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Activity in human dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN)—the main source of serotonin to the human forebrain—signals changes in behavioural policy that are shaped by the distribution of rewards in the environment.

Terahertz microspectroscopic imaging at subgap millielectronvolt energies of a two-dimensional superfluid plasmon in few-layer Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+x is demonstrated, allowing the spatial resolution of its deeply subdiffractive terahertz electrodynamics.

Neuroinflammation triggers DNA damage and subsequent parthanatos-mediated neuron death. Inhibiting parthanatos in a mouse model of autoimmune inflammation is neuroprotective and reduces disease-associated paralysis.

Optical switching of a moiré Chern ferromagnet is demonstrated in twisted molybdenum ditelluride bilayers using continuous-wave circularly polarized light, paving the way for dissipationless spintronics and quantized Chern junction devices.

Long-period radio transients emit periodic radio pulses of unknown origin. The longest-lived source, GPM J1839−10, has a 21-min spin and 9-h orbit, resembling the more rapid white dwarf pulsars that are powered by binary interaction, potentially linking the classes.

Oxytocin promotes social behaviors, but its cortical targets remain unclear. Here, authors show that oxytocin activates local interneurons in the rat prefrontal cortex, enhancing sociability through top-down control of the basolateral amygdala.

Breeding crops with delayed senescence could plausibly increase grain yield. Here the authors show that variation at the rice SGR locus contributes to differences in senescence between indica and japonica subspecies and show that introgression can increase yield in an elite indica rice variety.

A molecular-level understanding of structural evolution upon electrochemical doping in organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors is required. A pronounced reduction in mass and thickness is observed in an n-type ladder polymer upon doping with protic cations owing to water expulsion.

Over the past 40 years, 42% of tropical and subtropical ecosystems have experienced an increase in plant reliance on past precipitation, consistent with greening during the late growing season in drylands and drying during the wet-to-dry period in non-drylands.

The authors describe a stacked generalization approach to predicting missing links in food webs that considers both species traits and network structure, achieving near-perfect performance on many empirical food webs.

Evolutionarily related ‘proto-point’ centromeres providing resolution to the evolutionary origins of point centromeres are identified in yeast, and comparison shows they evolved in an ancestor with retrotransposon-rich centromeres and that long-terminal-repeat retrotransposons are the genetic substrate.

High pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) may endanger not only domestic poultry but also wild birds. Here authors show that upon immunisation of king penguin chicks with a self-amplifying mRNA vaccine against a H5 HPAI clade 2.3.4.4b protein, the birds mount a lasting neutralising antibody response against avian influenza, with no natural infection occurring within the 250-day observation period.

This work reports optical studies of circular and linear dichroism to image, respectively, chiral and nematic spin ordering in the layered triangular-lattice antiferromagnet Co1/3TaS2. Phases with co-existing chirality and nematicity are revealed.

This study of magic-angle twisted trilayer graphene moiré superconductors using scanning tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopy identifies two energy gaps that develop from many-body resonance in this highly tunable class of materials.

An integrated photonics scheme is presented for the manufacture of communication systems supporting the use of fibre and wireless infrastructures simultaneously, addressing the long-standing bandwidth mismatch between the two domains and demonstrating ultrahigh data rates.

Bright electron bunches power particle physics and photon science. Here, reproducible bunches were generated in a plasma with simultaneous high charge per unit energy and low emittance, advancing a scheme to produce ultra-bright bunches in future.

Microscopic imaging and biochemical studies show that sinuses in mouse and human form a highly dynamic surface that regulates fluid movement and immune cell surveillance via RAMP1-dependent regulation of smooth muscle contraction and RAMP2-dependent regulation of the sinus endothelial barrier.

A global synthesis of >600 studies finds that across agro-ecosystems, grasslands and forests in temperate and tropical zones, increasing plant diversity has a consistently positive effect on plant performance and the suppression of antagonists.

Colloidal quantum dots are promising, low-cost materials for infrared technologies, but rarely comply with the EU directive on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances (RoHS). Here, the authors present the synthesis of large, near-bulk RoHS-compliant quantum dots, operating deep in the infrared.

Viral ribonucleoprotein–viral protein networks form pre-replication centres that nucleate viral factories and drive respiratory syncytial virus replication.

Two main acceleration mechanisms in the auroral acceleration region are electric potential and Alfvénic acceleration but associated energy dynamics are not completely resolved. Here, the authors show that Alfvén waves power the Earth’s auroral arc through a static potential drop in the auroral acceleration region.

The study introduces radio interferometric multiplexed spectroscopy (RIMS), a method designed to efficiently monitor the radio emissions of massive samples of stars. Applying it to LOFAR data, the authors identify stellar bursts, offering clues to possible star–planet magnetic interactions.

Melting ice and associated sea-level change will expose new land in Antarctica. Here the authors quantify this change and combine it with our understanding of known Antarctic mineral occurrences, showing that substantial mineral deposits may become accessible over the next few centuries in Antarctica.

Authors study links between amyloid secondary nucleation and growth defects, demonstrating these sites on Aβ40/Aβ42 fibrils are rare compared to the number of protein molecules. Re-analysis of published data suggests that defects may also drive secondary nucleation generally.

Taniuchi and colleagues show that differential phosphorylation of the terminal Y residue in Runx proteins connect MHC restriction with the helper versus cytotoxic T cell lineage choice.

A spin-wave ladder architecture based on single-crystal yttrium iron garnet requiring only one external magnetic bias for manufacturing tunable compact filters using modern micromachining fabrication methods is described, demonstrating applications in future communications systems.

A lab-scale proof-of-principle demonstration of a quantum network comprising one server chip and 20 client photonic chips implementing twin-field quantum key distribution shows excellent scalability and reliability and yields a pathway towards future large-scale networks.

Here the authors compare genetic testing strategies in rare movement disorders, improve diagnostic yield with genome analysis, and establish CD99L2 as an X-linked spastic ataxia gene, showing that CD99L2–CAPN1 signaling disruption likely drives neurodegeneration.

Humans alter the daily timing of animal activity, potentially reshaping predator–prey interactions. This meta-analysis reveals that larger species tend to “lose” under human disturbance, with large predators overlapping less with their prey, and large prey overlapping more with their predators.

Mucosal administration of a multivalent, adjuvanted vaccine against Clostridioides difficile promoted bacterial clearance and protected against morbidity, mortality, tissue damage and recurrence in mice.

A 3D soft electronic mesh allows high-resolution electrical recording and stimulation across the full surface of neural organoids, enabling long-term studies, drug testing and optogenetic control without compromising their viability owing to its porous design.

A spatial and single-cell transcriptomics study across multiple mammalian species identifies epidermal BMP signalling as a functional requirement for rete ridge formation, providing insight into mechanisms underlying hair density loss and wound healing.

The authors show that plasma AT(N) biomarkers can distinguish Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration in diverse Latin American populations. Using machine learning and integrating neuroimaging, significant diagnostic accuracy was achieved, enhancing clinical assessments of these conditions in Latin America.

This study reveals how climate change altered storm dynamics during the 2024 Valencia floods. Warmer seas fueled stronger updrafts, increasing rainfall intensity by 20% and significantly amplifying flood severity.

Ferroelectric ordering of moiré excitons and collective photon emission emerge in WSe₂/WS₂ heterobilayers near the Mott state driven by strong dipolar interactions and a transition to symmetry-broken ferroelectric phases.

Language models can write human-readable code that captures general design rules, generating whole families of quantum experiments at once. A design strategy described here makes results interpretable and scalable, as well as accelerates discovery.

This study shows that CrSBr hosts Frenkel-like and Wannier-Mott-like excitons whose distinct spatial character explains their contrasting sensitivity to magnetic order and lattice vibrations, challenging the standard dichotomy in describing excitons.

The study analyses data from NASA’s MMS mission to examine electromagnetic fluctuations in the electron diffusion region of Earth’s magnetotail offering insights into the link between reconnection and turbulence. It finds that electromagnetic anomalous viscosity supplies, at times, around 20% of the reconnection electric field.

There is a challenge of overestimation in figures of merit for organic electrochemical transistors due to a kink in the transistor current. Here, the authors investigate the origin of the kink and identify the charge transport phenomena that is impacted.

Polyamides (PAs) or nylons are types of plastics with wide applications, but due to their accumulation in the environment, strategies for their deconstruction are of interest. Here, the authors screen 40 potential nylon-hydrolyzing enzymes (nylonases) using a mass spectrometry-based approach and identify a thermostabilized N-terminal nucleophile hydrolase as the most promising for further development, as well as crucial targets for progressing PA6 enzymatic depolymerization.

The authors find that distinct radial glia subtypes generate and support midbrain dopaminergic neurons, revealing specialized function and lineage relationships among the diverse cell types that shape dopamine neuron development.

Chlorine electrosynthesis from seawater is limited by poor selectivity and stability under industrial-scale conditions. Here atomic-step-enriched ultrafine high-entropy alloy nanowires enable highly efficient chlorine evolution at 10 kA m⁻² for over 5,500 h through dynamic Pt–O active sites, reducing electricity consumption and feedstock costs for next-generation chlor-alkali processes.

The combination of within-species variation in pathogen load, the shape of the relationship between pathogen load and infectiousness, and vector feeding preferences shape transmission of multi-host vector-borne pathogens. Here, the authors use experimental and wild bird infection data to characterize the role of 17 host bird species in avian malaria transmission in Hawaii.

Juno radio occultations precisely redefine Jupiter’s shape, measuring a polar diameter of 66,842 km and an equatorial diameter of 71,488 km, both smaller than long-used values, bringing models of the planet’s interior into better agreement with observations.

A new platform comprising large-scale 2D arrays of quantum dots patterned with sub-nanometre precision, with each quantum dot defined by tens of phosphorus atoms doped into silicon, allows for analogue simulation of quantum materials on arbitrary lattices.

Spin transport properties of magnetically ordered materials have been well studied. Here, the authors report an anomalous spin signal exhibiting spin transport over 480 microns in the frustrated hyperkagome magnetic insulator Gd₃Ga₅O₁₂.

Non-equilibrium two-dimensional melting is less understood than its equilibrium counterpart. Now it is shown that topologically driven melting in a two-dimensional crystal of charged colloids is the same irrespective of the mechanisms that generate the defects

Crystalline materials for optical applications are synthesized in living dinoflagellates.