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High-quality decodable books enhance literacy by providing children with focused practice opportunities to break down sounds they have learned and apply their decoding skills. Just Right Reader (JRR) hired LXD Research to measure its impact during a pilot study in the Spring of 2024 to determine the effect of their decodable books on literacy outcomes. Conducted in four schools in an urban Texas school district, the six-week study included 93 JRR and 111 non-JRR students, with 69 students submitting implementation logs that were used to track dosage. Key findings reveal meaningful progress for JRR students from the mid-year to end-of-year assessments, outperforming Non-JRR students. JRR students showed a MAP Growth Percentile improvement of 33 points (34 to 67), compared to 23 points in Non-JRR students (31 to 54). Additionally, JRR students excelled in DIBELS ORF accuracy, with the median percentile rising from 46 to 62, while Non-JRR improved from 42 to 44. Due to the small sample, these changes were not statistically significant. Notably, the 45% of JRR students who read for 3+ hours at home (i.e., High Dosage implementation) demonstrated remarkable growth, improving from below the 14th percentile to above the 72nd percentile. Overall, the JRR program meaningfully boosted literacy development.

Math fact fluency--the ability to quickly and accurately recall basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts--is a foundational mathematical skill. "Zaner-Bloser Building Fact Fluency (BFF)" was designed to build students' conceptual understanding of arithmetic operations and increase procedural fluency among elementary school students, with the goal of strengthening math learning. LXD Research conducted a study to examine Grade 3 students' math proficiency levels on the standardized Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) across five "Building Fact Fluency" participating schools and 20 similar Iowa comparison schools from spring 2021-spring 2023. One "Building Fact Fluency" pilot school began the program in fall 2021, and four additional schools began the program in fall of 2022. The pilot "Building Fact Fluency" school, Year 2-only "Building Fact Fluency" schools, and comparison schools had a similar percentage of students on grade level at baseline. However, Grade 3 students in "Building Fact Fluency" schools showed consistently greater improvements in the percentage of Grade 3 students on grade level in math.

The Equity Playbook Initiative Implementation in Kentucky underwent an efficacy study conducted by LXD Research during the 2022-2023 school year. The study aimed to assess the initiative's impact on student academic achievement and school climate. A total of 55 public schools participating in the Equity Playbook Initiative were compared with 240 statistically similar non-participating schools. The demographic breakdown of the sample included 65% economically disadvantaged students, with a significant representation of 30% African American students and 35% non-white students. The findings indicated that Equity Playbook schools significantly improved key academic outcomes, particularly among economically disadvantaged students. Notably, students attending Equity Playbook schools, especially those with a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, showed significant improvement in testing on grade level in Science and Math compared to their counterparts in non-participating schools. Additionally, the study revealed a reduction in the Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) achievement gap for economically disadvantaged students among participating schools. Furthermore, the completion rates of advanced courses for African American and non-white students in Equity Playbook schools showed marked improvement compared to the schools that did not participate in the initiative. Qualitative interviews with state, district, and school-level educators and staff also provided positive feedback regarding the effects of the Equity Playbook Initiative. The findings suggest that the Equity Playbook Initiative holds promise in promoting student academic achievement and enhancing school climate. This study encourages further evaluation and broader adoption of the Equity Playbook Initiative in various districts and schools across Kentucky to leverage its potential benefits. [This report was prepared for engage2learn by LXD Research.]

LXD Research conducted a study to evaluate the impact of the Zaner-Bloser Kickstart: Number Sense program, a math intervention designed to enhance foundational math skills among first and second-grade students in an Oregon school district over a three-year period from spring 2019 to Spring 2023. The program was implemented in two schools, engaging 130 first graders and 163 second graders. The student population included 15% Hispanic/Latino students, 8% English Language Learners, 15% students with diagnosed disabilities, and approximately 70% of students qualifying for Free/Reduced Price lunch. The district represents at least 19 different language backgrounds, reflecting a diverse and multicultural student body. The intervention comprised daily 20-minute group lessons focused on developing critical math skills, conducted by instructors without prior math teaching experience. The program's effectiveness was evaluated by comparing third-grade math proficiency rates between Kickstart students and their peers from comparison schools of similar size across the state, utilizing publicly available proficiency scores from the Oregon Statewide Assessments (OSAS) as the benchmark. Key findings demonstrated that Zaner-Bloser Kickstart: Number Sense students consistently outperformed their counterparts in comparison schools over multiple academic years. Specifically, in the 2021-2022 academic year, 44% of all Kickstart students achieved math proficiency, compared to 26% in comparison schools. In the 2022-2023 academic year, the proficiency rate for all Kickstart students was 39%, compared to 26% in comparison schools. Additionally, first graders' proficiency increased from 43% in 2021-2022 to 56% in 2022-2023, while second graders' proficiency rose from 35% to 47% over the same period. These results suggest that the Zaner-Bloser Kickstart: Number Sense program is highly effective in significantly improving early math outcomes, fostering a solid foundation in math for young learners, and potentially bridging educational gaps. The study's rigorous methodology and findings support Zaner-Bloser Kickstart: Number Sense as a comprehensive program that meets the criteria for ESSA Level 2. [This report was produced by Zaner-Bloser.]

LXD Research conducted a study to examine the relationship between investment in Zaner-Bloser Handwriting program and Grade 3 student proficiency in handwriting in Alabama. Data from 4,759 students across 54 schools were analyzed, with schools categorized into Low Zaner-Bloser Handwriting (>$1 and [less than or equal to]$5 per student per year), Moderate Zaner-Bloser Handwriting (>$5 and [less than or equal to]$10 per student per year), and High Zaner-Bloser Handwriting (>$10 per student per year) investment groups. The demographic profile of the sample included a diverse range of students, notably with a significant representation of low-income and minority groups. The study revealed a substantial positive correlation between the level of ZB-HW investment and handwriting proficiency. Notably, 91% of students in the High ZB-HW investment group achieved proficiency, compared to 82% in the Moderate group and 69% in the Low investment group. Additionally, each $1 increase in per-student investment was associated with an 18% increase in the likelihood of achieving proficiency. These findings highlight the effectiveness of Zaner-Bloser Handwriting in enhancing handwriting skills and underscore the importance of targeted investment in educational resources to support student outcomes. The findings and rigorous study design support Zaner-Bloser Handwriting as a comprehensive program that meets the criteria for ESSA Level 3. [This report was produced by Zaner-Bloser.]

This study investigates the impact of the MindPlay Reading program on student literacy achievement in Dayton City Schools, Ohio, during the 2021-2022 academic year. A correlational analysis was conducted in collaboration with LXD Research to examine the relationship between MindPlay usage and student outcomes on literacy assessments. The sample included 3,444 students in grades 2-6, with 66% identifying as Black, 33% as White, and 13% as English Language Learners (ELL). Student progress was measured using MindPlay's internal assessments and NWEA MAP Growth, a standardized reading assessment that generates Rasch unIT (RIT) scores. Results indicated a positive correlation between increased usage of MindPlay Reading and higher Spring RIT scores. Students who engaged with the program for at least 60 hours (approximately 20 minutes per day) demonstrated above-average growth, closing critical skill gaps. MindPlay Reading, a digital literacy intervention with video instruction and interactive practice, offers a comprehensive approach to phoneme awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. This research supports the program's effectiveness in promoting significant literacy gains in diverse student populations.

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the Heggerty Bridge to Reading program for first-grade students compared to a business-as-usual reading program by employing a mixed-methods approach encompassing a matched quasi-experimental design, teacher surveys, and interviews. In light of the learning disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the study underscores the necessity of explicit reading instruction, with a focus on phonemic awareness and systematic phonics. Results indicate that the Bridge to Reading program, integrating phonemic awareness lessons with daily explicit phonics instruction, significantly improves student achievement on MAP Growth and MAP Fluency formative assessments, leading to higher RIT scores and growth compared to the control group. Analysis of student subgroups reveals significant progress among lower-achieving students, indicating effective support in bridging foundational reading skill gaps from kindergarten. Moreover, the program surpasses the comparison group in meeting projected growth targets, with a greater proportion of students reaching their mid-year growth target. Feedback from educators in the treatment group underscores positive perceptions, with teachers reporting enhanced understanding of reading methods and alignment with literacy development. The study also examines demographic factors and baseline scores, revealing significant impacts in areas such as phonological awareness, phonics, and word recognition. Additionally, the study outlines future steps, including qualitative data collection and end-of-year quantitative analysis, to further elucidate the program's efficacy. These preliminary findings suggest that the Bridge to Reading program holds promise in bolstering student achievement in foundational reading skills, particularly amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. [This report was published with Heggerty.]

The insufficient focus on developing writing instruction in education is a significant problem. Despite the crucial link between writing and reading skills and their impact on academic and life success, there is a notable lack of emphasis on writing in schools. Writing A-Z is a digital-first program that helps teachers establish a writing community, teach the writing process, promote self-regulation, and provide a regular time for students to write for various purposes and audiences. This report presents ESSA Evidence for the research base of Writing A-Z by Learning A-Z for Level 4 or IV, Demonstrates a Rationale, including a logic model and literature review that connects academic research studies to features in the product that support learning outcomes.

Structural two level systems (TLSs) ubiquitous in amorphous solids are dramatically sensitive to thermal cycling to about $20$K and then back to low temperature, a process upon which the excitation energy of most TLSs is significantly changed. Using Monte Carlo simulations we demonstrate that this phenomenon is not contained within the standard tunneling model, but is well explained by a model that includes an additional set of TLSs that are pseudo-gapped at low energies, yet possess strong strain interaction through which they generate significant dynamical disorder upon thermal cycling. Our results give support for the general applicability of the Two-TLS model to amorphous solids at low temperatures, in that nearing our understanding of the low-temperature universality of phonon attenuation in amorphous solids. Further, we suggest thermal cycling as a unique protocol to distinguish TLS noise from other noise sources in quantum circuits., Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures (including Supplementary Material)

This study explored the impact of the 95 Phonics Core Program® (95 PCP) on student literacy achievement across third graders who started the school year at different ability levels. The primary focus of this report was to investigate the relationship between changes in phonics scores with the beginning and end-of-year i-Ready® assessments and outcomes on State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®). To this end, i-Ready scores were collected from 4 elementary schools in the Southside Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas, during the 2022-2023 academic school year. Third graders from all schools were aggregated by beginning-of-year (BOY) placement level in terms of grade-level skills (kindergarten, first grade, second grade, third grade). Outcomes were expressed in terms of gains on scale scores and performance levels in STAAR. The analysis compared EOY performance levels for students who grew different amounts in their phonics skills during the school year. The analysis progressed through the following questions, each adding a piece to the overall picture.

This study explores the implementation of the engage2Learn program among English as a Second Language (ESL) educators in the Providence Public School District and its impact on student outcomes over three years (2021-2023). Utilizing Grade 1-5 WIDA ACCESS scores, this study examines cohort differences in change in student proficiency levels before and after e2L coaching. The results indicated positive associations between e2L coaching and ELL student ELA proficiency as indexed by year-over-year growth in WIDA Access scores. In addition to the overall effect of e2L coaching, ELL student growth was greatest among students of teachers who earned two or more e2L best practice badges. Qualitative data in the form of teacher surveys supported the quantitative findings with positive feedback from participating educators. These educators also noted that they had actively integrated e2L coaching strategies into their daily teaching practices. The study suggests a significant benefit when ELL teachers build capacity in educational best practices aligning with high-quality ESL program characteristics. Despite some limitations including non-random assignment of teachers, the study provides insights for educator professional development, ESL policymakers, and educators.

Educators often lack the proper tools and time to teach each child to read fluently, which requires distinct and interrelated word recognition and language comprehension processes. The lack of reading proficiency strongly correlates to academic struggles throughout elementary school and beyond, creating academic performance gaps between readers that grow with each successive grade. This document describes ESSA IV Evidence for Foundations A-Z's research base. The report features a literature review, a logic model, and a description of key product features.

Using a mixed-method approach, researchers examined college instructors' use of a virtual lab simulation library, Labster, students' perceptions of the simulations on their learning and future STEM plans, as well as data from the library to explore patterns of lab use and quiz scores. A detailed look at Contemporary Biology I and Biology II quiz scores found that virtual lab use was more regular during the second year of implementation, and students' quiz scores significantly improved, with fewer quiz attempts. An exploration of DFW rates found a 34% decrease of DFW rates across all three pairs of Biology I and Biology II courses, although it did not reach statistical significance. Outcomes of the student survey revealed that when virtual lab assignments occurred before the in-person lab, students were four times more likely to "Plan to work in a STEM field" and over five times more likely to "Plan to take more STEM courses" when compared to students who used the virtual labs at other times. To better understand the difference between a student confident of a future in STEM to one unsure, a sense of belonging to the science community at the university was a distinguishing factor. All results with the exception of the course grades analysis were peer-reviewed and published in the EdMedia + Innovate Learning conference proceedings in July 2023. These findings have important implications for implementing virtual lab simulations to increase student performance, decrease DFW rates, and support continued STEM course enrollment. [This research was funded by Labster.]

LXD Research analyzed data from 402 students from second and third graders who either participated in using the 95 Phonics Core Program (95PCP) or served as comparison students in a school district in AZ during the school year 2022-2023. This product adds explicit and systematic phonics instruction to the daily reading block. The demographic breakdown of this sample includes 46% Indigenous students and 54% Hispanic students, 65% Low Income, 15% Special Education students, and 15% Limited English Proficient students. Two schools volunteered to use 95PCP as their core reading curriculum and used it for about 30 minutes a day. Three comparison schools with similar demographics and literacy scores created a matched sample and used National Geographic (NatGeo) as their core reading program. The Aimsweb Plus Reading Early Literacy Assessment was conducted at the beginning, middle, and end of year 2023 to understand the programs' impact on reading. Showing promising results, students using 95PCP had fewer students labeled as High Risk on Aimsweb Plus compared to the NatGeo students at the End-of-the-Year for both Indigenous and Hispanic students. Indigenous students in the NatGeo group actually had more students labeled as High Risk at the End-of-the-Year than at the start of the year. There was a significant decrease of students labeled as High Risk for the 95PCP group, but the difference was not significant when compared to the NatGeo group. The findings and rigorous study design support the 95 Phonics Core Program as a comprehensive program that meets the criteria for ESSA Level 3.

Responsive coaching at engage2learn is an innovative, and with this and previous reports--an evidence-based solution. This 2021-2022 study compellingly validates the efficacy of the engage2learn program through an exploration of NWEA MAP® Growth™ and STAAR test scores for Math and Science, Grades 6-8. LXD Research, an independent research firm, analyzed educator achievement through the life of the engage2learn partnership with a large urban school district in Texas. This report focuses on student growth on benchmark assessments (over 2,000 students in total) during the 2021-2022 school year and evaluates the relationship between educator engage2Learn participation and student growth, along with differences in school climate. The robust sample, 169 teachers across 10 schools, showed that the impact of teacher participation in engage2Learn on student academic growth is positive and significant in both math and science.

A quadruply lensed source, J125856.3-031944, has been discovered using the DELVE survey and WISE W1 - W2 colors. Followup direct imaging carried out with the MPIA 2.2 m and the Baade 6.5 m telescopes is analyzed, as is spectroscopy from the 2.5 m Nordic Optical Telescope. The lensed image configuration is kite-like, with the faintest image 2 magnitudes fainter than the other three. Redward of 6000 AA that image is badly blended with the lensing galaxy, which is elongated along the symmetry axis of the kite. Magellan direct imaging carried out in Sloan g permits better deblending. As the lensed image configuration is nearly circular, simple models give individual magnifications of at least 25 for the 3 brighter images. The source's narrow emission lines and low intrinsic luminosity qualify it as a type 2 AGN., Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, submitted to AJ, comments welcome

Microlensing near macro-caustics is a complex phenomenon in which swarms of micro-images produced by micro-caustics form on both sides of a macro-critical curve. Recent discoveries of highly magnified images of individual stars in massive galaxy cluster lenses, predicted to be formed by these micro-image swarms, have stimulated studies on this topic. In this Chapter, we explore microlensing near macro-caustics using both simulations and analytic calculations. We show that the mean total magnification of the micro-image swarms follows that of an extended source in the absence of microlensing. Micro-caustics join into a connected network in a region around the macro-critical line of a width proportional to the surface density of microlenses; within this region, the increase of the mean magnification toward the macro-caustic is driven by the increase of the number of micro-images rather than individual magnifications of micro-images. The maximum achievable magnification in micro-caustic crossings decreases with the mass fraction in microlenses. We conclude with a review of applications of this microlensing phenomenon, including limits to the fraction of dark matter in compact objects, and searches of Population III stars and dark matter subhalos. We argue that the discovered highly magnified stars at cosmological distances already imply that less than $\sim$ 10\% of the dark matter may be in the form of compact objects with mass above $\sim 10^{-6}\, M_{\odot}$., Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures; to be submitted to Space Science Reviews, Topical Collection "Strong Gravitational Lensing", eds. J. Wambsganss et al

When a rectangular hyperbola is constructed from the image positions of a quadruply lensed quasar, as proposed by Witt (1996), it passes very close to the the lensing galaxy. The median measured perpendicular offset between the observed light center of the lens and Witt's hyperbola is 0.013" for a sample for 39 systems lensed by a relatively isolated galaxy. The family of lens models adopted by Witt predicts that the lens lies on the hyperbola, but its position in not used for its construction. The median offset corresponds to roughly 1% of the Einstein ring radius, and suggests that the centers of the lensing potential are close to the light centers of the lens. By putting a restrictive prior on the perpendicular distance to Witt's hyperbola (or on the distance between the galaxy and the potential), one reduces by one the dimensionality of a model space when fitting data. Taking the brightest pixel of a lensing galaxy as its center avoids a shortcoming of using the average light center for a constraint., Comment: 10 pages. Refereed, re-imagined, re-titled and re-submitted to ApJ

EPS contracted with LXD Research, a third-party research company, to examine the relationship between progress in S.P.I.R.E. and student reading outcomes at Martin County School District in Florida. LXD Research analyzed 192 students from grades 3-5 in 13 elementary schools who use S.P.I.R.E./i.S.P.I.R.E. reading intervention that uses an Orton-Gillingham approach. The Martin County School District's largest racial/ethnic group is Hispanic (48%), and over one-third of students (38%) had a Limited English Proficiency class or were still being monitored. Researchers used S.P.I.R.E. progress level and the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) to understand the impact of the intervention program on student's learning outcomes. LXD Research found that students who completed more lessons in S.P.I.R.E. had higher literacy achievement at the end of the study, and these relationships were statistically significant. For all grades, students who completed more S.P.I.R.E. levels had higher spring FAST achievement (t(190) = 2.9, p < 0.01, Cohen's d effect size = 0.44). For all grades, S.P.I.R.E. ending level was significantly correlated with spring FAST achievement (r(190) = 0.43, p < 0.01) for students in Grades 3-5. After controlling for grade, race, LEP status, gender, and Fall FAST scores in an Analysis of Covariance, S.P.I.R.E. significantly predicted spring FAST achievement for students across Grades 3-5. This study provides results to satisfy ESSA evidence requirements for Level III (Promising Evidence) given the study design and positive, statistically significant findings.

This study aims to measure the impact of 95 Percent Group's Phonological Awareness Lessons (PA Lessons), an intervention program designed primarily for Tier 2 or 3. The study is a replication of Schechter & Lynch (2023) research conducted in the same medium-sized school district, Val Verde Unified School District, in California during the 2021-2022 school year. It presents the fall results from September 2022 to January 2023 using Acadience? Reading data. The same school groups (treatment with PA Lessons and comparison without the PA Lessons) continue from the previous study and therefore uses a quasi-experimental design to generate evidence of the program's impact that aligns with evidence standards associated with ESSA Level 2 (Moderate). A total of 527 kindergarten students from 11 schools who were well below/below benchmark in the Fall of 2022 participated in the study. Of these students, 257 were in the treatment group, and 270 were in the comparison group. The demographic characteristics of the comparison group included 56% males, 3% with special education (SPED) status, 44% English Language Learners (ELL), 88% from diverse ethnic/racial backgrounds, and 24% identified as foster/homeless. Similarly, the treatment group demographics comprise 51% males, 2% with SPED status, 36% ELL, 87% from diverse ethnic/racial backgrounds, and 20% identified as foster/homeless. Results of the study found that using PA Lessons substantially impacted student growth for Tiers 2 & 3 over the fall. PA Lesson schools had reduced Well Below Grade Level by half (67% to 28%). Comparison schools only reduced the group by less than a third (67% to 47%). Notably, 41% of PA Lesson students were At/Above grade level mid-year, compared to only 25% in other schools.

This study measures the impact of 95 Percent Group's Phonological Awareness Lessons (PA Lessons), an intervention program designed for kindergartners for Tier 2 or 3. The study is a replication of a study conducted in the same medium-sized school district in California during 2021-2022. Students Below or Well Below Benchmark in Fall 2022 were assessed with Acadience? Reading was used to compare literacy growth from 2022-2023 using a quasi-experimental design, aligning with Moderate evidence standards associated with ESSA Level. The study follows 536 kindergarten students from 11 schools, 260 in the treatment group, and 276 in the comparison group. The demographic characteristics of the comparison group included 56% males, 3% with special education (SPED) status, 45% English Language Learners (ELL), 88% were Hispanic, and 24% identified as foster/homeless. Similarly, the treatment group demographics comprise 51% males, 2% with SPED status, 36% ELL, 87% were Hispanic, and 21% identified as foster/homeless. Results showed that using PA Lessons substantially impacted student growth for Tiers 2 & 3 across the school year with a Cohen's d effect size .84, which is more than twice as large as previous studies. PA Lesson schools reduced Well Below Grade Level by 25 percentage points from Fall to Spring (72% to 47%). Alternatively, comparison schools only reduced the group by 20 percentage points from Fall to Spring (79% to 59%). Notably, an additional 10% of students ended the year At or Above Benchmark for the grade level (36% PA Lessons vs. 26% Other Schools).

LXD Research analyzed data from 405 students from kindergarten through first grade who either participated in using the 95 Phonics Core Program (95PCP) or served as comparison students in a school district in AZ during the school year 2022-2023. This product adds explicit and systematic phonics instruction to the daily reading block. The demographic breakdown of this sample includes 27% Indigenous students, 40% Hispanic students, 46% Low Income, 13% Special Education students, and 12% Limited English Proficient students. Two schools volunteered to use 95PCP as their core reading curriculum and used it for about 30 minutes a day. Three comparison schools with similar demographics and literacy scores created a matched sample and used National Geographic (NatGeo) as their core reading program. The Aimsweb Plus Reading Early Literacy Assessment was conducted at the beginning, middle, and end of year 2023 to understand the programs' impact on reading. Students using 95PCP showed significantly more reading growth on the Aimsweb assessment compared to the comparison group. Kindergarten students using 95PCP scored 17 more points than the comparison group on their early literacy scores at the end of the year and first grade students scored 8 more points than the comparison group at the end of the year. Notably, the impact of 95PCP led to an additional 22% of kindergartners and 8% of first graders to being on track, considered "Low Risk" on Aimsweb, in the Spring 2023. The findings and rigorous study design support the 95 Phonics Core Program as a comprehensive program that meets the criteria for ESSA Level 2.

This study explores the efficacy of core phonics and intervention products by 95 Percent Group, LLC ("One95"), drawing on the relationship between technology, the science of reading, and learning sciences. Researchers analyzed data from 440 K-1 students in Maryland that rolled out One95 over two school years, fall 2020 to spring 2022. The sample included students who were 54% Black, 15% ELL, 8% SPED, and 75% Economically Disadvantaged. According to iReady® Diagnostic Reading, One95 students outperformed similar students who did not receive the program in the first year. In the second year, both groups used One95, and students with two years of use showed earlier growth and doubled the effect sizes than those with one year of use (0.64 vs. 0.31). Black One95 students also showed stronger reading outcomes than their comparison group peers by spring 2022. These results support that One95 positively and significantly impacted student literacy achievement.

Quantum two-level systems (TLSs) limit the performance of superconducting qubits and superconducting and optomechanical resonators breaking down the coherence and absorbing the energy of oscillations. TLS absorption can be suppressed or even switched to the gain regime by inverting TLS populations. Here we theoretically explore the regime where the full inversion of TLS populations is attained at energies below a pump field quantization energy by simultaneously applying the pump field and the time varying bias. This regime is attained changing the bias sufficiently slowly to fully invert TLS populations when their energies cross resonance with the pump field and sufficiently fast to avoid TLS relaxation between two resonance crossing events. This population inversion is accompanied by a significant red shift of cavity resonance due to quantum level repulsion. The red-shift in frequency serves as a signature of the population inversion, as its re-entrant behavior as function of bias sweep rate and of the magnitude of the pump field allows the determination of the TLSs dipole moment and relaxation time. The predicted behavior is qualitatively consistent with the recent experimental observations in Al superconducting resonators., Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, to be submitted, comments are welcome!

With two central galaxies engaged in a major merger and a remarkable chain of 19 young stellar superclusters wound around them in projection, the galaxy cluster SDSS J1531+3414 ($z=0.335$) offers an excellent laboratory to study the interplay between mergers, AGN feedback, and star formation. New Chandra X-ray imaging reveals rapidly cooling hot ($T\sim 10^6$ K) intracluster gas, with two "wings" forming a concave density discontinuity near the edge of the cool core. LOFAR $144$ MHz observations uncover diffuse radio emission strikingly aligned with the "wings," suggesting that the "wings" are actually the opening to a giant X-ray supercavity. The steep radio emission is likely an ancient relic of one of the most energetic AGN outbursts observed, with $4pV > 10^{61}$ erg. To the north of the supercavity, GMOS detects warm ($T\sim 10^4$ K) ionized gas that enshrouds the stellar superclusters but is redshifted up to $+ 800$ km s$^{-1}$ with respect to the southern central galaxy. ALMA detects a similarly redshifted $\sim 10^{10}$ M$_\odot$ reservoir of cold ($T\sim 10^2$ K) molecular gas, but it is offset from the young stars by $\sim 1{-}3$ kpc. We propose that the multiphase gas originated from low-entropy gas entrained by the X-ray supercavity, attribute the offset between the young stars and the molecular gas to turbulent intracluster gas motions, and suggest that tidal interactions stimulated the "beads on a string" star formation morphology., Comment: Accepted by ApJ, 36 pages, 23 figures

Strong gravitational lensing of quasars has the potential to unlock the poorly understood physics of these fascinating objects, as well as serve as a probe of the lensing mass distribution and of cosmological parameters. In particular, gravitational microlensing by compact bodies in the lensing galaxy can enable mapping of quasar structure to $\lt 10^{-6}$ arcsec scales. Some of this potential has been realized over the past few decades, however the upcoming era of large sky surveys promises to bring this to full fruition. Here we review the theoretical framework of this field, describe the prominent current methods for parameter inference from quasar microlensing data across different observing modalities, and discuss the constraints so far derived on the geometry and physics of quasar inner structure. We also review the application of strong lensing and microlensing to constraining the granularity of the lens potential, i.e. the contribution of the baryonic and dark matter components, and the local mass distribution in the lens, i.e. the stellar mass function. Finally, we discuss the future of the field, including the new possibilities that will be opened by the next generation of large surveys and by new analysis methods now being developed., Comment: To be submitted to Space Science Reviews, Topical Collection "Strong Gravitational Lensing", eds. J. Wambsganss et al

LXD Research analyzed data from 945 students in kindergarten who were Below or Well Below Benchmark at the beginning of the year and participated in using the Phonological Awareness (PA) Lessons Deluxe Package as an intervention in CA in Fall 2021. The product is a Tier 2 or Tier 3 intervention for grades K-2 that includes lessons and manipulatives that focuses on explicit and systematic instruction to advance skill development along the Phonological Awareness Continuum. Within the sample, 79% of students were Hispanic, 28% were ELL, and 15% were Foster or Homeless. Students using the PA Lessons during targeted, small group, 20-30-minute daily interventions showed higher gains on Acadience Reading than the comparison group. The significance of the findings and the rigorous study design provide support for Phonological Awareness Lessons Deluxe Package as a program that meets the criteria for ESSA Level 2. [This report was produced by Learning Experience Design (LXD) Research & Consulting and 95 Percent Group LLC.]

LXD Research analyzed data from 462 students in first grade who were Below or Well Below Benchmark at the beginning of the year and participated in using the Phonics Lesson Library and the Phonics Chip Kit as an intervention in CA for the 2021-2022 school year. The product is a Tier 2 or Tier 3 phonics intervention using lessons and manipulatives that support skill development along the Phonics Continuum. The demographic breakdown of this sample included 82% Hispanic students, 33% ELL students, 4% SPED students, and 5% Foster or Homeless students. Students using the Phonics Lesson Library and Phonics Chip Kit during targeted, small group, 30-minute daily explicit and systematic phonics instruction showed higher gains on the CORE Phonics Survey and Acadience Reading than the comparison group. The significance of the findings and the rigorous study design support the Phonics Lesson Library and Phonics Chip Kit as programs that meet the criteria for ESSA Level 2.

Strong gravitational lenses provide unique laboratories for cosmological and astrophysical investigations, but they must first be discovered - a task that can be met with significant contamination by other astrophysical objects and asterisms. Here we review strong lens searches, covering various sources (quasars, galaxies, supernovae, FRBs, GRBs, and GWs), lenses (early- and late-type galaxies, groups, and clusters), datasets (imaging, spectra, and lightcurves), and wavelengths. We first present the physical characteristics of the lens and source populations, highlighting relevant details for constructing targeted searches. Search techniques are described based on the main lensing feature that is required for the technique to work, namely one of: (i) an associated magnification, (ii) multiple spatially-resolved images, (iii) multiple redshifts, or (iv) a non-zero time delay between images. To use the current lens samples for science, and for the design of future searches, we list several selection biases that exist due to these discovery techniques. We conclude by discussing the future of lens searches in upcoming surveys and the new population of lenses that will be discovered., Comment: 54 pages, 15 figures, submitted to Space Science Reviews, Topical Collection "Strong Gravitational Lensing", eds. J. Wambsganss et al

The engage2learn approach to educator support provides an in-person and virtual coaching system that builds capacity and engagement in public schools. Engage2learn hired LXD Research to conduct an independent evaluation and analysis of NWEA Math and Reading data collected during the 2021-2022 school year. The goal was to measure how engage2learn contributed to the faculty's shared and growing use of instructional best practices in the classroom and if those best practices impacted student outcomes. Engage2learn created a partnership with a midsize urban school district comprised of over 15K+ students (46% Hispanic) located in Texas. The sample encompasses 14 schools, 309 teachers, and over 4,000 students, spanning Reading and Math content areas and across grade levels (K-5). 209 teachers and 5,369 students were assigned to use engage2learn, and 123 teachers (2, 877 students) were included as a statistically similar comparison who did not use engage2learn. The school district provided LXD Research with NWEA MAP scores for all students during the 2021-2022 school year. The results showed that the impact of teacher mastery on student academic growth is positive and significant in reading and math. Students of teachers who earned multiple Mastery Badges (4 or more) had significantly higher growth in Reading and Math MAP RIT Score gains than students of teachers who earned No Mastery Badges. Students of teachers who earned multiple Mastery Badges were also significantly more likely to meet reading and math growth targets than teachers who earned No Mastery Badges. Educators who earned four or more Mastery Badges further increased student likelihood to achieve their reading and math growth targets (60%) compared to teachers who earned No Mastery Badges (38% reading, 33% math). The findings are compelling due to the consistency of significant results across multiple grades and subject areas. The impact and findings are relevant for diverse stakeholder groups, including those who care primarily about student achievement and those who believe in or are curious about the connection between strong and innovative teacher coaching and student outcomes. The findings indicate that engage2learn is a powerful tool for schools to support educators and their students. There is an opportunity for the addition of educator voices in future studies that will offer feedback about implementation and engagement to add insight to the assessment data and allow for the research to inform the ongoing product design, development, and iteration.

$\mathrm{LiHoF_{4}}$ is a magnetic material known for its Ising-type anisotropy, making it a model system for studying quantum magnetism. However, the theoretical description of $\mathrm{LiHoF_{4}}$ using the quantum Ising model has shown discrepancies in its phase diagram, particularly in the regime dominated by thermal fluctuations. In this study, we investigate the role of off-diagonal dipolar terms in $\mathrm{LiHoF_{4}}$, previously neglected, in determining its properties. We analytically derive the low-energy effective Hamiltonian of $\mathrm{LiHoF_{4}}$, including the off-diagonal dipolar terms perturbatively, both in the absence and presence of a transverse field. Our results encompass the full $B_{x}-T$ phase diagram, confirming the significance of the off-diagonal dipolar terms in reducing the zero-field critical temperature and determining the critical temperature's dependence on the transverse field. We also highlight the sensitivity of this mechanism to the crystal structure by comparing our calculations with the $\mathrm{Fe_{8}}$ system., Comment: v3: 31 pages, 9 figures; new appendices D-F and other changes

Strongly lensed systems with peculiar configurations allow us to probe the local properties of the deflecting lens mass while simultaneously testing general profile assumptions. The quasar HE0230$-$2130 is lensed by two galaxies at similar redshifts ($\Delta z \sim 0.003$) into four observed images. Using modeled quasar positions from fitting the brightness of the quasar images in ground-based imaging data from the Magellan telescope, we find that lens-mass models where each of these two galaxies is parametrized with a singular power-law (PL) profile predict five quasar images. To interpret the quad configuration of the system, we tested 12 different profile assumptions with the aim of obtaining lens-mass models that correctly predict only four observed images. We tested the effects of adopting: cored profiles for the lensing galaxies; external shear; and additional profiles to represent a dark matter clump. We find that half of our model classes can produce the correct image multiplicity. By comparing the Bayesian evidence of different model parametrizations, we favor two model classes: (i) one that incorporates two singular PL profiles for the lensing galaxies and a cored isothermal sphere in the region of the previously predicted fifth image (rNIS profile), and (ii) one with a bigger lensing galaxy parametrized by a singular PL profile and the smaller galaxy by a cored PL profile with external shear. We estimated the mass of the rNIS clump for each candidate model of our final Markov chain Monte Carlo sample, and find that only 2\% are in the range of $10^6 M_{\odot} \leq M_{\rm rNIS}\leq 10^9 M_{\odot}$, which is the predicted mass range of dark matter subhalos in cold dark matter simulations, or the mass of dark-matter-dominated and low-surface-brightness galaxies. We therefore favor the models with a cored mass distribution for the lens galaxy close to the predicted fifth image., Comment: 22 pages, 13 figures, 7 tables; accepted by A&A

We investigate the pure dephasing of a Josephson qubit due to the spectral diffusion of two-level systems that are close to resonance with the qubit. We identify the parameter regime in which this pure dephasing rate can be of the order of the energy relaxation rate and, thus, the relation $T_2 = 2 T_1$ is violated for the qubit. This regime is reached if the dynamics of the thermal TLSs responsible for the spectral diffusion is sufficiently slower than the energy relaxation of the qubit. By adding periodic bias modulating the qubit frequency or TLS excitation energies we show that this pure dephasing mechanism can be mitigated, allowing enhancement of superconducting qubits coherence time. Mitigating pure dephasing, even if it is subdominant, is of special significance in view of recent suggestions for converting the dominant relaxation process ($T_1$) into erasure errors, leaving pure dephasing as the bottleneck for efficient quantum computation., Comment: 16 pages, 2 figures

This paper examines the relaxation dynamics of a two-dimensional Coulomb glass lattice model with high disorders. The study aims to investigate the effects of disorder and Coulomb interactions on glassy dynamics by computing the eigenvalue distribution of the linear dynamical matrix using mean-field approximations. The findings highlight the significance of the single-particle density of states (DOS) as the main controlling parameter affecting the relaxation at intermediate and long times. For the model with unscreened Coulomb interactions, our results indicate that the depletion of the DOS near the Fermi level leads to logarithmic decay at intermediate times. As the relaxation progresses to longer times, a power-law decay emerges, with the exponent approaching zero as the disorder strength increases, suggesting the manifestation of logarithmic decay at high disorders. The effects of screening of interactions on the dynamics are also studied at various screening and disorder strengths. The findings reveal that screening leads to the filling of the gap in the density of states, causing deviation from logarithmic decay at intermediate disorders. Moreover, in the strong disorder regime, the relaxation dynamics are dominated by disorder, and even with screened Coulomb interactions, the electronic relaxation remains similar to the unscreened case. The time at which crossover to exponential decay occurs increases with increasing disorder and interaction strength., Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures

LXD Research analyzed data from over 3,200 students in grades K-2 who participated in using the 95 Phonics Core Program in a school district in MO during 2021-2022. The demographic breakdown of this sample included 75% White students, 23% Low Income students, 9% ESL students, 13% SPED students. Schools in the district were paired for similar ELA scores in Spring 2021, and then randomly assigned to treatment or control groups. Students in the 95 Phonics Core Program used the program every day for about 30 minutes during the daily reading block and teachers received the beginning of the year training with two question-answer sessions every few months. 95PCP schools outperformed students in the control group schools who did not receive the 95 Phonics Core Program, according to the Acadience Reading assessment. Students in each grade K-2 had statistically significant findings on either the composite score or a subtest score. The findings and rigorous study design provide support for the 95 Phonics Core Program as a comprehensive program that meets the criteria for ESSA Level 1. [95 Percent Group partnered with LXD Research to conduct this evaluation.]

Recommender systems influence almost every aspect of our digital lives. Unfortunately, in striving to give us what we want, they end up restricting our open-mindedness. Current recommender systems promote echo chambers, where people only see the information they want to see, and homophily, where users of similar background see similar content. We propose a new serendipity metric to measure the presence of echo chambers and homophily in recommendation systems using cluster analysis. We then attempt to improve the diversity-preservation qualities of well known recommendation techniques by adopting a parent selection algorithm from the evolutionary computation literature known as lexicase selection. Our results show that lexicase selection, or a mixture of lexicase selection and ranking, outperforms its purely ranked counterparts in terms of personalization, coverage and our specifically designed serendipity benchmark, while only slightly under-performing in terms of accuracy (hit rate). We verify these results across a variety of recommendation list sizes. In this work we show that lexicase selection is able to maintain multiple diverse clusters of item recommendations that are each relevant for the specific user, while still maintaining a high hit-rate accuracy, a trade off that is not achieved by other methods., Comment: 9 pages

We identify the first quiescent galaxies in TNG300, the largest volume of the IllustrisTNG cosmological simulation suite, and explore their quenching processes and time evolution to z=0. We find that the first quiescent galaxies with stellar masses M_* > 3 x 10^{10} M_sun and specific star formation rates sSFR < 10^{-11} yr^{-1} emerge at z~4.2 in TNG300. Suppression of star formation in these galaxies begins with a thermal mode of AGN feedback at z~6, and a kinetic feedback mode acts in each galaxy by z~4.7 to complete the quenching process, which occurs on a time-scale of ~0.35 Gyr. Surprisingly, we find that the majority of these galaxies are not the main progenitors of their z=0 descendants; instead, four of the five galaxies fall into more massive galaxies in subsequent mergers at a range of redshifts 2.5 < z < 0.2. By z=0, these descendants are the centres of galaxy clusters with average stellar masses of 8 x 10^{11} M_sun. We make predictions for the first quenched galaxies to be located by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures

We propose a Monte Carlo simulation to understand electron transport in a non-equilibrium steady state (\textit{NESS}) for the lattice Coulomb Glass model, created by continuous excitation of single electrons to high energies followed by relaxation of the system. Around the Fermi level, the \textit{NESS} state approximately obeys the Fermi-Dirac statistics, with an effective temperature ($T_{eff}$) greater than the system's bath temperature ($T$). $T_{eff}$ is a function of $T$ and the rate of photon absorption by the system. Furthermore, we find that the change in conductivity is only a function of relaxation times and is almost independent of the bath temperature. Our results indicate that the conductivity of the \textit{NESS} state can still be characterized by the Efros-Shklovskii law with an effective temperature $T_{eff}>T$. Additionally, the dominance of phonon-less hopping over phonon-assisted hopping is used to explain the relevance of the hot-electron model to the conductivity of the \textit{NESS} state., Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures

While teaching summer school may require similar skills as reading intervention during the year, rarely are summer school instructors reading specialists. To support these instructors providing high quality instruction, this research study examined the impact of the 95 Phonics Booster Bundle: Summer School Edition (SSE). The SSE is a set of 25 fully-scripted lessons with HTML presentation files designed to quickly bolster phonics skills that had been covered in the previous school year. 95 Percent Group hired LXD Research to conduct an independent evaluation of the SSE. LXD Research designed a quasi-experimental study to determine the ability of SSE to support literacy skill development over the summer months. The Acadience Reading assessment was administered to assess student outcomes (testing occurred in the Spring and Fall). Study 1 used one SSE lesson a day over six weeks, and Study 2 intensively used two SSE lessons a day over one month. LXD Research collected data from 958 students in grades 1-3 to determine the efficacy of the 95 Phonics Booster Bundle SSE product. 479 students were assigned to use SSE and 479 were included as statistically similar comparison students who did not use SSE. The study was conducted in Summer 2021, and spanned two school districts, one in California (63% Hispanic) and one in Arizona (46% Hispanic). Rising first graders who completed one SSE lesson a day across six weeks outperformed similar students who did not attend summer school, according to the Acadience Reading assessment, where SSE students showed an 8-point gain compared to a 6-point slide. For rising third graders who were Well Below Benchmark, students who completed two SSE lessons a day for one month outperformed non-SSE students on Acadience Reading, showing a 16-point gain compared to a 4-point slide. Results for other groups were comparable to the comparison students. The significance of the findings and the rigorous study design provide support for 95 Phonics Booster Bundle SSE as a program that meets the criteria for ESSA Level 2. The findings indicate that the 95 Phonics Booster Bundle SSE is a powerful tool for schools to use to support early literacy and reading development. [This report was produced by LXD Research and 95 Percent Group.]

We report the spectroscopic follow-up of 175 lensed quasar candidates selected using Gaia Data Release 2 observations following Lemon et al. 2019. Systems include 86 confirmed lensed quasars and a further 17 likely lensed quasars based on imaging and/or similar spectra. We also confirm 11 projected quasar pairs and 11 physical quasar pairs, while 25 systems are left as unclassified quasar pairs -- pairs of quasars at the same redshift, which could be either distinct quasars or potential lensed quasars. Especially interesting objects include 8 quadruply imaged quasars of which two have BAL sources, an apparent triple, and a doubly lensed LoBaL quasar. The source redshifts and image separations of these new lenses range between 0.65 - 3.59 and 0.78 - 6.23 arcseconds respectively. We compare the known population of lensed quasars to an updated mock catalogue at image separations between 1 and 4 arcseconds, showing a very good match at z<1.5. At z>1.5, only 47% of the predicted number are known, with 56% of these missing lenses at image separations below 1.5 arcseconds. The missing higher-redshift, small-separation systems will have fainter lensing galaxies, and are partially explained by the unclassified quasar pairs and likely lenses presented in this work, which require deeper imaging. Of the 11 new reported projected quasar pairs, 5 have impact parameters below 10 kpc, almost tripling the number of such systems, which can probe the innermost regions of quasar host galaxies through absorption studies. We also report four new lensed galaxies discovered through our searches, with source redshifts ranging from 0.62 to 2.79., Comment: 30 pages, 19 figures, submitted to MNRAS

Gravitational time delays provide a powerful one step measurement of $H_0$, independent of all other probes. One key ingredient in time delay cosmography are high accuracy lens models. Those are currently expensive to obtain, both, in terms of computing and investigator time (10$^{5-6}$ CPU hours and $\sim$ 0.5-1 year, respectively). Major improvements in modeling speed are therefore necessary to exploit the large number of lenses that are forecast to be discovered over the current decade. In order to bypass this roadblock, building on the work by Shajib et al. (2019), we develop an automated modeling pipeline and apply it to a sample of 30 quadruply imaged quasars and one lensed compact galaxy, observed by the Hubble Space Telescope in multiple bands. Our automated pipeline can derive models for 30/31 lenses with few hours of human time and <100 CPU hours of computing time for a typical system. For each lens, we provide measurements of key parameters and predictions of magnification as well as time delays for the multiple images. We characterize the cosmography-readiness of our models using the stability of differences in Fermat potential (proportional to time delay) w.r.t. modeling choices. We find that for 10/30 lenses our models are cosmography or nearly cosmography grade (<3% and 3-5% variations). For 6/30 lenses the models are close to cosmography grade (5-10%). These results are based on informative priors and will need to be confirmed by further analysis. However, they are also likely to improve by extending the pipeline modeling sequence and options. In conclusion, we show that uniform cosmography grade modeling of large strong lens samples is within reach., Comment: 40 pages, 24 figures, 11 tables. Submitted to MNRAS

A simple, novice-friendly scheme for classifying the image configurations of quadruply lensed quasars is proposed. With only six classes, it is intentionally coarse-grained. It focuses on the kitelikeness and circularity of these configurations, or the absence thereof. Other features are deliberately ignored, their importance to professional astronomers notwithstanding. Readers are invited to test drive the scheme on a sample of 12 quadruply lensed quasar systems. The theoretical underpinnings of the scheme are described in a technical appendix., Comment: Revised at referee's suggestion. Theoretical considerations relegated to an appendix. Includes new figure

The quadruple image configurations of gravitational lenses with vanishing ellipticity are examined. Even though such lenses asymptotically approach circularity, the configurations are stable if the position of the source relative to the vanishing diamond caustic is held constant. The configurations are the solutions of a quartic equation, an "Asymptotically Circular Lens Equation" (ACLE), parameterized by a single complex quantity. Several alternative parameterizations are examined. Relative magnifications of the images are derived. When a non-vanishing quadrupole, in the form of an external shear (XS), is added to the singular isothermal sphere (SIS), its configurations emerge naturally as stretched and squeezed versions of the circular configurations. And as the SIS+XS model is a good first approximation for most quadruply lensed quasars, their configurations likewise have only 2+1 salient dimensions. The asymptotically circular configurations can easily be adapted to the problem of Solar System "occultation flashes.", Comment: Submitted to ApJ. 25 pages, 10 figures of which Figure 8 is the one to remember

The rare-earth material $\mathrm{LiHoF_4}$ is believed to be an experimental realization of the celebrated (dipolar) Ising model, and upon the inclusion of a transverse field $B_x$, an archetypal quantum Ising model. Moreover, by substituting the magnetic Ho ions by non-magnetic Y ions, disorder can be introduced into the system giving rise to a dipolar disordered magnet and at high disorders to a spin-glass. Indeed, this material has been scrutinized experimentally, numerically and theoretically over many decades with the aim of understanding various collective magnetic phenomena. One of the to-date open questions is the discrepancy between the experimental and theoretical $B_x -T$ phase diagram at low-fields and high temperatures. Here we propose a mechanism, backed by numerical results, that highlights the importance of quantum fluctuations induced by the off-diagonal dipolar terms, in determining the critical temperature of anisotropic dipolar magnets in the presence and in the absence of a transverse field. We thus show that the description as a simple Ising system is insufficient to quantitatively describe the full phase diagram of $\mathrm{LiHoF_4}$, for the pure as well as for the dilute system., Comment: 5+8 pages, 5+5 figures; added argument to results section, corrected typos

We present the Strong Lensing Science Collaboration's (SLSC) recommended observing targets for the science verification and science validation phases of commissioning. Our recommendations have been developed in collaboration with the Dark Energy Science Collaboration (DESC) Strong Lensing Topical Team. In summary, our key recommendations are as follows: (1) Prioritize fields that span the full range of declination observable from Cerro Pachon during the engineering focused Science Verification phase of commissioning, before concentrating on equatorial fields for the Science Validation surveys. (2) Observe quadruply lensed quasars as the ultimate test of the Active Optics system towards the end of the Science Verification phase of commissioning. These systems are the strongest tests known for delivered image quality. (3) Prioritize science validation survey fields (both single deep pointings and wide fields) that have been searched thoroughly by precursor surveys for strong lenses. (4) The optimal wide (~100 degree^2) science validation field would include the CFHT-LS W4 field, and overlap with the SDSS Stripe 82, DES-SN, KIDS and HSC-SSP fields. (5) The optimal single pointing science validation fields are the XMM-LSS and COSMOS Deep Drilling Fields, the equatorial Hubble Frontier Fields galaxy clusters, and strongly lensed quasars with measured time delays that are well-matched to commissioning timescales., Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure

Quantum two-level systems (TLSs) intrinsic to glasses induce decoherence in many modern quantum devices, such as superconducting qubits. Although the low-temperature physics of these TLSs is usually well-explained by a phenomenological standard tunneling model of independent TLSs, the nature of these TLSs, as well as their behavior out of equilibrium and at high energies above 1 K, remain inconclusive. Here we measure the non-equilibrium dielectric loss of TLSs in amorphous silicon using a superconducting resonator, where energies of TLSs are varied in time using a swept electric field. Our results show the existence of two distinct ensembles of TLSs, interacting weakly and strongly with phonons, where the latter also possesses anomalously large electric dipole moment. These results may shed new light on the low temperature characteristics of amorphous solids, and hold implications to experiments and applications in quantum devices using time-varying electric fields.

Quasars are quadruply lensed only when they lie within the diamond caustic of a lensing galaxy. This precondition produces a Malmquist-like selection effect in observed populations of quadruply lensed quasars, overestimating the true caustic area. The bias toward high values of the inferred logarithmic area, $\ln A_{inf}$, is proportional to the square of the error in that area, $\sigma^2_{\ln{A}}$. In effect, Malmquist's correction compensates post-hoc for a failure to incorporate a prior into parameter optimization. Inferred time delays are proportional to the square root of the inferred caustic area of the lensing galaxy. Model time delays are biased long, leading to overestimates of the Hubble constant. Crude estimates of $\sigma_{\ln A}$ for a sample of 13 quadruple systems give a median value of 0.16. We identify a second effect, "inferred magnification bias,'' resulting from the combination of selection by apparent magnitude and errors in model magnification. It is strongly anti-correlated with caustic area bias, and almost always leads to underestimates of the Hubble constant. Malmquist's scheme can be adapted to priors on multiple parameters, but for quad lenses, the negative covariances between caustic area and absolute magnitude are poorly known. Inferred magnification bias may even cancel out caustic area bias, depending upon (among other things) the slope of the number magnitude relation for the sample. Proper correction for these combined effects can, in principle, be built into Bayesian modeling schemes as priors, eliminating the need for Malmquist-style approximation, but is likely to be challenging in practice., Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, as accepted by ApJ. Addresses referee's assertion that Monte Carlo methods automatically correct for caustic area bias

Strongly lensed quadruply imaged quasars (quads) are extraordinary objects. They are very rare in the sky -- only a few tens are known to date -- and yet they provide unique information about a wide range of topics, including the expansion history and the composition of the Universe, the distribution of stars and dark matter in galaxies, the host galaxies of quasars, and the stellar initial mass function. Finding them in astronomical images is a classic "needle in a haystack" problem, as they are outnumbered by other (contaminant) sources by many orders of magnitude. To solve this problem, we develop state-of-the-art deep learning methods and train them on realistic simulated quads based on real images of galaxies taken from the Dark Energy Survey, with realistic source and deflector models, including the chromatic effects of microlensing. The performance of the best methods on a mixture of simulated and real objects is excellent, yielding area under the receiver operating curve in the range 0.86 to 0.89. Recall is close to 100% down to total magnitude i~21 indicating high completeness, while precision declines from 85% to 70% in the range i~17-21. The methods are extremely fast: training on 2 million samples takes 20 hours on a GPU machine, and 10^8 multi-band cutouts can be evaluated per GPU-hour. The speed and performance of the method pave the way to apply it to large samples of astronomical sources, bypassing the need for photometric pre-selection that is likely to be a major cause of incompleteness in current samples of known quads., Comment: 17 pages, 14 figures, submitted to MNRAS

Although micro-lensing of macro-lensed quasars and supernovae provides unique opportunities for several kinds of investigations, it can add unwanted and sometimes substantial noise. While micro-lensing flux anomalies may be safely ignored for some observations, they severely limit others. "Worst-case" estimates can inform the decision whether or not to undertake an extensive examination of micro-lensing scenarios. Here, we report "worst-case" micro-lensing uncertainties for point sources lensed by singular isothermal potentials, parameterized by a convergence equal to the shear and by the stellar fraction. The results can be straightforwardly applied to non-isothermal potentials utilizing the mass sheet degeneracy. We use micro-lensing maps to compute fluctuations in image micro-magnifications and estimate the stellar fraction at which the fluctuations are greatest for a given convergence. We find that the worst-case fluctuations happen at a stellar fraction $\kappa_\star=\frac{1}{|\mu_{macro}|}$. For macro-minima, fluctuations in both magnification and demagnification appear to be bounded ($1.5>\Delta m>-1.3$, where $\Delta m$ is magnitude relative to the average macro-magnification). Magnifications for macro-saddles are bounded as well ($\Delta m > -1.7$). In contrast, demagnifications for macro-saddles appear to have unbounded fluctuations as $1/\mu_{macro}\rightarrow0$ and $\kappa_\star\rightarrow0$., Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures. As accepted for publication in ApJ

Temporal, spectral, and sample-to-sample fluctuations in coherence properties of qubits form an outstanding challenge for the development of upscaled fault-tolerant quantum computers. A ubiquitous source for these fluctuations in superconducting qubits is a set of atomic-scale defects with a two-level structure. Here we propose a way to mitigate these fluctuations and stabilize the qubit performance. We show that frequency modulation of a qubit or, alternatively, of the two-level defects, leads to averaging of the qubit relaxation rate over a wide interval of frequencies., Comment: Main text has 5 pages and 2 figures. Supplemental material has 7 pages and 2 figures