Concern over norovirus increase by Betsi Cadwaladr health board

Wales’ largest health board urges people to be alert to sickness bug.

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Toward efficient high-pressure desalination

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Chemical treatment improves quantum dot lasers

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Neutrons observe vitamin B6-dependent enzyme activity useful for drug development

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Two Neutron Stars Collide In Explosion So Powerful It Caused Ripples In The Universe Itself

Scientists from NASA have witnessed a cosmic collision between two stars so powerful that it actually caused ripples in the fabric of the universe itself.

These ripples in spacetime are known as gravitational waves and were first theorised by Albert Einstein.

NASA

It is only in the last few years however that we have been able to prove that they exist and this is the very first time we’ve actually been able to see an event so powerful that it could create them.

The two objects were neutron stars, they are the crushed remains of a leftover star that has previously exploded in a supernova. So while only being just 12-miles wide they had a mass that was 60x that of our own Sun.

Both objects were pulled into each others gravity spinning around each other hundreds of times every second until they finally merged causing an explosion known as a kilonova.

It’s one of the universe’s most spectacular events and its power is so immense that not only were we able to see it from over 130 million light years away but we were able to actually detect the shockwaves through the fabric of spacetime itself.

What makes this discovery so important is the ability to both see and feel the shockwaves felt by the explosion.

“This is the one we’ve all been waiting for,” said David Reitze, executive director of the LIGO Laboratory at Caltech in Pasadena, California.

“Neutron star mergers produce a wide variety of light because the objects form a maelstrom of hot debris when they collide. Merging black holes ― the types of events LIGO and its European counterpart, Virgo, have previously seen ― very likely consume any matter around them long before they crash, so we don’t expect the same kind of light show.”

What’s even more impressive is that over a period of a little over a week you can actually see the explosion and then the light fade.

Remarkably scientists were able to detect the shockwave first, and then direct the world’s various telescopes to the exact location in the night sky where the explosion had originated from.

Hubble was then able to start capturing the visible light, clearly revealing the intensity of the explosion itself.

In addition to learning more about gravitational waves the scientists have also learned a great deal about a kilonova explosion. In fact it’s believed that neutron stars colliding is the universe’s dominant source for creating some of the heaviest elements including platinum and gold.

So next time you look down at a piece of jewellery remember that gold is probably created from one of the universe’s most powerful explosive events. 

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WiFi Krack WPA2 Security Flaw: How To Protect Your Wireless Network And Your Devices

As you may have seen, two security researchers have discovered a massive flaw in WiFi that affects just about every device we own.

The flaw relates to a security protocol called WPA2 that is designed to prevent outsiders from accessing our home WiFi networks and spying on us, or hacking into any connected devices.

Now that the vulnerability is out in the open it’s only a matter of days or weeks before companies start pushing out updates, but it’s a huge job and because it affects just about every gadget we use it’s going to be up to us as much as it is them to plug the holes and protect ourselves.

monkeybusinessimages via Getty Images

What should I do?

Speaking to HuffPost UK, Jarno Niemelä, Lead Researcher at F-Secure Labs explains the advice actually doesn’t change for normal consumers.

“The good news is that security advice doesn’t really change. Public WiFi is always thought to be untrustworthy and users should always use a VPN. And home and other WiFi access points under the user’s control should always be updated with latest ROM versions anyway.” he says.

So what can you do immediately? Make sure that all your devices are up to date, and that means all your devices including routers, TVs, any smart home equipment you might have.

Alex Hudson also makes an extremely good point in his blog which is that for the vast majority of us, our browsing habits and messages will still remain secure.

Any website that uses HTTPS (or a padlock symbol next to the web address) is completely secure. Luckily for the general public that’s pretty much all the websites we visit regularly.

In addition browsers like Chrome and Safari will warn you first if you’re about to visit an unencrypted website which should give you an extra layer of protection.

Remarkably, the one thing you actually don’t need to do is update your password on your router. This vulnerability goes well beyond a password so if you were to change it it would be for peace of mind only.

As mentioned earlier, there are likely to be a large number of updates coming for just about every device you own so keep an eye out and make sure you’re updating them as soon as you can.

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This Incredible Power Plant Produces Nothing But Electricity And Stone

In a bid to tackle climate change and stop the world from reaching the upper limit of two degrees warming before 2020, scientists were hoping that we could reduce our global carbon footprint.

But with world events making it seem increasingly unlikely that will happen, scientists are now turning their hand to alternative solutions.

Including the world’s first power plant to successfully send greenhouse gases deep underground, and turn them into rock.

The Hellisheidi geothermal power plant situated on the mid-Atlantic ridge, is the newest and largest geothermal plant in Iceland – a country that heats 90% of its homes using geothermal water.

But the plant has now become the first in history to capture carbon dioxide from ambient air, using a system of fans and filters, and then store it in bedrock 700 metres down.

There the gas reacts with basaltic rock and forms solid minerals, creating a permanent storage solution, and turning Hellisheidi into a negative emissions site.

While the EU-funded project, which is run by the public utility company, Reykjavik Energy, has proved cynics wrong it is still only a pilot.

Capable of capturing 50 metric tons of CO2 each year – a small drop compared to the 40 trillion kg we produce – and roughly equivalent to a single household in the USA or ten Indian homes.

Christoph Gebald, Founder and CEO at Climeworks, said: “The potential of scaling-up our technology in combination with CO2 storage, is enormous. Our plan is to offer carbon removal to individuals, corporates and organizations as a means to reverse their non-avoidable carbon emissions.′

It also costs $600 per ton of carbon dioxide, a figure they are hoping to reduce to $100 per ton.

Iceland currently runs 100% of it’s electricity from renewable sources.

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Hip implant patients sue manufacturer

More than 300 individuals want compensation for injuries they claim were caused by DePuy metal-on-metal hips.

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Health24.com | Scoliosis: The test parents can do at home

Does your child carry a heavy load on their back on a daily basis? Do they slouch in their seats and struggle with one sleeve that appears to be longer than the other? These are examples of everyday challenges children with scoliosis may face – and which should alert parents.

Lugging those heavy books around may be unavoidable, but how is it impacting your child’s health? Are you taking care of your child’s spine? 

Rapid growth stage

Scoliosis is a deformity of the spine that involves the rotation of the vertebral bodies. There are six types of scoliosis that can affect children. Congenital scoliosis for example occurs when the spine does not develop properly in the womb. According to Scoli Smart clinics, this condition worsens in about 75% of the children born with it.

Most types of scoliosis in children are however idiopathic, which means that the cause is unknown. Idiopathic scoliosis is easier to treat than the congenital form. 

Idiopathic scoliosis and is found in children at around 10–12 years old – when they start their rapid growth stage. 

Scoli Smart recommends early intervention as the best way to approach scoliosis. 

girls,scoliosis,spines

According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, parents should look out for:

  • Uneven shoulders
  • Head that is not centred
  • Sides of the body not levelling out
  • One side of the rib cage being higher than the other when bending forward

scoliosis,spines

WATCH: How parents can do a home examination 

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The National Institute of Arthritis and Muscuoloskeletal and Skin Diseases recommends these three treatments:

  • Observation: When a curve is detected early on in a growing child, doctors are likely to recommend regular check-ups and treat the situation without major intervention.
  • Bracing: If the curve is moderate and your child is still growing, braces may be recommended. These will be fitted according to the curve of the spine and will be regularly monitored by the doctor.
  • Surgery: If the severity of the curve is increasing and your child is still growing, surgery may be recommended.

Image credit: iStock

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Hospitals in England to ban ‘super-size’ chocolate bars

Sweets and chocolate should be under a 250-calorie limit, NHS England says.

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