Search

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.

Longitudinal metatranscriptomics in a prospective cohort of 1,164 adults hospitalized for COVID-19 reveals that azithromycin offered no apparent anti-inflammatory benefit but enriched the respiratory microbiome with potential pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes.

The interface between two oxide materials can play host to numerous exotic phenomenon. Here, the authors observe a four order of magnitude change in the conductance at a lanthanum-aluminate–strontium-titanate interface controlled by surface protonation, which can be reversed by exposure to light.

It weighs twelve and a half tonnes, flies at nearly thirty thousand kilometres per hour and it's ten years old this Monday. The Hubble Space Telescope, arguably NASA's most successful mission ever, blasted off on 24 April 1990 and with it a new era in astronomy, explains Jeremy Thomson.

Optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) have now been realized in a CMOS-style process by exploiting nonlinear four-wave mixing. Such multiwavelength sources bring the prospect of ultrafast chip-to-chip optical data communications a step closer.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent condition with a number of comorbidities, but it has a high misdiagnosis rate. In this retrospective study, the authors used six independent databases to develop and evaluate a deep learning model, denoted OxiNet, for the diagnosis of OSA from the sole oximetry signal.

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.

The advantage of living in cities compared with rural areas with respect to height and BMI in children and adolescents has generally become smaller globally from 1990 to 2020, except in sub-Saharan Africa.

Coastal megacities, such as Shanghai and New York City, exhibit marked disparities in flood evacuation patterns for elderly residents. Risk-informed, strategic storm flood evacuation planning can significantly improve the overall performance of evacuee transfer for large coastal cities.

Solid organ transplant recipients are at increased risk of infectious disease and have unique molecular pathophysiology. Here the authors use host-microbe profiling to assess SARS-CoV-2 infection and immunity in solid organ transplant recipients, showing enhanced viral abundance, impaired clearance, and increased expression of innate immunity genes.

Alterations in the tumour suppressor genes STK11 and/or KEAP1 can identify patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer who are likely to benefit from combinations of PD-(L)1 and CTLA4 immune checkpoint inhibitors added to chemotherapy.

DNA 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) modification is associated with gene transcription and used as a mark of mammalian development. Here the authors report a comprehensive 5hmC tissue map and analysis of 5hmC genomic distributions in 19 human tissues derived from 10 organ systems, thus providing insights into the role of 5hmC in tissue-specific development.

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.

Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) is still not well understood. Here the authors provide patient reported outcomes from 590 hospitalized COVID-19 patients and show association of PASC with higher respiratory SARS-CoV-2 load and circulating antibody titers, and in some an elevation in circulating fibroblast growth factor 21.

The role of IgG glycosylation in the immune response has been studied, but less is known about IgM glycosylation. Here the authors characterize glycosylation of SARS-CoV-2 spike specific IgM and show that it correlates with COVID-19 severity and affects complement deposition.

Ependymoma is a tumor of the brain or spinal cord with the two most common and aggressive types mainly occurring in children. Here the authors employ 3D genomics and epigenomics to reveal targets for aggressive ependymoma tumors in children.

Existing plant pan-genomic studies usually report considerable intraspecific whole gene presence-absence variation. Here, the authors use pan-genomic approach to reveal gradual polyploid genome evolution by analyzing of Brachypodium hybridum and its diploid progenitors.

Most studies of the genetics of the metabolome have been done in individuals of European descent. Here, the authors integrate genomics and metabolomics in Black individuals, highlighting the value of whole genome sequencing in diverse populations and linking circulating metabolites to human disease.

Longitudinal multi-omics reveals shifts to the human microbiome across multiple body sites and the associated immune responses during short-term spaceflight.

A correlated material SrVO₃ has been considered to be a Fermi liquid, however previous studies have been limited to disordered samples. Here the authors study transport in ultraclean films of SrVO₃, finding deviations from the Fermi liquid picture.

An integrated data and sample repository for clinical, cellular and multi-omics research from diverse spaceflight missions known as Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA) is presented.

From 1980 to 2018, the levels of total and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased in low- and middle-income countries, especially in east and southeast Asia, and decreased in high-income western countries, especially those in northwestern Europe, and in central and eastern Europe.

Analysis of HbA1c and FPG levels across 117 population-based studies demonstrates regional variation in prevalence of previously undiagnosed screen-detected diabetes using one or both measures and suggests that use of elevated FPG alone could underestimate diabetes prevalence in low- and middle-income countries.

Single-electron transistors are written at the heterointerface of two oxides using an atomic force microscope tip, and the electrons in the device can be controlled by gating and the ferroelectric state of the heterostructure.

Researchers report rewritable nanoscale photodetectors that exploit 2–3 nm nanowire junctions. Large electromagnetic fields in the gap region aid the detector response, which is electric-field-tunable and spans the visible to near-infrared regime.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairments in social and communication skills. Accumulating evidence suggests a genetic component to ASDs, and here a two-stage, genome-wide approach is used to identify candidate genomic loci enriched in ASD cases. The majority of these loci are found to be involved in neuronal adhesion and ubiquitin degradation, suggesting novel susceptibility mechanisms.

Circular extrachromosomal DNA in high-risk medulloblastoma contributes to tumor heterogeneity and associates with relapse and survival. Enhancer rewiring events involving known oncogenes are frequent events, affecting transcription and proliferation.

SrTiO₃-based heterostructures display intriguing low-temperature transport features. Here the authors study LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ nanoscale crossbar devices, revealing correlations between electron pairing without superconductivity, anomalous Hall effect, and electronic nematicity, suggesting a shared microscopic origin.

The basal ganglia direct and indirect pathways are classically described as anatomically segregated and functionally opposing. Here the authors describe a non-canonical direct pathway made of axon collaterals to the globus pallidus that promotes motor action.

The interface between complex oxides can show effects such as superconductivity or magnetism that can be controlled through parameters such as carrier density. Here, the authors use magnetic force microscopy to study the magnetism at the interface between LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃and its dependency on charge carriers.

This overview of the ENCODE project outlines the data accumulated so far, revealing that 80% of the human genome now has at least one biochemical function assigned to it; the newly identified functional elements should aid the interpretation of results of genome-wide association studies, as many correspond to sites of association with human disease.

Theoretical models of foraging efficiency suggest that lunge-filter-feeding marine vertebrates could be as small as 10 kg. However, here the authors show with bio-logged data from filter-feeding minke whales that in practice there are minimum body-size constraints on filter feeders, below which this becomes an unviable feeding strategy.

The PSA (KLK3) genetic variant rs17632542 is associated with reduced prostate cancer risk and lower serum PSA levels, although the underlying reasons are unclear. Here, the authors show that this PSA variant reduced proteolytic activity and leads to smaller tumours, but also increases invasion and bone metastasis, indicating its dual risk association depending on tumour context; the variant is associated with both lower risk and poor clinical outcomes.

A potent mAb shows promise in monkeys either alone or in a combination therapy for either prophylaxis or treatment of infection with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1, BA.1.1 and BA.2.

Jayavelu, Samaha et al., apply machine learning models on hospital admission data, including antibody titers and viral load, to identify patients at high risk for Long COVID. Low antibody levels, high viral loads, chronic diseases, and female sex are key predictors, supporting early, targeted interventions.

Results for the final phase of the 1000 Genomes Project are presented including whole-genome sequencing, targeted exome sequencing, and genotyping on high-density SNP arrays for 2,504 individuals across 26 populations, providing a global reference data set to support biomedical genetics.

Clean energy can provide different health and environmental benefits depending on location. Modelling shows that renewable energy and energy-saving projects could deliver annual benefits of up to US$210 million across six locations in the USA.

Family-based exome sequencing in a large autism study has identified 27 high-confidence gene targets and accurately estimates the contribution of both de novo gene-disrupting and missense mutations to the incidence of simplex autism, with target genes in affected females overlapping those in males of lower but not higher IQ; targets also overlap known targets for intellectual disability and schizophrenia, and are enriched for chromatin modifiers, FMRP-associated genes and embryonically expressed genes.

The CNV analysis group of the Psychiatric Genomic Consortium analyzes a large schizophrenia cohort to examine genomic copy number variants (CNVs) and disease risk. They find an enrichment of CNV burden in cases versus controls and identify 8 genome-wide significant loci as well as novel suggestive loci conferring either risk or protection to schizophrenia.

ChIP–seq and CETCh–seq data are used to analyse binding maps for 208 transcription factors and other chromatin-associated proteins in a single human cell type, providing a comprehensive catalogue of the transcription factor landscape and gene regulatory networks in these cells.

Primary biliary cirrhosis is an autoimmune liver disease with poor therapeutic options. Here Cordell et al. a perform meta-analysis of European genome-wide association studies identifying six novel risk loci and a number of potential therapeutic pathways.