CORDIS EXPRESS

This week's CORDIS Express brings news of a study that takes the pulse of the European health care system. Other highlights include an EU-funded breakthrough research on age-associated diseases, a study uncovering links between brain regions and spirituality and how genetics can factor into obesity. Finally and Briefly, we look at a study of dogs, cats, people and intelligence.

How good is EU health care?

The EU is supporting a new investigation into the performance of health care systems across its Member States. The EUR 3.99 million study will first be carried out in seven EU countries, with more expected to follow during the project's four-year lifespan. The EUROHOPE ('European health care outcomes, performance and efficiency') project received EUR 3 million in funding under the 'Health' Theme of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) and is being coordinated by the Centre for Health and Social Economics at Finland's National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

EU-funded scientists make breakthrough in ageing research

The physical process of ageing is one of the greatest mysteries of life and now a partially EU-funded research team has thrown light for the first time on the process by identifying genetic variants that are associated with biological ageing in human beings. The breakthrough research, published in the journal Nature Genetics, may have important implications for the understanding of age-associated diseases. The research team, from the University of Leicester and King's College London in the UK, along with the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, analysed more than 500,000 genetic variations across the entire human genome to isolate the variants which are found near a gene called TERC (telomerase RNA component).

Researchers find DNA-obesity link

Around 7 in every 1000 morbidly obese people are missing a section of their DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) that contains around 30 genes, say the results of an EU-funded project published in the journal Nature. The authors of the study, from Imperial College London (ICL) in the UK and 10 other European research centres, suggest that the missing DNA may have a dramatic effect on the weight of the affected people. Previous research studies have already shown several genetic variations, mostly single mutations in DNA, which can change the function of a gene.

European scientists crack the mystery of why we eat nuts

Hunger will drive people to eat foods they have never consumed before. This seems to be the case for our ancestors who lived more than 2 million years ago, new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) shows. An international team of scientists has discovered that feeding and dietary adaptations potentially played a pivotal role in the evolution of Earth's earliest humans. The findings are part of the EVAN ('European virtual anthropology network') project, funded under the Marie Curie Actions - Human resources and mobility programme of the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) to the tune of EUR 3.3 million.

Research ministers adopt declaration on role of science

European research ministers have made a commitment to increase investments in research and development (R&D) and create a culture of trust in scientists. The ministers were gathered in the Spanish town of San Sebastián for an informal meeting of the Competitiveness Council. The delegates also unanimously adopted the Donostia Declaration, which Spain describes as 'a document that will launch the concept of a responsive and responsible science, capable of providing solutions in the short term'.

Study uncovers links between brain regions and spirituality

New research from Italy has shed light on how changes in the brain can alter spiritual and religious attitudes. The scientists hope that their study, published in the journal Neuron, will ultimately lead to new treatments for certain personality disorders. For a long time, the neural basis for spirituality seemed to defy investigation. However, recent advances in imaging and neuroscience have offered researchers a glimpse of the spiritual side of the brain. For example, studies of religious people such as Catholic nuns and Buddhist monks who are experts in different types of meditation revealed changes in a number of brain areas.

'Life in Space for Life on Earth', Trieste, Italy

A six-day joint life science meeting on research results in space and gravitational biology, physiology and experimental medicine, entitled 'Life in Space for Life on Earth', will be held in Trieste, Italy from 13 to 18 June 2010. The European Space Agency (ESA), the International Society for Gravitational Physiology (ISGP), the Italian Society for Space Biomedicine and Biotechnology (ISSBB) and the European Low Gravity Research Association (ELGRA) are sponsoring the event.

Conference on cardiovascular development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

The Weinstein Conference 2010 on Cardiovascular Development will be held from 20 to 22 May 2010 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The Weinstein Conference is an annual event for scientists investigating normal and abnormal development of the heart and vascular system. This year's edition is hosted by the HEARTREPAIR project, which was funded by the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). The event aims to foster a better understanding of cardiovascular development by facilitating information sharing, promote collaborative work and facilitate the exchange of experiences and best practices.

Purifying water with emerging technologies

The European Commission is issuing a call for proposals concerning the implementation of a programme of support for the European audiovisual sector (MEDIA 2007).The objectives of the programme are to encourage exchanges and cooperation, in supporting the networking of European training players, in particular higher educations institutions, training organisations and partners of the audiovisual sector, and to encourage the mobility of students and trainers in Europe.

Purifying water with emerging technologies

Hidritec is a Spanish company that specialises in water treatment and is proposing novel techniques to carry out this activity. The company is proposing water treatment based on ozone, ultraviolet radiation and copper-silver ionisation, instead of chlorination. Partners are being sought to help develop new materials for filtration membranes and high-performance ozone application devices. Developers of devices for precise measurement of ozone content and variable and monitored ozone production generators are also being sought.

Creating renewable hydrogen from natural sources

The SOLAR-H2 project aims to achieve renewable hydrogen (H2) production from environmentally safe resources. By combining the expertise and skills from 12 leading European laboratories, SOLAR-H2 is currently researching artificial photosynthesis in man-made biomimetic systems and photobiological H2 production in living organisms. SOLAR-H2 is still in the research phase, looking at how to best develop the methods by first exploiting the knowledge gained from biochemical/biophysical studies of efficient enzymes. The studies are directly aimed at the improvement of the H2 producing capability of the organisms using novel genetic and metabolic engineering.

Is intelligence measurable according to a pet?

There is a seemingly eternal debate about so-called 'cat people' and 'dog people'. That is to say dog owners and cat owners… if you can say that you actually own an animal rather than simply living with one. (This author’s cat would definitely disagree about the owning part. At home, in fact, I'm often treated as a cat butler.)

The debate goes to lengths as to whether dog people are friendlier than cat people, cat people are more creative, dog people have more style sense, and so on.