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Policy & Ethics

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 21-Oct-2026 20:16 ET (22-Oct-2026 00:16 GMT/UTC)

Microplastics show unexpected link to climate warming

Duke University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study indicates that colored bits of airborne plastic absorb heat, warming the atmosphere.

Journal: Nature Climate Change

DFG Annual Meeting: Strong defence of freedom and independence of research – Sharp criticism of AfD research policy

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Meeting Announcement

Research funding organisation discusses measures to strengthen resilience in research / Three-day meeting in Bonn comes to an end

Korea University College of Medicine·UNIST selected for Ministry of Health and Welfare’s K-MediST program

Korea University College of Medicine
Business Announcement

Korea University College of Medicine and Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) have been selected for a new project under the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s 2026 Korea Medical Science & Technology (K-MediST) Program, supported by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI).

A tokenized blockchain framework for faster and safer medical record sharing

ELSP
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers have developed SST-MedChain, a patient-centric framework for secure and scalable electronic medical record sharing on permissioned blockchains. By using non-interactive delegation, one-time access tokens, and policy-bounded re-delegation, the system reduces costly on-chain authorization while preserving traceability and revocation. Published in Blockchain, the study reports higher throughput and lower latency than representative access-control baselines in wide area network experiments.

Journal: Blockchain

Researchers propose new architecture for EU pesticide regulation

Aarhus University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new policy brief from the Horizon Europe research project PollinERA proposes a regional budget system for pesticide regulation. The proposal follows a recent article in Science, where researchers warn that the EU Omnibus proposal could increase pesticide risks.

Journal: Science
Funder: Horizon 2020 Framework Programme

European survey reveals broad support for fertility care, embryo research and genome editing, alongside opportunities for greater public engagement

European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
Reports and Proceedings

A new Europe-wide survey launched during the 42^nd Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) suggests broad public support for fertility treatment and several areas of reproductive research, while highlighting key areas where public understanding and opinion continue to develop.

Meeting: ESHRE 42nd Annual Meeting

JMIR report: APA Labs Digital Badge Program helps developers improve mental health apps

JMIR Publications
Reports and Proceedings

In “Evaluating the Evidence Base for New Mental Health Tech With APA Labs,” JMIR correspondent Simon Spichak speaks with Tanya Carlson, MBA, managing director of APA (American Psychological Association) Labs, on how their new initiative—the Digital Badge Program—is helping developers evaluate and improve their mental health applications.

Journal: Journal of Medical Internet Research

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