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Laser wavelength conversion in integrated platforms requires nonlinear materials with low loss, but available materials are limited due to phase matching and fabrication constraints. The authors explore an amorphous mixture of tantala (Ta₂O₅) and titania (TiO₂), showing that film composition can be tailored to enhance performance and compatibility.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) onsets in COVID-19 patients with manifestations similar to Kawasaki disease (KD). Here the author probe the peripheral blood transcriptome of MIS-C patients to find signatures related to natural killer (NK) cell activation and CD8+ T cell exhaustion that are shared with KD patients.

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.

Feeding-relevant vagal signaling occurs between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain, but it is unclear if this pathway influences cognitive processes. This study shows that endogenous gastrointestinal derived vagal sensory signaling promotes hippocampal-dependent memory function via a multi-order brainstem–septal pathway.

An analysis of 24,202 critical cases of COVID-19 identifies potentially druggable targets in inflammatory signalling (JAK1), monocyte–macrophage activation and endothelial permeability (PDE4A), immunometabolism (SLC2A5 and AK5), and host factors required for viral entry and replication (TMPRSS2 and RAB2A).

Reutilizing end-of-life batteries with substantial remaining capacity is often constrained by insufficient and inconsistent data on their condition. This Perspective examines these data limitations and discusses how artificial intelligence methods can enable reliable diagnostics, prognostics and life-cycle decisions for reuse, recycling and remanufacturing.

A global network of researchers was formed to investigate the role of human genetics in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity; this paper reports 13 genome-wide significant loci and potentially actionable mechanisms in response to infection.

Using 63 globally distributed grassland and shrubland sites from the International Drought Experiment, this study identified plant traits linked to drought resistance after 1 year of extreme drought across growth forms, lifespans and climate.

High-energy diet triggers mild β cell proliferation to compensate for peripheral insulin resistance. Qi and colleagues show that TLR2 and TLR4 inhibit the diet-induced replication of β cells in mice and humans.

Whole-genome sequencing, transcriptome-wide association and fine-mapping analyses in over 7,000 individuals with critical COVID-19 are used to identify 16 independent variants that are associated with severe illness in COVID-19.

Immunometabolic cues surrounding implanted biomaterials govern the trafficking of subsets of neutrophils, monocytes and other immune cells, and determine the relative composition of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory immune cell populations.

Multiple computational approaches have been developed for the deconvolution of cells in the tumour microenvironment (TME) using bulk RNA-seq data. Here, the authors use breast cancer single-cell RNA-seq data to produce simulated bulk data, with which they compare the performance of nine TME deconvolution methods.

Mimicking the molecular architecture of channel-forming membrane proteins of a target microbe can be used to design host defence peptides that specifically target a particular pathogen, as shown here for Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

A small molecule that restores the integrity of the intestinal barrier provides a novel therapeutic strategy for inflammatory bowel diseases.

Human MEF2C haploinsufficiency results in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), but it is unclear if the same is true in mice. Here, the authors show that Mef2c ^+/− mice have behavioral defects and neuronal abnormalities similar to ASD, and symptoms can be ameliorated with the new drug, NitroSynapsin.

The response of prostate cancer cells to androgens depends on the dose. Here, the authors show that low levels of androgens function through androgen receptor (AR) monomers to activate mTOR and promote cell proliferation, while high dose androgens induce AR dimerization to inhibit c-MYC expression and facilitate cell differentiation.

A cyclobutane compound competitively inhibits the activity of androgen receptors (AR) containing antiandrogen-resistant mutations through stabilization of the receptor in an apo-like conformation and preventing AR nuclear entry.

Deficiency in Gnas, encoding the Gs protein α subunit, is sufficient to induce medulloblastoma in mice due to derepression of the Sonic hedgehog pathway.

A genomic and transcriptomic analysis of 2,754 childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemias identifies 376 putative driver genes, and associations between disease subtypes and prognosis.

Here, the authors present Paraphase, a HiFi-based informatics method that resolves highly similar genes located in segmental duplications. They apply Paraphase to 316 paralogous genes and summarize extensive genetic diversity across populations.

A large-scale genome-wide meta-analysis conducted across different platforms identifies genetic loci regulating levels of circulating metabolites.

Hundreds of genetic loci associated with age at menopause, combined with experimental evidence in mice, highlight mechanisms of reproductive ageing across the lifespan.

Siew et al. using multi-omic, physiological & imaging approaches have demonstrated that spaceflight causes kidney remodelling, suggesting a contribution to kidney stone formation, & that space radiation causes kidney damage & early signs of dysfunction.

A genome-wide association study of critically ill patients with COVID-19 identifies genetic signals that relate to important host antiviral defence mechanisms and mediators of inflammatory organ damage that may be targeted by repurposing drug treatments.

Stephanie London, Martin Tobin and colleagues report meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies for forced vital capacity (FVC), a spirometric measure of pulmonary function that reflects lung volume. They identify six regions newly associated with FVC and demonstrate that candidate genes at these loci are expressed in lung tissue and primary lung cells.

Enzymes in the cytidine diphosphate–ethanolamine metabolic pathway, which promotes de novo synthesis of phosphatidylethanolamine, are shown to act as post-transcriptional mediators of the differentiation of T follicular helper (T_FH) cells, by regulating the chemokine receptor CXCR5.

Environmental influences during prenatal development may have implications for health and disease later in life. Here, Czamara et al. assess DNA methylation in cord blood from new-born under various models including environmental and genetic effects individually and their additive or interaction effects.

Sepsis is a difficult to treat condition. Here, the authors present a telodendrimer nanotrap that captures inflammator mediators to improve survival in combination with antibiotic treatment.

The IGH@ proto-oncogene translocation is a known genomic driver in several blood cancers. Here, the authors show that IGH-DUX4 translocation occurs on the silenced IGH allele avoiding toxic high-level expression of DUX4 in B-ALL.