Hunting the elusive L-function
There was a lot of excitement last month about ‘L-functions’. A PhD student in the Department of Mathematics, Ce Bian, in collaboration with his supervisor, Dr Andrew Booker, had discovered some new ones
Research
Why can’t I learn a new language?
Adults, even the brightest ones, often struggle with learning new languages. Dr Nina Kazanina in the Department of Psychology explains why.
Superbug genome sequenced
The genome of a newly-emerging superbug, commonly known as Steno, reveals an organism with a remarkable capacity for drug resistance.
The housing generations
Ray Forrest, Misa Izuhara and Xiaouhui Zhong from the Centre for East Asian Studies and the School for Policy Studies explore the changing housing landscape in three East Asian regions – Japan, China and Hong Kong.
The cry of the jungle
Bruna Bezerra, a Brazilian student studying for her PhD in the Department of Biological Sciences, has just returned from the rain forest where she was conducting research on the vocal communication of the rare monkey, the golden-backed uacari.
New projects to raise UK profile in Synthetic Biology
Four UK Research Councils have come together to announce funding for new projects designed to rapidly build the UK’s expertise and capacity in the emerging field of synthetic biology.
£1.2 million to test effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy
A team of researchers has been awarded £1.2 million by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme for a clinical trial to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for patients with depression who do not respond to treatment with antidepressants.
New vaccines may not reduce TB incidence
New research shows that the removal of one strain of TB can allow a previously suppressed strain to succeed. Consequently, a vaccination program could result in the proliferation of strains more likely to be, or become, drug resistant, and could even result in an increased prevalence of the disease.
Growing a new heart?
In surgery that reshapes the heart it may be possible to further improve heart function by replacing the dead or damaged heart cells with new ones.
Cutting unnecessary treatment for blood disorder in pregnancy
A new test for identifying a mismatch between the blood of a pregnant woman and her baby is accurate, feasible, and could substantially reduce unnecessary treatment, finds a Bristol study published on bmj.com today.