![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/562169_353537461419684_1644771668_n.jpg)
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/581805_353537534753010_1822306126_n.jpg)
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/581555_353537514753012_1000091906_n.jpg)
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/71924_353537558086341_4501547_n.jpg)
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/598878_353537588086338_229227373_n.jpg)
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/544486_353537571419673_577823830_n.jpg)
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/221756_353537624753001_955824125_n.jpg)
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/224777_353537654752998_1198195136_n.jpg)
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/735224_353537684752995_1316623872_n.jpg)
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/549793_353537701419660_1473119977_n.jpg)
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/578270_353537738086323_1713885478_n.jpg)
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/224753_353537771419653_510390292_n.jpg)
![](https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/578270_353537781419652_1133657558_n.jpg)
The University of Wollongong |
Artist’s impression of how the
invention could be installed on the sides of city buildings - the
turbines can also be used in farms.
Professor Safaei, Director of UOW’s ICT Research Institute, and his team have invented a new kind of wind turbine with immense possibilities. Its unique design can be installed on the sides or tops of skyscrapers and large apartment buildings. It is also quieter, cheaper to run and safer than current wind turbines – it doesn’t have large rotating blades that might be dangerous for humans or birds. PowerWINDows is the culmination of four years of work, and UOW has just signed an initial two-year deal with one of Australia’s leading engineering companies, Birdon, to build a commercially viable prototype to enable more extensive testing and evaluation in the hope that the product may one day be brought into production. Professor Safaei says he started this line of research to overcome some of the key shortcomings of current wind turbine technology, in particular, to enable modular manufacturing, easier transportation and installation, and reduce noise and land usage footprint. “I wanted to create a wind turbine that better integrated with living environments”, he says, adding that the invention “looks like a window with a sparse Venetian blind – the blades move vertically up and down.” He says the invention can be easily blended into existing environments because of its window-like form, which can be painted to match buildings. Director of Innovation & Commercialisation Research at UOW Elizabeth Eastland says to switch to renewable energy technologies to help cut greenhouse gas emissions and lessen the impact of fossil fuels shortages, we need to develop innovative but workable solutions. “PowerWINDows has the potential to help us harvest wind energy in a much more effective way,” she says. “We are pleased to have Birdon working with us to advance this technology.” The Group General Manager of Birdon, Ian Ramsay, looks forward to working with UOW on this nationally significant project. “We see this as an opportunity to apply our engineering expertise in the green energy area and contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions whilst bringing to market a strong and viable commercial solution for the renewable energy sector.”
Editor's Note: This story was first published here.
|
Image: Dr Brian S. Mautz
The study was conducted by Dr Bob Wong from the School of Biological Sciences and researchers from The Australian National (ANU) and La Trobe University. Their findings were revealed today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science journal. The researchers projected life-size, 3D computer-generated male bodies to 105 female participants with the images differing in height, body shape and penis size. They asked them to assess the figures’ sexual attractiveness. The researchers found that penis size influenced how the female participants perceived attractiveness - and the more ample, the more appealing. “There is always much debate on the subject and we wanted to address whether size matters using a valid scientific approach,” Dr Wong said. “Our study altered several male body parts at once using used life-size, 3D figures to show for the first time that penis size has different effects on attractiveness depending on height and body shape.” In line with popular belief, height and shoulder width were also influential, with women preferring taller men and men with broad shoulders and narrow hips - V-shaped, rather than pear-shaped. “We found that penis size affected a man’s sexual attractiveness, but height was equally as important, with taller men considered more attractive,” Dr Wong said. The study also reported that taller men with larger genitalia were considered more attractive than shorter men with larger genitalia. Lead author of the study Dr Brian Mautz, from the ANU said an overall impression of attractiveness to women, without focusing on any particular body part is what distinguished the research from previous findings. “The only previous study of this topic in humans used five small drawings of male figures that differed only in penis length. It was obvious to the female participants which character they were being asked to assess. In that situation, it’s easy for people to self-deceive or lie and distort the results,” Dr Mautz said. Dr Wong said the results supported the theory that female mate choice could have driven the evolution of larger penis size in humans. “Our results hint that humans might have larger penises because before humans wore clothes, females may have been more likely to mate with well-endowed males,” Dr Wong said.
Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.
|
சருமத்தை
நமது உடல்நிலை பாதிப்பைக் காட்டும் கண்ணாடி என்று கூறலாம். சருமம்
வெளிப்படுத்தும் சில அறிகுறிகளையும், அப்படியானால் உடலில் என்ன பாதிப்பு
ஏற்படக்கூடும் என்பதையும் தெரிந்து கொள்ளலாம். தோலில் தடிப்புகள் ஏற்படுதல்... வியாதி: இதய நோயாக இருக்கலாம். குறிப்பாக, காதுகளுக்குப் பக்கத்தில் உள்ள தோலில் தடிப்பு ஏற்பட்டால் நீங்கள் உடனே ஓர் இதய மருத்துவ நிபுணரை நாடிப் பரிசோதித்துக்கொள்வது நல்லது. ஆனால் காதருகே ஏன் தடிப்பு ஏற்படுகிறது என்று மருத்துவத்துறையினருக்கே சரியாகப் புரியவில்லை என்று கூறப்படுகிறது. ஆலோசனை: அதிகப்படியான மனஅழுத்தம், மாரடைப்பு ஏற்படுவதற்கான வாய்ப்பை அதிகரிக்கும். மனதைப் பாரமில்லாமல் இலேசாக வைத்துக் கொள்ள முயல்வதும், பிரச்சினைகளை எளிய முறையில் அணுகுவதும் இதைத் தவிர்க்கும். முகம் வீக்கமாக இருப்பது... வியாதி: உடலில் தண்ணீர் இழப்பு அதிகமாக இருப்பது. இப்படி ஏற்படும் போது உடலுக்குத் தண்ணீர் அதிகம் தேவைப்படுகிறது. உடலுக்குப் போதுமான தண்ணீர் கிடைக்காமல் போனால், ரத்த செல்கள் விரிவடைந்து முகம் வீக்கமாகத் தெரியும். ஆலோசனை: ஒரு நாளைக்கு எட்டுகுவளை தண்ணீராவது அருந்துவது அவசியம். எப்போதும் தண்ணீர் பாட்டிலை உடன் வைத்துக்கொண்டால் தண்ணீர் அருந்த வேண்டும் என்ற உணர்வு ஏற்பட்டு அதிக தண்ணீரை அருந்துவீர்கள். வியாதி: கல்லீரல் நோயாக இருக்கலாம். கல்லீரல் பாதிப்படையும்போது உடலில் இருக்கும் பித்தநீர் போன்ற மஞ்சள் நிற திரவங்களை வெளியேற்ற முடிவதில்லை. இதனால் தோல் மஞ்சள் நிறத்துக்கு மாறுகிறது. ஆலோசனை: அதிகப்படியான ஆல்கஹால் அருந்துவதால் (மது) இப்படி கல்லீரல் பிரச்சினை ஏற்படுகிறது. குடிப்பழக்கம் இருப்பவர்கள் உடனடியாக நிறுத்திவிடுவது நல்லது. சிவந்த உள்ளங்கை... வியாதி: இதுவும் கல்லீரல் பிரச்சினையின் அறிகுறியாக இருக்கலாம். நோய்வாய்ப்பட்ட கல்லீரலால் நம் ரத்தத்தில் உள்ள ஹார்மோன்களை கட்டுப்படுத்த முடியாமல் போகும். அந்நிலையில் ரத்தத்தின் நிறம் அதிக சிவப்பாகிவிடும். கல்லீரல் சரியாக வேலை செய்யவில்லை என்பதை அதிக சிவப்பான உள்ளங்கை சட்டென காட்டிக் கொடுக்கும். காரணம் உடலின் மற்றபாகங்களை விட உள்ளங்கை தோல் மிகவும் மிருதுவாக இருப்பதுதான். ஆலோசனை: கீழாநெல்லியை வாரத்தில் ஒருமுறை சாப்பிடுவது கல்லீரலைச் சரிப்படுத்தும். உடம்பின் விஷத்தன்மையைப் போக்க, மாதம் ஒருமுறையாவது நாள்முழுக்கப் பழங்களையே உணவாக உட்கொள்ளுங்கள். |
The University of Western Australia |
The researchers discovered four new regions on chromosomes that affect height, and seven related to obesity.
Image: dream designs/Shutterstock
The discovery of four new loci (the specific place on a chromosome where a gene is located) affecting height and seven related to obesity is described in a paper published online in Nature Genetics. The paper was authored by more than 300 researchers and is the result of a meta-analysis of dozens of studies around the world collating data from more than 263,000 individuals of European background. UWA contributors included Research Assistant Professor Gemma Cadby of the Centre for Genetic Origins of Health and Disease, who provided analysis of height and weight data from the long-running Busselton Health Study. Dr Cadby said the newly discovered genes represented further pieces in the puzzle as researchers sought to understand the genetic contributions to height and weight. "They already know of some genes likely to affect height and weight, but these genes only explain a limited amount of the contribution of genetics to these traits," Dr Cadby said. "So a lot of genes still need to be identified, but this is an important step. "The ultimate goal for genetic studies is to further the understanding of human diseases and in doing so, to develop new treatments and ways of preventing disease. Actually translating the results of studies such as this into providing intervention, management and treatments for people who are obese is a long way ahead, but in order to do those things you need to understand the genetics of the disease. We have to get this bit of the puzzle before we can move to the next step." Other UWA researchers involved in the paper - Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies 11 new loci for anthropometric traits and provides insights into genetic architecture - included Clinical Professor Bill Musk, of the School of Medicine and Pharmacology at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, and Adjunct Professor John Beilby of the School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. The study was put together by the GIANT consortium - Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits. It focused primarily on BMI (Body Mass Index), which is a major risk factor for multiple chronic diseases and of important public health significance, but also examined height and waist-hip ratio adjusted for BMI. The Busselton Health Study (BHS) is one of the world's longest-running epidemiological research programs. Since 1966, it has contributed to an understanding of many common diseases and health conditions. The unique BHS database is compiled and managed by UWA's School of Population Health.
Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.
|