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Results 41 - 60 of 239.


Health - 14.03.2023
New research sheds light on how malaria parasites adapt to their human hosts
A study has characterised the factors that cause the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, to invest resources into reproduction - to maximise transmission to other hosts - or replication - to ensure survival within its current human host. The findings, published in eLife and led by researchers at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust and the University of Glasgow, shed further light on how malaria parasites adapt to changing within-human environments as a result of changing transmission intensity - a measure of the level of transmission of the malaria parasite in a particular area.

Physics - Chemistry - 14.03.2023
Nanorippled graphene becomes a catalyst
Nanorippled graphene becomes a catalyst
A team of researchers led by Prof. Andre Geim from the National Graphene Institute (NGI) have discovered that nanoripples in graphene can make it a strong catalyst, contrary to general expectations that the carbon sheet is as chemically inert as the bulk graphite from which it is obtained. Published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the research has shown that graphene with nanoscale corrugations of its surface can accelerate hydrogen splitting as well as the best metallic-based catalysts.

Materials Science - 13.03.2023
Are piezoelectrics good for generating electricity? Perhaps, but we must decide how to evaluate them
Are piezoelectrics good for generating electricity? Perhaps, but we must decide how to evaluate them
A -best practice- protocol for researchers developing piezoelectric materials has been developed by scientists - a first in this field of technology. A -best practice- protocol for researchers developing piezoelectric materials has been developed by scientists - a first in this cutting-edge field of technology.

Health - Pharmacology - 13.03.2023
Test for spiking to reduce psychological distress
A review of the evidence into the psychological impacts of spiking highlights that victims of suspected attacks are not routinely tested for drugs or alcohol. More should be done to help victims of suspected spiking attacks process the psychological trauma of the event by testing patients who arrive in hospital intoxicated by drink or drunks, say the authors of a new study.

Physics - Health - 13.03.2023
Laser-driven creation of high-energy ions boosts next-gen accelerators
A new way to create high-energy ions could speed up their applications in treating cancer and probing the fundamental nature of matter. The new technique, created by researchers at Imperial College London with collaborators in Japan and Germany, will help deliver beams of ions that could treat cancers with high doses of more targeted radiation.

Pharmacology - Health - 13.03.2023
New drug to lower brain pressure could treat blinding IIH headaches, trial finds
Phase two trial saw significant reduction in pressure in the brain and monthly headaches Patients with 'blinding' headaches known as Idiopathic Intercranial Hypertension (IIH) could be treated with an injectable peptide used for type 2 diabetes, a new trial has found. The study, published in the journal Brain , today reports on a phase two trial of a drug called exenatide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, as a potential treatment for IIH.

Environment - Life Sciences - 11.03.2023
Remarkable squirting mussels captured on film
Cambridge researchers have observed a highly unusual behaviour in the endangered freshwater mussel, Unio crassus. Who'd have thought that a mussel, that doesn't even have a head or a brain, knows to move to the river margin and squirt jets of water back into the river during springtime? David Aldridge In spring, female mussels were seen moving to the water's edge and anchoring into the riverbed, with their back ends raised above the waterline.

Life Sciences - Health - 10.03.2023
First wiring map of insect brain complete
Researchers have built the first ever map showing every single neuron and how they are wired together in the brain of the fruit fly larva. Now we can start gaining a mechanistic understanding of how the brain works. Marta Zlatic This will help scientists to understand the basic principles by which signals travel through the brain at the neural level and lead to behaviour and learning.

Life Sciences - 09.03.2023
Being friendly but not too friendly helps sparrows breed successfully
Being friendly but not too friendly helps sparrows breed successfully
A new study shows that sparrows with more opposite-sex friends contribute more to the gene pool, but 'average' friendliness wins out in the long term. Scientists have assumed for a long time that traits associated with how social an animal is - such as shyness or extraversion - have a genetic basis.

Health - Life Sciences - 09.03.2023
Naturally occurring peptide may tackle the ’root cause’ of obesity-related conditions
Research shows the peptide called PEPITEM could provide a revolutionary approach to reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and other obesity-related diseases Research published today shows that a peptide (small protein) called PEPITEM could provide a revolutionary approach to reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and other obesity-related diseases such as hepatic steatosis (fatty liver).

Life Sciences - Chemistry - 09.03.2023
Biochemical synthesis discovery could unlock new drug development breakthroughs
A mystery about how a chemical compound found in nature could be synthesised in the lab may have been solved, scientists say - a breakthrough which could unlock new developments in medicine. Scientists from universities and research institutions in Scotland and Germany are behind the discovery, published in the journal Nature Chemistry .

Environment - 08.03.2023
Low-carbon solutions can provide energy for displaced people
Low-carbon solutions can provide energy for displaced people
Using solar and battery power can reduce costs and emissions associated with providing power to refugee camps, researchers have found. It's important that work is done to de-risk investing in low-carbon energy infrastructure in humanitarian settings Hamish Beath Researcher, Grantham Institute - Climate Change and the Environment Most refugee camps use diesel generators to power essential services including hospitals, police stations, and lighting.

Life Sciences - Health - 08.03.2023
Replaying experiences can help future decision making
Replaying experiences can help future decision making
Replaying prior experiences when learning something new can improve the brain's ability to make future plans and preserve memories of the past, finds new research by UCL neuroscientists. The study, published in PNAS , used brain imaging techniques to detect activity in the brains of 24 participants, while taking part in a maze task.

Health - 07.03.2023
Respiratory disease in early childhood linked to higher risk of death for adults
Respiratory disease in early childhood linked to higher risk of death for adults
Contracting a lower respiratory tract infection in early childhood has been linked to a higher risk of dying from respiratory disease as an adult. A study, led by researchers from Imperial College London and published in The Lancet , has found that children who had a lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), such as bronchitis or pneumonia, by the age of two were almost twice as likely to die prematurely in adulthood from respiratory diseases.

Politics - Social Sciences - 07.03.2023
UK voters want politicians to face stronger checks and balances
UK voters want politicians to face stronger checks and balances
Trust in politicians is at a low ebb and the health of the UK democracy matters as much to voters as issues such as crime and immigration, according to a new report by the UCL Constitution Unit. Published today, the report found that most voters believe stronger mechanisms are needed to ensure politicians follow the rules, with four out of five saying the current system needs reform so that politicians who do not act with integrity can be punished.

Computer Science - Environment - 07.03.2023
Phone-based measurements provide fast, accurate information about the health of forests
Phone-based measurements provide fast, accurate information about the health of forests
Researchers have developed an algorithm that uses computer vision techniques to accurately measure trees almost five times faster than traditional, manual methods. Ground-based measurements are hugely valuable, but also time-consuming. We wanted to know whether we could automate this process. Amelia Holcomb The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, developed the algorithm, which gives an accurate measurement of tree diameter, an important measurement used by scientists to monitor forest health and levels of carbon sequestration.

Health - Pharmacology - 06.03.2023
Reluctance to prescribe medication risks the health of pregnant women
Reluctance to prescribe medication risks the health of pregnant women
An unwillingness among healthcare professionals to prescribe and dispense otherwise recommended medications is putting the health and lives of pregnant women at risk, finds a new study involving a UCL researcher. The research, published in BMJ Open and involving researchers at UCL, the Centre for Reproductive Research & Communication at BPAS, Cardiff University, and Pregnancy Sickness Support, highlights the experiences of women whose pharmacists had refused to dispense prescriptions made by their GP.

Politics - Media - 06.03.2023
Rewarding accuracy instead of partisan pandering reduces political divisions over the truth
Researchers argue that the findings hold lessons for social media companies and the -perverse incentives- driving political polarisation online. Shifting the motivations to post on social media could help rebuild some of the shared reality lost to political polarisation Sander van der Linden Offering a tiny cash reward for accuracy, or even briefly appealing to personal integrity, can increase people's ability to tell the difference between misinformation and the truth, according to a new study.

Health - Innovation - 06.03.2023
Detecting anaemia earlier in children using a smartphone
Detecting anaemia earlier in children using a smartphone
Researchers at UCL and University of Ghana have successfully predicted whether children have anaemia using only a set of smartphone images. The study, published in PLOS ONE , brought together researchers and clinicians at UCL Engineering, UCLH and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana to investigate a new non-invasive diagnostic technique using smartphone photographs of the eye and face.

Health - Social Sciences - 06.03.2023
Higher infection risk was main driver of ethnic inequality
Latin American cashier scanning products at a grocery store wearing a facemask - iStock The research, published in The Lancet: eClinicalMedicine, analysed results from 77 research studies, covering 200 million people from around the world. Earlier research showed a higher risk of severe illness or death for people from ethnic minority groups, but it was not clear if this was due to higher infection risk, poorer prognosis once infected, or both.