This research tested a simple productivity strategy: starting each day by choosing the three most impactful tasks. In a biotech workplace trial, the “Top Three” method increased task value by 9%, reduced task-switching, and improved employees’ sense of control and accomplishment. Most participants continued using the strategy after the study ended.

Cleft lip formation may result from broken DNA enhancers—switches that control facial development genes. Scanning the genomes of 130 African children with clefts, this research identified harmful enhancer variants and confirmed their effects in mouse models. The disrupted enhancer likely regulates BMP2, offering new insight into cleft biology and future prevention.

This research examines the cultural practice of burying umbilical cords in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, a region shaped by conflict and ecological crisis. Unlike Western views that treat the cord as waste, local traditions see land as a living repository of memory and identity, reframing human–land relationships as reciprocal and deeply interconnected.

Parental rage is common but often misunderstood. Surveying 400 parents, this research finds that 77% experience rage monthly, strongly linked to anxiety, overwhelm, and low support. Mothers, younger parents, and those with high anxiety are most affected. Social support emerges as the key protective factor, reframing rage as a mental-health signal.

Bur Oak Blight threatens Iowa’s most iconic tree. Current detection is slow and often too late. This research uses leaf-level reflectance and satellite imagery to identify early, invisible signs of infection across millions of trees. The approach enables rapid mapping of blight severity and helps protect Iowa’s ecological and cultural heritage.

Uterine cancer deaths continue to rise despite advances in other cancers. Many patients who cannot undergo surgery rely on progestin therapy, which often fails. This research tests dozens of progestins on patient tumor and immune cells, identifying five more effective candidates. The goal is safer, personalised, fertility-preserving treatment for women with uterine cancer.