Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New experiments for cryptanalysis on elliptic curves

The work of this thesis is focused on improving some tools commonly used for cryptoanalytical applications on elliptic curves, and some of them can be applied also when performing modular arithmetic in a more general context than the cryptological one. In chapter 1 it is given an introduction to the NVidia CUDA programming model and described some problems that can appear while writing code that must run on graphic processing units. In chapter 2 it is described a full implementation for single-instruction multiple-data architectures of a fast modular arithmetic library, with emphasis on the modular inversion. It is presented a variant of the Stein's algorithm that reduces divergence among thread and allows to consider it as a good alternative (for sufficiently big prime fields) to the branch-free algorithm based on Euler-Fermat theorem. In chapter 3 it is discussed the Rho-Pollard implementation for single-instruction multipledata architectures that uses the negation maps. It is presented also a variant of the classical iterating function of the Rho-Pollard algorithm to reduce the overhead to check for fruitless cycles. Chapter 4 contains the description of an experimental work performed on SAGE and aimed to apply the Smart's attack on anomalous elliptic curves (defined on prime fields) to a curve defined over a ring Zn1n2 with n1n2 points. To realize these experiments, the author, implemented into SAGE a complete system of addition laws for elliptic curves over rings, and the functions to perform arithmetic on polyadic numbers.
The variance of the locally measured Hubble parameter explained with different estimators

We study the expected variance of measurements of the Hubble constant, H0, as calculated in either linear perturbation theory or using non-linear velocity power spectra derived from N-body simulations. We compare the variance with that obtained by carrying out mock observations in the N-body simulations, and show that the estimator typically used for the local Hubble constant in studies based on perturbation theory is different from the one used in studies based on N-body simulations. The latter gives larger weight to distant sources, which explains why studies based on N-body simulations tend to obtain a smaller variance than that found from studies based on the power spectrum. Although both approaches result in a variance too small to explain the discrepancy between the value of H0 from CMB measurements and the value measured in the local universe, these considerations are important in light of the percent determination of the Hubble constant in the local universe.
Open Set Few-Shot Remote Sensing Scene Classification Based on a Multiorder Graph Convolutional Network and Domain Adaptation

Few-shot scene classification aims to recognize task data, which consists of unlabeled data and a few annotated samples, given some labeled auxiliary data. The task and the auxiliary data often come from the same source with nonoverlapping categories; such tasks are defined as closed set few-shot scene classification. However, most remote sensing applications involve open set few-shot scene classification, where the categories of the task and auxiliary data are often partly overlapped and sources of data are usually different (i.e., different domains). We propose an open set few-shot scene classification method called the multiorder graph convolutional network (MGCN) specifically for such tasks. MGCN solves the open set few-shot scene classification task in two ways: reducing the interdomain discrepancy by a feature dispersion degree weighting domain adaptation method and reducing the dispersion degree of node features by a proposed MGCN. Based on a shallow backbone and an improved graph convolutional network, MGCN improves the classification performance of the open set few-shot classification task by utilizing information from common categories and reducing domain discrepancies. The experimental results, based on three public remote sensing image datasets and a Tibetan Plateau remote sensing scene dataset that we collected, demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method on the open set few-shot scene classification task.
Exploring the Molecular Mechanism of Sepal Formation in the Decorative Flowers of Hydrangea macrophylla ′Endless Summer′ Based on the ABCDE Model

With its large inflorescences and colorful flowers, Hydrangea macrophylla has been one of the most popular ornamental plants in recent years. However, the formation mechanism of its major ornamental part, the decorative floret sepals, is still not clear. In this study, we compared the transcriptome data of H. macrophylla ‘Endless Summer’ from the nutritional stage (BS1) to the blooming stage (BS5) and annotated them into the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) databases. The 347 identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with flower development were subjected to a trend analysis and a protein–protein interaction analysis. The combined analysis of the two yielded 60 DEGs, including four MADS-box transcription factors (HmSVP-1, HmSOC1, HmAP1-2, and HmAGL24-3) and genes with strong connectivity (HmLFY and HmUFO). In addition, 17 transcription factors related to the ABCDE model were screened, and key candidate genes related to the development of decorative floret sepals in H. macrophylla were identified by phylogenetic and expression pattern analysis, including HmAP1-1, HmAP1-2, HmAP1-3, HmAP2-3, HmAP2-4, and HmAP2-5. On this basis, a gene regulatory network model of decorative sepal development was also postulated. Our results provide a theoretical basis for the study of the formation mechanism of decorative floret sepals and suggest a new direction for the molecular breeding of H. macrophylla.
High-Metallicity Mg II Absorbers in the z < 1 Lyα Forest of PKS 0454+039: Giant Low Surface Brightness Galaxies?

We report the discovery of two iron-group enhanced high-metallicity Mg II absorbers in a search through 28 Lyα forest clouds along the PKS 0454+039 sight line. Based upon our survey and the measured redshift number densities of Wr(Mg II) ≤ 0.3 Å absorbers and Lyα absorbers at z ~ 1, we suggest that roughly 5% of Lyα absorbers at z ≤ 1 will exhibit "weak" Mg II absorption to a 5 σ Wr(λ2796) detection limit of 0.02 Å. The two discovered absorbers, at redshifts z = 0.6248 and z = 0.9315, have Wr(Lyα) = 0.33 and 0.15 Å, respectively. Based upon photoionization modeling, the H I column densities are inferred to be in the range 15.8 ≤ log N(H I) ≤ 16.8 cm-2. For the z = 0.6428 absorber, if the abundance pattern is solar, then the cloud has [Fe/H] > -1; if its gas-phase abundance follows that of depleted clouds in our Galaxy, then [Fe/H] > 0 is inferred. For the z = 0.9315 absorber, the metallicity is [Fe/H] > 0, whether the abundance pattern is solar or suffers depletion. Imaging and spectroscopic studies of the PKS 0454+039 field reveal no candidate luminous objects at these redshifts. We discuss the possibility that these Mg II absorbers may arise in the class of "giant" low surface brightness galaxies, which have [Fe/H] ≥ -1, and even [Fe/H] ≥ 0, in their extended disks. We tentatively suggest that a substantial fraction of these "weak" Mg II absorbers may select low surface brightness galaxies out to z ~ 1.
A Machine Learning-Based Framework for Dynamic Selection of Congestion Control Algorithms

Most congestion control algorithms (CCAs) are designed for specific network environments. As such, there is no known algorithm that achieves uniformly good performance in all scenarios for all flows. Rather than devising a one-size-fits-all algorithm (which is a likely impossible task), we propose a system to dynamically switch between the most suitable CCAs for specific flows in specific environments. This raises a number of challenges, which we address through the design and implementation of Antelope, a system that can dynamically reconfigure the stack to use the most suitable CCA for individual flows. We build a machine learning model to learn which algorithm works best for individual conditions and implement kernel-level support for dynamically switching between CCAs. The framework also takes application requirements of performance into consideration to fine-tune the selection based on application-layer needs. Moreover, to reduce the overhead introduced by machine learning on individual front-end servers, we (optionally) implement the CCA selection process in the cloud, which allows the share of models and the selection among front-end servers. We have implemented Antelope in Linux, and evaluated it in both emulated and production networks. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of Antelope via dynamic adjusting the CCAs for individual flows. Specifically, Antelope achieves an average 16% improvement in throughput compared with BBR, and an average 19% improvement in throughput and 10% reduction in delay compared with CUBIC.
XMM-Newton observation of the anomalous X-ray pulsar 4U 0142+61

We present results of an observation of the anomalous X-ray pulsar 4U 0142+61 with the EPIC cameras on XMM-Newton performed on 2003 January 24. The pulse phase averaged spectrum can be best described by the sum of a black body with a temperature of kTBB = 0.395(5) keV and a power law with photon index Γ = 3.62(5). The unabsorbed 2−10 keV flux is ∼7.2 × 10−11 erg s−1 cm−2. No evidence for additional spectral features such as cyclotron lines is present. These results are consistent with those from an earlier Chandra observation in 2001 May. Phase resolved spectroscopy over the 8.6882(2) s period (MJD 52 663.93) shows clear variations with pulse phase of Γ, while kTBB shows a small variation of ∼12%. We confirm earlier conclusions by Ozel (2001, ApJ, 563, 276) that the emission from AXPs is more likely to originate from neutron stars with one single and magnetically active region on the neutron star. The significantly different behavior of the soft and hard spectral components with pulse phase, however, cannot be fully reconciled with the present magnetar emission models.
Synthesis of Ultra-Wideband TEM Horn with Inhomogeneous Dielectric Medium

There were proposed new formulas for the dielectric medium permittivity distribution along spatial coordinates in the space between a linear TEM-horn's leafs, which were obtained according to the rules of geometric optics in the assumption of the phase center being lumped or distributed. The formulas has been checked by FDTD simulation of an ultra-wideband signal excitation; two cases were studied---when dielectric medium is present, and absent. For these both cases, there was obtained voltage steady-wave ratio, as well as radiation patterns at a set of frequencies up to 20~GHz; the results comparison was performed.
Relativistic mass and spin of a Kerr black hole in terms of observations

In this paper, we derive closed formulas for the mass $M$ and the spin parameter $a=J/M$ (here $J$ is the black hole angular momentum in natural units) of a Kerr black hole in terms of a minimal quantity of observational data, namely, the red-/blueshifts of photons emitted by massive particles (stars or gas) moving on geodesics around the black hole and their respective orbital radius. It turns out that given a set of two (three) stars revolving around the Kerr black hole, the aforementioned formulas involve just eight (twelve) observational data.
THE LOCAL TULLY–FISHER RELATION FOR DWARF GALAXIES

We study different incarnations of the Tully–Fisher (TF) relation for the Local Volume (LV) galaxies taken from Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog. The UNGC sample contains 656 galaxies with W50 H i-line-width estimates, mostly belonging to low-mass dwarfs. Of them, 296 objects have distances measured with accuracies better than 10%. For the sample of 331 LV galaxies having baryonic masses , we obtain a relation with an observed scatter of 0.38 dex. The largest factors affecting the scatter are observational errors in K-band magnitudes and W50 line widths for the tiny dwarfs, as well as uncertainty of their inclinations. We find that accounting for the surface brightness of the LV galaxies or their gas fraction, specific star-formation rate, or isolation index does not essentially reduce the observed scatter on the baryonic TF diagram. We also notice that a sample of 71 dSph satellites of the Milky Way and M31 with a known stellar velocity dispersion σ* tends to follow nearly the same bTF relation, having slightly lower masses than that of late-type dwarfs.
Diffuse axion-like particle searches

We propose a new method to search for axion-like particles (ALPs) based on the gamma-rays produced concomitant with high-energy astrophysical neutrinos. The existence of high-energy neutrinos implies production of gamma-rays in the same sources. Photons can convert into ALPs in the sources' magnetic fields, and will travel as ALPs through extragalactic space. Back-conversion in the Milky Way's magnetic field leads to a diffuse anisotropic high-energy photon flux that existing and upcoming gamma-ray detectors, like HAWC, CTA, and LHAASO can detect. This method probes unexplored ALP parameter space, with LHAASO being realistically sensitive to couplings above $10^{-11}\, \rm{GeV^{-1}}$ and masses up to $3\times 10^{-6} \, \rm{eV}$ in ten years. Our technique also explores viable ALP dark matter parameter space.
Rogue waves as energy concentrators in arrays of coupled nonlinear waveguides

In array of nonlinear waveguides, a giant compression of the input beam can be achieved by exciting a rogue wave. Input field almost homogeneously distributed over hundreds of waveguides concentrates practically all the energy into a single waveguide at the output plane of the structure. We determine the required input profile of the electric field to achieve maximal energy concentration at output. We illustrate the phenomenon modeling the array by direct numerical simulations of the discrete nonlinear Schrodinger equation.
Tempering Applied Critical Leadership: The Im/Possibilities of Leading for Racial Justice in School Districts

How do leaders make the impossible choice between harm enacted on racially oppressed students and families, and harm enacted on them as advocates for racial justice in systems steeped in whiteness? How do they negotiate multiple harms in Black and Brown bodies? Purpose: Situated in between the literature on tempered radicalism and Applied Critical Leadership (ACL), this study explores the experiences of six Black and Brown mid-level and senior-level district leaders in Greater Toronto Area, in Ontario, Canada. Research Methods/Approach: We draw on counter-narrative methodologies including in-depth oral history interviews and ongoing communication with participants to explore the impossibilities and possibilities of leading for racial justice. Findings: Impossibilities include complicities and complexities, accountabilities and alliances, and different metrics, different expectations. Possibilities include present and future hopes, personal power and voice, and joy and fulfillment. Implications for Research and Practice: This study adds to the literature on critical race-tempered radicalism by offering three important shifts in perspectives about leading for racial justice that blur revolutionary leadership and ACL. These include challenging a politics of representation and the necessary change in metrics, accountability measures, and systemic necessary to demonstrate the readiness for anti-racist leadership; anti-racist leadership as messy, ambiguous, and contextual that make space for complicities and complexities of this work; and anti-racist leadership beyond anti-racist leaders, which recognizes leadership beyond any one person, role, location, or generation.
A Prospective, Multi-Center Clinical Utility Study Demonstrates That the 40-Gene Expression Profile (40-GEP) Test Impacts Clinical Management for Medicare-Eligible Patients with High-Risk Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cSCC)

The incidence and mortality rates of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) in the Medicare population are rapidly increasing. The current national guidelines are broad and the available staging systems for stratification are inadequate to accurately guide patient management. A prognostic 40-gene expression profile (40-GEP) test has demonstrated both analytical and clinical validity for assessment of metastatic risk of high-risk cSCC patients independent of traditional clinicopathologic factors. Real-world data have shown that clinicians can identify appropriate patients for 40-GEP testing and use this personalized, molecular risk stratification tool to guide risk-aligned clinical planning and patient management. The data herein focuses on 59 Medicare-eligible patients (≥65 years of age) enrolled within a multicenter, prospective Clinical Utility and Health Outcomes Study (UTILISE) conducted to demonstrate patterns of 40-GEP test utilization, distribution of results across clinicopathologic variables, and impact on clinician recommendations for clinical management of high-risk cSCC patients. Of patients under study, more than 80% of clinicians reported that the 40-GEP had a positive impact toward managing their high-risk SCC patient, 42% stated, a 40-GEP test result was the single most influential factor in determining management plans and 24% made changes to their treatment plan in after receiving the 40-GEP result­‑ a clinical actionability rate comparable to those of currently covered molecular tests for cancer patients. This analysis demonstrates the positive impact the 40-GEP is having on clinicians’ assessment of risk for their high-risk cSCC patients, which, in line with guidelines, is driving risk-aligned changes in treatment plans.
Europium Isotopic Abundances in Very Metal Poor Stars

Europium isotopic abundance fractions are reported for the very metal poor, neutron-capture-rich giant stars CS 22892-052, HD 115444, and BD +17°3248. The abundance fractions, derived from the analysis of several strong Eu II lines appearing in high-resolution spectra of these stars, are in excellent agreement with each other and with their values in the solar system: fr(151Eu) ≃ fr(153Eu) ≃ 0.5. Detailed abundance studies of very metal poor stars have previously shown that the total elemental abundances of stable atoms with atomic numbers z ≥ 56 typically match very closely those of a scaled solar-system r-process abundance distribution. The present results for the first time extend this agreement to the isotopic level.
A Network for Landslide Detection Using Large-Area Remote Sensing Images with Multiple Spatial Resolutions

Accurately detecting landslides over a large area with complex background objects is a challenging task. Research in the area suffers from three drawbacks in general. First, the models are mostly modified from typical networks, and are not designed specifically for landslide detection. Second, the images used to construct and evaluate models of landslide detection are limited to one spatial resolution, which struggles to meet the requirements of such relevant applications as emergency response. Third, assessments are primarily carried out by using the training data on different parts of the same study area. This makes it difficult to objectively evaluate the transferability of the model, because ground objects in the same area are distributed with similar spectral characteristics. To respond to the challenges above, this study proposes DeenNet, specifically designed for landslide detection. Different from the widely used encoder–decoder networks, DeenNet maintains multi-scale landslide features by decoding the input feature maps to a large scale before encoding a module. The decoding operation is conducted by deconvolution of the input feature maps, while encoding is conducted by convolution. Our model is trained on two earthquake-triggered landslide datasets, constructed using images with different spatial resolutions from different sensor platforms. Two other landslide datasets of different study areas with different spatial resolutions were used to evaluate the trained model. The experimental results demonstrated an at least 6.17% F1-measure improvement by DeenNet compared with three widely used typical encoder–decoder-based networks. The decoder–encoder network structure of DeenNet proves to be effective in maintaining landslide features, regardless of the size of the landslides in different evaluation images. It further validated the capacity of DeenNet in maintaining landslide features, which provides a strong applicability in the context of applications.
Identification of Early Knee Osteoarthritis Based on Knee Joint Trajectory during Stair Climbing

Patients with knee osteoarthritis show low stair climbing ability, but a diagnosis of stair performance time is not enough to identify the early stages of knee osteoarthritis. Therefore, we developed an indicator named range of the knee joint trajectory (RKJT) as a kinematic parameter to express more detailed characteristics than stair performance time. To achieve this, we used our developed “IR-Locomotion”, a markerless measurement system that can track the knee joint trajectory when climbing stairs. This study aimed to test whether the RKJT effectively identifies patients with early knee osteoarthritis even after controlling stair performance time. Forty-seven adults with moderate to severe knee pain (mean age 59.2 years; 68.1% women) underwent the radiographic examination (Kellgren and Lawrence grade) of both knees and a stair climbing test on 11 stairs. The RKJT during the stair climbing test was calculated by “IR-Locomotion”. A generalized linear mixed model was used to evaluate the discriminative capability of RKJT on early knee osteoarthritis (i.e., Kellgren and Lawrence grade of 1). As expected, patients with early knee osteoarthritis showed larger RKJT than non-radiographic controls (95% confidence interval: 1.007, 1.076). Notably, this finding was consistent even after adjusting stair performance time.
Measurement of the CP-violating Asymmetries in B0 ->KS pi0 and of the Branching Fraction of B0 ->K0 pi0

We present a measurement of the time-dependent CP -violating asymmetries in B 0 → K 0 S π 0 decays based on 348 million Υ (4 S ) → BB events collected by the B A B AR experiment at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B Factory at SLAC. We measure the direct CP -violating asymmetry C K 0 S π 0 = 0 . 20 ± 0 . 16 ± 0 . 03 and the CP-violating asymmetry in the interference between mixing and decay S K 0 S π 0 = 0 . 33 ± 0 . 26 ± 0 . 04 where the ﬁrst error is statistical and the second systematic. On the same sample, we measure the decay branching fraction, obtaining B ( B 0 → K 0 S π 0 ) = (10 . 5 ± 0 . 7 ± 0 . 5) × 10 − 6 . All results presented here are preliminary.
Exploring the quantum world with a third generation ultra-cold atom facility

We briefly describe a ‘third generation’ follow-on to the Cold Atom Lab mission, currently operating aboard the ISS and the Bose–Einstein Condensate and Cold Atom Lab mission, which is expected to launch in 2026. This mission would feature a modular design that would allow critical hardware to be optimized for specific investigations while allowing easy exchange with other hardware to enable a multi-user facility.
The MACHO Project LMC Variable Star Inventory. VI. The Second Overtone Mode of Cepheid Pulsation From First/Second Overtone Beat Cepheids

MACHO Project photometry of 45 LMC first and second overtone (FO and SO, respectively) beat Cepheids that pulsate in the FO and SO has been analyzed to determine the light-curve characteristics for the SO mode of Cepheid pulsation. We predict that singly periodic SO Cepheids will have nearly sinusoidal light curves; that we will only be able to discern SO Cepheids from fundamental (F) and FO Cepheids for P≲1.4 days; and that the SO distribution will overlap the short-period edge of the LMC FO Cepheid period-luminosity relation (when both are plotted as a function of photometric period). We also report the discovery of one SO Cepheid candidate, MACHO*05:03:39.6-70:04:32, with a photometric period of 0.775961±0.000019 days and an instrumental amplitude of 0.047±0.009 mag in V.