Blood Thinners: A Double-Edged Sword

By KRZYSZTOF SZCZUBIAŁKA of JAGIELLONIAN UNIVERSITY in KRAKOW

Blood clotting, medically called haemostasis or coagulation, is a very complicated process by which blood turns from a liquid into a solid, called a clot. The process is crucial for maintaining blood circulation in all higher animals; clots form, plugging broken blood vessels and preventing blood loss from ruptured veins or arteries. If blood could not clot, even the slightest cut could be fatal, as has been the case for haemophiliacs, until quite recently. Clot formation is a final effect of a sequence of reactions among about 30 proteins called coagulation factors. A product of one reaction is usually used in another reaction, and the complete set of these reactions is usually called a coagulation cascade. The cascade-like nature of blood coagulation explains why blood may not coagulate properly if even a single coagulation factor is absent, defective, or present in blood in an abnormal concentration. Thus, weak blood clotting may lead to haemorrhages, while excessive coagulation may cause the formation of clots within blood vessels. Both situations may be life-threatening, causing heart infarcts, brain strokes or serious diseases like deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism.

Theatrical Representation of Scientific Ideas: A Research and Development Project for Improving the Teaching of Science

By DR VASILIS TSELFES and DR ANTIGONI PAROUSSI of the UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS

Teaching student teachers how to teach is a complex matter. Early childhood student teachers, for example, learn various teaching techniques, but these are not always well connected across disciplines. For instance, they learn pedagogical techniques like puppet theatre to communicate social or moral ideas; in contrast, science-based methods are used to initiate children into scientific culture. Theatrical expression has not been promoted as a method to learn science. This difference was highly debated in the so-called “science wars” initiated by critics of the scientific method in the United States in the nineties.

In terms of engagement, puppet theatre classes are popular among students and attended in great numbers. The student teachers also spend time creating educationally effective and artistically adequate theatrical approaches, which “enchant” as well as educate their future students.

Chaotic Strings: A New Viewpoint for Particle Physics

By STEFAN GROOTE of UNIVERSITY OF TARTU

In the process of scientific discovery, researchers have developed various means to amplify their own capabilities. Modern elementary particle physics, for example, is a field that aims to look into the incredibly micro world of what matter is made of. To do this, scientists need to access higher and higher energy levels and, consequently, need larger and larger instruments to look closer and closer into matter. A noteworthy large-scale instrument is the Large Hadron Collider on the border between France and Switzerland. The Large Hadron Collider is a huge ring accelerator, with a perimeter of 27 km, used to examine elementary particles.

In their task of peering deeper and deeper into matter, even large accelerators are restricted because we cannot construct one larger than the Earth, on Earth. In this sense, Earth-bound accelerator technology will soon reach its functional limits. Physicists are, therefore, also looking for energetic particles from outside Earth that can break these acceleration barriers, for example, particles found in natural ‘accelerators’ such as starburst galaxies. But the search is slow and the chance to find such particles is very low. In the progress to new subatomic levels, a new approach for systematic research on elementary particles and forces is required. But how and where can we find such a new approach?

Restful Mind, Restful Sleep: The Key to Insomnia in Nursing Homes

By Wolfram Herrmann of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

In our aging population, the probability of anyone of us needing to live in a nursing home at some point is growing. Many of us already have relatives living in nursing homes. Thus, the quality of life and living conditions of nursing home residents is a topic that affects us all.

In old age, and especially in the nursing home, sleeping problems are a big issue. Several studies have been conducted on the sleeping behaviour of nursing home residents, and several different treatments have been tested, such as physical activity and bright light during daytime. But the effects of these treatments have been only small.

Taxing “Alcohol Tourism” in the EU

By Indrek Saar of the University of Tartu 

According to the World Health Organization, 2.5 million people die each year because of the harmful use of alcohol. 

One main reason for governments to tax alcohol is related to the potential harmful consequences of alcohol abuse such as disease, accidents and violence. At the same time, the alcohol industry has beneficial consequences such as the creation of jobs and as a consumer product that helps fulfill people’s leisure needs. This is especially true for Europeans who drink on average twice as much as people in other regions of the world—more than 10 liters of pure alcohol a year.