Every school year in Spain, the debate returns about what kind of timetable schools should adopt: is it better to concentrate all teaching hours or to have a lunch break and extend the time spent at school? In this first issue, we bring together research on the effect of each type of timetable on students' performance, rest and socio-affective well-being, as well as the available data on public and charter education.

France has temporarily halted the sale of the iPhone 12 phone because it does not comply with European radiation regulations. In a press release, French regulator ANFR (the National Frequency Agency) has asked Apple to withdraw the iPhone 12 from the French market from 12 September 2023, after its tests showed that the device exceeded EU limits for a measure known as the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR). The SAR measure looks at the levels of electromagnetic radiation that could be received by the body if the phone were held in the hand or trouser pocket, and should be below 4W/kg. The ANFR says the test measured the SAR at 5.74 W/kg.

Research carried out with almost 300 participants from the United Kingdom and Malta revealed that they had more positive emotions, a willingness to help and less prejudice towards Ukrainian asylum seekers compared to Syrian or Somali refugees. According to the author, whose study is published in PLOS ONE, this is explained because “the perceived threat and negative emotions led to greater prejudice, which in turn led to a lower predisposition toward help.”

Invasive species cause great damage to ecosystems, the economy and human health, but their impacts are underestimated. These are the main conclusions of a report published by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biological Diversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Three researchers who participated in the document explained their results in an informative session organized by the Science Media Center Spain.

A standard chemotherapy drug injures surrounding noncancerous cells, which can awaken dormant cancer cells and promote cancer growth, according to a study published today in the journal PLOS Biology.

One of the world's most invasive species is Solenopsis invicta, an ant native to South America with a painful sting. In an article published in Current Biology, experts confirm the first official sighting of this species in Europe: 88 nests spread over five hectares near Syracuse in Sicily, Italy. The ants could soon spread across the continent, causing serious environmental, health and economic problems. The study is led by the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE) of the CSIC and the UPF.

At around midnight (local time), a powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake southwest of Marrakech, one of Morocco's main cities, shook the region, leaving hundreds dead and missing amidst completely devastated buildings and constructions.

Scientists have successfully developed pig embryos whose kidneys contain 50-60% human cells. Gestation was terminated at 25-28 days, and the organ structure was normal. According to the press release accompanying the article, "this is the first time that a solid humanised organ has been grown inside another species, although previous studies have used similar methods to generate human tissues". The results are published in the journal Cell Stem Cell. 

Since 1990, the incidence and deaths from early-onset cancers in teenagers and young adults have substantially increased worldwide. These are the main findings of a study published today in the BMJ Oncology journal.

A review published in the journal Cell highlights the "urgent need" for more studies on the menopause - and at an international level, so that the results can be applied to all countries. The article, published by a research team in Australia, the US and Italy, summarises the available evidence on the biology of the menopause, its consequences for women and therapeutic options. It highlights the lack of studies in certain areas, for example on the efficacy of non-oral oestradiol, or on the efficacy and safety of hormone therapies during the perimenopause.