Search

Analysis combining multiple global tree databases reveals that whether a location is invaded by non-native tree species depends on anthropogenic factors, but the severity of the invasion depends on the native species diversity.

The predicted increase in frequency of droughts and rising temperatures in Europe will lead core populations of a temperate plant to an evolutionary dead-end unless they acquire genetic alleles that are present only in extreme edge Mediterranean, Scandinavian, or Siberian populations.

Chronic care manages long-term, progressive conditions, while acute care handles short-term ones. Here, authors show chronic conditions account for most of the global health burden, with 68% of DALYs and 93% of YLDs attributed to chronic care needs.

Species’ traits and environmental conditions determine the abundance of tree species across the globe. Here, the authors find that dominant tree species are taller and have softer wood compared to rare species and that these trait differences are more strongly associated with temperature than water availability.

Three complementary decomposition experiments across a climatic gradient in Europe, representing 110 different tree species mixtures in 194 forest plots, reveals that macroclimate is a dominant control on plant litter decomposition through both direct and indirect effects.

Although co-occurring species may differ widely in their response traits, coordinated functional trait shifts may emerge at the community level in response to environmental factors. Here, the authors use data from 150 grassland sites to identify a coordinated slow-fast strategy response to land-use intensification across above- and belowground taxa.

Genome-wide association analyses comprising 14,256 cases and 1,199,156 controls and incorporating correlated cardiac magnetic resonance imaging traits provide insights into the molecular etiology of dilated cardiomyopathy.

Wood density is an important plant trait. Data from 1.1 million forest inventory plots and 10,703 tree species show a latitudinal gradient in wood density, with temperature and soil moisture explaining variation at the global scale and disturbance also having a role at the local level.

Autoimmune disease is set in motion by certain triggers, one of which now comes to light in a mouse model of type 1 diabetes. Signaling through Toll-like receptors, known for receiving signals from viruses and bacteria, initiates the disease (pages 138–145).

Analysis of ground-sourced and satellite-derived models reveals a global forest carbon potential of 226 Gt outside agricultural and urban lands, with a difference of only 12% across these modelling approaches.

What can we learn from spatial patterns in the ocean? This study suggests planktonic patterns are uncorrelated from physical patchiness, poorly captured from satellite observations, and an underutilized window into ocean biogeochemistry.

Examining drivers of the latitudinal biodiversity gradient in a global database of local tree species richness, the authors show that co-limitation by multiple environmental and anthropogenic factors causes steeper increases in richness with latitude in tropical versus temperate and boreal zones.

Activation of the PPARγ/RXRα pathway in luminal bladder cancers has mainly been linked to PPARG gene amplifications and activating point mutations in RXRα. Here, the authors identify recurrent PPARγ mutations with similar effects and elucidate the structural basis for this mutational PPARγ activation.

Alternative stable states in forests have implications for the biosphere. Here, the authors combine forest biodiversity observations and simulations revealing that leaf types across temperate regions of the NH follow a bimodal distribution suggesting signatures of alternative forest states.

Using the lifespan brain chart and two large-scale cross-cultural consortia (ABIDE and CABIC), we disentangle the heterogeneity of brain morphology in ASD into two structural impairment pathways that could disrupt sensory to association functions.

The role of the HisCl1 histamine receptor in the Drosophila visual system remains unclear. This study shows that HisCl1 is expressed in Rh6-photoreceptors where its function is sufficient for circadian entrainment by incorporating synaptic inputs from other photoreceptors.

A miniature portable tomograph allows the imaging of awake, behaving rats with positron emission tomography while simultaneously measuring their behavior. This method for noninvasive whole-brain imaging can link studies of brain activity with particular behaviors.

The Dlgap protein family members are known for their role in synapses. Here the authors reveal important involvement in earlier steps of brain development, identifying DLGAP4 mutations in patients with cortical malformations, and also demonstrating a role in progenitors and migrating neurons.

A comprehensive characterisation of Omicron-BA.1 and VOC Delta in numerous in vitro and in vivo models uncovers the factors that led to its global dominance.

Axonal swellings have been found on Purkinje cell axons in the cerebellum both during development and disease. The authors show that axons with swellings propagate action potentials with higher fidelity than those without and that mice with more axonal swellings learn cerebellar-related tasks better.

Integrating inventory data with machine learning models reveals the global composition of tree types—needle-leaved evergreen individuals dominate, followed by broadleaved evergreen and deciduous trees—and climate change risks.

The ability of a species to adapt to climate change depends on its genetic diversity. Here, based on the geographic distribution of genetic variants associated with drought resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana, the authors predict the future genetic maladaptation of Central European populations.

Exome sequencing of a worldwide panel of 487 wheat genotypes, including landraces, cultivars and modern varieties, sheds light on wheat genomic diversity and the evolution of modern bread wheat.

As the evolution of new strains of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics continues, a nanomechanical approach to understanding the interactions between them could help efforts to develop new antibiotics.

Jean-Luc Battini, Giovanni Coppola and colleagues identify XPR1 mutations in several families with primary brain calcification. They further show that these mutations alter phosphate export activity, implicating defective phosphate homeostasis in the etiology of this disease.

Microcantilever arrays are used to detect individual point mutations in a gene associated with melanoma cancer, offering a rapid test for deciding whether or not patients are eligible to receive drug treatment.

Ali Gharavi and colleagues report a genome-wide association analysis of IgA nephropathy in over 20,000 individuals of European and East Asian ancestry. They identify genome-wide significant signals at three new loci near VAV3, CARD9 and ITGAM-ITGAX and correlations between genetic risk and pathogen diversity.