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IMAGE: A new study led by Swansea University reveals that only 10% of the forest that is left on two Indonesian islands remains fire-resistant.
The researchers warn that protecting this. view more
Credit: T. Smith
A new study led by researchers in the Geography Department at Swansea University reveals the extreme scale of loss and fragmentation of tropical forests, which once covered much of the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan.
The study also reveals that only 10% of the forest that is left remains fire-resistant. The researchers warn that protecting this is crucial for preventing catastrophic fire.
Tropical deforestation exacerbates recurrent peatland fire events in this region. These release globally significant greenhouse gas emissions and produce toxic haze events across South East Asia.
Illuminating shoelaces increase safety for joggers and cyclists
The innovative shoelaces contain light emitting diodes the size of a flea and are activated by the wearer tapping their shoes together.
15th December 2020
Textiles experts at Nottingham Trent University have designed shoelaces that light up and flash to improve safety at night for joggers and cyclists. Created by researchers in the Advanced Textiles Research Group (ATRG) in collaboration with leading science and engineering company QinetiQ, the laces are also intended as a fashion accessory.
The braided shoelaces contain light emitting diodes (LEDs) ‘the size of a flea’ and are switched on or off by the wearer tapping their shoes together, ATRG says. As the LEDs are encapsulated in a waterproof resin, the laces are fully washable and wearable so they can be worn and used like any other pair of laces, the group adds.
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Researchers from the University of Kent have developed a computer algorithm that can identify differences in cancer cell lines based on microscopic images, a unique development towards ending misidentification of cells in laboratories.
Cancer cell lines are cells isolated and grown as cell cultures in laboratories for study and developing anti-cancer drugs. However, many cell lines are misidentified after being swapped or contaminated with others, meaning many researchers may work with incorrect cells.
This has been a persistent problem since work with cancer cell lines began. Short tandem repeat (STR) analysis is commonly used to identify cancer cell lines, but is expensive and time-consuming. Moreover, STR cannot discriminate between cells from the same person or animal.