news 2017

Neuroscientists at Imperial have highlighted the benefits of using machine learning techniques in real-time brain imaging studies. The researchers say the technique, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically design the best possible experiment, could improve the results from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies, a neuroimaging technique that creates images of activity levels in different brain regions.

Genes play a key role in determining whether someone experiences multiple chronic diseases, according to new research by King's. Chronic pain, depression and heart disease are three of the commonest causes of disability, and are becoming more prevalent. People are also increasingly likely to suffer from more than one chronic disease, resulting in greater disability.

Early warning signs of Huntington's disease have been uncovered in a sheep carrying the human disease-causing genetic variant, providing new insights into this devastating illness, a new study in Scientific Reports has found. Despite its devastating impacts on patients and their families, there are currently limited treatments options, and no cure for Huntington's disease Jenny Morton Researchers from the University of Cambridge and University of Surrey have identified early biomarkers of disease during examinations of Huntington's disease sheep still at a pre-symptomatic stage of the disease.

Listening to five minutes of West African or Indian pop music can give the listener more positive attitudes towards those cultures, research from the Universities of Oxford and Exeter has found. Research had previously shown that making music can foster affiliation and cooperation among participants, but this study shows that even listening to music can improve someone's unconscious attitudes towards other cultural groups.

Bubbles acting like parachutes are deployed by some cosmic dust particles on their entry into Earth's atmosphere, preventing them from burning up. Think of microscopic rice bubbles made of molten rock and you get the picture about what this cosmic dust looks like. Dr Matt Genge Department of Earth Science and Engineering This is the conclusion of a new study carried out by a researcher from Imperial College London.

Female bosses favour gay and lesbian job-seekers, research finds Women are more likely to hire gay and lesbian job applicants over equally-qualified straight candidates, according to a study led by the University of Sussex. But the opposite is true if the recruiter is a man - all else being equal, male bosses judge heterosexual applicants as more hireable.

A genomic study of a harmful stomach bacterium finds that foreign strains intermingled with and replaced local strains after the arrival of Europeans and African slaves across the Americas. The study by an international team of researchers, including Daniel Falush from the University's Milner Centre for Evolution is published February 23, 2017 in PLOS Genetics .

Bumblebees can be trained to score goals using a mini-ball, revealing unprecedented learning abilities, according to scientists at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). Thursday 23 February 2017 Their study suggests that species whose lifestyle demands advanced learning abilities could learn entirely new behaviours if there is ecological pressure.

A one-off screening test reduces the risk of developing bowel cancer by more than one third and could save thousands of lives, a study has found. Researchers based at Imperial College London found that the test - which examines the lower part of the large bowel - prevented more than half of potential bowel cancers from developing in that area and two thirds of deaths were avoided.

New UCL research has found no link between cat ownership and psychotic symptoms, casting doubt on previous suggestions that people who grew up with cats are at higher risk of mental illness. Recent research has suggested that cat ownership might contribute to some mental disorders, because cats are the primary host of the common parasite Toxoplasma Gondii (T.

Over 4,000 different bird species, including White Fronted Bee Eaters, were observed in the study, which found that survival instinct did not influence species cooperative breeding decisions. Instead, it shows communal living and helping behaviour to be a natural result of monogamous relationships reinforcing stronger genetic bonds in family groups.

A team of researchers from the University of Bristol studying the 'living fossil' Sphenodon - or tuatara - have identified a new way to measure the evolutionary rate of these enigmatic creatures, giving credence to Darwin's theory of 'living fossils'. The tuatara is a relatively large lizard-like animal that once lived on the main islands of New Zealand but has been pushed to smaller, offshore islands by human activity.

Average life expectancy is set to increase in many countries by 2030 - and will exceed 90 years in South Korea, according to new research. The study, led by scientists from Imperial College London in collaboration with the World Health Organization, analysed long-term data on mortality and longevity trends to predict how life expectancy will change in 35 industrialised countries by 2030.

Researchers at Imperial College London have found that so-called 'junk DNA' could play a role in diabetes. The human genome is enormous, containing billions of 'letters' of genetic code. But among the thousands of genes which code for vital proteins, hidden in plain sight are much vaster chunks of non-coding junk DNA, previously thought to have no function.

Our genes play a significant role in how anxious we feel when faced with spatial and mathematical tasks, such as reading a map or solving a geometry problem, according to a new study by researchers from King's College London. Spatial skills are important in everyday life, from navigation to assembling flat-pack furniture, and have also been linked to success in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) professions.

A type of treatment for multiple sclerosis that 'resets' the immune system may stop progression of the disease in nearly half of patients. In a new study, led by Imperial College London , the treatment prevented symptoms of severe disease from worsening for five years, in 46 per cent of patients.

Modern housing has been shown to be associated with a reduced risk of malarial infection in children in sub-Saharan Africa, compared to more traditional thatched houses.

A new book by Dr Sarah Chaney from Queen Mary University of London charts the delicate and often misunderstood history of self-harm in Britain. Taking the reader from the Victorian era to modern Britain, Psyche on the Skin challenges the idea that self-harm is a phenomenon that can be attributed to 'how we live now'.

Child obesity '35-40%' inherited from parents, study finds Around 35-40 per cent of a child's BMI - how fat or thin they are - is inherited from their parents, a new study has found. For the most obese children, the proportion rises to 55-60 per cent, suggesting that more than half of their tendency towards obesity is determined by genetics and family environment.

New molecules which scientists hope could one day become drugs for both cancer and diabetes have been created at the University of Bath. The compounds can increase glucose uptake into fat cells and could help diabetes patients manage their disease. They also reduce the proliferation of colon cancer cells, and could be used to reveal the link between diabetes and cancer, which is poorly understood.