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Representation learning aims to extract meaningful lower-dimensional embeddings from data, known as representations. Despite its widespread application, there is no established definition of a ``good'' representation. Typically, the representation quality is evaluated based on its performance in downstream tasks such as clustering, de-noising, etc. However, this task-specific approach has a limitation where a representation that performs well for one task may not necessarily be effective for another. This highlights the need for a more agnostic formulation, which is the focus of our work. We propose a downstream-agnostic formulation: when inherent clusters exist in the data, the representations should be specific to each cluster. Under this idea, we develop a meta-algorithm that jointly learns cluster-specific representations and cluster assignments. As our approach is easy to integrate with any representation learning framework, we demonstrate its effectiveness in various setups, including Autoencoders, Variational Autoencoders, Contrastive learning models, and Restricted Boltzmann Machines. We qualitatively compare our cluster-specific embeddings to standard embeddings and downstream tasks such as de-noising and clustering. While our method slightly increases runtime and parameters compared to the standard model, the experiments clearly show that it extracts the inherent cluster structures in the data, resulting in improved performance in relevant applications.

We investigate a new class of self-similar fractional Brownian fields, called Weighted Tensorized Fractional Brownian Fields (WTFBS). These fields, introduced in the companion paper \cite{ELLV}, generalize the well-known fractional Brownian sheet (FBs) by relaxing its tensor-product structure, resulting in new self-similar Gaussian fields with stationary rectangular increments that differ from the FBs. We analyze the local regularity properties of these fields and introduce a new concept of regularity through the definition of Weighted Tensorized Besov Spaces. These spaces combine aspects of mixed dominating smoothness spaces and hyperbolic Besov spaces, which are similar in structure to classical Besov spaces. We provide a detailed characterization of these spaces using Littlewood-Paley theory and hyperbolic wavelet analysis.

Despite having triggered devastating pandemics in the past, our ability to quantitatively assess the emergence potential of individual strains of animal influenza viruses remains limited. This study introduces Emergenet, a tool to infer a digital twin of sequence evolution to chart how new variants might emerge in the wild. Our predictions based on Emergenets built only using 220,151 Hemagglutinnin (HA) sequences consistently outperform WHO seasonal vaccine recommendations for H1N1/H3N2 subtypes over two decades (average match-improvement: 3.73 AAs, 28.40\%), and are at par with state-of-the-art approaches that use more detailed phenotypic annotations. Finally, our generative models are used to scalably calculate the current odds of emergence of animal strains not yet in human circulation, which strongly correlates with CDC's expert-assessed Influenza Risk Assessment Tool (IRAT) scores (Pearson's $r = 0.721, p = 10^{-4}$). A minimum five orders of magnitude speedup over CDC's assessment (seconds vs months) then enabled us to analyze 6,354 animal strains collected post-2020 to identify 35 strains with high emergence scores ($> 7.7$). The Emergenet framework opens the door to preemptive pandemic mitigation through targeted inoculation of animal hosts before the first human infection., Comment: 35 pages, 15 figures

Optically-addressable spin qubits form the foundation of a new generation of emerging nanoscale sensors. The engineering of these sensors has mainly focused on solid-state systems such as the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond. However, NVs are restricted in their ability to interface with biomolecules due to their bulky diamond host. Meanwhile, fluorescent proteins have become the gold standard in bioimaging, as they are genetically encodable and easily integrated with biomolecules. While fluorescent proteins have been suggested to possess a metastable triplet state, they have not been investigated as qubit sensors. Here, we realize an optically-addressable spin qubit in the Enhanced Yellow Fluorescent Protein (EYFP) enabled by a novel spin-readout technique. A near-infrared laser pulse allows for triggered readout of the triplet state with up to 44% spin contrast. Using coherent microwave control of the EYFP spin at liquid-nitrogen temperatures, we measure a spin-lattice relaxation time of $(141 \pm 5)$ {\mu}s, a $(16 \pm 2)$ {\mu}s coherence time under Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) decoupling, and a predicted oscillating (AC) magnetic field sensitivity with an upper bound of $183 \, \mathrm{fT}\, \mathrm{mol}^{1/2}\, \mathrm{Hz}^{-1/2}$. We express the qubit in mammalian cells, maintaining contrast and coherent control despite the complex intracellular environment. Finally, we demonstrate optically-detected magnetic resonance at room temperature in aqueous solution with contrast up to 3%, and measure a static (DC) field sensitivity with an upper bound of $93 \, \mathrm{pT}\, \mathrm{mol}^{1/2}\, \mathrm{Hz}^{-1/2}$. Our results establish fluorescent proteins as a powerful new qubit sensor platform and pave the way for applications in the life sciences that are out of reach for solid-state technologies.

Rationality specializes in families of surfaces, even with mild singularities. In this paper, we study the analogous question for the degree of irrationality. We prove a specialization result when the degree of irrationality on the generic fiber arises from the quotient by a group action., Comment: 9 pages

The alignment of optical systems is a critical step in their manufacture. Alignment normally requires considerable knowledge and expertise of skilled operators. The automation of such processes has several potential advantages, but requires additional resource and upfront costs. Through a case study of a simple two mirror system we identify and examine three different automation approaches. They are: artificial neural networks; practice-led, which mimics manual alignment practices; and design-led, modelling from first principles. We find that these approaches make use of three different types of knowledge 1) basic system knowledge (of controls, measurements and goals); 2) behavioural skills and expertise, and 3) fundamental system design knowledge. We demonstrate that the different automation approaches vary significantly in human resources, and measurement sampling budgets. This will have implications for practitioners and management considering the automation of such tasks., Comment: Author Accepted Manuscript- 8 pages, The 2024 IEEE 20th International Conference on Automation Science and Engineering (CASE 2024), Aug28-Sep1st 2024, Bari, Italy. Keywords: Automation, optimisation, regression, behaviour analysis, artificial neural networks, optical systems, mathematical model, human factors, sampling cost, cost benefit analysis

Searches for anomalous neutral triple gauge boson couplings (NTGCs) provide important tests for the gauge structure of the standard model. At the LHC, NTGCs are searched for via the process $pp \to ZZ \to 4l$, where the two $Z$-bosons are on-shell. In this paper, we discuss how the same process can occur through tree-level diagrams just adding a vector-like quark (VLQ) to the standard model. Since NTGCs are generated in standard model effective theory (SMEFT) only at 1-loop order, vector like quarks could be an important alternative interpretation to, and background for, NTGC searches. Here, we construct a simple example model, discuss low-energy constraints and estimate current and future sensitivities on the model parameters from $pp \to ZZ \to 4l$ searches., Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures

A very general hypersurface of dimension $n$ and degree $d$ in complex projective space is rational if $d \leq 2$, but is expected to be irrational for all $n, d \geq 3$. Hypersurfaces in weighted projective space with degree small relative to the weights are likewise rational. In this paper, we introduce rationality constructions for weighted hypersurfaces of higher degree that provide many new rational examples over any field. We answer in the affirmative a question of T. Okada about the existence of very general terminal Fano rational weighted hypersurfaces in all dimensions $n \geq 6$., Comment: 13 pages, 1 figure. v2: final version, to appear in International Mathematics Research Notices

The conventional BIM authoring process typically requires designers to master complex and tedious modeling commands in order to materialize their design intentions within BIM authoring tools. This additional cognitive burden complicates the design process and hinders the adoption of BIM and model-based design in the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) industry. To facilitate the expression of design intentions more intuitively, we propose Text2BIM, an LLM-based multi-agent framework that can generate 3D building models from natural language instructions. This framework orchestrates multiple LLM agents to collaborate and reason, transforming textual user input into imperative code that invokes the BIM authoring tool's APIs, thereby generating editable BIM models with internal layouts, external envelopes, and semantic information directly in the software. Furthermore, a rule-based model checker is introduced into the agentic workflow, utilizing predefined domain knowledge to guide the LLM agents in resolving issues within the generated models and iteratively improving model quality. Extensive experiments were conducted to compare and analyze the performance of three different LLMs under the proposed framework. The evaluation results demonstrate that our approach can effectively generate high-quality, structurally rational building models that are aligned with the abstract concepts specified by user input. Finally, an interactive software prototype was developed to integrate the framework into the BIM authoring software Vectorworks, showcasing the potential of modeling by chatting.

Selective exposure, individuals' inclination to seek out information that supports their beliefs while avoiding information that contradicts them, plays an important role in the emergence of polarization. In the political domain, selective exposure is usually measured on a left-right ideology scale, ignoring finer details. Here, we combine survey and Twitter data collected during the 2022 Brazilian Presidential Election and investigate selective exposure patterns between the survey respondents and political influencers. We analyze the followship network between survey respondents and political influencers and find a multilevel community structure that reveals a hierarchical organization more complex than a simple split between left and right. Moreover, depending on the level we consider, we find different associations between network indices of exposure patterns and 189 individual attributes of the survey respondents. For example, at finer levels, the number of influencer communities a survey respondent follows is associated with several factors, such as demographics, news consumption frequency, and incivility perception. In comparison, only their political ideology is a significant factor at coarser levels. Our work demonstrates that measuring selective exposure at a single level, such as left and right, misses important information necessary to capture this phenomenon correctly.

Cable-driven exosuits have the potential to support individuals with motor disabilities across the continuum of care. When supporting a limb with a cable, force sensors are often used to measure tension. However, force sensors add cost, complexity, and distal components. This paper presents a design and control approach to remove the force sensor from an upper limb cable-driven exosuit. A mechanical design for the exosuit was developed to maximize passive transparency. Then, a data-driven friction identification was conducted on a mannequin test bench to design a model-based tension controller. Seventeen healthy participants raised and lowered their right arms to evaluate tension tracking, movement quality, and muscular effort. Questionnaires on discomfort, physical exertion, and fatigue were collected. The proposed strategy allowed tracking the desired assistive torque with an RMSE of 0.71 Nm (18%) at 50% gravity support. During the raising phase, the EMG signals of the anterior deltoid, trapezius, and pectoralis major were reduced on average compared to the no-suit condition by 30%, 38%, and 38%, respectively. The posterior deltoid activity was increased by 32% during lowering. Position tracking was not significantly altered, whereas movement smoothness significantly decreased. This work demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of removing the force sensor from a cable-driven exosuit. A significant increase in discomfort in the lower neck and right shoulder indicated that the ergonomics of the suit could be improved. Overall this work paves the way towards simpler and more affordable exosuits., Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, and 3 tables in the main manuscript. 12 pages, 4 figures, and 13 tables in the supplementary materials

We present the findings of a study based on a new inelastic electron-scattering experiment on the ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}$ nucleus focusing on the kinematic region of $Q^2=0.8\,\mathrm{GeV}^2/{c}^2$. The measured cross section is sensitive to the transverse response function and provides a stringent test of theoretical models, as well as of the theoretical assumptions made in Monte-Carlo event-generator codes developed for the interpretation of neutrino-nucleus experiments, such as DUNE and HyperK. We find that modern generators such as GENIE and GiBUU reproduce our new experimental data within 10$\%$.

This paper presents a new model of textures, obtained as realizations of a new class of fractional Brownian fields. These fields, called weighted tensorized fractional Brownian fields, are obtained by a relaxation of the tensor-product structure that appears in the definition of fractional Brownian sheets. Statistical properties such as self-similarity, stationarity of rectangular increments and regularity properties are obtained. An operator scaling extension is defined and we provide simulations of the fields using their spectral representation.

We construct exceptional Fano varieties with the smallest known minimal log discrepancies in all dimensions. These varieties are well-formed hypersurfaces in weighted projective space. Their minimal log discrepancies decay doubly exponentially with dimension, and achieve the optimal value in dimension 2., Comment: 28 pages

A detailed analysis of ptychography for 3D phase reconstructions of thick specimens is performed. We introduce multi-focus ptychography, which incorporates a 4D-STEM defocus series to enhance the quality of 3D reconstructions along the beam direction through a higher overdetermination ratio. This method is compared with established multi-slice ptychography techniques, such as conventional ptychography, regularized ptychography, and multi-mode ptychography. Additionally, we contrast multi-focus ptychography with an alternative method that uses virtual optical sectioning through a reconstructed scattering matrix ($\mathcal{S}$-matrix), which offers more precise 3D structure information compared to conventional ptychography. Our findings from multiple 3D reconstructions based on simulated and experimental data demonstrate that multi-focus ptychography surpasses other techniques, particularly in accurately reconstructing the surfaces and interface regions of thick specimens.

We describe a compact ultra-high vacuum (UHV) scanning tunneling microscope (STM) system that does not need any external supply of cooling liquids. It achieves temperatures down to 1.5 K and a z-noise down to 300 fmRMS for the frequency range of 0.1 Hz - 5 kHz (feedback loop off). It employs a pulse tube cryocooler (PTC) and a Joule-Thomson (JT) stage inducing only small temperature oscillations at the STM with amplitude below 1 mK. The challenge to combine an effective vibrational decoupling from the PTC with sufficient thermal conduction is tackled by a multipartite approach. We realize a minimal stiffness of the UHV bellows that connect the PTC and the STM chamber. Fine Copper wires mechanically decouple the PTC stages from cooling plates that carry the thermal shields, the JT stage and the STM. Soft springs decouple the STM from the JT stage. Finally, the STM body has an optimized conical shape and is made of the light and stiff material Shapal Hi MSoft such that a strong reduction of low frequency vibrations results for the tunnel junction. The voltage noise in the tunnel junction is 0.12 mV and an RF antenna close to the tunnel junction provides radio frequency excitations up to 40 GHz with amplitudes up to 10 mV., Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures

We find sharp upper bounds on the order of the automorphism group of a hypersurface in complex projective space in every dimension and degree. In each case, we prove that the hypersurface realizing the upper bound is unique up to isomorphism and provide explicit generators for the automorphism group., Comment: 34 pages, 2 tables. v2: final version, to appear in Transactions of the American Mathematical Society

Due to the pseudo-scalar nature of the axion-like particle (ALP), the CP- conserving production of two Higgs bosons via the ALP necessarily involves an additional Z or $\gamma$ boson. We examine the existing constraints from di-Higgs searches at Run 2 of the LHC and find that, despite the presence of extra objects in the final state, these searches are sensitive to a combination of ALP couplings to gluons and three-bosons in the TeV scale range. Additionally, we propose a specialized search strategy incorporating an energetic leptonic Z boson. This refined ALP-induced production process would allow for the identification of the h h $\rightarrow$ 4 b-jet final state and could potentially probe the TeV scale using data from Run 2 of the LHC. This production process can also occur through a coupling between the top quark and the ALP. We translate the current constraints on di-Higgs production into new limits on the ALP-top coupling., Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures

Near IR spectroscopic reverberation of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) potentially allows the infrared (IR) broad line region (BLR) to be reverberated alongside the disc and dust continua, while the spectra can also reveal details of dust astro-chemistry. Here, we describe results of a short pilot study (17 near-IR spectra over a 183 d period) for Mrk 509. The spectra give a luminosity-weighted dust radius of $\langle R_{\mathrm{d,lum}} \rangle = 186 \pm 4$ light-days for blackbody (large grain dust), consistent with previous (photometric) reverberation campaigns, whereas carbon and silicate dust give much larger radii. We develop a method of calibrating spectral data in objects where the narrow lines are extended beyond the slit width. We demonstrate this by showing our resultant photometric band light curves are consistent with previous results, with a hot dust lag at >40 d in the K band, clearly different from the accretion disc response at <20 d in the z band. We place this limit of 40 d by demonstrating clearly that the modest variability that we do detect in the H and K band does not reverberate on time-scales of less than 40 d. We also extract the Pa$\beta$ line light curve, and find a lag which is consistent with the optical BLR H$\beta$ line of $\sim$70-90 d. This is important as direct imaging of the near-IR BLR is now possible in a few objects, so we need to understand its relation to the better studied optical BLR., Comment: 16 pages, 12 figures

Tendon-driven continuum robots have been gaining popularity in medical applications due to their ability to curve around complex anatomical structures, potentially reducing the invasiveness of surgery. However, accurate modeling is required to plan and control the movements of these flexible robots. Physics-based models have limitations due to unmodeled effects, leading to mismatches between model prediction and actual robot shape. Recently proposed learning-based methods have been shown to overcome some of these limitations but do not account for hysteresis, a significant source of error for these robots. To overcome these challenges, we propose a novel deep decoder neural network that predicts the complete shape of tendon-driven robots using point clouds as the shape representation, conditioned on prior configurations to account for hysteresis. We evaluate our method on a physical tendon-driven robot and show that our network model accurately predicts the robot's shape, significantly outperforming a state-of-the-art physics-based model and a learning-based model that does not account for hysteresis., Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, Submitted to IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters

In recent years, theoretical results and simulation evidence have shown Bayesian additive regression trees to be a highly-effective method for nonparametric regression. Motivated by cost-effectiveness analyses in health economics, where interest lies in jointly modelling the costs of healthcare treatments and the associated health-related quality of life experienced by a patient, we propose a multivariate extension of BART applicable in regression and classification analyses with several correlated outcome variables. Our framework overcomes some key limitations of existing multivariate BART models by allowing each individual response to be associated with different ensembles of trees, while still handling dependencies between the outcomes. In the case of continuous outcomes, our model is essentially a nonparametric version of seemingly unrelated regression. Likewise, our proposal for binary outcomes is a nonparametric generalisation of the multivariate probit model. We give suggestions for easily interpretable prior distributions, which allow specification of both informative and uninformative priors. We provide detailed discussions of MCMC sampling methods to conduct posterior inference. Our methods are implemented in the R package `suBART'. We showcase their performance through extensive simulations and an application to an empirical case study from health economics. By also accommodating propensity scores in a manner befitting a causal analysis, we find substantial evidence for a novel trauma care intervention's cost-effectiveness.