@phdthesis{22626, author = {Fiedler, Christine}, isbn = {978-3-99078-086-2}, issn = {2663-337X}, pages = {141}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{Mechanistic insight into solution-processed p-type tin chalcogenides as a basis for designing their n-type analogs}}, doi = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-22626}, year = {2026}, } @phdthesis{22017, author = {Kleinhanns, Tobias}, isbn = {978-3-99078-081-7}, issn = {2663-337X}, pages = {59}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{Unraveling the origin and evolution of defects to enable advanced thermoelectric performance}}, doi = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-22017}, year = {2026}, } @phdthesis{22664, abstract = {The widespread adoption of apps like Whatsapp and Signal has translated into billions of people all around the world communicating on a regular basis by making use of services that offer end-to-end encryption and even provide security guarantees when a user's device is compromised. This was made possible by the introduction of the Double Ratchet Algorithm~\cite{double_ratchet}, which was designed for a setting where communication takes place between two parties. However, in practice, many apps offer the possibility of creating groups. The protocols they use to secure communication are inefficient for large group which has the undesireable consequence that the aforementioned apps have established limits on the group size of roughly 1000 users. This has motivated the introduction of the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) standard~\cite{rfc9420} by the IETF which is based on a primitive called Continuous Group Key Agreement (CGKA)~\cite{C:ACDT20}. This primitive allows a group of users to maintain a shared secret key that is frequently rotated by the group members in order to change group membership, achieve forward secrecy (FS) and post compromise security (PCS). Most protocols are based on binary trees where the nodes are associated to a pair formed by public key and a secret key. Each leaf corresponds to one of the group members and a user knows the secret keys associated to nodes along the path from their leaf to the root. When a user wants to update their key material they have to change $ \log(N) $ many keys. This requires uploading $ \log(N) $ many ciphertexts to communicate the new keys to the rest of the group members in a way that respects the tree structure. In this thesis we study how much communication between group members is required in order to add and remove users from a group as well as in order to provide PCS when we consider CGKAs built using standard cryptographic primitives like pseudo-random functions and public-key encryption. Furthermore, we also consider the case of MLS and provide the first lower bound showing that its communication complexity is much worse than previously believed, i.e., it is very far from $ \log(N) $. Finally, we also propose a variant of MLS which provably achieves the same security properties with a much lower communication cost.}, author = {Cueto Noval, Miguel}, isbn = { 978-3-99078-087-9}, issn = {2663-337X}, pages = {187}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{Towards efficient secure group messaging}}, doi = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-22664}, year = {2026}, } @phdthesis{22857, abstract = {Artificial intelligence and machine learning have undergone an unprecedented evolution in the past decade, motivating a research effort toward a theory able to capture the qualitative behavior of large-scale neural systems. A central puzzle has been the clear benefit of scaling architecture size and overfitting the training set in supervised learning tasks. This evidence, in apparent contradiction with classical statistical learning theory, pushed researchers to develop a new theory capturing the interplay between the algorithmic and architectural bias of training and the specific target function, differently from previous methods rooted in uniform stability. This approach has enabled a grounded understanding of novel learning regimes, typically through formal limits where the number of training samples $n$, data dimensions $d$, and model parameters $p$ grow to infinity at different rates. \\ In this thesis, we follow this approach, focusing on the trustworthiness of high-dimensional models: properties that are difficult to control during training or deployment and often emerge under unpredictable or adversarial conditions. In such settings, it is crucial to formally ensure a priori the reliability of machine learning systems. First, we study data memorization, both as label fitting and as the storage of private information about training samples in trained parameters. We prove that $p = \Omega(n)$ parameters are sufficient for a deep neural network to memorize a generic set of labels, and for a model to memorize spurious features across training data. We then give evidence that $p = \Omega(dn)$ parameters are instead necessary for an adversary to reconstruct the full training set from the trained parameters. Second, we study robustness, both to adversarial perturbations and to distribution shift. We first prove that $p = \Omega(dn)$ parameters can be sufficient for a class of neural networks to overfit the training data while guaranteeing robustness to adversarial perturbations. Then, we focus on spurious correlations learning in high-dimensional regression, studying the effect of the ridge regularization parameter in the proportional regime $n = \Theta(d)$, and connecting it via an equivalence argument to the role of over-parameterization $p = \Omega(n)$ in neural networks. We also investigate the architectural bias of attention-based networks, showing that they are sensitive to the replacement of individual words in an embedded sentence, allowing them to generalize on sentences where the contextual meaning depends on one or few words. Finally, we study differentially private optimization in high-dimensional regimes. We prove that standard private gradient methods do not suffer in the over-parameterized regime $p = \Omega(n)$, challenging the current wisdom based on stability-derived generalization bounds. We then consider linear regression in the proportional regime $n = \Theta(d)$, showing that standard private gradient descent can achieve optimal rates under appropriate hyper-parameter scaling, such as sufficiently small gradient clipping constants, whose role is still debated in practice.}, author = {Bombari, Simone}, isbn = {978-3-99078-091-6}, issn = {2663-337X}, keywords = {machine learning, high-dimensional statistics, deep learning theory, privacy, memorization, robustness}, pages = {446}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{Trustworthy machine learning in high dimensions}}, doi = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-22857}, year = {2026}, } @article{23043, abstract = {Mendelian randomization, the standard instrument variable causal-inference approach for genomics, can be severely biased by inadequate selection of appropriate instrument variables and horizontal pleiotropy. We introduce Causal Inference GWAS, a graphical approach that selects genetic instruments from summary statistics controlling for linkage and pleiotropy, accommodates rare variants and binary outcomes, distinguishes direct from indirect risk factors in high dimensions, and flags latent confounding. Applied to 9 risk factors, 4 metabolic disease outcomes, and 8.4M variants across 458,747 UK Biobank individuals, our method runs in 20 minutes, identifying only 696 genome-wide valid instruments. We replicate nearly all previously reported risk factor-outcome paths, but find that most are indistinguishable from unmeasured confounding. This suggests robust biobank causal inference will require longitudinal and family data to resolve temporal precedence from reverse causation. Our approach offers a principled first step toward screening genuine causal signal from phenotypic correlation in biobank data.}, author = {Machnik, Nick N and Mahmoudi, Seyed Mahdi and Borczyk, Malgorzata and Krätschmer, Ilse and Bauer, Markus J. and Robinson, Matthew Richard}, issn = {2041-1723}, journal = {Nature Communications}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Causal inference for multiple risk factors and diseases from genomics data}}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-76877-7}, volume = {17}, year = {2026}, } @article{23152, abstract = {We present a panchromatic optical-millimeter characterization of GNz7q, a recently identified X-ray-weak, rapidly growing red quasar embedded within a dusty starburst galaxy at z = 7.1899, using the full suite of JWST/ NIRCam, NIRSpec, Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), and archival NOEMA observations. Our deep NIRSpec/ G395M spectroscopy reveals unambiguous broad Balmer emission (FWHM = 2221 ± 20 km s −1 ), confirming a super-Eddington accreting black hole (BH) (λEdd = 2.7 ± 0.4) with a mass of log(MBH/M ) = 7.55 ± 0.34, using accretion-rate-corrected BH mass estimators. After subtracting the point source, we robustly detect stellar emission from the host galaxy across multiple NIRCam and MIRI filters. Our joint morphological-spectral analysis yields a stellar mass of = ± * log(M /M ) 10.5 0.4 and an intense star formation rate of SFR = 330 ± 97 M⊙ yr−1 , confirming the host as a massive, dusty starburst galaxy. We find that GNz7q lies on the local MBH–M* relation (MBH/M* ≃ 0.001) and is well positioned to evolve into the locus of massive Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) quasars with log(MBH/M ) 9 and M* ≈ 1011 M⊙ at z ∼ 6, owing to its remarkably rapid growth in both the BH and its host galaxy. This stands in stark contrast to many recently reported JWST active galactic nucleus populations at similar redshifts, including the little red dots, whose weak or undetected star formation makes it difficult for them to grow into the massive galaxies hosting SDSS-like quasars. These results suggest that GNz7q marks a rare, pivotal phase of early BH–galaxy coevolution, plausibly providing a crucial direct pathway to the supermassive BH systems within the first billion years of the Universe.}, author = {Fei, Qinyue and Fujimoto, Seiji and Brammer, Gabriel and Li, Ruancun and Ho, Luis C. and Bromm, Volker and Álvarez-Márquez, Javier and Asada, Yoshihisa and Barro, Guillermo and Colina, Luis and Dayal, Pratika and Finkelstein, Steven L. and Fynbo, Johan P.U. and Ginolfi, Michele and Inayoshi, Kohei and Kokorev, Vasily and Leung, Gene C.K. and Matthee, Jorryt J and Meyer, Romain A. and Naidu, Rohan P. and Onoue, Masafusa and Pérez-González, Pablo G. and Steinhardt, Charles L. and Valentino, Francesco and Walter, Fabian and Xiao, Mengyuan and Zhang, Haowen}, issn = {1538-4357}, journal = {The Astrophysical Journal}, number = {1}, publisher = {IOP Publishing}, title = {{Direct pathway to the early supermassive Black Holes: A red super-Eddington quasar in a massive starburst host at z = 7.2}}, doi = {10.3847/1538-4357/aea07b}, volume = {1010}, year = {2026}, } @article{23148, abstract = {Presenilin-1 (PS1) is an endoplasmic reticulum protein, most known for its role in pathogenesis of familial Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). PS1 has been attributed roles in intracellular calcium homeostasis in the brain, as well as in the pancreatic beta cells, where it has been shown to be fundamental for the initial phase of glucose-induced insulin secretion. To gain mechanistic insight into beta cell autonomous function of PS1, we have examined various beta cell models and found that PS1 controls glycolytic flux of pancreatic beta cells by regulating sub-mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis. Transient knock down of PS1 yielded a glycolytic bottleneck at the step catalyzed by glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, resulting in defective glucose responsiveness. Moreover, we show that PS1 is needed for the preservation of beta cell identity, likely due to its role in glycolysis. Finally, we show that mouse islets from an in vivo model of AD mimic the defective glucose responsiveness seen in beta cells with transient PS1 knock down, while the identity loss and whole-body glucose homeostasis are not severely impacted, suggesting an adaptive response. Thus, the current work highlights beta cell autonomous role of PS1 and adds a layer of complexity in its impact on whole body metabolism.}, author = {Koshenov, Zhanat and Postic, Sandra and Schoiswohl, Gabriela and Van Amsterdam, Savina and Hois-Zelinka, Victoria and Oflaz, Furkan E. and Rost, Rene and Tiapko, Oleksandra and Gottschalk, Benjamin and Hirtl, Martin and Bachkoenig, Olaf G. and Koshenova, Aigerim and Erdogan, Yusuf C. and Sagintayev, Adlet and Krnjic, Anita and Pfabe, Johannes U. and Sarikas, Srdjan and Hochreiter, Bernhard and Gindlhuber, Juergen and Schittmayer, Matthias and Tadic, Jelena and Ehall, Barbara and Madeo, Frank and Madl, Tobias and Malli, Roland and Birner-Gruenberger, Ruth and Pieber, Thomas and Eisenberg, Tobias and Slak Rupnik, Marjan and Graier, Wolfgang F.}, issn = {2399-3642}, journal = {Communications Biology}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Presenilin-1 controls glycolysis and identity of pancreatic beta cells}}, doi = {10.1038/s42003-026-10581-6}, volume = {9}, year = {2026}, } @article{23150, abstract = {High-redshift supermassive black holes (SMBHs) have challenged our understanding of black hole formation and growth. The ‘heavy-seed’ pathway eases the problem with the progenitors of these SMBHs having birth masses up to∼105 M. Here, we investigate the possibility that a local dwarf galaxy, Leo I, harbours a heavy-seed descendant. Using Monte Carlo merger trees to generate the merger histories of 1000 dark matter haloes similar to the Milky Way (MW), we search for Leo- like satellite haloes and investigate the probability that the progenitors of these satellites formed a heavy seed. We derive the likelihood of such ‘heavy-seed survivors’ (HSSs) across various formation and survival criteria as well as Leo-similarity criteria. We find that the virial temperature for the onset of atomic cooling and rapid gas infall that yields heavy seeds, Tact , has the largest impact on HSS frequency. We find HSSs in a fraction 0.7 per cent, 18.1 per cent, and 96.5 per cent of MW-like haloes when Tact is set to 9000, 7000, and 5000 K, respectively. For the canonical atomic-cooling threshold ( Tact  8000 K), the HSS fraction is 1per cent , indicating that Leo I hosting a heavy-seed descendant is unlikely under well-motivated physical assumptions. Higher HSS fractions occur only under optimistic and currently unsubstantiated assumptions on Tact . Nevertheless, these results motivate future work that clarifies the possibility of heavy-seed BH formation in pristine haloes with nominal virial temperatures below 8000 K. This may motivate Leo I as a target for disentangling heavy seeds from other SMBH formation mechanisms.}, author = {Scoggins, Matthew T. and Haiman, Zoltán and Pacucci, Fabio}, issn = {1365-2966}, journal = {Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society}, number = {3}, publisher = {Oxford University Press}, title = {{Heavy black hole seed survivors in dwarf galaxies: A case study of Leo I}}, doi = {10.1093/mnras/stag1839}, volume = {552}, year = {2026}, } @article{23151, abstract = {We present deep, narrowband Gemini North/GMOS images of the Pa 30 nebula that reveal rich small-scale structure in the ejecta filaments. In [S II], the number of detected filaments increases by about an order of magnitude compared to previous studies. The imaging further reveals that the filaments are not smooth radial streaks, but instead are composed of cascades of knots or clumps. The images in [O III] yield the first confirmation that previously detected diffuse [O III] emission in fact originates from the same [S II] filaments. We measure a nebula center consistent with the position of the central star, indicating that the remnant has not received a large transverse kick. The 3σ upper limit on the velocity of the stellar kick is ≲100 km s −1 . Cross-sectional profiles of the filaments in [S II] and [O III] show a central peak on top of a nebula background, the latter being likely due to diffuse emission or unresolved filaments. The median [S II] width of 0.7 is slightly broader than the 0.50 seeing, providing some evidence of partially resolved filaments and implying a characteristic knot diameter of ∼1016 cm. The ≈1″ widths measured in [O III] are consistent with the poorer seeing of the oxygen images. The discovery of this clumpy substructure provides a new observational constraint on models for the origin and evolution of the remarkable filamentary ejecta of Pa 30.}, author = {Cunningham, Tim and Caiazzo, Ilaria and Raymond, John C. and Kenyon, Scott J.}, issn = {1538-4357}, journal = {The Astrophysical Journal}, number = {1}, publisher = {IOP Publishing}, title = {{Detection of knots in the type Iax supernova remnant Pa 30}}, doi = {10.3847/1538-4357/ae9cb2}, volume = {1010}, year = {2026}, } @article{23149, abstract = {We prove an asymptotic formula for the number of integral points of bounded log anticanonical height on a singular quartic del Pezzo surface over arbitrary number fields, with respect to the largest admissible boundary divisor. The resulting Clemens complex is more complicated than usual, and leads to particularly interesting effective cone constants, associated with exponentially many polytopes whose volumes appear in the expected formula. Like a jigsaw puzzle, these polytopes fit together to one large polytope. The volume of this polytope appears in the asymptotic formula that we obtain using the universal torsor method via o-minimal structures.}, author = {Bernert, Christian and Derenthal, Ulrich and Ortmann, Judith and Wilsch, Florian Alexander}, issn = {1432-1823}, journal = {Mathematische Zeitschrift}, number = {3}, publisher = {Springer}, title = {{Integral points over number fields: a Clemens complex jigsaw puzzle}}, doi = {10.1007/s00209-026-04140-2}, volume = {314}, year = {2026}, } @article{23156, abstract = {Extracting the current-phase relationship (CPR) of a single superconducting junction is challenging in practice and traditionally involves embedding the junction in a larger superconducting circuit containing SQUIDs and/or resonators. Applying ac driving to the junction has proven to be a viable and less invasive way to extract information about the few lowest harmonics of the CPR, by locating the integer and fractional Shapiro steps in the 𝐼⁢𝑉-curve of the driven junction. Here, we present an alternative driving-based method that allows to extract the full harmonic content of a CPR in a relatively noninvasive way, by fitting the measured critical currents of the driven junction as a function of driving power. We test our method, both using numerical simulations and in experiments, and we show that it works accurately.}, author = {Tjøtta, Maxim and Shah, Devashish C and Modi, Kanishk and Valentini, Marco and Seoane Souto, Rubén and Katsaros, Georgios and Danon, Jeroen}, issn = {2331-7019}, journal = {Physical Review Applied}, number = {4}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Fast-driving spectroscopy of current-phase relationships of individual Josephson elements}}, doi = {10.1103/d3gl-qntm}, volume = {26}, year = {2026}, } @article{23159, abstract = {The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has now seen first light, and over a 10 year duration, Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) is projected to catalog tens of millions of quasars, many of which are expected to be associated with subparsec supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs). Out of these SMBHBs, up to thousands of relatively massive binary-quasars are expected to exhibit gravitational self-lensing flares (SLFs) that last for at least 20–30 days. We assess the effectiveness of the Lomb-Scargle (LS) periodogram and matched filters (MFs) as methods for systematic searches for these binaries, using toy-models of hydrodynamical, Doppler, and self-lensing variability from equal-mass, eccentric SMBHBs. We inject SLFs into random realizations of damped random walk (DRW) lightcurves, representing stochastic quasar variability, and compute the LS periodogram with and without the SLF. We find that periodograms of SLF+DRW light-curves do not have maximum peak heights that could not arise from DRW-only periodograms. On the other hand, the matched filter signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can distinguish SLFs from noise even with LSST-like cadences and DRW noise. Furthermore, we develop a three-step procedure with matched filters, which can also recover injected binary parameters from these light-curves. We expect this method to be computationally efficient enough to be applicable to millions of quasar light-curves in LSST.}, author = {Park, Kevin S and Haiman, Zoltán and Xin, Chengcheng and Shen, Tzuken and Villar, Ashley and Davelaar, Jordy}, issn = {2470-0029}, journal = {Physical Review D}, number = {4}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Self-lensing flares from black hole binaries. V. Systematic searches in LSST}}, doi = {10.1103/p328-62sl}, volume = {113}, year = {2026}, } @article{23155, abstract = {In this work we establish several monotonicity and decomposition results in the framework of random regular graphs. Among other results, we show that, for a wide range of parameters d1 ≤ d2, there exists a coupling of G(n,d1) and G(n,d2) satisfying that G(n,d1) ⊆ G(n,d2) with high probability, confirming a conjecture of Gao, Isaev and McKay in a new regime. Our contributions include new tools for analysing contiguity and total variation distance between random regular graph models, a novel procedure for generating unions of random edge-disjoint perfect matchings, and refined estimates of Gao’s bounds on the number of perfect matchings in random regular graphs. In addition, we make progress towards another conjecture of Isaev, McKay, Southwell and Zhukovskii.}, author = {Hollom, Lawrence and Lichev, Lyuben and Mond, Adva and Portier, Julien and Wang, Yiting}, issn = {2168-8737}, journal = {Annals of Applied Probability}, keywords = {Random regular graphs, coupling, contiguity, total variation distance, decomposition}, number = {5}, pages = {4716--4738}, publisher = {Institute of Mathematical Statistics}, title = {{Monotonicity and decompositions of random regular graphs}}, doi = {10.1214/26-AAP2345}, volume = {36}, year = {2026}, } @article{22012, abstract = {Single stranded helically folded aromatic oligoamides bearing anionic phosphonate side chains have been shown to bind to some DNA-binding proteins better than DNA itself. However, these DNA mimic foldamers have until now mainly consisted of a single repeat motif, like a poly(dA:dT) DNA duplex, and contained limited sequence information. Here, we introduce new monomers designed to display different chemical functionalities in the major groove of the DNA mimics. Four new Fmoc-protected amino acid monomers have been synthesized and incorporated into oligomers. Sixteen foldamer sequences were prepared on solid phase. Their conformation in solution and in the solid state and their conformational dynamics were investigated using NMR, circular dichroism, molecular modeling, and X-ray crystallography. The results show that three of four new monomers behaved as designed, and that their introduction enhances the conformational dynamics of the DNA mimic foldamers. In a fourth case, conformational behavior proved to be more complex than expected. The modified sequences retained an ability to bind to bacterial histone-like protein HU. These results showcase design strategies to manipulate large molecular biomimetics where not only side chains but also main chain components are varied. The new monomers pave the way to complex DNA mimic foldamer sequences targeting proteins that recognize sequence-selective DNA-binding proteins such as transcription factors or restriction enzymes.}, author = {Wu, Jiaojiao and Corvaglia, Valentina and Chakrabortty, Tulika and Mandal, Pradeep K and Huc, Ivan}, issn = {2041-6539}, journal = {Chemical Science}, number = {32}, pages = {15479–15489}, publisher = {Royal Society of Chemistry}, title = {{Tailoring the major groove of DNA mimic foldamers}}, doi = {10.1039/d6sc00798h}, volume = {17}, year = {2026}, } @article{23153, abstract = {We study the renormalized Nelson model in a semiclassical regime where the field becomes classical while the particle remains quantum. The degree of classicality is measured by a small parameter ε << 1. In this scaling the particle evolves on microscopic times, whereas the field exhibits nontrivial dynamics only on the macroscopic scale t = O(ε^−2). The natural semiclassical model is the coupled Schrödinger–Klein–Gordon (SKG) system, which encodes the time-scale separation through an explicit ε-dependence. Based on this scale separation in SKG, we apply the adiabatic principle to derive a new PDE for the classical field, the ε-free adiabatic Klein–Gordon (aKG) equation, where the field is driven by the instantaneous ground state of the particle. Our main result is a norm approximation of the Nelson dynamics by the aKGsolution corrected by a quasi-free fluctuation dynamics around the classical field, generated by a renormalized Bogoliubov–Nelson Hamiltonian. As a corollary, we obtain convergence of the reduced one-body densities for both subsystems, where the fluctuation correction vanishes, thereby justifying aKG as a semiclassical Born–Oppenheimer type approximation of the renormalized Nelson model.}, author = {Brooks, Morris and Mitrouskas, David Johannes}, issn = {1432-0835}, journal = {Calculus of Variations and Partial Differential Equations}, number = {10}, publisher = {Springer}, title = {{Adiabatic Klein–Gordon dynamics for the renormalized Nelson model}}, doi = {10.1007/s00526-026-03436-9}, volume = {65}, year = {2026}, } @article{23157, abstract = {The concept of Culture of Care fosters a research environment where lab animals and humans are cared for and respected. Several aspects, such as perception of suffering, time, perceived value of an animal, potential benefits of the research, and public opinion, might influence care for animals. The European Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes has represented an advance in animal welfare standards and care. However, the question of how we care about animals in practice, and of why this debate is important to reflect on still exist. Therefore, we draw upon the case study of laboratory non-human primates, to illustrate how these tensions go from theory to practice. It illustrates the conflicts and emotions, by exposing the limitations of the standards and norms in the field. Debating care requires a more comprehensive notion of care, one that goes beyond normative decisions to enable care in practice.}, author = {Schober, Sophie and Vitale, Augusto and Riso, Brigida}, issn = {2588-9567}, journal = {Journal of Applied Animal Ethics Research}, keywords = {culture of care, culture of care in practice, lab animals, interspecies relationships}, number = {1}, pages = {88--104}, publisher = {Brill Academic Publishers}, title = {{How we care about laboratory animals: Acknowledging differences towards a more comprehensive concept of caring}}, doi = {10.1163/25889567-bja10078}, volume = {8}, year = {2026}, } @article{23158, abstract = {For a tree T and a function f:E(T)→Sd, the imbalance of a subtree T′⊆T is given by |∑e∈E(T′)f(e)|. The d-dimensional discrepancy of the tree T is the minimum, over all functions f as above, of the maximum imbalance of a subtree of T. We prove tight asymptotic bounds for the discrepancy of a tree T, confirming a conjecture of Krishna, Michaeli, Sarantis, Wang and Wang. We also settle a related conjecture on oriented discrepancy of subtrees by the same authors.}, author = {Hollom, Lawrence and Lichev, Lyuben and Mond, Adva and Portier, Julien}, issn = {1432-0444}, journal = {Discrete and Computational Geometry}, keywords = {Trees, High-dimensional discrepancy, Oriented discrepancy}, publisher = {Springer}, title = {{A note on high-dimensional discrepancy of subtrees}}, doi = {10.1007/s00454-025-00790-x}, year = {2026}, } @article{23171, abstract = {Crawling motility is a hallmark of eukaryotic cells and requires a dynamic actin cytoskeleton, regulated adhesion and spatially organized signalling pathways1,2. Asgard archaea, which are considered the closest known prokaryotic relatives of eukaryotes, potentially encode these functions within their large set of ‘eukaryotic signature proteins’3,4,5,6. The few cultivated members show a complex cell morphology, consisting of a central cell body from which several protrusions extend, filled with an actin-based cytoskeleton7,8. Here, live-cell microscopy of two organisms of the Lokiarchaea and Hodarchaea lineages7,9 showed that they dynamically and greatly change their cell shape on a minute time scale and grow and retract their extensive protrusions with a speed of 1.5–4.8 µm min−1, respectively. After adhering to a glass surface, cells use their protrusions to undergo active crawling motion. In the presence of selected actin inhibitors, however, the observed dynamics were arrested, suggesting a central role of actin in these processes. The observed cellular plasticity and motility are unique features among prokaryotes and might have been crucial for the emergence of the first eukaryotic cells that are thought to have formed through the association of a member of the Asgard archaea and an α-proteobacterium, the ancestor of mitochondria.}, author = {Radler, Philipp and Viehboeck, Tobias and Luo, Zhen-Hao and Maslać, Nevena and Schmidt, Katharina and Hauschild, Robert and Nobu, Masaru K. and Bulgheresi, Silvia and Stradal, Theresia E. B. and Rottner, Klemens and Imachi, Hiroyuki and Sixt, Michael K and Schleper, Christa}, issn = {1476-4687}, journal = {Nature}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Dynamic protrusions mediate crawling motility in Asgard archaea}}, doi = {10.1038/s41586-026-11063-9}, year = {2026}, } @inproceedings{22622, abstract = {Cooperative software verification aims at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of software verification by enabling multiple verification tools to work together. Existing cooperative verification schemes, however, typically require specialized interfaces or tight integration, limiting their practical applicability. In our International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE) 2025 publication, we introduce dynamic program splitting – a novel approach that enables cooperation between off-the-shelf verification tools without requiring any modifications. The key idea is to probe verification tools on a given verification task under a time limit and split tasks dynamically that cannot be verified under the given time constraints. The process continues recursively, incrementally identifying program parts that are particularly hard for the given verifier. The remaining unverified parts are provided to a second verifier, allowing to leverage the complementary strengths of different tools. Our evaluation on SV-COMP benchmarks demonstrates that cooperation through dynamic program splitting enables the verification of tasks that none of the individual verifiers can solve on their own.}, author = {Richter, Cedric and Chalupa, Marek and Jakobs, Marie Christine and Wehrheim, Heike}, booktitle = {Software Engineering 2026}, issn = {1617-5468}, keywords = {Software Verification, Cooperation, Program Decomposition}, location = {Bonn, Switzerland}, pages = {41--42}, publisher = {Gesellschaft für Informatik}, title = {{Off-the-Shelf cooperative software verification by splitting programs dynamically}}, doi = {10.18420/se2026_45}, volume = {P-377}, year = {2026}, } @article{23173, abstract = {The prevalence of proline residues in intrinsically disordered proteins, functional hinges of enzymes, and protein interaction sites highlights the importance of studying their local dynamics and interactions at atomic resolution. While nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is, in principle, ideally suited for such investigations, the absence of an amide proton precludes the use of conventional 1H–15N amide-detected experiments. 1H–13C-based approaches, though possible, remain challenging in large proteins. In this work, we present a selective labeling strategy that introduces an isolated 1H2δ–13Cδ–15N spin system in proline residues in otherwise deuterated proteins. Our method leverages the enzymatic conversion of ornithine, synthesized from cost-effective isotopic precursors. We demonstrate the utility of this approach by applying it to a 134 kDa enzyme using magic-angle spinning NMR, highlighting its potential to efficiently probe functionally relevant sites in proteins.}, author = {Rohden, Darja and Napoli, Federico and Lichtenecker, Roman J. and Schanda, Paul}, issn = {1554-8937}, journal = {ACS Chemical Biology}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, title = {{Chemoenzymatic proline isotope labeling for solution and magic-angle spinning protein nuclear magnetic resonance}}, doi = {10.1021/acschembio.6c00587}, year = {2026}, }