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Wegner et al. apply machine learning to video recordings of walking tasks in people with ataxia and healthy controls using sensor-free motion capture. Their models replicate clinical ratings and detect subtle longitudinal gait changes that are challenging to capture in standard assessments, supporting improved monitoring of disease progression.

A phylogenetic comparative analysis of male and female body size across tetrapods globally shows that directional change in size is usually greater in males but reveals different underlying mechanisms among lineages.

Understanding molecule-surface interactions is key to neat on-surface synthesis of functional nanomaterials. Here, the authors measure interactions of metal surface atoms with CO-terminated tips to reveal their nature and reliable adsorption sites.

Using well-calibrated statistical methods the authors jointly analyze Undiagnosed Diseases Network genomes, identifying known and novel disease genes. Software is publicly available to support future cross-cohort rare disease discovery efforts.

A method for generating cortical spheroids from human pluripotent stem cells produces maturing oligodendrocytes that can myelinate axons and model myelin disease and drug effects.

Mutations in Kindlin-1 result in Kindler syndrome, which is marked by skin blistering, premature skin aging and increased risk for skin cancer. Reinhard Fässler and his colleagues have developed a new mouse model of the condition, revealing new cellular and molecular mechanistic insight into the pathology of the syndrome.

Halogen bonds are emerging in numerous areas of application for building molecular assemblies due to their directionality and tunability. Here, the authors establish the surface as a control knob for tuning molecular assemblies by reversing the selectivity of bonding sites.

Small-molecule RNA-targeted degradation can be leveraged to convert strong, yet inactive, binding interactions into potent and specific modulators of RNA function.

Genome-wide analyses using fetal and parental genotypes identify 40 independent associations influencing placental weight and highlight the role of the fetus in preeclampsia risk and placental growth regulation via insulin signaling.

Little is known about the biology of back pain, a leading cause of disability. Here the authors report 30 new back pain loci, implicating genes involved in cartilage/bone biology, as well as neurological and inflammatory processes.

Tailoring the size and connectivity of organic nanostructures is challenging but is often key in molecular electronics for tuning the properties of the quantum materials. Now an approach has been developed for building low-dimensional covalent architectures block by block on a surface by highly selective tip-induced intermolecular reactions.

The base-calling algorithm SNPSeeker detects single-nucleotide polymorphisms with frequencies that are below the error rate of the sequencing platform. It is thus well suited to analyze data from large pooled samples and find rare variants that may contribute to diseases or complex traits.

Kerr frequency combs are well suited for high-capacity data transmission with phase-sensitive modulation formats. This work demonstrates error-free transmission with data rates of up to 1.44 Tbit s⁻¹, spectral efficiencies of up to 6 bit s⁻¹ Hz⁻¹ and transmission distances of up to 300 km.

The Hedgehog morphogen creates gradients during development, but diffusion alone cannot explain its spatiotemporal dynamics. Hedgehog transport requires binding heparan sulfate sugar chains, and the authors now show that Hedgehogs can spread by interacting with sequential heparan molecules.

Thermal fluctuations associated with higher temperatures normally destroy long-range order, but in some circumstances they can stabilize new ordered phases. This ‘order by disorder’ phenomenon has now been observed in the magnetic phases of neodymium.

The share of women recipients of professional awards in Social and Personality Psychology has increased between 1968 and 2021. Yet, this increase is partially explained by women receiving proportionally more service and teaching awards, whereas research awards are given to men.

Single-atom storage can dramatically exceed the limit of traditional high-density memory devices but is challenging. Here the authors show the bistability in the orbital configuration of a single Co atom on black phosphorus which can be accessed, manipulated and has potential for high-temperature single-atom information storage.

Atomic-scale spin order is commonly studied using spin polarized scanning tunneling microscopy. Here, the authors report on a combination of current and exchange force detection together with first-principles calculations demonstrating increased resolution and sensing different exchange mechanisms.

The fundamental mechanisms of doping organic semiconductors are poorly understood compared with their inorganic counterparts. Here, the authors demonstrate that small conjugated molecules and conjugated polymers exhibit fundamentally different phenomena upon doping despite similar compositions.

Many small molecules that stimulate oligodendrocyte formation act not through their canonical pathways but by inhibiting enzymes within the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway and thereby inducing the accumulation of 8,9-unsaturated sterols.

Early stellarator designs suffered from high particle losses, an issue that can be addressed by optimization of the coils. Here the authors measure the magnetic field lines in the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator, confirming that the complicated design of the superconducting coils has been realized successfully.

Thioarsenates are found in the pore waters of rice paddy fields, comparable in concentration to methylated oxyarsenates, according to field, mesocosm and soil incubation studies.

Shakhova, Sommer and colleagues use mouse models to demonstrate that the Sox10 transcription factor is crucial for the formation and maintenance of giant congenital naevi and melanoma. They show, in human melanoma cells, that Sox10 promotes neural crest stem cell properties, cell proliferation and cell survival.

A community computational challenge generates algorithms to predict activity of drug combinations.

The largest meta-analysis of GWASs of hepcidin and sTfR identified 43 genomic loci, of which 15 new. Mendelian randomisation revealed associations of systemic iron status and iron-related loci with selected health outcomes across multiple domains.

Dowsett and colleagues used a genome-wide association approach to investigate the genetic influence on soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor presence in the plasma of humans. Their findings indicate a 60% heritability factor in British twins, and using a wide sample of Northern European genome samples they identify eleven genetic loci associated with an increase or decrease of this chronic inflammation marker.