expert reaction to news of a major earthquake in Nepal
A major earthquake has hit Nepal leaving thousands dead and injured, with damage and extending to neighbouring countries. Q1: Is there any more risk of aftershocks? Prof. Ian Main FRSE, Professor of...
View Articleexpert reaction to second major earthquake in Nepal
Another major earthquake has struck Nepal, two weeks after a slightly larger earthquake killed thousands. Dr Ilan Kelman, Reader in Risk, Resilience and Global Health at University College London,...
View Articleexpert reaction to Chile earthquake
A large earthquake has hit central Chile, with a tsunami alert issued but later lifted. Prof. David Rothery, Professor of Planetary Geosciences at The Open University, said: “Last night’s earthquake...
View Articleexpert reaction to earthquake in north Afghanistan
A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.5 has struck northern Afghanistan, with reports of tremors being felt in India and Pakistan. Prof. John McCloskey, Professor of Geophysics, University of Ulster,...
View Articleexpert reaction to Taiwan earthquake
A powerful earthquake has struck Tainan City in Taiwan. Dr Carmen Solana, Senior Lecturer in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Portsmouth, said: “The devastation...
View Articleexpert reaction to earthquakes in Japan and Ecuador
Two large earthquakes have struck in Japan and Ecuador, with dozens and hundreds dead, respectively. Dr Ilan Kelman, University College London and co-director of the NGO Risk RED (Risk Reduction...
View Articlenuclear experts react to announcement on Hinkley Point
The board of the French energy firm EDF has approved the funding of a new nuclear plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset. These comments were issued following that decision but the UK government has...
View ArticleLyme disease
This Factsheet is also available as a pdf. Lyme disease (or Lyme borreliosis) is caused by the bite of a tick infected with certain Borrelia bacteria with cases generally restricted to Europe...
View Articleexpert reaction to study investigating the association between plant and...
In assessing different sources of protein a group of scientists publishing in JAMA Internal Medicine have reported an association between consumption of animal protein and risk of death, and an inverse...
View Articleexpert reaction to study looking at BMI and incidence of heart attacks, type...
The contribution of genetics and obesity to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and death is evaluated in a paper published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Through their analysis of monozygotic twins...
View Articleexpert reaction to genetic associations for major depressive disorder
A group of researchers have attempted to find genetic markers of major depressive disorder by using samples from patients with self-reported diagnosis. Publishing in the journal Nature Genetics the...
View ArticleOxitec Ltd and its GM mosquitoes – two visitors from Brazil
Oxitec Ltd, the company that developed a self-limited genetically engineered mosquito, has been working with health authorities in Piracicaba, Brazil, in attempt to reduce the population of the Aedes...
View Articleexpert reaction to genetic study looking at cholesterol levels, heart disease...
Publishing in JAMA Cardiology a group of researchers have reported an association between levels of cholesterol and triglycerides due to genetics and risk of coronary heart disease and diabetes....
View Articleliquid biopsies for cancer
To give cancer patients the best treatment, doctors need important information about the genetic and molecular make-up of their cancer. Tissue biopsies are often used but they do not always give a...
View Articleexpert reaction to study looking at potential Zika vaccines in rhesus macaque...
A research article published in the journal Science has reported the efficacy of three different vaccine platforms against the Zika virus in rhesus macaque monkeys. All our previous output on this...
View Articleexpert reaction to acupuncture and mild cognitive impairment
Researchers publishing in the journal Acupuncture in Medicine have conducted a meta-analysis of five trials and report that acupuncture appears to be effective for the treatment of a pre-dementia...
View Articleexpert reaction to study looking at air pollution and survival in people with...
The effect of air pollution on mortality in patients with lung cancer is explored in a paper published in the journal Thorax with the researcher team reporting that exposure to air pollution after lung...
View Articlenew findings on badgers and cattle
As the government prepares to announce the widespread rollout of badger culling, intended to protect cattle from bovine tuberculosis (TB), new research, carried out by the Zoological Society of London...
View Articleexpert reaction to trial of drug for treatment of asthma symptoms
Inflammation of airways is often found in asthmatic patients and a group of researchers publishing in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal have reported their use of a drug to reduce such issues....
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