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When 100 social and behavioural science claims were examined, 34% of reanalyses closely matched the original results, with 74% reaching the same conclusion, revealing limited robustness of single-path analyses and the need to address analytical uncertainty.

A large-scale study on the replicability of claims from social and behavioural science journals reports that about half of the results replicate in the same patterns as the original study.

A study of reproducibility in a stratified random sample of 600 papers published from 2009 to 2018 in 62 journals spanning the social and behavioural sciences finds higher reproducibility among more recent papers and papers from journals that require data sharing.

Snyder et al. analyze two population-based birth cohorts to test associations of newborn metabolite concentrations and childhood respiratory outcomes. C4, C10:1, C18:2, and citrulline are associated with early-life wheezing and asthma, with C18:2 specifically associated with increased non-allergic asthma risk.

Polygenic scores for body mass index and obesity constructed using data from 5 million people with different ancestries were associated with distinct weight gain trajectories from early childhood to adulthood.

A genome-wide association meta-analysis study of blood lipid levels in roughly 1.6 million individuals demonstrates the gain of power attained when diverse ancestries are included to improve fine-mapping and polygenic score generation, with gains in locus discovery related to sample size.

A single immunization with an adenovirus vector-based vaccine expressing a stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike protein induces protection against SARS-CoV-2-induced weight loss, pneumonia and mortality in hamsters.

Boson sampling using ultracold atoms in a two-dimensional, tunnel-coupled optical lattice is enabled by high-fidelity programmable control with optical tweezers of a large number of atoms trapped in an optical lattice.

Programming ultrafast, reversible motions at the micron scale in subcellular soft materials and active matter requires precise spatiotemporal control over molecular processes. Here, the authors investigate elastic cortical protein networks that assemble rapidly and demonstrate repeatable force generation that actuates using light-sensitive Ca2+ release.

A large genome-wide association study of more than 5 million individuals reveals that 12,111 single-nucleotide polymorphisms account for nearly all the heritability of height attributable to common genetic variants.

Reduced glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is a hallmark of chronic kidney disease. Here, Pattaro et al. conduct a meta-analysis to discover several new loci associated with variation in eGFR and find that genes associated with eGFR loci often encode proteins potentially related to kidney development.

A general theoretical technique is introduced to identify materials that host flat bands. Applying topological quantum chemistry provides the generating bases for these flat bands in all space groups.

This study reports on self-aggregating injectable microcrystals for administering long-acting drug implants via low-profile needles, a key factor in patient adoption. Microcrystal self-aggregation is engineered through a solvent exchange process to form depots with minimal polymer excipient, demonstrating enhanced long-term release of a model contraceptive drug in rodents.

Fine-mapping of causal variants and integration of epigenetic and chromatin conformation data identify likely target genes for 150 breast cancer risk regions.

An integrated data and sample repository for clinical, cellular and multi-omics research from diverse spaceflight missions known as Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA) is presented.

Genome-wide association analyses of intracranial and nine subcortical brain volumes in 74,898 participants of European ancestry identify 254 independent loci and yield polygenic scores accounting for brain variation across ancestries.

Caroline Fox and colleagues report results of a large genome-wide association meta-analysis and replication study for indices of renal function. Their work identifies 13 new loci associated with renal function and 7 loci associated with creatinine production and secretion.

Cell–cell communication pathways are dissected at the level of individual cells.

A genetic study identifies hundreds of loci associated with risk tolerance and risky behaviors, finds evidence of substantial shared genetic influences across these phenotypes, and implicates genes involved in neurotransmission.

A new technique that allows high-resolution in vivo imaging of myelinated fibers without the use of a fluorescent marker is described by Aaron Schain and colleagues. This label-free approach, which does not require histological or immunocytochemical staining, uses spectral confocal reflectance microscopy, can be performed on a conventional confocal microscope and can be used for deep-tissue transcranial imaging up to 400 μm deep, longitudinally tracking fine changes in axonal myelination. It has potential for the in vivo analysis of normal myelin development, as well as demyelinating diseases of the CNS and peripheral nervous system.

A remora-inspired mechanical underwater adhesive device adheres securely to a range of soft substrates and maintains performance under extreme pH and moisture conditions, with potential applications in biosensing and drug delivery.

High near-surface nitrogen-fixation rates that promoted the recent growth of the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt were tied to greater upwelling of phosphorus from the equatorial Atlantic, according to coral-bound nitrogen isotope records from the Caribbean.

Genome-wide analysis identifies variants associated with the volume of seven different subcortical brain regions defined by magnetic resonance imaging. Implicated genes are involved in neurodevelopmental and synaptic signaling pathways.

Joshua Bis, Christopher O'Donnell and colleagues report a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies from the CHARGE Consortium that identifies loci associated with carotid intima media thickness and plaque. These are established measures of subclinical atherosclerosis that predict future cardiovascular disease events.

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.

Genome-wide association and fine-mapping analyses in ancestrally diverse populations implicate candidate causal genes and mechanisms underlying type 2 diabetes. Trans-ancestry genetic risk scores enhance transferability across populations.

The protective efficacy of a single dose of adenovirus serotype 26 (Ad26) vector-based vaccine expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in non-human primates is demonstrated.

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.

Anna Köttgen and colleagues report genome-wide association studies for serum urate in over 140,000 individuals from the Global Urate Genetics Consortium (GUGC). They identify 18 loci newly associated with serum urate concentrations and confirm 10 known loci, characterize their associations with gout and include a network analysis suggesting a role for inhibins-activins pathways in regulating urate homeostasis.

Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and plaque are associated with subclinical atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease (CHD). Here, the authors identify and prioritize genetic loci for cIMT and plaque by GWAS and colocalization approaches and further demonstrate genetic correlation with CHD and stroke.

An analysis of fish and macroinvertebrate communities in European rivers over 32 years shows that inland ship traffic is associated with declining taxonomic richness, diversity and trait richness and with increased taxonomic evenness.

A systematic review including 574 studies extracts information about transmissibility, epidemiological delays and outbreaks for Zika virus disease at global scale.

The hippocampus in mammalian brain varies in size across individuals. Here, Hibar and colleagues perform a genome-wide association meta-analysis to find six genetic loci with significant association to hippocampus volume.

The architectural protein CTCF is a mediator of chromatin conformation, but how CTCF binding to DNA is regulated remains poorly understood. Here the authors find that there is a shared subset of CTCF-bound sites resistant to protein depletion in different cell lines, which are enriched at domain boundaries and chromatin loops constitutive to all cell types.

Synthesis of heterostructures of magnetic intercalation compounds in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) via directed topotactic reactions enables the creation of multi-component magnetic architectures, overcoming limitations of crystallographic incommensurability

Three-dimensional DNA origami constructs can be used to deliver vaccine antigens in a multi-valent form. Here the authors design a DNA origami system for SARS-CoV-2 proteins and characterize in mice the immune response and protective capacity of generated antibodies, finding that the construct itself is not immunogenic.

Iron oxides serve as both adsorbents and catalysts to generate inorganic phosphorus from organic phosphorus in environmental matrices. This abiotic dephosphorylation, which is comparable to enzymatic rates, is a missing piece in phosphorus cycling.

Functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity are expected to be positively correlated. Here the authors show that the covariation between these metrics in vascular plant communities around the world is often either inconsistent or negative.

In a GWAS study of 32,438 adults, the authors discovered five novel loci for intracranial volume and confirmed two known signals. Variants for intracranial volume were also related to childhood and adult cognitive function and to Parkinson's disease, and enriched near genes involved in growth pathways, including PI3K-AKT signaling.

White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are a common brain-imaging feature of cerebral small vessel disease. Here, the authors carry out a GWAS and followup analyses for WMH-volume, implicating several variants with potential for risk stratification and drug targeting.

In a large, partially prospective cohort of patients with molecularly profiled and clinically annotated meningioma, the extent of surgical resection and radiotherapy (RT) response correlate with molecular classification, which can be used in a molecular model to predict clinical outcomes in response to RT.

Older individuals exhibiting diminished function of the locus coeruleus while learning new information show faster cognitive decline that is typical for Alzheimer’s disease.

The recently-developed topological heavy fermion model explains the low energy electrons of magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene as a hybridization between states localized at AA stacking sites and itinerant topological states, denoted by f and c electrons in analogy to heavy fermion systems. Here, the authors extend this model to a nonzero magnetic field, obtaining interacting Hofstadter spectra in the flatband limit by analytic methods.

How do neural circuits evolve to encode new social behaviors? Here we show that in Drosophila santomea, females signal their sexual receptivity by spreading wings in response to male songs, and this recently originated social behavior evolved through the actualization of a pre-existing latent circuit.