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Non-maximum suppression (NMS) is an indispensable post-processing step in object detection. With the continuous optimization of network models, NMS has become the ``last mile'' to enhance the efficiency of object detection. This paper systematically analyzes NMS from a graph theory perspective for the first time, revealing its intrinsic structure. Consequently, we propose two optimization methods, namely QSI-NMS and BOE-NMS. The former is a fast recursive divide-and-conquer algorithm with negligible mAP loss, and its extended version (eQSI-NMS) achieves optimal complexity of $\mathcal{O}(n\log n)$. The latter, concentrating on the locality of NMS, achieves an optimization at a constant level without an mAP loss penalty. Moreover, to facilitate rapid evaluation of NMS methods for researchers, we introduce NMS-Bench, the first benchmark designed to comprehensively assess various NMS methods. Taking the YOLOv8-N model on MS COCO 2017 as the benchmark setup, our method QSI-NMS provides $6.2\times$ speed of original NMS on the benchmark, with a $0.1\%$ decrease in mAP. The optimal eQSI-NMS, with only a $0.3\%$ mAP decrease, achieves $10.7\times$ speed. Meanwhile, BOE-NMS exhibits $5.1\times$ speed with no compromise in mAP.

The manipulation of Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in molecular beam epitaxy-grown Al$_x$In$_{1-x}$Sb/InSb/CdTe quantum well heterostructures is reported. The effective band bending provides robust two-dimensional quantum confinement, while the unidirectional built-in electric field from the asymmetric hetero-interfaces results in pronounced Rashba SOC strength. By tuning the Al concentration in the top Al$_x$In$_{1-x}$Sb barrier layer, the optimal structure with $x = 0.15$ shows the largest Rashba coefficient of 0.23 eV-Angstrom. and the highest low-temperature electron mobility of 4400 cm$^2$/Vs . Quantitative investigations of the weak anti-localization effect further confirm the dominant D'yakonov-Perel (DP) spin relaxation mechanism during charge-to-spin conversion. These findings highlight the significance of quantum well engineering in shaping magneto-resistance responses, and narrow bandgap semiconductor-based heterostructures may offer a reliable platform for energy-efficient spintronic applications.

The model inputs play a key role in the performance of the Bayesian optimization approach. In this paper, we investigate the influence of the inputs on the improved predictions of phenomenological nuclear charge radius formulas using an approach combining those original formulas and the Bayesian neural network (BNN). We find that there is no improvement in predictions after the abnormal odd-even staggering effect of 181,183,185Hg is injected into the BNN, while the original phenomenological formulas themselves possess rich physical information or rigid constraints. It indicates the abundance and intensity of physical inputs affect the performance of the Bayesian optimization approach as well as the robustness of the BNN. We further demonstrate that, by ensuring that the number of neurons in the hidden layer is larger than the number of NN inputs, adding hidden layers into the BNN can significantly improve the predictions of nuclear charge radii formulas within the Bayesian optimization approach., Comment: 10 pages,4 figures, 4 talbes

Impurity substitution is a general strategy to study the intrinsic properties of a quantum material. However, when the target element has more than one Wyckoff position in the lattice, it is a big challenge but with extreme necessity to know the exact position and order of the occupancy of impurity atoms. Via comprehensive experimental and theoretical investigations, we establish herein the roadmap for Ni substitution in Fe3GaTe2, a van der Waals ferromagnet with the Curie temperature TC even reaching ~ 380 K. The results unambiguously reveal that in (Fe1-xNix)3GaTe2, Ni atoms initially form an van der Waals interlayer gap Ni3 sites when x < 0.1, and then gradually occupy the Fe2 sites. After replacing the Fe2 sites at x of ~ 0.75, they start to substitute for the Fe1 sites and eventually realize a full occupation at x = 1.0. Accordingly, TC and saturation magnetic moments of (Fe1-xNix)3GaTe2 both show nonlinear decrease, which is tightly tied to the Ni occupancy order as well as the different roles of Ni3, Fe1 and Fe2 sites in the spin Hamiltonian. The results not only yield fruitful insights into the essential roles of different Fe sites in producing the above room temperature high TC, but also set a paradigm for future impurity substitution study on other quantum materials., Comment: 24 pages,5 main figures+4 SI figures+2 SI tables

3-dB couplers, which are commonly used in photonic integrated circuits for on-chip information processing, precision measurement, and quantum computing, face challenges in achieving robust performance due to their limited 3-dB bandwidths and sensitivity to fabrication errors. To address this, we introduce topological physics to nanophotonics, developing a framework for topological 3-dB couplers. These couplers exhibit broad working wavelength range and robustness against fabrication dimensional errors. By leveraging valley-Hall topology and mirror symmetry, the photonic-crystal-slab couplers achieve ideal 3-dB splitting characterized by a wavelength-insensitive scattering matrix. Tolerance analysis confirms the superiority on broad bandwidth of 48 nm and robust splitting against dimensional errors of 20 nm. We further propose a topological interferometer for on-chip distance measurement, which also exhibits robustness against dimensional errors. This extension of topological principles to the fields of interferometers, may open up new possibilities for constructing robust wavelength division multiplexing, temperature-drift-insensitive sensing, and optical coherence tomography applications., Comment: 20 pages, 4 figures

Peer review is a cornerstone of science. Research communities conduct peer reviews to assess contributions and to improve the overall quality of science work. Every year, new community members are recruited as peer reviewers for the first time. How could technology help novices adhere to their community's practices and standards for peer reviewing? To better understand peer review practices and challenges, we conducted a formative study with 10 novices and 10 experts. We found that many experts adopt a workflow of annotating, note-taking, and synthesizing notes into well-justified reviews that align with community standards. Novices lack timely guidance on how to read and assess submissions and how to structure paper reviews. To support the peer review process, we developed ReviewFlow -- an AI-driven workflow that scaffolds novices with contextual reflections to critique and annotate submissions, in-situ knowledge support to assess novelty, and notes-to-outline synthesis to help align peer reviews with community expectations. In a within-subjects experiment, 16 inexperienced reviewers wrote reviews in two conditions: using ReviewFlow and using a baseline environment with minimal guidance. With ReviewFlow, participants produced more comprehensive reviews, identifying more pros and cons. While participants appreciated the streamlined process support from ReviewFlow, they also expressed concerns about using AI as part of the scientific review process. We discuss the implications of using AI to scaffold the peer review process on scientific work and beyond., Comment: 19 pages, accepted at the 29th ACM Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces (IUI 2024)

The growing diversity of digital face manipulation techniques has led to an urgent need for a universal and robust detection technology to mitigate the risks posed by malicious forgeries. We present a blended-based detection approach that has robust applicability to unseen datasets. It combines a method for generating synthetic training samples, i.e., reconstructed blended images, that incorporate potential deepfake generator artifacts and a detection model, a multi-scale feature reconstruction network, for capturing the generic boundary artifacts and noise distribution anomalies brought about by digital face manipulations. Experiments demonstrated that this approach results in better performance in both cross-manipulation detection and cross-dataset detection on unseen data.

Magnetoresistance effects are crucial for understanding the charge/spin transport as well as propelling the advancement of spintronic applications. Here we report the coexistence of magnetic moment-dependent (MD) and magnetic field-driven (FD) unidirectional magnetoresistance (UMR) effects in CoFeB/InSb/CdTe heterostructures. The strong spin-orbital coupling of InSb and the matched impedance at the CoFeB/InSb interface warrant a distinct MD-UMR effect at room temperature, while the interaction between the in-plane magnetic field and the Rashba effect at the InSb/CdTe interface induces the marked FD-UMR signal that dominates the high-field region. Moreover, owning to the different spin transport mechanisms, these two types of nonreciprocal charge transport show opposite polarities with respect to the magnetic field direction, which further enable an effective phase modulation of the angular-dependent magnetoresistance. Besides, the demonstrations of both the tunable UMR response and two-terminal spin-orbit torque-driven magnetization switching validate our CoFeB/InSb/CdTe system as a suitable integrated building block for multifunctional spintronic device design.

The generation and control of optical frequency combs in integrated photonic systems enables complex, high-controllable, and large-scale devices. In parallel, harnessing topological physics in multipartite systems has allowed them with compelling features such as robustness against fabrication imperfections. Here we experimentally demonstrate on-chip topological transport for optical frequency combs at telecommunication wavelengths, both in classical and nonclassical domains. We access both the quantum frequency combs and dissipative Kerr soliton combs with a micro-resonator. The quantum frequency comb, that is, a coherent superposition of multiple frequency modes, is proven to be a frequency-entangled qudit state. We also show that dissipative Kerr soliton combs are highly coherent and mode-locked due to the collective coherence or self-organization of solitons. Moreover, the valley kink states allow both quantum frequency combs and dissipative Kerr soliton combs with robustness against sharp bends. Our topologically protected optical frequency combs could enable the inherent robustness in integrated complex photonic systems., Comment: 20 pages,12 figures

As processes around hybrid work, spatially distant collaborations, and work-life boundaries grow increasingly complex, managing workers' schedules for synchronous meetings has become a critical aspect of building successful global teams. However, gaps remain in our understanding of workers' scheduling preferences and practices, which we aim to fill in this large-scale, mixed-methods study of individuals calendars in a multinational organization. Using interviews with eight participants, survey data from 165 respondents, and telemetry data from millions of meetings scheduled by 211 thousand workers, we characterize scheduling preferences, practices, and their relationship with each other and organizational factors. We find that temporal preferences can be broadly classified as either cyclical, such as suitability of certain days, or relational, such as dispersed meetings, at various time scales. Furthermore, our results suggest that these preferences are disconnected from actual practice--albeit with several notable exceptions--and that individual differences are associated with factors like meeting load, time-zones, importance of meetings to job function, and job titles. We discuss key themes for our findings, along with the implications for calendar and scheduling systems and socio-technical systems more broadly.

Recently, the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) collaboration presented the first catalog of $\gamma$-ray sources using 508 days of LHAASO data, from March 2021 to September 2022. This catalog contains four blazars and a possible liner-type AGN counterpart. In this work, we establish averaged multi-wavelength SEDs by combining data from the \textsl{Fermi}-Large Area Telescope, \textsl{Swift}, ZTF, and WISE covering the same period as the LHAASO detection. In general, these five AGNs are found in low states at all wavelengths. To study the multi-wavelength properties of these AGNs, several jet emission models, including the one-zone leptonic model, the one-zone leptonic and hadronuclear ($pp$) model, the one-zone proton-synchrotron model, and the spine-layer model are applied to reproduce their averaged SEDs, respectively. We find that the one-zone leptonic model can reproduce most of the SEDs, except for the high-energy tail of the LHAASO spectra of Mrk 421 and Mrk 501. To improve the fitting, emission from $pp$ interactions is favoured in the framework of a one-zone model. The spine-layer model, which can be treated as a multi-zone scenario, can also provide good spectral fits. The influence of different extragalactic background light models on fitting LHAASO energy spectrum is also discussed., Comment: 26 pages, 10 figures, accepted by ApJS. Suggestions, comments or feedback will be appreciated!

The effects of turbulence intensity and turbulence region on the distribution of femtosecond laser filaments are experimentally elaborated. Through the ultrasonic signals emitted by the filaments, and it is observed that increasing turbulence intensity and expanding turbulence active region cause an increase in the start position of the filament, and a decrease in filament length, which can be well explained by the theoretical calculation. It is also observed that the random perturbation of the air refractive index caused by atmospheric turbulence expanded the spot size of the filament. Additionally, when turbulence intensity reaches , multiple filaments are formed. Furthermore, the standard deviation of the transverse displacement of filament is found to be proportional to the square root of turbulent structure constant under the experimental turbulence parameters in this paper. These results contribute to the study of femtosecond laser propagation mechanisms in complex atmospheric turbulence conditions, Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures

Accidental exposure to overdose ionizing radiation will inevitably lead to severe biological damage, thus detecting and localizing radiation is essential. Traditional measurement techniques are generally restricted to the limited detection range of few centimeters, posing a great risk to operators. The potential in remote sensing makes femtosecond laser filament technology great candidates for constructively address this challenge. Here we propose a novel filament-based ionizing radiation sensing technology (FIRST), and clarify the interaction mechanism between filaments and ionizing radiation. Specifically, it is demonstrated that the energetic electrons and ions produced by {\alpha} radiation in air can be effectively accelerated within the filament, serving as seed electrons, which will markedly enhance nitrogen fluorescence. The extended nitrogen fluorescence lifetime of ~1 ns is also observed. These findings provide insights into the intricate interaction among ultra-strong light filed, plasma and energetic particle beam, and pave the way for the remote sensing of ionizing radiation., Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures