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Xue et al. report self-powered photoelectrochemical photodetectors based on CuOx decorated AlGaN nanowires with staggered energy band structure. High-energy photons can be absorbed by CuOx to trigger the multiexciton generation effect, enabling an external quantum efficiency of 131.5% at 255 nm.

Cholinergic interneurons act at nicotinic receptors to depress dopamine release, interrupting its relationship to dopamine neuron firing and supporting an inverse scaling of dopamine release according to cholinergic activity.

Solid-state thermoelectrics can convert waste heat to electrical energy, but applications are hindered by long-term stability issues. Here cobalt is used as a contact layer with direct bonding to thermoelectric MgAgSb, enabling a thermoelectric module to achieve 10.2% conversion efficiency over 1,440 h of thermal cycling.

The integration of 2D materials on photonic devices provides advanced functionalities in sensing applications. The authors demonstrate a graphene functionalized microcomb sensor by exploiting spectrally trapped Stokes solitons. They obtain both multispecies gas identification and individual molecule sensitivity.

A quantitative assessment suggests that the reductions in aerosol and ozone levels from 2014 to 2020 due to the clean air action in China led to a substantial increase in the national net primary productivity due to the weakened aerosol climatic effects, alleviated ozone vegetation damage and enhanced light availability.

Global mercury emissions increased 330% from 1960–2021, with declines in the Global North and China offset by rapid growth in the Global South, which now produces two-thirds of emissions. Without urgent action, emissions could rise 10%–50% by 2030.

Sequencing of haploid sugarcane, Saccharum spontaneum, allows assembly of a prototypical version of the sugarcane chromosome set. This new reference genome will serve as a resource to accelerate sugarcane improvement.

Evolution of accretion disk and corona during outbursts in black hole binary systems is still unclear. Here, the authors show spectral analysis of MAXI J1820+070 and propose a scenario of a dynamical corona to explain the evolution of the reflection fraction observed by Insight-HXMT.

This study develops a machine learning framework for national-scale ultrafine particle (UFP) exposure assessment in Switzerland, revealing 20% of the population faces high exposure levels, with significant implications for future UFP standards

The study finds that low-cost solid fuels currently meet a large share of household energy needs, promoting equity in energy consumption, suggesting that clean transition could significantly increase energy burden inequity across income groups.

High-income groups contribute significantly to air pollution through their food choices, but most of the associated health burden is borne by low-income groups living close to agricultural areas. This study measures this discrepancy along the Chinese food supply chain and examines pathways to reduce it.

Metal- and N-coordinated carbon materials are promising electrocatalysts, but improved activity and stability are desirable for fuel cell applications. Chang et al. address this by introducing F atoms into Pd/N–C catalysts, modifying the environment around the Pd and enhancing performance for ethanol oxidation and oxygen reduction.

A temporally asymmetric synaptic plasticity kernel results from bidirectional modifications of synaptic weights around the induction of a place field.

It is challenging to develop high-activity and durable catalysts for both ethanol oxidation reaction on the anode and oxygen reduction reaction on the cathode. Here in this work, authors proposed Pd/Co@N-C catalyst as a model to synergistically maximize the usage of catalyst nanoparticles and active interfaces for direct ethanol fuel cells.

Foreign investments in recent years drive the expansion of fossil fuel electricity generation in emerging economies, yet necessary quantification still lacks. This Article shows how overseas coal-fired power plants could drive future trajectories of CO₂ emissions in host countries.

Neurons receive their input in three dimensions via their dendrites, but how electrical activity in dendrites is organized is unknown. Here, the authors work out the distinct rules that govern activity across this 3D structure in different brain states.

Zhang et al. show that dynamin forms a helical structure with actin and, upon disruption, enhances branched actin polymerization, constituting a dynamic cycle to regulate actin cytoskeleton mechanical strength.

Electric cooking and air-to-air heat pump adoption in China advances carbon neutrality and the rural energy transition, with the transformation costs offset by monetized health benefits in most provinces.

Prussian blue has been used as a photothermal agent for cancer therapy. Here the authors describe the production of Prussian blue nanoparticles from S. oneidensis MR-1 bacteria and show that a Prussian blue-based mitochondria-targeting nanoplatform potentiates response to immune checkpoint blockade.

Most of the intensive human activities usually occur in lowlands. Here the authors report that human activity expansions also were widely distributed in Asian highlands in the 21st century and held dual effects, which provides new insights for regional human activity expansions.

Fe–N–C catalysts are a promising alternative to precious metals in fuel cell cathodes, but they suffer from durability issues. Now, a preparation method is reported that allows increasing the active site density while also improving durability.

Two potent mitophagy inducers, identified and characterized via unsupervised machine learning and a cross-species screening approach, ameliorated the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease in worms and mice.

Using an axial detector, scanning transmission electron microscopy allows three-dimensional tomographic reconstruction of micrometer-thick sections of biological samples, at a resolution comparable to that obtained on thin sections.

Developing large-scale flexible display technologies calls for new gate dielectric materials balancing the insulating property and molecular packing of organic semiconductors. Ji et al. synthesize a dielectric copolymer contributing with charge mobility of 5 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ and low operating voltage of 3 V.

The ASAP4 family of genetically encoded voltage indicators allows recording of action potentials and subthreshold activity with either one- or two-photon microscopy over extended periods of time.

Iridium-based electrocatalysts are traditional anode catalysts for proton exchange membrane water electrolysis but suffer from high cost and low reserves. An alternative, nickel-stabilized ruthenium dioxide catalyst with high activity and durability in acidic oxygen evolution reaction for water electrolysis is reported.

Lee et al. report that aberrantly folded cytosolic proteins are recruited to the ER by the USP19 deubiquitylase, and are then encapsulated in late endosomes that fuse with the plasma membrane, leading to their secretion.

Metals supported on metal oxides are common heterogeneous catalysts. Here the authors show that metal/oxide interfacial sites are highly active for alcohol oxidation—independent of the particle sizes—and use this information to design inverse oxide-on-metal particles with high activity and stability.

Integrating human mobility and activity data with ground-level measurements and air quality models, Shen et al. find that despite a reduction in outdoor PM_2.5 during the COVID-19 quarantine in China, overall population exposure to PM_2.5 increased.

China has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality in 2060. Here the authors find a promising option to abate 1.0 Gt CO₂-eq yr⁻¹ of carbon emissions at a marginal cost of $69 (t CO₂-eq)⁻¹ by retrofitting 222 GW of coal power plants to co-fire with biomass and upgrading to CCS operation across 2836 counties in China.

Environmentally triggered degradation at the cathode–air interface is dictated by Li-ion de-intercalation caused by Li⁺-water interactions. Here, thin disordered rocksalt surface layers are reported to suppress chemical delithiation, facilitating development of high energy and stability cathodes.

Cancer metastasis is one of the major causes of cancer related deaths and there is an urgent need to find more clinically effective metastasis targeting agents. Here, the authors show that Salmonella YB1 inhibits metastasis in multiple mouse models of cancer through a mechanism dependent on IFN-γ and NK cells.

Alloys are important materials for catalysis but are usually limited by miscibility gaps present in their phase diagrams. Here the authors break this limitation by developing high-entropy alloy catalysts made of five earth-abundant elements and demonstrate great catalytic enhancements for ammonia decomposition.