news 2016

E-cigarettes may have helped about 18,000 people in England to give up smoking in 2015, according to new research by UCL which was published in the  British Medical Journal . Researchers at the UCL Health Behaviour Research Centre analysed data from the Smoking Toolkit study - which provides the latest information on smoking and smoking cessation in England - and data on the percentage of the smokers who set a quit date with Stop Smoking Services.

Have you ever looked for something in a teenager's bedroom? Tough, isn't it? Everyday experience tells us that when the background is cluttered, it's harder to find an object. But how should we define "complexity" and can we apply the same concepts to other animals? University of Bristol PhD student Feng Xiao and her supervisor, Professor Innes Cuthill , from the School of Biological Sciences , set about investigating this by giving the same visual search task to birds and humans.

Sussex physicists develop new touchscreen technology Physicists at the University of Sussex are at an advanced stage of developing alternative touchscreen technology to overcome the shortfall in the traditional display, phone and tablet material that relies on electrodes made from indium tin oxide (ITO).

Thirty-one new gene regions linked with blood pressure have been identified in one of the largest genetic studies of blood pressure to date, involving over 347,000 people, and jointly led by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and the University of Cambridge. The discoveries include DNA changes in three genes that have much larger effects on blood pressure in the population than previously seen, providing new insights into the physiology of hypertension and suggesting new targets for treatment.

When drunk and surrounded by other drinkers, people's judgements of their own levels of intoxication and the associated risks are related to the drunkenness of their peers, not on the objective amount of alcohol they have actually consumed, reveals a study by Cardiff University.

Scientists have been able to use genetics to predict future outbreaks of vampire bat rabies virus (VBRV) on the Pacific coast of South America within four years - a scenario potentially affecting wildlife conservation, agriculture and human health. In Latin America, VBRV affects livestock production, killing great numbers of animals throughout the region, and causes lethal human rabies outbreaks, particularly in the Amazon rainforest.

A quote from Professor Sir Peter J Ratcliffe FRS: In clinical medicine, if one doesn't know what to do, one would be better to do nothing.

A new study by the Saïd Business School finds that low-quality infrastructure investments pose significant risks to the Chinese and the global economy. It argues that over half of the infrastructure investments in China have destroyed rather than generated economic value. The study authored by Atif Ansar, Bent Flyvbjerg, Alexander Budzier and Daniel Lunn is based on the largest dataset of its kind.

New research provides the first clear evidence that the amount of nutrients transported to the foetus by the placenta adjusts according to both the foetal drive for growth, and the mother's physical ability to provide. During pregnancy there is a kind of 'tug-of-war? going on between the mother and the foetus over who gets the nutrients that the mother ingests.

Thirty-one new gene regions linked with blood pressure have been identified in one of the largest genetic studies of blood pressure to date, involving over 347,000 people, and jointly led by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and the University of Cambridge. While we have known for a long time that blood pressure is a risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke, our study has shown that there are common genetic risk factors underlying these conditions.

Researchers have identified the role that a four-stranded version of DNA may play in the role of cancer progression, and suggest that it may be used to develop new targeted cancer therapies. It all points in a certain direction, and suggests that there's a rationale for the selective targeting of cancer cells.

Three major new studies, published today , provide novel insights into the genetic basis of hypertension and blood pressure, with the contribution of the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol. Blood pressure is the pressure applied from the blood as it passes through the arterial system due to the pump action of the heart.

For the first time, a team including UCL researchers has identified in human cancers two characteristic patterns of DNA damage caused by ionising radiation. These fingerprint patterns may now enable doctors to identify which tumours have been caused by radiation, and investigate if they should be treated differently.

Honeybees are hardwired to efficiently search the landscape enabling them to continue working for the greater good of their hives even when they are sick, according to new research co-authored by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). Radar technology has been used to show for the first time that bees remain nimble and able to search and respond to their environment even when they have infections or viruses.

Europe named as the most sceptical region on vaccine safety in the world, according to the largest ever global survey of vaccine confidence. Researchers from Imperial College London and their collaborators surveyed nearly 66,000 people from 67 countries to explore their views on whether vaccines are important, safe, effective, and compatible with their religious beliefs.

An independent study undertaken by University researchers could pave the way for significant improvements in the health, safety and welfare of workers in the global container port industry. Carried out by Professor David Walters and Dr Emma Wadsworth, of the University's School of Social Sciences, the landmark report, Experiences of arrangements for health, safety and welfare in the global container terminal industry , is the only one of its kind ever undertaken to such an exhaustive level.

Research involving the University is changing our understanding about when Mesolithic people began to consume cultivated plants, the precursor to our modern-day cereals. In a new joint study conducted by researchers at Cambridge, Cardiff, UCL and York universities, direct evidence that Mesolithic foragers of this region were consuming domestic cereals by 6600 BC has been found through the study of dental calculus from prehistoric remains.

Depressive symptoms are associated with a higher risk of sympathies for violent protest and terrorism (SVPT), according to a study led by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). The study, published in The British Journal of Psychiatry , also found that some adverse life events and levels of political engagement were associated with a lower risk of SVPT.

Depressive symptoms are associated with a higher risk of sympathies for violent protest and terrorism (SVPT), according to a study led by King's College London and Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) . The study, published in The British Journal of Psychiatry , also found that some adverse life events and levels of political engagement were associated with a lower risk of SVPT.

A team involving Oxford University scientists has, for the first time, discovered tiny magnetic particles from air pollution lodged in human brains - and researchers think they could be a possible cause of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers led by Lancaster University found abundant magnetite nanoparticles in the brain tissue of 37 individuals aged three to 92 who lived in Mexico City and Manchester.