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Alternative stable states in forests have implications for the biosphere. Here, the authors combine forest biodiversity observations and simulations revealing that leaf types across temperate regions of the NH follow a bimodal distribution suggesting signatures of alternative forest states.

In the LUMINA-1 trial for fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, garetosmab, an activin A monoclonal antibody, did not lead to significant changes in heterotopic ossification lesion activity in pre-existing lesions in period 1. Garetosmab prevented the formation of new lesions in both periods 1 and 2.

Building small-scale tools for biology research eliminates the need for time-consuming methods and enables novel experimental paradigms. Here, the authors discuss microfluidics' potential for manipulating or stimulating model organisms and identify barriers to making these tools accessible.

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.

Experimental whole-ecosystem warming treatments of a Picea–Sphagnum peat bog reveal the likely phenological consequences of future temperature increases that exceed those of historical climate regimes.

An agent-based model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission shows that testing, contact tracing and household quarantine could keep new COVID-19 waves under control while allowing the reopening of the economy with minimal social-distancing interventions.

Mutations that impact the function of the Arp2/3 complex are known to cause inborn errors of immunity. Here the authors describe biallelic null mutations in the ARPC5 subunit of Arp2/3 that disrupt actin function and cytokine signaling, causing infections, autoimmunity, inflammation and dysmorphisms.

Bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) comprises over 10% of total fat mass but its systemic metabolic role is unclear. Here, the authors show that BMAT glucose uptake is not insulin or cold responsive; however, BMAT basal glucose uptake is higher than in white adipose tissue or skeletal muscle, underscoring BMAT’s potential to influence systemic glucose homeostasis.

Measurements of the inelastic cross section of anti-³He allow the estimation of the transparency of the Milky Way to the propagation of these light antinuclei produced in either cosmic-ray collisions or annihilation of dark-matter particles.

The direct measurement of the QCD dead cone in charm quark fragmentation is reported, using iterative declustering of jets tagged with a fully reconstructed charmed hadron.

Analysis of 2,170 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from the first wave of the COVID-19 epidemic in Spain provides insights into transmission patterns and the effects of lockdown on the emergence of new variants.

Genotype and exome sequencing of 150,000 participants and whole-genome sequencing of 9,950 selected individuals recruited into the Mexico City Prospective Study constitute a valuable, publicly available resource of non-European sequencing data.

The combination of rising CO₂ and temperature is expected to increase primary production in the Arctic Ocean. This study uses observations and experimental data from the European sector to show that primary productivity may double in the spring.

Crop wild relatives’ genetic diversity is usually not considered in conservation planning. Here, the authors introduce an approach to identify conservation areas based on evolutionary and threat processes, by developing proxies of genetic differentiation, and including taxa’s habitat preferences.

Predictions suggest that a high proportion of plant species will be threatened with extinction in the near future. A global assessment of the threat status of cacti suggests that these iconic plants are amongst the most threatened taxonomic groups, with 31% of the 1,478 evaluated species at risk of extinction.

The response to infectious and inflammatory challenges differs among people but the reasons for this are poorly understood. Here the authors explore the impact of variables such as age, sex, and the capacity for controlling inflammation and maintaining immunocompetence, linking this capacity to favourable health outcomes and lifespan.

Lipid accumulation leads to atherosclerosis partly by eliciting lethal levels of cellular stress in macrophages. A signaling pathway that drives such lipid-induced toxicity is now identified. The findings reveal a chaperoning function that might provide the clue needed to rescue this pathogenic effect (pages 1383–1391).

Hepatitis C virus puts about 130 million people worldwide at risk for severe liver disease, but no vaccine or broadly effective therapy yet exists. A new study identifies receptor tyrosine kinases as host factors required for hepatitis C virus entry—potentially opening the door for new antiviral strategies (pages 589–595).

The latest microscopes provide a new level of sophistication not only in imaging but also for interacting with matter at the atomic scale.

Ligation of the Toll-like receptor TLR7 in human CD4⁺ T cells elicits an anergic state that may contribute to CD4⁺ T cell hyporesponsiveness after infection with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and may also enhance propagation of this virus.

A new study demonstrates that dysregulation of proteostasis can be a transforming event in hematopoiesis that could prove to be therapeutically actionable for treatment of myeloproliferative neoplasms.

Skeletal muscles in a mouse model of human muscular dystrophy degenerate because of excessive cell death. A new study suggests that these muscles suffer from lack of autophagy, exacerbating apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction (pages 1313–1320). Reactivation of autophagy with a low-protein diet may ameliorate muscle myopathy.

Correlations in momentum space between hadrons created by ultrarelativistic proton–proton collisions at the CERN Large Hadron Collider provide insights into the strong interaction, particularly the short-range dynamics of hyperons—baryons that contain strange quarks.

Adipocyte progenitors have the capacity to differentiate into mature brown adipocytes with thermogenic capabilities. Two new studies identify novel markers to help prospectively isolate these and mature adipocytes from human brown fat biopsies.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can form different cell types in culture, but their potential to build new tissue in various disorders where tissue is damaged has not been realized. A study now shows how mature cells from blood vessels are a new source of MSCs that may be used to regenerate cartilage and bone (pages 1400–1406).

A new study has proposed a mechanism for the pathogenesis of cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) that links endothelial CCM3 deficiency to increased secretion of the vascular destabilizing protein angiopoietin-2 (ANGPT2).

A new study shows that the orphan nuclear receptor liver receptor homolog 1 (LRH-1) wires the postovulatory rise in progesterone production to progesterone-dependent preparation of the endometrium for pregnancy, a process termed decidualization. Lack of Lrh-1 activity in either the ovary or uterus has catastrophic consequences for reproduction in mice (pages 1061–1066).

Interferon-β (IFN-β) is widely used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS), but its mechanism of protection remains obscure. A new study shows that IFN-β induces FoxA1⁺ regulatory T cells, a new regulatory T cell population, which suppress conventional T cells via programmed cell death 1 ligand 1. This cell subset limits disease in a mouse model of MS and was found in patients with MS who responded to IFN-β therapy (pages 272–282).

A study of SIV-infected rhesus macaques suggests that T follicular helper (T_FH) cells, a specialized CD4⁺ T cell subset within the B cell follicles, are a sanctuary for SIV that is largely inaccessible to CD8⁺ T cells. These findings may open new avenues for research aimed at eradicating HIV.

Integrated information theory (IIT) starts from consciousness, which is subjective, and accounts for its presence and quality in objective, testable terms. Attempts to label as ‘pseudoscientific’ a theory distinguished by decades of conceptual, mathematical, and empirical developments expose a crisis in the dominant computational-functionalist paradigm, which is challenged by IIT’s consciousness-first paradigm.

Primary liver cancer, of which hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common form, is the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Heikenwalder and colleagues review the important inflammatory component underlying hepatocellular carcinoma and consider potential directions for therapy.

Interleukin-2 receptor-α (IL-2Rα) on antigen-presenting dendritic cells (DCs) is now shown to trans-present IL-2 to T cells during the earliest stages of T cell activation (604–609). The resulting T cell proliferation is blocked by daclizumab, an IL-2Rα–specific antibody used to treat multiple sclerosis and prevent transplant rejection, highlighting the importance of understanding individual variability in immune responses to daclizumab treatment.

Interleukin 1β (IL-1β) is a cytokine associated with inflammation, obesity and metabolic dysregulation. Surprisingly, IL-1β is also required for maintaining steady-state glucose homeostasis by potentiating postprandial insulin secretion.

Integrating inventory data with machine learning models reveals the global composition of tree types—needle-leaved evergreen individuals dominate, followed by broadleaved evergreen and deciduous trees—and climate change risks.

This Registered Report presents evidence from 87 countries and regions showing that brief emotion-regulation interventions consistently reduced negative emotions and increased positive emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wind stress controls annual variations in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation at mid-latitudes, while surface buoyancy also matters at subpolar latitudes, according to an attribution analysis using a numerical model constrained by observational array data.

How eosinophils function in different tissues during health and disease is not completely understood. On the one hand, they seem to be crucial in inflammatory disorders, which suggests that pathways related to their activation and regulation may be potential therapeutic targets. In asthma, the role of these cells is well known; however, airway inflammation owing to increased eosinophils in lung tissue in nonallergic asthma has only recently started to be in the limelight. In 'Bedside to Bench', Guy G. Brusselle, Tania Maes and Ken R. Bracke peruse the disease pathway triggering eosinophilic inflammation in nonallergic eosinophilic asthma and the potential targets that may lead to effective therapies. The authors also discuss a clinical study that highlights the need to phenotype patients using cellular and molecular markers to improve treatment responses. However, on the other hand, a recent study has also shown a homeostatic role of eosinophils in metabolism in fat tissue. In 'Bench to Bedside', Clare M. Lloyd and Sejal Saglani examine evidence that hints at the crucial role of the location of eosinophils in different tissues such as lung, where they cause inflammation, and visceral fat, where they improve glucose homeostasis. Clinical data that correlate lung tissue eosinophilia with obesity may spur new research to shed light on the role of these inflammatory cells in obese individuals with asthma and on how to improve treatments in these patients.

Heat and moisture stress can reduce carbon uptake by forests. Here, the authors quantify this effect for the extreme 2022 European summer drought. The widespread reduction of photosynthesis exceeded the large local carbon release by intense fires.