KnE Top Picks for December 2025
On January 2, 2026
As we navigate rapid technological, social, and environmental change, recent research is offering fresh insights into how innovation can be aligned with well-being, equity, and sustainability. This month’s top picks span healthcare, education, psychology, energy, and traditional knowledge, highlighting how emerging technologies are reshaping patient care, training, and decision-making. Several articles underscore the importance of human factors, such as parental involvement, early childhood development, mental health, and cultural practises in shaping long-term outcomes. Together, these articles reflect a shared concern with improving quality of life while responding to local contexts, whether through community-based health practises, culturally informed research, or sustainable technologies. They point to a future where progress is measured by how thoughtfully it supports people, communities, and the environment.
How Safe Is Nuclear Power in a Changing Energy Landscape?
As countries search for reliable ways to meet rising energy demands while cutting carbon emissions, nuclear power continues to spark both interest and concern. On one hand, it offers steady, low-emission electricity that can support large populations and growing industries. On the other, past nuclear accidents have left many people understandably cautious, highlighting the importance of safety systems, clear regulations, and constant risk management. Modern nuclear facilities are now built with multiple layers of protection, independent oversight, and advanced technology designed to prevent, detect, and respond to potential risks before they escalate.
This study from the Journal of Excellence in Wellness and Environmental Studies takes a closer look at safety and risk management in a large, modern nuclear power plant in the UAE.
Can New Therapies Offer Better Relief for Neck and Back Pain?
Neck and lower back pain are among the most common health complaints worldwide, affecting people of all ages and lifestyles. From long hours at a desk to physically demanding jobs, spinal pain can interfere with daily activities, work productivity, and overall quality of life. While treatments like medication, physical therapy, and surgery are widely used, chronic spinal pain often has no single clear cause, making long-term relief difficult to achieve. This has pushed researchers and clinicians to explore alternative, non-invasive approaches that focus on pain reduction and functional improvement rather than quick fixes.
This study from the Journal of Spine Practice examines Khan Kinetic Treatment (KKT), a technology-based therapy designed to target chronic spinal pain through controlled mechanical vibrations.
Do Filtered Images Really Influence Cosmetic Surgery Decisions?
Social media has become a powerful space where appearance, self-presentation, and social validation are closely intertwined. With endless streams of edited photos, beauty tutorials, and influencer content, platforms encourage users not just to view idealised images, but to actively compare themselves, experiment with filters, and seek feedback. Over time, this constant visual engagement can shape how people see their own appearance and what they consider “normal” or attainable. As cosmetic procedures become more visible and widely discussed online, they are increasingly framed as everyday self-improvement choices rather than extreme measures.
This study from KnE Social Sciences looks at how young people in China interpret social media beauty content and how those interpretations affect their consideration of cosmetic surgery.
How Is Artificial Intelligence Changing the Way Ophthalmology Residents Learn and Perform?
Medical training is evolving quickly, and technology is playing a growing role in how future doctors learn, practise, and are assessed. In highly visual and precision-driven fields like ophthalmology, digital tools are becoming especially valuable. Artificial intelligence, in particular, is reshaping everything from disease diagnosis to surgical training, offering new ways to analyse images, track performance, and support clinical decision-making. As these tools become more common in hospitals and clinics, there’s increasing interest in how they affect medical education, not just skills, but also learners’ confidence, attitudes, and overall performance.
This systematic review from the Journal of Ophthalmic and Vision Research examines specifically how AI-based tools influence the knowledge, attitudes, and performance of ophthalmology residents.
How Much Does Parental Nutrition Knowledge Shape Type 1 Diabetes Care?
Managing type 1 diabetes goes far beyond insulin injections, it’s a daily balancing act that involves monitoring blood sugar, planning meals, and adapting to a child’s changing needs. For children, especially younger ones, this responsibility often falls heavily on parents and caregivers. What kids eat, when they eat, and how meals align with insulin dosing can make a real difference to their overall health and long-term outcomes. Not surprisingly, navigating food choices, portion sizes, and carbohydrate counting can be stressful for families and difficult to get right without proper guidance.
This review from the Arab Journal of Nutrition and Exercise looks closely at existing research on the role of parental nutrition knowledge in managing type 1 diabetes in children.
How Do Traditional Remedies Shape the Treatment of Kidney and Urinary Diseases in Sudan?
Across Sudan, traditional medicine continues to play a vital role in everyday healthcare, especially in communities where access to modern medical services is limited. Rooted in a blend of African, Arab, and Islamic traditions, these practises are deeply tied to culture, history, and local knowledge. For kidney and urinary system diseases, conditions that are increasingly common due to factors like dehydration, infections, diabetes, and hypertension, many people rely on herbal remedies passed down through generations. These treatments are often more affordable and familiar than hospital-based care, particularly in rural areas where most of the population lives.
This review from the Sudan Journal of Medical Sciences brings together existing information on traditional Sudanese remedies for urinary and kidney diseases and examines what scientific evidence exists, highlighting promising plants and practises that could benefit from further pharmacological research.
Can Aromatherapy Ease Stress During IVF Treatment?
Infertility is not only a medical challenge but also an emotional one, often bringing significant stress, anxiety, and strain into people’s lives. For women undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF), this stress can be even more intense due to the physical demands of treatment, uncertainty around outcomes, and social and personal pressures. As awareness grows around the importance of mental well-being during fertility treatment, there has been increasing interest in gentle, non-pharmacological ways to support patients alongside medical care. Complementary therapies, such as aromatherapy, are gaining attention because they are generally affordable, easy to use, and associated with few side effects. Lemon balm, a plant traditionally used for its calming and mood-supporting properties, has shown promise in reducing stress and anxiety in other health contexts.
This study from the International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine examined whether inhaling lemon balm essential oil could reduce perceived stress levels in women undergoing IVF.
How Do Young Children Learn to Regulate Their Behaviour and Thinking?
Self-regulation plays a crucial role in how young children learn, interact with others, and adapt to their surroundings. From managing emotions to following rules and stay focused, these early skills lay the foundation for school readiness and long-term well-being. Research consistently shows that children who develop strong cognitive, emotional, and behavioural self-regulation are more likely to succeed academically, build positive relationships, and avoid later social or behavioural challenges. Conversely, difficulties with self-regulation in early childhood have been linked to issues such as anxiety, attention difficulties, and disruptive behaviours later in life.
This study in the Gulf Education and Social Policy Review explores behavioural and cognitive self-regulation among 3- to 4-year-old children in the UAE, offering insight into how these abilities emerge in early childhood.
Can Plant-Based Compounds Offer a Natural Defence Against Kidney Stones?
Kidney stones are a common and often recurring health issue that affects millions of people worldwide, bringing pain, disruption, and high treatment costs along with them. While modern medicine offers surgical and drug-based solutions, these approaches don’t always prevent stones from coming back and can come with side effects or limitations. As a result, there’s growing interest in more preventive, long-term strategies that are safer and easier to maintain.
This review in the Dubai Medical Journal looks at the role of plant-based phytoconstituents and bioactive compounds in preventing and managing kidney stones, highlighting how certain herbal compounds may help by reducing crystal formation, limiting stone aggregation, and supporting kidney health through antioxidant and diuretic effects.
Can Palm Kernel Shells Help Clean Up Biogas for Everyday Use?
As interest in renewable energy grows, biogas has emerged as a practical and environmentally friendly way to turn livestock waste into usable energy. It offers benefits for households and communities, from reducing waste to replacing fossil fuels for cooking and power. However, raw biogas isn’t perfect as it often contains carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and other gases that lower its energy value and efficiency. Improving biogas quality through purification is there a key step in making it more reliable and widely usable.
This study from KnE Life Sciences looks at activated carbon made from palm kernel shells, an abundant agricultural by-product, as a low-cost solution for biogas purification.