Nature Communications - 25 March 2015

Advertisement "UltraMAB® is the only commercial monoclonal antibody validated by high density protein chips (>17,000 proteins) to ensure mono-specificity. Check Ultramab.com to see the full list of targets. Just Launched: A "universal" anti-LGR5 UltraMAB® antibody! The new clone provides the best results for both WB and FC applications, AND recognizes both human and mouse antigens."     Weekly Content Alert 25 March 2015  Featured image: Paul et al. discover a marine archaeal virus carrying a genetic element with potential to generate myriad variants of a target gene. Latest content: Articles Corrigendum Erratum Advertisement Nature Communications is now fully open access All new submissions if accepted, will be published open access and an article processing charge will apply. For more information visit the website.   Visit our open access funding page or contact openaccess@nature.com to learn more on APC funding. Journal homepage Recommend to library Web feed   Advertisement Nature Outlook Liver Cancer Liver cancer is one of the most lethal forms of the disease. But if researchers can understand why some people with unhealthy livers develop cancer but others do not, they may be able to more effectively treat the disease — or even prevent it.  Access the Outlook free online.  Produced with support from:  Tongji Hospital      Latest Articles View all Articles     Glacial ice and atmospheric forcing on the Mertz Glacier Polynya over the past 250 years P. Campagne, Xavier Crosta, M.N. Houssais, D. Swingedouw, S. Schmidt, A. Martin, E. Devred, S. Capo, V. Marieu, I. Closset and G. Massé The Mertz Glacier Polynya—a site of sea ice production and Antarctic Bottom Water formation—was strongly impacted following the calving of a massive iceberg in 2010. Here, the authors present a 250-year long sea ice reconstruction from the region and present evidence for a ~70-year calving cyclicity. 24 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7642 Earth Sciences  Climate science  Oceanography  Unravelling the hidden ancestry of American admixed populations OPEN Francesco Montinaro, George B.J. Busby, Vincenzo L. Pascali, Simon Myers, Garrett Hellenthal and Cristian Capelli The genetic make-up of people living in the Americas has been shaped heavily by migration. Here the authors use a haplotype-based approach to reconstruct American genomic ancestry using genotype data from 2,500 individuals, revealing a previously unrecognized genetic contribution from European and African populations. 24 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7596 Biological Sciences  Genetics  Increased sensitivity to climate change in disturbed ecosystems György Kröel-Dulay, Johannes Ransijn, Inger Kappel Schmidt, Claus Beier, Paolo De Angelis, Giovanbattista de Dato, Jeffrey S. Dukes, Bridget Emmett, Marc Estiarte, János Garadnai, Jane Kongstad, Edit Kovács-Láng, Klaus Steenberg Larsen, Dario Liberati, Romà Ogaya, Torben Riis-Nielsen, Andrew R. Smith, Alwyn Sowerby, Albert Tietema and Josep Penuelas. The role of successional state in determining ecosystem sensitivity to climate change is largely unknown. Here, the authors subject seven European shrublands to moderate warming and drought conditions over 14 years and show that responsiveness is associated with the dynamic state of the ecosystem. 24 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7682 Earth Sciences  Climate science  Ecology  Experimental proof of nonlocal wavefunction collapse for a single particle using homodyne measurements Maria Fuwa, Shuntaro Takeda, Marcin Zwierz, Howard M. Wiseman and Akira Furusawa Quantum mechanics exhibit many unusual features, including Einstein’s so-called ‘spooky action at a distance’, wherein a wavefunction collapses at all points except where it is detected. Using homodyne measurements, Fuwa et al. verify this effect for a single photon split between two labs. 24 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7665 Physical Sciences  Optical physics  Trainable hardware for dynamical computing using error backpropagation through physical media OPEN Michiel Hermans, Michaël Burm, Thomas Van Vaerenbergh, Joni Dambre and Peter Bienstman Machine learning systems use algorithms that can interpret data to make improved decisions. Hermans et al. develop a physical scheme for a computing system based on recurrent neural networks that physically implements the error backpropagation algorithm, thus performing its own training process. 24 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7729 Physical Sciences  Theoretical physics  Dissecting meiotic recombination based on tetrad analysis by single-microspore sequencing in maize OPEN Xiang Li, Lin Li and Jianbing Yan The crossovers and gene conversions that occur during meiotic recombination contribute to genome diversity in eukaryotes. Here Li et al. describe a method of isolating individual microspores for whole-genome sequencing, providing new insights into the generation of genome diversity through sexual reproduction. 24 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7648 Biological Sciences  Genetics  Plant sciences  Quantum dynamics of CO–H2 in full dimensionality Benhui Yang, P. Zhang, X. Wang, P.C. Stancil, J.M. Bowman, N. Balakrishnan and R.C. Forrey Interpreting astronomical observations relies on accurate rate coefficients for molecular vibrational transitions caused by collisions with H2. Yang et al. exploit state-of-the-art inelastic quantum dynamic simulations to provide a full-dimensional computation for rovibrational quenching of CO by H2. 24 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7629 Physical Sciences  Astronomy  Atomic and molecular physics  Physical chemistry  Ultimate thin vertical p–n junction composed of two-dimensional layered molybdenum disulfide OPEN Hua-Min Li, Daeyeong Lee, Deshun Qu, Xiaochi Liu, Jungjin Ryu, Alan Seabaugh and Won Jong Yoo Molybdenum disulfide is a two-dimensional semiconducting material that has properties that make it useful for compact electronic devices. Here, the authors use molybdenum disulfide in an ultra-thin p–n junction that demonstrate ambipolar carrier transport and current rectification. 24 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7564 Physical Sciences  Applied physics  Materials science  Xanthine oxidoreductase regulates macrophage IL1β secretion upon NLRP3 inflammasome activation OPEN Annette Ives, Johji Nomura, Fabio Martinon, Thierry Roger, Didier LeRoy, Jeffrey N. Miner, Gregoire Simon, Nathalie Busso and Alexander So Activation of NLRP3 inflammasome requires generation of reactive oxygen species. Here the authors show that microbial or tissue damage-derived signals activate xanthine oxidase, which serves as a critical source of reactive oxygen species for inflammasome activation in macrophages. 24 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7555 Biological Sciences  Immunology  Rational design of a chalcogenopyrylium-based surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering nanoprobe with attomolar sensitivity Stefan Harmsen, Matthew A. Bedics, Matthew A. Wall, Ruimin Huang, Michael R. Detty and Moritz F. Kircher Raman imaging offers great potential in biomedical imaging due to the combination of specificity and sensitivity. Here, the authors show nanoparticles functionalized with a chalcogenopyrylium reporter molecule, giving bright probes with low limits of detection for in vivo imaging. 24 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7570 Chemical Sciences  Analytical chemistry  Biotechnology  Nanotechnology  Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M3 modulates odorant receptor activity via inhibition of β-arrestin-2 recruitment Yue Jiang, Yun Rose Li, Huikai Tian, Minghong Ma and Hiroaki Matsunami Type three muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (M3-Rs) physically interact with olfactory receptors to potentiate odour-induced responses. Here, the authors demonstrate that acetylcholine potentiates odour-induced responses in olfactory sensory neurons via M3-R-mediated inhibition of β-arrestin-2 recruitment. 24 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7448 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Molecular biology  Neuroscience  A graphene field-effect transistor as a molecule-specific probe of DNA nucleobases Nikolai Dontschuk, Alastair Stacey, Anton Tadich, Kevin J. Rietwyk, Alex Schenk, Mark T. Edmonds, Olga Shimoni, Chris I. Pakes, Steven Prawer and Jiri Cervenka The development of improved DNA sequencing technologies relies on the ability to distinguish each of the four DNA nucleobases separately. Here, the authors fabricate a graphene field-effect transistor able to experimentally observe individual DNA nucleobases. 24 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7563 Chemical Sciences  Analytical chemistry  Nanotechnology  Protease-degradable electrospun fibrous hydrogels Ryan J. Wade, Ethan J. Bassin, Christopher B. Rodell and Jason A. Burdick Electrospinning is a useful method of biomaterial fabrication, but a lack of bioactivity in the final construct can limit their application as mimics for biological matrices. Here, the authors fabricate a degradable electrospun scaffold as an in vitro and in vivo mimic of the extracellular matrix. 23 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7639 Biological Sciences  Materials science  Supramolecular gels with high strength by tuning of calix[4]arene-derived networks OPEN Ji Ha Lee, Jaehyeon Park, Jin-Woo Park, Hyo-Jun Ahn, Justyn Jaworski and Jong Hwa Jung The physical properties of gel materials makes them attractive options in various applications, but supramolecular gels typically lack mechanical strength. Here, the authors present a calix[4]arene-based supramoleculer gel tuned to possess high tensile strength. 23 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7650 Chemical Sciences  Materials science  Impact of biodiversity loss on production in complex marine food webs mitigated by prey-release OPEN Tak Fung, Keith D. Farnsworth, David G. Reid and Axel G. Rossberg Biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships are not well characterized for large marine ecosystems. Using a dynamic model of complex marine food webs, Fung et al. find that release of fish from predation, not competition, is the principal mechanism shaping this relationship. 23 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7657 Biological Sciences  Ecology  Unlocking Bloch-type chirality in ultrathin magnets through uniaxial strain Gong Chen, Alpha T. N’Diaye, Sang Pyo Kang, Hee Young Kwon, Changyeon Won, Yizheng Wu, Z. Q. Qiu and Andreas K. Schmid Magnetic domain walls can exhibit a variety of different spin textures. Chen et al. show that it is possible to switch these textures between left handed, right handed, cycloidal, helical and mixed domain wall structures by controlling uniaxial strain in iron/nickel bilayer thin films on tungsten. 23 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7598 Physical Sciences  Applied physics  Condensed matter  Nanotechnology  SINE transcription by RNA polymerase III is suppressed by histone methylation but not by DNA methylation OPEN Dhaval Varshney, Jana Vavrova-Anderson, Andrew J. Oler, Victoria H. Cowling, Bradley R. Cairns and Robert J. White Transcription of short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) allows retrotransposition that contributes to chromosomal instability. Here, the authors show that methylation of histones, rather than DNA, plays a dominant role in suppressing SINE expression. 23 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7569 Biological Sciences  Genetics  Molecular biology  In situ X-ray diffraction monitoring of a mechanochemical reaction reveals a unique topology metal-organic framework Athanassios D. Katsenis, Andreas Puškarić, Vjekoslav Štrukil, Cristina Mottillo, Patrick A. Julien, Krunoslav Užarević, Minh-Hao Pham, Trong-On Do, Simon A. J. Kimber, Predrag Lazić, Oxana Magdysyuk, Robert E. Dinnebier, Ivan Halasz and Tomislav Friščić Ball milling chemical reactions are of interest due to their environmental credentials and potential to achieve new reactions and materials. Here, the authors isolate a metastable material with a previously unknown net topology by in situ monitoring of the mechanosynthesis of a metal organic framework. 23 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7662 Chemical Sciences  Inorganic chemistry  Materials science  Physical chemistry  Formation of nickel cobalt sulfide ball-in-ball hollow spheres with enhanced electrochemical pseudocapacitive properties Laifa Shen, Le Yu, Hao Bin Wu, Xin-Yao Yu, Xiaogang Zhang and Xiong Wen (David) Lou While the synthesis of hollow structures of transition metal oxides is well established, the related sulfide chemistry remains challenging. Here, the authors report the synthesis of nickel cobalt sulfide ball-in-ball hollow spheres, via anion exchange, and evaluate their pseudocapacitive behaviour. 23 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7694 Chemical Sciences  Materials science  Field-induced density wave in the heavy-fermion compound CeRhIn5 Philip J. W. Moll, Bin Zeng, Luis Balicas, Stanislaw Galeski, Fedor F. Balakirev, Eric D. Bauer and Filip Ronning Strong electron correlations often lead to unusual electronic ground states. Here, the authors present evidence for a density wave in the compound CeRhIn5, the first for a so-called heavy-fermion metal where electrons have a very high effective mass. 23 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7663 Physical Sciences  Condensed matter  Synaptic GABA release prevents GABA transporter type-1 reversal during excessive network activity OPEN Leonid Savtchenko, Maria Megalogeni, Dmitri A. Rusakov, Matthew C. Walker and Ivan Pavlov Membrane depolarization during increased neuronal activity as seen during epilepsy has been suggested to easily reverse neuronal GABA transporters. Here the authors use modelling and experimental data and challenge this view by showing that synaptic GABA release during excessive neuronal firing averts reversal of GABA uptake. 23 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7597 Biological Sciences  Neuroscience  High-resolution vector microwave magnetometry based on solid-state spins in diamond OPEN Pengfei Wang, Zhenheng Yuan, Pu Huang, Xing Rong, Mengqi Wang, Xiangkun Xu, Changkui Duan, Chenyong Ju, Fazhan Shi and Jiangfeng Du Microwave technology is crucial for communications and high-speed electronics. Wang et al. now use nitrogen-vacancy defects in diamond to measure the strength and orientation of the magnetic component of a microwave electromagnetic field on the nanoscale. 23 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7631 Physical Sciences  Applied physics  Condensed matter  Nanotechnology  Targeted diversity generation by intraterrestrial archaea and archaeal viruses OPEN Blair G. Paul, Sarah C. Bagby, Elizabeth Czornyj, Diego Arambula, Sumit Handa, Alexander Sczyrba, Partho Ghosh, Jeff F. Miller and David L. Valentine Diversity-generating retroelements (DGRs) are genetic elements that introduce sequence variation within target genes in bacteria and their viruses. Here, Paul et al. report the discovery of DGRs in an archaeal virus and in two archaea from marine and terrestrial subsurface environments, respectively. 23 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7585 Biological Sciences  Genetics  Microbiology  Virology  Analysing human neural stem cell ontogeny by consecutive isolation of Notch active neural progenitors OPEN Reuven Edri, Yakey Yaffe, Michael J. Ziller, Naresh Mutukula, Rotem Volkman, Eyal David, Jasmine Jacob-Hirsch, Hagar Malcov, Carmit Levy, Gideon Rechavi, Irit Gat-Viks, Alexander Meissner and Yechiel Elkabetz Profiling pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-derived neural progeny is of fundamental interest for characterizing stem cell differentiation. Here, the authors analyse neural progenitors consecutively derived from human PSCs, showing dynamic stage-specific transcriptional patterns for distinct neural progenitors. 23 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7500 Biological Sciences  Genetics  Molecular biology  The amino-terminal structure of human fragile X mental retardation protein obtained using precipitant-immobilized imprinted polymers Yufeng Hu, Zhenhang Chen, Yanjun Fu, Qingzhong He, Lun Jiang, Jiangge Zheng, Yina Gao, Pinchao Mei, Zhongzhou Chen and Xueqin Ren Obtaining a protein crystal structure can be hampered by molecular flexibility. Here, the authors use precipitant-immobilized molecularly imprinted polymers to produce high quality crystals, such as of the fragile X mental retardation protein N-terminal domain, allowing for a detailed structural and functional analysis. 23 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7634 Biological Sciences  Biochemistry  Materials science  Efficient hole-blocking layer-free planar halide perovskite thin-film solar cells Weijun Ke, Guojia Fang, Jiawei Wan, Hong Tao, Qin Liu, Liangbin Xiong, Pingli Qin, Jing Wang, Hongwei Lei, Guang Yang, Minchao Qin, Xingzhong Zhao and Yanfa Yan Lead halide perovskite solar cells use hole-blocking layers to allow a separate collection of positive and negative charge carriers and to achieve high-operation voltages. Here, the authors demonstrate efficient lead halide perovskite solar cells that avoid using this extra layer. 23 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7700 Physical Sciences  Applied physics  Optical physics  Electrochemical synthesis of mesoporous gold films toward mesospace-stimulated optical properties OPEN Cuiling Li, Ömer Dag, Thang Duy Dao, Tadaaki Nagao, Yasuhiro Sakamoto, Tatsuo Kimura, Osamu Terasaki and Yusuke Yamauchi The selective growth of mesoporous gold thin films with control over the porosity is a challenging task. Here, the authors report a soft-templating method allowing the growth of tunable, mesoporous gold films and examine their optical properties 23 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7608 Chemical Sciences  Inorganic chemistry  Materials science  Physical chemistry  Asymmetrically dividing Drosophila neuroblasts utilize two spatially and temporally independent cytokinesis pathways OPEN Michaela Roth, Chantal Roubinet, Niklas Iffländer, Alexia Ferrand and Clemens Cabernard In asymmetrically dividing cells, both spindle-dependent and spindle-independent cleavage furrow positioning pathways are involved in cytokinesis. Here the authors find that Survivin and the mitotic spindle are required to stabilize the position of the cleavage furrow and to complete cytokinesis in Drosophila neuroblasts. 20 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7551 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Developmental biology  Trehalose glycopolymer resists allow direct writing of protein patterns by electron-beam lithography Erhan Bat, Juneyoung Lee, Uland Y. Lau and Heather D. Maynard The direct-write patterning of biomolecules can yield biologically active surfaces with intricate spacing arrangements. Here, the authors show how a glycopolymer resist can stabilize many different biomolecules for patterning by electron-beam lithography. 20 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7654 Chemical Sciences  Biotechnology  Nanotechnology  The HIF-1/glial TIM-3 axis controls inflammation-associated brain damage under hypoxia OPEN Han Seok Koh, Chi Young Chang, Sae-Bom Jeon, Hee Jung Yoon, Ye-Hyeon Ahn, Hyung-Seok Kim, In-Hoo Kim, Sung Ho Jeon, Randall S. Johnson and Eun Jung Park The targeting of inflammation has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy for cerebral ischaemia. Here the authors show that TIM-3, a member of the T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain protein family, is upregulated in glial cells and plays a role in inflammation-associated brain injury under hypoxic conditions. 20 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7340 Biological Sciences  Neuroscience  Graphene-enabled electrically switchable radar-absorbing surfaces Osman Balci, Emre O. Polat, Nurbek Kakenov and Coskun Kocabas Controlling the electrical properties of radar absorbing materials is required for active camouflage systems in the microwave. Here, Balci et al. use large-area graphene electrodes to demonstrate electrical control of microwave reflection, transmission and absorption by electrostatic tuning of the charge density. 20 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7628 Physical Sciences  Applied physics  Materials science  Optical physics  Genome-wide identification of microRNA expression quantitative trait loci Tianxiao Huan, Jian Rong, Chunyu Liu, Xiaoling Zhang, Kahraman Tanriverdi, Roby Joehanes, Brian H. Chen, Joanne M. Murabito, Chen Yao, Paul Courchesne, Peter J. Munson, Christopher J. O’Donnell, Nancy Cox, Andrew D. Johnson, Martin G. Larson, Daniel Levy and Jane E. Freedman As important post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression, microRNAs play a key role in the generation of complex phenotypes. Here, Huan et al. identify miR-eQTLs in whole blood samples to create a roadmap linking regulation of microRNA expression to complex diseases. 20 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7601 Biological Sciences  Genetics  Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli senses low biotin status in the large intestine for colonization and infection OPEN Bin Yang, Lu Feng, Fang Wang and Lei Wang Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is an important foodborne pathogen that colonizes the large intestine. Here, the authors identify a signalling pathway that controls EHEC adherence to host cells in response to variations in biotin levels, ensuring selective colonization of the large intestine. 20 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7592 Biological Sciences  Microbiology  Humidity-enhanced wet adhesion on insect-inspired fibrillar adhesive pads OPEN Longjian Xue, Alexander Kovalev, Anna Eichler-Volf, Martin Steinhart and Stanislav N. Gorb Many insects supply secretion via small tubes or pores to the end of their legs to be able to attach to a surface. Here, inspired by nature, Xue et al. fabricate adhesive pads with porous nanorod structure for oil delivery, which give rise to a 100-fold increase in adhesivity under humid conditions. 20 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7621 Physical Sciences  Materials science  Nanotechnology  Dietary methionine can sustain cytosolic redox homeostasis in the mouse liver Sofi Eriksson, Justin R. Prigge, Emily A. Talago, Elias S.J. Arnér and Edward E. Schmidt NADPH acts as a reducing currency in mammalian cells and is thought to be required to maintain redox homeostasis. Here the authors discover an alternative NADPH-independent pathway, based on the conversion of methionine into cysteine, which is capable of sustaining redox homeostasis in the mouse liver. 20 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7479 Biological Sciences  Biochemistry  Cell biology  Polymorphic phase transition mechanism of compressed coesite Q.Y. Hu, J.-F. Shu, A. Cadien, Y. Meng, W.G. Yang, H.W. Sheng and H.-K. Mao Silicon dioxide is one of the most abundant natural compounds and its various crystalline phases are widely studied. Here, using synchrotron X-ray diffraction and theoretical modelling, the authors discover a polymorphic phase transition involving previously unknown triclinic phases of silicon dioxide. 20 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7630 Physical Sciences  Materials science  Transfer hydrogenation catalysis in cells as a new approach to anticancer drug design OPEN Joan J. Soldevila-Barreda, Isolda Romero-Canelón, Abraha Habtemariam and Peter J. Sadler Organometallic complexes are effective hydrogenation catalysts for organic reactions. Here the authors report for the first time that transfer hydrogenation catalysis can take place inside the cell and could be used as a novel anticancer strategy. 20 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7582 Biological Sciences  Cancer  Chemical biology  Coherent creation and destruction of orbital wavepackets in Si:P with electrical and optical read-out OPEN K.L. Litvinenko, E.T. Bowyer, P.T. Greenland, N. Stavrias, Juerong Li, R. Gwilliam, B.J. Villis, G. Matmon, M.L.Y. Pang, B. Redlich, A.F.G. van der Meer, C.R. Pidgeon, G. Aeppli and B.N. Murdin Impurity spins in silicon can be controlled with microwaves and then read-out electrically, offering a promising platform for quantum information applications. Here, the authors show that terahertz pulses can be used to address the orbital degree of freedom as well, which can also be detected electrically. 20 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7549 Physical Sciences  Atomic and molecular physics  Nanotechnology  Optical physics  Nanoscale probing of image-dipole interactions in a metallic nanostructure OPEN Chad Ropp, Zachary Cummins, Sanghee Nah, John T. Fourkas, Benjamin Shapiro and Edo Waks An emitter near a surface induces an image dipole that alters the emission pattern and creates errors in single-particle imaging applications. Here, Ropp et al. show that an image dipole can distort the polarization and measured position of an emitter, and that these distortions can be corrected. 19 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7558 Physical Sciences  Nanotechnology  Optical physics  Polymer-metal hybrid transparent electrodes for flexible electronics OPEN Hongkyu Kang, Suhyun Jung, Soyeong Jeong, Geunjin Kim and Kwanghee Lee Building printable electronics demands flexible and transparent electrodes that can be fabricated on plastic substrates. Here, Kang et al. report a polymer-metal hybrid electrode that has a small bending radius of <1 mm, a sheet resistance of 10 Ω sq−1 and a transparency in the visible range of >95%. 19 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7503 Physical Sciences  Materials science  Recurrent chromosomal gains and heterogeneous driver mutations characterise papillary renal cancer evolution OPEN Michal Kovac, Carolina Navas, Stuart Horswell, Max Salm, Chiara Bardella, Andrew Rowan, Mark Stares, Francesc Castro-Giner, Rosalie Fisher, Elza C. de Bruin, Monika Kovacova, Maggie Gorman, Seiko Makino, Jennet Williams, Emma Jaeger, Angela Jones, Kimberley Howarth, James Larkin, Lisa Pickering, Martin Gore et al. Papillary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC) is a subtype of kidney cancer characterized by highly variable clinical behaviour. Here the authors sequence either the genomes or exomes of 31 pRCCs and identify several genes in sub-clones and large copy number variants in major clones that may be important drivers of pRCC. 19 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7336 Biological Sciences  Cancer  Genetics  Semiconductor/relaxor 0–3 type composites without thermal depolarization in Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-based lead-free piezoceramics Ji Zhang, Zhao Pan, Fei-Fei Guo, Wen-Chao Liu, Huanpo Ning, Y. B. Chen, Ming-Hui Lu, Bin Yang, Jun Chen, Shan-Tao Zhang, Xianran Xing, Jürgen Rödel, Wenwu Cao and Yan-Feng Chen Piezoelectric materials are used as sensors or actuators in many devices. Here, the authors demonstrate that semiconducting ZnO particles embedded into a Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-based matrix improve its piezoelectric properties, promising an alternative to presently used lead-based materials. 19 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7615 Physical Sciences  Condensed matter  Materials science  Rise and fall of subclones from diagnosis to relapse in pediatric B-acute lymphoblastic leukaemia OPEN Xiaotu Ma, Michael Edmonson, Donald Yergeau, Donna M. Muzny, Oliver A. Hampton, Michael Rusch, Guangchun Song, John Easton, Richard C. Harvey, David A. Wheeler, Jing Ma, HarshaVardhan Doddapaneni, Bhavin Vadodaria, Gang Wu, Panduka Nagahawatte, William L. Carroll, I-Ming Chen, Julie M. Gastier-Foster, Mary V. Relling, Malcolm A. Smith et al. Genetic heterogeneity and clonal evolution contribute to cancer progression. Here Ma et al. use deep whole-exome sequencing to identify recurrently mutated pathways and clonal architecture in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, shedding light on the evolutionary trajectory from diagnosis to relapse 19 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7604 Biological Sciences  Cancer  Genetics  Spatiotemporal isolation of attosecond soft X-ray pulses in the water window OPEN Francisco Silva, Stephan M. Teichmann, Seth L. Cousin, Michael Hemmer and Jens Biegert Time-resolved probing of electronic dynamics such as exciton formation and annihilation requires attosecond pulses at photon energies covering the absorption edges of materials. Here, Silva et al. experimentally demonstrate spatio-temporal isolation of single-attosecond soft X-ray pulses in the water window. 19 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7611 Physical Sciences  Atomic and molecular physics  Optical physics  Triple-helical nanowires by tomographic rotatory growth for chiral photonics Marco Esposito, Vittorianna Tasco, Francesco Todisco, Massimo Cuscunà, Alessio Benedetti, Daniele Sanvitto and Adriana Passaseo Three-dimensional helical chiral metamaterials are required for nanophotonics but lack of full rotational symmetry has limited their use. Here, Esposito et al. combine chirality and isotropy, fabricating intertwined helical nanowires with 37% broadband circular dichroism with a high signal to noise ratio. 18 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7484 Physical Sciences  Materials science  Nanotechnology  Optical physics  The intellectual disability protein RAB39B selectively regulates GluA2 trafficking to determine synaptic AMPAR composition OPEN Maria Lidia Mignogna, Maila Giannandrea, Antonia Gurgone, Francesca Fanelli, Francesco Raimondi, Lisa Mapelli, Silvia Bassani, Huaqiang Fang, Eelco Van Anken, Massimo Alessio, Maria Passafaro, Silvia Gatti, José A. Esteban, Richard Huganir and Patrizia D’Adamo Mutations in the RAB39B gene, which encodes a protein involved in vesicular trafficking, are associated with intellectual disability, but the impact of RAB39B loss of function on synaptic activity is not known. Here the authors show that RAB39B interacts with PICK1, and that this interaction is critical for the translocation of AMPA receptor subunits into the Golgi. 18 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7504 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Neuroscience  De novo branching cascades for structural and functional diversity in small molecules Miguel Garcia-Castro, Lea Kremer, Christopher D. Reinkemeier, Christian Unkelbach, Carsten Strohmann, Slava Ziegler, Claude Ostermann and Kamal Kumar Generating diverse structures with a minimum amount of synthetic effort is an important goal for drug discovery. Here, the authors report a two-phase synthesis for the generation of skeletally diverse small molecules—forming molecular scaffolds and subsequently diversifying each into multiple structures. 18 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7516 Chemical Sciences  Chemical biology  Medicinal chemistry  Organic chemistry  RGS1 regulates myeloid cell accumulation in atherosclerosis and aortic aneurysm rupture through altered chemokine signalling OPEN Jyoti Patel, Eileen McNeill, Gillian Douglas, Ashley B. Hale, Joseph de Bono, Regent Lee, Asif J. Iqbal, Daniel Regan-Komito, Elena Stylianou, David R. Greaves and Keith M. Channon Vascular inflammation plays a key role in pathogenesis of major vascular diseases. Here the authors show that Regulator of G-Protein Signaling-1 (RGS1) controls macrophage function in the development of vascular inflammation that underlies atherosclerosis and abdominal aortic aneurysms in mice and humans. 18 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7614 Biological Sciences  Immunology  Medical research  Single-step deposition of high-mobility graphene at reduced temperatures D.A. Boyd, W.-H. Lin, C.-C. Hsu, M.L. Teague, C.-C. Chen, Y.-Y. Lo, W.-Y. Chan, W.-B. Su, T.-C. Cheng, C.-S. Chang, C.-I. Wu and N.-C. Yeh Current methods for depositing large-area, high-mobility graphene films are complicated by multiple processing steps and high temperatures. Here, the authors demonstrate a plasma chemistry that quickly produces high-mobility graphene on copper in a single step, at reduced temperatures (<420 °C). 18 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7620 Physical Sciences  Materials science  Nanotechnology  Soft network composite materials with deterministic and bio-inspired designs OPEN Kyung-In Jang, Ha Uk Chung, Sheng Xu, Chi Hwan Lee, Haiwen Luan, Jaewoong Jeong, Huanyu Cheng, Gwang-Tae Kim, Sang Youn Han, Jung Woo Lee, Jeonghyun Kim, Moongee Cho, Fuxing Miao, Yiyuan Yang, Han Na Jung, Matthew Flavin, Howard Liu, Gil Woo Kong, Ki Jun Yu, Sang Il Rhee et al. Soft biological composites have great potential in areas such as artificial tissue constructs and bio-integrated devices, but receive little attention. Here, the authors design soft biomimetic materials that can precisely reproduce the non-linear mechanics of relevant biological materials. 18 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7566 Physical Sciences  Applied physics  Bioengineering  Materials science  A PAX1 enhancer locus is associated with susceptibility to idiopathic scoliosis in females OPEN Swarkar Sharma, Douglas Londono, Walter L. Eckalbar, Xiaochong Gao, Dongping Zhang, Kristen Mauldin, Ikuyo Kou, Atsushi Takahashi, Morio Matsumoto, Nobuhiro Kamiya, Karl K. Murphy, Reuel Cornelia, null null, L. Karol, K. Rathjen, D. Sucato, J. Birch, C. Johnston, B. S. Richards, T. Milbrandt et al. Girls are tenfold more likely than boys to require surgical treatment for idiopathic scoliosis, a common paediatric skeletal disorder. Here, Sharma et al. identify the first sexually dimorphic idiopathic scoliosis risk locus, and demonstrate that it may play a role in the regulation of spinal cells. 18 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7452 Biological Sciences  Genetics  Molecular biology    Nature Communications JOBS of the week Postdoctoral Researcher John Innes Centre (JIC) Postdoc Fellow MD Anderson Cancer Center Senior Lecturer / Lecturer University of Glasgow Laboratory Technician University of Cambridge Research Assistant II The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) Postdoctoral Researcher University of Helsinki Postdoctoral Research Scientist The Babraham Institute Bioinformatics Analyst Yeshiva University Postdoc and Research Fellow University of Oslo Research Associate Cardiff University More Science jobs from Nature Communications EVENT Single Cell Analysis USA Congress 27.10.15 Boston, USA More science events from       Latest Corrigendum     Corrigendum: αB-crystallin interacts with and prevents stress-activated proteolysis of focal adhesion kinase by calpain in cardiomyocytes Michelle B.M. Pereira, Aline M. Santos, Danieli C. Gonçalves, Alisson C. Cardoso, Sílvio R. Consonni, Fabio C. Gozzo, Paulo S. Oliveira, Ana Helena M. Pereira, Alana R. Figueiredo, Ana O. Tiroli-Cepeda, Carlos H.I. Ramos, André A. de Thomaz, Carlos L. Cesar and Kleber G. Franchini 23 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7508 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Medical research        Latest Erratum     Erratum: Different thresholds of ZEB1 are required for Ras-mediated tumour initiation and metastasis Yongqing Liu, Xiaoqin Lu, Li Huang, Wei Wang, Guomin Jiang, Kevin C. Dean, Brian Clem, Sucheta Telang, Alfred B. Jenson, Miriam Cuatrecasas, Jason Chesney, Douglas S. Darling, Antonio Postigo and Douglas C. Dean 19 March 2015 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms7699 Biological Sciences  Cancer  Molecular biology      Advertisement Reach the widest possible audience in the shortest possible time Scientific Reports is the home for rapidly published, highly visible open access research. Multi-disciplinary in scope, we're open to all, publishing sound original research papers across the sciences without barriers to access. What can we do for your research?     Natureevents is a fully searchable, multi-disciplinary database designed to maximise exposure for events organisers. The contents of the Natureevents Directory are now live. The digital version is available here. Find the latest scientific conferences, courses, meetings and symposia on natureevents.com. For event advertising opportunities across the Nature Publishing Group portfolio please contact natureevents@nature.com  More Nature Events You have been sent this Table of Contents Alert because you have opted in to receive it. You can change or discontinue your e-mail alerts at any time, by modifying your preferences on your nature.com account at:www.nature.com/myaccount (You will need to log in to be recognised as a nature.com registrant) For further technical assistance, please contact our registration department For other enquiries, please contact our customer feedback department Nature Publishing Group | 75 Varick Street, 9th Floor | New York | NY 10013-1917 | USA Nature Publishing Group's worldwide offices: London - Paris - Munich - New Delhi - Tokyo - Melbourne San Diego - San Francisco - Washington - New York - Boston Macmillan Publishers Limited is a company incorporated in England and Wales under company number 785998 and whose registered office is located at Brunel Road, Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. © 2013 Nature Publishing Group, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited. All Rights Reserved.