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Plant-available phosphorus declines in paddy soils as atmospheric CO₂ increases, according to long-term free air carbon dioxide enrichment experiments of rice plants.

Manipulating topological spin textures are demanded for future spintronic devices, but knowledge about phase transitions among different spin textures remain limited. Here, Fujishiro and Kanazawa et al. report chemical-pressure-controlled phase transitions between different topological spin textures in chiral magnets MnSi_1−xGe_x.

Battery cathodes tend to degrade severely during high-voltage operations. Here the authors present a cathode design with a structurally coherent architecture, ranging from ordered to disordered frameworks, that addresses this issue.

Analysis of mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) by using whole-genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancer samples across 38 cancer types identifies hypermutated mtDNA cases, frequent somatic nuclear transfer of mtDNA and high variability of mtDNA copy number in many cancers.

Hydrogen-doping driven metal to ferroelectric phase transition in a complex oxide NdNiO₃ is demonstrated. Transient negative differential capacitance and implementation of polarization decay into neural network for learning are then presented.

The ATLAS Collaboration reports the observation of the electroweak production of two jets and a Z-boson pair. This process is related to vector-boson scattering and allows the nature of electroweak symmetry breaking to be probed.

Well-defined single-atom alloy (SAA) nanocrystals possess isolated atom centres and tunable electronic properties but are challenging to synthesize. Here, a direct solution-phase synthesis of Cu/CuAu core/shell nanocubes with tunable SAA layers is reported. The Cu/CuAu nanomaterial is highly active for the electrocatalytic conversion of nitrate into ammonia.

Plasma turbulence is the main driver to deteriorate the performance of fusion power plants. This work presents an unprecedented comparison of plasma turbulence between experiment and simulation, proving that the gyrokinetic model GENE reached a high level of maturity to predict core turbulence.

Analysis of a set of 1,863 bursts from the repeating source FRB 20201124A provides evidence of a complicated magnetized site within about an astronomical unit from the source in a barred galaxy.

Few structural isomers of colloids, with identical masses but different structures, have been identified. Here, the authors observe an interesting example of structural isomerism in a pair of semiconductor magic-size clusters, which reversibly transform between one another with first-order unimolecular reaction kinetics.

Given that the human body is composed of many microbial niches, and there have been few reports on the biogeography of the microbiome, the authors analyse the intra-individual inter-organ and intra-organ microbiome of seven surface organs of deceased individuals.

The effect of the lattice degrees of freedom on the metal-insulator transition of VO₂ remains a topic of debate. Here the authors show that the lattice compatibility of the high temperature tetragonal phase and the low-temperature monoclinic phase strongly influences the electronic transition, as manifested in the tunability of its hysteresis via chemical substitution.

During a photoinduced phase transition, electronic rearrangements are usually faster than lattice ones. Time-resolved measurements now show that the insulator-to-metal transition in a thin-film Mott insulator is preceded by lattice reconfiguration.

The anisotropic electrical and optical response of materials has allowed for the development of variety of sensors, memories and other interesting devices. Here, Qi et al turn their attention to the van der Waals antiferromagnetic insulator CrPS₄, and demonstrate a very large, electrically tunable anisotropy in magnon transport, and present a multibit read-only memory based on this anisotropy.

Conventional protein oxidation pathways typically involve free diffusion of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which primarily attack the protein surface. Here, the authors report a pathway of protein damage, O₂-confined photooxidation, where O₂ is captured in protein cavities and subsequently converted into multiple ROS which attack the protein interior.

Highly stretchable organic electrochemical transistors with stable charge transport under severe tensional strains are demonstrated using a honeycomb semiconducting polymer morphology, thereby enabling controllable signal output for diverse stretchable bioelectronic applications.

In-plane polarized ferroelectric thin films typically exhibit complicated multidomain states, not desirable for optoelectronic device performance. Here, the authors combine interfacial symmetry engineering and anisotropic strain to design single-domain in-plane polarized ferroelectric BaTiO₃ films.

FlyWire presents a neuronal wiring diagram of the whole fly brain with annotations for cell types, classes, nerves, hemilineages and predicted neurotransmitters, with data products and an open ecosystem to facilitate exploration and browsing.

A soft X-ray ptychography approach can now image 5-nm-sized objects. Chemical component distributions in the delithiation of LiFePO₄ nanoplates — a process relevant for energy storage — links structural defects to chemical phase propagation.

We create a computational model of the adult Drosophila brain that accurately describes circuit responses upon activation of different gustatory and mechanosensory subtypes and generates experimentally testable hypotheses to describe complete sensorimotor transformations.

A major challenge in magnon based approaches to information processing lies in developing valves to allow or supress the magnon signal. Here, Chen et al demonstrate a van der Waals magnet based magnon valve which can be tuned electrically over an exceptionally wide range.

While high-spin carbon-based polyradicals exhibit significant potential for applications in quantum information storage and sensing, their application is hampered by limited structural diversity and chemical instability. Here, the authors report the synthesis and isolation of a stable nonalternant nanographene with a triplet ground state.

In this study, the authors suggest that in the lung ApoE is a checkpoint for monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation triggered by the dectin1–Card9 pathway.

A vanadium-based lithium-rich disordered rock salt oxide is shown to work as a low-potential anode with rapid intercalation kinetics for lithium-ion batteries.

In 1972, Erich Clar envisioned Clar’s goblet, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon featuring two unpaired electrons that are spin-paired. However, synthesizing it in a solution phase remains challenging. Now a derivative of Clar’s goblet has been prepared in solution, and spin entanglement at the molecular scale has been demonstrated experimentally.

Zhu and colleagues identify GREMLIN1 as an FGFR1 ligand that promotes plasticity and castration resistance in prostate cancer through regulation of MAPK signaling, and show that anti-GREMLIN1 antibody therapy synergizes with androgen deprivation.

The mechanism of enhanced superconducting transition temperature (T_c) at the FeSe/SrTiO₃ interface remains enigmatic. Here, Song and Yu et al. reveal the evidence of cooperation between intrinsic pairing interaction in FeSe and interfacial electron–phonon coupling to enhance the T_c at the FeSe/SrTiO₃ interface.

Previous work has shown in iPSC derived neurons that synaptic impairments are associated with a 4bp DISC1 deletion. Here the authors demonstrate a role for the PDE4 signalling pathway in these synaptic impairments.

Luis Pérez-Jurado, Stephen Chanock and colleagues detect clonal chromosomal abnormalities in peripheral blood or buccal samples from individuals in the general population. They show that the frequency of such events increases with age and is associated with elevated risk of developing subsequent hematological cancers.

A close-up look at the action of space weathering on carbonaceous asteroids, provided by Ryugu’s returned samples, highlights its role on the dehydration of the first micrometre-thick layer of the surface, possibly hiding a water-rich interior. The depth of the 2.7 µm hydration band may be an indication of the level of space weathering withstood by a C-type asteroid.

2D nonlayered materials exhibit interesting properties for catalysis, nanoelectronics and spintronics applications, but their growth is still challenging. Here, the authors report a theoretical model and an experimental strategy to synthesize various 2D nonlayered transition metal oxides with room-temperature magnetic properties.

Left- and right-handed snub cubes show photocontrollable elasticity and hardness, in addition to the ability to encapsulate different small molecules in distinct compartments simultaneously, with potential applications in the development of advanced biomimetic materials.

The cleavage of C–C bonds in hydrocarbons is traditionally entrusted to precious metal catalysts, whereas common non-reducible oxides are considered unreactive. Now, the authors report nanostructured silica-embedded zirconia nanoparticles that are competent for the hydrogenolysis of polyethylene with remarkable performance.

Chronic wounds significantly diminish quality of life. Here, the authors developed a wearable LED device and sprayable fibrin gel for safe home use. The LED device and fibrin gel effectively eradicated microbes and improved wound healing, as validated in infected diabetic wounds in mice and minipigs

A pangenome analysis of 76 wild and domesticated barley accessions in combination with short-read sequence data of 1,315 barley genotypes indicates that allelic diversity at structurally complex loci may have helped crop plants to adapt to agricultural ecosystems.

Hybrid perovskites are highly promising for photovoltaic applications, but they are prone to decomposition. Here, the authors probe the stability of CH₃NH₃PbI₃ films in a transmission electron microscope, defining the threshold conditions to avoid damage under the electron beam, and describing a decomposition pathway.

Although (Ga,Mn)As is considered the model ferromagnetic semiconductor, the electronic structure of the charges — holes in this case — and its connection with the Curie temperature (T_C) are still unclear. Experiments now provide a direct link between T_C and the existence of an impurity band for the holes. Clarifying this issue is essential to designing other materials with potentially higher T_C.

Plasmons polaritons, or collective excitations of electrons and electromagnetic fields, have been rarely studied in layered correlated materials. Shiravi et al. report hyperbolic plasmon polaritons in thin flakes of the Kagome metal CsV₃Sb₅ and discuss correlation effects on their formation and tunability.

CTCF, which is known to play critical role in chromatin structure, undergoes post-translational modifications (PTMs). In this research, O-GlcNAcylation was found to inhibit CTCF binding, impacting 3D chromatin structure, gene expression and cellular development.

Olivine iron phosphate (FePO₄) is widely proposed for electrochemical lithium extraction, but particles with different physical attributes demonstrate varying Li preferences. Here, the authors characterize the electrochemical lithiation and sodiation behavior of a series of FePO₄ particles with different morphology to identify critical features that enhance Li selectivity.

In situ liquid-cell electrochemical transmission electron microscopy allows the direct visualization of the transformation of lithium polysulfides over electrode surfaces at the atomic scale, leading to a new energy-storage mechanism in lithium–sulfur batteries.

Hydro-equivalent scaling of recent direct-drive inertial confinement fusion implosions shows that a burning plasma can be achieved with a higher laser energy.

BRD4 has a pro-tumorigenic role but non-cell-autonomous mechanisms of BRD4 activation need to be elucidated. Here the authors unravel a mechanism by which CAFs activate BRD4 and induce resistance to BET inhibitors in cancer cells through IL6/IL8 signaling.

Ten years after the discovery of the Higgs boson, the ATLAS  experiment at CERN probes its kinematic properties with a significantly larger dataset from 2015–2018 and provides further insights on its interaction with other known particles.

The underlying mechanism of lithium dendrite penetration through ceramic electrolytes is debated. Here, authors employ MD simulations to enable atomic-scale investigation in the process of dendrite penetration and the concurrent development of cracks during solid state lithium battery operation.

There are few reports of ferroelectricity due to symmetry breaking transition in A-site-ordered quadruple perovskites. Here, the authors find one with phase transition from a high-temperature centrosymmetric paraelectric phase to a low-temperature non-centrosymmetric ferroelectric phase in a high pressure synthesized compound.

Ruthenium can alleviate poisoning effects of carbon monoxide on platinum catalysts, but is prone to dissolution in fuel cells. Hsieh et al.synthesize ordered ruthenium–platinum nanoparticles with well-defined platinum bilayer shells, leading to high carbon monoxide tolerance and superior durability.

Edge-localized plasma modes in a tokamak can damage its innermost wall. Simulations now show that fast ions can modify the spatio-temporal structure of these modes. These effects need to be considered in the optimization of control techniques.