‘Almost One Fire Each Day': Victorian Firefighters Warn About Lithium Batteries in E-Scooters
Victorian firefighters are warning about the dangers of lithium batteries in e-bikes and e-scooters following a recent Melbourne fire.
Fire Rescue Victoria revealed they are regularly being called out to fires caused by lithium-ion batteries.
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14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Toilet revamp and new heaters approved for listed Market Hall building
PLANS to revamp the toilets and provide new heaters at Aberavenny's grade II-listed Market Hall have been approved. Monmouthshire County Council's visitor attractions service applied to its planning department for listed building consent to carry out the works. Two heaters will be mounted to the wall on the entrance to the market and fixed to modern ceilings. They have been approved despite doubts they will be effective at heating the hall. Planning officer Victoria Cornock said in her report: 'There is some concern that the proposed heating will not work sufficiently due to the nature of the building and open louvered roof, however this is not a reason to withhold a consent. Overall, it is felt that the scheme has an acceptable impact on the character and significance of the listed building.' Works to the toilets are to widen the door opening from the market hall into the traders' loos, and from within the café to its toilets. This will result in the loss of a small amount of historic fabric however both openings have been modified Ms Cornock said it is felt 'the small amount of loss is outweighed by the benefit of providing facilities that are accessible, particularly give the high community value of the building'. A condition will ensure the existing tiled floor within the café toilets is retained in place to ensure it remains unaffected by the works. Materials will be required to match the existing handmade clay bricks, stone and lime mortar in all respects. The new wider openings will incorporate matching timber following advice from the heritage officer and the doors will also be timber. Abergavenny Market Hall was granted listed status in 1971 for its special interest as the largest and most prominent secular building in Abergavenny with good architectural qualities, designed by Wilson and Willcox who were well known Victorian architects from the West Country. The building is designed with a rural French Gothic style with some Italian touches, and is constructed in coursed, rock-faced sandstone with Bath limestone ashlar dressings and a natural slate roof.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
‘Highly visible': Double-demerit warning
Double demerits and other penalties for drivers will be in effect from Friday midnight through the end of the King's Birthday long weekend, as police ramp up public holiday crackdowns. The double-demerit system will come into effect in NSW from 12.01am on Friday, June 6, and end at 11.59pm on Monday, June 9 for speeding, illegal use of mobile phones, not wearing a seatbelt and riding without a motorcycle helmet. Police may also give additional demerit points if certain driving and parking offences are committed in a school zone. The ACT will also implement a similar double-demerit point system, with a single extra demerit point for all other traffic offences. Victoria Police is cracking down on dangerous driving behaviour over the long weekend, with the road safety blitz – Operation Regal – launching on Friday. Police say the number of lives lost on the road has surged to a 16-year high, with 37 fatalities recorded just in May. There have been 136 lives have been lost on Victorian roads this year, up by 14 per cent on the same time last year Road Policing Command Acting Assistant Commissioner David Byrt said the amount of road trauma the team had experienced halfway into the year had been 'extremely concerning'. 'Whether you're travelling across the state this weekend or heading to the alpine regions, please take extra care on the roads and be sure to drive to the conditions,' he said. 'We'll be highly visible and enforcing across the state's roads this long weekend, cracking down on any dangerous driving behaviour that puts other road users at risk.' Police have warned that speeding and distracted motorists will be their key focus over the King's Birthday long weekend, which has been identified as a high-risk period on Victoria's roads. Major arterials and highways leading to holiday hotspots will be targeted, including the alpine areas, with the snow season expected to begin from this weekend onwards. Drivers and motorists are also urged to avoid driving while impaired, as drug and alcohol testing will be conducted anywhere and at any time. 'We're appealing to everyone to make road safety their No.1 priority every time they get behind the wheel or are out using our roads to eliminate this unnecessary and avoidable trauma,' Mr Byrt said. 'We'll be highly visible and enforcing across the state's roads this long weekend, cracking down on any dangerous driving behaviour that puts other road users at risk.' Other states like South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory will not be imposing a double-demerit scheme for the long weekend, but road safety campaigns will be conducted. Tasmania Police has warned drivers and pedestrians to exercise safety and caution during Hobart's Dark Mofo musical festival, which kicks off on Friday. 'This year already, three pedestrians have died on Tasmanian roads, with a further 14 seriously injured,' Inspector John Toohey said. 'We're asking everyone to stay alert, avoid distractions such as phones or headphones and only cross at designated crossings. 'With many festival events taking place at night and in lowlight conditions, we're hoping to see responsible behaviour; that is, people looking out for each other, obeying traffic signals and being visible in the dark.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
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New method provides key to accessing proteins in ancient human remains
A new method developed by researchers at the University of Oxford could provide the key to accessing proteins in ancient human remains. The technique, created by scientists at the Nuffield Department of Medicine, offers a breakthrough in extracting and identifying proteins from preserved soft tissues such as brain, muscle, and skin - sources of biological information that have long remained out of reach. Alexandra Morton-Hayward, a postgraduate researcher who led the study, said: "Until now, studies on ancient proteins have been confined largely to mineralised tissues such as bones and teeth. "But the internal organs - which are a far richer source of biological information - have remained a 'black box' because no established protocol existed for their analysis. Our method changes that." The team tested 10 different extraction techniques on 200-year-old human brain tissue collected from a Victorian workhouse cemetery. Authors of the study (L-R), Dr Sarah Flannery, Alexandra Morton-Hayward, Professor Roman Fischer, and Dr Iolanda Vendrell (Image: Roman Fischer) They found urea, a major component of urine, was able to break down cells and release proteins. The extracted proteins were then separated and identified using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. By also using high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry - which separates ions by their movement in an electric field - the researchers increased the number of proteins identified by up to 40 per cent. Ms Morton-Hayward said: "It all comes down to separation: by adding additional steps, you are more likely to confidently identify molecules of interest. "It is a bit like dumping out a bucket of Lego: if you can start to discriminate between pieces by colour, then shape, then size, etc the better chance you have of making something meaningful with it all." Using the full process, the team identified more than 1,200 ancient proteins from just 2.5mg of brain tissue. This is the most diverse set of proteins ever recovered from archaeological material. The researchers believe the method could transform scientists' understanding of health and disease in past populations. Professor Roman Fischer, senior author and researcher at the Centre for Medicines Discovery, said: "By enabling the retrieval of protein biomarkers from ancient soft tissues, this workflow allows us to investigate pathology beyond the skeleton, transforming our ability to understand the health of past populations." Proteins outlast DNA in archaeological remains and reveal more about a person's life and health than genetic material alone. Dr Christiana Scheib, from the University of Cambridge, who was not involved in the study, said: "It is key to first develop the best way to obtain relevant information from these materials, which is what this study does. "This type of fundamental experimental work is crucial for the field to move forward."
