Neat News - Neat things do happen

A new catalyst based on iron has been developed that can be used to convert the potent green house gas methane directly to methanol. The problem in the oxidation process is that it should not go too far so that the methanol can be used.

related: #catalyst #methanol #methane

In Spain some high sprinklers shield some cities from flames by creating a wet barrier and keeping the surrounding area moisturized when there is a high fire risk.

related: #sprinkler #wildfire

A new study finds that house plants remove potentially toxic fumes from the air. This is important since most people spend significant amounts of time indoor, and poor indoor air quality is made responsible for millions of death every year.

related: #house_plant #indoor #air_quality

At least five people became HIV-free after receiving a stem cell treatment (for treating leukaemia). Now researchers were studying in experiments with animals why this led to results with respect to HIV as well. Most importantly, the transplanted cells must recognize the HIV-infected cells as hostile, and must protect themselves from being infected by HIV. The insights give hope that a cure for HIV may be developed.

related: #HIV #stem_cell_treatment

In a new three-year study with 3500 people over 60 it has been found that the memory decline in older people is slowed down by them taking multivitamin supplements. It is not clear yet whether a particular component is linked to the improvement in memory.

related: #memory #vitamin #age

The Mediterranean diet has significant health benefits. As an Australian study finds it is also cheaper than the typical Western diet.

related: #Mediterranean_diet

In order to find an antibiotic against the dangerous bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii, scientists tested first its behaviour on thousands of known drugs and then let an AI system compute an estimate for the effectiveness of 6680 other drugs. The 240 most promising candidates were then tested again in the lab on mice and of the 9 potential antibiotics one proved to be a very potent antibiotic, now called abaucin.

related: #antibiotic

Scientists found that so-called transcranial magnetic stimulation of the brain can produce changes in the brain that counter certain neural activities and this way treat depression that had resisted other forms of treatment.

related: #depression #magnet #stimulation

In order to cut carbon emissions France has banned short-haul flights for routes were alternative train routes exist. The per kilometre and per passenger CO₂ submission for a flight is about three times that of a train journey according to the article.

related: #short_haul_flight #CO2

Collecting recycled goods from houses has big positive effects on the environment and the climate and is - according to a new study - one of the most effective things to do comparable to moving to electric vehicles.

related: #recycling

Basalt rock can absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere when CO₂ rich rain water falls on the rocks. To bring out basalt in big quantities can form one of many components to combat global warming.

related: #basalt #CO2 #global_warming

A research team managed to implant some people who have lost a hand some sensor so that they have again a warm/cold feel in the remaining limb. The approach was successful in 17 of 27 participants.

related: #temperature #sense #implant

An edible coating of strawberries by cannabidiol makes them to stay longer fresh and could reduce the number of ones that are found rotten when unpacked after buying them. Cannabidiol or CBD is a non-hallucinogenic substance in cannabis.

related: #coating #strawberry

It has long been known that diet can have an effect on the longevity, for instance, restricting the food intake may be positive. Now experiments have been made with flies by inducing hunger in them by some red light. Those hungry flies lived longer than those in a control group.

related: #hunger #longevity

Death cap is the most poisonous mushroom, responsible for 90 percent of mushroom related deaths. Now for the first time the structure of the poison has been understood and a potential antidote been found. In experiments with mice, a known dye used in medical application, called indocyanine green, has proved effective as an antidote, if given quickly enough.

related: #death_cap #antidote

Cows and other ruminants swallow half-chewed food and later regurgitate it to finish the chewing. Scientists found now that this protects their teeth from being ground in the chewing process since it contains then much less hard grit, sand, and dust.

related: #cow #rumination #teeth

In conventional farming, fertilizer is often a by-product of the meat production. In a film it is reported that some organic apple farmers in southern Germany are switching on their farms to vegan fertilizer, based on non-animal products made, for instance, from clover or algae.

related: #fertilizer #organic #vegan

As the closest observed event of this type, astronomers have witnessed how the supermassive black hole at the centre of a galaxy has swallowed a passing star, sending out huge amounts of light. Fortunately, it all happened at a safe distance of some 137 million light-years from us.

related: #black_hole #star

The small island of Irooj in the Marshall Islands had many invasive rats which threatened other species such as seabirds. In a coordinated effort of the authorities and the Island Conservation programme the rats could be eradicated and seabirds and crabs are doing very well again.

related: #rats #island #seabird

In new research it has been found that typically the flow of the brewing water in the ground coffee is uneven. This may mean that part of the coffee is completely extracted (making the drink bitter) and part of the coffee only minimally extracted (making the drink watery). An even flow may improve the quality and reduce the amount of ground coffee needed.

related: #coffee

The WHO (World Health Organization) has declared the global Monkeypox emergency, which peaked in 2022, over.

related: #monkeypox

In experiments with rats it has been found that certain neurons in the brain that are related to smell seem to play an important role in the development of depression. If the activity of these cells no longer oscillates between joint activity and joint silence then depression is much more likely. Reinstating the oscillations reduces the depression-typical behaviour in the rats, showing a path to a potential new treatment.

related: #depression #brain_activity

Some bacteria have been engineered that can produce carbon products, via so-called carbenes, in a way that greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.

related: #bacteria #CO2

In a short film it is described how The International Fund for Animal Welfare protects 45,000 elephants in the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe: They help rangers by providing advanced training; they involve the local people by providing boreholes for water supply (so that people do not have to compete for the water with the elephants); and they build water catchment areas to deal with problems from climate change.

related: #elephant #Zimbabwe

New coatings for implants have been developed and tested on animals. They offer two advantages. First, their nanostructure integrates sensors that give early warnings about the failure of the implant or of the healing process. Second, the coating is anti-bacterial in that it can kill bacteria by puncturing their cell walls.

related: #coating #implant

We all assume that looking at paintings can have a positive effect on our mood and well-being. In a recent study it has been found that this is indeed the case, even if the viewing happens only online.

related: #art #well_being #online

A study in Finland found that older people today have a better mental well-being than 30 years ago. This shows that people between 75 and 80 have fewer depressive symptoms and better life satisfaction than corresponding people in the 1990s.

related: #old_age #life_satisfaction

The blood-brain barrier protects the neurons in the brain from pathogens, but unfortunately also from chemotherapy against brain tumours such as glioblastoma. Now in a four-minute treatment the blood-brain barrier is opened by some ultrasound, enabling chemotherapy. The effect lasts for about one hour.

related: #brain_cancer #blood_brain_barrier #ultrasound

A touch-sensitive armband has been developed that is a touch pad and can be used to produce sketches or sign documents. This piece of wearable technology can also serve as a keyboard for a computer.

related: #wearable

By engineering a gene oscillator, scientists managed to slow cell degeneration in yeast. This way it was possible to increase the life span of the cells by 82 percent.

related: #cell #life_span #extension

Some approved antibiotics that have been scientifically reevaluated are unexpectedly more effective against superbugs than thought, since previous tests were not sufficiently accurate.

related: #antibiotics