news 2024

The short-term boost our brains get after we do exercise persists throughout the following day, suggests a new study led by UCL researchers. Previous research in a laboratory setting has shown that people's cognitive performance improves in the hours after exercise, but how long this benefit lasts is unknown.

University of Birmingham researchers have found that biomass burning contributes significantly to fine particulate matter levels in the region. Woodburning has a major impact on air quality in Birmingham and the West Midlands - accounting for a substantial proportion of all fine pollution particles and representing a significant risk to public health, a new study reveals.

A new study has found no evidence that common modifiable health and lifestyle risk factors are responsible for the elevated dementia risk observed among former professional footballers. Led by consultant neuropathologist Professor Willie Stewart, Honorary Professor at the University of Glasgow, these latest findings from the FIELD study shed more light on the potential reasons why former professional footballers experience higher risk of dementia compared with the general population.

New research highlights how gender inequalities in sports could be distorting injury data and calls for more accurate measurements A new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine , involving the University of Bath, questions the widely cited claim that women are 2-10 times more likely than men to sustain ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries.

Scientists reveal how coffee wilt fungi gained genes to better infect arabica and robusta crops. A new study reveals how genetic interactions between fungal pathogens contributed to the repeated outbreaks of coffee wilt disease threatening arabica and robusta coffee. Coffee wilt disease is caused by Fusarium xylarioides , a soil-borne fungus that invades coffee plants through the roots, eventually blocking water uptake and causing the plants to wilt.

An MRI-based imaging technique developed at the University of Cambridge predicts the response of ovarian cancer tumours to treatment, and rapidly reveals how well treatment is working, in patient-derived cell models. We can image a tumour pre-treatment to predict how likely it is to respond, and then we can image again immediately after treatment to confirm whether it has indeed responded Kevin Brindle The technique, called hyperpolarised carbon-13 imaging, can increase the detected signal in an MRI scanner by more than 10,000 times.

Cambridge scientists have developed a urine test for early detection of lung cancer. The test, the first of its kind, detects 'zombie' cells that could indicate the first signs of the disease. Researchers hope that early detection, through the simple urine test, could enable earlier treatment interventions, significantly improving patient outcomes and prognosis.

Adults who frequently post on social media are at more risk of developing mental health problems than those who passively view social media content, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The study, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, investigated how different types of social media use might affect the mental health of adults over time.

People who are either too trusting or too mistrustful are more likely to believe conspiracy theories and ascribe to vaccine hesitancy, finds a new study by UCL researchers. The research, published in PLOS Global Public Health, also found that people who are highly credulous are less capable of recognising fake news.

A new study from the University of Oxford demonstrates how clinicians could use data to predict the risk of falls in people with Parkinson's Disease (PD) to help improve effective longer term care planning. Falls are a common problem for people living with Parkinson's. A recent review estimated that some 60% of all people living with PD have experienced at least one fall.

Most young people who were confirmed to have long Covid three months after a positive PCR test had recovered within 24 months, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The Children and young people with Long Covid (CLoCK) study, published in Nature Communications Medicine and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), is the world's largest longitudinal cohort study on long Covid in children.

Researchers uncover a 'chemical metronome' in the brain, which helps to synchronise the master clock telling us when it's time to sleeep. In a study of brain cells from mice and humans, researchers have found that star-shaped cells called astrocytes rhythmically produce a chemical pulse that helps the brain's master clock to keep time, influencing our circadian rhythm and sleep-wake cycle.

The number of sex offences committed by strangers decreased significantly in the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic, new research shows. According to researchers at the University of Birmingham, the amount of offending in night-time economy and outdoor settings dropped significantly, but so too did offences taking place at home.

Around 32% of people who have had prior damage from lung diseases will die after five years if they also get a common fungal infection, a major global review has found. The review also finds that 15% of people with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) die in the first year following other lung diseases.

The first computer algorithm capable of identifying which tumour cells are driving aggressive cancer growth has been developed by Cancer Research scientists from UCL and The Francis Crick Institute. The innovative algorithm, called SPRINTER*, analyses individual cells within a tumour to identify those that are growing the most rapidly.

New research has pinpointed key cells that could be targeted to prevent painful rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups, offering potential new hope to millions of people with the condition world-wide. The important new findings are published in the journal Immunity and highlight the potential to use dendritic cells as early markers to predict a rheumatoid arthritis flare-up, hopefully paving the way for more patients to achieve sustained remission.

Around 43% of NHS workers who took part in a recent study have considered leaving their role or taking early retirement. The national study, published today in Lancet Europe, also discovered a striking link between suffering from symptoms of depression, anxiety or PTSD, and wanting to leave healthcare.

The number of important routine health checks taking place since the pandemic has substantially reduced in England, with implications for missed diagnosis and increased health inequalities.

A study led by the University of Glasgow has revealed differences in the brains of paediatric and adult patients' that might explain the sometimes catastrophic outcomes seen in children following a traumatic brain injury. In findings published in the journal JAMA Network Open, the researchers found first pathological evidence that the pattern of damage to blood vessels after a severe brain injury appears to be age-dependant.

New research reveals public discreditation is the most common tactic used across all three sectors to intimidate researchers New research from the University of Bath shows researchers in the tobacco, ultra-processed food (UPF) and alcohol sectors are frequently targeted with identical intimidation tactics.