Hate crime victims throughout the United Kingdom are being let down by the Government and criminal justice agencies, according to a new report undertaken by University of Leicester experts in collaboration with Amnesty International UK. Through a series of case studies the report, which is based on research by experts from the University of Leicester’s Centre for Hate Studies, illustrates significant levels of under-reporting, inadequate support provision for victims, insufficient training for police officers and low investment in educational and rehabilitative interventions.

Ways in which the state is failing in its duty to prevent and tackle hate crimes include:

• failure to increase public awareness of hate crimes across all sections of society
• failure to embed diversity-related themes within the curriculum
• failure to support victims of online hate
• failure to make public transport safe
• failure to provide parity in legislative protection
• failure to maintain a responsible tone around issues of immigration and 'difference'

According to research, 27% of all children born in Nepal have low birth weight and over three-quarters of the new born deaths in Nepal occur in these low birth weight babies. A recent research article published in the Journal of Nepal Paediatric Society has identified age, economic status, nutrition and health check-up during pregnancy as the main factors affecting low birth weight in Nepal. "Children born to mothers above 35 years of age, living in joint-families and having low economic status were found to have given birth to babies with low birth weight," explains Dr Manju Shrestha, lead author of the article. Children weighing less than 2.5kg at the time of birth are considered to be low birth weight, according to the World Health Organization definition. "Low ANC (ante-natal care) visits, not using folic acid and smoking and drinking habits were also associated with low birth weights," she adds. 

•    Un territorio polverizzato - Se oltre alla espansione urbana consideriamo le infrastrutture, scopriamo che la quota di territorio che si può considerare completamente artificializzato nel nostro Paese sale dal 7% al 10% e che aver investito prevalentemente nella realizzazione di strade e autostrade ha favorito la diffusione di una peculiare patologia nazionale: la polverizzazione dell’edificato, a bassa densità, in aree molto vaste (sprinkling), facilitata dallo squilibrio in favore della mobilità su gomma (l’Italia è seconda solo al Lussemburgo nella classifica europea della motorizzazione privata: con 608 veicoli per 1000 abitanti).
•   Isole di Natura - Una patologia quella dello sprinkling che, come viene ricordato nel Report WWF, incide sulla rete ecologica e contribuisce alla insularizzazione degli habitat naturali più preziosi del nostro Paese. Nella fascia di 1 km in immediata adiacenza ai Siti di Interesse Comunitari, negli ultimi 50 anni, l’urbanizzazione è salita da 84mila ettari a 300mila ettari, con un incremento medio su scala nazionale del 260%, dilapidando così il nostro capitale naturale.

 

 Installation mowed into the grass at Leicester’s Abbey Park marks the opening of two exhibitions at University of Leicester arts centre

 Installation forms part of ‘Leicester: Memories of Industry’, 10 June – 20 August at Attenborough Arts Centre. One man went to mow, quite literally, to create a stunning new outdoor art installation for the Attenborough Arts Centre, the University of Leicester’s arts centre. During the bright days of summer, the task of mowing the lawn is considered by most to be an inevitable chore. But artist Graham Ensor is using mown grass to literally imprint Leicester’s industrial past into its natural landscape, with an artwork created in the city’s Abbey Park for the public to appreciate and enjoy. The installation ‘Indus Tree – revolution’ forms part of ‘Leicester: Memories of Industry’, two new exhibitions by the Attenborough Arts Centre, the University of Leicester’s arts centre, from 10 June to 20 August that explores the influence of Leicester’s industrial legacy on its urban and natural landscapes.

Like many areas in Central Europe, large parts of the Black Forest are covered by spruce forests. These are particularly susceptible to climate change. Photo: Jürgen Bauhusertal_(Jürgen Bauhus)

Silver and Douglas firs could replace Norway spruce in the long run due to their greater resistance to droughts

As the climate change progresses, droughts are expected to become more and more common and more intense in Europe, as in many parts of the globe. However, many plants are not able to handle this kind of climate. This includes the Norway spruce, which is Germany’s most important commercial tree species and accounts for the majority of trees in the Black Forest. Valentia Vitali and Prof. Dr. Jürgen Bauhus from the Chair of Silviculture at the University of Freiburg are thus studying other types of needle-leaved conifers to find alternatives. Conifers play a far greater role in commercial forestry and climate protection than broad-leaved trees. In their article “Silver Fir and Douglas Fir Are More Tolerant to Extreme Droughts than Norway Spruce in South-Western Germany” published in the journal Global Change Biology, the scientists concluded that the native silver fir and the Douglas fir, which was imported from the Americas, are suitable tree replacements for the Norway spruce in the long run.

Un recente studio dell’Isac-Cnr ha scoperto come i tensioattivi organici aumentino la capacità delle nubi marine di riflettere la radiazione solare, con effetti su precipitazioni e clima. Il lavoro pubblicato su Nature Le nubi sono elementi fondamentali del bilancio radiativo del nostro pianeta, cioè del rapporto tra la radiazione solare che arriva sulla Terra e quella che viene riflessa di nuovo verso lo spazio. La limitata capacità dei modelli attualmente elaborati e utilizzati dagli studiosi di riprodurre i processi di formazione ed evoluzione delle nubi, perciò, rappresenta un fattore di incertezza essenziale nell’analisi e nella predizione dei cambiamenti climatici. Un team di ricercatori dell’Istituto di scienze dell’atmosfera e del clima del Consiglio nazionale delle ricerche (Isac-Cnr) di Bologna ha ora confermato dal punto di vista sperimentale un’ipotesi formulata due decenni fa che riveste un’importante rilevanza climatologica. I risultati sono stati pubblicati su Nature.

Retogar Improving the autonomy and care of dependent people with acquired brain injury is the scientific and technological challenge of the Retogar project led by researchers from the University of Alicante Institute for Computer Engineering Research (IUII), Miguel Cazorla and José García. These experts started in January and will be focusing on the project through 2019, with virtual reality applications and 3D interfaces, as well as sensors to monitor the movements of this type of patients. Design of an intelligent environment with alerts and geolocation sensors to detect risk scenarios inside and outside the home such as orientation errors, motor difficulties or reduced visibility due to hemiplegia, among other situations. On the other hand, the project focusses on the development of a social robot to improve the interaction with the patient in their physical and cognitive rehabilitation, and even to bring objects closer and to recognise their mood by their facial expressions.

 

 Heart attack shown to be "systemic condition" - other organs also affected

 

An acute heart attack should not be viewed in isolation – myocardial infarction is a "systemic" condition with an impact upon the whole body and engenders responses in other organs, such as liver and spleen.  That is the main finding of a study conducted by PhD student Matthias Zimmermann under the supervision of Hendrik Jan Ankersmit and Michael Mildner at the Division of Thoracic Surgery at the Departments of Surgery and Dermatology of MedUni Vienna. This study has now been published in the journal "Oncotarget". "We have demonstrated the need to rethink our tunnel vision that focuses solely on the heart in the event of a heart attack," says Zimmerman. "A myocardial infarction is not an isolated event – the rest of the body responds as well." Ankersmit adds: "For the first time we were able to scientifically describe the full picture of a myocardial infarction. This contributes enormously to our understanding in terms of systems biology."

Consiglio Nazionale dei Geologi: recepite le nostre istanze e ascoltate le Regioni coinvolte dal sisma

È stato firmato lo scorso giovedì 22 giugno a Roma il “Protocollo d’intesa recante i criteri generali e requisiti minimi per l’iscrizione nell’Elenco speciale dei professionisti abilitati di cui all’articolo 34, commi 1, 2, 5 e 7, Decreto Legge 17 ottobre 2016, n. 189, schema di contratto tipo, censimento dei danni ed istituzione dell’Osservatorio della ricostruzione” tra la Rete Professioni Tecniche e il Commissario straordinario per la ricostruzione Vasco Errani. Il nuovo Protocollo è stato aggiornato anche alla luce del decreto “Sisma 2” che ha accolto molte delle proposte avanzate in precedenza dalla Rete.

Si chiama Turritopsoides marhei ed è un piccolo organismo marino: la nuova specie è stata identificata dai ricercatori del Marhe Center dell’Università di Milano-Bicocca, dal quale prende il nome, in collaborazione con l’Università Politecnica delle Marche. La scoperta è stata pubblicata sulla rivista scientifica Marine Biology Research.

Milano, 27 giugno 2017 – È stata scoperta una nuova specie marina: si chiama Turritopsoides marhei ed è un idrozoo, un piccolo organismo lungo fino a tre millimetri che vive in colonie che raggiungono le dimensioni di circa un centimetro. Gli esemplari della nuova specie sono stati osservati su una scogliera corallina delle Maldive, in ambiente tropicale, e sono in grado di vivere sia su un substrato inorganico, sia su spugne e altre formazioni organiche.