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Does time spent using digital technology and social media have an adverse effect on mental health, especially that of adolescents? Here, two scientists discuss the question, and how digital devices might be used to improve well-being.
A massive international effort has yielded multifaceted studies of more than 2,600 tumours from 38 tissues, generating a wealth of insights into the genetic basis of cancer.
Parkinson’s disease and multiple system atrophy involve the protein α-synuclein. Proof that aggregated α-synuclein adopts a different structure in each case suggests that its conformation underlies the distinct disorders.
The structure of thyroglobulin, the enormous protein that acts as a precursor for thyroid hormones, has been determined, and its hormone-forming tyrosine amino-acid residues have been identified.
The non-coding RNA Xist has been shown to enlist the SPEN protein to recruit a team of protein complexes — initiating the process that prevents transcription of one of the two X chromosomes found in female mammalian cells.
Particle colliders that use elementary particles called muons could outperform conventional colliders, while requiring much smaller facilities. Muon cooling, a milestone on the road to these muon colliders, has now been achieved.
Crystalline films of technologically useful oxide materials have been grown by a method based on surface-modified substrates. Unlike usual oxide films, these can be easily transferred to any material.
Climate models published between 1970 and 2007 provided accurate forecasts of subsequently observed global surface warming. This finding shows the value of using global observations to vet climate models as the planet warms.
Unlike many sugar-transporting proteins, a transporter in one species of malaria parasite can import several types of sugar equally effectively, aiding the parasite’s survival. The structure of this protein reveals the reason for its versatility.
Healthy cells in smokers’ lungs have a high burden of mutations, similar to the mutational profile of lung cancer. Surprisingly, ex-smokers’ lungs have a large fraction of healthy cells with nearly normal profiles.
The growth of a brain tumour can be affected by the activity of its neighbouring neurons. The finding that such tumours send signals that boost connections between these neurons reveals a pathway that drives cancer growth.
An optical study of cold solid hydrogen at extreme pressures indicates that electrons in the material are free to move like those in a metal. This suggests that the long-sought metallic phase of hydrogen might have been realized.
How Nature reported a controversy in 1970 over the harm caused by fallout from nuclear testing, and a 1920 call to end the trade in exotic bird plumage.
Three methods for gene-expression profiling have now been combined to produce spatially defined single-cell maps of developing human organs from limited sample material, overcoming a major hurdle in studying human development.
HIV-1 can evade the immune system by hiding out in a dormant form. Two studies describe interventions that can effectively reactivate the latent virus in animals, potentially rendering it vulnerable to immune-mediated death.
The activity of calcium channels in the heart increases during what is called the fight-or-flight response. An investigation into the 50-year-old mystery of how this occurs has captured a previously overlooked suspect.
Two-dimensional materials have potential uses in flexible electronics, biosensors and water purification. A method for producing air-stable 2D materials on an industrial scale, now reported, is a key step in bringing them to market.
A model has been devised that quantitatively describes how the shape of a river delta is affected by sediments, tides and waves. It reveals that the area of delta land is increasing globally, as a result of human activities upstream.
Signalling from the sympathetic nervous system of mice when subjected to stress leads to the depletion of a stem-cell population in their hair follicles. This discovery sheds light on why stress turns hair prematurely grey.
