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Toniebox, Tiptoi, and Tamagotchi are smart toys, offering interactive play through software and internet access. However, many of these toys raise privacy concerns, and some even collect extensive behavioral data about children, report researchers at the University of Basel. The Toniebox and the figurines it comes with are especially popular with small children.

This condition in children predicts anxiety about the transition from primary to secondary school, loss of motivation and difficulty adapting in the first year of secondary school, according to research from the Faculty of Education. A longitudinal study by Université Laval shows that evaluation anxiety during primary school exams is linked to a lack of academic motivation and worries about the transition to secondary school.

ANU PhD scholar Peter Swanton is using Indigenous knowledge of our night skies to unlock the secrets of our universe, and inspiring young people along the way. Hannah Dixon ANU Reporter Deputy Editor For generations, Indigenous knowledge of the stars has been shared through storytelling, dances, songs and other oral traditions.

In language-processing areas of the brain, some cell populations respond to one word, while others respond to strings of words. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), neuroscientists have identified several regions of the brain that are responsible for processing language. However, discovering the specific functions of neurons in those regions has proven difficult because fMRI, which measures changes in blood flow, doesn't have high enough resolution to reveal what small populations of neurons are doing.

Weizmann Institute researchers reveal how Copaxone protects the heart muscle and improves its function after a heart attack In the late 1960s, three Weizmann Institute of Science researchers developed several protein-like molecules, called copolymers, that they believed would produce a disease similar to multiple sclerosis in laboratory animals.

A team of scientists from the Cluster of Excellence "Balance of the Microverse" has discovered a previously unknown rejuvenation mechanism in unicellular organisms. They studied unicellular microalgae, which serve as the basis of food chains in the oceans. Unicellular organisms, such as microalgae, also age when they can no longer divide due to a lack of nutrients.

Mathieu Ferron's work sheds light on the cellular mechanisms of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes, which affects more than 1.2 million Quebecers.

This megalithic construction, located in Antequera and built 6000 years ago, shows signs of advanced techniques that suggest the great precocity of the technical and scientific developments existing i

When combined with antifungal drugs, synthetic polymers are particularly effective against the yeast Candida albicans . This is what a German-Australian research team found out and also clarified the mechanism of action behind it. The researchers presented their findings in the journal "Nature Communications".

The anti-obesity medication semaglutide may help to prevent heart attacks and other major adverse cardiac events among overweight people who have cardiovascular disease, whether or not they also have heart failure, according to a new study led by UCL's Professor John Deanfield. The results follow previous research* from the same international team finding that weekly injections of semaglutide were linked to a 20% reduction in major adverse cardiac events (MACE) such as heart attacks and strokes for people with obesity or who were overweight and had cardiovascular disease.

Superconductivity theory proposed by Würzburg physics team validated in international experiment: Cooper pairs display wave-like distribution in Kagome metals, enabling new technological applications like superconducting diodes. For about fifteen years, Kagome materials with their star-shaped structure reminiscent of a Japanese basketry pattern have captivated global research.

Chlamydiae are sexually transmitted pathogens that can apparently survive in the human gut for a long time. Researchers from Würzburg and Berlin report this in the journal PLOS Pathogens. People who are infected with chlamydia can transmit these bacteria to other people during unprotected sex. The pathogens usually cause no or only mild symptoms at first, such as itching in the vagina, penis or anus.

Button batteries power numerous commonly used devices in the home. A study examining injuries from button battery ingestion found a combination of young age of the child, button battery size and delayed diagnosis creates a 'perfect storm' that increases the chance of severe injuries and death. A University of Sydney-led review has found it can take less than six hours after a child has swallowed a button battery for severe injuries and complications to occur.

An international research group led by MedUni Vienna and IMBA - Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Vienna, has made significant progress in understanding the mechanisms that influence the sensation of pain after surgery. Currently available treatment methods for post-operative pain can cause considerable side effects and are often only partially effective.

University of Bonn study: regulated degradation of damaged cell components prevents heart failure and nerve diseases The elimination of damaged cell components is essential for the maintenance of the body's tissues and organs. An international research team led by the University of Bonn has made significant findings on mechanisms for the clearing of cellular wastes, showing that strength training activates such mechanisms.

Large-scale genomic analysis of darkling beetles, a hyper-diverse insect group of more than 30,000 species worldwide, rolls back the curtain on a 150-million-year evolutionary tale of one of Earth's most ecologically important yet inconspicuous creatures, according to new research from The Australian National University (ANU) and CSIRO.

Primate ornamentation plays a crucial role in communication not only within social groups but also between them, according to a new study. The research reveals that the males of species with overlapping home ranges often display vibrant colors or elaborate features, traits that may help reduce intergroup aggression by enabling quick assessments of potential rivals.

New research reveals how short bursts of daily mindfulness can boost wellbeing, combat depression and anxiety, and inspire healthier lifestyle choices. In a new study published in the British Journal of Health Psychology, researchers from the Universities of Bath and Southampton have unveiled how just 10 minutes of daily mindfulness practice can improve wellbeing, ease depression and anxiety, and help people to be more motivated to improve their lifestyle - including healthier exercise, eating and sleeping habits.

Caltech researchers have developed a new method to create three-dimensional images of complex communities of bacteria and plant roots. The technology synthesizes two traditional methods of imaging: visualizing microbes with fluorescence and a noninvasive technique called quantitative phase imaging. This technology is a step toward understanding the complicated environment of the rhizosphere, the region of soil where a plant's roots interact with microorganisms.

Study: Soil respiration response to decade-long warming modulated by soil moisture in a boreal forest The soils of northern forests are key reservoirs that help keep the carbon dioxide that trees inhale and use for photosynthesis from making it back into the atmosphere. But a unique experiment led by Peter Reich of the University of Michigan is showing that, on a warming planet, more carbon is escaping the soil than is being added by plants.