@article{17049, abstract = {We consider large non-Hermitian NxN matrices with an additive independent, identically distributed (i.i.d.) noise for each matrix elements. We show that already a small noise of variance 1/N completely thermalises the bulk singular vectors, in particular they satisfy the strong form of Quantum Unique Ergodicity (QUE) with an optimal speed of convergence. In physics terms, we thus extend the Eigenstate Thermalisation Hypothesis, formulated originally by Deutsch [34] and proven for Wigner matrices in [23], to arbitrary non-Hermitian matrices with an i.i.d. noise. As a consequence we obtain an optimal lower bound on the diagonal overlaps of the corresponding non-Hermitian eigenvectors. This quantity, also known as the (square of the) eigenvalue condition number measuring the sensitivity of the eigenvalue to small perturbations, has notoriously escaped rigorous treatment beyond the explicitly computable Ginibre ensemble apart from the very recent upper bounds given in [7] and [45]. As a key tool, we develop a new systematic decomposition of general observables in random matrix theory that governs the size of products of resolvents with deterministic matrices in between.}, author = {Cipolloni, Giorgio and Erdös, László and Henheik, Sven Joscha and Schröder, Dominik J}, issn = {1096-0783}, journal = {Journal of Functional Analysis}, number = {4}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Optimal lower bound on eigenvector overlaps for non-Hermitian random matrices}}, doi = {10.1016/j.jfa.2024.110495}, volume = {287}, year = {2024}, } @article{17050, abstract = {The process of polymer condensation, i.e., the formation of bonds between reactive end groups, is ubiquitous in both industry and biology. Here we study generic systems undergoing polymer condensation in competition with cyclization. Using a generalized Smoluchowski theory, molecular dynamics simulations and experiments with DNA and ATP-consuming T4 ligase, we find that this system displays a transition, from a ring-dominated regime with finite-length chains at infinite time to a linear-polymers-dominated one with chains that keep growing in time. Finally, we show that fluids prepared close to the transition may have widely different compositions and rheology at large condensation times.}, author = {Panoukidou, Maria and Weir, Simon and Sorichetti, Valerio and Fosado, Yair Gutierrez and Lenz, Martin and Michieletto, Davide}, issn = {2643-1564}, journal = {Physical Review Research}, number = {2}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Runaway transition in irreversible polymer condensation with cyclization}}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.023189}, volume = {6}, year = {2024}, } @inproceedings{17051, abstract = {Memory-hard functions (MHF) are functions whose evaluation provably requires a lot of memory. While MHFs are an unkeyed primitive, it is natural to consider the notion of trapdoor MHFs (TMHFs). A TMHF is like an MHF, but when sampling the public parameters one also samples a trapdoor which allows evaluating the function much cheaper. Biryukov and Perrin (Asiacrypt’17) were the first to consider TMHFs and put forth a candidate TMHF construction called Diodon that is based on the Scrypt MHF (Percival, BSDCan’09). To allow for a trapdoor, Scrypt’s initial hash chain is replaced by a sequence of squares in a group of unknown order where the order of the group is the trapdoor. For a length n sequence of squares and a group of order N, Diodon’s cumulative memory complexity (CMC) is O(n2log N) without the trapdoor and O(n log(n) log(N)2) with knowledge of it. While Scrypt is proven to be optimally memory-hard in the random oracle model (Alwen et al., Eurocrypt’17), Diodon’s memory-hardness has not been proven so far. In this work, we fill this gap by rigorously analyzing a specific instantiation of Diodon. We show that its CMC is lower bounded by Ω( n2log nlog N) which almost matches the upper bound. Our proof is based Alwen et al.’s lower bound on Scrypt’s CMC but requires non-trivial modifications due to the algebraic structure of Diodon. Most importantly, our analysis involves a more elaborate compression argument and a solvability criterion for certain systems of Diophantine equations.}, author = {Auerbach, Benedikt and Günther, Christoph Ullrich and Pietrzak, Krzysztof Z}, booktitle = {43rd Annual International Conference on the Theory and Applications of Cryptographic Techniques}, isbn = {9783031587337}, issn = {1611-3349}, location = {Zurich, Switzerland}, pages = {315--344}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Trapdoor memory-hard functions}}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-58734-4_11}, volume = {14653}, year = {2024}, } @article{17054, abstract = {Photoisomerization and photoluminescence are two distinct energy dissipation pathways in light-driven molecular motors. The photoisomerization properties of discrete molecular motors have been well established in solution, but their photoluminescent properties have been rarely reported—especially in aggregates. Here, it is shown that an overcrowded alkene-based molecular motor exhibits distinct dynamic properties in solution and aggregate states, for example, gel and solid states. Despite the poor emissive properties of molecular motors in solution, a bright emission is observed in the aggregate states, including in gel and the crystalline solid. The emission wavelength is highly dependent on the nature of the supramolecular packing and order in the aggregates. As a result, the fluorescent color can be readily tuned reversibly via mechanical grinding and vapor fuming, which provides a new platform for developing multi-stimuli functional materials.}, author = {Shan, Yahan and Sheng, Jinyu and Zhang, Qi and Stuart, Marc C.A. and Qu, Da Hui and Feringa, Ben L.}, issn = {2692-4560}, journal = {Aggregate}, number = {5}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Multi-state photoluminescent properties of an overcrowded alkene-based molecular motor in aggregates}}, doi = {10.1002/agt2.584}, volume = {5}, year = {2024}, } @article{17089, abstract = {How the coordination of neuronal spiking and brain rhythms between hippocampal subregions supports memory function remains elusive. We studied the interregional coordination of CA3 neuronal spiking with CA1 theta oscillations by recording electrophysiological signals along the proximodistal axis of the hippocampus in rats that were performing a high-memory-demand recognition memory task adapted from humans. We found that CA3 population spiking occurs preferentially at the peak of distal CA1 theta oscillations when memory was tested but only when previously encountered stimuli were presented. In addition, decoding analyses revealed that only population cell firing of proximal CA3 together with that of distal CA1 can predict performance at test in the present non-spatial task. Overall, our work demonstrates an important role for the synchronization of CA3 neuronal activity with CA1 theta oscillations during memory testing.}, author = {Ku, Shih Pi and Atucha, Erika and Alavi, Nico and Mulla-Osman, Halla and Kayumova, Rukhshona and Yoshida, Motoharu and Csicsvari, Jozsef L and Sauvage, Magdalena M.}, issn = {2211-1247}, journal = {Cell Reports}, number = {6}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Phase locking of hippocampal CA3 neurons to distal CA1 theta oscillations selectively predicts memory performance}}, doi = {10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114276}, volume = {43}, year = {2024}, } @article{17090, abstract = {Primordial neutral atomic gas, mostly composed of hydrogen, is the raw material for star formation in galaxies. However, there are few direct constraints on the amount of neutral atomic hydrogen (H i) in galaxies at early cosmic times. We analyzed James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) near-infrared spectroscopy of distant galaxies, at redshifts ≳8. From a sample of 12 galaxies, we identified three that show strong damped Lyman-α absorption due to H i in their local surroundings. The galaxies are located at spectroscopic redshifts of 8.8, 10.2, and 11.4, corresponding to 400 to 600 million years after the Big Bang. They have H i column densities ≳1022 cm−2, which is an order of magnitude higher than expected for a fully neutral intergalactic medium, and constitute a gas-rich population of young star-forming galaxies.}, author = {Heintz, Kasper E. and Watson, Darach and Brammer, Gabriel and Vejlgaard, Simone and Hutter, Anne and Strait, Victoria B. and Matthee, Jorryt J and Oesch, Pascal A. and Jakobsson, Páll and Tanvir, Nial R. and Laursen, Peter and Naidu, Rohan P. and Mason, Charlotte A. and Killi, Meghana and Jung, Intae and Hsiao, Tiger Yu Yang and Abdurro’Uf, Unknown and Coe, Dan and Haro, Pablo Arrabal and Finkelstein, Steven L. and Toft, Sune}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6698}, pages = {890--894}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Strong damped Lyman-a absorption in young star-forming galaxies at redshifts 9 to 11}}, doi = {10.1126/science.adj0343}, volume = {384}, year = {2024}, } @article{17091, abstract = {DNA sequences are connected to genes and functions in the developing and adult brain}, author = {Novarino, Gaia and Bock, Christoph}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6698}, pages = {860--861}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Mapping the brain’s gene-regulatory maze}}, doi = {10.1126/science.adp4663}, volume = {384}, year = {2024}, } @article{17092, abstract = {Memories are thought to be stored in neural ensembles known as engrams that are specifically reactivated during memory recall. Recent studies have found that memory engrams of two events that happened close in time tend to overlap in the hippocampus and the amygdala, and these overlaps have been shown to support memory linking. It has been hypothesized that engram overlaps arise from the mechanisms that regulate memory allocation itself, involving neural excitability, but the exact process remains unclear. Indeed, most theoretical studies focus on synaptic plasticity and little is known about the role of intrinsic plasticity, which could be mediated by neural excitability and serve as a complementary mechanism for forming memory engrams. Here, we developed a rate-based recurrent neural network that includes both synaptic plasticity and neural excitability. We obtained structural and functional overlap of memory engrams for contexts that are presented close in time, consistent with experimental and computational studies. We then investigated the role of excitability in memory allocation at the network level and unveiled competitive mechanisms driven by inhibition. This work suggests mechanisms underlying the role of intrinsic excitability in memory allocation and linking, and yields predictions regarding the formation and the overlap of memory engrams.}, author = {Delamare, Geoffroy and Feitosa Tomé, Douglas and Clopath, Claudia}, issn = {1529-2401}, journal = {Journal of Neuroscience}, number = {21}, publisher = {Society for Neuroscience}, title = {{Intrinsic neural excitability biases allocation and overlap of memory engrams}}, doi = {10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0846-23.2024}, volume = {44}, year = {2024}, } @inproceedings{17093, abstract = {Federated Learning (FL) enables large-scale distributed training of machine learning models, while still allowing individual nodes to maintain data locally. However, executing FL at scale comes with inherent practical challenges: 1) heterogeneity of the local node data distributions, 2) heterogeneity of node computational speeds (asynchrony), but also 3) constraints in the amount of communication between the clients and the server. In this work, we present the first variant of the classic federated averaging (FedAvg) algorithm which, at the same time, supports data heterogeneity, partial client asynchrony, and communication compression. Our algorithm comes with a novel, rigorous analysis showing that, in spite of these system relaxations, it can provide similar convergence to FedAvg in interesting parameter regimes. Experimental results in the rigorous LEAF benchmark on setups of up to 300 nodes show that our algorithm ensures fast convergence for standard federated tasks, improving upon prior quantized and asynchronous approaches.}, author = {Zakerinia, Hossein and Talaei, Shayan and Nadiradze, Giorgi and Alistarh, Dan-Adrian}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the 27th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Statistics}, issn = {2640-3498}, location = {Valencia, Spain}, pages = {3448--3456}, publisher = {ML Research Press}, title = {{Communication-efficient federated learning with data and client heterogeneity}}, volume = {238}, year = {2024}, } @inproceedings{17098, abstract = {Turn-based discounted-sum games are two-player zero-sum games played on finite directed graphs. The vertices of the graph are partitioned between player 1 and player 2. Plays are infinite walks on the graph where the next vertex is decided by a player that owns the current vertex. Each edge is assigned an integer weight and the payoff of a play is the discounted-sum of the weights of the play. The goal of player 1 is to maximize the discounted-sum payoff against the adversarial player 2. These games lie in NP ∩ coNP and are among the rare combinatorial problems that belong to this complexity class and the existence of a polynomial-time algorithm is a major open question. Since breaking the general exponential barrier has been a challenging problem, faster parameterized algorithms have been considered. If the discount factor is expressed in unary, then discounted-sum games can be solved in polynomial time. However, if the discount factor is arbitrary (or expressed in binary), but the weights are in unary, none of the existing approaches yield a sub-exponential bound. Our main result is a new analysis technique for a classical algorithm (namely, the strategy iteration algorithm) that present a new runtime bound which is [EQUATION] for game graphs with n vertices and absolute weights of at most W. In particular, our result yields a deterministic sub-exponential bound for games with weights that are constant or represented in unary.}, author = {Asadi, Ali and Chatterjee, Krishnendu and Svoboda, Jakub and Saona Urmeneta, Raimundo J}, booktitle = {39th Annual ACM/IEEE Symposium on Logic in Computer Science}, isbn = {9798400706608}, issn = {1043-6871}, location = {Tallinn, Estonia}, publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery}, title = {{Deterministic sub-exponential algorithm for discounted-sum games with unary weights}}, doi = {10.1145/3661814.3662080}, year = {2024}, } @inproceedings{17099, abstract = {We study two-player zero-sum concurrent stochastic games with finite state and action space played for an infinite number of steps. In every step, the two players simultaneously and independently choose an action. Given the current state and the chosen actions, the next state is obtained according to a stochastic transition function. An objective is a measurable function on plays (or infinite trajectories) of the game, and the value for an objective is the maximal expectation that the player can guarantee against the adversarial player. We consider: (a) stateful-discounted objectives, which are similar to the classical discounted-sum objectives, but states are associated with different discount factors rather than a single discount factor; and (b) parity objectives, which are a canonical representation for ω-regular objectives. For stateful-discounted objectives, given an ordering of the discount factors, the limit value is the limit of the value of the stateful-discounted objectives, as the discount factors approach zero according to the given order. The computational problem we consider is the approximation of the value within an arbitrary additive error. The above problem is known to be in EXPSPACE for the limit value of statefuldiscounted objectives and in PSPACE for parity objectives. The best-known algorithms for both the above problems are at least exponential time, with an exponential dependence on the number of states and actions. Our main results for the value approximation problem for the limit value of stateful-discounted objectives and parity objectives are as follows: (a) we establish TFNP[NP] complexity; and (b) we present algorithms that improve the dependency on the number of actions in the exponent from linear to logarithmic. In particular, if the number of states is constant, our algorithms run in polynomial time.}, author = {Asadi, Ali and Chatterjee, Krishnendu and Saona Urmeneta, Raimundo J and Svoboda, Jakub}, booktitle = {44th IARCS Annual Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science}, isbn = {9783959773553}, issn = {1868-8969}, location = {Gujarat, India}, publisher = {Schloss Dagstuhl - Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik}, title = {{Concurrent stochastic games with stateful-discounted and parity objectives: Complexity and algorithms}}, doi = {10.4230/LIPIcs.FSTTCS.2024.5}, volume = {323}, year = {2024}, } @unpublished{17101, abstract = {This paper considers a class of two-player zero-sum games on directed graphs whose vertices are equipped with random payoffs of bounded support known by both players. Starting from a fixed vertex, players take turns to move a token along the edges of the graph. On the one hand, for acyclic directed graphs of bounded degree and sub-exponential expansion, we show that the value of the game converges almost surely to a constant at an exponential rate dominated in terms of the expansion. On the other hand, for the infinite d-ary tree that does not fall into the previous class of graphs, we show convergence at a double-exponential rate in terms of the expansion.}, author = {Attia, Luc and Lichev, Lyuben and Mitsche, Dieter and Saona Urmeneta, Raimundo J and Ziliotto, Bruno}, booktitle = {arXiv}, title = {{Zero-sum random games on directed graphs}}, doi = {10.48550/arXiv.2401.16252}, year = {2024}, } @article{17103, abstract = {Phytoalexin sakuranetin functions in resistance against rice blast. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of sakuranetin remains elusive. Here, we report that rice lines expressing resistance (R) genes were found to contain high levels of sakuranetin, which correlates with attenuated endocytic trafficking of plasma membrane (PM) proteins. Exogenous and endogenous sakuranetin attenuates the endocytosis of various PM proteins and the fungal effector PWL2. Moreover, accumulation of the avirulence protein AvrCO39, resulting from uptake into rice cells by Magnaporthe oryzae, was reduced following treatment with sakuranetin. Pharmacological manipulation of clathrin-mediated endocytic (CME) suggests that this pathway is targeted by sakuranetin. Indeed, attenuation of CME by sakuranetin is sufficient to convey resistance against rice blast. Our data reveals a mechanism of rice against M. oryzae by increasing sakuranetin levels and repressing the CME of pathogen effectors, which is distinct from the action of many R genes that mainly function by modulating transcription.}, author = {Jiang, Lihui and Zhang, Xiaoyan and Zhao, Yiting and Zhu, Haiyan and Fu, Qijing and Lu, Xinqi and Huang, Wuying and Yang, Xinyue and Zhou, Xuan and Wu, Lixia and Yang, Ao and He, Xie and Dong, Man and Peng, Ziai and Yang, Jing and Guo, Liwei and Wen, Jiancheng and Huang, Huichuan and Xie, Yong and Zhu, Shusheng and Li, Chengyun and He, Xiahong and Zhu, Youyong and Friml, Jiří and Du, Yunlong}, issn = {2041-1723}, journal = {Nature Communications}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Phytoalexin sakuranetin attenuates endocytosis and enhances resistance to rice blast}}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-024-47746-y}, volume = {15}, year = {2024}, } @article{17104, abstract = {The homeostasis of epithelial tissue relies on a balance between the self-renewal of stem cell populations, cellular differentiation, and loss. Although this balance needs to be tightly regulated to avoid pathologies, such as tumor growth, the regulatory mechanisms, both cell-intrinsic and collective, which ensure tissue steady-state are still poorly understood. Here, we develop a computational model that incorporates basic assumptions of stem cell renewal into distinct populations and mechanical interactions between cells. We find that the model generates unexpected dynamic features: stem cells repel each other in the bulk tissue and are thus found rather isolated, as in a number of in vivo contexts. By mapping the system onto a gas of passive Brownian particles with effective repulsive interactions, that arise from the generated flows of differentiated cells, we show that we can quantitatively describe such stem cell distribution in tissues. The interaction potential between a pair of stem cells decays exponentially with a characteristic length that spans several cell sizes, corresponding to the volume of cells generated per stem cell division. Our findings may help understanding the dynamics of normal and cancerous epithelial tissues.}, author = {Krämer, Johannes C. and Hannezo, Edouard B and Gompper, Gerhard and Elgeti, Jens}, issn = {2542-4653}, journal = {SciPost Physics}, number = {4}, publisher = {SciPost Foundation}, title = {{Mechanically-driven stem cell separation in tissues caused by proliferating daughter cells}}, doi = {10.21468/scipostphys.16.4.097}, volume = {16}, year = {2024}, } @article{17105, abstract = {The development of photoresponsive systems with non-invasive orthogonal control by distinct wavelengths of light is still in its infancy. In particular, the design of photochemically triggered-orthogonal systems integrated into solid materials that enable multiple dynamic control over their properties remains a longstanding challenge. Here, we report the orthogonal and reversible control of two types of photoswitches in an integrated solid porous framework, that is, visible-light responsive o-fluoroazobenzene and nitro-spiropyran motifs. The properties of the constructed material can be selectively controlled by different wavelengths of light thus generating four distinct states providing a basis for dynamic multifunctional materials. Solid-state NMR spectroscopy demonstrated the selective transformation of the azobenzene switch in the bulk, which in turn modulates N2 and CO2 adsorption.}, author = {Sheng, Jinyu and Perego, Jacopo and Bracco, Silvia and Cieciórski, Piotr and Danowski, Wojciech and Comotti, Angiolina and Feringa, Ben L.}, issn = {1521-3773}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie International Edition}, number = {23}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Orthogonal photoswitching in a porous organic framework}}, doi = {10.1002/anie.202404878}, volume = {63}, year = {2024}, } @article{17122, abstract = {Background: Motor alterations and lowered physical activity are common in affective disorders. Previous research has indicated a link between depressive symptoms and declining muscle strength primarily focusing on the elderly but not younger individuals. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between mood and muscle strength in a sample of N = 73 young to middle-aged hospitalized patients (18–49 years, mean age 30.7 years) diagnosed with major depressive, bipolar and schizoaffective disorder, with a focus on moderating effects of psychopharmacotherapy. The study was carried out as a prospective observational study at a German psychiatric university hospital between September 2021 and March 2022. Methods: Employing a standardized strength circuit consisting of computerized strength training devices, we measured the maximal muscle strength (Fmax) using three repetitions maximum across four muscle regions (abdomen, arm, back, leg) at three time points (t1-t3) over four weeks accompanied by psychometric testing (MADRS, BPRS, YRMS) and blood lipid profiling in a clinical setting. For analysis of psychopharmacotherapy, medication was split into activating (AM) and inhibiting (IM) medication and dosages were normalized by the respective WHO defined daily dose. Results: While we observed a significant decrease of the MADRS score and increase of the relative total Fmax (rTFmax) in the first two weeks (t1-t2) but not later (both p < .001), we did not reveal a significant bivariate correlation between disease severity (MADRS) and muscle strength (rTFmax) at any of the timepoints. Individuals with longer disease history displayed reduced rTFmax (p = .048). IM was significantly associated with decreased rTFmax (p = .032). Regression models provide a more substantial effect of gender, age, and IM on muscle strength than the depressive episode itself (p < .001). Conclusions: The results of the study indicate that disease severity and muscle strength are not associated in young to middle-aged inpatients with affective disorders using a strength circuit as observational measurement. Future research will be needed to differentiate the effect of medication, gender, and age on muscle strength and to develop interventions for prevention of muscle weakness, especially in younger patients with chronic affective illnesses.}, author = {Ramming, Hannah and Theuerkauf, Linda and Hoos, Olaf and Lichter, Katharina and Kittel-Schneider, Sarah}, issn = {1471-244X}, journal = {BMC Psychiatry}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{The association between maximal muscle strength, disease severity and psychopharmacotherapy among young to middle-aged inpatients with affective disorders – a prospective pilot study}}, doi = {10.1186/s12888-024-05849-2}, volume = {24}, year = {2024}, } @article{17123, abstract = {A key feature of many developmental systems is their ability to self-organize spatial patterns of functionally distinct cell fates. To ensure proper biological function, such patterns must be established reproducibly, by controlling and even harnessing intrinsic and extrinsic fluctuations. While the relevant molecular processes are increasingly well understood, we lack a principled framework to quantify the performance of such stochastic self-organizing systems. To that end, we introduce an information-theoretic measure for self-organized fate specification during embryonic development. We show that the proposed measure assesses the total information content of fate patterns and decomposes it into interpretable contributions corresponding to the positional and correlational information. By optimizing the proposed measure, our framework provides a normative theory for developmental circuits, which we demonstrate on lateral inhibition, cell type proportioning, and reaction–diffusion models of self-organization. This paves a way toward a classification of developmental systems based on a common information-theoretic language, thereby organizing the zoo of implicated chemical and mechanical signaling processes.}, author = {Brückner, David and Tkačik, Gašper}, issn = {1091-6490}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, number = {23}, publisher = {National Academy of Sciences}, title = {{Information content and optimization of self-organized developmental systems}}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.2322326121}, volume = {121}, year = {2024}, } @article{17124, abstract = {In recent years, solution processes have gained considerable traction as a cost-effective and scalable method to produce high-performance thermoelectric materials. The process entails a series of critical steps: synthesis, purification, thermal treatments, and consolidation, each playing a pivotal role in determining performance, stability, and reproducibility. We have noticed a need for more comprehensive details for each of the described steps in most published works. Recognizing the significance of detailed synthetic protocols, we describe here the approach used to synthesize and characterize one of the highest-performing polycrystalline p-type SnSe. In particular, we report the synthesis of SnSe particles in water and the subsequent surface treatment with CdSe molecular complexes that yields CdSe-SnSe nanocomposites upon consolidation. Moreover, the surface treatment inhibits grain growth through Zenner pinning of secondary phase CdSe nanoparticles and enhances defect formation at different length scales. The enhanced complexity in the CdSe-SnSe nanocomposite microstructure with respect to SnSe promotes phonon scattering and thereby significantly reduces the thermal conductivity. Such surface engineering provides opportunities in solution processing for introducing and controlling defects, making it possible to optimize the transport properties and attain a high thermoelectric figure of merit.}, author = {Fiedler, Christine and Liu, Yu and Ibáñez, Maria}, issn = {1940-087X}, journal = {Journal of Visualized Experiments}, number = {207}, publisher = {MyJove Corporation}, title = {{Solution-processed, surface-engineered, polycrystalline CdSe-SnSe exhibiting low thermal conductivity}}, doi = {10.3791/66278}, volume = {2024}, year = {2024}, } @article{17125, abstract = {We explore the potential of nanocrystals (a term used equivalently to nanoparticles) as building blocks for nanomaterials, and the current advances and open challenges for fundamental science developments and applications. Nanocrystal assemblies are inherently multiscale, and the generation of revolutionary material properties requires a precise understanding of the relationship between structure and function, the former being determined by classical effects and the latter often by quantum effects. With an emphasis on theory and computation, we discuss challenges that hamper current assembly strategies and to what extent nanocrystal assemblies represent thermodynamic equilibrium or kinetically trapped metastable states. We also examine dynamic effects and optimization of assembly protocols. Finally, we discuss promising material functions and examples of their realization with nanocrystal assemblies.}, author = {Bassani, Carlos L. and Van Anders, Greg and Banin, Uri and Baranov, Dmitry and Chen, Qian and Dijkstra, Marjolein and Dimitriyev, Michael S. and Efrati, Efi and Faraudo, Jordi and Gang, Oleg and Gaston, Nicola and Golestanian, Ramin and Guerrero-Garcia, G. Ivan and Gruenwald, Michael and Haji-Akbari, Amir and Ibáñez, Maria and Karg, Matthias and Kraus, Tobias and Lee, Byeongdu and Van Lehn, Reid C. and Macfarlane, Robert J. and Mognetti, Bortolo M. and Nikoubashman, Arash and Osat, Saeed and Prezhdo, Oleg V. and Rotskoff, Grant M. and Saiz, Leonor and Shi, An Chang and Skrabalak, Sara and Smalyukh, Ivan I. and Tagliazucchi, Mario and Talapin, Dmitri V. and Tkachenko, Alexei V. and Tretiak, Sergei and Vaknin, David and Widmer-Cooper, Asaph and Wong, Gerard C.L. and Ye, Xingchen and Zhou, Shan and Rabani, Eran and Engel, Michael and Travesset, Alex}, issn = {1936-086X}, journal = {ACS Nano}, number = {23}, pages = {14791--14840}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, title = {{Nanocrystal assemblies: Current advances and open problems}}, doi = {10.1021/acsnano.3c10201}, volume = {18}, year = {2024}, } @inproceedings{17126, abstract = {Functional encryption (FE) is a primitive where the holder of a master secret key can control which functions a user can evaluate on encrypted data. It is a powerful primitive that even implies indistinguishability obfuscation (iO), given sufficiently compact ciphertexts (Ananth-Jain, CRYPTO’15 and Bitansky-Vaikuntanathan, FOCS’15). However, despite being extensively studied, there are FE schemes, such as function-hiding inner-product FE (Bishop-Jain-Kowalczyk, AC’15, Abdalla-Catalano-Fiore-Gay-Ursu, CRYPTO’18) and compact quadratic FE (Baltico-Catalano-Fiore-Gay, Lin, CRYPTO’17), that can be only realized using pairings. This raises the question if there are some mathematical barriers that hinder us from realizing these FE schemes from other assumptions. In this paper, we study the difficulty of constructing lattice-based compact FE. We generalize the impossibility results of Ünal (EC’20) for lattice-based function-hiding FE, and extend it to the case of compact FE. Concretely, we prove lower bounds for lattice-based compact FE schemes which meet some (natural) algebraic restrictions at encryption and decryption, and have ciphertexts of linear size and secret keys of minimal degree. We see our results as important indications of why it is hard to construct lattice-based FE schemes for new functionalities, and which mathematical barriers have to be overcome.}, author = {Tairi, Erkan and Ünal, Akin}, booktitle = {Advances in Cryptology – EUROCRYPT 2024}, isbn = {9783031587221}, issn = {1611-3349}, location = {Zurich, Switzerland}, pages = {249--279}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Lower bounds for lattice-based compact functional encryption}}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-58723-8_9}, volume = {14652}, year = {2024}, }