Recent ucr items

Before the Fire Dogs Steal the Sun: An Elegy

Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In Before the Fire Dogs Steal the Sun, Crystal Mun-hye Baik blends different genres, from narrative prose to epistles to ancestral mourning rites, to offer an intimate cultural history of war, illness, and estrangement through the experiential lens of her family.

This book is freely available in an open access edition thanks to the generous support of the University of California Libraries.

Risk Assessment and Risk Management for Transportation Research

Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This paper sets forth a preliminary methodology to assess and manage risk for transportation research. The California Dept. of Transportation (Caltrans) funds numerous transportation research projects that range from studies that aim to improve the understanding of travel behavior to field operations tests and deployment studies for new technologies. The risk assessment methodology is designed to help 1) identify needs for transportation research, 2) identify likely audiences for the anticipated research products, as well as potential applications; 3) identify potential barriers that could impede research or prevent its implementation; and based on the findings of the first three steps, 4) assess whether Caltrans is best suited to fund and oversee the research, should co-‐sponsor it with other agencies, should support it in less direct ways, or should refrain from engaging in research efforts on the topic and simply monitor developments in the field. The methodology is intended...

Innovative DOTs: Identifying Critical Issues and Strategies with Broad Support

Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Many state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) are engaged in strategic planning aimed at helping them improve their ability to identify coming problems and improve their ability to innovate. This paper examines common concerns or 'threats' currently facing DOTs, and identifies strategies to address them, or 'opportunities' that many DOTs support. The paper gives examples of innovative projects and programs from DOTs around the U.S., across a spectrum from leading innovative agencies to those just starting to initiate a discussion about change. Our methodology was to scan recent reports on critical issues and changing trends from a variety of experts and transportation stakeholder groups representing a broad selection of viewpoints. We then sought examples of how DOTs are currently innovating to address these critical issues and changing trends—both opportunities and threats—and identified ten main ways in which DOTs are adapting to meet them. Many reports on innovative DOTs...

Health management strategies of resilient honey bee stock throughout Southern California

Thu, 7 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Significant losses of managed honey bees (Apis mellifera) have been documented in recent years, driven by multiple stressors including parasites, pesticide exposure, and environmental change. To mitigate escalating hive losses, some beekeepers in Southern California collect and propagate locally occurring, free-living colonies, often referred to as "survivor" or "Californian" honey bees, that persist with limited human intervention. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of beekeepers managing colonies in Southern California to compare management practices and reported outcomes across stock types. Beekeepers clustered into 3 groups: those managing only commercial colonies (35.3%), only Californian colonies (29.4%), or a mixture of both (35.3%). Respondents indicated that management practices had been adapted when keeping Californian honey bees and reported reduced expenditures associated with queen replacement and disease management. These bees were widely perceived to possess...

If You Build It, They May Not Come: Willingness to Participate in Managed EV Charging

Thu, 7 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

If You Build It, They May Not Come: Willingness to Participate in Managed EV Charging

Spatially varying deep functional neural network: application in large-scale crop yield prediction

Thu, 7 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract Accurate prediction of crop yield is critical for supporting food security, agricultural planning, and economic decision-making. However, yield forecasting remains a significant challenge due to the complex and nonlinear relationships between weather variables and crop production, as well as spatial heterogeneity across agricultural regions. We propose a Spatially Varying Deep Functional Neural Network (SVD-funNet), a deep neural network architecture that integrates functional and scalar predictors with spatially varying coefficients and spatial random effects. The method is designed to flexibly model spatially indexed functional data, such as daily temperature curves, and their relationship to variability in the response, while accounting for spatial correlation. SVD-funNet mitigates the curse of dimensionality through a low-rank structure inspired by the spatially varying functional index model (SVFIM). Through comprehensive simulations, we demonstrate that SVD-funNet...

Sacrificing Humans for Insects and AI

Thu, 7 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Sacrificing Humans for Insects and AI

Infections with the Sexually Transmitted Pathogen Nosema apis Trigger an Immune Response in the Seminal Fluid of Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)

Thu, 7 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Honey bee (Apis mellifera) males are highly susceptible to infections with the sexually transmitted fungal pathogen Nosema apis. However, they are able to suppress this parasite in the ejaculate using immune molecules in the seminal fluid. We predicted that males respond to infections by altering the seminal fluid proteome to minimize the risk to sexually transmit the parasite to the queen and her colony. We used iTRAQ isotopic labeling to compare seminal fluid proteins from infected and noninfected males and found that N. apis infections resulted in significant abundance changes in 111 of the 260 seminal fluid proteins quantitated. The largest group of proteins with significantly changed abundances consisted of 15 proteins with well-known immune-related functions, which included two significantly more abundant chitinases in the seminal fluid of infected males. Chitinases were previously hypothesized to be involved in honey bee antifungal activity against N. apis. Here we show...

Fearlessness and human justice: Exploring Guru Tegh Bahadur’s teachings and sacrifice from a fresh perspective

Thu, 7 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This article explores the state of fearlessness and human justice through an examination of five celebrated couplets from Guru Tegh Bahadur’s bāṇī (‘inspired utterances’) by placing them in their immediate historical context, followed by an understanding of their wider significance from a global perspective. The main arguments of this essay revolve around the critical situation in Mughal India leading to the ninth Guru’s execution at Chandni Chowk in Delhi on 11 November 1675, by the orders of Emperor Aurangzeb. Rectifying skewed perspectives offered by modern historians in which the death of the ninth Guru is simply an accident of history and therefore of no consequence to wider humanity, this essay offers a critical review of historical readings of events that forced Guru Tegh Bahadur to intervene in the flow of history on behalf of downtrodden and minority voices. To bring the people out of their vulnerability he inspired them with a bold message of resistance against the tyrannical...

Aristotle On Two-Way Powers

Thu, 7 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract This paper offers a reading of Aristotle’s view of two-way powers and points out where related views about Aristotle and two-way powers can go wrong. It argues that Aristotelian two-way powers consist in, and are based in, systematic knowledge; that they are all, without exception, principles of change in another, or in oneself as other; and that the topic of voluntary action in Aristotle is a quite different topic. It follows from this that the Aristotelian view of two-way powers has nothing much to do with freedom. The paper also argues that Aristotle’s view of two-way powers is the best in the history of Western philosophy, because it’s the only view on which both contrary exercises of the power are explained as no accident, relative to the power. Subsequent views of two-way powers tend to violate the general principle that powers explain their actualizations as no accident, relative to the power.

Red or blue: The influence of CEO political orientation and situational context on acquisition behavior

Thu, 7 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Whether–and under what conditions–CEO political orientation impacts major corporate decisions, such as acquisitions, remains an open question. As prior work has found mixed evidence regarding whether liberal or conservative CEO exhibit greater acquisitiveness, our understanding of the true relationship between political orientation and acquisition behavior remains uncertain. We draw on Upper Echelons Theory, the Threat Constraint Model from political psychology, and individual incentives theorizing to argue that the effect of CEO political orientation on acquisitions is contingent on situational threats and opportunities. These contextual forces can prompt liberal and conservative CEOs to diverge from their baseline acquisition tendencies. Consistent with this framework, our results provide evidence that while, on average, liberal-leaning CEOs are more open towards acquisitions, greater threats in the form of higher industry dynamism, complexity, and economic contraction lead...

Sikh Kirtan & its journeys: Instruments, theories, technologies

Thu, 7 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Sikh Kirtan & its journeys: Instruments, theories, technologies

Managing Acute Uncertainty

Thu, 7 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Life is full of uncertainty about the future. Some uncertainty is stressful and anxiety-provoking, some is comforting and protective, and some can even be pleasurable. This chapter addresses the various ways people manage uncertainty about the future. We first consider situations in which uncertainty is aversive, namely during stressful waiting periods. People regularly wait for feedback about their academic, professional, personal, and financial prospects, and most people find these waiting periods to be unpleasantly fraught with worry. Two theoretical models, the Uncertainty Navigation Model and the newer Emotion-Motivation-Obstruction (EMO) model, guide our coverage of aversive uncertainty and provide a roadmap to the subjective experiences, health consequences, and coping efforts such situation entail. We then turn to situations in which uncertainty is desirable. People regularly avoid information to which they have ready access, even when acquiring the information may benefit...

Varroa mite resistance in a hybrid honey bee (Apis mellifera) population in Southern California

Thu, 7 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are important ecological and agricultural pollinators. In the United States, beekeepers experience substantial annual colony losses, largely driven by parasites such as the mite Varroa destructor. We studied a Californian hybrid honey bee population in Southern California, a genetic mix of Western European, Eastern European, Middle Eastern, and African lineages. We predicted that these bees would show lower mite infestation levels because they survive and persist without human intervention. To test this, we monitored 236 colonies over a four-year period. We found that Californian hybrid honey bee colonies consistently had lower mite infestation rates compared to colonies headed by queens from a commercial stock. Consequently, they exceeded standard treatment thresholds (≥ 3 mites per 100 worker bees) less frequently and therefore received fewer miticide treatments. We then conducted laboratory-based-choice assays to test whether colony-level differences...

Are Consumers Myopic? Evidence from New and Used Car Purchases

Wed, 6 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Are Consumers Myopic? Evidence from New and Used Car Purchases

Profiting from Regulation: An Event Study of the European Carbon Market

Wed, 6 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Profiting from Regulation: An Event Study of the European Carbon Market

Economic Incentives for COVID‐19 Vaccination Among Employees of a Safety‐Net Health System and Medical Center in Southern California: A Cross‐Sectional Study

Wed, 6 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Background and Aims: Healthcare workers (HCWs) were pivotal in delivering care during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet vaccination uptake in the United States was lower than anticipated. This study investigated whether economic incentives, paid time off (PTO), raffle entry, or a direct financial incentive could influence vaccine uptake among HCWs exhibiting greater vaccine hesitancy. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in a large integrated safety-net health system. Using an adapted Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS), employees were classified as "more" vs "less" hesitant. For each incentive, respondents indicated whether it would influence their vaccination decision. Multivariable logistic regression estimated associations between demographic (age, gender, race/ethnicity, household income, education, marital status) and employment factors (job type, COVID-19 exposure, pandemic impact on income/employment) and reported influence. Results: Of 684 respondents with complete hesitancy...

Seeking an Autism Diagnosis in College: Rates of Internalizing Conditions and Access to Mental Health Supports

Wed, 6 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

University students may recognize signs and symptoms of autism in themselves and may choose to seek a diagnosis in adulthood as executive planning and social demands become increasingly difficult. Autism presents with an increased rate of psychiatric conditions such as anxiety and depression (Jadav & Bal, 2022), with rates of co-occurrence being especially high for autistic university students. Concerningly, autistic individuals are five times more likely to attempt suicide than neurotypical individuals (Santomauro et al., 2024). These poor mental health outcomes can lead to a substantial negative impact on quality of life (Mason et al., 2019), especially when unaddressed. These results, thus, point to a need to screen for co-occurring psychiatric conditions in autistic adults and to provide mental health supports. This study will analyze the rates of co-occurring anxiety and depression in university students who are seeking an autism diagnosis. Additionally, this study will...

FamilyBloom: Examining Ecologies of Collaboration in Family-Centered Health Tracking

Wed, 6 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Family health informatics tools can help support well-being with shared data tracking. Prior work typically focused on shared data review, but often in specific moments, like bedtime, or centered on caregiving of children or elderly members. To investigate how tracking can support mutual health collaboration between family members pervasively across daily contexts, we designed and deployed FamilyBloom, a glanceable smartwatch and home display system for mood and goal tracking. Twelve families with both neurotypical and ADHD members used FamilyBloom for three months on average. Our findings reveal how family-centered tracking created collaboration opportunities and tensions across multiple ecological systems: individual self-regulation, collaborations within family dynamics, involvement of care networks with varying trust levels, institutional school constraints and cultural stigma, and temporality of regular routines and crisis periods. We discuss an ecosystem-aware approach to...

STREAMS guidelines: standards for technical reporting in environmental and host-associated microbiome studies

Wed, 6 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The interdisciplinary nature of microbiome research, coupled with the generation of complex multi-omics data, makes knowledge sharing challenging. The Strengthening the Organization and Reporting of Microbiome Studies (STORMS) guidelines provide a checklist for the reporting of study information, experimental design and analytical methods within a scientific manuscript on human microbiome research. Here, in this Consensus Statement, we present the standards for technical reporting in environmental and host-associated microbiome studies (STREAMS) guidelines. The guidelines expand on STORMS and include 67 items to support the reporting and review of environmental (for example, terrestrial, aquatic, atmospheric and engineered), synthetic and non-human host-associated microbiome studies in a standardized and machine-actionable manner. Based on input from 248 researchers spanning 28 countries, we provide detailed guidance, including comparisons with STORMS, and case studies that demonstrate...

Developing health care provider knowledge, confidence, and cultural sensitivity through resident transgender training: a controlled educational study

Wed, 6 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

BackgroundTransgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals face substantial health disparities as a result of discrimination and poor provider competence in understanding their health needs. Relatively little work has been done studying educational interventions targeted toward increasing residents’ knowledge and ability to treat TGD individuals with sensitivity. We studied the effectiveness of implementing a lecture series on transgender health in preparing internal medicine residents to care for the TGD population.MethodsBoth study and control participants were recruited through their affiliated internal medicine residency programs. The study design was a pre-post controlled educational study. A lecture series was developed at Riverside University Health System as the educational intervention. We used a Transgender Assessment survey developed for the study to determine changes in the residents’ knowledge, self-confidence, and knowledge of barriers to care during the study period...

The Simons Observatory: forecasted constraints on primordial gravitational waves with the expanded array of Small Aperture Telescopes

Tue, 5 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We present updated forecasts for the scientific performance of the degree-scale (0.5 deg FWHM at 93 GHz), deep-field survey to be conducted by the Simons Observatory (SO). By 2027, the SO Small Aperture Telescope (SAT) complement will be doubled from three to six telescopes, including a doubling of the detector count in the 93 GHz and 145 GHz channels to 48,160 detectors. Combined with a planned extension of the survey duration to 2035, this expansion will significantly enhance SO's search for a B-mode signal in the polarisation of the cosmic microwave background, a potential signature of gravitational waves produced in the very early Universe. Assuming a 1/f noise model with knee multipole ℓknee = 50 and a moderately complex model for Galactic foregrounds, we forecast a 1σ (or 68% confidence level) constraint on the tensor-to-scalar ratio r of σr = 1.2 × 10-3, assuming no primordial B-modes are present. This forecast assumes that 70% of the B-mode lensing signal can ultimately...

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: DR6 maps

Tue, 5 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We present Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) Data Release 6 (DR6) maps of the Cosmic Microwave Background temperature and polarization anisotropy at arcminute resolution over three frequency bands centered on 98, 150 and 220 GHz. The maps are based on data collected with the AdvancedACT camera over the period 2017–2022 and cover 19,000 square degrees with a median combined depth of 10 μK arcmin. We describe the instrument, mapmaking and map properties and illustrate them with a number of figures and tables. The ACT DR6 maps and derived products are available on LAMBDA at https://lambda.gsfc.nasa.gov/product/act/actadv_prod_table.html. We also provide an interactive web atlas at https://phy-act1.princeton.edu/public/snaess/actpol/dr6/atlas and HiPS data sets in Aladin (e.g. https://alasky.cds.unistra.fr/ACT/DR4DR6/color_CMB).

Unified and Consistent Structure Growth Measurements from Joint ACT, SPT, and Planck CMB Lensing

Tue, 5 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We present the tightest cosmic microwave background (CMB) lensing constraints to date on the growth of structure by combining CMB lensing measurements from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), the South Pole Telescope (SPT), and . Each of these surveys individually provides lensing measurements with similarly high statistical power, achieving signal-to-noise ratios of approximately 40. The combined lensing band powers represent the most precise CMB lensing power spectrum measurement to date with a signal-to-noise ratio of 61 and an amplitude of with respect to the theory prediction from the best-fit CMB -ACT cosmology. The band powers from all three lensing datasets, analyzed jointly, yield a 1.6% measurement of the parameter combination . Including dark energy spectroscopic instrument baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) data improves the constraint on the amplitude of matter fluctuations to (a 1.1% determination). When combining with uncalibrated supernovae from , we present...

Evidence for large baryonic feedback at low and intermediate redshifts from kinematic Sunyaev-Zel’dovich observations with ACT and DESI photometric galaxies

Tue, 5 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Recent advances in cosmological observations have provided an unprecedented opportunity to investigate the distribution of baryons relative to the underlying matter. In this work, we show that the gas is more extended than the dark matter, and the amount of baryonic feedback at z≲1 disfavors low-feedback models such as that of state-of-the-art hydrodynamical simulation IllustrisTNG compared with high-feedback models such as that of the original Illustris simulation. This has important implications for bridging the gap between theory and observations and understanding galaxy formation and evolution. Furthermore, a better grasp of the baryon-dark matter link is critical to future cosmological analyses, which are currently impeded by our limited knowledge of baryonic feedback. Here, we measure the kinematic Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (kSZ) effect from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope, stacked on the luminous red galaxy sample of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) imaging survey....

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: DR6 constraints on extended cosmological models

Tue, 5 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We use new cosmic microwave background (CMB) primary temperature and polarization anisotropy measurements from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) Data Release 6 (DR6) to test foundational assumptions of the standard cosmological model, ΛCDM, and set constraints on extensions to it. We derive constraints from the ACT DR6 power spectra alone, as well as in combination with legacy data from the Planck mission. To break geometric degeneracies, we include ACT and Planck CMB lensing data and baryon acoustic oscillation data from DESI Year-1. To test the dependence of our results on non-ACT data, we also explore combinations replacing Planck with WMAP and DESI with BOSS, and further add supernovae measurements from Pantheon+ for models that affect the late-time expansion history. We verify the near-scale-invariance (running of the spectral index dns /d ln k = 0.0062 ± 0.0052) and adiabaticity of the primordial perturbations. Neutrino properties are consistent with Standard Model predictions:...

History and evolution of the citrus budwood and seed scheme in Australia

Sat, 2 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Australian citrus budwood and seed scheme is one of the oldest in the world and has been instrumental in maintaining the health, productivity, and uniformity of Australian citrus plantings. The scheme is run as a non-profit company under the trading name of Auscitrus, with most facilities at Dareton in far southwest New South Wales (NSW). In this paper, we provide a brief history of the citrus industry in Australia, including key events that led to the creation of a seed and budwood scheme in NSW in 1928. The emergence of plant diseases such as Phytophthora gummosis, citrus tristeza and exocortis compelled the industry to adopt new propagation and cultural practices. Industry and government continue to support and strengthen Auscitrus and Australian citrus biosecurity in the areas of diagnostics and surveillance, germplasm management, public education, policy and strategy. Auscitrus is a key component for the Australian citrus industry to manage endemic and respond to exotic...

Update on ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ incidence in five districts of the Punjab province of Pakistan

Sat, 2 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (CLas) is a devastating pathogen of citrus associated with Huanglongbing (HLB, citrus greening disease). HLB is economically significant in Asia and has destroyed millions of citrus trees worldwide during the last century. Since 2007, when the first molecular evidence for the presence of CLas in North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) were presented, there have been a limited number of studies reporting the pathogen in different citrus growing districts of the Punjab Province, one of the major citrus producing areas of the country. In this study, a small-scale survey was conducted in citrus groves exhibiting HLB-like symptoms in different districts of Punjab Province. The aim was to obtain current information on the incidence of CLas in the area and complement the previous studies. Conventional and real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR and qPCR) assays were used for the detection of CLas in the...

Flow and Form as Modulation: Henri Pousseur's 8 Études Paraboliques and the Transformation of Electronic Music

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This paper examines 8 Études Paraboliques (1972/73) by Henri Pousseur as the articulation of a different electronic modernity, grounded in continuous modulation rather than discrete sound objects or serial parameter control. Situating the work within—and beyond—the traditional Paris–Cologne dichotomy of postwar electroacoustic music, the study argues that the Études propose an alternative ontology of sound in which form emerges as a dynamic trajectory within a relational, oscillatory field. Drawing on historical documentation from the WDR Studio in Cologne, the paper reconstructs the technical and institutional conditions that enabled this approach, emphasizing the role of voltage-controlled synthesis, empirical listening practices, and the deliberate absence of a score. The cycle is further interpreted as a cybernetic system, characterized by feedback, nonlinear behavior, and emergent form, in which compositional agency is distributed across interacting processes. Building...

From Cybernetics to Immersivity: Reframing Sound Space in Electroacoustic and Audiovisual Composition

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This article examines the evolution of sound space in elec- troacoustic music from a theoretical and compositional perspective, with a focus on key works by Paulo C. Chagas. It transitions from early paradigms of musique concrète and elektronische Musik to immersive and telematic environments, articulating sound space as a relational, cognitive-affective field shaped by technologies, listening practices, and socio-political conditions. Drawing on theories of acoustemology, cyber- netics, affect, and embodied cognition, the discussion encompasses the cybernetic spatial models of Migration and Projektion, the immersive ambisonic environment of Pune Metamorphosis, and the telematic field-work of Sound Imaginations. Electroacoustic sound space is not confined to technical or aesthetic dimensions; it constitutes a cognitive-affective and socio-political field in which composition unfolds as a mode of know- ing, a practice of critique, and a poetics of presence.

Models to Estimate 1) The Impact of Vegetative Barriers on Near-Road Air Quality, and 2) PM2.5 and PM10 Emissions From High Traffic Roads

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Populations residing, working, or attending schools near major highways experience elevated exposure to particulate matter (PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀), leading to increased health risks. Traffic-related particulate pollution arises from both vehicle exhaust and non-exhaust sources, including resuspended road dust, and is strongly influenced by roadway design and near-road mitigation strategies. This dissertation develops and evaluates a comprehensive modeling framework to quantify highway-generated particulate matter and to assess the effectiveness of vegetation barriers as a near-road air quality mitigation measure.The first component addresses particulate emissions from paved roads, with emphasis on the limitations of commonly used empirical emission factor models. A mobile measurement platform was developed to quantify road surface silt loading and particulate concentrations on high-traffic highways without disrupting traffic flow. Using these measurements, the performance of existing...

A New Window Clause for SQL++

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Window queries are important analytical tools for ordered data in modern data management systems, yet existing approaches (like SQL OVER or XQuery windowing) are lacking when it comes to expressing and processing window queries over large datasets in a parallel and efficient manner.This dissertation introduces WindowBy, a new SQL++ windowing construct that provides an intuitive way to express window queries. It unifies the strengths of SQL OVER and XQuery windowing while extending them with richer and more intuitive semantics. WindowBy supports fixed-length, fixed-duration, content-based, and LABEL-based window definitions within a single expressive syntax. As window query expressiveness increases, efficient evaluation becomes substantially more challenging—particularly in distributed environments where windows may span partition boundaries. In today’s large-scale data environments, efficient and scalable window processing is more essential than ever.To address these challenges,...

Optimization of MIMO STEEP for Secure Communications Over MIMOME Channels

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Achieving secure wireless communication without pre-shared keys is a fundamental challenge, especially when eavesdroppers possess a significant channel advantage. Conventional physical-layer security (PLS) schemes, such as the standard single-trip wiretap channel (ST-WTC) model, inherently fail to provide a positive secrecy rate when the eavesdropper's channel strictly dominates the legitimate link. To overcome this bottleneck, a round-trip protocol known as secret-message transmission by echoing encrypted probes (STEEP) has been developed. STEEP can deliver a positive secrecy rate even when eavesdropping channels are much stronger than those between users, subject to sufficient asymmetric power allocations. This thesis investigates the optimization of the STEEP protocol over multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and multiple-input multiple-output multiple-eavesdropper (MIMOME) channels. Specifically, we formulate a secrecy rate maximization problem to jointly optimize the...

A roadmap for equitable reuse of public microbiome data

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Science benefits from rapid open data sharing, but current guidelines for data reuse were established two decades ago, when databases were several million times smaller than they are today. These guidelines are largely unfamiliar to the scientific community, and, owing to the rapid increase in biological data generated in the past decade, they are also outdated. As a result, there is a lack of community standards suited to the current landscape and inconsistent implementation of data sharing policies across institutions. Here we discuss current sequence data sharing policies and their benefits and drawbacks, and present a roadmap to establish guidelines for equitable sequence data reuse, developed in consultation with a data consortium of 167 microbiome scientists. We propose the use of a Data Reuse Information (DRI) tag for public sequence data, which will be associated with at least one Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) account. The machine-readable DRI tag indicates...

Dissociation Between Sensory Encoding and Stimulus Driven Behavior in FMR1 KO Mice