A paper published in the journal Science Advances has reported the presence of a specific biomarker signature in patients early in the course of CFS/ME, which was not seen in patients with a longer duration of the illness or in healthy individuals. The biomarkers relate to immune signalling messengers. read more

A new book by Prof. Mike Stephenson, Shale Gas and Fracking: The Science Behind the Controversy, will be published in early March. It attempts to cut through the misinformation on both sides of this emotionally charged debate and clearly present the unbiased scientific evidence to help policy makers and the public decide for themselves about shale gas and fracking. Prof. Stephenson came to the SMC to talk to journalists ahead of publication. read more

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has released the latest figures from its survey of the levels of Campylobacter present on fresh chickens. read more

The Science and Technology Select Committee of the House of Commons has released a report on the regulation of GM techniques in agriculture, suggesting that they should be regulated in a similar way to other technologies. read more

The group Action on Sugar has produced an analysis of the levels of sugar found in a number of energy drinks available in the UK. read more

Researchers publishing in the journal Nature have examined the possibility of emulsifying agents, which are present in a range of food, contributing to adverse health effects. The authors report that in mice, the addition of two emulsifiers to their diet led to changes in the bacterial makeup of the gut as well as inflammation and related metabolic disorders, which they suggest is due to a reduction in the protective mucus barrier which lines the gut. read more

Writing in the Lancet Psychiatry, researchers have published their results of an analysis of a possible link between depression and violent crime in Sweden. They report that people with depressive symptoms were three times more likely to commit violent offences than those who had not been diagnosed with depression, and suggest that their results should be taken into account in clinical guidelines. read more

There has been a lot of focus on how suffering from depression can lead to self-harm and suicide. In contrast, there has been little investigation of any link between depression and violent behaviour. Experts have heard anecdotal reports, but there has been no rigorous study until now. Researchers have investigated whether there is a link between suffering from depression and perpetrating violent crime. They have used data from Sweden, comparing patients with depression to members of the general population and, further, assessed risk of violent crime in twin studies. read more

A paper published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine has attempted to analyse sexual characteristics in female twins, with particular regard to homosexuality. They found that in their cohort of British twins, “masculine” women were more likely to be nonheterosexual and to report more sexual partners. read more

The House of Lords has voted in favour of the new regulations concerning mitochondrial donation techniques. read more

A study published in the journal Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health has analysed a possible association between fluoride levels in water supplies and prevalence of hypothyroidism, suggesting that there is a correlation between the two. read more

The World Health Organization has approved the use of a rapid blood test for the detection of Ebola. Though it is less accurate than current tests, it does not require electricity and so can be used more widely. read more

Research at the University of York has estimated the effects of changes in NHS expenditure on the health of all NHS patients.* The researchers have asked whether the threshold NICE uses to judge whether the health benefits of a new drug are sufficient to justify the costs are correct. The findings, published in the Health Technology Assessment Journal, suggest that the NHS is currently paying too much for new drugs. The authors also revealed their estimates of the true costs of the Cancer Drugs Fund on other areas of health spending. read more

The use of electronic cigarettes is to be banned in almost all hospital grounds in Scotland, with NHS boards implementing the measures alongside their requirement to become “smoke-free” by April 2015. read more

A British healthcare worker has been flown back to the UK for assessment and monitoring following potential exposure to the Ebola virus, though they have not yet developed any symptoms. read more

The English government intends to put regulations on standardised packaging of tobacco products to a vote before the general election in May 2015. If the vote is passed, England will be the second country in the world to mandate standardised packaging, following Australia’s example. The evidence base for standardised packaging is growing, and the scientific journal Addiction has played a key role in that growth. In the lead-up to the vote, Addiction is publishing a collection of peer-reviewed research papers and commentaries from 2008 to 2015 that bring together key parts of the evidence base for standardised packaging. read more

Researchers publishing in The Lancet have conducted a meta-analysis of 52 studies with the aim of evaluating a possible link between the use of hormone replacement therapy and ovarian cancer. They report that there was an increased risk of ovarian cancer in those who used hormone replacement therapy, and that this declined after its use ceased. read more

The BMJ has published the results of its investigation into public health scientists and the sugar industry. read more

Two papers published in the journal Nature have reported the importance of several regions in the human genome as being important in the distribution of fat in the body, as well as for obesity. These include genes involved in metabolism and the nervous system, and the researchers suggest that these might be useful in the future as a focus for targeting disease. read more

A study published in the The Lancet Psychiatry journal has looked at trends in suicide around the world, and a unemployment rates. The research team analysed data from 2000-2011 and report that overall suicide rates fell, and that suicides associated with unemployment generally were higher than for those associated with the recent economic downturn. read more