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Neutron stars comprise the densest form of matter known to exist in our Universe, but their composition and properties are uncertain. Measurements of their masses and radii can constrain theoretical predictions of their composition, but so far it has not been possible to rule out many predictions of 'exotic' non-nucleonic components. Here, radio timing observations of the binary millisecond pulsar J1614-2230 are presented, allowing almost all currently proposed hyperon or boson condensate equations of state to be ruled out.

Recent observations of missing odd Shapiro steps have been interpreted in the context of topological superconductivity. Here, the authors observe missing odd Shapiro steps in topologically trivial Josephson junctions due to high transparency of the junctions, calling for caution in relationship to topological superconductivity.

Cromartie et al. have probably found the most massive neutron star discovered so far by combining NANOGrav 12.5-yr data with radio data from the Green Bank Telescope. Millisecond pulsar J0740+6620 has a mass of 2.14 M_⊙, ~0.1 M_⊙ more massive than the previous record holder, and very close to the upper limit on neutron star masses from Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory measurements.

Here, the authors demonstrate increased global lactylation levels and in the joints of rheumatoid arthritis patients. NFATc2 is identified as a key target gene regulated by histone H3 lysine 9 lactylation that exacerbates disease progression by enhancing the cartilage invasive function of fibroblast-like synoviocytes.

Here the authors use sex-stratified genetic analyses in mice and humans to uncover hidden trait influences, revealing many undetected loci and cautioning against misleading genetic interactions from widespread effects.

Desmosomes are adhesive junctions in tension prone tissues. Here, the authors show that cytoskeletal forces alter the conformation of desmoplakin, a key desmosomal protein, and propose this may enable the desmosome to sense and respond to mechanical stimuli.

Mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to septic cardiomyopathy and poor outcomes. Here, the authors identify a cardiomyocyte-enriched non-coding RNA that preserves mitochondrial function and reduces mortality in septic mice by preventing citrate synthase acetylation.

Adherent-invasive strains of E. coli are commonly isolated from patients with Crohn’s disease. Here, the authors show that an AIEC harbours a hybrid Type IV secretion system (T4SS) that mediates pilin polymerization and biofilm formation in vivo.

Activity in a set of parabranchial neurons in the mouse brain is increased during chronic pain, predicts coping behaviour, and can be modulated by circuits activated by survival threats.

Giardini et al. present an imaging method that combines quantitative measurements of cardiac electrophysiology with high-resolution three-dimensional structural reconstructions, enabling the detection of arrhythmogenic electrical coupling between cardiomyocytes and non-myocytes in murine hearts.

Exercise promotes recovery after stroke, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here, the authors show that regulatory T cells enable exercise-induced repair by reducing neuronal hyperexcitability via interleukin-10, linking immunity to functional regeneration.

White adipose tissue (WAT) dysfunction leads to ageing-related metabolic disorders. Here, the authors show that the FMO3-TMAO axis in adipocytes induces senescence and inflammation in WAT microenvironment via NLRP3 inflammasome, leading to systemic glucose, lipid, and energy dysregulation in ageing

Infant KMT2A-rearranged acute lymphoblastic leukemia is associated with poor overall survival rates. Here, the authors use WGS and WES of 36 relapsed KMT2A-rearranged ALL and AML patients and find alterations in drug response genes in ALL, which may correspond with relapse time. Longitudinal analyses of >250 samples could track residual leukemia cells, clonal drug responses, and the upcoming relapse.

Rakesh et al. used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development cohort study to evaluate the relationship between state-level income inequality, brain structure and function, and mental health in young people.

Josephson junctions are used for SQUIDs, voltage standards, and superconducting qubits. These applications are located at one corner of the device parameter space. Here, the authors shed light on the other corner and show the quantized current of Josephson junctions — dual to the quantized voltage.

Achieving optimal glycemic control remains challenging for most adults with type 1 diabetes using multiple daily injections. Here, the authors show that a decision support system for insulin dose optimisation improves HbA1c in this population.

In this study, the authors use a maternal infection mouse model to show that Zika virus infection during pregnancy reshapes offspring immunity in a sex-specific manner, weakening neutrophil defenses and heightening vulnerability to infections and inflammation later in life.

Adult stem cells often reside in specialized niches that they exit upon injury. Here they show that in Drosophila, after damage the gut-associated trachea produces the PDGF-VEGF-related ligand Pvf1, which acts as a guidance cue directing ISC migration toward injury sites.

Direct observation of the physical dual a.c. Josephson effect, a series of quantized current steps in a superconducting nanowire, is reported and may offer a way to establish new metrological standards for currents.

Retinitis pigmentosa leads to blindness and treatments are limited. Here, the authors report injectable donor-acceptor polymers and graphene oxide that restore visual response and perception in rodent and pig models.

CAR-T cells engineered with αPD-L1–IL-12 fusion proteins show antitumour activity in mouse models of prostate and ovarian cancer.

A material weakly linking two superconductors may itself exhibit superconductivity whilst its material properties strongly influence the nature of the supercurrent. Here, the authors identify a supercurrent with p-wave symmetry in such a Josephson junction made of topologically non-trivial material.

The transcriptional regulation of oligodendrocytes has an essential role in myelin formation and maintenance. Here, the authors identify the transcription factor Tfii-i as a regulator of myelin genes expression in the nervous system and show that its loss enhances myelin thickness and nerve conduction.

Antibiotics and nutritional stresses can inactivate Pseudomonas aeruginosa efflux pump mexEFoprN. Here, the authors demonstrate that the inactivation of this efflux pump impacts quorum sensing mediated virulence in P. aeruginosa clinical isolates.

The precise role of the spinal cord in copulatory behavior remains not fully understood. Here, authors identify a population of spinal galanin-expressing neurons that regulate sexual arousal and mating in male mice, revealing a broader role for spinal circuits in copulation than previously acknowledged.

Superconductivity is induced in an accidental Dirac semimetal via the proximity effect.

Crowded epithelial cells with the least energy and membrane potential are selected for extrusion.

Basal cells, rather than neuroendocrine cells, have been identified as the probable origin of small cell lung cancer and other neuroendocrine–tuft cancers, explaining neuroendocrine–tuft heterogeneity and offering new perspectives for targeting lineage plasticity.

The functional organization of the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) for guiding eye movements has remained unknown. Here, the authors use functional ultrasound neuroimaging to reveal small, tuned clusters in PPC that reliably encode where we look over months to years.

Glutamatergic and GABAergic (γ-aminobutyric acid-producing) cortical neuronal activity drives proliferation of small lung cell cancer via paracrine interactions and through synapses formed with tumour cells.

Nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization is an effective pathway to increase soil carbon sequestration through microbial necromass accumulation and plant-derived carbon inputs, as shown by a 180-year soil fertilization experiment, ¹⁴C labelling, metagenomics and metabolomics.

The principal layer architecture of the sensory cortex is altered with aging. The authors show that overall thinning of the primary somatosensory cortex is driven by deep layer degeneration but that layer IV is more pronounced in old age.

Seismological and geodetic data are used together with a machine learning earthquake catalogue to reconstruct magma migration before and during the 2025 volcano–tectonic crisis at Santorini volcano, indicating a coupling between Santorini and Kolumbo.

Here, the authors identify the microbiota-derived corisin as a driver of diabetic kidney fibrosis via cellular aging and show that targeting corisin with a monoclonal antibody alleviates disease in mice, suggesting a potential therapeutic avenue.

Studies in mice show that acute stress activates hyperglycaemia via activation of a medial amygdala–ventral hypothalamic circuit that controls glucose metabolic responses in the liver, independently of adrenal and pancreatic hormones.

Inflammation resolution failure is a pathological hallmark of spinal cord injury. Here, the authors show in rodents that chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans contribute to failed resolution by preventing immune cells at the injury core from converting to a pro-resolution phenotype, and this is mediated by TLR4.

Chen et al. show that PEX39 cooperates with PEX7 in the peroxisomal import of proteins containing a PTS2 site and uncover an (R/K)PWE motif in PEX39 and PEX13 that binds to PEX7 and facilitates the import of PTS2-containing proteins.

Flow limitation is exploited to develop a microfluidic device exhibiting flow–pressure behaviour analogous to the current–voltage characteristics of an electronic transistor.

Here, the authors show that high alpha diversity, differences in beta diversity, and a high abundance of Bacteroides in the gut microbiome are associated with positive vaccine take and stool shedding following administration of RV3-BB vaccine in the neonatal schedule, but not in the infant schedule or placebo groups, suggesting that the early-life gut microbiome provides a gut environment that optimizes the potential for a positive vaccine response.

Augmin is essential for microtubule nucleation during cell division. This study reveals how the conserved calponin homology domain of the augmin subunit HAUS6 binds to microtubules to orient augmin for microtubule branching.

Targeted delivery to the lower regions of the lung is necessary for the treatment of parenchymal lung injury and disease but is challenging. Here, the authors develop an mRNA delivery platform to treat acute lung injury in mice and demonstrate that it can reach the lower regions of the lung.

A flexible AI framework integrates multimodal neurology work-up data to estimate amyloid and tau burden, supporting scalable biomarker stratification for Alzheimer’s disease research and trial screening.