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Estimates from the Global Burden of Disease study reveal declines in chronic respiratory disease mortality between 1990 and 2023—especially during the COVID-19 pandemic—but the burdens on people affected remain substantial.

Haspels et al. developed a high-throughput assay facilitated by automatic spheroid segmentation using deep learning. Measured differences in treatment response between cisplatin-sensitive and resistant tumors faithfully correspond with expected in vivo responses and the assay is able to discriminate between olaparib-sensitive and resistant tumors.

In the southern part of the South American continent a marginal basin opened behind an active andesitic island arc in the earliest Cretaceous. The basin closed again in the middle Cretaceous, during the period of fast seafloor spreading, causing the penetrative deformation of the southern Andean Cordillera.

Chronic care manages long-term, progressive conditions, while acute care handles short-term ones. Here, authors show chronic conditions account for most of the global health burden, with 68% of DALYs and 93% of YLDs attributed to chronic care needs.

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.

Chromatin structure is regulated by chemical modifications of histone proteins, but measuring these at single-cell resolution has been challenging. Here, the authors develop a mass spectrometry-based method to profile histone modifications in individual cells, revealing chromatin heterogeneity and differential co-regulation.

Systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease study reported that, despite global improvements from 1990 to 2021, dietary iron deficiency-associated disease burden remains high in women, children and residents in low socio-demographic index countries.

Phylogenomic analysis of 7,923 angiosperm species using a standardized set of 353 nuclear genes produced an angiosperm tree of life dated with 200 fossil calibrations, providing key insights into evolutionary relationships and diversification.

Antarctica is increasingly popular as a site for tourism and scientific research. The growth of marine traffic and the presence of major research stations have increased the anthropogenic deposition of heavy metals into this fragile ecosystem.

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.

Robbie Waugh, Nils Stein, Gary Muehlbauer and colleagues report the exome sequencing of 267 landraces and wild accessions of barley from diverse regions to study adaptations to different agricultural environments. They observe correlations of days to heading and height with environment and find that variation in flowering-associated genes has strong geographical structuring.

In this disease mapping study, the authors estimate disability-adjusted life year rates for three of the major causes of mortality for children under five 43 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. They identify significant heterogeneity at the subnational level, highlighting the need for a targeted intervention approach.

Fine-scale geospatial mapping of overweight and wasting (two components of the double burden of malnutrition) in 105 LMICs shows that overweight has increased from 5.2% in 2000 to 6.0% in children under 5 in 2017. Although overall wasting decreased over the same period, most countries are not on track to meet the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target of <5% in over half of LMICs by 2025.

Current trends imply that we will transgress most of the planetary boundaries by 2050; however, ambitious, urgent and universal action to ameliorate climate change and increase resource efficiency can effectively reduce the degree of transgression.

Nanocatalysts can restructure during reactions. Here, the authors dynamically varied the stoichiometry of the surface species in 30 % Pd-in-Au nanoparticles by modulating H2 and O2 gases and quantified the formation kinetics of Pd regions and oxides.

Patricia Munroe, Joanna Howson and colleagues genotype ∼350,000 individuals and identify 30 new blood pressure– or hypertension-associated risk loci. Their analyses provide insights into the pathophysiology of hypertension and highlight new potential targets for clinical intervention.

Ruth Loos and colleagues report a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies in 181,171 individuals identifying 14 new loci associated with heart rate and test these for association with cardiac conduction, rhythm disorders and cardiovascular disease. Their experimental studies in Drosophila melanogaster and zebrafish models provide support for a role for 20 candidate genes at 11 of these loci in regulation of heart rate.

Fe-exchanged zeolite catalysts are known for their ability to remediate NO_x and N₂O emissions, but their reactivity in mixed streams of NO and N₂O remains unclear. Now a suite of operando spectroscopies reveals the active Fe species involved in the process and their synergistic effect during the simultaneous conversion of these pollutants.

Type IV pili (T4P) are thin filaments on the bacterial cell surface that are involved in surface colonization and motility, and serve as receptors for phages. Here, Hendrix et al. identify a protein that interacts with a T4P chaperone and inhibits pilus assembly and adsorption of T4P-dependent phages in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The selective catalytic oxidation of ammonia with palladium is an important reaction in the context of NO_x abatement, although limited structural information about the catalyst under reaction conditions is available. Now, an operando study reveals the speciation of palladium and identifies crucial palladium–nitride species.

Palladium supported on zeolite is a highly active catalyst for complete methane oxidation, but its stability needs to be improved. Here, the authors design a highly active catalyst resistant to steam-induced sintering under reaction conditions by alleviating the high mobility of palladium nanoparticles and zeolite degradation.

Rai et al. report that CAMSAPs can bind to minus ends of microtubules attached to γ-tubulin ring complex (γ-TuRC) and drive microtubule release. They show that CDK5RAP2, but not CLASP2, inhibits CAMSAP-mediated microtubule release from γ-TuRC.

Whole-genome sequencing and phenotype data sharing are introduced in a national health system to streamline diagnosis and to discover coding and non-coding variants that cause rare diseases.

While solar-driven water splitting may afford a renewable means to harvest energy, it is essential to understand how photocatalysts transform during catalysis. Here, authors study LaTiO_xN_y films by surface-sensitive techniques before and after photoelectrochemical water splitting.

Expression of AXL earmarks melanoma cells resistant to BRAF and MEK inhibitors that either pre-exist in treatment-naive tumors or emerge in response to therapy. The combination of an AXL-MMAE antibody-drug conjugate with BRAF and MEK inhibitors eliminates heterogeneous melanoma cell populations and prolongs survival in experimental in vivo models at tolerable toxicity. This approach is currently being tested in clinical trials and provides insights into the therapeutic targeting of intra-tumor heterogeneity.

Beginning with a functional site and building a supporting scaffold around it enables the de novo design of proteins with distinct binding motifs for use in biosensors to detect antibody responses and as ligands of synthetic signaling receptors.

This genome-wide study of age at first sexual intercourse and first birth identifies 371 signals driven by reproductive biology, externalising behaviour and environmental effects, with later onset associated with lower incidence of some diseases.

A genetic study identifies hundreds of loci associated with risk tolerance and risky behaviors, finds evidence of substantial shared genetic influences across these phenotypes, and implicates genes involved in neurotransmission.

A cross-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) including 29,612 patients with ALS and 122,656 controls identifies 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology.

A genome-wide association study in more than 400,000 individuals identifies 139 new signals for lung function. These variants can predict chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in independent, transancestral cohorts.

The second Global Amphibian Assessment finds that the status of amphibians is continuing to deteriorate globally, driven predominantly by climate change, disease and habitat loss.

BRCA2 and its interactor HSF2BP are required for meiotic recombination. Here, the authors define the interaction structurally, revealing that a repeat in BRCA2 binds two HSF2BP units, increasing the affinity. This region is, however, not essential for mouse meiosis.

Although progress in the coverage of routine measles vaccination in children in low- and middle-income countries was made during 2000–2019, many countries remain far from the goal of 80% coverage in all districts by 2019.

The potassium-chloride co-transporter, KCC2 is an essential component in maintaining a gradient for chloride ions in neurons. Here Stodberg and colleagues identify loss-of-function mutations in the encoding geneSLC12A5, which impair normal synaptic function associated with early-onset epilepsy.

The mechanics and structural transitions of DNA are important to many essential processes inside living cells. Here the authors combine theory and single-molecule experiments to show that intercalator binding stabilises a new structural state of DNA: hyperstretched DNA.

CRISPR base editing technologies can be used for disease modelling. Here the authors use various base editing tools to generate tumour models in human adult stem cell-derived hepatocyte, endometrial and intestinal organoids.

Despite being recommended, day-zero biopsies are often not performed, due to the cost and time. Here, the authors show that machine learning and donor’s basic parameters can predict the biopsy, offering a reliable virtual estimation of the day-zero biopsy findings.

Aligning artificial intelligence systems with human morality poses scientific, societal and ethical challenges. Delphi, an artificial intelligence system designed to predict human moral judgements based on John Rawls’s philosophical framework, is developed and tested, highlighting its potential for ethical applications and emphasizing the need to address its limitations and biases.

Unlike the homogeneous Wacker process, understanding of the mechanism of the heterogeneous system remains superficial. Here, the authors investigate the mechanism of heterogeneous Wacker oxidation over Pd-Cu/zeolite Y through the synergistic combination of kinetic, spectroscopic and chemometric studies.

Nanoparticles with dynamic patches can form reversible self-assembled structures in aqueous solution that become topologically more connected on dilution.

Organoids derived from human intestinal cells that are co-cultured with bacteria carrying the genotoxic pks⁺ island develop a distinct mutational signature associated with colorectal cancer.

Christopher Newton-Cheh and colleagues report genome-wide association analyses for QT interval, an electrocardiographic measure reflecting myocardial repolarization, in 100,000 individuals. They identify 35 loci associated with QT interval and highlight a role for calcium regulation in myocardial repolarization.

The evolution of Pd active centers in size and spatial distribution often leads to irreversible deactivation in many high-temperature catalytic processes. Here the authors demonstrate the use of defective alumina (Al₂O_3-x) as a catalyst support to anchor Pd atoms and suppress the growth of Pd clusters in catalytic methane oxidation.

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is one of the most lethal gastrointestinal emergencies in neonates needing precision treatment. Here the authors show that remote ischemic conditioning is a non-invasive therapeutic method that enhances blood flow in the intestine, reduces damage, and improves NEC outcome.

High-resolution subnational mapping of child growth failure indicators for 105 low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2017 shows that, despite considerable progress, substantial geographical inequalities still exist in some countries.

Analyses of the proportions of individuals who have completed key levels of schooling across all low- and middle-income countries from 2000 to 2017 reveal inequalities across countries as well as within populations.