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Archaeopteryxcombined features of reptiles and birds, but the colour of its feathers has remained unclear. In this study, based on data from fossilized colour-imparting melanosomes, an isolated feather specimen fromArchaeopteryxis predicted to be black, providing clues to its plumage colour and function.
With ever more experiments involving ever fewer photons, there is increasing need for detectors capable of accurately resolving low numbers of photons. By modulating the electric field on a silicon avalanche diode, Thomaset al. show a high-speed device that can discriminate signals from just a few photons.
The surface electronic structure of topological insulators is characterized by a so-called Dirac cone energy dispersion. This study shows that by tuning the compositions in the compound Bi2−xSbxTe3−ySeyone can control the precise features of its Dirac cone structure while keeping it a bulk insulator.
The influenza A virus genome consists of eight RNA segments, which permits genetic reassortment and contributes to the emergence of novel strains with pandemic potential. Here, electron tomography is used to study the three-dimensional structure of ribonucleoprotein complexes within progeny virions.
Under certain conditions, such as those found in low-dimensional systems, materials can show quantized behaviour based only on universal constants. Here, the relative optical transparency of gold nanopillar arrays is shown to change solely in units of the fine structure constant on adjusting array parameters.
A genetic variation in the horsemyostatingene is found at a very high frequency in the best Thoroughbred sprinters. This study shows, using molecular and pedigree data from modern and historic horses, that a single introduction of the variant occurred at the foundation stages of the Thoroughbred from a British native mare.
Current methods for fabricating graphene rely on its transfer from metal surfaces to substrates suitable for device applications. This study demonstrates a transfer-free approach for growing graphene on substrates such as thermally oxidized silicon and plastic that forms the material underneath a nickel film, at the nickel–substrate interface.
Zhanget al. show that simple geometry analysis can be used to predict how linker length and length ratios affect pore shape and size of porous coordination polymers. The accuracy of the predictions is confirmed by the synthesis of a series of 13 highly porous isoreticular frameworks.
Parket al. use 13C and 15N solid-state NMR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to study the chemical structure of hydrazine-treated graphite oxide. Hydrazine treatment is shown to lead to the incorporation of aromatic N2moieties at the graphene edges and restore graphitic networks on the basal planes.
The dynamics of isolated quantum systems can either be strongly correlated with their initial state, or chaotic, as they relax into thermal equilibrium. Olshaniiet al. present a simple, exactly solvable model that captures the transition between these two limiting cases, and suggests it may have some universal features.
The spin Hall effect is a spin current induced by an electric current, and its occurrence in semiconductors is a promising route to controlling spins and their transport. Here, the inverse spin Hall effect, in which an electric current is induced by a spin current, is observed in silicon for the first time.
Dating the age of meteorites can tell us when asteroids formed, but uncertainty remains in the Mn–Cr chronometry. This study presents a method for improving Mn/Cr determination and reports an age of 4,563.4 million years ago for carbonates in CM chondrites, which is younger than previous estimates.
Single-photon emitters are important for developing quantum technologies, but their integration with existing devices requires them to be driven by electric fields. Here, an organic light-emitting diode is presented that emits single photons from guest molecules in an applied electric field at room temperature.
A systematic approach for identifying the genes responsible for the regulation of spindle orientation in mammals has been lacking. Now, Matsumuraet al. perform a kinase-targeting RNAi screen and identify ABL1, which through the direct phosphorylation of NuMa, is a novel regulator of spindle orientation.
Self-reconstructing laser beams can propagate deep into thick media, making them ideal for light-sheet microscopy of organic matter. By considering the rings of self-reconstructing Bessel beams, Fahrbach and Rohrbach present a technique for improving the contrast and resolution of this approach.
The super elongation complex, which is involved in transcriptional elongation, contains the Eleven-nineteen Lysine-rich Leukemia protein (ELL). In this study, ELL is shown to stabilize RNA polymerase II prior to recruitment into the super elongation complex, suggesting ELL has a role in early transcription elongation.
Although they offer significant promise, practical implementations of quantum key distribution are often not as rigorous as theory predicts. This study demonstrates how two instances of such discrepancies can be resolved by taking advantage of an enotropic formulation of the uncertainty principle.
Osteoblast maturation is regulated by c-Src and IL-6, but how these signalling pathways are integrated is not known. Here c-Src is shown to induce 1GFBP5 in immature osteoblasts in a STAT3 and IL-6-dependent manner, in mature osteoblasts, which express lower levels of c-Src, this signalling is lost.
Dye-sensitized solar cells are a promising alternative to traditional inorganic semiconductor-based solar cells. Yumet al. use a molecularly engineered cobalt complex as a redox mediator to achieve an open-circuit voltage of over 1,000 mV in a mesoscopic dye-sensitized solar cell.
