@misc{21442, author = {Schlögl, Alois}, keywords = {hypocampus, ca3 simulations, modelling}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{CA3Simu v1.06 (vargas2026v1)}}, doi = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-21442}, year = {2026}, } @article{21449, abstract = {Three-dimensional (3D) crystals offer a route to scaling up trapped-ion systems for quantum sensing and quantum simulation applications; however, engineering coherent spin-motion couplings and effective spin-spin interactions in large crystals poses technical challenges associated with decoherence and prolonged timescales to generate appreciable entanglement. Here, we explore the possibility of speeding up these interactions in 3D crystals via parametric amplification. For this purpose, we derive a general Hamiltonian for the parametric amplification of spin-motion coupling that is broadly applicable to normal modes with motion transverse to or along the spatial extent of the crystal. Unlike in lower-dimensional crystals, we find that the ability to faithfully (uniformly) amplify the spin-spin interactions in 3D crystals depends on the physical implementation of the spin-motion coupling. We consider the light-shift gate, and the so-called phase-insensitive and phase-sensitive Mølmer-Sørensen (MS) gates, and we find that only the phase-sensitive MS gate can be faithfully amplified in general 3D crystals. We discuss a situation where nonuniform amplification can be advantageous. We also reconsider the effect of counter-rotating terms on parametric amplification and find that they are not as detrimental as previous studies suggest.}, author = {Hawaldar, Samarth and Nikhil, N. and Rey, Ana Maria and Bollinger, John J. and Shankar, Athreya}, issn = {2331-7019}, journal = {Physical Review Applied}, number = {3}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Parametric amplification of spin-motion coupling in three-dimensional trapped-ion crystals}}, doi = {10.1103/h1m9-h3yw}, volume = {25}, year = {2026}, } @article{21450, abstract = {Stellar wind mass loss of massive stars is often assumed to depend on their metallicity Z. Therefore, evolutionary models predict that massive stars in lower-Z environments are able to retain more of their hydrogen-rich layers and evolve into brighter cool supergiants (cool SGs; Teff < 7 kK). Surprisingly, in galaxies in the metallicity range 0.2 ≲ Z/Z⊙ ≲ 1.5, previous studies have not found a metallicity dependence on the upper luminosity limit Lmax of cool SGs. Here, we add four galaxies to the sample studied for this purpose with data from the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Observations of the extremely metal-poor dwarf galaxy I Zw 18 from JWST allow us to extend the studied metallicity range down to Z/Z⊙ ≈ 1/40. For cool SGs in all studied galaxies, including I Zw 18, we find a constant value of Lmax ≈ 105.6 L⊙, similar to literature results for 0.2 ≲ Z/Z⊙ ≲ 1.5. In I Zw 18 and the other studied galaxies, the presence of Wolf-Rayet stars has been previously inferred. Although we cannot rule out that some of them become intermediate-temperature objects, this paints a picture in which evolved stars with L > 105.6 L⊙ burn helium as hot, helium-rich stars down to extremely low metallicity. We argue that metallicity-independent late-phase mass loss would be the most likely mechanism responsible for this. Regardless of the exact stripping mechanism (winds or, for example, binary interaction), for the Early Universe our results imply a limitation on black hole masses and a contribution of stars born with M ≳ 30 M⊙ to its surprisingly strong nitrogen enrichment. We propose a scenario in which single stars at low metallicity emit sufficiently hard ionizing radiation to produce He II and C IV lines. In this scenario, late-phase metallicity-independent mass loss produces hot, helium-rich stars. Due to the well-understood metallicity dependence on the radiation-driven winds of hot stars, a window of opportunity would open below 0.2 Z⊙, where self-stripped helium-rich stars can exist without dense Wolf-Rayet winds that absorb hard ionizing radiation.}, author = {Schootemeijer, Abel and Götberg, Ylva Louise Linsdotter and Langer, Norbert and Bortolini, Giacomo and Hirschauer, Alec S. and Patrick, Lee}, issn = {1432-0746}, journal = {Astronomy & Astrophysics}, publisher = {EDP Sciences}, title = {{A constant upper luminosity limit of cool supergiant stars down to the extremely low metallicity of I Zw 18}}, doi = {10.1051/0004-6361/202557675}, volume = {707}, year = {2026}, } @article{21451, abstract = {The population of the little red dots (LRDs) may represent a key phase of supermassive black hole (SMBH) growth. A cocoon of dense excited gas is emerging as a key component to explain the most striking properties of LRDs, such as strong Balmer breaks and Balmer absorption, as well as the weak IR emission. To dissect the structure of LRDs, we analyzed new deep JWST/NIRSpec PRISM and G395H spectra of FRESCO-GN-9771, one of the most luminous known LRDs at z = 5.5. These spectra reveal a strong Balmer break, broad Balmer lines, and very narrow [O III] emission. We revealed a forest of optical [Fe II] lines, which we argue are emerging from a dense (nH = 109 − 10 cm−3) warm layer with electron temperature Te ≈ 7000 K. The broad wings of Hα and Hβ have an exponential profile due to electron scattering in this same layer. The high Hα : Hβ : Hγ flux ratio of ≈10.4 : 1 : 0.14 is an indicator of collisional excitation and resonant scattering dominating the Balmer line emission. A narrow Hγ component, unseen in the other two Balmer lines due to outshining by the broad components, could trace the ISM of a normal host galaxy with a star formation rate of ∼5 M⊙ yr−1. The warm layer is mostly opaque to Balmer transitions, producing a characteristic P Cygni profile in the line centers suggesting outflowing motions. This same layer is responsible for shaping the Balmer break. The broadband spectrum can be reasonably matched by a simple photoionized slab model that dominates the λ > 1500 Å continuum and a low-mass (∼108 M⊙) galaxy that could explain the narrow [O III], with only a subdominant contribution to the UV continuum. Our findings indicate that Balmer lines are not directly tracing the gas kinematics near the SMBH and that the BH mass scale is likely much lower than virial indicators suggest.}, author = {Torralba Torregrosa, Alberto and Matthee, Jorryt J and Pezzulli, Gabriele and Naidu, Rohan P. and Ishikawa, Yuzo and Brammer, Gabriel B. and Chang, Seok Jun and Chisholm, John and De Graaff, Anna and D’Eugenio, Francesco and Di Cesare, Claudia and Eilers, Anna Christina and Greene, Jenny E. and Gronke, Max and Iani, Edoardo and Kokorev, Vasily and Kotiwale, Gauri and Kramarenko, Ivan and Ma, Yilun and Mascia, Sara and Navarrete, Benjamín and Nelson, Erica and Oesch, Pascal and Simcoe, Robert A. and Wuyts, Stijn}, issn = {1432-0746}, journal = {Astronomy & Astrophysics}, publisher = {EDP Sciences}, title = {{The warm outer layer of a little red dot as the source of [Fe ii] and collisional Balmer lines with scattering wings}}, doi = {10.1051/0004-6361/202557537}, volume = {707}, year = {2026}, } @article{21452, abstract = {Galaxies exhibit a tight correlation between their star formation rate (SFR) and stellar mass over a wide redshift range known as the star-forming main sequence (SFMS). With JWST, the SFMS can now be investigated at high redshifts down to masses of ∼106 M⊙, using sensitive star formation rate tracers such as the Hα emission, which allow us to probe the variability in the star formation histories. We present inferences of the SFMS based on 316 Hα-selected galaxies at z ∼ 4 − 5 with log(M★/M⊙) = 6.4 − 10.6. These galaxies were identified behind the Abell 2744 lensing cluster with NIRCam grism spectroscopy from the survey All the Little Things (ALT). At face value, our data suggest a shallow slope in the SFMS (SFR ∝ M★α, with α = 0.45). After we corrected this for the Hα-flux limited nature of our survey using a Bayesian framework, the slope steepened to α = 0.59+0.10−0.09, whereas current data on their own are inconclusive on the mass dependence of the scatter. These slopes differ significantly from the slope of ∼1 that is expected from the observed evolution of the galaxy stellar mass function and from simulations. When we fixed the slope to α = 1, we found evidence for a decreasing intrinsic scatter with stellar mass (from ∼0.5 dex at M★ = 108 M⊙ to 0.4 dex at M★ = 1010 M⊙). This difference might be explained by a (combination of) luminosity-dependent SFR(Hα) calibration, a population of (mini)-quenched low-mass galaxies, or underestimated dust attenuation in high-mass galaxies. Future deep observations with different facilities can quantify these processes, which will enable us to achieve better insights into the variability of the star formation histories.}, author = {Di Cesare, Claudia and Matthee, Jorryt J and Naidu, Rohan P. and Torralba, Alberto and Kotiwale, Gauri and Kramarenko, Ivan and Blaizot, Jeremy and Rosdahl, Joakim and Leja, Joel and Iani, Edoardo and Adamo, Angela and Covelo-Paz, Alba and Furtak, Lukas J. and Heintz, Kasper E. and Mascia, Sara and Navarrete, Benjamín and Oesch, Pascal A. and Romano, Michael and Shivaei, Irene and Tacchella, Sandro}, issn = {1432-0746}, journal = {Astronomy & Astrophysics}, publisher = {EDP Sciences}, title = {{The slope and scatter of the star-forming main sequence at z ∼ 5: Reconciling observations with simulations}}, doi = {10.1051/0004-6361/202557790}, volume = {707}, year = {2026}, } @article{21453, abstract = {1. Collective behaviours are a fascinating study area due to the emergent properties that can only arise in groups of interacting individuals. However, their quantitative study is often impaired by technical difficulties, creating either low-quality and sparse data or impractical data amounts, particularly when capturing large groups over long periods of time. Common challenges arise from recording group members with as little obscuring of each other as possible, as well as in generating manageable data amounts with as high as possible information content. 2. We here provide a multicomponent system that allows to record, analyse and simulate the long-term spatiotemporal activity patterns of insect collectives, especially ant colonies. Our Ant Observing System, ALTAA, comprises a flat-nest design to prevent occlusion of individuals, a recording system running on a low-power single-board-computer, and a set of computer programmes performing quantitative analyses to guide the formation and validation of rules underlying the observed collective patterns. Our system is scalable in that it allows parallel, continuous observation of a high number of colonies using low memory space, with colony maintenance requirements (e.g. feeding, nest humidity) being achieved at lowest possible disturbance by the experimenter. 3. We showcase the potential of the system in a study using the black garden ant, Lasius niger, where we analyse the spatiotemporal effects of different group sizes (1, 6, 10 ants), brood (larvae) presence or absence, as well as of different nest geometries, over a period of 1 week. We show that the ants' motion activity has a weak periodicity in the range of 20 to 120 min promoted by larval presence, and that ants are spatially attracted to their larvae, the water source and the walls. We also find that the presence of nestmates lowers an individual ant's motion activity. Observed data are compared to simulations of the temporal activity of the ants. 4. ALTAA provides a powerful toolkit to quantify and interpret spatial and temporal collective activity patterns in (social) insects over extended periods.}, author = {Oh, Jinook and Cremer, Sylvia}, issn = {2041-210X}, journal = {Methods in Ecology and Evolution}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{ALTAA: Analysis of long-term activity patterns in ant colonies}}, doi = {10.1111/2041-210x.70277}, year = {2026}, } @article{21454, abstract = {This study examines the distribution, growth, and GLOF hazard of glacial lakes across major Himalayan river basins. Basin-wise GLOF susceptibility was assessed using glacial lake abundance, spatial distribution, and rates of lake area expansion. The Kosi, Yarlung Zangbo, Manas, and Upper Indus basins were identified as the most susceptible and classified as critical. The highest rates of lake size increase were observed in the Kosi Basin, followed by Yarlung Zangbo, Manas, Karnali, Upper Indus, and Tista, indicating their potential as future GLOF-prone regions. Moreover, a Himalayan-scale GLOF hazard map was generated integrating population, hydropower infrastructure, potential flood volume, roads, settlements, and railways revealing high hazard levels in the Chenab, Jhelum, Teesta, and Beas basins in India; the Koshi, Tama-Koshi, and Dudh-Koshi basins in Nepal; and the Kuri Chu sub-basin of the Manas Basin in Bhutan. These findings highlight priority regions where detailed field investigations and hydrodynamic modelling are essential before further infrastructure development.}, author = {Mohanty, Litan and Gantayat, Prateek}, issn = {1947-5713}, journal = {Geomatics Natural Hazards and Risk}, number = {1}, publisher = {Taylor & Francis}, title = {{Comprehensive assessment of Himalayan glacial lakes concerning their distribution, dynamics, and hazard potential}}, doi = {10.1080/19475705.2026.2639085}, volume = {17}, year = {2026}, } @article{21469, abstract = {Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy is a powerful probe of low-energy excitations in complex materials. Extending it into the nonlinear regime broadens its scope and can provide valuable insight into interactions among these modes. However, interpreting nonlinear spectra is challenging because resonant features in this case do not always reflect intrinsic material dynamics. Here, we study nonlinear THz-induced Kerr effect in a generic material LaAlO3. After detailed analysis of temporal oscillations of the Kerr signal, we identify an 𝐸𝑔 Raman mode at 1.1 THz excited through a two-photon process, while two additional peaks (0.86 and 0.36 THz) arise from phase matching of the near-infrared probe beam with co- and counterpropagating THz pump fields, mediated by off-resonant electronic hyperpolarizability. These results demonstrate the crucial role of kinematic effects in shaping THz-induced Kerr response and establish a framework for interpreting nonlinear spectroscopies in complex materials.}, author = {Shen, Chao and Frenzel, Maximilian and Maehrlein, Sebastian F. and Alpichshev, Zhanybek}, issn = {1079-7114}, journal = {Physical Review Letters}, number = {10}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Disentangling electronic and ionic nonlinear polarization effects in bulk THz Kerr response}}, doi = {10.1103/1c5k-9z82}, volume = {136}, year = {2026}, } @article{21470, abstract = {Despite its pivotal role in optical manipulation, high capacity communications, and quantum information, a general measure of orbital angular momentum (OAM) in structured light remains elusive. In optical fields, where multiple vortices coexist, the local nature of vortex OAM and the absence of a common rotation axis make the total OAM of the field difficult to quantify. Here, we introduce the R index—a metric that captures the intrinsic OAM content of any structured optical field, from pure Laguerre–Gaussian modes to arbitrary multi vortex superpositions. Not only does this metric quantify the total OAM, it also assesses field purity, providing insight into the fidelity and robustness of the OAM generation. By unifying OAM characterization into a single figure of merit, the R index enables direct comparison across diverse beam profiles and facilitates the identification of optimal configurations for both foundational studies and applied technologies.}, author = {Bahl, Monika and Koutentakis, Georgios and Maslov, Mikhail and Jungnickel, Tom and Gaßen, Timo and Lemeshko, Mikhail and Heckl, Oliver H.}, issn = {2515-7647}, journal = {Journal of Physics: Photonics}, number = {1}, publisher = {IOP Publishing}, title = {{The R-index: A universal metric for evaluating OAM content and mode purity in optical fields}}, doi = {10.1088/2515-7647/ae3506}, volume = {8}, year = {2026}, } @article{21471, author = {Backlund, Sofia Maria and Stankowski, Sean and Soler Schaller, Rosina Matilde}, issn = {1537-2197}, journal = {American Journal of Botany}, number = {3}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Seeds as space-time travelers: How does evolution balance the joint benefits and trade-offs of dormancy and dispersal?}}, doi = {10.1002/ajb2.70175}, volume = {113}, year = {2026}, } @article{21472, abstract = {We study the ground state energy of a gas of spin 1/2 fermions with repulsive short-range interactions. We derive an upper bound that agrees, at low density e, with the Huang–Yang conjecture. The latter captures the first three terms in an asymptotic low-density expansion, and in particular the Huang–Yang correction term of order e^7/3. Our trial state is constructed using an adaptation of the bosonic Bogoliubov theory to the Fermi system, where the correlation structure of fermionic particles is incorporated by quasi-bosonic Bogoliubov transformations. In the latter, it is important to consider a modified zero-energy scattering equation that takes into account the presence of the Fermi sea, in the spirit of the Bethe–Goldstone equation.}, author = {Giacomelli, Emanuela L. and Hainzl, Christian and Nam, Phan Thành and Seiringer, Robert}, issn = {1097-0312}, journal = {Communications on Pure and Applied Mathematics}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{The Huang–Yang formula for the low-density Fermi gas: Upper bound}}, doi = {10.1002/cpa.70040}, year = {2026}, } @article{21473, abstract = {Physical exercise acutely improves hippocampus-dependent memory. Whereas animal studies have offered cellular- and synaptic-level accounts of these effects, human neuroimaging studies show that exercise improves hippocampal-cortical connectivity at the macroscale level. However, the neurophysiological basis of exercise-induced effects on hippocampal-cortical circuits remains unknown. Experimental evidence supports the idea that hippocampal sharp wave-ripples (SWR) play a critical role in learning and memory. Coupling between SWRs in the hippocampus and neocortex may reflect modulations in inter-regional connectivity required by mnemonic processes. Here, we examine the hypothesis that exercise modulates hippocampal-cortical ripple dynamics in the human brain. We performed intracranial recordings in epilepsy patients undergoing pre-surgical evaluation, during awake resting state, before and after an exercise session. Exercise increased ripple rate in the hippocampus. Exercise also enhanced the coupling and phase-synchrony between cortical ripples in the limbic and the default mode (DM) cortical networks and hippocampal SWRs. Further, a higher heart rate during exercise, reflecting exercise intensity, was related to a subsequent increase in resting state ripples across specific cortical networks, including the DM network. These results offer the first direct evidence that a single exercise session elicits changes in ripple events, a well-established neurophysiological marker of mnemonic processing. The characterisation and anatomical distribution of the described modulation points to hippocampal ripples as a potential mechanism by which exercise elicits its reported short-term effects in cognition.}, author = {Cardenas, Araceli R. and Ramirez Villegas, Juan F and Kovach, Christopher K. and Gander, Phillip E. and Cole, Rachel C. and Grossbach, Andrew J. and Kawasaki, Hiroto and Greenlee, Jeremy D.W. and Howard, Matthew A. and Nourski, Kirill V. and Banks, Matthew I. and Voss, Michelle W.}, issn = {2632-1297}, journal = {Brain Communications}, number = {2}, publisher = {Oxford University Press}, title = {{Exercise enhances hippocampal-cortical ripple interactions in the human brain}}, doi = {10.1093/braincomms/fcag041}, volume = {8}, year = {2026}, } @article{21480, abstract = {We present and test a protocol to learn the matrix-product operator (MPO) representation of an experimentally prepared quantum state. The protocol takes as input classical shadows corresponding to local randomized measurements, and outputs the tensors of an MPO maximizing a suitably defined fidelity with the experimental state. The tensor optimization is carried out sequentially, similarly to the well-known density matrix renormalization group algorithm. Our approach is provably efficient under certain technical conditions expected to be met in short-range correlated states and in typical noisy experimental settings. Under the same conditions, we also provide an efficient scheme to estimate fidelities between the learned and the experimental states. We experimentally demonstrate our protocol by learning entangled quantum states of up to N = 96 qubits in a superconducting quantum processor. Our method upgrades classical shadows to large-scale quantum computation and simulation experiments.}, author = {Votto, Matteo and Ljubotina, Marko and Lancien, Cécilia and Cirac, J. Ignacio and Zoller, Peter and Serbyn, Maksym and Piroli, Lorenzo and Vermersch, Benoît}, issn = {1079-7114}, journal = {Physical Review Letters}, number = {9}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Learning mixed quantum states in large-scale experiments}}, doi = {10.1103/rbg2-f61m}, volume = {136}, year = {2026}, } @article{21481, abstract = {The Hα emission line in galaxies is a powerful tracer of their recent star formation activity. With the advent of JWST, we are now able to routinely observe Hα in galaxies at high redshift (z ≳ 3) and thus measure their star formation rates (SFRs). However, using classical SFR(Hα) calibrations to derive the SFRs leads to biased results because high-redshift galaxies are commonly characterized by low metallicities and bursty star formation histories, affecting the conversion factor between the Hα luminosity (LHα) and the SFR. We developed a set of new SFR(Hα) calibrations that allowed us to predict the SFRs of Hα-emitters at z ≳ 3 with very little error. We used the SPHINX cosmological simulations to select a sample of star-forming galaxies representative of the Hα-emitter population observed with JWST. We then derived linear corrections to the classical SFR(Hα) calibrations that took variations in the physical properties (e.g., stellar metallicities) among individual galaxies into account. We obtained two new SFR(Hα) calibrations that compared to the classical calibrations reduce the root mean squared error (RMSE) in the predicted SFRs by ΔRMSE ≈ 0.04 dex and ΔRMSE ≈ 0.06 dex, respectively. Using the recent JWST NIRCam/grism observations of Hα-emitters at z ∼ 6, we show that the new calibrations affect the high-redshift galaxy population statistics: (i) the estimated cosmic SFR density decreases by ΔρSFR ≈ 12%, and (ii) the observed slope of the star formation main sequence increases by Δ∂logSFR/∂logM★ = 0.08 ± 0.02.}, author = {Kramarenko, Ivan and Rosdahl, J. and Blaizot, J. and Matthee, Jorryt J and Katz, H. and Di Cesare, Claudia}, issn = {1432-0746}, journal = {Astronomy & Astrophysics}, publisher = {EDP Sciences}, title = {{H α as a tracer of star formation in the SPHINX cosmological simulations}}, doi = {10.1051/0004-6361/202557114}, volume = {707}, year = {2026}, } @article{21482, abstract = {Controlling the size and shape of assembled structures is a fundamental challenge in self-assembly and is highly relevant in material design and biology. Here, we show that specific but promiscuous short-range binding interactions make it possible to economically assemble linear filaments of user-defined length. Our approach leads to independent control over the mean and width of the filament size distribution and allows us to smoothly explore design trade-offs between assembly quality (spread in size) and cost (number of particle species). We employ a simple hierarchical assembly protocol to minimize assembly times and show that multiple stages of hierarchy make it possible to extend our approach to the assembly of higher-dimensional structures. Our work provides a conceptually simple solution to size control that is applicable to a broad range of systems, from DNA nanoparticles to supramolecular polymers and beyond.}, author = {Hübl, Maximilian and Goodrich, Carl Peter}, issn = {2643-1564}, journal = {Physical Review Research}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Entropic size control of self-assembled filaments}}, doi = {10.1103/68rs-3qgn}, volume = {8}, year = {2026}, } @article{21483, abstract = {Embryogenesis in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana provides a framework for understanding how cell polarity and patterning coordinate with hormonal signalling to establish the plant body plan. Following fertilisation, the zygote divides asymmetrically to generate apical and basal lineages, establishing the apical–basal axis that defines future shoot and root poles. Genetic and molecular analyses of classical mutants including gnom, monopteros (mp), bodenlos (bdl) and topless revealed that localised auxin biosynthesis, directional transport and downstream transcriptional responses are central to apical–basal axis establishment and organ initiation. The main components of this regulation are polarly localised PIN auxin transporters and downstream modules involving MONOPTEROS and WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX transcription factors. Advances in microscopy have transformed the study of Arabidopsis embryogenesis: fluorescence-compatible clearing reagents and three-dimensional reconstructions now permit quantitative analyses of cell geometry, division orientation, and cytoskeletal dynamics. Live ovule imaging setups with confocal laser scanning and multiphoton microscopes enable real-time observation of embryo development, while laser-assisted cell ablation can be used to probe cell-to-cell communication and fate plasticity. Together, these methodological breakthroughs position Arabidopsis embryos as a prime model for dissecting the chemical and biophysical cues that shape plant development.}, author = {Babic, David and Zupunski, Milan and Friml, Jiří}, issn = {1469-8137}, journal = {New Phytologist}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Imaging and genetic toolbox to study Arabidopsis embryogenesis}}, doi = {10.1111/nph.71072}, year = {2026}, } @article{21484, abstract = {An individual's phenotype reflects a complex interplay of the direct effects of their DNA, epigenetic modifications of their DNA induced by their parents, and indirect effects of their parents' DNA. Here, we derive how the genetic variance within a population is changed under the influence of indirect maternal, paternal and parent-of-origin effects under random mating. We also consider indirect effects of a sibling, in particular how the genetic variance is altered when looking at the phenotypic difference between two siblings. The calculations are then extended to include assortative mating (AM), which alters the variance by inducing increased homozygosity and correlations within and across loci. AM likely leads to covariance of parental genetic effects, a measure of the similarity of parents in the indirect effects they have on their children. We propose that this assortment for parental characteristics, where biological parents create similar environments for their children, can create shared parental effects across traits and the appearance of cross-trait AM. Our theory shows how the resemblance among relatives increases under both AM, indirect and parent-of-origin effects. When our model is used to predict correlations among relatives in human height, we find that explaining the patterns observed in real data requires both indirect genetic effects and assortative mating. The degree to which direct, indirect and epigenetic effects shape the phenotypic variance of complex traits remains an open question that requires large-scale family data to be resolved.}, author = {Krätschmer, Ilse and Robinson, Matthew Richard}, issn = {1943-2631}, journal = {Genetics}, publisher = {Oxford University Press}, title = {{A quantitative genetic model for indirect genetic effects and genomic imprinting under random and assortative mating}}, doi = {10.1093/genetics/iyag042}, year = {2026}, } @article{21485, abstract = {Insulating oxides are among the most abundant solid materials in the universe1,2,3. Of the many ways in which they influence natural phenomena, perhaps the most consequential is their capacity to transfer electrical charge during contact4,5,6,7,8,9,10—which occurs even between samples of the same oxide—yet the symmetry-breaking parameter that causes this remains unidentified11,12. Here we show that adventitious carbonaceous molecules adsorbed from the environment are the symmetry-breaking factor in same-material oxide contact electrification (CE). We use acoustic levitation to measure charge exchange between a sphere and a plate composed of identical amorphous silicon dioxide (SiO2). Although charging polarity is random for co-prepared samples, we control it with baking or plasma treatment. Observing the charge-exchange relaxation afterwards, we see dynamics over a timescale of hours and connect this directly to the presence of adventitious carbon with time-of-flight mass spectrometry, low-energy ion scattering and infrared spectroscopy. Going further, we confirm that adventitious carbon can even determine charge exchange among different oxides. Our results identify the symmetry-breaking parameter that causes insulating oxides to exchange charge in settings ranging from desert sands4 to volcanic plumes5,6, while simultaneously highlighting an overlooked factor in CE more broadly.}, author = {Grosjean, Galien M and Ostermann, Markus and Sauer, Markus and Hahn, Michael and Pichler, Christian M. and Fahrnberger, Florian and Pertl, Felix and Balazs, Daniel and Link, Mason M. and Kim, Seong H. and Schrader, Devin L. and Blanco, Adriana and Gracia, Francisco and Mujica, Nicolás and Waitukaitis, Scott R}, issn = {1476-4687}, journal = {Nature}, number = {8106}, pages = {626--631}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Adventitious carbon breaks symmetry in oxide contact electrification}}, doi = {10.1038/s41586-025-10088-w}, volume = {651}, year = {2026}, } @article{21486, abstract = {Sex-chromosome systems are highly variable across animals, but how they transition from one to another is not well understood. Diptera have undergone multiple sex-chromosome turnovers and expansions while maintaining their general chromosomal content, which makes them an ideal clade to study such transitions. We analyzed more than 100 dipteran whole-genome assemblies and identified 4 new lineages that underwent sex-chromosome turnover (in addition to the 5 previously reported). We find that the majority of turnovers happened in the group Schizophora, which tend to have fewer genes on Muller element F (the chromosome homologous to the ancestral insect X chromosome) than lower dipterans, a factor previously hypothesized to facilitate turnover. Most derived X chromosomes have higher GC content than autosomes, consistent with a high prevalence of male achiasmy in Diptera. In addition, an excess of gene movement out of the X is detected for most of these new X chromosomes, and many of these moved genes have high testis expression in Drosophila, suggesting that out-of-X gene movement contributes to the long-term demasculinization of X chromosomes.}, author = {Layana Franco, Lorena Alexandra and Toups, Melissa A and Vicoso, Beatriz}, issn = {2056-3744}, journal = {Evolution Letters}, publisher = {Oxford University Press}, title = {{Causes and consequences of sex-chromosome turnovers in Diptera}}, doi = {10.1093/evlett/qrag003}, year = {2026}, } @article{21488, abstract = {Human height is a model for the genetic analysis of complex traits, and recent studies suggest the presence of thousands of common genetic variant associations and hundreds of low-frequency/rare variants. Here, we develop a new algorithmic paradigm based on approximate message passing (genomic vector approximate message passing [gVAMP]) for identifying DNA sequence variants associated with complex traits and common diseases in large-scale whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data. We show that gVAMP accurately localizes associations to variants with the correct frequency and position in the DNA, outperforming existing fine-mapping methods in selecting the appropriate genetic variants within WGS data. We then apply gVAMP to jointly model the relationship of tens of millions of WGS variants with human height in hundreds of thousands of UK Biobank individuals. We identify 59 rare variants and gene burden scores alongside many hundreds of DNA regions containing common variant associations and show that understanding the genetic basis of complex traits will require the joint analysis of hundreds of millions of variables measured on millions of people. The polygenic risk scores obtained from gVAMP have high accuracy (including a prediction accuracy of ∼46% for human height) and outperform current methods for downstream tasks such as mixed linear model association testing across 13 UK Biobank traits. In conclusion, gVAMP offers a scalable foundation for a wider range of analyses in WGS data.}, author = {Depope, Al and Bajzik, Jakub and Mondelli, Marco and Robinson, Matthew Richard}, issn = {2666-979X}, journal = {Cell Genomics}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Joint modeling of whole-genome sequencing data for human height via approximate message passing}}, doi = {10.1016/j.xgen.2026.101162}, year = {2026}, }