Scoop  Sci-Tech

Issue 141 July 8 - 14

Don't reach for the salt shaker just yet...

A study on the benefits of lowering salt intake received a cautious response from the scientific community this week.

The comprehensive study from the Cochrane Library of Reviews analysed data from all available clinical trials examining the impact of modestly lowering dietary salt.

In a plain language summary, the authors stated that "cutting down on the amount of salt has no clear benefits in terms of likelihood of dying or experiencing cardiovascular disease"

Data from 6,489 individuals were included in the final analysis. However, in an accompanying press release the authors did note that up to 18,000 individuals may be needed before benefits could be shown clearly.

This caveat did not stop some overseas news outlets hastily reporting that: "salt is safe to eat - and cutting our daily intake does nothing to lower the risk of suffering from heart disease" or "eating less salt will not prevent heart attacks, strokes or early death". This reporting received sharp rebuke from the NHS in the UK.

Cochrane reviews represent some of the strongest analyses of clinical research and are held in high regard for their thoroughness. However, in this case there is just not enough available research to draw any solid findings with regard to salt.

The authors' cautious conclusion that more data is needed has been backed by New Zealand experts, who continue to support the lowering of salt in our diets.

Prof Beaglehole Emeritus Professor, University of Auckland said,

"There is not yet sufficient evidence on hard outcomes, though there is plenty of evidence that salt reduction reduces blood pressure. A decent mortality study is still required. In the meantime, we should be doing all we can to reduce salt intakes".

You can read more expert commentary, collected by the NZ and UK Science Media Centres, here.

Briefing: Experts on synthetic cannabis

Media attention has been steadily building on the issue of legally available synthetic cannabinoid smoking blends such as Kronic.

The SMC will next week be hosting an online briefing to provide journalists with new information and the opportunity to quiz leading experts on this rapidly developing issue.

Journalists registered with the SMC will be sent more details on the briefing soon... stay tuned
On the science radar

Partying penguins, the beauty spot, flapping robots, mechanical worms, germ-killer coating and geophantasmograms.

Taking the 'green revolution' to business

A group of high-flying entrepreneurs and businessmen have put their weight behind a campaign to turn New Zealand businesses green.

The Pure Advantage team is pushing to convince NZ businesses and politicians that "there's money in being green".

Their campaign,announced at a press conference last night, is backed by the likes of Air New Zealand CEO Rob Fyfe, Warehouse founder Sir Stephen Tindall and Jeremy Moon of Icebreaker fame.

Rob Morrison, Chair of the board of trustees explained to the New Zealand Herald: "We can't afford to let our reputation, and consequently our exporters, suffer for lack of environmental leadership."

While the environment is the central to the initiative, Pure Advantage are not hiding the financially focused, if some-what cynical, nature of their lobbying. Their website displays pointed quotes such as:

"China has committed a trillion dollars to alternative energy. And it's not because they care about trees."

And, "even if you don't believe in climate change, there's money to be made doing something about it."

The arrival of Pure Advantage comes the same week as the release of a discussion paper on green growth from Ministry of Economic Development, and follows an earlier OECD economic survey which noted that green growth "would be a key advantage" for New Zealand.

You can read more about Pure Advantage and its history in this article from Ideologue.

Scientists cast doubt on trout pollution

Scientists are questioning statements by a prominent dairy industry representative, suggesting trout are a 'disastrous species' - no better than 'freshwater stoats' - and that farmers have been unfairly blamed for their impacts on declining water quality.

The allegations were made in a speech last week by outgoing Federated Farmers Dairy chairperson Lachlan McKenzie, urging members to use good science and their own judgement to distinguish fact from opinion.

Experts in freshwater, aquatic ecosystems and water quality contacted the SMC with their reactions to statements made in the speech.

Assoc Prof Russell Death, from Massey University, took paticular umbrage with McKenzie's misrepresentation of islolated studies, noting,

"Research at Otago University has shown that brown trout can affect New Zealand freshwater ecosystems. Lachlan McKenzie in a speech to Federated Farmers believes this research provides evidence that trout, and not agricultural land use intensification, are to blame for many of the algal proliferations found in New Zealand waterways.

"As scientists we are always accused of having too many caveats around our research, but similarly we must be equally careful that the findings from any particular study are not used to make conclusions about wider issues for which they were not intended."

You can read the full response from scientists and a roundup of the resulting media coverage on the SMC site.

Quoted: Otago Daily Times

"Unless Lachlan McKenzie has witnessed trout emerging from streams and churning up the land with their big fat hooves, he will find it difficult to shift responsibility from cows to trout"

- Professor Colin Townsend, University of Otago

New from the SMC

In the News:

Quit smoking drug increases heat risk - A new study has found that a smoking cessation drug prescribed in New Zealand is associated with an increased risk of heart attacks, leading the media to investigate the drug further.

Scientists swamp Stewart Island: The New Zealand Marine Science Society's annual conference has attracted media attention - despite is this year being held far south in Oban, Stewart Island.

Experts Respond:

Reduced salt benefits? A review of scientific literature by The Cochrane Library suggests moderate reductions in salt intake don't lead to reduced risk of a person suffering cardiovascular events or dying. Experts contacted by the SMC examine the findings.

Doubt on trout pollution - Scientists question statements by a prominent dairy industry representative, who suggested trout are a 'disastrous species' - no better than 'freshwater stoats' - and that farmers have been unfairly blamed for dairy impacts on declining water quality. A roundup of media coverage is also available.
Briefings

Ecosystem services - Soil, water, energy, air, wildlife and minerals - they underpin our economy, but go largely unrecognised when it comes to tallying up the balance sheet. The SMC held a briefing with experts following the release of a Royal Society emerging issues paper.

Reflections on Science:

Trains, genes and progress - In his inaugural monthly column for the Rotarua Daily Post, Dr Warren Parker (Scion CEO) examines the issue of genetic modification in an careful light, acknowledging the benefits but also highlighting the need to "proceed with caution".

From the AusSMC

Geo-briefings - The AusSMC has held several briefings with experts from the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) conference in Melbourne. Topics included: The sources of green house gases, building disaster-proof superstructures and predicting natural disasters.

SKA pitch- The AusSMC also held a briefing on New Zeland and Australia's bid to build the coveted Square Kilometer Array radio telescope network.

Sciblogs highlights

Some of the highlights from this week's posts include:

Debates in the philosophy of science - Is science the only way to the truth? Ken Perrott examines an ongoing debate in the blogosphere.
Open parachute

Markets and the scientific method - Shaun Hendy goes undercover at the New Zealand Association of Economists to conference to get the gossip on innovation.
A Measure of Science

Scientist for a Day stirs the innovation pot - Peter Kerr looks at the latest from IRL's Scientist for a Day initiative, a program which places scientists with businesses.
sticK

Our greatest journey - A musical exploration of the 'out-of-Africa' hypothesis leads David Winter to reflect on mankind's origins and highlight an understated Kiwi connection to the research that uncovered them..
The atavism

Murder: head in David Attenborough's garden... Anna Sandiford highlights a case of murder that has been in centuries in the making.
Forensic Scientist

Research highlights

Please note: hyperlinks point, where possible, to the relevant abstract or paper.

Pregnancy prevents education - or vice versa? In almost every country, women with more education have fewer children. But does education reduce childbearing, or does childbearing get in the way of education, or both? New research has found that, at least among a population of Norwegian women, childbearing impeded education more than education impeded childbearing.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Saturn's great white storm: A huge storm raging on the surface of Saturn has been documented in unprecedented detail. Observations from nearby space craft combined with imagery from earth-based telescopes have captured the storm as well as lightning strikes far more powerful and intense than any the earth has experienced. Images available.
Nature

Do you have an ethical face? New research has explored the relationship between genetically-determined physical characteristics and morality. The authors of the study demonstrate that a stable physical characteristic, the facial width-to-height ratio, predicts unethical behaviour in men. Specifically, our research shows that men with wider faces (relative to facial height) feel more powerful, and these feelings of power lead directly to lying and cheating.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Satisfaction leads to a happy heart: Following the latest results from a study of almost 8000 participants, researchers say that a satisfying life is indeed good for the heart. The investigation showed that higher levels of average life satisfaction in certain life areas, such as one's job, family, sex life, and self , were associated with a reduced risk of heart disease in both men and women.
European Heart Journal

Air pollution impacts brain health: Long-term exposure to air pollution can lead to physical changes in the brain, as well as learning and memory problems and even depression, new research in mice suggests. While other studies have shown the damaging effects of polluted air on the heart and lungs, this is one of the first long-term studies to show the negative impact on the brain.
Molecular Psychiatry

Elusive blood stem cells captured: Researchers have isolated rare, self-renewing hematopoetic stem cells that continuously replenish mature blood cells over the human lifetime. Their work could help scientists better understand the biology of these stem cells and move toward harnessing them for therapies such as transplantation. Isolating these stem cells has been difficult, since they are hard to distinguish from other cells.
Science

Policy updates

Some of the highlights of this week's policy news:

Chinese medicine seeks regulation - Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners have applied to the Ministry of Health to be regulated under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003. Chiropractic, osteopathy, physiotherapy and midwifery are just some of the other professions already regulated by the act.

Chch push on metal health -Efforts are being stepped up to support quake-stricken Cantabrians with more resources being channelled into mental health services - including: extended GP consultations, increased counselling support and a new specialist earthquake response team.

Elderly health guidelines updated - Dementia sufferers and older people with mental health and addiction problems will benefit from new guidelines for treatment services. The national guidelines aim to improve access to services and provide consistency in service delivery.

Upcoming sci-tech events

Feeding issues during infancy and childhood - Human Nutrition Symposium - 14 July, Auckland.

Mid-Winter Dialogues: Wayne Mapp MP - University of Otago, Christchurch, Midwinter Dialogue Series - 15 July, Christchurch.

The Russian heat wave and other recent climate extremes - Seminar by Kevin E Trenberth for the New Zealand Climate Change Research Institute - 15 July, Wellington.

For these and more upcoming events, and more details about them, visit the SMC's Events Calendar.

ENDS

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