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Multilayer composites of 2D nanomaterials manufactured using a layer-by-layer methodology demonstrates strong polarization rotation, mechanical robustness and operational temperatures as high as 250 °C, despite being nano-achiral and partially disordered.

In a context of increasing resistance of bacteria to current antibiotic treatment, authors present a newly identified bacterial target, with its inhibition leading to a reduction in bacterial load following infection by Gram negative bacteria, as well as a decrease in bacterial resistance to known antibiotics.

Authors explore an integron model to show that expression of a cassette is strongly determined by the identity of the cassette that precedes it.

In a multicenter, randomized trial, patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction who underwent a regimen of combined endurance and resistance exercise training over the course of 1 year did not show a statistically significant improvement in the modified Packer score—the primary efficacy endpoint—as compared to patients who received usual care, but they did show improvements in secondary endpoints for maximal oxygen consumption and NYHA heart failure class.

Bacterial symbionts of animals may contain antibiotics that are particularly suitable for development into therapeutics; one such compound, darobactin, is active against important Gram-negative pathogens both in vitro and in animal models of infection.

Transancestral GWAS meta-analysis in 160,420 individuals identifies 139 loci associated with refractive error, including myopia. Newly identified genes implicate pathways involved in eye growth and light signaling cascades.

Phylogenomic analysis of 7,923 angiosperm species using a standardized set of 353 nuclear genes produced an angiosperm tree of life dated with 200 fossil calibrations, providing key insights into evolutionary relationships and diversification.

Microscopic properties of fermion pairs can be probed with radio-frequency spectroscopy. But previous work was difficult to interpret due to strong final-state interactions, which were not well understood. A superfluid spin mixture in an ultracold atomic gas in which such interactions have negligible influence is realized, and it is found that the spectroscopic pair size is smaller than the inter-particle spacing. These are the smallest pairs yet observed for fermionic superfluids.

Pit2 is a secreted Ustilago maydis effector that contributes to corn smut disease by inhibiting papain-like cysteine proteases (PLCPs) in maize. Here Misas Villamil et al. show that Pit2 mimics PLCP substrates, and is cleaved to release a peptide that blocks PLCP activity and represses host immunity.

For synthetic fuels to aid in a transition towards cleaner transportation, they must fulfil criteria related to scalability, compatibility with existing infrastructure and environmental impacts. Here the authors show that hydroformylated Fischer–Tropsch fuels comprising optimized alkane–alcohol blends are promising candidates when judged by these metrics.

Decoy liposomes that bind and sequester bacterial exotoxins can be used to combat septicemia and infection.

Although progress in the coverage of routine measles vaccination in children in low- and middle-income countries was made during 2000–2019, many countries remain far from the goal of 80% coverage in all districts by 2019.

Fine-scale geospatial mapping of overweight and wasting (two components of the double burden of malnutrition) in 105 LMICs shows that overweight has increased from 5.2% in 2000 to 6.0% in children under 5 in 2017. Although overall wasting decreased over the same period, most countries are not on track to meet the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target of <5% in over half of LMICs by 2025.

Cortex morphology varies with age, cognitive function, and in neurological and psychiatric diseases. Here the authors report 160 genome-wide significant associations with thickness, surface area and volume of the total cortex and 34 cortical regions from a GWAS meta-analysis in 22,824 adults.

The heparan sulfate proteoglycan-binding cytokine APRIL has a protective role against atherosclerotic disease.

Antimicrobial peptides are considered promising alternatives to antibiotics. Here the authors developed a computational algorithm that starts with peptides naturally occurring in plants and optimizes this starting material to yield new variants which are highly distinct from the parent peptide.

Emelia Benjamin and colleagues report a meta-analysis of genome-wide association study data for atrial fibrillation, a condition associated with stroke and heart failure, in five European community-based cohorts of the CHARGE consortium. They report an association in ZFHX3 to atrial fibrillation, with replication in an independent cohort from the German AF Network.

Multicompartment micelles can be assembled from block copolymers but it is difficult to manipulate their hierarchical superstructures using straightforward concepts. Here, methods are developed that involve the pre-assembly of subunits for the structurally controlled production of micelles.

Self-assembly of diblock copolymers into useful nanostructures is well understood, unlike the solution self-assembly of triblock copolymers. Here, Müller and co-workers provide guidelines for the self-assembly of linear ABC triblock terpolymers into different multicompartment nanostructures.

Past genome-wide associate studies have identified hundreds of genetic loci that influence body size and shape when examined one trait at a time. Here, Jeff and colleagues develop an aggregate score of various body traits, and use meta-analysis to find new loci linked to body shape.

A randomized trial in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 showed no benefit and potentially increased harm associated with the use of convalescent plasma, with subgroup analyses suggesting that the antibody profile in donor plasma is critical in determining clinical outcomes.

Different polymers can be used in combination to produce coexisting nanoparticles of different symmetry and tailored to co-assemble into well-ordered binary and ternary hierarchical structures.

Lentil-shaped phospholipid vesicles are sensitive to shear stress, offering a new class of materials that can deliver drugs in response to rheological changes in the body.

Kari Stefansson and colleagues report genome-wide meta-analyses for association to smoking behaviors within the population cohorts of the ENGAGE consortium. They report three loci associated to cigarettes smoked per day.

Patrick Ellinor and colleagues report a genome-wide association study identifying variants in KCNN3 associated to lone atrial fibrillation.