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Plant 'first responder' cells warn neighbors about bacterial pathogens

Purdue University researchers found that a subset of epidermal cells in plant leaves serves as early responders to chemical cues from bacterial pathogens and communicate this information to neighbors through a local traveling wave of calcium ions. The properties of this local wave differ from those generated when epidermal cells are wounded, suggesting that distinct mechanisms are used by plants to communicate specific types of pathogen attack, the team reported Dec. 2 in Science Signaling.

Carbon monoxide, the 'silent killer,' becomes a boon for fuel cell catalysts

Researchers have developed a technology that uses carbon monoxide, typically harmful to humans, to precisely control metal thin films at a thickness of 0.3 nanometers. This technology enables faster and simpler production of core–shell catalysts, a key factor in improving the economic viability of fuel cells, and is expected to significantly boost related industries.

Scientists call for urgent measures to protect underwater forests in new global 'marine animal forests manifesto'

Scientists from around the world are calling for urgent action to protect, restore, and sustainably manage one of the ocean's least known yet most important ecosystems: the Marine Animal Forests. The appeal is presented in the document "Marine Animal Forests: A Manifesto," launched by an international team of experts led by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB), Spain, together with the Università del Salento, Italy.

Employee delight found to boost workplace motivation and team performance

Eight out of 10 people in Spain admit to being satisfied with their jobs, according to a survey by the 40dB Institute. But what would happen if these same workers were asked about their emotions and experiences? What if they were asked to recall the last time they felt enthusiastic, joyful or fulfilled in response to a pleasant surprise at work?

A novel role for Zer1 may help cells combat neurodegeneration and oxidative stress

A team of researchers from Academia Sinica and National Taiwan University has identified the Drosophila Cul2 substrate adaptor DmZer1 as a key regulator of protein quality control, acting at the intersection of two major cellular cleanup systems: autophagy and the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Interestingly, lowering DmZer1 levels activates the Cnc/Nrf2 stress-response pathway, which in turn strengthens the cell's ability to defend itself against oxidative stress.

Will glacier melt lead to increased seismic activity in mountain regions?

A recent study published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters is the first to directly link earthquakes to climate change-induced glacial melt. Scientists analyzed 15 years of seismic activity in the Grandes Jorasses—a peak that is part of the Mont Blanc massif between Italy and France—to better understand this association. This massif is one of the more seismologically active areas in the region, and examining how climate change may affect earthquakes there could prove useful in preparing for them.

Specific musical features have the power to make people bounce or sway, researchers discover

Some music is for grooving: It evokes spontaneous dancing, like head bopping, jumping, or arm swinging. Other music is for swaying, or for crying, or for slow dancing. Music makes people move, but whether musicians intentionally induce specific movements with their compositions, such as vertical bouncing or horizontal swaying, or what musical features would contribute to these distinctions, is more complex.

Technology boosts hop production in Brazil and paves way for new bioproducts

Despite being the third-largest producer and consumer of beer worldwide, Brazil depends almost entirely on hop imports. Less than 1% of the ingredient responsible for the bitterness, aroma, and flavor of beer is grown locally. However, a new project involving Brazilian scientists and producers in the Vale do Ribeira region of the state of São Paulo seeks to change this scenario. The project aims to make domestic hop production more efficient and viable while boosting the development of new bioproducts.

Terrestrial biodiversity grows with tree cover in agricultural landscapes

Farmers plant or preserve riparian buffers for various reasons, such as improving water quality, controlling erosion, or maintaining hunting habitat. Now, a new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign underscores the benefits of riparian buffers to terrestrial biodiversity, finding that for every 10% increase in forest cover, an additional species is present.

[Articles] Regional inequalities in heart failure hospitalisation and in-hospital mortality in Spain (2016–2022): a nationwide, observational study

Significant regional differences in hospitalisation rates and risk-standardised mortality rates were observed among patients hospitalised for heart failure. Regional disparities in gross domestic product per capita may partly explain these differences. These results have clinical and policy implications, underscoring the need to consider socioeconomic determinants when analysing health outcomes and designing public policies aimed at reducing health inequalities. Our findings might be relevant to other European countries with similar public health systems.

[Personal View] Impaired expectations: the challenge of ableism in paediatrics

In the field of paediatrics, the concept of normal (ie, typical)—in contrast to different, special, deviant, delayed, or atypical—has imposed a problematic framework within which people view a child with an impairment. This binary perspective oversimplifies a complex, fluid, and dynamic process encompassing physical, behavioural, emotional, cognitive, social, and communicative development. Furthermore, this approach reinforces the notion of a singular normality, diminishing the value of any variation from this assumed (and usually poorly defined and naive) standard, in a way that speaks of ableism—the normative bias that a standard norm exists and anything other than this standard is inferior.

[Review] Interventions to prevent, reduce, and respond to violence against children and adolescents: a systematic review of systematic reviews to update the INSPIRE Framework

Each year, one billion children globally experience violence, which carries lifelong detrimental effects. In 2016, WHO and partners launched the INSPIRE Framework: seven strategies to end violence against children. A decade after INSPIRE's development, this systematic review updates its evidence base and assesses which interventions could be prioritised for implementation. This systematic review of systematic reviews searched 152 information sources from Jan 1, 2010, to May 15, 2023, to identify systematic reviews evaluating the effectiveness of policies or interventions in addressing violence against children.

[Articles] Emotional distress in adolescents in 2018 and 2022: a comparison of cross-sectional national probabilistic samples from six countries

Emotional distress among adolescents in most participating countries was higher in 2022 than in 2018, with disproportionate increases in the number of those reporting high degrees of distress. This pattern suggests a widening of vulnerabilities and highlights an urgent need for scalable and context-sensitive responses, such as strengthening school-based supports, integrating mental health into primary care, and expanding digital and community-based interventions.

[Articles] Quantifying the fatal and non-fatal burden of disease associated with child growth failure, 2000–2023: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023

CGF remains a leading factor associated with death and disability in children younger than 5 years, despite global attention and focused interventions to reduce the prevalence of associated CGF indicators. Our findings underscore the need for policies, strategies, and interventions that focus on all indicators of CGF to reduce its associated health burden.

[Corrections] Correction to Lancet Child Adolesc Health 2025; 9: 837–47

Sampri A, Shi W, Bolton T, et al. Vascular and inflammatory diseases after COVID-19 infection and vaccination in children and young people in England: a retrospective, population-based cohort study using linked electronic health records. Lancet Child Adolesc Health 2025; 9: 837–47—In this Article, the fourth sentence of the final paragraph in the Results section should read “AERs were higher in the first versus second period of the COVID-19 pandemic …”. This correction has been made to the online version as of Nov 6, 2025