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Non-equilibrium two-dimensional melting is less understood than its equilibrium counterpart. Now it is shown that topologically driven melting in a two-dimensional crystal of charged colloids is the same irrespective of the mechanisms that generate the defects

Understanding collective behaviour is an important aspect of managing the pandemic response. Here the authors show in a large global study that participants that reported identifying more strongly with their nation reported greater engagement in public health behaviours and support for public health policies in the context of the pandemic.

Excitonic pairing in fractional quantum Hall states shows two new quantum phases, including a fractional exciton condensate and an unusual type of exciton that obeys fermionic or anyonic quantum statistics.

Heterostructures based on (111)-oriented KTaO₃crystals are a new platform for studying oxide interfaces. Gate-tunable superconductivity in 2D electron gases at the surface of (111)-oriented KTaO₃is now reported, with the superconducting transition being of the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless type.

Ultrathin alumina encapsulation protects the magnetic, magnonic, and optical properties of air-sensitive V[TCNE]ₓ, enabling characterization of intrinsic material properties and integration of this organic-based magnet into cryogenic quantum devices.

Therapeutic gene editing in vivo is an ongoing challenge. Here, authors demonstrate Cas9 nickase guided DNA ligation as a nonviral method for installing permanent genomic corrections with favorable on target edit profiles in model animal cell types and adult mice.

The complex electronic motion in the quantum Hall regime in semiconductors has so far eluded analysis of its microscopic structure. Here, the authors use scanning gate microscopy to measure the spatial structure of transport inside a metal in this regime, opening the way for localized manipulation of the electronic states.

Across five randomized controlled trials, Woodley et al. find that a cooperative online quiz game reduced partisan animosity, improved democracy-related attitudes and was highly enjoyable. Effects persisted for up to four months.

Nanostructured superconductors allow dissipationless electrical transport to be exploited in technologically relevant devices. Here, the authors follow how detrimental fluctuations of the superconducting order parameter evolve in Al atomic contacts as their width is controlled by electromigration.

Fractional quantum Hall states can be fragile, meaning that they are difficult to probe using electrical transport measurements. Now, thermal transport is shown to be a more sensitive technique for investigating these states.

The mechanism of the multiple-q charge density wave phase in the antiferromagnetic kagome metal FeGe is not fully understood. Here the authors reveal dimerization-driven hexagonal charge-diffuse precursor and identify the fraction of dimerized/undimerized states as the key order parameter of the phase transition.

When imbibed in an anisotropic silica aerogel, superfluid ³He undergoes a temperature-driven “orbital flop" transition, where the orbital quantization axis rotates by 90 degrees. Here, by simulating planar and nematic aerogel, M. D. Nguyen et al. show that the orbital flop transition is driven by the distinct large- and small-scale structures of the aerogel.

Dynamic nuclear polarization is the transfer of electronic angular momentum to nuclear spins and is a potential route for coherently manipulating spin in quantum information. Here, the authors show that spin–orbit coupling can quench dynamic nuclear polarization in a gallium arsenide quantum dot.

Although dissipation is often detrimental to the observation of topological effects, a photonic molecule driven at several incommensurate frequencies is shown to be a candidate system for quantized topological transport in synthetic dimensions.

This multiomic study, including single-nucleus DNA methylation and chromatin conformation matched with single-nuclei RNA sequencing, provides insights into the epigenomic landscape of human subcutaneous adipose tissue.

Interactions between proteins and RNA are an important mechanism for post-transcriptional regulation, but predicting these interactions is difficult. Through a deep learning approach, here the authors predict RNA-binding sites and binding preference based on the local physicochemical properties of the protein surface.

Swarms and statistical physics seem like natural bedfellows, but concepts like scaling are yet to prove directly applicable to insect group dynamics. A study of midges suggests they are, and that they may give rise to a new universality class.

Vortex–charge duality is a model that has been proposed for describing the superconducting to insulator transition in disordered thin films. Mehtaet al. report experimental evidence for this duality in the two-dimensional electron gas that arises in LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃heterostructures.

This article considers the case of a 52-year-old man who presented with life-threatening anion gap metabolic acidosis after drinking a large quantity of vodka. The authors discuss the role of thiamine deficiency in the development of severe lactic acidosis in alcohol-dependent individuals and conclude that early intervention can lead to excellent outcomes.

A trans-ancestry genome-wide association study of serum urate levels identifies 183 loci influencing this trait. Enrichment analyses, fine-mapping and colocalization with gene expression in 47 tissues implicate the kidney and liver as key target organs and prioritize potential causal genes.

How do flocks of birds remain cohesive while dodging predators? A study tracking up to 400 starlings reveals that information propagates in a linear fashion and with no attenuation, meaning that the language of phase transitions in correlated materials can be used to describe flocking behaviour.

Serum urate concentration can be studied in large datasets to find genetic and epigenetic loci that may be related to cardiometabolic traits. Here the authors identify and replicate 100 urate-associated CpGs, which provide insights into urate GWAS loci and shared CpGs of urate and cardiometabolic traits.

Previous measurements of interferometers based on quantum Hall (QH) edge channels have suggested potential electron pairing effects. Here, the authors investigate the coupling between QH edge channels in graphene Aharonov-Bohm (AB) interferometers, proposing a possible single-particle explanation for the apparent interference phase jumps and AB frequency doubling.

Molecular mechanisms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are not fully understood. Here the authors demonstrate a mutation in CDH2, encoding N-cadherin, that is associated with ADHD, and in a mouse model, delineate molecular electrophysiological characteristics associated with this mutation.

The robustness of edge states against external influence is a phenomenon that has been successfully applied to electron transport. A study now predicts that the same concept can also lead to improved optical devices. Topological protection might, for example, reduce the deleterious influence of disorder on coupled-resonator optical waveguides.

Freezing on a spherical surface is shown to proceed by the sequestration of defects into 12 icosahedrally coordinated ‘seas’ that enable the formation of a crystalline ‘continent’ with long-range orientational order.

Experimental signatures of a Berry phase for composite fermions in the fractional quantum Hall effect provide support for the predictions that these composite fermions are Dirac particles.

Gut microbiome composition is associated with phenotypes as revealed by a dimensionality reduction tool.