text
stringlengths 121
2.54k
| summary
stringlengths 23
219
|
|---|---|
A key challenge in training neural networks for a given medical imaging task is often the difficulty of obtaining a sufficient number of manually labeled examples. In contrast, textual imaging reports, which are often readily available in medical records, contain rich but unstructured interpretations written by experts as part of standard clinical practice. We propose using these textual reports as a form of weak supervision to improve the image interpretation performance of a neural network without requiring additional manually labeled examples. We use an image-text matching task to train a feature extractor and then fine-tune it in a transfer learning setting for a supervised task using a small labeled dataset. The end result is a neural network that automatically interprets imagery without requiring textual reports during inference. This approach can be applied to any task for which text-image pairs are readily available. We evaluate our method on three classification tasks and find consistent performance improvements, reducing the need for labeled data by 67%-98%. | Contrastive Cross-Modal Pre-Training: A General Strategy for Small Sample Medical Imaging |
We have analyzed the observed image separations of the gravitationally lensed images of QSOs for a possible correlation with the source redshift. Contrary to the previously noted anti-correlation based on a smaller data set, no correlation is found for the currently available data. We have calculated the average image separations of the lensed QSOs as a function of source redshifts, for isothermal spheres with cores in a flat universe, taking into account the amplification bias caused by lensing. The shape of the distribution of average image separation as a function of redshift is very robust and is insensitive to most model parameters. Observations are found to be roughly consistent with the theoretical results for models which assume the lens distribution to be (i) Schechter luminosity function which, however, can not produce images with large separation and (ii) the mass condensations in a cold dark matter universe, as given by the Press-Schechter theory if an upper limit of 1-7$\times 10^{13}$ M$\odot$ is assumed on the mass of the condensations. | Angular separations of the lensed QSO images |
We study the problem of detecting adverse drug events in electronic healthcare records. The challenge in this work is to aggregate heterogeneous data types involving diagnosis codes, drug codes, as well as lab measurements. An earlier framework proposed for the same problem demonstrated promising predictive performance for the random forest classifier by using only lab measurements as data features. We extend this framework, by additionally including diagnosis and drug prescription codes, concurrently. In addition, we employ a recursive feature selection mechanism on top, that extracts the top-k most important features. Our experimental evaluation on five medical datasets of adverse drug events and six different classifiers, suggests that the integration of these additional features provides substantial and statistically significant improvements in terms of AUC, while employing medically relevant features. | Aggregate-Eliminate-Predict: Detecting Adverse Drug Events from Heterogeneous Electronic Health Records |
We discuss the occurrence of cracking in charged anisotropic polytropes with generalized polytropic equation of state through two different assumptions; (i) by carrying out local density perturbations under conformally flat condition (ii) by perturbing anisotropy, polytropic index and charge parameters. For this purpose, we consider two different definitions of polytropes exist in literature. We conclude that under local density perturbations scheme cracking does not appears in both types of polytropes and stable configuration are observed, while with second kind of perturbation cracking appears in both types of polytropes under certain conditions. | Cracking of Charged Polytropes with Generalized Polytropic Equation of State |
The nucleon properties and structure should be modified by short-range correlations (SRC) among nucleons. By analyzing SRC ratio data, we extract the mass of nucleon in the SRC pair and the expected number of pn-SRC pairs in deuterium, under the assumption that the SRC nucleon mass is universal in different nuclei. The nucleon mass of a two-nucleon SRC pair is $m_{\text{SRC}}=852\pm 18$ MeV, and the number of pn-SRC pairs in deuterium is $n^{\text{d}}_{\text{SRC}}=0.021\pm 0.005$. The mass deficit of the strongly overlapping nucleon can be explained by the trace anomaly contribution to the mass in QCD or alternatively by the vacuum energy in the MIT bag model. | The Mass of Short-Range Correlated Nucleon |
We show that the study of conductivity nonlinearity gives a possibility to determine the condition when the diffusion conductivity changes to the hopping one with increasing disorder. It is experimentally shown that the conductivity of single quantum well GaAs/InGaAs/GaAs heterostructures behaves like diffusive one down to value of order $10^{-2}e^2/h$. | Nonohmic conductivity as a probe of crossover from diffusion to hopping in two dimensions |
An extended thermal particle boundary condition is devised to more efficiently and accurately model laser-plasma interactions in overdense plasmas. Particle-in-cell simulations of such interactions require many particles per cell, and a large region of background plasma is often necessary to correctly mimic a semi-infinite plasma and avoid electron refluxing from a truncated plasma. For long-pulse lasers of many picoseconds, such constraints can become prohibitively expensive. Here, an extended particle boundary condition (absorber) is designed that instantaneously stops and re-emits energetic particles streaming toward the simulation boundary over a defined region, allowing sufficient time and space for a suitably cool return current to develop in the background plasma. Tunable parameters of the absorber are explained, and simulations using the absorber with a 3-ps laser are shown to accurately reproduce those of a causally separated boundary while requiring only 20% the number of particles. | Extended particle absorber for efficient modeling of intense laser-solid interactions |
A solution for Smale's 17th problem, for the case of systems with bounded degree was recently given. This solution, an algorithm computing approximate zeros of complex polynomial systems in average polynomial time, assumed infinite precision. In this paper we describe a finite-precision version of this algorithm. Our main result shows that this version works within the same time bounds and requires a precision which, on the average, amounts to a polynomial amount of bits in the mantissa of the intervening floating-point numbers. | Fast Computation of Zeros of Polynomial Systems with Bounded Degree under Finite-precision |
We present a crowdsourcing workflow to collect image annotations for visually similar synthetic categories without requiring experts. In animals, there is a direct link between taxonomy and visual similarity: e.g. a collie (type of dog) looks more similar to other collies (e.g. smooth collie) than a greyhound (another type of dog). However, in synthetic categories such as cars, objects with similar taxonomy can have very different appearance: e.g. a 2011 Ford F-150 Supercrew-HD looks the same as a 2011 Ford F-150 Supercrew-LL but very different from a 2011 Ford F-150 Supercrew-SVT. We introduce a graph based crowdsourcing algorithm to automatically group visually indistinguishable objects together. Using our workflow, we label 712,430 images by ~1,000 Amazon Mechanical Turk workers; resulting in the largest fine-grained visual dataset reported to date with 2,657 categories of cars annotated at 1/20th the cost of hiring experts. | Scalable Annotation of Fine-Grained Categories Without Experts |
We study the effect of superconducting fluctuations on the longitudinal and the transverse (Hall) conductivity in homogeneously disordered films. Our calculation is based on the Usadel equation in the real-time formulation. We adjust this approach to derive analytic expressions for the fluctuation corrections in the entire metallic part of the temperature-magnetic field phase diagram, including the effects of both classical and quantum fluctuations. This method allows us to obtain fluctuation corrections in a compact and effective way, establishing a direct connection between phenomenological and microscopic calculations. | Fluctuation conductivity in disordered superconducting films |
Bi-directional LSTMs are a powerful tool for text representation. On the other hand, they have been shown to suffer various limitations due to their sequential nature. We investigate an alternative LSTM structure for encoding text, which consists of a parallel state for each word. Recurrent steps are used to perform local and global information exchange between words simultaneously, rather than incremental reading of a sequence of words. Results on various classification and sequence labelling benchmarks show that the proposed model has strong representation power, giving highly competitive performances compared to stacked BiLSTM models with similar parameter numbers. | Sentence-State LSTM for Text Representation |
We propose a new flexible force field for water. The model in addition to the Lennard-Jones and electrostatic parameters, includes the flexibility of the OH bonds and angles. The parameters are selected to give the experimental values of the density and dielectric constant of water at at 1 bar at 240K and the dipole moment of minimum density. The FBA/epsilon reproduces the experimental values of structural, thermodynamic and the phase behavior of water in a wide range of temperatures with better accuracy than atomistic and other flexible models. We expect that this new approach would be suitable for studying water solutions. | Flexible Bond and Angle, FBA/epsilon model of water |
Josephson junctions containing ferromagnetic layers have generated interest for application in cryogenic memory. In a junction containing both a magnetically hard fixed layer and soft free layer with carefully chosen thicknesses, the ground-state phase difference of the junction can be controllably switched between 0 and {\pi} by changing the relative orientation of the two ferromagnetic layers from antiparallel to parallel. This phase switching has been observed in junctions using Ni fixed layers and NiFe free layers. We present phase-sensitive measurements of such junctions in low-inductance symmetric SQUID loops which simplify analysis relative to our previous work. We confirm controllable 0 - {\pi} switching in junctions with 2.0 nm Ni fixed layers and 1.25 nm NiFe free layers across multiple devices and using two SQUID designs, expanding the phase diagram of known thicknesses that permit phase control. | Phase Controllable Josephson Junctions for Cryogenic Memory |
Polaris the Cepheid has been observed for centuries, presenting surprises and changing our view of Cepheids and stellar astrophysics, in general. Specifically, understanding Polaris helps anchor the Cepheid Leavitt law, but the distance must be measured precisely. The recent debate regarding the distance to Polaris has raised questions about its role in calibrating the Leavitt law and even its evolutionary status. In this work, I present new stellar evolution models of Cepheids to compare with previously measured CNO abundances, period change and angular diameter. Based on the comparison, I show that Polaris cannot be evolving along the first crossing of the Cepheid instability strip and cannot have evolved from a rapidly-rotating main sequence star. As such, Polaris must also be at least 118 pc away and pulsates in the first overtone, disagreeing with the recent results of Turner et al. (2013). | Revisiting the fundamental properties of Cepheid Polaris using detailed stellar evolution models |
Shear-induced vertical mixing in a stratified flow is a key ingredient of thermohaline circulation. We experimentally determine the vertical flux of momentum and density of a forced gravity current using high-resolution velocity and density measurements. A constant eddy viscosity model provides a poor description of the physics of mixing, but a Prandtl mixing length model relating momentum and density fluxes to mean velocity and density gradients works well. For $<Ri_g > \approx 0.08$ and $Re_\lambda \approx 100$, the mixing lengths are fairly constant, about the same magnitude, comparable to the turbulent shear length. | Mixing in stratified gravity currents: Prandtl mixing length |
We describe a methodology for the automatic identification of communities of practice from email logs within an organization. We use a betweeness centrality algorithm that can rapidly find communities within a graph representing information flows. We apply this algorithm to an email corpus of nearly one million messages collected over a two-month span, and show that the method is effective at identifying true communities, both formal and informal, within these scale-free graphs. This approach also enables the identification of leadership roles within the communities. These studies are complemented by a qualitative evaluation of the results in the field. | Email as Spectroscopy: Automated Discovery of Community Structure within Organizations |
Fermi can measure the spectral properties of gamma-ray bursts over a very large energy range and is opening a new window on the prompt emission of these energetic events. Localizations by the instruments on Fermi in combination with follow-up by Swift provide accurate positions for observations at longer wavelengths leading to the determination of redshifts, the true energy budget, host galaxy properties and facilitate comparison with pre-Fermi bursts. Multi-wavelength follow-up observations were performed on the afterglows of four bursts with high energy emission detected by Fermi/LAT : GRB090323, GRB090328, GRB090510 and GRB090902B. They were obtained in the optical/near-infrared bands with GROND mounted at the MPG/ESO 2.2m telescope and additionally of GRB090323 in the optical with the 2 m telescope in Tautenburg, Germany. Three of the events are classified as long bursts while GRB090510 is a well localized short GRB with GeV emission. In addition, host galaxies were detected for three of the four bursts. Spectroscopic follow-up was initiated with the VLT for GRB090328 and GRB090510. The afterglow observations in 7 bands are presented for all bursts and their host galaxies are investigated. Knowledge of the distance and the local dust extinction enables comparison of the afterglows of LAT-detected GRBs with the general sample. The spectroscopic redshifts of GRB090328 and GRB090510 were determined to be z=0.7354+/-0.0003 and z=0.903 +/- 0.001 and dust corrected star-formation rates of 4.8 Mdot yr^-1 and 0.60 M_dot yr^-1 were derived for their host galaxies, respectively. The afterglows of long bursts exhibit power-law decay indices alpha from less than 1 to ~2.3 and spectral indices (beta) values from 0.65 to ~1.2 which are fairly standard for GRB afterglows. Constraints are placed on the jet half opening angles of less than 2.1 deg to greater than 6.4 deg which allows limits to be placed on the beaming corrected energies. These range from less than 5x10^50 erg to the one of the highest values ever recorded, greater than 2.2x10^52 erg for GRB090902B, and are not consistent with a standard candle. The extremely energetic long Fermi bursts have optical afterglows which lie in the top half of the brightness distribution of all optical afterglows detected in the Swift era or even in the top 5% if incompleteness is considered. The properties of the host galaxies of these LAT detected bursts in terms of extinction, star formation rates and masses do not appear to differ from previous samples. | Optical and near-infrared follow-up observations of four Fermi/LAT GRBs : Redshifts, afterglows, energetics and host galaxies |
Maximally symmetric curved-brane solutions are studied in dilatonic braneworld models which realise the self-tuning of the effective four-dimensional cosmological constant. It is found that no vacua in which the brane has de Sitter or anti-de Sitter geometry exist, unless one modifies the near-boundary asymptotics of the bulk fields. In the holographic dual picture, this corresponds to coupling the UV CFT to a curved metric (possibly with a defect). Alternatively, the same may be achieved in a flat-space QFT with suitable variable scalar sources. With these ingredients, it is found that maximally symmetric, positive and negative curvature solutions with a stabilised brane position generically exist. The space of such solutions is studied in two different types of realisations of the self-tuning framework. In some regimes we observe a large hierarchy between the curvature on the brane and the boundary UV CFT curvature. This is a dynamical effect due to the self-stabilisation mechanism. This setup provides an alternative route to realising de Sitter space in string theory. | De Sitter and Anti-de Sitter branes in self-tuning models |
We study explained variation under the additive hazards regression model for right-censored data. We consider different approaches for developing such a measure, and focus on one that estimates the proportion of variation in the failure time explained by the covariates. We study the properties of the measure both analytically, and through extensive simulations. We apply the measure to a well-known survival data set as well as the linked Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database for prediction of mortality in early-stage prostate cancer patients using high dimensional claims codes. | Explained Variation under the Additive Hazards Model |
A new shrinkage-based construction is developed for a compressible vector $\boldsymbol{x}\in\mathbb{R}^n$, for cases in which the components of $\xv$ are naturally associated with a tree structure. Important examples are when $\xv$ corresponds to the coefficients of a wavelet or block-DCT representation of data. The method we consider in detail, and for which numerical results are presented, is based on increments of a gamma process. However, we demonstrate that the general framework is appropriate for many other types of shrinkage priors, all within the L\'{e}vy process family, with the gamma process a special case. Bayesian inference is carried out by approximating the posterior with samples from an MCMC algorithm, as well as by constructing a heuristic variational approximation to the posterior. We also consider expectation-maximization (EM) for a MAP (point) solution. State-of-the-art results are manifested for compressive sensing and denoising applications, the latter with spiky (non-Gaussian) noise. | Multiscale Shrinkage and L\'evy Processes |
The manual implementation of distributed systems is an error-prone task because of the asynchronous interplay of components and the environment. Bounded synthesis automatically generates an implementation for the specification of the distributed system if one exists. So far, bounded synthesis for distributed systems does not utilize their asynchronous nature. Instead, concurrent behavior of components is encoded by all interleavings and only then checked against the specification. We close this gap by identifying true concurrency in synthesis of asynchronous distributed systems represented as Petri games. This defines when several interleavings can be subsumed by one true concurrent trace. Thereby, fewer and shorter verification problems have to be solved in each iteration of the bounded synthesis algorithm. For Petri games, experimental results show that our implementation using true concurrency outperforms the implementation based on checking all interleavings. | Efficient Trace Encodings of Bounded Synthesis for Asynchronous Distributed Systems |
Logo detection in real-world scene images is an important problem with applications in advertisement and marketing. Existing general-purpose object detection methods require large training data with annotations for every logo class. These methods do not satisfy the incremental demand of logo classes necessary for practical deployment since it is practically impossible to have such annotated data for new unseen logo. In this work, we develop an easy-to-implement query-based logo detection and localization system by employing a one-shot learning technique. Given an image of a query logo, our model searches for it within a given target image and predicts the possible location of the logo by estimating a binary segmentation mask. The proposed model consists of a conditional branch and a segmentation branch. The former gives a conditional latent representation of the given query logo which is combined with feature maps of the segmentation branch at multiple scales in order to find the matching position of the query logo in a target image, should it be present. Feature matching between the latent query representation and multi-scale feature maps of segmentation branch using simple concatenation operation followed by 1x1 convolution layer makes our model scale-invariant. Despite its simplicity, our query-based logo retrieval framework achieved superior performance in FlickrLogos-32 and TopLogos-10 dataset over different existing baselines. | A Deep One-Shot Network for Query-based Logo Retrieval |
In this paper, for sufficiently large $n$ we determine the Ramsey number $R(G,nH)$ where $G$ is a $k$-uniform hypergraph with the maximum independent set that intersects each of the edges in $k-1$ vertices and $H$ is a $k$-uniform hypergraph with a vertex so that the hypergraph induced by the edges containing this vertex is a star. There are several examples for such $G$ and $H$, among them are any disjoint union of $k$-uniform hypergraphs involving loose paths, loose cycles, tight paths, tight cycles with a multiple of $k$ edges, stars, Kneser hypergraphs and complete $k$-uniform $k$-partite hypergraphs for $G$ and linear hypergraphs for $H$. As an application, $R(mG,nH)$ is determined where $m$ or $n$ is large and $G$ and $H$ are either loose paths, loose cycles, tight paths, or stars. Also, $R(G,nH)$ is determined when $G$ is a bipartite graph with a matching saturating one of its color classes and $H$ is an arbitrary graph for sufficiently large $n$. Moreover, some bounds are given for $R(mG,nH)$ which allow us to determine this Ramsey number when $m\geq n$ and $G$ and $H$, $(|V(G)|\geq |V(H)|)$, are 3-uniform loose paths or cycles, $k$-uniform loose paths or cycles with at most 4 edges and $k$-uniform stars with 3 edges. | Ramsey numbers for multiple copies of hypergraphs |
We present a study of 9 galaxy groups with evidence for non-Gaussianity in their velocity distributions out to 4R200. This sample is taken from 57 groups selected from the 2PIGG catalog of galaxy groups. Statistical analysis indicates that non-Gaussian groups have masses significantly higher than Gaussian groups. We also have found that all non-Gaussian systems seem to be composed of multiple velocity modes. Besides, our results indicate that multimodal groups should be considered as a set of individual units with their own properties. In particular, we have found that the mass distribution of such units are similar to that of Gaussian groups. Our results reinforce the idea of non-Gaussian systems as complex structures in the phase space, likely corresponding to secondary infall aggregations at a stage before virialization. The understanding of these objects is relevant for cosmological studies using groups and clusters through the mass function evolution. | Non-Gaussian velocity distributions - The effect on virial mass estimates of galaxy groups |
Master equations in the Lindblad form describe evolution of open quantum systems that is completely positive and simultaneously has a semigroup property. We analyze a possibility to derive this type of master equations from an intrinsically discrete dynamics that is modelled as a sequence of collisions between a given quantum system (a qubit) with particles that form the environment. In order to illustrate our approach we analyze in detail how a process of an exponential decay and a process of decoherence can be derived from a collision-like model in which particular collisions are described by SWAP and controlled-NOT interactions, respectively. | Description of quantum dynamics of open systems based on collision-like models |
There are numerous examples of societies with extremely stable mix of contrasting opinions. We argue that this stability is a result of an interplay between society network topology adjustment and opinion changing processes. To support this position we present a computer model of opinion formation based on some novel assumptions, designed to bring the model closer to social reality. In our model, the agents, in addition to changing their opinions due to influence of the rest of society and external propaganda, have the ability to modify their social network, forming links with agents sharing the same opinions and cutting the links with those they disagree with. To improve the model further we divide the agents into `fanatics' and `opportunists', depending on how easy is to change their opinions. The simulations show significant differences compared to traditional models, where network links are static. In particular, for the dynamical model where inter-agent links are adjustable, the final network structure and opinion distribution is shown to resemble real world observations, such as social structures and persistence of minority groups even when most of the society is against them and the propaganda is strong. | Studies of opinion stability for small dynamic networks with opportunistic agents |
In this paper we study finite interaction range corrections to the mosaic picture of the glass transition as emerges from the study of the Kac limit of large interaction range for disordered models. To this aim we consider point to set correlation functions, or overlaps, in a one dimensional random energy model as a function of the range of interaction. In the Kac limit, the mosaic length defines a sharp first order transition separating a high overlap phase from a low overlap one. Correspondingly we find that overlap curves as a function of the window size and different finite interaction ranges cross roughly at the mosaic lenght. Nonetheless we find very slow convergence to the Kac limit and we discuss why this could be a problem for measuring the mosaic lenght in realistic models. | Mosaic length and finite interaction-range effects in a one dimensional random energy model |
Mixture models have been widely used in modeling of continuous observations. For the possibility to estimate the parameters of a mixture model consistently on the basis of observations from the mixture, identifiability is a necessary condition. In this study, we give some results on the identifiability of multivariate logistic mixture models. | Identifiability of multivariate logistic mixture models |
[Abridged] We present a large, new set of stellar evolution models and isochrones for an alpha-enhanced metal distribution typical of Galactic halo and bulge stars; it represents a homogeneous extension of our stellar model library for a distribution already presented in Pietrinferni et al.(2004). The effect of the alpha-element enhancement has been properly taken into account in the nuclear network, opacity, equation of state and, for the first time, the bolometric corrections, and color transformations. This allows us to avoid the inconsistent use - common to all alpha-enhanced model libraries currently available - of scaled-solar bolometric corrections and color transformations for alpha-enhanced models and isochrones. We show how bolometric corrections to magnitudes obtained for the U,B portion of stellar spectra for T_{eff}<=6500K, are significantly affected by the metal mixture, especially at the higher metallicities. We also provide complete sets of evolutionary models for low-mass, He-burning stellar structures covering the whole metallicity range, to enable synthetic horizontal branch simulations. We compare our database with several widely used stellar model libraries from different authors, as well as with various observed color magnitude and color-color diagrams (Johnson-Cousins BVI and near infrared magnitudes, Stromgren colors) of Galactic field stars and globular clusters. We also test our isochrones comparing integrated optical colors and Surface Brightness Fluctuation magnitudes with selected globular cluster data. We find a general satisfactory agreement with the empirical constraints. | A large stellar evolution database for population synthesis studies. II. Stellar models and isochrones for an alpha-enhanced metal distribution |
We study local (also referred to as small-signal) stability of a network of identical DC/AC converters having a rotating degree of freedom. We develop a stability theory for a class of partitioned linear systems with symmetries that has natural links to classical stability theories of interconnected systems. We find stability conditions descending from a particular Lyapunov function involving an oblique projection onto the complement of the synchronous steady state set and enjoying insightful structural properties. Our sufficient and explicit stability conditions can be evaluated in a fully decentralized fashion, reflect a parametric dependence on the converter's steady-state variables, and can be one-to-one generalized to other types of systems exhibiting the same behavior, such as synchronous machines. Our conditions demand for sufficient reactive power support and resistive damping. These requirements are well aligned with practitioners' insights. | Parametric local stability condition of a multi-converter system |
We discuss some contradictions found in the literature concerning the problem of stability of collisionless spherical stellar systems which are the simplest anisotropic generalization of the well-known polytrope models. Their distribution function $F(E,L)$ is a product of power-low functions of the energy $E$ and the angular momentum $L$, i.e. $F\propto L^{-s}(-E)^q$. On the one hand, calculation of the growth rates in the framework of linear stability theory and N-body simulations show that these systems become stable when the parameter $s$ characterizing the velocity anisotropy of the stellar distribution is lower than some finite threshold value, $s<s_\textrm{crit}$. On the other hand Palmer & Papaloizou (1987) showed that the instability remained up to the isotropic limit $s=0$. Using our method of determining the eigenmodes for stellar systems, we show that the growth rates in weakly radially-anisotropic systems are indeed positive, but decrease exponentially as the parameter $s$ approaches zero, i.e. $\gamma\propto \exp(-s_{\ast}/s)$. In fact, for the systems with finite lifetime this means stability. | Notes on the stability threshold for radially anisotropic polytrope |
We present a detailed study of the subtle interplay transpiring at the level of two integral equations that are instrumental for the dynamical generation of a gluon mass in pure Yang-Mills theories. The main novelty is the joint treatment of the Schwinger-Dyson equation governing the infrared behaviour of the gluon propagator and of the integral equation that controls the formation of massless bound-state excitations, whose inclusion is instrumental for obtaining massive solutions from the former equation. The self-consistency of the entire approach imposes the requirement of using a single value for the gauge coupling entering in the two key equations; its fulfillment depends crucially on the details of the three-gluon vertex, which contributes to both of them, but with different weight. In particular, the characteristic suppression of this vertex at intermediate and low energies enables the convergence of the iteration procedure to a single gauge coupling, whose value is reasonably close to that extracted from related lattice simulations. | Coupled dynamics in gluon mass generation and the impact of the three-gluon vertex |
The BESIII collaboration reported an observation of two charged charmonium-like structure $Z_c^{\pm}(3900)$ and $Z_c^{\pm}(4025)$ in $e^+e^- \to (J/\psi \pi)^{\pm} \pi^{\mp}$ and $e^+e^- \to (D^* {\bar D}^*)^{\pm} \pi^{\mp}$ at ${\sqrt s} =4.26$ GeV recently, which could be an analogue of $Z_b(10610)$ and $Z_b(10650)$ claimed by the Belle Collaboration. In this work, we investigate the hidden-charmonium transitions of $Z_c^{\pm}(3900)$ and $Z_c^{\pm}(4025)$ via intermediate $D^{(*)} {D}^{(*)}$ meson loops. Reasonable results for the branching ratios by taking appropriate values of $\alpha$ in this model can be obtained, which shows that the intermediate $D^{(*)} {D}^{(*)}$ meson loops process may be a possible mechanism in these decays. Our results are consistent with the power-counting analysis, and comparable with the calculations in the framework of nonrelativistic effective field theory to some extent. We expect more experimental measurements on these hidden-charmonium decays and search for the decays of $Z_c\to D{\bar D}^* +c.c.$ and $Z_c^\prime \to D^* {\bar D}^*$, which will help us investigate the $Z_c^{(\prime)}$ decays deeply. | Hidden-charmonium decays of $Z_c(3900)$ and $Z_c(4025)$ in intermediate meson loops model |
Stochastic gradient descent (SGD) is one of the most popular algorithms in modern machine learning. The noise encountered in these applications is different from that in many theoretical analyses of stochastic gradient algorithms. In this article, we discuss some of the common properties of energy landscapes and stochastic noise encountered in machine learning problems, and how they affect SGD-based optimization. In particular, we show that the learning rate in SGD with machine learning noise can be chosen to be small, but uniformly positive for all times if the energy landscape resembles that of overparametrized deep learning problems. If the objective function satisfies a Lojasiewicz inequality, SGD converges to the global minimum exponentially fast, and even for functions which may have local minima, we establish almost sure convergence to the global minimum at an exponential rate from any finite energy initialization. The assumptions that we make in this result concern the behavior where the objective function is either small or large and the nature of the gradient noise, but the energy landscape is fairly unconstrained on the domain where the objective function takes values in an intermediate regime. | Stochastic gradient descent with noise of machine learning type. Part I: Discrete time analysis |
We perform a detailed study of bosonic type IIA string theory in a large light-cone momentum / near plane wave limit of $AdS_4 \times CP_3$. In order to attain this we derive the Hamiltonian up to cubic and quartic order in number of fields and calculate the energies for string excitations in a $R\times S^2 \times S^2$ subspace. The computation for the string energies is performed for arbitrary length excitations utilizing an unitary transformation which allows us to remove the cubic terms in the Hamiltonian. We then rewrite a recent set of proposed all loop Bethe equations in a light-cone language and compare their predictions with the obtained string energies. We find perfect agreement. | The AdS(4) x CP(3) string and its Bethe equations in the near plane wave limit |
This paper presents improved constraints on the low-mass stellar initial mass function (IMF) of the Bo\"otes I (Boo~I) ultrafaint dwarf galaxy, based on our analysis of recent deep imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope. The identification of candidate stellar members of Boo~I in the photometric catalog produced from these data was achieved using a Bayesian approach, informed by complementary archival imaging data for the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. Additionally, the existence of earlier-epoch data for the fields in Boo~I allowed us to derive proper motions for a subset of the sources and thus identify and remove likely Milky Way stars. We were also able to determine the absolute proper motion of Boo~I, and our result is in agreement with, but completely independent of, the measurement(s) by \textit{Gaia}. The best-fitting parameter values of three different forms of the low-mass IMF were then obtained through forward modeling of the color-magnitude data for likely Boo~I member stars within an approximate Bayesian computation Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm. The best-fitting single power-law IMF slope is $\alpha = -1.95_{-0.28}^{+0.32}$, while the best-fitting broken power-law slopes are $\alpha_1 = -1.67_{-0.57}^{+0.48}$ and $\alpha_2 = -2.57_{-1.04}^{+0.93}$. The best-fitting lognormal characteristic mass and width parameters are $\rm{M}_{\rm{c}} = 0.17_{-0.11}^{+0.05} \cal M_\odot$ and $\sigma=0.49_{-0.20}^{+0.13}$. These broken power-law and lognormal IMF parameters for Boo~I are consistent with published results for the stars within the Milky Way and thus it is plausible that Bo{\"o}tes I and the Milky Way are populated by the same stellar IMF. | Faint Stars in a Faint Galaxy: II. The Low Mass Stellar Initial Mass Function of the Bo\"otes I Ultrafaint Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy |
Given a collection of vertex-aligned networks and an additional label-shuffled network, we propose procedures for leveraging the signal in the vertex-aligned collection to recover the labels of the shuffled network. We consider matching the shuffled network to averages of the networks in the vertex-aligned collection at different levels of granularity. We demonstrate both in theory and practice that if the graphs come from different network classes, then clustering the networks into classes followed by matching the new graph to cluster-averages can yield higher fidelity matching performance than matching to the global average graph. Moreover, by minimizing the graph matching objective function with respect to each cluster average, this approach simultaneously classifies and recovers the vertex labels for the shuffled graph. These theoretical developments are further reinforced via an illuminating real data experiment matching human connectomes. | Clustered Graph Matching for Label Recovery and Graph Classification |
Digital media can be distributed via Internet easily, so, media owners are eagerly seeking methods to protect their rights. A typical solution is digital watermarking for copyright protection. In this paper, we propose a novel contourlet domain image watermarking scheme for copyright protection. In the embedding phase, we insert the watermark into the image using an additive contourlet domain spread spectrum approach. In the detection phase, we design a detector using likelihood ratio test (LRT). Since the performance of the LRT detector is completely dependent on the accuracy of the employed statistical model, we first study the statistical properties of the contourlet coefficients. This study demonstrates the heteroscedasticity and heavy-tailed marginal distribution of these coefficients. Therefore, we propose using two dimensional generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (2D-GARCH) model that is compatible with the contourlet coefficients. Motivated by the modeling results, we design a new watermark detector based on 2D-GARCH model. Also, we analyze its performance by computing the receiver operating characteristics. Experimental results confirm the high efficiency of the proposed detector. Since a watermark detector for copyright protection should be robust against attacks, we examine the robustness of the proposed detector under different kinds of attacks. | A Novel Contourlet Domain Watermark Detector for Copyright Protection |
We investigate phonon-mediated Cooper pairing in flat electronic band systems by solving the full-bandwidth multiband Eliashberg equations for superconductivity in magic angle twisted bilayer graphene using a realistic tight-binding model. We find that Cooper pairing away from the Fermi level contributes decisively to superconductivity by enhancing the critical temperature and ensures a robust finite superfluid density. We show that this pairing yields particle-hole asymmetric superconducting domes in the temperature-gating phase diagram and gives rise to distinct spectroscopic signatures in the superconducting state. We predict several such features in tunneling and angle resolved photoemission spectra for future experiments. | Prominent Cooper Pairing Away From the Fermi Level and its Spectroscopic Signature in Twisted Bilayer Graphene |
The rational homotopy type of a differential graded algebra (DGA) can be represented by a family of tensors on its cohomology, which constitute an $A_\infty$-minimal model of this DGA. When only the cohomology is needed to determine the rational homotopy type, then the DGA is called formal. By a theorem of Miller, a compact $k$-connected manifold is formal if its dimension is not greater than $4k+2$. We expand this theorem and a result of Crowley-Nordstr\"{o}m to prove that if the dimension of a compact $k$-connected manifold $N\leq (l+1)k+2$, then its de Rham complex has an $A_\infty$-minimal model with $m_p=0$ for all $p\geq l$. Separately, for an odd-dimensional sphere bundle over a formal manifold, we prove that its de Rham complex has an $A_\infty$-minimal model with only $m_2$ and $m_3$ non-trivial. In the special case of a circle bundle over a formal symplectic manifold satisfying the hard Lefschetz property, we give a necessary condition for formality which becomes sufficient when the base symplectic manifold is of dimension six or less. | $A_\infty$-Minimal Model on Differential Graded Algebras |
For $\eta\in S_3$, let $S_n^{\text{av}(\eta)}$ denote the set of permutations in $S_n$ that avoid the pattern $\eta$, and let $E_n^{\text{av}(\eta)}$ denote the expectation with respect to the uniform probability measure on $S_n^{\text{av}(\eta)}$. For $n\ge k\ge2$ and $\tau\in S_k^{\text{av}(\eta)}$, let $N_n^{(k)}(\sigma)$ denote the number of occurrences of $k$ consecutive numbers appearing in $k$ consecutive positions in $\sigma\in S_n^{\text{av}(\eta)}$, and let $N_n^{(k;\tau)}(\sigma)$ denote the number of such occurrences for which the order of the appearance of the $k$ numbers is the pattern $\tau$. We obtain explicit formulas for $E_n^{\text{av}(\eta)}N_n^{(k;\tau)}$ and $E_n^{\text{av}(\eta)}N_n^{(k)}$, for all $2\le k\le n$, all $\eta\in S_3$ and all $\tau\in S_k^{\text{av}(\eta)}$. These exact formulas then yield asymptotic formulas as $n\to\infty$ with $k$ fixed, and as $n\to\infty$ with $k=k_n\to\infty$. We also obtain analogous results for $S_n^{\text{av}(\eta_1,\cdots,\eta_r)}$, the subset of $S_n$ consisting of permutations avoiding the patterns $\{\tau_i\}_{i=1}^r$, where $\tau_i\in S_{m_i}$, in the case that $\{\tau_i\}_{i=1}^n$ are all simple permutations. A particular case of this is the set of separable permutations, which corresponds to $r=2$, $\tau_1=2413,\tau_2=3142$. | Clustering of consecutive numbers in permutations avoiding a pattern of length three or avoiding a finite number of simple patterns |
We study the embedded Calabi-Yau problem for complete embedded constant mean curvature surfaces of finite topology or of positive injectivity radius in a simply-connected three-dimensional Lie group X endowed with a left-invariant Riemannian metric. We first prove a half-space theorem for constant mean curvature surfaces. This half-space theorem applies to certain properly immersed constant mean curvature surfaces of X contained in the complements of normal R^2 subgroups F of X. In the case X is a unimodular Lie group, our results imply that every minimal surface in X-F that is properly immersed in X is a left translate of F and that every complete embedded minimal surface of finite topology or of positive injectivity radius in X-F is also a left translate of F. | Half-space theorems and the embedded Calabi-Yau problem in Lie groups |
For approximate nearest neighbor search, graph-based algorithms have shown to offer the best trade-off between accuracy and search time. We propose the Dynamic Exploration Graph (DEG) which significantly outperforms existing algorithms in terms of search and exploration efficiency by combining two new ideas: First, a single undirected even regular graph is incrementally built by partially replacing existing edges to integrate new vertices and to update old neighborhoods at the same time. Secondly, an edge optimization algorithm is used to continuously improve the quality of the graph. Combining this ongoing refinement with the graph construction process leads to a well-organized graph structure at all times, resulting in: (1) increased search efficiency, (2) predictable index size, (3) guaranteed connectivity and therefore reachability of all vertices, and (4) a dynamic graph structure. In addition we investigate how well existing graph-based search systems can handle indexed queries where the seed vertex of a search is the query itself. Such exploration tasks, despite their good starting point, are not necessarily easy. High efficiency in approximate nearest neighbor search (ANNS) does not automatically imply good performance in exploratory search. Extensive experiments show that our new Dynamic Exploration Graph outperforms existing algorithms significantly for indexed and unindexed queries. | Fast Approximate Nearest Neighbor Search with a Dynamic Exploration Graph using Continuous Refinement |
The spin Seebeck effect is studied across a charge insulating magnetic junction, in which thermal-spin conjugate transport is assisted by the exchange interactions between the localized spin in the center and electrons in metallic leads. We show that, in contrast with bulk spin Seebeck effect, the figure of merit of such nanoscale thermal-spin conversion can be infinite, leading to the ideal Carnot efficiency in the linear response regime. We also find that in the nonlinear spin Seebeck transport regime, the device possesses the asymmetric and negative differential spin Seebeck effects. In the last, the situations with leaking electron tunneling are also discussed. This nanoscale thermal spin rectifier, by tuning the junction parameters, can act as a spin Seebeck diode, spin Seebeck transistor and spin Seebeck switch, which could have substantial implications for flexible thermal and information control in molecular spin caloritronics. | Nanoscale Spin Seebeck Rectifier: Controlling Thermal Spin Transport across Insulating Magnetic Junctions with Localized Spin |
We explore the properties of a recently proposed background independent exact renormalization group approach to gauge theories and gravity. In the process we also develop the machinery needed to study it rigorously. The proposal comes with some advantages. It preserves gauge invariance manifestly, avoids introducing unphysical fields, such as ghosts and Pauli-Villars fields, and does not require gauge-fixing. However, we show that in the simple case of SU(N) Yang-Mills it does not completely regularise the longitudinal part of vertex functions already at one loop, invalidating certain methods for extracting universal components. Moreover we demonstrate a kind of no-go theorem: within the proposed structure, whatever choice is made for covariantisation and cutoff profiles, the two-point vertex flow equation at one loop cannot be both transverse, as required by gauge invariance, and fully regularised. | Properties of a proposed background independent exact renormalization group |
Motivated by growing applications in two-sided markets, we study a parallel matching queue with reneging. Demand and supply units arrive to the system and are matched in an FCFS manner according to a compatibility graph specified by an N-system. If they cannot be matched upon arrival, they queue and may abandon the system as time goes by. We derive explicit product forms of the steady state distributions of this system by identifying a partial balance condition. | Matching Queues with Reneging: a Product Form Solution |
We prove the universality of the generalized QDD_{N1,N2} (quadratic dynamical decoupling) pulse sequence for near-optimal suppression of general single-qubit decoherence. Earlier work showed numerically that this dynamical decoupling sequence, which consists of an inner Uhrig DD (UDD) and outer UDD sequence using N1 and N2 pulses respectively, can eliminate decoherence to O(T^N) using O(N^2) unequally spaced "ideal" (zero-width) pulses, where T is the total evolution time and N=N1=N2. A proof of the universality of QDD has been given for even N1. Here we give a general universality proof of QDD for arbitrary N1 and N2. As in earlier proofs, our result holds for arbitrary bounded environments. Furthermore, we explore the single-axis (polarization) error suppression abilities of the inner and outer UDD sequences. We analyze both the single-axis QDD performance and how the overall performance of QDD depends on the single-axis errors. We identify various performance effects related to the parities and relative magnitudes of N1 and N2. We prove that using QDD_{N1,N2} decoherence can always be eliminated to O(T^min[N1,N2]). | Quadratic Dynamical Decoupling: Universality Proof and Error Analysis |
Let $F$ be a field, and let Zar$(F)$ be the space of valuation rings of $F$ with respect to the Zariski topology. We prove that if $X$ is a quasicompact set of rank one valuation rings in Zar$(F)$ whose maximal ideals do not intersect to $0$, then the intersection of the rings in $X$ is an integral domain with quotient field $F$ such that every finitely generated ideal is a principal ideal. To prove this result, we develop a duality between (a) quasicompact sets of rank one valuation rings whose maximal ideals do not intersect to $0$, and (b) one-dimensional Pr\"ufer domains with nonzero Jacobson radical and quotient field $F$. The necessary restriction in all these cases to collections of valuation rings whose maximal ideals do not intersect to $0$ is motivated by settings in which the valuation rings considered all dominate a given local ring. | A principal ideal theorem for compact sets of rank one valuation rings |
This paper is devoted to the spectral properties of a class of unitary operators with a matrix representation displaying a band structure. Such band matrices appear as monodromy operators in the study of certain quantum dynamical systems. These doubly infinite matrices essentially depend on an infinite sequence of phases which govern their spectral properties. We prove the spectrum is purely singular for random phases and purely absolutely continuous in case they provide the doubly infinite matrix with a periodic structure in the diagonal direction. We also study some properties of the singular spectrum of such matrices considered as infinite in one direction only. | Spectral Analysis of Unitary Band Matrices |
This review discusses the main experiments and theoretical views related to observation of high-temperature superconductivity in intercalated FeSe compounds and single layer films of FeSe on substrates like SrTiO_3. We consider in detail the electronic structure of these systems, both theoretical calculations of this structure at hand and their correspondence with ARPES experiments. It is stressed that electronic spectrum of these systems is qualitatively different from typical picture of the spectrum in well studied FeAs superconductors and the related problems of theoretical description of spectrum formation are also discussed. We also discuss the possible mechanisms of Cooper pairing in monolayers of FeSe and problems appearing here. As single layer films of FeSe on SrTiO_3 can be represented as typical Ginzburg "sandwiches", we analyze the possibility of rising the critical temperature of superconducting transition T_c due to different variants of "excitonic" mechanism of superconductivity. It is shown, that in its classic variant (as proposed for such systems by Allender, Bray and Bardeen) this mechanism is unable to explain the observed values of T_c, but situation is different when we consider instead of "excitons" the optical phonons in SrTiO_3 (with energy of the order of 100 meV). We consider both the simplest model of T_c enhancement due to interaction with such phonons and more specific models with dominant "forward" scattering, which allow to understand the growth of T_c as compared with the case of bulk FeSe and intercalated FeSe systems. We also discuss the problems connected with antiadiabatic nature of superconductivity due to such mechanism. | High Temperature Superconductivity in FeSe Monolayers |
A threshold singularity in a heavier meson channel, e.g. $D^* {\bar D}^*$, generally reflects in the amplitudes of $e^+e^-$ annihilation into lighter meson pairs, such as $D^* {\bar D}$, $D {\bar D}$, and $D_s {\bar D}_s$, due to the channel coupling. The behavior of the cross section of the $e^+e^-$ annihilation into each channel in this situation is considered using general properties of the amplitudes near the new threshold. It is argued that the effects of the channel coupling can be quite significant in the observable cross section, in particular near the $D^* {\bar D}^*$ threshold. | Channel coupling in e+ e- annihilation into heavy meson pairs at the D* {\bar D}* threshold |
A distributional route to Gaussianity, associated with the concept of Conservative Mixing Transformations in ensembles of random vector-valued variables, is proposed. This route is completely different from the additive mechanism characterizing the application of Central Limit Theorem, as it is based on the iteration of a random transformation preserving the ensemble variance. Gaussianity emerges as a ``supergeneric'' property of ensemble statistics, in the case the energy constraint is quadratic in the norm of the variables. This result puts in a different light the occurrence of equilibrium Gaussian distributions in kinetic variables (velocity, momentum), as it shows mathematically that, in the absence of any other dynamic mechanisms, almost Gaussian distributions stems from the low-velocity approximations of the physical conservation principles. Whenever, the energy constraint is not expressed in terms of quadratic functions (as in the relativistic case), the Juttner distribution is recovered from CMT. | Another normality is possible. Distributive transformations and emergent Gaussianity |
The development of advanced gravitational wave (GW) observatories, such as Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo, provides impetus to refine theoretical predictions for what these instruments might detect. In particular, with the range increasing by an order of magnitude, the search for GW sources is extending beyond the "local" Universe and out to cosmological distances. Double compact objects (neutron star-neutron star (NS-NS), black hole-neutron star (BH-NS) and black hole-black hole (BH-BH) systems) are considered to be the most promising gravitational wave sources. In addition, NS-NS and/or BH-NS systems are thought to be the progenitors of gamma ray bursts (GRBs), and may also be associated with kilonovae. In this paper we present the merger event rates of these objects as a function of cosmological redshift. We provide the results for four cases, each one investigating a different important evolution parameter of binary stars. Each case is also presented for two metallicity evolution scenarios. We find that (i) in most cases NS-NS systems dominate the merger rates in the local Universe, while BH-BH mergers dominate at high redshift; (ii) BH-NS mergers are less frequent than other sources per unit volume, for all time; and (iii) natal kicks may alter the observable properties of populations in a significant way, allowing the underlying models of binary evolution and compact object formation to be easily distinguished. This is the second paper in a series of three. The third paper will focus on calculating the detection rates of mergers by gravitational wave telescopes. | Double Compact Objects II: Cosmological Merger Rates |
Background and Objective: Histograms and Pearson's coefficient of variation are among the most popular summary statistics. Researchers use histograms to judge the shape of quantitative data distribution by visual inspection. The coefficient of variation is taken as an estimator of relative variability of these data. We explore properties of histograms and coefficient of variation by examples in R, thus offering better alternatives: density plots and Eisenhauer's relative dispersion coefficient. Methods: Hypothetical examples developed in R are applied to create histograms and density plots, and to compute coefficient of variation and relative dispersion coefficient. Results: These hypothetical examples clearly show that these two traditional approaches are flawed. Histograms do not necessarily reflect the distribution of probabilities and the Pearson's coefficient of variation is not invariant with linear transformations and is not a measure of relative variability, for it is a ratio between a measure of absolute variability (standard deviation) and a measure of central position (mean). Potential alternatives are explained and applied for contrast. Conclusions: With the use of modern computers and R language it is easy to apply density plots, which are able to approximate the theoretical probability distribution. In addition, Eisenhauer's relative dispersion coefficient is suggested as a suitable estimator of relative variability, including sample size correction for lower and upper bounds. | Histogram lies about distribution shape and Pearson's coefficient of variation lies about variability |
Giant gaseous planets often reside on orbits in sufficient proximity to their host stars for the planetary quadrupole gravitational field to become non-negligible. In presence of an additional planetary companion, a precise characterization of the system's orbital state can yield meaningful constraints on the transiting planet's interior structure. However, such methods can require a very specific type of system. This paper explores the dynamic range of applicability of these methods and shows that interior structure calculations are possible for a wide array of orbital architectures. The HAT-P-13 system is used as a case study, and the implications of perturbations arising from a third distant companion on the feasibility of an interior calculation are discussed. We find that the method discussed here is likely to be useful in studying other planetary systems, allowing the possibility of an expanded survey of the interiors of exoplanets. | Dynamical Measurements of the Interior Structure of Exoplanets |
eROSITA (extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array) is the primary instrument on the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) mission, which was successfully launched on July 13, 2019, from the Baikonour cosmodrome. After the commissioning of the instrument and a subsequent calibration and performance verification phase, eROSITA started a survey of the entire sky on December 13, 2019. By the end of 2023, eight complete scans of the celestial sphere will have been performed, each lasting six months. At the end of this program, the eROSITA all-sky survey in the soft X-ray band (0.2--2.3\,keV) will be about 25 times more sensitive than the ROSAT All-Sky Survey, while in the hard band (2.3--8\,keV) it will provide the first ever true imaging survey of the sky. The eROSITA design driving science is the detection of large samples of galaxy clusters up to redshifts $z>1$ in order to study the large-scale structure of the universe and test cosmological models including Dark Energy. In addition, eROSITA is expected to yield a sample of a few million AGNs, including obscured objects, revolutionizing our view of the evolution of supermassive black holes. The survey will also provide new insights into a wide range of astrophysical phenomena, including X-ray binaries, active stars, and diffuse emission within the Galaxy. Results from early observations, some of which are presented here, confirm that the performance of the instrument is able to fulfil its scientific promise. With this paper, we aim to give a concise description of the instrument, its performance as measured on ground, its operation in space, and also the first results from in-orbit measurements. | The eROSITA X-ray telescope on SRG |
Data-driven models for audio source separation such as U-Net or Wave-U-Net are usually models dedicated to and specifically trained for a single task, e.g. a particular instrument isolation. Training them for various tasks at once commonly results in worse performances than training them for a single specialized task. In this work, we introduce the Conditioned-U-Net (C-U-Net) which adds a control mechanism to the standard U-Net. The control mechanism allows us to train a unique and generic U-Net to perform the separation of various instruments. The C-U-Net decides the instrument to isolate according to a one-hot-encoding input vector. The input vector is embedded to obtain the parameters that control Feature-wise Linear Modulation (FiLM) layers. FiLM layers modify the U-Net feature maps in order to separate the desired instrument via affine transformations. The C-U-Net performs different instrument separations, all with a single model achieving the same performances as the dedicated ones at a lower cost. | Conditioned-U-Net: Introducing a Control Mechanism in the U-Net for Multiple Source Separations |
We propose a new reverse time migration method for reconstructing extended obstacles in the planar waveguide using acoustic waves at a fixed frequency. We prove the resolution of the reconstruction method in terms of the aperture and the thickness of the waveguide. The resolution analysis implies that the imaginary part of the cross-correlation imaging function is always positive and thus may have better stability properties. Numerical experiments are included to illustrate the powerful imaging quality and to confirm our resolution results. | Reverse Time Migration for Reconstructing Extended Obstacles in Planar Acoustic Waveguides |
Adiabatic and periodic variation of the lattice parameters can make it possible to transport charge through a system even without net external electric or magnetic fields, known as Thouless charge pumping. The amount of charge pumped in a cycle is quantized and entirely determined by the system's topology, which is robust against perturbations such as disorder and interactions. However, coupling to the environment may play a vital role in topological transport in many-body systems. We study the topological Thouless pumping, where the charge carriers interact with local optical phonons. The semi-classical multi-trajectory Ehrenfest method is employed to treat the phonon trajectories classically and charge carriers quantum mechanically. We find a breakdown of the quantized charge transport in the presence of phonons. It happens for any finite electron-phonon coupling strength at the resonance condition when the pumping frequency matches the phonon frequency, and it takes finite phonon coupling strength away from the resonance. Moreover, there exist parameter regimes with non-quantized negative and positive charge transport. The modified effective pumping path due to electron-phonon coupling accurately explains the underlying physics. In the large coupling regime where the pumping disappears, the phonons are found to eliminate the staggering of the onsite potentials, which is necessary for the pumping protocol. Finally, we present a stability diagram of quantized pumping as a function of time period of pumping and phonon coupling strength. | Phonon-induced breakdown of Thouless pumping in the Rice-Mele-Holstein model |
We survey the methods proposed in the literature for detecting moons of extrasolar planets in terms of their ability to distinguish between prograde and retrograde moon orbits, an important tracer of moon formation channel. We find that most moon detection methods, in particular, sensitive methods for detecting moons of transiting planets, cannot observationally distinguishing prograde and retrograde moon orbits. The prograde and retrograde cases can only be distinguished where dynamical evolution of the orbit due to e.g. three body effects is detectable, where one of the two cases is dynamically unstable or where new observational facilities which can implement a technique capable of differentiating the two cases, come on line. In particular, directly imaged planets are promising targets as repeated spectral and photometric measurements, required to determine moon orbit direction, could also be conducted with the primary interest of characterising the planet itself. | Next Generation of Telescopes or Dynamics Required to Determine if Exo-Moons have Prograde or Retrograde Orbits |
Radiative effects in the electroproduction of photons in polarized $ep$-scattering are calculated with the next-to-leading (NLO) accuracy. The contributions of loops and two photon emission were presented in analytical form. The covariant approach of Bardin and Shumeiko was used to extract the infrared divergence. All contributions to the radiative correction were presented in the form of the correction to the leptonic tensor thus allowing for further applications in other experiments, e.g., deep inelastic scattering. The radiative corrections (RC) to the cross sections and polarization asymmetries were analyzed numerically for kinematical conditions of the current measurement at Jefferson Lab. Specific attention was paid on analyzing kinematical conditions for the process with large radiative effect when momenta of two photons in the final state are collinear to momenta of initial and final electrons, respectively. | QED radiative effects in the processes of exclusive photon electroproduction from polarized protons with the next-to-leading accuracy |
For systems in an externally controllable time-dependent potential, the optimal protocol minimizes the mean work spent in a finite-time transition between given initial and final values of a control parameter. For an initially thermalized ensemble, we consider both Hamiltonian evolution for classical systems and Schr\"odinger evolution for quantum systems. In both cases, we show that for harmonic potentials, the optimal work is given by the adiabatic work even in the limit of short transition times. This result is counter-intuitive because the adiabatic work is substantially smaller than the work for an instantaneous jump. We also perform numerical calculations of the optimal protocol for Hamiltonian dynamics in an anharmonic quartic potential. For a two-level spin system, we give examples where the adiabatic work can be reached in either a finite or an arbitrarily short transition time depending on the allowed parameter space. | Optimal protocols for Hamiltonian and Schr\"odinger dynamics |
We demonstrate the effect of the depletion force in experiments and simulations of vertically vibrated mixtures of large and small steel spheres. The system exhibits size segregation and a large increase in the pair correlation function of the large spheres for short distances that can be accurately described using a combination of the depletion potential derived for equilibrium colloidal systems and a Boltzmann factor. The Boltzmann factor defines an effective temperature for the system, which we compare to other measures of the temperature. | The depletion force in a bi-disperse granular layer |
We analyze interstellar absorption observed towards two subdwarf O stars, JL 9 and LSS 1274, using spectra taken by the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE). Column densities are measured for many atomic and molecular species (H I, D I, C I, N I, O I, P II, Ar I, Fe II, and H2), but our main focus is on measuring the D/H ratios for these extended lines of sight, as D/H is an important diagnostic for both cosmology and Galactic chemical evolution. We find D/H=(1.00+/-0.37)e-5 towards JL 9, and D/H=(0.76+/-0.36)e-5 towards LSS 1274 (2 sigma uncertainties). With distances of 590+/-160 pc and 580+/-100 pc, respectively, these two lines of sight are currently among the longest Galactic lines of sight with measured D/H. With the addition of these measurements, we see a significant tendency for longer Galactic lines of sight to yield low D/H values, consistent with previous inferences about the deuterium abundance from D/O and D/N measurements. Short lines of sight with H I column densities of log N(H I)<19.2 suggest that the gas-phase D/H value within the Local Bubble is (D/H)_LBg=(1.56+/-0.04)e-5. However, the four longest Galactic lines of sight with measured D/H, which have d>500 pc and log N(H I)>20.5, suggest a significantly lower value for the true local-disk gas-phase D/H value, (D/H)_LDg=(0.85+/-0.09)e-5. One interpretation of these results is that D is preferentially depleted onto dust grains relative to H and that longer lines of sight that extend beyond the Local Bubble sample more depleted material. In this scenario, the higher Local Bubble D/H ratio is actually a better estimate than (D/H)_LDg for the true local-disk D/H, D/H)_LD. However, if (D/H)_LDg is different from (D/H)_LBg simply because of variable astration and incomplete ISM mixing, then (D/H)_LD=(D/H)_LDg. | Two New Low Galactic D/H Measurements from FUSE |
We study, using simulations the dynamical properties of complex ferromagnetic granular materials. The system of grains is modeled by a disordered two-dimensional lattice in which the grains are embedded, while the magnitude and direction of the easy axis are random. Using the monte-carlo method we track the dynamics of the magnetic moments of the grains. We observe a transition of the system from a macroscopic blocked (ferromagnetic) phase at low temperature in which the grain's magnetic moment do not flip to the other direction to an unblocked (superparamagnetic) phase at high temperature in which the magnetic moment is free to rotate. Our results suggest that this transition exhibits the characteristics of a second order phase transition such as the appearance of a giant cluster of unblocked grains which is fractal at the critical temperature, a peak in the size of the second largest cluster at the same temperature and a power law distribution of cluster sizes near the criticality. | A dynamical phase transition in ferromagnetic granular materials |
We present the results obtained from linear stability analysis and 2.5-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of the magnetorotational instability (MRI), including the effects of cosmic rays (CRs). We took into account of the CR diffusion along the magnetic field but neglect the cross-field-line diffusion. Two models are considered in this paper: shearing box model and differentially rotating cylinder model. We studied how MRI is affected by the initial CR pressure (i.e., energy) distribution. In the shearing box model, the initial state is uniform distribution. Linear analysis shows that the growth rate of MRI does not depend on the value of CR diffusion coefficient. In the differentially rotating cylinder model, the initial state is a constant angular momentum polytropic disk threaded by weak uniform vertical magnetic field. Linear analysis shows that the growth rate of MRI becomes larger if the CR diffusion coefficient is larger. Both results are confirmed by MHD simulations. The MHD simulation results show that the outward movement of matter by the growth of MRI is not impeded by the CR pressure gradient, and the centrifugal force which acts to the concentrated matter becomes larger. Consequently, the growth rate of MRI is increased. On the other hand, if the initial CR pressure is uniform, then the growth rate of the MRI barely depends on the value of the CR diffusion coefficient. | Analysis of the magneto-rotational instability with the effect of cosmic-ray diffusion |
Accent recognition with deep learning framework is a similar work to deep speaker identification, they're both expected to give the input speech an identifiable representation. Compared with the individual-level features learned by speaker identification network, the deep accent recognition work throws a more challenging point that forging group-level accent features for speakers. In this paper, we borrow and improve the deep speaker identification framework to recognize accents, in detail, we adopt Convolutional Recurrent Neural Network as front-end encoder and integrate local features using Recurrent Neural Network to make an utterance-level accent representation. Novelly, to address overfitting, we simply add Connectionist Temporal Classification based speech recognition auxiliary task during training, and for ambiguous accent discrimination, we introduce some powerful discriminative loss functions in face recognition works to enhance the discriminative power of accent features. We show that our proposed network with discriminative training method (without data-augment) is significantly ahead of the baseline system on the accent classification track in the Accented English Speech Recognition Challenge 2020, where the loss function Circle-Loss has achieved the best discriminative optimization for accent representation. | Deep Discriminative Feature Learning for Accent Recognition |
In many situations, the decision maker observes items in sequence and needs to determine whether or not to retain a particular item immediately after it is observed. Any decision rule creates a set of items that are selected. We consider situations where the available information is the rank of a present observation relative to its predecessors. Certain ``natural'' selection rules are investigated. Theoretical results are presented pertaining to the evolution of the number of items selected, measures of their quality and the time it would take to amass a group of a given size. | Select sets: Rank and file |
I present an introduction to the field of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) with emphasis on nucleon spin structure and perturbative methods. After a somewhat comprehensive overview of perturbative QCD, including the systematics of renormalization, I introduce deeply-inelastic scattering and deeply-virtual Compton scattering along with the nonperturbative distribution functions appearing in these processes. I show how these processes can be used to extract the distribution of longitudinal spin of nucleons, and briefly discuss the complications associated with transverse spin components. There are five appendices which accompany this work, discussing topics ranging from canonical field quantization to dimensional regularization to the structure of several important Lie groups. These appendices are meant to give the reader a certain basic understanding of some of the mathematical details underlying the main text, as well as provide a useful reference. This work was submitted in a slightly different form to the University of Maryland at College Park in partial completion of the requirements for a doctor of philosophy in physics, received August 2000. | A Study of Nucleon Spin Struture from Quantum Chromodynamics |
Equations of motion of low-energy effective theories of quantum electrodynamics include infinitely many interaction terms, which make them difficult to solve. The self-duality property has facilitated research on the solutions to these equations. In this paper, equations of motion of systems of non-Abelian gauge fields on even-dimensional spheres are considered. It is demonstrated that the Cremmer-Scherk configuration, which satisfies certain generalized self-duality equations, becomes the classical solution for the class of systems that are given by arbitrary functions of class C^1 of 2m+1 quantities. For instance, Lagrangians consisting of multi-trace terms are included in this class. This result is likely to generate several new and interesting directions of research, including the classification of actions with respect to the stability condition against the Cremmer-Scherk configuration. | Equations of Motion Solved by the Cremmer-Scherk Configuration on Even-Dimensional Spheres |
The dynamics of a single hole (or electron) in the two dimensional Hubbard model is investigated. The antiferromagnetic background is described by a N\`eel state, and the hopping of the carrier is analyzed within a configuration interaction approach. Results are in agreement with other methods and with experimental data when available. All data are compatible with the opening of a mean field gap in a Fermi liquid of spin polarons, the so called Slater type of transition. In particular, this hypothesis explains the unusual dispersion relation of the quasiparticle bands near the transition. Recent photoemission data for Ca$_2$CuO$_2$Cl$_2$ are analyzed within this context. | Dynamics of Holes and Universality Class of the Antiferromagnetic Transition in the Two Dimensional Hubbard Model |
We establish a phase transition for the parking process on critical Galton--Watson trees. In this model, a random number of cars with mean $m$ and variance $\sigma^{2}$ arrive independently on the vertices of a critical Galton--Watson tree with finite variance $\Sigma^{2}$ conditioned to be large. The cars go down the tree towards the root and try to park on empty vertices as soon as possible. We show a phase transition depending on $$ \Theta:= (1-m)^2- \Sigma^2 (\sigma^2+m^2-m).$$ Specifically, when $m \leq 1$, if $ \Theta>0,$ then all but (possibly) a few cars will manage to park, whereas if $\Theta<0$, then a positive fraction of the cars will not find a spot and exit the tree through the root. This confirms a conjecture of Goldschmidt and Przykucki. | The phase transition for parking on Galton--Watson trees |
We consider the general problem of enumerating branched covers of the projective line from a fixed general curve subject to ramification conditions at possibly moving points. Our main computations are in genus 1; the theory of limit linear series allows one to reduce to this case. We first obtain a simple formula for a weighted count of pencils on a fixed elliptic curve E, where base-points are allowed. We then deduce, using an inclusion-exclusion procedure, formulas for the numbers of maps E->P^1 with moving ramification conditions. A striking consequence is the invariance of these counts under a certain involution. Our results generalize work of Harris, Logan, Osserman, and Farkas-Moschetti-Naranjo-Pirola. | Enumerating pencils with moving ramification on curves |
A new mixing layer can be generated if the rotation of either of the two cylinders in a Taylor--Couette apparatus varies discontinuously along the symmetry axis. The mixing zone between the two resulting co-current streams gives rise to radial vorticity in addition to the primary axial vorticity. An analytic solution for the azimuthal velocity has been derived from which we show that the width of the mixing zone varies only with radial position. | Mixing layer between two co-current Taylor-Couette flows |
We study gravitational perturbations of the Kerr-AdS_5 x S^5 spacetime with equal angular momenta. In this spacetime, we found the two kinds of classical instabilities, superradiant and Gregory-Laflamme instabilities. The superradiant instability is caused by the wave amplification via superradiance, and by wave reflection due to the potential barrier of the AdS spacetime. The Gregory-Laflamme instability appears in Kaluza-Klein modes of the internal space S^5 and breaks the symmetry SO(6). Taken into account these instabilities, the phase structure of Kerr-AdS_5 x S^5 spacetime is revealed. The implication for the AdS/CFT correspondence is also discussed. | Instabilities of Kerr-AdS_5 x S^5 Spacetime |
We introduce a novel approach for the characterization of the quality of a laser beam that is not based on particular criteria for beam width definition. The Lorenz curve of a light beam is a sophisticated version of the so-called power-in-the-bucket curve, formed by the partial sums of discretized joint intensity distribution in the near and far fields sorted in decreasing order. According to majorization theory, a higher Lorenz curve implies that all measures of spreading in phase space, and, in particular, all R\'enyi (and Shannon) entropy-based measures of the beam width products in near and far fields, are unanimously smaller, providing a strong assessment of a better beam quality. Two beams whose Lorenz curves intersect can only be considered of relatively better or lower quality according to specific criteria, which can be inferred from the plot of the respective Lorenz curves. | Lorenz curve of a light beam: evaluating beam quality from a mayorization perspective |
We study the outcome of deferred acceptance when prospective medical residents can only apply to a limited set of hospitals. This limitation requires residents to make a strategic choice about the quality of hospitals they apply to. Through a mix of theoretical and experimental results, we study the effect of this strategic choice on the preferences submitted by participants, as well as on the overall welfare. We find that residents' choices in our model mimic the behavior observed in real systems where individuals apply to a mix of positions consisting mostly of places where they are reasonably likely to get accepted, as well as a few "reach" applications to hospitals of very high quality, and a few "safe" applications to hospitals of lower than their expected level. Surprisingly, the number of such "safe" applications is not monotone in the number of allowed applications. We also find that selfish behavior can hurt social welfare, but the deterioration of overall welfare is very minimal. | Effect of selfish choices in deferred acceptance with short lists |
In order to better understand the possibility of coronal heating by MHD waves, we analyze Fe xii 195.12{\AA} data observed with EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) onboard Hinode. We performed a Fourier analysis of EUV intensity and Doppler velocity time series data in the active region corona. Notable intensity and Doppler velocity oscillations were found for two moss regions out of the five studied, while only small oscillations were found for five apexes of loops. The amplitudes of the oscillations were 0.4 - 5.7% for intensity and 0.2 - 1.2 kms-1 for Doppler velocity. In addition, oscillations of only Doppler velocity were seen relatively less often in the data. We compared the amplitudes of intensity and those of Doppler velocity in order to identify MHD wave modes, and calculated the phase delays between Fourier components of intensity and those of Doppler velocity. The results are interpreted in terms of MHD waves as follows: (1) few kink modes or torsional Alfv'en mode waves were seen in both moss regions and the apexes of loops; (2) upwardly propagating and standing slowmode waves were found inmoss regions; and (3) consistent with previous studies, estimated values of energy flux of the waves were several orders of magnitude lower than that required for heating active regions. | Mode identification of MHD waves in an active region observed with Hinode/EIS |
This paper studies operator forms of the nonhomogeneous associative classical Yang-Baxter equation (nhacYBe), extending and generalizing such studies for the classical Yang-Baxter equation and associative Yang-Baxter equation that can be tracked back to the works of Semonov-Tian-Shansky and Kupershmidt on Rota-Baxter Lie algebras and $\mathcal{O}$-operators. In general, solutions of the nhacYBe are characterized in terms of generalized $\mathcal{O}$-operators. The characterization can be given by the classical $\mathcal{O}$-operators precisely when the solutions satisfy an invariant condition. When the invariant condition is compatible with a Frobenius algebra, such solutions have close relationships with Rota-Baxter operators on the Frobenius algebra. In general, solutions of the nhacYBe can be produced from Rota-Baxter operators, and then from $\mathcal{O}$-operators when the solutions are taken in semi-direct product algebras. In the other direction, Rota-Baxter operators can be obtained from solutions of the nhacYBe in unitizations of algebras. Finally a classifications of solutions of the nhacYBe satisfying the mentioned invariant condition in all unital complex algebras of dimensions two and three are obtained. All these solutions are shown to come from Rota-Baxter operators. | Operator forms of nonhomogeneous associative classical Yang-Baxter equation |
In this work spin transport in corrugated armchair graphene nanoribbons (AGNR) is studied. We survey combined effects of spin-orbit interaction and surface roughness, employing the non-equilibrium Green's function formalism and four orbitals tight-binding model. We modify hopping parameters regarding bending and distance of corrugated carbon atoms. The effects of surface roughness parameters, such as roughness amplitude and correlation length, on the spin transport of the graphene nanoribbons are studied. We show that increasing surface roughness amplitude breaks the AGNR symmetry and hybridize $\mathit{\sigma}$ and $\mathit{\pi}$ orbitals, leading to more spin flipping and therefore decrease in polarization. Unlike the roughness amplitude, the longer correlation length makes AGNR surface smoother and increases polarization. Moreover, the Spin diffusion length of carriers is extracted and its dependency on the roughness parameters is investigated. We find the spin diffusion length for various surface corrugation amplitudes in order of 1 to 80 micrometers. | Spin Relaxation at Graphene Nanoribbons in the presence of Substrate Surface Roughness |
This paper completely solves the controllability problems of two-dimensional multi-input discrete-time bilinear systems with and without drift. Necessary and sufficient conditions for controllability, which cover the existing results, are obtained by using an algebraic method. Furthermore, for the uncontrollable systems, near-controllability is studied and necessary and sufficient conditions for the systems to be nearly controllable are also presented. Examples are provided to demonstrate the conceptions and results of the paper. | On Controllability and Near-controllability of Multi-input Discrete-time Bilinear Systems in Dimension Two |
An autonomous variational inference algorithm for arbitrary graphical models requires the ability to optimize variational approximations over the space of model parameters as well as over the choice of tractable families used for the variational approximation. In this paper, we present a novel combination of graph partitioning algorithms with a generalized mean field (GMF) inference algorithm. This combination optimizes over disjoint clustering of variables and performs inference using those clusters. We provide a formal analysis of the relationship between the graph cut and the GMF approximation, and explore several graph partition strategies empirically. Our empirical results provide rather clear support for a weighted version of MinCut as a useful clustering algorithm for GMF inference, which is consistent with the implications from the formal analysis. | Graph partition strategies for generalized mean field inference |
A common approach to metric-affine, local Poincar\'e, special-relativistic and Galilei spacetime geometry is developed. Starting from an affine composite bundle, we introduce local reference frames and their evolution along worldlines and we study both, absolute and relative simultaneity postulates, giving rise to alternative concepts of spacetime. In particular, the construction of the Minkowski metric, and its required invariance, allows either to reorganize the original affine bundle as a metric-affine geometry with explicit Lorentz symmetry, or to restrict it to a Poincar\'e geometry, both of them constituting the background of a wide class of gauge theories of gravity. | A proposal of foundation of spacetime geometry |
Iron-based superconductors have received much attention as a new family of high-temperature superconductors owing to their unique properties and distinct differences from cuprates and conventional superconductors. This paper reviews progress in thin film research on iron-based superconductors since their discovery for each of five material systems with an emphasis on growth, physical properties, device fabrication, and relevant bulk material properties. | Thin Film Growth and Device Fabrication of Iron-Based Superconductors |
The occurrence of phase fluctuations due to thermal excitations in Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) is studied for a variety of temperatures and trap geometries. We observe the statistical nature of the appearence of phase fluctuations and characterize the dependence of their average value on temperature, number of particles and the trapping potential. We find pronounced phase fluctuations for condensates in very elongated traps in a broad temperature range. The results are of great importance for the realization of BEC in quasi 1D geometries, for matter wave interferometry with BECs, as well as for coherence properties of guided atom laser beams. | Observation of Phase Fluctuations in Bose-Einstein Condensates |
We explain the experimentally observed Aharonov-Bohm (AB) resonance patterns of an antidot cluster by means of quantum and classical simulations and Feynman path integral theory. We demonstrate that the observed behavior of the AB period signals the crossover from a low B regime which can be understood in terms of electrons following classical orbits to an inherently quantum high B regime where this classical picture and semiclassical theories based on it do not apply. | Resonance Patterns of an Antidot Cluster: From Classical to Quantum Ballistics |
We present the first statistical analysis of 27 UVOT optical/ultra-violet lightcurves of GRB afterglows. We have found, through analysis of the lightcurves in the observer's frame, that a significant fraction rise in the first 500s after the GRB trigger, that all lightcurves decay after 500s, typically as a power-law with a relatively narrow distribution of decay indices, and that the brightest optical afterglows tend to decay the quickest. We find that the rise could either be produced physically by the start of the forward shock, when the jet begins to plough into the external medium, or geometrically where an off-axis observer sees a rising lightcurve as an increasing amount of emission enters the observers line of sight, which occurs as the jet slows. We find that at 99.8% confidence, there is a correlation, in the observed frame, between the apparent magnitude of the lightcurves at 400s and the rate of decay after 500s. However, in the rest frame a Spearman Rank test shows only a weak correlation of low statistical significance between luminosity and decay rate. A correlation should be expected if the afterglows were produced by off-axis jets, suggesting that the jet is viewed from within the half-opening angle theta or within a core of uniform energy density theta_c. We also produced logarithmic luminosity distributions for three rest frame epochs. We find no evidence for bimodality in any of the distributions. Finally, we compare our sample of UVOT lightcurves with the XRT lightcurve canonical model. The range in decay indices seen in UVOT lightcurves at any epoch is most similar to the range in decay of the shallow decay segment of the XRT canonical model. However, in the XRT canonical model there is no indication of the rising behaviour observed in the UVOT lightcurves. | A statistical study of gamma-ray burst afterglows measured by the Swift Ultra-violet Optical Telescope |
We use Cox's description for sheaves on toric varieties and results about the local cohomology with respect to monomial ideals to give a characteristic free approach to vanishing results on arbitrary toric varieties. As an application, we give a proof of a strong form of Fujita's conjecture in the case of toric varieties. We also prove that every sheaf on a toric variety corresponds to a module over the homogeneous coordinate ring, generalizing Cox's result for the simplicial case. | Vanishing Theorems on Toric Varieties |
Hybrid systems, such as bipedal walkers, are challenging to control because of discontinuities in their nonlinear dynamics. Little can be predicted about the systems' evolution without modeling the guard conditions that govern transitions between hybrid modes, so even systems with reliable state sensing can be difficult to control. We propose an algorithm that allows for determining the hybrid mode of a system in real-time using data-driven analysis. The algorithm is used with data-driven dynamics identification to enable model predictive control based entirely on data. Two examples---a simulated hopper and experimental data from a bipedal walker---are used. In the context of the first example, we are able to closely approximate the dynamics of a hybrid SLIP model and then successfully use them for control in simulation. In the second example, we demonstrate gait partitioning of human walking data, accurately differentiating between stance and swing, as well as selected subphases of swing. We identify contact events, such as heel strike and toe-off, without a contact sensor using only kinematics data from the knee and hip joints, which could be particularly useful in providing online assistance during walking. Our algorithm does not assume a predefined gait structure or gait phase transitions, lending itself to segmentation of both healthy and pathological gaits. With this flexibility, impairment-specific rehabilitation strategies or assistance could be designed. | Data-Driven Gait Segmentation for Walking Assistance in a Lower-Limb Assistive Device |
The automatic detection of changes or anomalies between multispectral and hyperspectral images collected at different time instants is an active and challenging research topic. To effectively perform change-point detection in multitemporal images, it is important to devise techniques that are computationally efficient for processing large datasets, and that do not require knowledge about the nature of the changes. In this paper, we introduce a novel online framework for detecting changes in multitemporal remote sensing images. Acting on neighboring spectra as adjacent vertices in a graph, this algorithm focuses on anomalies concurrently activating groups of vertices corresponding to compact, well-connected and spectrally homogeneous image regions. It fully benefits from recent advances in graph signal processing to exploit the characteristics of the data that lie on irregular supports. Moreover, the graph is estimated directly from the images using superpixel decomposition algorithms. The learning algorithm is scalable in the sense that it is efficient and spatially distributed. Experiments illustrate the detection and localization performance of the method. | Online Graph-Based Change Point Detection in Multiband Image Sequences |
Methods. The northern-eastern fringe of the Chameleon I dark cloud was observed with XMM-Newton, revisiting a region observed with ROSAT 15 years ago. Centered on the extended X-ray source CHXR49 we are able to resolve it into three major contributing components and to analyse their spectral properties. Furthermore, the deep exposure allows not only the detection of numerous, previously unknown X-ray sources, but also the investigation of variability and the study of the X-ray properties for the brighter targets in the field. We use EPIC spectra, to determine X-ray brightness, coronal temperatures and emission measures for these sources, compare the properties of classical and weak-line T Tauri stars and make a comparison with results from the ROSAT observation. Results. X-ray properties of T Tauri stars in Cha I are presented. The XMM-Newton images resolve some previously blended X-ray sources, confirm several possible ones and detect many new X-ray targets, resulting in the most comprehensive list with 71 X-ray sources in the northern Cha I dark cloud. The analysis of medium resolution spectra shows an overlapping distribution of spectral properties for classical and weak-line T Tauri stars, with the X-ray brighter stars having hotter coronae and a higher L_X/L_bol ratio. X-ray luminosity correlates with bolometric luminosity, whereas the L_X/L_bol ratio is slightly lower for the classical T Tauri stars. Large flares as well as a low iron and a high neon abundance are found in both types of T Tauri stars. Abundance pattern, plasma temperatures and emission measure distributions during quiescent phases are attributed toa high level of magnetic activity as the dominant source of their X-ray emission. | A deep XMM-Newton X-ray observation of the Chamaeleon I dark cloud |
With the advent of the 5th generation of wireless standards and an increasing demand for higher throughput, methods to improve the spectral efficiency of wireless systems have become very important. In the context of cognitive radio, a substantial increase in throughput is possible if the secondary user can make smart decisions regarding which channel to sense and when or how often to sense. Here, we propose an algorithm to not only select a channel for data transmission but also to predict how long the channel will remain unoccupied so that the time spent on channel sensing can be minimized. Our algorithm learns in two stages - a reinforcement learning approach for channel selection and a Bayesian approach to determine the optimal duration for which sensing can be skipped. Comparisons with other learning methods are provided through extensive simulations. We show that the number of sensing is minimized with negligible increase in primary interference; this implies that lesser energy is spent by the secondary user in sensing and also higher throughput is achieved by saving on sensing. | Spectrum Access In Cognitive Radio Using A Two Stage Reinforcement Learning Approach |
Nanoparticles grown in a plasma are used to visualize the process of film deposition in a pulsed radio-frequency (rf) atmospheric pressure glow discharge. Modulating the plasma makes it possible to successfully prepare porous TiO2 films. We study the trapping of the particles in the sheath during the plasma-on phase and compare it with numerical simulations. During the plasma-off phase, the particles are driven to the substrate by the electric field generated by residual ions, leading to the formation of porous TiO2 film. Using video microscopy, the collective dynamics of particles in the whole process is revealed at the most fundamental "kinetic" level. | Particle dynamics in deposition of porous films with a pulsed radio-frequency atmospheric pressure glow discharge |
Security attacks present unique challenges to self-adaptive system design due to the adversarial nature of the environment. However, modeling the system as a single player, as done in prior works in security domain, is insufficient for the system under partial compromise and for the design of fine-grained defensive strategies where the rest of the system with autonomy can cooperate to mitigate the impact of attacks. To deal with such issues, we propose a new self-adaptive framework incorporating Bayesian game and model the defender (i.e., the system) at the granularity of components in system architecture. The system architecture model is translated into a Bayesian multi-player game, where each component is modeled as an independent player while security attacks are encoded as variant types for the components. The defensive strategy for the system is dynamically computed by solving the pure equilibrium to achieve the best possible system utility, improving the resiliency of the system against security attacks. | System Component-Level Self-Adaptations for Security via Bayesian Games |
The YN results are presented from the Extended-soft-core (ESC) interactions. They consist of local- and non-local-potentials due to (i) One-boson-exchange (OBE), with pseudoscalar-, vector-, scalar-, and axial-vector-nonets, (ii) Diffractive exchanges, (iii) Two-pseudoscalar exchange, and (iv) Meson-pair-exchange (MPE). This model, called ESC04, describes NN and YN in a unified way using broken flavor SU(3)-symmetry. Novel ingredients are the inclusion of (i) the axial-vector-mesons, (ii) a zero in the scalar- and axial-vector meson form factors. We describe simultaneous fits to the NN- and YN-data, using four options in the ESC-model. Very good fits were obtained. G-matrix calculations with these four options are also reported. The obtained well depths (U_\Lambda, U_\Sigma, U_\Xi) reveal distinct features of ESC04a-d. The \Lambda\Lambda-interactions are demonstrated to be consistent with the observed data of_{\Lambda\Lambda}^6He. The possible three-body effects are investigated by considering phenomenologically the changes of the vector-meson masses in a nuclear medium. | Extended-soft-core Baryon-Baryon Model II. Hyperon-Nucleon Interaction |
We show that the delivery of fracture work to the tip of an advancing planar crack is strongly reduced by surface phonon emission, leading to forbidden ranges of crack speed. The emission can be interpreted through dispersion of the group velocity, and Rayleigh and Love branches contribute as well as other high frequency branches of the surface wave dispersion relations. We also show that the energy release rate which enters the Griffith criterion for the crack advance can be described as the product of the continuum solution with a function that only depends on the lattice geometry and describes the lattice influence on the phonon emission. Simulations are performed using a new finite element model for simulating elasticity and fractures. The model, built to allow fast and very large three-dimensional simulations, is applied to the simplified case of two dimensional samples. | Role of surface waves on the relation between crack speed and the work of fracture |
The $l$-th stopping redundancy $\rho_l(\mathcal C)$ of the binary $[n, k, d]$ code $\mathcal C$, $1 \le l \le d$, is defined as the minimum number of rows in the parity-check matrix of $\mathcal C$, such that the smallest stopping set is of size at least $l$. The stopping redundancy $\rho(\mathcal C)$ is defined as $\rho_d(\mathcal C)$. In this work, we improve on the probabilistic analysis of stopping redundancy, proposed by Han, Siegel and Vardy, which yields the best bounds known today. In our approach, we judiciously select the first few rows in the parity-check matrix, and then continue with the probabilistic method. By using similar techniques, we improve also on the best known bounds on $\rho_l(\mathcal C)$, for $1 \le l \le d$. Our approach is compared to the existing methods by numerical computations. | Refined Upper Bounds on Stopping Redundancy of Binary Linear Codes |
One of the key questions in Astrophysics concerns the issue of whether there exists an upper-mass limit to stars, and if so, what physical mechanism sets this limit, which might also determine if the upper-mass limit is metallicity (Z) dependent. We argue that mass loss by radiation-driven winds mediated by line opacity is one of the prime candidates setting the upper-mass limit. We present mass-loss predictions (dM/dt_wind) from Monte Carlo radiative transfer models for relatively cool (Teff = 15kK) inflated very massive stars (VMS) with large Eddington Gamma factors in the mass range 100-1000 Msun as a function of metallicity down to 1/100 Z/Zsun. We employ a hydrodynamic version of our Monte Carlo method, allowing us to predict the rate of mass loss (dM/dt_wind) and the terminal wind velocity (vinf) simultaneously. Interestingly, we find wind terminal velocities (vinf) that are low (100-500 km/s) over a wide Z-range, and we propose that the slow winds from VMS are an important source of self-enrichment in globular clusters. We also find mass-loss rates (dM/dt_wind), exceeding the typical mass-accretion rate (dM/dt_accr) of 0.001 Msun/yr during massive-star formation. We express our mass-loss predictions as a function of mass and Z, finding log dM/dt = -9.13 + 2.1 log(M/Msun) + 0.74 log(Z/Zsun) (Msun/yr). Even if stellar winds would not directly halt & reverse mass accretion during star formation, if the most massive stars form by stellar mergers stellar wind mass loss may dominate over the rate at which stellar growth takes place. We therefore argue that the upper-mass limit is effectively Z-dependent due to the nature of radiation-driven winds. This has dramatic consequences for the most luminous supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, and other black hole formation scenarios at different Cosmic epochs. | Very Massive Stars: a metallicity-dependent upper-mass limit, slow winds, and the self-enrichment of Globular Clusters |
A catalogue of astrometric (positions, proper motions) and photometric (B, V, R, r', J) data of stars in fields with ICRF objects has been compiled at the Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Kyiv University Observatory. All fields are located in the declination zone from 0 to +30 degrees; the nominal field size is 46' (right ascension) x 24' (declination). The observational basis of this work is 1100 CCD scans down to V=17 mag which were obtained with the Kyiv meridian axial circle in 2001-2003. The catalogue is presented in two versions. The version KMAC1-T contains 159 fields (104 796 stars) and was obtained with reduction to the Tycho2 catalogue. For another 33 fields, due to a low sky density of Tycho2 stars, the reduction was found to be unreliable. Transformation to the ICRF system in the second version of the catalogue (KMAC1-CU) was performed using the UCAC2 and CMC13 catalogues as a reference; it contains 115 032 stars in 192 fields and is of slightly better accuracy. The external accuracy of one catalogue position is about 50-90 mas for V < 15 mag stars. The average error of photometry is better than 0.1 mag for stars down to 16 mag. | The Kyiv Meridian Axial Circle Catalogue of stars in fields with extragalactic radio sources |
In this paper, we find the internal stratification for terrestrial planets with given mass-radius pairs, and use the core size and density to estimate their maximum dipolar magnetic moment. We also comment on the temporal evolution, although more information (e.g., core composition, mantle rheology and history) is crucial in determining the state of the dynamo with planetary age. | Predicted dynamos for terrestrial extra-solar planets and their influence in habitability |