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Plant functional traits govern ecosystem processes but lack spatially detailed global representations. Here, the authors combine remote sensing and crowd-sourced biodiversity data to map leaf trait distributions and their higher-order moments worldwide.

RNA velocity is a widely used method to predict the fate of single cells. Here the authors show that the concept can be adapted to predict the fate of individual human subjects, using RNA velocity of whole blood at a single point in time to predict future clinical outcomes and treatment responses.

DNA-sequencing data from primary tumours and paired metastases from participants in the TRACERx lung study and PEACE autopsy programme are used to analyse the metastatic diversity of advanced non-small cell lung cancer and the seeding patterns that underpin it.

Profiling of pleural mesothelioma samples from 91 patients identifies four DNA methylation subtypes that correlate with response to immune checkpoint inhibition and survival

Women of reproductive age may have specific concerns relating to perceived impacts on fertility and menstrual cycles that make them hesitant to receive COVID-19 vaccination. In this study, the authors explore COVID-19 vaccine uptake rates in women of reproductive age using linked data for ~13 million women in England.

Many hospitalised children with acute illness in low- and middle-income countries experience incomplete recovery, readmission, and post-discharge mortality despite guideline-directed care. Here the authors report multiomic profiling to investigate biological drivers of hospital in-patient and post-discharge mortality in 3,101 acutely ill children across nine sites in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Repurposing existing drugs for vascular dementia (VaD) could have clinical impact. Here, using Mendelian randomization, researchers tested whether cholesterol, anti-inflammatory or blood pressure drug targets affect risk of VaD, finding little evidence to support repurposing opportunities. A potential benefit was seen for beta-blocker target ADRB1 while ACE inhibition was observed to potentially increase risk of VaD.

Escherichia coli ABC transporter-dependent capsule gene analysis alongside the development and application of the kTYPr in silico capsule typing tool uncovers E. coli capsule diversity across environments.

An analysis of 24,202 critical cases of COVID-19 identifies potentially druggable targets in inflammatory signalling (JAK1), monocyte–macrophage activation and endothelial permeability (PDE4A), immunometabolism (SLC2A5 and AK5), and host factors required for viral entry and replication (TMPRSS2 and RAB2A).

Leigh syndrome is a severe, currently untreatable mitochondrial neurological disorder. Menacho, Okawa et al. developed a deep-learning drug screening pipeline in brain organoids, identifying azole compounds as promising therapeutic candidates.

Molecular changes in ciliated cells of the fallopian tubes play a crucial role in the development of cancer and reproductive disorders. Here, the authors spatially characterize 133 proteins at a subcellular level in human fallopian tubes and other tissues with motile cilia.

Analyses of epidemiological, clinical and molecular data from a prospective cohort of 3,100 patients with esophageal carcinoma suggest intestinal metaplasia as a single precancer pathway preceding the disease.

Backarc regions in subduction zones have low asthenospheric viscosities and may record decades-long post-megathrust subsidence that should be accounted for in sea-level projections, according to geodetic observations from Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore

Here, the authors suggest that, when major histocompatibility complex class I is downregulated on allogenic or tumor cells, they are more susceptible to CD4⁺ T cell-mediated ferroptosis.

An immunity-like system functions as a lysis control hub to promote gene transfer agent particle release from host bacterial cells, suggesting that bacterial immune systems may be co-opted to promote horizontal gene transfer.

A new cerebrospinal fluid biomarker, AcTau174, was elevated in frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TAR DNA-binding protein (FTLD-TDP), distinguishing this pathology from FTLD-Tau, and was associated with disease severity and progression in FTLD-TDP.

A global network of researchers was formed to investigate the role of human genetics in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity; this paper reports 13 genome-wide significant loci and potentially actionable mechanisms in response to infection.

Retrogressive thaw slumps are a key disturbance resulting from permafrost thaw that impact both vegetation and soil carbon. This study assesses surface greenness recovery times following thaw and shows that recovery can be predicted based on annual ecosystem gross primary productivity.

Robustness checks and reproduction of analyses with existing and updated data based on 110 articles in economics and political science journals with data and code-sharing requirements found high levels of robustness and reproducibility and determined that robustness was not dependent on author characteristics or data availability.

Neuroimmune interactions are important in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Here the authors characterize the role of NK cells in mouse models of ALS, and in patient tissue.

SWI/SNF complexes are mutated in 20% of cancers, yet the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, the authors identify a compensatory mechanism of chromatin regulation that becomes essential in cancers carrying mutations that broadly inactivate SWI/SNF.

Here, the authors leverage stable isotope and peptide analyses to show that some 18th century Māori individuals ate largely plant-based diets. This work aligns with Māori oral history and archaeological evidence, which points to sweet potato and taro cultivation as important for population growth and cultural change at the time.

Houx and colleagues introduce a single-particle fluorescence spectroscopy method that detects and quantifies nanoscale condensates, revealing their rapid formation, dynamic behaviour, coalescence and selective maturation into amyloid-like aggregates.

Whole-genome sequencing, transcriptome-wide association and fine-mapping analyses in over 7,000 individuals with critical COVID-19 are used to identify 16 independent variants that are associated with severe illness in COVID-19.

Biallelic variants in RNU4-2 cause a recessive neurodevelopmental disorder that is phenotypically and molecularly distinct from dominant ReNU syndrome and associated with reduced RNU4-2 transcript levels, consistent with a loss-of-function mechanism.

Lunar rocks, not subject to complex crustal dynamics, reveal evolutionary aspects of the Earth-Moon system. The authors find that lunar ilmenite (age: 3.78 Ga) can host excess titanium in a trivalent state due to redox conditions not found on Earth.

Climate and land-use change are transforming biodiversity, yet national futures remain uncertain. The study projects growing extinction debts, but suggests that sustainable low-emission pathways can limit the worst impacts on British biodiversity.

New capabilities for controlling drug delivery into cells are developed using DNA–drug conjugates.

Chen et al. assessed the prevalence and risk factors for treatment-resistant postpartum depression using nationwide data from the Swedish National Medical Birth Register.

Neural crest cells differentiate into skeletogenic mesenchyme and neuro-glial lineages, thereby contributing to craniofacial formation. Here, single-cell analysis of cranial neural crest shows that specific rRNA modification and ribosome assembly factors contribute to skeletogenic fate. Their disruption causes craniofacial defects, while high levels in neuroblastoma predict poor survival.

Single-nucleus chromatin and RNA sequencing identifies epigenetic chromatin domains that confer vulnerability to paediatric brain tumours such as ependymomas, providing insight into the development of such tumours despite ‘quiet’ genomes.

Analysis of millions of events over sub-Saharan Africa shows that wind shear amplifies the impact of soil moisture in triggering rapidly developing thunderstorms.

Ageing reprograms the evolutionary trajectory of KRAS-driven lung adenocarcinoma, limiting primary tumour growth while promoting metastatic dissemination through epigenetic activation of the integrated stress response, and a therapeutic opportunity in older patients is revealed.

Planet-evolution models explain JWST data for L 98-59 d through a new scenario: while cooling and escape shrank this planet, a permanent magma ocean supplies sulfur to its atmosphere, in which SO₂ is produced by photochemistry.

Managing pain in osteoarthritis (OA) remains a major clinical challenge. The authors of this Review explore the spectrum of pain complexity in OA and highlight how integrating multiple mechanistic domains could be used to predict outcomes and improve management of OA pain.

Kelly et al. assessed an artificial intelligence system for breast cancer screening in retrospective datasets, followed by prospective feasibility evaluation, and report its accuracy, fairness and clinical implementation in multiple workflow settings.

Patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) may develop peritoneal metastases (PM), but information on the immune niche is still lacking. Here, the authors analyze primary tumor and metastasis samples to reveal a skewed innate lymphoid cell balance marked by an increase in ILC1/tissue-resident NK cells.

Using dietary data from 8,931 participants in the WELL-China cohort, this study identifies a new diet rooted in traditional Chinese food elements associated with better adherence, favourable gut microbial profiles, lower rates of central obesity and reduced incidence of major cardiovascular events, and confirms these findings in an independent Achieving Better Omics validation cohort (n = 1,851).

From 2014–2017, marine heatwaves caused global mass coral bleaching, where the corals lose their symbiotic algae. The authors find, this event exceeded the severity of all prior global bleaching events in recorded history, with approximately half the world’s reefs bleaching and 15% experiencing substantial mortality.

Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome is characterized by premature aging with cardiovascular disease being the main cause of death. Here the authors show that inhibition of the NAT10 enzyme enhances cardiac function and fitness, and reduces age-related phenotypes in a mouse model of premature aging.

Geospatial estimates of the prevalence of anemia in women of reproductive age across 82 low-income and middle-income countries reveals considerable heterogeneity and inequality at national and subnational levels, with few countries on track to meet the WHO Global Nutrition Targets by 2030.

Trypanosoma brucei parasites in cattle show mixed transcriptomic profiles at low parasitaemia, challenging rodent-based models of parasite development and revealing host-specific metabolic adaptations key to transmission.

HIV-1 integrase forms an RNA-binding module on the luminal side of the mature capsid lattice.

This work describes three people living with HIV-1 who maintain long-term immune-mediated control of HIV-1 after pausing antiretroviral therapy. Autologous neutralizing antibodies and polyfunctional HIV-1-specific CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cell responses, pre-programmed for antigen response, were present before, and persisted during, ART interruption. This serves as a model of ART-free control of HIV-1 and informs new HIV-1 cure strategies.

Early-life exposure to allergens triggers a distinct local mode of dendritic cell activation in neonatal skin without requiring migration to lymph nodes, which shapes responses to allergens in later life.

Authors study links between amyloid secondary nucleation and growth defects, demonstrating these sites on Aβ40/Aβ42 fibrils are rare compared to the number of protein molecules. Re-analysis of published data suggests that defects may also drive secondary nucleation generally.

Insights into regulatory T cell biology are accelerating therapeutic innovation in cancer immunotherapy, autoimmune diseases and transplant rejection.