Two-week rule in head and neck cancer 2000-14: a systematic review.

The fast-track system in the UK for patients with suspected cancer--the two-week rule--states that if cancer is suspected there should be a maximum of 14 days between referral from primary care and consultation with a specialist. This approach is valued by patients, ensures a universal standard of diagnosis, and speeds up the overall management of cancer. However, some say that the rule has had little or no effect on survival, results in a diagnosis of cancer in only a small proportion of patients referred, and is expensive.

Barriers and benefits: implications of artificial night-lighting for the distribution of common bats in Britain and Ireland.

Artificial lighting is a particular problem for animals active at night. Approximately 69% of mammal species are nocturnal, and one-third of these are bats. Due to their extensive movements-both on a nightly basis to exploit ephemeral food supplies, and during migration between roosts-bats have an unusually high probability of encountering artificial light in the landscape.