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In June 2022, the IXPE satellite observed a shock passing through the jet of active galaxy Markarian 421. The rotation of the X-ray-polarized radiation over a 5-day period revealed that the jet contains a helical magnetic field.

X-ray polarimetry observations with the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer constrain the accretion geometry in an X-ray pulsar and provide evidence for a misalignment of the spin, magnetic and orbital axes in Her X-1.

The accretion geometry of X-ray binary Cygnus X-3 is determined here from IXPE observations. X-ray polarization reveals a narrow funnel with reflecting walls, which focuses emission, making Cyg X-3 appear as an ultraluminous X-ray source.

X-ray polarization measurements of the Crab nebula and pulsar by the IXPE satellite reveal a global toroidal magnetic field with large variations in local polarization, suggesting a more complex turbulence distribution than anticipated.

Polarization measurements are reported for the blazar Mk501, revealing a degree of X-ray polarization that is more than twice the optical value and supporting the shock-accelerated energy-stratified electron population scenario.

Polarization can exceed 60% at the leading edge of the inner part of the Vela pulsar wind nebula; in contrast with the case of the supernova remnant, the electrons in the pulsar wind nebula are accelerated with little or no turbulence in a highly uniform magnetic field.

A study reports the measurement of the polarization degree and angle of X-rays from Sagittarius A^* reflected off a nearby cloud, indicating an X-ray flare about 200 years ago.

Chronic care manages long-term, progressive conditions, while acute care handles short-term ones. Here, authors show chronic conditions account for most of the global health burden, with 68% of DALYs and 93% of YLDs attributed to chronic care needs.

Chromatin condensation does not impede nucleosome sliding by ISWI remodelers. Notably, ATP energy is used not only for remodeling but also for enzyme mobility and to prevent solidification of chromatin. A ‘monkey-bar’ model rationalizes the findings.

Two highly charged disordered human proteins phase-separate into viscous complex coacervates while retaining their rapid conformational dynamics through pico- to nanosecond exchange of short-lived side-chain interactions.

The concept of chiral topological light—a polychromatic light with chiral closed 3D polarization trajectories, space-varying with the azimuthal angle—is introduced and used for efficient sensing in chiral molecules, showcasing an example of successful application of topological concepts in optics.

Understanding the mechanism of non-radiative losses in organic photovoltaics is crucial to improve the performance further. Here, the authors use combined device and spectroscopic data to reveal universal model to maximise exciton splitting and charge separation by adjusting the energy of charge transfer state.

The radial-velocity technique could detect a small gas giant orbiting a binary star and determine its mass: 65.2 ± 11.8 Earth masses. The system also hosts a smaller inner planet, making it one of the few known multiplanetary circumbinary systems.

Functionalizing antimicrobial peptides with fluorescent groups is a useful strategy for imaging infection, but the tag can alter the performance of the probe. Here, the authors report a spacer-free method to directly functionalise an amino acid with a fluorogenic group and prepare peptide-based imaging agents for fungal infection.

Microfluidic reprogramming of human somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem cells is rapid and highly efficient, enabling large-scale derivation from patient cells as well as seamless on-chip differentiation without cell expansion.

Laser-based lighting typically relies on wavelength conversion materials that reduce efficiency. The authors present a 3D boron nitride hollow-tube based foam structure that acts as a broadband diffuser with engineered disorder for conversionless white light generation from laser-diode light sources

A genome-wide study by the Long COVID Host Genetics Initiative identifies an association between the FOXP4 locus and long COVID, implicating altered lung function in its pathophysiology.

Shear plays a critical role in shaping the topology of liquid crystal director fields. This article investigates the bulk and interfacial shear-induced ordering of nematic liquid crystals flowing through microfluidic channels, using experiments supported by simulations.

Ruffieux, Hess and colleagues analyze longitudinal phenotyping of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 to show that covariation of innate immune cell numbers, kynurenine metabolites and lipid metabolites influence the restoration of homeostasis, the risk of death and that of long COVID.

Simulations can be used to accelerate the characterization and discovery of materials. Here we Review how electronic-structure methods such as density functional theory work, what properties they can be used to predict and how they can be used to design materials.

The combination of single-molecule fluorescence detection with Förster resonance energy transfer provides a powerful probe of biomolecular dynamics on timescales ranging from nanoseconds to days. This Review outlines single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer spectroscopy with a focus on dynamics and highlights future developments and enhanced capabilities.

Eamonn Sheridan, Elizabeth Ross and colleagues report discovery of a new megalencephaly syndrome caused by de novo missense mutations in CCND2. They show that these mutations lead to stabilization of cyclin D2, and they present evidence that cyclin D2 stabilization may be a common downstream mechanism in PI3K-AKT–associated megalencephaly syndromes.

This Review describes the effects of short sleep duration on cardiovascular health and diseases, and the authors discuss the main pathophysiological mechanisms involved, taking into account both experimental data and clinical evidence.

The millimetre image of the Centaurus A nucleus by the Event Horizon Telescope reveals a highly collimated, asymmetrically edge-brightened jet. The source’s event horizon shadow should be visible at terahertz frequencies, consistent with the universal scale invariance of black holes.