@article{21951, abstract = {The central engines of Little Red Dots (LRDs) may be “black hole stars” (BH*s), early stages of black hole growth characterized by dense gas envelopes. So far, the most direct evidence for BH*s comes from a handful of sources where the host galaxy is completely outshone as suggested by their remarkably steep Balmer breaks. Here we present a novel scheme to disentangle BH*s from their host galaxies assuming that the [O III]5008˚A line arises exclusively from the host. Using a sample of 98 LRDs (z ≈ 2 − 9) with high quality NIRSpec/PRISM spectra, we demonstrate that the hostsubtracted median stack displays a Balmer break > 2× stronger than massive quiescent galaxies, with the rest-optical continuum resembling a blackbody-like SED (Teff ≈ 4050 K, log(Lbol) ≈ 43.9 erg s−1 , Reff ≈ 1300 au). We measure a steep Balmer decrement (Hα/Hβ > 10) and numerous density-sensitive features (e.g., Fe II, He I, O I). These are hallmark signatures of dense gas envelopes, providing population-level evidence that BH*s indeed power LRDs. In the median LRD, BH*s account for ∼ 20% of the UV emission, ∼ 50% at the Balmer break, and ∼ 90% at wavelengths longer than Hα with the remainder arising from the host. BH*s preferentially reside in low-mass galaxies (M⋆ ≈ 108 M⊙) undergoing recent starbursts, as evidenced by extreme emission line EWs (e.g., [O III]5008˚A≈ 1100˚A, C III]≈ 12˚A), thereby favoring BH* origins linked to star-formation. We show V-shaped LRD selections are biased to high BH*/host fractions (≳ 60% at 5500˚A) – less dominant BH*s may be powering JWST’s blue broad-line AGN. We find BH*s are so commonplace and transient (duty cycle ∼ 1%, lifetime ∼ 10 Myrs) that every massive black hole may have once shone as a BH*. }, author = {Sun, Wendy Q. and Naidu, Rohan P. and Matthee, Jorryt J and De Graaff, Anna and Chisholm, John and Greene, Jenny E. and Oesch, Pascal A. and Torralba Torregrosa, Alberto and Hviding, Raphael E. and Brammer, Gabriel and Simcoe, Robert A. and Bose, Sownak and Bouwens, Rychard and Dayal, Pratika and Eilers, Anna Christina and Fei, Qinyue and Furtak, Lukas J. and Gottumukkala, Rashmi and Goulding, Andy and Heintz, Kasper E. and Hirschmann, Michaela and Kokorev, Vasily and Leja, Joel and Liu, Zhaoran and Natarajan, Priyamvada and Santarelli, Andrew D. and Setton, David J. and Smith, Aaron and Tacchella, Sandro and Volonteri, Marta and Walter, Fabian and Weibel, Andrea and Williams, Christina C.}, issn = {2565-6120}, journal = {The Open Journal of Astrophysics}, publisher = {Maynooth Academic Publishing}, title = {{Little Red Dot - Host Galaxy = Black Hole Star: A gas-enshrouded heart at the center of every Little Red Dot}}, doi = {10.33232/001c.162505}, volume = {9}, year = {2026}, } @article{21953, abstract = {Several Streptomyces strains were isolated from freshwater sediments collected in the Laxenburg ponds (Lower Austria). Genome sequencing and bioinformatics analyses revealed biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that may specify production of chemically diverse secondary metabolites. Various culture conditions were employed to induce metabolite production, and subsequent LC-MS analyses facilitated the identification of the produced compounds and their correlation with the corresponding BGCs. These analyses of sediment-derived Streptomyces spp. highlight their extensive biosynthetic potential, revealing a diverse range of bioactive secondary metabolites, including siderophores, antibiotics, and other compounds with potential therapeutic applications. Genomes of two Streptomyces isolates, one of them representing a potentially new species, harbored several uncharacterized BGCs that may specify biosynthesis of novel secondary metabolites. Although targeted overexpression of pathway-specific regulators from these BGCs did not yield additional metabolites, whereas knockout experiments led to metabolic changes, presumably reflecting regulatory or compensatory interactions between multiple biosynthetic pathways. Continued exploration of these strains and their BGCs may lead to the discovery of new bioactive molecules with pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications.}, author = {Tocino-Márquez, Inmaculada and Zehl, Martin and Batajic, Jovana and Séneca, Joana and Pjevac, Petra and Murillo-Alba, José and Martín, Jesús and Sekurova, Olga N. and Zotchev, Sergey B.}, issn = {1664-302X}, journal = {Frontiers in Microbiology}, publisher = {Frontiers Media}, title = {{Unveiling the genomes and secondary metabolomes of Streptomyces spp. from freshwater sediments}}, doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2026.1793713}, volume = {17}, year = {2026}, } @article{21954, abstract = {We investigate a framework for train-free MRI segmentation based on Topological Data Analysis. The pipeline proceeds in three steps, first identifying the whole object to segment via automatic thresholding, then detecting a distinctive subset whose topology is known in advance, and finally deducing the various components of the segmentation. A key ingredient is the extraction of approximate representative cycles from persistence diagrams, which provides an interpretable link between persistent features and anatomical components. To clarify the method’s scope, we make the underlying topological and intensity assumptions explicit, quantify when they hold on real data, and analyze typical failure modes. We evaluate the approach on glioblastoma and on fetal cortical plate segmentation, with comparisons to unsupervised and deep-learning references. By operating without large annotated datasets, the method is well suited to scarce-data settings and provides an interpretable baseline and practical initialization for expert refinement or learning-based pipelines.}, author = {François, Anton and Tinarrage, Raphaël}, issn = {1573-7683}, journal = {Journal of Mathematical Imaging and Vision}, number = {3}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Train-free segmentation in MRI with cubical persistent homology}}, doi = {10.1007/s10851-026-01300-1}, volume = {68}, year = {2026}, } @unpublished{21962, abstract = {The generation of faithful cell-type diversity and correct projection neuron numbers is essential for cerebral cortex development. Corticogenesis is however susceptible to genetic interference of critical signaling pathways, including mutations in Mtor/Rptor that lead to microcephaly. How the loss of Rptor/mTORC1 function affects cortical developmental programs, at single cell level, is still unknown. Here, we utilized Mosaic Analysis with Double Markers (MADM) technology to probe Rptor gene function upon sparse single cell- or global tissue-wide ablation. We found that tissue-wide effects drive the etiology of cortical microcephaly upon loss of Rptor, rather than deficits in projection neuron genesis. Conversely, Rptor function is cell-autonomously required for postnatal projection neuron survival in a highly cell-type-specific manner. Collectively, our results suggest that the fine balance of precise cell-type-specific cell-autonomous Rptor/mTORC1 function in concert with non-cell-autonomous tissue-wide effects is essential for the development of a properly-sized cerebral cortex with accurate projection neuron diversity.}, author = {Villalba Requena, Ana and Beattie, Robert J and Pauler, Florian and Streicher, Carmen and Miranda, Osvaldo and Krausgruber, Thomas and Senekowitsch, Martin and Farlik, Matthias and Bock, Christoph and Rülicke, Thomas and Hippenmeyer, Simon}, booktitle = {bioRxiv}, title = {{Mtor/Rptor function globally prevents cortical microcephaly and cell-autonomously promotes postnatal neuron survival in cell type specific manner}}, doi = {10.64898/2026.05.01.722172}, year = {2026}, } @unpublished{21963, abstract = {The cerebral cortex consists of immense numbers of neuronal and glial cell-types derived from radial glial progenitor (RGP) cells. How RGPs generate appropriate quantities of distinct cortical cell-types to safeguard a brain of correct size, is not well understood. However, genetic aberration in human, including mutations in PTEN, lead to cortical malformation such as macrocephaly, albeit with unknown etiology. Here we utilized Mosaic Analysis with Double Markers (MADM)-based clonal analysis and single cell phenotyping to decipher the role of Pten in neurogenic and gliogenic RGP lineage progression during cortical ontogeny. While neurogenic RGP lineage progression and projection neuron production was moderately altered in the absence of Pten, cortical astrocyte production was drastically increased. Through genetic epistasis experiments we show that the loss of Pten uncouples astrocyte generation from essential growth factor signaling hubs, funneling into MAPK. Collectively, our results suggest that Pten regulates RGP lineage progression with distinct sequential functions in cortical projection neurogenesis and astrocyte production to ensure the emergence of a correctly-sized cerebral cortex.}, author = {Miranda, Osvaldo and Contreras, Ximena and Pauler, Florian and Davaatseren, Amarbayasgalan and Amberg, Nicole and Streicher, Carmen and Villalba Requena, Ana and Heger, Anna-Magdalena and Marie, Corentine and Hassan, Bassem A. and Rülicke, Thomas and Hippenmeyer, Simon}, booktitle = {bioRxiv}, title = {{Pten orchestrates neurogenic radial glia lineage progression and tunes neocortical astrocyte production}}, doi = {10.64898/2026.05.01.722191}, year = {2026}, } @misc{21971, abstract = {A Rust library for analyzing dendritic structures using quadric matrices. This project provides efficient tools for representing dendritic trees, computing quadric error metrics, and visualizing eigenvalue distributions on hexagonal plots. This library implements quadric-based geometric analysis of dendritic structures, commonly found in neuroscience applications. Key features include: Tree data structures: Hierarchical vertex and edge representations for dendritic trees Quadric matrices: Computation of quadric error metrics for edges and vertices Visualisation: Hexagonal plot generation using NormPolar transformations Interactive tools: Desktop application with plotting capabilities}, author = {Bleile, Yossi and Cortinovis, Emanuele}, keywords = {quadratics, mathematics, dendrites, geometry, topology}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{Quadrix}}, doi = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-21971}, year = {2026}, } @article{21981, abstract = {For Hamiltonian actions of semidirect products G = FxH, we study 2-cocycles arising from residual Hamiltonian actions of F on Hamiltonian reductions for H. The motivation comes from the study of Teichmüller spaces for surfaces with boundary, which carry Hamiltonian actions of the Virasoro algebra. In this paper, we give a general setup for the problem, and we suggest an easier way to obtain the Gelfand-Fuchs 2-cocycles for Hamiltonian actions on Teichmüller spaces.}, author = {Goncharov, Viacheslav}, issn = {1879-1662}, journal = {Journal of Geometry and Physics}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{An easier way to compute 2-cocycles coming from a reduction for semidirect products}}, doi = {10.1016/j.geomphys.2026.105878}, volume = {227}, year = {2026}, } @article{20328, abstract = {We consider the standard overlap (math formular) of any bi-orthogonal family of left and right eigenvectors of a large random matrix X with centred i.i.d. entries and we prove that it decays as an inverse second power of the distance between the corresponding eigenvalues. This extends similar results for the complex Gaussian ensemble from Bourgade and Dubach [15], as well as Benaych-Georges and Zeitouni [13], to any i.i.d. matrix ensemble in both symmetry classes. As a main tool, we prove a two-resolvent local law for the Hermitisation of X uniformly in the spectrum with optimal decay rate and optimal dependence on the density near the spectral edge.}, author = {Cipolloni, Giorgio and Erdös, László and Xu, Yuanyuan}, issn = {0022-1236}, journal = {Journal of Functional Analysis}, number = {1}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Optimal decay of eigenvector overlap for non-Hermitian random matrices}}, doi = {10.1016/j.jfa.2025.111180}, volume = {290}, year = {2026}, } @article{20422, abstract = {We show that if n is odd and p>=Clog n/n, then with high probability Hamilton cycles in G(n,p) span its cycle space. More generally, we show this holds for a class of graphs satisfying certain natural pseudorandom properties. The proof is based on a novel idea of parity-switchers, which can be thought of as analogues of absorbers in the context of cycle spaces. As another application of our method, we show that Hamilton cycles in a near-Dirac graph G, that is, a graph G with odd n vertices and minimum degree n/2+C for sufficiently large constant C, span its cycle space. }, author = {Christoph, Micha and Nenadov, Rajko and Petrova, Kalina H}, issn = {1096-0902}, journal = {Journal of Combinatorial Theory Series B}, pages = {254--267}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{The Hamilton space of pseudorandom graphs}}, doi = {10.1016/j.jctb.2025.09.002}, volume = {176}, year = {2026}, } @article{20456, abstract = {Given a locally finite set A⊆Rd and a coloring χ:A→{0,1,…,s}, we introduce the chromatic Delaunay mosaic of χ, which is a Delaunay mosaic in Rs+d that represents how points of different colors mingle. Our main results are bounds on the size of the chromatic Delaunay mosaic, in which we assume that d and s are constants. For example, if A is finite with n=#A, and the coloring is random, then the chromatic Delaunay mosaic has O(n⌈d/2⌉) cells in expectation. In contrast, for Delone sets and Poisson point processes in Rd, the expected number of cells within a closed ball is only a constant times the number of points in this ball. Furthermore, in R2 all colorings of a dense set of n points have chromatic Delaunay mosaics of size O(n). This encourages the use of chromatic Delaunay mosaics in applications.}, author = {Biswas, Ranita and Cultrera di Montesano, Sebastiano and Draganov, Ondrej and Edelsbrunner, Herbert and Saghafian, Morteza}, issn = {1432-0444}, journal = {Discrete and Computational Geometry}, pages = {24--47}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{On the size of chromatic Delaunay mosaics}}, doi = {10.1007/s00454-025-00778-7}, volume = {75}, year = {2026}, } @article{20482, abstract = {In his study of graph codes, Alon introduced the concept of the odd-Ramsey number of a family of graphs H in Kn, defined as the minimum number of colours needed to colour the edges of K so that every copy of a graph H E H intersects some colour class in an odd number of edges. In this paper, we focus on complete bipartite graphs. First, we completely resolve the problem when H is the family of all spanning complete bipartite graphs on n vertices. We then focus on its subfamilies, that is, {Kt,n-t : t E T} for a fixed set of integers T c [[n/2]]. We prove that the odd-Ramsey problem is equivalent to determining the maximum dimension of a linear binary code avoiding codewords of given weights, and leverage known results from coding theory to deduce asymptotically tight bounds in our setting. We conclude with bounds for the odd-Ramsey numbers of fixed (that is, non-spanning) complete bipartite subgraphs.}, author = {Boyadzhiyska, Simona and Das, Shagnik and Lesgourgues, Thomas and Petrova, Kalina H}, issn = {0195-6698}, journal = {European Journal of Combinatorics}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Odd-Ramsey numbers of complete bipartite graphs}}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejc.2025.104235}, volume = {131}, year = {2026}, } @inproceedings{22103, abstract = {Modern AI systems increasingly rely on opaque, highly complex models whose inner workings remain inaccessible even to experts. This opacity creates challenges for trust, accountability, and compliance with emerging regulatory expectations such as the “right to an explanation”. While traditional explainability methods—feature attributions, counterfactuals, surrogate models—and interpretable model classes provide valuable insights for engineers, they often fall short of delivering the contextual, conversational explanations that real users expect. Large Language Models (LLMs) offer a promising new avenue for explanation due to their ability to engage interactively, adapt to user needs, and translate technical outputs into more accessible reasoning. However, their tendencies toward hallucination, conflict avoidance, and oversimplification introduce serious risks when used as explanatory agents. This paper analyzes these opportunities and limitations, examines verification strategies for ensuring explanation fidelity, and situates LLM-generated explanations within broader concerns about public trust. The paper concludes by outlining best practices and future research directions for building robust, verifiable, and human-aligned explanation systems.}, author = {Cano Cordoba, Filip}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Agents and Artificial Intelligence}, isbn = {9789897587962}, issn = {2184-433X}, keywords = {Explainable AI, Large Language Models, Trust in AI}, location = {Marbella, Spain}, pages = {4689--4696}, publisher = {Science and Technology Publications}, title = {{Explaining decisions one conversation at a time: Opportunities and risks of LLMs as explainability assistants}}, doi = {10.5220/0014483200004052}, volume = {5}, year = {2026}, } @article{21437, abstract = {Altermagnets are a class of collinear magnets that exhibit non-relativistic spin splitting (NRSS) of electronic bands in the absence of net magnetization. Their potential to generate large spin polarization without spin-orbit coupling has created strong interest in probes that access the underlying order parameter directly. In this Perspective, we show that linear magneto-birefringence (LMB) provides a natural and broadly applicable route to detecting altermagnetic order. Building on the correspondence between the momentum-space structure of NRSS and the ferroic ordering of magnetic multipoles in real space, we demonstrate how $d$-wave and $g$-wave NRSS textures yield distinct LMB responses. We present a symmetry-based framework that identifies the optical geometries and field configurations required to isolate specific multipole components, enabling domain imaging and providing benchmarks for theoretical models of LMB.}, author = {Sunko, Veronika and Orenstein, J.}, issn = {2397-4648}, journal = {npj Quantum Materials}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Linear magneto-birefringence as a probe of altermagnetism}}, doi = {10.1038/s41535-026-00901-8}, year = {2026}, } @article{22145, abstract = {An in-operando electro-intercalation method for the on-chip synthesis of alkali-metal-intercalated materials and their Raman spectroscopic and transport characterization in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) is developed. We apply this method to synthesize fulleride superconductors via Rb+ intercalation into a C60 film. During the intercalation, we monitor the stoichiometry via UHV-Raman spectroscopy and probe superconductivity via transport measurements. An increase of the superconducting transition temperature from 7.0 K to 14.5 K is observed when the stoichiometry is tuned from Rb2.7C60 to Rb3C60. In our experiment, an ionic Rb+ flux into the host material is induced by an applied electronic current via a Butler–Volmer-type mechanism. Electro-intercalation captivates through improved stoichiometric precision, the ability to smoothly vary stoichiometry via duration of current application, and the absence of a lower limit of the volume of the host material. It represents a powerful concept for the on-chip synthesis of intercalated materials, battery research, and beyond.}, author = {Shchukin, Konstantin P. and Gallego Lacey, Oliver N. and Coquinot, Baptiste and Jakowski, Jacek and Huang, Jingsong and Staudenmayer, Patrik and Falke, Yannic and Pandeya, Ram Prakash and Grüneis, Alexander}, issn = {1936-086X}, journal = {ACS Nano}, keywords = {fulleride, intercalation, alkali metal, superconductivity, Raman}, number = {24}, pages = {17360--17372}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, title = {{On-chip tuning of superconductivity in fullerides via current-driven Rb+ intercalation}}, doi = {10.1021/acsnano.6c02466}, volume = {20}, year = {2026}, } @article{22147, abstract = {Let 1 ≤ k ≤ n and M be a random n × n matrix with independent uniformly random {±1}-entries. We show that there exists an absolute constant c > 0 such that P[rank(M) ≤ n − k] ≤ exp(−cnk). This confirms a well-known prediction in the area, extending a result of Rudelson (who previously proved this same result under the restriction k ≤ √n, via different methods).}, author = {Hunter, Zach and Kwan, Matthew Alan and Sauermann, Lisa and Sawhney, Mehtaab}, issn = {1687-0247}, journal = {International Mathematics Research Notices}, number = {12}, publisher = {Oxford University Press}, title = {{On random matrices with large corank}}, doi = {10.1093/imrn/rnag126}, volume = {2026}, year = {2026}, } @article{22229, abstract = {Hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons (PNs) form the largest autoassociative network in the mammalian brain. Whether CA3–CA3 recurrent connectivity is genetically preconfigured or environmentally shaped during ongoing memory storage is currently unknown. To address this question, we performed multicellular patch-clamp-based circuit mapping of up to eight CA3 PNs in the mouse hippocampus at multiple postnatal time points (P7–8, P18–25, and P45–50). Here, we show that the hippocampal CA3 network undergoes a developmental transformation from local, dense, and random connectivity to a distributed, sparse, and structured configuration. Thus, sparse and structured connectivity may emerge via experience-dependent mechanisms. In parallel, the strength of single synapses is downregulated; single synaptic events are sufficient to trigger postsynaptic spiking early in development, whereas spatial summation of several inputs is required at later time points. Biologically inspired models of memory storage by Hebbian synaptic plasticity and retrieval via pattern completion suggest that developmental changes improve specific aspects of memory storage and retrieval. Our results imply a developmental transformation of the neuronal code and the memory functions in the hippocampal CA3 network.}, author = {Vargas Barroso, Victor M and Watson, Jake and Navas Olivé, Andrea C and Schlögl, Alois and Jonas, Peter M}, issn = {2041-1723}, journal = {Nature Communications}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Developmental emergence of sparse and structured synaptic connectivity in the hippocampal CA3 memory circuit}}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-71914-x}, volume = {17}, year = {2026}, } @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}, } @inproceedings{22119, author = {Muñoz Hermosilla, José M and Miles, Evan and McCarthy, Michael and Melo Velasco, Juan Vicente and Hardmeier, Florian and GANTAYAT, PRATEEK and Fontrodona-Bach, Adrià and Jouvet, Guillaume and Pellicciotti, Francesca}, booktitle = {EGU General Assembly 2026}, location = {Vienna, Austria & Virtual}, publisher = {European Geosciences Union}, title = {{Constraining debris input to Oberaletsch Glacier using ensemble-based Lagrangian modelling}}, doi = {10.5194/egusphere-egu26-19367}, year = {2026}, } @article{22241, abstract = {We revisit the computation of 3D generalized winding numbers, a useful measure for inside-outside classification on triangle meshes with gaps, self-intersections, and open boundaries. At the core of our new method is an analytical reduction of the surface integral that defines the winding number, resulting in a single ray-mesh intersection test and an elementary sum over boundary edges per evaluation. This construction is orders of magnitude more efficient than the state of the art in practice, which we show in an extensive performance benchmark. Conveniently, the method also reduces to the best-available asymptotic complexity in the worst case, and it introduces no approximations apart from floating-point errors. Our algorithm is conceptually simple to understand, straightforward to implement and debug, and it works reliably even on extremely noisy and corrupt input geometry.}, author = {Xie, Peiyuan and Hafner, Christian and Wojtan, Christopher J}, issn = {1557-7368}, journal = {ACM Transactions on Graphics}, number = {4}, publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery}, title = {{Fast and exact winding numbers for triangle meshes}}, doi = {10.1145/3811339}, volume = {45}, year = {2026}, } @article{22248, abstract = {Many living and artificial systems improve their fitness or performance by adapting to changing environments or diverse training data. However, it remains unclear how environmental variation shapes adaptation, what is learned, and when memory of past conditions is retained. Here we show how cyclic environmental change can produce robust memory. Using a model athermal disordered solid trained by inverse design to attain target elastic properties over a prescribed range, we find that the system evolves toward a marginally absorbing manifold (MAM), meaning that training is reversible within the training range but not beyond it, which encodes a memory of that range. We further propose a general mechanism for MAM formation and memory encoding based on discontinuities in the gradient of the trained quantity. These results provide a simple, broadly applicable physical framework for how adaptive systems learn under changing environments and retain memory of past conditions.}, author = {Zu, Mengjie and Goodrich, Carl Peter}, issn = {2835-8279}, journal = {PRX Life}, number = {2}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Learning by Training: Emergent physical memory from cyclically tuning disordered sphere packings}}, doi = {10.1103/48k2-cw3b}, volume = {4}, year = {2026}, }