News: August 2016

British Science Festival 2016

Publication date: 31 August 2016

Is a trend for pink chicken livers making us sick?

People are being warned to take the current trend for ‘pink’ chicken liver recipes with a pinch of salt. Research from Bangor, Manchester and Liverpool universities found that a current trend to serve ‘rare’ chicken livers is potentially exposing the public to the risk of campylobacter food poisoning.

Publication date: 30 August 2016

New MSc in Dementia Studies draws on academic and clinical expertise

The development of a new MSc in Dementia Studies this academic year represents an exciting opportunity for clinical staff involved in dementia care, both in the community and in hospital settings across North Wales, the UK and internationally. It was developed through partnership work between Bangor University, BCUHB and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol. The MSc in Dementia Studies starts from the viewpoint of people living with dementia and then explores areas of clinical practice and research from this stance throughout the course, exploring important issues that confront people living with dementia and the best approaches to delivering excellent care.

Publication date: 30 August 2016

NRN-LCEE Public Lectures at Bangor University: 30 August & 12 September

Publication date: 21 August 2016

Spider silk: Mother Nature’s Bio-Superlens

Hot on the heels of a paper (Sci. Adv. 2 e1600901,2016) revealing that a team at Bangor University’s School of Electronic Engineering has used a nanobead-derived superlens to break the perceived resolution barrier, the same team has achieved another world first: using spider-silk as a superlens to increase the microscope’s potential.

Publication date: 19 August 2016

Footballers’ voices: gambling and addiction in football

Media reports have highlighted gambling problems amongst a minority of professional footballers. New research, published in Addiction Research Theory , has revealed how some players could develop difficulties with their gambling, and what can be done to help them seek treatment. Footballers with a range of professional experiences, who have experienced gambling problems, were interviewed as part of research by Bangor, London and Oxford universities. The researchers had direct access to the players to learn about their experiences of gambling and how and why their gambling became a problem.

Publication date: 19 August 2016

KESS II supporting efforts to develop gel for chronic diabetic wounds

Diabetics' wounds are more difficult to manage than those of the general population and often can heal more slowly and in worse cases lead to amputation, due to elevated blood glucose levels and poor circulation.

Publication date: 16 August 2016

Dr Coetzer shortlisted for BPS Book of the Year 2016

Dr Coetzer, who holds a joint appointment with Bangor University and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has had his book ”Working with Brain Injury” shortlisted for the prestigious British Psychological Society Book Awards 2016. Dr Coetzer’s lectures on the MSc Principles of Clinical Neuropsychology and that fact that his book is nominated in the ‘Practitioner’ category is a excellent illustration of the exposure to modern neuropsychology practice that Clinical Neuropsychology MSc students get at Bangor.

Publication date: 16 August 2016

Nursing at Bangor University goes from strength to strength but a limited number of places will be available during clearing

Bangor University’s School of Healthcare Sciences has performed very well in recent University league tables whilst its Wrexham campus continues to benefit from further investment. The School was also delighted to recently be awarded a considerable uplift in funded student places from the Welsh Government meaning that its excellent courses, based at both Bangor & Wrexham campuses have additional spaces for September 2016 and April 2017 entry.

Publication date: 15 August 2016

Seeing the invisible: visible light superlens made from nanobeads

A paper in Science Advances (12 August) provides proof of a new concept, using new solid 3D superlenses to break through the scale of things previously visible through a microscope. Illustrating the strength of the new superlens, the scientists describe seeing for the first time, the actual information on the surface of a Blue Ray DVD. That shiny surface is not as smooth as we think. Current microscopes cannot see the grooves containing the data- but now even the data itself is revealed

Publication date: 13 August 2016

A 400-year-old shark is the latest animal discovery to reveal the secrets of long life

With an estimated lifespan of 400 years, the Greenland shark has just been reported to be the longest-lived vertebrate on the planet. This is only the latest of a series of recent findings that push the boundaries of animal longevity, and it raises the perennial question of what factors enable some animals to achieve what we might call extreme longevity – lifespans that can be measured in centuries.

Publication date: 12 August 2016

How Pokemon Go turned couch potatoes into fitness fanatics without them even realising it

Pokemon Go, the latest version of the Pokemon game has been hailed for increasing physical activity in a group of individuals that have traditionally been seen as couch potatoes . Since 1980, worldwide obesity has doubled . Likewise, people are spending more time sitting down . Pokemon Go is undoubtedly a great tool for boosting physical and mental health , and could probably claim to be the most successful health app on the market without even trying to be. But why is it so motivating for some, and how can we harness this power to change other behaviours?

Publication date: 11 August 2016

How should top athletes acclimatise for heat?

Top athlete preparing to compete in a hot climate have to acclimatise in order to achieve their peak performance in hot climates. They currently do this by moving to the country ten to 14 days in advance or by training in a climate chamber. In recently published research, Prof Neil Walsh and his team at Bangor University’s School of Sport, Health & Exercise Sciences have shown that taking a hot bath after exercise in temperate conditions for six days can trigger changes in the body which mimic how the body adjusts to hot weather.

Publication date: 11 August 2016

Grant to fund research into Welsh bank closures

Banks have closed over 600 UK branches in the past year, but how does the Welsh figure compare to this? That’s the question that Bangor Business School’s Dr Edward Jones will set out to answer, thanks to a research grant awarded by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

Publication date: 8 August 2016

£4.4m EU-backed scheme to boost leadership and management skills in North Wales

A £4.4m EU-backed scheme to help boost leadership and management skills in North Wales has been announced by Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford. The North Wales Business Academy will support business growth and competitiveness in the region by delivering university-accredited leadership and management qualifications to more than 1,000 employees over the next three years. A Young Talent Academy will also be set up to develop and retain the next generation of managers in North Wales.

Publication date: 4 August 2016