When science hits the headlines, we seek the views of expert sources who assess the news rigorously and quickly, according to the available evidence.
Whole genome analysis of more than 12,000 tumors has identified new patterns of mutations associated with specific cancers. These combinations generate specific mutational signatures, the study of which provides information on environmental factors causing the mutations. The work is published in Science.
A study published today in the journal PLoS ONE examines the effectiveness of antidepressant treatments in improving patients' quality of life over time.
A study based on observations of the Greenland ice sheet, published in Nature Communications, suggests that there may be shallow liquid water on Jupiter's moon Europa. The finding could provide insights into the geophysical processes that formed the moon.
This week the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) has warned of an increase in cases of hepatitis of unknown origin in children in the UK. Three cases have been diagnosed in Ciudad Real, Madrid and Aragon, one of which required a liver transplant. With the current information it is difficult to establish the cause.
A review published today in The Journal of Headache and Pain concludes that 52% of the population is affected by a headache each year, with 14% reporting migraines.
A paper published today in the journal Circulation concludes that acute myocarditis is a rare complication in patients hospitalised with covid-19 and that the severity of its prognosis depends on the simultaneous presence of pneumonia.
A study published in the BMJ concludes that covid-19 is a risk factor for developing venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and haemorrhage.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) consider it too early for the general population to receive a fourth dose of covid-19 mRNA vaccines. Both agencies do agree that people over 80 years of age should receive it because of their increased risk of severe disease.
The Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, today announced that face masks will no longer be compulsory indoors after Easter. The measure will come into force on 20 April. It will continue to be compulsory in public transport, health centres and residences, but the final details of the new scenario are not yet known.
A study of more than 630 billion words (mostly in English) used on 3 billion web pages concludes that the term 'people' is not gender-neutral: its meaning is biased towards the concept 'men'. The authors write in Science Advances that they see this as "a fundamental bias in the collective view of our species", relevant because the concept 'people' is "in almost all societal decisions and policies".