News Archive: January 2018

New route to a nursing career

A Postgraduate Diploma programme in Adult Nursing introduced by Bangor University is the first course of its kind in North Wales. It offers recent graduates of life and social science a fast-track two-year route to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Publication date: 31 January 2018

Project gives Welsh-speaking throat cancer sufferers a voice

A Welsh Government-supported project to help Welsh speakers who are at risk of losing their voice to continue to communicate in their native language has received a visit from Minister for the Welsh Language, Eluned Morgan.

Publication date: 31 January 2018

We opened up all our data on coral reefs – more scientists should do the same to protect habitats

Coral reefs are critically important to the world but despite the ongoing efforts of scientists and campaigners, these stunningly beautiful ecosystems still face a variety of threats . The most pervasive is, of course, climate change, which is putting their very future in jeopardy . This article by Adel Heenan , Postdoctoral fellow, School of Ocean Sciences , Bangor University and Ivor D. Williams , Coral Reef Ecologist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was originally published on The Conversation . Read the original article .

Publication date: 29 January 2018

Study reveals long time scale of recovery for marine sea fans and other species

Pink seafans, Ross corals and white sea squirts could take up to 20 years to recover after an area of the seabed was closed to scallop dredging, according to predictions by a team of scientists at Bangor University.

Publication date: 26 January 2018

Applying GRADE-CERQual to qualitative evidence synthesis findings - A new series of papers

A series of papers published in Implementation Science this week provides guidance on how to apply the GRADE-CERQual approach. CERQual helps assess how much confidence to place in findings from qualitative evidence syntheses.

Publication date: 25 January 2018

Lecture to focus on early intervention in child-care

Graham Allen, who was the driving force behind the establishment of the Early Intervention Foundation , will discuss “Early Intervention-why leave it so late?” on Tuesday 6th February 2018 at 6 pm in the Eric Sunderland (MALT) Lecture Theatre, Bangor University. This is the annual Anne Marie Jones 2018 Memorial Lecture organized by the Children’s Early Intervention Trust, based at Bangor University. The public Lecture is free to attend and open to all.

Publication date: 24 January 2018

New NE African records of ancient climate support early dates for initial human dispersal Out of Africa

The origin and population expansion of anatomically modern humans (AMH) continues to be a much-debated area of research. The previously established consensus is that humans originated on the African continent, in the area of the East African Rift Valley, and subsequently migrated “Out of Africa” around 70,000 years ago. But there are a host of authors that suggest differently; with some of the more recent genetic evidence as well as somewhat limited archaeological evidence suggesting a much earlier date for the migration - around 120,000 to 130,000 years ago. Against this back-drop, there is surprisingly little direct evidence of what the climate was like in East Africa over this time, yet it is acknowledged that this influences patterns of human migration. Newly published research in Scientific Reports aims to plug this hole in our knowledge.

Publication date: 24 January 2018

Recent advances in understanding coral resilience to rising sea surface temperatures are an essential component of global efforts to safeguard coral reefs

A review of the literature points to the importance of reducing global carbon dioxide emissions in addition to protecting or augmenting resilience mechanisms in the face of increased frequency of climate change impacts.

Publication date: 22 January 2018

Research project to explore impacts of estates on the communities of the Ogwen Valley

Bangor University’s Institute for the Study of Welsh Estates has received a grant of £10,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to work with the communities of the Ogwen Valley in Gwynedd to explore the lives and experiences of those generations of people who lived and worked on the Penrhyn estate during the course of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Publication date: 22 January 2018

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol appoints student Ambassadors at Bangor University

The Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol has recruited ambassadors with the aim of encouraging more prospective students to study part of their degree courses through Welsh.

Publication date: 22 January 2018

Manon Wyn Williams nominated as the Best Dramatist in the Welsh Language in Wales Theatre Awards

This Saturday night, 27th January, the Wales Theatre Awards Ceremony will be held in the Glan yr Afon Arts Centre in Newport. These annual awards ‘celebrate excellence in theatre, opera and dance and to also acknowledge the role of reviewers in the both the creative process and audience development’.

Publication date: 22 January 2018

£5m EU funding boost for Bangor University

A world-leading scientific facility will be developed at Bangor University following a £5m EU funding boost the Energy and Rural Affairs Secretary, Lesley Griffiths, announced today [18.01.18]. The funding will help create the Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, which will position the University at the cutting edge of research into how natural materials can be utilised within industrial products and processes. The investment will enable the University to work on major research and development projects with global businesses in sectors including life sciences, pharmaceutical, energy and manufacturing.

Publication date: 18 January 2018

Adverse childhood experiences increase risk of mental illness, but community support can offer protection

People who have experienced abuse, neglect and other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as living with domestic violence during their childhood are at much greater risk of mental illness throughout life. Findings from a new national study across Wales found adults who had suffered four or more types of ACE were almost 10 times more likely to have felt suicidal or self-harmed than those who had experienced none.

Publication date: 18 January 2018

Friends raise tens of thousands of pounds to help Dr Sophie Williams return home

A gin festival, a sponsored climb of Snowdon, specially designed Christmas cards and a hair-shaving event are just some of the many fund-raising activities carried out by friends and family of Sophie Williams in the last few months. The money is needed to make adaptations to Sophie’s home to provide wheel-chair access and space for the carers she needs 24 hours a day. Sophie, a lecturer in Bangor University, suffered brain injury when on fieldwork in China in 2015. She has limited movement below the neck and depends on a ventilator. The work to her home in Sling, near Tregarth, is expected to cost around £60,000.

Publication date: 17 January 2018

Cooperation between University and creative industries

People working in creative industries in north Wales are to come together with experts from Bangor University’s School of Creative Studies & Media on 19 January in a networking event; Beyond Borders , expected to be the first of a series of similar workshops. This first event between lecturers and researchers and members of Creative North Wales is seen as an opportunity for the School to work more closely with companies and practitioners in the creative industries, and to discuss opportunities for future collaboration.

Publication date: 17 January 2018

'Fighting for' the Arts

Sioned Young's work is no easy task, however it brings her "great pleasure". Sioned from Penygroes near Caernarfon, has embarked on a ten-month internship with Arts and Business Wales at Bangor University’s Pontio Arts and Innovation Center , looking for new ways of fundraising for the arts.

Publication date: 17 January 2018

Beyond Borders

In collaboration with Creative North Wales, Bangor University’s School of Creative Studies & Media is holding a networking event at Pontio on 19 January titled Beyond Borders .

Publication date: 12 January 2018

What supplements do scientists use, and why?

Supplements are a multi-billion dollar industry . But, unlike pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers of these products don’t have to prove that their products are effective, only that they are safe – and that’s for new supplements only. We wanted to know which supplements are worth our attention (and money) so we asked six scientists – experts in everything from public health to exercise physiology – to name a supplement they take each day and why they take it. Here is what they said. Turmeric Simon Bishop, lecturer in public health and primary care, Bangor University Turmeric is more familiar as an ingredient in South Asian cooking, adding an earthy warmth and fragrance to curried dishes, but, in recent years, it has also garnered attention for its potential health benefits. I have been taking ground turmeric root as a dietary supplement for around two years, but I have been interested in its use in Ayurvedic medicine for far longer. This article by Simon Bishop , School of Healthcare Sciences , Bangor University ; Graeme Close , Liverpool John Moores University ; Haleh Moravej , Manchester Metropolitan University ; Justin Roberts , Anglia Ruskin University ; Neil Williams , Nottingham Trent University , and Tim Spector , King's College London , was originally published on The Conversation . Read the original article .

Publication date: 11 January 2018

HEFCW Annual General Public Meeting

The Higher Education Funding Council for Wales invite you to their Annual Public Meeting for 2017-18 on Thursday, 25 January 2018 at Bangor University from 12:30 – 13:30 (tea and coffee from 12:00).

Publication date: 10 January 2018

Ghanaian ‘exchange’ Benefits Healthcare

A registered nurse from Ghana is currently studying at Bangor University’s School of Healthcare Sciences , and can discuss her home country with a Bangor Student, Iola Mair Morris, who, thanks to her course, has been able to assist some of the world’s poorest children, during a fortnight volunteering in the West African country over the summer.

Publication date: 9 January 2018

Bangor’s elite athletes awarded Sports Scholarships

Every year, Bangor University supports students with sporting ability by offering a number of Sports Scholarships for students studying for a degree in any subject area. These Sports Scholarships are awarded to recognise and support sporting excellence and achievement.

Publication date: 9 January 2018

You are more likely to deny the truth in your second language

Whether you’re speaking in your native tongue, or in another language, being understood and believed is fundamental to good communication. After all, a fact is a fact in any language, and a statement that is objectively true should just be considered true, whether presented to you in English, Chinese or Arabic. However, our research suggests that the perception of truth is slippery when viewed through the prism of different languages and cultures. So much so that people who speak two languages can accept a fact in one of their languages, while denying it in the other. This article by Manon Jones , Senior Lecturer at the School of Psychology , Bangor University and Ceri Ellis , Research Associate, University of Manchester was originally published on The Conversation . Read the original article .

Publication date: 9 January 2018

Is fishing with electricity less destructive than digging up the seabed with beam trawlers?

While many people may be interested in the sustainability and welfare of the fish they eat, or the health of the environment, fewer probably worry about the effect that trawl fishing – which accounts for 20% of landings – has on the ocean. This article by Michel Kaiser , Chair of Marine Conservation Ecology, School of Ocean Sciences was originally published on The Conversation . Read the original article .

Publication date: 8 January 2018

Broadcaster Miranda Krestovnikoff presents ‘A whistle-stop tour around the coast’

TV presenter Miranda Krestovnikoff is to give ‘A whistle-stop tour around the coast’ at a special public lecture in Bangor University on Wednesday, 31 January at 5.30pm in Pontio Lecture Room 5. The lecture is free and all are welcome, but tickets are required. They can be booked through the Pontio website or by calling the Box Office on 01248 382828.

Publication date: 4 January 2018

2018 must be the year that we reimagine judicial diversity

This article by Stephen Clear , Lecturer in Law , Bangor University was originally published on The Conversation . Read the original article . Shortly before his retirement at the end of 2016, the then supreme court President, Lord Neuberger, stated that “the higher echelons of the judiciary in the UK suffer from a marked lack of diversity and … the supreme court does not score at all well”. In a year where equality has been more at the forefront of the public consciousness than ever before, one would hope that this stark commentary from Britain’s top judge would have sparked some change. And yet, more than a year later, little progress has been made.

Publication date: 3 January 2018

Scientists call for action to tackle the threat of invasive tree species to a global biodiversity hotspot

An invasive Australian tree is now posing a serious threat to a global diversity ‘hotspot’ according to new collaborative research between Landcare Research in New Zealand, the Universities of Cambridge (UK) Denver (US) and Bangor University (UK). This species, Pittosporum undulatum , known locally as mock orange, was introduced to a botanic garden in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica in the late 19th century. As its local name suggests, this fast-growing, glossy-leaved tree has bright orange fruit which open to reveal small, sticky, sugary-coated seeds. These are widely dispersed by native Jamaican bird species and it has been invading new habitats at a high rate. At first, the species took over land abandoned from the cultivation of coffee and tree crops, but more recently it has expanded into the natural forests of the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park. This invasion was accelerated by the damage caused to the forests by Hurricane Gilbert 29 years ago, and it is likely to be further advanced by future major hurricanes.

Publication date: 2 January 2018