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Health & Medicine

High evidenceReview

Review finds longer survival with added toxicity in four cancer types

This systematic review examined randomized human trials of concurrent chemotherapy and radiation for locally advanced head and neck, cervical, esophageal, and non-small-cell lung cancers. Across the included trials, combined treatment was reported to provide better overall survival than radiation alone, but it also caused more severe short-term side effects. The review did not provide enough information in its abstract to show how many trials or patients were included.

22 minutes ago

Biology

Human brain organoids classified Braille letters with up to 83% accuracy

Human forebrain organoids classified artificial tactile Braille signals after a sensor converted the touch data into electrical stimulation. Accuracy averaged 61% with one organoid and rose to 83% when responses from three organoids were combined.

24 minutes ago

Climate & Environment

Pilot wastewater system destroyed more than 99% of PFAS in concentrated foam

A pilot-scale system removed long-chain PFAS, including PFOS and PFOA, from municipal wastewater and concentrated the compounds in a small volume of foam. Under the best-performing conditions, a subsequent treatment destroyed and removed more than 99% of measured PFAS in that concentrated foam.

5 hours ago·3 views

Society & Economics

Tuna and billfish fishing moved offshore mainly in the past 200 years

People have fished for tuna for about 44,000 years and billfish for about 10,000 years, according to a global review of archaeological evidence. But sustained, intensive fishing in offshore and oceanic waters appears to have developed mainly during the past 200 years.

5 hours ago·4 views

Biology

A peptide reduced persistent traumatic memories in mice

A study in mice found that a peptide targeting the memory-related protein CPEB3 reduced the persistence of traumatic memories and anhedonia, a loss of pleasure. The findings are an early genetic preclinical test of a possible approach for PTSD, not evidence of a treatment in people.

6 hours ago·4 views

Climate & Environment

Humpback whales feed more often when California sea lions are nearby

Humpback whales in Monterey Bay fed more frequently when California sea lions were present. The whales appeared to spend less time searching and approaching prey, while the effort and movement of individual lunges showed no detectable increase.

13 hours ago·5 views

Engineering & Technology

A smartphone strip reads tear glucose and pH in 30 seconds

Researchers developed a Schirmer strip that simultaneously indicates glucose and pH through color changes, with smartphone image analysis helping assess the results. In tests using artificial tear fluid, the glucose signal appeared within 30 seconds and had a visual detection limit of 0.5 mM.

13 hours ago·5 views

Society & Economics

Coastal residents weigh flood damage, costs and family ties when considering a move

People considering whether to leave flood-prone coastal communities weigh disastrous flooding and rising costs alongside crime, healthcare and proximity to family and friends. In a survey of 182 respondents, most said they would not relocate, while others said they would move immediately or in the future.

13 hours ago·6 views

Climate & Environment

Better vegetation data make California mountain snow simulations more realistic

A study of California’s Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins found that changing vegetation conditions improved simulations of mountain snow water equivalent, or the amount of water held in snow. Combining those data with finer weather inputs produced the best match to the available snow observations.

19 hours ago·8 views

Biology

In fruit flies, heat and pesticide stress cut fertility across generations

Acute heat and sublethal imidacloprid exposure interacted to reduce male fruit flies’ reproductive success more than either stressor alone in some conditions. Stress experienced by fathers also reduced offspring fertility, while a more diverse gut microbiome partly lessened the effects on males.

19 hours ago·5 views

Society & Economics

Managers accepted reflective coaching from humans but wanted answers from AI

A study of eight managers found that they preferred human coaches for reflective questioning, even though they welcomed that approach from a person. When the same coaching protocol came from an AI system, they wanted it to provide answers instead.

20 hours ago·16 views

Physics & Space

A proposed experiment could make gravity appear to push instead of pull

A theoretical study proposes an experiment in which a mass placed in a quantum superposition could produce an effectively repulsive gravitational effect on another particle. The effect would arise from quantum interference and, if observed, would conflict with general relativity’s description of gravity as always attractive.

1 day ago·29 views

Health & Medicine

Moderate evidenceReview

Review suggests staged surgery may lower some risks for congenital moles

Researchers pooled results from seven human studies comparing multiple-staged with single-stage removal and reconstruction of congenital melanocytic nevi, sometimes called congenital moles. Staged surgery was associated with fewer major wound complications and recurrences, as well as slightly shorter and narrower scars, but the studies did not find a clear difference in cosmetic or overall patient satisfaction.

1 day ago·28 views

Climate & Environment

Humpback whales exploit killer whales’ herring hunts as tourism grows

Humpback and fin whales often move into killer whales’ herring-hunting groups in northern Norway, feeding on dense patches that the killer whales have gathered. The intrusions can end killer whale hunts, while whale-watching tourism adds further disruption to feeding.

1 day ago·32 views

Climate & Environment

Many mahi-mahi may make striped marlin abandon prey hunts

Large groups of mahi-mahi may interfere with striped marlin hunting at shared prey schools, causing the marlin to abandon a hunt. The study also found that smaller numbers of mahi-mahi may increase the marlin’s net captures.

1 day ago·32 views