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Although varicose veins are a common condition, the genetic basis is not well understood. Here, the authors find genetic variants associated with varicose veins and show that a higher polygenic risk score for varicose veins correlates with a greater likelihood of patients undergoing surgical treatment.

Light-induced contraction in the out-of-plane direction in two-dimensional (2D) hybrid perovskites enables the realization of high-efficiency 2D perovskite solar cells.

Experimental manipulation of the gut microbiome in animal models impacts fear behaviours. Here, the authors show in a pilot study that features of the human infant gut microbiome are associated with non-social fear behaviours during a laboratory based assessment.

Here the authors report Zn porphene, a member of a new organic metalloporphene family. Similar to graphene, these also are fully conjugated 2D polymers, but are composed of fused metalloporphyrin rings.

NHEJ alleles and Cas9 remnants after a gene drive introduction are scientific and public concerns. Here, the authors use split drives with recoded rescue elements to target essential genes and minimize the appearance of NHEJ alleles while also leaving no trace of Cas9.

Here, the authors investigate the interactions between Fermi polarons in monolayer WS₂ by multi-dimensional coherent spectroscopy, and find that, at low electron doping densities, the dominant interactions are between polaron states that are dressed by the same Fermi sea. They also observe a bipolaron bound state with large binding energy, involving excitons in different valleys cooperatively bound to the same electron.

Where memories are located in our brains is not well understood. In this paper, the authors demonstrate that memories are spread out throughout multiple brain regions.

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.

Lung squamous carcinomas (LUSC) are poorly molecularly characterized, but sub-populations show promising response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Here, the authors identify a subset of LUSC characterized by infiltration of inflammatory monocytes, where metastasis is linked to Factor XIIIA promoting fibrin cross-linking.

A nanopore DNA sequencer is used for real-time genomic surveillance of the Ebola virus epidemic in the field in Guinea; the authors demonstrate that it is possible to pack a genomic surveillance laboratory in a suitcase and transport it to the field for on-site virus sequencing, generating results within 24 hours of sample collection.

Karan P. Patel, Andrew Maicke and co-authors present a computational framework which tailors the hardware design for a specific requirement. Using their method, they demonstrate automatic codesign for the magnetic tunnel junction device simultaneously aiming at desirable performance and energy efficiency.

Perivascular and leptomeningeal macrophages, collectively termed here parenchymal border macrophages, are shown to regulate flow dynamics of cerebrospinal fluid, implicating this cell population as new therapeutic targets in neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Ghersi et al. report that haematopoietic stem and progenitor cell heterogeneity is established on the haemogenic endothelium level and is, at least in part, regulated by microRNA-128-mediated modulation of Wnt and Notch signalling.

A silicon nitride ring resonator with implanted ytterbium ions offers a means for greatly enhanced ion–light interactions in an integrated optics platform.

A series of long molecular dynamics simulations shows that the K⁺ channel is sterically locked in the inactive conformation by buried water molecules bound behind the selectivity filter; a kinetic model deduced from the simulations shows how releasing the buried waters can elongate the timescale of the recovery period, and this hypothesis is confirmed using ‘wet’ biophysical experiments.

The ability to reversibly control monobody binding affinity would find use in biotechnology and research applications. Here the authors fuse the light-sensitive AsLOV2 domain to a monobody against the Abl SH2 domain to obtain a light dependent monobody and apply it in vitro and in mammalian cells.

The availability of labelled training data is one of the practical obstacles towards wide application of machine learning models in medicine. Here the authors develop a weakly supervised deep learning model for the classification of aortic malformations using unlabelled cardiac MRI sequences from the UK biobank.

A US national experiment showed that a short, online, self-administered growth mindset intervention can increase adolescents’ grades and advanced course-taking, and identified the types of school that were poised to benefit the most.

Electron sources play as important component in a wide range of applications. Here, the authors demonstrate efficient, regenerative, and low-cost electron sources based on solution-processed halide perovskite thin films with quantum efficiency up to 2.2% and a lifetime of more than 25 h.

The genetic basis of prolactinomas remains poorly understood. Here, the authors find a recurrent hotspot somatic mutation in the splicing factor 3 subunit B1 (SF3B1^R625H) in prolactinomas, and show that this mutation causes aberrant splicing of ESRRG mRNA leading to up-regulation of prolactin.

Private-investor approaches for measuring the emissions associated with lending to governments risk creating perverse incentives.

Sengupta et al. show that the mesenchymal cell state in neuroblastoma is associated with heightened immunogenicity and anti-tumor immune responses compared with the adrenergic state, which is linked to sensitivity to immunotherapy in preclinical models.

Unlike in the d block, intervalence charge transfer is rare in the 5f block owing to localized valence electrons and poor overlap between metal and ligand orbitals. Delocalization of 5f electrons has now been observed in a Pu(III)/Pu(IV)–pyridinedicarboxylate solid-state compound. It occurs through metal-to-ligand charge transfer with both plutonium centres.

Polymers with low ceiling temperatures (Tc) are highly desirable as they can depolymerize under mild conditions, but they typically suffer from demanding synthetic conditions and poor stability. Here, the authors envision that this challenge can be addressed by developing high-Tc polymers that can be converted into low-Tc polymers on demand.

Oh and colleagues demonstrate that the DUSP6–RSK1 axis is involved in the transformation of myeloproliferative neoplasms to secondary acute myeloid leukemia and that DUSP6 mediates the response to JAK2 inhibition.

CRISPR-based nucleic acid detection is used in a platform that can simultaneously detect 169 human-associated viruses in multiple samples, providing scalable, multiplexed pathogen detection aimed at routine surveillance for public health.

The study performed on a large, heterogeneous and multisite sample of youth with anxiety disorders reveals that only modest classification performances can be realistically achieved with machine learning using neuroanatomical data.

Spider webs consist of scaffolding silk, which supports the cobweb, and gumfoot silk, which can detach easily from the web upon contact with prey. Here, these different mechanical demands are shown to be met by silk attachments of two distinct architectures using the same pyriform silk secretions.

A single-cell transcriptomic profile of oligodendrocyte precursor cells in the brain across the mouse lifespan reveals aging-associated changes that contribute to the decline of oligodendrogenesis in the aged central nervous system.

Extremophiles on Earth are known to respire methane, and the potential existence of methane on Mars indicates similar organisms could survive there. Here, the authors present data from Martian meteorites confirming the presence of methane, indicating that a habitat capable of supporting organisms exists on Mars.

Water confined in natural or synthetic hydrophobic nano-spaces behaves differently than in the bulk. Here the authors investigate water in hydrophobic synthetic 1D nanochannels revealing water clustering in tetramers and octamers and high proton conductivity, along with a continuous liquid to solid transition.

SVEP1 is linked to numerous human diseases, though its disease-promoting mechanism has remained unclear. Here, the authors identify SVEP1 as a ligand for the orphan receptor PEAR1 and provide insight into the role of this interaction in cardiovascular disease.

Insights into TB heterogeneity are informing strategies for patient stratification and treatment shortening; this Perspective discusses the formidable challenge of treating this complex disease with strategies that can be implemented across global settings, for effective disease control.

Here, the authors show in a cohort of people with HIV, COVID mRNA vaccination is followed by a transient boost in a particular profile of HIV-specific T-cell responses and a corresponding decrease in residual HIV RNA – suggesting productive immune engagement with infected cells.

Organic aerosol particles are important to climate and human health but remain poorly characterized on account of their immense chemical complexity. Here, using both field and laboratory measurements of organic aerosol, we demonstrate the use of average carbon oxidation state for describing aerosol chemical properties and atmospheric transformations.

Mid-ocean ridges grow through tectonic and volcanic processes. Uranium-series dating of volcanic rocks at the ultraslow-spreading Southwest Indian Ridge reveals widely dispersed, young, off-axis volcanism that is spatially coincident with fault surfaces. Faults may therefore provide a mechanism for the wide dispersal of magma at ultraslow-spreading ridges.

Mothers advocate eating healthy foods while children like to eat tasty foods. Lim and colleagues demonstrate that children incorporate their mothers' food choices while deciding what to eat as well as provide the neural correlates of this decision making process.

The altitude bands between 16 km and 21 km are critical for steering and navigating high-altitude balloons across seasons and latitudes, according to an analysis of wind diversity metric and climate reanalysis data over 2020-2024 period.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) leads to selective loss of motor neurons. Using motor neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells from patients with ALS and FUS mutations, the authors demonstrate that axonal transport deficits that are observed in these cells can be rescued by HDAC6 inhibition.

The defining characteristic of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease is the progressive formation and enlargement of large numbers of renal cysts, which in most patients eventually leads to end-stage renal disease. In this Review, Bae and Grantham examine the evidence that supports a prognostic role for imaging-based measurements of volume and rate of enlargement of cysts and of whole kidneys for patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Including participants from 45 countries, Bago et al. find that the situational factors that affect moral reasoning are shared across countries, with diminished observed cultural variation.

Yardena Samuels and colleagues report the analysis of 501 melanoma exomes and the identification of RASA2 as a tumor-suppressor gene mutated in 5% of melanomas. RASA2 mutations led to increased RAS activation, and RASA2 loss was associated with shorter patient survival times.

The structure (at ∼7-nm resolution) of a complete flagellar motor obtained in situ by electron cryotomography of intact Treponema primitia cells is presented. The stator's 16-fold symmetry and its multiple connections to the rotor, C ring and a novel P-ring-like structure are described.

CRISPR-based engineering can be used to bias sex ratios. Here the authors develop a transgenic line of Drosophila melanogaster expressing Cas9 from the Y chromosome and functionally characterize the utility of this strain for both sex selection and gene drive.