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Diet diversity across northern hemisphere ecosystems affects seabird responses to climate change, with breeding productivity declining in the Arctic and North Atlantic but not in the Pacific from 1993 to 2019, based on 138 time series of breeding success and linear mixed effects models.

Phonons—quantized lattice vibrations in solids—carry energy and momentum through solids just like electrons, yet their control for technological means remains elusive. Towards this end, Kerfoot et al.show phonon-induced optical transparency in a quantum dot pair via electrically gated phonon dissipation.

Using a long-lived quantum-dot spin qubit coupled to a GaAs-based photonic crystal cavity, researchers demonstrate complete quantum control of an electron spin qubit. By cleverly controlling the charge state of the InAs quantum dot using laser pulses, optical initialization, control and readout of an electron spin are achieved.

Cavity-stimulated Raman spin-flip emission is demonstrated by coupling a negatively charged InAs/GaAs quantum dot to a photonic crystal defect cavity. The emission is spectrally narrow and tunable over a range of about 125 GHz. The process can be made spin selective by tuning the scattered photons to be in resonance with the cavity.

Oestrogen negative breast cancer is associated with a poor prognosis. In this study, the authors perform a meta-analysis of 11 breast cancer genome-wide association studies and identify four new loci associated with oestrogen negative breast cancer risk. These findings may aid in stratifying patients in the clinic.

The optical spectrum of a single quantum dot is strongly affected by coherent tunnelling to a nearby sea of electrons.

An elegant modification of nuclear magnetic resonance allows detailed structural analysis of self-assembled semiconductor quantum dots, so far hindered by the intrinsic strain in these nanostructures.

Optical control over electron spins embedded in semiconductor structures is an efficient way of manipulating quantum information. But a fully fledged quantum information processor will require control over two-spin states. This has now been demonstrated, including the implementation of ‘ultrafast’ two-qubit gate operations that take less than a nanosecond.

Researchers demonstrate fast, single-qubit gates using a sequence of 13 ps pulses. Two vertically stacked InAs/GaAs quantum dots were coupled through coherent tunnelling and charged with controlled numbers of holes. The interaction between hole spins was investigated by Ramsey fringe experiments, showing a tunable interaction range of tens of gigahertz.

Roger Milne and colleagues conduct a genome-wide association study for estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer combined with BRCA1 mutation carriers in a large cohort. They identify ten new risk variants and find high genetic correlation between breast cancer risk for BRCA1 mutation carriers and risk of ER-negative breast cancer in the general population.

Doug Easton and colleagues report the results of a large-scale genome-wide association study of breast cancer. They discover 15 new susceptibility loci and highlight likely target genes in several of the newly associated regions.

A single electron spin trapped inside a semiconductor quantum dot forms the foundation for many proposed quantum logic devices, but the coherence is degraded by interactions with the lattice nuclear spins. Here, a means of suppressing the nuclear fluctuations is reported, enabling the electron spin coherence to be preserved much longer.

The authors show that in recent decades compound climate extremes (i.e., hot, dry, and windy events) have increased and have reduced winter wheat yields in the U.S. Great Plains. The area most affected is the same area as that in 1930s Dust Bowl.

Optical cavities enhance light–matter interactions, and have been used to strongly couple a photon to a single spin. Here, the authors take this a step further by coupling a photon to a two-spin system by embedding an indium arsenide quantum-dot molecule in a photonic crystal cavity.

Local tuning of quantum dots embedded in a photonic waveguide can be achieved through the strain produced by laser heating of a thin layer of HfO₂ deposited around the waveguide. The method is exploited to tune three quantum dots in resonance.

Semiconductor nanostructures known as ‘quantum dots’ are often described as artificial atoms. Researchers are now building quantum dots that interact strongly with light, because they may form the basis of a new generation of lasers.

A pilot clinical trial evaluating metformin in patients with pediatric brain tumors shows that it is a safe approach resulting in improved cognitive function that is consistent with the recovery of adult hippocampal neurogenesis observed in mouse models.

The leukocyte enzyme myeloperoxidase (MPO) is key to normal host defense mechanisms. Dysregulated MPO, however, is linked to acute and chronic inflammatory conditions, such as atherosclerosis and cancer. The authors describe a luminol-based bioluminescence imaging system that provides an optical readout of physiological levels of MPO activity in vivo. The system is demonstrated in animal models of acute dermatitis, focal arthritis and spontaneous large granular lymphocytic tumors.