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A bstract One-point functions of local operators are studied, at weak and strong coupling, for the ABJM theory in the presence of a 1/2 BPS domain wall. In the underlying quantum spin chain the domain wall is represented by a boundary state which we show is integrable yielding a compact determinant formula for one-point functions of generic operators.

A bstract We apply the recently developped analytical methods for computing the boundary entropy, or the g-function, in integrable theories with non-diagonal scattering. We consider the particular case of the current-perturbed SU (2) k WZNW model with boundary and compute the boundary entropy for a specific boundary condition. The main problem we encounter is that in case of non-diagonal scattering the boundary entropy is infinite. We show that this infinity can be cured by a subtraction. The difference of the boundary entropies in the UV and in the IR limits is finite, and matches the known g-functions for the unperturbed SU (2) k WZNW model for even values of the level.

Sound source localization (SSL) has evolved from traditional signal-processing methods to sophisticated deep-learning architectures. However, applying these to distributed microphone arrays in adverse environments is complicated by high reverberation and potential sensor asynchrony, which can corrupt crucial Time-Difference-of-Arrival (TDoA) information. We introduce SpaceNet, a multimodal deep-learning architecture designed to address such issues by explicitly fusing audio features with sensor geometry. SpaceNet features: (1) a dual-branch architecture with specialized spatial processing that decomposes microphone geometry into distances, azimuths, and elevations; and (2) a feature-normalization technique to ensure stable multimodal training. Evaluation on real-world datasets from disaster sites demonstrates that SpaceNet, when trained on ILD-only mel-spectra, achieves better accuracy compared to our baseline model (CHAWA) and identical models trained on full mel-spectrograms. This approach also reduces computational overhead by a factor of 24. Our findings suggest that for distributed arrays in adverse environments, time-invariant ILD cues are a more effective and efficient feature for localization than complex temporal features corrupted by reverberation and synchronization errors.

Fisheries bycatch has been identified as the greatest threat to marine mammals worldwide. Characterizing the impacts of bycatch on marine mammals is challenging because it is difficult to both observe and quantify, particularly in small-scale fisheries where data on fishing effort and marine mammal abundance and distribution are often limited. The lack of risk frameworks that can integrate and visualize existing data have hindered the ability to describe and quantify bycatch risk. Here, we describe the design of a new geographic information systems tool built specifically for the analysis of bycatch in small-scale fisheries, called Bycatch Risk Assessment (ByRA). Using marine mammals in Malaysia and Vietnam as a test case, we applied ByRA to assess the risks posed to Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) and dugongs (Dugong dugon) by five small-scale fishing gear types (hook and line, nets, longlines, pots and traps, and trawls). ByRA leverages existing data on animal distributions, fisheries effort, and estimates of interaction rates by combining expert knowledge and spatial analyses of existing data to visualize and characterize bycatch risk. By identifying areas of bycatch concern while accounting for uncertainty using graphics, maps and summary tables, we demonstrate the importance of integrating available geospatial data in an accessible format that taps into local knowledge and can be corroborated by and communicated to stakeholders of data-limited fisheries. Our methodological approach aims to meet a critical need of fisheries managers: to identify emergent interaction patterns between fishing gears and marine mammals and support the development of management actions that can lead to sustainable fisheries and mitigate bycatch risk for species of conservation concern.

Salty and brackish groundwater has been observed at least 100 km inland in some aquifers contained within Quaternary delta plains. This phenomenon limits access to fresh groundwater resources, particularly in the densely populated deltas of Southeast Asia. However, the causes of inland salinity are unclear. Here we present borehole and geophysical data that show that in the Red River delta plain of Vietnam, salty and brackish groundwater primarily occurs in incised valleys that were formed during sea-level lowstands during the Pleistocene. During the mid-Holocene, these valleys were filled with fine-grained marine deposits containing trapped seawater. We conduct groundwater flow simulations that show that the age, thickness, and permeability of the marine sediments are the primary controls on the leaching of salty porewater into the freshwater aquifer. We find that salty groundwater originating from this trapped seawater is still present in Holocene-aged sediments with low permeability, and affects groundwater salinity in adjacent aquifers. In contrast, trapped seawater from all Pleistocene-aged sediments has been leached. We identify a number of brackish to saline delta aquifers elsewhere in Asia and throughout the world that have a similar sedimentary history, and thus are likely to be influenced by this leaching process. Brackish to salty waters have been found in inland areas of delta aquifers. Geophysical data and modelling suggest that salty groundwater in the Red River delta originates from trapped seawater contained in underlying Holocene marine deposits.

This paper introduces a novel two-phase metaheuristic framework leveraging Painting Training Based Optimization (PTBO) to solve the coupled problem of Distributed generation (DG) placement and Distribution network reconfiguration (DNR) for power loss minimization and voltage stability enhancement. In Phase I, PTBO’s “education” (exploration) and “skill refinement” (exploitation) stages identify optimal DG siting and sizing on a fully meshed network, yielding up to 79% loss reduction on the IEEE 33-bus system. In Phase II, with DG locations fixed, PTBO reconfigures the network into a radial topology by selectively opening tie switches, achieving a further 74% loss reduction without violating voltage or current limits. Extensive simulations on IEEE 33 node benchmarks demonstrate that the proposed two-stage approach matches or outperforms simultaneous DG-plus-reconfiguration schemes in loss minimization (up to 87%), convergence speed (converging within 150–300 iterations), and solution robustness (standard deviation < 2 kW over 50 runs), while preserving design interpretability and reducing computational overhead by 40%. The results confirm PTBO’s ability to balance global research and local refinement in highly constrained, nonlinear combinatorial problems. Future extensions will target multi-objective formulations and real-time stochastic enhancements for renewable-rich distribution networks.

Paleo-climatic induced sedimentation controls present-day recharge and the fresh-salt groundwater distribution in Quaternary delta systems. During sea-level highstands, marine clays with saline pore water were deposited and are interbedded with aquifers of coarse-grained sandy fluvial and shallow marine deposits, laid down during lowstands. The low-permeable marine layers may inhibit recent recharge to deeper aquifers, and thereby limit sustainable use of these freshwater resources. This phenomenon has been investigated in the Red River delta plain, using geophysical borehole logging, transient electromagnetic soundings, groundwater chemistry, stable isotope analysis and 3 H and 14 C dating of groundwater. Results reveal that marine saline pore water is still present in the Holocene marine clays, implying that fresh water has not entered the clays since their deposition. Therefore, recharge within the delta plain is not occurring and the deeper aquifers are hydraulically disconnected from the upper sandy layers. Today, recharge only occurs from the hinterland. Recharge during the last glacial period has flushed saline pore water from Pleistocene marine clays, but these clays were again affected by saline water during the Holocene transgression. The use of the groundwater resources in the delta plain must be adjusted to the present recharge to be sustainable.