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Multislice electron ptychography reveals that gradient-distributed ions induce progressive lattice distortions from bulk to surface, driving monoclinic γ-WO3 electrochromic materials to transform into tetragonal and cubic phases and forming the gradient-distributed colour centers.

This study provides structural insight into the dynamic catalytic mechanism of OsSPS3, a key enzyme in plastoquinone-9 biosynthesis. OsFBN5 enhances the activity of the OsSPS3 dimer by shifting its catalytic mechanism from alternating to synchronous.

To overcome the transverse wrinkles and voids between MXene nanosheets, the authors fabricated MXene fibers via a combination of static filling and dynamic thermal drawing, achieving optimized mechanical and electrical performance.

Spin-1/2 Heisenberg chains are fabricated through on-surface synthesis and reduction. As the chain length increases, the spin excitation gaps decrease, suggesting a gapless state in the thermodynamic limit. Spinon dispersion observed in the spin chains highlights the potential of this approach for realizing custom quantum spin systems.

Artificial intelligence-based detection of gastric cancer at different stages from noncontrast computed tomography is suggested to be feasible in a retrospective analysis of large and diverse cohorts, including real-world populations in opportunistic and targeted screening scenarios.

The authors introduce and demonstrate a programmable optically-driven organic micro-actuator for precise manipulation of on-chip structures. This paves the way for adaptive, multifunctional photonic systems.

It is uncertain how much life expectancy of the Chinese population would improve under current and greater policy targets on lifestyle-based risk factors for chronic diseases and mortality behaviours. Here we report a simulation of how improvements in four risk factors, namely smoking, alcohol use, physical activity and diet, could affect mortality. We show that in the ideal scenario, that is, all people who currently smokers quit smoking, excessive alcohol userswas reduced to moderate intake, people under 65 increased moderate physical activity by one hour and those aged 65 and older increased by half an hour per day, and all participants ate 200 g more fresh fruits and 50 g more fish/seafood per day, life expectancy at age 30 would increase by 4.83 and 5.39 years for men and women, respectively. In a more moderate risk reduction scenario referred to as the practical scenario, where improvements in each lifestyle factor were approximately halved, the gains in life expectancy at age 30 could be half those of the ideal scenario. However, the validity of these estimates in practise may be influenced by population-wide adherence to lifestyle recommendations. Our findings suggest that the current policy targets set by the Healthy China Initiative could be adjusted dynamically, and a greater increase in life expectancy would be achieved.

Cell type labelling in single-cell datasets remains a major bottleneck. Here, the authors present AnnDictionary, an open-source toolkit that enables atlas-scale analysis and provides the first benchmark of LLMs for de novo cell type annotation from marker genes, showing high accuracy at low cost.

Chirality has long fascinated chemists, but asymmetric synthesis has largely focused on central, axial, and helical chirality to date. Here, the authors synthesize dianthranilides with planar chirality, via cinchona alkaloid-catalyzed (dynamic) kinetic resolution.

Helical polythiophene and polypyrrole are synthesized using a chiral iron-based metal–organic framework template. Single-handed helices are formed within the framework’s narrow channels, enhancing the chirality-induced spin polarization of the metal–organic framework to 94%.

Minimizing the non-radiative energy loss without sacrificing the charge collection efficiency is the key to improve the performance of organic solar cells. Here, the authors develop hybrid side chain-based asymmetric small molecule acceptors and achieve maximum power conversion efficiency of 19.76%.

Stimulated Brillouin scattering is a non-linear interaction that allows light to be stored as coherent acoustic waves. Here, the authors report on Brillouin scattering-induced transparency in an optical microresonator whose high quality allows for long-lifetime non-reciprocal light storage.

Electrocatalytic co-reduction of CO₂ and nitrate to synthesize urea is a sustainable and promising option to the alternative conventional Bosch-Meiser. Here, the authors report a CeO_x-integrated diatomic electrocatalyst overcomes the traditional trade-off between urea yield and Faradaic efficiency.

A hafnium oxide memristor crossbar array integrated with transistors can provide a provable key destruction scheme in which unique physical fingerprints are extracted by comparing the conductance of neighbouring memristors, and can only be revealed if a digital key stored on the same array is erased.

Establishing multi-degree-of-freedom entangled memories is important for high-capacity quantum communications and computing. Here, authors experimentally demonstrate hyper- and hybrid entanglement between two atomic ensembles in multiple degrees of freedom including path and orbital angular momentum.

Preparing triangulene-based high spin structures is of interest for molecular spintronics. Here, the authors generate high spin triangulene trimers on Au(111) via a surface-assisted dehydration reaction.

The ability to control magnetic coupling in graphene nanomaterials remains elusive. Here, the authors report an approach of engineering magnetic ground states in open-shell bipartite/nonbipartite nanographenes where the magnetic coupling sign between two spins are controlled via breaking bipartite lattice symmetry.

Upconversion nanoparticles, which convert lower-energy light into higher-energy light, have many potential applications including sensing and imaging. Here, Wen et al. review recent advances that have addressed concentration quenching and enabled increasingly bright nanoparticles, opening up their full potential.

Ni, Wei, Vona and colleagues use human brain organoids to dissect patient AIRIM variants associated with neurodevelopmental features. A subset of variants impaired ribosome production and protein synthesis, and delayed radial glial cell specification.

Together with an accompanying paper presenting a transcriptomic atlas of the mouse lemur, interrogation of the atlas provides a rich body of data to support the use of the organism as a model for primate biology and health.

Li et al. report free-standing layered polymer–perovskite composite membranes that reconcile mechanical flexibility with electronic properties. They endure 30,000 bends at a 1.5 mm radius, enabling wearable radiation monitoring in complex conditions.

General and stereoselective synthesis of tetracyclic isochroman-containing polyketide oligomers is challenging. Here, the authors report on an Au(I)/chiral Sc(III) bimetallic catalyst for a biomimetic asymmetric hetero-Diels–Alder reaction for in-situ generation of isochromene and ortho-quinonemethide.

The advantage of living in cities compared with rural areas with respect to height and BMI in children and adolescents has generally become smaller globally from 1990 to 2020, except in sub-Saharan Africa.

Together with a companion paper, the generation of a transcriptomic atlas for the mouse lemur and analyses of example cell types establish this animal as a molecularly tractable primate model organism.

Generation of multipartite entanglement between quantum states is crucial for developing quantum computation systems, although it has proven harder to achieve for photons than ions. Here, an eight-photon entangled state based on four independent photon pairs is observed, beating the previous record of six.

This study reveals that the synergistic effect of proton-limited environments and multi-site cooperative activation coupling substantially improves the electrocatalytic co-reduction of CO₂ and N₂ towards urea production, enabling gram-scale synthesis.

The aetiology of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) remains unclear. Here, the authors find that the numbers of DUOX2⁺ ACE2 ⁺ small cholangiocytes in human and mouse livers are inversely associated with disease severity, and present data indicating that they may be the target of polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) -mediated humoral responses, suggesting that preservation of these cells and targeting anti-pIgR autoantibodies may be valuable strategies for therapeutic interventions in PBC.

ATLAS is a tool for circuit tracing, demonstrated here in rodents. It allows anterograde transsynaptic tracing, starting from genetically defined neurons.

Twisted photonic crystals enable a strong light-matter interaction due to the flatband and high Q factor. Here, authors demonstrate Purcell enhancement between single quantum dots and Moiré nanocavities, with a PL intensity enhancement of about 8.4 times and a Purcell factor around 3.0.

Analysis of HbA1c and FPG levels across 117 population-based studies demonstrates regional variation in prevalence of previously undiagnosed screen-detected diabetes using one or both measures and suggests that use of elevated FPG alone could underestimate diabetes prevalence in low- and middle-income countries.

The UK television competition, which has spawned spin-offs in 30 other countries, is back for a tenth series, starting on 27 August. The 2018 winner Rahul Mandal and 2017 contestant Chuen-Yan Tsou (‘Yan’) talk cake, failed bakes, imposter syndrome and why science is an advantage in the Bake Off tent.

Computational methods for analysing single 2D tissue slices from spatial transcriptomics studies are well established, but their extension to the 3D domain is challenging. Wang et al. develop a deep learning framework that can perform 3D reconstruction of cellular structures in tissues as well as whole organisms.

Practical anticounterfeiting labels should possess both high-capacity and robustness, and should allow easy fabrication and readout. Here, the authors show how to heterogeneously grow robust and stable chaotic pattern of diamond microparticles - containing SiV defects - on silicon substrates.

Edge-exposed exfoliation using sticky tape is shown to be a simple and reliable method for scaling up the production of ultrathin, ultraflat and ultraflexible polycrystalline diamond membranes for diverse electrical, optical, mechanical, thermal, acoustic and quantum applications.

Sand and dust storms pose considerable health risks worldwide. Here, the authors conduct a nationwide multicenter time-series study to examine sand and dust storm-associated mortality risks.

Whether adipose ILC1s regulate adipose tissue fibrogenesis is unknown. Here, the authors report a direct role of adipose ILC1s in adipose tissue fibrogenesis and provide insights into the mechanisms of local immune dysfunction in obesity-associated metabolic disorders.

We carried out genomic and ecological analyses of all eight extant baobab species, providing insights into their evolutionary history and recommendations for conservation efforts.

The management of charge carrier recombination and transport in heterojunction back contact solar cells poses significant challenges in achieving a high efficiency. Here, authors analyze various loss mechanisms of devices fabricated by laser patterning, and achieve a certified efficiency of 27.09%.

From 1980 to 2018, the levels of total and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased in low- and middle-income countries, especially in east and southeast Asia, and decreased in high-income western countries, especially those in northwestern Europe, and in central and eastern Europe.

Developing an efficient method for the stereocontrolled synthesis of all stereoisomers of chiral hindered ethers is highly desirable but challenging. Here, the authors report an asymmetric cascade reaction catalyzed by a bimetallic catalytic system with control over the configuration of the stereocenters of tetra-aryl substituted ethers.

The biosynthesis of pyridine rings is still poorly understood. Here the authors propose a biosynthetic pathway for pyridine-containing rubrolones, which is characterized by a non-enzymatic condensation and cyclization of the pyridine moiety.

Observational analyses from the China Kadoorie Biobank found that alcohol consumption was associated with higher risks of 61 diseases in Chinese men, with most of these associations confirmed by genetic analyses.

Welwitschia mirabilis is a unique plant that only has two leaves, but it can survive in hostile conditions of the African desert. Here, the authors report its chromosome-level genome assembly and discuss how gene function and regulation have given rise to its unique morphology and environmental adaptions.

A van der Waals crystal, niobium oxide dichloride, with vanishing interlayer electronic coupling and considerable monolayer-like excitonic behaviour in the bulk, as well as strong and scalable second-order optical nonlinearity, is discovered, which enables a high-performance quantum light source.

Chirality is known to impact the biological activity of materials but concentration differences can often lead to errors in analysis. Here, the authors report on detailed concertation analysis of different chiral carbon nanodots to accurately investigate chiral effects on the protein absorption and cell internalisation.