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Clusters have proven useful models to elucidate the correlation between macroscopic properties and microstructures, but the exploration of actinide clusters lags. Here, the authors report the synthesis of a tetra-shell mixed-metal cluster which features a Th₁₃ core and acts as a highly effective visible light-driven CO₂ reduction photocatalyst.

The ability to form complex molecular architectures from simpler precursors is important for drug discovery and medicinal chemistry. Here, the authors report a cascade reaction giving access to tricyclic products and apply it in the total synthesis of two natural products.

Hydrogen gas can drive detachment of protective surface oxides from metal substrates and this process is accelerated at moderately elevated temperatures relevant to applications. Here the authors use environmental transmission electron microscopy to monitor associated void coalescence processes and clarify roles that diffusion and hydrogen-vacancy complexes play.

Deformation twinning and dislocations are known to govern the plastic behaviour of metals at room temperature. Here the authors demonstrate a new deformation mechanism in single-crystal magnesium characterized by twin-like crystal reorientation and special interfaces.

Magnetic reconnection is a key process in astrophysical luminosity outbursts, such as solar flares, and may also drive similar events in high-mass young stellar objects (HMYSOs). The authors study HMYSO G36.11+0.55, revealing a correlation between CH3OH maser variability and magnetic field strength, supporting models of reconnection-driven ejection and highlighting the role of magnetic fields in HMYSO dynamics.

Here, the genome sequence of the tiger tail seahorse is reported and comparative genomic analyses with other ray-finned fishes are used to explore the genetic basis of the unique morphology and reproductive system of the seahorse.

Wang et al. discovered that AP2XI-2 and AP2XII-1 negatively regulate merozoite-primed pre-sexual commitment in Toxoplasma gondii, and parasites depleted of either AP2XI-2 or AP2XII-1 can serve as a valuable in vitro model for studying merogony.

In the phase 2 trial NEOSUMMIT-01, perioperative treatment of patients with locally advanced gastric or gastro-esophageal junction adenocarcinoma with anti-PD-1 and SOX/XELOX versus SOX/XELOX alone improved pathological complete response or near-complete response rate.

The transformation induced plasticity phenomenon is usually diffusionless. Here, the authors introduce elemental partitioning mediated crystalline-to-amorphous phase transformation in a crystal-glass nanolaminated composite, realizing ultrahigh strength and large plasticity.

Understanding deformation of Mg along the c-axis is important for wrought processing of Mg. Here the authors report deformation graining in submicron single crystal Mg where the initial single crystal evolves into ultrafine grains that rejuvenates dislocation activities, enabling large plasticity.

The gut microbiota may play a role in cardiovascular diseases. Here, the authors perform a metagenome-wide association study on stools from individuals with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and healthy controls, identifying microbial strains and functions associated with the disease.

Topological heterostructures are desired in metallic glasses to improve their mechanical properties. Here, the authors present an enthalpy-guided alloy design to introduce nanoscale chemical heterogeneity, producing a metallic glass with a large homogeneous plastic flow at room temperature.

Gas-filled bubbles at the interface between a metal substrate and an oxide coating can cause blistering and eventual cracking of the oxide layer. The microscale mechanisms of how hydrogen bubbles form and grow have now been elucidated.

Grains suppress ovaries in ears of maize to strengthen their sugar utilization advantage for development, potentially through hormone and MAPK signaling.

Environments where antibiotics are used indiscriminately exhibit microbial communities that can represent hot-spots of resistance gene enrichment, which in turn could spread to humans. Here, the authors characterize how exposure to swine farms environment lead to temporal changes in the gut microbiome and resistome of healthy veterinary students.

Protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation are essential aspects of biology. Wang et al., report that Toxoplasma gondiiprotein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) mediated dephosphorylation is critical for starch metabolism and bradyzoite differentiation.

Lithium sulphide is a promising battery cathode material, but it suffers from fast capacity decay. Here, the authors demonstrate the use of two-dimensional transition metal disulphides, in contrast to conventional carbon-based materials, for effective encapsulation of the cathode.

Li Dong Wang and colleagues report a genome wide association study for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in the Chinese population. They identify two risk loci at PLCE1 and C20orf54.

Coherent twin boundaries (CTBs) in face-centered cubic metals are usually considered unable to slide at room temperature. Here, the authors use in situ transmission electron microscopy and molecular dynamics to show CTB sliding in copper nanopillars when leading and trailing partial dislocations have similar Schmid factors.

A novel and effective crystalline-Si/amorphous-Si core/shell sample configuration has been devised. The malleable amorphous Si shell helped inhibit brittle fracture, provide the confinement to significantly raise the stress level, and extend the plastic flow in crystalline Si core. This enabled a real-time observation of the stress-induced crystalline-to-amorphous transition (CAT) process in Si. In situ TEM compression experiment demonstrated a direct amorphization process from the single crystalline diamond cubic Si phase, owing to the accumulation of plastic strain and profuse stacking faults. Deep insights of the CAT process have been achieved from density functional theory simulations.

Observations of V404 Cygni, an X-ray transient containing a black hole of nine solar masses and a companion star, show that optical oscillations on timescales of 100 seconds to 2.5 hours can occur at mass-accretion rates at least ten times lower than previously thought, suggesting that the accretion rate is not the critical parameter for inducing inner-disk instabilities.