An elastic segment of the whisker shaft enables coding of the whisking phase via whisker torsion in rats and mice.

Rodents' ability to encode the whisking phase has been extensively documented through neuronal recordings from ascending sensory pathways. Yet, while indicating that reafference originates from the mechanoreceptors, the mechanistic underpinnings of the whisking phase encoding within the follicle remain unclear. Here we present anatomical, histological, and biomechanical evidence for the presence of a distinctive elastic segment (ES) within the basal part of the whisker shaft inside the follicle.

Scvi-hub: an actionable repository for model-driven single-cell analysis.

The growing availability of single-cell omics datasets presents new opportunities for reuse, while challenges in data transfer, normalization and integration remain a barrier. Here we present scvi-hub: a platform for efficiently sharing and accessing single-cell omics datasets using pretrained probabilistic models. It enables immediate execution of fundamental tasks like visualization, imputation, annotation and deconvolution on new query datasets using state-of-the-art methods, with massively reduced storage and compute requirements.

The immune receptor SLAMF5 regulates myeloid-cell mediated neuroinflammation in multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by demyelination of the central nervous system (CNS), leading to a broad spectrum of physical and cognitive impairments. Myeloid cells within the CNS, including microglia and border-associated macrophages, play a central role in the neuroinflammatory processes associated with MS. Activation of these cells contributes to the local inflammatory response and promotes the recruitment of additional immune cells into the CNS.

UBA5-epileptic encephalopathy: new patient, a novel variant, and a review of epileptic phenotypes.

Protein ufymilation is a post-translational modification implicated in the regulation of several cellular processes. Biallelic variants in UBA5 causing a functional alteration of its protein product have been associated with early-onset epileptic encephalopathy 44 (EIEE44), a rare disease for which 28 patients have been described in the literature at present. We here report on the clinical and detailed EEG phenotype of a novel patient affected by EIEE44.

Fluorescent supramolecular fibers and sheets built from doubly hexa-His tagged mCherry proteins conjugated by divalent metal cations.

Doubly His-tagged mCherry red fluorescent proteins are observed to form fibers and sheets at neutral pH in the presence of no more than equimolar amounts of Zn or Ni. These architectures, on the order of 10 μm in extent, are detected with scanning transmission electron microscopy imaging. Far ultraviolet circular dichroism spectroscopy attests to the preservation of the native secondary structure of mCherry, while the emission spectrum reveals the maintenance of the chemical environment of the fluorophore site.

Altermagnetic Band Splitting in 10 nm Epitaxial CrSb Thin Films.

Altermagnets are a newly identified family of collinear antiferromagnets with a momentum-dependent spin-split band structure of non-relativistic origin, derived from spin-group symmetry-protected crystal structures. Among candidate altermagnets, CrSb is attractive for potential applications because of a large spin-splitting near the Fermi level and a high Néel transition temperature of around 700 K. Molecular beam epitaxy is used to synthesize CrSb (0001) thin films with thicknesses ranging from 10 to 100 nm.

Integrated Ising model with global inhibition for decision-making.

Humans and other organisms make decisions choosing between different options, with the aim of maximizing the reward and minimizing the cost. The main theoretical framework for modeling the decision-making process has been based on the highly successful drift-diffusion model, which is a simple tool for explaining many aspects of this process. However, recent observations challenge this model.

3D cryoimaging of cell-mediated cholesterol crystal clearance in human atherosclerotic lesions.

We applied micro-computed tomography, high-resolution cryo-scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with cathodoluminescence, and cryo-focused ion beam Milling-SEM to perform three-dimensional imaging of human atherosclerotic tissues with tens of nanometers resolution, under hydrated, near-native conditions with minimal sample processing. The same technology was applied to cultured macrophages exposed to cholesterol crystals, and the observations made on the macrophages were compared to those made on the pathological tissue. We observed that cholesterol crystal digestion and, eventually, cholesterol crystal clearance occurs in the advanced human plaques through cellular processing.

Copper-Substituted Polyoxotungstates as Catalysts for the Electrocatalytic Oxygenation of Light Alkanes.

The low-temperature oxidation of alkanes and arenes using molecular oxygen under ambient conditions is still one of the grand challenges of catalysis. Inspired by the alkane hydroxylation activity of the copper-based metalloenzyme, particulate methane monooxygenase, a tetra-copper polyoxometalate, [Cu(HO)(PWO)], was investigated as an electrocatalyst for the cathodic (reductive) oxidation of hydrocarbons with emphasis on oxidation of ethane. Controlled potential electrolysis (CPE) in water at -0.

A founder heterozygous mutation in Methyl-CpG binding domain protein 4 (MBD4) prevalent among Israeli Christian Arabs predisposes to increased mutagenesis.

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Viral effectors trigger innate immunity across the tree of life.

Viruses are ubiquitous biological entities that exert immense selective pressures on their hosts, driving the evolution of diverse innate immune mechanisms across all domains of life. While innate immunity has historically been studied in eukaryotes, recent discoveries of bacterial defence systems against phages reveal striking parallels between prokaryotic and eukaryotic immunity. A key principle of antiviral defence conserved from bacteria to humans is pattern recognition, where virus-associated molecular patterns trigger immune responses.

Autocatalytic Reaction between HCN and Cysteamine Produces Hydrophobic, Catalytic, Liquid Compartments.

Although HCN has been explored extensively as a precursor in the prebiotic synthesis of biological molecules, macroscopic system-level phenomena, originating from reactions of HCN, such as autocatalysis, oscillations, pattern formation, and phase separation have attracted less attention. Autocatalysis and phase separation are particularly interesting in the context of the origin of life because they are sources of self-replication and compartmentalization. In this work, we investigate the reaction between HCN and cysteamine in water, which exhibits both sigmoidal reaction kinetics and the formation of a distinct liquid phase.

Revisiting secretory granule fusion at vesicular pseudopodia.

Secretory granules are specialized vesicles that package large amounts of cargo, such as hormones, enzymes and mucous. They are typically stored intracellularly until an extracellular signal initiates exocytosis, characterized by fusion between the secretory vesicles and the plasma membrane, resulting in cargo release to the environment. Observations made in the 1970s suggested that some secretory granules project a pseudopodium from their surface where fusion with the cell surface occurs.

pH variations enable guanine crystal formation within iridosomes.

Many animals produce vivid colors by reflecting and amplifying light with stacked guanine crystals within membrane-bound organelles called iridosomes. While the presence of guanine crystals in iridosomes is well documented, the mechanisms facilitating the accumulation of water-insoluble guanine and driving its crystallization remain unclear. Here we used cryo-electron microscopy, live-cell pH imaging, pharmacological perturbations and spectroscopy to study iridosome maturation in zebrafish.

pH-induced conformational changes and inhibition of the Lassa virus spike complex.

Lassa virus (LASV) is a devastating human pathogen with no vaccines and limited therapeutics. The LASV class-I spike complex engages target cells via binding its primary host receptor, matriglycan, followed by macropinocytosis and binding of its secondary receptor, lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1), to trigger virus fusion. This process occurs across multiple pH-dependent steps, but the molecular events remain largely unknown.

Traces of phylogeny and ecology in hippocampal neuron numbers.

It is not known how selective pressures shape the numbers of interconnected neurons in defined neural circuits during the phylogeny of mammals. Consequently, models of function are without phylogenetic bounds, and species differences in neuronal makeup cannot be linked to ecological factors that generate selective pressures. Based on data from 65 species belonging to 11 orders, we here provide an analysis of five interconnected neuron populations in the circuitry of the hippocampus, the forebrain region encoding episodic memories.

Functional diversity of phage sponge proteins that sequester host immune signals.

Multiple bacterial immune systems, including CBASS, Thoeris, and Pycsar, employ signaling molecules that activate the immune response following phage infection. Phages counteract bacterial immune signaling using sponge proteins that bind and sequester the immune signals, but the breadth of immune signals targeted by phage sponges is unclear. Here we study the functional versatility of Acb2, Tad1 and Tad2, three families of sponge proteins known to inhibit CBASS and Thoeris signaling.

Long-term Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Enhances Nerve Regeneration and Remyelination in a Rat Sciatic Nerve Graft Model.

Background: Peripheral nerve injuries often lead to inconsistent outcomes due to the complexity of nerve regeneration. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been proposed to enhance regeneration by improving oxygenation, promoting angiogenesis, and facilitating cellular repair processes. This study evaluated the effects of long-term HBOT on axonal regeneration, remyelination, and functional recovery in a rat model of sciatic nerve injury repaired with autologous nerve grafts.

Fibro predict a machine learning risk score for advanced liver fibrosis in the general population using Israeli electronic health records.

Liver diseases, notably cirrhosis, pose a substantial global health challenge, resulting in millions of annual deaths. Existing diagnostic methods primarily target high-risk groups, leaving a significant portion of patients undiagnosed. This study aims to develop and validate an a machine-learning prediction model, Fibro-Predict, for the early detection of advanced liver fibrosis in the general population using nationwide electronic health records (EHRs).

Sensitive Detection of Dendritic Lithium Morphologies by Dynamic Nuclear Polarization.

Lithium metal batteries are a promising energy storage technology, but their commercialization is hindered by nonuniform lithium deposition, which is detrimental to the battery lifetime and safety. In particular, needle-like dendrites pose the greatest risk as they often lead to short-circuits; as such, it is essential to identify and mitigate their formation for enabling use of lithium metal anodes. Here we demonstrate that Overhauser dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP)- enhanced NMR, where the high polarization of the lithium conduction electrons increases the sensitivity of lithium NMR, is a powerful tool for determining the lithium morphology.

Discrete Actuation of Water-Responsive Crystalline Metal-Peptide Frameworks.

Engineering guest-responsive materials capable of controlled and precise sorption behavior and structural deformation in response to external stimuli is imperative for various applications. However, existing systems often exhibit complex, unpredictable dynamics, posing challenges for efficient control and utilization. Here, we design crystalline metal-peptide frameworks with tunable water-responsive (WR) dynamics by assembling glycine-threonine (Gly-Thr, GT) or glycine-serine (Gly-Ser, GS) peptides with zinc (Zn) ions, achieving either continuous or discrete threshold water-sorption-dependent phase transitions.

Generation of More Potent Components at Higher Temperatures Offsets Toxicity Reduction despite Reduced Mass Emissions during Biomass Burning.

Biomass burning organic aerosols (BBOAs) represent a major global health hazard. Their toxicity varies significantly due to the diversity of combustion conditions, which shape mixtures of components with differing toxic potency. We quantified component-specific contributions to intracellular reactive oxygen species generation in human bronchial epithelial cells exposed to BBOAs produced under controlled combustion conditions.

Entropy Accumulation Under Post-Quantum Cryptographic Assumptions.

In device-independent (DI) quantum protocols, security statements are agnostic to the internal workings of the quantum devices-they rely solely on classical interactions with the devices and specific assumptions. Traditionally, such protocols are set in a non-local scenario, where two non-communicating devices exhibit Bell inequality violations. Recently, a new class of DI protocols has emerged that requires only a single device.

Unconventional Electromechanical Response in Ferrocene-Assisted Gold Atomic Chain.

Atomically thin metallic chains serve as pivotal systems for studying quantum transport, with their conductance strongly linked to the orbital picture. We report an unusual electromechanical response in Au/ferrocene/Au junctions, manifested as tilted "Z"- and "V"-shaped features with more than an order-of-magnitude conductance change upon stretching at cryogenic temperatures, a striking deviation from the flat, decaying, or occasionally increasing profiles typically observed in metallic or molecular junctions. This response emerges during the formation of a ferrocene-assisted atomic gold chain in a mechanically controllable break junction setup, enabled by direct metal-organometallic bonding in the absence of anchoring groups.