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Mammals only started being active in the daytime after non-avian dinosaurs were wiped out about 66 million years ago (mya), finds a new study led by UCL and Tel Aviv University's Steinhardt Museum of Natural History. A long-standing theory holds that the common ancestor to all mammals was nocturnal, but the new discovery reveals when mammals started living in the daytime for the first time.

The long term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), a class of drugs commonly used to treat acid reflux, is linked to a more than doubling in the risk of developing stomach cancer, finds research by UCL and The University of Hong Kong. The observational study, published online in Gut, found that the risk rose in tandem with the dose and duration of treatment following elimination of Helicobacter pylori , the bacteria implicated in the development of stomach cancer.

Three major pulses of increased mobility in Europe over the last 10,000 years and a general upward trend in migration have been uncovered in a new study led by researchers from UCL, University of Cambridge and King's College London. The new method, published today in PNAS , allows, for the first time, to directly quantify changes in prehistoric migration rates using ancient genetic data over the last 30,000 years.

Scientists have developed a tiny cantilever that can weigh individual cells, which has enabled them to detect that a cell stops growing after catching a virus. Researchers from the MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology (LMCB) at UCL say the project shows how international collaborations between biologists and technology experts can drive new discoveries in biology.

A team of UCL researchers has devised a mathematical equation that can explain how our self-esteem is shaped by what other people think of us, in a new study published in the scientific journal eLife . The researchers used the new equation to identify signals in the human brain that explain why self-esteem goes up and down when we learn other people's judgments of us.

The gentle touch of another individual soothes the effects of social exclusion, one of the most emotionally painful human experiences, according to new UCL research. The study, published today in Scientific Reports and funded by the European Research Council, tested the impact of a slow, affectionate touch against a fast, neutral touch following social rejection and found a specific relationship between gentle touch and social bonding.

UCL researchers have developed a quick and simple test to predict which people with early-stage Parkinson's disease are likely to develop dementia. Lead researcher Dr Rimona Weil (UCL Institute of Neurology) says that dementia is a serious concern among people with Parkinson's, as the disease can often develop into dementia, but early warning markers are currently lacking.

Adding insulation to suspended timber ground floors commonly found in homes built before the Second World War can reduce heat-loss by up to 92 per cent, according to research from UCL and the University of Sheffield. A simple job for the DIY enthusiast, the research team claim that this intervention has the potential to dramatically reduce heating bills and contribute to the UK's CO2 emissions reduction targets.

A new UCL-led study has provided the strongest evidence to date that exposure to bullying causes mental health issues such as anxiety years later. The study, published today in JAMA Psychiatry and funded by MQ: Transforming Mental Health and the Economic and Social Research Council, found that the detrimental effects of bullying decreased over time, which the authors say shows the potential for resilience in children exposed to bullying.

The outcome of the independent special inquiry into regenerative medicine research at UCL, instigated by the UCL Vice-Provost (Research), has been published today. It investigated UCL's involvement in regenerative medicine research with a particular focus on UCL's relationship to Professor Paolo Macchiarini and the Karolinska Institute.

UCL researchers have devised a mathematical model to understand what causes obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a set of repeated behaviours deriving from an underlying brain dysfunction that is not yet well understood. In the study, published in Neuron , they found that people with OCD develop an internal, accurate sense of how things work but do not use it to guide behaviour.

For boys at risk of developing psychopathy when they become adults, laughter isn't as contagious as it is for most other people, according to a new Current Biology study by UCL researchers. Individuals at risk of psychopathy show persistent disruptive behaviours alongside callous-unemotional traits.

New research shows a quarter of girls (24%) and one in 10 boys (9%) are depressed at age 14. Researchers from the UCL Institute of Education and the University of Liverpool analysed information on more than 10,000 children born in 2000-01 who are taking part in the Millennium Cohort Study. At ages 3, 5, 7, 11 and 14, parents reported on their children's mental health.

A group-analysis of 30 exoplanets orbiting distant stars suggests that size, not mass, is a key factor in whether a planet's atmosphere can be detected according to a UCL-led team of European researchers. The largest population-study of exoplanets to date successfully detected atmospheres around 16 'hot Jupiters', and found that water vapour was present in every case.

Happiness is not determined by childhood biological markers such as height or body fat, according to a team of European researchers involving UCL. The paper, published in PLoS ONE analysed longitudinal data from nearly 2000 young Finns over a period of 20 years. For the first time, researchers obtained measurements for biomarkers in childhood together with measures of happiness in adulthood.

The source of spontaneous, high-amplitude bursts of activity seen in the brains of preterm babies, which are vital for healthy development, has been identified by a team led by researchers at UCL and King's College London. In a new study published in eLife and funded by the National Institute for Health Research and the Medical Research Council, the researchers found that a specific brain region called the insula plays a major role in the generation of the spontaneous neuronal bursts.

Schools are rejecting the chance to teach children in "mixed-ability" classes despite evidence that the alternative - pupils being put in ability sets or streams - will have a negative effect on at least some of their charges' results, according to new research from UCL. The paper - "Factors deterring schools from mixed attainment grouping practices," written by Dr Becky Taylor, UCL Institute of Education (IOE), together with academics from Queen's University, Belfast, was presented yesterday at the British Educational Research Association's (BERA) annual conference.

The use of a urine test for drug adherence can lead to a drop in blood pressure in patients who had been struggling to regularly take their blood pressure lowering tablets, according to a new study involving UCL researchers, published in Hypertension . Of the 238 patients who underwent the urine test, 73 were not taking their blood pressure lowering tablets on a regular basis.

People who are 'extraverted' and on low incomes buy more luxury goods than their introverted peers to compensate for the experience of low financial status, finds new UCL research. The study, published today in Psychological Science , used real life spending data from UK bank accounts to investigate the spending habits of richer and poorer people with different personality types.

People who hear voices that other people can't hear may use unusual skills when their brains process new sounds, according to new research led by UCL and Durham University. The study, published in the journal Brain , found that voice-hearers could detect disguised speech-like sounds more quickly and easily than people who had never had a voice-hearing experience.