news

Medicine/Pharmacology - 24.05
Hormone levels may provide key to understanding psychological disorders in women
Women at a particular stage in their monthly menstrual cycle may be more vulnerable to some of the psychological side-effects associated with stressful experiences, according to a study from UCL. - The results suggest a monthly window of opportunity that could potentially be targeted in efforts to prevent common mental health problems developing in women.

Chemistry - Medicine/Pharmacology - 23.05
Molecular modelling to help create better, safer drugs
How our bodies break down the common drugs ibuprofen, diclofenac and warfarin is the subject of a new study from the University of Bristol, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Medicine/Pharmacology - 22.05
Older people have a thirst for technology
Older adults want to adopt modern technology to help improve their quality of life, despite a huge 'technology gap', new research has found. - A pioneering study conducted by the Challenging Obstacles and Barriers Assisted Living Technology (COBALT) research team discovered that despite being branded a generation of technophobes older people are actually happy and eager to embrace new devices and equipment.

Medicine/Pharmacology - 22.05
Iodine deficiency during pregnancy adversely affects children’s mental development
A study of around 1,000 UK mothers and their children, published in The Lancet , has revealed that iodine deficiency in pregnancy may have an adverse effect on children's mental development. The research raises concerns that the iodine status of pregnant women is a public-health issue that needs to be addressed. - Iodine - which is consumed mainly via dairy products and seafood - is essential for producing the hormones made by the thyroid gland, which have a direct effect on fetal brain development.

Medicine/Pharmacology - 21.05
Facing the chill wind of blood pressure
High blood pressure is something that has traditionally been a problem in Scotland, but might there be a link to our climate? - A new study has found that some people's blood pressure is affected more by the cold weather and this blood pressure sensitivity to temperature may be a marker of early mortality.

Life Sciences - Medicine/Pharmacology - 20.05
SUMO wrestling cells reveal new protective mechanism target for stroke
Scientists investigating the interaction of a group of proteins in the brain responsible for protecting nerve cells from damage have identified a new target that could increase cell survival. - The discovery could eventually lead to new therapies for stroke and other brain diseases.

Medicine/Pharmacology - Agronomy/Food Science - 17.05
Rise in type 2 diabetes amongst young
The number of young people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes has seen the sharpest rise over the last twenty years compared to a background of a general increase across the board, new University research has found.

Life Sciences - Medicine/Pharmacology - 16.05
Greater understanding of tumour growth
Non-surgical treatments for multiple tumours move one step nearer - A study led by researchers from Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry has for the first time revealed how the loss of a particular tumour suppressing protein leads to the abnormal growth of tumours of the brain and nervous system.

Medicine/Pharmacology - 16.05
Post-mortem MRI: a viable alternative to an autopsy
Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and blood tests to establish the cause of death in fetuses and newborn babies is virtually as accurate as a standard autopsy, according to a paper published in The Lancet .

Life Sciences - Medicine/Pharmacology - 15.05
Scientists explore the inner workings of the teenage brain
New study to reveal what happens to the human brain as we mature; research will also provide insight into the development of mental disorders - You could imagine that it might be possible to develop computerised games or other training programmes that could help adolescents develop advance cognitive skills - Ed Bullmore - Despite adolescence being a high-risk time for developing major psychiatric and drug dependence disorders, very little is known about the teenage brain.

Medicine/Pharmacology - 15.05
Father absence in early childhood linked to depression in adolescent girls
New research from the Children of the 90s study at the University of Bristol shows that girls whose fathers were absent during the first five years of life were more likely to develop depressive symptoms in adolescence than girls whose fathers left when they were aged five to ten years or than boys in both age groups (0-5 and 5-10), even after a range of factors was taken into account.

Life Sciences - Medicine/Pharmacology - 14.05
Fish oil may stall effects of junk food on brain
Data from more than 180 research papers suggests fish oils could minimise the effects that junk food can have on the brain, a review by researchers at the University of Liverpool has shown. - The team at the University's Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease reviewed research from around the world to see whether there was sufficient data available to suggest that omega-3s had a role to play in aiding weight loss.

Agronomy/Food Science - Medicine/Pharmacology - 13.05
Researchers develop smart phone app to help weight loss
Researchers at the University of Liverpool have developed a smart phone app that helps users lose weight by carefully recording their food consumption. - The app was developed in response to research from the University's Institute of Psychology, Health and Society , which showed that paying attention to what you eat while you eat it helps reduce food intake and prevents consuming excess calories at future meals.

Medicine/Pharmacology - Life Sciences - 9.05
TRACK-HD study identifies early predictors of disease progression in Huntington’s disease
An international team led by researchers at the UCL Institute of Neurology has identified a set of tests that could help identify whether - and how - Huntington's disease (HD) is progressing in groups of people who are not yet showing symptoms.

Medicine/Pharmacology - 8.05
Nearly 5 million asthmatics could benefit from antifungal therapy
08 May 2013 - An estimated 4,837,000 asthmatics with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) could benefit substantially from antifungal treatment, say researchers from The University of Manchester and the University of Toronto.