News 2019

People were less likely to catch either influenza or a common cold-causing rhinovirus if they were already infected with the other virus, a new study by scientists from the Medical Research Council-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research has found. Understanding how these distinct viruses inhibit each other could help public health planning to improve forecasting models that predict respiratory disease outbreaks and strategies for controlling disease spread, say the scientists.

An updated PolicyBristol briefing has revealed that people's health and safety have been greatly undervalued in the UK for the past 20 years. In the updated policy document , University of Bristol research shows that while opinion polls are not infallible, they are more accurate than the method used by the UK government to value human life.

Differences in cultural values have led some countries to tackle the spectre of cyber-attacks with increased internet regulation, whilst others have taken a 'hands-off' approach to online security - a new study shows. Internet users gravitate towards one of two 'poles' of social values. Risk-taking users are found in 'competitive' national cultures prompting heavy regulation, whilst web users in 'co-operative' nations exhibit less risky behaviour requiring lighter regulation.

Government leaders must set a good example to the business community if they want to eliminate corporate corruption, a new study reveals. Financial incentives and criminal punishment will not root out corrupt business practices, but a government culture of honesty, integrity and strong leadership could help to cure corruption.

Research investigating the effects of being alone on well-being is one of two Cardiff University projects to benefit from €3.38m funding from the European Research Council (ERC). Dr Netta Weinstein, from the School of Psychology, will receive €1.48m to investigate how people respond to solitude, at a time when more people are living alone.

The Scottish criminal justice process leaves those who have reported a rape or serious sexual assault feeling marginalised and with little control regardless of their case's outcome, a new study has found. Researchers from the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research at the University of Glasgow interviewed victim-survivors who have navigated their way through the system to try and understand their 'justice journey'.

Current methods for anonymising data leave individuals at risk of being re-identified, according to new UCLouvain and Imperial research. Companies and governments downplay the risk of re-identification by arguing that the datasets they sell are always incomplete. Our findings show this might not help.

A relaxation of UK food industry regulation has been linked with 9,900 additional cases of cardiovascular disease, and 1,500 cases of stomach cancer. Researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Liverpool analysed the salt intake of the population in England over thirteen years to compare the effect of changes in regulations on how much salt manufacturers can use in their products.

Giving Wales the same powers over benefits as Scotland could boost the Welsh budget by £200m a year, according to new research from Cardiff University's Wales Governance Centre. The finding is revealed in a report which examines how Wales' finances could be affected if the Welsh Government was given the same control over welfare as the Scottish Government.

New research led by the University of Bristol has found some evidence that children and adolescents with higher levels of anxiety may be at greater risk of developing alcohol problems. However, the link between anxiety and later binge drinking and later frequency and quantity of drinking was more inconclusive.

PA27/19 Zoos and safari parks in the UK are using a special new tool to help them more successfully monitor the wellbeing of elephants in their care, thanks to a study led by The University of Nottingham. The new elephant behavioural welfare assessment tool, the result of research which has been published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE , allows keepers to quickly and easily track the welfare of individual elephants over time based on their demeanour and behaviour.

UK vitamin D supplementation policy needs to change to protect the health and lives of babies, pregnant women and dark skinned individuals, say University of Birmingham researchers as they today highlighted the death of a baby and serious ill health of two others due to a vitamin D deficiency. The death of six-month-old Noah Thahane, who died following complications of heart failure caused by severe Vitamin D deficiency, was entirely preventable, concluded Dr Wolfgang Högler and PhD doctoral researcher Dr Suma Uday in research published today in BMC Pediatrics.