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A method of nanometre-level patterning of high-density extended 1D and 2D defects in thin films of perovskite oxides is developed.

The specific contributions of different SC (superior colliculus) neuron subtypes to the diverse perceptual and behavioral aspects of attentional performance remain unclear. Here authors show that neurons in the SC support visual spatial attention by enhancing perceptual sensitivity and motor bias, without reflecting internal perceptual decisions or choice accuracy, revealing its unique role in transforming attention into action.

By recording neural activity in the lateral amygdala in awake and behaving rats, Ghosh and Chattarji show that neural encoding of fear generalization involves reduction of specific response to fear-associated cues at the single-neuron level. The study also shows that increasing neuronal excitability in the lateral amygdala can promote fear generalization and that the auditory cortex is not involved when fear-inducing conditioning stimulus is based on sound.

Antiferromagnets have both negligible stray fields, and fast dynamics, making them ideal for fast and densely packed spintronic devices. However, readout of the antiferromagnet state is challenging. Here, Chou et al detect the spin-polarized current emanating from a noncollinear AFM, Mn3Sn.

After rats were trained to fear a sound, they showed less fear when another rat was nearby and this calming effect lasted when the other rat was removed. Both reductions required oxytocin signaling from the hypothalamus to the central amygdala.

Spin-state crossovers are phenomena where, under changes in temperature or pressure, the spin-state of an ion changes. In some materials, this spin-state crossover occurs simultaneously with a metal-insulator transition, driven by a valence transition. Control over such valence, spin-state, and metal-insulator transitions has much technological appeal, but, thus far, materials displaying this have been limited to cryogenic temperatures. Here, the authors show that in strained films of (Pr1-yYy)1- xCaxCoO3-δ, these transitions can be promoted to room temperature.

Van der Waals heterostructures offer the potential of integrating multiple material layers into a single device to achieve new functionalities. Here, Ou et al combine ZrTe₂, a topological semimetal, with CrTe₂, a 2D ferromagnet, in a single heterostructure and demonstrate spin-orbit torque switching of the 2D ferromagnet by current in the topological semimetal.

Two-dimensional zeolite MFI nanosheets show ultra-selective separation of xylene isomers, but it was not known why this occurs. Here, using electron microscopy and atomistic simulation, it is shown that one-dimensional intergrowths of zeolite MEL enable selectivity by formation of more rigid pores.

How intensely an individual focuses attention is a fundamental component of attention in improving behavior performance. Here, the authors isolated neuronal activity dynamics in visual cortex V4 that represents the intensive aspect of attention independent of selective attention and experimental covariates- reward expectation, motor response preparation.

The UCLA Ribonomics group reports that the nuclear export efficiency of innate immune mRNAs varies over a hundred-fold range such that for many genes only a small fraction of the newly synthesized premRNA reaches the cytoplasm. They show that nuclear export and cytoplasmic decay rates are correlated thereby ensuring similar expression levels of short-lived and long-lived mRNAs.

Inositol phosphates are widely produced in animal and plant tissues. Luo and colleagues demonstrate that the inositol phosphate InsP7 modulates membrane translocation of the kinase Akt and downstream phosphatidylinositol-(3,4,5)-trisphosphate signaling in neutrophils.

Thermal fluctuations play a crucial role in non-equilibrium phenomena at microscopic length scales, making it challenging to analyse and interpret experimental data. Here, the authors demonstrate that the short-time thermodynamic uncertainty relation inference scheme can estimate the entropy production rate for a colloidal particle in time-varying potentials and with background flows determined by the presence of a microbubble.

Low-noise amplification of feeble microwave signals is essential for superconducting quantum circuitry. Now, a gate-tunable Josephson parametric amplifier made from graphene shows 24 dB amplification paired with 10 MHz bandwidth and –130 dBm saturation power.

Severe stress impairs cognitive function, but enhances emotionality. This Review describes how stress triggers contrasting patterns of plasticity in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and amygdala, all brain areas that are involved in learning and memory. These features of stress-induced plasticity can have long-term consequences for the debilitating symptoms of stress-related disorders.

In an inter-laboratory study, the authors compare the accuracy and performance of three optical density calibration protocols (colloidal silica, serial dilution of silica microspheres, and colony-forming unit (CFU) assay). They demonstrate that serial dilution of silica microspheres is the best of these tested protocols, allowing precise and robust calibration that is easily assessed for quality control and can also evaluate the effective linear range of an instrument.