Research articles

Ultrathin layers that can confine electron motion to just two dimensions exhibit a wide range of unusual electronic properties. Gamucci et al. combine two very different examples of such systems—graphene and a gallium arsenide quantum well—and demonstrate interlayer coupling effects.

Quadrature amplitude modulation signalling is currently enabling rapid data transfer capacity growth, but it still has associated drawbacks. Here, Liu et al.use optical injection locking to generate complex modulation format signals with reduced consumption, small footprint and easy integration.

Although value-added organics are traditionally synthesized from fossil feedstocks, the conversion of carbon dioxide is an attractive alternative route. Here, the authors report a cyclic copper complex capable of converting carbon dioxide to oxalate in a simple redox process under mild conditions.

Heat engines are widely used in our daily life, hence there is interest in miniaturized versions. Here, Quinto-Su demonstrates a micrometer-sized piston steam engine in an optical tweezer, whereby a single colloidal particle is periodically driven by microscopic vapour explosions and optical forces.

Mechanical resonators lose energy over time due to both dissipative and dephasing processes. Schneider et al. now use a fast time-domain technique to separate the influence of these two types of mechanism, and demonstrate that at high driving power, dephasing becomes the dominant factor.

Negative index metamaterials have been proposed for super-lensing and electromagnetic invisibility but real applications have been hindered by their high losses. Here, Ye et al.demonstrate an effective gain medium that overcompensates the loss of a passive metamaterial while keeping its negative index.

The lancelet, or amphioxus, is an extant basal chordate that diverged from other chordate lineages about 550 million years ago. Here the authors sequence and assemble the diploid genome of a male adult of the Chinese lancelet, B. belcheri, and highlight genomic features that may have played an important role in the origin and evolution of vertebrates.

Biocompatibility is a limiting factor in the use of electronic sensors in physiological applications. Here, the authors present a flexible and conductive polymer gel as an adhesive interface material for electronic biosensors, also demonstrating in vivoheart attachment and monitoring.

Multiple sulfatase deficiency is a lysosomal storage disorder arising from mutations in the sulfatase modifying factor 1 (SUMF1) gene. Here Frankel et al. show that targeting a microRNA, miR-95, can increase residual SUMF1 expression and restore sulfatase activity in patient cells.

Charge–density–wave correlations, quantum oscillations and Fermi-liquid charge transport are at the centre of a heated debate in cuprate superconductivity. Using resonant X-ray scattering, Tabis et al. investigate the charge order and its link to the electronic transport properties in HgBa₂CuO_4+δ.

An understanding of the formation mechanism of endohedral metallofullerenes may pave the way towards targeted synthesis of these nanomaterials. Here, the authors investigate their bottom-up synthesis and determine that charge transfer plays a key role in their formation.

Non-receptor tyrosine kinases such as Src play fundamental roles in host–pathogen interactions and phagocytosis. Here, Young et al. show that an enteropathogenic Escherichia coli(EPEC) protein, EspJ, inhibits Src activity by simultaneous amidation and ADP ribosylation of a conserved residue on the kinase.

Lindlar catalysts are widely used for partial hydrogenation of alkynes, however they can be somewhat limited by toxicity of lead and low selectivity. Here, the authors report that the modification of palladium nanoparticles with boron atoms in the interstitial sites yields selective hydrogenation catalysts.

Jasmonic acid induces lateral root formation in Arabidopsis by promoting auxin biosynthesis. Here, Cai et al. identify a jasmonate-induced transcription factor that regulates the expression of two auxin biosynthetic enzymes revealing a molecular mechanism for hormonal cross-talk in the root.

Various vertical surface emitting, terahertz quantum-cascade lasers have been proposed recently but these suffer from power cancellations in the far-field and limited extraction efficiencies. Here, Vitiello et al.circumvent these issues using two-dimensional photonic quasi-crystalline resonators.

Several studies have shown that p53 regulates the expression of some long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) implicated in apoptosis and proliferation. Here, by integrating RNA-seq and ChIP-seq analyses, the authors identify p53-regulated lncRNAs in the HCT116 colorectal cancer cell line.

A long-standing debate on the foundation of quantum mechanics is whether wave–particle duality and the uncertainty principle are equivalent. Here Coles et al. show that the wave–particle duality relation corresponds to a formulation of the uncertainty principle in terms of min- and max-entropies.

Self-fertility evolved independently in three species of Caenorhabditis nematodes. Here, the authors show that different species of Caenorhabditishermaphrodites use either of two different pathways to activate sperm and that these pathways were redundant in ancestral males.

Surface defects in nanomaterials can trap electrons and thereby limit the performance of electronic devices. Thimsen et al. show that the conductivity of films comprising ZnO nanocrystals can be increased by coating with Al₂O₃.

Small molecules that inhibit α-synuclein misfolding may have potential in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Fonseca-Ornelas et al.show that several of these molecules fail to block misfolding in the presence of membrane vesicles, and reveal how phtalocyanine tetrasulfonate, in contrast, overcomes this effect.