Scalable Batch Acquisition for Deep Bayesian Active Learning

In deep active learning, it is especially important to choose multiple examples to markup at each step to work efficiently, especially on large datasets. At the same time, existing solutions to this problem in the Bayesian setup, such as BatchBALD, have significant limitations in selecting a large number of examples, associated with the exponential complexity of computing mutual information for joint random variables. We, therefore, present the Large BatchBALD algorithm, which gives a well-grounded approximation to the BatchBALD method that aims to achieve comparable quality while being more computationally efficient. We provide a complexity analysis of the algorithm, showing a reduction in computation time, especially for large batches. Furthermore, we present an extensive set of experimental results on image and text data, both on toy datasets and larger ones such as CIFAR-100.Comment: Accepted to SIAM International Conference on Data Mining 202

Are LLMs Good Cryptic Crossword Solvers?

Cryptic crosswords are puzzles that rely not only on general knowledge but also on the solver's ability to manipulate language on different levels and deal with various types of wordplay. Previous research suggests that solving such puzzles is a challenge even for modern NLP models. However, the abilities of large language models (LLMs) have not yet been tested on this task. In this paper, we establish the benchmark results for three popular LLMs -- LLaMA2, Mistral, and ChatGPT -- showing that their performance on this task is still far from that of humans

Statistical Models of the Variability of Plasma in the Topside Ionosphere:2. Performance assessment

Statistical models of the variability of plasma in the topside ionosphere based on the Swarm data have been developed in the “Swarm Variability of Ionospheric Plasma” (Swarm-VIP) project within the European Space Agency’s Swarm+4D-Ionosphere framework. The models can predict the electron density, its gradients for three horizontal spatial scales – 20, 50 and 100 km – along the North-South direction and the level of the density fluctuations. Despite being developed by leveraging on Swarm data, the models provide predictions that are independent of these data, having a global coverage, fed by various parameters and proxies of the helio-geophysical conditions. Those features make the Swarm-VIP models useful for various purposes, which include the possible support for already available ionospheric models and proxy of the effect of ionospheric irregularities of the medium scales that affect the signals emitted by Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). The formulation, optimisation and validation of the Swarm-VIP models are reported in Paper 1 (Wood et al. 2024. J Space Weather Space Clim. in press). This paper describes the performance assessment of the models, by addressing their capability to reproduce the known climatological variability of the modelled quantities, and the ionospheric weather as depicted by ground-based GNSS, as a proxy for the ionospheric effect on GNSS signals. Additionally, we demonstrate that, under certain conditions, the model can better reproduce the ionospheric variability than a physics-based model, namely the Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIE-GCM)

Stylistic features of the surrealistic experimental prose of Věra Linhartová

The article illustrates specific stylistic features of Věra Linhartová’s late prose, written in the Czech language during the period of her cooperation with the Prague surrealist group from 1962 to 1965. We focus our attention on the style-forming potential of different syntactic structures, code-switching and intertext, explaining their relation to the author’s poetics and the surrealist tradition

Stylistic features of the surrealistic experimental prose of Věra Linhartová

The article illustrates specific stylistic features of Věra Linhartová’s late prose, written in the Czech language during the period of her cooperation with the Prague surrealist group from 1962 to 1965. We focus our attention on the style-forming potential of different syntactic structures, code-switching and intertext, explaining their relation to the author’s poetics and the surrealist tradition.

Interhemispheric variability of the electron density and derived parameters by the Swarm satellites during different solar activity – Erratum

This Erratum serves to correct a misplaced part of the text and a Figure 1 caption

Interhemispheric variability of the electron density and derived parameters by the Swarm satellites during different solar activity

With the data from the Swarm satellite mission, we study the variability of ionospheric plasma parameters for low and high solar activities. We focus on the electron density measured by Swarm and derived parameters and analyze the variability of these parameters in the contexts of the Northern and Southern hemispheres, specific latitudinal regions, and the solar activity level. We consider two time intervals: with high solar activity (HSA) from August 2014 to July 2015 and with low solar activity (LSA) from January to December 2018. We show that the electron density is described mainly by three probability density functions (PDF): exponentiated Weibull, lognormal, and chi distributions. These results with PDFs can be applied to the modeling or prediction of ionospheric parameters in different regions. The best fit of PDFs was obtained for low and mid-latitudes, while at high latitudes and in the polar caps, the double-peaked features of the distribution require the fit of multiple PDFs. The electron density (Ne) distribution at low latitudes follows more a lognormal distribution, while in the high latitude region, the chi distribution prevails. Different results were obtained for the rate of change of density index (RODI) with two fitting PDFs: lognormal or exponentiated Weibull, where the best fits are for high latitudes and polar caps. We demonstrate high variability in the electron density and derived parameters at low latitudes and in the polar caps. Comparing both hemispheres, we obtained higher values of these parameters during the solar minimum in the Southern hemisphere at high latitudes and polar caps, while for the Northern hemisphere, higher values were obtained at low latitudes. The dependence on the satellite’s altitude was also considered. The main patterns in the diurnal variation of parameters in different regions do not depend on the level of solar activity (which affects only the maximum values). The largest asymmetry between both hemispheres in Ne diurnal distribution was obtained for the polar cap regions. Here a 50% decrease in Ne was observed in the Northern hemisphere during HSA in the early morning sector (04–07 Magnetic Local Time), which has not yet been observed in the Southern hemisphere. For the first time, such a global statistical characterization of the ionospheric plasma density based on the in situ data is presented

Case Studies of Ionospheric Plasma Irregularities Over Queen Maud Land, Antarctica

We use the first data set from the ground-based TEC and scintillation receiver located at the Norwegian Research Station Troll in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica to analyze in detail the ionospheric response during geomagnetic disturbances on February 26-27 and March 18-19, 2018. By combining the Troll data with complementary measurements (scintillation receivers, magnetometers, SuperDARN, DMSP satellites), we demonstrate that plasma irregularities above this part of Queen Maud Land can be associated with the expansion of the auroral oval, related structuring on its edges, as well as with strong flow shears in the evening and at nighttime, which are further modulated by the energetic particle precipitation. Phase scintillation indices correlate well with the magnetometer data

Ionospheric plasma structuring in relation to auroral particle precipitation

Auroral particle precipitation potentially plays the main role in ionospheric plasma structuring. The impact of auroral particle precipitation on plasma structuring is investigated using multi-point measurements from scintillation receivers and all-sky cameras from Longyearbyen, Ny-Ålesund, and Hornsund on Svalbard. This provides us with the unique possibility of studying the spatial and temporal dynamics of the aurora. Here we consider three case studies to investigate how plasma structuring is related to different auroral forms. We demonstrate that plasma structuring impacting the GNSS signals is largest at the edges of auroral forms. Here we studied two stable arcs, two dynamic auroral bands, and a spiral. Specifically for arcs, we find elevated phase scintillation index values at the poleward edge of the aurora. This is observed for auroral oxygen emissions (557.7 nm) at 150 km in the ionospheric E-region. This altitude is also used as the ionospheric piercing point for the GNSS signals as the observations remain the same regardless of different satellite elevations and azimuths. Further, there may be a time delay between the temporal evolution of aurora (e.g., commencement and fading of auroral activity) and observations of elevated phase scintillation index values. The time delay could be explained by the intense influx of particles, which increases the plasma density and causes recombination to carry on longer, which may lead to a persistence of structures – a “memory effect”. High values of phase scintillation index values can be observed even shortly after strong visible aurora and can then remain significant at low intensities of the aurora