Search

Several dams and reservoirs exist along the Nile, most notably the HAD (Egypt) and GERD (Ethiopia) dams. Due to the lack of strategies, the authors here explore potential risks and solutions how to use both dams simultaneously.

Dams in the Mekong Basin are built without considering impacts on river processes. This study shows that with strategic planning in the lower Mekong, 68% of the basin’s hydropower potential could have been developed while trapping 21% of the basin’s sand load.

Gomez et al. show that boosting angiotensin-converting enzyme expression in microglia promotes phagocytic clearance of Aβ and endolysosomal trafficking, driven by spleen tyrosine kinase signaling in the 5xFAD transgenic model of Alzheimer’s disease.

Planning for the Colorado River is critical to secure water and hydropower for the western US under climate change. This study highlights how different policies may reduce but not eliminate the risk of losing water and energy supply altogether.

Bedload can dominate river sediment flux after a major earthquake for a prolonged time period.

By quantifying changes in lake area before glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs) worldwide from 1990 to 2023, this study shows that despite the overall growth in total lake area and hazard potential, pre-GLOF lake areas barely changed or even decreased regionally and are dependent on a decreasing number of ice-dammed lakes.

The specifics of the pediatric immune response that gives rise to antibodies capable of neutralising diverse HIV-1 strains is not fully understood. Here the authors characterise the immune environment of Simian-HIV infected paediatric macaques and link to antibody neutralisation induction.

Adoption is an altruistic behaviour that incurs parental costs. Gorrellet al. examined more than 2,000 squirrel litters and showed that red squirrels adopt only their kin, resulting in an increase in their inclusive fitness. These data provide support for Hamilton's rule of altruism.

Blocking mitochondrial complex I in pro-inflammatory microglia protects the central nervous system against neurotoxic damage and improves functional outcomes in vivo in an animal disease model.

The temporary opening of the blood–brain barrier via focused ultrasound triggers the recruitment of central nervous system-associated macrophages and the proliferation of microglia, as well as population size increases in disease-associated microglia.

The authors show that synergistic activation by two transcription factors - Pointed, which is activated by cell–cell signaling, and Glass, which is eye-specific - drives a program of neuronal gene expression in developing Drosophila photoreceptors.

Coastal deltas around the world have been losing land and disagreement on the extent of anthropogenic causes is rife. A balanced sediment budget for the Mississippi River Delta shows that the impact of levees and resource extraction have been the dominant drivers of land loss within Barataria Basin.

Previous studies suggest that rates of gorge formation are controlled by bedrock erodibility, erosion mechanism and hillslope processes. Here, the authors show evidence of rapid gorge formation in granite bedrock and report no relationship with flood size or bedload, attributing the rate to pre-existing jointing.

Malnutrition during pregnancy has lasting effects on maternal and offspring health. Its adverse impacts are modified by the maternal microbiome and attenuated by gestational treatment with select microbial metabolites.

Mutations in TREM2 alter risk for Alzheimer’s disease, though the mechanisms underlying risk in human cells are unclear. Here, the authors use iPS-microglia and chimeric mice to highlight altered survival, phagocytosis, migration, and transcriptional programs in microglia lacking TREM2.

Trace amounts of Cerium can act as a catalyst by enhancing fluid-mediated magnetite alteration, which preconditions ore systems and could contribute to the large size and metal content of world-class ore deposits.

Profiling >200,000 live human microglia from 74 donors across neurological diseases reveals 12 subtypes of microglia that were validated in situ. Camptothecin is also identified as a compound reducing disease-enriched microglial subsets.

Bacterial superantigens (sAg) have been shown to induce T cell hyperactivation through cross linking between MHC class II on antigen presenting cells and certain TCRs on T lymphocytes. Here the authors explore how sAg impacts CD4 and CD8 T cell subsets, leading to either expansion or excessive release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and they observe that a temporary state of anergy can occur, while bacterium-specific T cells continue to be generated

Chi and colleagues identify brain-resident CXCR6⁺PD-1⁺CD8⁺ T cells that interact with resident microglia to limit immune-mediated pathology in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease.

A comprehensive assessment of the world’s rivers and their connectivity shows that only 37 per cent of rivers longer than 1,000 kilometres remain free-flowing over their entire length.

Nasal anti-CD3 therapy shows promise for treating traumatic brain injury by reducing neuroinflammation and aiding recovery in mice. It induces interleukin-10-producing regulatory T cells that enhance microglial phagocytic activity and reduce chronic inflammation, potentially aiding brain repair.

Imbalance of microglial phenotypes in the aging brain might underlie their involvement in late onset neurodegenerative diseases. Here we report the population structure of microglia in the aged human brain and the reduction of a particular microglia subset in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease .

Improvements in European freshwater biodiversity occurred mainly before 2010 but have since plateaued, and communities downstream of dams, urban areas and cropland were less likely to experience recovery.

Foamy macrophages are a pathological hallmark of demyelinating brain disorders. Here, the authors identify the molecular mechanisms underlying the faulty regulation of lipid efflux that cause accumulation, suggesting a promising strategy to enhance central nervous system repair.

Cells transmit mechanical force to the nucleus via the cytoskeleton. Here, the authors reveal a role for the actin regulator Mena in force transmission at the nuclear envelope, where it regulates nuclear architecture, chromatin organization and gene expression.

DNA modification generates unique electric signals in Oxford Nanopore sequencing data but the signals can be complicated to decipher. Here, the authors develop a deep learning framework, DeepMod, to detect DNA base modifications including 5mC and 6mA using Nanopore sequencing data

Here the authors show that rRNA methylase DIMT-1 regulates aging by acting after mid-life in the germline, regulating specialized ribosomes that perform selective translation of mRNAs important for longevity. Thus revealing an additional layer of proteome dysfunction as an aging regulator.

This Perspective discusses essential considerations for how ecosystem restoration may influence spillover of zoonotic pathogens, and how such considerations may be integrated into restoration design.

A microglial state, featuring lipid droplets and secretion of neurotoxic factors, is shown to be most prominent in people with Alzheimer’s disease who have the APOE4 genotype.

Global warming and hydropower regulations are major threats to future fresh-water availability and biodiversity. Here, the authors show that their impact on flow regime over a large landmass result in similar changes, but hydropower is more critical locally and may have potential for climate adaptation in floodplains.