The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) issued a new report on fracking in the UK. read more

A potential Ebola vaccine from GSK was flown to Liberia to begin phase 3 efficacy trials. read more

Researchers have published in the BMJ Open their work attempting to quantify the effects of medications and changes in health on mortality from coronary heart disease. They report that reductions in blood pressure and cholesterol levels across the population contributed to reducing mortality, and that statins also played a part but that this effect was more pronounced in higher socioeconomic bands. read more

A study published in the journal of Clinical Pharmacology has looked at the use of hormonal contraceptives and a link with brain tumours. The researchers report an association between ever using these contraceptives and incidence of glioma, which increase with duration of use, though they recognise potential confounding factors. read more

In a paper published in the Lancet Psychiatry, a group of researchers have studied the effects of using a video-based intervention for infants with familial risk of autism. The research team report that the intervention produced positive outcomes in terms of behaviour, developmental, and and brain function. read more

The government is set to bring forward a vote on legislation to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes sold in the UK, to before the general election in May. read more

In a letter to The New England Journal of Medicine, a group of researchers has analysed the levels of various chemicals in the vapour produced when smoking e-cigarettes, and gives estimates of levels of formaldehyde-releasing agents which are higher than other previous studies. read more

A paper published in the European Heart Journal has examined the effects of alcohol consumption on levels of heart failure, reporting that having up to seven drinks a week was associated with lower levels of heart failure in both men and women. read more

Researchers publishing in JAMA Internal Medicine have examined the relationship between salt consumption and cardiovascular disease, heart failure, and death. The team focused on adults aged 71-80 and monitored them for ten years, finding that there wasn’t an association between the negative outcomes which they monitored and salt intake. read more

A study published in the journal Scientific Reports has described the use of a technique to edit specific genes in eggs or sperm at the time of fertilisation, which the research team suggest may have potentially have therapeutic benefits. read more

Researchers in the US from Nasa and Noaa have confirmed that 2014 was the warmest year on record globally. read more

A woman who is suspected of being infected with the Ebola virus is being tested at Northampton General Hospital. read more

A paper published in the journal Nature has estimated the degree to which sea levels rose in the twentieth century. The researchers report increases in sea levels which are in line with previous estimates for the period of 1993-2010, but which are higher than previous estimates for the period of 1901-1990. read more

A study published in the journal Nature has examined the effects of cooling the brain, such as happens during hibernation, on neurodegenerative disorders. The researchers point to the protection of brain cells despite the loss of connections between them during hibernation as a process which can be used to treat diseases such as Alzheimer’s. read more

CFS/ME (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis) is a disease primarily characterised by extreme exhaustion that leaves many patients unable to perform even basic activities or look after themselves. Whilst there is currently no cure and the disease is poorly understood, cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and graded exercise therapy (GET) have proved to be the most effective treatments for managing symptoms and improving physical function. read more

The European Parliament has passed a new law which allows individual member states more flexibility in their regulation of genetically modified crops. read more

The condition of the British nurse who is being treated for Ebola at the Royal Free Hospital in London is improving, and is no longer critical. read more

NHS England has reviewed the Cancer Drugs Fund and announced that twenty five different treatments will no longer be funded by it. The Fund is forecast to be £100m over budget this year. read more

The World Health Organization has given an update on the current status of the development of vaccines against the Ebola virus. read more

Researchers publishing in the journal Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine have reported an association between ritual circumcision and autism, stating that the risk of autism spectrum disorder was increased for boys who underwent circumcision. read more