Author Archives: Science Media Centre
Water, weather and climate change
This summer’s much vaunted hosepipe ban was called off at the eleventh hour as was the SMC’s emergency briefing on the ban. The briefing was adjusted to discuss broader issues including the likelihood of future bans, the influence of climate change and what is being done to protect water resources. read more
expert reaction to reported cases of monkeypox
Expert reaction to the first reported case of monkeypox in the UK as confirmed by Public Health England. read more
greenhouse gas removal – a joint report
A joint report by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society presents an ambitious plan for how the UK can lead the way in deploying greenhouse gas removal (GGR) technologies to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. It is the first time that a range of GGR technologies have been assessed for their real-world potential in being used together to meet climate goals in the UK over the next 30 years. read more
expert reaction to study on use of statins in older people
Researchers, publishing in the BMJ, have reported that statins do not have a protective effect against cardiovascular disease in healthy adults between the ages of 75 and 84. read more
expert reaction to potential new antibiotic
Researchers, publishing in Nature Communications, reported a potential new antibiotic candidate called albomycin δ2. read more
air pollution and death
Researchers, publishing in PNAS, looked at global estimates of mortality associated with longterm exposure air pollution. A roundup accompanied this Before the … read more
expert reaction to air pollution and death
Researchers, publishing in PNAS, looked at global estimates of mortality associated with longterm exposure air pollution. read more
expert reaction to children born through ivf and risk of hypertension as published in journal of the american college of cardiology
Researchers, publishing in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, reported that adolescents who were born through assisted reproductive technologies had higher blood pressure than those who were conceived naturally. read more
expert reaction to using cripsr/cas9 genome editing to target duchenne muscular dystrophy mutations in a canine model
Researchers, publishing in Science, reported that they were able to restore the expression of dystrophin using genome editing in a canine model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. read more
expert reaction to implant for stopping seizures in mice
Researchers, publishing in Science Advances, reported that they had implanted an ion pump into the brain of a rodent model of epilepsy which was able to prevent seizures. read more
expert reaction to vascular damage from smoking and alcohol in teenage years
Researchers, publishing in European Heart Journal, reported a correlation between smoking and alcohol in teenage years and vascular damage. read more
expert reaction to e-cigarettes and risk of heart attacks
Researchers, publishing in American Journal of Preventive Medicine, reported that use of e-cigarettes every day there was a associated with a higher risk of heart attacks. read more
expert reaction to systematic analysis of the health impacts of alcohol
Researchers, publishing in The Lancet, looked at the health impact of consuming alcohol through a systematic analysis of worldwide studies. read more
expert reaction to eye test to detect pre-clinical alzheimer’s disease
Researchers, publishing in JAMA Ophthalmology, reported that changes in the retina were associated with increased likelyhood of preclinical Alzheimer’s disease. read more
expert reaction to government papers on brexit ‘no deal’
Experts react to 25 Government papers that outline its preparations for a Brexit ‘no deal’. read more
expert reaction to study of blood pressure and room temperature
Researchers, publishing in Journal of Hypertension, reported that warmer indoor temperatures were associated with lower blood pressure. read more
expert reaction to research on moderate drinking and heart disease
Researchers, publishing in BMC Medicine, looked at alcohol consumption and risk of heart disease. They reported that unstable drinking patterns were associated with higher risk of heart disease than consistent alcohol consumption within the recommended guidelines. read more
expert reaction to measles cases in Europe
The WHO announced that over 41,000 people in the WHO European Region had been infected with measles in the first half of 2018; and a Public Health England update said that there were 828 confirmed cases of measles in England between 1 January and 13 August 2018. read more
expert reaction to the Science and Technology Committee’s new report on e-cigarettes
The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, chaired by Norman Lamb, published its new report on e-cigarettes. read more
expert reaction to study looking at carbohydrate intake and health
A study published in the Lancet Public Health looked at levels of carbohydrate intake, health and longevity. read more