Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spectroscopic Confirmation of CEERS NIRCam-selected Galaxies at z ≃ 8–10

We present JWST/NIRSpec prism spectroscopy of seven galaxies selected from Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) survey NIRCam imaging with photometric redshifts z phot > 8. We measure emission line redshifts of z = 7.65 and 8.64 for two galaxies. For two other sources without securely detected emission lines we measure z=9.77−0.29+0.37 and 10.01−0.19+0.14 by fitting model spectral templates to the prism data, from which we detect continuum breaks consistent with Lyα opacity from a mostly neutral intergalactic medium. The presence of strong breaks and the absence of strong emission lines give high confidence that these two galaxies have redshifts z > 9.6, but the redshift values derived from the breaks alone have large uncertainties given the low spectral resolution and relatively low S/N of the CEERS NIRSpec prism data. The two z ∼ 10 sources observed are relatively luminous (M UV < −20), with blue continua (−2.3 ≲ β ≲ −1.9) and low dust attenuation ( AV≃0.15−0.1+0.3 ); and at least one of them has a high stellar mass for a galaxy at that redshift ( log(M⋆/M⊙)≃9.3−0.3+0.2 ). Considered together with spectroscopic observations of other CEERS NIRCam-selected high-z galaxy candidates in the literature, we find a high rate of redshift confirmation and low rate of confirmed interlopers (8%). Ten out of 35 z > 8 candidates with CEERS NIRSpec spectroscopy do not have secure redshifts, but the absence of emission lines in their spectra is consistent with redshifts z > 9.6. We find that z > 8 photometric redshifts are generally in agreement (within their uncertainties) with the spectroscopic values, but also that the photometric redshifts tend to be slightly overestimated (〈Δz〉 = 0.45 ± 0.11), suggesting that current templates do not fully describe the spectra of very-high-z sources. Overall, the spectroscopy solidifies photometric redshift evidence for a high spatial density of bright galaxies at z > 8 compared to theoretical model predictions, and further disfavors an accelerated decline in the integrated UV luminosity density at z > 8.
Radial characteristics of laser-induced plasma under the influence of air pressure

Air pressure is one of the key factors affecting laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), and the mechanism of its influence on the spatial–temporal evolution of laser-induced plasma (LIP) is still not fully understood due to complex physical processes. In this study, the spatially and temporally resolved LIP’s spectra at different pressures were collected from the direction of laser incidence, and the radial distribution characteristics of LIP along the target surface under the influence of air pressure were studied. Furthermore, the spatial–temporal evolution of the radial distribution of the electron density n e and electron temperature T e was studied using Stark broadening and a Boltzmann plot. Finally, the radial distribution of LIP satisfying the McWhirter criterion and the influence of air pressure on its spatial–temporal evolution were studied. It was found that air pressure has a significant effect on the radial distribution of LIP. The spectral intensity, electron density n e, and the electron temperature T e of the LIP decrease faster against distance r from the LIP core and slower with the delay time T d in a higher air-pressure environment. Furthermore, the LIP will gradually fail to satisfy the McWhirter criterion with the increase in the radius r and delay time T d; in addition, the lifetime of LIP, which satisfies the McWhirter criterion, is longer at higher pressure. This study is helpful in clarifying the influence of air pressure on the spatial–temporal evolution of LIP, optimizing the experimental parameters of LIBS, and providing a reference for application of LIBS.
A comparative evaluation of luminescence detectors: RPL-GD-301, TLD-100 and OSL-AL2O3:C, using Monte Carlo simulations

The luminescent dosimeters are widely used in clinical practice, for the monitoring of patient dose in external radiation therapy. Three of the most common dosimeter categories are the thermoluminescence (TLDs), the radiophotoluminescence (RPLs) and the optically stimulated luminescence (OSLs), with similar physical processes on their properties. The aim of the present study is to compare and evaluate the dosimetric properties of three specific luminescent detectors namely: a) RPL glass dosimeter, commercially known as GD-301, b) lithium fluoride TLD-100 (LiF:Mg,Ti) and c) carbon-doped aluminum oxide (Al2O3:C). For this purpose, Monte Carlo simulations were applied, using the MCNP5 code to estimate the responses of these dosimeters in terms of absorbed dose, output factor, the angular and energy dependence. In the present study, we found that the differences between the output factors were less than ± 4.2% for all detector materials RPLGD, TLD and OSLD. The variations in sensitivity for angles up to ± 80 degrees from the central axis of the beam were approximately 0.5%, 0.8% and 1.5% for the TLD-100, GD-301 and Al2O3:C, respectively. The energy dependence of the RPL and OSL dosimeters are stated as less than a 2.2%, and within 5.8% for TLD.
SELECTED OPHTHALMIC TESTS AND OCULAR DIMENSIONS IN RELATION TO ACTIVITY PATTERN IN THREE NEOTROPICAL NONHUMAN PRIMATES: BLACK-TUFTED MARMOSET (CALLITHRIX PENICILLATA), GUIANAN SQUIRREL MONKEY (SAIMIRI SCIUREUS), AND AZARA'S NIGHT MONKEY (AOTUS AZARAE INFULATUS)

Abstract: The goals of this study were to compare ocular morphology, determine the reference intervals of selected ophthalmic tests, ocular measurements, intraocular pressure, and tear production, and to establish possible relationships in the visual ecology of three different Neotropical nonhuman primates (NHP). Nineteen black-tufted marmosets (Callithrix penicillate), 24 Guianan squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus), and 24 night monkeys (Aotus azarae infulatus) were included in the study. Schirmer tear test, ocular dimensions, ocular ultrasonography, intraocular pressure, central corneal thickness, and corneal touch threshold were determined. The ratio of the average corneal diameters and axial diameters (CD/AGL) were established. No significant difference was noted between males and females, nor left and right eyes, for all three species for all measurements (P > 0.05). CD/AGL ratio was significantly higher (P < 0.0001) in night monkeys (a nocturnal species) as compared to black-tufted marmoset and Guianan squirrel monkeys (two diurnal species). The reference intervals will aid veterinary ophthalmologists to more accurately diagnose pathological changes in the eyes of these species. In addition, ocular dimension comparison will allow other NHP species to be evaluated and examined in relationship to behavioral traits (nocturnal versus diurnal).
Intricacies of the Biology of Dolichoderus quadripunctatus (L.) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Abstract. The arboreal monogynous ant Dolichoderus quadripunctatus (L.) usually nests in very confined loci, and the colony consists of several to many nests, of which one or a few are queenright. Sexual offspring develop in queenless nests, though males and gynes in separate nests. The prevailing view of the colony dynamics maintains that males invade nests with gynes to mate there. New queenright nests are thought to develop such that a gyne remains in her natal nest or gynes are carried by workers to an offshoot nest without a queen. In our previous, two-season studies we could not find support for these claims, and the present, third-season observations corroborate our previous results: gynes leaving their nest either by flight or on foot are mainly unmated. It is not known how and where a gyne settles down and how a new queenright nest or a new colony originates. The peculiar habit of alate gynes to walk along worker trails, although not reported in other studies, is a regular feature of the colonies studied by us in Poland. We suggest that its function is close-range dispersal, which in a network of intersecting trails belonging to different colonies might allow the gyne to cross colony boundaries. Mating and reproducing outside own natal colony would enhance outbreeding in a species inherently exposed to inbreeding. Long-range dispersal by flight would effectively lead to outbreeding, given that the gyne succeeds to mate and found a colony. This topic is still unstudied, and it seems that a deeper understanding of the colony dynamics and dispersal of D. quadripunctatus requires population-genetic studies of carefully mapped colonies.
HISTOLOGIC ANALYSIS OF TESTICULAR DEVELOPMENT AND SEXUAL MATURATION IN REHABILITATED NORTHERN SEA OTTERS (ENHYDRA LUTRIS KENYONI)

Abstract: As part of routine captive management of the species, sea otter (Enhydra lutris) males are often castrated to prevent reproduction, to preserve limited spaces for future nonreleasable stranded individuals, and to minimize potential aggression among cohorts. To determine the relative stage of testicular development, testicles from 14 castrated, rehabilitated northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) were submitted for histologic examination. Eight of the otters (aged 201, 304, 344, 352, 360, 373, 401, and 1,423 d old) had evidence of varying degrees of sexual maturity. Histologic grading of maturity of individual testicles showed inactive testes, spermatocytes with some maturation of spermatogenic precursors, and fully active spermatogenesis. Spermatozoa were seen in the otters that were 401 and 1,423 d old (1.1 and 3.9 yr old). Sexual maturity for wild male sea otters in Alaska has been previously reported to occur from 3 to 5–6 yr. Social maturity, or the ability to breed and reproduce, may occur a few years later than the onset of physiologic maturity; age, weight, territory quality, and the length of time holding a territory may influence a male otter's mating success. Early testicular development in rehabilitated sea otters may be related to abundant resources, lack of competition, and decreased environmental pressures. Additionally, these findings have implications for husbandry and management practices in short- and long-term care facilities.
Tracking persistent postoperative opioid use: a proof-of-concept study demonstrating a use case for natural language processing

Background Large language models have been gaining tremendous popularity since the introduction of ChatGPT in late 2022. Perioperative pain providers should leverage natural language processing (NLP) technology and explore pertinent use cases to improve patient care. One example is tracking persistent postoperative opioid use after surgery. Since much of the relevant data may be ‘hidden’ within unstructured clinical text, NLP models may prove to be advantageous. The primary objective of this proof-of-concept study was to demonstrate the ability of an NLP engine to review clinical notes and accurately identify patients who had persistent postoperative opioid use after major spine surgery. Methods Clinical documents from all patients that underwent major spine surgery during July 2015–August 2021 were extracted from the electronic health record. The primary outcome was persistent postoperative opioid use, defined as continued use of opioids greater than or equal to 3 months after surgery. This outcome was ascertained via manual clinician review from outpatient spine surgery follow-up notes. An NLP engine was applied to these notes to ascertain the presence of persistent opioid use—this was then compared with results from clinician manual review. Results The final study sample consisted of 965 patients, in which 705 (73.1%) were determined to have persistent opioid use following surgery. The NLP engine correctly determined the patients’ opioid use status in 92.9% of cases, in which it correctly identified persistent opioid use in 95.6% of cases and no persistent opioid use in 86.1% of cases. Discussion Access to unstructured data within the perioperative history can contextualize patients’ opioid use and provide further insight into the opioid crisis, while at the same time improve care directly at the patient level. While these goals are in reach, future work is needed to evaluate how to best implement NLP within different healthcare systems for use in clinical decision support.
Application of State Space Hidden Markov Models to the approximation of (embedded) option prices

This thesis discusses dimension reduction of the risk drivers that determine embedded option values by using the class of State Space Hidden Markov Models. As embedded options are typically valued by nested Monte Carlo simulations, this dimension reduction leads to a major reduction in computing time. This is especially important for insurance companies that are dealing with many embedded option valuations in order to determine the market value of their liabilities. To achieve the dimension reduction of the risk driver process, this thesis proposes a specifi c Hidden Markov Model approach. An overview on current methods for state and parameter inference within this class of models is presented. For the state-of-the-art CPF-SAEM method insights are obtained by investigating an example of the dimension reduction model. Furthermore, the satisfactory behavior of this HMM approach is investigated in more detail for multiple (market) cases. Lastly, the dimension reduction model is applied to calibration of the Heston model parameters to market data. It is shown that this approach avoids over fitting issues and results in a more stable model than direct calibration of the parameters.
In Search of Charged Lepton Flavor Violating Decays at PSI

Our current best understanding of matter’s constituents and the interactions among them is embodied in the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics. Although the SM is a tremendously successful theory, developed over decades by the spectacular interplay of theoretical and experimental efforts, it misses descriptions of phenomena like dark matter, dark energy or gravity, and it does not answer fundamental questions such as to why there is such a sizable matter-antimatter-asymmetry in the Universe. It is evident that there has to exist physics beyond the SM. The contemporary particle physicist’s ultimate goal is to unravel it. This dissertation revolves around two experiments at the intensity frontier looking for the charged lepton flavor violating (cLFV) muon decays μ → eγ and μ → e+e+e−, which constitute two complementary searches. Unlike other SM symmetries, which are fundamental in the sense that they are theoretically very well motivated, lepton flavor is an accidental, “empirical” symmetry. In fact, lepton flavor violation has been observed in the neutral sector through the discovery of the neutrino oscillations. In the charged sector however, no sign of lepton flavor violation has been found yet. Extending the SM by neutrino masses and mixing angles, cLFV decays would in principle be allowed, but the predicted branching ratios of O(≪ 10−50 ) are immeasurably small. cLFV is a clear sign of new physics and contained in essentially any Beyond the Standard Model theory, which forecast accessible, but nonetheless experimentally challenging branching ratios for μ → eγ and μ → e+e+e−. The Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Villigen, Switzerland, supplies the most intense continuous surface muon beams in the world with rates of O(108) μ/ s and therefore hosts the cLFV experiments MEG / MEG II (μ → eγ) as well as the future Mu3e experiment (μ → e+e−e+). The MEG experiment ran until 2013 and has recently beaten its own record in setting a new upper limit of B < 4.2 × 10−13 (90 % confidence level) on the μ → eγ branching ratio [1]. With the goal to achieve a ten times better sensitivity, the compelling physics case has led the collaboration to pursue the upgraded version of the experiment MEG II [2] for which all subdetectors and the electronics will either be modified or completely rebuilt. In addition to that, a few novel auxiliary detectors and calibration methods have been proposed to further improve the sensitivity and get a handle on the new components of the experimental apparatus. The Mu3e experiment [3], which follows a staged approach and is currently under development, aims at a sensitivity of 10−15 in a first phase and 10−16 in a second phase, implicating an improvement of three to four orders of magnitude compared to the predecessor experiment SINDRUM [4].
Optimal Quantum Violations of n‐Locality Inequalities with Conditional Dependence on Inputs

Bell experiment in a network gives rise to a form of quantum nonlocality which is conceptually different from traditional multipartite Bell nonlocality. In this work, the star‐network configuration involving arbitrary n independent sources and (n+1)$(n+1)$ parties, including n edge parties and one central party is considered. Each of the n edge parties shares a physical system with the central party. Each edge party receives 2m−1$2^{m-1}$ number of inputs, and the central party receives an arbitrary m number of inputs. The conditional dependence on the inputs of each edge party is imposed so that the local probabilities satisfy a set of constraints. A family of generalized n‐locality inequalities is proposed in the arbitrary input scenario by imposing the set of constraints on inputs. The optimal quantum violation of the inequalities is derived by using an elegant sum‐of‐squares approach without specifying the dimension of the quantum system. Notably, the optimal quantum value is achieved only when the set of linear constraints on inputs is satisfied, which, in turn, self‐tests the observables required for each edge party. It shows that while conditional dependence on inputs significantly reduces the n‐local bound of the inequalities, the optimal quantum violation remains invariant. It argues that this implies a more robust test of network non‐locality, which can be revealed for smaller visibility parameters of the corresponding state. Further, the network nonlocality is characterized and examine its correspondence with suitably derived standard Bell nonlocality.
Experimental Research on Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Fracturing of Sedimentary Rock: A Critical Review

Supercritical carbon dioxide (ScCO2) fracturing has great advantages and prospects in both shale gas exploitation and CO2 storage. This paper reviews current laboratory experimental methods and results for sedimentary rocks fractured by ScCO2. The breakdown pressure, fracture parameters, mineral composition, bedding plane angle and permeability are discussed. We also compare the differences between sedimentary rock and granite fractured by ScCO2, ultimately noting problems and suggesting solutions and strategies for the future. The analysis found that the breakdown pressure of ScCO2 was reduced 6.52%–52.31% compared with that of using water. ScCO2 tends to produce a complex fracture morphology with significantly higher permeability. When compared with water, the fracture aperture of ScCO2 was decreased by 4.10%–72.33%, the tortuosity of ScCO2 was increased by 5.41%–70.98% and the fractal dimension of ScCO2 was increased by 4.55%–8.41%. The breakdown pressure of sandstone is more sensitive to the nature of the fracturing fluid, but fracture aperture is less sensitive to fracturing fluid than for shale and coal. Compared with granite, the tortuosity of sedimentary rock is more sensitive to the fracturing fluid and the fracture fractal dimension is less sensitive to the fracturing fluid. Existing research shows that ScCO2 has the advantages of low breakdown pressure, good fracture creation and environmental protection. It is recommended that research be conducted in terms of sample terms, experimental conditions, effectiveness evaluation and theoretical derivation in order to promote the application of ScCO2 reformed reservoirs in the future.
Influence of a simulated hurricane on aquatic insect recolonization in the phytotelma of Heliconia caribaea (Heliconiacaea)

Disturbances like hurricanes can affect diversity and community composition, which may in turn affect ecosystem function. We examined how a simulated hurricane disturbance affected insect communities inhabiting the phytotelma (plant‐held waters) of Heliconia caribaea in the Luquillo Experimental Forest of eastern Puerto Rico, a tropical island that frequently experiences hurricanes. We hypothesized that disturbance would alter diversity and that larger Heliconia would attract more species following disturbance due to the area‐diversity relationship described by the Theory of Island Biogeography. Individual flower parts (bracts) of Heliconia inflorescences (racemes) were artificially disturbed via removal of existing insect communities, then after refilling with water, cohorts of Heliconia were destructively sampled biweekly for 6 weeks to assess recolonization patterns of α (bract level), β, and γ (summed across bracts; raceme level) diversity over time and across raceme sizes. Although we found no support for our hypothesis about the effect of raceme size on recolonization, our hypothesis regarding recolonization patterns over time was supported; species richness, evenness, and abundance of bracts increased directly after the disturbance and then decreased below pre‐disturbance levels, and community composition at the raceme level changed significantly over time during recolonization. β Diversity was also greater in smaller racemes compared to larger racemes, suggesting high heterogeneity across bracts of Heliconia racemes exacerbated by raceme size and age. Overall, our results highlight the importance of scale and appropriate measurements of diversity (particularly α) in experiments aiming to extrapolate conclusions about the ecological impacts of disturbances across different habitats and ecosystems.
Chunking Tasks for Present-Biased Agents

Everyone puts things off sometimes. How can we combat this tendency to procrastinate? A well-known technique used by instructors is to break up a large project into more manageable chunks. But how should this be done best? Here we study the process of chunking using the graph-theoretic model of present bias introduced by Kleinberg and Oren [2014]. We first analyze how to optimally chunk single edges within a task graph, given a limited number of chunks. We show that for edges on the shortest path, the optimal chunking makes initial chunks easy and later chunks progressively harder. For edges not on the shortest path, optimal chunking is significantly more complex, but we provide an efficient algorithm that chunks the edge optimally. We then use our optimal edge-chunking algorithm to optimally chunk task graphs. We show that with a linear number of chunks on each edge, the biased agent's cost can be exponentially lowered, to within a constant factor of the true cheapest path. Finally, we extend our model to the case where a task designer must chunk a graph for multiple types of agents simultaneously. The problem grows significantly more complex with even two types of agents, but we provide optimal graph chunking algorithms for two types. Our work highlights the efficacy of chunking as a means to combat present bias.
Saliency-based initialisation of Gaussian mixture models for fully-automatic object segmentation

The conventional object segmentation methods often degrade their performance due to the requirement of user interaction and/or the incomplete colour appearance models. In this Letter, the authors propose a novel design method of a colour appearance model for accurate and fully-automatic object segmentation by using saliency maps. The authors initialise the Gaussian mixture models (GMMs) to describe the colour appearance of the foreground objects and the background, respectively, where the mean vectors, covariance matrices, and mixing coefficients are updated adaptively such that more salient pixels have larger weights to update the GMM for the foreground objects while less salient pixels have larger weights to update the GMM for the background, respectively. Experiments are performed on MSRC, iCoseg, and PASCAL datasets and we show that the proposed method outperforms the existing methods quantitatively and qualitatively.