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Water is one of the most important natural resources on Earth. It is not only fundamental to life but also essential to the wealth of countries contributing to all aspects of personal welfare and economic life. However, global drivers such as climate change, population growth and improving living standards increase...

Pavel Misiga, Head of the Water Unit at the European Commission’s Environment DG, outlines how the EU Water Framework Directive can help to ensure clean water in sufficient quantities for people and nature  The main aim of EU water policy is to ensure that throughout Europe a sufficient quantity of good...

Global Acceleration Completely Eliminated by Novel Rocket Motor System The public sector continues to make wider use of outsourcing and Facility Management for their fire protection and there is a growing awareness among Facilities managers that their responsibilities for fire protection are significant. However, it can be difficult to ensure...

Julia Evans, Chief Executive at BSRIA examines the current construction skills shortage and urges action to help promote the industry as an attractive career path. As the influence of the recession begins to fade and the construction industry sees a return to growth, all the things that beset us, such...

Concrete and reinforced/pre-stressed concrete is and will be the main construction material for civil engineering infrastructure. Much more than in the past this construction technology faces challenges that have been discussed at the International RILEM workshop held at ETH Zurich in Switzerland on 17-18 April 20121. For new structures that...

Professor Zena Moore, from the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) identifies the benefits of wound care teams for patients and healthcare professionals  From a wound care perspective, the growing prevalence and incidence of non-healing acute and chronic wounds is a worrying concern. Indeed, the incidence of wounds in the EU-27 is...

Dr Alistair Thomson, MindEd Consortium Executive and Fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) details the importance of tackling the growing number of child mental health cases arising in the UK  Barely a day goes by without children and young people’s mental health hitting the headlines. And...

Electroencephalography (EEG) EEG visualises voltage differences recorded with electrodes located on the head. These very small (typ. 10-50 μV) voltage fluctuations resulting from ionic current flows within the brain. One of the key advantages of EEG recordings as compared to imaging techniques such as MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is the high temporal...

Cheshire East Council has revealed a total of 36,000 new homes need to be built across east Cheshire by 2030 to meet demand for housing... It is no secret there is a housing shortage across the UK. With demand outstripping supply there is a significant amount of new builds needed...

Supermarket chain Morrisons has announced like-for-like sales fell by 2.9 per cent in the three months to May... The big supermarket chains in the UK seem to be in some trouble. Morrisons is the latest casualty to suffer a fall in sales, following Sainsbury's announcement earlier this week. The fourth-largest supermarket...

Dr Alistair Thomson, MindEd Consortium Executive and Fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) details the importance of tackling the growing number of child mental health cases arising in the UK… Barely a day goes by without children and young people’s mental health hitting the headlines. And...

The former Chief Executive of NHS England Sir David Nicholson has revealed the NHS is accruing large deficits, which are largely being ignored by politicians It is no secret the NHS is in crisis. Over the last 12 months, hospitals have warned of problems with growing demands for services, as...

Miguel Arias Canete, European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy gives an overview of why an Energy Union is integral to the EU… Divide et impera. Divide and rule. As simple as it may sound, this maxim summarises the key strategic approach of the most eminent leaders and statesmen throughout history....

Southwark Council explain the move from a paper-based planning application process to an online version in an attempt to reduce paper waste and to streamline processes… Southwark Council has replaced its online planning system with Idox’s Public Access system, a more robust planning portal, widely used by councils across the...

Günther H. Oettinger, European Commissioner for Digital Economy & Society details the importance of a digital economy and sustainable online services… There are few business sectors emerging as fast as the digital economy. Just a year ago almost no one has ever heard of the taxi company Uber or the...

A partnership between Lancashire County Council and Funding Circle has led to growth and employment in the local area... Lancashire County Council announced two years ago it would lend directly to SMEs through Funding Circle. The local authority was the first council in the UK to do so. Over the last...

Researchers have warned that parents are failing to spot obesity in their children, leading to significant health consequences... A study involving 2,976 UK families revealed only four parents thought their child was overweight, despite medical assessments finding there were 369 children classified as suffering weight issues. The research, published in the...

A new report from charity Citizens Advice has criticised letting agencies that rip off tenants with expensive fees... Transparency alone will not solve the problem of letting agents charging fees that are too high, according to a new report. Citizens Advice has revealed in the paper that charges levied at tenants...

Figures from the Environment Agency have revealed that only a handful of rivers and waterways across England remain free from pollution... Environmentalists have described the announcement that only 17 per cent of rivers in England are in good health as “shocking.” The figure has dropped significant since 2014, when 29 per...

Christian Friis Bach, Under Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe details the importance of renewing efforts against air pollution… Breathe in and breathe out. Hold your breath. If you do this too long, you can feel a strong urge to gasp and...