Every experience leaves a trace in the brain, a memory that can shape future behavior. Alcohol and other addictive substances are no exception. Over time, repeated alcohol use can create strong memories that link certain places, cues or actions with reward. These memories can persist even after a person stops drinking, making relapse a common and ongoing challenge for the treatment of alcohol use disorder.

New research from the Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine at Texas A&M Health is helping to explain why this happens and may offer new clues for developing more effective treatments.

A comprehensive phylogenetic and morphological study resolves Wendlandia as biphyletic, leading to the proposal of a new monotypic tribe Clavistigmateae and new genus Clavistigma in Rubiaceae, shedding light on plant evolution in Asia’s biodiversity hotspots.

Acupuncture has long been used to restore physiological balance, yet its biological basis has remained elusive. 

Researchers from Koç University have developed a new artificial intelligence model that predicts where people direct their attention in 360-degree videos by integrating both audio and visual cues, addressing a key challenge in immersive media where viewers are free to explore their surroundings rather than being guided by a fixed camera frame; unlike conventional approaches that rely mainly on visual information, the model jointly analyzes sound and image data to better reflect how humans perceive complex, dynamic environments, resulting in more accurate attention prediction in virtual reality and 360-degree video settings, with potential applications ranging from immersive media design and video production to human–computer interaction and content optimization.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers proposed a geometry-aware framework for automatically removing human noise from TLS point clouds by projecting 2D instance segmentation masks into 3D space and validating candidates through multi-stage geometric filtering.

Phosphorus is essential for plant growth, yet much of the phosphorus in soils worldwide remains locked in forms that crops cannot use. A new review study highlights how biochar, a carbon-rich material derived from biomass, could play a key role in improving phosphorus availability and boosting agricultural sustainability.

Pickleball‑related eye injuries are on the rise in the United States, according to a newly-published Nature study led by Houston Methodist. The findings underscore a public health concern tied to one of America’s fastest‑growing sports. In addition, the research also revealed that dodgeball and kickball continue to cause significant eye-related trauma, primarily among younger individuals.