Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) found that an increased fMRI signal is associated with reduced brain activity in around 40 percent of cases. At the same time, they observed decreased fMRI signals in regions with elevated activity. First author Dr. Samira Epp emphasizes: “This contradicts the long-standing assumption that increased brain activity is always accompanied by an increased blood flow to meet higher ...

How brain-inspired algorithms could drive down AI energy costs  AI hardware needs to become more brain-like to meet the growing energy demands of real-world applications, according to researchers.  In a study published in Frontiers in Science, scientists from Purdue University and the Georgia Institute of Technology have outlined practical approaches to overcome the limitations of modern computing hardware.   Conventional computers are based on the von Neumann architecture, with separate processors and memory ...

DALLAS, Dec. 16, 2025 — There is increasing evidence that gum disease is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attack, stroke, atrial fibrillation, heart failure and cardiometabolic health conditions. Effective prevention and treatment of gum disease, also called periodontal disease, could potentially decrease the burden of cardiovascular disease, according to a new scientific statement published today in the American Heart Association’s flagship journal Circulation. The new American Heart ...

Aviation’s climate impact extends beyond carbon dioxide emissions. A new study from Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and Imperial College, UK, reveals that contrails can represent a significant portion of aviation’s overall climate cost. The study also shows that climate impact can be reduced by optimising flight routes. In a new article in Nature Communications, The social costs of aviation CO₂ and contrail cirrus, the researchers demonstrate that both CO₂ emissions and contrail formation contribute materially to aviation’s climate impact – and that the associated societal costs differ substantially depending on weather ...

Closely related subtypes of dopamine-releasing neurons may play entirely separate roles in processing sensory information, depending on their physical structure.   New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London has found that variations in the physical structure of neurons might have a striking impact in the role that they play when processing sensory information.   It identified two different sub-types of interneuron in the olfactory bulb which ...

New research from the University of St Andrews has discovered a direct causal effect between social isolation and a faster decline in later- life cognitive function. Pathological cognitive decline is most often driven by Alzheimer’s and related dementias   The study, published today (16 December 2025) in The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences  found a consistent pattern of higher social isolation causing faster cognitive decline whether ...

Being more physically active, following a balanced diet, not smoking, and keeping body weight and blood pressure under control: the same habits that protect the heart also prove decisive after a cancer diagnosis. This is the message emerging from a study carried out as part of the UMBERTO Project, conducted by the Joint Platform of Fondazione Umberto Veronesi ETS and the Research Unit of Epidemiology and Prevention of the I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed in Pozzilli (IS), in collaboration with LUM “Giuseppe Degennaro” University in Casamassima (BA). Published in the European Heart Journal, the official journal of the European Society of Cardiology, the research is based on data from ...

December 16, 2025 -- Simultaneous use of cannabis with nicotine and tobacco products is common among cannabis users—particularly those who vape—according to a new study from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. The research also shows that both vaped and smoked cannabis use have increased over time, with more participants initiating use than quitting. Until now, the frequency, patterns, and motivations for cannabis use in early adulthood have remained understudied. The findings are published in Tobacco Induced Diseases. The study reveals that young adults in the New York City area—including those who do not ...

CHENGDU, Sichuan, CHINA, 16 December 2025 -- An Thought Leaders Invited Review published today in Genomic Psychiatry by Dr. Peng Lei and colleagues presents a sweeping synthesis of tau protein research that fundamentally reframes our understanding of this molecule's dual identity. What emerges from their analysis is a portrait of a protein far more versatile than its original characterization as a mere microtubule stabilizer suggested, one that participates in processes ranging from iron export to insulin secretion while simultaneously serving as a central player in some of the most devastating ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In a new book, a team of experts in educational policy, epidemiology and public health chronicles the challenges faced by educators, public health authorities and school officials during the COVID-19 pandemic and offers a guide to some of the lessons learned as K-12 schools weathered that crisis. One key message: Collaboration between schools, public health authorities and community leaders is essential to success. The book, “K-12 Schools and Public Health Partnerships: Strategies for Navigating a Crisis with Trust, Equity, and Communication,” ...

Intense storms that sweep over the Southern Ocean enable the ocean to absorb more heat from the atmosphere. New research from the University of Gothenburg shows that today’s climate models underestimate how storms mix the ocean and thereby give less reliable future projections of our climate. The Southern Ocean is a vast expanse of ocean encircling the Antarctic continent, regulating Earth’s climate by moving heat, carbon, and nutrients out in the world’s oceans. It provides a critical climate service by absorbing over 75 per cent of the excess heat generated by humans globally. The Southern Ocean’s capacity to reduce climate warming depends on how efficiently ...

New research led by the University of St Andrews has created the most comprehensive maps to date of the distribution of grey and harbour seals in Northwest Europe, encompassing the majority of seal populations on the continental shelf. The research, published today (16th Dec) in Journal of Applied Ecology, combined GPS data from over 840 seals tracked in the waters of seven European countries (UK, Ireland, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark) with counts of seals hauled out on land to generate at-sea density maps for both species. The study, ...

The menstrual cycle is a key physiological process in women: it impacts performance, neuromuscular control, metabolism, and immune response. For professional female athletes, fluctuations in hormones that happen throughout the menstrual cycle could impact risk of injury. Now, researchers in Spain and the UK have set out to examine whether menstruation determined injury incidence or severity in professional female football players. They published their results in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living. “We show that menstruation itself does not increase how often injuries happen,” said first author Dr Eva Ferrer, who specializes in sports medicine at Sant ...

Highlights - World's first achievement of 2 Tbit/s free-space optical communication using small optical terminals that can be mounted on satellites and High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) - Maintained stable optical communication between two types of small terminals separated by 7.4 km in an urban environment with atmospheric turbulence - Marked a major step forward in the practical application of Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) for Beyond 5G/6G   Abstract The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT, President: TOKUDA ...

With heart disease as the leading cause of death worldwide, there is growing recognition that recovery is not only physical but also emotional and social. A new study shows that strong and supportive relationships can indeed improve heart health for individuals with cardiovascular disease. The work is described in an article in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, published by Elsevier, which calls for intimate partners to be included in cardiac rehabilitation programs to support long-term heart health and quality of life for both members of the couple. An evaluation ...

As heat waves intensify, keeping people, packages and gadgets cool without extra energy is climbing the global tech wish-list. A Donghua–Jiangnan University team led by Prof. Chao Zhang and Prof. Tianxi Liu now unveils a single-step bicomponent blow-spinning route that delivers kilometre-scale rolls of an ultra-flexible, self-healing micro-fibre textile engineered with two built-in gradients—one in fibre diameter (2.0 → 0.3 µm) and the other in polymer chemistry (PVDF → PMMA). The dual-gradient architecture behaves like a Janus optical engine: the sun-facing side reflects 98.7 % of solar irradiance while beaming 95 % mid-IR radiation to outer space; ...

It’s serious business for the world establishing a framework to limit the impact of climate change, but for some, market responses to the annual United Nations Conference of Parties (COP) climate negotiations are also a chance to make some serious money.  In a paper recently published in the journal Energy Economics, an Australian research team has analysed the activity around COP meetings of “informed traders”, referring to any investor acting on non-public information that enables them to trade ahead of the market.  “We found that fossil ...

Researchers have developed a novel AI-driven framework using the XGBoost algorithm to accurately evaluate the skid resistance of asphalt pavements under various conditions. Published in Smart Construction, this breakthrough achieves over 90% prediction accuracy, offering a smarter and more adaptive approach to enhancing road safety and maintenance. Skid resistance is a critical factor for asphalt pavement durability and traffic safety, particularly under wet or extreme weather conditions. However, traditional evaluation methods, such as sand patch measurements or pendulum tests, often struggle with generalization across different pavement types and face challenges in quantifying ...

Background Osteosarcoma is the most prevalent primary malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents. The current standard treatment involves a combination of chemotherapy and radical surgical resection. This approach, however, confronts two major clinical challenges: a high risk of postoperative recurrence and metastasis, and the creation of extensive bone defects that severely impair functional recovery and long-term quality of life. The advancement of biomaterials technology offers a promising strategy to address these dual challenges concurrently. These materials can function as localized ...

Compact, mixed-use districts are often assumed to naturally produce cleaner travel patterns, but the reality on the ground is far more complex.   In Singapore, for instance, two adjacent employment hubs—One-North and Science Park—share similar locations but differ sharply in how people move through them. A new study from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) reveals why and offers a high-resolution approach to understanding where emissions accumulate within districts rather than across entire cities.   Published in a research paper titled “A spatial framework for estimating transport emissions at the district scale: A ...

Soot emitted from diesel exhaust is the primary contributor to haze formation and elevated PM2.5 levels. Catalytic diesel particulate filters (CDPF) are considered the most economical and feasible post-treatment technique for controlling soot elimination. During cold starts of diesel engines, exhaust temperatures remain low (100-200 °C), resulting in a substantial increase in pollutant emissions. However, currently available catalysts cannot reduce the ignition temperature below the exhaust temperature, because few catalysts can continuously provide sufficient amounts ...

The excessive emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) leads to environmental problems such as global warming, and its catalytic conversion into high value-added chemicals and fuels has become a research hotspot. Methanol (CH3OH), as a saturated monohydrate, has excellent properties such as high energy density and high octane number, making it an ideal carrier for "green hydrogen". In addition, CH3OH, as an extremely important basic chemical raw material, is widely used in the synthesis of a series of important industrial chemicals and fuels. The hydrogenation ...

COVID-19 does not just affect the respiratory system, but also significantly alters the brain in people who have fully recovered from the infectious disease, highlighting the long-term neurological impact of the virus. Researchers from Griffith University’s National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Disease (NCNED) used advanced MRI techniques to ascertain the neurological implications of COVID-19 compared with those who had never been infected. The research provided compelling evidence that ...

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., second only to heart disease. But a new cancer treatment method from CU Boulder researchers uses sound waves to soften tumors and could be a potent tool against the disease. Chemotherapy can help treat many types of cancer. Chemo drugs aim to disrupt or destroy cancer cells, which tend to grow and divide quickly. But the drugs aren’t always effective, partly because tumor tissue can be so dense that drugs can’t penetrate the inner layers of cells. Chemo drugs can also damage healthy cells and cause unpleasant side effects. In a new study in the ...

Black youth in the United States disproportionately experience fatal drowning at rates up to five times higher than their White peers. These statistics relate to historical and structural barriers Black youth face in learning to swim. In efforts to overcome these inequities, an innovative summer swimming program in Evanston, IL, was offered to Black kids entering third through fifth grades. After the three-week program, participants demonstrated significant improvement in objective and parental-reported swim skills, according to an evaluation study published in the International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education. “Swimming is more than a sport. It ...