Red light, stay away; green light, feel free to hang around and gab. That’s the gist of FlowLight, a new innovation in workplace productivity from UBC computer scientist Thomas Fritz.
Fritz first started work on the "FlowLight" at the University of Zurich. It was inspired by a system used by workers at international engineering firm ABB Inc., wherein they would place road safety cones on their desks when they didn’t want to be disturbed.
Scientists supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) have produced novel electrolytes for rechargeable sodium and magnesium batteries. The research group’s objective was to develop alternatives to lithium-ion technology.
The recent research, led by Arndt Remhof of the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Empa, is said to have demonstrated the potential of sodium and magnesium and his team has produced experimental battery components based on these metals.
The way shops advertise different types of food can have a big impact on the quality of your diet , according to a new RAND Corporation research, a US nonprofit institution.
Studying people who live in areas considered to be food deserts, researchers found that more frequent shopping at convenience and neighborhood stores and being younger, male, without a college degree and receiving government food assistance were associated with greater intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, added sugars and discretionary fats. Being older, male and having a college degree were associated with eating more fruits and vegetables.
PISA is best known for its data on learning outcomes, but it’s 2015 edition also studied students’ satisfaction with life, their relationships with peers, teachers and parents, and how they spend their time outside of school.
Students in some of the countries that top the PISA league tables in science and mathematics reported comparatively low satisfaction with life; but Estonia, Finland, the Netherlands and Switzerland seem able to combine good learning outcomes with highly satisfied students.
Predicting and acting upon financial fraud is one of the prime areas of application of advanced big data techniques like machine learning (ML). There are many different types of fraud related to the financial industry. The Laundromat is a case of money laundering (MLA), which is estimated to generate about US$300 billion in illicit proceeds annually in the US alone.
MLA has more than financial impact, as it is associated with activities ranging from trafficking people and drugs to terrorism and corruption. It’s no wonder then that governments around the world are trying to crack down on MLA by means of regulation on financial institutions.
A wealth of studies have suggested a link between exposure to air pollution and a greater risk of cardiovascular disease. But according to an epidemiological study, adults who were exposed to traffic-related air pollution had lower levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol that could increase their cardiovascular disease risk.
For the new research, lead author Griffith Bell, Ph.D., of the University of Washington School of Public Health in Seattle, and colleagues studied 6,654 adults and found people exposed to higher levels of fine and ultrafine particles in traffic pollution tended to have lower levels of HDL cholesterol in their blood.
The European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have announced the first loan agreement backed by the Natural Capital Financing Facility.
The € 6 million loan agreement with Rewilding Europe Capital is expected to provide support for over 30 nature-focused businesses across Europe. Rewilding Europe Capital is Europe’s first conservation and rewilding enterprise financing facility.
With this first project an ambitious new initiative to protect biodiversity and support climate adaptation in Europe has become reality. The Bank on Nature Initiative builds on the Natural Capital Financing Facility (NCFF), an established financing partnership between the European Commission and the European Investment Bank supporting nature and climate adaptation projects through tailored loans and investments, backed by an EU guarantee. It recognises and fosters the business case for investing in natural capital for biodiversity and climate change adaptation purposes.
Apple is working on a way to measure blood sugar levels, potentially turning the Apple Watch into a must-have device for millions of diabetics, according to CNBC citing anonymous sources.
If successful, the technology will be integrated into a future version of the Apple Watch to help people with diabetes manage their condition, but this rumored project could send the Apple into a much more complicated realm of biomedical devices.
Ideally, Apple will develop a non-invasive way to measure blood sugar levels, as opposed to devices commonly used now that require need pricks. The technology could be similar to optical heart rate monitors found on many fitness trackers, which send light through the skin to measure heart rate.
