Neat News - Neat things do happen

This year's Glastonbury festival has banned single use plastic for the first time.

There may be a way to administer certain bacteria to patients with a specific food allergy so that the bacteria deal with the food in the gut and the patients are not having an allergic reaction.

Brown fat can be burnt in order to produce heat in the body. Coffee seems to stimulate this, although it is still unknown which ingredient in the coffee does this.

In experiments with mice, scientists have found that mutated proteins injected in the stomach of mice can travel via nerves to the brain. This may be the standard way how Parkinson's disease starts. If so the fact may offer a way to prevent it.

A new prostate cancer test has been developed that can determine from urine samples whether a man has an aggressive form of cancer that needs treatment or a slow form that just needs monitoring.

There is advice that one should focus hygiene on hot spots such as preparing food, washing finger before meals, after the use of the toilet, or caring for people with infections. Also cleaning cloths need regular washing or replacement.

On old kitchen sponges so-called bacteriophages, viruses that can infect bacteria, have been discovered. This may lead to the development of new antibiotics.

Fields reverted to meadows have become the home of rare British orchids within three years. This shows that renaturation can work.

New research has shown a way how the regeneration of the liver works on an epigenetic level. The research may in the long run result in medication to support the regeneration of the liver.

Pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas, is a big risk that the patient may develop a cancer of the pancreas. In experiments with mice, a complex sugar has been found now to cause the inflammation, a drug has been developed that can block this sugar and prevent the inflammation from progressing.

In order to provide protection against certain diseases, immunization is effective. In order to get herd immunization a certain percentage of the population need to be vaccinated.

New research points to the suggestion that eating at least two yogurts a week may reduce the risk of developing bowel cancer.

The risk that a child develops asthma can be reduced by providing an environment in which microbes exist as they can be found in farm houses, that is, the presence of a large number of harmless bacteria from outdoors seem to be beneficial for health.

Millions of children are undernourished since they suffer from a gut disease. Machine learning algorithms have now been used to detect this with high accuracy to succeed in swift diagnosis and treatment.

A sauna session has positive long-term effects on the cardiovascular system. Its effects on the body are comparable to a moderate workout.

Exercising in the morning and in the evening seems to have different effects on the muscles and on the metabolism. In the morning more sugar is metabolized, but in the evening the effect seems extended.

Learning fine motor coordination is reflected by changes in the brain. Researchers have now a better understanding on what changes in the brain when we learn fine motor skills for grasping.

In a study it has been found that spending two hours in nature per week means that the subjects are feeling more healthy and psychologically well.

The British government has pledged to make the country carbon neutral by 2050 and to be net zero with respect to greenhouse gases by then in order to limit global warming.

Researchers have gained a better understanding of the structure of viruses such as the common cold, polio, and meningitis. The viruses have an indentation on the surface which may be a suitable target for antiviral drugs.

Studying the transmission of the dengue fever virus, researchers found that many mosquitoes carry the Wolbachia bacterium. However, the bacterium is not found in mosquitoes that transmit the virus. In other words the bacterium seems to vaccinate the mosquito against the virus. This may open a way to combat the dengue fever virus (and potentially others) .

There are plans to use the EU's Sentinel satellites to monitor individual fields of around 40 sqm from space so that information on the temperature is available. This information can be used to increase crop production.

According to a study carried out in Northern America, forests that are more than 170 years old are less sensitive to climate change than younger forest.

There is a better understanding in the causes of multiple sclerosis. There seems to be a connection to the mutation of 12 genes. The insight may lead to some preventative treatment in the long run.

The German city of Hanau in Hesse plans to adopt a Swedish approach to speed bumps. Although they are often a good way to reduce the speed they are also a pain for people who obey the speed limit. In this approach a metal plate in the street will get a radar measurement and allow cars which are within the speed limit to comfortably pass, but it will lower itself and present a hurdle for cars that exceed the speed limit.

By looking at the particles at a nano-scale, scientists have a better understanding of how so-called smart glass can be made to react faster in its transition from transparent to tinted.

There is a connection between gum disease and Alzheimer's disease. For this reason it is important to clean the teeth properly to prevent Alzheimer's.

In order to avoid plastic rubbish, Tanzania has introduced a plastic bag ban. It follows other countries in the region such as Kenya and Rwanda.

Using an origami approach, researcher could coordinate the motion of a large network of tiny motors to create a smooth muscle-like contraction. This has potential applications in molecular robotics.

Many (up to 90 percent of) people with autism suffer from gut problems. Up to now it has been unclear why. Now there is a suggestion that the common cause may be gene mutations in the brain and the gut.