Browse Articles

Retraction: Functional Study of Ectodysplasin-A Mutations Causing Non-Syndromic Tooth Agenesis

When Anticipation Is Not Enough: A Mixture of Robust and Adaptive Feedback Control Strategies Improves Reaching in Dynamic Environments

Successful goal-directed movements depend on the central nervous system's (CNS) ability to handle diverse physical interactions. The CNS is thought to handle different dynamical contexts through three mechanisms: (1) trial-by-trial adaptation when forces are predictable, (2) a model-free robust control strategy, and (3) online adaptation of feedback responses. While each has been studied independently, their relative contributions and the possibility that they are recruited to different extents across contexts is unknown. Here, we quantified all three strategies within the same individuals to examine how CNS exploits them under varying environmental conditions. Participants (19 female, 15 male) performed reaching tasks while interacting with robot-generated force fields that were either consistent or varied unpredictably. Trial-by-trial adaptation was measured using standard force channels to isolate anticipatory compensation. Robust control was assessed through movement velocity and corrective force magnitude. Online adaptive control was quantified by the temporal alignment between commanded and measured forces within a movement. Results showed that participants improved anticipatory compensation in consistent environments and relied on both robust and online adaptation when perturbations were unpredictable. Crucially, markers of robust control dominated the early movement phase, whereas online adaptation dominated later corrections. This temporal dissociation was confirmed by electromyographic recordings. Markers of robust and online adaptive feedback strategies also statistically predicted participants' ability to adapt across trials in consistent environments, revealing a common trait linking online control and adaptation. These findings reveal a rich and flexible combination of control mechanisms, offering a new framework for understanding the neurophysiological bases of reaching control.

Rising tides: Unveiling the spatial and temporal evolution of sea level rise under climate change

This study systematically investigates the spatiotemporal evolution of sea level rise under climate change, employing a tri-scale quantitative framework (global, China’s coastal waters, and Shanghai municipality) to elucidate its underlying drivers and regional disparities. By synthesizing IPCC AR6 datasets and NASA sea level projection models, we integrate the Theil-Sen Median Method with Mann-Kendall Test to analyze trajectory patterns from 2030 to 2100. Spatial clustering effects are further identified through hotspot analysis (Getis-Ord Gi*) implemented in ArcGIS Pro. The findings reveal a statistically significant upward trend in global sea levels, primarily attributed to thermal expansion and cryospheric melt (glaciers and polar ice sheets), with localized subsidence observed in certain high-latitude regions. China’s coastal waters exhibit accelerated sea level rise, particularly in the South China Sea and East China Sea, where rates surpass the global mean—a phenomenon driven by coupled effects of monsoon circulation, Kuroshio Current dynamics, and freshwater discharge from major rivers (e.g., Yangtze and Yellow Rivers). At the urban scale, Shanghai’s coastal zone demonstrates exacerbated relative sea level rise due to superimposed land subsidence and localized hydrodynamic processes, manifesting distinct spatiotemporal clustering patterns. By integrating global-scale thermodynamic baselines, regional oceanic drivers, and local land subsidence patterns, this study provides a quantitative foundation for place-based adaptation strategies in delta cities. The findings enable evidence-based risk assessment and inform anticipatory governance measures—such as targeted infrastructure reinforcement and land-use planning adjustments—to address the compound sea level risks identified at each scale.

A randomized controlled trial of N-acetylcysteine in the treatment of early-onset preeclampsia: Study Protocol

Background Despite significant advancements in obstetric care, the incidence of preeclampsia remains a substantial public health challenge, and effective strategies to prevent the disease progression remain limited, particularly in low-resource settings. N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an antioxidant and glutathione precursor, has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and vasodilatory effects, making it a promising candidate for repurposing. However, robust evidence from well-powered randomized controlled trials is lacking. Objective This study will evaluate the impact of NAC on the time-to-disease progression in pregnant women with early-onset preeclampsia in Lagos, Nigeria. Methods This is the study protocol for a proof-of-concept, double-blind, randomized, controlled trial to be conducted between April 2026 to July 2028 at the maternity units of the two teaching hospitals in Lagos, Nigeria. At baseline, n = 153 sexually active women aged 18 years or older diagnosed with early-onset preeclampsia at 24–34 weeks’ gestation will be randomised to receive either daily oral tablet containing 600 mg of NAC or a placebo tablet that is matched for appearance and the dosing regimen in addition to standard antenatal care from diagnosis (randomisation) until either 34 weeks’ gestation or delivery, whichever comes first. The primary endpoint is the time-to-progression (in days) of early-onset preeclampsia to severe disease. The data analysis will be conducted on an intention-to-treat basis. Kaplan-Meier estimates with a Log-rank test will be used to calculate and compare the time-to-disease progression for the treatment groups, while Cox proportional hazard models with a backwards conditional method will be used to compare the primary endpoint between the treatment arms while adjusting for other covariates for precision using hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs). Subgroup analyses will also be performed to assess the differential effects of significant covariates on the impact of NAC on disease progression. Statistical significance will be reported as P  < 0.05. Discussion This study will evaluate the efficacy of daily oral NAC compared to placebo in treating pregnant women with early-onset preeclampsia. If proven effective, NAC could offer a safe, affordable, and scalable intervention to reduce the burden of preeclampsia, particularly in resource-constrained settings.

Expression of concern: Bioavailability of iron, zinc, phytate and phytase activity during soaking and germination of white sorghum varieties

TNF-α Deficiency Reduces Parvalbumin Neuron Density, Impairs Homeostatic Plasticity, Disrupts Synaptic Excitation–Inhibition Balance, and Prevents Critical Period Closure in the Auditory Cortex

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), a pleiotropic cytokine, modulates neuronal functions under both physiological and pathological conditions. In the auditory system, it is required for refinement of the cortical frequency map during early development. In adulthood, TNF-α upregulation following noise trauma contributes to synaptic imbalance and central auditory processing deficits. The effects of TNF-α deficiency on adult auditory cortical circuits and function have not been examined. Here, we report that compared with wild-type (WT) control mice (an equal number of males and females per group), adult TNF-α knock-out (KO) mice had reduced PV neuron density and PV expression levels. Pyramidal neurons in the auditory cortex of TNF-α KO mice had larger miniature excitatory postsynaptic current (mEPSC) amplitude and lower miniature inhibitory postsynaptic current (mIPSC) frequency, suggesting a shift in synaptic E/I balance. Cortical multiunit recordings showed increased spontaneous and evoked activity and broadened tuning bandwidth consistent with the increased synaptic E/I ratio. Importantly, unlike WT mice, TNF-α KO mice exhibited persistent critical period-like plasticity into adulthood. Following exposure to a single-frequency tone, the representation of the tone was enlarged in adult TNF-α KO mice, but not in WT mice. Together with existing literature, our results suggest that TNF-α has a bell-shaped influence on adult auditory cortical circuits, with both elevated and deficient TNF-α expression leading to PV neuron dysfunction, increased synaptic E/I ratio, and enhanced cortical frequency map plasticity.

The ancestors of eukaryotic cells contained a mix of genes from various microbes

Development and validation of the screening tool for identifying elder abuse by caregivers (STIEAC)

Purpose Elder abuse is a global concern, yet detection methods focus mainly on victims. In community settings, trusted caregivers may perpetrate abuse that remains hidden due to cultural norms. Existing tools lack a contextual fit for sub-Saharan Africa. This study developed and validated the Screening Tool for Identifying Elder Abuse by Caregivers (STIEAC) in Southwest Nigeria. Methods The study used Artino’s seven-step questionnaire development framework, combining a literature review and caregiver focus groups to create culturally relevant items across the neglect, physical, psychological, financial, and sexual abuse domains. Expert panels ensured content and face validity, followed by pilot testing after which the revised tool was administered in a survey among 1119 caregivers. The psychometric evaluation included factor analysis, reliability (Cronbach’s alpha, Guttman split-half), and construct validity via correlations with the Zarit Burden, General Health Questionnaire-12, and Katz Activities of Daily Living scales. Results The STIEAC’s 10-item structure encompasses the five elder abuse domains, demonstrating high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.90) and reliability (split-half coefficient = 0.713). Bartlett’s test was significant (χ² = 7642.08, p < 0.001), and the KMO measure was adequate (0.896). Domain-specific reliability was highest for neglect (α = 0.87) and lowest for sexual abuse (α = 0.03). Construct validity was supported by a positive correlation with the ZBI (r = 0.294, p = 0.001) and negative correlations with the GHQ-12 (r = −0.349, p = 0.001) and the Katz ADL (r = −0.160, p = 0.001). Conclusion The STIEAC is a reliable 10-item tool reflecting culturally nuanced elder abuse perpetration by caregivers in community settings. Despite the low consistency of the sexual abuse subscale, it has strong overall validity, filling a critical gap for screening for elder abuse in sub-Saharan Africa and assisting researchers and practitioners.

Inhibitory Circuits Can Restore OFF Pathway Responses in Retinal Prostheses

One of the first steps in processing visual information is to split the light signal captured by photoreceptors into complementary ON and OFF pathways, which separately encode increases and decreases in luminance. In blind patients with retinal degeneration, optoelectronic prostheses can successfully activate the ON pathway and evoke bright percepts; however, patients do not perceive dark features. This indicates that the OFF pathway is not being activated by existing prosthetics. To quantify OFF pathway deficits, we stimulated retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in a mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa of either sex with electrical stimulation mimicking retinal prosthetic activation and recorded their voltage responses using whole-cell recording. We found that most OFF RGCs respond with incorrect ON responses, except for one specific subtype of RGC, the OFFα, which retained correct OFF-type responses following the termination of stimulation. We found that these preserved OFF responses were driven by postinhibitory rebound excitation, mediated by hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels. Using a combinatorial genetic approach to achieve chemogenetic control, we identified AII amacrine cells as the presynaptic source driving these electrically evoked OFF responses. These insights into how the OFF pathway responds to artificial stimulation suggest new opportunities to improve prosthetic vision restoration through tuning of stimulation parameters.

Analysis of 173,303 exomes and genomes in the Pakistan Genome Resource

Correction: A Preliminary proteomics-based assessment of biotic indicators in Central Mexican water bodies biotic indicators by proteomics in Mexican water bodies

Dynamic and Context-Dependent Modulation of Somatosensory Input in the Primate Primary Motor Cortex

During voluntary movement, somatosensory input is attenuated, a phenomenon known as sensory gating, which may prevent the CNS from being overwhelmed by predictable afferent feedback not essential for motor control. In the cerebral cortex, sensory gating has been demonstrated in primary (S1) and higher-order sensory areas. The primary motor cortex (M1) is the major cortical output relay to the spinal cord and muscles, and proprioceptive feedback is crucial for shaping motor output. However, whether proprioceptive signals to M1 are attenuated during movement and, if so, for what functional purpose remains unclear. We recorded somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEPs) in M1 of two male monkeys performing a wrist task while electrically stimulating muscle and cutaneous afferents innervating forearm extensors and adjacent skin. Both local field potentials and single-neuron recordings revealed significant suppression of muscle-evoked SEPs during active movement and static hold phases, providing direct evidence that proprioceptive input to M1 is generally gated during motor execution, consistent with previous findings for cutaneous input. However, a subset of M1 neurons preserved SEPs during static hold, particularly those evoked by afferents from antagonistic muscles and stretched skin. Because maintaining a stable posture required precise joint-angle control, these findings suggest that specific muscle and cutaneous afferents escape attenuation to provide information critical for posture control. Overall, our findings demonstrate that while proprioceptive muscle and cutaneous inputs to M1 are broadly suppressed during motor output, specific afferent signals are selectively maintained in a context-dependent manner to support posture control.

A mosaic of whole-body representations on the human precentral gyrus

Source analysis and ecological risk assessment of potentially toxic elements in farmland soil around a mining area

In the context of the interplay between ecology, society, and economy, analyzing the characteristics of soil heavy metal pollution and constructing ecological security patterns have emerged as critical scientific issues that necessitate urgent attention for the advancement of high-quality agricultural development. This study focused on the farmland surrounding the Baiyun Mountain mining area in Nanyang, China, and involved the collection of 437 surface soil samples (0–20 cm) to analyze the spatial differentiation characteristics of nine heavy metal elements, including Ag, Cu, and Pb. An ecological risk assessment model was developed to evaluate the ecological risks posed by potentially toxic elements in the region, based on the theory of matter element extension. Additionally, the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model was employed to analyze the sources of heavy metal pollutants. The results indicated that: (1) The average concentrations of Ag, Cu, Pb, Zn, Mo, Sb, Ba, As, and Hg were 0.06, 17.50, 22.72, 66.84, 1.15, 0.85, 426.39, 9.25, and 0.05 mg·kg -1 , respectively, with Zn, Mo, and Hg significantly exceeding the soil background values for Henan Province; (2) The ecological risk assessment of potentially toxic elements revealed that 93.82% of the samples were classified as clean, 5.49% as at mild risk, and 0.69% as at severe risk, with Hg identified as the primary ecological risk factor; (3) The primary sources of pollution can be categorized as follows: natural parent material sources (26.1%), mixed sources from transportation and mining development (25.8%), mixed sources resulting from pesticide use and mining emissions (19.8%), atmospheric deposition from fossil fuel combustion (15.1%), and sources from non-metallic mineral mining and building material industry (13.2%). This study provides a scientific basis for the prevention and control of soil pollution in farmland located in mining areas.

Analysis of Corneal Axons Remodeling In Vivo during Development and Aging Using Long-Term Imaging in Mice

The cornea serves as a critical interface between the external environment and the inner eye tissues, such as the retina. Its rich sensory innervation is essential to mediate protective reflexes and support corneal homeostasis. Despite its importance, our understanding of corneal nerve development, maturation, and remodeling, particularly in vivo, remains limited. Here, we performed long-term live imaging of corneal nerves with spinning-disk confocal microscopy. We used CGRP:GFP transgenic mice of either sex, in which the corneal nociceptive axons are labeled. We were able to track the same corneal region from the third postnatal week until almost 2 years of age. We found that the most superficial nerve plexus and terminals are continuously remodeled, with individual axons displaying high dynamics. In contrast, deep stromal nerves remain remarkably stable over time. In addition, we observed a decrease in corneal axonal coverage during aging. Our study introduces the use of spinning-disk confocal imaging as a high-resolution, minimally invasive tool to study the corneal tissue in living mice over extended time periods. It provides new insights into the plastic behavior of corneal nerves. To our knowledge, this is the longest longitudinal study of axonal morphology dynamics and plasticity in any animal species.

Wah-ult in the vault

Editorial note: Long non-coding RNA as a potential diagnostic biomarker in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Daily briefing: The proteins that protect us from deadly mutations

Pest consumption by common bats in diverse landscapes

Insectivorous bats are increasingly recognised for their role in suppressing agricultural pests. To better understand the value of their ecosystem services, it is pertinent to assess their predation quantitatively. In this context, studying frequent anthropophilic bats that form large colonies is particularly interesting, as the ecosystem services they provide are more substantial. Building on this motivation, we analysed the diet of six horseshoe bat colonies—three Rhinolophus hipposideros and three R. ferrumequinum —across different landscapes within their optimal distribution area, focusing on their consumption of those pests. We found that these bats consistently consumed a variety of pests, with consumption correlating with outbreaks of the pest species. Some of these species were previously unknown in the area or were not fought against by farmers. This underscores the value of bats as sensitive trackers of current and emerging insect communities and potential pests, as they can detect and consume species that may go unnoticed or unmonitored by conventional human surveys. Additionally, we estimated the overall pest consumption by these bat species in the study area and assessed consumption at the colony level. Our estimates indicate that pest consumption during the breeding season totalled nearly 3 tons of insects. These findings underscore the importance of maintaining favourable habitats for common bats as they can play a vital role in controlling and mitigating ecosystem imbalances caused by changes in farming practices, landscape disturbances, or climate change.

A Novel Cooperative Behavior Assay in Rats Reveals Distinct Social Coordination Strategies of Increasing Complexity and Social Reciprocity Deficits in a Model of Fragile X Syndrome

Cooperative behavior, the ability of individuals to coordinate their actions toward shared goals, is fundamental to survival and social success across species. However, the mechanisms supporting cooperation and disruptions leading to social deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder remain poorly understood. To address these questions, we developed a novel cooperation task in which rat pairs had to visit matching reward wells on paired spatial mazes under deterministic and probabilistic reward contingencies, utilizing dyads of littermate wild-type (WT) and Fmr1 knock-out ( Fmr1 ) rats, a model of Fragile X Syndrome. Both WT and Fmr1 male rat pairs exhibited dynamic turn-taking with mixed leader–follower behavior for cooperation; however, WT pairs achieved significantly greater cooperation success than Fmr1 pairs. WT and Fmr1 pairs both successfully utilized a simple follower-tracking-leader strategy, resulting in slower asynchronous transitions between reward wells, with Fmr1 pairs more reliant on this reactive strategy. WT rat pairs also exhibited a more efficient and flexible predictive cooperation strategy, requiring anticipation and coordination of optimal transition patterns with peers, resulting in faster synchronous transitions. Fmr1 rats were unable to utilize this more efficient social reciprocity strategy of higher complexity, leading to deficits in adapting to the probabilistic reward condition and in cooperative behavior. These findings reveal distinct strategies of varying complexity for cooperation, demonstrating the existence of a complex predictive social reciprocity strategy in WT rats and its disruption in a rat autism model, providing a foundation for investigating mechanisms underlying social interactions with relevance to neurodevelopmental disorders.