Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to new results about Higgs-like particle discovered at CERN
The ATLAS and CMS collaborations at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) presented preliminary results that indicate the particle discovered last year behaves like a Higgs boson, the particle linked to the mechanism that gives mass to elementary particles. read more
expert reaction to Guillain-Barré syndrome and H1N1 vaccine
A meta-analysis of safety data gathered in the US during the 2009 H1N1 swine flu vaccination programme, and published in the Lancet, found the vaccination was associated with a small risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a disorder of the nervous system which can result in paralysis. read more
expert reaction to new report from the Chief Medical Officer on infectious disease and antimicrobial resistance
A report from the Chief Medical Officer, Prof Dame Sally Davies, warned of the dangers of antibiotic resistance, calling for a global initiative to tackle the problem. read more
expert reaction to EPIC study into health effects of eating processed meat
A study of half a million men and women in BMC Medicine suggested an association between processed meat and cardiovascular disease and cancer, after having controlled for various factors associated with ill health. read more
deer culling
There are more deer in the UK than at any time since the ice age. In the absence of natural predators deer populations are continuing to expand, threatening biodiversity and causing road traffic accidents and crop damage. read more
insomnia and heart failure
A study in the European Heart Journal followed 54,279 people for an average of over 11 years, and found that those who suffered from from insomnia had an increased risk of developing heart failure. read more
expert reaction to insomnia and heart failure
A study in the European Heart Journal followed 54,279 people for an average of over 11 years, and found that those who suffered from from insomnia had an increased risk of developing heart failure. read more
expert reaction to baby successfully treated for HIV
Virologist Dr Deborah Persaud presented evidence that a baby girl in the US appeared to have been cured of HIV, after very early treatment with standard drug therapy, at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Atlanta. read more
expert reaction to the WHO Fukushima health risk report
The World Health Organisation (WHO) released a report on health risks associated with the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (NPP) disaster in Japan, concluding that for the general population the predicted risks are low but estimated risk for specific cancers in certain subsets of the population in Fukushima Prefecture has increased. read more
expert reaction to new study into brain-brain information sharing in rats
Results showing a brain-to-brain interface that allows the direct transfer of information between the brains of two rats were published in Scientific Reports. read more
expert reaction to new research into the relationship between sugar and diabetes
The results of a large epidemiological study published in PLOS ONE, which examined data on sugar availability and diabetes rates from 175 countries over the past decade, suggested sugar could be linked to diabetes independently of obesity read more
new research into the relationship between sugar and diabetes
The results of a large epidemiological study published in PLOS ONE, which examined data on sugar availability and diabetes rates from 175 countries over the past decade, suggested sugar could be linked to diabetes independently of obesity. read more
expert reaction to link between narcolepsy in children and swine flu vaccine
A study published in the BMJ found an increased risk of narcolepsy in children and adolescents who received the Pandemrix influenza vaccine during the 2009 pandemic in England. read more
expert encounter: should boxing be banned?
The advances of modern neuroscience mean we know more than ever about chronic brain damage in boxers since it was first described nearly a century ago. But has this knowledge really changed anything and is long-term brain injury from contact sport a ticking time bomb? read more
expert reaction to BPA and isolated neurons
Exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical used widely in plastics, may suppress a gene vital to nerve cell function and to the development of the central nervous system, according to a study of cortical neurons in mice, rats and humans, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. read more
expert reaction to UK cases of coronavirus
One British man died after contracting the coronavirus that has apparently originated from the middle east. Two other members of his family have also caught the virus. read more
our nutrient world: food, pollution and agriculture
A new report commissioned by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) highlights how humans have massively altered global cycling of nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients. While this had huge benefits for world food and energy production, it has also created a web of water and air pollution that is damaging human health, causing toxic algal blooms, killing fish, threatening sensitive ecosystems and contributing to climate change. read more
leading vet comments on aspects of horsemeat story
More reaction to the horsemeat scandal, on topics concerning veterinary science. read more
expert reaction to landing of large meteor in Russia
A large meteor crashed in Russia’s Ural mountains, causing damage to buildings and injuring people. read more
expert reaction to the continuing horsemeat story and bute (phenylbutazone)
Defra announced the latest results in testing slaughtered horses for bute (phenylbutazone). The presence of bute was confirmed in 8 samples out of 206 tests. read more