Researchers have shown for the first time that bumblebee colonies are more likely to become infested with bumblebee wax moths as they are closer to nearby honeybee hives, which can likewise host these potentially devastating parasites. As the distance to the apiaries decreased, bumblebee colonies were less productive, while their workers showed a weaker general immune response to pathogens and parasites. The authors advise honeybee keepers to keep apiaries away from habitats rich in bumblebees, which are important pollinators but declining worldwide.

Education projects supporting marginalised girls in lower-income countries are more likely to achieve lasting transformations when they mobilise whole communities as “agents of change”. In many low and middle-income countries, girls face persistent inequalities and social norms that limit their learning and life chances; those who live in extreme poverty, rural areas, or have disabilities, are especially vulnerable. Although programmes supporting marginalised girls’ education exist, their effects often fade after the initial funding stops, and they are especially vulnerable to wider ‘shocks’ such as economic turmoil, pandemics and natural disasters. The new study evaluated 27 projects from a UK Government-backed scheme for marginalised girls’ education, including in-depth case studies from Zimbabwe and Nepal. It finds that when these projects engage entire communities – community leaders, local organisations, and young women themselves – to participate in supporting girls’ education, the effects, despite these projects’ general vulnerability, are sustained.

In a cave overlooking the ocean on the southern coast of South Africa, archaeologists discovered thousands of stone tools, created by ancient humans roughly 20,000 years ago. By examining tiny details in the chipped edges of the blades and stones, archaeologists are able to tell how the tools were made-- which revealed that people were sharing crafting techniques over wide distances.

In years past, health care providers took a punitive stance toward women giving birth to babies exposed to substances like opioids in the womb. Today, backed by research showing better outcomes through an educational, compassionate approach, providers at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health have created a process for surrounding mom and baby with the care they need in the hospital, at home and in their communities for the years to come. The American Academy of Pediatrics granted funding to the University of Oklahoma for hospital providers to refine and improve the discharge process for mothers and babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome, also known as neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome.