news 2015

It has been known for more than 50 years that a mother who smokes whilst pregnant is more likely to give birth to her baby prematurely. But what if a mother doesn't smoke but lives with someone who does? New research by academics from the University of Bristol has found women exposed to passive smoking, on average, deliver their babies earlier and with lower birth weights compared to unexposed women.

Cells group together to electronically communicate and ensure nutrients reach where they are needed Research group includes Dr Munehiro Asally from the University of Warwick's School of Life Sciences. Groups of bacteria use electrical signalling to communicate, new research published in the journal Nature has found.

A new tele technique which harnesses quantum technology could lead to a much more secure form of worldwide internet , scientists have reported. In a new paper published today (Tuesday 24 November) in the journal Nature , researchers from the Universities of Glasgow, Stanford, Tokyo and Würzburg describe how they have implemented a novel tool for a long-distance telecommunication link which is impossible for hackers to breach.

Doctors may soon be able to pinpoint those most at risk of prolonged and serious symptoms of concussion using a simple blood test. Research carried out by The University of Glasgow's, Dr Willie Stewart, together with colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania and published in the journal Acta Neuropathologica, has identified the source of a brain protein linked with serious concussion symptoms.

There is no substantive evidence for a 'pause' or 'hiatus' in global warming and the use of those terms is therefore inaccurate, new research from the University of Bristol has found. The researchers, led by Professor Stephan Lewandowsky of Bristol's School of Experimental Psychology and the Cabot Institute, examined 40 peer-reviewed scientific articles published between 2009 and 2014 that specifically addressed the presumed 'hiatus' and found no consistent or agreed definition of such a 'hiatus', when it began and how long it lasted.

The fatter we are, the more our body appears to produce a protein that inhibits our ability to burn fat, suggests new research published Communication. The findings may have implications for the treatment of obesity and other metabolic diseases. Our discovery may help explain why overweight individuals find it incredibly hard to lose weight.

Neonicotinoid pesticides linked to butterfly declines in the UK The use of neonicotinoid pesticides may be contributing to the decline of butterflies in the UK, according to a new study involving the University of Sussex. Previous studies have demonstrated that these chemicals appear to be harming bees, birds and other wildlife.

Researchers from the University of Bristol have gained a new insight into how the circadian clock responds to changes in temperature. With collaborators from University College London, the University of Lausanne, and the University of Cambridge, the researchers discovered that a protein called Ionotropic Receptor 25a (IR25a), an evolutionary relative of Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors have a key role in entraining the brains of fruit flies to react to small changes in temperature.

People's life satisfaction follows a U-shape through the life cycle, gradually falling from early adulthood, reaching a minimum at around the ages of 40 to 42 and then rising up to the age of 70. That is the central finding of research by academics including Andrew Oswald, Professor of Economics at the University of Warwick.

People who show compulsive sexual behaviour - sex addiction - are driven to search more for new sexual images than their peers, according to new research led by the University of Cambridge. The findings may be particularly relevant in the context of online porn, which potentially provides an almost endless source of new images.

Replacing housing association homes sold under the new Right to Buy scheme with those for sale could drive up costs for low-income tenants and the taxpayer, according to a new report. The research has shown that the rent level of replacement stock is critical.

A new study shows that corporal punishment is still common in countries where it is outlawed, and for the first time using data from lowand middle-income countries researchers have shown a link between schoolchildren experiencing corporal punishment and later test scores. Researchers found that corporal punishment experienced by eight-year-old children is linked with lower maths scores when the same children reach the age of 12 as compared with their peers who did not report being hit.

New research published in The Lancet has shown that a drug, currently used in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, can be effective in clearing fatty liver disease from some patients. The researchers from the University of Birmingham believe that the findings present the possibility of new therapies for patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, for which there is no current licensed treatment.

A new gene (MCR-1) that enables bacteria to be highly resistant to polymyxins - the last line of antibiotic defence we have left - has been found in widespread bacteria samples taken from pigs and patients in south China, including strains with epidemic potential. The research is published today in The Lancet Infectious Diseases by Professor Timothy Walsh, from the School of Medicine, who collaborated on this ground-breaking work with scientists from South China Agricultural University.

Researchers at the University of Bristol have received £1.5 million from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) for a trial looking at easing the pain of ear infections. This is part of a larger investment of over £15.8 million into research to tackle into drug resistant infections by the NIHR, the research arm of the NHS.

Seven minutes of meditation can reduce racial prejudice, study finds A popular meditation technique that's intended to create feelings of kindness can also reduce prejudice, according to new University of Sussex research. The study , published online in the journal Motivation and Emotion , found that just seven minutes of Loving-kindness meditation (LKM), a Buddhist practise that promotes unconditional kindness towards oneself and others, is effective at reducing racial bias.

Dementia patients from more affluent areas in England are 27% more likely to be prescribed anti-dementia drugs than patients from poorer areas, finds a new UCL study of 77,045 dementia patients across the UK. This inequality was not seen in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales. The new research, published in Age and Ageing , also found that compared to English practices, anti-dementia drugs were prescribed more often in Northern Ireland and Scotland but less often in Wales.

The ethics of a person's negotiating tactics may differ according to the nationality of the other party to the negotiation, according to a new study. Business is increasingly global, so ethical concerns are becoming more important in terms of cross-national business and negotiations David De Cremer Do the ethics of a person's negotiating tactics differ when they negotiate with someone from a different country? A new study co-authored at University of Cambridge Judge Business School suggests that they do.

A new study by scientists in the UK and France, including researchers at the University of Bristol, has found that Antarctic ice sheet collapse will have serious consequences for sea level rise over the next two hundred years, though not as much as some have suggested. This study, published today , uses an ice-sheet model to predict the consequences of unstable retreat of the ice which recent studies suggest has begun in West Antarctica.

We welcome your feedback Please help us improve The University of Manchester website by completing a short questionnaire at the end of your visit. Yes, I'll give feedback No, thanks Findings from The University of Manchester show that people still do not understand the risk of deadly food poisoning bug The Food Standards Agency is, tomorrow (Thursday 19 November), due to publish the results of its latest UK retail survey, testing for the deadly bug campylobacter in chickens on sale.