news 2014

Cardiff University researchers will discover public perceptions of the recent horse meat scandal for the first time by analysing social media data. The horse meat scandal last year revealed a major breakdown in the traceability of the food supply chain and the adulteration of meat. The extensive media coverage revealed not only widespread fraud but also the complexity of the UK meat supply chain and the extent of meat imports.

The algal species, which is classified as 'Saturnella saturnus', was discovered by PhD student Jeannie Beadle from the School of Geography at the University of Leeds. Her research looks at pools of water created by peatland restoration measures in the Pennines, such as drain-blocking, with this particular find coming from Moor House-Upper Teesdale Nature Reserve in March 2014.

For the first time, scientists have uncovered new information on how stem cells in the human bowel behave, revealing vital clues about the earliest stages in bowel cancer development and how we may begin to prevent it. For the first time, scientists have uncovered new information on how stem cells in the human bowel behave, revealing vital clues about the earliest stages in bowel cancer development and how we may begin to prevent it.

Advice on how we should brush our teeth from dental associations and toothpaste companies is 'unacceptably inconsistent', finds new UCL research. The study, published in the British Dental Journal, looked at the brushing advice given by dental associations across ten countries, toothpaste and toothbrush companies and in dental textbooks.

07 Aug 2014 Pay-for-performance schemes - which reward hospitals financially for improving the quality of care provided to patients - only reduce patient death rates in the short term, according to new research by The University of Manchester. A variety of programmes have been introduced in the UK over the past decade, with mixed results.

Press release issued: 6 August 2014 New research has identified two significant risk factors associated with painful neurological diseases in the skull shape of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (CKCS). The findings could help in tackling these conditions in toy dog breeds and could be used in breeding guidelines.

6 August 2014 The existence of a 'quantum Cheshire Cat', theoretically predicted last year by Professor Sandu Popescu of the University of Bristol and colleagues, has been observed experimentally by a team in Vienna. "Well! I've often seen a cat without a grin," thought Alice, "but a grin without a cat! It's the most curious thing I ever saw in my life!" No wonder Alice is surprised.

A new dinosaur species from South America has been identified, according to new research by an international team of scientists. The 200 million year old fossils are from the La Quinta Formation in Venezuela, making this the first dinosaur find in the north of South America. The species is named Laquintasaura venezuelae, after its location, in a paper published today in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Bones from at least four Laquintasaura were found together, with individuals ranging in age from three approximately 12 years old.

The relationship between saturated fat and type 2 diabetes may be more complex than previously thought, according to the results of a large international study published today in the journal Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology. The study found that saturated fatty acids can be associated with both an increased and decreased risk of developing the disease, depending on the type of fatty acids present in the blood.

The happiness of over 18,000 people worldwide has been predicted by a mathematical equation developed by researchers at UCL, with results showing that moment-to-moment happiness reflects not just how well things are going, but whether things are going better than expected. The new equation accurately predicts exactly how happy people will say they are from moment to moment based on recent events, such as the rewards they receive and the expectations they have during a decision-making task.

A new study suggests that the 2013 reforms aimed at relaxing China's 'one-child policy' are likely to have little effect on the country's long-term demographic trends and the problem of China's shrinking workforce. It explores why China has only partially lifted its family planning restrictions, suggesting that local governments rely on the income from fines imposed on couples who violate the one-child policy, known as 'social maintenance fees'.

University of Liverpool scientists have examined the mechanisms that cause ageing in the tendons of horses, opening up the possibility of better treatment for humans. It has been understood for many years that tendons are highly prone to injury and that this likelihood increases as they age.

New research from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) reveals taking aspirin can significantly reduce the risk of developing - and dying from - the major cancers of the digestive tract, i.e. bowel, stomach and oesophageal cancer. For the first time, scientists have reviewed all the available evidence from many studies and clinical trials assessing both the benefits and harms of preventive use of aspirin.

05 Aug 2014 A recent study in Manchester has found that a procedure to take tissue samples from lung cancer patients can be used safely in the elderly - allowing doctors to make a more accurate diagnosis and to choose appropriate treatment. Half of all lung cancer patients are over 70 years old when first diagnosed, but studies have shown that these older patients are less likely to receive an accurate diagnosis.

Scientists begin to uncover how horses communicate with their faces When it comes to paying attention to each other, it seems that horses are all ears. A new University of Sussex study has shown that horses use a variety of visual cues to work out what may be going on in a stablemate's head. And one of the most important factors for communication is the direction of a horse's ears.

Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-83664169/stock-photo-cologne-august-psvita-or-playstation-vita-at-gamescom-the-most-important-european-video.html'src=H0zUTI9ClkDqiDqzwCtZYw-1-42 A new study suggests video game-playing for less than an hour a day is linked with better-adjusted children and teenagers.

Discovery could help cut the cost of solar electricity Perovskite is a promising new material for solar cells, combing high efficiency with low materials costs Spray-painting method could be used in high volume manufacturing A team of scientists at the University of Sheffield is the first to fabricate perovskite solar cells using a spray-painting process - a discovery that could help cut the cost of solar electricity.

A team of chemists from the University of Cambridge and New York University has developed a method for examining the inner workings of battery-like devices called supercapacitors, which can be charged up extremely quickly and can deliver high electrical power. Their technique, based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), establishes a means for monitoring and potentially enhancing and the performance of such devices.

Novice bumblebees stay close to home to learn the lie of the land, Sussex scientists find Bumblebees leaving their nest for the first time learn the lie of the land by flying in ever-widening circles around their hive, Sussex scientists have observed.

New research has shed light on how DNA is copied when cells divide, potentially providing a target for cancer treatments. Researchers from Imperial College London and the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) New York have revealed the location of a molecular gate on a ring-shaped enzyme that opens up to embrace DNA during the process of cell division.