Latest articles

Health & Medicine

Moderate evidenceReview

Review examines lasting heart and autonomic problems after COVID-19 in children

This human-health review examined cardiovascular and autonomic outcomes in children after SARS-CoV-2 infection or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). It reports that obvious heart dysfunction usually improved, while some studies found persistent changes on more sensitive tests and symptoms linked with autonomic dysfunction. The importance of these findings for children’s long-term health remains uncertain.

1 month ago·43 views

Biology

A Mexican shrub can fertilize itself when dry-season pollinators are scarce

The dry-season shrub Wigandia urens can produce seeds through autonomous self-pollination when pollinators are less active. Researchers found that animal pollinators still contributed substantially to seed production, giving the plant both reproductive backup and opportunities for cross-pollination.

1 month ago·33 views

Society & Economics

Exposure to suicide attempts linked to higher odds of later attempts in young people

In a national US study, adolescents and young adults exposed to a suicide attempt within their social networks had higher odds of a later suicide attempt and higher depressive symptoms over time. The exposure was not linked to the onset of suicidal thoughts.

1 month ago·44 views

AI & Computing

An attack tailored to shared AI systems made backdoors more effective

Researchers developed an attack that generates backdoor triggers tailored to a shared AI model in federated learning. In experiments across multiple datasets, it improved the attack success rate by 60.95–80.19% over average baseline performance without increasing the malicious updates sent to the system.

1 month ago·61 views

Society & Economics

Economic and technology fears take different paths to support for political violence

A study of 984 U.S. adults found that fears about economic insecurity and technology were each associated with greater support for political violence. The link with economic fears appeared among people with low and middle socioeconomic status, while technology-related fears were linked to support among people with low and high socioeconomic status.

1 month ago·42 views

Biology

A new freshwater amoeba from Ghana points to hidden species diversity

Researchers have described a new freshwater amoeba species from Budamu Stream near Cape Coast, Ghana. Their analysis also identified an additional lineage and up to seven possible Mayorella groups, many made up of unnamed or environmental sequences.

1 month ago·39 views

Biology

High evidenceReview

Review finds small short-term cognitive effects in vascular dementia

Researchers reviewed 16 randomized trials involving 5,668 people with vascular dementia. Galantamine and memantine were linked with small changes on some cognitive test scores over the short term, but consistent benefits for daily functioning, overall condition, or behavior were not established.

1 month ago·34 views

Society & Economics

Local trust is tied more to results than formal rules, review finds

A systematic review of 18 quantitative studies found that responsiveness was the governance practice most consistently associated with public trust in local governments. Transparency and formal accountability had more conditional relationships, with service delivery, perceived performance and effectiveness helping shape how people judged local authorities.

1 month ago·64 views

Health & Medicine

High evidenceReview

Review compares first treatments for a rare lymphoma, with mixed results

Researchers combined results from seven randomized trials involving 1,334 people with previously untreated peripheral T-cell lymphoma, a rare blood cancer. The analysis found that some regimens produced higher response or disease-control rates than CHOP, but it found no significant differences in overall survival or progression-free survival. Risks of particular blood-related side effects varied among regimens.

1 month ago·66 views

Health & Medicine

High evidenceReview

Review finds lower eye-pressure readings after SMILE eye surgery

A systematic review and meta-analysis examined changes in eye-pressure readings and corneal measurements after small-incision lenticule extraction, or SMILE, a procedure used for nearsightedness and some astigmatism. Across 17 observational studies involving 1,177 eyes, pressure readings were lower after surgery with several measurement devices, but the review cannot establish how much of this reflected a change in true eye pressure rather than measurement effects.

1 month ago·63 views

Society & Economics

Interactive music tablet eases anxiety in children before surgery

An interactive music tablet reduced preoperative anxiety in children aged 3 to 11 who were preparing for elective surgery. The effect was strongest in children aged 3 to 6 and in those with high anxiety before the intervention.

1 month ago·67 views

Climate & Environment

Satellite maps identified low-yield fields with high modeled nitrate risks

A study used satellite images, farm records and soil–water modeling to map nitrate loss within fields in a drinking-water protection area. Low-yield zones had higher nitrogen surpluses and modeled nitrate concentrations than high-yield zones.

1 month ago·57 views

Physics & Space

Loosely arranged water helps ice stay slippery, while a coating lowers friction further

A study finds that loosely structured water molecules at the ice surface contribute to its low friction by forming a liquid-like, disordered layer. Three diamond-like carbon coatings reduced friction more than bearing steel, with the largest reduction reaching 58.6%.

1 month ago·34 views

Climate & Environment

After feral pigs disturb wetlands, methane emissions rise

A study in northern Australia found that wetland plots disturbed by feral pigs released more methane and nitrous oxide than undisturbed reference plots. The highest emissions occurred at recently disturbed sites, suggesting feral pig management could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from wetlands.

1 month ago·49 views

Society & Economics

How migrant aid can become a system of work and control

A study of migrant services in an eastern German city during the arrival of Ukrainian migrants identifies five underlying logics of humanitarian aid provision. The researchers argue that these services can turn support systems into forms of governance tied to labor extraction and the accumulation of capital.

1 month ago·39 views