Browse Articles

Multimodal spatial transcriptomic characterization of mouse kidney injury and repair

Space- and object-based attention in patients with a single hemisphere following childhood resection

Trump’s chief science adviser faces a storm of criticism: what's next?

Abrupt weakening of deep Atlantic circulation at the last glacial inception

Abstract Deglaciations and glacial inceptions are the two equally important transitional periods that bridge the glacial and interglacial climate states, yet our understanding of deglaciations far exceeds that of glacial inceptions. Substantial variations in deep ocean circulation accompanied the last deglaciation, and model simulations recently suggested that a weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) also occurred at the last glacial inception (LGI; 113-119 thousand years ago), yet evidence of such a change remains inconclusive. Here, we report three Pa/Th records from the western and central North Atlantic that display an abrupt weakening of the AMOC at the LGI. The magnitude of the reconstructed AMOC weakening approaches but never reaches the level of disruptions associated with the Heinrich ice discharge events. Our results may highlight a unique period of orbitally forced abrupt circulation changes and the importance of ocean processes in setting atmospheric CO2 changes in motion.

Inter- and intra-observer agreement in ultrasound diagnosis of steatotic liver disease: implications for screening in resource-limited settings

Abstract Steatotic liver disease (SLD), which is associated with increased risk of cancer-related mortality, needs timely and cost-effective detection. Although liver biopsy remains the diagnostic gold standard, its invasiveness and high-cost limit widespread use. Ultrasound is a practical and affordable alternative. We evaluated inter- and intra-observer agreement for ultrasound-based diagnosis of SLD using images from the Chile Biliary Longitudinal Study (Chile BiLS), a cohort of women with gallstones. These women have a high burden of obesity and related metabolic disorders, putting them at higher risk for SLD. A radiologist (observer 1) reviewed a randomly selected subset of 425 baseline images and compared them with the original readings from Chile BiLS radiology technicians. To assess intra-observer reproducibility, observer 1 reanalyzed 34 blinded duplicates, and two Chile BiLS radiology technicians (observers 2 and 3) independently reviewed these images. Observer 2 then re-reviewed the 34 images to assess intra-observer agreement. Agreement was analyzed using kappa and percent agreement. Observer 1 had slight inter-observer agreement (kappa: 0.12; 95% CI 0.08–0.15, p < 0.001; percent agreement: 41.0%), while observers 2 and 3 showed fair agreement (kappa: 0.29: 95% CI 0.11–0.58, p < 0.05; percent agreement: 64.7% and kappa: 0.32: 95% CI 0.06–0.58, p < 0.05; percent agreement: 63.6%, respectively). Intra-observer agreement was moderate for observer 1 (kappa: 0.45; 95% CI 0.08–0.82, p < 0.05; percent agreement: 81.3%), and substantial for observer 2 (kappa: 0.64; 95% CI 0.37–0.90, p < 0.001; percent agreement: 81.8%). Our findings highlight variability in ultrasound interpretation, underscoring the necessity of inter- and intra-observer comparisons for optimal diagnosis and quality control to enhance diagnostic consistency in high-risk populations.

‘A whole body of health-equity research is being disappeared’ — why I resigned from the NIH

Publisher Correction: A human brain network linked to restoration of consciousness after deep brain stimulation

GRSF1 loss in THP-1 macrophages promotes senescence-associated transcription in neighboring fibroblasts

Abstract Immunosenescence, the age-associated decline in immune function, is accompanied by altered macrophage phenotypes and increased chronic inflammation. Here, we examined the role of the mitochondrial RNA-binding protein GRSF1 in regulating macrophage-driven inflammation and its impact on neighboring fibroblasts. We found that macrophages differentiated from GRSF1-deficient THP-1 monocytes, particularly M(IL-4 + IL-13) macrophages, displayed elevated IL6 mRNA expression levels and TNF-α secretion, without inducing overt senescence in macrophages themselves. Conditioned media from these macrophages triggered robust senescence-associated transcriptional changes in fibroblasts, including increased expression of IL6 , TNF , DPP4 , and IL8 , as well as elevated SA-β-gal activity. Notably, expression of NF-κB-regulated long noncoding RNAs, such as ANRIL and PACER , was also induced in fibroblasts, suggesting the engagement of an NF-κB-linked inflammatory program. These transcriptional responses were mitigated by red ginseng extract, an anti-inflammatory compound known to suppress TNF-α signaling. Collectively, our findings suggest that GRSF1 depletion in macrophages contributes to a paracrine inflammatory niche that promotes senescence-associated gene expression in surrounding cells.

Study how screen time affects circadian rhythms

A reconceptualized framework for human microbiome transmission in early life

Effect of tea manufacturing processes and cultivars on tea infusion color

Organs on chips could make biomedical research more equitable

Electron flow in hydrogenotrophic methanogens under nickel limitation

Abstract Methanogenic archaea are the main producers of the potent greenhouse gas methane1,2. In the methanogenic pathway from CO2 and H2 studied under laboratory conditions, low-potential electrons for CO2 reduction are generated by a flavin-based electron-bifurcation reaction catalysed by heterodisulfide reductase (Hdr) complexed with the associated [NiFe]-hydrogenase (Mvh)3–5. F420-reducing [NiFe]-hydrogenase (Frh) provides electrons to the methanogenic pathway through the electron carrier F420 (ref. 6). Here we report that under strictly nickel-limited conditions, in which the nickel concentration is similar to those often observed in natural habitats7–11, the production of both [NiFe]-hydrogenases in Methanothermobacter marburgensis is strongly downregulated. The Frh reaction is substituted by a coupled reaction with [Fe]-hydrogenase (Hmd), and the role of Mvh is taken over by F420-dependent electron-donating proteins (Elp). Thus, Hmd provides all electrons for the reducing metabolism under these nickel-limited conditions. Biochemical and structural characterization of Elp–Hdr complexes confirms the electronic interaction between Elp and Hdr. The conservation of the genes encoding Elp and Hmd in CO2-reducing hydrogenotrophic methanogens suggests that the Hmd system is an alternative pathway for electron flow in CO2-reducing hydrogenotrophic methanogens under nickel-limited conditions.

Revealing the mechanisms of non-thermal plasma-enabled iron oxide reduction through nanoscale operando TEM

In situ electric field dosimetry analysis for powerline frequency peripheral nerve magnetic stimulation

Particulate reshapes surface jet dynamics induced by a cavitation bubble

Abstract Liquid jet formations on water surfaces serve as a cornerstone in diverse scientific disciplines, underpinning processes in climatology, environmental science, and human health issues. Traditional models predominantly focus on pristine conditions, an idealisation that overlooks common environmental irregularities such as the presence of particulate matter on water surfaces. To address this shortfall, our research examines the dynamic interactions between surface particulate matter and cavitation bubbles using floating spheres and spark bubbles. We unveil five novel jet modes, advancing beyond classical models and demonstrating enhanced variability in jet dynamics. We observe that particulates significantly lower the energy threshold for jet formation, showing the enhanced sensitivity of jet dynamics to their presence. The phase diagram and analyses illustrate how the interplay between the dimensionless immersion time of the particulate and the spark bubble’s dimensionless depth influences jet mode development, from singular streams to complex cavity forms. These insights not only advance our understanding of jet formation, but also unlock the potential for refined jet manipulation across a broad range of physical, environmental, and medical applications.

Genetic deletion of the sodium phosphate cotransporter NaPi2a ameliorates heart failure in mice

HIBRID: histology-based risk-stratification with deep learning and ctDNA in colorectal cancer

Abstract Although surgical resection is the standard therapy for stage II/III colorectal cancer, recurrence rates exceed 30%. Circulating tumor DNA (ctNDA) detects molecular residual disease (MRD), but lacks spatial and tumor microenvironment information. Here, we develop a deep learning (DL) model to predict disease-free survival from hematoxylin & eosin stained whole slide images in stage II-IV colorectal cancer. The model is trained on the DACHS cohort (n = 1766) and validated on the GALAXY cohort (n = 1404). In GALAXY, the DL model categorizes 304 patients as DL high-risk and 1100 as low-risk (HR 2.31; p < 0.005). Combining DL scores with MRD status improves prognostic stratification in both MRD-positive (HR 1.58; p < 0.005) and MRD-negative groups (HR 2.1; p < 0.005). Notably, MRD-negative patients predicted as DL high-risk benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy (HR 0.49; p = 0.01) vs. DL low-risk (HR = 0.92; p = 0.64). Combining ctDNA with DL-based histology analysis significantly improves risk stratification, with the potential to improve follow-up and personalized adjuvant therapy decisions.

Advanced intelligent techniques for modeling oxygen storage in zeolite-based porous materials

A systemic risk assessment methodological framework for the global polycrisis

Abstract Human societies and ecological systems face increasingly severe risks, stemming from crossing planetary boundaries, worsening inequality, rising geo-political tensions, and new technologies. In an interconnected world, these risks can exacerbate each-other, creating systemic risks, which must be thoroughly assessed and responded to. Recent years have seen the emergence of analytical frameworks designed specifically for, or applicable to, systemic risk assessment, adding to the multitude of tools and models for analysing and simulating different systems. By assessing two recent global food and energy systemic crises, we propose a methodological framework applicable to assessing systemic risks in a polycrisis context, drawing from and building on existing approaches. Our framework’s polycrisis-specific features include: exploring system architectures including their objectives and political economy; consideration of transformational responses away from risks; and cross-cutting practices including consideration of non-human life, trans-disciplinarity, and diversity, transparency and communication of uncertainty around data, evidence and methods.