Articles in 2024

The band topology of twisted 2D systems is a key factor behind their fascinating physics. Here, the authors demonstrate the role of polarization in driving the band topology evolution in twisted transition metal dichalcogenide homobilayers.

Methionine plays an essential role in various biological and cell regulatory processes, making its chemoproteomic profiling necessary to understand its function. Here, the authors present Copper(I)-Nitrene Platform (CuNiP) for robust and selective labelling of methionine to generate highly stable sulfonyl sulfimide conjugates under physiological conditions.

Trade-offs play a key role in controlling bacterial growth and shaping microbial phenotypes, which further drives the emergence of ecologically relevant phenomena including co-existence, population heterogeneity and oligotrophic/copiotrophic lifestyles.

Animal behavioural response to predation risk could depend on the type and number of cues. This global metaanalysis shows that providing multiple cues of predation risk reduces variance in the behavioural responses of birds.

Type 2 diabetes is a global health threat demanding precise healthcare methods. Here, the authors show that their AI-driven risk assessment models, integrating genetic, imaging, and demographic data, achieve high accuracy in identifying high-risk groups, promising advancements in prevention strategies.

At the quantum limit, vacuum fluctuations determine the precision with which a signal can be measured. In this work the authors use a technique known as squeezing to greatly reduce the vacuum fluctuation noise present at microwave frequencies.

Asymmetric mechanical transducers are pivotal in various applications; however, conventional methods demand continuous energy and intricate fabrication. Here, the authors demonstrate a droplet-based mechanical transducer utilizing wettability-patterned surfaces, enabling precise control of droplet dynamics.

Excess mortality can be used as an indicator of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, the authors estimate excess mortality in 569 European regions in 25 countries for 2020 and 2021 and describe how impacts changed over time.

Despite initial treatment with surgical resection, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) frequently recurs. Here the authors report the design of an immunostimulatory autolysing Salmonella based-nanocapsule delivery system, promoting anti-tumor immune responses and preventing postoperative relapse in preclinical GBM models.

Ester-linked modifications are common but difficult to detect. Here, the authors present methods based on ester preservation and a sensitive antibody to reveal DNA damage-induced mono-ADP-ribosylation on aspartate and glutamate. This signal, part of the first wave of PARP1 signaling, is removed by PARG.

Dielectric elastomer actuators require high driving electric fields to achieve high performances for soft robots due to their low dielectric constant and high stiffness. Here, the authors introduce polar fluorinated groups and nanodomains aggregated by long alkyl side chains into the dielectric elastomer design to overcome these issues and develop fast soft robots.

The authors fabricate p-type Fe₃CoSb₁₂-based skutterudite films exhibiting high thermoelectric performance, stability, and flexibility at medium-to-high temperatures, based on preparing custom target materials and pulsed laser deposition techniques.

Hsc70 (heat shock protein family A member 8) is a cytoplasmic chaperone protein involved in endosomal micro-autophagy and chaperone-mediated autophagy. Here the authors report that Hsc70 promotes lysosomal degradation of PD-L1 and that its overexpression promotes anti-tumor immune responses in preclinical cancer models.

High-performance hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells rely on the anode loading of platinum-group metals. Here, the authors report a highly active hydrogen oxidation electrocatalyst which contains atomically dispersed Ir on Mo2C nanoparticles supported on a carbon substrate.

N-type polycrystalline SnSe shows inferior ZT to p-type polycrystalline due to its high thermal conductivity and lower power factor. The authors overcome the problem via the synergy of divacancy defect and introducing resonance level into the conduction band.

Ventral pallidum GABA and glutamate neuron activation drives approach and avoidance, respectively. Here, the authors show that both ventral pallidum cell types are activated during approach to reward and by aversive stimuli, but elicit opponent effects on VTA cell-type activity.

Aerobic methanotrophic bacteria are considered strict aerobes but are often highly abundant in hypoxic or anoxic environments. Here, the authors show that acidophilic methanotrophs can respire nitrous oxide and grow anaerobically on diverse non-methane substrates, including methanol, C-C substrates, and hydrogen.

Although the function of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) in immunity and inflammation is well-established, its role in obesity is less well-studied. In this study, the authors demonstrate that TLR9 deficiency in B cells is associated with obesity in mice and results in altered frequencies of T and B lymphocyte subsets and gut microbiome dysbiosis.

Interface engineering by local polarization is becoming increasingly important for tunable electronics. Here, authors demonstrate an electric pulse-tuned piezotronic effect in Ag/HfO₂/n-ZnO junction, enabling reversible and accurate regulation of barrier height and piezotronic modification range.

Multi-Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) is a severe post-infectious presentation related to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here authors used multi-omics approaches to characterise MIS-C cases and found increased CD95 and IL-18 signalling accompanying the expansion of TCR Vβ 21.3+ T cells.