Business

Less than 1% of UK public research funding spent on antibiotic research in past 5 years

Main Point:

Less than 1% of research funding awarded by public and charitable bodies to UK researchers in 2008–13 was awarded for research on antibiotics.

Published in:

The Lancet Infectious Diseases

Study Further:

The study, which is the first detailed assessment of public and charitable funding to UK researchers focusing on bacteriology and antibiotic research, suggests that present levels of funding for antibiotic research in the UK are inadequate, and will need to be urgently increased if the growing crisis of antibiotic resistance is to be tackled effectively by UK researchers. Read more…

“Land grabbing” could help feed at least 300 million people, study suggests

Main Point:

Crops grown on “land-grabbed” areas in developing countries could have the potential to feed an extra 100 million people worldwide, a new study has shown.

Published in:

Environmental Research Letters

Study Further:

The improved infrastructure brought about by foreign investment could increase the productivity of subsistence farmlands in countries such as Indonesia and Papua New Guinea and could mean these lands can feed at least 300 million people around the world. This is compared to about 190 million people that could be fed if the land was left tended to by the local population.

The findings have been published today, 27 June, in IOP Publishing’s journal Environmental Research Letters. Read more…

Re-routing flights could reduce climate impact, research suggests

Aircraft contrails in the sky above Reading, UK (Credit: University of Reading)

Main Point:

Aircraft can become more environmentally friendly by choosing flight paths that reduce the formation of their distinctive condensation trails, new research suggests.

Published in:

Environmental Research Letters

Study Further:

In a study published today, 19 June 2014, in IOP Publishing’s journal Environmental Research Letters, researchers from the University of Reading have shown that aircraft contribute less to global warming by avoiding the places where the thinly shaped clouds, called contrails, are produced – even if that means flying further and emitting more carbon dioxide.

Contrails only form in regions of the sky where the air is very cold and moist, which is often in the ascending air around high pressure systems. They can sometimes stay in the air for many hours, eventually spreading out to resemble natural, wispy clouds. Read more…

Survey Suggests That Self-Reported Health of Young Adults Has Improved Since Health Reform Measure of 2010

Main Points:

Findings of a large survey indicate that since 2010, when young adults could be covered under their parents’ health insurance plans until age 26, self-reported health among this group has improved, along with a decrease in out-of-pocket health care expenditures, according to a study in the June 18 issue of JAMA.

Published in:

JAMA

Study Further:

Beginning September 23, 2010, the Affordable Care Act allowed young adults to be covered under their parents’ plans until 26 years of age. This dependent coverage provision increased insurance coverage and access among young adults. However, little is known about the association between implementation of the provision and medical spending, health care use, and overall health, according to background information in the article. Read more…

Largest-ever trial in Parkinson’s disease shows that for long-term treatment levodopa is better than newer drugs

Main Points:

For long-term treatment of newly diagnosed Parkinson’s disease (PD), the old drug levodopa provides better mobility and a higher quality of life than the two main alternatives, dopamine agonists (DA) and monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors (MAOBI), according to the largest-ever trial of PD treatment (PD MED), published in The Lancet.

Published in:

The Lancet

Study Further:

PD is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder (after Alzheimer’s) in the UK, with 8000 new cases each year and over 100 000 people living with the disease. The most widely used treatment is the drug levodopa, although after prolonged use patients can develop involuntary muscle spasms (dyskinesias) and motor fluctuations (movement problems). There is less risk of developing these complications with DAs or with MAOBIs than with levodopa, but other side effects including nausea, hallucinations, oedema, and sleep disturbance are increased with these newer drugs. Read more…