news 2016

An unassuming brown pebble, found more than a decade ago by a fossil hunter in Sussex, has been confirmed as the first example of fossilised brain tissue from a dinosaur. The fossil, most likely from a species closely related to Iguanodon, displays distinct similarities to the brains of modern-day crocodiles and birds.

The researchers found that for every 10 additional sanctions applied in each quarter of the year, on average five more adults would be referred to foodbanks in the area. There is a 'strong, dynamic' relationship between people having their benefits stopped and an increase in referral to foodbanks, new research has found.

Promising drug target for aggressive 'triple-negative' breast cancers identified Scientists from Breast Cancer Now 's Research Unit at King's College London in collaboration with the charity Tony Robins Research Centre at the Institute of Cancer Research have identified a molecule crucial to the growth of 'triple-negative' breast cancers that they believe could now be targeted by drugs to help treat patients resistant to chemotherapy.

A team of researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Leeds collected soils from an 'alien-like' post-glaciation landscape in the Norwegian archipelago, Svalbard, which had only recently been uncovered after several thousand year old ice had melted away. Upon laboratory-based analyses of these soils, they found that incredibly diverse communities of microbes, the smallest and simplest forms of life on Earth, colonised these habitats, despite freezing temperatures and relative starvation from nutrients.

New research from the University of Bristol has found that embracing organic farming methods can bring gains in social sustainability, and benefits for farmers and workers. The study, by PhD candidate Lydia Medland, found workers in organic farming enjoy increased social sustainability of working conditions and relations.

Security research paves the way towards new hybrid cyber defences for nationally critical buildings. Power stations, water supplies, oil refineries, large transport hubs and telecommunication networks are all defined as critical infrastructure needed for a country to function normally. However, the importance of these assets mean they are also likely targets of malicious cyber attacks - particularly from terrorist or state actors.

A new study from UCL researchers finds that subtle, unconscious increases in arousal - indicated by a faster heartbeat and dilated pupils - shape our confidence for visual experiences. The study, published in eLife , investigated the effect of unconscious arousal on how confident participants felt about what they were seeing when completing a simple task.

The risk of developing a psychotic disorder such as schizophrenia is highest for young people, men, ethnic minorities and people living in urban areas and poorer neighbourhoods, finds a new study by UCL and the University of Cambridge. The research, funded by Wellcome and published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, suggests that a reduced risk of developing psychosis can be added to the list of social, economic and health advantages enjoyed by more affluent, older white British people living in rural England; a group typically known as 'Middle England'.

Years of research on the evolution of ancient life, including the dinosaurs, have been questioned after a fatal flaw in the way fossil data is analysed was exposed by scientists from the universities of Reading and Bristol. Studies based on the apparently flawed method have suggested Earth's biodiversity remained relatively stable - close to maximum carrying capacity - and hinted many signs of species becoming rapidly extinct are merely reflections on the poor quality of the fossil record at that time.

Research by scientists at the University of Bristol has, for the first time, found that man-made noise can have a detrimental impact on an animal's use of scent - putting them at greater risk of being attacked by predators. Using field-based experimental trials on dwarf mongooses in South Africa, the researchers combined sound recordings and faecal samples to demonstrate that road-noise playback negatively affected the mongooses' ability to detect predator faeces.

A protein found in the blood of pregnant women could be used to develop tests to determine the health of their babies and aid decisions on early elective deliveries, according to an early study led by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). Tests in pregnant mice and a small sample of women found that low levels of the blood marker known as DLK1 were a good predictor of poor foetal growth and complications of pregnancy, and could be used as a non-invasive prenatal diagnostic.

The superbug MRSA uses decoys to evade a last-resort antibiotic, reveals new research. The findings, from scientists at Imperial College London , suggest potential new ways of tackling the bacteria, such as interfering with the decoys. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is responsible for thousands of deaths around the world each year.

The judicial decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) have been predicted to 79% accuracy using an artificial intelligence (AI) method developed by researchers at UCL, the University of Sheffield and the University of Pennsylvania. The method is the first to predict the outcomes of a major international court by automatically analysing case text using a machine learning algorithm.

New research from the University of Liverpool highlights problems impacting on the cognitive development of children in sub-Saharan Africa. Cognitive function includes a wide range of processes including perception, memory, attention and behavioural control, with some of these processes not being fully developed until early adulthood.

Incentives intended to stimulate the development of more treatments for rare diseases are being exploited to boost the profits of pharmaceutical companies, new research from the University of Liverpool shows. Researchers found that companies which market drugs for rare diseases (known as orphan drugs) are five times more profitable and have up to 15% higher market value than other drug companies.

Thousands of new immune system signals have been uncovered with potential implications for immunotherapy, autoimmune diseases and vaccine development. The researchers behind the finding say it is the biological equivalent of discovering a new continent. It's as if a geographer would tell you they had discovered a new continent, or an astronomer would say they had found a new planet in the solar system.

Diesel cars under new EURO-6 standards produce more NOx than guidelines allow. New diesel cars on the roads create much more pollution than is allowed by the European Commission 's EURO-6 guidelines for acceptable emissions limits for new vehicles, according to new research. The EURO-6 guidelines became mandatory in September 2015.

Hydrogen is often described as the fuel of the future, particularly when applied to hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles. One of the main obstacles facing this technology - a potential solution to future sustainable transport - has been the lack of a lightweight, safe on-board hydrogen storage material.

Olivia Remes (Department of Public Health and Primary Care) discusses new research which suggests that generalised anxiety disorder is associated with a two times higher risk for cancer deaths - but only in men. About one in 14 people around the world are affected by anxiety disorders at any given time.

Scientists have discovered a bacteria 'alarm clock' that wakes dormant Salmonella in the body, allowing the bug to trigger a repeat infection. The researchers, from Imperial College London , say the 'alarm clock' is shared among different types of bacteria - including Salmonella and E. coli. The findings may explain why some people suffer repeated bouts of infections - for instance ear or urinary tract infections - despite taking antibiotics.