Search

Analyses of ancient human DNA show that cultural and political transformations in Central Europe during the second half of the first millennium ce were associated with movements of Slavic populations into Germany, Poland and Croatia.

Accurate segmentation of ischemic stroke lesions from brain MRI is crucial for timely diagnosis and treatment planning. Here, the authors present DeepISLES, an AI ensemble for stroke MRI analysis that outperforms previous methods and matches expert radiologist performance in identifying stroke lesions.

Peer review information: Nature Communications thanks Shiqing Deng, and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. A peer review file is available.

CD123 expression on leukemic stem and progenitor cells (LSPCs) and leukemic blasts representing a promising therapeutic target. However previous CD123-targeting approaches had limited efficacy and safety concerns. The authors here evaluate the bispecific CD123/CD16A innate cell engager AFM28 and manifest its efficacy both in vitro and in vivo, which is mediated by NK cells.

Stojanov et al. updated and internally validated a prediction model for the occurrence of post-operative shoulder stiffness following primary arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in Switzerland. Their findings support the development of further prediction models for an evidence-based and individualized decision-making in orthopedics.

Metal-metal bonds between metal cations are ubiquitous in coordination complexes, whereas similar bonding characteristics between non-metal and metal cations are not. Here, the authors report an X-ray crystal structure of a centrosymmetric complex [Ag(m-O₃SCF₃)₂{(4MePyNO)₂I}]₂ which features two unique I⁺–Ag⁺ bonds.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is characterized by progressive cyst formation and loss of kidney function, yet prognostic biomarkers remain limited. Here, the authors show that serum proteomics identifies protein signatures associated with disease severity, enabling improved risk prediction and stratified management.

This study used AI to map ~29,000 CDR studies—3–4 times more than expected—showing rapid but uneven growth. The map supports stronger evidence synthesis for climate goals and the IPCC. #CDR

The authors highlight inconsistencies and divergencies in the literature reporting data on indirect calorimetry for studies on whole-body energy homeostasis, and propose harmonization of standards to facilitate data comparison and interpretation across different datasets.

Designing optimised molecules for singlet fission is crucial to improve the efficiency of solar cells beyond its theoretical limit. Here, the authors investigate pentacene derivative TTBP, which exhibits high stability and luminescence yield, and find it highly suitable for exciton multiplication purposes.

Thermal bias may predict the impact of climate change. Looking at regional warming and marine bivalves, brachiopods, and gastropods in the early Jurassic, the authors find that species with cooler temperature preferences than local conditions were more likely to become extirpated or extinct.

Carbon pricing policies are adopted in many countries around the world to mitigate climate change. This systematic review shows that significant emission reductions of between 5 and 21% are achieved by at least 17 out of 21 reviewed policy schemes.

This study used fine-mapping to analyze genetic regions associated with bipolar disorder, identifying specific risk genes and providing new insights into the biology of the condition that may guide future research and treatment approaches.

TDP-43 aggregates are a hallmark of neurodegeneration. Wagner et al. show that SUMOylation/ubiquitylation of TDP-43, mediated by its recruitment to the promyelocytic leukemia protein nuclear bodies, prevents its aggregation under proteotoxic stresses.

Non-antibiotic drugs from a wide range of therapeutic classes can alter the ability of gut commensals to resist invasion by enteropathogens, a previously underappreciated side effect of such drugs.

A global network of researchers was formed to investigate the role of human genetics in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity; this paper reports 13 genome-wide significant loci and potentially actionable mechanisms in response to infection.

The conversion of quantum states between single photons and single atoms is an essential ingredient for the implementation of quantum memories. Here, Kurz et al. demonstrate a photon-to-atom quantum state conversion protocol characterized by mapping fidelities as high as 95%.

Pigs are important large animal models for biomedical research. Here, the authors construct a single-cell landscape of pig tissues, unravelling the phenotypic heterogeneity of blood endothelial cells in adipose tissues and the evolutionally conserved regulons of microglia in brains.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), which can be driven by obesity and hypertension, has a high prevalence but limited treatment options. Here, the authors show that nitro-oleic acid restores mitochondrial function and improves heart failure symptoms in a mouse model of HFpEF.

The Rnf complex is a key respiratory enzyme of anaerobes and nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Here, the authors combine structural, computational, and biochemical experiments to probe the unique redox-coupled Na⁺ pumping mechanism of this ancient system.

It is now shown that femtosecond optical excitation can be used as a tool to investigate the spin-polarization properties of half-metals, and provide a clear distinction between those and metals. Such knowledge is of fundamental importance for the use of these materials in spintronics applications.

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is an inherited gastrointestinal syndrome associated with duodenal adenoma formation. Here the authors show that IL17A-producing NKp44- group 3 innate lymphoid cells accumulate in FAP duodenal tissue and are associated with duodenal adenoma formation in patients with FAP.

In this phase 1 trial, patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors were treated with the individualized mRNA neoantigen-specific immunotherapy (iNeST) autogene cevumeran alone or in combination with the anti-PD-L1 agent atezolizumab, showing long-lasting neoantigen-specific immune responses and preliminary clinical activity, supporting further development of this therapeutic approach.

The advantage of living in cities compared with rural areas with respect to height and BMI in children and adolescents has generally become smaller globally from 1990 to 2020, except in sub-Saharan Africa.

In wildlife tagging, stress from capture and handling can alter post- release behavior and potentially study interpretations. This study of 42 mammal species shows that these effects diminish within 4–7 days, and quicker for animals in high human activity areas indicating adaptation to disturbance.

Hyperfine splitting was measured using the laser spectroscopy of accelerator-produced hydrogen-like bismuth ions. This demonstrates the feasibility of such measurements with other exotic ions with low production yields in a storage ring.

Superconducting flux qubits operating as two-level systems can act as artificial atoms, and so represent a potential metamaterial building block. Macha et al.assemble 20 such qubits into a metamaterial in which the ‘atoms’ are collectively coupled to the quantized mode of a microwave photon field.

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.

The authors find the electric-field-driven motion of domain walls in the improper ferroelectric ErMnO₃, showing that they readily return to their initial position after having travelled distances exceeding 250 nm.

In hepatocellular carcinoma driven by non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, aberrant T cell activation and impaired immune surveillance seem to make hepatocellular carcinoma less responsive to anti-PD1 or anti-PDL1 immunotherapy.

Keyl et al. present an explainable artificial intelligence model-based real-world data analysis from over 15,000 patients across 38 cancer types, identified key prognostic marker interactions, and confirmed these in an external lung cancer cohort.

An integrated single-cell multiomic analysis of complex karyotype acute myeloid leukemia characterizes intratumoral heterogeneity and highlights links to therapeutic sensitivities.

In a post-approval study including more than 17,000 patients on the safety of pulsed field ablation, a new method for treatment of atrial fibrillation, the procedure was found to have a low rate of adverse events but was associated with some unexpected rare complications that will need further study.

In this Resource, the authors present FedProt, a tool that enables privacy-preserving, federated differential protein abundance analysis across multiple institutions. Its results match the results of centralized analysis, enabling secure, collaborative proteomics without sensitive data sharing.

Achieving the Paris Agreement’s climate goals depends on safeguarding and monitoring the permanence of forest carbon stocks, as delays in addressing their vulnerability to disturbances drastically increase mitigation costs and efforts.

The effectiveness of the different policies and policy bundles for food systems transformation to achieve SDGs in China vary widely. Using an integrated modelling framework covering 18 indicators, this study compares the trade-offs and outcomes of efforts focused on dietary transitions, climate change mitigation and ecological conservation, and faster socioeconomic development, ultimately revealing that dietary shifts offer the most benefits.

ATPases are the macromolecular machines for cellular energy production. Here the authors investigate factors that govern the assembly of the F₁ complex from a bacterial F-type ATPase and relate differences in activity of complexes assembled in cells and in vitro to structural changes.

In this prospective cohort study, authors follow 328 households in Germany with at least one confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and find that children are more likely to seroconvert without symptoms and have higher specific antibody levels that persist longer than in adults.

Genome-wide association meta-analyses of waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index in more than 224,000 individuals identify 49 loci, 33 of which are new and many showing significant sexual dimorphism with a stronger effect in women; pathway analyses implicate adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution.

A genome-wide association study and Metabochip meta-analysis of body mass index (BMI) detects 97 BMI-associated loci, of which 56 were novel, and many loci have effects on other metabolic phenotypes; pathway analyses implicate the central nervous system in obesity susceptibility and new pathways such as those related to synaptic function, energy metabolism, lipid biology and adipogenesis.

Past genome-wide associate studies have identified hundreds of genetic loci that influence body size and shape when examined one trait at a time. Here, Jeff and colleagues develop an aggregate score of various body traits, and use meta-analysis to find new loci linked to body shape.

Patricia Munroe, Christopher Newton-Cheh, Andrew Morris and colleagues perform association studies in over 340,000 individuals of European ancestry and identify 66 loci, of which 17 are novel, involved in blood pressure regulation. The risk SNPs are enriched for cis-regulatory elements, particularly in vascular endothelial cells.