Experts advise against routine bowel cancer testing for all over 50s

Routine testing for bowel cancer should not be recommended for everyone aged 50-79 years because, for those at very low risk, the benefit is small and uncertain and there are potential harms, say a panel of international experts in The BMJ today.

Environmental cost of formula milk should be a matter of global concern

"The production of unnecessary infant and toddler formulas exacerbates environmental damage and should be a matter of increasing global concern," argue experts in The BMJ today.

Substantial variation in uptake of new prescribing guidance by GPs

Substantial variation exists between general practices in uptake of new prescribing guidance, with important implications for patient care and health expenditure, finds the largest analysis of its kind published by The BMJ today.

An ultra-fast optical way to extract critical information from quantum materials

Topological insulators are quantum materials, which, due to their exotic electronic structure, on surfaces and edges conduct electric current like metal, while acting as an insulator in bulk. Scientists from the Max-Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy (MBI) have demonstrated for the first time how to tell apart topological materials from their regular—trivial—counterparts within a millionth of a billionth of a second by probing it with ultra-fast laser light. Their method could open the way for such materials to be used as logic elements in light-controlled electronics able to process information tens of thousands times faster as currently possible. Their study appeared in Nature Photonics.

* This article was originally published here

Gabon juggles competing demands in fight to protect nature

The lush green canopy stretches over the Akanda National Park—one of the many forest jewels that Gabon is fighting to conserve.

Final puffs for France's last tobacco factory

Gerard Chanquoi looks sadly at the conveyor belts of France's sole remaining tobacco processing factory as they whirl for the last times ahead of its final closure, a victim of changed economic times and a different public health landscape.

PlayStation slashes price of cloud video game service

Sony Interactive Entertainment on Tuesday slashed the price of its PlayStation Now cloud video game service as it braced for Google to launch challenger Stadia in November.

Mexican lower house passes junk-food label law

Mexico's lower house unanimously passed a bill Tuesday to make manufacturers put warning labels on junk food, defying industry pressure in a bid to protect consumers' health in one of the world's most obese countries.

J&J agrees $20.4 mn payment in Ohio opioid case

US healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday announced it had reached a $20.4 million settlement to avoid a much-anticipated trial in Ohio for allegedly fueling the opioid addiction crisis.

South Korea confirms 2 more swine fever cases

South Korea on Wednesday confirmed two additional cases of African swine fever near its border with North Korea despite heightened efforts to contain the epidemic that has wiped out pig populations across Asia.

Pig farmers pessimistic as China tries to talk down swine fever

Sun Dawu sighs sadly when asked about the death of thousands of his pigs, killed by the African swine fever outbreak that has been decimating hog herds across China.

One third of patients with severe asthma are taking harmful doses of oral steroids

A third of patients with severe asthma are taking harmful doses of oral steroids, according to a study of several thousand people in The Netherlands, presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress today.

Treatment with long term, low dose antibiotic could help people born with chronic lung condition

Taking a low dose of the antibiotic azithromycin for six months reduces symptoms for patients with the chronic lung condition primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress.

Tenfold increase in number of adolescents on HIV treatment in South Africa since 2010, but many still untreated

A new study of more than 700,000 one to 19-year olds being treated for HIV infection suggests a ten-fold increase in the number of adolescents aged 15 to 19 receiving HIV treatment in South Africa, according to results published in The Lancet HIV journal.

Cheap, quick test identifies pneumonia patients at risk of respiratory failure or sepsis

Spanish researchers in Valencia have identified specific fragments of genetic material that play a role in the development of respiratory failure and sepsis in pneumonia patients.

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome face higher risk of breathing difficulties

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are more likely to develop poor respiratory health based on lung function tests, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress.

Planes and vehicles main culprits masking iconic natural sounds in peaceful national parks

U.S. national parks are full of natural sounds. In Rocky Mountain National Park, visitors might hear the bugle of elks. At Yellowstone National Park, wolves howl in the distance. Iconic sounds like these are often associated with specific parks, creating unique soundscapes and enriching visitor experiences. When you add human-made noise to the mix, however, these sounds are at risk of being drowned out.

Catch-22—stricter border enforcement may increase agent corruption

When a customs officer in El Paso, Texas was arrested for conspiracy to smuggle marijuana into the U.S between 2003 and 2007, investigators found she had sought a job with the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency mainly to enable the smuggling operation.

Limited seed availability, dry climate hamper post-wildfire forest recovery

A lack of tree seedling establishment following recent wildfires represents a crucial bottleneck limiting coniferous forest recovery in the western U.S., new University of Colorado Boulder-led research finds.

Genomic fluke close-up

Parasitic flukes have been a leading source of food-borne infections, sparking fear and wreaking havoc on human public health, and contributed to more than 3 billion in animal agricultural losses per year in the U.S. alone.

Manchester produces indie music fans just by being Manchester

Musical taste and fans' status within their subcultures are shaped by where they live as they engage in experiences specific to particular geographical areas.