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Software bots, extensively adopted by Open Source Software (OSS) projects, support developers across several activities, from automating predefined tasks to generating code that aids software engineers. However, with the growing prominence of bots, questions have emerged regarding the extension to which they truly assist or hinder software engineers in their routine tasks. To address this, an exploratory survey was conducted with 37 software engineers to gather insights into their views on the use of bots within the software development process. The findings suggest that bots are present across multiple phases of the software development lifecycle, providing daily support to professionals by enhancing productivity and facilitating task automation. Respondents stated that current bots are not sufficiently intelligent and raised new challenges and enhancements to aid bot designers in developing additional functionalities and integrations., Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables

The impact of disk-locking on the stellar properties related to magnetic activity from the theoretical point of view is investigated. We use the ATON stellar evolution code to calculate theoretical values of convective turnover times ($\tau_{\rm c}$) and Rossby numbers ($Ro$, the ratio between rotation periods and $\tau_{\rm c}$) for pre-main sequence (pre-MS) and main sequence (MS) stars. We investigate how $\tau_{\rm c}$ varies with the initial rotation period and with the disk lifetime, using angular momentum conserving models and models simulating the disk-locking mechanism. In the latter case, the angular velocity is kept constant, during a given locking time, to mimic the magnetic locking effects of a circumstellar disk. The local convective turnover times generated with disk-locking models are shorter than those obtained with angular momentum conserving models. The differences are smaller in the early pre-MS, increase with stellar age and become more accentuated for stars with $M$$\geq$$1 {\rm M}_{\odot}$ and ages greater than 100 Myr. Our new values of $\tau_{\rm c}$ were used to estimate $Ro$ for a sample of stars selected from the literature in order to investigate the rotation-activity relationship. We fit the data with a two-part power-law function and find the best fitting parameters of this relation. The differences we found between both sets of models suggest that the star's disk-locking phase properties affect its Rossby number and its position in the rotation-activity diagram. Our results indicate that the dynamo efficiency is lower for stars that had undergone longer disk-locking phases., Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures. To be published in Astronomy & Astrophysics Main Jounal

NGC 5139 ($\omega$ Cen), is the closest candidate of a Nuclear Star Cluster that has been stripped of its host galaxy in the Milky Way. Despite extensive studies through the last decades, many open questions about the cluster remain, including the properties of the binary population. In this study we use MUSE multi-epoch spectroscopy to identify binary systems in $\omega$ Cen. The observations span 8 years, with a total of 312 248 radial velocity measurements for 37 225 stars. Following the removal of known photometric variables, we identify 275 stars that show RV variations, corresponding to a discovery fraction of 1.4$\pm$0.1%. Using dedicated simulations, we find that our data is sensitive to 70$\pm$10% of the binaries expected in the sample, resulting in a completeness-corrected binary fraction of 2.1$\pm$0.4% in the central region of $\omega$ Cen. We find similar binary fractions for all stellar evolutionary stages covered by our data, the only notable exception being the blue straggler stars, which show an enhanced binary fraction. We also find no distinct correlation with distance from the cluster centre, indicating a limited amount of mass segregation within the half-light radius of $\omega$ Cen., Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, 1 Table; Published by Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS)

X-ray imaging is an invaluable tool for noninvasive analysis in many fields ranging from basic science to medicine and security. The development of low-dose large area imaging solutions still represents an important challenge for various applications. One solution to the imaging of large areas lies in the development of novel computational imaging systems that can overcome the limitations imposed by hardware, relying instead on numerical processing power. The single-pixel detector, depending on the application, may offer a competitive edge over conventional cameras (being a cheaper alternative to the multi-pixelated solutions). In addition, the single-pixel detector can be used to achieve improved detection efficiency, faster timing response, and good spatial resolution with low radiation dose. Moreover, this technique enables detectors to image through diffuse mediums, increasing the image quality at significant depths, solving the depth penetration issues of other imaging methods. In this work, we explore the application of single-pixel imaging techniques to produce two-dimensional images with high temporal resolution (only if the process is reproducible and the conditions are static), using only a single detector (bucket detector). The setup, based on the application of Hadamard patterns, showed promising results, proving the ability of the system to acquire images using thin PLA based masks (up to 5 mm thickness). Both simulation, using GEANT 4, and experimental setup, based on a time projection chamber (TPC), used in this work to demonstrate this technique will be reported here along with the first results., Comment: 17 pages, 13 figures and 3 tables, paper

In this paper we study the Spanning Tree Congestion problem, where we are given a graph $G=(V,E)$ and are asked to find a spanning tree $T$ of minimum maximum congestion. Here, the congestion of an edge $e\in T$ is the number of edges $uv\in E$ such that the (unique) path from $u$ to $v$ in $T$ traverses $e$. We consider this well-studied NP-hard problem from the point of view of (structural) parameterized complexity and obtain the following results. We resolve a natural open problem by showing that Spanning Tree Congestion is not FPT parameterized by treewidth (under standard assumptions). More strongly, we present a generic reduction which applies to (almost) any parameter of the form ``vertex-deletion distance to class $\mathcal{C}$'', thus obtaining W[1]-hardness for parameters more restricted than treewidth, including tree-depth plus feedback vertex set, or incomparable to treewidth, such as twin cover. Via a slight tweak of the same reduction we also show that the problem is NP-complete on graphs of modular-width $4$. Even though it is known that Spanning Tree Congestion remains NP-hard on instances with only one vertex of unbounded degree, it is currently open whether the problem remains hard on bounded-degree graphs. We resolve this question by showing NP-hardness on graphs of maximum degree 8. Complementing the problem's W[1]-hardness for treewidth..., Comment: Abstract cropped to meet arXiv's requirements

The MMT Adaptive optics exoPlanet characterization System (MAPS) is currently in its engineering phase, operating on-sky at the MMT Telescope on Mt. Hopkins in southern Arizona. The MAPS Adaptive Secondary Mirror's actuators are controlled by a closed loop modified PID control law and an open loop feed-forward law, which in combination allows for faster actuator response time. An essential element of achieving the secondary's performance goals involves the process of PID gain tuning. To start, we briefly discuss the design of the MAPS ASM and its actuators. We then describe the actuator positional control system and control law. Next, we discuss a few of the issues that make ASM tuning difficult. We then outline our initial attempts at tuning the actuator controllers and discuss the use of actuator positional power spectra for both tuning and determining the health and failure states of individual actuators. We conclude by presenting the results of our latest round of tuning configuration trials, which have been successful at decreasing mirror latency, increasing operational mirror modes and improving image PSF., Comment: To be published in Proceedings of SPIE, Optics and Photonics 2024. 24 pages, 16 figures, 5 tables. Lead Author, J. Johnson. Second Lead Author, A. Vaz. Project P.I., K. Morzinski. Project Second P.I.s, J. Patience and S. Sivanandam, Project Manager, M. Montoya

We construct a 2-functor from the Kac-Moody 2-category for the extended quantum affine sl(3) to the homotopy 2-category of bounded chain complexes with values in the Kac-Moody 2-category for quantum gl(3), categorifying the evaluation map between the corresponding quantum Kac-Moody algebras., Comment: 32 pages, lots of figures, comments welcome. V2: Corrected a set of sign errors and accordingly slightly altered main proof

We propose a nonstandard finite difference scheme for the Susceptible-Infected-Removed (SIR) continuous model. We prove that our discretized system is dynamically consistent with its continuous counterpart and we derive its exact solution. We end with the analysis of the long-term behavior of susceptible, infected and removed individuals, illustrating our results with examples. In contrast with the SIR discrete-time model available in the literature, our new model is simultaneously mathematically and biologically sound., Comment: This is a preprint published Open Access in 'Applied Numerical Mathematics' [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnum.2024.09.014]

We consider the unexploited/exploited logistic equation and study the stability of equilibrium points through Lyapunov functions. Then, we apply first and second order optimality conditions for the optimal control of the total biomass yield. Finally, we note that the time-scale logistic equation present in the literature lacks biological significance and we propose a new version of a dynamic logistic equation, valid on an arbitrary time scale, for which any trajectory of the system, beginning with a positive initial condition, remains nonnegative., Comment: Accepted 30-Aug-2024; 20 pages, 5 figures

Machine learning has significantly advanced healthcare by aiding in disease prevention and treatment identification. However, accessing patient data can be challenging due to privacy concerns and strict regulations. Generating synthetic, realistic data offers a potential solution for overcoming these limitations, and recent studies suggest that fine-tuning foundation models can produce such data effectively. In this study, we explore the potential of foundation models for generating realistic medical images, particularly chest x-rays, and assess how their performance improves with fine-tuning. We propose using a Latent Diffusion Model, starting with a pre-trained foundation model and refining it through various configurations. Additionally, we performed experiments with input from a medical professional to assess the realism of the images produced by each trained model.

Generalizing the dihedral picture for G(M,M,2), we construct Hecke algebras (and categories) and asymptotic counterparts. We think of these as associated with the complex reflection group G(M,M,N)., Comment: 35 pages, many figures, comments welcome

In the past, quasi coherent modes were reported for nearly all tokamaks. The general definition describes modes as quasi coherent when the magnitude squared coherence is in the range of \SIrange{0.3}{0.6}{}. Quasi coherent modes are observed in the plasma core as well as in the plasma edge and can have quite different physical origins. The one in the core are observed in plasmas with low collisionality, where the electron temperature exceeds the ion temperature in the plasma core. This is the case for electron cyclotron heating in general. The origin of these modes are electrons trapped within a magnetic mirror, as reported in the past from various fusion devices. The so-called trapped-electron modes (TEMs) belong to drift wave instabilities and can be destabilized by electron-temperature gradients in the plasma core. From the diagnostic point of view, quasi coherent modes appear as fluctuations in electron density and temperature. Therefore, the microwave reflectometer is very well suited to monitor these modes. This paper describes experiments, conducted at the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator (W7-X), which aim at detecting quasi coherent modes at low wave numbers. A Poloidal Correlation Reflectometer (PCR) installed at W7-X, is able to measure low wave numbers ($k_\perp\le 3.5$ cm$^{-1}$). For different magnetic configurations and plasma parameters, broad quasi-coherent structures are observed in the coherence spectra. From the analysis of the rotation and the poloidal structure, these quasi coherent (QC) modes show the properties of electron-temperature-gradient driven TEMs. A linear relation between the mode velocity and the rotation frequency is found. The relation is uniform and confirms the nature of QC-mode observation as TEM in tokamaks, too.

With the commissioning of the refurbished adaptive secondary mirror (ASM) for the 6.5-meter MMT Observatory under way, special consideration had to be made to properly calibrate the mirror response functions to generate an interaction matrix (IM). The commissioning of the ASM is part of the MMT Adaptive optics exoPlanet characterization System (MAPS) upgrade the observatory's legacy adaptive optics (AO) system. Unlike most AO systems, MAPS employs a convex ASM which prevents the introduction of a calibration source capable of simultaneously illuminating its ASM and wavefront sensor (WFS). This makes calibration of the AO system a significant hurdle in commissioning. To address this, we have employed a hybrid calibration strategy we call the Efficient Synthesis of Calibrations for Adaptive Optics through Pseudo-synthetic and Empirical methods (ESCAPE). ESCAPE combines the DO-CRIME on-sky calibration method with the SPRINT method for computing pseudo-synthetic calibration matrices. To monitor quasi-static system change, the ESCAPE methodology rapidly and continuously generates pseudo-synthetic calibration matrices using continual empirical feedback in either open or closed-loop. In addition, by measuring the current IM in the background while in close-loop, we are also able to measure the optical gains for pyramid wavefront sensor (PyWFS) systems. In this paper, we will provide the mathematical foundation of the ESCAPE calibration strategy and on-sky results from its application in calibrating the MMT Observatory's ASM. Additionally, we will showcase the validation of our approach from our AO testbed and share preliminary on-sky results from MMT., Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, Submission to SPIE Adaptive Optics Systems IX

We study the geometry and topology of $\Delta$-Springer varieties associated with two-row partitions. These varieties were introduced in recent work by Griffin-Levinson-Woo to give a geometric realization of a symmetric function appearing in the Delta conjecture by Haglund-Remmel-Wilson. We provide an explicit and combinatorial description of the irreducible components of the two-row $\Delta$-Springer variety and compare it to the ordinary two-row Springer fiber as well as Kato's exotic Springer fiber corresponding to a one-row bipartition. In addition to that, we extend the action of the symmetric group on the homology of the two-row $\Delta$-Springer variety to an action of a degenerate affine Hecke algebra and relate this action to a $\mathfrak{gl}_{2}$-tensor space., Comment: 32 pages, many figures, comments welcome

Flow sparsification is a classic graph compression technique which, given a capacitated graph $G$ on $k$ terminals, aims to construct another capacitated graph $H$, called a flow sparsifier, that preserves, either exactly or approximately, every multicommodity flow between terminals (ideally, with size as a small function of $k$). Cut sparsifiers are a restricted variant of flow sparsifiers which are only required to preserve maximum flows between bipartitions of the terminal set. It is known that exact cut sparsifiers require $2^{\Omega(k)}$ many vertices [Krauthgamer and Rika, SODA 2013], with the hard instances being quasi-bipartite graphs, where there are no edges between non-terminals. On the other hand, it has been shown recently that exact (or even $(1+\varepsilon)$-approximate) flow sparsifiers on networks with just 6 terminals require unbounded size [Krauthgamer and Mosenzon, SODA 2023, Chen and Tan, SODA 2024]. In this paper, we construct exact flow sparsifiers of size $3^{k^{3}}$ and exact cut sparsifiers of size $2^{k^2}$ for quasi-bipartite graphs. In particular, the flow sparsifiers are contraction-based, that is, they are obtained from the input graph by (vertex) contraction operations. Our main contribution is a new technique to construct sparsifiers that exploits connections to polyhedral geometry, and that can be generalized to graphs with a small separator that separates the graph into small components. We also give an improved reduction theorem for graphs of bounded treewidth [Andoni et al., SODA 2011], implying a flow sparsifier of size $O(k\cdot w)$ and quality $O\bigl(\frac{\log w}{\log \log w}\bigr)$, where $w$ is the treewidth.

The $^{246}$Cm(n,$\gamma$) and $^{248}$Cm(n,$\gamma$) cross-sections have been measured at the Experimental Area 2 (EAR2) of the n_TOF facility at CERN with three C$_6$D$_6$ detectors. This measurement is part of a collective effort to improve the capture cross-section data for Minor Actinides (MAs), which are required to estimate the production and transmutation rates of these isotopes in light water reactors and innovative reactor systems. In particular, the neutron capture in $^{246}$Cm and $^{248}$Cm open the path for the formation of other Cm isotopes and heavier elements such as Bk and Cf and the knowledge of (n,$\gamma$) cross-sections of these Cm isotopes plays an important role in the transport, transmutation and storage of the spent nuclear fuel. The reactions $^{246}$Cm(n,$\gamma$) and $^{248}$Cm(n,$\gamma$) have been the two first capture measurements analyzed at n_TOF EAR2. Until this experiment and two recent measurements performed at J-PARC, there was only one set of data of the capture cross-sections of $^{246}$Cm and $^{248}$Cm, that was obtained in 1969 in an underground nuclear explosion experiment. In the measurement at n_TOF a total of 13 resonances of $^{246}$Cm between 4 and 400 eV and 5 of $^{248}$Cm between 7 and 100 eV have been identified and fitted. The radiative kernels obtained for $^{246}$Cm are compatible with JENDL-5, but some of them are not with JENDL-4, which has been adopted by JEFF-3.3 and ENDF/B-VIII.0. The radiative kernels obtained for the first three $^{248}$Cm resonances are compatible with JENDL-5, however, the other two are not compatible with any other evaluation and are 20% and 60% larger than JENDL-5.

While machine translation (MT) systems are achieving increasingly strong performance on benchmarks, they often produce translations with errors and anomalies. Understanding these errors can potentially help improve the translation quality and user experience. This paper introduces xTower, an open large language model (LLM) built on top of TowerBase designed to provide free-text explanations for translation errors in order to guide the generation of a corrected translation. The quality of the generated explanations by xTower are assessed via both intrinsic and extrinsic evaluation. We ask expert translators to evaluate the quality of the explanations across two dimensions: relatedness towards the error span being explained and helpfulness in error understanding and improving translation quality. Extrinsically, we test xTower across various experimental setups in generating translation corrections, demonstrating significant improvements in translation quality. Our findings highlight xTower's potential towards not only producing plausible and helpful explanations of automatic translations, but also leveraging them to suggest corrected translations.

The advent of text-image models, most notably CLIP, has significantly transformed the landscape of information retrieval. These models enable the fusion of various modalities, such as text and images. One significant outcome of CLIP is its capability to allow users to search for images using text as a query, as well as vice versa. This is achieved via a joint embedding of images and text data that can, for instance, be used to search for similar items. Despite efficient query processing techniques such as approximate nearest neighbor search, the results may lack precision and completeness. We introduce CLIP-Branches, a novel text-image search engine built upon the CLIP architecture. Our approach enhances traditional text-image search engines by incorporating an interactive fine-tuning phase, which allows the user to further concretize the search query by iteratively defining positive and negative examples. Our framework involves training a classification model given the additional user feedback and essentially outputs all positively classified instances of the entire data catalog. By building upon recent techniques, this inference phase, however, is not implemented by scanning the entire data catalog, but by employing efficient index structures pre-built for the data. Our results show that the fine-tuned results can improve the initial search outputs in terms of relevance and accuracy while maintaining swift response times

PLATO (PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars) is ESA's M3 mission designed to detect and characterise extrasolar planets and perform asteroseismic monitoring of a large number of stars. PLATO will detect small planets (down to <2 R_(Earth)) around bright stars (<11 mag), including terrestrial planets in the habitable zone of solar-like stars. With the complement of radial velocity observations from the ground, planets will be characterised for their radius, mass, and age with high accuracy (5 %, 10 %, 10 % for an Earth-Sun combination respectively). PLATO will provide us with a large-scale catalogue of well-characterised small planets up to intermediate orbital periods, relevant for a meaningful comparison to planet formation theories and to better understand planet evolution. It will make possible comparative exoplanetology to place our Solar System planets in a broader context. In parallel, PLATO will study (host) stars using asteroseismology, allowing us to determine the stellar properties with high accuracy, substantially enhancing our knowledge of stellar structure and evolution. The payload instrument consists of 26 cameras with 12cm aperture each. For at least four years, the mission will perform high-precision photometric measurements. Here we review the science objectives, present PLATO's target samples and fields, provide an overview of expected core science performance as well as a description of the instrument and the mission profile at the beginning of the serial production of the flight cameras. PLATO is scheduled for a launch date end 2026. This overview therefore provides a summary of the mission to the community in preparation of the upcoming operational phases.

This study investigates the impact of disinformation on public policies. Using 28 sets of keywords in eight databases, a systematic review was carried out following the Prisma 2020 model (Page et al., 2021). After applying filters and inclusion and exclusion criteria to 4,128 articles and materials found, 46 publications were analyzed, resulting in 23 disinformation impact categories. These categories were organized into two main axes: State and Society and Actors and Dynamics, covering impacts on State actors, society actors, State dynamics and society dynamics. The results indicate that disinformation affects public decisions, adherence to policies, prestige of institutions, perception of reality, consumption, public health and other aspects. Furthermore, this study suggests that disinformation should be treated as a public problem and incorporated into the public policy research agenda, contributing to the development of strategies to mitigate its effects on government actions.

What characteristics define disinformation and fake news? To address this research question, this Technical Note provides a comprehensive analysis of disinformation and fake news, synthesizing 46 definitions and highlighting four key points addressing their fundamental characteristics. Adopting the Prisma 2020 method, five search sets with the Boolean operator AND were selected in both Portuguese and English, which were applied across four databases, resulting in 237 reviewed articles. Following a meticulous analysis, relevant articles were identified and included, while duplicates and inaccessible documents were excluded. It points to disinformation as information that is totally or partially false, crafted by a sender with the aim of misleading, with opportunistic content designed to manipulate reality, being amplified by individual characteristics of the receiver in their interpretation and by contextual factors in which they are embedded. This Technical Note seeks to contribute to an understanding of the phenomenon of disinformation that includes the contextual dimension, obtaining as fundamental elements of analysis: I.) Sender; II.) Content; III.) Receiver; and IV.) Environment.

Phylogenetic analysis, which allow to understand the evolution of bacterial and viral epidemics, requires large quantities of data to be analysed and processed for knowledge extraction. One of the major challenges consists on the integration of the results from typing and phylogenetic inference methods with epidemiological data, namely in what concerns their integrated and simultaneous analysis and visualization. Numerous approaches to support phylogenetic analysis have been proposed, varying from standalone tools to integrative web applications that include tools and/or algorithms for executing the common analysis tasks for this kind of data. However, most of them lack the capacity to integrate epidemiological data. Others provide the ability for visualizing and analyzing such data, allowing the integration of epidemiological data but they do not scale for large data analysis and visualization. Namely, most of them run inference and/or visualization optimization tasks on the client side, which becomes often unfeasible for large amounts of data, usually implying transferring data from existing databases in order to be analysed. Moreover, the results and optimizations are not stored for reuse. We propose the PHYLOViZ Web Platform, a cloud based tool for phylogenetic analysis, that not only unifies the features of both existing versions of PHYLOViZ, but also supports structured and customized workflows for executing data processing and analyses tasks, and promotes the reproducibility of previous phylogenetic analyses. This platform supports large scale analyses by relying on a workflow system that enables the distribution of parallel computations on cloud and HPC environments. Moreover, it has a modular architecture, allowing easy integration of new methods and tools, as well as customized workflows, making it flexible and extensible., Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures

We discuss formulas for the asymptotic growth rate of the number of summands in tensor powers in certain (finite or infinite) monoidal categories. Our focus is on monoidal categories with infinitely many indecomposable objects, with our main tools being generalized Perron-Frobenius theory alongside techniques from random walks., Comment: 19 pages, many figures, comments welcome

This paper presents the methodology and key results which enabled to establish the so-called Ancillary Service Matrix (ASM) presenting the ability to deliver the different ancillary services of each of the 6 demonstrators of the XFLEX HYDRO research project combined with the applicable technologies studied in this analysis. These technologies include i) the variable speed technology with Doubly Fed Induction Machine (DFIM) or Full Size Frequency Converters (FSFC), ii) the Smart Power Plant Supervisor (SPPS) enabling to extend the operating range of the hydraulic units in turbine mode based on a better knowledge of the hydro unit wear and tear and associated costs over the full unit operating range, iii) the hydraulic short circuit (HSC) operation leading to simultaneous operation of pump and turbines of Pumped Storage Power Plants (PSPP) and iv) the Hydro-Battery-Hybrid (HBH) applied at Run-of-River demonstrator. The demonstrators considered for this study includes 4 pumped storage power plants, 1 conventional hydro storage plant and 1 run-of-the-river plant. For each demonstrator a 1D simulation model was developed and validated and was further enhanced to include the model of control system enabling to address the various ancillary services. The systematic 1D numerical simulation of ancillary service contribution of each demonstrator and related technologies enabled to quantify the magnitude of active power response to contribute to the different grid services. The results have been scored between 0 and 5 for each ancillary service, allowing to populate the Ancillary Service Matrix which is summarizing the results in a graphical and synthetic way. The analysis of the score of the Ancillary Services Matrix enables the reader to draw several key conclusions about the benefits unlocked by the implementation of these technologies which are summarized in the paper., Comment: 25 pages, Proceedings of HYDRO 2023, International Conference, October 16-18, 2023, Edinburgh, Scotland

We present an experimental study of the magnetoelectric coupling (MEC) in the Fe-Ga/PMN-PT thin film multiferroic composite by means of x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR). Our measurements show evidence for a charge mediated coupling mechanism, suggested by the asymmetric magnetic remanence (M$_{rem}$) behaviour under opposite electric fields ($\pm$ E) and the asymmetric resonance field (H$_r$) in the FMR measurements. Also, the FMR measurements reveal a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), that can be related to an interface charge effect. and it is tunable by E field. Ab initio calculations support the existence of a charge mediated coupling at the Fe-Ga/PMN-PT interface., Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, Supplemental Material

Reference Evapotranspiration (ET0) is a key parameter for designing smart irrigation scheduling, since it is related by a coefficient to the water needs of a crop. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, proposed a standard method for ET0 computation (FAO56PM), based on the parameterization of the Penman-Monteith equation, that is widely adopted in the literature. To compute ET0 using the FAO56-PM method, four main weather parameters are needed: temperature, humidity, wind, and solar radiation (SR). One way to make daily ET0 estimations for future days is to use freely available weather forecast services (WFSs), where many meteorological parameters are estimated up to the next 15 days. A problem with this method is that currently, SR is not provided as a free forecast parameter on most of those online services or, normally, such forecasts present a financial cost penalty. For this reason, several ET0 estimation models using machine and deep learning were developed and presented in the literature, that use as input features a reduced set of carefully selected weather parameters, that are compatible with common freely available WFSs. However, most studies on this topic have only evaluated model performance using data from weather stations (WSs), without considering the effect of using weather forecast data. In this study, the performance of authors' previous models is evaluated when using weather forecast data from two online WFSs, in the following scenarios: (i) direct ET0 estimation by an ANN model, and (ii) estimate SR by ANN model, and then use that estimation for ET0 computation, using the FAO56-PM method. Employing data collected from two WFSs and a WS located in Vale do Lobo, Portugal, the latter approach achieved the best result, with a coefficient of determination (R2) ranging between 0.893 and 0.667, when considering forecasts up to 15 days., Comment: A partial version of the work submitted to ESRE/INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

The intricate nature of the brain necessitates the application of advanced probing techniques to comprehensively study and understand its working mechanisms. Neurophotonics offers minimally invasive methods to probe the brain using optics at cellular and even molecular levels. However, multiple challenges persist, especially concerning imaging depth, field of view, speed, and biocompatibility. A major hindrance to solving these challenges in optics is the scattering nature of the brain. This perspective highlights the potential of complex media optics, a specialized area of study focused on light propagation in materials with intricate heterogeneous optical properties, in advancing and improving neuronal readouts for structural imaging and optical recordings of neuronal activity. Key strategies include wavefront shaping techniques and computational imaging and sensing techniques that exploit scattering properties for enhanced performance. We discuss the potential merger of the two fields as well as potential challenges and perspectives toward longer term in vivo applications., Comment: 22 pages, 3 figures, 1 table

Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering (RIXS) is an ideal X-ray spectroscopy method to push the combination of energy and time resolutions to the Fourier transform ultimate limit, because it is unaffected by the core-hole lifetime energy broadening. And in pump-probe experiments the interaction time is made very short by the same core-hole lifetime. RIXS is very photon hungry so it takes great advantage from high repetition rate pulsed X-ray sources like the European XFEL. The hRIXS instrument is designed for RIXS experiments in the soft X-ray range with energy resolution approaching the Fourier and the Heisenberg limits. It is based on a spherical grating with variable line spacing (VLS) and a position-sensitive 2D detector. Initially, two gratings are installed to adequately cover the whole photon energy range. With optimized spot size on the sample and small pixel detector the energy resolution can be better than 40 meV at any photon energy below 1000 eV. At the SCS instrument of the European XFEL the spectrometer can be easily positioned thanks to air-pads on a high-quality floor, allowing the scattering angle to be continuously adjusted over the 65-145 deg range. It can be coupled to two different sample interaction chamber, one for liquid jets and one for solids, each equipped at the state-of-the-art and compatible for optical laser pumping in collinear geometry. The measured performances, in terms of energy resolution and count rate on the detector, closely match design expectations. hRIXS is open to public users since the summer of 2022., Comment: 43 pages, 12 figures, Supplemental Material