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CSF total tau (t-tau), often used as a marker of neuronal damage, is more strongly linked to synaptic degeneration. Here, the authors show that t-tau better reflects synaptic dysfunction than axonal or neuronal loss in Alzheimer’s disease.

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.

This meta-analysis finds that planting nitrogen-fixing species increases soil carbon compared with non-nitrogen-fixing species. Using nitrogen-fixing species for forestation, agriculture and land regeneration might therefore offer a nature-based solution to mitigate climate change.

Sixteen months become a springboard to a panoramic view of the twentieth century, thanks to Michael Gordin’s elegant prose. By Pedro Ferreira.

This study shows that glial reactivity is linked to synaptic dysfunction in aging and Alzheimer’s disease, with tau pathology mediating these effects–highlighting the potential of synaptic biomarkers track disease progression.

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.

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.

A host–protist interaction regulates mucosal immunity to promote parasitism which also reduces the risk of inflammatory-driven pathologies of the gut.

Polygenic scores for body mass index and obesity constructed using data from 5 million people with different ancestries were associated with distinct weight gain trajectories from early childhood to adulthood.

The quark structure of the f₀(980) hadron is still unknown after 50 years of its discovery. Here, the CMS Collaboration reports a measurement of the elliptic flow of the f₀(980) state in proton-lead collisions at a nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energy of 8.16 TeV, providing strong evidence that the state is an ordinary meson.

Authors analyzed a large dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine (DHA-PPQ) repetitive treatment efficacy trial including a 2-year follow-up period, monitoring the evolution of the protective effect of this antimalarial over time.

The receptor-like kinase NIK1 is phosphorylated in response to multiple biotic and abiotic signals, activating the NIK1/RPL10/LIMYB signaling circuit, which coordinately regulates translation and photosynthesis in response to environmental changes.

Moreno-Loaiza et al. found that interleukin-1β, acting upon cardiac resident macrophages, promotes atrial fibrillation in mice, and this mechanism may represent a common pathway connecting various risk factors to this arrhythmia.

HistoPlexer, a deep learning model, generates multiplexed protein expression maps from H&E images, capturing tumour–immune cell interactions. It outperforms baselines, enhances immune subtyping and survival prediction and offers a cost-effective tool for precision oncology.

Pedro Ferreira explores Alan Lightman's latest novel — a magical-reality take on the origins of the Universe.

Pedro Ferreira looks back at how Einstein himself and a panoply of other physicists have framed the theory.

Pedro Ferreira ponders a vision of the Universe in which time is paramount.

Pedro Ferreira is inspired by a treasury of recollections of physicist Bryce DeWitt by his widow Cécile.

In the Tumor Profiler proof-of-concept observational study, a multiomics approach for profiling tumors from patients with melanoma was feasible, returning data within 4 weeks and informing treatment recommendations in 75% of cases.

Here, Pessenda et al show that during visceral leishmaniasis, Kupffer cells relocate outside of the liver sinusoids to form granulomas which contain CLEC4F⁻ KCs and monocyte-derived macrophages essential for effective parasite control.

Analysis of HbA1c and FPG levels across 117 population-based studies demonstrates regional variation in prevalence of previously undiagnosed screen-detected diabetes using one or both measures and suggests that use of elevated FPG alone could underestimate diabetes prevalence in low- and middle-income countries.

An analysis of viral genomes and epidemiological data from the 2022 mpox outbreak in Portugal sheds light on the heterogeneity of early transmission events, with national and international linkages.

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.

Ferroptosis begins with phospholipid peroxidation, leading to membrane damage rupture and cell death. Although research has surged, the intracellular site for ferroptosis initiation remains uncertain. A study now identifies endoplasmic reticulum–mitochondria appositions as key hubs for phospholipid peroxides and important determinants of ferroptosis sensitivity.

Here the authors screen different lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations for intramuscular delivery of plasmid DNA and uptake by antigen-presenting cells. The lead LNP exhibits immunogenicity and protection in small animal models that is comparable to approved SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine formulations.

Wastewater treatment plants are important reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Here, the authors analyze ARGs in a global collection of samples from wastewater treatment plants across six continents, providing insights into biotic and abiotic mechanisms that appear to control ARG diversity and distribution.

Ferreira, M et al. investigate the cortical response to visual function restoration in 10 patients with RPE65-RD treated with voretigene neparvovec using psychophysical and neuroimaging methods. The authors found significant improvements in light sensitivity and neural response under low luminance conditions, particularly in the right hemisphere.

Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) is a premature aging disease and smooth muscle cells are the most affected cells in HGPS individuals. Here, the authors report a microfluidics platform with HGPS induced pluripotent stem cells and show that inhibition of metalloprotease 13 may reduce smooth muscle cell loss.

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.

91% of Brazil’s garimpo activity is in the Amazon, where almost 40% of them are five years old or younger. This paper finds in 2022, 77% of the detected garimpos showed explicit signs of illegality.

Medical imaging research is limited by data availability. To address this challenge, Tudosiu and colleagues develop a 3D generative model of the human brain that can generate high-resolution morphologically correct brains conditioned on patient characteristics.

Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of tau pathology in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease reveal that tau tangles accumulate as a function of amyloid-β burden only in individuals positive for an astrocyte reactivity biomarker.

Chikungunya virus is endemic in Brazil and cases have been rapidly increasing in recent years. Here, the authors describe the expansion of a genomic surveillance program across the country allowing them to characterise the emergence and dispersal of two distinct subclades mainly seeded from the north eastern region.

A large genome-wide association study of more than 5 million individuals reveals that 12,111 single-nucleotide polymorphisms account for nearly all the heritability of height attributable to common genetic variants.

Proferroptotic activity of 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase is shown along with an unexpected prosurvival function of its substrate, 7-dehydrocholesterol, indicating a cell-intrinsic mechanism that could be used by cancer cells to protect phospholipids from oxidative damage and escape ferroptosis.

Staphylococci are spherical bacteria that divide in sequential orthogonal planes. Here, the authors use super-resolution microscopy to show that staphylococcal cells elongate before dividing, and that the division septum generates less than one hemisphere of each daughter cell, generating asymmetry.

Emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 raise concerns about vaccine efficiency. Here, the authors present a post-hoc analysis for the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) vaccine trial in Brazil and provide efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 caused by the Zeta (P.2) and other variants.

Whole-genome sequencing, transcriptome-wide association and fine-mapping analyses in over 7,000 individuals with critical COVID-19 are used to identify 16 independent variants that are associated with severe illness in COVID-19.

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.

Combined in silico and in vitro approaches reveal that the co-chaperone STIP1 supports pluripotent stem cell identity, proliferation, and stress resilience, highlighting proteostasis as a key mechanism during early development.