Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to new studies into antibiotics and obesity
A large study in the International Journal of Obesity found children under six months who were given antibiotics were heavier when older, while a Nature paper found consistent treatment of young mice with antibiotics affected their gut microbes and caused gains in fat.
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expert reaction to new research into nanoparticles and crops
A study in PNAS found that two commonplace nanoparticles — zinc oxide and cerium oxide — may have deleterious effects on plant growth and soil fertility. read more
expert reaction to knowledge about the biological basis of psychopathy and judges sentencing
Invoking scientific evidence about the biological contributing factors of a defendant’s mental illness makes judges slightly more lenient in their sentencing decisions, reports a new study in Science. read more
expert reaction to research into urinary bisphenol A and arterial stenosis
A study of British men and women in the journal PLoS ONE found a link between high levels of bisphenol A and the clogging up of the arteries that provide the heart with oxygen-rich blood. read more
expert reaction to triclosan and heart muscle damage
An antibacterial agent, called triclosan, was found to hamper muscle function in animals and fish in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. read more
expert reaction to two new studies into the consequences of Fukushima
Two studies in JAMA reported on the psychological status of workers at the Fukushima nuclear power plants in Japan several months after the earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, and the amount of internal radiation exposure among residents of a city north of the power plant that experienced a meltdown. read more
expert reaction to association between suicide rates and the economic recession
Economic recession and rising unemployment may have driven more than 1,000 people in England to commit suicide, according to a study published in the BMJ. read more
expert reaction to natural birth triggers UCP 2 expression in mice
A study on infant mice in PLoS ONE found that natural birth triggered production of the protein UCP2, linked to development of brain circuits linked to memory, while less of the protein was made in mice delivered by C-section. read more
new data on Schmallenberg virus
Schmallenberg virus arrived in the UK last autumn and since early this year has resulted in deformities of lambs and calves born in the south and east of England.
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expert reaction to the announcement of Sir Bernard Lovell’s death
Sir Bernard Lovell, who developed the science of radio-astronomy in the UK and was director of Jodrell Bank for 30 years, giving his name to the Lovell Telescope there, died at the age of 98. read more
expert reaction to ‘neural mechanisms of decision making in hoarding disorder’
Patients with hoarding disorder exhibited abnormal activity in regions of the brain, according to a report in the Archives of General Psychiatry. read more
expert reaction to frequency of fluid injection-triggered earthquakes
Research in PNAS suggested that fluid-injection operations—such as those used in the production of geothermal power, extraction of petroleum, and disposal of fluid wastes—may cause more small earthquakes than previously reported. read more
experts react to the landing of the Mars Curiosity rover
Nasa’s Curiosity rover touched down safely in Gale Crater on Mars following a complex landing sequence, to the relief of everyone involved. read more
expert reaction to study of heat-waves and climate change
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published a study that purported to show recent heat waves and extreme summers, such as those in Texas and Oklahoma in the summer of 2011 and in Moscow in 2010, were likely caused by global warming. read more