WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, 2025 — Zoom in far enough on an empress cicada wing, and a strange landscape materializes. At the nanoscale, densely packed spires rise from the surface, covering the wing in an endless grove of bowling pins.  These spires, though, are more than just an eerie sight. The highly ordered, evenly spaced spikes can be modified to act as an optical metamaterial, using their tiny geometry to modify interactions between light waves and matter.  In AIP Advances, by AIP Publishing, researchers from China Medical University and National Taiwan University showed that these natural nanostructures can be tuned to amplify signals in molecular ...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, 2025 — Helium leaks are hard to detect. Helium is odorless, colorless, tasteless, and does not react with other chemical substances.  Not only can we not see or smell it, but traditional gas sensors have trouble detecting the element because they rely on chemical reactions. Despite this, identifying a helium leak is still crucial, because excess helium can displace oxygen in a confined space, leaving less oxygen for people to breathe.  In Applied Physics Letters, by AIP Publishing, researchers from Nanjing University developed a device that utilizes ...

About The Study: With the use of a mobile app, this study captured detailed time use data among individuals with advanced ovarian and metastatic breast cancer receiving treatment. Half of participants spent approximately 7 hours per week on cancer-related tasks, with most reporting cancer-related tasks daily. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Rachel I. Vogel, PhD, email isak0023@umn.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.49957) Editor’s ...

At a glance: A new study reveals that pathology AI models for cancer diagnosis perform unequally across demographic groups. The researchers identified three explanations for the bias and developed a tool that reduced it. The findings highlight the need to systematically check for bias in pathology AI to ensure equitable care for patients. Pathology has long been the cornerstone of cancer diagnosis and treatment. A pathologist carefully examines an ultrathin slice of human tissue under a microscope for clues that indicate the presence, type, and stage of cancer. To a human expert, looking at a swirly pink tissue sample ...

University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have uncovered how and why traumatic brain injury (TBI) increases the risk for Alzheimer’s disease, and their work suggests a potential way to prevent that increased risk.   John Lukens, PhD, director of UVA's Harrison Family Translational Research Center in Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, and his collaborators found that a single mild TBI brings about harmful changes in the brain that facilitate the onset of Alzheimer’s. But they also were able to prevent those changes in lab mice by using a hollowed-out virus to deliver repair supplies into the brain’s ...

In April 2025, the MASTER project launched its 2nd Open Call, inviting educational institutions, content creation services engaging students in XR application testing, and SMEs or large companies (as challenge providers only) from EU Member States, associated overseas countries and territories, and third countries linked to Horizon Europe. Applicants were asked to address specific challenges and submit proposals for evaluation. Following a rigorous assessment process conducted by both internal and external experts, 24 projects were selected for funding, ...

​Cyanobacteria, micro- and macroalgae produce an infinite number of molecules, many of which have properties beneficial to health. They can relieve pain, alleviate inflammation, or boost our microbiome. Although there is much to uncover, the algae-based health and nutrition sector is growing.   ​The two-day summit will bring together scientists, innovators and industry leaders to explore the latest developments in algae cultivation and processing, food innovation, small molecules in pharma, and regulatory aspects. The goal is to advance the understanding of algae’s health potential and highlight ...

Microrobots span dimensions from nanometers to sub-millimeters, can navigate biological fluids/tissues and localize to specific targets, and—owing to their miniaturization, untethered actuation, and multimodal locomotion—can access deep, narrow, and complex regions (e.g., vasculature and brain tissue) with minimal invasiveness, enabling broad prospects in targeted drug delivery, minimally invasive surgery, cell manipulation, and imaging. Yet propulsion and motion control at low Reynolds number remain fundamental challenges, motivating diverse external-field actuation schemes; while electric and optical approaches are constrained by potential cellular ...

DALLAS, Dec. 16, 2025 — In the United States, more than 350,000 sudden cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital every year, and 90% of them are fatal.[1] In an effort to save more lives, Laura Merrick, winner of the American Heart Association’s 2025 national Leaders of Impact™ campaign and Chicago health information leader, dedicated her campaign to preventing cardiac arrest deaths after her mom was one of the lucky 10% to survive. “My mother survived cardiac arrest because a bystander knew CPR,” said Merrick. “I kept asking myself: What can we do ...

Why do we love who we love? Why do we stay in unfulfilling relationships and stray from rewarding ones? Is it ever a good idea to open a relationship? How has the digital age affected courtship? And why do some longtime couples crash and burn while others stay madly in love? These are just some of the questions Kinsey Institute Executive Director Dr. Justin Garcia explores in his highly anticipated new book, The Intimate Animal.   Drawing on decades of interdisciplinary research in evolutionary biology, psychology, neuroscience, anthropology, and social science, Dr. Garcia reveals the surprising science ...

In U.S. states with anti-union labor environments, workers are up to 53% more likely to start their own businesses—and blue-collar workers are more likely to do it out of necessity. A study in Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal examines how the labor environment in states with “right-to-work” (RTW) laws compared with that in neighboring states with stronger union bargaining power. “We found that the enactment of stringent anti-union laws reduces employees’ incentives to stay ...

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have launched Observer, the first multimodal medical dataset to capture anonymized, real-time interactions between patients and clinicians. Much like the medical drama The Pitt, which portrays life in the emergency room, Observer lets outsiders peer inside primary care clinics — only, in this case, none of the filmed interactions are fictional.  Until now, the data available to health care researchers has been limited to traces left behind after a visit: qualitative information like clinician notes and quantitative measurements like patient vital signs. None of these sources ...

Multi-electrode arrays (MEAs) provide a noninvasive interface with sub-millisecond temporal resolution and long-term, multi-site recordings, enabling mechanistic investigations of in vitro human brain development and disease-related dysfunction; nevertheless, conventional MEA pipelines largely rely on firing/burst statistics or channel-/waveform-level features, which can be insufficient to systematically characterize and interpret network-level organization and its subtle pathological deviations. Accordingly, representing ...

During development of the digestive system, a complex network of nerves forms around it, creating a “second brain” — the enteric nervous system (ENS) — which controls the movement of food and waste through the gut. But a combination of changes in the molecular letters making up certain genetic instructions can prevent these nerves from developing properly, leading to Hirschsprung disease (HSCR), a painful and often dangerous condition in which babies develop intestinal blockage and are unable to pass stool. A study led by NYU Langone Health researchers reveals a new strategy to ...

Some firefighter gear is manufactured with chemicals called brominated flame retardants that could pose a risk to firefighter health, according to a new study published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters on Dec. 16. The study is the first published research in the U.S. to investigate and document the use of brominated flame retardants in firefighter turnout gear, worn for protection on the job. The findings could inform fire department decision-making when it comes to keeping or replacing gear. Structural firefighters — those working in the built environment — wear turnout gear consisting of three layers: a flame-resistant outer shell; a ...

The process of aging is associated with a decline in immune functions and persistent low-level inflammation. Now, researchers from Japan have discovered a strain of Lentilactobacillus capable of preventing and even reversing aging-related immune alterations. Feeding aged mice with heat-inactivated YRC2606 resulted in lowered levels of inflammatory cytokines and signaling proteins. These findings point to the possibility of a functional food intervention that has the potential to benefit an increasingly aging population. The health benefits of consuming fermented milk products have been passed down through generations, without clearly understanding ...

Doctors may soon be able to diagnose an elusive form of heart disease within seconds by using an AI model developed at University of Michigan, according to a recent study. Researchers trained the model to detect coronary microvascular dysfunction, a complex condition that requires advanced imaging techniques to diagnose, using a common electrocardiogram. Their prediction tool significantly outperformed earlier AI models in nearly every diagnostic task, including predicting myocardial flow reserve, the gold standard for ...

Americans overestimate online toxicity, believing 43% of Reddit users post severely toxic comments when only 3% actually do, and this misperception inculcates pessimism about society. Angela Y. Lee, Eric Neumann, and colleagues surveyed 1,090 American adults via the online platform CloudResearch Connect to compare people’s perceptions of harmful online behavior with platform-level data from past research. Participants overestimated the prevalence of Reddit users posting toxic content by 13-fold and overestimated the prevalence of Facebook users sharing false news by 5-fold, guessing 47% of users post false news while only 8.5% actually do. Even when participants ...

Researchers develop a theoretical framework that shows how living cell membranes can generate electricity from molecular fluctuations. Pradeep Sharma and colleagues created a model demonstrating that active biological processes, such as protein dynamics and ATP hydrolysis, create membrane fluctuations that could produce transmembrane voltages via flexoelectricity. Such transmembrane voltages can reach 90 millivolts. Voltage changes can happen on millisecond timescales, matching typical action potential curves for neurons. The authors’ framework predicts that active membrane ...

Self-harm refers to intentionally injuring one’s own body as a coping mechanism to emotional distress. It manifests in many forms and has serious consequences not only on physical health but also on mental health. Self-harm among adolescents is becoming a significant public issue. It is more common in adolescence than any other age group, and adolescent self-harm experiences can increase the likelihood of repeated self-harm, suicide risk, substance use in adulthood, and long-term mental health difficulties. Among ...

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), a large class of synthetic chemicals, are valued for their ability to withstand heat, water, and oil. These materials are used in the production of everyday as well as industrial items. PFAS molecules are made up of a chain of carbon and fluorine atoms linked together. The energy required to break the carbon–fluorine (C–F) bond is extremely high, making these compounds durable and highly resistant to biological degradation. However, PFASs are also often called "forever chemicals,” as they do not degrade easily. This persistence leads to ongoing ...

One of the most exciting advances in cancer treatments in the past decade is the development of T cell immunotherapies, in which a patient’s own immune system is trained to recognize and attack dangerous cells. Yet a full understanding of how they actually work has eluded researchers. That’s been a significant limitation, because while T cell immunotherapies are highly effective for certain subtypes of cancers, they’re ineffective for the majority of them—and the reasons why are unclear. Understanding their modus operandi could bring their benefits to a much broader group of cancer patients.   Now ...

PRESS RELEASE MEDIA EMBARGO UNTIL: DEC 16, 2025 (10 am London / 3 am Arizona)   A New Fossil Face Sheds Light on Early Migrations of Ancient Human Ancestor A 1.5-million-year-old fossil from Gona, Ethiopia reveals new details about the first hominin species to disperse from Africa. Summary: Virtual reassembly of teeth and fossil bone fragments reveals a beautifully preserved face of a 1.5-million-year-old human ancestor—the first complete Early Pleistocene hominin cranium from the Horn of Africa. This fossil, from Gona, Ethiopia, hints at a surprisingly archaic face in the earliest human ancestors to migrate ...

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Researchers at MIT and Stanford University have developed a new way to stimulate the immune system to attack tumor cells, using a strategy that could make cancer immunotherapy work for many more patients. The key to their approach is reversing a “brake” that cancer cells engage to prevent immune cells from launching an attack. This brake is controlled by sugar molecules known as glycans that are found on the surface of cancer cells. By blocking those glycans with molecules called lectins, the researchers showed they could dramatically boost the immune system’s response to cancer cells. To achieve this, they created multifunctional molecules ...

Lung infections like pneumonia are among the world’s top killers — but diagnosing them is notoriously hard. Now, researchers at UC San Francisco have found a way to identify these infections in critically ill patients by pairing a generative AI analysis of medical records with a biomarker of lower respiratory infections. In an observational study of critically ill adults, the combination made a correct diagnosis 96 percent of the time and distinguished between infectious and non-infectious causes of respiratory failure more accurately than clinicians in the intensive ...