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Fitness Levels Accurately Predicted Using Wearable Devices – No Exercise Required

Cambridge researchers have developed a method for measuring overall fitness accurately on wearable devices – and more robustly than current consumer smartwatches and fitness monitors – without the wearer needing to exercise.

DNA Sequencing Method Lifts ‘Veil’ From Genome Black Box

Many life-saving drugs directly interact with DNA to treat diseases such as cancer, but scientists have struggled to detect how and why they work – until now.

Scientists Explain Emotional ‘Blunting’ Caused By Common Antidepressants

Scientists have worked out why common anti-depressants cause around a half of users to feel emotionally ‘blunted’. In a study published today, they show that the drugs affect reinforcement learning, an important behavioural process that allows us to learn from our environment.

Gone Fishing: Highly Accurate Test For Common Respiratory Viruses Uses DNA As ‘Bait’

A new test that ‘fishes’ for multiple respiratory viruses at once using single strands of DNA as ‘bait’, and gives highly accurate results in under an hour, has been developed by Cambridge researchers.

Artificial Pancreas Successfully Trialled For Use By Type 2 Diabetes Patients

Cambridge scientists have successfully trialled an artificial pancreas for use by patients living with type 2 diabetes. The device – powered by an algorithm developed at the University of Cambridge – doubled the amount of time patients were in the target range for glucose compared to standard treatment and halved the time spent experiencing high glucose levels.

Females Perform Better Than Males On A ‘Theory Of Mind’ Test Across 57 Countries

Females, on average, are better than males at putting themselves in others’ shoes and imagining what the other person is thinking or feeling, suggests a new study of over 300,000 people in 57 countries.

Technique For Tracking Resistant Cancer Cells Could Lead To New Treatments For Relapsing Breast Cancer Patients

Cambridge scientists have managed to identify and kill those breast cancer cells that evade standard treatments in a study in mice. The approach is a step towards the development of new treatments to prevent relapse in patients.

‘Cocktail’ Vaccines Could Offer Increased Protection Against Future COVID-19 Variants Of Concern

COVID-19 vaccinations that combine two or more distinct variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus could offer protection against both current and future ‘variants of concern’, say scientists at the University of Cambridge and Medical University of Innsbruck.

Prostate Cancer Risk Prediction Algorithm Could Help Target Testing At Men At Greatest Risk

Cambridge scientists have created a comprehensive tool for predicting an individual’s risk of developing prostate cancer, which they say could help ensure that those men at greatest risk will receive the appropriate testing while reducing unnecessary – and potentially invasive – testing for those at very low risk.

Pedestrians Choose Healthy Obstacles Over Boring Pavements, Study Finds

Up to 78% of walkers would take a more challenging route featuring obstacles such as balancing beams, stepping stones and high steps, research has found. The findings suggest that providing ‘Active Landscape’ routes in urban areas could help tackle an 'inactivity pandemic' and improve health outcomes.

Fitness Levels Accurately Predicted Using Wearable Devices – No Exercise Required

Cambridge researchers have developed a method for measuring overall fitness accurately on wearable devices – and more robustly than current consumer smartwatches and fitness monitors – without the wearer needing to exercise.

New Study Suggests Climate Change May Be Affecting Animal Body Size

A new study finds treeshrews increase in size in warmer settings, contrary to established norms.

Mums’ Activity Levels May Depend On Number And Ages Of Children

Less than half of mums meet the recommended levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity – and mothers of younger children manage to do the least, Cambridge and Southampton researchers have found.

Slow-Moving Shell Of Water Can Make Parkinson’s Proteins ‘Stickier’

Water – which makes up the majority of every cell in the body – plays a key role in how proteins, including those associated with Parkinson’s disease, fold, misfold, or clump together, according to a new study.

Lack Of Computer Access Linked To Poorer Mental Health In Young People During COVID-19 Pandemic

Cambridge researchers have highlighted how lack of access to a computer was linked to poorer mental health among young people and adolescents during COVID-19 lockdowns.

No Evidence That Physical Activity Calorie-Equivalent Labelling Changes Food Purchasing – Study

An experiment carried out across ten workplace cafeterias found no significant change in the overall number of calories purchased when food and drink labels showed the amount of physical activity required to burn off their calories.

Autistic People Are More Likely To Experience Depression And Anxiety During Pregnancy

Autistic people are more vulnerable to depression and anxiety during pregnancy, according to new research from the University of Cambridge. The results are published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders and have important implications for supporting autistic people during pregnancy.

Likelihood Of Receiving An Autism Diagnosis May Depend On Where You Live

New autism diagnoses tend to be clustered within specific NHS service regions, suggesting that where an individual lives may influence whether they receive an autism diagnosis and access to special education needs support.

Scientists Detect Dementia Signs As Early As Nine Years Ahead Of Diagnosis

Cambridge scientists have shown that it may be possible to spot signs of brain impairment in patients as early as nine years before they receive a diagnosis for one of a number of dementia-related diseases.

‘Programmable Molecular Scissors’ Could Help Fight COVID-19 Infection

Cambridge scientists have used synthetic biology to create artificial enzymes programmed to target the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2 and destroy the virus, an approach that could be used to develop a new generation of antiviral drugs.