news 2014

Press release issued: 9 December 2014 With over 42 million horses and 95 per cent of the world's donkeys found in developing countries, new research could change the health and welfare of millions of working animals in some of the poorest parts of the world. The three research studies led by Dr Becky Whay , Reader in Animal Welfare and Behaviour in the School of Veterinary Sciences at the University of Bristol, aim to build greater understanding and encourage collaboration in addressing the welfare problems of the world's working equids.

New Caledonian crows, well known for wielding tools such as sticks, prefer to hold a tool on the left or the right sides of their beaks, in much the same way that people are leftor right-handed. Now researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology suggest that those bill preferences enable each bird to keep the tip of its tool in view of the eye on the opposite side of its head.

Our structure (research) Impact of our research Postgraduate research 09 Dec 2014 New research from the British Election Study has revealed that contrary to the popular view, Ukip is no more successful at winning over the politically disengaged than the other parties. Professor Jane Green from The University of Manchester and a Co-Director of the BES, says only the Greens are set to gain more in 2015 from people who didn't vote in either the 2005 and 2010 elections.

Our structure (research) Impact of our research Postgraduate research 09 Dec 2014 The British Election Study is today launching a 12-minute film showcasing its essential task of throwing light on politics in a crucial period for British democracy. The film, T he British Election Study: Understanding British Democracy , features two of the nation's leading journalists Michael Crick and Alastair Stewart.

Scientists have discovered a mechanism in the brain that may drive our appetite for foods rich in glucose and could lead to treatments for obesity. Glucose is a component of carbohydrates, and the main energy source used by brain cells. By studying rats, a team at Imperial College London identified a mechanism that appears to sense how much glucose is reaching the brain, and prompts animals to seek more if it detects a shortfall.

Press release issued: 8 December 2014 Low doses of fluoxetine - better known as the anti-depressant Prozac - could hold the key to preventing PMS symptoms, an international team of researchers has found. Up to 80 per cent of women are thought to suffer from premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which can be a debilitating condition with symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, fatigue, sleep deprivation and increased sensitivity to pain.

Scientists have taken an important step towards the possibility of creating synthetic life with the development of a form of artificial evolution in a simple chemistry set without DNA. A team from the University of Glasgow's School of Chemistry report in a new paper today (Monday 8 December) on how they have managed to create an evolving chemical system for the first time.

Related links: Dr Ingrid Young researcher profile Prof Paul Flowers researcher profile MRC/CSO SPHSU TasP research PrEP research New research findings recommend further measures should be put in place to make the best use of two new HIV prevention options. Research published by the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit offers new insights into the barriers to effective uptake and use of two new HIV prevention options that use antiretrovirals (ARVs), currently used in existing HIV treatment.

AKU was the first human disorder that was recognised as a genetic disease 100 years ago, but is often mistaken for severe arthritis Scientists at the University of Liverpool and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital have completed human trials on a drug that has proved successful in preventing the development of a rare bone disease.

Researchers have shown how a topical steroid cream frequently used to treat common skin conditions can be used to improve dermatitis in cancer patients. Radiotherapy uses X-rays to destroy cancer cells but this can often lead to a severe skin reaction involving redness, pain and blistering similar to sunburn.

CRPS is a severe post-traumatic pain condition in the limbs Researchers at the University of Liverpool have shown for the first time that the majority of patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), a severe post-traumatic pain condition in the limbs, have specific blood-antibodies that may activate the condition.

It may be possible to develop a simple blood test that, by detecting changes in the zinc in our bodies, could help to diagnose breast cancer early. A team, led by Oxford University scientists, took techniques normally used to analyse trace metal isotopes for studying climate change and planetary formation and applied them to how the human body processes metals.

Our structure (research) Impact of our research Postgraduate research 05 Dec 2014 Economists working in academia are being advised to think twice before publishing in high impact journals. That's according to new research led by Professor Dan Rigby, of The University of Manchester, and published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, which examined whether careers were most enhanced by publishing in high impact journals.

Leptin, a hormone that regulates the amount of fat stored in the body, also drives the increase in blood pressure that occurs with weight gain, according to researchers from Monash University and the University of Cambridge. Being obese or overweight is a major risk factor for the development of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

Press release issued: 4 December 2014 A genetic variant which causes smokers to smoke more heavily has been shown to be associated with increased body mass index (BMI) - but only in those who have never smoked, according to new research led by the University of Bristol, UK and published today in PLOS Genetics.

A partnership involving UCL has been awarded £14M to accelerate access to simple self-tests in African countries. Self-testing for HIV using rapid diagnostic kits is becoming increasingly widely used, allowing high-risk people to test their own HIV status in private. Self-testing is now recommended in the USA and Europe, was recently introduced in Kenya, and is being evaluated for introduction in several other African countries.

Our structure (research) Impact of our research Postgraduate research 04 Dec 2014 An international study involving Manchester researchers has found that for previously untreated lung cancer patients with a particular genetic change, a new targeted therapy is better than standard chemotherapy. Some patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have changes in the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene, which can drive the development of their cancer.

Taking inspiration from nature, researchers have created a versatile model to predict how stalagmite-like structures form in nuclear processing plants - as well as how lime scale builds up in kettles. “It’s a wonderful example of how complex mathematical models can have everyday applications,” said Dr Duncan Borman, from the School of Civil Engineering at the University of Leeds, a co-author of the study.

Birds learn new foraging techniques by observing others in their social network, 'copycat' behaviour that can sustain foraging 'traditions' that last years, according to a study of how innovations spread and persist in wild great tits ( Parus major ). The study involved experiments with eight local populations of great tits in Wytham Woods, Oxfordshire (UK).

The world was enraptured last month as the Rosetta mission's Philae lander made its historic landing on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. QMUL's Professor Iwan Williams had more reason than most to be interested, as he was one of a team of investigators working the CONSERT instrument that is part of the mission.