Search

It has been suggested that operating sensors far from thermodynamical equilibrium can enhance signal-to-noise ratio in a way which breaks the standard limits coming from stochastic fluctuations. Here, the authors show how this can in principle allow an arbitrarily large signal-to-noise ratio.

Noise-induced synchronization is known in classical systems and has recently been proposed in quantum many-body settings. Here, the authors experimentally demonstrate stable and entangled synchronized oscillations at the ends of a superconducting qubit chain by applying Gaussian noise to a single qubit.

Experimental demonstration of the Landauer bound in a generic one-bit memory—linking the erasure of information to the production of heat and, thus, entropy—confirms the connection between information theory and thermodynamics.

Unprecedented control over the superposition of electronic states in a 'quantum corral', exerted by changing the position of a single atom within it, provides a powerful tool for studying the quantum behaviour of matter.

The presence of correlations can strongly affect the evolution of a quantum system. Here, the authors directly observe differences in the dynamics of two spins-1/2 systems in an NMR setup depending on the correlations of the initial state, including differences in energy flow and mutual information.

High-order correlated states in atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides may be facilitated by long-lived optically dark excitons. Here, the authors report experimentally the emergence of neutral and charged biexciton species at low light intensities in encapsulated WSe₂ monolayers.

While it is known in principle that quantum mechanics can enhance operation of microscopic thermal engines, convincing experimental examples of quantum energetic advantages are scarce. Here, the authors successfully showcase a quantum advantage in energy efficiency in a single trapped-ion based device, by demonstrating the benefit from quantum coherence and exploiting suppression of quantum friction effects via counterdiabatic driving.

Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias identifies new loci and enables generation of a new genetic risk score associated with the risk of future Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Analyses of 475 ancient horse genomes show modern horses emerged around 2200 bce, coinciding with sudden expansion across Eurasia, refuting the narrative of large horse herds accompanying earlier migrations of steppe peoples across Europe.

Large genome-wide meta-analysis of clinically diagnosed late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD) from 94,437 individuals identifies new LOAD risk loci and implicates Aβ formation, tau protein binding, immune response and lipid metabolism.

A multi-ancestry meta-regression study analyses diverse genome-wide association studies and genome loci associated with tobacco and alcohol use.

Transcriptional changes occur in the dorsal root ganglion in response to nerve injury and may contribute to neuropathic pain. Here the authors show that the DNA methyltransferase DNMT3a is upregulated in rodents following nerve injury, and may contribute to pain-like behaviour by decreasing expression of the voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.2.

Food addiction is linked to obesity and eating disorders. In a mouse model of food addiction, the authors show that a medial prefrontal cortex-nucleus accumbens pathway is involved in vulnerability and resilience against the development of food addiction-like behavior.

Whole genome sequences enable discovery of rare variants which may help to explain the heritability of common diseases. Here the authors find that ultra-rare variants explain ~50% of coronary artery disease (CAD) heritability and highlight several functional processes including cell type-specific regulatory mechanisms as key drivers of CAD genetic risk.

While depression and chronic pain are frequently comorbid, underlying neuronal circuits and their psychopathological relevance remain poorly defined. Here, authors show the critical role of the BLA-ACC pathway in pain and emotional processing, and their comorbidity.

An extreme Einstein ring ~10,000 times as bright as the Milky Way in the infrared is studied with VLT/ERIS and ALMA, and the authors find that the lensed galaxy is a starburst with a fast-rotating disk, rather than being driven by a major merger.

Based on fundamental thermodynamics, traditional electronic computers, which operate serially, require more energy per computation the faster they operate. Here, the authors show that the energy cost per operation of a parallel computer can be kept very small.

Early-life adversity is thought to increase the risk of psychopathology through epigenetic mechanisms. Here, the authors profile 6 histone marks, chromatin states and DNA methylation in the lateral amygdala in subjects with a history of early-life adversity.

An environmentally safe means of mosquito control is the application of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, which produces a cocktail of four naturally crystalline proteins exclusively toxic to mosquito. Here the authors report the atomic-resolution structures of Bti Cry11Aa and related Btj Cry11Ba solved de novo through Serial Femtosecond Crystallography on naturally-occurring nanocrystals.

This cross-sectional study in two independent middle-aged and aged cohorts investigates whether psychological characteristics associated with varying dementia risk aggregate into psychological profiles and relate to aging brain health.

Known genetic loci account for only a fraction of the genetic contribution to Alzheimer’s disease. Here, the authors have performed a large genome-wide meta-analysis comprising 409,435 individuals to discover 6 new loci and demonstrate the efficacy of an Alzheimer’s disease polygenic risk score.

A study describes a direct computational approach without experimental optimization to design high-affinity proteins that bind small helical peptides.

Krönke and colleagues present a multiomic resource of plasma cell malignancies, including multiple myeloma, that comprises phosphoproteomics, RNA and DNA sequencing and provides insights into cancer type biology and candidate therapeutic targets.

Regulatory T cells (T_reg cells) have essential roles in maintaining immunohomeostasis. Palmer and colleagues identify two distinct subsets of T_reg cells with differing degrees of self-reactivity and regulatory function.

A multi-ancestry transcriptome-wide association study using an optimal linear combination of association statistics provides insights into tobacco use biology and suggests opportunities for drug repurposing.

This study reports the creation of a model thermodynamic engine that is fuelled by the energy difference resulting from changing the statistics of a quantum gas from bosonic to fermionic.

Jones et al. examine the generalizability of the valence–dominance model of social judgements of faces in 41 countries across 11 world regions. They find evidence of both generalizability and variation, depending on the analytical method.

A single-cell transcriptomic atlas from embryonal pons and forebrain provides insights into the developmental origins of pediatric brain tumors. The study identifies impaired differentiation of specific neural progenitors as a common mechanism underlying these cancers.

Information can be encoded in electron waves on a surface using electronic holograms constructed from single molecules. The information is stored in two spatial dimensions and one energy dimension, and is read with a scanning tunnelling microscope.

Drawing microscopic information out of the diffusive dynamics of complex processes often requires an assumption of ergodicity. Precision experiments on a single atom in a periodic potential suggest that this may be too simplistic in many cases.

The membrane-shaping protein ARL6IP1 is involved in the selective degradation of the endoplasmic reticulum, and this process depends on its ubiquitination and interaction with other membrane-shaping proteins such as FAM134B.

Specificity of inhibitors of voltage-gated ion channels is crucial for their use as therapeutics. Here, the authors show that adamantane derivatives interact with a specific binding site on fenestrations that only become available when accessory subunits are bound to the channel.

The scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) allows us to ‘see’ atoms directly. Seven years ago STM pictures of a ‘quantum corral’ — a circle of iron atoms on a copper surface — revealed what happens when electron waves are confined within a cavity. The latest STM images are of an elliptical corral, in which the signature of an atom at one focus is clearly sensed at the other ‘empty’ focus.

Thermally activated escape underlies processes in chemistry, physics and biology. Experiments with levitated nanoparticles now confirm the underlying theory in the hitherto unmapped turnover regime.

The Clausius inequality is a way of analysing the entropy of a given process and its routes can be found in the second law of thermodynamics. Here, the authors study the non-equilibrium thermodynamics of an ultracold atomic gas in order to confirm the validity of two generalized Clausius inequalities and provide insight into the processes of thermodynamic inequalities and nonequilibrium processes.

Baez-Lugo et al. show that increased functional brain connectivity between default mode network and amygdala in resting state after high emotional events is associated to higher anxiety, rumination and negative thoughts in older adults.

Forced expression of C-X-C chemokine receptor type 6 in antigen-specific T cells enhanced the recognition and lysis of pancreatic cancer cells and the efficacy of adoptive cell therapy for pancreatic cancer.