Recent root items

Electron thermalization in TDDFT and Ehrenfest molecular dynamics

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A non-equilibrium electronic state will, in general, thermalize toward an equilibrium state due to electron-electron interactions as well as interactions with ions. The description of such processes has remained unclear and controversial in time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT), given that the occupation numbers remain fixed over time and that adiabatic functionals do not include explicit dissipation. Here, we study the explicit time propagation of graphene after ultrafast laser pulses, using the Octopus real-space code, with and without ionic motion in Ehrenfest molecular dynamics. This work has implications for the treatment of statistical mechanics in a TDDFT framework.

Rotational coherence dominates early-time dynamics and produces long-time revivals in the S2 state of azulene

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The ultrafast dynamics of azulene have been debated for decades, with reported picosecond decay constants variously attributed to intramolecular vibrational redistribution (IVR), internal conversion, or rotational dephasing. Using polarization- and femtosecond time-resolved resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization spectroscopy with a nanosecond delay window, we disentangle this long-standing inconsistency and show that the early 2-5 ps decay component arises entirely from the rotational dephasing of an excited-state wavepacket. Identical time constants extracted from the decay of the parallel signal and the rise of the perpendicular signal across multiple vibronic origins provide an unambiguous rotational anisotropy signature, eliminating the need for IVR-based interpretations. Extending the measurement window to 1.3 ns reveals well-structured J-type and C-type rotational coherence revivals in S2 azulene on top of the well-documented fluorescence decay, demonstrating...

Space-time evolution of particle emission in p–Pb collisions at $\sqrt{{s}_{\text{NN}}}=5.02$ TeV with 3D kaon femtoscopy

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The measurement of three-dimensional femtoscopic correlations between identical charged kaons (K±K±) produced in p–Pb collisions at center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair $$\sqrt{{s}_{\text{NN}}}=5.02$$ TeV with ALICE at the LHC is presented for the first time. This measurement, supplementary to those in pp and Pb–Pb collisions, allows understanding the particle-production mechanisms at different charged-particle multiplicities and provides information on the dynamics of the source of particles created in p–Pb collisions, for which a general consensus does not yet exist. It is shown that the measured source sizes increase with charged-particle multiplicity and decrease with increasing pair transverse momentum. These trends for K±K± are similar to the ones observed earlier in identical charged-pion and $${\text{K}}_{\text{s}}^{0}{\text{K}}_{\text{s}}^{0}$$ correlations in Pb–Pb collisions at various energies and in π±π± correlations in p–Pb collisions at $$\sqrt{{s}_{\text{NN}}}=5.02$$...

Moments of parton distribution functions of the pion from lattice QCD using gradient flow

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We present a nonperturbative determination of the pion valence parton distribution function (PDF) moment ratios ⟨xn-1⟩/⟨x⟩ up to n=6, using the gradient flow in lattice quantum chromodynamics (QCD). As a testing ground, we employ SU(3) isosymmetric gauge configurations generated by the OpenLat initiative with a pseudoscalar mass of mπ≃411 MeV. Our analysis uses four lattice spacings and a nonperturbatively improved action, enabling full control over the continuum extrapolation, and the limit of vanishing flow time, t→0. The flowed ratios exhibit O(a2) scaling across the ensembles, and the continuum-extrapolated results, matched to the MS¯ scheme at μ=2 GeV using next-to-next-to-leading order matching coefficients, show only mild residual flow-time dependence. The resulting ratios, computed with a relatively small number of configurations, are consistent with phenomenological expectations for the pion’s valence distribution, with statistical uncertainties that are competitive with...

Algorithms of Resistance: The Everyday Fight Against Platform Power

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Algorithms of Resistance: The Everyday Fight Against Platform Power

Active site design enables industrial scale H2O2 electrosynthesis with metal-free catalysts

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The electrosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) via a two-electron oxygen reduction reaction enables decentralized H2O2 production. While metal-free carbon catalysts are sustainable and low-cost, their performance is hindered by poorly defined active sites and uncontrolled defect states. Here, we resolve these challenges through active site design and catalyst screening using fluorine (F) and nitrogen (N) codoped carbons as model materials. Statistical analysis combined with density functional theoretical calculations reveals that F-induced structural modification and defect passivation optimize OOH* binding, with F-doping and adjacent F atoms predominantly lowering abs ΔG(OOH*). Experimental results confirm that semi-ionic C–F bonds passivate defects in nitrogen-doped carbon, enhancing catalytic activity and durability. The resulting (N, F)-codoped carbon achieves nearly 100% H2O2 selectivity at 0.5–0.65 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode and maintains >...

In Memory of James E. Cloern

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In Memory of James E. Cloern

Design and Laboratory Testing of Enclosures to Support Conservation of an Endangered Estuarine Fish

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The release of hatchery-reared fish into the natural environment for conservation purposes may have unintended consequences for wild fish populations and the larger ecosystem. In situ enclosures are a tool that can be used to study cultured fish under natural conditions to help mitigate these risks or to acclimate fish to the surrounding environment during soft release. Despite widespread utility, few resources provide direction on material choice and enclosure design to conserve non-commercial and imperiled fish species that may have unique physiology and needs. Here, we designed, created, and tested an enclosure for the endangered Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), an osmerid native to the San Francisco Estuary (estuary). We first performed hydraulic modeling and evaluated permeability to prey items by measuring energy dissipation and flow deflection of candidate screen materials in a flume. The final enclosure design was a cylinder made out of stainless-steel wire mesh,...

Algorithms of Suspicion

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Algorithms of Suspicion

Chromium-for-Aluminum Substitution in Synthetic Serpentine

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Cr-bearing clay minerals are products of hydrothermal alteration and fluid-rock interactions of ultramafic rocks that form serpentine minerals. Cr is typically observed to substitute for Al in serpentine minerals, but the crystal chemistry and environmental constraints on this substitution are unknown. Here, we synthesized endmember and Cr-substituted amesite, a typical Al-serpentine mineral, via the hydrothermal method. We found that the phase purity highly depends on the pH of the hydrothermal solution, which should be controlled at ~12.7 to avoid the formation of impurity phases. Additionally, amesite can incorporate Cr at a concentration equivalent to ~39.5% substitution of Al. The Cr-free and Cr-substituted amesite are highly defective and contain multiple polytypes, including 6R₂, 2M₁, and possibly 2H₂. However, the relative proportions of these polytypes do not change with increasing chromium substitution.

Energy-energy correlators in e+e- annihilation and deep inelastic scattering

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We study energy-energy correlators (EECs) in annihilation and deep inelastic lepton-hadron scattering (DIS), focusing on aspects of nonperturbative physics in these observables. We introduce the EEC jet functions and investigate the infrared behavior of both small-angle EECs and angle-integrated EECs by performing explicit one-loop calculations. The factorization and universality of the EECs in these processes are demonstrated. A matching scheme is proposed to smoothly connect kinematic regions where different scaling behaviors with jet energy are observed. In combination with the next-to-leading order correction, this matching provides a good description of the EEC data and simulations in high-energy annihilation. Predictions for DIS processes for future electron-ion collider kinematics are also presented.

ReMU: regional minimal updating for model-based derivative-free optimization

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Derivative-free optimization (DFO) problems are optimization problems where derivative information is unavailable or extremely difficult to obtain. Model-based DFO solvers have been applied extensively in scientific computing. Powell's NEWUOA (2004) [Powell, The NEWUOA software for unconstrained optimization without derivatives, in Large-Scale Nonlinear Optimization, Nonconvex Optimization and its Applications Vol. 83, G. Di Pillo and M. Roma, eds., Springer, 2006, pp. 255–297] and Wild's POUNDerS (2014) [Wild, Solving derivative-free nonlinear least squares problems with POUNDERS, in Advances and Trends in Optimization with Engineering Applications, T. Terlaky, M.F. Anjos, and S. Ahmed, eds., SIAM, 2017, pp. 529–540] explore the numerical power of the minimal norm Hessian (MNH) model for DFO and contributed to the open discussion on building better models with fewer data to achieve faster numerical convergence. Another decade later, we propose the regional minimal updating (ReMU)...

Hackathon: India, 2012

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Hackathon: India, 2012

Predictors and Trends in Prenatal Diagnostic Testing After Positive Trisomy 21 and 18 Screening Results

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Prenatal screening tests were developed to identify pregnancies that may be at risk for potential fetal abnormalities and chromosomal aneuploidies. These screenings, which are not diagnostic in nature, have evolved from previous analyte-based methods to more advanced techniques, such as cell-free DNA (cfDNA) screening. For patients who screen positive, additional follow-up diagnostic testing is recommended to confirm the screening results. An additional consideration with prenatal diagnostic testing is its invasive nature and the associated risk of miscarriage. While cfDNA offers improved sensitivity and specificity, lowering the false-positive rates, the impact of this programmatic shift on patient decision-making regarding invasive diagnostic testing has not been fully characterized. The California Prenatal Screening Program, established in 1986, aims to enhance infant health outcomes by conducting prenatal screening for all Californians who opt into the program. On September...

Tidal Influence on Environmental DNA Detections for Delta Smelt

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Current ecological conditions in the San Francisco Estuary are considered inhospitable to many native estuarine species, and have placed the endemic Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) at serious risk. Programmatic monitoring regimes conducted by government agencies are insufficient for associating Delta Smelt occurrence with relevant habitat attributes, which limits inference about the relationships between putative habitat, restoration activities, and population response. Indirect observation of macro-organisms via detection of environmental DNA (eDNA) has proved a compelling alternative monitoring approach, particularly for rare and/or protected species. Yet, factors that influence eDNA detection in estuarine habitats remain poorly characterized, which hinders refinement of sampling methods. This study employed a fixed sampling array to explore how tidal phases affect the detection of Delta Smelt eDNA. Our primary objective was to estimate the effects of covariate metrics...

Large-scale real-time signal processing in physics experiments: the ALICE TPC FPGA pipeline

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

For LHC Run 3, the ALICE Time Projection Chamber was upgraded to operate in continuous readout mode. Interaction rates of up to 50 kHz in Pb-Pb collisions require real-time processing of more than 3 TB s-1 of raw detector data. This requirement is met by a custom FPGA-based processing pipeline that performs the complete front-end data treatment fully in-stream, including common-mode correction, pedestal subtraction, ion-tail filtering, zero suppression, and dense data packing. A central element of the design is a highly parallel common-mode correction algorithm operating directly on the streaming data. It robustly identifies signal-free readout channels on a time-bin basis and applies pad-dependent scaling to compensate for local variations in capacitive coupling in the GEM readout. In combination with pedestal subtraction and ion-tail filtering, this enables accurate baseline restoration under extreme high-occupancy conditions, preventing signal loss while efficiently suppressing...

Physics potential of the IceCube Upgrade for atmospheric neutrino oscillations

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The IceCube Upgrade is an extension of the existing IceCube Neutrino Observatory and will be deployed in the 2025–2026 austral summer. It will significantly improve the sensitivity of the detector to atmospheric neutrino oscillations. The existing 86-string IceCube array contains a dense in-fill known as DeepCore which is optimized to measure neutrinos with energies down to a few GeV. The IceCube Upgrade will consist of seven new densely instrumented strings placed within the DeepCore volume to further enhance the performance in the GeV energy range. The additional strings will feature new optical modules, each containing multiple photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), in contrast to the existing modules that each contain a single PMT. This will more than triple the number of PMT channels with respect to the current IceCube configuration, allowing for improved detection efficiency and reconstruction performance at GeV energies. We describe necessary updates to simulation, event selection,...

Neural simulation-based inference of the Higgs trilinear self-coupling via off-shell Higgs production

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

One of the forthcoming major challenges in particle physics is the experimental determination of the Higgs trilinear self-coupling. While efforts have largely focused on on-shell double- and single-Higgs production in proton-proton collisions, off-shell Higgs production has also been proposed as a valuable complementary probe. In this article, we design a hybrid neural simulation-based inference (NSBI) approach to construct a likelihood of the Higgs signal incorporating modifications from the Standard Model effective field theory (SMEFT), relevant background processes, and quantum interference effects. It leverages the training efficiency of matrix-element-enhanced techniques, which are vital for robust SMEFT applications, while also incorporating the practical advantages of classification-based methods for effective background estimates. We demonstrate that our NSBI approach achieves sensitivity close to the theoretical optimum and provide expected constraints for the...

Turkopticon: From Software to Worker Organizing: On Organizing Form as Emergent Strategy (2009-2024)

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Sage Handbook of Digital Labour is a comprehensive exploration of the multifaceted and evolving concept of digital labour.

Differences Among Runs of Chinook Salmon in Routing Probability at the Georgiana Slough-Sacramento River Junction

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The survival of juvenile Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) depends on the specific migration route they take through the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. Factors such as flow magnitude, flow direction, and distribution of fish across the channel significantly affect the likelihood of their entering routes with lower survival probabilities. Management strategies to mitigate the entry of endangered winter-run and threatened spring-run Chinook Salmon into the interior Delta—particularly through Georgiana Slough—involve flow regulation and the installation of a bioacoustic fish fence. Monitoring the effectiveness of these measures has primarily relied on acoustically-tagged, juvenile, hatchery-reared, late-fall-run Chinook Salmon, which are easier to obtain and can accommodate larger tags compared to other runs. Previous studies explored how flow dynamics affect routing probabilities of late-fall-run Chinook Salmon, but there is a lack of understanding about how routing...

Characterization of Precipitation-Induced Radon Progeny Deposition Events Using a City-Scale Sensor Network

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Networks of radiation detectors provide a platform for real-time radioactive source detection and identification in urban environments. Detection algorithms in these systems must adapt to naturally-occurring changes in background, which requires well-characterized relationships between precipitation events and their corresponding radiological signature. We present a quantitative and qualitative description of rain-induced radon progeny deposition events occurring in Chicago from September 2023 to February 2024. We measure ambient gamma radiation levels, precipitation rate, temperature, pressure, and relative humidity in a network of sensor nodes. For each identified precipitation period, we decompose spectra into static- and radon-associated components as defined by a non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) algorithm. We find a consistent power-law relationship between a precipitation-dependent peak of the radon progeny proxy (RPP) and the peak strength of the radon-associated...

Assessment of Chinook Salmon Smolt Survival at Offsite Release Locations in the Sacramento River Across Wet and Dry Years

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We used acoustic telemetry to estimate survival of tagged release groups, and quantify differences between alternative hatchery release strategies. To assess whether offsite release could increase survival of hatchery fish relative to those released at the hatchery, we compare survival during emigration of hatchery fall Chinook Salmon (FCS, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) smolts released onsite, at Coleman National Fish Hatchery (NFH), to those released at alternative offsite locations downstream in the upper Sacramento River, California. Approximately 300 fish in each release group were implanted with acoustic tags in the 3-year study during 2019, 2021, and 2022. Environmental conditions in the emigration corridor varied between study years, with extended high flows in 2019, whereas drought conditions and a flat hydrograph occurred in 2021 and 2022. Survival across years appeared to reflect environmental conditions, with higher overall survival seen in 2019. Survival differences...

“Design Thinking”: Defending Silicon Valley at the Apex of Global Labor Hierarchies

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This paper examines the emergence of “design thinking” as a form of technical expertise. It demonstrates that “design thinking” articulates a racialized understanding of labor, judgment, and the subject and attempts to maintain whiteness at the apex of global hierarchies of labor.“Design thinking” is a form of expertise that poses design not as form giving, but as a form of empathic reason by which executives can plan products, services, and accumulation. Silicon Valley, business schools, and reformers promote it as a form of caring technical expertise by which some guide futures for others. The paper will examine the history of the concept of “design thinking” – a category forged by Silicon Valley designers in the face of mounting competitive pressures on design professions in the United States in the mid-2000s. By drawing on artifacts, documents, public debates about the design profession from this period, I will demonstrate how champions of “design thinking” responded to expanded...

Evolution of Genetic Testing Awareness and Utilization Across Socioeconomic Demographic Groups Using Health Information National Trend Survey (HINTS) Data, 2013-2024

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Genetic testing has expanded in both the clinical and direct-to-consumer (DTC) settings, offering information that may guide disease risk assessment, prevention and treatment, and provide information about ancestry and personal traits. Awareness and utilization of genetic testing have increased over time, but there have been historically demonstrated disparities across different socioeconomic demographic groups. Initiatives to reduce disparities are ongoing to establish greater equity in healthcare. This study examined 19,619 responses from the Health Information National Trend Surveys (HINTS) from 2013 to 2024. Awareness of genetic testing (2013, 2020, and 2022 surveys) and evolution of genetic testing utilization (2013, 2020, 2022, and 2024 surveys) were assessed using seven socioeconomic demographic factors: age, sex, college graduation status, income relative to the federal poverty line (FPL), survey language, underrepresented minority (URM) status, and urbanicity....

Beyond Contrast Transfer: Spectral SNR as a Finite-Dose Metric for STEM Phase Retrieval

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The contrast transfer function (CTF) is widely used to evaluate phase retrieval methods in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), including center-of-mass imaging, parallax imaging, direct ptychography, and iterative ptychography. However, the CTF reflects only the maximum usable signal, neglecting the effects of finite electron fluence and the Poisson-limited nature of detection. As a result, it can significantly overestimate practical performance, especially in low-dose regimes. Here, we employ the spectral signal-to-noise ratio (SSNR), as a finite-dose statistical framework to evaluate the recoverable signal as a function of spatial frequency. Using numerical reconstructions of white-noise objects, we show that center-of-mass, parallax, and direct ptychography exhibit dose-independent SSNRs, with close-form analytic expressions. In contrast, iterative ptychography exhibits a surprising dose dependence: at low fluence, its SSNR converges to that of direct ptychography;...

A Retrospective Analysis of Tumor-Based Lynch Syndrome Screening, Genetic Counseling Referrals, and Germline Testing in Colorectal and Endometrial Cancer Patients

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Lynch syndrome is a common hereditary cancer syndrome and is associated with an increased risk of colorectal, endometrial, and additional malignancies. Universal tumor screening utilizing mismatch repair immunohistochemistry (MMR IHC) and/or microsatellite instability (MSI) testing has been widely recommended to improve identification of individuals at risk for Lynch syndrome. This retrospective study evaluated tumor-based Lynch syndrome screening, genetic counseling referrals, and germline genetic testing rates among patients diagnosed with colorectal or endometrial cancer at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center from 2015 to 2023. Pathology data were obtained through the Experimental Tissue Resource team and supplemented by manual electronic medical record review. Pathology reports and electronic medical records were reviewed to identify MMR IHC results, MSI testing, reflex molecular testing, genetic counseling referrals, and germline genetic testing outcomes....

San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science in 2026: Stay the Course

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science in 2026: Stay the Course

Relaxing Direct Ptychography Sampling Requirements via Parallax Imaging Insights

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Direct ptychography enables the retrieval of information encoded in the phase of an electron wave passing through a thin sample by deconvolving the interference effects of a converged probe with known aberrations. Under the weak phase object approximation, this permits the optimal transfer of information using noniterative techniques. However, the achievable resolution of the technique is traditionally limited by the probe step size-setting stringent Nyquist sampling requirements. At the same time, parallax imaging has emerged as a dose-efficient phase technique which relaxes sampling requirements and enables scan-upsampling. Here, we formulate parallax imaging as a quadratic approximation to part of the direct ptychography kernel and use this insight to enable upsampling in direct ptychography. We validate our analytical results numerically using simulated and experimental reconstructions.

Wearable ultrasound technologies for biomedical applications

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Wearable ultrasound technology refers to ultrasound devices designed with compact form factors that do not restrict the mobility or routine functions of the wearer. These devices are intended to provide continuous monitoring of internal tissue structures without manual operation. This technology can provide clinicians and patients with data and insights, such as patterns of physiological variations over time and critical periods of disease progression, that are hardly attainable using conventional handheld ultrasound devices. This dissertation discusses specific clinical use cases of wearable ultrasound technology in prenatal and cardiovascular care.

A Review of Pricing Strategies for Decarbonizing Transportation

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

California’s ability to achieve its climate and mobility goals depends on addressing the growing gap between transportation infrastructure needs and the declining effectiveness of traditional fuel tax revenues. As electric vehicle adoption rises, fuel efficiency improves, and demands for resilient, multimodal systems expand, new approaches to transportation funding and demand management are required. This paper examines a range of mobility pricing strategies—including tolling, managed lanes, congestion charges, vehicle-based fees and feebates, distance-based user charges, and parking pricing—to evaluate their potential for enhancing financial sustainability, reducing congestion, and internalizing the environmental and social costs of driving. Particular attention is given to dynamic pricing, which can flexibly manage demand for both road and parking space, and to distance-based charges that offer a more equitable and efficient alternative to fuel taxes. The analysis highlights...

Negotiating Engines of Difference

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Negotiating Engines of Difference

Photoluminescence line shapes of nanocrystals: Contributions from first- and second-order vibronic couplings

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We present a microscopic, parameter-free approach for computing the photoluminescence spectra of a single semiconductor nanocrystal. The method derives exciton-phonon coupling directly from the semi-empirical pseudopotential framework and systematically incorporates both diagonal and off-diagonal exciton-phonon interactions, expanded to second-order in the phonon coordinates. The dipole-dipole correlation function was calculated using a Dyson expansion within the Kubo-Toyozawa formalism, enabling a consistent description of the role of pure dephasing and population transfer on the photoluminescence spectral features. Applied to CdSe/CdS core-shell nanocrystals, the approach quantitatively reproduces experimental photoluminescence spectra over a wide temperature range, revealing that quadratic phonon couplings account for nearly half of the homogeneous linewidth above ≈100-150 K, while off-diagonal couplings leading to exciton thermalization play only a minor role and only as T → 300 K.

Correlated fission fragment spin dynamics

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study explores the role of nucleon exchange for the generation of the fission fragment angular momenta. For a number of typical fission cases, samples of 104 shape evolutions are generated by Langevin simulation and, subsequently, for each such evolution, the nucleon exchange transport theory previously developed for damped nuclear reactions is used to obtain the development of the fragment spin-spin distribution within the Fokker-Planck transport framework. The characteristic evolution of both parallel and perpendicular spin components is discussed. A common feature is that the rotational modes fall out of equilibrium before scission when the temperature rises rapidly while the concurrent shrinking of the neck suppresses further exchange. A number of fission observables are extracted from the event ensembles: the distribution of the magnitude of the fragment spin and its orientation relative to the fission axis, as well as the correlation between the two spins and the distribution...

A Data Collection Framework for Training 3-Degree-of-Freedom Bionic Wrist Movement for Humans and Robots

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Upper-limb loss can severely impact an individual's quality of life and physical independence. While modern bionic hands have made significant strides in replicating digit dexterity, they are frequently limited by rigid wrists, preventing naturalistic arm movement. To address this gap, this research presents an end-to-end data collection, training, and testing framework to facilitate the advanced control of a 3-degree-of-freedom (3-DoF) bionic wrist.The primary implementation of this platform operates non-invasively, utilizing surface electrodes to capture neuromuscular signals from the user's forearm. These signals are dynamically normalized, segmented into a continuous stream of overlapping windows, and processed in real-time by a decoding model. The model is trained to translate muscle activation patterns into smooth spatial predictions that drive the wrist actuators. Crucially, this comprehensive framework is highly modular. Its architecture is designed to easily accept alternative...

Small-molecule binding and sensing with a designed protein family

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The de novo design of small-molecule–binding proteins holds great promise as a potential tool to develop sensors on-demand for arbitrary small molecules. Here we combine deep learning and physics-based methods to generate a family of proteins with diverse and designable pocket geometries, which we employ to computationally design binders for six small-molecule targets. Biophysical characterization of the designed binders reveals nanomolar to low micromolar binding affinities and atomic-level design accuracy. Additionally, we use a cortisol binder to design a chemically induced dimerization (CID) system that enables the construction of a biosensor for cortisol detection. The approach described here demonstrates the potential of the NTF2 fold and deep learning-based protein design in sensor development, paving the way for future platforms to design binders and sensors for small molecules across analytical, environmental, and biomedical applications.

Improved measurements of the TeV-PeV extragalactic neutrino spectrum from joint analyses of IceCube tracks and cascades

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The IceCube South Pole Neutrino Observatory has discovered the presence of a diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux at energies of TeV and beyond using neutrino induced muon tracks and cascade events from neutrino interactions. We present two analyses sensitive to neutrino events in the energy range 1 TeV to 10 PeV, using more than 10 years of IceCube data. Both analyses consistently reject a neutrino spectrum following a single power-law with a significance of >4σ in favor of a broken power law. We describe the methods implemented in the two analyses, the spectral constraints obtained, and the validation of the robustness of the results. Additionally, we report the detection of a muon neutrino in the medium energy starting events sample, or MESE, with an energy of 11.4-2.53+2.46 PeV, the highest energy neutrino observed by IceCube to date. The results presented here show insights into the spectral shape of astrophysical neutrinos, which has important implications for inferring...

The Design and Development of an Exercise Model in Rats for Training Variable Assessment

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Animal models of resistance exercise are essential for bridging in vitro mechanistic studies and human clinical research, yet most existing rat paradigms rely on aversive stimuli such as electrical shock or forced submersion that introduces stress-related confounds. This thesis presents the design, development, and behavioral validation of a voluntary, reward-based resistance exercise apparatus for rats, adapted from an existing mouse squat-press system. The apparatus consists of a transparent housing chamber, a vertically translating slider with interchangeable apertures, an infrared lift-detection system, a pellet reward dispenser, and adjustable mechanical range-of-motion limits, all designed to accommodate rat anatomy and growth. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 4) were acclimated to handling and the lifting chamber, then trained on a one-lift-per-pellet reinforcement schedule. Two animals were successfully trained to voluntarily lift the slider for food rewards. Subsequent assessment...

The Contribution of Managed Floodplains to the Recovery of Salmon in California: Challenges and Opportunities

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Managing river–floodplain connectivity can be driven by environmental restoration and/or flood-risk objectives, and science programs are essential for informing projects and policies that promote both objectives. California’s Central Valley floodplains have been highly altered as the result of flow regulation, channelization, and levee construction. Much of the remaining floodplain-like habitats are within flood bypasses that are used to manage flood risk. In recent decades, the habitat value of these bypasses for native fishes has received increased attention, and in 2021 a symposium was held to share the results of over 20 years of scientific studies conducted on Central Valley floodplains and flood bypasses. The symposium sought to foster a shared understanding among scientists and managers about the current information on flood bypasses, and the remaining challenges that must be overcome to maximize benefits to native fish while managing trade-offs. This paper summarizes...

Difference Work: A Conversation with Lilly Irani

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In this interview, Lilly Irani draws on her decade of ethnographic research into globally distributed micro-labor and her experiences with Turkopticon to sharply articulate for us what’s at stake in these processes—and how and why "virtual work" and "digital labor" matter conceptually for the politics of feminist science and technology studies.

Persistent Genetic Identification of Maternal Mitochondrial Lineage in Formalin Fixed Larval Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) with Species-Specific qPCR

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Although formalin is commonly used as a preserving reagent for tissue specimens, the fixation process itself damages DNA, which can be detrimental to most downstream genetic analyses. It may still be possible to confirm species identification from archived specimens by targeting short, species-specific genic regions. In this study we genetically verified maternal mitochondrial lineage from 150 hatchery larval Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) that were preserved in 10% neutral, buffered formalin and Rose Bengal at room temperature (20–22 °C) for 611 days, 732 days, and 928 days. We targeted a region of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cyt-b) gene using a quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay designed to specifically amplify Delta Smelt environmental DNA (eDNA). Because mitochondrial genetic markers used for species identification are generally maternally inherited, detecting hybridization is not possible using species-specific mitochondrial markers if among-species hybrids are...

Predicting Particle-Size Distributions in Fuel-Cell Inks

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Prediction of the catalyst-activated carbon particle sizes of fuel-cell inks remains a critical challenge in enhancing the performance and durability of fuel cells. The performance and structural integrity of the catalyst layers in the cell depend not only on the properties of the ionomer, but also on the carbon supports that host the catalyst. To investigate how these carbon aggregate structures form, we present a model that calculates the cooperative size distributions of ionomer and carbon aggregates in various water/alcohol mixtures and compares those results to available experimental data. Aggregation of both the suspended ionomers and the carbon particles is interwoven as the carbon aggregation depends heavily on the ionic strength of its environment, namely protons dissociating from the ionomer’s sulfonic-acid-group side chains. We demonstrate that the surrounding mixed solvent as well as NafionTM binder concentration strongly influence the degree of aggregation for carbon...

Evidence for a Spectral Break or Curvature in the Spectrum of Astrophysical Neutrinos from 5 TeV to 10 PeV

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We report improved measurements of the all flavor astrophysical neutrino spectrum with IceCube by combining complementary neutrino samples in two independent analyses. Both analyses show evidence of a harder spectrum at energies below ∼30 TeV compared to higher energies where the spectrum is well characterized by a power law. The spectrum is better described by a log parabola or a broken power law, the latter being the preferred model. Both, however, reject a single power law over an energy range 5 TeV-10 PeV with a significance >4σ, providing new constraints on properties of cosmic neutrino sources.

Secondary findings at the UC Irvine cancer genetics clinic from 2014-2025

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The usage of genetic panel testing to evaluate multiple genes at once has become ubiquitous with the increasing accessibility of next-generation sequencing technology. In the cancer genetics specialty, multigene panel testing has allowed cancer patients to receive genetic testing for multiple hereditary cancer (HC) syndromes. It is possible to receive pathogenic (P) or likely pathogenic (LP) variant results unrelated to a patient’s personal or family history of cancer; in this study, these results are referred to as secondary findings (SFs). Recent studies on SFs in HC gene panel testing yield a range of 0.56-1.8% of all test results being SFs (Henn et al., 2019; Horiuchi et al., 2021; Nambot et al., 2021). However, many of the published studies on SFs in HC gene panel testing use criteria that have not been well-defined to determine SF status. The goal of this study was to determine the frequency of SFs at one high-risk cancer genetics clinic and to further characterize all SFs...

Dirofilariose Humaine