Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to recreational drug use during pregnancy
A paper published in the journal PLOS One has analysed the use of recreational drugs in women with normal pregnancies and those with foetal abnormalities. In a small sample size, they reported an increased incidence of foetuses with gastroschisis born to younger mothers, and an increase in abnormalities of the central nervous system in foetuses born to mothers who used recreational drugs before conception. read more
expert reaction to genetic influence on Ebola outcome in mice
Researchers writing in the journal Science have published the characterisation of a mouse model which displays human-relevant disease phenotypes when infected with a mouse-adapted Ebola virus. A range of effects from resistance to severe symptoms and death were seen, and these depended on the genetic background of the mice. read more
expert reaction to modelling paper looking at interventions needed to contain Ebola in West Africa
A study modelling the effects of different types of interventions attempting to control Ebola in West Africa has been published in the journal Science. The researchers suggest that a number of practises already being implemented can be effective in limiting the spread of the disease, but that they would have been more effective at earlier stages of the outbreak. read more
expert reaction to study of air pollution around oil and gas wells in the US
Research published in the journal Environmental Health has found the levels of some chemicals in the air around oil and gas drilling sites in the US to be higher than allowed by law. read more
expert reaction to milk consumption, fractures and mortality
A paper published in The BMJ reported an association between higher intake of milk and higher mortality in cohorts of men and women. In the cohort of women, they also observed a higher incidence of fractures with higher milk intake. The researchers recommend cautious interpretation of the data due to it being an observational study, and possible confounding effects. read more
expert reaction to genes for violence
A study published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry has reported an increased expression of certain genes within Finnish prisoners with a history of violence. read more
supercomputing, weather forecasting and climate science
Weather and climate predictions are inherently difficult because of the sheer amount of data which must be processed. If the science of prediction is to be ever more accurate it will need powerful computers backing it up. Scientists came to the SMC to discuss the future of forecasting, what high-powered computers can and can’t do, and how the extra information can be used in future. At this briefing, science minister Greg Clark announced the funding of a £97m computer dedicated to weather and climate science. read more
expert reaction to cocoa and cognition
Researchers have published their findings in the journal Nature Neuroscience that diets high in flavanols, such as those found in cocoa, have beneficial effects in terms of neurology. In a small trial, they found that participants on a high flavanol diet performed better in cognitive tests, and were observed to have improved hippocampi as measured by fMRI. read more
expert reaction to new study on Arctic sea ice and colder winters in Europe and Asia
A paper published in the journal Nature Geosciences has explored the link between declining sea-ice in the Arctic, and colder Eurasian winters. Loss of sea-ice can disrupt patterns of air flow of different temperatures at high altitudes leading to changes in weather, but the researchers’ models predicted that these colder winters were unlikely to continue with further increases in global temperatures. read more
expert reaction to study modelling Ebola virus transmission in Liberia
Researchers publishing in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal have modelled the spread of Ebola in Montserrado, Liberia. They put forward the likely effects of different levels of intervention and at different time points, in terms of number of cases averted, in relation to the current healthcare efforts. read more
expert reaction to obesity, diabetes and UV light
A study in the journal Diabetes has looked at the effects of vitamin D supplements or exposure to UV light on metabolic phenotypes in mice, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. The researchers suggest that while vitamin D supplements are often taken to combat deficiency, they do not reproduce the positive effects of exposure to UV radiation in sunlight in terms of these disorders. read more
expert reaction to new study on bisphenol-A and till receipts
A study published in the journal PLOS ONE has investigated the levels of exposure to bisphenol-A through the handling of till receipts, eating, and use of hand sanitiser. read more
bisphenol-A and till receipts
A study published in the journal PLOS ONE has investigated the levels of exposure to bisphenol-A through the handling of till receipts, eating, and use of hand sanitiser. read more
what can animals tell us about psychiatry?
Psychiatry has made huge leaps in recent years as it has become ever more scientific in nature. Our understanding of disorders, drugs and therapies has grown dramatically, much of it through research with animals. But are mice and rats good models for these complex diseases, can depression in dogs really equate with depression in people, and how much does that matter? read more
expert reaction to story on spinal cord repair
Researchers publishing in the journal Cell Transplantation have described the treatment of a paralysed patient, using cells transplanted from his own nose into his spinal cord. read more
expert reaction to paper modelling the risk of the international spread of Ebola via air travel
A study in The Lancet has modelled the potential for the spread of the Ebola virus via air travel of infected persons from affected areas. They emphasise the need for balancing these risks with potential harms due to imposition of restrictions on air travel from these areas. read more
expert reaction to new study on traffic pollution and unborn children’s lungs
A study published in the journal Thorax has examined the effect of exposure to traffic-related pollution during pregnancy, and development of the lungs in infants. They suggest that exposure to pollutants during, but not after, pregnancy negatively impacted on lung function of children before the age of 5. read more
expert reaction to side-effects of Parkinson’s drug
Researchers investigating previously known side effects of pharmaceuticals used to treat neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease have suggested that more warning labels should be included in packaging of these medicines. read more
gain-of-function flu research – what is it for?
We’ve heard about lab experiments on influenza that mutate the virus to investigate how genetic changes could alter how infectious or deadly it is. But what are these gain-of-function experiments, how and where are they conducted, and what have we learned from them so far? read more
expert reaction to news that the WHO have officially declared the Ebola outbreak in Senegal over
The World Health Organization (WHO) have declared the outbreak of Ebola in Senegal to be over. read more