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Babies born with higher levels of cadmium in their umbilical cord blood may be more likely to develop childhood asthma and allergies, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress.

Cadmium is known to be hazardous to human health and its use is restricted in the European Union, but it has been widely used, for example in batteries, pigments and as a coating for other metals. It is also present in tobacco and can enter the body via smoking or passive smoking.

Researchers say their findings lend support for tight controls over the use and disposal of cadmium.

The research was presented to the virtual conference by Professor Isabella Annesi-Maesano, research director at France’s Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médical...

Novel devices can be folded, cut, attached to surfaces. University of Texas at Dallas researchers and their international colleagues have developed a method to create micro LEDs that can be folded, twisted, cut and stuck to different surfaces.

The research, published online in June in the journal Science Advances, helps pave the way for the next generation of flexible, wearable technology.

Used in products ranging from brake lights to billboards, LEDs are ideal components for backlighting and displays in electronic devices because they are lightweight, thin, energy effi...

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Soft Materials Research Center (SMRC) have discovered an elusive phase of matter, first proposed more than 100 years ago and sought after ever since.

The team describes the discovery of what scientists call a “ferroelectric nematic” phase of liquid crystal in a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The discovery opens a door to a new universe of materials, said co-author Matt Glaser, a professor in the Department of Physics.

Nematic liquid crystals have been a hot topic in materials research since the 1970s...

New research from scientists at Queen Mary University of London has revealed how long-lived Peter Pan discs form, which could provide new insights into how planets arise.

Planet-forming, or protoplanetary discs are giant discs of gas and dust found circling young stars. The recently discovered Peter Pan discs received their name as like their fictional counterpart they are thought to “never grow up,” living around 5-10 times longer than other typical protoplanetary discs.

Whilst astronomers have been aware of the existence of Peter Pan discs since 2016, questions around how and why these discs live so long and the implications for how planets form, have been left unanswered.

In this study, the scientists used computer ...