Search

This study harnesses reductive catalytic fractionation to produce lignin oligomers within a design space that enables efficient epoxidation. The developed epoxidation process activates aliphatic hydroxyl groups, yielding low-viscosity lignin epoxy resins with high functionality that form thermosets with near-benchmark properties while offering improved biomass-to-resin yield and sustainability.

Comparative analyses of striatal cell types across humans, bats and other mammals can reveal how cellular diversity contributes to evolutionary differences in brain function. Here, using snRNA sequencing, the authors show differences in neuron-to-glia ratios, eSPN neuron abundance, and interneuron diversity that point to species-specific features of brain functions.

The epigenetic control of lung development remains insufficiently understood. Here, the authors report a critical role for the chromatin remodeling canonical BAF complex in directing embryonic respiratory development.

Comprehensive, multinational validation of the PREVENT and SCORE2 cardiovascular risk scores, used in the United States and Europe, respectively, in 44 observational studies and 18 randomized trials, shows similar performance for the two risk scores and generally good performance across geographical regions.

Global analysis of obesity trends from 1980 to 2024 in 200 countries and territories using data from 4,050 population-based studies reveals that framing obesity as a single global epidemic masks the highly varied dynamics across countries and age groups.

MRI scanners depend on large, noisy magnetic gradient coils that limit their accessibility worldwide. Here, the authors show that radiofrequency field gradients can perform frequency encoding with simultaneous transmit and receive, producing images matching conventional quality and enabling smaller, lower-cost MRI systems.

By comparing newly produced RNA in the nucleus with mature RNA in the cytosol, genetic variants that control gene expression showed striking differences in localization and biological mechanisms, helping explain how they contribute to disease.

Global Burden of Disease analysis found that in 2023, suboptimal diet was estimated to be responsible for 4 million deaths and 97 million morbidity burdens from ischemic heart disease.

Traditional recycling of polyoxymethylene plastic often leads to significant material loss and toxic emissions. Here, the authors introduce an acidic electrochemical process that efficiently converts plastic waste into valuable chemicals with conversion efficiency approaching 90%.

Here, the authors investigate the mechanism by which human aspartate/asparagine-β-hydroxylase (AspH), a 2OG-dependent oxygenase with an atypical Fe(II) coordination environment, catalyses hydroxylation of aspartate and asparagine residues in epidermal growth factor-like domains.

Water-assisted electro-catalytic selective oxidation is promising for sustainable production of value-added chemicals. Here the authors quantify two key physio-chemical parameters for efficient mechanistic investigation and rational catalyst design.

Johanns and colleagues report the results (including safety, efficacy and immunogenicity) of a phase 1 clinical trial of a DNA-based personalized therapeutic cancer vaccine administered following surgical resection and radiation in patients with MGMT unmethylated glioblastoma.

Mapping the operational chemical, physical and electronic structure of an oxygen evolution electrocatalyst at the nanoscale links the properties of the material with the observed oxygen evolution activity.

The origin of the genus Homo is debated. Here, the authors investigate the morphology of the H. habilis enamel-dentine junction using a sample of 911 hominin and extant ape teeth, finding that H. habilis has more in common with Australopithecus than later members of the genus Homo.

Histone modifications, such as N^ε-lysine acetylation and methylation, play critical roles in regulating eukaryotic transcription. Now, the oxidation of acetyl-lysine to hydroxyacetyl-lysine of a select histone has been identified as a distinct modification catalysed by the human JmjC histone demethylase KDM3A, which plays a role in the cellular hypoxic response.

A large-scale study on the replicability of claims from social and behavioural science journals reports that about half of the results replicate in the same patterns as the original study.

Nickel-rich layered oxide cathodes suffer from chemomechanical degradation, and current mitigation methods require complex syntheses. Here the researchers show that simple control of LiOH melting produces uniform microstructures that stabilize the cathodes without doping or coatings.

High-dose oral vitamin D₃ supplements have previously been shown to be beneficial in children receiving standard therapy for uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition. This randomised controlled trial shows that the same intervention, given in addition to standard therapy, did not improve anthropometric or neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with complicated severe acute malnutrition in Pakistan.

Electrified CO₂ capture from air could lead to net-negative emissions, yet current methods face high energy costs and sensitivity to oxygen. Here the authors introduce an electrochemical approach using MnO₂ as a stable, redox-active sorbent, achieving CO₂ capture with promising energy consumption and minimal oxygen sensitivity.

Analyses of newly discovered hand and foot bones of a Paranthropus boisei specimen provide insight into possible tool use and other palaeobiology characteristics among Plio-Pleistocene hominin species.

Snyder et al. analyze two population-based birth cohorts to test associations of newborn metabolite concentrations and childhood respiratory outcomes. C4, C10:1, C18:2, and citrulline are associated with early-life wheezing and asthma, with C18:2 specifically associated with increased non-allergic asthma risk.

An ultrasound tomography system composed of a custom 512-element circular receiver array combined with a single-element transmitter that rotates around the participant enables whole cross-sectional ultrasound imaging of the human body.

Organic films containing unsaturated lipids are widespread, but their oxidation pathways remain poorly explored under indoor environmental conditions. Here, the authors demonstrate that UVA radiation and radical exposure drive rapid autoxidation of thin films of methyl linolenate and canola oil, primarily producing organic hydroperoxides. This autoxidation chemistry occurs under dark indoor conditions.

While the electrochemical conversion of CO₂ to highly reduced products is unique to copper, there are still gaps in understanding copper catalysts’ efficacy. Here, authors find that co-electrolysis of CO₂ with O₂ can enhance copper’s catalytic activities.

N-desethyl-fluornitrazene is a µ-opioid receptor agonist derived from nitazenes that has supramaximal intrinsic efficacy that produces analgesia with minimal adverse effects in rodent models.

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.

Multielectron molecular CO₂ reduction in acid is challenged by weak CO binding and competing hydrogen evolution. Here a methanol Faradaic efficiency of 62% is achieved in acid by tuning the microenvironment with cationic, hydrophobic and aerophilic layers.

When 100 social and behavioural science claims were examined, 34% of reanalyses closely matched the original results, with 74% reaching the same conclusion, revealing limited robustness of single-path analyses and the need to address analytical uncertainty.

The electroreduction of CO₂-derived CO is a promising technology for the sustainable production of value-added chemicals. Now, it is shown how C–N bonds can be formed electrochemically through CO electroreduction on a Cu surface in the presence of amines. The formation of acetamides is observed through nucleophilic addition to a ketene intermediate.

In this phase 1/2 trial, patients with Ewing sarcoma received trabectedin and low-dose irinotecan at concentrations known to inhibit the activity of the transcription factor EWS::FLI1, leading to encouraging clinical response rates.

Cyclic and mirror-image variants of de novo-designed proteins effectively bind and clear small-molecule drugs in vivo in less than 30 min, highlighting the applicability of computational tools to produce protein antidotes.

Cooperation in group lending declines over time due to shifting behavioural motivations, briefly rebounds after loan restarts, then declines faster again, revealing systematic deviations from rational behaviour driving long-term cooperation loss.

Repurposing existing drugs to target new disease-associated genes is a promising strategy, but identifying these targets can be challenging. Here, the authors develop GenT, an approach that uses GWAS data to identify disease-associated druggable genes.

Although ubiquitous throughout chemistry and biology, the structure and transport mechanism of the aqueous proton in solution remain elusive. Through advances in ultrafast broadband 2D IR spectroscopy, the structure of the aqueous proton is revealed to have a charge-delocalized H₅O₂⁺ Zundel-like core arrangement with surprisingly persistent structural heterogeneity.

A high-resolution spectroscopic analysis reveals ultralow amounts of heavy elements in the star SDSS J0715−7334. The star originates from the Large Magellanic Cloud and probably formed directly after the first stars through dust cooling.

A study of reproducibility in a stratified random sample of 600 papers published from 2009 to 2018 in 62 journals spanning the social and behavioural sciences finds higher reproducibility among more recent papers and papers from journals that require data sharing.

A study reports the development of a structural derivative of amphotericin B with broad antifungal activity in mice but without the renal toxicity associated with amphotericin B.

Longitudinal metatranscriptomics in a prospective cohort of 1,164 adults hospitalized for COVID-19 reveals that azithromycin offered no apparent anti-inflammatory benefit but enriched the respiratory microbiome with potential pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes.

Lithium-ion battery cathode lifetime is limited by large expansion and contraction during cycling. This study uses electrochemical activation to suppress collapse in LiNi_0.9Mn_0.1O₂ cathodes, achieving improved capacity and cycle life.