Marnix van der Kolk

Nature Reviews Chemistry, Published online: 12 January 2024; doi:10.1038/s41570-023-00571-1

The European BorderSens project leverages voltammetric sensors, developed with end-users’ input, to rapidly and accurately detect illicit drugs. By embracing practicalities and validation, this technology has the potential to combat the illicit drug problem.

We report seasonal and individual variations in urinary creatinine levels in Eastern Bent-winged Bats in Korea. Our findings suggest a link between water stress and winter arousal, as well as an influence of the surface-to-volume ratio on urinary creatinine levels.

Nature, Published online: 05 January 2024; doi:10.1038/d41586-024-00012-z

Military veterans with cognitive and psychological problems saw drastic improvements after a dose of ibogaine.

We report here a new method to make polyketones from the coupling of diketones and diols using a manganese pincer complex. The methodology allows us to access a new type of polyketone (polyarylalkylketone) containing aryl, alkyl, and ether functionalities bridging the gap between the two classes of commercially available polyketones – aliphatic polyketones and polyaryletherketones. Using this methodology, twelve new polyketones have been synthesized and characterised using various analytical techniques to understand their chemical, physical, morphological, and mechanical properties. Based on previous reports and our studies, we suggest that the polymerization occurs via a hydrogen-borrowing mechanism that involves the dehydrogenation of diols to dialdehyde followed by aldol condensation of dialdehyde with diketones to form chalcone derivatives and their subsequent hydrogenation to form polyarylalkylketones.

While mental health memes typically depict dark and negative humour, their proximal nature to those experiencing psychiatric symptoms may be considered contextually positive. Our work evaluates the potential of internet memes as a coping mechanism for those experiencing psychiatric distress.