news

Earth Sciences - Event - 07.02.2017

The oxygen content increased when the Earth was covered in ice
In the beginning, planet Earth was a very inhospitable place with no oxygen and only single-celled bacteria as inhabitants. According to a new study, the oxygen content in the air began to increase about 2.4 billion years ago, at the same time as the global glaciation and when all continents were gathered in a single huge landmass, or supercontinent.

Event - Social Sciences - 17.01.2017

How a team-based approach boosts charitable lending
ANN ARBOR?Charitable lenders who belong to a team provide significantly more loans than those on their own, according to new studies led by economists and computer scientists at the University of Michigan. The researchers say the findings have implications for charitable giving as well. The project team, which also include researchers from the National University of Singapore and Kidaptive, studied the behavior of more than 60,000 members of the online lending community Kiva.

Health - Event - 29.11.2016

Cancer patients take comfort in peer stories on online forums
ANN ARBOR'When faced with potentially life-threatening diseases such as cancer, people often seek information about the disease and support from peers. The best resources involve personal stories from other cancer patients that are posted on online forums and scientific websites, which provide comfort during these stressful times, according to a newly published study.

Event - 19.11.2016

Seeking better understanding of the Schoolies mindset
Is walking home alone at 2am more risky during Schoolies celebrations than at other times? University of Queensland School of Psychology researchers will be putting that question - and others - to newly graduated high school students on the Gold Coast this weekend. UQ's Dr Tegan Cruwys and Dr Alexander Saeri will join PhD candidate Laura Ferris on the Gold Coast as a follow-up to Ms Ferris's Understanding Schoolies 2015 study.

Health - Event - 26.10.2016

Lactate measurement improves treatment during labour
Labour dystocia, or the failure of the uterus to contract properly during labour, is a serious problem in obstetrics. A new study from Karolinska Institutet demonstrates a simple method that can make it easier for doctors to assess and treat the condition. The study is published in the journal PLOS ONE and was part-financed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Health - Event - 13.09.2016

Birds choose spring neighbours based on winter ’friendships’
A quote from Professor Sir Peter J Ratcliffe FRS: In clinical medicine, if one doesn't know what to do, one would be better to do nothing.

Event - Health - 05.07.2016

New study examines Freud's theory of Hysteria
New research from King's College London has studied the controversial Freudian theory that Hysteria, a disorder resulting in severe neurological symptoms such as paralysis or seizures, arises in response to psychological stress or trauma. The study, published today in Psychological Medicine , found supportive evidence that stressors around the time of onset of symptoms might be relevant for some patients.

Event - Astronomy / Space Science - 15.06.2016

Researchers celebrate a second sighting of gravitational waves
An instrument built in part by Stanford researchers detected gravitational waves for a second time. The observation proves the system works and improves our understanding of the universe. For physicists around the world, Christmas came one day late this year. On Dec. 26, scientists detected gravitational waves for a second time, further reinforcing Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity.

Electroengineering - Event - 19.04.2016

From Brussels to Brooklyn: Bristol’s 5G wireless research showcased
Two engineers from the University of Bristol's Communication Systems and Networks (CSN) group, who are leaders in the field of 5th generation (5G) wireless networks, have been invited to discuss the future of wireless in Brussels and Brooklyn (US) this week [19 to 22 April]. Mark Beach , Professor of Radio Systems Engineering in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering , will give an invited presentation on the Bristol Is Open Massive MIMO test bed to a European audience at the NetWorld2020 Annual Event and General Assembly 2016 in Brussels today [Tuesday 19 April].

Event - Career - 07.04.2016

Stroke survivors face ‘invisible impairments’ to return to work
'Invisible impairments' can make it difficult for stroke survivors to maintain a job, according to a study from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and the University of Cambridge. The findings, published in the journal BMJ Open , suggest that more needs to be done to make survivors, their GPs and employers aware of the difficulties that they may face.

Event - 19.02.2016

Dangerous fishing may be endangered, new study finds
Catch shares, a form of "rights-based” fisheries management adopted for several fisheries in the Pacific Northwest, may put an end to the kind of daring exploits chronicled in the "Deadliest Catch.” A new study of fishing practices found that the "risky” behavior that makes fishing one of the most dangerous lines of work dropped sharply following the adoption of catch shares management in the West Coast fixed gear sablefish fishery.

Health - Event - 12.01.2016

Two day break in treatment for dialysis patients could be fatal, study finds
Patients given kidney dialysis three times per week more likely to be admitted to hospital or die after two day break in treatment Leading Sheffield kidney researcher awarded fellowship to reduce harm caused by break in dialysis treatment Study now aims to improve treatment for patients with chronic kidney disease Patients who have kidney dialysis three times a week are more likely to be admitted to hospital or die after a two day break, according to a study by a leading kidney researcher at the University of Sheffield.

Environment - Event - 06.11.2015

Exploring whether water shortages are due to climate change or local factors
The Jaguari Reservoir in Brazil. The left side image shows the area on August 3, 2014; the right side image shows the same area on August 16, 2013, before the recent drought began. Credit: NASA. Human-induced climate change plays a clear and significant role in some extreme weather events but understanding the other risks at a local level is also important, say research studies just published.

Event - 31.10.2015

Lines that blur reality
ETH Zurich's Collection of Prints and Drawings is currently exhibiting drawings from the 1950s that were discovered in Andy Warhol's estate. These early works reveal unexpected sides of the famous artist, providing a glimpse into his unique approach, the so-called "blotted line" technique. The discovery, reported in 2011, was sensational: a Munich-based art dealer discovered 400 previously unknown drawings among the remaining works in Andy Warhol's estate.

Health - Event - 13.10.2015

Effects of toilet facilities on child health in rural Africa
For decades, scientists have evaluated the health impact of sanitation conditions by measuring rates of diarrheal disease. A new study shows that child growth improves after communities reduce open defecation. By Leslie Willoughby Stanford research associate Amy Pickering co-authored a study showing that baby and toddler growth improves with access to upgraded toilet facilities in rural Africa.

Mathematics - Event - 12.10.2015

Award for Paper on Simulation of Flow Processes
With one of the highest possible awards in the field of applied mathematics the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) has honoured the authors of a paper on computer-supported simulation of flow processes that appeared last year in one of the society's five journals. Among the SIAM publications the Heidelberg paper was chosen as the one with outstanding research results of special overall significance.

Health - Event - 13.08.2015

Gestational diabetes: A diabetes predictor in fathers
Those who develop gestational diabetes are 7 times as likely to eventually develop type 2 diabetes in the years following pregnancy. Now, in a large study analyzing 20 years of data from Quebec, a team from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) has demonstrated that gestational diabetes signals future diabetes risk not only in mothers, but also in fathers.  The study was recently published in Diabetes Care .

Event - Environment - 21.07.2015

Communication Scholar W. Lance Bennett Receives Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Specialist in Political Communication Doing Research at Institute of Media and Communication Studies at Freie Universität until December 2015 The internationally recognized political scientist and communication scholar, W. Lance Bennett from the University of Washington in Seattle (Washington, USA) is the recipient of a Research Award from the Humboldt Foundation.

Earth Sciences - Event - 30.06.2015

Scientists Pioneer Method to Track Water Flowing in Glaciers
AUSTIN, Texas -  Researchers for the first time have used seismic sensors to track meltwater flowing through glaciers and into the ocean, an essential step to understanding the future of the world's largest glaciers as climate changes. The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) helped pioneer this new method on glaciers in Greenland and Alaska.

Astronomy / Space Science - Event - 09.05.2015

Institute for Pale Blue Dots renamed in honor of Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan longed to explore other worlds, to learn if they, too, contain life. A research institution devoted to the pursuit of this challenge, the Carl Sagan Institute: Pale Blue Dot and Beyond, was unveiled May 9 at Cornell University, Sagan's teaching and research home for most of his career. The inauguration event, "(un)Discovered Worlds," featured a day of public talks given by leading scientists and renowned astronomy pioneers.