news 2024

A new international study spanning the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada has revealed important insights into the risks associated with prescribed opioid use for noncancer pain. The research, led by researchers at The University of Manchester and McGill University in Canada which analysed over 1 million patients newly initiated on opioids, found prescription of strong opioids was associated with higher risk of all-cause mortality compared to taking codeine.

A study has found that the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector played a 'crucial' role supporting Greater Manchester communities during the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine rollout - but that their contribution has been undervalued and under-recognised by the wider health system.

Researchers have found a new way to use biocatalysis to improve the production of critical raw materials required for essential drugs, making the process quicker, more efficient, and environmentally friendly. Biocatalysis is a process that uses enzymes as natural catalysts to carry out chemical reactions.

The first human tissue samples from Oxford's Space Innovation Lab (SIL) have been launched and are on their way to the International Space Station, where they will be used to study the effects of space microgravity on the human ageing process. Researchers from the SIL flew to the Kennedy Space Centre (Florida, USA) to integrate the samples into the payload in preparation for the launch, which took place early in the early hours of Tuesday 5th November (UK time).

New analysis by the University of Glasgow has revealed that the city's mass tuberculosis screening in 1957 prevented 4,600 cases of tuberculosis in the six years after the campaign. In what was one of the largest and most ambitious screening campaigns ever conducted, more than 715,000 Glasgow residents were screened with chest X-ray over a five-week period in March and April 1957.

An international team of researchers have developed a promising new drug which could help combat the spread of treatment-resistant malaria. The breakthrough development is the first to adapt an approach from cancer treatments to tackle malaria. It works by permanently disabling a protein that Plasmodium falciparum , one of the mosquito-borne parasites which spreads malaria, uses to duplicate itself inside the human body.

Scientists have taken inspiration from the way sunlight passes through clouds to discover an entirely new way of controlling and guiding light. The breakthrough research, led by physicists from the University of Glasgow, allows light waves to be guided around curved paths tunnelled through opaque materials which would normally scatter them in all directions.

Socioeconomic factors such as education, occupation, and wealth influence the likelihood of developing cognitive impairment or dementia in later life and whether a person is likely to recover, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The research, published in Scientific Reports , followed 8,442 adults aged 50 and above in England over 10 years from 2008/09 to 2018/19, to examine how socioeconomic factors at the start of the study were associated with changes in cognitive status.

A breakthrough in material science could help deliver a new generation of affordable batteries, scientists say. An international team of researchers led by chemists from the University of Glasgow and battery testing experts at Helmholtz Institute Ulm have implemented a material made from chromium and selenium in a potassium-ion battery.

A drug commonly used to treat glaucoma has been shown in zebrafish and mice to protect against the build-up in the brain of the protein tau, which causes various forms of dementia and is implicated in Alzheimer's disease.

Text message reminders can help to improve tooth brushing habits in teenagers, particularly those from low-income families, a new study has shown. Researchers from Cardiff University and the Universities of Sheffield, Leeds, York and Dundee, have collaborated to investigate the effectiveness of a new programme designed to encourage better brushing habits and reduce tooth decay in secondary school pupils.

Manchester scientists unveil advanced materials that capture benzene in our atmosphere, tackling major health risk Scientists have developed a new material capable of capturing the harmful chemical benzene from the polluted air, offering a potential solution for tackling a major health and environment risk.

A study undertaken by a student at The University of Manchester has revealed a severe level of microplastic pollution within the Medina Estuary on the Isle of Wight. An alarming level of microplastic fragments were found to be present throughout the intertidal mudflat sediments within the Medina Estuary, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Researchers from the University of Oxford have identified a key biochemical mechanism relevant to the development of Huntington's Disease. This discovery opens up the possibility of studying the disease before its clinical onset and eventually stopping its progression. The study, published in Nature Metabolism , has shown for the first time the biochemical change responsible for the development of Huntington's disease, and how blocking this change stopped disease progression.

Last Updated: 29 Oct 2024 13:48:07 A new study from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and the University of Southampton have suggested that flatter-shaped saddles may better fit horses that spend most of their ridden time in motion. From observing significant changes in the shape of horse backs when stationary and during locomotion, the study found that horse backs become much flatter during movement compared to when stood still.

Researchers have developed a machine learning algorithm to accurately detect heart murmurs in dogs, one of the main indicators of cardiac disease, which affects a large proportion of some smaller breeds such as King Charles Spaniels. The research team, led by the University of Cambridge, adapted an algorithm originally designed for humans and found it could automatically detect and grade heart murmurs in dogs, based on audio recordings from digital stethoscopes.

We can use them to alter lighting, smooth out our complexion and even change our hair colour, but now researchers have found that AI facial filters, when used in real time, could even have the power to influence who we are attracted to. The latest research, led by the University of Glasgow and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), used AI to create real time face transformations in order to investigate the social signals that influence the beginnings of romantic attraction.

Like people, birds have fewer friends as they age, but the reasons why are unclear. New research suggests they may just have no drive to. In humans, it's often been assumed that older people have fewer friends because they're pickier about who they spend their time with. There's also the issue that there are fewer people of their own age around.

People with atrial fibrillation (AF) who have a stroke could benefit from blood thinning treatments, known as anticoagulants, at an earlier stage than is currently recommended, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. Results from the British Heart Foundation funded OPTIMAS study are published in the Lancet and presented at the World Stroke Congress 2024.

Nearly three quarters of new non-cancer pain opioid prescriptions were for patients with musculoskeletal conditions, despite limited evidence of the drug's efficacy, according to the largest UK study of its kind. The new study , also the first of its kind in the UK, evaluated the specific clinical conditions that lead to the initiation of opioid prescriptions using data from nationally representative GP electronic health records.