Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring $2d$ localization with a step dependent coin

We generalize the coin operator of \cite{Zahed_2023}, to include a step dependent feature which induces localization in $2d$. This is evident from the probability distributions which can be further used to categorize the localized walks. Localization is also evident from the entropic measures. We compute and compare three distinct measures (a) Shannon Entropy in the position and coin space, (b) Entanglement entropy between position and spin space, and (c) Quantum Relative Entropy which is a POVM of density operators of the step dependent and step independent coins. Shannon Entropy and Entanglement Entropy are periodic and bounded functions of the time steps. The zeros of Shannon and Entanglement entropies signify a complete localization of the wave-function. The Quantum Relative Entropy and Quantum Information Variance exhibit a similar periodic feature with a zero minima where the step dependent and step independent walks coincide. Finally, we compute the numerical localization length (inverse of the Lyapunov Exponent) for the step dependent coin as a function of energy and compare with an approximate perturbative computation, where we put the step dependent coin as a perturbation in the background of a step independent coin. In both the instances, we find that the localization length peaks at approximately the same positions in the momentum space.
Generalizing and Decoupling Neural Collapse via Hyperspherical Uniformity Gap

The neural collapse (NC) phenomenon describes an underlying geometric symmetry for deep neural networks, where both deeply learned features and classifiers converge to a simplex equiangular tight frame. It has been shown that both cross-entropy loss and mean square error can provably lead to NC. We remove NC's key assumption on the feature dimension and the number of classes, and then present a generalized neural collapse (GNC) hypothesis that effectively subsumes the original NC. Inspired by how NC characterizes the training target of neural networks, we decouple GNC into two objectives: minimal intra-class variability and maximal inter-class separability. We then use hyperspherical uniformity (which characterizes the degree of uniformity on the unit hypersphere) as a unified framework to quantify these two objectives. Finally, we propose a general objective -- hyperspherical uniformity gap (HUG), which is defined by the difference between inter-class and intra-class hyperspherical uniformity. HUG not only provably converges to GNC, but also decouples GNC into two separate objectives. Unlike cross-entropy loss that couples intra-class compactness and inter-class separability, HUG enjoys more flexibility and serves as a good alternative loss function. Empirical results show that HUG works well in terms of generalization and robustness.
Amodal Intra-class Instance Segmentation: New Dataset and Benchmark

Images of realistic scenes often contain intra-class objects that are heavily occluded from each other, making the amodal perception task that requires parsing the occluded parts of the objects challenging. Although important for downstream tasks such as robotic grasping systems, the lack of large-scale amodal datasets with detailed annotations makes it difficult to model intra-class occlusions explicitly. This paper introduces a new amodal dataset for image amodal completion tasks, which contains over 255K images of intra-class occlusion scenarios, annotated with multiple masks, amodal bounding boxes, dual order relations and full appearance for instances and background. We also present a point-supervised scheme with layer priors for amodal instance segmentation specifically designed for intra-class occlusion scenarios. Experiments show that our weakly supervised approach outperforms the SOTA fully supervised methods, while our layer priors design exhibits remarkable performance improvements in the case of intra-class occlusion in both synthetic and real images.
The NPU-ASLP System for Audio-Visual Speech Recognition in MISP 2022 Challenge

This paper describes our NPU-ASLP system for the Audio-Visual Diarization and Recognition (AVDR) task in the Multi-modal Information based Speech Processing (MISP) 2022 Challenge. Specifically, the weighted prediction error (WPE) and guided source separation (GSS) techniques are used to reduce reverberation and generate clean signals for each single speaker first. Then, we explore the effectiveness of Branchformer and E-Branchformer based ASR systems. To better make use of the visual modality, a cross-attention based multi-modal fusion module is proposed, which explicitly learns the contextual relationship between different modalities. Experiments show that our system achieves a concatenated minimum-permutation character error rate (cpCER) of 28.13% and 31.21% on the Dev and Eval set, and obtains a second place in the challenge.
First Results from the JWST Early Release Science Program Q3D: Ionization Cone, Clumpy Star Formation, and Shocks in a z = 3 Extremely Red Quasar Host

Massive galaxies formed most actively at redshifts z = 1–3 during the period known as “cosmic noon. ” Here we present an emission-line study of the extremely red quasar SDSSJ165202.64+172852.3’s host galaxy at z = 2.94, based on observations with the Near Infrared Spectrograph integral field unit on board JWST. We use standard emission-line diagnostic ratios to map the sources of gas ionization across the host and a swarm of companion galaxies. The quasar dominates the photoionization, but we also discover shock-excited regions orthogonal to the ionization cone and the quasar-driven outflow. These shocks could be merger-induced or—more likely, given the presence of a powerful galactic-scale quasar outflow—these are signatures of wide-angle outflows that can reach parts of the galaxy that are not directly illuminated by the quasar. Finally, the kinematically narrow emission associated with the host galaxy presents as a collection of 1 kpc–scale clumps forming stars at a rate of at least 200 M ⊙ yr−1. The interstellar medium within these clumps shows high electron densities, reaching up to 3000 cm−3, with metallicities ranging from half to a third solar with a positive metallicity gradient, and V-band extinctions up to 3 mag. The star formation conditions are far more extreme in these regions than in local star-forming galaxies but consistent with those of massive galaxies at cosmic noon. The JWST observations simultaneously reveal an archetypal rapidly forming massive galaxy undergoing a merger, a clumpy starburst, an episode of obscured near-Eddington quasar activity, and an extremely powerful quasar outflow.
Influence of a plasma jet on the hydrodynamics of a helium jet

In this paper, we present a study of the influence of non-equilibrium microplasma jets (“plasma bullets”) on the hydrodynamics of a helium jet operating in open air. The helium jet is produced by a flow of helium through a hollow, cylindrical microdischarge configuration. A plasma jet, triggered by the microdischarge, can propogate in the laminar zone of the helium jet which extends some distance from the exit plane of the microdischarge. We used Schlieren photography to visualize the point of transition from laminar to turbulent regime of the helium jet and the change in the transition point due to the plasma jet for different operating conditions.
Factors controlling the diamagnetic pressure in the polar cusp

The solar wind has direct access to the polar cusps although the plasma may be processed first by reconnection. The energy density of the polar cusp plasma is expected to be controlled by the component of the unshocked solar wind dynamic pressure along the normal to the cusp/magnetosheath interface. The factors controlling this angle are the local time of the observation and the dipole tilt angle. We use Polar observations of the magnetic field and plasma to identify the polar cusp, and the change in magnetic pressure in the cusp to calculate the peak diamagnetic pressure of the plasma. As expected this pressure is directly proportional to the solar wind dynamic pressure in quantitative agreement with expectations. When the dipole tilts more toward the Sun, the angle between the solar wind flow and the magnetopause normal is smaller, and the pressure is higher, and when it tilts away from the Sun, the pressure is less. For large tilts away from the Sun, for local times far away from noon and for low solar wind dynamic pressure the diamagnetic depression marking the polar cusp is too weak to be resolved by the magnetometer.
Temperature and the metabolic theory of ecology

This equation comprises two components, a power relationship describing the mass dependency (scaling) and a Boltzmann temperature correction. The value of the scaling exponent b is taken to be ∼ 0·75, derived from the physics of distribution networks in animals (West, Brown and Enquist 1997) and plants (West, Brown & Enquist 1999), and b 0 is a normalization constant which is fitted empirically (Brown et al. 2004a). Gillooly et al . (2001) called the temperature component of the equation the Universal Temperature Dependence of Metabolism (UTD), and its formulation follows from the application of statistical thermodynamics to whole-organism metabolism. Here k is Boltzmann’s constant and E the ‘mean activation energy of metabolism’, its value being estimated empirically from measurements of enzyme kinetics in vitro (Gillooly et al. 2001). Recently Clarke (2004) and Clarke & Fraser (2004) have argued that although the UTD is one of several useful statistical descriptions of the relationship between temperature and whole-organism resting metabolism rate, it cannot represent a direct mechanistic dependence of metabolic rate on temperature. This is because of the complex nature of metabolism, and the feedbacks involved in its control. Gillooly et al . (2006) have responded robustly, and here we reply to their concerns. Gillooly et al . (2006) make a number of points in their critique, the key ones being:
Effect of Material on Flute Tone Quality

Three keyless flutes of identical internal dimensions were made of thin silver, heavy copper, and wood, respectively. They were played out of sight of musically experienced observers, who were asked to determine only whether tones were alike or different. No statistically significant correlation between the listeners' scores and the material of the instrument body was found. Flutists who played the flutes, using an arrangement to eliminate visual or tactile clues, were unable to identify again a previously selected instrument.
Separating large-scale superposition and modulation in turbulent channels

Abstract The presence of very-large-scale motions in wall-bounded turbulent flows is commonly associated with their footprint in the form of the superposition of the large scales at the wall and the additional amplitude modulation of small-scale near-wall turbulence. These two phenomena are currently understood to be interlinked, with the superposed large-scale velocity gradient causing the modulation of small-scale activity in the proximity of the wall. To challenge this idea, we devise a numerical strategy that selectively suppresses either superposition or amplitude modulation, in an effort to isolate and study the remaining phenomenon. Results from our direct numerical simulations indicate that a positive correlation between the amplitude of the small scales in the near-wall region and the large-scale signal in the outer flow persists even when near-wall large-scale motions are suppressed – i.e. in absence of superposition. Clearly, this kind of correlation cannot be caused by the near-wall large-scale velocity or its gradients, as both are absent. Conversely, when modulation is blocked, the near-wall footprints of the large scales seem to disappear. This study has been carried out on channel flows at friction Reynolds number $Re_\tau =1000$ in both standard simulation domains and minimal streamwise units (MSUs), where the streamwise fluctuation energy is enhanced. The consistency of the results obtained by the two approaches suggests that MSUs can capture correctly this kind of scale interaction at a much reduced cost.
Broken azimuthal degeneracy with whispering gallery modes of microspheres

We consider a system of two eccentric spheres, wherein an inclusion sphere is embedded in a larger sphere with a different refractive index. We demonstrate broken azimuthal degeneracy for non-axisymmetric illumination resulting in splittings in extinction peaks. The mode splitting and mixing effects are shown to be nonresonant, valid for all modes having sufficient quality factors. We demonstrate strong dependence of the splittings on the polarization of the incident light to the extent that one can diagnose the polarization characteristics of the whispering gallery mode. We show how a set of quantum numbers can be assigned to a given peak of the split resonances. We further investigate the field distribution in suitable coordinate planes in order to bring out the close relation between the magnetic quantum number, the polarization of the bisphere modes and that of incident light.
Exercise Speed Analysis Based on Head Mounted Display Orientation

Virtual Reality (VR) exergames are a useful tool for improving users’ exercise levels. However, they have some associated equipment requirements which are an impediment to adoption outside of specialised locations. In our research we aim to make VR exergames more accessible by removing such equipment requirements by determining users’ exercise intensity directly from affordable and widely available VR equipment such as a smartphone-based Head Mounted Displays (HMD). We present an approach for determining a user’s cycling speed on a stationary exercycle by observing changes to the orientation of the user’s view in the VR environment. The approach is computationally cheap and does not require training data sets or server access such as deep learning-based solutions. We evaluate this approach by comparison with speed data captured during exergame play, and through direct use in an exergame. Our results indicate that it has generally good accuracy under most scenarios. In particular, estimated periods of acceleration and deceleration closely match measurements directly collected from the exercycle, but accuracy substantially decreases when large scale variation in the user’s view direction is introduced.
Resource-Efficient Convolutional Networks: A Survey on Model-, Arithmetic-, and Implementation-Level Techniques

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are used in our daily life, including self-driving cars, virtual assistants, social network services, healthcare services, and face recognition, among others. However, deep CNNs demand substantial compute resources during training and inference. The machine learning community has mainly focused on model-level optimizations such as architectural compression of CNNs, whereas the system community has focused on implementation-level optimization. In between, various arithmetic-level optimization techniques have been proposed in the arithmetic community. This article provides a survey on resource-efficient CNN techniques in terms of model-, arithmetic-, and implementation-level techniques, and identifies the research gaps for resource-efficient CNN techniques across the three different level techniques. Our survey clarifies the influence from higher- to lower-level techniques based on our resource efficiency metric definition and discusses the future trend for resource-efficient CNN research.
Sweep-rate-dependent coercivity simulation of FePt particle arrays

We present a simple method for parameterizing the sweep-rate dependence of the coercivity. We use it to fit data obtained from Landau–Lifshitz dynamic simulation, to extrapolate them to experimental time scales. The method is a generalization of the Sharrock theory in which all the data fall on a single universal curve if the coercivity and sweep rate are scaled properly.
Replicating Effects and Biases

One common view is that a well-designed empirical study will reach conclusions that can be found again and again if the study is replicated, whereas a poorly designed study is unlikely to replicate. In opposition to this view, it is argued that a well-designed empirical study reaches conclusions that tend to replicate when correct and are less likely to replicate when incorrect, whereas in a poorly designed study the conclusions tend to replicate even when incorrect. In observational studies of treatment effects, the same hidden bias may occur repeatedly in a series of studies, so the studies reproduce the same distorted estimates of treatment effects. The purpose of this article is to point to strategies in research design that make it less likely that biased estimates will replicate, and to illustrate these strategies with examples. To replicate effects without replicating biases, vary the treatment assignment mechanism, so that the reasons subjects are spared treatment are different in the original and replicated studies. Also, vary the treatment envelope—that is, the ostensibly irrelevant features in which the treatment is packaged.
Direction of Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) leachate's effect on early litter mass loss is dependent upon saprotrophic community composition

Abstract Differences between fungal and bacterial decomposition trajectories can be related to differences in sensitivity to nutrient input and to plant secondary metabolites. The invasive plant Alliaria petiolata (Beib. Cavara and Grande; garlic mustard) produces unique secondary metabolites (glucosinolates) capable of altering the functioning of root-associated communities. However, few studies explore whether these compounds can alter litter decomposition— a route for ecosystem-level impacts of garlic mustard invasion. This preliminary study investigated the potential for aqueous garlic mustard leachate to alter mass loss from tea litterbags in artificially fungal-dominant compared to intact soils (fungal and bacterial components) in laboratory microcosm incubations. Garlic mustard and native Acer saccharum (Marsh.; sugar maple) leachates stimulated fungal decomposition indistinguishably. In intact soils, garlic mustard suppressed mass loss relative to a water control and native leachate, though this later effect was only marginally significant. These results suggest the energetic benefit of labile carbon in garlic mustard leachate may exceed any negative effect of glucosinolates for fungal decomposers, but that bacteria were more sensitive to leachate toxicity and the inhibitory effects of high nutrient input. Overall, our results imply the direction of garlic mustard's effect on decomposition may depend on saprotrophic community composition and therefore the consequences for litter decay in garlic mustard invaded soils may be context-dependent.
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Avian Chlamydiosis Detected by Polymerase Chain Reaction in Psittacine Birds in Thailand

Abstract: This study surveyed avian chlamydiosis, with the aim to estimate the prevalence and potential risk factors associated with Chlamydia psittaci infection in psittacine birds kept as domestic pets in Thailand. Oropharyngeal swabs were collected from 120 psittacine birds that were randomly selected from hospitals in the central (Bangkok) and northeastern regions (Khon Kaen) of Thailand between 2019 and 2021. The oropharyngeal swabs were subject to polymerase chain reaction testing to detect the C psittaci ompA gene. The prevalence of C psittaci was 2.5% (3/ 120, 95% confidence interval = 0.3–5.3). Of the 3 positive birds, 1 was a Forpus parrot (Forpus species)(CP43TH) and 1 was an African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus)(CP49TH) from Bangkok; both were juvenile birds with clinical signs of disease. The third positive bird (CP12TH) was a subclinical adult sun conure (Aratinga solstitialis) from Khon Kaen. Two sequences of samples that were previously identified in human psittacosis cases (accession numbers MK032053.1 and HM450409.1) were also examined. Since there was a low number of infected birds, potential associations between C psittaci infection and various environmental variables (eg, cage cleaning, synanthropic birds, quarantine of new birds, and overcrowding) were assessed by Fisher exact tests. This study provides estimates of the prevalence and potential risk factors associated with C psittaci infection in psittacine birds from central (Bangkok) and the northeastern regions (Khon Kaen) of Thailand. The detection of C psittaci in captive psittacine birds demonstrates that there is a possibility for bird-to-bird transmission as well as some zoonotic potential for the human caretakers of these birds. Furthermore, larger-scale studies should be conducted to confirm these findings.
Bilateral Cubital Lymphoma and Mycobacteriosis in a Salmon-Crested Cockatoo ( Cacatua moluccensis )

Abstract: A 32-year-old male salmon-crested cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) was diagnosed by cytology with bilateral cubital lymphoma and mycobacteriosis. Polymerase chain reaction assay testing confirmed Mycobacterium genavense. This patient was subsequently humanely euthanized. Postmortem histopathology confirmed both diagnoses with findings of multicentric lymphoma, acid-fast bacilli, and severe degenerative changes in all synovial joints examined. Immunohistochemical staining for paired box protein 5 of the cubital mass was positive for a high percentage of B-cell lymphocytes, consistent with B-cell lymphoma. This unusual case of two major diseases presenting concurrently in one patient raises the question of whether the pathogenesis could have an interdependent relationship. Mycobacteriosis, severe degenerative joint changes, or both may have stimulated lymphocytes, eventually leading to lymphoma. Additional screening and monitoring for comorbidities may be advised if 1 of these diseases are diagnosed in companion avian species.
A selective literature review exploring the role of the nicotinic system in schizophrenia

Nicotine use is more prevalent in patients with psychiatric disorders, especially those diagnosed with psychotic illnesses. Previously, this higher prevalence has been partially attributed to the potential ameliorative effects of nicotine on symptom severity and cognitive impairment. Some healthcare professionals and patients perceive there is a beneficial effect of nicotine on mental health. Emerging data show that the harm associated with nicotine in the population of patients with mental health conditions outweighs any potential benefit. This paper will review the evidence surrounding the nicotinic system and schizophrenia, with a focus on any causality between nicotine and psychosis.