综合性期刊最新文献

Correction to: Nature Communications https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-49252-7, published online 25 June 2024

Correction to: Nature Communications https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50697-z, published online 29 July 2024

Late spring frosts, occurring after spring phenological events, pose a dire threat to tree growth and forest productivity. With climate warming, earlier spring phenological events have become increasingly common and led to plants experiencing more frequent and severe frost damage. However, the effect of late spring frosts after leaf-out on subsequent flowering phenology in woody species remains unknown. Utilizing 572,734 phenological records of 640 species at 5024 sites from four long-term and large-scale in situ phenological networks across the Northern Hemisphere, we show that late spring frosts following leaf-out significantly delay the onset of the subsequent flowering by approximately 6.0 days. Late-leafing species exhibit greater sensitivity to the frosts than early-leafing species, resulting in a longer delay of 2.5 days in flowering. Trees in warm regions and periods exhibit a more pronounced frost-induced flowering delay compared to those in cold regions and periods. A significant increase in the frequency of late spring frost occurrence is observed in recent decades. Our findings elucidate the intricate relationships among leaf-out, frost, and flowering but also emphasize that the sequential progression of phenological events, rather than individual phenological stages, should be considered when assessing the phenological responses to climate change.

Efficient catalysis of ammonia borane (AB) holds potential for realizing controlled energy release from hydrogen fuel and addressing cost challenges faced by hydrogen storage. Here, we report that amorphous domains on metallic Fe crystal structures (R-Fe₂O₃ Foam) can achieve AB catalytic performances and stability (turnover frequency (TOF) of 113.6 min⁻¹, about 771 L H₂ in 900 h, and 43.27 mL/(min·cm²) for 10×10 cm² of Foam) that outperform reported benchmarks (most <14 L H₂ in 45 h) by at least 20 times. These notable increases are enabled by the stable Fe crystal structure, while defects and unsaturated atoms in the amorphous domains form Fe-B intermediates that significantly lower the dissociation barriers of H₂O and AB. Given that the catalyst lifetime is a key determinant for the practical use in fuel cells, our R-Fe₂O₃ Foam also provides decent H₂ supply (180 mL H₂/min, AB water solution of 7.5 wt% H₂) in a driven commercial car fuel cell at stable power outputs (7.8 V and 1.6 A for at least 5 h). When considered with its facile synthesis method, these materials are potentially very promising for realizing durable high-performance AB catalysts and viable chemical storage in hydrogen powered vehicles.

Motility coupled to responsive behavior is essential for many microorganisms to seek and establish appropriate habitats. One of the simplest possible responses, reversing the direction of motion, is believed to enable filamentous cyanobacteria to form stable aggregates or accumulate in suitable light conditions. Here, we demonstrate that filamentous morphology in combination with responding to light gradients by reversals has consequences far beyond simple accumulation: Entangled aggregates form at the boundaries of illuminated regions, harnessing the boundary to establish local order. We explore how the light pattern, in particular its boundary curvature, impacts aggregation. A minimal mechanistic model of active flexible filaments resembles the experimental findings, thereby revealing the emergent and generic character of these structures. This phenomenon may enable elongated microorganisms to generate adaptive colony architectures in limited habitats or guide the assembly of biomimetic fibrous materials.

Efficient extraction of uranium from seawater is expected to provide virtually infinite fuel sources to power nuclear reactors and thus enable sustainable development of nuclear energy. The extraction efficiency for uranium greatly depends on the availability of active adsorption sites on the adsorbents. Maximization of the utilization rate of the binding sites in the adsorbent is vital for improving adsorption capacity. Herein, micro-redox reactors functioned by Cu(I)/Cu(II) conversion are constructed internally in an adsorbent bearing both amidoxime and carboxyl groups to induce active regeneration of the inactivated binding sites to enhance uranium capture. This adsorbent has high adsorption capacity (962.40 mg-U/g-Ads), superior anti-fouling ability as well as excellent uranium uptake (14.62 mg-U/g-Ads) in natural seawater after 56 days, placing it at the top of high-performance sorbent materials for uranium harvest from seawater.

Low soil moisture and high vapour pressure deficit (VPD) cause plant water stress and lead to a variety of drought responses, including a reduction in transpiration and photosynthesis^1,2. When soils dry below critical soil moisture thresholds, ecosystems transition from energy to water limitation as stomata close to alleviate water stress^3,4. However, the mechanisms behind these thresholds remain poorly defined at the ecosystem scale. Here, by analysing observations of critical soil moisture thresholds globally, we show the prominent role of soil texture in modulating the onset of ecosystem water limitation through the soil hydraulic conductivity curve, whose steepness increases with sand fraction. This clarifies how ecosystem sensitivity to VPD versus soil moisture is shaped by soil texture, with ecosystems in sandy soils being relatively more sensitive to soil drying, whereas ecosystems in clayey soils are relatively more sensitive to VPD. For the same reason, plants in sandy soils have limited potential to adjust to water limitations, which has an impact on how climate change affects terrestrial ecosystems. In summary, although vegetation–atmosphere exchanges are driven by atmospheric conditions and mediated by plant adjustments, their fate is ultimately dependent on the soil.