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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.

The Einstein Probe has discovered a fast X-ray transient, EP240414a, associated with a broad-lined type Ic supernova. Its unusually soft spectrum and weak jet add to the diversity of stellar deaths and suggest a previously unknown Wolf–Rayet star explosion mechanism.

Whether multimorbidity accelerates brain Aβ deposition in humans remains largely unknown. Here, the authors demonstrate that higher self-reported multimorbidity burden predicts increased brain Aβ accumulation rates in the ADNI cohort.

Mechanisms confer to the enhanced cold tolerance in japonica rice have not been fully elucidated. Here, the authors report a homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-Zip) I transcription factor encode gene CTB5 is responsible for japonica rice cold tolerance by interacting with genes in gibberellin and abscisic acid pathways.

Zhang et al. show that the activation of RIPK1 is suppressed by acetylhypusination in a spermidine-dependent manner. Disruption of this axis contributes to RIPK1-mediated vascular pathology to promote insulin resistance and diabetic kidney pathology.

Cytoplasmic stress granules (SG) regulate cell fate and are involved in several physiological and pathological processes. Here, using mouse models of allergic rhinitis (AR), the authors reveal the formation of SGs within macrophages of the nasal mucosa and implicate SGs in the regulation of Lrp1-mediated efferocytosis and Type 2 cytokine production, aggravating AR symptoms.

Li et al. uncover a lysosomal surveillance response whereby intestinal lumen deacidification induces a transcriptional programme that boosts lysosomal activity and improves protein aggregate clearance in multiple worm disease models, extending healthspan.

In situ methods for water quality monitoring is crucial for global water use and management, though many conventional sensors have slow response time and are non-recyclable. Here, the authors report a recyclable amphiphobic dielectric material for fast monitoring of water pollutants.

Single-cell RNA sequencing, whole-exome sequencing and spatial transcriptome sequencing of gallbladder adenocarcinomas from 75 patients stratifies the disease into groups with distinct clinical outcomes.

It is important to understand cellular uptake of nanoparticles, but the effects of cell cycle and autophagy are underexplored. Here, the authors construct a multi-functional, multi-dimensional platform, and use this to characterise the effects of cell cycle- and autophagy-associated cellular accumulation of clinically used lipid-based nanoparticles.

Spectral inhomogeneity of solid-state quantum emitters hinders their application in scalable quantum networks. Here the authors use in-situ 3D strain engineering at cryogenic temperatures to independently tune emission energy and suppress fine structure splitting in quantum dots embedded in photonic structures.

Large language models (LLMs) can be useful tools for science, but they often lack expert understanding of complex domains that they were not trained on. Zhang and colleagues fine-tuned a LLaMA-2-7b-based LLM with questions on organic chemistry reactions.

Xue et al. develop a foundation model for spectral analysis. It excels in multiple tasks, such as denoising spectra and quantifying trace molecules, and is especially promising in identifying metabolic biomarkers of diseases such as stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and prostate cancer.

Rosmarinol quinone (RQ) induces β-catenin phase separation, suppressing Wnt/β-catenin signaling and tumorigenesis. Abroquinone (albumin–RQ complex) was developed for targeted delivery and improved biosafety.

The effects of non-reacting components on polyatomic reactions are still largely unclear. Here, the authors show through a combined experimental and theoretical study of the D + CH₄ reaction that the CH₃ umbrella bending mode serves as a reporter mode, revealing how the D atom dynamically approaches CH₄.

There is a need to design soft robots for rapid movement in extreme environments, though it is a challenge to balance electronic and mechanical properties while being stable in extreme conditions. Here the authors design an ethylene glycol gel which balances stability with its electronic and mechanical performance.

Breast cancer cells interact with cancer-associated adipocytes in the microenvironment. Here, the authors report that the cross-talk between these two cell types is dependent on Zeb1, which remodels the tumor-associated adipose microenvironment to confer breast cancer progression.

Natural deep-mantle peridotites from eastern China reveal Fe-Ni alloys and Fe³⁺-rich olivine, providing direct evidence of iron disproportionation and slab recycling from the mantle transition zone beneath the eastern Asia big mantle wedge.

Europium halide perovskitoids are new class of lead-free emitters with high efficiency due to symmetry allowed 5d−4f transitions. Here the authors design europium bromides with narrow emission through suppressing electron-phonon coupling.

Acetylation is a posttranscriptional modification widely distributed across RNA types. Here, the authors uncover the role of tRNA ac⁴C12 for translational efficiency and tRNA quality control in both normal and heat stress conditions in mammalian cells.

Nano-kirigami is a promising approach to transform 2D precursors into complex 3D architectures. Here, the authors report plastic, elastic, and hysteretic deformations of silicon-based nano-kirigami structures and demonstrate applications in dynamic optical information encryption.

Extending the endurance of mushroom-type phase change memory remains challenging. Here, the authors design a nano-confined cell with an embedded heater, achieving a 1000 × improvement and attributing failure to carbon-induced collapse of the switching volume.

Topological lasers with enhanced robustness have revolutionized the paradigm of laser design, yet their implementation in disclination geometries remains largely unexplored. Here, the authors demonstrate a mid-gap topological exciton-polariton laser in a C4v disclination perovskite lattice at room temperature.

Microorganisms inspire AI-driven microrobots through their evolved navigation in complex fluids. Authors demonstrate AI-enabled chemotaxis in robotic swimmers using hierarchical reinforcement learning under partial observability.

Fluorinated amides are prevalent structural motifs in pharmaceuticals and bioactive molecules, but their enantioselective synthesis is challenging. Here, the authors synthesize fluorinated amide compounds with distal chirality (γ to F) using ene-reductases and blue light irradiation.

In a reverse-translational study followed by a clinical trial, the targeting of antigen-presenting mast cells was identified as a therapeutic approach to overcome anti-PD-1 resistance in patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer who experienced clinical benefit when treated with the mast cell stabilizer cromolyn.

Electrification is a promising way to decarbonize the chemical industry but could also have important effects on power systems. Here the authors assess the impact of electrifying the production of methanol and ammonia on the Chinese power system in terms of emissions and potential security risks.

The epigenetic mechanisms underlying phenotypic diversity across different metastatic sites in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remain to be characterised. Here, multi-omic profiling across metastatic lesions identifies regulatory networks driving tumour lineage programs and potential therapeutic targets.

The tissue-specific accumulation patterns of pathogenic mtDNA mutations during aging remain incompletely understood. In this study, the researchers developed three mouse models with distinct mitochondrial tRNA mutations, revealing age-dependent accumulation of these mutations in the kidneys, leading to mitochondrial kidney disease.

Sequence-based algorithms to identify T cell antigens often miss targets that are activating the immune response. Here authors show that a computational method they developed, which uses atomic level features as input, can identify antigens that trigger cytokine release in cognate T cells.

While Bell inequalities have been violated several times—mostly in photonic systems—their violations within particle physics experiments are less explored. Here, the BESIII Collaboration showcases Bell-violating nonlocal correlations between entangled hyperon pairs.

The authors report a dual photothermal-electrocatalysis interface which enables efficient ammonia extraction and purification from air and wastewater, thereby advancing sustainable waste-to-fuel conversion.

Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen that causes nosocomial and community-acquired infections. Here, the authors determine that human neutrophil α-defensin HNP1 can promote A. baumannii biofilm formation.

A three-dimensional metal stamp can be used to selectively exfoliate two-dimensional materials, allowing the remaining material to be patterned into two-dimensional arrays without leaving chemical or polymer residues.

The methyltransferase OsPRMT6b is found to act as an ABA responsive factor to finely turn down ABA signaling via methylation of ABA receptor, thus facilitating growth recovery as high-temperature stress subsides.

Using human data and mice models, it was revealed that assimilation of ammonia by a gut microbe prevents its harmful accumulation that can impair kidney function.

DeepRETStroke is a deep learning system using retinal photographs to detect silent brain infarction and predict future stroke events.

Chronic care manages long-term, progressive conditions, while acute care handles short-term ones. Here, authors show chronic conditions account for most of the global health burden, with 68% of DALYs and 93% of YLDs attributed to chronic care needs.

Lactate released by tumor cells has been shown to inhibit antitumor NK cell responses. Here the authors show a mechanism for this effect in which lactate drives lysine lactylation of NK cells. A combination treatment also limits this lactylation to prevent NK cell dysfunction, thereby restoring antitumor immunity.

DNA hybridisation thermodynamics parameters underlie rational design of oligonucleotides for diagnostics and nanotechnology. Here, the authors present an accurate method to measure the free energy of a given DNA structure at specific temperature and buffer conditions.

Here the authors report asperigimycins, fungal ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides with a heptacyclic scaffold. After chemically modifying them for nanomolar anticancer activity, CRISPR screening identifies SLC46A3 as a key transporter for their uptake in cells.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) usually metastasizes to the lungs. Here, the authors discover that SWI/SNF ATPase subunit SMARCA4 silencing of HLF regulates ccRCC lung metastasis by modulating the integration of collagen's mechanical cues with the actin cytoskeleton through leupaxin.

Optimizing mechanical performance for polymer materials is frequently challenging, often require complex methods. Here the authors design an poly(ethylene glycol) material with enhanced mechanical properties by laser printing a micropillar and honeycomb micro-lattice.

Analysis of ancient DNA, stable isotope data and archaeological evidence from the Fujia archaeological site in eastern China suggests it was populated by a matrilineal Neolithic community between 2750 and 2500 bc.

Lampreys are jawless vertebrates that can offer unique insights into vertebrate evolution. Here they generate a comprehensive cell atlas of the lamprey, uncovering 70 distinct cell types across 14 tissues, and identify pancreas-like cells in the lamprey small intestine.

Understanding how copper nanoparticles evolve under electrochemical conditions is crucial for the development of selective CO₂ reduction electrocatalysts. Here the authors prepare well-defined nanocrystals and use advanced operando imaging and spectroscopic techniques to reveal the Cu–CO species-driven dynamic evolution of Cu electrodes.

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.

Expanding editing scope while reducing byproducts is now possible for prime editing. Here, authors develop reverse prime editing (rPE), a SpCas9-based tool enabling editing in reverse window with high fidelity and demonstrate its use in inserting therapeutic variants.