All articles tagged with #nature communications
An AI-assisted analysis of public peer-review reports for 8,000 Nature Communications papers (2017–2024) finds that papers subjected to tougher criticism and larger revision costs tend to be more highly cited in the following three years. While the quality of reviewer comments correlates with impact, how constructive the feedback is does not, suggesting that rigorous review can both reflect ambitious work and help raise its future influence.
A UCSF and Imperial College London study found that a single 25 mg dose of psilocybin increases brain entropy during the experience and is followed by lasting changes in brain connectivity for about a month, alongside reported boosts in psychological insight and well-being. The results suggest the psychedelic experience itself may drive durable mental health benefits and could inform optimized psilocybin-based therapies.
Chinese researchers report a non-toxic aqueous battery using covalent organic polymers as the anode with a neutral water-based electrolyte, achieving an estimated 120,000 charge cycles—about 300 years—before replacement. The electrolytes are safe enough to dispose of directly in the environment, addressing toxicity concerns of water-based batteries, though energy density remains lower than lithium-ion. The technology could be well suited for large-scale grid storage where safety and longevity are prioritized.
Researchers at King’s College London synthesized a novel Al3 triangular compound, cyclotrialumane, that remains intact in solution and reacts with ethylene at room temperature to form unprecedented aluminum–carbon rings, a reactivity once seen only in precious metals, signaling a potential path to replacing platinum-group catalysts—though the work is early-stage and lab-scale, published in Nature Communications.
A Mass General Brigham-led study shows a blood test measuring pTau217 can predict Alzheimer's risk years before symptoms appear, potentially enabling earlier, less invasive screening than PET scans; while promising, more research is needed to validate across diverse populations and translate these findings into clinical practice.
NASA's Curiosity rover detected organic molecules in a dried lakebed in Gale Crater on Mars, including benzothiophene and a nitrogen-bearing compound reminiscent of DNA precursors. While these are building blocks for life and suggest preserved chemistry from about 3.5 billion years ago, the findings do not prove life existed there and could result from meteorite delivery or geological processes. The discovery keeps Mars as a prime candidate for past habitability and sets the stage for deeper analysis by the upcoming Rosalind Franklin rover (2028), with the results published in Nature Communications.
NASA’s Curiosity rover analyzed clay minerals in Gale Crater’s Glen Torridon region and identified over 20 organic compounds, including a nitrogen-containing molecule resembling proto-DNA, suggesting ancient Martian environments could have supported life. While not proof of past life, the findings show large, complex organics can be preserved in the shallow subsurface and guide future missions (e.g., Rosalind Franklin, Dragonfly) in the search for life’s building blocks.
Researchers confirm that the Silverpit Crater beneath the North Sea was formed by a 160-meter-wide asteroid about 43–46 million years ago, triggering a tsunami over 100 meters tall and blasting a 1.5-km-high plume of rock and water. Using advanced seismic imaging and analyses of shocked minerals, the study resolves the crater’s origin as an asteroid impact and highlights the rare preservation of an oceanic impact site.
A University of Cologne–led study published in Nature Communications finds a diverse nematode community in soils across six sites in the Atacama Desert, the world's driest non-polar desert, with 21 families and 36 genera; higher precipitation correlates with greater biodiversity, and asexual reproduction appears to aid survival in high-altitude areas, though some regions show simplified food webs, offering insights into life’s resilience in extreme aridity amid climate-change context.
An international study of 744 long-span bridges shows North America and Africa have the riskiest infrastructure, with many spans dating from the 1960s; researchers say space-based radar can detect millimetre-scale deformations, offering a cost-effective, global monitoring method that could flag problems earlier and reduce the number of high-risk bridges—especially as satellites like Nisar enable near-real-time tracking.
A German study from the University of Bonn found that consuming 300 grams of oats per day on a calorie‑restricted diet for two days lowered “bad” LDL cholesterol by about 10%, with slight weight loss and blood pressure reductions among adults with metabolic syndrome; the effect may stem from gut microbiome changes. While oats aren’t a replacement for medication, short, regular oat-based diets could help keep cholesterol in the normal range and may reduce diabetes risk, though diabetics should monitor carbs and ensure gluten-free oats if needed.
A Nature Communications study estimates Earth’s molten iron core could host a vast hydrogen reservoir—potentially the planet’s largest—amounting to about 0.07% to 0.36% of the core’s weight, equivalent to roughly nine to 45 hydrogen oceans. Using atom probe tomography and high-pressure iron experiments to mimic core formation, researchers examined how hydrogen interacts with silicon and oxygen under extreme conditions. If confirmed, this suggests Earth acquired most of its water during its early growth rather than via late comet deliveries and may relate to heat flow that helps power the magnetic field; however, the estimate relies on indirect methods with uncertainties, and further work is needed to refine the numbers.
Analysis of NASA's Magellan radar data suggests Venus may host a large underground lava tube on Nyx Mons, potentially stretching tens of kilometers. If confirmed, it would be only the second lava tube found on Venus and would support the view that the planet is geologically active; confirming its full size will require higher-resolution radar from future missions like ESA's EnVision with the Subsurface Radar Sounder.
Aalto University researchers analyzed 300 rural dam-relocation projects across 35 countries from 1975–2010 and found rural populations are undercounted by 53%–84% in several global datasets, suggesting that Earth's population may be higher than the commonly cited ~8.2 billion; the finding could affect how countries allocate resources, though some experts remain skeptical and say decades of population data would need overhaul, and more evidence is required.
Researchers at ETH Zurich demonstrated a detachable, thing-like robotic hand that can grasp objects from both sides, roam freely, detach from its arm, and later return to reattach, enabling versatile manipulation and easing tasks that rely on human grip.