news 2014

Surprising new leads uncovered in global obesity epidemic 8 December 2014 Researchers have uncovered surprising new leads in the worldwide obesity epidemic by examining the combination of our rapidly changing environment with our overwhelming appetite for protein. Published in the British Journal of Nutrition, the research from the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre indicates that bottle-feeding, climate change and corporate bottom lines could be among the dark horses of global obesity.

Growing obesity levels are increasing the burden of cancers throughout the world, say University of Queensland researchers. UQ School of Population Health researcher Dr Nirmala Pandeya and colleagues at the International Agency for Research on Cancer estimate that a quarter of all obesity-related cancers in 2012 could be attributed to the rising average body mass index since 1982.

AKU was the first human disorder that was recognised as a genetic disease 100 years ago, but is often mistaken for severe arthritis Scientists at the University of Liverpool and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital have completed human trials on a drug that has proved successful in preventing the development of a rare bone disease.

Researchers have shown how a topical steroid cream frequently used to treat common skin conditions can be used to improve dermatitis in cancer patients. Radiotherapy uses X-rays to destroy cancer cells but this can often lead to a severe skin reaction involving redness, pain and blistering similar to sunburn.

CRPS is a severe post-traumatic pain condition in the limbs Researchers at the University of Liverpool have shown for the first time that the majority of patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), a severe post-traumatic pain condition in the limbs, have specific blood-antibodies that may activate the condition.

It may be possible to develop a simple blood test that, by detecting changes in the zinc in our bodies, could help to diagnose breast cancer early. A team, led by Oxford University scientists, took techniques normally used to analyse trace metal isotopes for studying climate change and planetary formation and applied them to how the human body processes metals.

People with mental illness are more likely to have been tested for HIV than those without mental illness, according to a new study from a team of researchers at Penn Medicine and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published online this week in AIDS Patient Care and STDs .

National guidelines recommend that men with lowand intermediate-risk prostate cancer who have life expectancies of fewer than 10 years should not be treated with radiation or surgery, since they are unlikely to live long enough to benefit from treatment. Yet a new study by UCLA researchers found that more than half of such men are receiving these aggressive treatments putting them at risk for potentially debilitating side effects.

Quitting smoking sets off a series of changes in the brain that Penn Medicine researchers say may better identify smokers who will start smoking again-a prediction that goes above and beyond today's clinical or behavioral tools for assessing relapse risk.

ANN ARBOR-An odd, iridescent material that's puzzled physicists for decades turns out to be an exotic state of matter that could open a new path to quantum computers and other next-generation electronics. Physicists at the University of Michigan have discovered or confirmed several properties of the compound samarium hexaboride that raise hopes for finding the silicon of the quantum era.

A new study of over 3,400 Canadian women provides further evidence that exposure to air-pollution may increase the risk of developing breast cancer, especially among women who have not yet had their menopause. Following a previous study in Montreal published in 2010, these researchers investigated air pollution in eight Canadian provinces, from 1975 to 1994, based on satellite observations and on-ground measurements of NO2.

'Tis the season to indulge. However, restraint may be best according to a new study led by investigators at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and McGill University. The researchers examined the relationship between body weight and life expectancy. Their findings show that overweight and obese individuals have the potential to decrease life expectancy by up to 8 years.

Our structure (research) Impact of our research Postgraduate research 05 Dec 2014 Economists working in academia are being advised to think twice before publishing in high impact journals. That's according to new research led by Professor Dan Rigby, of The University of Manchester, and published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, which examined whether careers were most enhanced by publishing in high impact journals.

Among the billions and billions of stars in the sky, where should astronomers look for infant Earths where life might develop? New research from Cornell University's Institute for Pale Blue Dots shows where - and when - infant Earths are most likely to be found. The paper by Blue Dots research associate Ramses M. Ramirez and director Lisa Kaltenegger, "The Habitable Zones of Pre-Main Sequence Stars," is forthcoming in Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Leptin, a hormone that regulates the amount of fat stored in the body, also drives the increase in blood pressure that occurs with weight gain, according to researchers from Monash University and the University of Cambridge. Being obese or overweight is a major risk factor for the development of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

Press release issued: 4 December 2014 A genetic variant which causes smokers to smoke more heavily has been shown to be associated with increased body mass index (BMI) - but only in those who have never smoked, according to new research led by the University of Bristol, UK and published today in PLOS Genetics.

A partnership involving UCL has been awarded £14M to accelerate access to simple self-tests in African countries. Self-testing for HIV using rapid diagnostic kits is becoming increasingly widely used, allowing high-risk people to test their own HIV status in private. Self-testing is now recommended in the USA and Europe, was recently introduced in Kenya, and is being evaluated for introduction in several other African countries.

A team of scientists that included researchers from UCLA has discovered a novel mechanism of RNA regulation in embryonic stem cells. The findings are strong evidence that a specific chemical modification, or "tag," on RNA plays a key role in determining the ability of embryonic stem cells to adopt different cellular identities.

Rampant deer have long been munching away on forest plants and altering ecosystems, but new evidence suggests some plants are evolving tolerance to being eaten. An experiment with 26 populations of orange jewelweed ( Impatiens capensis ), a common wetland native plant, found that historically browsed populations tolerated being eaten by deer far better than historically protected plant populations.

An international team of scientists has discovered the earliest known engravings from human ancestors on a 400,000 year-old fossilised shell from Java. The discovery is the earliest known example of ancient humans deliberately creating pattern. "It rewrites human history," said Dr Stephen Munro from the School of Archaeology and Anthropology.