Latest news with #UQ
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
How dishwashing plastic containers fuels heart issues and pollution
Cleaning plastic containers in household dishwashers has been linked to both polluting wastewater and health issues. When these containers are cleaned, microplastics and nanoplastics are released since the items are exposed to chemical, thermal and abrasive cleaning processes with high temperatures up to 158 degrees, according to a report from the University of Queensland. A single dishwasher cycle containing a full load of common household plastic items could release around 920,000 micro and nano particles into wastewater or 33 million particles per household per year globally, the report adds. 'Even seemingly harmless everyday actions can have cumulative environmental consequences,' Dr. Elvis Okoffo from UQ's Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences said. 'The introduction of plastics into the environment carries a potential risk of adverse impacts on environmental and human health.' These plastic particles are small enough to pass through water filtration systems, meaning they can reach the environment and can accumulate in marine life and drinking water sources, according to These microplastics can enter human arteries causing a link to heart attacks and strokes, the New England Journal of Medicine found. 'Patients with carotid artery plaque in which [microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs)] were detected had a higher risk of a composite of myocardial infarction, stroke or death from any cause at 34 months of follow-up than those in whom MNPs were not detected,' the New England Journal of Medicine wrote. While the release of microplastics in dishwashing machines is quite minor in comparison to other sources of plastic pollution, Okoffo still urges homeowners to take steps to reduce this pollutant. 'Removing this pollutant before it can enter the environment is better than implementing costly measures after the pollutant has already been released,' he wrote. One way to reduce the creation of microplastics is by handwashing plastic items at a lower temperature rather than dishwashing them, according to The Cool Down. Opting for a more eco-friendly material like wood, glass or ceramic when it comes to shopping for kitchen utensils can also help. Human remains found near Taylor Swift's home identified as Mass. man 2 Mass. houses featured on HGTV's 'Ugliest House' Unique supermarket to occupy former Wegman's location in Natick Mall TV icon expecting 8th child at age 70 Tyler Perry accused of sexual assault in $260M lawsuit filed by actor Read the original article on MassLive.
Scottish Sun
08-07-2025
- Science
- Scottish Sun
How remote-controlled cyborg BEETLES with microchip backpacks could help save lives in horror disasters
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) REMOTE-controlled cyborg beetles wearing microchip backpacks could be used to save lives in horror disasters. Two boffins at the University of Queensland (UQ) in Brisbane, Australia, are building the smallest search and rescue team. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 PhD scholar Lachlan Fitzgerald and Dr Thang Vo-Doan with two of the beetles Credit: SWNS 6 A darkling beetle equipped with a removeable microchip backpack Credit: SWNS 6 Scientists believe it could cut the time down it takes to find someone in rubble Credit: SWNS They say the plan could cut the time it takes to find someone trapped under rubble from days to hours. The darkling beetles (Zophobas morio) can be controlled with video game controllers if they are fitted with the chips, Dr Thang Vo-Doan and Research Assistant Lachlan Fitzgerald have found. The chips shock the beetles into moving in a certain direction by stimulating the insect's antenna or hardened forewings known as elytrons. So far, they've been able to move the cyborg bugs side-to-side and up vertical walls. Dr Vo-Doan said: "Beetles possess many natural gifts that make them the masters of climbing and manoeuvring in small, complex spaces such as dense rubble, that are difficult for robots to navigate. "Our work harnesses these gifts and adds programmable controls that allow for precise directional guidance, without affecting the lifespan of the beetle." The science is being done by a team of researchers at the Biorobotics lab in UQ's School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, who hope to test the technology in a live situation within five years. Fitzgerald said: "While robots at this scale have made strides in locomotion, the transition from horizontal surfaces to walls remains a formidable challenge for them. "This difficulty arises from the need for active foot pads, soft environmental interactions, and sophisticated sensing capabilities - all things that our cyborg insects possess naturally that allows them to access any area that is required in a disaster environment." Dr Vo-Doan said while a tethered power supply had been used for the climbing test, the beetles were able to climb with a battery equivalent to its own body weight. Watch as Frankenstein cyborg cockroaches fitted with backpacks come to life to form army of search & rescue bugs The team is next working on cameras and a compact and efficient power system to enhance the beetle's mobility and versatility. Dr Vo-Doan said: "If people have been trapped under an extensive amount of rubble, you want to be able to find them as quickly as possible and start planning how to get them out. "We hope to produce a tool that can easily move through chaotic environments to pinpoint a person's exact location, provide clues to any injuries, and give rescuers a picture of what needs to be done to free them". The cyborgs also use a minimal amount of power on each run compared with miniaturised robots that are currently being modelled. 6 The boffins hope to be able to test the beetles in a real life situation in five years Credit: SWNS 6 Having the backpack attached doesn't lower the beetle's life expectancy Credit: SWNS It's not the first time that beetles have been fitted with backpacks and used for search and rescue. Scientists in China built beetles that wore backpacks and could be controlled remotely - but which also could test for carbon dioxide poisoning. Boffins have also created a similar set of cyborg cockroaches. Stuck on the back of real-life Madagascan hissing cockroaches, the chip sits on a panel that uses an infrared camera and a series of sensors to collect and send data to first responders. The original idea for the hero insects comes from Professor Hirotaka Sato. He witnessed the devastation caused by the 2011 Japanese earthquake first-hand and quickly realised there needed to be a faster and more effective way of finding survivors and victims. He said: 'Our motivation is purely to use this technology for search and rescue. To save people from disaster.'
The Sun
08-07-2025
- Science
- The Sun
How remote-controlled cyborg BEETLES with microchip backpacks could help save lives in horror disasters
James Halpin Published: Invalid Date, REMOTE-controlled cyborg beetles wearing microchip backpacks could be used to save lives in horror disasters. Two boffins at the University of Queensland (UQ) in Brisbane, Australia, are building the smallest search and rescue team. 6 6 They say the plan could cut the time it takes to find someone trapped under rubble from days to hours. The darkling beetles (Zophobas morio) can be controlled with video game controllers if they are fitted with the chips, Dr Thang Vo-Doan and Research Assistant Lachlan Fitzgerald have found. The chips shock the beetles into moving in a certain direction by stimulating the insect's antenna or hardened forewings known as elytrons. So far, they've been able to move the cyborg bugs side-to-side and up vertical walls. Dr Vo-Doan said: "Beetles possess many natural gifts that make them the masters of climbing and manoeuvring in small, complex spaces such as dense rubble, that are difficult for robots to navigate. "Our work harnesses these gifts and adds programmable controls that allow for precise directional guidance, without affecting the lifespan of the beetle." The science is being done by a team of researchers at the Biorobotics lab in UQ's School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, who hope to test the technology in a live situation within five years. Fitzgerald said: "While robots at this scale have made strides in locomotion, the transition from horizontal surfaces to walls remains a formidable challenge for them. "This difficulty arises from the need for active foot pads, soft environmental interactions, and sophisticated sensing capabilities - all things that our cyborg insects possess naturally that allows them to access any area that is required in a disaster environment." Dr Vo-Doan said while a tethered power supply had been used for the climbing test, the beetles were able to climb with a battery equivalent to its own body weight. Watch as Frankenstein cyborg cockroaches fitted with backpacks come to life to form army of search & rescue bugs The team is next working on cameras and a compact and efficient power system to enhance the beetle's mobility and versatility. Dr Vo-Doan said: "If people have been trapped under an extensive amount of rubble, you want to be able to find them as quickly as possible and start planning how to get them out. "We hope to produce a tool that can easily move through chaotic environments to pinpoint a person's exact location, provide clues to any injuries, and give rescuers a picture of what needs to be done to free them". The cyborgs also use a minimal amount of power on each run compared with miniaturised robots that are currently being modelled. 6 6 It's not the first time that beetles have been fitted with backpacks and used for search and rescue. Scientists in China built beetles that wore backpacks and could be controlled remotely - but which also could test for carbon dioxide poisoning. Boffins have also created a similar set of cyborg cockroaches. Stuck on the back of real-life Madagascan hissing cockroaches, the chip sits on a panel that uses an infrared camera and a series of sensors to collect and send data to first responders. The original idea for the hero insects comes from Professor Hirotaka Sato. He witnessed the devastation caused by the 2011 Japanese earthquake first-hand and quickly realised there needed to be a faster and more effective way of finding survivors and victims. He said: 'Our motivation is purely to use this technology for search and rescue. To save people from disaster.' 6
The Irish Sun
08-07-2025
- Science
- The Irish Sun
How remote-controlled cyborg BEETLES with microchip backpacks could help save lives in horror disasters
REMOTE-controlled cyborg beetles wearing microchip backpacks could be used to save lives in horror disasters. Two boffins at the University of Queensland (UQ) in Brisbane, Australia, are building the smallest search and rescue team. 6 PhD scholar Lachlan Fitzgerald and Dr Thang Vo-Doan with two of the beetles Credit: SWNS 6 A darkling beetle equipped with a removeable microchip backpack Credit: SWNS 6 Scientists believe it could cut the time down it takes to find someone in rubble Credit: SWNS They say the plan could cut the time it takes to find someone trapped under rubble from days to hours. The darkling beetles (Zophobas morio) can be controlled with video game controllers if they are fitted with the chips, The chips shock the beetles into moving in a certain direction by stimulating the insect's antenna or hardened forewings known as elytrons. So far, they've been able to move the cyborg bugs side-to-side and up vertical walls. Read more on science Dr Vo-Doan said: "Beetles possess many natural gifts that make them the masters of climbing and manoeuvring in small, complex spaces such as dense rubble, that are difficult for robots to navigate. "Our work harnesses these gifts and adds programmable controls that allow for precise directional guidance, without affecting the lifespan of the beetle." The science is being done by a team of researchers at the Biorobotics lab in UQ's School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, who hope to test the technology in a live situation within five years. Fitzgerald said: "While robots at this scale have made strides in locomotion, the transition from horizontal surfaces to walls remains a formidable challenge for them. Most read in Science "This difficulty arises from the need for active foot pads, soft environmental interactions, and sophisticated sensing capabilities - all things that our cyborg insects possess naturally that allows them to access any area that is required in a disaster environment." Dr Vo-Doan said while a tethered power supply had been used for the climbing test, the beetles were able to climb with a battery equivalent to its own body weight. Watch as Frankenstein cyborg cockroaches fitted with backpacks come to life to form army of search & rescue bugs The team is next working on cameras and a compact and efficient power system to enhance the beetle's mobility and versatility. Dr Vo-Doan said: "If people have been trapped under an extensive amount of rubble, you want to be able to find them as quickly as possible and start planning how to get them out. "We hope to produce a tool that can easily move through chaotic environments to pinpoint a person's exact location, provide clues to any injuries, and give rescuers a picture of what needs to be done to free them". The cyborgs also use a minimal amount of power on each run compared with miniaturised robots that are currently being modelled. 6 The boffins hope to be able to test the beetles in a real life situation in five years Credit: SWNS 6 Having the backpack attached doesn't lower the beetle's life expectancy Credit: SWNS It's not the first time that beetles have been fitted with backpacks and used for search and rescue. Scientists in China Boffins have also created a Stuck on the back of real-life Madagascan hissing cockroaches, the chip sits on a panel that uses an infrared camera and a series of sensors to collect and send data to first responders. The original idea for the hero insects comes from Professor Hirotaka Sato. He witnessed the devastation caused by the 2011 Japanese earthquake first-hand and quickly realised there needed to be a faster and more effective way of finding survivors and victims. He said: 'Our motivation is purely to use this technology for search and rescue. To save people from disaster.' 6 Scientists in Singapore have created a set of cyborg cockroaches with robot brains on their backs
Scoop
01-07-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Peer Influence Drives Youth Vaping Epidemic
Young people with friends who vape are 15 times more likely to use e-cigarettes, and more adolescents are turning to illicit cannabis products, University of Queensland research has found. In two separate UQ-led studies, researchers have uncovered vaping trends, including a significant increase in the number of young people who don't know what they're inhaling. In one study, PhD candidate Jack Chung from UQ's National Centre For Youth Substance Use Research examined the types of cannabis compounds that youth aged 11-18 years old were vaping between 2021 and 2023. 'We analysed how many teens were vaping 2 types of cannabis compounds, the first of which is commonly used for its psychoactive 'high' effects, and the 2nd is usually used for medicinal purposes,' Mr Chung said. 'We also studied the use of lab-made synthetic cannabinoids which can be more potent and deadly. 'We saw an increase in all products between 2021 and 2023, but it was concerning to see a rise in synthetic cannabinoids, where vaping doubled in young people aged between 11-15 years. 'Synthetic cannabinoids are particularly dangerous as they can lead to unpredictable health consequences and even death. 'It was also worrying to see more adolescents were unsure about the substances they were vaping – 1.8 per cent of teens in 2021 weren't sure if they had vaped synthetic cannabinoids, increasing to 4.7 per cent in 2023.' Mr Chung's study analysed data from 70,773 middle and high school students in the United States, which was captured in the country's National Youth Tobacco Surveys. In a separate UQ-led vaping study, PhD candidate Giang Vu found peer influences were a major factor in vaping trends, while disapproval of e-cigarettes from people important to teens – such as parents – reduced the likelihood of a teen vaping by about 70 per cent. 'We analysed data from 20,800 American youth between 2015 and 2021 and found while the proportion with friends who smoked declined, having friends who vaped remained concerningly common,' Ms Vu said. 'In 2015, 31.6 per cent of young people had friends who vaped, and while this decreased to 22.3 per cent by 2021, this figure is still high. 'The outbreak of lung disease associated with vaping, and COVID-19 related disruptions to social networks and access most likely contributed to this decline.' Associate Professor Gary Chung Kai Chan, who collaborated on both studies, said social media played a big part in vaping rates among young people. 'In many videos, vaping is portrayed as trendy and a healthier lifestyle choice when compared to cigarette smoking, but this is dangerous messaging,' Dr Chan said. 'We need more regulation on social media, along with targeted policies and campaigns to decrease vaping rates. 'Further research is also needed to help us understand the evolving trends of cannabis vaping and the physical and mental health impacts on youth.' The first paper has been published in American Journal of Preventative Medicine. The second paper has been published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research. Key findings Adolescent cannabis vaping trends: In 2023, it was estimated: 7.4 per cent of US adolescents were vaping a cannabinoid known as THC (which is extracted from the cannabis plant and produces a psychoactive high) 2.9 per cent were vaping cannabidiol known as CBD (also extracted from a cannabis plant and is more often used for medicinal purposes) 1.8 per cent were vaping synthetic cannabinoids (a dangerous lab-made drug that mimics the effects of cannabis) Vaping of all 3 products increased between 2021 and 2023 in teenagers aged 11-18 years old. Vaping rates were higher among females than males. The number of 11-13-year-olds vaping THC and synthetic cannabinoids doubled between 2021 and 2023. Consistent increase in the number of teens who weren't sure what product they had inhaled. Trends in social norms towards cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use: Teens who had friends who vaped were 15 times more likely to use e-cigarettes themselves. Between 2015 and 2021, the probability of having friends who smoked cigarettes decreased from 26.1 per cent to 7.9 per cent. Meanwhile, the probability of having friends who vaped decreased from 31.6 per cent to 22.3 per cent. Between 2015 and 2020, perceived public disapproval increased for both cigarettes (73.3 per cent to 84.2 per cent) and vaping (55.4 per cent to 77.5 per cent). Disapproval of e-cigarettes from people important to teens reduced the likelihood of a teen vaping by about 70 per cent.
