#Promising future for tiny epilepsy defibrillator Antal Berényi combined a boyhood passion for electronics and years of medical training to build a device that,
once implanted under the skin, can detect and stop epileptic attacks just as a defibrillator corrects heart arrhythmia.
Like its inventor, the prototype device, which is being readied for trials in the US, has all the makings of a big future. fotolia. com Antal Berényi left Szeged University in Hungary for the United states with a plan.
He wanted to design and build a device to detect and stop epileptic attacks without drugs and without major brain surgery.
To the 50 million people worldwide who suffer from epileptic seizures a chronic neurobiological disorder this simple plan could transform their lives.
Working with the renowned scientist Dr György Buzsáki of CMBN Rutgers, State university of New jersey (US), he not only built the prototype device,
but has already proved it works in rats. The next step is a number of preliminary safety experiments to test its therapeutic potential in humans.
EU funding for Dr Berényi's international TSPUMMNRPS project helped him quickly bring the prototype together.
Many of the pieces were ordered and manufactured in Hungary, then assembled in the US. The prototype took just half a year to design and construct."
"I think being trained a medical doctor helped me work out what was needed really in terms of the electronics,
"the researcher suggests, "which sped up the whole design and testing phase.""The novel device detects
when an epileptic seizure is coming and applies tiny, on-demand electric pulses which help the brain return to normal functioning.
It works in much the same way as an implantable cardiac defibrillator applies shocks automatically to the heart after detecting minor cardiac rhythm disturbances."
"A small circuit is continuously monitoring brain activity and, if it detects a'failure, 'transmits a special electric pulse through the brain.
would mean less invasive and more cost-effective procedures, lower risks of infection and improved overall outcomes,
especially for the 30%of epileptics who cannot be treated with drugs. The fact that the device can be implanted in a minimally invasive way is"crucial"
there is no need to open up the bone during surgery.""This can dramatically reduce complications (infections, intracerebral bleeding, etc.
because the brain tissue is exposed not directly to any manipulation, Dr Berényi suggests.""And shorter, less-complex surgeries usually lead to faster postoperative recovery in general,
"he adds. Patents have been filed for the TSPUMMNRPS device, and the project's work has gained wider attention following the November publication in Science magazine of the team's findings on'Closed-loop control of epilepsy by trans-cranial electrical stimulation'.
'And commercial interest?""Since the device is in a preclinical experimental stage, there is no industrial demand for it,
but once its effectiveness is proved on human patients and approved by the authorities, hopefully we'll find an industrial partner with vision to take it to the market,"notes the researcher.
Dr Berényi will combine his medical experience and skills gained in the US with his knowledge of electronics
and information technology to establish an electrophysiology lab back at Szeged University (HU).""As a boy,
I was so eager to see how things work that I immediately disassembled all my gifts,"recalls the young scientist."
there has never been need a greater for quick and accurate ways to detect explosives, toxic chemicals, illegal drugs and other potential hazards to public safety and health.
Contributing to this effort is a European union (EU)- funded project that has united a Russian-born physicist working at a Dutch university with a private company in the UK.
trained post-doctorate fellows, and won a tender to develop detection equipment for rescue workers in The netherlands.
One of the driving forces behind I-Sense is physicist Yuri Udalov, a twotime recipient of funding from the EU's Marie Curie Actions (MCAS) programme of support for the mobility of researchers.
A Phd recipient from Moscow's prestigious Lebedev Physics Institute, which has produced nine Nobel prize winners,
he received Marie Curie funding to support two research fellows. Five years later, Udalov was working as a researcher at the University of Twente in the field of high-power pulsed electron beams
when another opportunity arose.""I was looking for funding for another project in the field of de-mining and unexploded ordnance,
and the inspection of luggage,"Udalov said.""I knew some people in the UK, so we designed an industry-academia project
and in April 2006 it was approved for#585,000 in Marie Curie funding for the period 2006-2009,
The funding supported research in two directions, Udalov said an advanced, high-power X-ray imaging technology known as"backscatter,
which can find traces of explosives, chemical weapons and illicit drugs. Among the project's breakthroughs, the X-ray backscatter equipment produces high-intensity beams
Firefighters will be able to use mobile devices to detect potential hazards before they enter buildings. Police can drive through cities and search for"meth labs"and marijuana operations.
Chemical weapons can be detected earlier than it was the case with other systems. And X-ray equipment will be more compact,
meaning that large trucks will no longer be needed to carry them into the field. The project also stimulated substantial knowledge transfer.
Udalov spent time at the UK company Ex-Beams Ltd. to learn about IMS technology
Both companies are negotiating with private investors and are in the process of adding new staff members, Udalov said."
The project was supported by European taxpayers, and we want to pay something back to them.""Project details Participants:
This 460 hectare vineyard is located in a green and prosperous area of the country where agriculture is the main industry.
The only effective way of ensuring a more environmentally friendly energy supply is by using renewable energy.
we will also be able to diversify our energy sources and reduce the dependence on gas, coal and oil."
"We all get heat from sun. We feel it on our bodies when it's warm,
'We also derive electricity from solar energy but who ever heard of getting cold from sun?
one has to look closely at how MEDISCO actually works. The process involves single axis tracking concentrating collectors that essentially orient panels towards the sunlight.
These collectors are capable of producing heat at about 200°C which in turn drives an absorption-refrigeration machine.
This machine cools a water-glycol mixture up to negative temperatures of about-10°C."By using heat instead of electricity,
the wine is kept at the correct temperature required during its production process. This temperature varies depending on the wine typology and time required"
MEDISCO is also proving its worth in tests at a dairy factory in Marrakech, Morocco.
Hot weather there has caused often large quantities of fresh milk to go off meaning it cannot be sold to the public.
Rural areas in the country where there are simply not enough energy resources available to run cooling equipment have also been affected by the high temperatures.
And with an investment of#1. 4 million, the European union has high hopes for the project's future application."
"MEDISCO is totally relevant we have proven that a new solar cooling concept works. The concept definitely has a future in hot and arid regions."
"says the Professor. Indeed, experts echo the sentiment saying that the refrigeration system developed and tested by MEDISCO could really help the Mediterranean and indeed other areas with no conventional means of refrigeration due to a lack of water and nonexistent or unreliable energy sources y
#FLY-BAG CHALLENGE#Innovative bombproof luggage container to improve aviation safety Engineers are continually working on new ways to improve aviation safety,
and the European union (EU)- funded research project Fly-Bag may have taken a big step towards preventing terrorist attacks.
In other words, the Fly-Bag technology can stop a small-to-medium-sized bomb hidden in a suitcase
was made possible by EU co-funding, which helped bring together an international team of manufacturing, material and aviation engineers.
universities and small and medium sized companies with specialist expertise in areas like textile and aeronautics."High-tech textiles have advanced a lot in the last few years.
Even bulletproof vests now use composite textiles, "said Zangani.""For this application of the technology, we needed blast protection, first of all,
One of the major potential uses is on cargo planes not to confine terrorist bombs, but to transport dangerous materials."
"For instance, there is the problem of lithium batteries, which can catch fire easily if they are transported not properly,
#OXYMOD-Cleaner power thanks to mathematics Mathematical modelling has in recent years proven to be a useful and cost-cutting tool for designing and modernising coal fired power plants.
The Oxymod project supported by the European union (EU) Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) has striven to extend existing combustion modelling capabilities to oxy fuel combustion conditions.
This should lead to preparation and pre-engineering of large demonstration power plants in Europe using modern and clean oxy fuel CO2 capture technology in the near future.
Oxy fuel technology was proposed for conventional pulverised coal fired combustion already in the'80s; however, recent developments have led to a renewed interest in the technology, with the ultimate goal of significantly reducing CO2 EMISSIONS via capture.
During the process, pure oxygen is used as the primary oxidant (rather than air), and combined with recycled smoke exhaust,
thereby producing a gas consisting of mainly CO2 and water vapour, which after purification and compression is ready for storage.
The Oxymod project has combined experimental work in Europe's largest oxy fuel testing facilities with model development and implementation,
and initial validation through comparisons to experimental data. An extensive database of oxy fuel and air combustion trials in gas-and coal fired testing facilities has been compiled.
Initial validation in 20 kilowatt, 100 kilowatt and 500 kilowatt testing facilities has proved the combustion models developed can predict the more moderate combustion under oxy fuel conditions.
"says Project Representative Göran Lindgren, Managing director of Carbon Capture and Storage R&d in Vattenfall AB, Sweden."
CFD model developers and users (Vattenfall Research and development AB, IVD Stuttgart, and the National Technical University of Athens);
experimental test facilities operators (Chalmers and IVD Stuttgart; a leading manufacturer of power boilers (Doosan Babcock Energy Limited;
and a commercial code developer and manufacturer (Ansys UK Limited. Oxymod is one of many successful projects financed by the RFCS,
and universities across the EU helping to develop knowledge and foster innovation. Project details Participants:
#Converting waste rubber into quality products Pioneering new research is set to upset the standard paradigm of downcycling,
and as a result, high-quality new plastics from old plastics will soon be a possibility.
Downcycling is the process of transforming waste materials things we would throw away into another product of lesser quality,
e g. turning a used plastic bottle into a lower grade product, or rubber residues to floor coverings or safety crash pads.
and a large portion of these goes into the production of vehicle tires. Once the products reach the end of their useful life
in the floor coverings used at sports arenas and playgrounds, and in doormats. But until now, the appropriate techniques for producing high-quality materials from these recyclables did not exist.
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy technology UMSICHT in Oberhausen have succeeded now in optimising the recycling of rubber waste materials.
The new plastic compounds are called elastomer powder modified thermoplastics or EPMT for short. They are made up of rubber residues crushed into elastomer powder that are blended with thermoplastics.
Dr Holger Wack, scientist at UMSICHT, explains the production process:''In the first step, the rubber residues, that can be meter-long rubber pieces,
This is then conducted to the melt-mix process with thermoplastics and additives. Here we use, for example, polypropylene as a thermoplastic material.'
'Dr Holger Wack worked in collaboration with his colleagues Damian Hintemann and Nina Kloster, on the'EXIST Research Transfer'project sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology (BMWI).
Together they experimented on various recipes for new blends of materials that are protected already by patent and trademark rights.
The crushing of rubber waste is more environmentally friendly and resource-efficient than producing new rubber products an important aspect in view of the rising costs of energy and raw materials.'
'EPMT may contain up to 80 per cent residual rubber; only 20 per cent is made up by the thermoplastics,
'says Wack. EPMT can be processed easily in injection mouldings and extrusion machines, and in turn, these products are themselves recyclable.
The clue: The physical and mechanical material properties of the substance like elasticity, breaking strain and hardness can be modified individually, according to the customer wishes.
processors of thermoplastic elastomers can obtain EPMT and turn it into products. Industrial companies whose work involves elastomers such as the industrial and construction sectors,
or carmakers and athletics could recycle these products, make EPMT from them, incorporate them into their existing products
and thereby close the materials cycle e
#Nanotechnology: smiles all round A smile can say more than a thousand words, the saying goes. Orthodontics can help improve the appearance and position of people's teeth and jawbones, for better functioning teeth and more attractive smiles.
In recent years, dental correction orthodontics have used braces made from clear plastic polymer to good effect,
but now they are hoping to improve on this with help from nanotechnology. A Spanish university has patented a breakthrough new process,
producing smiles all round. Orthodontic treatment is carried out using braces, which generally fall into two broad categories:
removable braces (or retainers), and fixed braces (or train tracks). They may be made of metal, white porcelain or clear plastic.
Braces made from a clear plastic polymer have a better aesthetics when compared to metal braces,
but they do come with their own set of problems, such as wear and tear within the mouth. This is where advances in nanotechnology could provide solutions.'
'We were estimating the friction between teeth and the brackets braces, and it occurred to us that nanotechnology might be of use to help us resolve this issue,
'remarked Juan Baselga, head of the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) Polymers and Composite Group.
The solution that they came up with is to use very hard alumina nanoparticles and spread them evenly in the polysulfone,
the polymer mould that the company CEOSA-Euroortodoncia uses in the industrial production of the braces.
The researchers from UC3M, together with a private company, have patented a new process and have produced a new material that increases the mechanical as well as the friction resistance,
thereby maintaining the braces'transparency.''We have been able to develop a more rigid material with this technology
which has improved a clearly friction resistance, thus helping to withstand the wear and tear produced by the teeth or by chewing,
'Professor Baselga explained.''In addition, it is biocompatible, which is essential for something that is going to be used in the mouth,
and complies with European requirements for products which are in contact with food.''This innovation allows nanoparticles to be incorporated
and evenly dispersed in a polymer mould in a very low proportion. After this process based on green chemical techniques is carried out by UC3M researchers,
the particles are dispersed in the polymer through micro-extrusion and microinjection techniques, and are mixed finally to produce the final piece.'
'We measure out the plastic since the minimum that a normal machine can inject is 15 grams,
whereas our pieces weigh. 06 grams it would be akin to injecting insulin with a horse syringe,
'explained company Director, Alberto Cervera.''And with the technology we are using, micro-extrusion and the micro-injection,
we are capable of controlling these minuscule quantities of material with the utmost precision, 'he added.
and we get support from the University to produce a first-rate product, which is then advantageous in the agreements
'According to the researchers, these new materials, nano-reinforced plastics, can have applications in fields other than orthodontics.
In particular, polysulfone is of interest in the biohealth field in the development of medical/surgical equipment:
its biocompatibility means it can be used to improve rigidity and friction resistance. Furthermore, it has potential applications in the auto industry and in the area of safety,
such as the development of a new visor for firefighters, for example e
#Shiparrestor#New rescue tool to save ships in distress To speed and improve rescue operations
and thus save lives, prevent environmental disasters and recover valuable cargo a European union (EU) funded research project has developed a unique emergency-response system with vast potential.
or slam into an oil rig, lighthouse or other structure. Supported by an EU grant of#1. 1 million, the Shiparrestor team has developed a three-part system to improve rescue operations.
and include national maritime agencies, insurers, and salvage companies d
#Ultravisc#Separating the plastic from the chaff To the untrained eye, recycling almost appears to be like some kind of alchemy, that medieval art
which sought to transform base metals into gold. For instance, you may put soft drink bottles in at one end of the process and produce plastic chairs and tables at the other end.
Recycling plastics has many environmental and economic advantages. With dwindling global supplies of oil, recycling offers a powerful means of reducing the amount of petroleum (currently standing at around 8%of global production) required to manufacture plastics, the production
of which is growing steadily. In fact the amount of plastic produced in the first decade of this century is believed to have exceeded all that was produced in the previous one.
Plastic waste, which has a tendency to spread to even the remotest environments, can take centuries to decompose,
and is potentially harmful to the environment, human health and wildlife. Although reducing the amount of disposable plastic products manufactured offers the most sustainable way forward,
recycling is also a powerful tool. But recycling faces many challenges. The complex structure of plastic polymers makes the mixing of different plastics difficult
or can result in weaker materials, and requires greater amounts of energy in the production process.
The upshot of this is that a lower proportion of plastic waste is recycled compared with other materials:
21.3%in the EU against 80%of newspapers. However, it should be pointed out that Europe also uses plastic waste as an energy source,
and so, together, energy recovery and recycling use up more than half of the Union's plastic waste. Going with the flow The variability in the quality of inputs also leads to major fluctuations in the viscosity,
i e. the'thickness'of the melted raw materials as they flow through the production process, requiring constant adjustment to the temperature
and other variables if a consistent quality is to be maintained. This presents a major challenge for extrusion
i e. the process of pushing the melted plastic through a special die which cuts or shapes it into the desired form,
resulting in significant waste. The EU-funded project'Sensor-base ultrasonic viscosity control for the extrusion of recycled plastics'(Ultravisc) has broken the mould
when it comes to extruding products from recycled plastic. The two-year project sought to improve the recycling of post-consumer plastic waste by compensating for impurities
and variations in the physical properties of recycled feedstock. The way Ultravisc does this is through the use of sensors to regulate the flow and viscosity of the feedstock during the extrusion process.
It employs a closed-loop system to monitor the conditions of the recycled polymers and applies ultrasonic energy to the melt as and when required."
"The ultrasonic technology is used to control the flow of the plastic through the production line and to control the properties of the plastics,
resulting in the production of a more consistent product,"explains Dr Paul Beaney, the technical manager at Cherry Plastics Group which coordinated the project."
"Ultrasonic technology had never been integrated into recycling technology before, so building the ultrasonic modulator was a big challenge,
"he adds. But the consortium of eight partners from six EU countries drawn from industry
and academia managed to pull it off successfully to create an automatic system that does not require human interference.
Recycling for all Ultravisc is an intelligent and fully automated process.""Because the knowledge is built into the system,
it does need not operators who are skilled highly or experienced,"notes Dr Beaney. This advance has the potential to open up plastic recycling to a wider group of actors,
and not just highly specialised companies. Another benefit of this fully automated melt-flow system is that it has halved the response time compared with traditional temperature-control methods.
And, it can regulate the flow and viscosity at far lower temperatures, thereby boosting the overall efficiency of the recycling process."
"Ultravisc also allows you to use recycled products in places where it was not previously possible,
and enables you to use more waste plastics in the process, thereby improving the environmental friendliness of the recycling process,
"Dr Beaney adds. The project participants are exploring how best to commercialise the technology whether to do it themselves or seek out partners.
A working lab prototype has been built which has been tested fully, and the team is now in the process of building a full-scale unit
which can be used on the large extruders at Cherry Pipes, based in Dunganno, Northern ireland (UK).
) When implemented fully, and depending on how it is commercialised, Ultravisc is expected to reduce waste by about 2%,down time by around 5,
%and lower energy consumption by 5%when used on extruders. This could amount to millions of euros in savings
if the technology is taken up by enough recyclers. Project details Participants: United kingdom (coordinator), Spain, Belgium, Estonia, Denmark, Ireland FP7 Proj.
N°232176 Total costs:##1 273 827 EU contribution:##969 970 Duration: October 2009 to September 201
#Expanding insight into Alzheimer's disease Chronic neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's, are all characterised by an inflammatory reaction within the brain.
however a European research fellow has identified a molecular system that contributes to the mechanisms regulating the progression of neurodegeneration.
This could potentially lead to new therapeutic treatments to effectively combat the condition. The fellow, Diego Gómez-Nicola, from the CNS Inflammation group at the University of Southampton in the United kingdom, examined how a specific cell protein receptor called CSF1R controls the spread and inflammation in neurodegenerative diseases.
As part of the European union (EU)- funded Marie Curie project called PRONEURODEG, Gómez-Nicola discovered that a laboratory drug targeting the identified protein could help effectively combat the disease.
The results based on research with mice, could open new avenues for the regulation of Alzheimer-like reactions in the brain related to the loss of memory and other mental abilities.
The researcher studied the biology of microglial cells, which play a leading role in the development and maintenance of the inflammatory reaction,
and how they increased in number during different neurodegenerative conditions. y targeting the CSF1R receptor with a selective inhibitor,
I was able to delay the symptoms of the disease and also prevent the loss of neurons,
which slowed the onset of the clinical and pathological course of prion disease, and extended the survival rate,
Gómez-Nicola work also looked at neural stem cells, the intrinsic self-repair mechanism in adults. He found that some activity during the disease compensated for cell death at the hippocampus,
the brain structure involved in learning and memory. e showed that a self-repair mechanism is in place during widespread neurodegeneration,
leading to new avenues for treatment, affirms Gómez-Nicola. PRONEURODEG project coordinator, Hugh Perry, and also Professor of Experimental Neuropathology at the University of Southampton,
says the research looked at an aspect that all neurodegenerative diseases have in common: the activation of immune cells and their increase in number.
The researchers know that infections elsewhere in the body communicate with the brain, and that is why we feel ill.
However, sometimes this response and the increase of immune cells become harmful, he says. Gómez-Nicola tested on mice
and analysed the results to show how self-repair might work with humans. iego found that the increase in brain immune cells was a result of local proliferation.
not only supported the research work, but it also helped me personally progress to the next step of my career:
#SARTRE#ROAD TRAINS: Hands-free driving hits the highway Known as"road trains,"a truck driven by a specially trained driver leads a procession of cars
or other trucks that automatically follow steering and braking instructions being transmitted wirelessly from the escort vehicle.
With their hands and feet completely free, drivers can read, eat, talk on the phone,
catch up on work, write letters or watch television, if they so wish. If the lead vehicle has to turn,
speed up, slow down or even brake suddenly, the action is sent instantaneously to the following vehicles, which copy the actions automatically and safely without the need for the driver to do anything.
The following cars constantly measure the lead vehicle's location speed and direction, and immediately adjust to any changes no matter how slight."
"Platooning"or"convoying, "as the road trains are known also, directly addresses the three cornerstone issues of transportation:
environment, safety and congestion. With the vehicles drafting a few metres behind each other, SARTRE short for"Safe Road trains for the Environment"can cut fuel consumption by up to 20%.
%Because the sensor-based system reacts faster than people who are the cause of 87%of traffic accidents SARTRE provides safety benefits.
And SARTRE can improve how roads are utilised, since vehicles can travel very close together or drive long distances at night
when roads are used less. For drivers, SARTRE can reduce their stress and increase their comfort.
It combines the advantages of public transportation, with someone else doing the driving, and the freedom of a privately owned car that can leave the road train at any time.
The project also provides significant benefits for the EU. SARTRE has brought together leading-edge researchers from four countries
creating meaningful synergies that have led already to spin-off technologies in the rapidly growing field of intelligent transport.
Such a wide-ranging project that involves long-distance travel would fit elegantly into Europe's transportation system.
Recent trials conducted at Volvo's test track near Gothenburg, Sweden, successfully created a road train comprised of a lead truck followed by three cars travelling up to 90 km/hour entirely autonomously with a gap of no more than 6 metres.
By end of 2012, the SARTRE team hopes to add a fourth vehicle to the train,
which would complete its current round of tests. With such a complicated technology a number of challenges technical and otherwise have to be worked out.
Still unresolved are questions about how the vehicles would respond if the lead truck has an accident, the ideal distance between vehicles,
and whether dedicated routes would be established, like traditional public transportation. An EU-wide legal framework will have to be developed to allow road trains to operate throughout Europe.
The system's biggest advantages may lie in its adaptability and relatively low cost.""SARTRE's underlying technology can be integrated into vehicles within a few years in a cost-effective manner,
"said Eric Chan, chief engineer of Ricardo, a UK-based transportation technology company that is leading the project."
"And there is no need to change the road infrastructure, which would allow SARTRE vehicles to use existing highways."
"Project details Participants: United kingdom (Coordinator), Sweden, Spain, Germany FP7 Proj. N°233683 Total costs:##6 418 894 EU contribution:#
#3 837 129 Duration: September 2009 to October 201 t
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