news

The role of a specific protein in the development of prostate cancer is being investigated by scientists at the University of Glasgow. The one-year study, led by Professor George Baillie, has received £50,000 funding from the charity Prostate Cancer UK's Movember Foundation Project and will examine the role the protein PDE4D7 plays in the development of the disease.

Measuring the size of a child's head is done routinely worldwide to screen for possible learning or developmental problems but new research suggests that differences within the normal range of measurements are common - and mainly due to human error - and should not unduly concern parents. This new research, based on over 10,000 participants in Children of the 90s study calls into question the practical value of using head measurement as a screening test as it could mean many children undergo unnecessary tests such as MRI scans and referral to specialists.

A consortium of researchers from around the UK have been awarded £2million to provide support in areas of research that require complex methodological approaches. The National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) funded the University of Glasgow in collaboration with the University of Leicester and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to establish the NIHR Complex Review Research Support Unit (CRRSU), which will support the successful delivery of complex reviews of importance to the NHS.

Having access to green spaces significantly reduces the gap in wellbeing between richer and poorer people a European study has found. Socioeconomic inequality in mental wellbeing was 40% narrower among people reporting good access to green / recreational areas compared to those with poor access. The research team say that green space is 'equigenic' because it appears that it may help in creating health equality between richer and poorer people.

Scientists are investigating a new therapy for the treatment of tendon injuries such as tennis elbow and Achilles tendinitis after gaining new insight into the condition. Tendon injuries (tendinopathies) are common, accounting for 30-50% of all sporting injuries, and are usually caused by repetitive strain or major trauma.

A global study on canine rabies has found that 160 people die every single day from the disease. The report is the first study to consider the impact in terms of deaths and the economic costs of rabies across all countries. Even though the disease is preventable, the study says that around 59,000 people die every year of rabies transmitted by dogs.

Cities' artificial lighting may be causing urban European blackbirds to mature faster than their country cousins, new research has found. A team of animal biologists from the University of Glasgow and the Max Planck Institute for Orntihology fitted small devices known as light loggers to the backs of 100 blackbirds in Munich, Germany and a nearby forest.

Blindly following recommendations for drug prescriptions in national clinical guidelines for conditions including diabetes, depression and heart failure will often result in potentially serious drug interactions, according to a new study.

An experimental technique to help stroke patients regain the use of their arms has shown promising results in a small-scale trial. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), which aims to encourage the growth of new neural connections in the brain, was shown to help patients in Glasgow improve arm function by a greater degree than standard physiotherapy alone.

A study conducted by the Scottish SPCA and the University of Glasgow shows that music has a calming effect on dogs. The research, conducted by the charity's education and research manager Gilly Mendes Ferreira and PhD student Amy Bowman, involved testing two groups of dogs over two consecutive weeks at the Scottish SPCA's Dumbarton & West of Scotland animal rescue and rehoming centre in Milton, West Dunbartonshire.

Researchers have found that pancreatic cancer can be split into four unique types, a discovery that could be used to improve treatments for the disease, according to a study published in Nature. The international team of scientists, including researchers from The University of Glasgow, found that these four types were created when large chunks of DNA are shuffled around.

Promising results for a new drug treatment for ischaemic stroke patients have been published today in the journal 'Lancet Neurology'. ‌A new drug treatment, Tenecteplase, has been shown to have similar outcomes in limiting the damage done in the brain after a stroke compared with current treatments.

Cancer survivors make healthier diet and lifestyle choices than the general population, according to a new study. Researchers found that most cancer survivors in Scotland eat more fruit and vegetables and stop smoking, but are less likely to be physically active than the general Scottish population.

A new study suggests that bacteria may be able to jump between host species far easier than was previously thought. Researchers discovered that a single genetic mutation in a strain of bacteria infectious to humans enables it jump species to also become infectious to rabbits. The discovery has major implications for how we assess the risk of bacterial diseases that can pass between humans and animals.

New analysis of web search data from the run up to the Scottish independence referendum has shown that neither the Vow by the three main Westminster parties, which promised to devolve further powers to Scotland if it voted to stay part of the UK, nor the last TV debate, had any substantial impact on the final voting results.

Smoking while pregnant causes chemical changes to the DNA of a foetus detectable from as early as 12 weeks and may predispose children born to smokers to a range of health conditions which last throughout life, new research by Scottish academics has revealed. Their findings, published today in BMC Medicine, add significant weight to existing knowledge of the dangers of smoking while pregnant and show that risks may be even greater than previously thought.

Pregnant women are more likely to quit smoking if financial rewards are offered as part of a treatment plan, finds new research published in The BMJ. Smoking in pregnancy is a leading preventable cause of maternal and neonatal illness and death in developed countries. In the UK alone, around 5000 fetuses and babies die from smoking during pregnancy each year.

Scientists have long known that the speed of light can be slowed slightly as it travels through materials such as water or glass. However, it has generally been thought impossible for particles of light, known as photons, to be slowed as they travel through free space, unimpeded by interactions with any materials.

New research has revealed that girls lead boys in educational achievement in 70% of countries, regardless of levels of national gender equality. Even in countries where women's liberties are severely restricted, girls are shown to be outperforming boys in mathematics, reading and science literacy subjects by age 15.

The world's mussel population could be under threat as climate change causes oceans to become increasingly acidic, scientists have discovered. In a new paper published today (Wednesday 24 December) in the Royal Society's journal Interface , researchers from the University of Glasgow describe how mussels' shells become more brittle when they are formed in more acidic water.