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Metamaterials can be designed with anisotropy, which tailors their optical properties to enable interesting functionalities. Here, the anisotropy of a Maltese-cross metamaterial is actively controlled by an actuator, allowing for tunable birefringence and dichroism in the terahertz frequency region.

Understanding the mechanisms of block copolymer crystallization is fundamentally important. Here the authors investigated the crystallization behavior from a miscible melt of a polymeric material composed of five potentially crystallizable and biocompatible, chemically distinct blocks.

Archaeological discoveries from Malta suggest that humans were present on the Maltese islands from around 8,500 years ago, providing evidence that Mesolithic hunter-gatherers made sea crossings as long as 100 km.

Sjaak Philipsen and colleagues report that haploinsufficiency for KLF1 causes hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin in a large Maltese family. They further show that KLF1 is a key activator of BCL11A, which suppresses the expression of fetal hemoglobin.

Genomic studies of canine tumours have been done for individual cancer types or dog breeds. Here the authors analyse canine tumour genomics data across multiple breeds and cancer types, finding that mutational burden is associated with TP53 mutations and that Golden Retrievers are enriched for particular signatures.

The orientational order of nematic liquid crystals is a property that is controllable by external parameters such as electromagnetic fields and pressure gradients. Lavrentovich and co-workers demonstrate that thermal expansion can also induce orientational order that results in a flow of the liquid crystals.

Ancient DNA analysis of early European farmers has found a high level of genetic affinity with present-day Sardinians. Here, the authors generate genome-wide capture data for 70 individuals from Sardinia spanning the Middle Neolithic to Medieval period to reveal relationships with mainland European populations shifting over time.

Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome is a genetically determined encephalopathy that is associated with an increased production of interferon alpha, which in turn is central to the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus. Yanick Crow and colleagues now identify homozygous mutations in an interferon-inducible nuclear gene encoding SAMHD1 in AGS-affected individuals across several pedigrees and characterize its function in modulating an innate immune response.

The challenge of simultaneously manipulating multiple degrees of freedom of light is central to photonics due to its wide range of applications. Pan et al. introduce an approach using ferroelectric nematic fluids to achieve nonlinear wavefront shaping, offering reconfigurable control over structured light fields for advanced photonic applications.

Lipoproteins are major cell-surface components in archaea, but their functions and the lipidation mechanisms are unclear. Here, Hong et al. identify two proteins required for attachment of proteins to unique archaeal membrane lipids via thioether bonds, and demonstrate their importance in archaeal physiology.

Assembling synthetic plant cell is difficult due to the presence of primary cell wall. Here, the authors describe the assembly of lipid-containing bodies that can be coated with cellulose and pectin, and show how these so-called plantosomes can be manipulated by changing surrounding milieu.

Across 27 countries, Većkalov and Geiger et al. find that scientific consensus messaging on climate change is an effective, non-polarizing tool for changing misperceptions, beliefs and worry but not support for public action.

Structures of the acetohydroxyacid synthase complexes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Arabidopsis thaliana provide insights into the biosynthesis of and feedback inhibition by branched-chain amino acids.

Analyses of ancient human DNA show that cultural and political transformations in Central Europe during the second half of the first millennium ce were associated with movements of Slavic populations into Germany, Poland and Croatia.

Dumesnil et al. report that cholesterol esters (CE), which only melt above body temperature, form supercooled liquid crystalline lipid droplets (LD). Triacylglycerols (TG) solubilize CE to help CE LD nucleation. Through clustering TGs in the ER membrane, seipin controls CE LD nucleation sites.

In this work, authors demonstrate reversible vertical alignment of Ti₃C₂T_x MXene sheets induced by an applied in-plane electric field. Further modulation of the field can achieve programmed patterns onto various electrode substrates.

The domestic dog is an important model organism for our understanding of cancer and other diseases. Here the authors conduct a genome-wide association study across multiple breeds and identify novel loci significantly associated with several complex diseases and morphological traits.

Multicompartment micelles can be assembled from block copolymers but it is difficult to manipulate their hierarchical superstructures using straightforward concepts. Here, methods are developed that involve the pre-assembly of subunits for the structurally controlled production of micelles.

There is evidence that disordered proteins play a role in the mineralization process. Here, the authors report on the development of elastin-like recombinant protein membranes using disordered-ordered interplay to investigate and guide mineralization.

Introducing organic guests to a crystal is a convenient way to tailor its properties. Here, the authors occlude fluorescent dyes within calcite to reveal that additives can occupy distinct zones of a crystal, and strategically embed green, blue, and red dyes to create white fluorescent calcite.

Materials that can generate physical unclonable functions (PUF) are needed for anti-counterfeiting applications. Here, self-assembly of liquid crystals with ionic liquids in a gelatin matrix is used to generate biodegradable optical PUF tags.

The morphology of PLLA/PBA crystalline/crystalline system reveals abundant morphologies in different crystallization condition. Neat PLLA and PBA usually show Maltese-cross spherulites. However, banded spherulites and branched structures of blends formed in high-temperature region in this work. In addition, fragments morphology is discovered in low-temperature region. These different morphologies are related to the changes of crystallization environment caused by crystalline/crystalline blending.

PEDOT:PSS is a conductive polymer with potential as electrodes in flexible electronics, but conductivity is not always satisfactory. Here, the authors report the use of dodecyl sulfate in place of polystyrene sulfonate to prepare a durable and conductive film with large crystal domains.

Initial diagnosis of insulinoma requires demonstration of inappropriately elevated insulin levels and concurrent hypoglycemia in the absence of administration of exogenous insulin or sulphonylureas. This article presents the case of a patient with insulinoma, who presented with hypoglycemia without coinciding evident hyperinsulinemia according to current guidelines. The article details current diagnostic criteria and highlights the role of clinical judgment in the investigation and management of cases, which do not conform to an expected pattern.