Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ZONE: Zero-Shot Instruction-Guided Local Editing

Recent advances in vision-language models like Stable Diffusion have shown remarkable power in creative image synthesis and editing.However, most existing text-to-image editing methods encounter two obstacles: First, the text prompt needs to be carefully crafted to achieve good results, which is not intuitive or user-friendly. Second, they are insensitive to local edits and can irreversibly affect non-edited regions, leaving obvious editing traces. To tackle these problems, we propose a Zero-shot instructiON-guided local image Editing approach, termed ZONE. We first convert the editing intent from the user-provided instruction (e.g., ``make his tie blue") into specific image editing regions through InstructPix2Pix. We then propose a Region-IoU scheme for precise image layer extraction from an off-the-shelf segment model. We further develop an edge smoother based on FFT for seamless blending between the layer and the image.Our method allows for arbitrary manipulation of a specific region with a single instruction while preserving the rest. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our ZONE achieves remarkable local editing results and user-friendliness, outperforming state-of-the-art methods.
Q-Align: Teaching LMMs for Visual Scoring via Discrete Text-Defined Levels

The explosion of visual content available online underscores the requirement for an accurate machine assessor to robustly evaluate scores across diverse types of visual contents. While recent studies have demonstrated the exceptional potentials of large multi-modality models (LMMs) on a wide range of related fields, in this work, we explore how to teach them for visual rating aligned with human opinions. Observing that human raters only learn and judge discrete text-defined levels in subjective studies, we propose to emulate this subjective process and teach LMMs with text-defined rating levels instead of scores. The proposed Q-Align achieves state-of-the-art performance on image quality assessment (IQA), image aesthetic assessment (IAA), as well as video quality assessment (VQA) tasks under the original LMM structure. With the syllabus, we further unify the three tasks into one model, termed the OneAlign. In our experiments, we demonstrate the advantage of the discrete-level-based syllabus over direct-score-based variants for LMMs. Our code and the pre-trained weights are released at https://github.com/Q-Future/Q-Align.
Two-particle self-consistent approach for broken symmetry phases

Spontaneous symmetry breaking of interacting fermion systems constitutes a major challenge for many-body theory due to the proliferation of new independent scattering channels once absent or degenerate in the symmetric phase. One example is given by the ferro/antiferromagnetic broken symmetry phase (BSP) of the Hubbard model, where vertices in the spin-transverse and spin-longitudinal channels become independent with a consequent increase in the computational power for their calculation. Here we generalize the formalism of the non-perturbative Two-Particle-Self-Consistent method (TPSC) to treat broken SU(2) magnetic phases of the Hubbard model, providing with a efficient yet reliable method. We show that in the BSP, the sum-rule enforcement of susceptibilities must be accompanied by a modified gap equation resulting in a renormalisation of the order parameter, vertex corrections and the preservation of the gap-less feature of the Goldstone modes. We then apply the theory to the antiferromagnetic phase of the Hubbard model in the cubic lattice at half-filling. We compare our results of double occupancies and staggered magnetisation to the ones obtained using Diagrammatic Monte Carlo showing excellent quantitative agreement. We demonstrate how vertex corrections play a central role in lowering the Higgs resonance with respect to the quasi-particle excitation gap in the spin-longitudinal susceptibility, yielding a well visible Higgs-mode.
Timeliness: A New Design Metric and a New Attack Surface

As the landscape of time-sensitive applications gains prominence in 5G/6G communications, timeliness of information updates at network nodes has become crucial, which is popularly quantified in the literature by the age of information metric. However, as we devise policies to improve age of information of our systems, we inadvertently introduce a new vulnerability for adversaries to exploit. In this article, we comprehensively discuss the diverse threats that age-based systems are vulnerable to. We begin with discussion on densely interconnected networks that employ gossiping between nodes to expedite dissemination of dynamic information in the network, and show how the age-based nature of gossiping renders these networks uniquely susceptible to threats such as timestomping attacks, jamming attacks, and the propagation of misinformation. Later, we survey adversarial works within simpler network settings, specifically in one-hop and two-hop configurations, and delve into adversarial robustness concerning challenges posed by jamming, timestomping, and issues related to privacy leakage. We conclude this article with future directions that aim to address challenges posed by more intelligent adversaries and robustness of networks to them.
The static force from generalized Wilson loops on the lattice using gradient flow

The static QCD force from the lattice can be used to extract $\Lambda_{\overline{\textrm{MS}}}$, which determines the running of the strong coupling. Usually, this is done with a numerical derivative of the static potential. However, this introduces additional systematic uncertainties; thus, we use another observable to measure the static force directly. This observable consists of a Wilson loop with a chromoelectric field insertion. We work in the pure SU(3) gauge theory. We use gradient flow to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and to address the field insertion. We extract $\Lambda_{\overline{\textrm{MS}}}^{n_f=0}$ from the data by exploring different methods to perform the zero flow time limit. We obtain the value $\sqrt{8t_0} \Lambda_{\overline{\textrm{MS}}}^{n_f=0} =0.629^{+22}_{-26}$, where $t_0$ is a flow time reference scale. We also obtain precise determinations of several scales: $r_0/r_1$, $\sqrt{8 t_0}/r_0$, $\sqrt{8 t_0}/r_1$ and we compare to the literature. The gradient flow appears to be a promising method for calculations of Wilson loops with chromolectric and chromomagnetic insertions in quenched and unquenched configurations.
Catch Me if You Can: Effective Honeypot Placement in Dynamic AD Attack Graphs

We study a Stackelberg game between an attacker and a defender on large Active Directory (AD) attack graphs where the defender employs a set of honeypots to stop the attacker from reaching high-value targets. Contrary to existing works that focus on small and static attack graphs, AD graphs typically contain hundreds of thousands of nodes and edges and constantly change over time. We consider two types of attackers: a simple attacker who cannot observe honeypots and a competent attacker who can. To jointly solve the game, we propose a mixed-integer programming (MIP) formulation. We observed that the optimal blocking plan for static graphs performs poorly in dynamic graphs. To solve the dynamic graph problem, we re-design the mixed-integer programming formulation by combining m MIP (dyMIP(m)) instances to produce a near-optimal blocking plan. Furthermore, to handle a large number of dynamic graph instances, we use a clustering algorithm to efficiently find the m-most representative graph instances for a constant m (dyMIP(m)). We prove a lower bound on the optimal blocking strategy for dynamic graphs and show that our dyMIP(m) algorithms produce close to optimal results for a range of AD graphs under realistic conditions.
Intrusion of granitic magma into the continental crust facilitated by magma pulsing and dike‐diapir interactions: Numerical simulations

We conducted a 2‐D thermomechanical modeling study of intrusion of granitic magma into the continental crust to explore the roles of multiple pulsing and dike‐diapir interactions in the presence of visco‐elasto‐plastic rheology. Multiple pulsing is simulated by replenishing source regions with new pulses of magma at a certain temporal frequency. Parameterized “pseudo‐dike zones” above magma pulses are included. Simulation results show that both diking and pulsing are crucial factors facilitating the magma ascent and emplacement. Multiple pulses keep the magmatic system from freezing and facilitate the initiation of pseudo‐dike zones, which in turn heat the host rock roof, lower its viscosity, and create pathways for later ascending pulses of magma. Without diking, magma cannot penetrate the highly viscous upper crust. Without multiple pulsing, a single magma body solidifies quickly and it cannot ascent over a long distance. Our results shed light on the incremental growth of magma chambers, recycling of continental crust, and evolution of a continental arc such as the Sierra Nevada arc in California.
Effects of different irrigation treatments on quality parameters of cut chrysanthemum.

This study was carried out to determine the effects of different irrigation intervals and water amounts on yield and quality parameters of cut chrysanthemum. Spray cut chrysanthemum (cv. 'Bacardi') plant was used as a plant material. Class A pan was placed in the greenhouse to determine the amount of irrigation water values. Irrigation treatments consisted of three irrigation intervals (I1: 2-, I2: 4-, and I3: 6-day) and four crop-pan coefficients (kcp1: 1.20=T1, kcp2: 0.90=T2, kcp3: 0.60=T3, and kcp4: 0.30=T4). The irrigation water amounts applied to the experimental treatments ranged from 249.7 to 517.9 mm, and seasonal evapotranspiration ranged from 340.9 to 560.5 mm. Different irrigation water amounts and irrigation intervals had statistically significant effects on flower stem length, stem diameter, stem weight, the number of flowers, the vase life and root length of chrysanthemum. Stem length varied between 52.36-79.81 cm, stem diameter varied between 4.62-7.69 mm, stem weight varied between 32.48-123.61 g and root length varied between 18.88-24.22 cm. The optimum irrigation scheduling was T1I1, in which the longest flower stem and the highest stem weight were obtained.
PALYNOFACIES AND ORGANIC GEOCHEMISTRY OF LACUSTRINE SOURCE ROCKS: THE POTRERILLOS – CACHEUTA SOURCE ROCK SYSTEM IN THE TRIASSIC CUYO BASIN, WEST‐CENTRAL ARGENTINA

This study presents an integrated investigation of the Upper Triassic Potrerillos – Cacheuta lacustrine source rock in the Cuyo Basin of western Argentina. Data came from palynofacies analyses, organic petrography, Rock‐Eval pyrolysis and mineralogical studies based on X‐ray diffraction analyses. An 80 m thick outcrop section was studied and is interpreted to represent the transition from shallow‐lacustrine sediments influenced by fluvial discharges (uppermost Potrerillos Formation) to the deposits of a deep, permanent lake (Cacheuta Formation). Three palynofacies were defined. Palynofacies I is characterized by shallowing‐upward cycles with abundant woody material, and was deposited under an oxic, disturbed water column. Palynofacies II and III occur in laminated shales rich in amorphous organic matter (AOM) and freshwater algal material (Botryococcus) respectively, which were deposited under oxygen‐depleted conditions. In general, the detrital material present suggests an input derived from fluvial discharges; however, interbedded tuffs altered to analcime and smectite suggest the transformation of vitric material in pyroclastic ash under saline to alkaline water conditions. Kerogen Types II/III and III with high total organic carbon values indicate a moderate oil‐ and gas‐prone source rock whose thermal maturity varies from immature to the early oil window (Tmax: 430‐438 °C; vitrinite reflectance: 0.59‐0.67 % VRo; and thermal alteration index: 2‐2+).
Determination of Recurrent Risk Factors in The Accident Rate of Companies in The Construction Sector in Peru

The construction industry is characterized by high occupational risks and a significant number of accidents, due to the complexity and interrelation of the activities performed by its workers and the lack of commitment on the part of construction companies. This empirical study aims to identify the recurrent risk factors in construction companies in Peru, to lay the foundations for improving occupational safety and health in the industry. First, a systematic review of the literature was carried out and three main risk factors were identified: the human factor, the organizational factor, and the technical factor. Based on this, a survey was formulated among 387 workers in the Peruvian construction sector, taking the previously mentioned risk factors (exogenous variables) and occupational accidents (endogenous variable) as constructs. The data obtained was cleaned in SPSS and then processed and analyzed through the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique in SmartPLS4 software. The findings supported the risk factors determined, positioning the organizational factor as the one that has the greatest impact on occupational accidents. This research provides valuable information on the precarious safety situation in the construction industry to subsequently implement engineering methodologies and preventive measures.
A preliminary study into the detection of fish environmental DNA in selected South African estuaries

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a powerful technique for the non-invasive and comprehensive monitoring of entire ecosystems. Despite its many advantages, the use of eDNA in South Africa as an assessment tool for fish biodiversity is largely underutilised. This study was performed as an initial screening to assess the efficiency of the eDNA method for characterising fish communities in South African waters using the metabarcoding approach. Water samples were collected from eight estuaries and vacuum filtered using 0.45 μm nylon membrane filters. DNA was extracted from the filters, and sample extracts underwent PCR assaying using MiFish primers for the 12S rRNA gene, prior to being sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq platform. The resulting sequence data produced 1 574 092 raw reads, which resulted in 119 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) after filtering and clustering. Taxonomic assignment of the OTUs produced four different taxonomic groups and one group representing unidentified sequences. The group with the highest number of OTUs (54%) was assigned to fish taxa consisting of 12 families and 22 genera identified across all estuaries, with only 16 taxa identified to species level. As this was a preliminary study, few samples were collected, and therefore several recommendations for a more comprehensive study design are provided. Overall, these results support the hypothesis that the eDNA metabarcoding approach can efficiently detect fish species in South African estuarine environments.
Genomic evidence for hybridization and introgression between blue peafowl and green peafowl and selection for white plumage

The blue peafowl (Pavo cristatus) and the green peafowl (Pavo muticus) have significant public affection due to their stunning appearance, although the green peafowl is currently endangered. Some studies have suggested introgression between these the two species, although evidence is mixed. In this study, we successfully assembled a high-quality chromosome-level reference genome of the blue peafowl, including the autosomes, Z and W sex chromosomes as well as a complete mitochondria DNA sequence. Data from 77 peafowl whole genomes, 76 peafowl mitochondrial genomes and 33 peahen W chromosomes genomes provide the first substantial genetic evidence for recent hybridization between green and blue peafowl. We found three hybrid green peafowls in zoo samples rather than in the wild samples, with blue peafowl genomic content of 16-34%. Maternal genetic analysis showed that two of the hybrid female green peafowls contained complete blue peafowl mitochondrial genomes and W chromosomes. Hybridization of endangered species with its relatives is extremely detrimental to conservation. Some animal protection agencies release captive green peafowls in order to maintain the wild population of green peafowls. Therefore, in order to better protect the endangered green peafowl, we suggest that purebred identification must be carried out before releasing green peafowls from zoos into the wild in order to preventing the hybrid green peafowl from contaminating the wild green peafowl. In addition, we also found that there were historical introgression events of green peafowl to blue peafowl in four Zoo blue peafowl individuals. The introgressed genomic regions contain IGFBP1 and IGFBP2 genes that could affect blue peafowl body size. Finally, we identified that the nonsense mutation (g.4:12583552G>A) in the EDNRB2 gene is the genetic causative mutation for white feather color of blue peafowl (also called white peafowl), which prevents melanocytes from being transported into feathers, such that melanin cannot be deposited.
Transcriptional analysis of neuronal ensembles of alcohol memories within the nucleus accumbens

Alcohol-associated memories play an important role in relapse in alcohol use disorder. Disrupting these memories, which become labile upon retrieval, through interference with their reconsolidation process, could reduce relapse. Memories are thought to be encoded within specific patterns of sparsely distributed neurons, called neuronal ensembles. Here, we explored the role of neuronal ensembles in alcohol-memory reconsolidation and relapse and characterized their transcriptional signature. Upon retrieving alcohol-related memories, we observed increased neuronal activation in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). We established the causal role of these NAc ensembles in alcohol-memory reconsolidation using the Daun02 method with the Fos-LacZ transgenic rat, which expresses β-galactosidase (β-gal) under the Fos promoter, allowing the selective ablation of activated neurons. Selective inactivation of the active NAc neuronal ensemble produced a long-lasting attenuation of relapse. Through fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and RNA sequencing, we found a unique transcriptional fingerprint in activated Fos-positive neuronal ensembles in NAc following alcohol memory retrieval (vs. no retrieval controls) that was not present in the Fos-negative neurons. Our findings underscore the critical role of NAc neuronal ensembles in alcohol-associated memory reconsolidation. These neurons have a unique transcriptional profile that can provide novel targets for reducing alcohol relapse.
Online stimulation of prefrontal cortex during practice increases motor variability and modulates later cognitive transfer: a randomized, double-blinded & sham-controlled tDCS study

Background The benefits of learning a motor skill extend to improved task-specific cognitive abilities. The mechanistic underpinnings of this motor-cognition relationship potentially rely on overlapping neural resources involved in both processes, an assumption lacking causal evidence. Objectives We hypothesize that interfering with prefrontal networks would affect concurrent motor skill performance, long-term learning and associated cognitive functions dependent on similar networks (transfer). Methods We conducted a randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled brain stimulation study using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in young adults spanning over three weeks to assess the role of the prefrontal regions in learning a complex balance task and long-term cognitive performance. Results Balance training combined with active tDCS led to higher performance variability in the trained task as compared to the sham group, without affecting the learning rate. Furthermore, active tDCS also positively impacted performance in untrained motor and cognitive tasks. Conclusion The findings of this study help ascertaining the networks directly involved in learning a complex motor task and its implications on cognitive function. Hence, opening up the possibility of harnessing the observed frontal networks involved in resource mobilization in instances of aging, brain lesion/injury or dysfunction.
Neural entrainment to both target and distracting speech causally contributes to speech perception in a multi-speaker scenario

Segregating important stimuli from distractors is crucial for successful speech perception. Neural activity aligned to speech, also termed “neural entrainment”, is thought to be instrumental for this purpose. However, the relative contribution of neural entrainment to target and distractors in speech perception remained unclear. In this study, we used transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) to manipulate entrainment to two simultaneously presented sequences of rhythmic speech while participants attended to one of them. A random temporal relationship between speech streams allowed us to disentangle effects of tACS on target and distractor processing, and to examine their combined effect on a behavioural measure of speech perception. We found that the phase relation between tACS and both target and distracting speech modulated word report accuracy, and to a similar degree. The phasic modulation of target processing correlated with that of the distractor across subjects, and their combined effect on speech perception was stronger than each of the two alone. In contrast to our expectation, the tACS phases leading to most accurate perception were uncorrelated between target and distracting speech modulations. Together, our results suggest that entrainment to target and distracting speech jointly and causally contributes to speech perception. They also demonstrate how effect sizes might be increased in future work and for technological or clinical applications. Significance statement Synchronising neural activity to moments of important information in speech is beneficial for its perception. Successful speech perception is a consequence of both target processing and the suppression of potential distractors; so far, it has remained unclear whether brain-speech synchronisation plays a more important role for either of these two tasks. We used transcranial brain stimulation (tACS) in a multi-speaker scenario to independently manipulate synchronisation to target- or distracting speech, respectively. We found that both manipulations led to changes in speech perception that were of comparable magnitude, and their combined effect was stronger than either of them alone. These results give an insight into the cortical processing of competing speech streams and how brain-speech synchronisation causally contributes to their perception. Our findings also have implications for practical applicability of brain stimulation protocols, showing how they could be used and made more effective in improving speech perception. This approach could have potential for medical application such as additional support in hearing aids.