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The underlying formation mechanism and evolution of the ferroelectric phase in hafnium dioxide-based crystals is under debate. Here, the authors characterize the phase transitions and reveal the accompanying atomic movements in a co-doped crystal.

Aqueous two-phase systems have potential as biomimetic materials, but often lack stability and are prone to collapse. Here, the authors use interfacial assembly of chitin nanofibres and cellulose nanocrystals to prepare a biobased system with permeability and switchable motility.

High-resolution satellite data enables a unique verification of national methane emissions worldwide. Global estimates are 63 Tg a⁻¹ for oil-gas, 30% higher than the UNFCCC reports due to under-reporting by four largest emitters, and 33 Tg a⁻¹ for coal, consistent with previous estimates.

The study of isotopes away from the beta stability valley is crucial for the understanding of nuclear structure, especially for neutron-deficient heavy nuclei. Here, the authors report the observation of the alpha-decay isotope 210-protactinium (Pa), extending the alpha-decay systematics of underexplored regions of the nuclides chart.

Cryoprotectants are needed for the storage of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Here, the authors report on a study which shows that freezing can be harnessed to reformulate LNPs in a way that both preserves their integrity and boosts mRNA delivery after sub-zero storage by increasing endosomal escape.

The authors develop a low carbon cement-based material which exhibits hierarchical structure with low density (0.75 g cm⁻³), high specific compressive strength (344 (kN m⁻²)/(kg m⁻³)) and fracture toughness (4865 kJ m⁻³).

The role of vascular plasticity in brain function remains poorly understood. Here, the authors demonstrate that a significant portion of blood vessels in the adult brain periodically occlude and regress, a process that is associated with a reduction in neuronal activity.

When many people are speaking, e.g. at a party, we can selectively attend to just one speaker. Here, using ‘hyperscanning’, the authors show that interpersonal neural synchronization is selectively increased between a listener and the attended speaker, compared to between the listener and an unattended speaker.

Electrocatalytic methods that enable asymmetric reductive coupling of two π-components with regio-, stereo-, and enantioselectivity control are underexplored. Here, the authors report a regio- and enantioselective cobaltaelectro-catalyzed alkyne-aldehyde coupling reaction, in which protons and electrons serve as the hydrogen source and reductant, respectively.

Negative regulator of thermotolerance 1 (NAT1) is identified as a negative regulator of thermotolerance in rice through the NAT1–bHLH110–CER1/CER1L module. Modifying NAT1 by targeted gene editing increases wax deposition and enhances thermotolerance in rice.

Gastric Squamous Cell Carcinoma (GSCC) is a rare subtype of gastric cancer with unknown etiology. Here, the authors identify frequent mutations in epigenetic regulation genes including EZH2 in twenty GSCC patient samples, and demonstrate that EZH2 loss, along with TP53 and PTEN loss, leads to GSCC in mouse models.

The authors show that NAT10 is upregulated with T cell antigen receptor signaling and that T cell-specific NAT10 deficiency results in diminished numbers of naive T cells, translating to an inability to mount a significant antiviral T cell response.

Colonization of continents by plants some 430 Myr ago enhanced the complexity of weathering and sedimentary systems, and altered the composition of continental crust, according to statistical assessment of zircon compositions.

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.

Rapeseed production is often threatened by drought stress. Here, the authors report transcription factor BnaA9.NFYA7 negatively regulates rapeseed drought tolerance through ABA signal transduction pathway via feedback inhibition of the expression of BnaABF3/4s-related genes.

Using two cohorts, Liu, Ge, Xiao, Lu and colleagues perform plasma metabolomics and lipidomics, linking reduced sarcosine to sarcopenia diagnosis. In mice, they demonstrate that sarcosine enhances muscle repair, boosts adipose thermogenesis and preserves muscle mass via macrophage modulation.

Phosphorus mononitride is highly unstable under atmospheric conditions and its utility for constructing elusive P–N π-bonded motifs has remained uncertain. Here, the authors show that Na(OCP) can transfer a P atom to an electrophilic osmium nitride complex to form a metal-bound P≡N ligand.

Porous 2D materials hold great potential for applications in catalysis and electronics. Here, the authors design a novel inorganic framework in which POM clusters function as “electron buffers” to stabilize active sites and reduce the energy barrier for toluene oxidation, paving the way for programmable catalytic materials with tailored electronic properties.

When used in Chinese (versus English), generative artificial intelligence exhibits a more interdependent (versus independent) social orientation and a more holistic (versus analytic) cognitive style embedded in large-scale textual training.

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 functionalization of carbon–carbon bonds in amines remains an important challenge in organic synthesis. Now a borane-catalysed method has been developed that enables the insertion of alkynes into the alkyl C–C bonds of amines, providing a versatile approach for the ring expansion of cyclic amines and chain elongation of acyclic amines.

The instability of lipid nanoparticles during nebulization hinders inhaled mRNA vaccines. Here, the authors report on a charge-assisted stabilization strategy using a peptide-lipid conjugate to improve lipid nanoparticle stability, enabling mRNA-based mucosal vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 and lung cancer.

Wu et al. demonstrate that REM transcription factors and GDE1 guide RNA polymerase IV to specific genomic loci, establishing a DNA sequence-dependent mechanism for siRNA biogenesis and DNA methylation patterning.

The growth of Li dendrites and the accumulation of dead Li significantly undermine the safety and performance of Li metal batteries. Here, authors introduce the concept of “catalytic” effect for dead Li reconversion, leading to a Li plating/stripping efficiency of 99.89%.

The heterogeneity of HSPCs in response to IR stress remains poorly characterized. Here, the authors provide insights into the molecular intricacies of IR-induced BM injury and reveal the roles of BMP4-BMPR2 signaling in radiation resistance of HSCs.

Using screening data on intrinsic capacity (IC) from real-world implementation in primary care of the WHO ICOPE program, de Souto Barreto and Lu et al. developed clinically friendly IC scores and centile values to monitor functional health during aging.

Peptide-receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with radiolabeled somatostatin analogs, such as octreotide, is a promising option for the treatment of somatostatin-receptor-positive endocrine tumors. Here, van Essen et al. evaluate data from preliminary studies of PRRT, and discuss the pros and cons of this approach. The authors propose that PRRT might soon become the treatment of choice for patients with metastatic or inoperable endocrine tumors.

Transcriptional regulators (TRs) play critical roles in both normal tissue development and disease progression. Here, the authors introduce a Bayesian hierarchical model capable of identifying key TRs from epigenomics-based query region sets with enhanced accuracy and interpretability.

Fanjiang Kong, Zhixi Tian, Xingliang Hou, Baohui Liu and colleagues report the cloning and functional characterization of J, the locus underlying the long-juvenile (LJ) trait that has enabled tropical cultivation of soybean. They show that J, an ortholog of Arabidopsis ELF3, downregulates the expression of E1, thereby promoting flowering under short-day conditions.

Su et al. report that the super-enhancer K5aSE orchestrates Klf5andadditional targets via 3D chromatin interactions in ES cells, with CTCF-mediated chromatin domains maintaining this regulatory network essential for ES cell identity.

Recently, the quantum anomalous Hall effect has been successfully achieved in the intrinsic magnetic topological insulator MnBi₂Te₄, but zero-field quantization has proved difficult to achieve due to poor sample quality. Here, the authors report zero-field quantization and chiral edge states in five-septuple-layer MnBi₂Te₄.

Moiré materials, where two van der Waals layers are stacked together with a small twist angle has proven to be a rich playground for exotic phases, with some materials, such as twisted MoTe2 being found to host quantum anomalous and fractional hall states among others. Here, An, Pan, Qiu and coauthors add to this, observing ferromagnetism in the second moiré band of twisted MoTe2.

N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10) is an N⁴‐acetylcytidine (ac⁴C) writer, which catalyzes RNA acetylation at cytidine N⁴ position on RNAs. Here, the authors show that NAT10 catalyzes ac⁴C addition to a long non-coding RNA encoded by the oncogenic DNA virus Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), triggering viral lytic reactivation from latency, which promotes NAT10 recruitment of IFI16 mRNA, resulting in inflammasome activation.

Legionella effector LnaB, a recently identified actin-activated AMPylase, mediates phosphoryl-AMPylation in a yet-unknown manner. Here the authors unveil a two-step catalytic process involving dual ATPase–AMPylase activity based on structural studies, providing a biochemical basis for AMPylation.

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.

Proton transfer plays a key role in nature, yet its ultrafast dynamics remain elusive. Here the authors use coincidence spectroscopy and theoretical simulations to show that radiolytic doubly-ionized pyrrole triggers proton transfer to water within 60 fs.