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Computing efficiency and data security are two critical demands in the AI era. Han et al. report a ferroelectric transistor with controllable synaptic and secure functionalities. It physically hides stored data to block read attacks. Simulations show its array effectively reduces model inversion attacks.

‘Populations residing near nuclear power plants may experience low-level chronic exposure to ionizing radiation through environmental release pathways. In here the authors find higher cancer mortality rates in U.S. counties closer to operational nuclear power plants, with the strongest relative risks observed in older adults.’

Given rising diabetes prevalence globally, access to diabetes treatments is gaining urgency. Here, the authors show patterns of glucose-lowering medication use for diabetes across 62 low- and middle-income countries.

Neonatal sepsis caused by Escherichia coli is associated with reduced transfer of pathogen-specific maternal antibodies and, in a mouse model, can be prevented by maternal preconceptual colonization with probiotic E. coli.

The Mpox outbreak in Sierra Leone necessitated fast, decentralized testing. Here, authors developed and validated Mpox SHINE, a portable CRISPR diagnostic that delivered 100% accurate results on patient samples in under 30 minutes, showing these tools can be deployed rapidly during an outbreak.

Although river protection is core to social and environmental well-being, the extent to which river conservation policies are effective is difficult to assess. This study reveals that, under all relevant protection mechanisms in the contiguous USA, only 12% of rivers are adequately protected.

Global analysis of obesity trends from 1980 to 2024 in 200 countries and territories using data from 4,050 population-based studies reveals that framing obesity as a single global epidemic masks the highly varied dynamics across countries and age groups.

Jin et al. developed an artificial intelligence tool that leverages histology to predict methylation-based central nervous system tumor subtypes and validated it for tumor classification, demonstrating high confidence and accuracy across clinical cohorts.

Using deep learning and strainmeter data, the authors detect short-duration slow slip events on the San Andreas Fault at Parkfield and show that these events are linked to increased seismic activity and have scaling laws similar to earthquakes.

This study reveals that glycogen metabolism is crucial for the sensory activation of POMC neurons, which is necessary for proper feeding behaviour and metabolic health in mice.

The Star of David topology is an iconic symbol that has been used in religious and cultural contexts for thousands of years. Now it is assembled in molecular form through a hexameric circular helicate generated by six tris(bipyridine) ligands entwined about six iron(II) cations. The structure of the two triply-entwined 114-membered rings is revealed by X-ray crystallography.

Low-voltage activated calcium channels (Ca_V3) regulate cellular excitability by opening in response to modest membrane depolarizations. This study reveals the operation of the voltage-sensing machinery of the human Ca_V3.1 channel and sheds light on its mechanism of low-voltage sensitivity.

Scalable manufacturing remains a barrier to viral vector–mediated gene therapies. Here the authors develop a citrate ion-gating strategy to control plasmid/polyethyleneimine assembly, enabling stable, high-concentration transfection particles that improve the scalability, consistency, and efficiency of viral vector production.

In a large cohort of participants with immune-checkpoint-blockade-treated glioblastoma, Ghannam et al. show that baseline mesenchymal transcriptional state predicts therapy response and transition to nonmesenchymal state results in acquired resistance.

The first data of the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory deliver high-precision neutrino oscillation parameters, improving measurements and demonstrating readiness to determine neutrino mass ordering.

Understanding collective behaviour is an important aspect of managing the pandemic response. Here the authors show in a large global study that participants that reported identifying more strongly with their nation reported greater engagement in public health behaviours and support for public health policies in the context of the pandemic.

Lozano et al. show that REM sleep is gated by low-dimensional brainstem network dynamics, in which opposing neuron populations across the midbrain and pons determine when transitions into REM sleep can occur.

Tumour network mapping of diffuse midline glioma (DMG) defines a conserved and prognostically important brain network in children with DMG, consistent with the hypothesis that DMGs exploit otherwise healthy brain circuits to promote tumour growth.

Analysis combining multiple global tree databases reveals that whether a location is invaded by non-native tree species depends on anthropogenic factors, but the severity of the invasion depends on the native species diversity.

Regulation of replication fork speed is vital for genome integrity. Here, the authors show that limiting TOP2A levels in early S phase induces topological stress and fork slowing whereas TOP2A overexpression accelerates replication while enhancing genome stability.

MOSAIC is a versatile multimodal microscope that allows seamless transition between various light-sheet, two-photon, label-free and super-resolution modalities. It is demonstrated in various systems ranging from cell culture to mice.

Electrochemical carbon monoxide (CO) reduction offers a viable approach to sustainable ethylene production, but remains challenging under low CO availability. This study shows how to achieve efficient and selective ethylene synthesis in a CO-starved environment.

A study of Exemplar countries—Nepal, Senegal and Zambia—previously recognized for major gains in maternal and neonatal health found that, despite high coverage of childbirth care by skilled health personnel, the quality of care remains substandard.

De Belly et al. show Rac induces membrane-tension-mediated mTORC2 activation to stimulate long-range Rho activation. Meanwhile, Rho-mediated contractility and blebbing at the opposite side of the cell may lead to PI3K-dependent Rac activation.

Cell migration depends on controlled adhesion turnover, but its regulation remains unclear. Here the authors show that AAK1 promotes focal adhesion disassembly via PDLIM5 and Talin1 phosphorylation, enabling efficient cell migration.

By leveraging a hot exoplanet’s rotation during a transit observed with JWST, the thermal and chemical structure in the planet’s atmosphere was measured. The eastern half of the planet is hotter than western half, driving the dissociation of water.

Global Burden of Disease analysis found that in 2023, suboptimal diet was estimated to be responsible for 4 million deaths and 97 million morbidity burdens from ischemic heart disease.

Retroelement transcripts-derived double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) can trigger innate immune responses in cancer through a process known as viral mimicry. Here the authors show that METTL3, the writer of m6A modification, regulates the abundance of steady-state dsRNAs and it could be targeted together with DNA methyltransferases to enhance viral mimicry in colorectal cancer therapy.

Guarda and colleagues investigate the role of the transcription factor RFX7 in B cell activation and lymphomagenesis. The findings indicate that Rfx7 regulates germinal center B cell, plasmablast generation and malignant transformation by restricting Myc activity.

This study shows that heating magma above its crystallisation temperature delays crystal formation, reducing crystal content during ascent and controlling volcanic eruption style and intensity.

NatD is an acetyltransferase responsible for N-α-terminal acetylation of the histone H4 and H2A and has been linked to cell growth. Here the authors show that NatD-mediated acetylation of histone H4 serine 1 competes with the phosphorylation by CK2α at the same residue thus leading to the upregulation of Slug and tumor progression.

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence surveys provide estimates of the extent of prior infection in a population. In this nationally representative survey from Mexico, the authors estimate seroprevalence after the first epidemic wave at ~25%, with variation by region, age, socioeconomic status, and education level.

Inositol pyrophosphates (PP-InsPs) are signaling molecules with poorly understood functions. Here, the authors develop a chemoproteomics approach using synthetic affinity reagents, to identify and quantify PP-InsP-protein interactions, and uncovered strong dependencies on Mg²⁺ ions.

The updated OrthoFinder v3 software boosts accuracy and scalability in phylogenetic orthology inference with massive and diverse datasets.

Quasisymmetry could arise from spontaneous symmetry breaking in a system of strongly interacting building blocks with programmed curvatures, and this principle, coupled with a design approach, can generate a rich array of quasisymmetric assemblies.

Single-cell mapping of cis-expression quantitative trait loci in inflammatory bowel disease revealed distal, enhancer-enriched variants detected at the cell-type level more frequently co-localize with genome-wide association study loci than those identified at the tissue level.

Inspired by deep-sea sponge skeletons, this study introduces an automated design framework for architected materials that simultaneously improve mechanical strength and fluid flow efficiency.

The unreconstructed α-Al₂O₃(0001) surface is widely assumed to be atomically flat. Here, the authors use noncontact-AFM to show that it is rough and laterally inhomogeneous, challenging structural models used for alumina surfaces across materials science.

This paper shows that high MOI sgRNA multiplexing maintains CRISPRi screen performance while enabling reduced cell numbers, challenging conventional reliance on low-MOI infections.

Extensive mining activity leads to large-scale deforestation of dense tropical forests across sub-Saharan Africa, driven particularly by key energy transition minerals such as cobalt.

The authors conduct a national inventory on individual tree carbon stocks in Rwanda using aerial imagery and deep learning. Most mapped trees are located in farmlands; new methods allow partitioning to any landscape categories, effective planning and optimization of carbon sequestration and the economic benefits of trees.

The DREAM complex is a transcriptional repressor of DNA repair. Koch et al. infer DREAM activity via expression of its repressed targets and use DREAM knockout mice to link DREAM activity to somatic mutation burden, age-related disease and lifespan.

Electrochemical direct air capture achieves high energy efficiency only when producing a dilute hydroxide stream that is incompatible with existing air contactors. This study reports a redox-decoupled electrolysis strategy that spatially separates CO₂ liberation and sorbent regeneration, substantially improving current and energy efficiency.

GWAS typically focus on SNPs, excluding complex genetic variants such as short tandem repeats. Here, the authors analyze over 330,000 genomes, to identify 15 regions short tandem repeats contribute to Alzheimer’s disease risk.

Marine protected areas in eastern Indonesia do not cause short-term economic losses or widen social inequality. Yet women reported fewer perceived gains, a gap on subjective wellbeing that could be reduced by inclusive community participation.

Ideology clearly affects politics and policy, but how about in one’s own backyard? Considering 40 municipal policy issues in Canada, this study finds that all politics are not local and that ideological disagreements dampen at neighborhood scales.

A cellular explanation for how tau aggregates into fibrils in Alzheimer’s disease has been elusive. This paper identifies the failure of ‘neuroproteasomes’ as sufficient to convert tau into paired helical filaments, a process regulated by ApoE and aging.