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Experts outperform novices under high attentional load in soccer referees: a multiple object tracking study
Abstract This study investigates the differences in visual attention between expert and novice soccer referees using a multiple object tracking (MOT) task, with a specific focus on how tracking speed modulates these differences. Fifty-two male referees were divided into expert (currently holding international/national level, n = 26) and novice (currently holding level 1 or below, n = 26) groups. Participants completed an MOT task at three tracking speeds (4°/s, 8°/s, and 12°/s), with accuracy recorded and analyzed via a 2 (Group: expert vs. novice) × 3 (Speed: 4°/s, 8°/s, 12°/s) mixed-design repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), with Speed as the within-subjects factor and Group as the between-subjects factor. Results showed a significant main effect of tracking speed, F (2, 100) = 451.364, p < 0.001, η P 2 = 0.900, with accuracy decreasing as speed increased, and a main effect of expertise, F (1, 50) = 12.406, p < 0.001, η P 2 = 0.199, with experts outperforming novices. Crucially, a significant Group × Speed interaction was observed, F (2, 100) = 10.096, p < 0.001, η P 2 = 0.168: experts demonstrated superior performance at higher speeds (8°/s and 12°/s), but no significant difference was found at the lowest speed (4°/s). Post-hoc analyses with Bonferroni correction revealed large effect sizes for the group differences at 8°/s ( Cohen’s d = 0.935) and 12°/s ( d = 1.164), whereas the effect at 4°/s was negligible ( d = 0.172). These findings suggest that expert soccer referees show superior MOT performance under higher attentional load, indicating a load-dependent expertise advantage.
A universal model for predicting the stability of complexes with rare earths and trivalent actinides
Despite significant interest in rare earth and actinide complexes, experimental characterization is challenging due to element scarcity, cost, and safety requirements, while accurate quantum chemical modeling remains computationally intractable for relevant system sizes. We overcome these barriers by introducing a novel machine learning architecture. Trained on available experimental data spanning multiple f-block elements, our model achieves significantly improved predictive accuracy for complex stability. Analysis of its applicability domain and fragment contributions reveals critical structural determinants of stability.
A computer vision-based approach to monitor changes in ecosystems associated with marine renewable energy projects
Abstract To assess the potential ecological effects of marine renewable energy (MRE) devices, it is essential to establish a baseline of ecosystem conditions prior to disturbance and to monitor throughout the installation, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning phases. The design of mitigation and compensation measures depends on the difference between baseline conditions and the impacted ecosystem. In this study, we develop and evaluate a semi-automated methodological proof-of-concept using computer vision to assess environmental changes around MRE devices. Using fish monitoring as a case study, we reduced image processing time by eliminating empty frames and detecting fish in the remaining frames. Species identification was carried out by experts using a public database for comparative analysis. We also conducted an identification exercise for a single fish species and tested a monocular depth-estimation method (3D reconstruction from 2D images) to measure distances between organisms and devices. Finally, we propose a potential methodological framework for integrating computer vision across the life cycle of MRE devices to monitor both natural and anthropogenic processes, including space colonization, trophic interactions, pollution, and the effects of underwater structures. The merits and drawbacks of the approach are discussed.
ClSO4 in Venus sulfur–chlorine chemistry: Radical localization, vibrational signatures, and near-UV/visible spectrum
Venus photochemistry couples SO2 variability, chlorine activation, sulfuric-acid cloud formation, and the still-unassigned near-UV absorber, yet several sulfur–chlorine intermediates in this network remain molecularly undefined. ClSO4 is one of them: it has been invoked as a chlorine-assisted route toward SO3 and H2SO4, but its structure and spectroscopy have not been established. We report a focused ab initio characterization of neutral doublet ClSO4 centered on explicit validation of its electronic structure. Multireference calculations with two independent active spaces locate the same O-bound chlorine sulfate radical and show that the relevant structure is not strongly multiconfigurational. An independent second-order perturbation-theory optimization recovers the same bond-localized topology, but the coupled-cluster minus second-order perturbation correction substantially refines the radical-bearing S–O distance, showing that second-order perturbation theory alone is not sufficient for final structural parameters. Final structural parameters are therefore obtained from a composite geometry, including explicit-correlation to account for basis-set extension, post-second-order correlation, and core–valence increments, whereas the vibrational analysis uses a second-order perturbation-theory force field and second-order vibrational perturbation treatment. The resulting vibrational spectrum contains a compact set of intense infrared markers, and the electronic absorption spectrum extends into the near-UV/visible region. These results establish ClSO4 as a chemically plausible and spectroscopically accessible intermediate in Venus sulfur–chlorine chemistry.
Enhancing the security of coherent one-way quantum key distribution using CHSH correlations
Abstract The coherent one-way (COW) protocol is a quantum key distribution scheme that has attracted significant attention, leading to the development and commercialization of practical implementations. Despite this progress, the security of the COW protocol has remained a fundamental challenge since its introduction. Numerous studies have investigated its security, and several security proofs have been proposed over the years. More recently, a number of works have questioned the security of this protocol. In particular, one of the latest studies introduced an attack that severely limits the security of COW-QKD and reported a maximum secure distance of less than $$20\,\textrm{km}$$ . In this work, we introduce minimal alteration to the COW protocol that can enhance its security. Specifically, instead of monitoring the coherence between successive pulses, we propose to monitor quantum correlations through the violation of Bell inequalities. This approach enables the detection of a broader class of potential attacks. Our simulation results indicate that, by employing this method, the maximum secure distance of the protocol can be extended to approximately $$259\,\textrm{km}$$ .
Ion-specific anomalous water diffusion in aqueous electrolytes: A machine-learned many-body force field study with MACE
The dynamics of water in electrolyte solutions exhibits a striking, ion-specific anomaly: the diffusion coefficient of water is enhanced relative to the neat liquid in chaotropic CsI solutions, yet suppressed in kosmotropic NaCl solutions. This phenomenon, long challenging for classical force-field-based molecular dynamics, is studied here using classical molecular dynamics simulations with a many-body machine-learned force field trained within the MACE equivariant graph neural network framework. The force field is trained on energies, forces, and stresses computed at the density functional theory level with the revPBE-D3 exchange–correlation functional, which provides a reliable balance between accuracy and computational efficiency for aqueous systems. Simulations of NaCl and CsI aqueous solutions under ambient conditions over a concentration range of 0.89–3.56 mol/kg reproduce the experimentally observed anomalous diffusion and yield a quantitative improvement over previous results obtained with the DeePMD framework, which is trained on the same theory, particularly for NaCl solutions. This improvement is traced to a stronger Na+–water interaction in the first hydration shell and the non-negligible retarding contribution of the second hydration shell of Na+. For CsI solutions, the water acceleration is shown to be primarily driven by the anion I−, whose diffuse and weakly structured hydration shell facilitates rapid water exchange with the bulk. These results are rationalized through a shell-decomposition analysis of time-dependent water diffusivities and ion–oxygen potentials of mean force, providing a coherent microscopic picture of the acceleration–retardation mechanism in the studied aqueous electrolytes.
A complete blood count–based prediction model for ferritin-defined iron deficiency
Electrohydrodynamic lubrication theory for an immersed cylinder moving near wall
The free motion of charged colloids within ionic solutions and in the vicinity of charged boundaries is a phenomenon that occurs in various natural, biological, and industrial settings. Here, we develop an electrohydrodynamic lubrication theoretical framework in order to characterize such a motion in the case of an infinite rigid cylinder near a rigid wall. Combining hydrodynamic lubrication theory, Debye–Hückel electrostatics, and Nernst–Planck electrokinetics, we derive the three coupled equations of motion for the normal, longitudinal, and rotational degrees of freedom of the cylinder, which are then investigated numerically and through asymptotic analysis. Our results reveal complex behaviors, beyond existing asymptotic electroviscous-lift expressions, and extend the classical Faxen–Brenner-like mobility matrix when surface charges and dissolved ions are incorporated.
A hybrid structural and artificial intelligence approach for cybersecurity situational awareness among high school students
Direct ambient synthesis of cerium-sensitized Cs3TbCl6 microcrystals with near-unity photoluminescence quantum yield and robust stability for white lighting
Recently, lead-free zero-dimensional Cs3TbCl6 (CTC) microcrystals have shown great potential for applications in light-emitting diodes. However, two major limitations of CTC are their low absorption coefficient and harsh preparation. In this study, Ce3+ with 4f–5d orbital coupling was used to dope CTC, enabling the excitation band to shift from UV-B to UV-A and elevating the photoluminescence quantum yield from 33.52% to 96.43%. In addition, cerium-sensitized CTC microcrystals (MCs) with different dopant ratios were obtained to study the energy transfer process from Ce3+ to Tb3+, which were prepared via a simple monosolvent ethanol-assisted recrystallization method at room temperature. Finally, we used cerium-sensitized CTC MCs with excellent stability to fabricate the white light-emitting diodes. This work not only offers a deep understanding of competitive energy transfer in zero-dimensional lanthanide-based metal halides, but also presents a direct ambient synthesis strategy of highly emissive and robustly stable phosphor for white light illumination.
A hybrid generative and transformer-based framework for anomaly detection in industrial sensor time-series for predictive maintenance
Efficient analytic continuation approach to Bethe–Salpeter excitation spectra in selected energy windows
We explore the merits of building the Bethe–Salpeter absorption spectrum in a specific energy range using analytic continuation techniques. Specifically, we calculate iteratively a few ᾱ̄(zk) polarizability tensors for a coarse set of (zk) frequencies in the complex-plane. These data allow the construction of a continued-fraction representation for ᾱ̄(z) that is used to calculate the absorption spectrum close to the real energy axis in the desired energy range. The number and location of these sampling complex frequencies are discussed. The importance of building a continued-fraction representation of the full polarizability tensor with matrix-valued coefficients is emphasized. We show how to extract the poles of the continued fraction as a tool for analyzing the resulting spectra. We study as examples the valence excitations of a paradigmatic dipeptide, the C60 fullerene and its [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester derivative, together with the description of the surface plasmon resonance of the Ag20 silver cluster. Furthermore, the high-energy C60 X-ray absorption spectrum is explored.
Integrated magnetic and hydrochemical forensic assessment of dumpsite-induced soil and groundwater contamination and the possible implications for public health
Abstract Uncontrolled waste disposal in developing nations poses a significant risk to shallow water resources and nearby communities. This study integrated hydrochemical analysis with ground magnetic surveying to assess dumpsite-related contamination around ten dumpsites within the Kaduna Metropolis. Twenty-five water samples, comprising 15 hand-dug wells and 10 rivers/streams within 200 m of the dumpsites, were analyzed for pH, EC, TDS, total hardness, BOD 5 , COD, Fe, and Pb using standard APHA procedures with routine QA/QC checks. A ground magnetic survey was conducted at one representative central dumpsite to map shallow waste heterogeneity. Hydrochemical results showed degraded water quality, with EC (709–2612 µS/cm), TDS (510–1612 mg/L), BOD 5 (371–798 mg/L), COD (697–1477 mg/L), Pb (0.16–1.92 mg/L), and Fe (0.33–2.42 mg/L) commonly exceeding drinking-water guideline values, and surface waters generally more impaired than hand-dug wells. The BOD 5 /COD relationship indicates mixed organic contamination with an appreciable biodegradable fraction rather than “water content.” Magnetic data revealed multiple shallow anomalies (about 0–5 m) related to ferromagnetic debris and heterogeneous fill, but did not by themselves establish leachate chemistry. Overall, dumpsite impacts are best characterized by combining magnetic, hydrochemical, and hydrogeological evidence. Improved waste containment, routine monitoring, and targeted remediation are urgently needed.
Observation of Penning electron detachment from H− induced by metastable H*/Ng* atoms (Ng = He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe)
In Penning detachment, the excess electron of an anion is detached during the anion’s collision with an electronically excited neutral species (A− + N* → A + N + e−). Penning detachment of H− has special relevance to the dynamics of stellar atmospheres and to possible technological uses. Penning detachment by excited (metastable) hydrogen and helium atoms may be the most important H− loss-step in the solar atmosphere. Here, the Penning detachment of H−/D− by collisions with H*(22S) and He*(23S/21S) excited atoms, i.e., H−/D− + H*/He* → H/D + H/He + e−, was observed for the first time via direct H−/D− anion depletion experiments. Penning detachment of H− by metastable noble gases (Ng* = He*, Ne*, Ar*, Kr*, Xe*) was observed as well, with potential applications in tokamak fusion devices being proposed.
Machine learning-based cervical secretions DNA methylation profiling of implantation window genes enhances live birth prediction in frozen embryo transfer
Exact exchange in the Levy–Perdew–Sahni density-functional theory
We show that the Fermi–Amaldi functional constitutes the exact exchange contribution within the orbital-free Levy–Perdew–Sahni (LPS) density-functional scheme, which is based on a Schrödinger-like equation for the square root of the electron density. This result follows from interpreting the LPS scheme in terms of an auxiliary reference system of non-interacting particles occupying a single orbital. Unlike Kohn–Sham exact exchange, the exact LPS exchange is a pure density functional fully compatible with the orbital-free formalism. Self-consistent calculations for atoms and molecules show improved accuracy for light atoms relative to standard Kohn–Sham exchange approximations. These findings provide a basis for developing improved approximations to the remaining terms of the LPS total-energy functional.
A generative adversarial network framework for individualized training load distribution based on physiological response patterns and injury risk prediction
Coherent modeling of double-folded ring polymers and their underlying random tree structure
Topologically constrained genome-like polymers often double-fold into tree-like configurations, which can be modeled on the level of folded (ring) polymers or on the level of the underlying random trees. For both descriptions, we have recently obtained expressions for the configurational entropy in ensembles with controlled branching activity. Here, we demonstrate that they are equivalent up to a contribution originating from the number of distinct wrappings of a single tree. This allows us to develop a coherent framework for freely switching between the two representations. Importantly, the equivalence extends to interacting systems, provided the interactions are treated consistently on the tree and on the ring level. To demonstrate the utility of the scheme, we introduce a generalization of the Amoeba Monte Carlo algorithm capable of generating the required ensembles of trees with fluctuating sizes. While the tree algorithm reproduces results obtained by dynamic simulations of the corresponding ring model, it is O(N) faster for the purpose of sampling static properties and leverages the utility of the ring model for the study of dynamical properties, when used for the preparation of equilibrated starting states.
Mechanostereochemical modulation of polymer mechanical properties
Stereochemistry profoundly affects the physical and mechanical properties of polymers, illustrated by the contrast between elastic natural rubber ( cis -polyisoprene) and the stiffer, less extensible gutta-percha ( trans -isomer). Traditional stereochemistry such as tacticity and cis / trans isomerism primarily governs polymer properties based on fixed structural or conformational factors. Herein, by incorporating the mechanostereochemistry concept into polymers, we demonstrate a stereochemistry paradigm wherein dynamic isomers dictate material properties, thereby defining the unprecedented transient-stereostructure-efficacy mechanism. Specifically, we engineer two mechanically interlocked networks based on [ c 2]daisy chains, where force-triggered intramolecular motion generates mechanostereoisomers with distinct geometric configurations: [ c 2]Daisy chain 1 in MIN- 1 contracts into a fisherman’s knot, whereas [ c 2]daisy chain 2 in MIN- 2 extends into a loop. Due to reduced network elasticity from the loop structure, MIN- 2 exhibits a lower modulus in large-strain shear measurements and less pronounced strain hardening in tensile tests compared to MIN- 1 . Since these mechanostereoisomers are induced by force, material properties show strain-dependent character: both networks perform similarly under small or no strain, but diverge significantly at large strains. Our work expands the conceptual boundaries of polymer stereochemistry and provides insights for designing high-performance materials through stereochemical control.