news 2016

Detailed images of bumblebee brains reveal an accurate picture of brain structures associated with learning and memory. Bumblebee brains have been visualised in unprecedented detail using new techniques in micro-CT imaging, allowing researchers to accurately measure tiny brain structures linked to surprisingly complex memory and learning abilities.

Self-organizing social behaviour in the so-called plant-animal, a 'solar-powered' species of marine flat worm that gains all its energy from the algae within its own body, has been demonstrated by researchers from the University of Bristol. Professor Nigel Franks in the School of Biological Sciences and colleagues, especially Dr Alan Worley, formerly of the School of Physics , made direct comparisons between videos of the real worms and computer simulations of virtual worms with different patterns of behaviour.

Computers can tell if you're bored, shows new BSMS study Computers are able to read a person's body language to tell whether they are bored or interested in what they see on the screen, according to a new study led by body-language expert Dr Harry Witchel , Discipline Leader in Physiology at Brighton and Sussex Medical School ( BSMS ).

Monitoring levels of a specific protein in the blood could help doctors predict whether intensive care patients are at risk of life-threatening bleeding, according to new research from the University of Liverpool. Platelets are cells that circulate in the blood and clot to prevent bleeding. An abnormally low platelet count, a condition known as thrombocytopaenia, is observed in approximately 30 to 40% of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients and is associated with an increased risk of death, but the cause is not known in most cases.

A painful knee condition that affects more than one in eight active people has been treated effectively with a new method involving botulinum toxin. Researchers from Imperial College London and Fortius Clinic carried out a trial involving 45 patients with what they term lateral patellofemoral overload syndrome.

The more expensive an item, the more likely it is to be targeted by thieves and stolen, a report by a University of Warwick academic has revealed. Report author Mirko Draca undertook the work for the Social Market Foundation. Called It's prices, stupid: Explaining falling crime rates in the UK - the study analyses monthly data over a 10-year period from the Metropolitan Police and the Office for National Statistics to try to establish a link between prices and crime.

While the sexual abuse of children is currently an issue at the forefront of public life, concern has focused on the protection of children and the identification of perpetrators. However, a new study by the Universities of Bristol and Durham for the NSPCC, hopes to refocus attention on what can be done to help the victims of childhood sexual abuse.

Long before the dinosaurs, hefty herbivores called pareiasaurs ruled the Earth. Now, for the first time, a detailed investigation of all Chinese specimens of these creatures - often described as the 'ugliest fossil reptiles' - has been published by a University of Bristol palaeontologist. Pareiasaurs have been reported from South Africa, Europe (Russia, Scotland, Germany), Asia (China), and South America, but it is not known whether there were distinct groups on each of these continents.

A new genetic test to improve diagnosis in people with inherited heart conditions has been developed by researchers. The researchers showed that by looking at a particular group of genes they were able to reliably test for all known inherited heart condition genes with one simple test. Previous genetic tests for inherited heart conditions looked at a smaller number of genes and were only able to identify specific conditions, leading to greater costs, more work, and ultimately longer before a diagnosis could be made.

Why does sleeping on it help? This is the question tackled by new research at the University of Bristol, which reveals how brain activity during sleep sorts through the huge number of experiences we encounter every day, filing only the important information in memory. The new discoveries, made by researchers from Bristol's Centre for Synaptic Plasticity , provide further evidence for the benefits of a good night's sleep.

The largest and best-preserved Bronze Age wheel in Britain has been uncovered at Must Farm, a site described as Peterborough's Pompeii. The wheel will extend our understanding of early technologies and transport systems. The discovery of the wheel demonstrates that the inhabitants of this watery landscapes had links to the dry land beyond the river.

Coercive instructions make people feel less responsible for the outcomes of their actions, as opposed to merely saying that they are less responsible, researchers from UCL and the Université Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium have found. Society holds individuals responsible for their own actions. However, individuals sometimes claim reduced responsibility because they were "only obeying orders".

Brain study sheds light on relationship between childhood IQ, low birthweight and psychosis Researchers have found that microscopic alterations in brain wiring - within regions of the brain which underlie reasoning and awareness - could be responsible for the association between childhood IQ, low birthweight and later psychotic experiences.

Researchers from the University of Oxford, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the University of Bergen have published a new study taking the first step towards addressing why some regions are more sensitive than others to the impact of changes in climate. The report identifies vital ecologically sensitive areas for ecosystem provision and poverty alleviation.

'Big data' from medical records transforms health-related research Information provided in free-text sections of electronic patient records can help researchers to detect cases of a particular condition, according to a new study by Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) and the University of Sussex.

New study indicates deterrent measures such as anti-smuggling are ineffective and an alternative is needed - The research highlights the need for opening safe and legal routes for those migrating - Findings demonstrate that a deeper understanding of why people migrate is needed A series of proposed changes to EU policy on refugees and migrants has been released by researchers at the University of Warwick.

A study into how animals secretly communicate has led to the discovery of a new way to create a polarizer - an optical device widely used in cameras, DVD players and sunglasses. Mantis shrimp like to keep their conversations private, which is why they communicate using the polarization of light. These animals have evolved bright reflectors that control the polarization of their visual signals, a property of light not commonly used for animal communication.

The most exciting second leg matches in European knock out competition will follow a home 0-0 or 2-1 result, according to analysis of 6,975 Champions League and Europa League games. Professor David Forrest , a football industry expert in the University of Liverpool's Management School , assessed the outcome of every two-legged match in European competition from the birth of the away goals rule in the 1960s right up to the 2012/13 season.

The evolution of the menopause was 'kick-started' by a fluke of nature, but then boosted by the tendency for sons and grandsons to remain living close to home, a new study by Liverpool scientists suggests. Menopause is an evolutionary puzzle, as an early end to reproduction seems contrary to the laws of natural selection, where passing on genes to the next generation is the main purpose of life.

The first successful detection of gases in the atmosphere of a super-Earth reveals the presence of hydrogen and helium, but no water vapour, according to UCL researchers. The exotic exoplanet, 55 Cancri e, is over eight times the mass of Earth and has previously been dubbed the 'diamond planet' because models based on its mass and radius have led some astronomers to speculate that its interior is carbon-rich.