The mystery of an unprecedented plant disease in Africa: The appearance of an Asian strain of bacterial blight in Tanzania threatens rice production in Africa.

A severe outbreak of bacterial blight in East Africa has scientists puzzled about the origin of the pathogen and how to deal with it.

The influence of the "cancer" label on perceptions and management decisions for low-grade prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Grade Group 1 (GG1) prostate cancer should be managed with active surveillance (AS). Global uptake of AS remains disappointingly slow and heterogeneous. Removal of cancer labels has been proposed to reduce GG1 overtreatment. We sought to determine the impact of GG1 disease terminology on individual's perceptions and decision making. METHODS: Discrete choice experiments were conducted on 3 cohorts: healthy men, canonical partners (partners), and patients with GG1 (patients). Participants reported preferences in a series of vignettes with 2 scenarios each, permuting key opinion leader-endorsed descriptors: biopsy (adenocarcinoma, acinar neoplasm, prostatic acinar neoplasm of low malignant potential [PAN-LMP], prostatic acinar neoplasm of uncertain malignant potential), disease (cancer, neoplasm, tumor, growth), management decision (treatment, AS), and recurrence risk (6%, 3%, 1%, <1%). Influence on scenario selection were estimated by conditional logit models and marginal rates of substitution. Two additional validation vignettes with scenarios portraying identical descriptors except the management options were embedded into the discrete choice experiments. RESULTS: Across cohorts (194 healthy men, 159 partners, and 159 patients), noncancer labels PAN-LMP or prostatic acinar neoplasm of uncertain malignant potential and neoplasm, tumor, or growth were favored over adenocarcinoma and cancer (P < .01), respectively. Switching adenocarcinoma and cancer labels to PAN-LMP and growth, respectively, increased AS choice by up to 17%: healthy men (15%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 10% to 20%, from 76% to 91%, P < .001), partners (17%, 95% CI = 12% to 24%, from 65% to 82%, P < .001), and patients (7%, 95% CI = 4% to 12%, from 75% to 82%, P = .063). The main limitation is the theoretical nature of questions perhaps leading to less realistic choices. CONCLUSIONS: "Cancer" labels negatively affect perceptions and decision making regarding GG1. Relabeling (ie, avoiding word "cancer") increases proclivity for AS and would likely improve public health.

Best Current Practice and Research Priorities in Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer-A Report of a Movember International Consensus Meeting.

BACKGROUND: Active surveillance (AS) is recommended for low-risk and some intermediate-risk prostate cancer. Uptake and practice of AS vary significantly across different settings, as does the experience of surveillance-from which tests are offered, and to the levels of psychological support. OBJECTIVE: To explore the current best practice and determine the most important research priorities in AS for prostate cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A formal consensus process was followed, with an international expert panel of purposively sampled participants across a range of health care professionals and researchers, and those with lived experience of prostate cancer. Statements regarding the practice of AS and potential research priorities spanning the patient journey from surveillance to initiating treatment were developed. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Panel members scored each statement on a Likert scale. The group median score and measure of consensus were presented to participants prior to discussion and rescoring at panel meetings. Current best practice and future research priorities were identified, agreed upon, and finally ranked by panel members. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: There was consensus agreement that best practice includes the use of high-quality magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which allows digital rectal examination (DRE) to be omitted, that repeat standard biopsy can be omitted when MRI and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) kinetics are stable, and that changes in PSA or DRE should prompt MRI ± biopsy rather than immediate active treatment. The highest ranked research priority was a dynamic, risk-adjusted AS approach, reducing testing for those at the least risk of progression. Improving the tests used in surveillance, ensuring equity of access and experience across different patients and settings, and improving information and communication between and within clinicians and patients were also high priorities. Limitations include the use of a limited number of panel members for practical reasons. CONCLUSIONS: The current best practice in AS includes the use of high-quality MRI to avoid DRE and as the first assessment for changes in PSA, with omission of repeat standard biopsy when PSA and MRI are stable. Development of a robust, dynamic, risk-adapted approach to surveillance is the highest research priority in AS for prostate cancer. PATIENT SUMMARY: A diverse group of experts in active surveillance, including a broad range of health care professionals and researchers and those with lived experience of prostate cancer, agreed that best practice includes the use of high-quality magnetic resonance imaging, which can allow digital rectal examination and some biopsies to be omitted. The highest research priority in active surveillance research was identified as the development of a dynamic, risk-adjusted approach.

Back to the meeting: Scientific conferences awakening from the SARS-CoV-2 hiatus: Scientific conferences awakening from the SARS-CoV-2 hiatus.

In-person scientific conferences are picking up again after more than 2 years. But organizers remain wary of new infection waves.

Biology lessons in times of COVID: The pandemic has forced educators to teach and instruct online with varying success and challenges.

Since COVID-19 hit last year, lecturers and professors have been exploring digital and other tools to teach and instruct their students.

Mobile students, remote education, free-fall economics: campus life in 2020: The pandemic-triggered economic crisis will have an unprecedented impact on higher education globally.

Between decreased income and increasing expenses to move classes online, colleges and universities need to adapt to a pandemic-triggered severe and global recession.

When SARS-CoV-2 comes knocking on your lab door: Individual scientists' experiences during the pandemic.

A snapshot of how scientists are personally affected by the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Ancient DNA and contemporary politics: The analysis of ancient DNA challenges long-held beliefs about identity and history with potential for political abuse.

The sequencing and analysis of ancient human DNA has helped to rewrite human history. But it is also tempting politicians, nationalists and supremacists to abuse this research for their agendas.

Continuous Glucose Monitors: The Long and Winding Road To Acceptance, Coverage.

The time may finally be here for standalone continuous glucose monitors. It's been a long road. Medicare and consumer health plans were slow to cover them, but now the FDA has approved four such devices. Experts expect that nearly 3 million Americans will be able to use the devices.

Answering the Call of the Wild Creates A Different Kind of Medical Director.

The medical director of the National Park Service and Grand Teton National Park lives on the edge in places like the mountains of Wyoming and the battlefields in Iraq.

Tom Price, the ACA's Ardent Foe, Pushes For Repeal and Replace-With a Smile.

Price, 62, with pure white hair, rimless glasses, and an easy, slightly cherubic smile, comes across like a friendly, family doctor, not the ambitious, politically-minded orthopedic surgeon that he is. He calls the ACA "useless" because of the high deductibles.

James Capretta, a Conservative Health Care Policy Expert, Is Suddenly a Hot Ticket.

The conservative voice of reason on American health care policy and a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute says that "It would be far preferable for the country to reach some stability around health policy that both parties bought into."

Venture Philanthropy Straddles Two Worlds.

Venture philanthropy and the move toward investment of not-for-profit dollars in for-profit companies started about 10 years ago. One expert argues that it's a little like calling someone an amateur-pro athlete. You can't be both. Proponents, however, point to some initially impressive results especially for niche diseases.

Health Insurers Often Foot Bill When Drug Coupons Are Used.

While coupons help individual consumers, they are also having a major impact on the insurance industry and anyone responsible for paying health care bills. Insurers and pharmacy benefit managers complain that they foil formularies and other pricing strategies designed to steer consumers to less-expensive drugs.