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Lithium-ion batteries rely on lithium diffusion within particles, traditionally assumed to follow concentration gradients. Here, authors use X-ray microscopy to track lithium movement in single particles, discovering that lithium can move against concentration gradients due to strain effects.

The authors achieve a high electrocaloric effect in barium titanate ceramics with a defect dipole engineering strategy. As a result, defect dipole engineering enables BaTiO₃ to achieve an electrocaloric effect over a wide temperature range.

An Fe^III/V redox mechanism in Li₄FeSbO₆ on delithiation without Fe^IV or oxygen formation with resistance to aging, high operating potential and low voltage hysteresis is demonstrated, with implications for Fe-based high-voltage applications.

The Taiwan Precision Medicine Initiative recruited and genotyped more than half a million Taiwanese participants, almost all of Han Chinese ancestry, and performed comprehensive genomic analyses and developed polygenic risk score prediction models for numerous health conditions.

A predictive descriptor to guide spinel catalyst design for Li–S batteries is still lacking. Here, authors use a series of metal chromites to investigate the effect of t2 orbital occupancy on the polysulfide conversion activity of spinel oxides, and reveal a volcano-shaped relationship between them.

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.

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.

Watt, Dauber, Szkop and colleagues find that H3K4me3 remodels 5′UTR selection in hypoxia and that this process is independent of HIF-1 transcriptional mechanisms.

This study uses brain recordings, self-reports, and facial analysis to decode acute pain in epilepsy patients. Machine learning reveals stable neural markers in mesolimbic, striatal, and cortical regions, plus facial cues, enabling reliable pain detection in naturalistic settings.

G2E3-catalysed H3K14 mono-ubiquitination is crucial for SUV39H compartmentalization and H3K9 trimethylation in pericentromeric heterochromatin, which is essential for proper euchromatin organization and transcriptional regulation in mammalian cells.

LARGE1 glycosyltransferase synthesizes matriglycan (xylose-glucuronate)_n on dystroglycan, and short matriglycan can cause neuromuscular disorders. Authors show that LARGE1 processively polymerizes matriglycan of defined length on prodystroglycan.

Patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) have limited therapeutic options. Here the authors show that functionally impaired NK cells contribute to immune escape of pre-malignant clones in early stage MDS and that NK adoptive cell therapy can be considered to prevent or delay the development of MDS.

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.

Cartilage-targeted gene therapy is dependent on delivery efficiency. Here, the authors develop non-pathogenic, virus-inspired lipopeptide-based nanoplatforms to deliver nucleic acids to cartilage with increased transfection efficiency over conventional lipid nanoparticles.

A post hoc analysis of a multicentre, randomised trial showed that prediabetes remission is possible without total weight loss—providing weight is distributed to subcutaneous deposits as opposed to visceral ones.

The authors significantly enhance the high-temperature energy storage performance of bismuth sodium titanate-based relaxor ferroelectric multilayer ceramic capacitors via entropy modulated strain heterogeneity.

The use of antimicrobial agents can exacerbate the proliferation of antimicrobial resistance genes, which can put public health at risk; evaluating this risk requires proper monitoring. An extensive investigation of Australian wastewater reveals a distinct correlation between the type of antimicrobial used and the socioeconomic status of the population.

Inhibitors of the protein kinase Wee1 are promising drugs for cancer therapy. Here, the authors show that these drugs activate the integrated stress response via GCN2, synergising with mRNA translation defects. They suggest strategies such as PROTACs or ISR inhibitors to improve WEE1 mediated toxicity.

Human host-associated cellular products may act as induction agents for bacteriophages.

Saber et al. show that the lipase DDHD2 provides endogenous saturated fatty acids to support fatty acid oxidation and energy production, proteostasis and membrane trafficking balance.

Thermal lepton pairs are ideal probes for the temperature of quark-gluon plasma. Here, the STAR Collaboration uses thermal electron-positron pair production to measure quark-gluon plasma average temperature at different stages of the evolution.

Particles produced by intense biomass burning can be transported, potentially by deep convection, in large numbers to the lower stratosphere, changing the stratospheric aerosol layer’s chemical and radiative properties, according to in situ measurements during an active fire season.

Yamazoe et al. show that B cell-derived autoantibodies contribute to the development of atrial fibrillation, suggesting that targeting the humoral immune response may represent a viable therapeutic approach.

Present Li-ion batteries for portable electronics are based on inorganic electrodes made through non-ecological processes. Sustainable conjugated dicarboxylate organic salt anodes showing advantageous reversible capacities and thermal stability are now reported.

Advances have been made in thin-film piezoelectrics; however, the linearity of electric-field-induced strain with frequency and temperature still requires improvement. Here, by growing interlocked monoclinic and tetragonal polar nanoregions in (K,Na)NbO₃ thin films, highly linear strains of up to 1.1% are reported at frequencies up to 10⁵ Hz.

Activity in a set of parabranchial neurons in the mouse brain is increased during chronic pain, predicts coping behaviour, and can be modulated by circuits activated by survival threats.

Ubiquitination is a versatile modification system in eukaryotic cells. Here, the authors unveil that the ubiquitin ligase HUWE1 can modify drug-like small-molecule substrates, beyond proteins. This discovery may be harnessed to develop specific tool substrates or inhibitors of HECT-type ligases.

Opportunities for green hydrogen-based steelmaking arise globally. Without sufficient investments in green steel, the EU loses competitiveness to countries with low-cost renewable energy through the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.

This study introduces a system called TArgeted Cohesin Loader (TACL) that recruits cohesin complexes at defined genomic regions and induces loop extrusion events in living cells, exploring its impact on chromatin organization and gene expression.

Although uranium-nitrogen multiple bonding is well developed, there are far fewer uranium-phosphorus and -arsenic multiple bonds, and none for antimony, even in spectroscopic scenarios. Here, the authors report syntheses of uranium-stibido, -stibinidiide, -distibene, and -stibinidene derivatives containing single, double, and pseudo-triple bond interactions.

High plating currents are achieved in solid-state batteries without dendrites by densifying Li₆PS₅Cl, with modelling showing how specific microstructural changes increase the critical current density.

Whether paternal pre-conceptual SARS-CoV-2 infection impacts sperm RNA content, or effects offspring phenotypes, has not been previously investigated. Here authors report changes in sperm noncoding RNAs in SARS-CoV-2 infected sires and increased anxiety-like behaviors in offspring.

Tumour-antigen-pulsed mature dendritic cells (DC) have not been as efficient for cancer therapy as hoped to be, due to their sub-optimal antigen-presentation and migration capacities. Here the authors utilise DC progenitors, constitutively expressing IL-12 and an engineered extracellular vesicle-internalizing receptor (EVIR), which give rise to mature conventional type 1 DCs with improved antigen presenting capacities, resulting in improved anti-tumour immunity in a mouse model of melanoma.

Infant KMT2A-rearranged acute lymphoblastic leukemia is associated with poor overall survival rates. Here, the authors use WGS and WES of 36 relapsed KMT2A-rearranged ALL and AML patients and find alterations in drug response genes in ALL, which may correspond with relapse time. Longitudinal analyses of >250 samples could track residual leukemia cells, clonal drug responses, and the upcoming relapse.

Li et al. show that a Lamassu defense system protects bacteria from phage infection by activating a lethal tetrameric DNA-cutting enzyme. In the absence of phages, a protein clamp holds the enzyme as an inactive monomer, preventing self-damage.

The direct contribution of aberrant epithelial cells to lung fibrosis is largely unknown. The authors use murine and human systems to identify how these cells activate fibroblasts, and how reciprocal signals cause them to enter a profibrotic state.

Lithium sulfides have been previously investigated as 1 V anodes for Li-ion batteries, but suffered from significant performance issues. Here, the authors report on a 1 V lithium sulfide electrode with noteworthy performance, demonstrating that sulfide-based electrodes may merit further exploration.

Asymmetrical distribution of tau pathology in Alzheimer’s disease is linked to asymmetrical amyloid-beta deposition, not reduced brain connectivity, suggesting regional vulnerability plays a key role in determining the distribution of tau pathology.

Apoptotic cells often release extracellular vesicles that aid in their clearance and provide molecular information to cellular neighbours. Here, the authors show that some adherent apoptotic cells also create vesicles that remain attached at the site of death.