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Mechanistic insight into α-to-δ phase transition and stabilizing α-phase FAPbI3 via regulating δ-phase orientation
Revealing hidden periodicity in momentum-encoded metasurfaces
A nanoscale Jitterbug transformer from DNA
Evolution of the frontal aslant tract and implications for primate vocalization and human speech
Mapping the absorption landscape of far-red Photosystem II
Abstract Far-red light photoacclimation enables some cyanobacteria to survive in white-light-depleted environments by extending the red limit of photosynthesis. In far-red Photosystem II, paralogous subunits replace their canonical counterparts, allowing the incorporation of some chlorophyll f molecules and one chlorophyll d that are red-shifted and spectrally distinct from the chlorophyll a manifold, and from each other. Here, we present a comparative study of far-red Photosystem II from Chroococcidiopsis thermalis PCC 7203 and Calothrix sp. NIES-3974. In C. thermalis , the cryo-electron microscopy structure reveals the far-red-exclusive subunit, PsbH2’, which forms part of a chlorophyll f binding site. We also assign four chlorophyll f sites using sequence comparisons and electrostatic potential analyses. In Calothrix, psbH2’ is absent, and the same analyses show that only two of these chlorophyll f sites are present. Comparative phylogenetic, structural, and spectroscopic analyses allow the assignment of specific wavelengths to all the red-shifted chlorophylls. This provides the framework needed to model excitation energy transfer in far-red Photosystem II, and to understand the conserved features that allow survival under far-red light.
Dihydrogen-bonding interactions in ether-based electrolytes to enable high-voltage lithium metal batteries
Complete genomes reveal a refined map of Mycobacterium tuberculosis genetic diversity across evolutionary scales
Abstract Elucidating the evolution and epidemiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis requires comprehensive characterization of its genomic diversity; however, short-read sequencing fails to resolve part of this variation. Here, we assembled 216 complete genomes from clinical isolates in the Valencia Region, Spain, using long-read sequencing. This dataset, mostly encompassing Lineage 4, provides a refined map of M. tuberculosis genetic diversity across evolutionary scales. Complete genomes uncover a median of 312 (−1 to 792) additional SNPs per pairwise comparison, revealing an estimated evolutionary rate 1.44-fold higher than that inferred from short-read mapping. This diversity is concentrated in discrete hotspots, particularly within the pe/ppe gene family, where gene conversion is a major driver of nucleotide diversity. While most PE/PPE epitopes remain highly conserved, suggesting strong purifying selection, some involved in vaccine candidates are affected by gene conversion, with unknown consequences. At the epidemiological scale, additional resolution is gained from SNPs previously masked and newly resolved indels and structural variation, refining genetic transmission networks. Finally, at the within-host level, the use of patient-specific reference genomes allows us to capture genuine diversity during infection, showing that previous approaches led to false positive calls. Together, these findings delineate the landscape of M. tuberculosis genomic diversity and provide a framework for more accurate inference of pathogen evolution, host–pathogen interactions, and transmission dynamics.
Towards practical aqueous zinc metal pouch cell batteries via weakly bound water-mediated shear-thickening electrolyte
Cryo-EM structures of heteromeric Kir4.1/5.1 channel suggest mechanisms of inward rectification and channel blockage
Interactive narratives reveal the personalizing effect of agency on episodic memory
Abstract Humans make choices that actively shape the trajectory of events in their lives. These choices rely on personal knowledge that can influence how these events are later remembered. We study how people’s memory for a naturalistic sequence of events is altered when their choices control the future. Participants read “choose-your-own-adventure” stories with full, partial, or no control over future events. In all conditions, events which are causally or semantically central to the story are better recalled. However, even when all participants read the exact same story, those with full control recall more idiosyncratic combinations of events. Moreover, their memories are less well predicted by generic sentence embeddings, suggesting a shift away from normative semantic space. Agency also increases the likelihood of jointly remembering or forgetting consecutive events. These results reveal that agency fundamentally reshapes memory organization, increasing the influence of idiosyncratic personal factors and strengthening local temporal integration.
IQGAP3 bridges matrix stiffness with glioma stem cell maintenance and radioresistance by stabilizing SOX2
Brain neuromarkers predict self- and other-related mentalizing across adult, clinical, and developmental samples
Abstract Human social interactions rely on the ability to reflect on one’s own and others’ internal states and traits—a process known as mentalizing. Impaired or altered mentalizing is a hallmark of multiple psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions. Yet, replicable and easily testable brain markers of mentalizing have so far been lacking. Here, we apply an interpretable machine learning approach to multiple datasets (total n = 390) to train and validate fMRI brain signatures that predict i) mentalizing about the self, ii) mentalizing about another person, and iii) both types of mentalizing. Self-mentalizing and other-mentalizing classifiers had positive weights in anterior/medial and posterior/lateral brain areas, respectively, with accuracy rates of 82% and 77% for out-of-sample prediction. The classifier trained across both types of mentalizing showed 98% predictive accuracy and separated (mental) attributional from factual inferences. Classifier patterns revealed better self/other separation in healthy adults compared to individuals with schizophrenia and with increasing age in adolescence. Together, our findings reveal consistent and separable neural patterns subserving trait-based mentalizing about self and others—present at least from the age of adolescence and functionally altered in severe neuropsychiatric disorders. These mentalizing signatures hold promise as candidate neuromarkers of social-cognitive processes in different contexts and clinical conditions.
Rapid development and field evaluation of a portable CRISPR-based assay for Mpox during the 2025 Sierra Leone outbreak
Abstract The large 2025 Mpox clade IIb outbreak in Sierra Leone underscores the urgent need for portable, low-cost diagnostics in decentralized settings. While CRISPR-based assays offer high sensitivity and flexibility, their deployment during active outbreaks remains limited. Here we show the rapid development and field evaluation of Mpox SHINE, a CRISPR–Cas13 assay that integrates lyophilized reagents, ambient-temperature lysis, and automated fluorescence detection on the portable DxHub device. The assay achieves analytical sensitivity down to 10 copies/µL. Clinical validation in Sierra Leone, using 56 clinical specimens, confirms complete concordance with qPCR, demonstrating 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Crucially, Mpox SHINE also detects the virus directly from unextracted lesion swabs while maintaining 100% sensitivity and specificity. The mean time-to-result is fast, averaging 11.4 minutes for extracted samples and 27.9 minutes for unextracted samples. These findings demonstrate that CRISPR-based diagnostics translate quickly from genomic sequence to clinically validated, deployable tools within a single outbreak window.
Grain boundary engineered aluminum current collector for energy-dense initially anode-free sodium metal batteries
Abstract The initially anode-free sodium metal batteries represent promising candidates for high specific energy and safe battery systems, relying solely on cathodic sodium reservoirs. However, the irreversible accumulation of electrochemically inactive “dead” Na and unstable solid electrolyte interphases fundamentally constrains cyclability through rapid active Na depletion. Here, we utilize a grain-boundary gallium-rich polycrystalline aluminum current collector to trigger controlled dissolution of aluminum ions. The dissolved aluminum ions modify the local coordination environment of the electrolyte, thereby perturbing the solvation equilibrium of sodium ions and facilitating sodium ions migration toward the positive electrode for charge compensation. The gallium-rich aluminum current collector enables stable Na plating/stripping for over 2500 cycles. The pouch cell with Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 delivers 88.7% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 35.1 mA g −1 in 1 M NaPF 6 in diglyme, based on a nominal capacity of 117 mAh g −1 . In addition, the full cell with a high positive electrode loading (47.4 mg cm −2 ) achieves a high specific energy of 201.5 Wh kg −1 , calculated based on all cell components (positive electrode, negative electrode, separator and electrolyte). This work proposes a viable current collector design concept that can be extended to other initially anode-free battery systems.