Sensory inputs influence different blood vessel networks, affecting the precision of brain scans.

China's policy-driven solar expansion shows why climate policy appraisal should look at biodiversity impacts.

Coronary collateral arteries have been proposed to form de novo through artery reassembly, a process in which arterial endothelial cells (ECs) migrate away from preexisting arteries and reassemble into new arteries. Using genetic tools that trace arterial ECs, we found that their contribution to collaterals is modest. Dual genetic lineage tracing revealed that capillary ECs, rather than arterial ECs, serve as the major building blocks for de novo collaterals. The capillary-to-collateral conversion is functionally crucial for cardiac repair. In addition, transient Vegfa expression through modified messenger RNA markedly promoted collateral formation. Mechanistically, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drives arterialization by regulating HES1 transcription through YY1/SETD1A-mediated H3K4 trimethylation. Collectively, these findings redefine the cellular origin and mechanism of coronary collateral formation and highlight its role in facilitating efficient cardiac repair.

Carbazole-based phosphonic acid self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are essential for high-efficiency p-i-n perovskite solar cells. However, during processing, these SAMs inevitably contact perovskite inks, where their acidity triggers a dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)-mediated iodide redox reaction that imprints device performance, representing a universal bottleneck for inverted devices. We resolve this SAM-triggered redox mechanism and introduce chemistry-matched hydrazide additives to mitigate the degradation. These additives abrogate DMSO activation and redirect unwanted by-products toward benign hydrazide-formamidinium adducts. Consequently, we achieved power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 27.7% (certified 27.4%) in small-area (0.06 cm[2]) cells and 20.1% in 2.0 m[2] modules, along with T95 lifetimes of ~2000 hours of maximum power point tracking (MPPT) at 85°C and ~1500 hours MPPT at 85°C and 85% relative humidity.

USDA doesn't know when new facility will be able to handle the most dangerous pathogens.

AI chatbots are becoming experts at changing people's minds. What gives them an edge?

The grass family (Poaceae) has immense economic and ecological importance and exhibits distinctive metabolic traits, including dual starch and lignin biosynthetic pathways. We sequenced the genomes of Pharus, Joinvillea, Ecdeiocolea, and Typha species to investigate when and how these metabolic innovations evolved relative to the origin of the grass family. The rho whole-genome duplication (ρWGD) within the lineage that led to the last common ancestor of all grasses contributed to the gene family expansions underlying cytosolic starch biosynthesis, whereas an earlier tandem duplication of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) gave rise to phenylalanine/tyrosine ammonia lyase (PTAL), which is responsible for the dual lignin biosynthesis. Integrated biochemical, functional, and structural studies, guided by phylogenomic analyses, further revealed the molecular basis of key metabolic innovations predating the evolution of grasses.

The brain's vascular system dynamically regulates energy supply through neurovascular coupling. In this study, we show that in mice, neurovascular coupling is modality-dependent: Distinct sensory inputs recruit specific arteriole types, producing differential laminar blood flow patterns. Using multiscale optical imaging, we compared neuronal and vascular responses to touch, nociception, motor-sensory feedback, and spontaneous activity. Shallow arteriole dilation emerges with increasing superficial-layer activity, whereas deep arterioles integrate signals broadly across input conditions. Arteriole type-specific dilation decouples the magnitude of local neuronal activity from capillary blood flow responses, with flow patterns shaped by vascular topology and recapitulated in silico. Together, these findings reveal how interactions between laminar circuit activity and vascular network architecture dynamically shape the spatial profile of blood flow delivery across the cortex.

Conflicting data prompt spat, and last-minute publication delay, in prominent journal.

Mössbauer spectroscopy is widely used in chemistry, geology, and solid-state physics to probe the local physical and chemical environment of nuclei in materials. Here, we extended this technique into the optical range using a vacuum ultraviolet laser to probe the low-energy nuclear transitions of thorium-229 ([229]Th) doped in calcium fluoride (CaF2) crystals. We discovered four distinct doping sites for the thorium ions, determined the characteristic electric field gradients emerging from the interaction with the host crystal, and identified the microscopic structure of the two dominant configurations. Site-selective laser excitation enabled the study of the isomeric state lifetime and laser-induced quenching for all sites. This technique provides a powerful probe of the nuclear environment, yielding foundational data for designing future solid-state nuclear clocks.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) feature a branched chromatin architecture whose origin and function remain unknown. We found that NET branching is mediated by RAD51, a protein generating DNA junctions during DNA recombination repair. Pharmacological inhibition, RAD51 knockdown, or GEN1 and RuvC resolvase treatment reduced branching and destabilized NETs, whereas RAD51 up-regulation by different stimuli generated NETs with variable stability. RAD51 inhibition during murine pulmonary Aspergillus fumigatus infection dismantled NETs and reduced lung cytokines. However, the increased accumulation of NET components in the circulation led to interleukin-6 (IL-6) induction in circulating monocytes that exacerbated type 2 inflammation and asthma. Extracellular plasma DNA correlated with IL-6 and eotaxin in human aspergillosis. By structurally stabilizing NETs, RAD51 compartmentalizes inflammation to thwart aberrant systemic immune activation, linking DNA repair to inflammation.

Two scientists' cars burned at proposed Sardinian site for the next-generation gravitational-wave observatory.

Chang'e-7 will send a hopping craft into a polar crater to directly sample lunar ice.

An EU battery regulation can help drive toward a widely shared evidentiary system for sustainability governance.