Search

A reinforcement learning-based virtual reality system, implementing a series of sport sessions with coaching, was as effective as standard physical activity in reducing fat mass in adolescents, with positive effects on cognition.

Chen et al. use UK Biobank data to reveal a dietary pattern associated with a lower risk of dementia, and validate this in additional cohorts.

The authors report a single-atom Ir-decorated Ti-doped α-Fe₂O₃ photoanode for bias-free photoelectrochemical adipic acid synthesis via a non-free-radical pathway, achieving high efficiency, selectivity and stability using water as the oxygen source.

The authors propose a design that equips a programmable metasurface with integrated capability for sensing and manipulating electromagnetic waves, allowing it to leverage the environmental information to enhance wireless system performance in complex environments.

Chiral emission from collective guided modes is demonstrated within a photonic crystal slab, showing an example of collective oscillations in the momentum space.

Sustainable end-of-life management strategies for fibre-reinforced plastics are urgently needed from a sustainability perspective. Here the authors develop a solvent-free flash upcycling method, enabling ultrafast and efficient upcycling of fibre-reinforced plastics to fulfil such a need.

Conventional theories for interfacial thermal transport are derived from bulk phonon properties. Here, the authors report experimental observation of interfacial phonon modes localized at interfaces, changing how interfacial thermal transport should be understood.

The Somatic Mosaicism across Human Tissues Network aims to create a reference catalogue of somatic mosaicism across different tissues and cells within individuals.

The authors use inelastic neutron scattering to map out the spin excitations of FeSe dewtinned with a uniaxial-strain device. They establish a spin-interaction phase diagram and conclude that FeSe is close to a crossover region between the antiferroquadrupolar, Néel, and stripe ordering regimes.

Activated carbon has been widely used for PFAS adsorption, but this method generates secondary solid wastes. The flash Joule heating approach realizes mineralization of PFAS and generation of useful flash graphene in waste granular activated carbon.

Abnormal amyloid beta (Aβ) aggregation is central to Alzheimer’s disease pathology, yet efficient screening for inhibitors remains challenging. Here, the authors employ structure-based virtual screening of a traditional Chinese medicine library, identifying forsythoside A as a potent inhibitor that reduces Aβ40 aggregation and alleviates toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are vital for genome integrity and fertility. Here the authors reveal that spatial clustering of piRNA genes in Caenorhabditis elegans promotes transcription through phase separation and deSUMOylation, uncovering a SUMOylation-regulated mechanism for piRNA production in heterochromatic genomes.

Energy density and cyclability are often a trade-off for lithium-ion batteries. The authors develop cobalt- and nickel-free cathodes with both good cycling stability and high energy density through the integration of polyanion units into rocksalt structures.

A high-κ dielectric ceramic, magnesium niobate, can be epitaxially grown on a mica substrate and then transferred to form the gate dielectric in molybdenum disulfide transistors, providing van der Waals interfaces and high robustness to temperature and voltage.

Diatoms are crucial marine microorganisms, but the molecular mechanisms underlying their temperature tolerance remain unclear. This study identifies the heat shock transcription factor PtHSF2 as a key regulator of thermal tolerance and cell size plasticity in Phaeodactylum tricornutum, revealing its role in gene regulation and stress response.

Interphases are crucial in electrochemical systems, but their role in CO₂ electroreduction remains underexplored. Here, the authors report their importance in improving electrocatalytic performance by systematically investigating 180 molecular modifiers using an automatic electrocatalysis platform.

Wastewater treatment plants are important reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Here, the authors analyze ARGs in a global collection of samples from wastewater treatment plants across six continents, providing insights into biotic and abiotic mechanisms that appear to control ARG diversity and distribution.

This study reports the horizontal gene transfer of CSP genes from bacteria to Triticeae, promoting the adaptation and spread of wheat through enhanced drought tolerance and photosynthetic efficiency.

A comparative analysis of bat genomes, including five newly assembled chromosome-scale genomes, provides insights into the diversification of horseshoe bats and reveals molecular adaptations with a potential role in antiviral immune response.

The advantage of living in cities compared with rural areas with respect to height and BMI in children and adolescents has generally become smaller globally from 1990 to 2020, except in sub-Saharan Africa.

Ferroelectric HfO₂ is faced with an oxygen vacancy dilemma, which favors the polar phase but harm to switching behaviors. Here, the authors propose a donor-acceptor co-doping method to enhance polarization switching characteristics of the HfO₂ films.

Here the authors provide experimental evidence of extended topological valley-locked states. By splicing together Dirac semimetals and topological insulators, they demonstrate reduced backscattering and enhanced matching of SAW with interdigital transducers proposing this system for topological acoustics devices.

Urinary reporters leveraging caged bioorthogonal click handles for the biomarker-dependent activation of ‘clickability’ and renal clearance allow for the monitoring, in urine, of the efficacy of chemotherapy and of associated kidney injury in mice.

Single cell transcriptomic sequencing (scRNA) can identify genes that are differentially expressed in cell populations in specific diseases. Here the authors perform scRNA sequencing in a high-altitude pulmonary hypertension (HAPH) cohort and show transcriptional differences in monocyte populations.

Emulsion gels have several attributes desirable for biomedical applications including large-amount encapsulation and storage, but the preparation method is usually specific and complicated. Here, the authors report a simple method for fabricating bridged emulsion gels by employing a polymer to regulate the assembly of commercial silica nanoparticles at the water/oil interfaces.

Hantaan virus is carried and transmitted by rodents and results in asymptomatic infection, yet transmission to humans’ results in symptomatic disease and development of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. Here the authors explore the disparate effects in myeloid cells from mice and humans.

Chromosome-level genome assemblies of allotetraploid Nicotiana tabacum and its ancestors, along with their transcriptomes, epigenomes and genotype and phenotype data for 5,196 N. tabacum germplasms, provide insights into genome evolution and complex trait regulation.

Using a large multisite dataset of people with major depressive disorder and healthy controls, the authors show global brain connectivity alterations in the sensorimotor, visual, and default mode networks.

Sun et al. report human lifespan changes in the brain’s functional connectome in 33,250 individuals, which highlights critical growth milestones and distinct maturation patterns and offers a normative reference for development, aging and diseases.

A quantum microsatellite, with a payload weighing only 23 kilograms, in combination with portable ground stations that weigh merely 100 kilograms, is capable of performing space-to-ground real-time quantum key distribution.

Stretchable and degradable elastomers are crucial for developing transient and bioresorbable electronics. Herein, Han et al. tuned the diverse properties of biodegradable PLCL elastomers and demonstrated their application in soft, perceptive robotic grippers and transient, suture-free cardiac jackets.

Previously, OLIG2-expressing stems cells have been identified as having a role in medulloblastoma recurrence. Here, the authors investigate the effects of targeting this OLIG2+ stem cell population in Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) medulloblastoma using CT-179, an OLIG2 inhibitor.

A filtering reconfigurable intelligent surface is presented with sharp frequency-selecting and 2-bit phase-shifting properties, offering to advance the development of wireless communications with anti-interference and signal-manipulation abilities.

In somatic cells the mechanisms maintaining the chromosome ends are normally inactivated; however, cancer cells can re-activate these pathways to support continuous growth. Here, the authors characterize the telomeric landscapes across tumour types and identify genomic alterations associated with different telomere maintenance mechanisms.

Analyses of 2,658 whole genomes across 38 types of cancer identify the contribution of non-coding point mutations and structural variants to driving cancer.

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is involved in mammalian reproduction, but several studies have suggested a role of FSH and its receptor in extragonadal tissue. Here, the authors show that FSH orchestrates glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) via its receptor on pancreatic β-cells, with pre-menopausal FSH levels dose-dependently promoting GSIS and postmenopausal FSH levels inhibiting this effect.

A large genome-wide association study of more than 5 million individuals reveals that 12,111 single-nucleotide polymorphisms account for nearly all the heritability of height attributable to common genetic variants.

Flexible electronics hold great promise for wearable biomedical sensors. Here, the authors report a pressure sensor composed of gold nanowire-impregnated tissue paper, sandwiched between polydimethylsiloxane sheets, and demonstrate that the design is appropriate for large-area flexible electronics.

Shen et al. identify a noncanonical role for the inflammasome protein NLR family CARD ___domain-containing protein 4 (NLRC4) to attenuate tumor development. NLRC4 forms a scaffold to assemble the ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related DNA repair complex and the repair kinase checkpoint kinase-1 to promote repair of DNA breaks.

Ceramic aerogels are limited by poor mechanical stability under thermal shock. Here, the authors report a compositional and structural engineering strategy to develop strong and superelastic ceramic aerogel with chiral fibers array resembling biomimetic Bouligand structures.

Under low-protein conditions, decrease of protein NUFIP1 is found to impair DNA damage response and induce necroptosis in the intestine, thereby contributing to intestinal inflammation in male mice with inflammatory bowel disease.

The direct cleavage of C(CO)−C single bonds is usually restricted to strained ketone substrates or to chelating assistance. Here, the authors show a rhodium(II)-catalyzed three-component reaction of 1,3-diones, diazoesters, and DMF, leading to an unusual formal insertion of O–C(sp³)–C(sp²) into unstrained C(CO)–C bonds.