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Battery electrode binders are hard to image but strongly affect battery performance. Here, authors use silver and bromine staining to reveal common cellulose- and rubber-based binders in graphite and Si negative electrodes and identify processing that reduces electrode resistance.

Short-circuiting during fast charging through lithium dendrite intrusion into electrolytes is a major challenge in solid-state batteries. Here, using thermally annealed 3-nm-thick Ag coatings, lithium penetration into brittle electrolyte Li_6.6La₃Zr_1.6Ta_0.4O₁₂ is inhibited at local current densities of 250 mA cm⁻² due to an increase in surface fracture toughness.

RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) is typically considered as an essential enzyme. Here the authors show that natural degradation of RNAPII drives chromatin reorganization in growing oocytes, preparing the chromatin for genome activation after fertilization.

Most kiwifruit species are vulnerable to high levels of heat stress. Here, the authors report natural variation at the GATA transcription factor binding site of EGY3 gene mediates chloroplastic ROS homeostasis to confer kiwifruit thermotolerance.

Silicon anodes promise much higher battery capacity but are limited by poor storage life. This work identifies key ageing mechanisms and suggests ways to improve long-term stability.

Here, the authors introduce information isotopes, a novel framework for tracing unauthorized training data in black-box AI systems, offering a practical tool for auditing data provenance and protecting data rights.

C-prenylated flavonoids possess notable pharmaceutical potential, but their production is hindered by the challenging selective prenylation of their unstable polyphenolic cores. Here, the authors present a directed evolution strategy to reshape the active pocket of the prenyltransferase AtaPT, uncovering an aromatic cage that governs both regioselectivity and donor specificity, and achieve efficient and scalable synthesis of 27 C-prenylated flavonoids.

Here the authors compare genetic testing strategies in rare movement disorders, improve diagnostic yield with genome analysis, and establish CD99L2 as an X-linked spastic ataxia gene, showing that CD99L2–CAPN1 signaling disruption likely drives neurodegeneration.

Native top-down proteomics reveals epidermal growth factor receptor–estrogen receptor-alpha (EGFR–ER) signaling crosstalk in breast cancer cells and dissociation of nuclear transport factor 2 (NUTF2) dimers to modulate ER signaling and cell growth.

Authors uncover the tunable band structure in ferroelectric rhombohedral-stacked bilayer WSe₂ by optical spectroscopy, quantifying spontaneous polarization and demonstrating electric-field-driven domain switching for quantum device applications.

Protected areas (PAs) are central to China’s forest conservation strategy, yet their carbon storage effectiveness under different governance and management contexts remains uncertain. Here, authors show that stronger protection enables substantially greater forest carbon gains in China’s PAs, both now and in the future.

The success of Li batteries relies on electrolyte reduction at anodes for interphase formation, yet controlled interphase formation on high-energy cathodes has proven challenging. Now it has been shown that a bimolecular nucleophilic substitution-assisted strategy advances both primary and secondary batteries by regulating the electrolyte reduction potential and interphase passivation capability.

Using cloud observations from 44 US cities and large-eddy simulations, this study shows that taller buildings strengthen urban-breeze updrafts, while denser buildings suppress vertical turbulence, together reshaping moisture transport and cloud formation in urban environments.

Neuroinflammation triggers DNA damage and subsequent parthanatos-mediated neuron death. Inhibiting parthanatos in a mouse model of autoimmune inflammation is neuroprotective and reduces disease-associated paralysis.

ATF6α activation in human and preclinical models of hepatocellular carcinoma is significantly associated with an aggressive tumour phenotype characterized by reduced survival, glycolytic reprogramming and local immunosuppression.

A 3D soft electronic mesh allows high-resolution electrical recording and stimulation across the full surface of neural organoids, enabling long-term studies, drug testing and optogenetic control without compromising their viability owing to its porous design.

Structural variants are an underexplored source of genetic diversity. Here, the authors use phased pangenome graphs to improve detection of these variants in dairy cattle and link these variants to traits of economic importance.

Solid electrolytes are key to safer, high-energy batteries. Here, authors show that divalent-anion-driven framework regulation in Zr-based halides tunes the lattice and boosts Li⁺ transport, offering a universal design principle for advanced halide electrolytes.

Li-metal batteries suffer from sluggish kinetics at low temperatures. Here, authors propose a guideline for rational electrolyte solvent screening and design a class of asymmetric ethers, which bestows the Li metal pouch cell with a high specific energy of 345.3 Wh kg⁻¹ over 40 cycles at −40 °C.

The APOE-ε4 allele is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, but it is not deterministic. Here, the authors show that common genetic variation changes how APOE-ε4 influences cognition.

Oxytocin promotes social behaviors, but its cortical targets remain unclear. Here, authors show that oxytocin activates local interneurons in the rat prefrontal cortex, enhancing sociability through top-down control of the basolateral amygdala.

A low thermal expansion chromium alloy overcomes inherent brittleness via atomic faulting in layered precipitates. This tough, corrosion-resistant material enables stable components for extreme environments.

Japonica subspecies has a lower nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) than that of indica rice. Here, the authors show that natural variations in the NIN-like protein 4 (OsNLP4) encoding gene are responsible for the divergence and introgression of the indica OsNLP4 allele into elite japonica cultivar can increase NUE and grain yield.

All-solid-state batteries face significant performance challenges with conventional anodes under high currents. Here, the authors design an In₀.₃₈Sn₀.₃₃Bi₀.₂₉ alloy anode that forms a robust mixed ionic–electronic network, enabling high-rate capability and durable solid-state cells.

This study presents a scalable and sustainable electro-membrane crystallization-assisted general recycling technology that efficiently recovers high-purity lithium, manganese, nickel, and cobalt from spent lithium-ion batteries.

This study shows that promoter and enhancer functions are often linked within the same DNA sequences. Using a dual-reporter assay, the authors reveal shared sequence features and co-dependent activities supporting a unified model of gene regulation.

Hepatic glycogenolysis is essential for protein glycosylation and rhythmic secretion by the liver. Disruptions to hepatic glycogenolysis, caused by congenital diseases or physiological factors such as obesity, caloric restriction and changes to meal timing, alter hepatic protein secretion.

Cytosolic ScURA uncouples de novo pyrimidine synthesis from mitochondrial electron transport, and rescues pyrimidine production and cell proliferation under pharmacological or genetic mETC disruption.

Lithium is depleted in mid-F dwarf stars, known as the lithium-dip since 1986, which challenges standard stellar models. Here, the authors show that rotational mixing uniquely explains this depletion using spectra from NGC 188 subgiants.

Gas evolution severely limits the performance of LiFe_xMn_1−xPO₄ batteries, yet its mechanisms remain unclear. Now it has been shown that CO₂ originates mainly from the cathode and H₂ from Mn/Fe-catalysed reactions at the anode, while a uniform carbon coating effectively suppresses metal dissolution and stabilizes cycling.

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans facilitate the assembly of clusters of glycoRNAs and cell surface RNA-binding proteins, which negatively modulate VEGF-A signalling and angiogenesis.

Photocatalytic water splitting using a single particulate photocatalyst is a cost-efficient approach for sustainable hydrogen production. Here, the authors report a nanoscale Ba_xSr_1-xTaO₂N solid-solution photocatalyst exhibits an apparent quantum efficiency of 13.5% for H₂ evolution at 420 nm.

Human metapneumovirus can cause severe lung disease in vulnerable people, yet no vaccines or treatments are available. Harris et al. identify 4F11, a potent monoclonal antibody with unique binding properties, and demonstrate its efficacy in reducing viral loads in vitro and in vivo.

Testi and colleagues introduce an enhanced Brillouin Microscope for user-independent and high-precision mechanical measurements. Using this approach, the authors obtained insight into the biophysical properties of protein condensates involved in severe neurodegenerative diseases.

Melting ice and associated sea-level change will expose new land in Antarctica. Here the authors quantify this change and combine it with our understanding of known Antarctic mineral occurrences, showing that substantial mineral deposits may become accessible over the next few centuries in Antarctica.

Native state proteomics of PV interneurons revealed unique molecular features of high translational and metabolic activity, and enrichment of Alzheimer’s risk genes. Early amyloid pathology exerted unique effects on mitochondria, mTOR signaling and neurotransmission in PV neurons.

This study applies machine learning to fMRI data to map developmental variations in functional connectivity, uncovering heterogeneity across individuals and cortical regions that predicts neurocognitive maturation in youth.

GDF15 has been associated with cancer-associated cachexia. Here, the authors show that STK11/LKB1 loss-of-function mutations in non-small cell lung cancer result in an exaggerated integrated stress response culminating in the tumor cell secretion of the cytokine GDF15 promoting cachexia.

Population-level analyses and in vitro experiments show that a specific genetic variant of cyclin D3 inhibits the growth of the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum in erythrocytes, and suggest that its high frequency in Sardinia was driven by past endemic malaria.

Understanding the impact of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on lithium deposition is crucial for developing high-energy lithium metal batteries. Here, authors elucidate the multi-scale effects of the SEI on lithium deposition behavior based on the established SEI-omics framework.

The xylosyltransferase isoenzymes XT1 and XT2 catalyze the first glycosylation step in the biosynthesis of proteoglycans. Now, bump-and-hole engineering of XT1 and XT2 enables substrate profiling and modification of proteins as designer proteoglycans to modulate cellular behavior.

Zinc is an essential micronutrient for plants, however its excess causes cellular damage. Here, the authors report that natural variation of Trichome Birefringence (TBR) gene confers zinc toxicity tolerance through modulating root cell wall pectin methylesterification in Arabidopsis.

The continual growth of the solid electrolyte interphase on sulphide solid electrolytes is an impediment to solid-state battery adoption. Here, the authors reveal the role of phosphorus in the continual growth and give insights into how to prevent it.

Realizing >5 V batteries is hindered by the instability of electrolytes. Here, a fluoride shielding layer, LiCl-4Li₂TiF₆, enables high-voltage, high-capacity all-solid-state batteries because of its combined oxidative stability and Li⁺ conductivity.

The STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory demonstrates evidence of spin correlations in \(\Lambda \bar{\Lambda }\) hyperon pairs inherited from virtual spin-correlated strange quark–antiquark pairs during QCD confinement.

Monitoring the nucleation of dendrites in Li-ion batteries during cell cycling is important for the development of new electrochemical materials. Here, the authors use the spectral-spatial mode in electron paramagnetic resonance imaging to visualize the spatial distribution of metallic sub-micrometric lithium structures.

Identifying jets originating from heavy quarks plays a fundamental role in hadronic collider experiments. In this work, the ATLAS Collaboration describes and tests a transformer-based neural network architecture for jet flavour tagging based on low-level input and physics-inspired constraints.

Ferromagnetic systems produced by the transition metal doping of semiconductors may be used as components of spintronic devices. Here, a new ferromagnet, Li_1+y(Zn_1-xMn_x)As, is prepared in bulk quantities and shown to have a critical temperature approaching 50 K.

Arginine addiction induced by argininosuccinate synthase (ASSN1) deficiency has been exploited to treat ASS1-deficient cancers. Here, the authors show an alternative therapeutic approach where ASS1 activity is increased by the pesticide spinosyn A and is shown to inhibit breast cancer cell proliferation.

During the Last Glacial Maximum, the deep Northwest Atlantic was only about 2 °C colder than today, suggesting sustained production of relatively warm North Atlantic Deep Water during the Last Glacial Maximum.