Author Archives: Science Media Centre
proposal to reduce resources of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee
The House of Lords was debating whether to cut resources of their Science and Technology Select Committee, which would lead to a 50% reduction in the number of inquiries which the Committee could run. read more
expert reaction to high-dose co-codamol found in low-dose packets
In response to a warning from the MHRA that packets of co-codamol were in circulation which almost four times the advertised strength, the SMC sent out quotes. read more
antidepressants and hypertension in pregnancy
A study in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology suggested that use of SSRI antidepressants during pregnancy was linked with increased risk of pregnancy-induced high blood pressure. read more
expert reaction to study of antidepressants and hypertension in pregnancy
A study in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology suggested that use of SSRI antidepressants during pregnancy was linked with increased risk of pregnancy-induced high blood pressure. The SMC sent out comments and a Before The Headlines analysis. read more
expert reaction to the application of monkey research to human heart disease
A meta-analysis of research, published in PLoS ONE, into whether social status could predict heart disease in monkeys concluded that such research could not be applied to humans. read more
expert reaction to new research into possible biomarkers to predict heart attacks
A paper in Science Translational Medicine suggested that a new test could potentially predict a heart attack a week or two before the event happened by spotting abnormal cells in blood vessels. read more
scientific community response to 2012 budget
Following the announcement in the Budget of extra funding for science and technology, and the Coalition’s aim of making Britain into Europe’s technology “centre”, the SMC sent out comments from scientific leaders. read more
the science of global economics
The SMC brought together three ‘financial scientists’ who argue that the way we approach economics is not only flawed, but that the conventional solutions we are throwing at our problems are making things worse. This briefing presented a highly experimental, evidence-based look at the very physics of finance. read more
expert reaction to study of electroconvulsive therapy and depression
A study in the journal PNAS suggested that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may act to treat depression by modifying the brain’s functional architecture. read more
expert reaction to meta-analysis showing association between white rice consumption and type 2 diabetes
Scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health performed a review of studies into whether there is an association between eating white rice and the risk of type 2 diabetes. Published in the BMJ, an association was confirmed for Asian populations in particular. read more
expert reaction to study of mobile phone radiation exposure in utero and neurodevelopmental damage in mice
A paper in Scientific Reports found that exposing pregnant mice to mobile phone radiation caused certain brain complications in the unborn rodents. Suggestions that this might have applications to ADHD in human children led the SMC to source comments. read more
expert reaction to study reporting association between fatty diet and reduced sperm quality
An association between a high total fat intake and lower sperm count and concentration in men was announced in the journal Human Reproduction. read more
expert reaction to Cochrane review of pain relief during labour
A review by the The Cochrane Library found that there is better evidence for the effectiveness of drug-based approaches for relieving labour pains than non-drug approaches. read more
expert reaction to the story on the withdrawal of UK airlines and ferry companies from transporting animals for research
Following SMC input in a story broken by the Times and the Today programme on the intimidation of transport companies by animal rights activists, comments from leaders in the bioscience community were sent out. read more
electric racing cars?
Ex-Science Minister Lord Paul Drayson came to the SMC to discuss the work his company, Drayson Racing Technologies, is doing to overcome the engineering challenges of manufacturing electric cars that are high performance and good for the environment. read more
expert reaction to “Failure rates of stemmed metal-on-metal hip replacements: analysis of data from the National Joint Registry of England and Wales”
The Lancet published a study that showed the failure rate of metal hip implants was higher than those of other types. read more
“foods with benefits” – GM crops for health
This SMC briefing brought together three top experts in using GM technology to pack added nutritional benefit into a variety of plants in order to to benefit public health. The briefing included news that the gene responsible for the health-enhancing pigment in blood oranges has been successfully incorporated into standard oranges. read more
expert comment on new salt-tolerant wheat variety
A paper in the journal Nature Biotechnology outlined how an gene found in wild varieties of rice has been incorporated into domesticated rice to provide tolerance to highly saline soils. read more
expert reaction to solar storm reaching Earth
Two major solar eruptions threatened to knock out communications systems, power supplies and even GPS navigation. read more
expert reaction to evidence of plutonium release after Fukushima
Evidence of the release of plutonium from Fukushima Daiichi was published in the journal Scientific Reports. Experts responded to underline the minimal health risks. read more