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A new study from the eMERGE consortium provides insights on the development of a pipeline for the generation and reporting of polygenic risk scores for ten diseases to diverse populations in a clinical setting.

The evolutionary trajectory of avian sex chromosomes may be more intricate than previously understood. In this study, sequencing and analysis of the neo-sex chromosomes and genome of the Crested Ibis suggests a multidirectional evolution of sex chromosomes in core waterbirds.

Mitochondrial fission, performed by Drp1, is carefully regulated, particularly in neurons. Here, the authors examine Drosophila Cdk8/CDK19 function in mitochondrial fission and uncover a role phosphorylating Drp1 in the cytoplasm and show overexpression suppresses a Parkinson’s disease model.

Genome-wide association meta-analyses in populations of East Asian and European ancestries identify variant–trait associations for 44 hippocampal traits and provide insight into the genetic architectures of hippocampal and subfield volumes.

Yilingia spiciformis, a bilaterian dating to the Ediacaran period, is described from body fossils associated with trails produced by the animal, shedding light on the origins of segmentation and motility in bilaterian animals.

Layered thio- and seleno-phosphate ferroelectrics show promise for next-generation memory but have thermal stability issues. Using the electric field-driven phase transition in antiferroelectric CuCrP2S6, the authors introduce a robust memristor, emphasizing the potential of van der Waals antiferroelectrics in advanced neuromorphic computing.

Wei et al. identify the HDL receptor SR-B1 as a host factor that enhances infection of cultured cells with SARS-CoV-2 in the presence of ACE2, thus providing a possible molecular connection between lipoprotein metabolism and COVID-19.

Endothelial cells (ECs) and bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) support hematopoiesis and hematopoietic regeneration. Whether ECs are a source of BMSCs remains unclear. Here, using lineage tracing models the authors show that ECs are not a source of BMSCs during homeostasis and regeneration.

CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα) regulates myeloid differentiation, and its dysregulation contributes to acute myeloid leukaemia progress. Here the authors show that homodimer-mediated phosphorylation of C/EBPα-p42 modulates acute myeloid leukaemia cell differentiation by liquid-liquid phase separation.

Juvenile and adult skeletons of Middle Jurassic Krusatodon from the Isle of Skye, Scotland, show that this mouse-sized mammaliaform had longer development and lifespan than modern mammals of similar mass.

Pyroptosis, a gasdermin-mediated inflammatory cell death, could be harnessed therapeutically to improve response to cancer immunotherapy. Here the authors report the development of recombinant adeno-associated viruses to deliver the pore-forming N-terminal domain of gasdermin into cancer cells, promoting pyroptosis and anti-tumor immune responses in preclinical cancer models.

Gut microbiota has been reported to influence osteoporosis risk, but the individual species, and underlying mechanisms, remain largely unknown. Here, the authors identify Bacteroides vulgatus and serum valeric acid as potential targets for osteoporosis prevention/treatment.

Iron is transported from the ventral hippocampus to the medial prefrontal cortex unidirectionally in the brain via axonal projections. This transport is involved in mediating anxiety and the anxiolytic effects of diazepam.

Immunophenotyping of patients with COVID-19 is ongoing, but much remains to be learned. Here the authors analyze 41 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and show a higher degree of lymphopenia in various immune cell subsets as well as cytotoxicity and T cell inhibitory marker expression in severe cases compared with mild.

GWAS have identified more than 500 genetic loci associated with blood lipid levels. Here, the authors report a genome-wide analysis of interactions between genetic markers and physical activity, and find that physical activity modifies the effects of four genetic loci on HDL or LDL cholesterol.

Recently, there have been proposals to extend the concept of time crystals to topological order. Here the authors observe a prethermal topologically ordered time crystal on a superconducting quantum processor, where discrete time-translation symmetry breaking manifests for nonlocal rather than local observables.

How pulsed electrolysis impacts the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction remains unclear. Here, authors present a molecular-level picture on the complex interactions between cathode surfaces, adsorbates, and local reaction environment to elucidate the promotional effect of pulsed electrolysis.

Here, by performing multi-omics microbiome analyses in a cohort of children with new-onset T1D, the authors characterize altered microbial functional and metabolic traits involved in T1D, which they validate in animal experiments, together providing potential avenues for microbiome-based interventions.

A biosynthetic enzyme that mediates ligand-protein NOS chemistry allowing addition and decarboxylation alongside noncanonical FAD-dependent reactions to implement the N-formimidoylation/-iminoacetylation modification in aminoglycosides was uncovered.

J-aggregation, is an effective strategy to extend the wavelength of organic NIR-II fluorescence dyes but weak intermolecular interactions often lead to decomposition of the aggregates in biological environment. Here, the authors demonstrate a series of activatable quinazoline derivatives which can self-assemble in vivo into highly stable NIR-IIJ-aggregates.

Poxins or P26 have been identified as inhibitors of cGAS-STING mediated innate immunity. Here, the authors describe an independently evolved antiviral function of P26 in suppressing melanization, an insect immune response.

Maintaining food security by increasing smallholder production is a global sustainability concern. This study uses field trials on potatoes to demonstrate the positive impact of within-species diversification on yield, disease resistance and improved soil health.

The LKB1 signaling is differentially regulated and has distinct functions at different subcellular compartments. Tu et al reports that TBC1D23 specifically regulates Golgi-LKB1 signaling and link this pathway to neurodevelopment disorders.

The solution-phase irreversible synthesis of a two-dimensional polymer with excellent elastic modulus and yield strength is reported.

High-order optical nonlinearities are a key tool in photonics and quantum optics, but their use is hindered by materials’ small intrinsic high-order susceptibility. Here, the authors show how to realize high-order nonlinear processes by combining intrinsic low-order ones in a microcavity.

DNA data storage is a rapidly developing technology with great potential due to its high density, long-term durability, and low maintenance cost. Here the authors present a strand assembly algorithm (DBGPS) using de Bruijn graph and greedy path search.

Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS) show promise for facilitating cancer risk stratification. Here, the authors performed a large genome-wide association study and develop a PRS for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which could improve risk stratification and personalized screening.

Organ regeneration by transplantation of ESC/iPSC-derived tissues is a promising but still challenging approach. Here Lin et al. show that liver damage caused by a chemical insult induces not only fibrosis but also Lgr5⁺ cell expansion that can be further promoted by treatment with HGF/R-spondin1.

A small driving pressure is desirable for practical application of barocaloric materials. Here, the authors demonstrate a sensitive barocaloric effect in NH₄I due to strong reorientation-vibration coupling.

The honeycomb lattice with a spin-orbit interaction can give rise to exotic quantum states. With the measurements of bulk properties and inelastic neutron scattering, Lin et al demonstrate the existence of a field induced spin-disordered state in Na₂Co₂TeO₆ and extend the Kitaev model to 3d system.

Gut microbiota play pivotal roles in IBD. Here, Ning et al. use a multi-omics approach to characterize gut microbiota and metabolites alterations, and potential pathogenic bacteria associated with IBD, with the aim to help develop more precise biomarkers for IBD diagnosis and drug targets

It has been controversial whether female germline stem cells (FGSCs) are present in postnatal mammalian ovaries. Cells from a line derived from FGSCs isolated from adult mice that were transplanted into ovaries of infertile animals underwent oogenesis and generated offspring.

When did macroscopic, complex life forms first appear in the fossil record? This study presents spectacular fossils of seaweed-like forms from the approximately 600-million-year-old early Ediacaran of China, a time when the Earth had only just recovered from the worldwide Marinoan glaciation.

Personality traits differ across geographical regions, suggesting a role for environmental factors. Wei, Lu, and colleagues show an association between regional ambient temperature and personality in two large studies conducted in China and the United States.

A 'pseudotribosphenic' mammal from the Middle Jurassic whose teeth have a very advanced morphology for mammals of such an early date compared with the primitive nature of the rest of its body, is described. The find confirms the previously unexpected diversity of the most ancient mammals, as the same fossil beds (in Inner Mongolia) had previously revealed remains of a beaver-like swimming mammal.

An energy-efficient physical reservoir is crucial for reservoir computing (RC). Here the authors demonstrate an all-electric skyrmion-enhanced strain-mediated physical RC system and achieve a benchmark chaotic time series prediction.

The water-to-land transition of vertebrates is a landmark event in evolutionary history. This work utilizes single-cell RNA sequencing to explore the adaptations in African lungfish lungs and gills to terrestrialization.