Multispecies Cohesion: Humans, Machinery, AI, and Beyond.

The global chaos caused by the July 19, 2024 technology meltdown highlights the need for a theory of what large-scale cohesive behaviors-dangerous or desirable-could suddenly emerge from future systems of interacting humans, machinery, and software, including artificial intelligence; when they will emerge; and how they will evolve and be controlled. Here, we offer answers by introducing an aggregation model that accounts for the interacting entities' inter- and intraspecies diversities. It yields a novel multidimensional generalization of existing aggregation physics.

Non-equilibrium physics of multi-species assembly applied to fibrils inhibition in biomolecular condensates and growth of online distrust.

Self-assembly is a key process in living systems-from the microscopic biological level (e.g. assembly of proteins into fibrils within biomolecular condensates in a human cell) through to the macroscopic societal level (e.

Predicting permeation of compounds across the outer membrane of P. aeruginosa using molecular descriptors.

The ability Gram-negative pathogens have at adapting and protecting themselves against antibiotics has increasingly become a public health threat. Data-driven models identifying molecular properties that correlate with outer membrane (OM) permeation and growth inhibition while avoiding efflux could guide the discovery of novel classes of antibiotics. Here we evaluate 174 molecular descriptors in 1260 antimicrobial compounds and study their correlations with antibacterial activity in Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Shockwavelike Behavior across Social Media.

Online communities featuring "anti-X" hate and extremism, somehow thrive online despite moderator pressure. We present a first-principles theory of their dynamics, which accounts for the fact that the online population comprises diverse individuals and evolves in time. The resulting equation represents a novel generalization of nonlinear fluid physics and explains the observed behavior across scales.

Network analysis uncovers the communication structure of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein identifying sites for immunogen design.

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has triggered myriad efforts to understand the structure and dynamics of this complex pathogen. The spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 is a significant target for immunogens as it is the means by which the virus enters human cells, while simultaneously sporting mutations responsible for immune escape. These functional and escape processes are regulated by complex molecular-level interactions.

New understanding of multidrug efflux and permeation in antibiotic resistance, persistence, and heteroresistance.

Antibiotics effective against Gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens are a critical area of unmet need. Infections caused by these pathogens are not only difficult to treat but finding new therapies to overcome Gram-negative resistance is also a challenge. There are not enough antibiotics in development that target the most dangerous pathogens and there are not enough novel drugs in the pipeline.

Microscopic Approach to Intrinsic Antibiotic Resistance.

The emergence of multidrug resistance in Gram-negative pathogens is critically determined by the interplay between efflux pumps activity and low permeation outer membrane. Although phenotypic heterogeneity in isogenic cells is recognized as a key factor of treatment failure, a mathematical framework able to integrate growth dynamics and single-cell heterogeneity in antimicrobial resistance, remains absent. Here we provide such framework that bridges single-cell and colony scales in the context of bacterial survival and efficacy against drugs.

Predictive Rules of Efflux Inhibition and Avoidance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria rapidly spread in clinical and natural environments and challenge our modern lifestyle. A major component of defense against antibiotics in Gram-negative bacteria is a drug permeation barrier created by active efflux across the outer membrane. We identified molecular determinants defining the propensity of small peptidomimetic molecules to avoid and inhibit efflux pumps in , a human pathogen notorious for its antibiotic resistance.

The online competition between pro- and anti-vaccination views.

Distrust in scientific expertise is dangerous. Opposition to vaccination with a future vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the causal agent of COVID-19, for example, could amplify outbreaks, as happened for measles in 2019. Homemade remedies and falsehoods are being shared widely on the Internet, as well as dismissals of expert advice.

Getting closer to the goal by being less capable.

Understanding how systems with many semi-autonomous parts reach a desired target is a key question in biology (e.g., larvae seeking food), engineering (e.

Generalized Gelation Theory Describes Onset of Online Extremist Support.

We introduce a generalized form of gelation theory that incorporates individual heterogeneity and show that it can explain the asynchronous, sudden appearance and growth of online extremist groups supporting ISIS (so-called Islamic State) that emerged globally post-2014. The theory predicts how heterogeneity impacts their onset times and growth profiles and suggests that online extremist groups present a broad distribution of heterogeneity-dependent aggregation mechanisms centered around homophily. The good agreement between the theory and empirical data suggests that existing strategies aiming to defeat online extremism under the assumption that it is driven by a few "bad apples" are misguided.

Individual heterogeneity generating explosive system network dynamics.

Individual heterogeneity is a key characteristic of many real-world systems, from organisms to humans. However, its role in determining the system's collective dynamics is not well understood. Here we study how individual heterogeneity impacts the system network dynamics by comparing linking mechanisms that favor similar or dissimilar individuals.

Atypical viral dynamics from transport through popular places.

The flux of visitors through popular places undoubtedly influences viral spreading-from H1N1 and Zika viruses spreading through physical spaces such as airports, to rumors and ideas spreading through online spaces such as chat rooms and social media. However, there is a lack of understanding of the types of viral dynamics that can result. Here we present a minimal dynamical model that focuses on the time-dependent interplay between the mobility through and the occupancy of such spaces.

Open source data reveals connection between online and on-street protest activity.

There is enormous interest in inferring features of human behavior in the real world from potential digital footprints created online - particularly at the collective level, where the sheer volume of online activity may indicate some changing mood within the population regarding a particular topic. Civil unrest is a prime example, involving the spontaneous appearance of large crowds of otherwise unrelated people on the street on a certain day. While indicators of brewing protests might be gleaned from individual online communications or account content (e.

Women's connectivity in extreme networks.

A popular stereotype is that women will play more minor roles than men as environments become more dangerous and aggressive. Our analysis of new longitudinal data sets from offline and online operational networks [for example, ISIS (Islamic State)] shows that although men dominate numerically, women emerge with superior network connectivity that can benefit the underlying system's robustness and survival. Our observations suggest new female-centric approaches that could be used to affect such networks.

Internal character dictates transition dynamics between isolation and cohesive grouping.

We show that accounting for internal character among interacting heterogeneous entities generates rich transition behavior between isolation and cohesive dynamical grouping. Our analytical and numerical calculations reveal different critical points arising for different character-dependent grouping mechanisms. These critical points move in opposite directions as the population's diversity decreases.

Simple mathematical law benchmarks human confrontations.

Many high-profile societal problems involve an individual or group repeatedly attacking another - from child-parent disputes, sexual violence against women, civil unrest, violent conflicts and acts of terror, to current cyber-attacks on national infrastructure and ultrafast cyber-trades attacking stockholders. There is an urgent need to quantify the likely severity and timing of such future acts, shed light on likely perpetrators, and identify intervention strategies. Here we present a combined analysis of multiple datasets across all these domains which account for >100,000 events, and show that a simple mathematical law can benchmark them all.

Extreme alien light allows survival of terrestrial bacteria.

Photosynthetic organisms provide a crucial coupling between the Sun's energy and metabolic processes supporting life on Earth. Searches for extraterrestrial life focus on seeking planets with similar incident light intensities and environments. However the impact of abnormal photon arrival times has not been considered.

Organic Zener diodes: tunneling across the gap in organic semiconductor materials.

Organic Zener diodes with a precisely adjustable reverse breakdown from -3 to -15 V without any influence on the forward current-voltage curve are realized. This is accomplished by controlling the width of the charge depletion zone in a pin-diode with an accuracy of one nanometer independently of the doping concentration and the thickness of the intrinsic layer. The breakdown effect with its exponential current voltage behavior and a weak temperature dependence is explained by a tunneling mechanism across the highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital gap of neighboring molecules.