Umea University

Orange rivers like this one in Alaska's Brooks Range are growing more common thanks to the release of large quantities of iron

Environment

Ice dissolves iron faster than just plain water

New research flips a long-held belief that frozen environments slow down chemical reactions and helps explain why Arctic rivers are turning orange. It turns out that ice is actually better than liquid water at releasing iron from common minerals.

The struggle is real: Sugar and fat form a dangerous diet duo

Obesity

Sugar and fat "tug of war" can derail your diet before you know it

If you overindulge in sugary treats, the good news is that your sweet tooth will be silenced. The bad news, though, is that this triggers a hormonal call out for fatty foods. And even worse news, too much fat will then switch sugar cravings back on.

Risk of pulmonary embolism, a type of blood clot in the lung, increased in the months after COVID-19, according to a new study

Infectious Diseases

Risk of serious blood clot events spike in the months after COVID-19

New research has tracked more than one million COVID-19 cases after their illness and found a person’s risk of blood clotting events such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism significantly increase in the months after infection.

Researchers have found a simple way to make graphene disperse in water, paving the way for graphene-based inks or paints

Materials

Simple new method makes graphene "paint" possible

Graphene may be versatile, but it’s not all that good at dispersing in water. Now, researchers at Umeå University have found a relatively simple way to do it – use graphene oxide instead, which can then be used as a kind of graphene paint.

Prof. Olov Rolandsson, undergoing the eye exam

Diabetes

To assess diabetic nerve damage, look in the eyes

Approximately half of the people who have had type 2 diabetes for over 10 years experience nerve damage, which typically begins in their feet. Because this can result in wounds and even amputations, it's important to know when it's starting – and an eye test may be all that's required to find out.

This meal of pasta and fried vegetables marked the first time a plant had been cooked and eaten that had had its genome edited with the CRISPR-Cas9 tool

Science

First gene-edited meal served up from CRISPR cabbage

It’s not often that a dinner makes history, but that was the case when two men tucked into a meal of pasta and fried vegetables. The historic ingredient? Cabbage that had had its genome edited with CRISPR-Cas9, marking the first time such a plant had been grown, harvested, cooked and eaten.

The study made use of both commercially available otoscopes, and a low-cost, custom-made alternative that connects to smartphones

Wellness and Healthy Living

Using smartphones and the cloud to diagnose ear infections

A new tool could make spotting ear infections much easier, leverage the power of smartphones and the cloud to provide automatic, accurate diagnoses.

Cancer

RNA blood test detects, classifies and pinpoints location of cancer

Researchers from Umeå University in Sweden have developed a new blood test that looks at blood platelets in just a single drop of blood to identify cancer. Results of the method are very promising, with a 96 percent identification accuracy.

Instead of becoming less gloomy, perch exposed to antidepressant residue get reckless and greedy (Photo: Shutterstock)

Environment

Wastewater treatment process may keep fish off antidepressants

A wastewater treatment process has been devised, to keep antidepressant residue from getting into rivers and affecting fish.