An experimental malaria vaccine has shown protection for at least six months, according to a clinical trial in 112 adults in Burkina Faso. The results are published today in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

In recent weeks, the UK Health Safety Agency has detected an unusual increase in infections with Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria. At least 13 children under the age of 15 have died from this pathogen, which is responsible for mild infections but also for more serious conditions such as invasive disease. The Spanish Society of Paediatric Infectious Diseases has reported that there have been some deaths in Spain - the Community of Madrid has reported two deaths - and is analysing whether there has been an unusual increase in cases. 
 

A genetic association study using data from more than three million people has found nearly 4,000 variants associated with smoking and alcohol consumption. The results are published in the journal Nature.

Two studies published in the journal Nature Communications have found specific characteristics in the microbiota of people with depression, including populations of different ethnicities and habits.

Research involving 10,775 adults shows that a higher percentage of daily energy intake from ultra-processed foods was associated with cognitive impairment. The results are published in the journal JAMA Neurology.

A study published in the journal Nature Astronomy suggests the existence of an active mantle plume on Mars - a column of material from the mantle that generates hot spots - with a diameter of about 4,000 kilometres, which would explain its geological activity. The planet was traditionally considered to be geologically inert at present.

Some 4,000 engraved slate plaques resembling owls have been found in tombs and graves on the Iberian Peninsula dating back to the Copper Age. It has been speculated that they may have had a ritual significance. Spanish scientists have analysed 100 of these plaques and propose, in an article published in Scientific Reports, that they may have been carved by children for play.

A ketogenic diet, high in fat and low in carbohydrates, could increase platelet production and alleviate the low platelet counts caused by chemotherapy treatments. This is the finding of a small study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. 

A study published in PLOS ONE reveals that more than 2,600 bacteria live on average on each floating microfibre in the Mediterranean Sea, belonging to 195 bacterial species. This waste from plastic pollution, textiles and fishing activities, once colonised, smells like food and is consumed by marine animals. Among them, pathogenic Vibrio species have been found, a bacterium that can be a threat to bathing and seafood consumption.

The journal Nature publishes a quantum simulation of a holographic wormhole on a quantum processor. The demonstration, carried out with the Google Sycamore processor, represents a further step towards the possibility of studying quantum gravity in the laboratory.