Browse Articles

Why are policies to combat undernutrition not effective in Mozambique?

Boosting the detection of enhancer-promoter loops via normalization methods for chromatin interaction data

Prolonged cooling and degassing of Apollo 17 volcanic glasses on the lunar surface

Abstract Studying lunar pyroclastic volcanism provides key insights into the thermo-chemical evolution of the lunar mantle and the Moon’s volatile budget. Pyroclastic deposits, although volumetrically minor compared to mare basalts, are derived from deeper, more primitive, and volatile-rich mantle sources. Here we synthesize volatile degassing recorded by Apollo 17 sample 74220, one of most studied pyroclastic deposits. By modeling the volatile degassing of olivine-hosted melt inclusions, melt embayments, and glass beads, we show that volatile depletion of these samples cannot be explained solely by degassing during free-flight, as previously proposed. Instead, the data require extended thermal histories, with beads undergoing slow cooling and prolonged degassing on the lunar surface for years, a scenario further supported by thermal modeling. Our findings suggest that pyroclastic deposits remained active volatile sources well beyond eruption, which is potentially important for sustaining a local transient lunar atmosphere and the long-term volatile cycle of the Moon.

Intradermal delivery of lipophilic siRNAs enables prolonged skin retention and sustained gene silencing in a porcine model

Human prestige psychology can promote adaptive inequality in social influence

Abstract Human hunter-gatherer groups were commonly thought to be broadly egalitarian, with increasingly formal hierarchical social structures hypothesized to spread following the introduction of agriculture. However, this view is being challenged by mounting evidence for social hierarchies in several foraging populations. Nonetheless, the processes by which such hierarchies emerge, and whether human hierarchies are homologous with non-human systems of dominance, remains unclear. Here we examine the role of prestige, the tendency to freely confer status and influence on skilled or esteemed individuals and a proposed component of human-unique cultural psychology, in generating unequal patterns of social influence. Through a combination of cultural evolutionary modelling, human experimentation, and evolutionary simulations, we find that human prestige psychology generates highly unequal influence hierarchies, and that the “prestige sensitivity” we measure empirically in human participants closely matches the predictions of our evolutionary simulations, suggesting it is an evolved psychological adaptation. Nonetheless, unlike non-human dominance hierarchies, the processes involved are non-coercive, being driven by individuals freely seeking high quality information. We thus conclude that social hierarchies plausibly have a deep evolutionary history in our lineage, with prestige enabling hierarchies to be mutually beneficial as opposed to coercive.

The bacterial RNA polymerase-associated CarD protein couples promoter activity to DNA supercoiling

Abstract RNA polymerase (RNAP) must unwind duplex DNA prior to transcription initiation. In bacteria, unwinding starts at a DNA motif called the promoter −10 element. Specifically, non-template strand bases interact with RNAP to trigger the process. A protein called CarD can support −10 element opening in many microbes. Whilst this most often activates transcription, CarD may repress if the DNA open complex is too stable. For Rhodobacter sphaeroides , a purple photoheterotrophic alpha-proteobacterium, CarD is particularly important as many −10 elements have a key DNA sequence defect. Here, we use genomic tools to map transcription initiation, binding of RNAP, CarD interactions, and DNA topology, globally in R. sphaeroides . We show an association between CarD-controlled transcription, and negative DNA supercoiling, which alters global gene expression if perturbed. Using biochemical tools, we show that promoter co-regulation by CarD and supercoiling results from the −10 element defect inherent to R. sphaeroides promoters. If this flaw is corrected, regulation by CarD and supercoiling is disrupted. As supercoiling dissipates during stress, we suggest CarD couples housekeeping transcription to the environment via DNA topology.

Bubble dynamics matters at high-rate water electrolysis

Daratumumab in systemic lupus erythematosus: a single-arm phase 2 trial

Abstract Antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) play a central role in the pathophysiology of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This single-arm, open-label, phase 2 clinical trial aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the ASC-depleting anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody daratumumab in patients with SLE (NCT04810754). The primary endpoint is the reduction in serum anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) antibody levels at week 12. Key secondary end points include safety, clinical efficacy, and immunologic changes. Ten female patients with active disease and inadequate responses to at least two immunosuppressive drugs have received eight subcutaneous injections of 1800 mg daratumumab weekly, with dexamethasone as premedication (20 mg for first two injections, then 10 mg). By week 12, anti-dsDNA antibody levels have been reduced by a median of 109.6 IU/ml (95% CI 38.1 – 274.5). The treatment resulted in rapid and sustained clinical improvements across all patients and organ domains, reflected by a 100% SRI-4 (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Responder Index-4) response rate at week 12. Hypogammaglobulinemia occurred in 5/10 patients, requiring immunoglobulin substitution. Daratumumab treatment has depleted circulating ASCs, reduced type I interferon activity, and profoundly modulated the T-cell responses. These findings highlight the pivotal role of ASCs in SLE pathogenesis and support daratumumab as therapeutic option for SLE.

An absolute quantification atlas of small non-coding RNAs across diverse mammalian tissues and cell lines

Splice isoform-perturbation coupled to single cell transcriptome profiling reveals functions of microexons in neurogenesis and autism-linked pathways

Integrated action for skin NTDs: Deconstructing transmission, addressing knowledge gaps, and championing one health strategies

Nonporous hydrophobic organic crystals for carbon dioxide capture via chain-melting phase transition

Tuning superelasticity in high entropy alloy via a hidden strain order

Diketopyrrolopyrrole-based two-dimensional poly(arylene vinylene)s with high charge carrier mobility

Abstract Layered two-dimensional conjugated polymers (2D CPs), or 2D conjugated covalent organic frameworks, are promising semiconductor materials for (opto)electronics and photocatalysis, but their performance is often limited by insufficient in-plane conjugation and poor charge transport. Guided by density functional theory calculations, we report two donor-acceptor-type 2D poly(arylene vinylene)s constructed from thienyl-benzodithiophene and diketopyrrolopyrrole units. These materials are predicted to exhibit strongly dispersive energy bands with ultralow in-plane effective masses (0.036 − 0.159 m 0 ), enabling intrinsic charge mobilities approaching 2000 cm 2  V −1  s −1 . Solid-state Aldol-type 2D polycondensation yields crystalline materials with optical band gaps as narrow as 1.0 eV. Terahertz spectroscopy reveals long charge carrier scattering times of 76 fs and a high room-temperature mobility of 310 cm 2  V −1  s −1 , surpassing previously reported linear and 2D CP powder samples. This work highlights donor-acceptor engineering as an effective strategy to enhance charge transport in 2D CPs.

Paclitaxel drives TREM2+ macrophage expansion underlying its inferior therapeutic efficacy compared to Nab-paclitaxel

Neurocognitive characterization of behaviour and mental illness through time-varying brain network analysis

Abstract Human cognitive processing involves dynamic interactions across brain regions, evolving over time. Traditional neuroimaging analysis often overlooks this temporal aspect, limiting insights into how functional network connectivity (FNC) supports ongoing cognition and behaviour. Using sliding window analysis, we captured FNC changes during tasks, reflecting network reconfiguration in cognitive processes. We further determined behavioural relevance of time-varying FNC by relating network measurements with task performances and psychopathology. We found that several whole-brain FNC patterns, or states, persist across resting and task-based fMRI, with state occurrences fluctuating with the most prominent task stimuli. Regional FNC distinguishes specific task conditions, and time-varying FNC explains more variance in psychopathology symptoms compared to static connectivity. These findings highlight that cognitive tasks reshape regional and whole-brain connectivity. By considering the different FNC states, time-varying connectivity provides a more comprehensive representation of brain interactions and thus may represent a better neural proxy for cognition and behaviour.

Dual-Band Infrared PbS Colloidal Quantum Dot Focal Plane Array

Incomplete lineage sorting shaped mixed traits during a colobine primate radiation

Lineages undergoing rapid evolutionary diversification may evolve a set of mixed traits as a result of hybrid speciation, gene flow, or incomplete lineage sorting (ILS). However, how best to quantify these alternative processes impacting phenotypic variation remains unclear. Here, we examined trait evolution in two sister genera of endangered Asian primates, Trachypithecus and Semnopithecus . By assembling a de novo genome of the Trachypithecus pileatus group, which is geographically located in a transitional zone between these two genera, our integrated phylogenomic analyses clarified the evolutionary relationship of the T. pileatus group with other Trachypithecus species. We also identified that morphological similarities shared between this species group and Semnopithecus are the result of ILS, rather than gene flow or hybrid speciation. Across all chromosomes of the T. pileatus group, ILS contributed 8.9% of whole genome segments. Across these segments, we distinguished 77 genes such as FGFBP1 and FOXO1 that are involved in pathways of bone development and osteoblast differentiation. Functional experiments indicate that FGFBP1 genotypes shared by species of the T. pileatus group and Semnopithecus appear to enhance osteogenic capability and mineralization, possibly resulting in larger body size and similarities in skull morphology compared with other species of Trachypithecus . The study reveals that ILS has shaped the evolution of mixed traits within gene-regulatory networks, driving phenotypic diversity during periods of rapid species divergence in this highly successful primate radiation. ILS appears to be more common than previously thought and represents a critical step in accurately assessing the phylogeny of closely related taxa.

Predicting missing links in food webs using stacked models and species traits

The landscape of hereditary haemochromatosis risk and diagnosis across the British Isles and Ireland

Abstract Hereditary haemochromatosis is caused by pathogenic variants in the homoeostatic iron regulator gene HFE . Outcomes include liver cancer, cirrhosis and arthropathy, but penetrance is incomplete. Here, we use genetic data from >400,000 subjects to determine the genetic risk across 29 regions of the British Isles and Ireland. Northwest Irish and Outer Hebrideans are at the highest risk (1/54 – 1/62 carry the major risk genotype), Mainland Scots are also at increased risk (1/117), declining to 1/212 in Southern England. We also assessed the prevalence of clinically diagnosed haemochromatosis in >63 million people in NHS England and identified 70,365 cases. White Irish individuals have the highest prevalence (3.7x white British). Among white British, prevalence varied 11-fold from 1/1972 in parts of Kent to 1/177 in Liverpool. Discrepancies between genetic risks and prevalences of clinical diagnoses for Birmingham, Cumbria, Northumberland and Durham suggest under-diagnosis in these regions. We show heightened genetic risk of haemochromatosis in people of Northwest Irish and Hebridean ancestry and suggest health-economic modelling of community screening should be targeted to these priority areas.