news

One in seven cancer patients around the world have missed out on potentially life-saving operations during COVID-19 lockdowns, a new study reveals. Planned cancer surgery was affected by lockdowns regardless of the local COVID-19 rates at that time, with patients in lower income countries at highest risk of missing their surgery.

Mature oak trees will increase their rate of photosynthesis by up to a third in response to the raised CO2 levels expected to be the world average by about 2050, new research shows. The results, published in Tree Physiology , are the first to emerge from a giant outdoor experiment, led by the University of Birmingham in which an old oak forest is bathed in elevated levels of CO2.

Those with a recorded history of cannabis use in general practice records are at a much higher risk of developing mental ill health problems such as anxiety or depression as well as severe mental illnesses, new research shows. The findings point to the need for a public health approach to the management of people misusing cannabis, including the need to emphasise the importance of general practitioners to continue enquiring about recreational drug use.

Small mutations accumulating in DNA are unlikely to be fully responsible for the ageing process, finds a new study carried out in collaboration with the University of Birmingham. The research into the theories of ageing found that human cells and tissues can accumulate many more mutations than are normally present, without the body showing the features associated with ageing.

The rise of dinosaurs coincided with environmental changes driven by major volcanic eruptions over 230 million years ago, a new study reveals. The Late Triassic Carnian Pluvial Episode (CPE) saw an increase in global temperature and humidity - creating a major impact on the development of animal and plant life, coinciding with the establishment of modern conifers.

An unusual fossil showing a series of spikes fused to a rib has been revealed to be the remains of the oldest ankylosaur ever found and the first from the African continent. The exciting discovery was made in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco at the same site where researchers from the Natural History Museum (NHM) previously discovered the oldest stegosaur ever found.

Setting and achieving targets for treating diabetes patients with cholesterol or blood pressure medication, as well as tackling blood sugar levels, could save lives and reduce healthy-lifetime lost due to diabetes in developing countries, a new global study reveals. Some 80% of people with diabetes live in Lowand Middle-income Countries (LMICs).

Humans read by 'pre-processing' written words to create a pipeline of meaning, according to new research at the University of Birmingham. A study, published in Nature Communications , shows that each pre-processing judgement can take place extremely rapidly - within just 100ms after the eye lands on the previous word.

Research provides new insight into fundamental workings of the immune system in response to therapy to treat skin cancer New research led by the University of Birmingham suggests that skin cancer patients could have a better prognosis if their T cells send messages from five specific genes in their immune response to drugs given to treat the disease.

Leading scientists at the University of Birmingham have discovered a previously unknown pathway that prevents specific drugs from working in patients with bowel cancer. The research findings pave the way for increasing the number of bowel cancer patients who can be successfully treated, say the scientists.

A 170 m record of marine sediment cores extracted from Adélie Land in Antarctica by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Programme is yielding new insights into the complicated relationship between sea ice and climate change. In a new study published , researchers at the University of Birmingham, have collaborated in an international project to identify how fluctuations in sea ice levels have interconnected with both algae blooms and weather events linked to El Nino over the past 12,000 years.

Levels of air pollutants in cities in India are on the rise, according to scientists using observations from instruments on satellites that scan the global skies every day. Researchers used a long record of data gathered by space-based instruments to estimate trends in a range of air pollutants for 2005 to 2018, timed to coincide with well-established air quality policies in the UK and rapid development in India.

Alcohol and other substance use play complex roles in suicidal behaviour among young people. Gaining a better understanding of these impacts can help services better support young people, according to experts at the University of Birmingham. In a new study, published in PLoS ONE , researchers from the University's Institute of Mental Health and School of Psychology investigated in depth the lived experiences of a group of seven young people between the ages of 16 and 25 who had made attempts to end their life and subsequently recovered.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have developed a new way to identify which patients with heart failure will benefit from treatment with beta-blockers. Heart failure is one of the most common heart conditions, with substantial impact on patient quality of life, and a major driver of hospital admissions and healthcare cost.

New research has shed light on when plants first evolved the ability to respond to changing humidity in the air around them, and was probably a feature of a common ancestor of both flowering plants and ferns. Key to the regulation mechanism are tiny holes, or pores, on the surface of leaves, called stomata.

Physical activity among young people can be improved by well-designed and delivered online interventions such as 'exergames' and smartphone apps, new research shows. According to a review study carried out at the University of Birmingham, children and young people reacted positively in PE lessons to the use of exergames, which deliver physical activity lessons via games or personalised activities.

Surgical patients who have recently had COVID-19 are more likely to develop potentially fatal post-operative blood clots, a new global study reveals. Researchers discovered that patients diagnosed with current or previous SARS-CoV-2 are more likely to develop postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) than those with no history of COVID infection.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham have confirmed the speed, accuracy and simplicity of a novel, highly sensitive testing method for COVID-19 that can be deployed at entertainment venues, airport arrival terminals, and in remote settings where clinical testing laboratories are not available.

The philosophy of poetry, or 'poetizing', allows us to challenge traditional ways of understanding how consumers think and behave during life transformations, a new study reveals. Consumer behaviour analysis usually focuses on the identities that people aspire to, with marketing strategists using these profiles to plan engagement with consumers likely to be interested in their products and services.

Individuals are likely to prioritise food over sex after being deprived of both, according to researchers at the University of Birmingham, who studied this behavioural conflict in fruit flies. A new study, published in Current Biology , pinpointed the precise neuronal impulses triggered in flies' brains when faced with the critical choices of feeding or mating.