1 - Astronomers have discovered a star that has managed to build two giant planets despite a dearth of the ingredients often thought to be needed for the job.

2 - Given the dearth of patients studied and apparent study design weaknesses in most trials, is it possible to infer whether surgery is beneficial?

3 - Middle and high school students across the country are generally falling behind in life sciences, and the nation is at risk of producing a dearth of qualified workers for the fast-growing bioscience industry,

4 - Ethanol, despite the drawback of a dearth of commercial outlets, heralds a new dawn for the energy market.

5 - There's a dearth of bus services to connect would be travellers with the trains.