Recent ucb items

PARADE OF TRADES WITH TRANSFER BATCHING

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Parade of Trades game demonstrates how variability that propagates across sequential trades degrades work flow reliability. Prior work pertaining to the use of takt to manage the Parade of Trades explores how planning for handoffs at a fixed beat can accommodate variability. It also shows where waiting occurs and capacity is lost, and how those influence each trade’s time on site and the total project duration. This paper builds on prior work related to the Parade of Trades by adding transfer batching to study how handoff sizing between trades relates to the production system’s performance. The study uses discrete-event simulation. Alternative model variants represent capacity variability and vary in transfer-batch sizes. Results show how transfer-batch sizing affects production system performance. Understanding these results can inform work structuring efforts, for example when developing a takt plan or when sizing capacity buffers and timing handoffs between trades.

Toward Hydrogen Isotope Separations through Strong Hydrogen Adsorption at Open Copper(I) Sites in an Ultramicroporous Metal–Organic Framework

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Metal-organic frameworks with coordinatively unsaturated metal sites (open metal sites) capable of engaging in orbital interactions with π-acidic gases are of interest for enabling ambient-temperature gas separations, such as hydrogen isotope separations. In view of the weakly π-acidic nature of H₂, we sought to strengthen π-backbonding-mediated H₂ adsorption through pore confinement effects. Toward that end, we synthesized and characterized the ultramicroporous metal-organic framework Cu_xZn_5-xCl_4-yH_z(bbta)₃ (Cu^IZn-MFU-4; H₂bbta = 1H,5H-benzo(1,2-d:4,5-d')bistriazole), featuring π-basic trigonal pyramidal Cu^I sites that reside within 7 Å of one another at their closest. Gas adsorption measurements reveal an H₂ adsorption enthalpy of -38 kJ/mol, exceeding that of the larger-pore analog (Cu^IZn-MFU-4l;...

New material of Adelphailurus kansensis sheds light on the cranial anatomy of an early-diverging machairodontine felid

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Adelphailurus kansensis is a puma-sized felid, originally described from fragmentary material in the Edson Quarry (Kansas, Mio-Pliocene). Here, we describe a nearly complete cranium from the Wikieup local fauna of the Big Sandy Formation, along with associated dental remains, and refer it to A. kansensis. Comparative analysis with Metailurus major, Yoshi minor, Y. garevskii, and Y. yongdengensis reveals a unique combination of features. A. kansensis shares certain traits with Metailurus (narrow snout, M1 orientation) and Yoshi (rounded cranial profile) but differs from both in having thinner zygomatic arches of nearly constant width, a more pronounced postglenoid process, and specific dental characteristics, including a P3 lacking an anterior accessory cusp and upper canines with serrations on both margins. Geometric morphometric analyses place A. kansensis morphologically between Metailurus and Yoshi, illustrating its intermediate cranial proportions yet confirming its distinctiveness....

Identifying Strain Stacking Boundaries between Multiphase Domains in Atomically Thin Two-Dimensional Magnets

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Stacking engineering of van der Waals materials is an important strategy to control the materials' properties, such as electronic correlations, ferroelectricity, and layer-dependent two-dimensional magnetism. A timely testbed for the study of the latter is atomically thin chromium trihalides (CrX₃, X = Cl, Br, I). Notably, by understanding the sliding mechanism between different stacking sequences, control of the stacking arrangement, and thus magnetic properties in CrX₃, can be achieved. Such insight, however, is currently lacking. Here, advanced electron microscopy methods are used to identify multiple stacking sequences corresponding to different bulk phases in atomically thin CrX₃ (X = Cl and Br) down to bilayer thickness and with lateral domain sizes as small as tens of nanometers. Indications of nanometer scale transitions and interactions at the stacking boundaries are found, including a universally preferred sliding direction that is consistent...

Impacts of home-care subsidies: Evidence from quasi-random assignment

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We study the impact of subsidizing home-based long-term care on recipients’ health and the labor supply of their working-age children. We use administrative data from Israel on the universe of welfare benefit applications linked with tax records of applicants and their adult children. To address the endogeneity of benefit recipients’ health status, we instrument for benefit receipt using the leniency of randomly assigned evaluators who assess the applicant’s functional status and determine benefit eligibility. We find that for compliers—applicants who receive subsidies only from more lenient evaluators—subsidizing home-based care has large adverse effects on recipient health ( + 5.2 p.p. one-year mortality, 95 % CI: 1.5 to 8.9 p.p.) but no detectable effects on their children’s labor market outcomes (child labor market participation: − 0.5 p.p., 95 % CI: − 5.2 to + 4.2 p.p.; child income: − 5.5 log points, 95 % CI: − 46 to + 35 log points). The results are consistent with the...

Performance trade-offs define a fundamental dental dichotomy in mammals.

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Teeth define mammalian evolution, and one of many adaptive dental breakthroughs in crown mammals is the tribosphenic molar: a tooth with a dual shearing-crushing function, often considered a key adaptation in crown mammals. However, we do not know how potential trade-offs between these antagonistic functions may influence the macroevolutionary outcomes of mammalian lineages. Here, we show that predatory mammals evolved dichotomized performance in their tribosphenic carnassial teeth, with slicing constrained to a narrow set of optimal phenotypes and crushing exhibiting redundant solutions. Less than 1% of predators evolved optimized shearing and crushing. The fundamental trade-off in functions of the tribosphenic architecture promoted divergent macroevolutionary specializations rather than functional duality. These results highlight how key innovations can drive early evolutionary success while simultaneously constraining subsequent diversification.

Virgo: Cluster-level Matrix Unit Integration in GPUs for Scalability and Energy Efficiency

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Modern GPUs incorporate specialized matrix units such as Tensor Cores to accelerate GEMM operations, which are central to deep learning workloads. However, existing matrix unit designs are tightly coupled to the SIMT core, restricting operation size due to register file capacity and bandwidth constraints. Such a limitation in scalability makes it difficult to simultaneously improve compute throughput and energy efficiency in GPUs. To address this challenge, we propose Virgo, a GPU microarchitecture that integrates dedicated matrix units at the SIMT core cluster level. By decoupling the matrix unit from the SIMT core, Virgo eliminates scalability constraints imposed by the core microarchitecture. Consequently, Virgo increases operation granularity at the hardware level, reducing energy overhead from core instruction processing. Physical disaggregation also enables a unified matrix unit design and offloading both operand and accumulator accesses from the register file, improving...

FROM LEAN PROJECTS TO LEAN ENTERPRISE: USING HOSHIN KANRI TO MAKE LEAN CONSTRUCTION STICK

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Lean Construction research has shown that project teams can achieve meaningful improvements in planning reliability, coordination, and performance. However, these gains often weaken once projects end, as teams disperse, priorities shift, and improvement routines are not consistently carried forward. This recurring reset highlights a key gap: while Lean Construction has been extensively studied at the project level, limited attention has been given to the enterprise-level governance systems required to sustain implementation over time in project-based firms. This paper addresses that gap by examining Hoshin Kanri (HK) as a strategic management system that may support long-term Lean sustainment. Using an exploratory, interpretive literature synthesis of Lean Construction, Hoshin Kanri, and organizational learning literature, the study identifies recurring implementation barriers and analyzes how HK governance mechanisms may respond. The analysis highlights three sustainment challenges:...

An Updated SynthPop Model for Microlensing Simulations. I. Model Description and Evaluation

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The optimization and interpretation of microlensing surveys depends on having an accurate model of the Milky Way. However, existing population synthesis Galactic modeling tools often perform poorly in replicating the stellar contents of the inner Galactic bulge region and reproducing microlensing survey results. We present an updated Galactic model implementation within the SynthPop framework that has been tuned for simulating the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey (RGBTDS). We evaluate the model against stellar catalogs and kinematics from optical and infrared surveys toward the Galactic bulge, finding good agreement in much of the bulge, including the RGBTDS’ contiguous lower bulge fields. However, within Galactic latitudes of b ≲ 0 .° 5 of the Galactic plane, some inconsistencies arise that may impact projections for the RGBTDS’ Galactic center field. The model overpredicts the optical microlensing event rate per star measurements...

Ion Transport and Crystal Rotation in Plastic Crystal Electrolytes Under Applied Electric Fields

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Ion Transport and Crystal Rotation in Plastic Crystal Electrolytes Under Applied Electric Fields

PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT IN TAKT PRODUCTION: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY ON METRICS, PRACTICES AND CHALLENGES

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Takt production gained attention in construction as a lean planning and control method that synchronizes workflows and enables product continuous flow. However, limited research has addressed performance measurement in takt production. This paper aims to identify research gaps in takt performance measurement, based on core concepts related to takt production, and the need for mechanisms to cope with unexpected variability. Several metrics for measuring takt performance were identified in the literature, organized into seven categories. Three exploratory case-studies were conducted in Chile, USA, and Japan, chosen due to the context heterogeneity and takt production methods diversity. Data analysis revealed different takt performance measurement approaches across different contexts. Company A developed a performance measurement system based on a production status matrix, used for controlling WIP, cycle time variation, and batch completion. Company B implemented takt production...

Electrostatic‐Attraction‐Driven Self‐Assembled Graphene‐Disordered Rocksalt Composite Cathode for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

ABSTRACT Disordered rocksalt cathodes hold promise for achieving high‐capacity lithium‐ion batteries while using low‐cost, earth‐abundant elements. However, their electrochemical performance remains critically limited by their poor electronic conductivity. Conventional strategies such as high‐energy ball milling with excess carbon additives can improve conductivity but remain challenging to scale and often produce defects and increase surface area, thereby accelerating capacity degradation. Herein, we report an alternative approach of electrostatic‐attraction‐driven self‐assembly to fabricate Li 1.2 Mn 0.6 Ti 0.2 O 1.8 F 0.2 (LMTOF) particles uniformly wrapped with electronically conductive graphene sheets without associated materials degradation. The graphene‐wrapped LMTOF demonstrates significantly improved cycling stability (89% capacity retention after 100 cycles) and superior rate capability compared with an LMTOF‐carbon composite electrode fabricated using the conventional...

A Cognitive Theory of Reasoning and Choice

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract We present a theory of choice in which attention to the features of options is determined by the decision maker’s categorization of the current problem in a set of problems she solved in the past. Categorization depends on goal-relevant and contextual problem-level features. The model yields heterogeneity in attention and choice in a given problem based on different past experiences and instability when changes in irrelevant context cause recategorization. We show that heterogeneous and unstable representations of a choice problem unify major biases in judgment and decision making.

Reconstruction of cosmic-ray muon events with CUORE

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We report the in-situ 3D reconstruction of through-going muons in the CUORE experiment, a cryogenic calorimeter array searching for neutrinoless double beta (0νββ$$0 u \beta \beta $$) decay, leveraging the segmentation of the detector. Due to the slow time response of the detector, time-of-flight estimation is not feasible. Therefore, the track reconstruction is performed using a multi-objective optimization algorithm that relies on geometrical information from the detector as a whole. We measure the integral flux of cosmic-ray muons underground at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, and find our value to be in good agreement with other experiments that have performed a similar measurement. To our knowledge, this work represents the first demonstration of 3D particle tracking and reconstruction of through-going muons with per-event angular determination in a millikelvin cryogenic detector array. The analysis performed for this work will be critical for validating the muon-related...

Spt5′s central KOW domains and the Pol II stalk collaborate to regulate chromatin and 3′-end processing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Spt5 is a universally conserved multidomain transcription elongation factor that acts as a component of all Pol II elongation complexes. Structural studies indicate that several of Spt5's central KOW domains lie adjacent to the Pol II stalk, composed of subunits Rpb4 and Rpb7. However, the in vivo functions of Spt5's central KOW domains are unknown. Here we show that Spt5 and Rpb4/7 jointly modulate 3'-end formation and co-transcriptional chromatin integrity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We identify mutations in the SPT5 KOW2-3 domains and RPB7 that cause cryptic initiation of transcription and alter 3'-end formation of RNA transcripts. Molecular readthrough assays reveal allele-specific changes at both GAL10 and SNR13, consistent with impacts on termination mediated by Cleavage and Polyadenylation Factor (CPF)-Cleavage Factor (CF) and the Nrd1-Nab3-Sen1 (NNS) pathway. Proteomic experiments with isolated KOW domains enrich factors from both pathways as well as chromatin regulators,...

The BAGLE Python Package for Bayesian Analysis of Gravitational Lensing Events

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We present the open-source Python package, Bayesian Analysis of Gravitational Lensing Events (BAGLE), which enables modeling and joint fitting of photometric and astrometric data sets. We describe the model parameterizations and present the equations for microlensing events containing either a point-source, point-lens, or a finite-source, point-lens geometry both with and without a microlensing parallax due to the motion of the Earth or a satellite around the Sun. Conversions between different coordinate reference frames are also derived. We compare our model lightcurves to those from other papers and microlens modeling software, finding good agreement, although with some differences in the finite-source models at the ∼1% level detectable with upcoming observations from space-based facilities. We also use BAGLE to demonstrate the impact of changing lens mass, lens distance, and blended source flux fraction on photometric lightcurves and astrometric trajectories in preparation...

Combined effective field theory interpretation of measurements sensitive to quartic gauge boson couplings in pp collisions at s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

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

A combination of measurements sensitive to anomalous quartic electroweak gauge boson couplings is presented using proton–proton collision data collected by the ATLAS detector at s = 13 TeV at the LHC. Contributing analyses include measurements of vector-boson scattering in numerous final states as well as a tri-boson measurement. The combined measurement is used to constrain anomalous electroweak boson quartic self-couplings that result from dimension-8 operators in the Éboli model using an effective field theory. Results are presented as 68% and 95% confidence level intervals parameterised by one or two Wilson coefficients, both with and without unitarity constraints applied. Theoretical bounds from unitarity and positivity are overlaid where relevant. Confidence intervals obtained from simultaneous profiled fits to all Wilson coefficients are also presented.

Biocatalytic C3 β‑O‑Glycosylation of Triterpenes and Sterols to Synthesize Natural and Unnatural Saponins

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

Saponins are natural products that consist of triterpene or sterol cores decorated with oxidations, glycosylations, and sometimes other modifications. Many saponins are utilized as nutraceutics (e.g., glycyrrhizin) or therapeutics (e.g., QS-21 and digitoxin/digoxin). The structure-activity relationships that govern saponin bioactivity can be identified by studying structurally related saponins; however, the production of varied sets of saponins remains challenging via either chemical (semi)synthesis or native/heterologous biosynthesis. This report describes the discovery that the GT1 family enzyme GuUGT73F15 (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) can be used to biosynthesize many different saponins via triterpene/sterol C3 β-O-glycosylation. GuUGT73F15 utilized 22 sugar acceptors (C3 hydroxyl-containing triterpenes/sterols) and 12 sugar donors (uridine diphosphate [UDP]-sugars) as substrates to produce 130 unique monoglycosylated saponins, of which more than 100 have not been reported...

Increased aluminum exposure induces widespread changes in silicon, carbon, and nitrogen metabolism in Entomoneis vertebralis

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

BackgroundDiatoms are a class of algae that play an essential role in global ecology and produce valuable chemicals. They are known for forming intricate nanostructured silica cell walls (frustules). The introduction of non-siliceous elements like aluminum into diatoms induces properties such as a lower dissolution rate of the frustule, increasing the specific surface area of the frustule and enhancing metabolism. Previous studies have focused primarily on characterizing physiological impacts, leaving the genetic response(s) to non-siliceous elements largely unexplored.ResultsThis study investigates the transcriptional response of the pennate diatom, Entomoneis vertebralis to dissolved aluminum. Our findings reveal that in the presence of added 10 µM aluminum, biogenic silica content of the cell wall increases approximately twofold along with significant changes to core metabolism. An increase in transcription of genes encoding nitrate transporters has been observed despite...

Cosmological constraints from a joint DESI DR1 Full-Shape and DR2 BAO

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

We present a cosmological analysis combining full-shape (FS) clustering measurements from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) DR1 with baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) measurements from DESI DR2. To achieve a robust combination that accounts for the correlation between the two data releases, we employ the ShapeFit compression method and estimate the joint covariance using EZmocks. This compressed approach inherently mitigates the prior volume effects that have previously dominated Bayesian constraints from DESI data with minimal external priors. Consequently, we obtain — for the first time within a Bayesian framework — reliable DESI-only constraints on extensions to ΛCDM using only a Big Bang Nucleosynthesis prior on the baryon density and a wide prior on the spectral index. In flat ΛCDM, we find Ω m = 0.3035 ± 0.0085, h = 0.6876 ± 0.0059, and σ 8 = 0.822 ± 0.034. For the w 0 wa CDM dynamical dark energy model, we measure w 0 = -0.49 ± 0.25 and wa = -1.52 ± 0.77,...

Genome assembly and annotation of microalga Nannochloropsis oceanica C018

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

The microalga Nannochloropsis is an important organism for algae-based biocommodity production of food, feed, and fuel, among other products. Using PacBio Revio, we sequenced, assembled, and annotated a 26.41 Mbp Nannochloropsis oceanica C018 genome.

Seasonality of composition, genomic potential and activity of coniferous forest soil microbiomes

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

Coniferous forest soils represent a globally important carbon sink, where the microbiome is essential for carbon flux between tree roots, rhizosphere, litter and soil. Soil habitats, such as roots, rhizosphere, bulk soil and litter differ in physicochemical properties and composition of highly specialized microbial communities, whose activity reflects the seasonality of temperature and tree activity of these mid- to high-latitude biomes. Here we present a multi-omic dataset encompassing 160 samples collected from four coniferous forest soil habitats in the Czech Republic and Norway, sampled in early summer, late summer, early winter and late winter that characterize the composition, genomic potential and activity of tree roots and microbiome. For each sample, we provide metabarcoding-based composition of bacterial, fungal and eukaryotic communities, results of shotgun DNA sequencing (metagenomes) and shotgun RNA sequencing (metatranscriptomes) illustrating the functional potential...

Catalytic visible light-driven alkane dehydrogenation by a di-uranyl germanotungstate

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

The dehydrogenation of alkanes to alkenes is an appealing strategy for upgrading abundant hydrocarbons, yet it is constrained by the inherent challenge of cleaving two inert C(sp³)-H bonds with selectivity and without overoxidation. We report a cooperative photocatalytic dehydrogenation of unactivated cycloalkanes under visible light irradiation enabled by a new dinuclear uranyl complex supported by an oxidatively stable germanotungstate, [NBu ⁿ ₄]₈[(UO₂)₂(GeW₁₀O₃₄(µ₂-OH)₂)₂]·(CH₃)₂CO (1). The uranyl complex catalytically converts cyclooctane to cyclooctene under ambient conditions with a TON per molecule of 44 and 9,10-dihydrophenanthrene to phenanthrene with a TON of 73 per molecule, using 1 mol% 1 in MeCN solution, under 427 nm irradiation, using [S₂O₈]^2- or chloranil (C₆Cl₄O₂)...

Catalytic Ambient Temperature Dinitrogen Conversion to a Bis(silyl)amine by Mononuclear Group 4 Aryloxide Complexes

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

The homogeneous conversion of ambient dinitrogen to amine products via the N₂ reduction reaction (N₂RR) remains a prized yet challenging feat for d-block complexes and is scarcely reported for f-block complexes. New, mononuclear Ti^IV and Zr^IV aryloxide complexes Ti(DP)₂ (1Ti), Zr(DP)₂ (1Zr), and DP = [2-(OC₆H₂-2-^tBu,4-Me)₂CHPh] produce up to 51 eq. and up to 7.0 eq. of HN(SiMe₃)₂ per Ti/Zr, from N₂, K⁰, weak acid, and chlorotrimethylsilane. Complex 1Ti exhibits more than double the activity toward N₂-silylation of any previously reported Ti N₂RR catalyst and can also catalyze the formation of up to 19 eq. of NH₃, a new feature in early metal N₂RR chemistry. The mononuclear 1Zr is the most active Zr catalyst for N₂-silylation to date. [KSm(DP)₂(THF)₃]...

Search for electroweak tt¯Wj production in multileptonic final states at s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector and bounds on effective field theory operators

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

A search is presented for the electroweak production of a top-quark pair in association with a boson and at least one additional jet known as the process. This process has embedded within it a -scattering vertex, which is probed directly for the first time. The collision data were collected with the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of at . The search uses same-charge pairs of electrons and muons together with jets, of which at least one is -tagged. The properties of the most forward jet relative to the rest of the event are used to discriminate the electroweak production process from its strong production counterpart. A measured (expected) 95% CL upper limit on the cross section is set at (230 fb), to be compared with the expected Standard Model (SM) cross section of 47.7 fb. Limits are set on the SM effective field theory (EFT) operators and , which modify the electroweak couplings of the top quark through...

Advancing FAIR data towards comparable, organized, predictive AI-ready data for community validation

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

The interrogation of data across biological and environmental systems has become increasingly complex. Fortunately, communities are adopting the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data principles for individual datasets, and continue to develop domain-specific, machine-actionable standards. However, integrating FAIR data for meta-analysis across data resources is still challenging. Understanding how disparate datasets are organized remains a manual, time-consuming process. Updating FAIR databases to reflect changes in knowledge is slow, allowing stale annotations and incorrect relationships to propagate, amplified by Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems that harvest data. Building on FAIR, we argue that data should be iteratively updated and improved. FAIR + COPE (Comparable, Organized, Predictive, Engaged) takes FAIR data and makes it Comparable, rapidly Organized (applying / updating standards) for Predictive models, which can be validated and improved by an...

Search for emerging jets in pp collisions at s=13TeV with the ATLAS experiment

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

A search is presented for emerging jets using 140fb-1$$140~\textrm{fb}^{-1}$$ of proton–proton collision data at s=13TeV$$\sqrt{s} = 13~\textrm{TeV}$$, collected by the ATLAS experiment between 2015 and 2018. The search looks for the existence of a dark sector with symmetries similar to those in quantum chromodynamics. This dark sector is populated with dark quarks, which undergo showering similar to quarks in the Standard Model, leading to a high multiplicity of long-lived dark hadrons within a dark jet. These dark hadrons subsequently decay to Standard Model particles via a new heavy scalar mediating particle ϕ$$\phi $$. This results in jets which contain multiple displaced vertices, known as emerging jets. This analysis targets four-jet topologies, with two emerging jets and two Standard Model jets, resulting from the decay of pair-produced scalar mediators. No significant excess above the Standard Model background is observed. For dark pion proper decay lengths of 20mm$$20~\textrm{mm}$$,...

Universal Relationshipbetween Limiting Current andElectrochemical Transport Properties in Malonate-Based Polymer Electrolytes

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

Universal Relationshipbetween Limiting Current andElectrochemical Transport Properties in Malonate-Based Polymer Electrolytes

Combination of Measurements of CP Properties of Higgs Boson Interactions with Vector Bosons Using Proton-Proton Collisions at s=13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

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

A combination of measurements of the properties of Higgs boson interactions with electroweak gauge bosons is presented, using of proton-proton collisions at recorded by the ATLAS detector. Results from vector boson fusion , inclusive , and channels are combined. No evidence of violation is observed, and constrains on the -violating operators in the Standard Model effective field theory framework (SMEFT) are set in the Warsaw basis. The results from the combination improve by over 40% on previous individual limits on and, for the first time, simultaneous constraints on three coefficients , , and are set. These limits are the most stringent constraints to date on the relevant Wilson coefficients in the SMEFT framework with minimum model dependence.

Inequities in job-based health coverage for California low-wage workers

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

Most Californians under age 65 receive health coverage through their or a family member’s employer. Workers earning low wages, however, are far less likely to have job-based coverage, and more likely to be on Medi-Cal or uninsured. This creates a real public cost: California spends tens of billions in state and federal dollars covering low-wage workers through Medi-Cal. In the face of federal Medicaid cuts in H.R. 1, California must revisit the question of who bears responsibility for the health coverage of low-wage workers in a system that primarily relies on job-based coverage for working-age adults and their dependents. This brief examines the low-wage health coverage gap, its costs to the state, and possible policy options—drawing on lessons from other states—available to California lawmakers.

Two-component exciton condensates in an electron–hole bilayer

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

Macroscopic quantum coherence emerges when bosons condense into a Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC)1, 2, 3, 4–5. Excitons are a long-sought solid-state route to high-temperature BECs with strong interactions, electrical tunability and potentially multicomponent spinor order, but conclusive evidence for equilibrium condensation has remained elusive. Here we report evidence for two-component exciton BECs in MoSe2/hBN/WSe2 electron–hole bilayers6, 7, 8–9 by probing the spin–valley susceptibility of constituent electrons and holes. This heterostructure hosts equilibrium exciton fluids with four spin–valley flavours. Magneto-optical spectroscopy in a dilution refrigerator reveals three exciton condensate phases with distinct flavour polarizations. At zero magnetic field, the many-body ground state is a coherent superposition of two condensed intravalley exciton flavours. Under a magnetic field, the intravalley exciton condensate first switches to a two-component intervalley condensate...

Linking teacher mindsets to equity-oriented SEL integration: The role of teachers' culturally relevant skills

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

Linking teacher mindsets to equity-oriented SEL integration: The role of teachers' culturally relevant skills

Structure of domain walls in chiral spin liquids.

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

The chiral spin liquid is a canonical state of quantum spins combining topological and symmetry-breaking order, and possible experimental realizations have attracted growing interest. We examine the physics at interfaces between chiral spin liquid domains of opposite chirality. We show that a self-consistent mean-field description of spinons remains possible in the vicinity of a domain wall and use this to formulate a Ginzburg-Landau theory of the domain wall. The bulk of a chiral spin liquid contains gapped spinon excitations and gauge fluctuations, set by a finite spinon mass and a nonzero spinon Chern number. A third class of excitations consists of amplitude fluctuations of the spinon hoppings, which admit a geometric interpretation in terms of effective vielbein fields. These fluctuations are usually neglected because they are irrelevant for a homogeneous chiral spin liquid and are suppressed in standard large-[Formula: see text] treatments. Going beyond the purely topological...

Medium-induced modification of azimuthal correlations of electrons from heavy-flavor hadron decays with charged particles in Pb–Pb collisions at sNN=5.02 TeV

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

The azimuthal-correlation distributions between electrons from the decays of heavy-flavor hadrons and associated charged particles in Pb–Pb collisions at sNN=5.02$$\sqrt{s_{\textrm{NN}}} = 5.02$$ TeV are reported for the 0–10% and 30–50% centrality classes. This measurement provides access to the jet-like correlation observables in the heavy-flavor sector in Pb–Pb collisions. The analysis is performed for trigger electrons from heavy-flavor hadron decays with transverse momentum 44$$p_\textrm{T}>4$$ GeV/c on the away side. The IAA$$I_\textrm{AA}$$ for electron triggers from heavy-flavor hadron decays is compared with that for light-flavor and strange-particle triggers to investigate the dependence on different fragmentation processes and parton-medium dynamics, and is found to be the same within uncertainties.

Opportunities and Challenges for Industrial Water Treatment and Reuse

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

As the impact of water scarcity in the United States (U.S.) continues to grow through the 21st century, it is critical to develop strategies to reduce water use and improve the security of water resources. One such strategy is to diversify the sources from which water is supplied. Industrial withdrawals represent the fourth largest category of U.S. water use, the majority of which is sourced from fresh surface and groundwater. In this study, we critically explore the potential of industrial wastewater to serve as an alternative water resource through direct treatment and reuse. We begin by reviewing the state of the art of water use, treatment, and reuse across six representative industries: food and beverages, primary metals, pulp and paper, petroleum refining, chemicals, and data centers and campuses, highlighting key challenges and opportunities toward the expansion of reuse. We then employ a technoeconomic assessment of water treatment processes to analyze the capital investment,...

Social Security is California’s Economic Bedrock: How and Why We Can Strengthen the Promise

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

This blog post explains Social Security’s vital importance to millions of Californians, underscores its role as a key driver of the state economy, and highlights broad bipartisan support for sensible proposals to strengthen the system’s finances and enhance benefits for vulnerable groups.

Mechanisms of Alkali Ionic Transport in Amorphous Oxyhalides Solid State Conductors

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

ABSTRACT Amorphous oxyhalides have attracted significant attention due to their relatively high ionic conductivity (1 mS ), excellent chemical stability, mechanical softness, and facile synthesis routes via standard solid‐state reactions. These materials exhibit an ionic conductivity that is almost independent of the underlying chemistry, in stark contrast to what occurs in crystalline conductors. In this work, we employ machine learning interatomic potentials to construct large‐scale molecular dynamics trajectories encompassing hundreds of nanoseconds to obtain statistically converged transport properties. We find that the amorphous state consists of chain fragments of metal‐anion tetrahedra of various lengths. By analyzing the residence time of alkali cations migrating around tetrahedrally‐coordinated metals, we find that oxygen anions limit alkali diffusion. By computing the full Einstein expression of the ionic conductivity, we demonstrate that the alkali transference number...

Underpaid, Undervalued, and Essential: The Security Guard Workforce in the United States

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

This report examines the security guard workforce across the country—who these workers are, what they earn, the conditions under which they work, and the standards that govern the industry—and argues that improving job quality in security is a matter both of economic justice and of public safety.

Minimum wage debate goes local

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

An innovative new way of thinking about inequality is emerging, where urban centers and regions like the Bay Area with higher costs of living use a range of tools, including robust minimum wage laws, to ensure that growth and prosperity are broadly shared.

Over two million more Californians projected to lack health insurance by 2030

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

As a result of federal and state policy decisions made in 2025, we project that 4.6 million Californians under age 65 will be uninsured by 2030—an increase of 2.2 million—and the uninsured rate will nearly double to 14.7%. This will erode much of the progress California has made since the Affordable Care Act and subsequent state actions to move closer to universal coverage. It will also widen disparities in health care coverage, particularly for low-income, Latino, and undocumented Californians, who already face higher-than-average uninsured rates.

Search for Higgs bosons produced in association with a high-energy photon via vector-boson fusion and decaying to a pair of b-quarks in the ATLAS detector

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

A search for Standard Model Higgs bosons produced in association with a high-energy photon and decaying to b b ¯ is performed using 133 fb − 1 of s = 13 TeV pp collision data collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. The photon requirement reduces the multijet background, and the H → b b ¯ decay is the dominant decay mode. Event selection requirements target events produced by vector-boson fusion, the dominant production mode in this channel. Several improvements enhance the search sensitivity compared to previous measurements. These improvements include better background modelling and characterization, the use of a neural-network classifier, and an updated signal extraction strategy adopting a direct binned-likelihood fit to the classifier output. With these improvements, the Higgs boson signal strength is measured to be 0.2 ± 0.7 relative to the Standard Model prediction. This corresponds to an observed significance of 0.3 standard deviations, compared...

Implementing the finite-volume three-pion scattering formalism across all non-maximal isospins

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

We present a numerical exploration of the relativistic-field-theory (RFT) formalism for three pions with all possible values of non-maximal isospin, Iπππ = 2, 1 and 0. Using the generic-isospin extension of the RFT formalism [1] and applying our open-source Python library to implement the framework, we predict a range of three-pion energies for illustrative values of the two-to-two scattering amplitudes for various finite-volume irreps also with non-zero total momentum P in the finite-volume frame. The results restrict attention to the case of a vanishing intrinsic three-body interaction so that the spectra can be understood as a baseline. In future lattice QCD calculations, deviations from these values will be translated into evidence for intrinsic three-body effects in the various scattering channels.

Job-based health care costs are growing—and workers are paying the price

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

This blog post examines the extraordinary growth in job-based health care costs, how this impacts California workers, and what the state can do to mitigate the problem. We focus on costs for family coverage, though a similar story could be told about the cost of single coverage.

Demographic and Job Characteristics of the Security Guard Workforce in California

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

This factsheet highlights the characteristics of the private sector security guard workforce in California, the Los Angeles MSA, and the five-county Bay Area, and highlights the need to improve labor conditions in the industry.

Cultivating Solidarity: Students learn about the Bay Area labor movement through Solidarity Spring

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

Student Iris De Leon provides a firsthand account of this year's Solidarity Spring, a three-day spring break program during which 50 undergraduates met with workers, tenants, artists, and organizers in the Bay Area to engage in a wide range of activities and learn what solidarity means.

Evidence for the influence of shipping underwater radiated noise on sperm whale coda structure

Sun, 26 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Evidence for the influence of shipping underwater radiated noise on sperm whale coda structure

What if We Understood What Animals Are Saying?: The Legal Impact of AI-Assisted Studies of Animal Communication

Sun, 26 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This Article explores the burgeoning fields of artificial intelligence and bioacoustics and their potential to reshape nonhuman animal law. Historically, Western science dismissed nonhuman animal vocalizations as simple and lacking complexity. However, recent advancements in recording technology, artificial intelligence, and interdisciplinary collaborations have revealed that many species, from whales to honeybees, possess sophisticated communication systems. Pioneering projects, like Project Cetacean Translation Initiative's (CETI) work with sperm whales, are challenging long-held assumptions about animal communication and opening the door to new legal and ethical considerations. This Article examines the legal implications of understanding nonhuman animal communication by asking: If these initiatives succeed, how might the legal terrain be reshaped? Proving that cetaceans possess linguistic capacities would challenge the notion that language is exclusive to humans and could...

Educator Profiles of SEL Implementation Capacities:Exploring Variation in Mindsets, Knowledge, Skills, andSelf-Efficac

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Educator Profiles of SEL Implementation Capacities:Exploring Variation in Mindsets, Knowledge, Skills, andSelf-Efficac

After Study for the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge (Phase II)

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This report evaluates the impacts associated with the following pilot changes that were made on and around the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge: (1) opening to traffic of the eastbound shoulder on the bridge’s lower deck between 2 PM and 7 PM every day (April 2018); (2) conversion of the westbound shoulder on the upper deck into a barrier-separated bike/pedestrian path (November 2019); and (3) conversion of an existing one-way bicycle path on the I-580 West Sir Francis Drake off-ramp overcrossing into a barrier-separated two-way path. Specific evaluations include the level of use by cyclists and pedestrians, impacts on traffic conditions and vehicle emissions, traffic compliance with the eastbound shoulder open/close periods, impacts on incident frequency, types, severity, and clearance times, and impacts on maintenance activities. These elements are to be used by Caltrans to determine whether the changes should be kept, in whole or in part. Evaluations show that the opening of the...

After Study for the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge (Phase I)

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This report presents an evaluation of impacts associated with the following changes that were made to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge as part of a pilot project: (1) opening to traffic of the eastbound shoulder lane on the lower deck of the bridge between 2 PM and 7 PM every day (April 2018) and (2) conversion of the westbound shoulder lane on the upper deck of the bridge into a barrier-separated shared bike/pedestrian (November 2019). Specific elements evaluated include traffic compliance with the shoulder lane open/close periods, use of bridge paths by cyclists and pedestrians, impacts on eastbound and westbound traffic conditions, impacts on incidents, incident clearance times, maintenance activities, and quality of life in Marin County areas near the bridge. These elements are to be used by Caltrans to determine whether the changes should be kept, in whole or in part. Evaluations show that the opening of the eastbound shoulder to traffic has significantly reduced travel times...

Advanced air mobility

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Advanced air mobility, also known as AAM, is a broad concept focusing on emerging aviation markets and use cases for on-demand aviation in urban, suburban, and rural communities (Cohen et al., 2024). AAM includes local use cases of about an 80 km radius in rural or urban areas and intraregional use cases of up to approximately 500 km.

Investigating the Ability to Assess VMT Impacts of Rural Capacity-Enhancing Projects

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Recent changes in California transportation policy have increased the importance of evaluating the impacts of highway capacity expansion on travel demand by shifting environmental review practices away from level-of-service toward assessing impacts on vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and travel demand. While established analytical tools exist for evaluating induced travel in urban regions, limited research and modeling resources have made it difficult to apply similar methods in rural areas.

This research investigates whether capacity-enhancing projects on rural elements of the California State Highway System (SHS) are associated with measurable increases in VMT. The study evaluates county-level statistical relationships using historical data from 1990 to 2024, describing roadway supply, travel demand, and socioeconomic conditions across California counties. Regression analyses were conducted using Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data, populationestimates, employment...

Scalable multiplexed machine learning gas sensor chips for food classification

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Multiplexed gas sensor arrays combined with machine learning have unlocked previously inaccessible applications for scent-based sensing. Current platforms are limited by overlapping sensing materials with similar compositions, leading to highly correlated responses, or multistep deposition processes that hinder scalability. In this work, we developed a 16-element monolithic chip with fully distinct sensing layers, enabling a truly heterogeneous array. The system consists of highly sensitive carbon nanotube field effect transistors that are functionalized through a single-step microdispensing method compatible with automated pipetting systems. The resulting chip produces characteristic signal patterns in response to object-specific scent profiles and, when combined with machine learning algorithms, can perform automated object identification. We demonstrate the classification of 16 different objects, including food spoilage and nut allergens, with a 92.6% overall prediction accuracy.

Emulating galaxy and peculiar velocity clustering on non-linear scales

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We explore the potential of cross-correlating galaxies and peculiar velocities on non-linear scales to enhance cosmological constraints. Leveraging the simulation suite and the halo occupation distribution (HOD) formalism, we trained emulator models to describe the non-linear clustering of galaxies and velocities in redshift space. Our analysis demonstrates that combining galaxy and peculiar velocity clustering provides tighter constraints on both HOD and cosmological parameters, particularly on σ_8 and w_0. We further applied our models to realistic mock catalogues, reproducing the expected density and peculiar velocity errors of type-Ia supernovae, Tully-Fisher and fundamental plane measurements for the combined ZTF and DESI measurements. While systematic biases arise in the HOD parameters, the cosmological constraints remain unbiased, yielding a 3.8% precision measurement on fσ_8 compared to 4.7% when using galaxy clustering alone. We demonstrate that while combining tracers...

Visualizing Millisecond Atomic Dynamics of Nanocrystals in Liquid

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Atomic structures of nanomaterials are inherently dynamic and continuously reshaped through interactions with chemical species and external stimuli. Such dynamics are further amplified as the size and dimensionality of nanomaterials decrease. Despite advances in analytical methods, it remains challenging to capture the structural dynamics of nanomaterials in reactive environments with both atomic spatial resolution and commensurate temporal resolution. Here, we directly visualize atomic-scale dynamics of gold (Au) nanocrystals in reactive liquid environments with millisecond-speed liquid-cell electron microscopy (EM) and deep-learning denoising. We uncover reversible fluctuations in the local crystallinity of Au nanocrystals dependent on the surrounding chemical environment. These transient fluctuations, driven by interactions at nanocrystal-liquid interfaces, critically influence the dissolution kinetics and grain boundary relaxation. By overcoming the spatiotemporal limitations...

Probing the limits of genetic recoding using multi-omics-guided evolution

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Engineering the genetic code—by reassigning multiple of the 64 natural codons—enables making organisms resistant to all viruses, preventing genetic information exchange, and allowing the biosynthesis of genetically encoded unnatural polymers. However, synonymous codon replacement—recoding—is frequently lethal, and how recoding impacts fitness remains poorly explored. Here, we explore these effects using genome synthesis, directed evolution, and genome-transcriptome-translatome-proteome co-profiling on multiple synthetic Escherichia coli genomes. We construct six partially recoded E. coli strains bearing up to 45.8% of a synthetic genome with a deleterious 57-codon genetic code. As our analyses revealed widespread defects—including unassigned codons in Syn61 and Syn57—we apply multi-omics to revise our genome design and mitigate defects. Using multi-omics, we show that recoding induces transcriptional and translational changes leading to fitness defects under hundreds of conditions....

Background-Free Tracking of Ultrafast Hole and Electron Dynamics in Germanium with NIR-Driven XUV Transient Grating Spectroscopy Supporting Information

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Background-Free Tracking of Ultrafast Hole and Electron Dynamics in Germanium with NIR-Driven XUV Transient Grating Spectroscopy Supporting Information

Complex Electrical Conductivity of a Single‐Fractured Rock: Fracture‐and‐Matrix Coupling Mechanism and Aperture Size Predictions

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract Fractured rocks play a crucial role in myriad natural and engineered systems, including Earth's critical zone, oil/gas/geothermal reservoirs, and geological CO 2 /H 2 /waste storage systems. While complex electrical conductivity is extensively used to estimate the pore and grain sizes of conventional porous rocks and soils, it is rarely used to predict the aperture size of fractured rocks and this remains poorly understood. Here, integrating theory, simulations, and experiments, we show that under external fields, fractured rocks follow the fracture‐and‐matrix coupling to make the bulk complex conductivity non‐linear with respect to water conductivity. We find that the relaxation time and quadrature conductivity for porous media do not apply to fractured rocks, but, instead, reasonably accurate predictions of aperture size can be made based on the true formation factor. This study unravels the fundamental mechanism governing conduction and polarization of fractured rocks...

Divergent carbon use efficiency-growth rate tradeoff in popular biological growth models

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract. Carbon use efficiency (CUE) is an important trait emerging from processes regulating biological growth. CUE can be computed either based on the growth of structural biomass or total biomass divided by substrate uptake rate. Nonequilibrium thermodynamics and observations suggest that, for an exponentially growing population of cells, structural biomass CUE should first increase, then peak, and finally decrease with specific growth rate; meanwhile, total biomass CUE increases asymptotically with specific growth rate. We compared predictions from six popular models that are often used for plant and microbial growth in existing ecosystem models. We found that, for an exponentially growing population of biological cells, (1) the source-driven Pirt and Compromise models predict that structural biomass CUE increase asymptotically with growth rate; (2) the apparent sink-driven modified Droop model predicts that structural biomass CUE decreases with growth rate; and (3) the sink-driven...

Visualizing Crystallization Dynamics and Transformation Pathways of Disordered Rocksalt Oxides During Thermally Activated Sol–Gel Synthesis

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

ABSTRACT Sol–gel synthesis is a wet‐chemical processing route for fabricating functional materials with control over composition and microstructure at relatively low temperatures compared to conventional solid‐state synthesis. While sol–gel process initiates with intermixed molecular precursors, the early‐stage nucleation pathways are insufficiently understood. Here, the chemical and structural transformation of disordered rocksalt (DRX) Li 1.2 Mn 0.4 Ti 0.4 O 2 (LMTO), a promising cathode material for lithium batteries, is studied by multiscale characterizations. In situ heating transmission electron microscopy (TEM) using a liquid cell visualizes and identifies crystallization pathways at the nanoscale. While some regions follow a classical multi‐step transition through thermodynamically stable intermediates, others exhibit a kinetic shortcut via a localized amorphous matrix to directly form the DRX structure. Macroscale Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy corroborates...

Atomic Evolution of Hydrogen Intercalation Wave Dynamics in Palladium Nanocrystals Revealed by Liquid-Phase Transmission Electron Microscopy

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Solute-intercalation-induced phase separation creates spatial heterogeneities in host materials, a phenomenon ubiquitous in batteries, hydrogen storage, and other energy devices. Despite many efforts, probing intercalation processes at the atomic scale has been a significant challenge. By utilizing liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we study hydrogen (de)intercalation in palladium nanocrystals as a model system and have achieved unprecedented atomic-resolution imaging of hydrogen intercalation wave dynamics. Our observations reveal that intercalation wave mechanisms, instead of shrinking-core mechanisms, prevail at ambient temperature for palladium nanocubes ranging from ∼60 nm down to ∼10 nm. Systematic image analysis uncovers the atomic evolution of the hydrogen intercalation wave, transitioning from nonplanar and inclined boundaries to those closely aligned with {100} planes. Our kinetic Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that the observed intercalation wave...

Visualizing the impact of quenched disorder on 2D electron Wigner solids

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Electron Wigner solids (WSs)1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11–12 provide an ideal system for understanding the competing effects of electron–electron and electron–disorder interactions, a central unsolved problem in condensed matter physics. Progress in this topic has been limited by a lack of single-defect-resolved experimental measurements as well as accurate theoretical tools to enable realistic experiment/theory comparison. Here we overcome these limitations by combining atomically resolved scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) with neural-quantum-state quantum Monte Carlo (NQS-QMC) simulation of disordered 2D electron WSs to discover new disorder-induced physical regimes of correlated electron behaviour. STM was used to image the electron density (ne)-dependent evolution of electron WSs in gate-tunable bilayer MoSe2 (BL-MoSe2) devices with varying long-range (nLR) and short-range (nSR) disorder densities. These images were compared with NQS-QMC simulations using realistic...

Background-Free Tracking of Ultrafast Hole and Electron Dynamics in Germanium with NIR-Driven XUV Transient Grating Spectroscopy

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Background-Free Tracking of Ultrafast Hole and Electron Dynamics in Germanium with NIR-Driven XUV Transient Grating Spectroscopy

Hund's coupling governed orbital-selective superconductivity in Ba1−xKxFe2As2

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Understanding how strong electronic correlations shape superconductivity remains a central challenge in quantum materials. In multiorbital systems, correlations driven by Hund's coupling can differentiate the behavior of individual orbitals, producing the so-called Hund's metal state. How such orbital-selectivity also governs superconducting pairing, however, has remained largely unexplored experimentally. Here we use high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to systematically map the superconducting gap structure across the phase diagram of the representative iron-based superconductor Ba1−xKxFe2As2. We find that superconductivity evolves in a strongly orbital-dependent manner: the gap associated with the dxy orbital collapses beyond optimal doping while pairing on the dxz/dyz orbitals persists. This behavior mirrors the orbital-selective correlations observed in the normal state and reveals a direct connection between Hund's metal physics and the superconducting...

Tropical field stations yield high conservation return on investment

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract Conservation funding is currently limited; cost‐effective conservation solutions are essential. We suggest that the thousands of field stations worldwide can play key roles at the frontline of biodiversity conservation and have high intrinsic value. We assessed field stations’ conservation return on investment and explored the impact of COVID‐19. We surveyed leaders of field stations across tropical regions that host primate research; 157 field stations in 56 countries responded. Respondents reported improved habitat quality and reduced hunting rates at over 80% of field stations and lower operational costs per km 2 than protected areas, yet half of those surveyed have less funding now than in 2019. Spatial analyses support field station presence as reducing deforestation. These “earth observatories” provide a high return on investment; we advocate for increased support of field station programs and for governments to support their vital conservation efforts by investing...

Fragile plant-frugivore interaction networks in tropical forest edges

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Current incessant threats of environmental changes, such as habitat fragmentation, may disrupt vital mutualistic plant-frugivore networks, threatening the whole ecosystem. To advance our knowledge of the magnitude of the impacts of such disruption, we need a better understanding of its structure and robustness. We addressed this by comparing several aspects of plant-frugivore networks in the forest edge and interior habitats of a fragmented forest, using field data on fruit removal by a community of frugivorous birds and lemurs from 40 tree species over 30 months. While the plant-frugivore networks in both habitats were significantly less nested than random expectations, the network in the forest edge habitat had higher value of nestedness compared to the network in the forest interior. Also, the networks in both habitats were highly modular compared to random expectations, with a dominance of species that are highly interactive within its modules. We also found that fruit...

Foraging and movement flexibility shape seed dispersal by an arboreal primate in a modified landscape

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

As habitats change, the effectiveness of animal‐mediated seed dispersal increasingly depends on animal responses to altered structure and resources. With habitat loss and degradation accelerating across the tropics, understanding how dispersers' foraging behavior and movement influence seed removal and deposition is critical to promoting forest regeneration. In a tropical lowland landscape of southeastern Mexico with varying levels of human disturbance, we studied how black howler monkeys' Alouatta pigra foraging behavior influences the seed dispersal services they provide. Additionally, given the species' long gut transit time, we examined how their movement patterns across spatial and temporal scales directly and indirectly shape seed dispersal distance. We found that habitat disturbance significantly reduced food resource availability and frugivory levels, limiting the black howler monkeys' ability to support natural forest succession through seed dispersal. However, by dispersing...

Warming and snow loss increase reliance on old groundwater in a Colorado River headwater

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Atmospheric warming is reducing snowpack, with uncertain effects on mountainous streamflow, a crucial water resource. Despite limited historical observations of groundwater–streamflow interactions above 2,500 m, new measurements in the Upper Colorado River headwaters indicate declining groundwater storage that is dated decades to millennia old. Here we use integrated hydrologic modelling spanning water years 2015–2021 to determine whether the loss of old-age groundwater buffers streamflow during low-snow years and whether that loss is exacerbated with warming. Results show that old-groundwater contributions to streams remain relatively steady through time, unlike the more variable contributions from young groundwater. Numerical experiments of increased surface air temperatures (+2.5 °C and +4 °C) increase rain–snow fractions and evapotranspiration and decrease runoff ratio by 2–3% per degree Celsius increase. As streamflow declines with warming, the age of groundwater supporting...

A long walk for a tiny lemur: Nightly travel distances of Microcebus rufus.

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Movement is critical for animals' dynamics and survival. However, the movement patterns of small-bodied animals (body mass <500 g) are rarely documented, given the difficulties in tracking them in their natural habitats. Here, we report the distance travelled by a small-bodied and nocturnal lemur (brown mouse lemur, Microcebus rufus) in Ranomafana National Park, southeastern Madagascar, using telemetry and tracking data ( N = 7 night-tracking from 5 individuals). We found that M. rufus travelled up to 840.41 m in one night with a maximum 1-hour step length of 502.90 m. Our data also showed that, on average, females (755.50 m) travelled further than males (381.90 m). We suggest that such long-distance movements could be a strategy to maintain their metabolic rate and budget activities, avoid predators, and/or respond to changes in food source distribution. Furthermore, such movements can have critical consequences on their ecological roles in the rainforest,...

Reframing Self-Introduction for Social Justice: Identity and Diversity in Intermediate Japanese

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

While traditional language textbooks often present Japanese society as racially and culturally homogenous, students increasingly seek to navigate complex questions of identity and diversity in advanced courses. This practical report showcases a social-justice-oriented unit designed for an intermediate Japanese course to move beyond the fill-in-the-blank self-introduction approach toward a more nuanced discourse that affirms identity and diversity. Utilizing backward design (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005), the unit was developed with both language and social justice learning goals in mind (Learning for Justice, 2022).

The unit reframes self-introduction through three key features: (1) framing the curriculum with essential questions and identity category brainstorming; (2) decentering mainstream Japanese and American perspectives using authentic, multimodal texts featuring Indigenous Ainu and Zainichi Korean voices; and (3) scaffolding a "difficult self-introduction"...

Do Tax Credits Increase Heat Pump Adoption?

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Economists have long argued that many recipients of clean energy subsidies are likelynon-additional, but there are relatively few empirical studies. This paper uses U.S.monthly shipment data to test whether income tax credits increase heat pump adoption. When the tax credit increased from $300 to $2000 in January 2023, there was no increase in shipments. Then, when the tax credit expired in January 2026, there was no decrease in shipments. This lack of a discernible relationship persists after controllingfor seasonal patterns, energy prices, and housing starts. The evidence suggests thatmost recipients of the $2000 tax credit were non-additional, and would have installeda heat pump even without the subsidy. The paper discusses implications for policydesign, economic efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Finally, the paper points out thatheat pump shipments continue at a strong pace thus far in 2026 even without the taxcredit, with large benefits for the environment.

Foraging strategies by a frugivorous primate (Eulemur rubriventer) shape spatial patterns of seed dispersal

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract The movement decisions of frugivores shape spatial patterns of seed deposition, with considerable impacts for plant individuals, populations and communities. However, we have limited understanding of the mechanisms determining the foraging strategies behind the movements of frugivorous animals and their interaction with the landscape. Using spatially explicit simulations we examined the movements and seed dispersal of red‐bellied lemur ( Eulemur rubriventer ) groups dispersing seeds of the tropical tree Harungana madagascariensis under four theorized foraging strategies. These included scenarios in which frugivores move directly to the (1) most rewarding plant in the landscape, (2) nearest fruiting plant, or towards the most rewarding plant in the landscape, with stops at any fruiting plants encountered along the way according to a local attraction distance of (3) 10 m and (4) 20 m. We then compared 12 metrics and data distributions for seed dispersal and...

120 Years of “Lemurology”: What has Changed?

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

ABSTRACT Lemurs, a highly diverse primate group endemic to Madagascar, have captivated the attention of researchers for nearly 120 years. Here, we conducted a literature review and a bibliometric analysis to provide an overview of how various aspects of “Lemurology” or the scientific studies of lemurs, have changed over time. Focusing only on original scientific articles, we described the trends in the topics and taxa studied, the publication languages, the authorship, and study sites. We used two datasets: one from the Web of Science (WoS; 2223 articles) and another from three Madagascar‐focused journals (MFJ; 329 articles). The observation of lemurs in the wild is the oldest form of Lemurology, starting under the French colonization, and remains the main data source for articles in both datasets. Microcebus and Eulemur are the most studied genera in WoS and Propithecus and Eulemur in MFJ. At this time, no articles are written in Malagasy, but English and French are the main...

Seed dispersal of Madagascar's iconic baobab species, Adansonia grandidieri

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract Certain plant species have traits adapted for seed dispersal by megafauna, which may be absent in their current ranges. Characterizing the dispersal mechanism of such plant species can provide insights about their population dynamics and regeneration. We investigated the effectiveness of the extant fauna as seed dispersers of the Malagasy baobab, Adansonia grandidieri , which have megafaunal dispersal traits. We documented the animal species that interact with its fruits and seeds in the canopy and on the ground through direct observations, camera trapping, opportunistic search of feces with seeds, and dispersal experiments. We also estimated seed fate using a model parameterized with data obtained through experiments on seed removal and seed germination under and away from adult A. grandidieri trees. Further, we examined the impacts of seed dispersal in mitigating herbivore pressures on A. grandidieri seedling through an exclosure experiment. We did not find animals...

120 Years of “Lemurology”: A Qualitative Review of What We Have Learned

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

ABSTRACT The high diversity and microendemism of Madagascar's evolutionary unique primates, lemurs, have attracted scholars and scientists from various disciplines for more than a century. Unfortunately, lemur populations are facing high risks threatening their continued existence. A synthesis of the current knowledge about this unique taxonomic group is, therefore, timely to establish a foundation for future studies that can be used in evidence‐based actions in both in situ and ex situ conservation settings. This review explores the extensive body of published research about lemurs, consolidating findings from various studies. Covering a range of topics, the review synthesizes about 120 years of scientific articles, starting in 1900, to summarize current advances in scientific studies about lemur, that is, “Lemurology”, beyond reports of their discoveries and descriptions. It also addresses the conservation challenges these animals face, emphasizing the urgent need for...

From steps to home ranges: How habitat disturbance influences the movement drivers of an arboreal primate

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The persistence of animal populations in anthropogenic landscapes often depends on adjusting their foraging and movement strategies to environmental changes that involve energetic trade-offs. However, it remains unclear how ecological resilience translates into movement flexibility and which factors influence animal movement in modified environments. Howler monkeys (Alouatta spp.) are known to cope with significant anthropogenic pressure across their range. We examined how a gradient of habitat disturbance alters intrinsic traits of black howler monkeys (A. pigra) and extrinsic habitat characteristics, and how these factors, in turn, drive their movement. We monitored six groups of black howler monkeys in southeastern Mexico for 1 year, collecting data on movement, activity, diet, neighbouring-group presence, food availability and microclimate. We developed intrinsic and extrinsic models to identify the main drivers of movement across three spatiotemporal scales. Our results revealed...

Polynomial-time preparation of low-temperature Gibbs states for two-dimensional toric code

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We propose a polynomial-time algorithm for preparing the Gibbs state of the two-dimensional toric code Hamiltonian at any temperature, starting from any initial state, significantly improving upon prior estimates that suggested exponential scaling with inverse temperature. We prove that fast mixing at low temperature for the two-dimensional toric code can be achieved by augmenting local jump operators with simple global jump operators, which enable efficient transitions between logical sectors. To establish tight lower bounds on the spectral gap, we introduce a new reduction method that eventually maps the problem to estimating the spectral gap of a perturbed graph Laplacian on a stair graph. Our proof also shows that the Lindblad dynamics with a digitally implemented low-temperature local Davies generator is able to efficiently drive the quantum state toward the ground state manifold.

Promoting Equitable Research Partnerships in Primatology

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Promoting Equitable Research Partnerships in Primatology

Tropical Seed Trait Database: advancing seed functional ecology in the world's most biodiverse region

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Plant functional traits connect biodiversity to ecosystem processes, serving as key metrics for assessing how biota responds to environmental conditions. Functional seed traits are critical because they underpin recruitment and colonization, shaping biodiversity patterns and influencing ecosystem resilience. Yet, seed traits remain underrepresented in major data repositories, with severe gaps in the tropics. Climatic, geological, and historical differences between tropical and temperate regions drive distinct regeneration dynamics, suggesting that the paucity of tropical seed trait data limits our ability to predict regeneration niches and weakens global models largely based on temperate ecosystems. To address this gap, we introduce the Tropical Seed Trait Database (TSTD), an open-access repository spanning the full ecological spectrum of tropical seeds. The TSTD is conceived as a community-driven repository of primary data contributed directly by data owners, rather than as a...

Facilitated Forest Restoration Using Pioneer Seed Dispersers in Madagascar: The Example of Microcebus spp.

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The concept of “facilitated restoration” aims at native biodiversity reinstatement with the help of animal seed dispersers attracted by fruiting trees. Yet, large-crowned trees will have to develop in the early stages of restoration; therefore, seed dispersal provided by small generalist mammals and birds that use rapidly growing herbs, shrubs, and small trees at early stages of forest succession would accelerate biodiversity restoration. Due to the elusive lifestyle of these small animals, it is unclear what species can contribute to the early stages of this process. Using the primate genus Microcebus (adult body mass about 60 g) as an example, we illustrate that these small generalists are possible seed dispersers in the early stages of forest restoration, not yet used by larger frugivores. We show that Microcebus spp. dispersed more seeds from herbs, shrubs, and small trees than large frugivorous primate species. These plants tend to have smaller seeds than large tree species...

Camera traps and acoustic approaches are needed to monitor Malagasy seed dispersers

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Despite extensive conservation efforts worldwide, biodiversity loss continues, particularly in tropical regions. It is, therefore, essential to develop biodiversity monitoring methods that can be effectively scaled up in both time and space, enabling wildlife managers to quickly assess and respond to changes in populations or communities. We explored the effectiveness of combining camera traps with acoustic methods to survey seed dispersing birds and mammals. We deployed arboreal and terrestrial camera traps alongside AudioMoth sound recorders with varying recording schedules to survey 220 sampling locations across five distinct sites in Madagascar’s eastern humid forests, though acoustic analyses were limited to one site. Based on all three methods (arboreal, terrestrial camera trap and AudioMoths), we successfully identified 78 % of the seed disperser species assumed to be present at our sites. The species accumulation curves estimated higher species richness for arboreal cameras...

Are Consumers Myopic? Evidence from New and Used Car Purchases