news 2017

Scientists at The University of Nottingham are using radar waves as part of a new tool developed to evaluate peatland sensitivity to global climate change. The new method is based upon an Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technique that uses radar waves to measure vertical land surface motion.

Cutting edge tech shows molecule self-assembling into different forms passing from solution state to solid state and back again - a curious phenomenon in science - says University of Warwick research Phenomenon discovered using state-of-the-art national solid-state NMR facility at Warwick Research published by Chemistry: A European Journal - designated as 'Very Important Paper' Cutting edge technology has shown a molecule self-assembling into di

Scientists have found that antibiotics are illegally available without prescription on 45 per cent of online pharmacy websites surveyed, says study. The researchers from Imperial College London analysed 20 pharmacies that were available for UK citizens to access online. This is one of the few studies to have examined the online availability of antibiotics and to have explored the potential effects on public health.

Research from King's College London reveals a new method of repurposing existing drugs as novel treatments for depression, using laboratory studies of brain cells. The results reflect a growing movement towards repurposing drugs that have been developed for one condition to tackle another. This approach effectively bypasses the discovery phase of drug development, which could save significant time and money in finding effective treatments.

The first model of its kind which provides guidance on the survival likelihood of abandoned penguin chicks admitted to rehabilitation has been developed by researchers from the Universities of Bristol, Exeter, Cape Town, the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) and Bristol Zoological Society.

A study led by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) finds that vitamin D'supplements protect against acute respiratory infections including colds and flu. Thursday 16 February 2017 The study provides the most robust evidence yet that vitamin D'has benefits beyond bone and muscle health, and could have major implications for public health policy, including the fortification of foods with vitamin D to tackle high levels of deficiency in the UK.

A molecular mechanism which could explain why allergies are more common in developed countries has been discovered by researchers at The University of Nottingham. The experts in parasitology from the School of Life Sciences report in the journal Immunology that this finding could lead to new immunotherapies to prevent allergies.

A new study into a rare type of pancreatic cancer reveals that we may inherit more than twice the number of 'cancer genes' than experts previously thought. The research, which was led by the ARC-Net Research Centre of the University Hospital of Verona, Italy, with significant contributions from the University of Glasgow, is published today in Nature.

One of the most feared and venomous arachnids in the world, the American brown recluse spider, has long been known for its signature necro-toxic venom, as well as its unusual silk. Now, a new Oxford University collaborative study offers an explanation for how the spider is able to make its silk so strong.

A new study led by scientists at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) has found that goats can recognise their stablemate friends calling by developing a mental image of how they sound and look. Wednesday 15 February 2017 The team from QMUL's School of Biological and Chemical Sciences found that goats can tell the difference between a call from a familiar goat and a call from an unfamiliar goat.

Electronic devices set to become smaller, flexible and highly efficient - following University of Warwick research on 2D materials Researchers measured the electronic structure of stacks of 2D 'wonder' materials - atomically thin, highly conductive, and extremely strong materials - for first time Understanding the electronic structures will allow scientists to find optimal materials for efficient semiconductors in nano-circuitry Gadgets are set

Evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a potential cause of dementia caused by repeated blows to the head, has been found in the brains of former association football (soccer) players examined at the UCL Queen Square Brain Bank. The study, funded by The Drake Foundation and published in the journal Acta Neuropathologica , looked at 14 retired footballers with dementia who were referred to the Old Age Psychiatry Service in Swansea, Wales, between 1980 and 2010.

Researchers at Cardiff University's School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences have discovered a new clinical approach that could provide a new avenue for treating a range of common diseases including cancer, strokes and high blood pressure. The novel approach consists of indirectly targeting enzymes within cells, called kinases, which cause these often debilitating medical conditions when they malfunction.

Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have discovered a surprising connection between a supermassive black hole and the galaxy where it resides. This gives us new insights into how a black hole can regulate future star birth Helen Russell Powerful radio jets from the black hole - which normally suppress star formation - are stimulating the production of cold gas in the galaxy's extended halo of hot gas.

Using language around 'Great British Energy' could become a valuable tool for climate change communicators to inspire and engage people right across the political spectrum. A new study by Cardiff University and Climate Outreach also revealed that language around British low-carbon energy technologies and the idea of avoiding waste resonates strongly with people of right-of-centre political views.

The first ever evidence of live birth in an animal group previously thought to lay eggs exclusively has been discovered by an international team of scientists, including a palaeontologist from the University of Bristol. The remarkable 250 million-year-old fossil from China shows an embryo inside the mother.

Women who participate in obstetric and gynaecology clinical trials experience improved health outcomes compared to those who are not involved in trials, according to research by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). This is the case regardless of whether or not the treatment is found to be effective in the trial.

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.

New University of Liverpool research - published today in The Lancet Public Health  - shows that children who move into poverty are more likely to suffer from social, emotional and behavioural problems than children who remain out of poverty. The UK Government has recently questioned whether the relative measure of income poverty used in this research (a household income that is less than 60% of the national average) is a good indicator of children's life chances.

The discovery of a new mechanism that controls the way nerve cells in the brain communicate with each other to regulate our learning and long-term memory could have major benefits to understanding how the brain works and what goes wrong in neurodegenerative disorders such as epilepsy and dementia. The breakthrough was made by scientists at the University of Bristol and the University of Central Lancashire.