Browse Articles

Ultrashort electron bunches are promising for diffractive imaging measurements of structural dynamics, particularly in small or delicate structures. To this end, McCulloch et al. use a two-colour photoionization process to generate high-coherence ultrafast electron bunches from laser-cooled atoms.

The ideal nanomagnet in a spintronic device has a high coercive field and a low switching field—two competing goals that are hard to realize simultaneously. Here the authors achieve a major reduction of the switching field by applying a microwave magnetic field to a FePt/Ni₈₁Fe₁₉bilayer.

Solitons are waves, occurring in systems such as water channels and optical fibres that preserve their shape as they travel. Here the observation of solitons in multimode optical fibres offers a platform for studying spatiotemporal wave packets, and could allow high peak power transmission along with increased data rates in low-cost telecommunications.

Quantum dots with a fine size dispersion offer attractive levels of functional control and manipulation. In this study, Yang et al. report an environmentally friendly top–down synthesis technique, based on laser irradiation of a polydisperse of lead sulphide nanocrystals.

Microbatteries offer new opportunities for microelectronics, but performance and integration remain a challenge. Pikul et al. develop a lithium ion microbattery with fully integrated nanoporous electrodes, which exceeds the power densities of most supercapacitors while retaining high-energy density.

Electrophysiological studies in some fish species suggest that proprioception is needed for fin movement. Here the authors test mechanosensory abilities of afferent nerves in pectoral fin rays, and find that the activity of fin ray nerve fibres reflects the amplitude and velocity of fin ray bending.

Alcohols and anaesthetics exert their effects by potentiating ligand-gated ion channels. Here, the authors determine crystal structures of a bacterial ligand-gated ion channel in the presence of alcohols and anaesthetics, and describe a structural mechanism for stabilization of the open form of the channel.

Bone is a natural composite of collagen and hydroxyapatite but, surprising, little is known about its characteristics at the molecular scale. Nair et al. conduct molecular-scale simulations of mineralized collagen networks to better understand how bone achieves superior mechanical properties to its constituents.

Understanding heat flow in two-dimensional nanomaterials has wide-ranging implications. Here, the authors show that the thermal conductance of quarter-micron graphene samples is quasi-ballistic, but patterning the graphene into nanoribbons leads to diffusive heat flow strongly limited by edge scattering.

Nanostructured metals are known to exhibit poor thermal stability, reducing their high strength at elevated temperatures. Here, Zheng et al. fabricate a bulk two-phase bimetal composite that retains its high strength after annealing at 500 °C for 1 h.

H₂S is an important gasotransmitter in many physiological processes but its concentrations are difficult to measure in vivo. Xiong et al. demonstrate that local variations in H₂S levels in live cells can be mapped in real time via spectral shift rates of Au-Ag core-shell plasmonic nanoprobes.

Interactions between (SNARE) proteins on vesicle and target membranes provide the force necessary to drive membrane fusion. By applying piconewton forces to single SNARE complexes, the authors identify a partially assembled intermediate state that reveals how force is generated in a consistent direction.

An important challenge in the bottom-up fabrication of artificial tissues is communication between compartments bounded by lipid bilayers. Mantri et al. engineer a dimeric transmembrane pore that, like eukaryotic gap junctions, can form a conductive pathway between adjacent bilayers.

The control of thermal radiation is important for applications such as energy conversion and radiative cooling. Here Fan et al. demonstrate a thermal extraction scheme that can enhance the emission of a finite-sized blackbody-like emitter.

The protein α4 is essential for the formation, stability and activity of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) complexes. Here the authors solve the crystal structure of a truncated PP2A bound to α4 and show that α4 binds to a partially folded form of the protein, stabilizing the enzyme in an inactive state.

Quantum oscillations in the underdoped cuprate superconductors suggest the existence of a continuous Fermi surface, but specific heat measurements in strong magnetic fields suggest singular behaviour characteristic of point nodes. Banerjee et al. show how a vortex-liquid state could resolve this dichotomy.

It is generally accepted that women possess innate behavioural predispositions to assess their babies’ cries. Gustaffson and colleagues compare mothers’ and fathers’ abilities to identify their babies’ cries, and find that fathers can be as good as mothers at recognizing the cries of their offspring, depending on their experience.

Conventional adhesives stick poorly to wet tissue because water severely undermines the adhesive chemicals they rely on. To overcome this, Yang et al. develop a bio-inspired adhesive microneedle array whose tips swell on contact with water, forming a mechanical bond to living tissue.

Free-electron lasers offer exciting new possibilities for X-ray studies on ultrafast timescales, but their shot-to-shot variability requires new diagnostic tools. Using a plasma switch cross-correlator, Riedel et al. present a single-shot online diagnostic to retrieve the duration of extreme ultraviolet pulses.

Nitrate is both an important nutrient and a signalling molecule crucial for plant life. Here Marchive et al. report that NLP7 acts as an upstream transcriptional regulator of plant early responses to nitrate through active exportation from the nucleus in absence of nitrate.