Search

‘Cooperative redox enhancement (CORE) effects, which arise through the coupling of oxidative dehydrogenation and oxygen reduction reactions, can lead to increased rates of reaction over spatially separated bimetallic heterogeneous catalysts.

Although Li-rich layered oxides are attractive electrode materials for batteries, they suffer from voltage decay on cycling. A correlation between trapped metal ions in interstitial tetrahedral sites and voltage decay is established, which could prove useful for developing high-capacity electrodes without decay.

Cathodes for Li-ion batteries operate mainly via an insertion–deinsertion redox process involving cationic species but this mechanism does not account for the high capacities displayed by Li-rich layered oxides. The reactivity of high-capacity Li₂Ru_1−ySn_yO₃ materials is now shown to be associated with a reversible redox process related to a reductive coupling mechanism.

In the interfaces of non-magnetic complex oxides, it is unclear which defects are responsible for the magnetic interfaces. Here, the authors find the B-site cation stoichiometry is crucial for the creation and control of magnetism at the interface between non-magnetic ABO₃-perovskite oxides.

The two-dimensional morphology of molybdenum oxycarbide (2D-Mo₂CO_x) nanosheets dispersed on silica is found vital for the dry reforming of methane. Here the authors show that the specific activity of 2D-Mo₂CO_x/SiO₂ exceeds that of other Mo₂C-based catalysts by ca. 3 orders of magnitude.

For high-capacity electrodes with anionic redox, the importance of structural dimensionality has not been elucidated. The possibility of triggering anionic redox activity in a tridimensional-ordered Li-rich positive electrode is now demonstrated.

Thanks to their versatile redox behaviors, octahedral molecular sieves show promise in a range of electrochemical applications. Here the authors report a hexagonal polymorph of tungsten trioxide, an octahedral molecular sieve that exhibits fast proton (de)insertion for electrochromic devices.

The utilization of oxygen redox is a promising way of designing high-energy cathode materials for batteries. Here, Tarascon and colleagues report a class of Li-rich layered sulfides and unravel the potential of sulfur redox.

The role of opioids in the neural systems of maladaptive behavioral suppression is unclear. Here, authors identify a thalamoaccumbal brain circuit that is required for the suppression of reward seeking and is rapidly disengaged by opioids leading to unrestricted behavioral actions.

Neuronal PAS domain protein 4 (NPAS4) is an immediate early gene, but its role in striatal circuits in drug seeking behaviour is not understood. Here the authors show that exposure to cocaine in mice results in induction of NPAS4 in a subset of nucleus accumbens (NAc) neurons, and in D2-neurons of the NAc it contributes to cocaine-associations and cocaine seeking behaviour.

In this Consensus Statement, an international group of experts and patient representatives validates and endorses the transition from the term ‘Sjögren syndrome’ to ‘Sjögren disease’, and issue several additional recommendations regarding the nomenclature of this disorder.

The genetic architecture underlying Sjögren’s syndrome is not fully understood. Here, the authors perform a genome-wide association study to identify 10 new genetic risk regions, implicating genes involved in immune and salivary gland function.

Femtosecond laser pulses were used to heat dense matter, converting it into an extremely hot plasma. 52-times ionized gold was achieved as well as gigabar pressures, which can be exceeded only in the central hot spots of thermonuclear fusion plasmas.

‘Molecular motors, fuelled by various physical and chemical means, can perform asymmetric linear and rotary motions that are inherently related to their asymmetric shapes. Here, the authors describe silver-organic micro-complexes of random shapes that exhibit macroscopic unidirectional rotation on water surface through the asymmetric release of cinchonine or cinchonidine chiral molecules.

Kathy Sivils and colleagues report results of a large-scale association study of Sjögren's syndrome, a common autoimmune disease. They confirm strong associations with the HLA region and establish genome-wide significant associations at several non-HLA loci implicated in both innate and adaptive immunity.

Songbirds have extensive germline–soma genome differences due to developmental elimination of a germline-specific chromosome (GRC). Here, the authors show that the GRC contains dozens of expressed developmental genes, some of which have been on the GRC since the ancestor of all songbirds.

Naphthyridine-azaquinolone specifically binds slipped-CAG DNA intermediates, induces contractions of expanded repeats and reduces mutant HTT protein aggregates in cell and animal models of Huntington’s disease.

Mathieu Blanchette and colleagues report whole-genome sequencing of three Brassicaceae species, Leavenworthia alabamica, Sisymbrium irio and Aethionema arabicum. They include comparative genomic analysis with 6 additional crucifier genomes, identify and characterize over 90,000 conserved noncoding sequences and provide a map of functional noncoding regions in plant genomes.

The contamination of water with lead from damaged perovskite solar cells is a key concern. Here, a spherical hydroxyapatite nanoparticle scaffold absorbs lead from a damaged device, keeping lead concentration in water below safe drinking limits.

Meiotic drive elements are selfish genetic elements that mediate a skew in their sexual transmission from parent to offspring. Here, the authors sequence and analyze large and complex genomic regions associated with meiotic drive elements in the fungus Neurospora intermedia.

Patrick Gaffney and colleagues perform a fine-mapping study of the TNFAIP3 region in systemic lupus erythematosus using individuals from diverse ancestral populations. They identify a putative causal variant in a region of high conservation and regulatory potential that is associated with reduced TNFAIP3 expression.

Synaptic remodeling in the brain is dependent on the extracellular matrix remodeling mediated by zinc-dependent matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Using a rodent model, this study shows that the activity of MMP2 and 9 are differentially increased in the brain region nucleus accumbens after withdrawal from self-administered cocaine, during cue-induced relapse. Along with a similar response following relapse to other drugs of abuse, the study also shows that the increased MMP activity was needed for both relapse behavior and relapse-associated synaptic plasticity that included changes to the glutamate-mediated currents and dendritic spine head diameter.

In higher animals and plants, the processes of growth and patterning are coordinated. In this study, the authors study patterning in Arabidopsis root and show that two key regulators of root organ patterning directly control the transcription of specific components of the cell-cycle machinery. This study provides a direct link between developmental regulators, components of the cell-cycle machinery and organ patterning.