Aqueous iron batteries are safe and cost-effective candidates for large-scale energy storage. However, their long-term cycling stability is inadequate. Here, the authors propose a crosslinked polyaniline-based positive electrode for high-power aqueous iron batteries with electrochromic properties.

Li-ion batteries are used to store energy harvested from photovoltaics. However, battery use is sporadic and standard diagnostic methods cannot be applied. Here, the authors propose a methodology for diagnosing photovoltaics-connected Li-ion batteries that use trained machine learning algorithms.

The strange metal state, characterized by a linear-in-temperature resistivity, is often seen in the normal state of high-temperature superconductors. Here, the authors report the breakdown of both the strange metal and superconducting states at a pressure-induced quantum critical point in an iron-pnictide superconductor.

Creating compact, lightweight and powerful optics that work well under visible light has been challenging. Here, the authors 3D print optically transparent polymers inside nanoporous glass in order to densely integrate refractive and diffractive elements, forming thin, high-performance hybrid achromatic imaging micro-optics.

Trivalent lanthanides are typically described using an ionic picture that leads to localized magnetic moments. Here authors show that the “textbook” description of lanthanides fails for Pr⁴⁺ ions where the hierarchy of single-ion energy scales can be tailored to explore correlated phenomena in quantum materials.

Soil organic carbon has a positive effect on the removal of methane in forest soils. Global forests are found to be larger sinks of methane than previously estimated when the influence of SOC is considered.

The low-carbon power transition could enhance global sustainable development goal (SDG) progress, but hinder that of developing economies under fossil fuel-based scenarios. Meanwhile, SDG synergies and trade-offs exist within and between economies.

This study updates the floristic realms of the world by integrating global distributions and mega-phylogenies of 12,664 angiosperm genera. Eight realms and 16 sub-realms are identified, most of which have formed since the Paleogene, and their formation is dominated by geographic isolation induced by plate tectonics rather than current or historical climate.

Mechanisms of the impact of PFAS (also known as forever chemicals) on adverse birth outcomes remain largely unknown. Here, authors identified tissue neogenesis, neuroendocrine function, and redox homeostasis as imprints of prenatal PFAS exposures and reduced gestational age in the newborn metabolome.

Methane emission from thermokarst lakes in high-altitude permafrost regions is poorly understood. Here, authors explore the amount and origin of methane emissions and associated methanogenic microorganisms in thermokarst lakes on the Tibetan Plateau.

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown and immune cell infiltration into the central nervous system are early hallmarks of multiple sclerosis. Here, the authors demonstrate that brain endothelial cells cross-present antigen to CD8⁺ T cells, thereby preventing their migration and initiating BBB breakdown.

Safe delivery of genes is needed for gene therapy. Here the authors build “artificial viral vectors” (AVVs) by engineering the well-characterised structural components of bacteriophage T4: the large capacity, all-in-one, multiplex, programmable, and phage-based AVV nanomaterials have potential for gene therapy.

How do cells of the preimplantation mouse embryo make decisions? Here the authors discovered that the spatial sorting of mRNAs, tRNA, rRNAs and organelles lead to localized translation, conducive for cell fate allocation and embryonic development.

Organ-like 3D cultures are advanced model system for biology and medicine limited by their uncontrolled cell self-assembly. Here, the authors develop a hydrogel-in-hydrogel bioprinting approach to dynamically control the growth landscape of a broad range of living 3D cell cultures.

Glutamate that diffuses out of the synaptic cleft can have actions at distant receptors, a mode of transmission called spillover. Here, the authors find in the cerebellar cortex that glutamate spillover from climbing fibers activates synaptic AMPA receptors of molecular layer interneurons, allowing glutamate from an unconnected pathway to co-opt postsynaptic receptors.

Long-term metastatic relapse is observed in patients with luminal breast cancer (BC). Here, the authors show that fatty acid amide hydrolase is a tumour suppressor for lung metastasis in mouse models of BC and a predictor of metastasis in patients with luminal BC.

Mechanisms of the impact of PFAS (also known as forever chemicals) on adverse birth outcomes remain largely unknown. Here, authors identified tissue neogenesis, neuroendocrine function, and redox homeostasis as imprints of prenatal PFAS exposures and reduced gestational age in the newborn metabolome.

Here, the authors perform a whole-genome sequencing association analysis of genetic variants in ≤11,840 multi-ethnic participants with ≤1666 circulating metabolites, discovering 1985 novel variant-metabolite associations and insights into human disease.

Novel strategies are needed to overcome chemotherapy resistance. Here the authors report chemotherapy induces the phosphorylation of Lysyl oxidase-like 3, which in turn stabilizes dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) and that DHODH inhibitor sensitizes tumor cells to oxaliplatin treatment by inducing ferroptosis in liver cancer.

An extinct prehistoric plague lineage of Yersinia pestis has been documented from Central Europe to Asia during the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age. Here, Swali et al. show that this lineage spread to Europe’s northwestern periphery by sequencing three ~4000 year-old Yersinia pestis genomes from Britain.

Humans and machines are increasingly participating in mixed collectives in which they can help or hinder each other. Here the authors show the way in which people treat machines differently than humans in a stylized society of beneficiaries, helpers, punishers, and trustors.

The low-carbon power transition could enhance global sustainable development goal (SDG) progress, but hinder that of developing economies under fossil fuel-based scenarios. Meanwhile, SDG synergies and trade-offs exist within and between economies.

While minimal in most host countries, the water needed to produce the food consumed by refugees can have a large effect on water stress in vulnerable countries. Small changes to food trade and refugee resettlement policies can alleviate this unequal burden.

Federated learning enables multi-institutional collaborations on decentralized data with improved privacy protection. Here, authors propose a new scheme for decentralized federated learning with much less communication overhead and stronger privacy.

This study proposes an alternative approach for assessing CO₂ responsibility of capital assets, through allocating required CO₂ from the production of assets over their lifespans of use. It improves the assessment of emission equity across generations.