Neat News - Neat things do happen

The German government has decided to spent until 2026 four billion euros for 69 projects of renaturation, for instance, by regenerating moors and making cities greener.

related: #renaturation

After surgery to remove stage 3 bowel cancer, patients typically undergo chemotherapy to kill any potentially remaining cancer cells. It is estimated that for half of the patients this chemotherapy is unnecessary. A new study it about to start to see whether a blood test can detect traces of cancer cells to distinguish who benefits from chemotherapy and who not.

related: #bowel_cancer #chemotherapy

In a study with some 6000 over 40 year old healthy participants, it was found that those who consume more than 550 milligrams of magnesium a day have at the age of 55 a brain age of one year younger than those who have an intake of about 350 milligrams a day. Women benefit more than men.

related: #magnesium #dementia

In some parts of Africa as in Liberia, elephants threaten farmland and are not well liked by farmers. In order to protect their crop, they now use a so-called Buzz Box that produces the sound of many bees and keeps the elephants away, since elephants avoid bees. This way the elephants and the farmland can be protected.

related: #elephant #bee

The wind blows more strongly at a height of 200 metres, for instance, than on the ground. Hence currently the idea is explored to use turbines that are held up by kites in order to produce electricity. The energy made using one kite may serve for up to 500 households.

related: #kite #wind #energy

High blood pressure increases the risk of a heart attack or a stroke. A new study finds that being fit can offset part of this risk.

related: #fitness #health

At a conference of the United Nations with 150 states and non government organization in New York, a global action plan for water protection with some 700 measures has been agreed.

related: #water #protection #UN

In a new study it has been found that language that is easy to process as well as language that evokes emotion encourages continued reading.

related: #language #attention #reading

Engineers have developed a method to trap so-called `forever chemicals' in water using some electrochemical and photochemical techniques and then destroying them.

related: #clean_water #forever_chemical

While the effect of daylight saving time on energy consumption for light production is small, the effect on heating and air conditioning is significant. While more heating is needed using daylight saving time, even more air conditioning energy is saved with an overall positive effect.

related: #daylight_saving_time #energy_consumption

Researchers found a way to separate blended cotton and polyester material using enzymes. The findings may result in a better possibility of reusing textile waste.

related: #cotton #enzyme

A new study with more than 7000 participants finds that attending live sport events improves the feelings of well-being and reduces the feelings of loneliness.

related: #live_sport #well_being

Using the condensation on organic crystals, researchers have managed to harvest water out of humid air and fog, finding a new source for an increasingly scarce resource.

related: #water #crystal #condensation

Using lasers, scientists analysed ceramics produced by the Wari culture that existed in today's Peru between the years 600 and 1000. They found, for instance, that they drew upon local knowledge of clay sources.

related: #Wari_culture #ceramics

Stress is bad for people's well-being. However, as new research finds employees in stressful situations reduce breaks which aggravates the situation. To counterbalance this, employers should promote well-being and try to make work more pleasant.

related: #stress #breaks

In experiments with fish, it was found that untreated moderate fever helps the organism to boost antimicrobial defences, to control inflammation, and to repair tissue damage. Since the underlying mechanisms are similar in humans it is expected that the results carry over to humans. This may mean that it is often better not use medication against mild fever.

related: #fever #healing

In new research, simulations using evolutionary game theory show that in a reputation based society economic inequality is a powerful enhancer of intolerance. In order to foster tolerance, a redistribution of wealth is an effective intervention.

related: #tolerance #wealth #inequality

A new ultrasound technique using so-called shear waves has been developed to detect the level of tension in human tissue. This can be used as a non-invasive first step in the diagnosis of abnormal tissue, scarring, and cancer.

related: #ultrasound #diagnosis

Polysulfides can act as powerful antioxidants. Now for the first time their amounts have been determined in 22 different types of vegetables including onion and garlic enabling a better understanding of the effects.

related: #antioxidant #vegetable

After Gary Lineker sent a critical tweet on the UK's government's language on asylum seekers, the BBC withdrew him from its flagship sports programme. Lineker refused to withdraw his tweet and his co-presenters and sportspersons supported him in his fight for freedom of speech against the BBC by withdrawing from the programme as well.

related: #freedom_of_speech

Scientists managed to completely map the brain of a baby fruit fly with 3016 neurons and about 548,000 connections between them. This is an important step in understanding brains in general.

related: #brain #complete_map

A new lutetium based superconductor has been developed that can be operated at 20 degrees Celsius and a pressure of 10 kilobars. These are a temperature and pressure that make practical applications possible.

related: #superconductor

A new study finds that people who follow a Mediterranean diet (green vegetables, fruits, whole grain, olive oil, nuts, and fish) show fewer amyloid plaques, associated with Alzheimer's disease, than others.

related: #Mediterranean_diet #Alzheimer

A new polymer coating can extend the lifetime of lithium-ion car batteries from ten to fifteen years and at the same time increase the energy density.

related: #battery #coating

In a new study it has been found that people who have a good cardiovascular health status (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, body-mass-index) and a good lifestyle (no smoking, physical activity, good sleep, healthy diet) live typically more than five years longer and have in these years a life free of chronic disease.

related: #health #life_expectancy

Studying prehispanic Mesoamerican societies it was found that those societies survived longer that had early infrastructural investments, a high degree of economic interdependence, and collective forms of governance.

related: #civilization #collective

After ten years of negotiations an international treaty has been agreed in New York which plans to protect 30 percent (compared to 1 percent now) of the oceans by 2030. In the protected areas fishing and other economic use such as deep sea mining will be limited.

related: #ocean #protection

At the "Our Ocean" conference in Panama, the EU and the US have pledged more than six billion euros to the protection of the oceans. The money will be used, for instance, to fight illegal fishing.

related: #sea #protection #environment

A new sensor made of sea salt, water, seaweed, and graphene can be used by runners and patients to monitor the heart rate. It is very sensitive and biodegradable.

related: #sensor #biodegradable

In type 1 diabetes, the immune system destroys the body's own insulin producing cells in the pancreas. Now scientists managed to implant such cells (originating from a donor or engineered from stem cells) to non-human primates. These cells then produced insulin. The therapy has then to be accompanied by immune suppressants so that the transplanted cells are not destroyed again by the immune system.

related: #diabetes1 #therapy

Some people have hypertension since some kidney nerves are hyperactive. Now a new device has been developed that calms these nerves by ultrasound, thereby lowering the patients' high blood pressure.

related: #hypertension #ultrasound