@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{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{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{14278, abstract = {The Birkhoff conjecture says that the boundary of a strictly convex integrable billiard table is necessarily an ellipse. In this article, we consider a stronger notion of integrability, namely, integrability close to the boundary, and prove a local version of this conjecture: a small perturbation of almost every ellipse that preserves integrability near the boundary, is itself an ellipse. We apply this result to study local spectral uniqueness of ellipses using the connection between the wave trace of the Laplacian and the dynamics near the boundary and establish local uniqueness for almost all of them.}, author = {Koval, Illya}, issn = {1432-1297}, journal = {Inventiones Mathematicae}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Local strong Birkhoff conjecture and local spectral rigidity of almost every ellipse}}, doi = {10.1007/s00222-025-01397-y}, year = {2025}, } @article{14647, abstract = {In the developing vertebrate central nervous system, neurons and glia typically arise sequentially from common progenitors. Here, we report that the transcription factor Forkhead Box G1 (Foxg1) regulates gliogenesis in the mouse neocortex via distinct cell-autonomous roles in progenitors and postmitotic neurons that regulate different aspects of the gliogenic FGF signalling pathway. We demonstrate that loss of Foxg1 in cortical progenitors at neurogenic stages causes premature astrogliogenesis. We identify a novel FOXG1 target, the pro-gliogenic FGF pathway component Fgfr3, which is suppressed by FOXG1 cell-autonomously to maintain neurogenesis. Furthermore, FOXG1 can also suppress premature astrogliogenesis triggered by the augmentation of FGF signalling. We identify a second novel function of FOXG1 in regulating the expression of gliogenic cues in newborn neocortical upper-layer neurons. Loss of FOXG1 in postmitotic neurons non-autonomously enhances gliogenesis in the progenitors via FGF signalling. These results fit well with the model that newborn neurons secrete cues that trigger progenitors to produce the next wave of cell types, astrocytes. If FGF signalling is attenuated in Foxg1 null progenitors, they progress to oligodendrocyte production. Therefore, loss of FOXG1 transitions the progenitor to a gliogenic state, producing either astrocytes or oligodendrocytes depending on FGF signalling levels. Our results uncover how FOXG1 integrates extrinsic signalling via the FGF pathway to regulate the sequential generation of neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes in the cerebral cortex. }, author = {Bose, Mahima and Suresh, Varun and Mishra, Urvi and Talwar, Ishita and Yadav, Anuradha and Biswas, Shiona and Hippenmeyer, Simon and Tole, Shubha}, issn = {2050-084X}, journal = {eLife}, publisher = {eLife Sciences Publications}, title = {{Dual role of FOXG1 in regulating gliogenesis in the developing neocortex via the FGF signalling pathway}}, doi = {10.7554/elife.101851.3}, volume = {13}, year = {2025}, } @article{18074, abstract = {The Aharonov–Casher theorem is a result on the number of the so-called zero modes of a system described by the magnetic Pauli operator in R2. In this paper we address the same question for the Dirac operator on a flat two-dimensional manifold with boundary and Atiyah–Patodi–Singer boundary condition. More concretely we are interested in the plane and a disc with a finite number of circular holes cut out. We consider a smooth compactly supported magnetic field on the manifold and an arbitrary magnetic field inside the holes.}, author = {Fialova, Marie}, issn = {1424-0637}, journal = {Annales Henri Poincare}, pages = {2859--2900}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Aharonov–Casher theorems for Dirac operators on manifolds with boundary and APS boundary condition}}, doi = {10.1007/s00023-024-01482-7}, volume = {26}, year = {2025}, } @article{18154, abstract = {In 1976, Deligne and Lusztig realized the representation theory of finite groups of Lie type inside étale cohomology of certain algebraic varieties. Recently, a p-adic version of this theory started to emerge: there are p-adic Deligne–Lusztig spaces, whose cohomology encodes representation theoretic information for p-adic groups – for instance, it partially realizes the local Langlands correspondence with characteristic zero coefficients. However, the parallel case of coefficients of positive characteristic ℓ≠p has not been inspected so far. The purpose of this article is to initiate such an inspection. In particular, we relate cohomology of certain p-adic Deligne–Lusztig spaces to Vignéras's modular local Langlands correspondence for GLn.}, author = {Löwit, Jakub}, issn = {1090-266X}, journal = {Journal of Algebra}, number = {2}, pages = {81--118}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{On modulo ℓ cohomology of p-adic Deligne–Lusztig varieties for GLn}}, doi = {10.1016/j.jalgebra.2024.08.033}, volume = {663}, year = {2025}, } @article{18157, abstract = {Interest in sliding block puzzles dates back to the 15-puzzle, seemingly invented by Noyes Chapman in 1874 (see [23] for an account of the fascinating history of the puzzle). The game consists of fifteen movable square blocks numbered and arranged within a square box, leaving one empty space (see Figure 1). The task at hand is to start from a given configuration of the numbered blocks and reach the desired target configuration, where the only allowed move is to slide a numbered block into an adjacent empty space. This task seemed to be unpredictably either very easy to accomplish, or completely impossible, and the puzzle turned into a worldwide sensation in the spring of 1880. A particularly challenging instance, known as the 13-15-14 puzzle, consisted of initial and target configurations that differed by a single swap (historically this swap involved the blocks labeled 14 and 15). The craze of this puzzle was such that it consistently made newspaper headlines in 1880, with an article in the New York Times lamenting that it was “threatening our free institutions” [23, p. 9]. Various prizes were offered for anyone who could solve this challenge, beginning with a $25 set of teeth and culminating with Sam Loyd’s famous $1,000 cash prize.}, author = {Brunck, Florestan R and Kwan, Matthew Alan}, issn = {0343-6993}, journal = {Mathematical Intelligencer}, pages = {52--65}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Books, Hallways, and social butterflies: A note on sliding block puzzles}}, doi = {10.1007/s00283-024-10358-x}, volume = {47}, year = {2025}, } @article{18169, abstract = {As the complexity and criticality of software increase every year, so does the importance of runtime monitoring. Third-party and best-effort monitoring are especially valuable, yet under-explored areas of runtime monitoring. In this context, third-party monitoring means monitoring with a limited knowledge of the monitored software (as it has been developed by a third party). Best-effort monitoring keeps pace with the monitored software at the cost of possibly imprecise verdicts when keeping up with the monitored software would not be feasible. Most existing monitoring frameworks do not support the combination of third-party and best-effort monitoring because they either require the full access to the monitored code or the ability to process all observable events, or both. We present a middleware framework, Vamos, for the runtime monitoring of software. Vamos is explicitly designed to support third-party and best-effort scenarios. The design goals of Vamos are (i) efficiency (tracing events with low overhead), (ii) flexibility (the ability to monitor a variety of different event channels, and to connect to a wide range of monitors), and (iii) ease-of-use. To achieve its goals, Vamos combines aspects of event broker and event recognition systems with aspects of stream processing systems. We implemented a prototype toolchain for Vamos and conducted a set of experiments demonstrating the usability of the scheme. The results indicate that Vamos enables writing useful yet efficient monitors, and simplifies key aspects of setting up a monitoring system from scratch.}, author = {Chalupa, Marek and Mühlböck, Fabian and Muroya Lei, Stefanie and Henzinger, Thomas A}, issn = {0167-6423}, journal = {Science of Computer Programming}, number = {2}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{VAMOS: Middleware for best-effort third-party monitoring}}, doi = {10.1016/j.scico.2024.103212}, volume = {240}, year = {2025}, } @article{18170, abstract = {This study presents a graphene field-effect transistor (gFET) biosensor with dual detection capabilities for SARS-CoV-2: one RNA detection assay to confirm viral positivity and the other for nucleocapsid (N-)protein detection as a proxy for infectiousness of the patient. This technology can be rapidly adapted to emerging infectious diseases, making an essential tool to contain future pandemics. To detect viral RNA, the highly conserved E-gene of the virus was targeted, allowing for the determination of SARS-CoV-2 presence or absence using nasopharyngeal swab samples. For N-protein detection, specific antibodies were used. Tested on 213 clinical nasopharyngeal samples, the gFET biosensor showed good correlation with RT-PCR cycle threshold values, proving its high sensitivity in detecting SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Specificity was confirmed using 21 pre-pandemic samples positive for other respiratory viruses. The gFET biosensor had a limit of detection (LOD) for N-protein of 0.9 pM, establishing a foundation for the development of a sensitive tool for monitoring active viral infection. Results of gFET based N-protein detection corresponded to the results of virus culture in all 16 available clinical samples and thus it also proved its capability to serve as a proxy for infectivity. Overall, these findings support the potential of the gFET biosensor as a point-of-care device for rapid diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection and indirect assessment of infectiousness in patients, providing additional information for clinical and public health decision-making.}, author = {Herdina, Anna Nele and Bozdogan, Anil and Aspermair, Patrik and Dostalek, Jakub and Klausberger, Miriam and Lingg, Nico and Cserjan-Puschmann, Monika and Aguilar, Patricia Pereira and Auer, Simone and Demirtas, Halil and Andersson, Jakob and Lötsch, Felix and Holzer, Barbara and Steinrigl, Adi and Thalhammer, Florian and Schellnegger, Julia and Breuer, Monika and Knoll, Wolfgang and Strassl, Robert}, issn = {1873-4235}, journal = {Biosensors and Bioelectronics}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Bridging basic science and applied diagnostics: Comprehensive viral diagnostics enabled by graphene-based electronic biosensor technology advancements}}, doi = {10.1016/j.bios.2024.116807}, volume = {267}, year = {2025}, } @article{18449, abstract = {Research involving human subjects or identifiable human material and data must be assessed by an ethics committee. The Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences has established a Commission on Ethics and Scientific Integrity to evaluate medical research conducted by its faculty and students and at its affiliated hospitals. All projects submitted to the Commission on Ethics and Scientific Integrity between 2018 and 2023 were analyzed regarding their major characteristics, the duration of the evaluation process, and votes issued. A total of 520 applications were electronically submitted during the observation period. Most of the studies were retrospective data analyses in the field of oncology, psychology and surgery. Most studies included less than 100 volunteers. Of the applications 50% received a final vote within 5 months, during which several revision rounds took place. Overall, about 77% of votes issued during the observation period were positive and 2% were rejections. In 11% files were closed due to withdrawal. In 11% final votes were pending at the end of the observation period due to requests for revisions. Our results emphasize the importance of institutional ethics committees using the example of the Commission on Ethics and Scientific Integrity at the Karl Landsteiner University. Such committees fill a gap in evaluating research not covered by Austrian legal regulations. Continuous development of standards, operating procedures, and national and international collaborations are required to assess and minimize risks to trial subjects and to provide a safe and productive environment for research in human medicine and related fields.}, author = {Schober, Sophie and Klee, Sascha and Trautinger, Franz}, issn = {1613-7671}, journal = {Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift}, pages = {432--437}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{The role of institutional ethics committees in Austria: Report of the Commission on Ethics and Scientific Integrity of the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences 2018–2023}}, doi = {10.1007/s00508-024-02462-x}, volume = {137}, year = {2025}, } @article{18478, abstract = {For a given graph G=(V,E), we define its \emph{nth subdivision} as the graph obtained from G by replacing every edge by a path of length n. We also define the \emph{mth power} of G as the graph on vertex set V where we connect every pair of vertices at distance at most m in G. In this paper, we study the chromatic number of powers of subdivisions of graphs and resolve the case m=n asymptotically. In particular, our result confirms a conjecture of Mozafari-Nia and Iradmusa in the case m=n=3 in a strong sense.}, author = {Anastos, Michael and Boyadzhiyska, Simona and Rathke, Silas and Rué, Juanjo}, issn = {0166-218X}, journal = {Discrete Applied Mathematics}, pages = {506--511}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{On the chromatic number of powers of subdivisions of graphs}}, doi = {10.1016/j.dam.2024.10.002}, volume = {360}, year = {2025}, } @article{18529, abstract = {Temporal networks are obtained from time-dependent interactions among individuals, whereas the interactions can be emails, phone calls, face-to-face meetings, or work collaboration. In this article, a temporal game framework is established, in which interactions among rational individuals are embedded into two-player games in a time-dependent manner. This allows studying the time-dependent complexity and variability of interactions, and the way they affect prosocial behaviors. Based on this simple mathematical model, it is found that the level of cooperation is promoted when the time of collaboration is equally limited for every individual. This observation is confirmed by a series of systematic human experiments on over 1,400 subjects, forming a foundation for comprehensively describing human temporal interactions in collaboration. The research results reveal an important incentive for human cooperation, leading to a better understanding of a fascinating aspect of human nature in society.}, author = {Zhang, Yichao and Wang, Jiasheng and Wen, Guanghui and Guan, Jihong and Zhou, Shuigeng and Chen, Guanrong and Chatterjee, Krishnendu and Perc, Matjaz}, issn = {2327-4697}, journal = {IEEE Transactions on Network Science and Engineering}, number = {1}, pages = {4--12}, publisher = {IEEE}, title = {{Limitation of time promotes cooperation in structured collaboration systems}}, doi = {10.1109/TNSE.2024.3481434}, volume = {12}, year = {2025}, } @article{18558, abstract = {The current investigation presents a facile and cost-effective sol-gel approach for the synthesis of phase-pure multiferroic bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) nanoparticles (BFO NPs) by using propylene glycol as a complexing agent, intended for use as a photocatalyst to efficiently degrade organic dyes in aqueous solutions under natural sunlight. Characterization techniques, including thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), elucidated a plausible reaction pathway for the formation of phase-pure BFO NPs. Rietveld refinement of the XRD data, in conjunction with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy, confirmed the synthesis of single-phase BFO NPs at 400 °C, displaying a space group of R3c and an average crystallite size of 25 nm. UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy revealed an absorption cut-off wavelength near 590 nm, corresponding to a band gap of 2.08 eV, indicating the capability of BFO NPs to absorb visible light within the 400–590 nm range. BFO NPs have shown efficient and rapid photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) in acidic, neutral, and basic pH conditions under natural sunlight. This is attributed to the intrinsic ferroelectric and ferromagnetic ordering present in synthesized BFO NPs which facilitates the separation and migration of photoinduced charges through band bending phenomena at the interface.}, author = {Verma, Madhu and Kumar, Ajay and Thakur, Vijay Kumar and Maurya, Akanksha and Kumar, Sachin and Singh, Saurabh and Srivastav, Simant Kumar}, issn = {1573-4846}, journal = {Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology}, pages = {356--373}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Efficient and rapid sunlight-driven photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye using multiferroic BiFeO3 nanoparticles}}, doi = {10.1007/s10971-024-06607-2}, volume = {113}, year = {2025}, } @article{18580, abstract = {Motivated by the study of recurrent orbits and dynamics within a Morse set of a Morse decomposition we introduce the concept of Morse predecomposition of an isolated invariant set within the setting of both combinatorial and classical dynamical systems. While Morse decomposition summarizes solely the gradient part of a dynamical system, the developed generalization extends to the recurrent component as well. In particular, a chain recurrent set, which is indecomposable in terms of Morse decomposition, can be represented more finely in the Morse predecomposition framework. This generalization is achieved by forgoing the poset structure inherent to Morse decomposition and relaxing the notion of connection between Morse sets (elements of Morse decomposition) in favor of what we term ’links’. We prove that a Morse decomposition is a special case of Morse predecomposition indexed by a poset. Additionally, we show how a Morse predecomposition may be condensed back to retrieve a Morse decomposition.}, author = {Lipiński, Michał and Mischaikow, Konstantin and Mrozek, Marian}, issn = {1662-3592}, journal = {Qualitative Theory of Dynamical Systems}, number = {1}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Morse predecomposition of an invariant set}}, doi = {10.1007/s12346-024-01144-3}, volume = {24}, year = {2025}, } @article{18605, abstract = {The response of clouds and moist-convective processes to heat loss to space by long-wave radiative cooling is an important feedback in the Earth's atmosphere. It is known that moist convection increases roughly in equilibrium with radiative cooling, an assumption often made in simplified models of the tropical atmosphere. In this study, we use an idealised two-dimensional model of the atmosphere introduced by Vallis et. al. and incorporate a bulk-cooling term, which is an idealisation of radiative cooling in the atmosphere. We comment briefly on the static stability of the system to dry and moist convection and characteris its moist convective response to changes in the bulk cooling. We find that, while the clear-sky regions of the model respond directly to the change in the cooling term, the regions dominated by moist convective plumes are insensitive to changes in cooling. Similar to previous findings from cloud-resolving models, we too find in our idealised setting that the majority of the increase in convection occurs via an increase in the areal coverage of convection, rather than its intensity. We argue that these small-scale convective processes are an upper bound on how quickly convective intensity can change to stay in equilibrium with radiative cooling.}, author = {Agasthya, Lokahith N and Muller, Caroline J and Cheve, Mathis}, issn = {1477-870X}, journal = {Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society}, number = {766}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Moist convective scaling: Insights from an idealised model}}, doi = {10.1002/qj.4902}, volume = {151}, year = {2025}, } @article{18619, abstract = {Brassinosteroids (BRs) are steroidal phytohormones indispensable for plant growth, development, and responses to environmental stresses. The export of bioactive BRs to the apoplast is essential for BR signalling initiation, which requires binding of BR molecule to the extracellular domains of the plasma membrane-localized receptor complex. We have previously shown that the Arabidopsis thaliana ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, ABCB19, functions as a BR exporter, and together with its close homologue, ABCB1, positively regulate BR signalling. Here, we demonstrate that ABCB1 is another BR transporter. The ATP hydrolysis activity of ABCB1 was stimulated by bioactive BRs, and its transport activity was confirmed in proteoliposomes and protoplasts. Structures of ABCB1 in substrate-unbound (apo), brassinolide (BL)-bound, and ATP plus BL-bound states were determined. In the BL-bound structure, BL was bound to the hydrophobic cavity formed by the transmembrane domain, and triggered local conformational changes. Together, our data provide additional insights into the ABC transporter-mediated BR export.}, author = {Wei, H and Zhu, H and Ying, W and Janssens, H and Kvasnica, M and Winne, JM and Gao, Y and Friml, Jiří and Ma, Q and Tan, S and Liu, X and Russinova, E and Sun, L}, issn = {2590-3462}, journal = {Plant Communications}, number = {1}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Structural insights into brassinosteroid export mediated by the Arabidopsis ABC transporter ABCB1}}, doi = {10.1016/j.xplc.2024.101181}, volume = {6}, year = {2025}, } @article{18626, abstract = {The local angle property of the (order-1) Delaunay triangulations of a generic set in R2 asserts that the sum of two angles opposite a common edge is less than π. This paper extends this property to higher order and uses it to generalize two classic properties from order-1 to order-2: (1) among the complete level-2 hypertriangulations of a generic point set in R2, the order-2 Delaunay triangulation lexicographically maximizes the sorted angle vector; (2) among the maximal level-2 hypertriangulations of a generic point set in R2, the order-2 Delaunay triangulation is the only one that has the local angle property. We also use our method of establishing (2) to give a new short proof of the angle vector optimality for the (order-1) Delaunay triangulation. For order-1, both properties have been instrumental in numerous applications of Delaunay triangulations, and we expect that their generalization will make order-2 Delaunay triangulations more attractive to applications as well.}, author = {Edelsbrunner, Herbert and Garber, Alexey and Saghafian, Morteza}, issn = {1090-2082}, journal = {Advances in Mathematics}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Order-2 Delaunay triangulations optimize angles}}, doi = {10.1016/j.aim.2024.110055}, volume = {461}, year = {2025}, } @article{18631, abstract = {Within the established framework of structure formation, galaxies start as systems of low stellar mass and gradually grow into far more massive galaxies. The existence of massive galaxies in the first billion years of the Universe, as suggested by recent observations, seems to challenge this model, as such galaxies would require highly efficient conversion of baryons into stars. An even greater challenge in this epoch is the existence of massive galaxies that have already ceased forming stars. However, robust detections of early massive quiescent galaxies have been challenging due to the coarse wavelength sampling of photometric surveys. Here we report the spectroscopic confirmation with the James Webb Space Telescope of the quiescent galaxy RUBIES-EGS-QG-1 at redshift z = 4.90, 1.2 billion years after the Big Bang. Deep stellar absorption features in the spectrum reveal that the stellar mass of the galaxy of 1011 M⊙ formed in a short 200 Myr burst of star formation, after which star formation activity dropped rapidly and persistently. According to current galaxy formation models, systems with such rapid stellar mass growth and early quenching are too rare to plausibly occur in the small area probed spectroscopically with JWST. Instead, the discovery of RUBIES-EGS-QG-1 implies that early massive quiescent galaxies can be quenched earlier or exhaust gas available for star formation more efficiently than assumed at present.}, author = {De Graaff, Anna and Setton, David J. and Brammer, Gabriel and Cutler, Sam and Suess, Katherine A. and Labbé, Ivo and Leja, Joel and Weibel, Andrea and Maseda, Michael V. and Whitaker, Katherine E. and Bezanson, Rachel and Boogaard, Leindert A. and Cleri, Nikko J. and De Lucia, Gabriella and Franx, Marijn and Greene, Jenny E. and Hirschmann, Michaela and Matthee, Jorryt J and Mcconachie, Ian and Naidu, Rohan P. and Oesch, Pascal A. and Price, Sedona H. and Rix, Hans Walter and Valentino, Francesco and Wang, Bingjie and Williams, Christina C.}, issn = {2397-3366}, journal = {Nature Astronomy}, pages = {280--292}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Efficient formation of a massive quiescent galaxy at redshift 4.9}}, doi = {10.1038/s41550-024-02424-3}, volume = {9}, year = {2025}, } @article{18632, abstract = {For an arbitrary dimension (Formula presented.), we study: the polyharmonic Gaussian field (Formula presented.) on the discrete torus (Formula presented.), that is the random field whose law on (Formula presented.) given by (Formula presented.) where (Formula presented.) is the Lebesgue measure and (Formula presented.) is the discrete Laplacian; the associated discrete Liouville quantum gravity (LQG) measure associated with it, that is, the random measure on (Formula presented.) (Formula presented.) where (Formula presented.) is a regularity parameter. As (Formula presented.), we prove convergence of the fields (Formula presented.) to the polyharmonic Gaussian field (Formula presented.) on the continuous torus (Formula presented.), as well as convergence of the random measures (Formula presented.) to the LQG measure (Formula presented.) on (Formula presented.), for all (Formula presented.). }, author = {Dello Schiavo, Lorenzo and Herry, Ronan and Kopfer, Eva and Sturm, Karl Theodor}, issn = {1522-2616}, journal = {Mathematische Nachrichten}, number = {1}, pages = {244--281}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Polyharmonic fields and Liouville quantum gravity measures on tori of arbitrary dimension: From discrete to continuous}}, doi = {10.1002/mana.202400169}, volume = {298}, year = {2025}, }