@article{21750, abstract = {Liquid-like superionic conductors, with highly mobile ions in a rigid framework, offer intrinsically low lattice thermal conductivity without compromising electronic transport. Argyrodite-type Ag8SnSe6 exhibits a melt-like Ag sublattice that drives lattice thermal conductivity (κL) below 0.2 watts per meter per kelvin, yet its low carrier concentration limits the power factor. Here, interstitial Ag atoms raise the Fermi level into the conduction band, substantially increasing the electron concentration. Simultaneously, the formation of a secondary Ag2Se phase generates lattice distortions that enhance phonon scattering. A pronounced mismatch between electronic (~200 nanometers) and phononic (~0.22 nanometers) mean free paths decouples charge and heat transport, enabling concurrent suppression of κL and retention of high electrical conductivity. This coupled electronic-phononic modulation yields a record ZT of 0.72 at ambient temperature and a peak ZT of 1.1 at 735 kelvins, with an average ZTavg of 0.72 over 320 to 735 kelvins. A unicouple device achieves 6.3% efficiency under a 357-kelvin gradient, highlighting a practical strategy for high-performance midtemperature thermoelectrics.}, author = {Li, Mengyao and Zhao, Xueke and Zhang, Yu and Yu, Jing and Liu, Xuyang and Jia, Mochen and Song, Hongzhang and Wang, Dongyang and Arbiol, Jordi and Ibáñez, Maria and Shan, Chongxin and Cabot, Andreu and Wang, Ziyu}, issn = {2375-2548}, journal = {Science Advances}, number = {15}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Electronic-phononic decoupling and Fermi-level tuning enable high thermoelectric performance in Ag8SnSe6}}, doi = {10.1126/sciadv.aec9073}, volume = {12}, year = {2026}, } @article{21751, abstract = {We define a certain class of simple varieties over a field k by a constructive recipe and show how to control their (equivariant) truncating invariants. Consequently, we prove that on simple varieties: (i) if k = k and char k = p, the p-adic cyclotomic trace is an equivalence; (ii) if k = Q, the Goodwillie–Jones trace is an isomorphism in degree zero; (iii) we can control homotopy invariant K-theory KH, which is equivariantly formal and determined by its topological counterparts. Simple varieties are quite special, but encompass important singular examples appearing in geometric representation theory. We, in particular, show that both finite and affine Schubert varieties for GLn lie in this class, so all the above results hold for them. }, author = {Löwit, Jakub}, issn = {1687-0247}, journal = {International Mathematics Research Notices}, number = {7}, publisher = {Oxford University Press}, title = {{Equivariant localizing invariants of simple varieties}}, doi = {10.1093/imrn/rnag058}, volume = {2026}, year = {2026}, } @article{21752, abstract = {Epithelial tissues function as multicellular communities that preserve tissue integrity while adapting to diverse environmental stresses by altering cell behaviors. A striking manifestation of such adaptability is cell plasticity, the ability of differentiated cells to revert to stem-like states or adopt alternative fates. Once considered rare and confined to highly regenerative species, cell plasticity is now recognized across the metazoan tree. In early-branching animals such as sponges and cnidarians, transdifferentiation and dedifferentiation are integral to life-cycle transitions and regeneration, whereas in more complex organisms, these processes typically emerge under stress, including stem cell loss or environmental perturbations. Here, we examine epithelial cell plasticity through evolutionary, cellular, and molecular perspectives. Focusing on the intestinal epithelium, we explore findings from mammalian and Drosophila models showing that progenitors and even terminally differentiated cells can dedifferentiate in response to external stimuli that disrupt homeostasis, such as pathogen infection and nutrient fluctuations. We further discuss conserved mechanisms involving intercellular signaling (e.g., Notch, EGFR, and JAK-STAT) and chromatin states primed for reprogramming, modulated by metabolic cues. Together, these insights position cell plasticity as an ancient environmental adaptation strategy, shaped by conserved molecular toolkits and refined by species- and cell lineage-specific innovations.}, author = {Nagai, Hiroki and Nakajima, Yu Ichiro}, issn = {1096-3634}, journal = {Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Epithelial cell plasticity in metazoans: Evolutionary insights into roles and mechanisms}}, doi = {10.1016/j.semcdb.2026.103670}, volume = {179-180}, year = {2026}, } @article{21755, abstract = {Tropical shallow clouds are a major source of uncertainty in Earth's climate sensitivity, especially through their spatial arrangement, which global climate models do not represent. Efforts to understand their organization have partly relied on classifying observed scenes, identifying four patterns as archetypal regimes. Here we analyze geostationary satellite imagery of the western tropical Atlantic using the L‐function, a tool based on point pattern theory that quantifies cloud organization across spatial scales. Classical examples of the four patterns show distinct L‐function fingerprints, revealing their characteristic clustering and regularity scales and aiding physical interpretation. Yet, when evaluating many scenes at fixed spatial scales, the L‐function distribution lacks the distinct modes expected from discrete regimes. This is corroborated by analyses of other organization indices employing diverse approaches, from inter‐cloud nearest‐neighbor distances to fractal analysis. Implications for the parameterization of mesoscale cloud organization in climate models are discussed.}, author = {Biagioli, Giovanni and Mandorli, Giulio and Freischem, Lilli Johanna and Casallas Garcia, Alejandro and Tompkins, Adrian Mark}, issn = {1944-8007}, journal = {Geophysical Research Letters}, number = {8}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Spatial patterns of shallow clouds: Challenging the concept of defined regimes}}, doi = {10.1029/2025gl119921}, volume = {53}, year = {2026}, } @article{21759, abstract = {Promoters and enhancers are cis-regulatory elements (CREs), DNA sequences that bind transcription factor (TF) proteins to up- or down-regulate target genes. Decades-long efforts yielded TF-DNA interaction models that predict how strongly an individual TF binds arbitrary DNA sequences and how individual binding events on the CRE combine to affect gene expression. These insights can be synthesized into a global, biophysically realistic, and quantitative genotype-phenotype (GP) map for gene regulation, a ‘holy grail’ for the application of evolutionary theory. A global map provides a rare opportunity to simulate the long-term evolution of regulatory sequences and pose several fundamental questions: How long does it take to evolve CREs de novo? How many non-trivial regulatory functions exist in sequence space? How connected are they? For which regulatory architecture is CRE evolution most rapid and evolvable? In this article, the second of a two-part series, we review the application of evolutionary concepts — epistasis, robustness, evolvability, tunability, plasticity, and bet-hedging — to the evolution of gene regulatory sequences. We then evaluate the potential for a unifying theory for the evolution of regulatory sequences and identify key open challenges.}, author = {Mascolo, Elia and Körei, Reka E and Borst, Noa O. and Barton, Nicholas H and Crocker, Justin and Tkačik, Gašper}, issn = {1879-0380}, journal = {Current Opinion in Genetics and Development}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Long-term evolution of regulatory DNA sequences. Part 2: Theory and future challenges}}, doi = {10.1016/j.gde.2026.102472}, volume = {98}, year = {2026}, } @article{21760, abstract = {3I/ATLAS is the third interstellar object discovered to date, following 1I/‘Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov. Its unusually high excess velocity and active cometary nature make it a key probe of the Galactic population of icy planetesimals. Understanding its origin requires its past trajectory through the Galaxy to be traced and the possible role of stellar encounters to be assessed, both as a potential origin and a perturber to its orbit. We integrated the orbit of 3I/ATLAS backward in time for 10 Myr, together with a sample of Gaia DR3 stars with high-quality astrometry and radial velocities, to identify close passages within 2 pc. We identify 93 nominal encounters, 62 of which are significant at the 2σ level. However, none of these encounters produced any meaningful perturbation. The strongest perturber Gaia DR3 6863591389529611264 at 0.30 pc and with a relative velocity of 35 km s−1, imparted only a velocity change of ∣Δv∣ ≃ 5 × 10−4 km s−1 to the orbit of 3I/ATLAS. Our results indicate that no stellar flybys within the past 10 Myr and 500 pc contained in Gaia DR3 can account for the present trajectory of 3I/ATLAS or be associated with its origin. We further show that 3I/ATLAS is kinematically consistent with a thin-disk population, despite its large peculiar velocity.}, author = {Pérez-Couto, X. and Torres Rodriguez, Santiago and Villaver, E. and Mustill, A. J. and Manteiga, M.}, issn = {1538-4357}, journal = {The Astrophysical Journal}, number = {2}, publisher = {IOP Publishing}, title = {{3I/ATLAS: In search of the witnesses to its voyage}}, doi = {10.3847/1538-4357/ae56ff}, volume = {1001}, year = {2026}, } @article{21761, abstract = {Neural tube closure is a critical morphogenetic process in vertebrate development, and failure to close cranial regions such as the hindbrain neuropore (HNP) leads to severe congenital malformations. While mechanical forces such as actomyosin purse-string contraction and directional cell crawling have been implicated in driving HNP closure, how these forces organize local cell shape and motion to produce large-scale tissue remodeling remains poorly understood. Using live and fixed imaging of mouse embryos combined with cell-based biophysical modeling, we show that these force-generating mechanisms are insufficient to explain the reproducible patterns of cell elongation and nematic alignment observed at the HNP border. Instead, we show that local anisotropic stress and cytoskeletal organization are required to generate these patterns and promote midline cell motion. Our model captures key features of cell shape dynamics and emergent nematic order, which we confirm experimentally, including the alignment of actin fibers with cell shape and enhanced midline cell speed. Comparative analysis with chick embryos, which lack supracellular purse strings, supports a conserved link between tension generation and cellular patterning. These findings establish a physical framework connecting force generation, cell shape anisotropy, and tissue morphodynamics during epithelial gap closure.}, author = {Perez Verdugo, Fernanda L and Maniou, Eirini and Galea, Gabriel L. and Banerjee, Shiladitya}, issn = {1879-0445}, journal = {Current Biology}, number = {8}, pages = {1903--1917.e5}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Mechanosensitive feedback organizes cell shape and motion during hindbrain neuropore morphogenesis}}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2026.02.068}, volume = {36}, year = {2026}, } @article{21762, abstract = {Bacteria, like eukaryotes, use conserved cytoskeletal systems for intracellular organization. The plasmid-encoded ParMRC system forms actin-like filaments that segregate low–copy number plasmids. In multicellular cyanobacteria such as Anabaena sp., we found that a chromosomally encoded ParMR system has evolved into a cytoskeletal system named CorMR with a function in cell shape control rather than DNA segregation. Live-cell imaging, in vitro reconstitution, and cryo–electron microscopy revealed that CorM formed dynamically unstable, antiparallel double-stranded filaments that were recruited to the membrane by CorR through an amphipathic helix conserved in multicellular cyanobacteria. CorMR filaments were regulated by MinC, which excluded them from the poles and division plane. Comparative genomics indicated that the repurposing of ParMR and Min systems coevolved with cyanobacterial multicellularity, highlighting the evolutionary plasticity of cytoskeletal systems in bacteria.}, author = {Springstein, Benjamin L and Javoor, Manjunath and Megrian, Daniela and Hajdu, Roman and Hanke, Dustin M. and Zens, Bettina and Weiss, Gregor L. and Schur, Florian Km and Loose, Martin}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6795}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Repurposing of a DNA segregation machinery into a cytoskeletal system controlling cell shape}}, doi = {10.1126/science.aea6343}, volume = {392}, year = {2026}, } @article{21763, abstract = {Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in multiple signaling processes in plants, but the underlying mechanisms and roles remain enigmatic. In this study, we developed a method of live imaging of apoplastic ROS at the root surface. Distinct signals, including auxin, extracellular adenosine triphosphate, and rapid alkalinization factor 1 peptide, induce cytosolic calcium transients and apoplastic ROS bursts. Genetic and optogenetic manipulations of Arabidopsis identified calcium transients as necessary and sufficient for ROS bursts through activation of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidases RBOHC and RBOHF. Apoplastic ROS bursts are not required, but they do limit gravity-induced root bending. Root bending is sensed by the stretch-activated calcium channel MCA1, leading to NADPH oxidase activation. The resulting ROS production stiffens cell walls to facilitate soil penetration. Apoplastic ROS thus provides a means to balance tissue flexibility and stiffness to navigate soil.}, author = {Kulich, Ivan and Vladimirtsev, Dmitrii and Randuch, Marek and Gao, Shiqiang and Citterico, Matteo and Konrad, Kai R. and Nagel, Georg and Wrzaczek, Michael and Cascaro, Léa and Vinet, Pauline and Durand, Pauline and Asnacios, Atef and Verma, Lokesh and Bennett, Malcolm J. and Pandey, Bipin K. and Friml, Jiří}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6795}, pages = {296--300}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Calcium-triggered apoplastic ROS bursts balance gravity and mechanical signals for soil navigation}}, doi = {10.1126/science.adu8197}, volume = {392}, year = {2026}, } @article{21764, abstract = {Colloidal fluids can exhibit complex phase behavior and determining phase diagrams via experiments or computer simulations can be laborious. We demonstrate that the dispersion relation ω(k), obtained from dynamical density functional theory for the uniform density system, is a highly versatile tool for predicting where in the phase diagram complex crystals form. The sign of ω(k) determines whether density modes with wave number k grow or decay over time. We demonstrate the predictive power by investigating the complex phase behavior of particles interacting via core-shoulder pair potentials. With complementary Monte Carlo simulations, we show that regions of the phase diagram where ωðkÞ has one or several unstable (growing) wave numbers are also where crystalline phases occur. Going further, by tuning these unstable wave numbers via the interaction-potential and state-point parameters, we design systems with quasicrystals in the phase diagram. We identify a system with a certain shoulder range exhibiting at least ten different phases. Our general approach accelerates considerably the mapping of complex phase diagrams, crucial for the design of new materials.}, author = {Wassermair, Michael and Kahl, Gerhard and Roth, Roland and Archer, Andrew J.}, issn = {1079-7114}, journal = {Physical Review Letters}, number = {14}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Navigating complex phase diagrams in soft matter systems}}, doi = {10.1103/nbvt-fgjy}, volume = {136}, year = {2026}, } @article{21765, abstract = {Dielectric particles of the same material exchange electrical charge during collisions or sliding contacts, yet the underlying charge-exchange mechanism is still not understood. The fact that particles can become highly charged as a result of this effect has significant consequences for many settings, both in nature and industry, such as thunderstorms, volcanic eruptions, particle aggregation during meteorite and planet formation, and the clogging of industrial granular systems. Toward understanding these systems, great efforts have been made to develop precise in situ measurements for particle charge, e.g., to determine ensemble charge distributions or measure exchange during individual contacts. Here, we present experimental results concerning the particle size scaling of the stationary-state charge distributions of oxide particles in the sub-millimeter range. We measure the charge distributions for large ensembles of monodisperse ZrO2:SiO2 composite spheres, ranging from 172 to 545µ⁢m in diameter. These distributions are non-Gaussian and collapse to a single master curve when plotted as functions of the surface charge density Σ=𝑞/4⁢𝜋⁢𝑅2. X-ray fluorescence and atomic force microscopy measurements show that the differences in the measured charge distributions are not due to variations in chemical composition or surface roughness, but rather to size alone. Our findings provide constraints on microscopic models for charge exchange, namely that they should lead to steady-state distributions that are non-Gaussian and scale in a specific way with particle size.}, author = {Lara, Macarena and Flores, Marcos and Castillo, Gustavo and Tassara, Santiago and Waitukaitis, Scott R and Mujica, Nicolás}, issn = {2475-9953}, journal = {Physical Review Materials}, number = {4}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Particle size scaling of non-Gaussian granular charge distributions}}, doi = {10.1103/qw6t-xqdw}, volume = {10}, year = {2026}, } @article{21766, abstract = {We provide a new characterisation of the decades old open problem of extending bilipschitz mappings given on a Euclidean separated net. In particular, this allows for the complete positive solution of the open problem in dimension two. Along the way, we develop a set of tools for bilipschitz extensions of mappings between subsets of Euclidean spaces.}, author = {Dymond, Michael and Kaluza, Vojtech}, issn = {2737-114X}, journal = {Annales Fennici Mathematici}, keywords = {Lipschitz, bilipschitz, extension, separated net.}, number = {1}, pages = {237--260}, publisher = {Finnish Mathematical Society}, title = {{Extending bilipschitz mappings between separated nets}}, doi = {10.54330/afm.181562}, volume = {51}, year = {2026}, } @article{21776, abstract = {Pyridyl motifs equipped with N-substituents can be powerful ligands for catalysis, yet their broader adoption is limited by the lack of a practical method to prepare these scaffolds. We report a modular, robust, and versatile Buchwald–Hartwig amination protocol that enables the rapid synthesis of bipyridine, phenanthroline, terpyridine, and pybox ligands bearing dialkylamine, diarylamine, and heteroaromatic N-substituents. These conditions streamline ligand library synthesis and will facilitate systematic studies in catalysis and related applications.}, author = {Petrik, Adam and Bena, Aleksander and Baunis, Haralds and Kelch, Riley M. and Yoon, Tehshik P. and Pieber, Bartholomäus}, issn = {1615-4169}, journal = {Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis}, number = {9}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Facile access to N-substituted pyridyl ligands}}, doi = {10.1002/adsc.70417}, volume = {368}, year = {2026}, } @article{21777, abstract = {The advantageous characteristics attributed to the 19F nucleus have made it a popular target for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) once again in recent years. Aside from solution NMR, an increasing number of studies have been conducted applying solid-state magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR to fluorine-labelled samples. Here, the high chemical shift anisotropy and strong dipolar couplings can be utilised to get structural insights into proteins and measure long distances. Despite increasing popularity and promising benefits, the sensitivity of biomolecular 19F MAS NMR often suffers from slow longitudinal T1 relaxation and therefore long recycle delays. In this work, we expand paramagnetic doping, an approach commonly used to reduce proton T1 relaxation times, to 19F-labelled biological samples. We study the effect of Gd(DTPA) and Gd(DTPA-BMA) on 19F T1 and T2, and 13C T1 and T2 relaxation in a [5-19F13C]-tryptophan-labelled protein via 19F-detected MAS NMR experiments. The observed paramagnetic relaxation enhancement substantially reduces measurement times of 19F MAS NMR experiments without compromising resolution. Additionally, we report the chemical shift assignments of all four fluorotryptophan signals in the 12×39 kDa-large protein TET2 using a mutagenesis approach.}, author = {Becker, Lea Marie and Toscano, Giorgia and Kapitonova, Anna and Singh, Rajkumar and Guillerm, Undina and Lichtenecker, Roman J. and Schanda, Paul}, issn = {2699-0016}, journal = {Magnetic Resonance}, number = {1}, pages = {29--37}, publisher = {Copernicus Publications}, title = {{Accelerated 19F biomolecular magic-angle spinning NMR with paramagnetic dopants}}, doi = {10.5194/mr-7-29-2026}, volume = {7}, year = {2026}, } @article{21778, abstract = {We prove that every 𝐿-bilipschitz mapping ℤ 2 → ℝ2 canbe extended to a 𝐶(𝐿)-bilipschitz mapping ℝ2 → ℝ2,and we provide a polynomial upper bound for 𝐶(𝐿).Moreover, we extend the result to every separated netin ℝ2 instead of ℤ 2, with the upper bound gaininga polynomial dependence on the separation and netconstants associated to the given separated net. Thisanswers an Oberwolfach question of Navas from 2015and is also a positive solution of the two-dimensionalform of a decades old open (in all dimensions at leasttwo) problem due to Alestalo Trotsenko and Väisälä.}, author = {Dymond, Michael and Kaluza, Vojtech}, issn = {1469-7750}, journal = {Journal of the London Mathematical Society}, number = {4}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Planar bilipschitz extension from separated nets}}, doi = {10.1112/jlms.70540}, volume = {113}, year = {2026}, } @article{21780, abstract = {It is predicted that half or more of all cataclysmic variables (CVs) should have evolved past the period minimum and now exist as so-called period bouncers where a white dwarf should be accreting from a Roche lobe filling substellar companion. However, this prediction stands in stark contrast to observations, where only a few per cent of CVs are found in this evolutionary phase. A potential solution to this discrepancy is that a magnetic field emerges from within the white dwarf after the system has reached the period minimum. The transfer of angular momentum from the spin of the white dwarf into the orbit then pushes the two stars apart, detaching them for potentially billions of years. Here we present the discovery of ZTF J021804.16+071152.93, a detached 0.69 +- 0.01 M⁠, 19 MG magnetic white dwarf plus 37 +- 5MJup brown dwarf binary with an orbital period of 1.7 h. The kinematics of the system indicate that it is a high probability member of the Galactic thick disc. However, this strongly disagrees with the much younger age of the system obtained from the white dwarf parameters, implying that the system may have been accreting in the past. This system is therefore consistent with having detached as a result of the emergence of the magnetic field of the white dwarf when the system was still mass transferring, and may represent the ultimate fate for many (perhaps even most) CVs.}, author = {Parsons, S. G. and Brown, A. J. and Casewell, S. L. and Littlefair, S. P. and van Roestel, Joannes C and Rebassa-Mansergas, A. and Murillo-Ojeda, R. and Zorotovic, M. and Schreiber, M. R. and Bagnulo, S. and Stroet, M. A. and Castro Segura, N. and Dhillon, V. S. and Dyer, M. J. and Garbutt, J. A. and Green, M. J. and Jarvis, D. and Kennedy, M. R. and Kerry, P. and Mccormac, J. and Munday, J. and Pelisoli, I. and Pike, E. and Sahman, D. I. and Yates, A.}, issn = {1365-2966}, journal = {Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society}, number = {4}, publisher = {Oxford University Press}, title = {{ZTF J021804.16+071152.93: A dead cataclysmic variable and potential solution to the missing period bouncer cataclysmic variables}}, doi = {10.1093/mnras/stag521}, volume = {547}, year = {2026}, } @article{21781, abstract = {Given a set A of n points (vertices) in general position in the plane, the complete geometric graph Kn[A] consists of all (n2) segments (edges) between the elements of A. It is known that the edge set of every complete geometric graph on n vertices can be partitioned into O(n3∕2) crossing-free paths (or matchings). We strengthen this result under various additional assumptions on the point set. In particular, we prove that for a set A of n randomly selected points, uniformly distributed in [0,1]2, with probability tending to 1 as n→∞, the edge set of Kn[A] can be covered by O(nlogn) crossing-free paths and by O(n√logn) crossing-free matchings. On the other hand, we construct n-element point sets such that covering the edge set of Kn[A] requires a quadratic number of monotone paths.}, author = {Dumitrescu, Adrian and Pach, János and Saghafian, Morteza and Scott, Alex}, issn = {2996-220X}, journal = {Combinatorics and Number Theory}, number = {1}, pages = {73--82}, publisher = {Mathematical Sciences Publishers}, title = {{Covering complete geometric graphs by monotone paths}}, doi = {10.2140/cnt.2026.15.73}, volume = {15}, year = {2026}, } @misc{21800, abstract = {LAMMPS input scripts to simulate toroidal vesicles composed of pure bolalipid membranes and archaeal mixture membranes for the following publication: "Cracking donuts and sorting lipids: geometry controls archaeal membrane stability and lipid organization" by Felix Frey, Miguel Amaral, and Andela Saric.}, author = {Frey, Felix F and Santana de Freitas Amaral, Miguel and Šarić, Anđela}, publisher = {Zenodo}, title = {{Cracking donuts and sorting lipids: Geometry controls archaeal membrane stability and lipid organization}}, doi = {10.5281/ZENODO.18772086}, year = {2026}, } @article{21837, abstract = {In a warming world of glacier changes, the scientific community has dedicated increasing attention to debris-covered glaciers and their response to climate. A variety of models with distinct complexity and data requirements have been developed and widely used to simulate melt under debris at different sites and scales, but their skills have never been compared. As part of the activities of the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (IACS) Debris Covered Glacier Working Group, we present an intercomparison exercise aimed at advancing our understanding of model skills in simulating ice melt under a debris layer. We compare 15 models with different complexity at nine sites in the European Alps, Caucasus, Chilean Andes, Nepalese Himalaya and the Southern Alps of New Zealand, over one melt season. We run the models with measured meteorological data from automatic weather stations and estimated or measured debris properties. We consider four main model categories: (i) energy balance models that calculate melt by solving the physics of heat transfer to the debris layer, but require a high amount of input data; (ii) a simplified energy balance model; (iii) enhanced temperature-index models; and (iv) simple empirical temperature-index models that have been extensively used given their low data requirement but require calibration of their empirical parameters. Model performance is evaluated using on-site measurements of sub-debris melt (for all models) and surface temperature (for models based on the surface energy balance). Our results show that physically-based energy balance models and empirical temperature-index models perform in a distinct manner. At one end of the spectrum, simple temperature-index models are accurate when recalibrated or when using site-specific literature parameters, and show poor results when parameters are uncalibrated. At the other end, energy balance models show a range of performance: the most accurate energy balance models are those with the highest degree of complexity at the atmosphere-debris interface. An important data gap emerged from our experiment: the poor performance of all models at three sites was related to the poor knowledge of debris properties, and specifically of thermal conductivity. Future work should focus on both: (i) consistent data acquisition to evaluate existing models and support new model developments; (ii) advancing models by accounting for processes such as debris-snow interactions, moisture in the debris and refreezing. We suggest that a systematic effort of model development using a common model framework could be carried out in phase II of the Working Group.}, author = {Pellicciotti, Francesca and Fontrodona-Bach, Adrià and Rounce, David R. and Fyffe, Catriona Louise and Anderson, Leif S. and Ayala, Álvaro and Brock, Ben W. and Buri, Pascal and Fugger, Stefan and Fujita, Koji and GANTAYAT, PRATEEK and Groos, Alexander R. and Immerzeel, Walter and Kneib, Marin and Mayer, Christoph and MacDonell, Shelley and McCarthy, Michael and McPhee, James and Miles, Evan and Purdie, Heather and Rets, Ekaterina and Sakai, Akiko and Shaw, Thomas and Steiner, Jakob and Wagnon, Patrick and Winter-Billington, Alex}, issn = {1994-0424}, journal = {The Cryosphere}, number = {3}, pages = {1895--1928}, publisher = {Copernicus Publications}, title = {{DCG-MIP: The debris-covered glacier melt model intercomparison experiment}}, doi = {10.5194/tc-20-1895-2026}, volume = {20}, year = {2026}, } @article{21838, abstract = {We explore the use of a photoacid in a chemical reaction cycle, which allows for the controlled sol‐to‐gel transition of a saccharide aldehyde‐based self‐assembling system. The modulation of the pH with light enables to generate chemical fuels in situ, thus triggering monomer activation and gelation. Our efforts represent a promising step toward dissipative self‐assembled systems with a higher degree of spatiotemporal control.}, author = {Lopez‐Acosta, Alvaro and Valera, Jorge S. and Klajn, Rafal and Hermans, Thomas M.}, issn = {2570-4206}, journal = {ChemSystemsChem}, number = {3}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Photoacid‐mediated controllable gelation in a chemical reaction cycle}}, doi = {10.1002/syst.70037}, volume = {8}, year = {2026}, }