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Science News Archive December 2025 - Page 16


Page 16 of 46

How pointing fingers shape what we see in old master paintings

Researchers used eye-tracking methods to investigate the influence of pointing gestures on viewers' gaze in Old Master paintings. The study shows that depicted pointing fingers shape visual attention by increasing curiosity about the faces of pointing figures and reshaping narrative connections. Viewers also drew their gaze toward the ...

SourceUniversity of Vienna·JournalPsychology of Aesthetics Creativity and the Arts·DateDec 16, 2025

Anxiety is reversed for lab mice rehomed in fields

Researchers found that lab mice rewilded for two years showed reduced and even reversed fear response to the elevated plus maze. The study suggests that a range of experiences can increase a sense of agency, reducing anxiety in animals and humans alike. After living in fields, mice returned to their original levels of anxiety behavior.

SourceCornell University·JournalCurrent Biology·DateDec 16, 2025

AI-engineered "nasal spray antiviral platform" developed to block flu and COVID-19​

Researchers developed a nasal antiviral platform using AI to stabilize interferon-lambda protein, ensuring effective diffusion and long-term retention in the nasal mucosa. The platform showed a massive improvement in stability, surviving for two weeks at 50℃ and inhibiting influenza virus levels by over 85% in animal models.

Changing the paradigm on hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: Connective tissues don’t tell the whole story

A recent study from Medical University of South Carolina research team challenges the notion that hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is an isolated connective tissue disorder. The studies reveal a genetic variant associated with the disease and disruption of the immune system, which may be the underlying cause. This new understanding a...

SourceMedical University of South Carolina·JournalImmunoHorizons·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 16, 2025

How AI helps solve problems it doesn’t even understand

Researchers at TU Wien found that Large Language Models (LLMs) can help other programs solve logical tasks faster and even better. By identifying additional rules known as streamliners, LLMs can streamline the code normally processed by symbolic AI, leading to significant improvements in problem-solving time and quality.

SourceVienna University of Technology·JournalJournal of Artificial Intelligence Research·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateDec 16, 2025

In-situ sound speed modelling makes underwater navigation smarter and more precise

A new in-situ sound speed correction scheme enhances Strap-down Inertial Navigation System (SINS) and Ultra-Short Baseline (USBL) integration for precise underwater navigation. Simulations and sea trials demonstrate notable improvements in positional accuracy, supporting high-precision deep-sea surveys.

Ecosystem-dependent two-stage SOC changes in CONUS (1970–2014)

Researchers analyzed soil profiles across the contiguous US to reconstruct SOC dynamics over 45 years. They found two-stage changes in SOC, strongly associated with temperature fluctuations, with rising temperatures coinciding with reduced topsoil SOC stock. Soil water content was the strongest negative relationship with subsoil SOC dy...

SourceHigher Education Press·JournalGeography and Sustainability·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 16, 2025

New composite hydrogel shows promise for treating dental pulp infection

A new composite hydrogel containing Li-Ca-Si bioceramics particles and gelatin methacryloyl matrix has shown promise in treating dental pulp infections by facilitating innervation and odontogenic differentiation. The hydrogel promoted Schwann cell regeneration, cytocompatibility for dental pulp stem cells, and proliferation of DPSCs.

SourceEditorial Office of West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University·JournalInternational Journal of Oral Science·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 16, 2025

Cool satellites and flexible electronics

Researchers at Empa's Mechanics of Materials and Nanostructures laboratory are working to improve the insulation material used in satellites and space probes. They have developed a new intermediate layer that makes the material more elastic and resistant to cracks and flaking, enabling better superinsulation for future satellites.

SourceSwiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa)·JournalAdvanced Functional Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 16, 2025

Parametric urban design: A promising method to create daily environments supporting health

Researchers propose parametric urban design as a solution to improve urban design practice. This approach generates multiple possible layouts and assesses their impact on cardiometabolic health through algorithmic models. It addresses limitations of current methods by considering interdependencies between built environment features.

SourceJapan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology·JournalDevelopments in the Built Environment·DateDec 16, 2025

Vital intertwining

A study on a blood parasite's genome has led to the development of a new material with unusual properties. The material combines toughness and softness, characteristics that are typically not found in the same substance.

SourceUniversità di Trento·JournalNucleic Acids Research·TypeImaging analysis·DateDec 16, 2025

Chinese Neurosurgical Journal study explores the role of a combined therapy in Parkinson’s disease treatment

Researchers investigated a combination of stem cell therapy and BDNF enhancement to treat Parkinson's disease. The strategy aims to promote neuroregeneration and functional recovery by introducing progenitor cells genetically matched to the donors, while upregulating BDNF to mitigate neuronal loss and enhance motor function.

SourceChinese Neurosurgical Journal·JournalChinese Neurosurgical Journal·TypeImaging analysis·DateDec 16, 2025

Reichman University researchers reveal how the brain dynamically reconfigures networks during speech processing

Researchers at Reichman University discovered that the brain re configures large-scale neural networks during speech processing, modulated by semantic content and prosodic structure. This finding highlights the brain's remarkable adaptability and provides a framework for future clinical research on language-related disorders.

SourceReichman University·JournalNeuroImage·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 16, 2025

ARGs profiles and risk assessment between QXP and polar regions

The study reveals that despite differences in ARG abundance between the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and polar regions, their types are similar, with bacitracin and multidrug-resistant ARGs being common. Most ARGs belong to the low-risk category, but high-risk variants were detected, indicating a need for continuous monitoring.

SourceHigher Education Press·JournalGeography and Sustainability·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 16, 2025

‘Tubuloids’ offer a realistic platform for modeling chronic kidney disease

Researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo developed 'tubuloids' to capture the slow progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD), replicating key features such as DNA damage, cellular senescence, inflammation, and fibrosis. This realistic platform provides a new way to develop and test treatments for millions globally.

SourceInstitute of Science Tokyo·JournalAdvanced Healthcare Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 16, 2025

A platform to test new cancer treatments

Researchers at the University of Geneva have created a laboratory platform to rapidly evaluate the toxicity of new cancer treatments using human tissue-derived cell clusters. This approach allows for safer evaluation and could lead to personalized treatment options.

SourceUniversité de Genève·JournalBiomedicine & Pharmacotherapy·TypeNews article·DateDec 16, 2025

All-in-focus fourier ptychographic microscopy via 3D implicit neural representation

The proposed method uses 3D implicit neural representation to model the complex optical field and learns a physics-guided focus-aware weighting map. This enables the recovery of structurally sharp and globally consistent all-in-focus images from experimental data without requiring 3D ground-truth labels.

SourceAdvanced Devices & Instrumentation·JournalAdvanced Devices & Instrumentation·TypeImaging analysis·DateDec 16, 2025

Shinshu University finds no price drop in Fukushima flounder after treated-water discharge

Wholesale prices for Fukushima flounder remained stable despite the August 2023 ALPS-treated water discharge, with no significant price decline found in a comprehensive market modeling study. The research provides reassurance for fisheries stakeholders and informs future policy debates on nuclear-water disposal.

SourceShinshu University·JournalFisheries Science·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateDec 16, 2025

New video dataset to advance AI for health care

Researchers have launched a new multimodal medical dataset, Observer, capturing anonymized, real-time interactions between patients and clinicians. The dataset links video, audio, transcripts, and electronic health records to study subtleties like body language and environmental factors affecting care.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science·JournalJournal of the American Medical Informatics Association·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 16, 2025

There are fewer online trolls than people think

A recent study found that Americans overestimate online toxicity, with participants believing 43% of Reddit users post toxic comments when only 3% actually do. Correcting this misperception improves social cohesion by reducing pessimism and increasing positivity.

SourcePNAS Nexus·JournalPNAS Nexus·DateDec 16, 2025

New modeling approach sheds light on rare gut disease

A new strategy for studying Hirschsprung disease in mice has revealed the interactions between multiple genes that control the condition. Researchers found that combining weaker mutations in genes RET and EDNRB creates a more realistic model of the disease, with key similarities to human HSCR.

SourceNYU Langone Health / NYU Grossman School of Medicine·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 16, 2025

AI model helps diagnose often undetected heart disease from simple EKG

Researchers developed an AI model that can detect coronary microvascular dysfunction using a common electrocardiogram, outperforming previous models in diagnostic tasks. The model can accurately identify a condition often missed in emergency department visits, providing a cost-effective and non-invasive way to diagnose serious heart co...

SourceMichigan Medicine - University of Michigan·JournalNEJM AI·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateDec 16, 2025