Search

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides with peculiar spin–orbit coupling may lead to exotic phenomena. Here, the authors report a large in-plane upper critical field with a two-fold symmetry, suggesting a novel asymmetric spin–orbit coupling in few-layer 1T_d-MoTe₂.

Whole-genome sequencing data from more than 2,500 cancers of 38 tumour types reveal 16 signatures that can be used to classify somatic structural variants, highlighting the diversity of genomic rearrangements in cancer.

Helical Dirac fermion states that emerge at the surface of topological insulators support a variety of exotic physical phenomena, but they disappear when a topological insulator becomes too thin. Wang et al.show that these states are recovered when ultrathin films are interfaced together.

The prevalence of N⁶-adenine DNA methylation in mammals was previously unknown; this study reveals that N⁶-methyladenine can be found in mouse embryonic stem cells, especially at subfamilies of young (<1.5 million years old) LINE-1 transposons.

Diverse macrophage subsets are found in adipose tissue where they regulate its physiology. Here, the authors used single-cell RNA sequencing to analyse the effect of post-prandial lipids on adipose tissue macrophages and identify Tim4 as a regulator of ABCA1⁺ macrophage function and post-prandial cholesterol transport.

Triggering and sustaining fusion reactions — with the goal of overall energy production — in a tokamak plasma requires efficient heating. Radio-frequency heating of a three-ion plasma is now experimentally shown to be a potentially viable technique.

The ATLAS Collaboration reports a measurement of the ratio of the decay rates of W bosons to τ leptons and muons, in agreement with universal lepton couplings as postulated in the standard model of particle physics.

A temporally asymmetric synaptic plasticity kernel results from bidirectional modifications of synaptic weights around the induction of a place field.

The QT interval is a heritable electrocardiographic measure associated with arrhythmia risk when prolonged. Here, the authors used a series of genetic analyses to identify genetic loci, pathways, therapeutic targets, and relationships with cardiovascular disease.

The most up-to-date combination of results on the properties of the Higgs boson is reported, which indicate that its properties are consistent with the standard model predictions, within the precision achieved to date.

The characterization of 4,645 whole-genome and 19,184 exome sequences, covering most types of cancer, identifies 81 single-base substitution, doublet-base substitution and small-insertion-and-deletion mutational signatures, providing a systematic overview of the mutational processes that contribute to cancer development.

Sun et al. report human lifespan changes in the brain’s functional connectome in 33,250 individuals, which highlights critical growth milestones and distinct maturation patterns and offers a normative reference for development, aging and diseases.

Age related accumulation of adipocytes in the bone marrow could alter normal and leukemic haematopoiesis. Here, in fatty bone marrow (FBM) preclinical models, the authors show that inflammatory cytokines increased in the FBM, such as IL-6, promote DNMT3a driven clonal hematopoiesis.

The flagship paper of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes Consortium describes the generation of the integrative analyses of 2,658 cancer whole genomes and their matching normal tissues across 38 tumour types, the structures for international data sharing and standardized analyses, and the main scientific findings from across the consortium studies.

Multi-omics datasets pose major challenges to data interpretation and hypothesis generation owing to their high-dimensional molecular profiles. Here, the authors develop ActivePathways method, which uses data fusion techniques for integrative pathway analysis of multi-omics data and candidate gene discovery.

There’s an emerging body of evidence to show how biological sex impacts cancer incidence, treatment and underlying biology. Here, using a large pan-cancer dataset, the authors further highlight how sex differences shape the cancer genome.

Cancers evolve as they progress under differing selective pressures. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, the authors present the method TrackSig the estimates evolutionary trajectories of somatic mutational processes from single bulk tumour data.

The microscopic structure of quantum defects in 2D materials is crucial to understand their optical properties and spin-photon interface. Here, the authors report the direct imaging of charge state-dependent symmetry breaking of sulfur vacancies and rhenium dopants in 2D MoS₂, showing evidence of a Jahn-Teller effect.

Multi-modal analysis is used to generate a 3D atlas of the upper limb area of the mouse primary motor cortex, providing a framework for future studies of motor control circuitry.

MKL1 is a key transcriptional co-activator of actin cytoskeleton genes. Here the authors show that MKL1 activation in somatic cells reduces chromatin accessibility and hinders full reprogramming to pluripotency. Reduction of MKL1, disruption of actin cytoskeleton and its links to the nucleus relieve this repression.

The existence and properties of tetraquark states with two heavy quarks and two light antiquarks have been widely debated. Here, the authors use a unitarized model to study the properties of an exotic narrow state compatible with a doubly charmed tetraquark.

The generation of ultrashort X-ray pulses with a peak power exceeding 100 GW offers new opportunities for studying electron dynamics with nonlinear spectroscopy and single-particle imaging.

Using spin-entangled baryon–antibaryon pairs, the BESIII Collaboration reports on high-precision measurements of potential charge conjugation and parity (CP)-symmetry-violating effects in hadrons.

Many tumours exhibit hypoxia (low oxygen) and hypoxic tumours often respond poorly to therapy. Here, the authors quantify hypoxia in 1188 tumours from 27 cancer types, showing elevated hypoxia links to increased mutational load, directing evolutionary trajectories.

Fine-scale geospatial mapping of overweight and wasting (two components of the double burden of malnutrition) in 105 LMICs shows that overweight has increased from 5.2% in 2000 to 6.0% in children under 5 in 2017. Although overall wasting decreased over the same period, most countries are not on track to meet the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target of <5% in over half of LMICs by 2025.

Dysregulated protein degradation drives diseases like cancer. Here, authors use protein language models to design target-binding peptides, which are subsequently attached to the catalytic domain of the OTUB1 deubiquitinase, generating “deubiquibodies” (duAbs). duAbs restore tumor suppressors and fusion oncoproteins, offering a programmable strategy for protein stabilization.

The ASAP4 family of genetically encoded voltage indicators allows recording of action potentials and subthreshold activity with either one- or two-photon microscopy over extended periods of time.

Duy and Weise et al. combined human functional integrative genomics with mouse experimental biology to reveal a neuroprogenitor-based genetic subtype of human hydrocephalus with defective neurogenesis and altered brain–fluid biomechanics.

Low-dielectric-constant (k < 2) materials are needed to reduce crosstalk, delay and power consumption in microelectronic circuits. Here, the authors report the growth of low-k 2D fluoride-rich polymer thin films, showing good mechanical properties and their application for the realization of 2D MoS₂ transistors with improved performance.

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.

Killing bacteria in tumors boosts survival in a mouse model of colon cancer.

A South China Sea expedition in 2021 identified a 3.5-km-deep site close to the Equator for a next-generation neutrino telescope: TRIDENT. A large array of advanced detectors will be arrayed on the seabed to probe fundamental physics and explore the extreme Universe.

Twenty-four X-ray bursts from a Galactic magnetar simultaneously observed with NICER and Fermi permit a direct comparison to a later X-ray burst that was coincident with a fast radio burst (FRB). The FRB-related burst is spectrally distinct, pointing to an unusual point of emission.

A Type II Weyl fermion semimetal has been predicted in Mo_xW_1−xTe₂, but it awaits experimental evidence. Here, Belopolski et al. observe a topological Fermi arc in Mo_xW_1−xTe₂, showing it originates from a Type II Weyl fermion and offering a new platform to study novel transport phenomena in Weyl semimetals.

Using more than 300 serum samples from individuals with an age range of 1-88 years old, the authors here show that older adults possess higher breadth of antibody reactivity to avian influenza virus (AIV) neuraminidases, potentially explaining the age-specific risks of AIV human infections.

Viral pathogen load in cancer genomes is estimated through analysis of sequencing data from 2,656 tumors across 35 cancer types using multiple pathogen-detection pipelines, identifying viruses in 382 genomic and 68 transcriptome datasets.

Molten-salt-assisted chemical vapour deposition is used to synthesize a wide variety of two-dimensional transition-metal chalcogenides.

Analyses of single-cell transcriptomic data from patients with VEXAS syndrome combined with xenotransplantation experiments in a mouse model of the disease provide insights on the mechanisms of clonal dominance of mutated cells leading to bone marrow failure

Some cancer patients first present with metastases where the location of the primary is unidentified; these are difficult to treat. In this study, using machine learning, the authors develop a method to determine the tissue of origin of a cancer based on whole sequencing data.

Multi-ancestry meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies for self-reported physical activity during leisure time, leisure screen time, sedentary commuting and sedentary behavior at work identify 99 loci associated with at least one of these traits.

A multi-ancestry genome-wide association study for age at menarche followed by fine mapping and downstream analysis implicates 665 pubertal timing genes, such as the G-protein-coupled receptor 83 (GPR83) and other genes expressed in the ovaries involved in the DNA damage response.

Samples of different body regions from hundreds of human donors are used to study how genetic variation influences gene expression levels in 44 disease-relevant tissues.

The product selectivity of photocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction from carbon monoxide to methane is determined by the active center from metal to sulfur site in metal sulfides. Non-metal sulfur in CuInSnS4 octahedral nanocrystal acts as carbon dioxide activation center for switching selectivity to methane.

Tumors escape the immune system through many mechanisms. Here the authors show that certain tumors inhibit anti-tumor immunity by stopping the production of conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) in the bone marrow, therefore depleting the pool of cDCs available to present antigen to CD8⁺ T cells.

In somatic cells the mechanisms maintaining the chromosome ends are normally inactivated; however, cancer cells can re-activate these pathways to support continuous growth. Here, the authors characterize the telomeric landscapes across tumour types and identify genomic alterations associated with different telomere maintenance mechanisms.

3D heterostructures offer properties that are inaccessible in bulk single-phase solids, but synthetic approaches are limited. The authors use mechanochemical reshuffling of binary precursors and subsequent annealing to design structurally aligned misfit heterostructures with well-defined atomic arrangements.