Finding oxygen or methane in a rocky exoplanet’s atmosphere would not by itself show that life is present. A study in Astrobiology finds that a proposed space telescope would need to examine light from near-ultraviolet through near-infrared wavelengths to assess habitability and investigate nonbiological explanations.
A prospective observational study of 143 people undergoing procedures for urinary stones compared pre-surgery urine cultures with cultures taken from the stones during surgery. Stone cultures were positive more often and were associated with postoperative sepsis, while pre-surgery urine culture results were not significantly associated with sepsis. Because this was an observational study, the findings show associations rather than cause and effect.
Researchers examined short-term outcomes after 36,208 cancer operations performed at one institution from 2016 through 2025. Robot-assisted and other minimally invasive operations were associated with fewer major complications, transfusions and shorter hospital stays than open surgery in several procedure-specific comparisons, but this observational study cannot show that the surgical approach caused those differences.
This narrative review examines radium from its discovery through its current, limited medical uses. It describes human health risks linked with exposure, while noting that some radium isotopes are used in selected cancer treatments. The review is not a new study of patients and does not establish the effectiveness of any treatment.
A study tested nano-hydroxyapatite, a calcium-and-phosphorus mineral, as a leaf spray for phosphorus-deficient barley. The particles released phosphorus gradually, but uptake varied with plant species, humidity and spray properties.
This human-health systematic review and meta-analysis examined outcomes after minimally invasive liver surgery in 12,892 patients, including 5,658 with cirrhosis. Cirrhosis was associated with higher rates of blood transfusion during surgery, conversion to open surgery, complications within 90 days, and death within 90 days, although the researchers said serious risk of bias limits confidence in these findings.
A study of tropical soils found that microbial communities, calcium and soil acidity were linked to suppression of the crop pathogen Ceratocystis paradoxa. In experiments, calcium carbonate strengthened suppression, particularly at pH 7.0, and worked with microbes transferred from suppressive soils.
Researchers confirmed two bat species on Flores Island in the Azores, including Nyctalus azoreum, which had not previously been recorded there. Acoustic monitoring found that Pipistrellus maderensis was widespread, while N. azoreum was detected at only a few sites and showed very low activity.
Women’s empowerment in Nigeria varied with region of residence and migration status, alongside education and ethnicity, a study of national survey data found. The analysis examined household and financial decisions, sexual rights and attitudes toward or experiences of wife beating.
A study tracking eight male crickets across their adult lives found that calling changed with age and declined as sleep-like behavior increased. Movement also varied across life stages and times of day, rather than showing a simple overall decline.
Researchers developed a quantum method for the maximum cut problem and proved a stronger worst-case guarantee than a three-round version of a widely used approach. On IBM quantum devices with 72 and 148 qubits, the method exceeded a known classical hardness threshold, while the comparison method did not do so in the 148-qubit test.
A review examines drugs that target CD38, a molecule found in large amounts on the cells that make antibodies. Early clinical evidence suggests these treatments may help some people with severe autoimmune disease, especially lupus nephritis and immune thrombocytopenia, but the studies so far are small and varied.
Researchers combined results from 20 randomized trials involving 2,868 patients who had distal pancreatectomy, an operation that removes part of the pancreas. Reinforced staplers were associated with fewer clinically important pancreatic fistulas than suture-based closure, while patch techniques were associated with fewer abdominal fluid collections.
Researchers used an AI image-recognition system to identify benthic foraminifera, tiny seafloor organisms used to assess ecosystem quality. It identified species and, in one low-diversity setting, whether specimens were living or dead, reaching up to 94.2% accuracy.
Adding calcium oxide to Los Angeles Harbor water lowered particulate organic carbon and dissolved oxygen when alkalinity rose by about 1,000 micromoles per kilogram. Smaller alkalinity increases, and other tested additions, produced no statistically significant changes in calcium carbonate precipitation or organic carbon partitioning over four days.
