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researchers

In risks to bees, study finds not all neonicotinoids are equal

By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) – A group of chemical insecticides known as neonicotinoids that have been banned in Europe due to fears about potential harm to bees have been found in new research to have very differential risks for bumblebees. Scientists who conducted the research said their findings showed that at least one neonicotinoid in the banned group – clothianidin – may have been unfairly named as among the offenders. This insecticide did not show the same detrimental effects on bee colonies as the others, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, the researchers found.

Brain scans could predict patients at risk of major depression

By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) – Scientists studying people with depression say brain scans could be used to predict who is most likely to relapse, an approach that could help doctors make better decisions about who should stay on antidepressants and who should stop. In a small study of 64 patients, the researchers found that significant differences showed up in brain scans of those who later went on to have a recurrence of their depression. While the results need first to be replicated and improved upon, Roland Zahn, who led the work, said the approach may prove important in the future “as there are currently no accurate ways to predict those who will have a recurrence following recovery”.