Latest research news

Universities urged to go green
Universities are today urged to promote sustainable development in all their activities, from research and teaching to waste recycling and buying "green" energy. Launching a consultation document on how universities can help, Hefce said sustainable development related to economic, social, and ethical issues as well as environmental activities.
The Guardian

Monkeys point way to treatment for HIV
The discovery of a genetic difference between rhesus monkeys and humans may help find a way to stop HIV infection developing into Aids, researchers said yesterday. British scientists funded by the Medical Research Council say they have identified a gene that prevents the rhesus monkey from getting infected by the HIV virus. Rhesus monkeys can be infected by a monkey form of HIV, SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus), but not by HIV itself.
The Guardian

Why hearty women outlive men
The female heart pumps just as well at 70 as it does at 17 young – and this may explain their longevity, British researchers have found. On average, women live five years longer than men and women over the age of 60 are now the fastest-growing section of the British population. The average male heart becomes weaker with age, and by the age of 70 its power to pump blood around the body could have decreased by up to a quarter of its youthful strength.
The Times
 
How to lose weight the easy way: go to sleep for longer
Sleeping for an extra 20 minutes each night could offer a pain-free way to lose weight, scientists suggestedon Monday. Insufficient sleep is linked with changes in hormone levels that may stimulate appetite. A series of studies in recent months have shown that the less people sleep, the heavier they tend to be.
Independent