@article{21340, abstract = {Equilibrium quantum systems are often described by a gas of weakly interacting normal modes. Bringing such systems far from equilibrium, however, can drastically enhance mode-to-mode interactions. Understanding the resulting liquid is a fundamental question for quantum statistical mechanics and a practical question for engineering driven quantum devices. To tackle this question, we probe the non-equilibrium kinetics of one-dimensional plasmons in a long chain of Josephson junctions. We introduce multimode spectroscopy to controllably study the departure from equilibrium, witnessing the evolution from pairwise coupling between plasma modes at weak driving to dramatic, high-order, cascaded couplings at strong driving. Scaling to many-mode drives, we stimulate interactions between hundreds of modes, resulting in near-continuum internal dynamics. Imaging the resulting non-equilibrium plasmon populations, we then resolve the nonlocal redistribution of energy in the response to a weak perturbation—an explicit verification of the emergence of a strongly interacting, non-equilibrium liquid of plasmons.}, author = {Bubis, Anton and Vigliotti, Lucia and Serbyn, Maksym and Higginbotham, Andrew P}, issn = {2375-2548}, journal = {Science Advances}, number = {7}, publisher = {American Association for the Advancement of Science}, title = {{Non-equilibrium plasmon liquid in a Josephson junction chain}}, doi = {10.1126/sciadv.ady7222}, volume = {12}, year = {2026}, } @article{21341, abstract = {We aim to characterise the mass-metallicity relation (MZR) and the 3D correlation between the stellar mass, metallicity, and star formation rate (SFR) known as the fundamental metallicity relation (FMR) for galaxies at 5 < z < 7. Using ∼800 [O III] selected galaxies from deep NIRCam grism surveys, we present our stacked measurements of direct-Te metallicities, which we used to test recent strong-line metallicity calibrations. Our measured direct-Te metallicities (0.1–0.2 Z⊙ for M★ ≈ 5 × 107 − 9 M⊙, respectively) match recent JWST/NIRSpec-based results. However, there are significant inconsistencies between observations and hydrodynamical simulations. We observe a flatter MZR slope than the SPHINX20 and FLARES simulations, which cannot be attributed to selection effects. With simple models, we show that the effect of an [O III] flux-limited sample on the observed shape of the MZR is strongly dependent on the FMR. If the FMR is similar to the one in the local Universe, the intrinsic high-redshift MZR should be even flatter than is observed. In turn, a 3D relation where SFR correlates positively with metallicity at fixed mass would imply an intrinsically steeper MZR. Our measurements indicate that metallicity variations at fixed mass show little dependence on the SFR, suggesting a flat intrinsic MZR. This could indicate that the low-mass galaxies at these redshifts are out of equilibrium and that metal enrichment occurs rapidly in low-mass galaxies. However, being limited by our stacking analysis, we are yet to probe the scatter in the MZR and its dependence on SFR. Large carefully selected samples of galaxies with robust metallicity measurements can put tight constraints on the high-redshift FMR and help us to understand the interplay between gas flows, star formation, and feedback in early galaxies.}, author = {Kotiwale, Gauri and Matthee, Jorryt J and Kashino, Daichi and Vijayan, Aswin P. and Torralba Torregrosa, Alberto and Di Cesare, Claudia and Iani, Edoardo and Bordoloi, Rongmon and Leja, Joel and Maseda, Michael V. and Tacchella, Sandro and Shivaei, Irene and Heintz, Kasper E. and Danhaive, A. Lola and Mascia, Sara and Kramarenko, Ivan and Navarrete, Benjamín and Mackenzie, Ruari and Naidu, Rohan P. and Sobral, David}, issn = {1432-0746}, journal = {Astronomy & Astrophysics}, publisher = {EDP Sciences}, title = {{Rapid, out-of-equilibrium metal enrichment indicated by a flat mass-metallicity relation at z ∼ 6 from NIRCam grism spectroscopy}}, doi = {10.1051/0004-6361/202556597}, volume = {706}, year = {2026}, } @article{21342, abstract = {JWST has revealed a stunning population of bright galaxies at surprisingly early epochs, z > 10, where few such sources were expected. Here we present the most distant example of this class yet – MoM-z14, a luminous (MUV = −20.2) source in the COSMOS legacy field at zspec = 14.44+0.02−0.02 that expands the observational frontier to a mere 280 million years after the Big Bang. The redshift is confirmed with NIRSpec/prism spectroscopy through a sharp Lyman-α break and ≈ 3σ detections of five rest-UV emission lines. The number density of bright zspec ≈ 14 − 15 sources implied by our “Mirage or Miracle” survey spanning ≈ 350 arcmin2 is > 100× larger (182+329 −105×) than pre-JWST consensus models. The high EWs of UV lines (≈15−35˚A) signal a rising star-formation history, with a ≈10× increase in the last 5 Myr (SFR5Myr/SFR50Myr = 9.9 +3.0 −5.8). The source is extremely compact (circularized re = 74+15 −12 pc), and yet elongated (b/a = 0.25+0.11−0.06), suggesting an AGN is not the dominant source of UV light. The steep UV slope (β = −2.5 +0.2 −0.2) implies negligible dust attenuation and a young stellar population. The absence of a strong damping wing provides tentative evidence that the immediate surroundings of MoM-z14 may be partially ionized at a redshift where virtually every reionization model predicts a ≈ 100% neutral fraction. The nitrogen emission and highly supersolar [N/C]> 1 hint at an abundance pattern similar to local globular clusters that may have once hosted luminous supermassive stars. Since this abundance pattern is also common among the most ancient stars born in the Milky Way, we may be directly witnessing the formation of such stars in dense clusters, connecting galaxy evolution across the entire sweep of cosmic time. }, author = {Naidu, Rohan P. and Oesch, Pascal A. and Brammer, Gabriel and Weibel, Andrea and Li, Yijia and Matthee, Jorryt J and Chisholm, John and Pollock, Clara L. and Heintz, Kasper E. and Johnson, Benjamin D. and Shen, Xuejian and Hviding, Raphael E. and Leja, Joel and Tacchella, Sandro and Ganguly, Arpita and Witten, Callum and Atek, Hakim and Belli, Sirio and Bose, Sownak and Bouwens, Rychard and Dayal, Pratika and Decarli, Roberto and De Graaff, Anna and Fudamoto, Yoshinobu and Giovinazzo, Emma and Greene, Jenny E. and Illingworth, Garth and Inoue, Akio K. and Kane, Sarah G. and Labbe, Ivo and Leonova, Ecaterina and Marques-Chaves, Rui and Meyer, Romain A. and Nelson, Erica J. and Roberts-Borsani, Guido and Schaerer, Daniel and Simcoe, Robert A. and Stefanon, Mauro and Sugahara, Yuma and Toft, Sune and Van Der Wel, Arjen and Van Dokkum, Pieter and Walter, Fabian and Watson, Darach and Weaver, John R. and Whitaker, Katherine E.}, issn = {2565-6120}, journal = {The Open Journal of Astrophysics}, publisher = {Maynooth Academic Publishing}, title = {{A cosmic miracle: A remarkably luminous galaxy at zspec = 14.44 confirmed with JWST}}, doi = {10.33232/001c.156033}, volume = {9}, year = {2026}, } @article{21344, abstract = {Tropospheric ozone has the potential to become an increasingly pressing public health issue in Bogotá, Colombia, due to rising concentrations across the city driven by complex interactions among emissions, meteorology, and urban structure. This study presents a comprehensive spatiotemporal analysis of ozone levels from 2013 to 2023 and assesses the associated health burden using mortality data from the same period. Results reveal a consistent upward trend in ozone concentrations, particularly in northern, western, and southern localities, with seasonal peaks linked to biomass burning and photochemical conditions. Mortality analysis, based on the Global Exposure Mortality Model, estimates that 18.3% of all deaths among individuals aged 25 and older are attributable to long-term ozone exposure. The highest burdens are found in densely populated and socioeconomically vulnerable areas such as Kennedy, Suba, and Ciudad Bolívar, with the elderly being the most affected. Building on these findings, we developed a machine learning prediction model for ozone using a convolutional merge with a long-short term memory network architecture trained on air quality and meteorological variables. The model demonstrated strong predictive performance (mean Rho=0.86, RMSE=3.5 μg/m3) across monitoring stations (17 with at least 35000 data points), supporting its potential application in real-time early warning systems across Bogotá. This integrated approach highlights the importance of localized air quality management, combining epidemiological assessment with predictive modeling. The findings underscore the urgency of implementing region-specific mitigation strategies and improving monitoring infrastructure to reduce health risks from ozone exposure in Bogotá’s rapidly growing urban environment.}, author = {Bustos, Daniela and Garcia, Diana and Rojas, Nestor Y. and Lopez-Barrera, Ellie A. and Peña-Rincon, Carlos and Casallas Garcia, Alejandro}, issn = {2509-9434}, journal = {Earth Systems and Environment}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Ozone trends and mortality risk: The growing need for machine learning predictions in Bogotá, Colombia}}, doi = {10.1007/s41748-026-01052-3}, year = {2026}, } @phdthesis{21360, author = {Riegler, Stefan}, issn = {2663-337X}, pages = {185}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{Root system plasticity under nutrient limitation : Investigating hormonal and molecular drivers in Arabidopsis thaliana and Coffea species}}, doi = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-21360}, year = {2026}, } @misc{21363, abstract = {The data contains information on coffee differential gene expression as well as co-expression and trait correlations in two separate experiments. First, contrasting nitrogen supply, second, intra- and interspecific grafting.}, author = {Riegler, Stefan}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{Thesis Data for Root System Plasticity under Nutrient Limitation: Investigating Hormonal and Molecular Drivers in Arabidopsis thaliana and Coffea species}}, doi = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-21363}, year = {2026}, } @article{21369, abstract = {Formation of new amyloid fibrils and oligomers from monomeric protein on the surfaces of existing fibrils is an important driver of many disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. The structural basis of this secondary nucleation process, however, is poorly understood. Here, we ask whether secondary nucleation sites are found predominantly at rare growth defects: irregularities in the fibril core structure incorporated during their original assembly. We first demonstrate using the specific inhibitor of secondary nucleation, Brichos, that secondary nucleation sites on Alzheimer’s disease-associated fibrils composed of Aβ40 and Aβ42 peptides are rare compared to the number of protein molecules they contain. We then grow Aβ40 fibrils under conditions designed to eliminate most growth defects while leaving the regular fibril morphology unchanged, and confirm the latter using cryo-electron microscopy. We measure both the ability of these annealed fibrils to promote secondary nucleation and the stoichiometry of their secondary nucleation sites, finding that both are greatly reduced as predicted. Re-analysis of published data for other proteins suggests that fibril growth defects may also drive secondary nucleation generally across most amyloids. These findings could unlock structure-based drug design of therapeutics that aim to halt amyloid disorders by inhibiting secondary nucleation sites.}, author = {Hu, Jing and Scheidt, Tom and Thacker, Dev and Axell, Emil and Stemme, Elin and Łapińska, Urszula and Wennmalm, Stefan and Meisl, Georg and Curk, Samo and Andreasen, Maria and Vendruscolo, Michele and Arosio, Paolo and Šarić, Anđela and Schmit, Jeremy D. and Knowles, Tuomas P.J. and Sparr, Emma and Linse, Sara and Michaels, Thomas C.T. and Dear, Alexander J.}, issn = {2041-1723}, journal = {Nature Communications}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Structural defects in amyloid-β fibrils drive secondary nucleation}}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-69377-1}, volume = {17}, year = {2026}, } @article{21371, abstract = {There may be a newly identified early phase of supermassive black hole growth}, author = {Matthee, Jorryt J}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6787}, pages = {767--768}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Black holes disguised as little red dots}}, doi = {10.1126/science.adz8603}, volume = {391}, year = {2026}, } @article{21373, abstract = {Cold atom experiments show that a mobile impurity particle immersed in a weakly interacting Bose-Einstein condensate forms a well-defined quasiparticle (Bose polaron) for weak to moderate impurity-boson interaction strengths, whereas a significant line broadening is consistently observed for strong interactions. Motivated by this, we introduce a phenomenological theory based on the assumption that the most relevant states are characterized by the impurity correlated with at most one boson, since they have the largest overlap with the uncorrelated states to which the most common experimental probes couple. These experimentally relevant states can, however, decay to lower energy states characterized by correlations involving multiple bosons, and we model this using a minimal variational wave function combined with a complex impurity-boson interaction strength. We first motivate this approach by comparing to a more elaborate theory that includes correlations with up to two bosons. Our phenomenological model is shown to recover the main results of two recent experiments probing both the spectral and the nonequilibrium properties of the Bose polaron. Our work offers an intuitive framework for analyzing experimental data and highlights the importance of understanding the complicated problem of the Bose polaron decay in a many-body setting.}, author = {Al Hyder, Ragheed and Bruun, G. M. and Pohl, T. and Lemeshko, Mikhail and Volosniev, Artem}, issn = {2643-1564}, journal = {Physical Review Research}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Phenomenological model of decaying Bose polarons}}, doi = {10.1103/16dk-5dgx}, volume = {8}, year = {2026}, } @inproceedings{21374, abstract = {Let . S be a set of distinct points in general position in the Euclidean plane. A plane Hamiltonian path on . S is a crossing-free geometric path such that every point of .S is a vertex of the path. It is known that, if. S is sufficiently large, there exist three edge-disjoint plane Hamiltonian paths on . S. In this paper we study an edge-constrained version of the problem of finding Hamiltonian paths on a point set. We first consider the problem of finding a single plane Hamiltonian path . π with endpoints .s, t ∈ S and constraints given by a segment . ab, where .a, b ∈ S. We consider the following scenarios: (i) .ab ∈ π; (ii) .ab π. We characterize those quintuples . S, a, b, s, t for which . π exists. Secondly, we consider the problem of finding two plane Hamiltonian paths . π1, π2 on a set . S with constraints given by a segment . ab, where .a, b ∈ S. We consider the following scenarios: (i) .π1 and .π2 share no edges and .ab is an edge of . π1; (ii) .π1 and .π2 share no edges and none of them includes .ab as an edge; (iii) both .π1 and .π2 include .ab as an edge and share no other edges. In all cases, we characterize those triples . S, a, b for which .π1 and .π2 exist.}, author = {Antić, Todor and Džuklevski, Aleksa and Fiala, Jiří and Kratochvíl, Jan and Liotta, Giuseppe and Saghafian, Morteza and Saumell, Maria and Zink, Johannes}, booktitle = {51st International Conference on Current Trends in Theory and Practice of Computer Science}, isbn = {9783032178008}, issn = {1611-3349}, location = {Krakow, Poland}, pages = {532--546}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Edge-constrained Hamiltonian paths on a point set}}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-032-17801-5_39}, volume = {16448}, year = {2026}, } @article{21378, abstract = {From insects to mammals, essential brain functions, such as forming long-term memories (LTMs), increase metabolic activity in stimulated neurons to meet the energetic demand associated with brain activation. However, while impairing neuronal metabolism limits brain performance, whether expanding the metabolic capacity of neurons boosts brain function remains poorly understood. Here, we show that LTM formation of flies and mice can be enhanced by increasing mitochondrial metabolism in central memory circuits. By knocking down the mitochondrial Ca2+ exporter Letm1, we favour Ca2+ retention in the mitochondrial matrix of neurons due to reduction of mitochondrial H+/Ca2+ exchange. The resulting increase in mitochondrial Ca2+ over-activates mitochondrial metabolism in neurons of central memory circuits, leading to improved LTM storage in training paradigms in which wild-type counterparts of both species fail to remember. Our findings unveil an evolutionarily conserved mechanism that controls mitochondrial metabolism in neurons and indicate its involvement in shaping higher brain functions, such as LTM.}, author = {Amrapali Vishwanath, Anjali and Comyn, Typhaine and Mira, Rodrigo G. and Brossier, Claire and Pascual-Caro, Carlos and Faour, Maya and Boumendil, Kahina and Chintaluri, Chaitanya and Ramon-Duaso, Carla and Fan, Ruolin and Ghosh, Kishalay and Farrants, Helen and Berwick, Jean-Paul and Sivakumar, Riya and Lopez-Manzaneda, Mario and Schreiter, Eric R. and Preat, Thomas and Vogels, Tim P and Rangaraju, Vidhya and Busquets-Garcia, Arnau and Plaçais, Pierre-Yves and Pavlowsky, Alice and de Juan-Sanz, Jaime}, issn = {2522-5812}, journal = {Nature Metabolism}, number = {2}, pages = {467--488}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Mitochondrial Ca2+ efflux controls neuronal metabolism and long-term memory across species}}, doi = {10.1038/s42255-026-01451-w}, volume = {8}, year = {2026}, } @article{21379, abstract = {We study a (1 + 1)-dimensional semi-discrete random variational problem that can be interpreted as the geometrically linearized version of the critical 2-dimensional random field Ising model. The scaling of the correlation length of the latter was recently characterized in Probab. Duke Math. J. 172(9), 1781–1811 (2023) and arXiv:2011.08768v3, (2022); our analysis is reminiscent of the multi-scale approach of the latter work and of Combinatorica 9, 161–187 (1989) . We show that at every dyadic scale from the system size down to the lattice spacing the minimizer contains at most order-one Dirichlet energy per unit length. We also establish a quenched homogenization result in the sense that the leading order of the minimal energy becomes deterministic as the ratio system size / lattice spacing diverges. To this purpose we adapt arguments from arXiv:2401.06768, (2024) on the (d + 1)-dimensional version our the model, with a Brownian replacing the white noise potential, to obtain the initial large-scale bounds. Based on our estimate of the (p = 3)-Dirichlet energy, we give an informal justification of the geometric linearization. Our bounds, which are oblivious to the microscopic cut-off scale provided by the lattice spacing, yield tightness of the law of minimizers in the space of continuous functions as the lattice spacing is sent to zero.}, author = {Otto, Felix and Palmieri, Matteo and Wagner, Christian}, issn = {1432-2064}, journal = {Probability Theory and Related Fields}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{On minimizing curves in a Brownian potential}}, doi = {10.1007/s00440-026-01468-y}, year = {2026}, } @article{21380, abstract = {Context. Extreme emission line galaxies (EELGs) are believed to significantly contribute to the star formation activity and mass assembly in galaxies. EELGs likely also play a leading role in the cosmic re-ionization as their interstellar medium may allow a significant fraction of their ionizing photons to escape (> 5%). Finding low-redshift analogues of these high-z galaxies is therefore essential to characterizing the physical conditions in the interstellar medium of these galaxies and understanding the processes that re-ionized the Universe. Aims. We aimed to develop a robust and efficient method for the photometric identification of EELGs using the J-PAS survey. J-PAS will cover approximately 8500 deg2 of the sky with 54 narrow-band filters in the optical range plus i-SDSS, enabling detailed studies of the physical properties of these galaxies. In this work we focused on an initial subset of the survey: a 30 square degree area with complete observations in all bands. Methods. We combine equivalent width (EW) measurements from J-PAS narrow-band photometry with artificial intelligence techniques to identify galaxies with emission lines exceeding 300 Å. We validated our selection using spectroscopic data from DESI DR1 and characterized the selected sample through spectral energy distribution fitting with CIGALE. Results. We identify 917 EELGs up to z = 0.8 over 30 deg2, achieving a purity of 95% and a completeness of 96% for i-SDSS < 22.5 mag. Importantly, active galactic nucleus contamination was carefully considered and is estimated to be around 5%. Furthermore, a cross-match with DESI yielded 79 counterparts; their redshifts are in excellent agreement with our photometric estimates, thereby confirming the reliability of our redshift determination. In addition, the derived emission line fluxes are in good agreement with spectroscopic measurements. Moreover, the selected sample reveals strong correlations between the ionizing photon production efficiency (ξion) and EW(Hβ), which are consistent with previous observational studies at low and high redshifts and theoretical expectations. Finally, most of the sources surpass the ionizing efficiency threshold required for re-ionization, highlighting their relevance as local analogues of early-Universe galaxies.}, author = {Giménez-Alcázar, A. and Amorín, R. and Vílchez, J. M. and Hernán-Caballero, A. and González-Otero, M. and Arroyo-Polonio, A. and Iglesias-Páramo, J. and Lumbreras-Calle, A. and Fernández-Ontiveros, J. A. and López-Sanjuan, C. and Bonatto, L. and González Delgado, R. M. and Kehrig, C. and Torralba Torregrosa, Alberto and Rahna, P. T. and Jiménez-Teja, Y. and Márquez, I. and Breda, I. and Álvarez-Candal, A. and Abramo, R. and Alcaniz, J. and Benitez, N. and Bonoli, S. and Carneiro, S. and Cenarro, J. and Cristóbal-Hornillos, D. and Dupke, R. and Ederoclite, A. and Hernández-Monteagudo, C. and Marín-Franch, A. and Mendes de Oliveira, C. and Moles, M. and Sodré, L. and Taylor, K. and Varela, J. and Vázquez Ramió, H.}, issn = {1432-0746}, journal = {Astronomy & Astrophysics}, publisher = {EDP Sciences}, title = {{J-PAS: First identification, physical properties, and ionization efficiency of extreme emission line galaxies}}, doi = {10.1051/0004-6361/202557358}, volume = {706}, year = {2026}, } @article{21381, abstract = {The lack of long-range electrostatics is a key limitation of modern machine learning interatomic potentials (MLIPs), hindering reliable applications to interfaces, charge-transfer reactions, polar and ionic materials, and biomolecules. In this Perspective, we distill two design principles behind the Latent Ewald Summation framework, which can capture long-range interactions, charges, and electrical response just by learning from standard energy and force training data: (i) use a Coulomb functional form with environment-dependent charges to capture electrostatic interactions, and (ii) avoid explicit training on ambiguous density functional theory partial charges. When both principles are satisfied, substantial flexibility remains: essentially any short-range MLIP can be augmented; charge equilibration schemes can be added when desired; dipoles and Born effective charges can be inferred or fine-tuned; and charge/spin-state embeddings or tensorial targets can be further incorporated. We also discuss current limitations and open challenges. Together, these minimal, physics-guided design rules suggest that incorporating long-range electrostatics into MLIPs is simpler and perhaps more broadly applicable than is commonly assumed.}, author = {Kim, Dongjin and Cheng, Bingqing}, issn = {1089-7690}, journal = {The Journal of Chemical Physics}, number = {6}, publisher = {AIP Publishing}, title = {{Long-range electrostatics for machine learning interatomic potentials is easier than we thought}}, doi = {10.1063/5.0316886}, volume = {164}, year = {2026}, } @article{21382, abstract = {The exceptional energy-harvesting efficiency of lead-halide perovskites arises from unusually long photocarrier diffusion lengths and recombination lifetimes that persist even in defect-rich, solution-grown samples. Paradoxically, perovskites are also known for having very short exciton decay times. Here, we resolve this apparent contradiction by showing that key optoelectronic properties of perovskites can be explained by localized flexoelectric polarization confined to interfaces between domains of spontaneous strain. Using birefringence imaging, electrochemical staining, and zero-bias photocurrent measurements, we visualize the domain structure and directly probe the associated internal fields in nominally cubic single crystals of methylammonium lead bromide. We demonstrate that localized flexoelectric fields spatially separate electrons and holes to opposite sides of domain walls, exponentially suppressing recombination. Domain walls thus act as efficient mesoscopic transport channels for long-lived photocarriers, microscopically linking structural heterogeneity to charge transport and offering mechanistically informed design principles for perovskite solar-energy technologies.}, author = {Rak, Dmytro and Lorenc, Dusan and Balazs, Daniel and Zhumekenov, Ayan A. and Bakr, Osman M. and Alpichshev, Zhanybek}, issn = {2041-1723}, journal = {Nature Communications}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Flexoelectric domain walls enable charge separation and transport in cubic perovskites}}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-68660-5}, volume = {17}, year = {2026}, } @article{21383, abstract = {Planarian flatworms are known for their remarkable regenerative capacity; however, the precise intercellular communication mechanisms underlying this process remain unsolved. Here, we report the discovery and characterization of abundant extracellular vesicles (EVs) in planarians. Using imaging and molecular analysis, we show conservation of biogenesis, morphology, and protein composition of planarian EVs. Environmental stressors significantly elevate EV release, indicating that planarians dynamically regulate vesicle production. Functionally, planarian EVs mediate intercellular communication by transferring regulatory signals: We find that they shuttle small RNAs that effect systemic RNA interference (RNAi) throughout the organism. Notably, gene knockdown experiments reveal a crucial role for AGO-3, a member of the Argonaute family of proteins, in modulating the association of small interfering RNAs with EVs, linking the intracellular RNAi machinery to EV-based signaling. These findings highlight EVs as pivotal mediators of cell-cell communication in planarians, with broad implications for understanding the coordination of gene regulation and tissue regeneration in animals.}, author = {Sasidharan, Vidyanand and Ancellotti, Laura and Doddihal, Viraj and Brewster, Carolyn and Mann, Frederick and McKinney, Mary Cathleen and Varberg, Joseph and Ross, Eric and Deng, Fengyan and Yi, Kexi and Sánchez Alvarado, Alejandro}, issn = {2375-2548}, journal = {Science Advances}, number = {6}, publisher = {American Association for the Advancement of Science}, title = {{Extracellular vesicles mediate stem cell signaling and systemic RNAi in planarians}}, doi = {10.1126/sciadv.ady1461}, volume = {12}, year = {2026}, } @article{21384, abstract = {Cell migration in vivo is often guided by chemical signaling, i.e., chemotaxis. For immune cells performing chemotaxis in the organism, this process is influenced by the complex geometry of the tissue environment. In this study, we use a theoretical model of branched cell migration on a network to explore the cellular response to chemical gradients. The model predicts the response of a branched cell to a chemical gradient: how the cell reorients its internal polarity and how it navigates through a complex environment up a chemical gradient. We then compare the model’s predictions with experimental observations of neutrophils migrating to the site of a laser-inflicted wound in a zebrafish larva fin, and neutrophils migrating in vitro inside a regular lattice of pillars. We find that the model captures the details of the subcellular response to the chemokine gradient, as well as qualitative characteristics of the large-scale migration, suggesting that the neutrophils behave as fast cells, which explains the functionality of these immune cells.}, author = {Liu, Jiayi and Ron, Jonathan E. and Rinaldi, Giulia and Williantarra, Ivanna and Georgantzoglou, Antonios and de Vries, Ingrid and Sixt, Michael K and Sarris, Milka and Gov, Nir S.}, issn = {1553-7358}, journal = {PLOS Computational Biology}, number = {2}, publisher = {Public Library of Science}, title = {{Modelling chemotaxis of branched cells in complex environments provides insights into immune cell navigation}}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pcbi.1013934}, volume = {22}, year = {2026}, } @article{21385, abstract = {We prove that the average size of a mixed character sum (math. formular) (for a suitable smooth function w) is on the order of √x for all irrational real θ satisfying a weak Diophantine condition, where χ is drawn from the family of Dirichlet characters modulo a large prime r and where x 6 r. In contrast, it was proved by Harper that the average size is o(√x) for rational θ. Certain quadratic Diophantine equations play a key role in the present paper. }, author = {Wang, Victor and Xu, Max}, issn = {1473-7124}, journal = {Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Section A Mathematics}, pages = {1--15}, publisher = {Cambridge University Press}, title = {{Average sizes of mixed character sums}}, doi = {10.1017/prm.2026.10123}, year = {2026}, } @unpublished{21400, abstract = {This document is a blueprint for the formalization in Lean of the structural theory of regular matroids underlying Seymour's decomposition theorem. We present a modular account of regularity via totally unimodular representations, show that regularity is preserved under 1-, 2-, and 3-sums, and establish regularity for several special classes of matroids, including graphic, cographic, and the matroid R10. The blueprint records the logical structure of the proof, the precise dependencies between results, and their correspondence with Lean declarations. It is intended both as a guide for the ongoing formalization effort and as a human-readable reference for the organization of the proof.}, author = {Sergeev, Ivan and Dvorak, Martin and Rampell, Cameron and Sandey, Mark and Monticone, Pietro}, booktitle = {arXiv}, pages = {18}, title = {{A blueprint for the formalization of Seymour's matroid decomposition theorem}}, doi = {10.48550/arXiv.2601.01255}, year = {2026}, } @article{21406, abstract = {This preliminary study investigates the trace-element composition of ostracod shells (Ostracoda: Crustacea) as biogenic calcium carbonates in their role as environmental sentinels of pollution. Using high-resolution in-situ analysis, we compared two contrasting coastal systems: the highly urbanized seascape of metropolitan megacity Hong Kong (HKSAR) and the agriculturally dominated waters of rural retreat Jeju Island, Republic of Korea (ROK). The goal was to assess whether anthropogenic stress gradients affect trace element-to‑calcium ratios (E/Ca) in the carapaces of shallow-marine Neonesidea Maddocks, 1969 species. Hereby, the focus is laid on potential differences in the effects of extreme urbanization and extreme agriculturalization. We analyzed 12 trace elements commonly incorporated into ostracod shells using Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Only Mn/Ca, Mg/Ca, and Ni/Ca ratios showed strong correlations with specific seawater physicochemical parameters. Notably, Mn/Ca differed significantly between the two sites, seemingly driven mainly by variations in nitrite nitrogen levels. This suggests that Mn incorporation is sensitive to pollution source, urban versus agricultural, though species-specific uptake effects cannot be excluded. No significant differences in elemental uptake were found between adult and A-1 juvenile stages of Neonesidea mutsuensis Ishizaki, 1961 or Neonesidea elegans (Brady, 1969), supporting the use of both age groups in environmental reconstructions and increasing potential sample yields. While remaining empirical and exploratory, our tentative findings suggest that ostracod geochemistry holds promise for marine pollution monitoring and cautiously supports the application of ostracod Mn/Ca ratios to reconstruct anthropogenic, particularly nitrogen-related, impacts in nearshore environments using sediment core records.}, author = {Jöst, Anna B. and Rodriguez Moreno, Maximiliano J and Kim, Taihun and Baker, David M. and Yasuhara, Moriaki and Not, Christelle A. and Karanovic, Ivana}, issn = {1879-3363}, journal = {Marine Pollution Bulletin}, number = {6}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Ostracod shell chemistry as proxy for coastal marine conditions of a highly urbanized megacity (Hong Kong SAR) and an agro-centric oceanic province (Jeju Island, Republic of Korea) – a preliminary comparative analysis}}, doi = {10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.119493}, volume = {227}, year = {2026}, }