Articles

Bats use a process known as echolocation to measure the distance of an object by echo delay. Here, studies in newborn bats reveal that echo delay tuning of neurons in the auditory cortex is present at birth rather than acquired as a result of echolocation experience.

The kinetics of chemical reactions occurring within confined volumes is relevant to a range of systems, including biological cells. This study examines the kinetics of reaction networks, and finds that below a critical volume there may be pairs of species whose relative concentrations invert.

Calcium nanodomains arise from the cytoplasmic mouth of calcium channels but have not been directly visualized. In this study, the nanodomain of the Ca_V2.2 calcium channel is imaged using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy and a genetically encoded calcium sensor attached to the carboxy terminus.

The loss of neurotrophic factors is responsible for key neurodegenerative processes in Alzheimer's disease. In this study, Obregon and colleagues treat amyloidogenic cells with the neurotrophin soluble amyloid precursor protein-α and find that it halts amyloidogenesis by interacting with the β-secretase BACE1.

The amyloid-β-peptide is pivotal to the pathology of Alzheimer's disease, but its mechanism of action remains uncertain. This study utilizesin vivotwo-photon calcium imaging to investigate the effects of this peptide on single cortical neurons of the visual cortex in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

The coelacanth body plan can be traced to the late Middle Devonian, but the group's early history is unclear due to a limited fossil record. This study presents the earliest known coelacanth skull (Euporosteus yunnanensissp. nov.), extending the chronological range of anatomically modern coelacanths by 17 million years.

Lung injury initiates a series of wound-healing responses, which if unregulated, can lead to fibrosis. Liet al. show that the deubquitinase CYLD has a key role in the prevention of fibrosis by inhibiting transforming growth factor β-signalling through the direct deubiquitination of the protein kinase Akt.

Animals sense multiple environmental cues simultaneously and use this sensory information to regulate feeding behaviour, which is fundamental to survival. Li and co-workers describe a central circuit inCaenorhabditis elegansthat can be activated by attractive odours or repellents to facilitate or suppress feeding behaviour.

Morphotropic phase boundaries—regions of abrupt structural change and enhanced material response—are of practical importance and are a challenge for the fundamental theory of phase transitions. Here, the ferroelectric–antiferroelectric boundary is studied using atomically resolved mapping in BiFeO₃.

Class switch recombination diversifies antibody effector functions and requires expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID). In this study, ligation of the B-cell receptor and Toll-like receptors synergize to induce non-canonical NF-κB activation, AID expression and class switching recombination.

Hyperuricemia, or gout, is thought to arise either from urate overproduction or from decreased renal excretion of urate. Ichidaet al. show that the extra-renal excretion of urate also has a role in the pathogenesis of hyperuricemia, and propose a new classification for patients with this disease.

Stable, ultrahigh repetition rate optical clocks are critical for applications in high-speed communications, metrology and microchip computing. Pecciantiet al.present a mode-locked laser based on an integrated microcavity, with repetition rate exceeding 200 GHz and narrow linewidth pulses.

The C terminus of TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) forms aggregates that are a feature of some neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, Changet al.show that C terminus of TDP-43 interacts with itself, altering its cellular localisation and the splicing function of the protein.

Microbial metabolism is usually considered to be phototrophic or chemotrophic. By showing that light-induced photoelectrons from metal oxide and metal sulfides can stimulate the growth of chemoautotrophic and heterotrophic bacteria, this study indicates that light may be involved in non-phototrophic microbial activity.

Organic solar cells are promising for technological applications, as they are lightweight and mechanically robust. This study presents flexible organic solar cells that are less than 2 μm thick, have very low specific weight and maintain their photovoltaic performance under repeated mechanical deformation.

Stem cells are thought to be tethered in their niche via adhesion molecules and the inhibition of cell differentiation. Here, the authors screened for genes required for maintainingDrosophilaovarian follicle stem cells and found their function to depend on cell proliferation, mitochondrial function and niche adhesion.

Metamaterials can be used to alter the transmission of light or sound, with their tailored structures permitting control over their optical or acoustic properties. Meiet al. present a thin-film acoustic metamaterial that provides efficient absorption of sound over a broad range of wavelengths.

Jurors can be influenced by mitigating circumstances when deciding on sentences for committed crimes. Yamadaet al. show that feelings of sympathy created by mitigating circumstances activate moral conflict regions of the brain that predict individual differences in the severity of the sentence.

Stochastic processes play an important role in a broad range of scientific problems. This study demonstrates that a large class of such processes are most efficiently simulated by quantum mechanical models, thus reducing the complexity required to simulate them using classical models.

A record of the daily light cycle in tropical regions is difficult to extract from biogenic marine carbonates such as shells. Here, the precise analysis of Sr/Ca ratios is shown in a cultivated giant clam shell, revealing variations that reflect the daily light cycle and the potential for future development of a proxy.