Author Archives: Science Media Centre
teenage goths, self-harm and depression
Depression and self-harm are common among teenagers, with up to one in five 15 year olds in England saying they self-harm. Some evidence has suggested that some subcultures are more strongly associated with depression and self-harm than others, but it is always difficult to work out whether these results are simply the result of study limitations and confounding variables. Researchers publishing in The Lancet Psychiatry have used longitudinal data to assess whether a teenager’s social group at 15 predicts their depression and self-harm when aged 18. read more
expert reaction to study on antibiotics and type 2 diabetes
A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism is reporting an association between antibiotic use and the risk of diagnosis of type 2 diabetes read more
expert reaction to editorial suggesting we stop counting calories and instead concentrate on nutritional values of food to improve heart health
The authors of an editorial appearing in Open Heart are calling for an end to ‘calorie counting’, instead suggesting a shift towards shaping the diet around the nutritional value of foods in order to reduce risk of cardiovascular disea read more
expert reaction to Germany’s move to ban GM crops
The German government is reported to have taken steps to stop the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops. read more
expert reaction to new study on vitamin D deficiency and MS
A possible link between vitamin D levels and risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been explored in a paper published in the journal PLOS Medicine, in which the authors report that gene variants which were associated with lower levels of vitamin D were associated with an increased risk for MS. read more
expert reaction to two papers describing two different potential universal flu vaccines in animals
Two teams of scientists have published their work in the journals Nature Medicine and Science, and report the development and successful testing of vaccines in animals which aim to protect against a variety influenza viruses. read more
expert reaction to Met Office losing forecasting contract with BBC
The BBC has announced that the Met Office has lost the contract to supply its weather forecasts, after 93 years of providing the service. read more
expert reaction to number of people with dementia stabilising
Examining a number of previously published studied, an article in The Lancet Neurology journal has reported that the overall levels of dementia occurrence may be stabilising. read more
expert reaction to new research in mice on fertility and light-dark cycle
Publishing in the journal Cell Reports, a group of researchers has explored changes to age-related changes to fertility cycles in mice, reporting that changes to cycles of light and dark disrupted the regularity of oestrus in middle-aged female mice. read more
the news may not do nuance – science should
I certainly don’t want to stoke the embers of the Tim Hunt affair and like many I was desperate for the … read more
expert reaction to possible link between neonicotinoid seed coating and bee colony losses
The use of neonicotinoid pesticides continues to be an area of heated debate, and a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports has reported a correlation between loss of honey bee colonies and use of a particular neonicotinoid in England and Wales, as well as a possible economic benefit to farmers who were able reduce subsequent insecticide applications. read more
expert reaction to study on long working hours, stroke and coronary heart disease
A possible link between working hours and risk of cardiovascular disease is explored in a paper published in The Lancet journal, with the authors reporting a higher risk for stroke and coronary heart disease in those who worked longer than standard working hours. read more
expert reaction to ‘GMOs, Herbicides, and Public Health’
In an opinion piece in The New England Journal of Medicine, two scientists have recommended that the US delay implementing use of a specific herbicide to be used on GM plants, and also that wider labeling takes place of foods which contain GM components. read more
expert reaction to new analysis of China’s carbon emissions
A group of researchers publishing in the journal Nature has attempted to quantify a range of factors related to Chinese energy consumption and carbon emissions, and report lower CO2 emissions for the period 2000-13 than other inventories. read more
expert reaction to study on e-cigarette use and subsequent smoking in US teenagers
Publishing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a group of researchers has investigated a possible connection between e-cigarettes and initiation of smoking, reporting that users of e-cigarettes were more likely than non-users to subsequently try combustible smoking products in the following year. read more
expert reaction to DECC’s Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) announcement of potential shale gas sites (the 14th onshore oil and gas licensing round)
The Oil and Gas Authority and the Department for Energy and Climate Change have announced that 27 sites for shale gas extraction will be formally offered to companies following the latest round of licensing. read more
expert reaction to study on the effect of aspirin on Lynch Syndrome sufferers’ risk of cancer
Attempting to investigate the association between body mass index and cancer risk in patients with lynch syndrome, a team of researchers have published their work in the journal of Clinical Oncology. They report that obesity is associated with a substantial increase in risk of developing colorectal cancer in patients with lynch syndrome, but this risk is reduced in those taking aspirin. read more
geological disposal of radioactive waste – meet the experts
Every society generating electricity through nuclear power shares the same issue of how to safely manage and permanently dispose of those wastes which remain highly radioactive over a long period of time. Over the past 30 years there has been significant research and analysis across the world on how best to approach and resolve this issue. A common consensus has emerged in science that geological disposal is the safest known way to manage these wastes but the issue remains controversial and recent local government decisions suggest that the public remain unconvinced by reassurances about safety. In the UK, an independent committee of experts, the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM), reviewed the evidence and options and recommended in 2006 that the UK adopt geological disposal. Successive Governments of all Parties have re-affirmed the policy, and a new White Paper was published last summer setting out a revised process for selecting a site for a geological disposal facility (GDF) based on the continuing principle of ‘volunteerism’ – ie a GDF cannot be imposed on a community, but that the community hosting a GDF must be a willing partner. read more
expert reaction to survey on e-cigarette use among young people in the UK
The effects of e-cigarettes in terms of helping people quit smoking and (positive or negative) health impacts are the focus of strong debate, and a paper in the journal Public Health has published the results of a survey of 11-18 year olds in Great Britain. The article reports that the proportion of young people who have tried e-cigarettes rose between 2013-14 (though was rare in people who have never smoked), as did the proportion who thought that e-cigarettes are as harmful as conventional cigarettes. read more
food shocks: expert task force reports on threats to food stocks from extreme weather
An independent expert taskforce from the UK and USA have outlined key recommendations to safeguard against threats to food supplies in a new report for the Global Food Security programme today. The report highlights an increasing risk of global food supply disruptions and price spikes that could result from extreme weather events – such as heatwaves, droughts and floods – and offers new recommendations for mitigation. Although further work is needed to reduce uncertainty and better understand the way extreme weather may change, there is good evidence that extreme weather events, from intense storms to droughts and heatwaves, are increasing in frequency and severity. The report shows that severe ‘production shocks’ caused by extreme weather– whereby global food production is seriously disrupted – of a scale likely to occur once in a century under past conditions, may occur as frequently as once every 30 years as the world’s climate and global food supply systems change in the coming decades. read more