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Mount Sinai researchers identify brain “entrapment” patterns associated with depression

Researchers identified distinct brain activity patterns in people with depression, which may contribute to the experience of feeling stuck. The study suggests depression involves a form of brain-state entrapment, where the brain becomes more likely to enter certain patterns of activity and less likely to transition out of them.

SourceThe Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine·JournalNature Communications·TypeObservational study·DateJun 12, 2026

Vegetation patterns and ecosystem resilience: relationship status “complicated”

Researchers challenge long-held assumptions about vegetation patterns in dryland ecosystems, finding that such patterns can actually indicate reduced ecosystem resilience. The new theoretical framework takes into account spatial constraints and environmental heterogeneities, revealing that ecosystem stability depends on specific enviro...

SourceHelmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateApr 1, 2026

When AI learns to 'simulate' the brain: a paradigm shift in neuroscience research

Researchers propose AI-based surrogate brain framework that integrates forward modeling, inverse problem solving, and evaluation to build next-generation data-driven models. The framework enables applications such as predicting future whole-brain activity, performing dynamical systems analysis, and guiding neurostimulation strategies.

SourceScience China Press·JournalNational Science Review·TypeLiterature review·DateDec 7, 2025

University of Ottawa-led research team forges compelling new insights into dynamics of the brain’s serotonin system

A University of Ottawa-led study reveals that serotonin neurons are connected and interact with each other, controlling serotonin release in specific regions of the brain. This complex system has implications for understanding decision-making and developing targeted therapeutics for mood disorders.

SourceUniversity of Ottawa·JournalNature Neuroscience·TypeImaging analysis·DateApr 25, 2025

Humans as hardware: computing with biological tissue

A team of researchers from Osaka University has demonstrated that human tissue can be used to solve complex equations and process information, outperforming traditional computing methods. This breakthrough uses the concept of reservoir computing, where data is input into a complex 'reservoir' that encodes rich patterns.

SourceOsaka University·JournalIEEE Access·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 26, 2025

Researchers from Incheon National University advanced adaptive traffic monitoring with smart cameras

The researchers developed a novel camera-based system that adapts to traffic flow in real-time, ensuring efficient monitoring and resource use. The system's two approaches, the Random-Value-Camera-Level Algorithm and the ALL-Random-With-Weight Algorithm, optimize camera usage and save energy while maintaining reliable surveillance.

SourceIncheon National University·JournalIEEE Internet of Things Journal·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 15, 2025

Balancing instability and robustness: new mathematical framework to understand dynamics of natural systems

Researchers introduce ghost channels and cycles to understand transient behaviors in complex systems like climate processes or neuronal networks. This new approach challenges traditional concepts based on stable or unstable equilibria, potentially helping predict tipping cascades and ecosystem degradation.

SourceMax Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior - caesar·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJul 26, 2024

Finding the beat of collective animal motion

Researchers found that zebrafish synchronize movements by taking turns to move and responding to neighbors' timing, a two-way process known as reciprocity. Virtual reality experiments confirmed the principle, enabling the recreation of natural schooling behavior in fish and virtual conspecifics.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalNature Communications·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateMay 23, 2024

Investigating the dynamic creep and the tensile performance of zeolitic tuff-modified warm asphalt mixtures

This study investigates the impact of Zeolitic tuffs on the dynamic creep and tensile performance of Superpave asphalt mixtures. The results show that incorporating Zeolitic tuffs improves the mixtures' resistance to rutting and fatigue, with enhanced performance at 25% and 50% filler concentrations.

SourceBentham Science Publishers·JournalThe Open Transportation Journal·DateMay 22, 2024

Climate change threatens older elephants most, jeopardizing African elephants’ future

A new study by UMass Amherst and the Wildlife Conservation Society finds that climate change disproportionately affects older African elephants, who will have decreased chances of survival. This can lead to a ripple effect on their ecosystems and cultures, highlighting the need for coordinated management strategies at all levels.

SourceUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst·JournalPLOS Sustainability and Transformation·DateJan 31, 2024

Finding simplicity within complexity

A University of Houston researcher has developed a method to describe complex systems using the least number of variables possible, reducing complexity from millions to just one. This advancement speeds up science with efficiency and ability to understand and predict natural system behavior.

SourceUniversity of Houston·JournalNature Machine Intelligence·DateDec 8, 2022

New approach would improve user access to electric vehicle charging stations

Researchers from NC State University have developed a dynamic computational tool to help improve user access to electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. The technique accounts for factors such as charging time, cost, and wait times to provide users with the most convenient options.

SourceNorth Carolina State University·JournalIEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateOct 17, 2022

Safe havens for cooperation

A research team used game theory to analyze cooperation in networks and found that networks with a high level of cooperation can emerge if individuals take a clear-cut position against free riders. The study also showed that if contributors leave an environment too quickly, it leads to a lower level of cooperation.

SourceUniversity of Oldenburg·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateAug 11, 2022

And when will YOUR medical care collapse?

A research team from the Complexity Science Hub Vienna has developed a stress test to identify weaknesses and strengths in healthcare systems. They used data from Austria to show how many resident physicians can drop out before patients don't find a new doctor within reasonable distance, highlighting regional differences in resilience.

SourceComplexity Science Hub·JournalNature Communications·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJul 28, 2022

Researchers find way to make traffic models more efficient

A new method reduces computational complexity of traffic models, making them operate more efficiently. The modified algorithm breaks down complex forecasting questions into smaller problems that can be solved in parallel, significantly reducing run time. This approach also allows for a good enough solution within an error bar, rather t...

SourceNorth Carolina State University·JournalIEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateMay 5, 2022

Inferring the size of a collective of self-propelled Vicsek particles from the random motion of a single unit

Researchers at NYU Tandon School of Engineering propose a paradigm to solve the problem of inferring collective size from individual behaviors. By observing self-propelled Vicsek particles, they show that the time rate of growth of mean square heading is sufficient to predict the number of particles under particular parameters.

SourceNYU Tandon School of Engineering·JournalCommunications Physics·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateApr 11, 2022

Jo Nelson wins NSF CAREER Award

Jo Nelson, a Rice mathematician, has received the prestigious NSF CAREER Award to investigate manifold dynamics and promote diversity in academia. Her research focuses on contact and symplectic manifolds, with applications in low-energy space travel and anti-racism studies.

Improving a different kind of mobile network

A novel dynamic event-triggered scheduling approach is proposed to solve the platooning control problem, demonstrating effective trade-off between performance and efficient communication. The researchers aim to further investigate resource-efficient control strategies to preserve satisfactory operational performance.

SourceChinese Association of Automation·JournalIEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica·DateDec 1, 2021

When is a basin of attraction like an octopus?

Researchers describe a simple argument showing that basins in high-dimensional systems should look like high-dimensional octopi. The volume of these basins cannot be correctly approximated by a hypercube, which fails to encompass the vast majority of points in the basin.

SourceSanta Fe Institute·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateNov 3, 2021

A bright light in a dark room

A team of researchers has developed a minimal logic system to bridge the gap between mathematical proofs, algorithms, and real-world outcomes in control systems. The work, published in IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica, aims to improve the realism of theoretical mathematics by focusing on computational certainty.

SourceChinese Association of Automation·JournalIEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica·DateJun 26, 2018

Modeling belief systems

A new mathematical model describes the relationship between belief systems and interpersonal influence, revealing an underlying cognitive consistency that links multiple beliefs. The model has the potential to study overlooked complex issues by analyzing the structure of logic constraints.

Detecting hidden malicious ads

A new detection system for Android could protect smartphones from malicious content, finding that even reputable apps can lead users to websites hosting malicious ads. The team tested one million apps and found that ads asking users to download a program are the most dangerous, containing malicious software about 50% of the time.