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McDiarmid and colleagues show that psychologists update their beliefs about effect sizes after learning about new evidence from replication studies, although not as much as predicted by a rational Bayesian model.

Analysis of 20 chemical and morphological plant traits at diverse sites across 6 continents shows that the transition from semi-arid to arid zones is associated with an unexpected 88% increase in trait diversity.

Designing efficient blue perovskite LEDs by using mixed halides perovskite is still a challenge, limited mainly by the phase segregation issue. Here, the authors demonstrate in situ fabrication of quasi-2D CsPbClBr2 nanocrystal films with mixed ligands to overcome the constraint.

Genome-wide association meta-analysis of AAA identifies 121 independent risk loci and highlights potential therapeutic targets such as proprotein convertase, subtilisin/kexin-type 9 (PCSK9).

The genomic landscape of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains to be comprehensively characterised. Here, whole genome sequencing of 778 ccRCC patients enrolled in the 100,000 Genomes Project was used to identify potential drivers and clinical correlations to inform the development of therapies.

A machine learning algorithm implemented on a quantum annealer—a D-Wave machine with 1,098 superconducting qubits—is used to identify Higgs-boson decays from background standard-model processes.

Physical reservoir computing systems often possess a single set of internal dynamics, limiting their computational capabilities. Here, Stenning et. al. create hierarchical neural networks with distinct physical reservoirs, enabling diverse computational performance and learning of small datasets.

Oceanic lithosphere contains a record of plate-spreading rates, but the oldest oceanic plates have been subducted into the mantle. Measurements of seismic wave velocities in the subducted part of the Cocos Plate beneath central Mexico reveal an anisotropy that was created when the plate formed, preserving an archive of ancient plate-spreading rates on Earth.

Microsatellite instability (MSI) due to alterations in DNA repair genes leads to carcinogenesis, but it also correlates with better prognosis and therapy response. Little is known of the contribution of altered noncoding sequences to MSI tumorigenesis. This report identifies a deletion in an MSI intronic region leading to the expression of a truncated chaperone, which shows dominant-negative effects on its wild-type counterpart. Acting as an endogenous inhibitor of a protumorigenic chaperone, the expression of the truncated variant associates with better prognosis in humans and may contribute to the overall limited malignancy of MSI tumors.

Temperature jump technique is widely used to probe the fast dynamics of protein and DNA folding, but constrained to modest temperature control. Here, the authors use a microfluidic device combined with an infrared laser to heat or cool DNA hairpins up to 70 °C on a microsecond time scale.

Mirror-image phage display has the potential for high-throughput generation of biologically stable macrocyclic D-peptide binders but is hindered by the optimization required for D-protein chemical synthesis. Here, the authors report a general mirror-image phage display pipeline based on automated flow peptide synthesis and use it to prepare and characterize 12 L/D-protein pairs.

We describe a human DNA methylome atlas based on deep whole-genome bisulfite sequencing, allowing fragment-level analysis of cell-type-specific markers and providing an essential resource for studies of gene regulation and for deconvolution of cell mixtures and liquid biopsies.

Commercially viable catalytic CO₂ electroreduction to CO would enable many green technologies, yet it is impeded by the initial hydrogenation step of CO₂. Here, the authors report Ni-Cd dual atom catalysts with complementary properties of favorable adsorption of CO₂ and H to overcome this barrier.

Benchmarking of tumor subclonal reconstruction algorithms finds that interalgorithm variability overwhelms intertumor variability and identifies key quality metrics.

The severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection varied over the course of the pandemic due to factors such as changes in variant characteristics and population immunity from previous infection or vaccination. Here, the authors estimate infection hospitalisation and infection fatality rates in England over time from the start of the pandemic until March 2023.

Strongly correlated insulating Mott and generalized Wigner phases are detected in WSe₂/WS₂ moiré superlattices, and their electrical properties and excited spin states are studied using an optical technique.

Repeated evolution provides valuable insight into adaptation. In this study, the authors found that repeated evolution of cave-adapted phenotypes of a fish (Astyanax mexicanus) was driven by selection on standing genetic variation and novel mutations and genes repeatedly under selection are longer compared to the rest of the genome.

Stark spectroscopy of molecules in liquid solutions was once challenging due to orientation effects, solved by freezing but limiting ambient studies. Now, THz Stark spectroscopy with intense terahertz pulses enables dynamic analysis of molecules in both non-polar and polar solvents at any temperature, advancing conventional methods.

A de novo-designed protein that precisely assembles a chlorophyll dimer has been developed. The design matches the conformation of the native ‘special pair’ of chlorophylls that functions as the primary electron donor in natural photosynthetic reaction centers. In the designed protein, excitonically coupled chlorophylls participate in energy transfer. The proteins were also redesigned to assemble into 24-chlorophyll nanocages.

The conversion of a soluble protein into polymeric amyloid structures is poorly understood. Here the authors report that the tumor suppressor protein p16^INK4a changes its structure upon oxidation to form aggregated amyloid fibrils, which are fully reversible upon disulfide bond reduction.

UNC5B is a Netrin-1 receptor expressed in endothelial cells that in the absence of ligand induces apoptosis. Here the authors identify an UNC5B splicing isoform that is insensitive to the pro-survival ligand Netrin-1 and is required for apoptosis-dependent blood vessel development.

Cross-neutralization assays of early variants and the 501Y.V2 variant of SARS-CoV-2 show that plasma from individuals infected with 501Y.V2 effectively neutralizes all variants, indicating that a vaccine that targets 501Y.V2 may also be effective against other SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Factors controlling release of loaded cargo from polycationic gene delivery vectors are still poorly understood. Here, the authors report on a study of mechanisms of RNA release, highlighting the role of competitive binding, and characterise the interactome associated with vectors upon cytosolic entry.

A multi-ancestry meta-regression study analyses diverse genome-wide association studies and genome loci associated with tobacco and alcohol use.

Conducting a simulated turtlegrass herbivory experiment across 650 experimental plots and 13 seagrass meadows, the authors show that the negative effects of herbivory increase with latitude, driven by low levels of light insolation at high latitudes.

The ability to engineer novel protein structures has tremendous scientific and therapeutic impact. Here, authors develop a generative model acting upon an angular representation of protein structures to create high quality protein backbones.

The MAGIC investigators report results of a large genome-wide association study meta-analysis to identify common variants influencing fasting glucose homeostasis. They further show that several of the newly discovered loci influencing glycemic traits are also associated with risk of type 2 diabetes.

In global drylands, soils tend to be more fertile beneath tree, shrub and grass islands. Soil fertility was greater beneath taller and wider plants but was unaffected by either grazing pressure or the type of herbivore.

Andrew Morris, Mark McCarthy, Michael Boehnke and colleagues report a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for type 2 diabetes, including 26,488 cases and 83,964 controls from populations of European, east Asian, south Asian and Mexican and Mexican American ancestry. They identify seven loci newly associated with type 2 diabetes and examine the genetic architecture of disease across populations.

The development of improved DNA sequencing technologies relies on the ability to distinguish each of the four DNA nucleobases separately. Here, the authors fabricate a graphene field-effect transistor able to experimentally observe individual DNA nucleobases.

Cecilia Lindgren and colleagues report results of a large-scale genome-wide association study for waist-to-hip ratio, a measure of body fat distribution. They identify 13 new loci associated with this trait, several of which show stronger effects in women than in men.

A lesson learned.

Whereas vertebrate genomes are highly methylated at CpG positions, invertebrate genomes are typically sparsely methylated. Here, the authors report a highly methylated genome in a marine sponge and show striking similarities with vertebrates.

Alternative splicing is controlled with engineered fusion splicing factors.

Tearing tough soft solids is harder than cutting them with a sharp blade. Here, the authors determine the reasons by synthesizing PDMS elastomers labeled with mechanically sensitive fluorophores to quantify the extent of bond scission resulting from cutting pre-stretched samples.

Itaconate is shown to non-covalently inhibit the antioxidant enzyme peroxiredoxin 5 in macrophages, thereby modulating the production of mitochondrial peroxide and enhancing the type I interferon production.

The ambipolar field of Earth controls the structure of the polar ionosphere and boosts its scale height by 271%, physically driving  the polar wind and acting as the source of the magnetospheric cold H⁺ ion population.

An annually resolved tree ring radiocarbon record reveals the 11-year solar cycle in the first millennium BCE, improving understanding of past solar activity and enhancing radiocarbon dating accuracy.

Analysis of multiple cohorts of patients with melanoma demonstrates a positive association between cytomegalovirus serostatus and overall survival in patients treated with monotherapy but not combination immune checkpoint blockade, as well as delayed onset of immune-related adverse events across both treatment types, as well as delayed development of metastatic disease in seropositive patients.

Using second harmonic amplitude and phase measurements the authors characterize the alignment of water molecules in the Stern-layer and the work associated with water flipping on hematite electrodes, suggesting a causal relationship between water flipping and the oxygen evolution reaction overpotential.