Hard X-ray free electron lasers allow new insights into dense matter dynamics. Here, the authors show that a single-beam, short-pulse laser can generate a converging cylindrical shock in a thin wire, providing a new method for high energy density research with improved repetition rates.

The interplay between magnetism, topology, and electrical polarization is a fascinating research direction in modern condensed matter physics. Here, the authors discover an intrinsic dipole Hall effect in various magnetic insulating states of twisted MoTe₂—enabling contact-free detection of topological phase transitions.

The authors present a comprehensive review exploring the mechanistic understanding of plasmonic photocatalysis through examining the evidence for and interplay of thermal and non-thermal effects in this broad class of reactions.

Biosensors that accurately detect proteins are critical for biological applications, but modular transduction of binding into useful outputs is a challenge. Here, authors develop a modular platform using aptamer-regulated transcription to detect proteins and process RNA outputs via molecular circuits.

Planning effective urban network infrastructure often involves optimization principles that use a backbone network as a starting point. The authors propose an approach based on optimal transport theory to simulate real urban rail networks structure without need of initial backbone knowledge.

Coelacanths are known for their conservative morphology. Here, the authors describe a 380 million year-old coelacanth fossil from the Gogo Formation (Western Australia) with morphology representative of a key transition where coelacanth morphology disparity shifts.

The Southern Ocean ecosystem is recovering from 20th-century industrial whaling, while the krill fishery in this region has grown rapidly and may expand further, driven by demand for supplements and aquaculture feed. This Perspective discusses how current krill biomass is unlikely to support both a growing krill fishery and rebounding whale populations in the Southern Ocean.

This study provides the longest annually resolved records of deoxygenation and productivity in the tropical Pacific and highlights the importance of North Atlantic climate oscillations on Pacific oxygen via its impact on the Pacific equatorial shallow overturning.

To address substrate inhibition in wastewater treatment, the authors propose a non-lethal high substrate environment to enhance microbial community resistance. Testing this on anammox systems, they find increased nitrite tolerance and stability, with a shift to the dominant genus Candidatus Jettenia.

Through fluid-injection fault-reactivation experiments and analysis, the authors here define and report the relationship between the maximum seismic magnitude and injection volume for fluid-injection triggered earthquakes.

Glucose is a key energy source for many organisms, efficiently transported in bacteria by specific systems. Here, the authors reveal cryo-EM structures of the glucose transporter IICB from E. coli, providing insights into its mechanism and dynamics.

Hyper-phosphorylated tau accumulates in Alzheimer’s disease; but the roles of these phosphorylation sites are unclear. Here the authors show that phosphorylation of a single site, pSer416, limits its turnover and promotes accumulation.

Maf is a transcription factor regulating pivotal biological processes in multiple immune cells, but its B-cell-intrinsic role is not fully known. Here authors show that genomic deletion of Maf in the B cell lineage does not disturb the sequence of developmental stages, however, removes an important inhibitory step to restrict the early steps of germinal centre B cell and extrafollicular plasmablast population expansion.

Multiple genetic loci are associated with lung cancer risk, but the underlying genetic mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, the authors perform single-cell RNA-seq and ATAC-seq analyses of lung cells from ever- and never-smokers; they report candidate cis-regulatory elements that colocalise with candidate causal variants in lung cancer risk loci and potential susceptibility genes.

Dedifferentiated liposarcomas (DDLPS) typically have dedifferentiated (DD) and well-differentiated (WD) components, although their cellular origins remain elusive. Here, the authors characterise primary DDLPS tumours using bulk and single-cell multi-omics and find adipocyte stem cells that could be a common ancestor of WD and DD components.

Invasive cervical cancer is caused by HPV infection, but the disease itself is highly variable. Here, the authors use deep targeted sequencing to identify hotspot mutations in routine screening samples prior to diagnosis, which differed depending on HPV type.

Thrombosis and inflammation coexist in many diseases, however, there is lack of treatments targeting both pathologies. This study reports a novel antibody against blood factor XII, which bears a promise to treat broad thrombo-inflammatory disorder.

In vitro modelling of the adipose tissue-liver axis can advance understanding and therapy of metabolic disease, including by distinguishing effects of obesity and inflammation. Here, authors develop such a system based on isogenic human iPSCs and interconnected microphysiological devices.

The critical mediators responsible for cancer-associated cachexia development remain poorly defined. Here, the authors identify a distinct subset of neutrophil-like monocytes that facilitates progressive skeletal muscle wasting in cancer pathogenesis.

Despite significant advances in therapies, mortality and morbidity resulting from heart failure remain high. Here, the authors show that fibroblast-specific deletion of Protein kinase N (PKN) reduces myocardial fibrotic changes, indicating PKN as a potential therapeutic target for heart failure.

AI promises to transform medicine, but geographic concentration may hinder its equitable application. Here, authors map a global atlas of medical AI research and show that greater integration of global expertize could help AI deliver on its promise.

Rickman and colleagues explore scenarios for phasing out lending to fossil fuel firms. They analyse over $7 trillion of fossil fuel debt and show that financial regulation and international co-operation will be critical for a timely and just phase-out of fossil fuel finance.

Dissecting the associations between exposure to environmental pollution and cancer risk remains crucial. Here, the authors evaluate the impact of air and water pollution on cancer incidence in China using a spatial evaluation system and show that most excess cancer cases occurred in areas with the highest level of co-pollution.

This paper proposes storing hydrogen in pipes filled with gravel in lakes and reservoirs. Results show the levelized cost of hydrogen storage to be 0.17 USD kg−1 at 200 m depth, which is competitive with other hydrogen storage options.

Exploratory behaviours involve a trade-off between exploration and exploitation. Here the authors investigate exploration behaviour across different domains and whether tendency to explore is stable over time.