effects on their mental well-being.

related: #virtual #training #health

In the Kumulus-project in northern Africa, it is explored to use solar power and the humidity in the air to produce drinking water in places where it is difficult to get clean water otherwise. One machine generates between 20 and 30 litres of drinking water per day.

related: #drinking_water #solar

In Mozambique there is a project in which houses are built for displaced families using glass and plastic bottles. This way the number of used bottles in the environment is reduced and families have a good place to live.

related: #used_bottles #house_building

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, scientists have generated some understanding how humans can use cognitive maps to learn hidden information. The neurotransmitter dopamine is released when some inferential learning is performed.

related: #learning #inference

Studying the charcoal remains of an olive tree in the Jordan Valley, scientists conclude that olive trees were domesticated for at least 7000 years.

related: #olive #domestication

In a new study it was found that men who drink for four weeks one alcoholic or non-alcoholic lager a day have a more diverse collection of gut microbes, associated with an increased intestinal health.

related: #beer #health

The Albanian Government has signed a memorandum to dedicate a big area around the Vjosa River from the Greek border to the Adriatic Sea as a nature reserve to establish the Vjosa Wild River National Park. The Vjosa River is the last big, wild river in Europe, outside Russia.

related: #national_park #Albania

A new study finds that adults who share a bed with a partner sleep better than those who sleep alone. Not sleeping alone is also associated with several health benefits.

related: #sleep

Cancer cells seem to protect themselves against attacks of the immune system's T cells. A particular role plays the EBAG9 gene. In experiments with mice it has been found that by inhibiting the production in T cells the immune response to cancer can be strengthened. This insight may lead to a new treatment against cancer.

related: #immunotherapy

Monarch butterfly numbers seem to be stable in North America in spite of worries because of diminishing winter habitats. It is assumed that summer breeding is compensating for this.

related: #butterfly

Mothers give their babies antibodies that keeps them safe until they build up their own immune system. Now there is some understanding how this works: during pregnancy certain sugars are attached to antibodies. The understanding may lead to better antibiotics for pregnant women, babies, and others.

related: #antibodies #pregnancy

The European Parliament has decided that from 2035 no new petrol vehicles can be sold in the European Union in order to reduce emissions.

related: #petrol_car #emission

In a small trial all 18 people with rectal cancer who received a drug called Dostarlimab went into remission. It is the first time that a cancer drug was 100 percent successful in a trial. More research is needed.

related: #cancer #remission #Dostarlimab

In experiments with rats, the electric stimulation of the deep fibular nerve, a nerve in the leg, led to a significant reduction of the blood pressure. This may offer an alternative treatment for hypertension.

related: #blood_pressure #electric_stimulation

Schizophrenia is often difficult to treat since its causes are not well understood. From experiments with mice, there is new evidence that there is an autoimmune cause at least in some of the cases. A corresponding protein has been identified.

related: #schizophrenia

On the Indonesian island of Borneo many trees have been lost to palm oil production and mining. Now there is a project to plant 100 Million trees to bring back some of the forests.

related: #reforestation #Borneo

People who have problems with sleeping have only limited options to track their sleep patterns in order to find ways to improve them. For this purpose, now a smart pillow has been developed that tracks the position of the head.

related: #smart_pillow #sleep

A new study finds that drinking three cups of coffee a day is linked to a 22 percent lower risk of developing acute kidney injury, a sudden decrease in kidney function. The caffeine seems to stabilize the chemical balances in the kidneys.

related: #coffee #kidney

At the west coast of Australia, scientists studied the seagrass in Shark Bay and found that it is genetically a single plant stretching over 180 km, making it to the biggest known plant on Earth.

related: #seagrass

There is initial evidence that taking about three grams of omega-3 fatty acids a day lowers the systolic blood pressure by about 4 to 5 mm Hg for those with hypertension. More research is needed.

related: #Omega3 #blood_pressure