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Photochemical nanomotors reverse anxiety- and depressive-related behaviors in rodents via spatiotemporal polarity dynamics tuning

Nature Communications Bin Chen, Miaomiao Ding, Ye Feng et al. Feb 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-70003-3

Runaway black hole leaves a trail of stars

Nature Feb 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-026-00510-2

A foundation model for continuous glucose monitoring data

Nature Guy Lutsker, Gal Sapir, Smadar Shilo et al. Feb 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09925-9

Magic state injection on IBM quantum processors above the distillation threshold

Scientific Reports Younghun Kim, Martin Sevior, Muhammad Usman Feb 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-40381-1

Abstract The surface code family is a promising approach to implementing fault-tolerant quantum computations. Universal fault-tolerance requires error-corrected non-Clifford operations, in addition to Clifford gates, and for the former, it is imperative to experimentally demonstrate additional resources known as magic states. Another challenge is to efficiently embed surface codes into quantum hardware with connectivity constraints. This work simultaneously addresses both challenges by employing a qubit-efficient rotated heavy-hexagonal surface code for IBM quantum processors () and implementing the magic state injection protocol. Our work reports error thresholds for both logical bit- and phase-flip errors, of $$\approx 0.37\%$$ and $$\approx 0.31\%$$ , respectively, which are higher than the threshold values previously reported with traditional embedding. The post-selection-based preparation of logical magic states $$|H_L\rangle$$ and $$|T_L\rangle$$ achieve fidelities of $$0.8806\pm 0.0002$$ and $$0.8665\pm 0.0003$$ , respectively, which are both above the magic state distillation threshold. The post-selection process yields an average success rate of $$36.28 \pm 0.09\%$$ . Additionally, we report the minimum fidelity among injected arbitrary single logical qubit states as $$0.8356\pm 0.0003$$ . Our work demonstrates the potential for realising non-Clifford logical gates by producing high-fidelity logical magic states on IBM quantum devices.

DUSP26 protects against acute kidney injury by dephosphorylating p53 at serine 312

Nature Communications Ying Fu, Yu Xiang, Yun Han et al. Feb 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-69688-3

Abstract Acute kidney injury (AKI) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, yet the molecular pathways driving kidney tubule damage in AKI are not fully understood. Here, we report dual-specificity phosphatase 26 (DUSP26) as a critical regulator of kidney tubule injury in AKI. In our study, DUSP26 expression was markedly reduced in kidney biopsies from AKI patients of both sexes and in male murine models of cisplatin nephrotoxic and ischemic AKI. This down-regulation was driven by hypermethylation of the gene promoter of DUSP26 in kidney tubular cells. Loss of DUSP26 exacerbated tubular damage, whereas knock-in of DUSP26 specifically in kidney proximal tubule cells conferred protection. Mechanistically, DUSP26 directly bound to p53 to dephosphorylate it at serine 312, dampening the transcriptional activity of p53 towards cell death genes. Pharmacologic inhibition of DUSP26 sensitized kidneys to AKI, whereas DUSP26 overexpression was protective. Pharmacologic inhibition of DUSP26 also exacerbated ischemia-reperfusion injury in the liver. These findings uncover DUSP26 as a key phosphatase guarding against tissue injury by dephosphorylating p53 at serine 312, and highlight the DUSP26-p53 axis as a promising therapeutic target.

Ultra-high-throughput mapping of genetic design space

Nature Kshitij Rai, Ronan W. O’Connell, Trenton C. Piepergerdes et al. Feb 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09933-9

Association between steatotic liver disease and post-traumatic stress symptoms in the Fukushima health management survey

Scientific Reports Fumikazu Hayashi, Tetsuya Ohira, Atsushi Takahashi et al. Feb 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-41265-0

Extreme rainfall reshapes permafrost thermal regimes across the Northern Hemisphere

Nature Communications Qian Li, Xiaoqing Peng, Oliver W. Frauenfeld et al. Feb 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-70017-x

Dynamic causal modeling of low-density resting-state EEG in long-term meditation practitioners

Scientific Reports Gianluca Rho, Francesco Bossi, Ngawang Norbu et al. Feb 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-41310-y

Experimental observation of non-Hermitian phase transitions using laser-induced thermoacoustics

Nature Communications Haixiao Zhang, Renhao Fan, Wei Xiong et al. Feb 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-69986-w

An explainable deep learning framework for video violence detection using unsupervised keyframe selection and attention-based CNN

Scientific Reports Rashid Azim, Naveed Abbas, Hend Khalid Alkahtani et al. Feb 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-40977-7

Laser interstitial thermal therapy and adjuvant pembrolizumab in recurrent high-grade astrocytoma: a Phase 1/randomized Phase 2b trial

Nature Communications Jian L. Campian, Son B. Le, Ashley Ghiaseddin et al. Feb 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-69522-w

Abstract Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) show minimal efficacy in recurrent high-grade astrocytoma (rHGA). Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT), a minimally invasive cytoreductive approach, may prime rHGA for ICI response. A phase 1/randomized phase 2b trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02311582 ) was designed to test pembrolizumab in combination with LITT in patients with rHGA. Nine patients were enrolled in the phase I dose-escalation lead-in study. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed and 200 mg of pembrolizumab every three weeks was determined as the recommended phase 2 dose. The phase 2b study was initially designed to randomize (up to 45) patients 1:1 to either LITT followed by pembrolizumab (LITT + PEM) or non-LITT surgery followed by pembrolizumab (NLS + PEM). Phase 2’s primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS); secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), safety, and immune signature. After 21 patients, based on an independent Data and Safety Monitoring Committee request of unscheduled interim review of accumulating efficacy data, randomization stopped as benefit from NLS + PEM appeared limited, and the subsequent 24 patients received LITT + PEM. The pre-specified study endpoints were achieved. Among 39 per-protocol patients, LITT + PEM (n = 33) improved median OS (11.8 versus 5.2 months) and 18-month survival (42% versus 0%) compared to NLS + PEM (n = 6) (hazard ratio [HR] 0.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.06–0.49; P = 0.0002). Median PFS was longer in LITT + PEM (4.5 versus 1.6 months; HR 0.21; 95% CI, 0.08–0.56; P = 0.0006). In an intent-to-treat sensitivity analysis (n = 21), OS (HR 0.29; 95% CI, 0.10–0.88) and PFS (HR 0.30; 95% CI, 0.10–0.87) again favored LITT + PEM (n = 13). Treatment was well tolerated. LITT activated non-classical monocytes, and pembrolizumab unleashed CD8⁺ T cell proliferation, clonal expansion, and coordinated memory T-cell responses. Overall, LITT + PEM is safe and may overcome rHGA immunosuppression to generate antitumor immunity.

Plant spraying quality when used by drone-robots

Scientific Reports Bogusława Berner, Jerzy Chojnacki, Leon Kukiełka et al. Feb 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-40649-6

Abstract The study aimed to evaluate how airflow from a small drone’s rotor affects the accuracy and consistency of liquid coverage on individual plants or small plant groups during low-altitude spraying. The research focused on the future possibility of using drones - unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as autonomous robots for plant protection. The effects of UAV propellers’ rotation on changes in droplet stream, produced from a single spray flat fan nozzle, as well as the influence of altitude, flight speed, and leaf area index (LAI), on the liquid coverage uniformity (CU) of application on plants were examined. The rotational speeds of the UAV propellers were set at 0.0, 5000, and 6400 rpm. Rapeseed and potato plants were selected for testing because they are common food crops and sources of raw materials for biofuel production. The UAV, on a laboratory test stand, was moved at two heights (H = 0.5 and 1.0 m) at two speeds (v = 0.54 and 1.0 m·s -1 ). The airflow from the UAV’s rotors narrowed the droplet stream produced by the nozzle by about 20% and increased the liquid volume in the center of the droplet stream, especially at a UAV height of H = 1.0 m. The leaf area index (LAI) for rapeseed was 0.877, and for potatoes it was 6.273. These LAI differences resulted in the liquid sprayed from the UAV settling more evenly on rapeseed plants than on potato plants. UAV flight altitude and leaf area index (LAI) appeared to be key factors affecting the amount of liquid applied to plants. Lower altitudes (H = 0.5 m) improved liquid application uniformity and enabled deeper penetration into dense foliage. High LAI values significantly hampered liquid penetration into lower plant levels and reduced the uniformity of liquid application.

Specialized aldo-keto reductases trigger complete degradation of mycotoxin deoxynivalenol

Nature Communications Weijie He, Renyi Xiong, Mengru Zheng et al. Feb 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-70007-z

A miniature, subterranean, blind cobitid loach, Gitchak nakana, new genus and species, is the first groundwater-dwelling fish from Northeast India

Scientific Reports Ralf Britz, Wimarithy K. Marak, Kangjam Velentina et al. Feb 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-40425-6

Abstract Subterranean animals are commonly met with considerable fascination, by both laymen and biologists. While most of these animals have been reported from caves, some species have adapted to other underground habitats. One special subterranean aquatic habitat are aquifers, which are home to a number of invertebrates and fishes. Of the more than 300 known subterranean fishes, fewer than 10% have been recovered from aquifers and are encountered only rarely and serendipitously. Here we report the discovery of a tiny, blind loach of the family Cobitidae from a dug-out well in Assam, India, which exhibits a number of characters commonly associated with subterranean life, so-called troglomorphies. This loach, described here as Gitchak nakana , represents a new genus and species, differing from all other genera of cobitids by a number of unique characters. The most unusual among these is the complete lack of a skull roof with the brain covered dorsally only by skin. Gitchak nakana is the first aquifer-dwelling (phreatobitic) fish from Northeast India, and marks the first discovery of a previously unknown subterranean fauna in this part of Asia.

A heteromeric TRP channel that functions as a WNT-activated G protein-coupled receptor

Nature Communications Emily P. Hardy, A. Nasim Haider, Maulin M. Patel et al. Feb 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-69932-w

Visualizing malignant progression: in situ CD109-based spatial immunofluorescence assay delineates papillary to anaplastic thyroid carcinoma transformation within the tumor microenvironment

Scientific Reports Tomoko Cohen, Keiji Suzuki, Katsuya Matsuda et al. Feb 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-41927-z

The nitrogen starvation-induced inhibitor Rts3 restrains Sit4/PP6 to gate quiescence downstream of TORC1

Nature Communications Ladislav Dokládal, Marie-Pierre Péli-Gulli, Josephine Alba et al. Feb 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-69693-6

Abstract Cellular quiescence is a reversible state essential for survival under nutrient-limiting or growth-restrictive conditions, yet the mechanisms fine-tuning its depth and reversibility remain elusive. Here, we identify Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rts3 as a regulator of the quiescence trajectory downstream of TORC1. Using phosphatase inhibitor beads and mass spectrometry, we characterize Rts3 as a phosphatase interactor in rapamycin-treated cells and define it as an inhibitor of the PP6 phosphatase Sit4. Mechanistically, it employs an α-helix to dock directly into the Sit4-Sap185/190 catalytic cleft. Transcriptionally induced by Gln3/Gat1 during nitrogen starvation, Rts3 is rapidly degraded upon nutrient repletion via a TORC1-SCF Cdc4 -proteasome axis. By selectively constraining Sit4-Sap185/190 activity, this inhibitor modulates nitrogen-responsive transcriptional and translational programs to prevent excessive accumulation of Gln3/Rtg3 targets, establishing a feedback loop gating quiescence depth to support long-term survival. Our findings position Rts3 as a dynamic molecular brake on Sit4, ensuring a protective yet reversible quiescent state.

Effective nutrient resources and fertilizer substitution potential of root biomass of major crops in China

Scientific Reports Jie Xie, Jingmiao Shao, Chunyu Gao et al. Feb 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-39892-8

Educational disparities in STEM during COVID-induced distance learning and a potential strategy to address them

Nature Communications Rebeka Man, Jun Li, Kean Ming Tan Feb 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-69925-9