science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Πέμπτη 20 Φεβρουαρίου 2014

Science News SciGuru.com

New research blows away claims that ageing wind farms are a bad investment
Iron deficiency may increase stroke risk through sticky blood
Newly Developed Chemical Restores Light Perception to Blind Mice

New research blows away claims that ageing wind farms are a bad investment

Posted: 20 Feb 2014 04:33 AM PST

Wind turbines can remain productive for up to 25 years, making wind farms a good long-term choice for energy investors, according to new research.

The UK has a target of generating 15 per cent of the nation's energy from renewable resources such as wind farms by 2020. There are currently 4,246 individual wind turbines in the UK across 531 wind farms, generating 7.5 per cent of the nation's electricity.

Iron deficiency may increase stroke risk through sticky blood

Posted: 19 Feb 2014 01:00 PM PST

Scientists at Imperial College London have discovered that iron deficiency may increase stroke risk by making the blood more sticky.

The findings, published in the journal PLOS ONE, could ultimately help with stroke prevention.

Every year, 15 million people worldwide suffer a stroke. Nearly six million die and another five million are left permanently disabled. The most common type, ischaemic stroke, occurs because the blood supply to the brain is interrupted by small clots.

Newly Developed Chemical Restores Light Perception to Blind Mice

Posted: 19 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

Progressive degeneration of photoreceptors—the rods and cones of the eyes—causes blinding diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration. While there are currently no available treatments to reverse this degeneration, a newly developed compound allows other cells in the eye to act like photoreceptors. As described in a study appearing in the February 19 issue of the Cell Press journal Neuron, the compound may be a potential drug candidate for treating patients suffering from degenerative retinal disorders.