news 2011

Adapted from a news release issued by Wiley-Blackwell Friday 14 October Current guidelines that help clinicians decide whether a woman has had a miscarriage are unreliable, possibly resulting in the inadvertent termination of wanted pregnancies, according to new research. The findings from three new studies at Imperial College London and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven show that a viable embryo may be present in some cases in which a miscarriage has been diagnosed.

New research has found that stem cells derived from human cord blood could be an effective alternative in repairing heart attacks. At least 20 million people survive heart attacks and strokes every year, according to World Health Organisation estimates, but many have poor life expectancy and require continual costly clinical care.

New research has found the life expectancy of HIV-positive individuals in the UK has increased by over 15 years since 1996. The findings, published today [12 Oct 2011] in the BMJ , suggest that improvements in antiretroviral therapy treatment has helped people with the disease to live longer. Until now, few studies have estimated how long those with HIV in the UK are likely to live.

Eating fruit such as apples could be up to four times more damaging to teeth than carbonated drinks, according to a new study led by Professor David Bartlett at the King's Dental Institute. Published in the Journal of Dentistry , the study looked at links between diet and tooth wear at several sites in the mouth, in more than 1,000 men and women aged 18 to 30.

The latest results from an expedition to Mount Everest that looked at the body's response to low oxygen levels suggest that drugs or procedures that promote the body's production of a chemical compound called nitric oxide (NO) could improve the recovery of critically ill patients in intensive care. Oxygen is required by all larger organisms, including humans, to survive.

Monday 10 October 2011 Adapted from a press release issued by the UK Met Office Watch a video of Professor Joanna Haigh explaining solar variability Research led by the Met Office has shed new light on a link between decadal solar variability and winter climate in the UK, northern Europe and parts of America.

An international team of researchers has discovered the first DNA faults linked to melanoma - the deadliest skin cancer - that are not related to hair, skin or eye colour. Cancer Research UK scientists at the University of Leeds, together with a team from the GenoMEL consortium, scanned the genes in blood samples from almost 3000 Europeans with melanoma, and compared these with samples taken from the general population.

The chemical reaction which makes some poisonous plants so deadly has been described by researchers at the University of Bristol in a paper published today in Angewandte Chemie. Professor Adrian Mulholland in the School of Chemistr y and colleagues successfully analyzed why a particular toxic product originating from sodium fluoroacetate (a colourless salt used as a rat poison) is formed in an enzyme.

Adapted from a news release issued by the Medical Research Council Wednesday 5 October 2011 An international research team led by Imperial College London has for the first time pinpointed a single gene associated with one of the leading causes of heart thickening and failure. Scientists have found that the Endog gene in rats and mice influences the thickness of the muscular heart wall, how well the heart pumps and how much fat accumulates inside the organ.

A research team is appealing for horse riders and owners to come forward to take part in a unique new study into equine nutritional supplements. The research will focus on nutritional supplements for horses competing in dressage and eventing and will aim to discover what supplements are currently used, what riders and owners would like to see available and the best ways of passing on information about them.

A new study using MRI scans, led by Professor Jianfeng Feng, from the University of Warwick's Department of Computer Science, has found that depression frequently seems to uncouple the brain's "Hate Circuit". The study entitled " Depression Uncouples Brain Hate Circuit " is published today (Tuesday 4th October 2011) in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

Researchers from the University of Bristol's School of Veterinary Sciences have concluded that the wellbeing of barn chickens is increased if they have activity objects, perches and other stimulation. Around 75 per cent of barn chickens reared for UK households are in barns which don't have natural daylight or activity objects such as pecking blocks.

Men develop type 2 diabetes at a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than women, according to new research by clinical academics at the University of Glasgow. The research, carried out with colleagues from the Scottish Diabetes Research Network , helps explain why men have higher rates of diabetes in many parts of the world.

Researchers find recipe for "perfect plastic” Researchers have solved a long-standing problem that could revolutionise the way new plastics are developed. The breakthrough, involving researchers at Durham University and the University of Leeds, will allow experts to create the 'perfect plastic' with specific uses and properties by using a high-tech 'recipe book'.

Researchers are seeking children with amblyopia — also known as lazy eye — for a study investigating potential new treatments for the condition. The team from University of Notingham is looking for children (age 5-12 yrs), for research exploring whether computer-based visual tasks can help to improve vision in the weak eye.

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The final throws of one of the largest and rarest stars in our galaxy have been discovered by astrophysicists using the European Southern Observatory (ESO). The discovery will enable research into the evolution of stars, and provide invaluable insight into their explosive deaths. The research was carried out by academics from ESO, the Universities of Leeds and Manchester in the UK, and other institutions in Europe.

The negative effects of premature birth could be as severe in the lungs of moderately premature babies as those born extremely prematurely - but may be reversed in their teenage years. The finding is the result of Cardiff-led research presented at the European Respiratory Society Annual Congress in Amsterdam.

Scientists at The University of Nottingham have been involved in the discovery of sixteen new sections of the genetic code that relate to lung health — opening up the possibility for better prevention as well as treatment for lung diseases. An international consortium of 175 scientists from 126 centres in Europe, the USA and Australia identified genetic variants associated with the health of the human lung.

Children with severe therapy-resistant asthma (STRA) may have poorer lung function and worse symptoms compared to children with moderate asthma, due to lower levels of vitamin D in their blood, according to a study by researchers at King's College London. The team found that lower levels of vitamin D may cause structural changes in the airway smooth muscles of children with STRA, making breathing more difficult.