At Frontiers, we bring some of the world’s best research to a global audience. But with tens of thousands of articles published each year, it’s impossible to cover all of them. Here are just five amazing papers you may have missed.

Molecules in certain foods could repress small gut tumors

While tumors in the digestive tract are a health concern worldwide, it is difficult to specifically identify tumors of the small intestine, and they often aren’t diagnosed until late stages of the disease.

An international team of researchers said that identifying food components that prevent or repress the formation of small tumors in foods we eat daily is important for reducing disease incidence. In a new Frontiers in Immunology article, they found that in mice the antigens contained in certain foods can suppress small tumors in the small intestine. Antigens are molecules in food that prompt an immune system response.

In a mouse model, the researchers saw that antigen-rich foods, which include milk, meat, and flour, played an important role in tumor suppression. Mice that were fed an antigen-free diet developed significantly more tumors than mice that were fed a regular diet, which contained foods with antigens. If the same applies in humans remains to be determined, the researchers pointed out.

Article link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1373766/full

Scientists monitor endangered Sumatran tiger cubs for their first months of life

The Sumatran tiger is endangered in the wild, and maintaining healthy populations in breeding programs is a priority. In zoos, however, only about 50% of cubs live past early developmental stages. Therefore, knowledge about how cubs are reared is critical to enable better decisions in breeding programs.

Writing in Frontiers in Conservation Science, scientists in the UK have set out to learn more about key parental behaviors during four development stages of Sumatran tiger cubs, as well as document how interactions between cubs and their parents changed as the cubs became more independent.

The researchers wrote that grooming and nursing took up most of the time the tiger parents spent with their cubs. As expected, both behaviors were carried out for shorter periods as the cubs aged. 10 weeks after the cubs’ birth, their mother – Kansara – spent 65% of her time out of sight from her cubs. During times the father – Dash – was with the group, he spent almost 20% of his time engaging in parental behaviors, which indicates that male tigers form social bonds with relatives.

Article link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/conservation-science/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2024.1460238/full

Doctors using social media could make patients stick with treatments

A growing number of doctors are on social media to share medical knowledge, treatment information, or to interact directly with patients. At the same time, doctors use social media for personal purposes.

Now, researchers in China investigated how doctors’ social media use impacts patient adherence – a patient’s willingness to stick with medical instructions and recommendations – and eventual treatment outcome. They published their results in Frontiers in Public Health.

Their findings showed that if doctors used social media to share professional content, patients were more likely to stick with treatments and saw better outcomes. If doctors posted personal content on social media, however, the researchers saw that patient adherence and treatment outcome was worse. The study also found that female doctors’ professional posts had weaker positive impact on patient adherence, and that if female doctors shared personal content, the negative impact of this behavior was stronger than when male doctors did the same.

Article link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1459536/full

Banana bug could threaten production – but researchers are working to limit its spread

Banana bunchy top disease is caused by an insect-transmitted virus that affects banana plants worldwide. Infected plants have shorter, narrower, and more upright leaves. The virus poses a significant threat to banana production and, consequently, food and income security.

Now, in an article published in Frontiers in Agronomy, researchers in Uganda and Ethiopia surveyed high-risk zones in which the virus occurs to map the vulnerability of Uganda’s banana landscape.

Affected regions were border zones to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the virus is endemic; Rwanda and Tanzania, where the virus is present; and South Sudan. The virus was found on 9% of sampled farms. These, mostly small, farms lost 75% to 91% of their yield due to the virus. The results also suggested that the disease was present for a long time before it was detected and reported. Risk maps also showed certain regions in the northwest and central parts of the country that are suitable for the virus to establish itself. Ultimately, however, proactive surveillance, quarantines, and sustainable planting systems are needed to protect areas that haven’t yet been infected, the researchers said.

Article link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/agronomy/articles/10.3389/fagro.2024.1401478/full

Lecturer sex could determine student feedback

Student valuation of teaching (SET) is an increasingly common and relatively easy way to better understand student experience and address their concerns. Surveys that include free-text input can provide especially useful information and valuable insights.

Researchers in Australia have now collected student feedback data spanning seven years (2010-2016). In SET surveys, students were prompted to discuss their lecturers’ best features and areas that required improvement. The researchers then investigated if students evaluated male and female lecturers on different themes.

The results of the study published in Frontiers in Education indicated that female lecturers tended to have been asked to improve on lecture environment, classroom disruptions, and time management – factors than might not fully be within their control. Male lecturers, however, were more likely to be critiqued about things they can actively control and improve on, including pace, provided explanations, and the quality of lecture notes.

Article link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1296771/full

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