Search Results for: Research

BY MATTHEW BRACE
UNIVERSITY of Melbourne scientists have high hopes for a compound from a toxic marine snail that could relieve chronic pain. The venom – from the beautiful but deadly coneshell, found on the Great Barrier Reef – is forming the base for a powerful new pain drug.…

BY PHILIP FINE

THE US Senate has introduced legislation to reduce obesity, particularly among American children and adolescents. If passed, the US$215 million Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act would take on the ‘significant problems associated with obesity,’ mostly by funding measures to encourage better nutrition and more physical activity; this includes federal funding for research and information campaigns.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s research Commissioner Philippe Busquin has backed bids by both France and Spain to host the large ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) in, respectively, the cities of Cadarache and Vandellós. His support follows the announcement that Japan has formally proposed the city of Rokkasho as a site, joining Canada in making a formal application.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
FORMAL calls for research proposals from energy companies and institutes have been released by the European Commission, which has Euro 198 million to spend this year on studies that promote sustainable energy. The funding comes from the recently agreed Euro 16.2 billion European Union (EU) Sixth Framework Programme for research, which runs until 2006.…

BY MONICA DOBIE
AN INTERNATIONAL campaign group Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) has recently published a report claiming that in tests, 52 out of 72 name brand beauty products contained industrial chemicals known as phthalates; HCWH claims these can cause birth defects.…

BY PHILIP FINE

AMAZON – the world’s largest online book retailer – could soon be selling clothes. The New York Times has reported several unnamed retail industry executives being approached by the on-line giant. Retailers Nordstrom, Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy are expected to be first on board for a launch in the coming months.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A FEASIBILITY study has been carried out by the EU’s Joint Research Centre for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to investigate possibilities for incorporating a neutron coincidence counter into the Hybrid K-Edge Densitometer (HKED) to be delivered by ITU under an ITU-NMCC (Nuclear Material Control Centre) contract for the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant, Japan.…

KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed he creation of a new Euro 13 million per annum scheme to monitor the health of Europe’s forests. Assuming it is approved by European Union ministers, the programme would initially run from January 2003 until December 2008.…

Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN footwear industry has been encouraged to take advantage of the new Euro 16.2 billion European Union Sixth Framework Programme for research, to develop high added value products and exploit new information technologies in a bid to defend its hard-pressed position on world markets.…

BY RICHARD HURST
THE MALAWIAN government has announced that it has set up a Malawi Oil Exploration Company to explore for crude oil deposits in its territory. Charles Kaphwiyo director of the Malawian geological surveys said that exploration is expected to begin on Lake Malawi where earlier research had signalled potential hydrocarbon resources.…