When should blood transfusions be given after cardiac surgery?12 March 2015New research led by the University of Bristol has shown that patients having heart surgery do not benefit if doctors wait until a patient has become substantially anaemic before giving a blood transfusion.
Fossil skull sheds new light on transition from water to land 11 March 2015The first 3D reconstruction of the skull of a 360 million-year-old near-ancestor of land vertebrates has been created by scientists from the Universities of Bristol and Cambridge.
It’s sound - Bristol Pound encourages community unity11 March 2015There is a rapidly growing momentum driving the development of mobile payment systems. New research by the universities of Bristol and Brunel has shown systems, such as the Bristol Pound, can have a positive effect on the local community by encouraging consumers to support and value their local businesses.
Government commits to new Bristol school for children with autism10 March 2015A new all-through school in Bristol for children with autism has been given the go-ahead by the Department for Education. The Bristol Autism Free School will be sponsored by the Society of Merchant Venturers and the University of Bristol, which already jointly sponsor Merchants' Academy in south Bristol.
Bristol’s major employers sign up to a more energy efficient future10 March 2015Bristol City Council, the University of Bristol and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (UH Bristol) have committed themselves to a more energy efficient future with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to work together on a district energy network.
Outdoor learning reaches lofty new heights 10 March 2015Helen Knowler, a Senior Lecturer in Education, has received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ERSC) to develop an innovative treehouse-style outdoor learning environment for teenagers who struggle to cope in school.
Shaun in the City flocks to Paddington9 March 2015Although it’s famous for another fictional character, Paddington Train Station will soon be home to a giant Shaun the Sheep thanks to a new public art trail involving 120 eye-catching sculptures.
Researchers report new gene associated with thyroid levels6 March 2015Thyroid hormones have important and diverse roles in human health and regulate metabolic rate. Thyroid disease is common (affecting 5-10 per cent of the population) and synthetic thyroid hormones are one of the commonest drug therapies prescribed worldwide. A new study, published in Nature Communications involving University of Bristol academics, reports a new gene called SYN2 associated with thyroid levels.
£1.4 million to investigate best practice for improving rights of disabled people6 March 2015Disabled people in the UK face a variety of barriers to equality including poverty, poor access to health services, unequal access to the law and poor support services in everyday, family and higher educational settings, as shown by previous research. A new three-year study has been awarded £1.4 million from the ESRC to understand what is needed to tackle these barriers and develop strategies to overcome them.
New virtual research centres to break new ground in cystic fibrosis science and care6 March 2015The development of new drugs to treat the most common cause of cystic fibrosis, a genetic defect (or mutation) carried by around 90 per cent of people living with the disease in the UK, will be helped by the creation of a new virtual Strategic Research Centre (SRC) led by the University of Bristol.
In a spin: acrobatic feats of praying mantises revealed5 March 2015To watch a young, wingless praying mantis jump is a remarkable thing. The jump from take-off to landing lasts less than a tenth of second – faster than the blink of a human eye. During a jump, the insect’s body rotates in mid-air at a rate of about 2.5 times per second and yet, according to new research from the Universities of Bristol and Cambridge, when mantises jump, they land on target every time.
Moderate alcohol consumption increases attractiveness5 March 2015Consuming alcohol (equivalent to about a glass of wine) can make the drinker appear more attractive than when sober, according to new research from the University of Bristol. However, the effect disappears when more is consumed.
Study to use ‘peer power’ to address low physical activity rates in teenage girls5 March 2015A new study aiming to tackle low-levels of physical activity among adolescent girls by introducing peer-influences has been awarded £528,000 from the National Institute of Health Research [NIHR]. The project, led by Dr Simon Sebire at the University of Bristol, will assess whether a peer-led intervention could address the steep reduction in teenage girls doing physical activity by the time they start secondary school.
Bristol backs new university in Hereford5 March 2015The first new ‘greenfield’ university in Britain was launched today with the support of a strong coalition of leading universities – including the University of Bristol – and engineers, businesspeople and politicians. It will open its doors to the first 300 students at its city centre campus in Hereford in September 2017.
How big data can be used to understand major events4 March 2015With the most unpredictable UK general election looming in modern times, how can big data be used to understand how elections are covered by the media? New research by the University of Bristol has for the first time analysed over 130,000 online news articles to find out how the 2012 US presidential election played out in the media.
Bristol PhD students take science to Parliament4 March 2015PhD students from across the University are attending Parliament to present their science to a range of politicians and a panel of expert judges, as part of SET for Britain on Monday 9 March.
Lichen to thrill as rare Golden-eye is discovered in South Wales4 March 2015A rare, bright yellow lichen, which until recently was believed to be extinct in the UK, has been found by University of Bristol postgraduate students during a recent field trip to South Wales.
