  We develop the point of view where Quantum Mechanics results from the
interplay between the quantized number of "modalities" accessible to a quantum
system, and the continuum of "contexts" that are required to define these
modalities. We point out the specific roles of "extracontextuality" and
"extravalence" of modalities, and relate them to the Kochen-Specker and Gleason
theorems.


  The intermediate valence compounds Yb2M3Ga9 (M = Rh, Ir) exhibit an
anisotropic magnetic susceptibility. We report measurements of the temperature
dependence of the 4f occupation number, nf(T), for Yb2M3Ga9 as well as the
magnetic inelastic neutron scattering spectrum Smag at 12 and 300 K for
Yb2Rh3Ga9. Both nf(T) and Smag were calculated for the Anderson impurity model
with crystal field terms within an approach based on the non-crossing
approximation. These results corroborate the importance of crystal field
effects in these materials; they also suggest that Anderson lattice effects are
important to the physics of Yb2M3Ga9.


  Task-based programming models are emerging as a promising alternative to make
the most of multi-/many-core systems. These programming models rely on runtime
systems, and their goal is to improve application performance by properly
scheduling application tasks to cores. Additionally, these runtime systems
offer policies to cope with application phases that lack in parallelism to fill
all cores. However, these policies are usually static and favor either
performance or energy efficiency. In this paper, we have extended a task-based
runtime system with a lightweight monitoring and prediction infrastructure that
dynamically predicts the optimal number of cores required for each application
phase, thus improving both performance and energy efficiency. Through the
execution of several benchmarks in multi-/many-core systems, we show that our
prediction-based policies have competitive performance while improving energy
efficiency when compared to state of the art policies.


  From a requirements engineering point of view, the elicitation of
context-aware functionalities calls for context modeling, an early step that
aims at understanding the application contexts and how it may influence user
tasks. In practice, however, context modeling activities have been overlooked
by practitioners due to their high complexity. To improve this situation, we
implemented xPACE and TASC Modeler, which are tools that support the automation
of context modeling based on existing contextual data. In this demonstration
paper, we present our implementation of a data-driven context modeling
approach, which is composed of a contextual data processor (xPACE) and a
context model generator (TASC Modeler). We successfully evaluated the results
provided by the tools in a software development project.


  While deep generative models have empowered music generation, it remains a
challenging and under-explored problem to edit an existing musical piece at
fine granularity. In this paper, we propose SDMuse, a unified Stochastic
Differential Music editing and generation framework, which can not only compose
a whole musical piece from scratch, but also modify existing musical pieces in
many ways, such as combination, continuation, inpainting, and style
transferring. The proposed SDMuse follows a two-stage pipeline to achieve music
generation and editing on top of a hybrid representation including pianoroll
and MIDI-event. In particular, SDMuse first generates/edits pianoroll by
iteratively denoising through a stochastic differential equation (SDE) based on
a diffusion model generative prior, and then refines the generated pianoroll
and predicts MIDI-event tokens auto-regressively. We evaluate the generated
music of our method on ailabs1k7 pop music dataset in terms of quality and
controllability on various music editing and generation tasks. Experimental
results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed stochastic differential
music editing and generation process, as well as the hybrid representations.


  We prove general results about separation and weak$^\#$-convergence of
boundedly finite measures on separable metric spaces and Souslin spaces. More
precisely, we consider an algebra of bounded real-valued, or more generally a
$*$-algebra $\mathcal{F}$ of bounded complex-valued functions and give
conditions for it to be separating or weak$^\#$-convergence determining for
those boundedly finite measures that integrate all functions in $\mathcal{F}$.
For separation, it is sufficient if $\mathcal{F}$ separates points, vanishes
nowhere, and either consists of only countably many measurable functions, or of
arbitrarily many continuous functions. For convergence determining, it is
sufficient if $\mathcal{F}$ induces the topology of the underlying space, and
every bounded set $A$ admits a function in $\mathcal{F}$ with values bounded
away from zero on $A$.


  Quantitative analysis of fetal lung Diffusion-Weighted MRI (DWI) data shows
potential in providing quantitative imaging biomarkers that indirectly reflect
fetal lung maturation. However, fetal motion during the acquisition hampered
quantitative analysis of the acquired DWI data and, consequently, reliable
clinical utilization. We introduce qDWI-morph, an unsupervised
deep-neural-network architecture for motion compensated quantitative DWI (qDWI)
analysis. Our approach couples a registration sub-network with a quantitative
DWI model fitting sub-network. We simultaneously estimate the qDWI parameters
and the motion model by minimizing a bio-physically-informed loss function
integrating a registration loss and a model fitting quality loss. We
demonstrated the added-value of qDWI-morph over: 1) a baseline qDWI analysis
without motion compensation and 2) a baseline deep-learning model incorporating
registration loss solely. The qDWI-morph achieved a substantially improved
correlation with the gestational age through in-vivo qDWI analysis of fetal
lung DWI data (R-squared=0.32 vs. 0.13, 0.28). Our qDWI-morph has the potential
to enable motion-compensated quantitative analysis of DWI data and to provide
clinically feasible bio-markers for non-invasive fetal lung maturity
assessment. Our code is available at:
https://github.com/TechnionComputationalMRILab/qDWI-Morph.


  In this work, we introduce a polymer discovery platform to efficiently design
polymers with tailored properties, exemplified by the discovery of
high-performance polymer electrolytes. The platform integrates three core
components: a conditioned generative model, a computational evaluation module,
and a feedback mechanism, creating a self-improving system for material
innovation. To demonstrate the efficacy of this platform, it is used to design
polymer electrolyte materials with high ionic conductivity. A simple
conditional generative model, based on the minGPT architecture, can effectively
generate candidate polymers that exhibit a mean ionic conductivity that is
significantly greater than those in the original training set. This approach,
coupled with molecular dynamics simulations (MD) for testing and a specifically
planned acquisition mechanism, allows the platform to refine its output
iteratively. Notably, after the first iteration, we observed an increase in
both the mean and the lower bound of the ionic conductivity of the new polymer
candidates. The platform's effectiveness is underscored by the identification
of 14 polymer repeating units, each displaying a computed ionic conductivity
surpassing that of Polyethylene Oxide (PEO). The performance of these polymers
in MD simulations verifies the platform's efficacy in generating potential
polymer candidate materials. Acknowledging current limitations, future work
will focus on enhancing modeling techniques, evaluation processes, and
acquisition strategies, aiming for broader applicability in polymer science and
machine learning.


  We present how a phase factor is generated when an electric dipole moves
along a closed trajectory inside a magnetic field gradient. The similarity of
this situation with charged particles in a magnetic field can be employed to
simulate condensed matter models, such as the quantum Hall effect and chiral
spin Hamiltonians, with ultra cold atoms integrated on atom chips. To
illustrate this we consider a triangular configuration of a two dimensional
optical lattice, where the chiral spin Hamiltonian $\vec{\sigma}_i \cdot
\vec{\sigma}_j \times \vec{\sigma}_k$ can be generated between any three
neighbours on a lattice yielding an experimentally implementable chiral ground
state.


  Business process design and monitoring are essential elements of Business
Process Management (BPM), often relying on Service Oriented Architectures
(SOA). However the current BPM approaches and standards have not sufficiently
reduced the Business-IT gap. Today's solutions are mostly domain-independent
and platform-dependent, which limits the ability of business matter experts to
express business intent and enact process change. In contrast, the approach
presented in this paper focuses on BPM and SOA environments in a
domain-dependent and platform-independent way. We propose to add a domain
specific-layer on top of current solutions so business stakeholders can design
and understand their processes in a more intuitive way. We rely on previously
proposed technical solutions and integrate them in an end-to-end methodology
(from design to monitoring and back). The appropriateness and the feasibility
of the approach is justified through a use case and a complete prototype
implementation.


  We extend the definition of concurrence into a family of entanglement
monotones, which we call concurrence monotones. We discuss their properties and
advantages as computational manageable measures of entanglement, and show that
for pure bipartite states all measures of entanglement can be written as
functions of the concurrence monotones. We then show that the concurrence
monotones provide bounds on quantum information tasks. As an example, we
discuss their applications to remote entanglement distributions (RED) such as
entanglement swapping and remote preparation of bipartite entangled states
(RPBES). We prove a powerful theorem which states what kind of (possibly mixed)
bipartite states or distributions of bipartite states can not be remotely
prepared. The theorem establishes an upper bound on the amount of
$G$-concurrence (one member in the concurrence family) that can be created
between two single-qudit nodes of quantum networks by means of tripartite RED.
For pure bipartite states the bound on the $G$-concurrence can always be
saturated by RPBES.


  Although the super-energy Bel-Robinson tensor gives a desirable gravitational
energy-momentum in a small sphere region, the angular-momentum is vanishing.
Intuitively, it should be non-zero. Our present work shows that indeed the
angular momentum is non-vanishing under the continuity equation requirement.
Meanwhile this angular momentum can be converted as a ``Poynting" vector. In
addition, by the analog, we also constructed the four ``Maxwell" equations in
general relativity.


  We present the Eisenhart-lift formalism in which the dynamics of a system
that evolves under the influence of a conservative force is equivalent to that
of a free system embedded in a curved manifold with one additional generalised
coordinate. As an illustrative example in Classical Mechanics, we apply this
formalism to simple harmonic motion. We extend the Eisenhart lift to
homogeneous field theories by adding one new field. Unlike an auxiliary field,
this field is fully dynamical and is therefore termed fictitious. We show that
the Noether symmetries of a theory with a potential are solutions of the
Killing equations in the lifted field space. We generalise this approach to
field theories in four and higher spacetime dimensions by virtue of a mixed
vielbein that links the field space and spacetime. Possible applications of the
extended Eisenhart-lift formalism including the gauge hierarchy problem and the
initial conditions problem in inflation are briefly discussed.


  Lepton family number violation processes arise in the $SU(6)_L \otimes
U(1)_Y$ model due to the presence of an extra neutral gauge boson, Z$'$, with
family changing couplings, and due to the fact that this model demands the
existence of heavy exotic leptons. The mixing of the standard Z with Z$'$ and
the mixing of ordinary leptons with exotic ones induce together family changing
couplings on the Z and therefore nonvanishing rates for lepton family number
violation processes, such as $Z \to e \bar{\mu}$, $\mu \to ee\bar{e}$ and $\mu
\to e\gamma$. Additional contributions to the processes $\mu \to e \gamma$ and
$\mu \to ee \bar{e}$ are induced from the mass generation mechanism. This last
type of contributions may compete with the above one, depending on the masses
of the scalars which participate in the diagrams which generate radiatively the
masses of the charged leptons. Using the experimental data we compute some
bounds for the mixings parameters and for the masses of the scalars.


  Noether-Lefschetz divisors in the moduli of K3 surfaces are the loci
corresponding to Picard rank at least 2. We relate the degrees of the
Noether-Lefschetz divisors in 1-parameter families of K3 surfaces to the
Gromov-Witten theory of the 3-fold total space. The reduced K3 theory and the
Yau-Zaslow formula play an important role. We use results of Borcherds and
Kudla-Millson for O(2,19) lattices to determine the Noether-Lefschetz degrees
in classical families of K3 surfaces of degrees 2, 4, 6 and 8. For the quartic
K3 surfaces, the Noether-Lefschetz degrees are proven to be the Fourier
coefficients of an explicitly computed modular form of weight 21/2 and level 8.
The interplay with mirror symmetry is discussed. We close with a conjecture on
the Picard ranks of moduli spaces of K3 surfaces.


  We address a class of Markov jump linear systems that are characterized by
the underlying Markov process being time-inhomogeneous with a priori unknown
transition probabilities. Necessary and sufficient conditions for uniform
stochastic stability and uniform stochastic disturbance attenuation are
reported. In both cases, conditions are expressed as a set of
finite-dimensional linear matrix inequalities that can be solved efficiently.


  We study boundary gradient estimates for second-order divergence type
parabolic and elliptic systems in $C^{1,\alpha}$ domains. The coefficients and
data are assumed to be H\"older in the time variable and all but one spatial
variables. This type of systems arises from the problems of linearly elastic
laminates and composite materials.


  We present a critical analysis of the Sompolinsky theory of equilibrium
dynamics. By using the spherical $2+p$ spin glass model we test the asymptotic
static limit of the Sompolinsky solution showing that it fails to yield a
thermodynamically stable solution. We then present an alternative formulation,
based on the Crisanti, H\"orner and Sommers [Z. f\"ur Physik {\bf 92}, 257
(1993)] dynamical solution of the spherical $p$-spin spin glass model,
reproducing a stable static limit that coincides, in the case of a one step
Replica Symmetry Breaking Ansatz, with the solution at the dynamic free energy
threshold at which the relaxing system gets stuck off-equilibrium. We formally
extend our analysis to any number of Replica Symmetry Breakings $R$. In the
limit $R\to\infty$ both formulations lead to the Parisi anti-parabolic
differential equation. This is the special case, though, where no dynamic
blocking threshold occurs. The new formulation does not contain the additional
order parameter $\Delta$ of the Sompolinsky theory.


  Here we research the univariate quantitative approximation, ordinary and
fractional, of Banach space valued continuous functions on a compact interval
or all the real line by quasi-interpolation Banach space valued neural network
operators. These approximations are derived by establishing Jackson type
inequalities involving the modulus of continuity of the engaged function or its
Banach space valued high order derivative of fractional derivatives. Our
operators are defined by using a density function generated by an algebraic
sigmoid function. The approximations are pointwise and of the uniform norm. The
related Banach space valued feed-forward neural networks are with one hidden
layer.


  This work is devoted to the geometric analysis of metric-measure spaces
satisfying a Prekopa-Leindler or a more general Borell-Brascamp-Lieb
inequality.
  Completing the early investigations by Cordero-Erausquin, McCann and
Schmuckenschlager, we show that these functional inequalities characterize
lower bounds on the Ricci curvature on a Riemannian manifold, providing thus an
alternate version of Ricci curvature lower bounds in measured length spaces to
the recent developments by Lott, Villani and Sturm. We also investigate
stability properties and geometric and functional inequalities, such as
logarithmic Sobolev inequality and Bishop-Gromov diameter estimate, in measured
length spaces satisfying a Prekopa-Leindler or a Borell-Brascamp-Lieb
inequality.


  We consider the finite temperature Casimir stress acting on the boundary of a
D>=3 dimensional cavity due to the vacuum fluctuations of electromagnetic
fields. Both perfectly conducting and infinitely permeable boundary conditions
are considered, and it is proved that they correspond mathematically to the
relative and absolute boundary conditions. The divergence terms of the Casimir
free energy are related to the heat kernel coefficients of the Laplace
operator. It is shown that the Casimir stress is free of divergence if and only
if D is exactly three. The high temperature asymptotics of the regularized
Casimir free energy are also found to depend on the heat kernel coefficients.
When D>3, renormalization is required to remove terms of order higher than or
equal to T^2.


  We study theoretically the self-propulsion dynamics of a small droplet on
general curved surfaces by a variational approach. A new reduced model is
derived based on careful computations for the capillary energy and the viscous
dissipation in the system. The model describes quantitatively the spontaneous
motion of a liquid droplet on general surfaces. In particular, it recovers
previous models for droplet motion on the outside surface of a cone. In this
case, we derive a scaling law of the displacement $s\sim t^{1/3}$ of a droplet
with respect to time $t$ by asymptotic analysis. Theoretical results are in
good agreement with experiments in previous literature without adjusting the
friction coefficient in the model.


  The standard Gibbs sampler of Mixed Multinomial Logit (MMNL) models involves
sampling from conditional densities of utility parameters using
Metropolis-Hastings (MH) algorithm due to unavailability of conjugate prior for
logit kernel. To address this non-conjugacy concern, we propose the application
of P\'olygamma data augmentation (PG-DA) technique for the MMNL estimation. The
posterior estimates of the augmented and the default Gibbs sampler are similar
for two-alternative scenario (binary choice), but we encounter empirical
identification issues in the case of more alternatives ($J \geq 3$).


  A microscopic theory for electronic spectrum of the CuO2 plane within an
effective p-d Hubbard model is proposed. Dyson equation for the single-electron
Green function in terms of the Hubbard operators is derived which is solved
self-consistently for the self-energy evaluated in the noncrossing
approximation. Electron scattering on spin fluctuations induced by kinematic
interaction is described by a dynamical spin susceptibility with a continuous
spectrum. Doping and temperature dependence of electron dispersions, spectral
functions, the Fermi surface and the coupling constant are studied in the hole
doped case. At low doping, an arc-type Fermi surface and a pseudogap in the
spectral function are observed.


  We demonstrate how large classes of discrete and continuous statistical
distributions can be incorporated into coherent states, using the concept of a
reproducing kernel Hilbert space. Each family of coherent states is shown to
contain, in a sort of duality, which resembles an analogous duality in Bayesian
statistics, a discrete probability distribution and a discretely parametrized
family of continuous distributions. It turns out that nonlinear coherent
states, of the type widely studied in quantum optics, are a particularly useful
class of coherent states from this point of view, in that they contain many of
the standard statistical distributions. We also look at vector coherent states
and multidimensional coherent states as carriers of mixtures of probability
distributions and joint probability distributions.


  We study the parabolic complex Monge-Amp\`ere type equations on closed
Hermitian manfolds. We derive uniform $C^\infty$ {\em a priori} estimates for
normalized solutions, and then prove the $C^\infty$ convergence. The result
also yields a way to carry out method of continuity for elliptic Monge-Amp\'ere
type equations.


  We present an analysis of the space motions of 742 subdwarf stars based on
the sample of Carney et al. (1994, CLLA). Hipparcos parallaxes, TYC2+HIP proper
motions and Tycho2 proper motions were combined with radial velocities and
metallicities from CLLA. The kinematical behavior is discussed in particular in
relation to their metallicities. The majority of these sample stars have metal
abundances of [Fe/H] >-1 and represent the thick disk population. The halo
component, with [Fe/H] <-1.6, is characterized by a low mean rotation velocity
and a radially elongated velocity ellipsoid. In the intermediate metallicity
range (-1.6 < [Fe/H] <-1), we find a significant number of subdwarfs with
disklike kinematics. We interpret this population of stars as a metal-weak
thick disk population.


  In this paper, we compute the tightest possible bounds on the probability
that the optimal value of a combinatorial optimization problem in maximization
form with a random objective exceeds a given number, assuming only knowledge of
the marginal distributions of the objective coefficient vector. The bounds are
``extremal'' since they are valid across all joint distributions with the given
marginals. We analyze the complexity of computing the bounds assuming discrete
marginals and identify instances when the bounds are computable in polynomial
time. For compact 0/1 V-polytopes, we show that the tightest upper bound is
weakly NP-hard to compute by providing a pseudopolynomial time algorithm. On
the other hand, the tightest lower bound is shown to be strongly NP-hard to
compute for compact 0/1 V-polytopes by restricting attention to Bernoulli
random variables. For compact 0/1 H-polytopes, for the special case of PERT
networks arising in project management, we show that the tightest upper bound
is weakly NP-hard to compute by providing a pseudopolynomial time algorithm.
The results in the paper complement existing results in the literature for
computing the probability with independent random variables.


  Klavs F. Jensen is Warren K. Lewis Professor in Chemical Engineering and
Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Here he describes the use of microfluidics for chemical synthesis, from the
early demonstration examples to the current efforts with automated droplet
microfluidic screening and optimization techniques.


  We derive model independent lower bounds on the CKM parameters (1-rhobar) and
etabar as functions of the mixing-induced CP asymmetry S in B-> pi+ pi- and
sin(2 beta) from B->psi K_S. The bounds do not depend on specific results of
theoretical calculations for the penguin contribution to B-> pi+ pi-. They
require only the very conservative condition that a hadronic phase, which
vanishes in the heavy-quark limit, does not exceed 90 degrees in magnitude. The
bounds are effective if -sin(2 beta) < S < 1. Dynamical calculations indicate
that the limits on rhobar and etabar are close to their actual values.


  Relativistic Hamiltonians are defined as the sum of relativistic one-body
kinetic energy, two- and three-body potentials and their boost corrections. In
this work we use the variational Monte Carlo method to study two kinds of
relativistic effects in the binding energy of 3H and 4He. The first is due to
the nonlocalities in the relativistic kinetic energy and relativistic one-pion
exchange potential (OPEP), and the second is from boost interaction. The OPEP
contribution is reduced by about 15% by the relativistic nonlocality, which may
also have significant effects on pion exchange currents. However, almost all of
this reduction is canceled by changes in the kinetic energy and other
interaction terms, and the total effect of the nonlocalities on the binding
energy is very small. The boost interactions, on the other hand, give repulsive
contributions of 0.4 (1.9) MeV in 3H (4He) and account for 37% of the
phenomenological part of the three-nucleon interaction needed in the
nonrelativistic Hamiltonians.


  With the huge success of deep learning, other machine learning paradigms have
had to take back seat. Yet other models, particularly rule-based, are more
readable and explainable and can even be competitive when labelled data is not
abundant. However, most of the existing rule-based classifiers suffer from the
production of a large number of classification rules, affecting the model
readability. This hampers the classification accuracy as noisy rules might not
add any useful informationfor classification and also lead to longer
classification time. In this study, we propose SigD2 which uses a novel,
two-stage pruning strategy which prunes most of the noisy, redundant and
uninteresting rules and makes the classification model more accurate and
readable. To make SigDirect more competitive with the most prevalent but
uninterpretable machine learning-based classifiers like neural networks and
support vector machines, we propose bagging and boosting on the ensemble of the
SigDirect classifier. The results of the proposed algorithms are quite
promising and we are able to obtain a minimal set of statistically significant
rules for classification without jeopardizing the classification accuracy. We
use 15 UCI datasets and compare our approach with eight existing systems.The
SigD2 and boosted SigDirect (ACboost) ensemble model outperform various
state-of-the-art classifiers not only in terms of classification accuracy but
also in terms of the number of rules.


  The space of probability densities is an infinite-dimensional Riemannian
manifold, with Riemannian metrics in two flavors: Wasserstein and Fisher--Rao.
The former is pivotal in optimal mass transport (OMT), whereas the latter
occurs in information geometry---the differential geometric approach to
statistics. The Riemannian structures restrict to the submanifold of
multivariate Gaussian distributions, where they induce Riemannian metrics on
the space of covariance matrices.
  Here we give a systematic description of classical matrix decompositions (or
factorizations) in terms of Riemannian geometry and compatible principal bundle
structures. Both Wasserstein and Fisher--Rao geometries are discussed. The link
to matrices is obtained by considering OMT and information geometry in the
category of linear transformations and multivariate Gaussian distributions.
This way, OMT is directly related to the polar decomposition of matrices,
whereas information geometry is directly related to the $QR$, Cholesky,
spectral, and singular value decompositions. We also give a coherent
description of gradient flow equations for the various decompositions; most
flows are illustrated in numerical examples.
  The paper is a combination of previously known and original results. As a
survey it covers the Riemannian geometry of OMT and polar decompositions
(smooth and linear category), entropy gradient flows, and the Fisher--Rao
metric and its geodesics on the statistical manifold of multivariate Gaussian
distributions. The original contributions include new gradient flows associated
with various matrix decompositions, new geometric interpretations of previously
studied isospectral flows, and a new proof of the polar decomposition of
matrices based an entropy gradient flow.


  We propose a realization of mechanically tunable
Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interaction in a double quantum dot
nanoelectromechanical device. The coupling between spins of two quantum dots
suspended above a metallic plate is mediated by conduction electrons. We show
that the spin-mechanical interaction can be driven by a slow modulation of
charge density in the metallic plate. We propose to use Stuckelberg
oscillations as a sensitive tool for detection of the spin and charge states of
the coupled quantum dots. Theory of mechanical back action induced by a
dynamical spin-spin interaction is discussed.


  We consider a shear layer of a kind not previously studied to our knowledge.
Contrary to the classical free shear layer, the width of the shear zone does
not vary in the streamwise direction but rather exhibits a lateral variation.
Based on some simplifying assumptions, an analytic solution has been derived
for the new shear layer. These assumptions have been justified by a comparison
with numerical solutions of the full Navier-Stokes equations, which accord with
the analytical solution to better than 1% in the entire domain. An explicit
formula is found for the width of the shear zone as a function of wall-normal
coordinate. This width is independent of wall velocities in the laminar regime.
Preliminary results for a co-current laminar-turbulent shear layer in the same
geometry are also presented. Shear-layer instabilities were then developed and
resulted in an unsteady mixing zone at the interface between the two co-current
streams.


  We study a topological superconducting nanowire that hosts gliding Majorana
zero modes in the presence of a microwave cavity field. We show that the cavity
decay rate depends on both the parity encoded by the Majorana zero modes and
their motion, in the absence of any direct overlap of their wavefunctions. That
is because the extended bulk states that overlap with both Majorana states,
facilitate their momentum-resolved microwave spectroscopy, with the gliding
acting as to modify the interference pattern via a momentum boost. Moreover, we
demonstrate that these non-local effects are robust against moderate disorder
in the chemical potential, and confirm the numerical calculations with an
analytical low-energy model. Our approach offers an alternative to tunneling
spectroscopy to probe non-local features associated with the Majorana zero
modes in nanowires.


  Given a set of $n$ positive integers $\{a_1, \ldots, a_n\}$ and an integer
parameter $H$ we study small additive shifts of its elements by integers $h_i$
with $|h_i| \le H$, $i =1, \ldots, n$, such that the greatest common divisor of
$a_1+h_1, \ldots, a_n+h_n$ is very different from that of $a_1, \ldots, a_n$.
We also consider a similar problem for the least common multiple.


  In this paper, we consider fully nonlinear integro-differential equations
with possibly nonsymmetric kernels. We are able to find different versions of
Alexandroff-Backelman-Pucci estimate corresponding to the full class
$\cS^{\fL_0}$ of uniformly elliptic nonlinear equations with $1<\sigma<2$
(subcritical case) and to their subclass $\cS^{\fL_0}_{\eta}$ with
$0<\sigma\leq 1$. We show that $\cS^{\fL_0}_{\eta}$ still includes a large
number of nonlinear operators as well as linear operators. And we show a
Harnack inequality, H\"older regularity, and $C^{1,\alpha}$-regularity of the
solutions by obtaining decay estimates of their level sets in each cases.


  In this paper, we analyze the performance of a secondary link in a cognitive
radio (CR) system operating under statistical quality of service (QoS) delay
constraints. In particular, we quantify analytically the performance
improvement for the secondary user (SU) when applying a feedback based sensing
scheme under the "SINR Interference" model. We leverage the concept of
effective capacity (EC) introduced earlier in the literature to quantify the
wireless link performance under delay constraints, in an attempt to
opportunistically support real-time applications. Towards this objective, we
study a two-link network, a single secondary link and a primary network
abstracted to a single primary link, with and without primary feedback
exploitation. We analytically prove that exploiting primary feedback at the
secondary transmitter improves the EC of the secondary user and decreases the
secondary user average transmitted power. Finally, we present numerical results
that support our analytical results.


  The names of variables and functions serve as implicit documentation and are
instrumental for program comprehension. But choosing good meaningful names is
hard. We perform a sequence of experiments in which a total of 334 subjects are
required to choose names in given programming scenarios. The first experiment
shows that the probability that two developers would select the same name is
low: in the 47 instances in our experiments the median probability was only
6.9%. At the same time, given that a specific name is chosen, it is usually
understood by the majority of developers. Analysis of the names given in the
experiment suggests a model where naming is a (not necessarily cognizant or
serial) three-step process: (1) selecting the concepts to include in the name,
(2) choosing the words to represent each concept, and (3) constructing a name
using these words. A followup experiment, using the same experimental setup,
then checked whether using this model explicitly can improve the quality of
names. The results were that names selected by subjects using the model were
judged by two independent judges to be superior to names chosen in the original
experiment by a ratio of two-to-one. Using the model appears to encourage the
use of more concepts and longer names.


  For a quiver with potential, Derksen, Weyman and Zelevinsky defined a
combinatorial transformation - mutations. Mukhopadhyay and Ray, on the other
hand, tell us how to compute Seiberg dual quivers for some quivers with
potentials through a tilting procedure, thus obtaining derived equivalent
algebras. In this text, we compare mutations with the concept of Seiberg
duality, concluding that for a certain class of potentials (the good ones)
mutations coincide with Seiberg duality, therefore giving derived equivalences.


  The main objective of an Information Retrieval system is to provide a user
with the most relevant documents to the user's query. To do this, modern IR
systems typically deploy a re-ranking pipeline in which a set of documents is
retrieved by a lightweight first-stage retrieval process and then re-ranked by
a more effective but expensive model. However, the success of a re-ranking
pipeline is heavily dependent on the performance of the first stage retrieval,
since new documents are not usually identified during the re-ranking stage.
Moreover, this can impact the amount of exposure that a particular group of
documents, such as documents from a particular demographic group, can receive
in the final ranking. For example, the fair allocation of exposure becomes more
challenging or impossible if the first stage retrieval returns too few
documents from certain groups, since the number of group documents in the
ranking affects the exposure more than the documents' positions. With this in
mind, it is beneficial to predict the amount of exposure that a group of
documents is likely to receive in the results of the first stage retrieval
process, in order to ensure that there are a sufficient number of documents
included from each of the groups. In this paper, we introduce the novel task of
query exposure prediction (QEP). Specifically, we propose the first approach
for predicting the distribution of exposure that groups of documents will
receive for a given query. Our new approach, called GEP, uses lexical
information from individual groups of documents to estimate the exposure the
groups will receive in a ranking. Our experiments on the TREC 2021 and 2022
Fair Ranking Track test collections show that our proposed GEP approach results
in exposure predictions that are up to 40 % more accurate than the predictions
of adapted existing query performance prediction and resource allocation
approaches.


  Redactable Blockchain aims to ensure immutability of the data for most of
appications, and provide authorized mutability for some specific applications
such as removing illegal content from blockchains. However, the existing
redactable blockchain scheme has low redacting efficiency, and lacks an
accountable and updatable fine-grained mechanism to control redacting rights.
To solve the above problems, we propose an efficient and fine-grained
redactable blockchain scheme with accountability and updatable policies. In our
scheme, the transaction owner can set the updatable policy associated with the
transaction, and only users who meet the policy can become the redactor of the
transaction. In order to prevent redactors from abusing redacting right, we
introduce the concept of a witness group. A redacted transaction is legal if
and only if it contains the signatures of redactor and witness group. We first
give the concept of witness group, and then show the proposed scheme. Finally,
we demonstrate that scheme is feasible and efficient through a series of
experiments and analysis.


  We present observations in CO(3-2) that, combined with previous observations
in CO(2-1), constrain the physical properties of the filamentary molecular gas
in the central $\sim$6.5 kpc of NGC 1275, the central giant elliptical galaxy
of the Perseus cluster. We find this molecular gas to have a temperature
$\gtrsim 20$ K and a density $\sim$$10^2$-$10^4 {\rm \ cm^{-3}}$, typically
warmer and denser than the bulk of Giant Molecular Clouds (GMCs) in the Galaxy.
Bathed in the harsh radiation and particle field of the surrounding
intracluster X-ray gas, the molecular gas likely has a much higher ionization
fraction than that of GMCs. For an ionization fraction of $\sim$$10^{-4}$,
similar to that of Galactic diffuse ($\lesssim 250 {\rm \ cm^{-3}}$)
partially-molecular clouds that emit in HCN(1-0) and HCO$^+$(1-0), we show that
the same gas traced in CO can produce the previously reported emissions in
HCN(3-2), HCO$^+$(3-2), and CN(2-1) from NGC 1275; the dominant source of
excitation for all the latter molecules is collisions with electrons. To
prevent collapse, as evidenced by the lack of star formation in the molecular
filaments, they must consist of thin strands that have cross-sectional radii
$\lesssim$0.2-2 pc if supported solely by thermal gas pressure; larger radii
are permissible if turbulence or poloidal magnetic fields provide additional
pressure support. We point out that the conditions required to relate CO
luminosities to molecular gas masses in our Galaxy are unlikely to apply in
cluster central elliptical galaxies. Rather than being virialized structures
analogous to GMCs, we propose that the molecular gas in NGC 1275 comprises
pressure-confined structures created by turbulent flows.


  In this article we introduce new possibilities of bounding the stability
constants that play a vital role in the reduced basis method. By bounding
stability constants over a neighborhood we make it possible to guarantee
stability at more than a finite number of points and to do that in the offline
stage. We additionally show that Lyapunov stability of dynamical systems can be
handled in the same framework.


  When two point particles, coupled to three dimensional gravity with a
negative cosmological constant, approach each other with a sufficiently large
center of mass energy, then a BTZ black hole is created. An explicit solution
to the Einstein equations is presented, describing the collapse of two massless
particles into a non-rotating black hole. Some general arguments imply that
massive particles can be used as well, and the creation of a rotating black
hole is also possible.


  This paper provides some statistics for the coefficients of Russell- Type
modular equations for the modular function, {\lambda}({\tau}). The results hold
uniformly for all odd primes. They do not rely on any numerical evaluations of
coefficients of q expansions of {\lambda}. The method relies on an internal
structure of the coefficients of {\lambda} expressed in terms of multiplicative
functions defined on integer partitions. The method may be extended to other
types of modular equations.


  Over the last decade or so, Approximate Message Passing (AMP) algorithms have
become extremely popular in various structured high-dimensional statistical
problems. The fact that the origins of these techniques can be traced back to
notions of belief propagation in the statistical physics literature lends a
certain mystique to the area for many statisticians. Our goal in this work is
to present the main ideas of AMP from a statistical perspective, to illustrate
the power and flexibility of the AMP framework. Along the way, we strengthen
and unify many of the results in the existing literature.


  First results of a non--singlet QCD analysis of the structure function
$F_2(x,Q^2)$ in 3--loop order based on the non--singlet world data are
presented. Correlated errors are determined and their propagation through the
evolution equations is performed analytically. The value for $\alpha_s(M_Z)$ is
determined to be $0.1135 +/- 0.0023/0.0026$ compatible with results from other
QCD analyses. Low moments for $u_v(x)$, $d_v(x)$ and $u_v(x) - d_v(x)$ with
correlated errors are calculated which may be compared with results from
lattice simulations.


  The low-lying spectrum of the quark model is shown to be robust under the
effects of `unquenching'. In contrast, the use of screened potentials is shown
to be of limited use in models of hadrons. Applications to unquenching the
lattice Wilson loop potential and to glueball mixing in the adiabatic hybrid
spectrum are also presented.


  We consider problems of authentication using secret key generation under a
privacy constraint on the enrolled source data. An adversary who has access to
the stored description and correlated side information tries to deceive the
authentication as well as learn about the source. We characterize the optimal
tradeoff between the compression rate of the stored description, the leakage
rate of the source data, and the exponent of the adversary's maximum false
acceptance probability. The related problem of secret key generation with a
privacy constraint is also studied where the optimal tradeoff between the
compression rate, leakage rate, and secret key rate is characterized. It
reveals a connection between the optimal secret key rate and security of the
authentication system.


  Single layer hexagonal boron nitride is produced on 2 inch Pt(111)/sapphire
wafers. The growth with borazine vapour deposition at process temperatures
between 1000 and 1300 K is in-situ investigated by photoelectron yield
measurements. The growth kinetics is slower at higher temperatures and follows
a tanh$^2$ law which better fits for higher temperatures. The crystal-quality
of h-BN/Pt(111) is inferred from scanning low energy electron diffraction (x-y
LEED). The data indicate a strong dependence of the epitaxy on the growth
temperature. The dominant structure is an aligned coincidence lattice with 10
h-BN on 9 Pt(1$\times$1) unit cells and follows the substrate twinning at the
millimeter scale.


  Using statistical field theory supplemented with molecular dynamics
simulations, we consider premelting on the surface of ice as a generic
consequence of broken hydrogen bonds at the boundary between the condensed and
gaseous phases. A procedure for coarse-graining molecular configurations onto a
continuous scalar order parameter field is discussed, which provides a
convenient representation of the interface between locally crystal-like and
locally liquid-like regions. A number of interfacial properties are
straightforwardly evaluated using this procedure such as the average premelting
thickness and surface tension. The temperature and system size dependence of
the premelting layer thickness calculated in this way confirms the
characteristic logarithmic growth expected for the scalar field theory that the
system is mapped onto through coarse-graining, though remains finite due to
long-ranged interactions. Finally, from explicit simulations the existence of a
premelting layer is shown to be insensitive to bulk lattice geometry, exposed
crystal face and curvature.


  In the presence of cosmic chiral asymmetry, chiral-vorticity and
chiral-magnetic effects can play an important role in the generation and
evolution of magnetic fields in the early universe. We include these chiral
effects in the magnetic field equations and find solutions under simplifying
assumptions. Our numerical and analytical results show the presence of an
attractor solution in which chiral effects produce a strong, narrow, Gaussian
peak in the magnetic spectrum and the magnetic field becomes maximally helical.
The peak in the spectrum shifts to longer length scales and becomes sharper
with evolution. We also find that the dynamics may become non-linear for
certain parameters, pointing to the necessity of a more complete analysis.


  DNA methylation is a crucial regulator of gene transcription and has been
linked to various diseases, including autoimmune diseases and cancers. However,
diagnostics based on DNA methylation face challenges due to large feature sets
and small sample sizes, resulting in overfitting and suboptimal performance. To
address these issues, we propose MIRACLE, a novel interpretable neural network
that leverages autoencoder-based multi-task learning to integrate multiple
datasets and jointly identify common patterns in DNA methylation.
  MIRACLE's architecture reflects the relationships between methylation sites,
genes, and pathways, ensuring biological interpretability and meaningfulness.
The network comprises an encoder and a decoder, with a bottleneck layer
representing pathway information as the basic unit of heredity. Customized
defined MaskedLinear Layer is constrained by site-gene-pathway graph adjacency
matrix information, which provides explainability and expresses the
site-gene-pathway hierarchical structure explicitly. And from the embedding,
there are different multi-task classifiers to predict diseases.
  Tested on six datasets, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus
erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, and
type 1 diabetes, MIRACLE demonstrates robust performance in identifying common
functions of DNA methylation across different phenotypes, with higher accuracy
in prediction dieseases than baseline methods. By incorporating biological
prior knowledge, MIRACLE offers a meaningful and interpretable framework for
DNA methylation data analysis in the context of autoimmune diseases.


  The COMPASS Collaboration is measuring the asymmetries in the azimuthal
distributions of positive and negative hadrons produced in Deep Inelastic
Scattering (DIS) on unpolarized protons. The data have been collected in 2016
and 2017 with a 160 GeV/$c$ muon beam scattering off a liquid hydrogen target.
The amplitudes of three modulations, $A_{UU}^{\cos\phi_h}$, $A_{UU}^{\cos
2\phi_h}$ and $A_{LU}^{\sin\phi_h}$ are measured as function of the Bjorken
variable $x$, of the fraction of virtual photon energy carried by the hadron
$z$, and of the hadron transverse momentum with respect to the virtual photon
$p_{T}^{h}$. The relevance of azimuthal asymmetries lies in the possibility to
get information on the intrinsic transverse momentum of the quark as well as on
the still unknown Boer-Mulders parton distribution function. The preliminary
results from 2016 data shown here confirm the strong kinematic dependencies
observed in previous measurements conducted by COMPASS, HERMES and CLAS.


  In this article, we consider derivatives of local time for a $(2,d)$-Gaussian
field \[ Z=\big\{ Z(t,s)= X^{H_1}_t -\widetilde{X}^{H_2}_s, s,t \ge 0\big\}, \]
where $X^{H_1}$ and $\widetilde{X}^{H_2}$ are two independent processes from a
class of $d$-dimensional centered Gaussian processes satisfying certain local
nondeterminism property. We first give a condition for existence of derivatives
of the local time. Then, under this condition, we show that derivatives of the
local time are H\"{o}lder continuous in both time and space variables.
Moreover, under some additional assumptions, we show that this condition is
also necessary for existence of derivatives of the local time at the origin.


  We propose a new approach to a physical analogy between General Relativity
and Electromagnetism, based on tidal tensors of both theories. Using this
approach we write a covariant form for the gravitational analogues of the
Maxwell equations. The following realisations of the analogy are given. The
first one matches linearised gravitational tidal tensors to exact
electromagnetic tidal tensors in Minkwoski spacetime. The second one matches
exact magnetic gravitational tidal tensors for ultra-stationary metrics to
exact magnetic tidal tensors of electromagnetism in curved spaces. In the third
we show that our approach leads to two-step exact derivation of the Papapetrou
force on a gyroscope. We then establish a new proof for a class of tensor
identities that define invariants of the type $\vec{E}^2-\vec{B}^2$ and
$\vec{E}\cdot\vec{B}$, and we exhibit the invariants built from tidal tensors
in both gravity and electromagnetism. We contrast our approach with the two
gravito-electromagnetic analogies commonly found in the literature, and argue
that it sheds light on the debate about the limit of validity of one of the
analogies, and clarifies issues concerning the physical interpretation of the
other.


  The hadron mass can be obtained through the calculation of the trace of the
energy-momentum tensor in the hadron which includes the trace anomaly and sigma
terms. The anomaly due to conformal symmetry breaking is believed to be an
important ingredient for hadron mass generation and confinement. In this work,
we will present the calculation of the glue part of the trace anomaly form
factors of the pion up to $Q^2\sim 4.3~\mathrm{GeV}^2$ and the nucleon up to
$Q^2\sim 1~\mathrm{GeV}^2$. The calculations are performed on a domain wall
fermion ensemble with overlap valence quarks at seven valence pion masses
varying from $\sim 250$ to $\sim 540$ MeV, including the unitary point $\sim
340$ MeV. We calculate the radius of the glue trace anomaly for the pion and
the nucleon from the $z$ expansion. By performing a two-dimensional Fourier
transform on the glue trace anomaly form factors in the infinite momentum frame
with no energy transfer, we also obtain their spatial distributions for several
valence quark masses. The results are qualitatively extrapolated to the
physical valence pion mass with systematic errors from the unphysical sea quark
mass, discretization effects in the renormalization sum rule, and finite-volume
effects to be addressed in the future. We find the pion's form factor changes
sign, as does its spatial distribution, for light quark masses. This explains
how the trace anomaly contribution to the pion mass approaches zero toward the
chiral limit.


  We consider the implications of the mathematical analysis of
neurone-to-neurone dynamical complex networks. We show how the dynamical
behaviour of small scale strongly connected networks lead naturally to
non-binary information processing and thus multiple hypothesis decision making,
even at the very lowest level of the brain's architecture. In turn we build on
these ideas to address the hard problem of consciousness. We discuss how a
proposed "dual hierarchy model", made up form of both external perceived,
physical, elements of increasing complexity, and internal mental elements
(experiences), may support a leaning and evolving consciousness. We discuss the
idea that a human brain ought to be able to re-conjure subjective mental
feelings at will and thus these cannot depend on internal nose (chatter) or
internal instability-driven activity. An immediate consequence of this model,
grounded in dynamical systems and non-binary information processing, is that
finite human brains must always be learning or forgetteing and that any
possible subjective internal feeling that may be idealised with a countable
infinity of facets, can never be learned by zombies or automata: though it can
be experienced more and more fully by an evolving brain (yet never in totality,
not even in a lifetime).


  A modification of Kaluza-Klein theory is proposed which is general enough to
admit an arbitrary finite noncommutative internal geometry. It is shown that
the existence of a non-trival extension to the total geometry of a linear
connection on space-time places severe restrictions on the structure of the
noncommutative factor. A counter-example is given.


  Let $R$ be a commutative Noetherian ring and $M$ a finitely generated
$R$-module. We show in this paper that, for an integer $t$, if the local
cohomology module $H^{i}_\mathfrak{a}(M)$ with respect to an ideal $\frak a$ is
finitely generated for all $i<t$, then $$H^{i}_\mathfrak{a}(M/xM)\cong
H^{i}_\mathfrak{a}(M)\oplus H^{i+1}_\mathfrak{a}(M)$ for all $\frak a$-filter
regular elements $x$ containing in a enough large power of $\frak a$ and all
$i<t-1$. As consequences we obtain generalizations, by very short proofs, of
the main results of M. Brodmann and A.L. Faghani (A finiteness result for
associated primes of local cohomology modules, Proc. Amer. Math. Soc.,
128(2000), 2851-2853) and of H.L. Truong and the first author (Asymptotic
behavior of parameter ideals in generalized Cohen-Macaulay module, J. Algebra,
320(2008),158-168).


  In Formal Concept Analysis, a base for a finite structure is a set of
implications that characterizes all valid implications of the structure. This
notion can be adapted to the context of Description Logic, where the base
consists of a set of concept inclusions instead of implications. In this
setting, concept expressions can be arbitrarily large. Thus, it is not clear
whether a finite base exists and, if so, how large concept expressions may need
to be. We first revisit results in the literature for mining EL bases from
finite interpretations. Those mainly focus on finding a finite base or on
fixing the role depth but potentially losing some of the valid concept
inclusions with higher role depth. We then present a new strategy for mining EL
bases which is adaptable in the sense that it can bound the role depth of
concepts depending on the local structure of the interpretation. Our strategy
guarantees to capture all EL concept inclusions holding in the interpretation,
not only the ones up to a fixed role depth.


  The leptophilic weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) is realized in a
minimal renormalizable model scenario where scalar mediators with lepton number
establish the WIMP interaction with the standard model (SM) leptons. We perform
a comprehensive analysis for such a WIMP scenario for two distinct cases with
an SU(2) doublet or singlet mediator considering all the relevant theoretical,
cosmological and experimental constraints at present. We show that the
mono-photon search at near-future lepton collider experiments (ILC, FCC-ee,
CEPC, etc.) can play a significant role to probe the yet unexplored parameter
range allowed by the WIMP relic density constraint. This will complement the
search prospect at the near-future hadron collider experiment (HL-LHC).
Furthermore, we discuss the combined model scenario including both the doublet
and singlet mediator. The combined model is capable of explaining the
long-standing muon (g-2) anomaly which is an additional advantage. We
demonstrate that the allowed region for anomalous muon (g-2) explanation, which
has been updated very recently at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, can
also be probed at the future colliders which will thus be a simultaneous
authentication of the model scenario.


  Registration networks have shown great application potentials in medical
image analysis. However, supervised training methods have a great demand for
large and high-quality labeled datasets, which is time-consuming and sometimes
impractical due to data sharing issues. Unsupervised image registration
algorithms commonly employ intensity-based similarity measures as loss
functions without any manual annotations. These methods estimate the
parameterized transformations between pairs of moving and fixed images through
the optimization of the network parameters during training. However, these
methods become less effective when the image quality varies, e.g., some images
are corrupted by substantial noise or artifacts. In this work, we propose a
novel approach based on a low-rank representation, i.e., Regnet-LRR, to tackle
the problem. We project noisy images into a noise-free low-rank space, and then
compute the similarity between the images. Based on the low-rank similarity
measure, we train the registration network to predict the dense deformation
fields of noisy image pairs. We highlight that the low-rank projection is
reformulated in a way that the registration network can successfully update
gradients. With two tasks, i.e., cardiac and abdominal intra-modality
registration, we demonstrate that the low-rank representation can boost the
generalization ability and robustness of models as well as bring significant
improvements in noisy data registration scenarios.


  This paper presents a novel modified Viterbi algorithm to identify the
optimal distribution system restoration plan for improving the grid resiliency.
In the proposed algorithm, the switching operations performed for system
restoration are the states with the minimum bus voltage being seen as the cost
metric for each state and the extent of load recovery as the observed event.
When full load recovery is spotted, the dynamic programming algorithm stops,
thereby giving the least number of switching pairs necessary for system
restoration. Moreover, an improved flexible switching pair operation is
employed to maintain the radial nature of distribution system. Several case
studies are presented for verifying the performance of the proposed strategy.
Multi-fault conditions are considered in testing the system restoration scheme
on 33-bus and 69-bus distribution systems. Furthermore, the effects of
integrating distributed energy resources and microgrid systems are analyzed.


  Neural networks have shown great success in extracting geometric information
from color images. Especially, monocular depth estimation networks are
increasingly reliable in real-world scenes. In this work we investigate the
applicability of such monocular depth estimation networks to semi-transparent
volume rendered images. As depth is notoriously difficult to define in a
volumetric scene without clearly defined surfaces, we consider different depth
computations that have emerged in practice, and compare state-of-the-art
monocular depth estimation approaches for these different interpretations
during an evaluation considering different degrees of opacity in the
renderings. Additionally, we investigate how these networks can be extended to
further obtain color and opacity information, in order to create a layered
representation of the scene based on a single color image. This layered
representation consists of spatially separated semi-transparent intervals that
composite to the original input rendering. In our experiments we show that
existing approaches to monocular depth estimation can be adapted to perform
well on semi-transparent volume renderings, which has several applications in
the area of scientific visualization, like re-composition with additional
objects and labels or additional shading.


  We introduce Rokhlin properties for certain discrete group actions on
$C^*$-correspondences as well as on Hilbert bimodules and analyze them. It
turns out that the group actions on any $C^*$-correspondence $E$ with Rokhlin
property induces group actions on the associated $C^*$-algebra $\mathcal O_E$
with Rokhlin property and the group actions on any Hilbert bimodule with
Rokhlin property induces group actions on the linking algebra with Rokhlin
property. Permanence properties of several notions such as nuclear dimension
and $\mathcal D$-absorbing property with respect to crossed product of Hilbert
$C^*$-modules with groups, where group actions have Rokhlin property, are
studied. We also investigate a notion of outerness for Hilbert bimodules.


  The family of trees with palindromic characteristic polynomials is
characterized. Large families of graphs with this property are found as well.


  Analytical Hartree-Fock gradients with respect to the cell parameter have
been implemented in the electronic structure code CRYSTAL, for the case of
three-dimensional periodicity. The code is based on Gaussian type orbitals, and
the summation of the Coulomb energy is performed with the Ewald method. It is
shown that a high accuracy of the cell gradient can be achieved.


  In this paper, we analyze the embedding cell method, an algorithm which has
been developed for the numerical homogenization of metal-ceramic composite
materials. We show the convergence of the iteration scheme of this algorithm
and the coincidence of the material properties predicted by the limit with the
effective material properties provided by the analytical homogenization theory
in three situations, namely for a one dimensional linear elasticity model, a
simple one dimensional plasticity model and a two dimensional model of linear
hyperelastic isotropic materials with constant shear modulus and slightly
varying first Lam\'e parameter.


  We present the first calculation of the full next-to-leading-order
electroweak and QCD corrections for vector-boson scattering (VBS) into a pair
of Z bosons at the LHC. We consider specifically the process ${\rm pp\to
e^{+}e^{-}\mu^{+}\mu^{-}jj}+X$ at orders $\mathcal{O}(\alpha^7)$ and
$\mathcal{O}(\alpha_s\alpha^6)$ and take all off-shell and interference
contributions into account. Owing to the presence of enhanced Sudakov
logarithms, the electroweak corrections amount to $-16\%$ of the leading-order
electroweak fiducial cross section and induce significant shape distortions of
differential distributions. The QCD corrections on the other hand are larger
($+24\%$) than typical QCD corrections in VBS. This originates from considering
the full computation including tri-boson contributions in a rather inclusive
phase space. We also provide a leading-order analysis of all contributions to
the cross section for ${\rm pp \to e^{+}e^{-}\mu^{+}\mu^{-}jj}+X$ in a
realistic setup.


  We represent the slow, glassy equilibrium dynamics of a line in a
two-dimensional random potential landscape as driven by an array of
asymptotically independent two-state systems, or loops, fluctuating on all
length scales. The assumption of independence enables a fairly complete
analytic description. We obtain good agreement with Monte Carlo simulations
when the free energy barriers separating the two sides of a loop of size L are
drawn from a distribution whose width and mean scale as L^(1/3), in agreement
with recent results for scaling of such barriers.


  We propose a new spin squeezing criterion for arbitrary multi-qubit states
that is invariant under local unitary operations. We find that, for arbitrary
pure two-qubit states, spin squeezing is equivalent to entanglement, and
multi-qubit states are entangled if this new spin squeezing parameter is less
than 1.


  Accumulating evidence points to a binary nature for the Wolf-Rayet ([WC])
central stars, a group that constitutes about 15% of all central stars of
planetary nebula. From ISO observations, a dual dust chemistry (oxygen- and
carbon-rich) has been shown to be almost exclusively associated with [WC]
central stars, a fact that could be explained by O-rich dust residing in a
disk, while the C-rich dust being more widely distributes. HST/STIS space
resolved spectroscopy of the [WC10] central star CPD-568032, is interpreted as
revealing a dust disk or torus around the central star. This, together with
CPD-568032's variable lightcurve is taken as an indirect indication of
binarity. Finally, we present here, for the first time, preliminary results
from a radial velocity survey of central stars. Out of 18 stars with excellent
data at least 8 are radial velocity variables. If these turn out to be
binaries, it is likely that the central star binary fraction is as high as
about 50%.


  Using the SANC system we study the one-loop electroweak standard model
prediction, including virtual and real photon emissions, for the decays of
on-shell vector and scalar bosons B --> f anti-f (gamma), where B is a vector
boson, Z or W, or a Standard Model Higgs. The complete one-loop corrections and
exact photon emission matrix element are taken into account. For the
phase-space integration, the Monte Carlo technique is used. For Z decay the QED
part of the calculation is first cross-checked with the exact one-loop QED
prediction of KORALZ. For Higgs boson and W decays, a comparison is made with
the approximate QED calculation of PHOTOS Monte Carlo. This provides a useful
element for the evaluation of the theoretical uncertainty of PHOTOS, very
interesting for its application in ongoing LEP2 and future LC and LHC
phenomenology.


  We consider two population models subject to the evolutionary forces of
selection and mutation, the Moran model and the $\Lambda$-Wright-Fisher model.
In such models the block counting process traces back the number of potential
ancestors of a sample of the population at present. Under some conditions the
block counting process is positive recurrent and its stationary distribution is
described via a linear system of equations. In this work, we first characterise
the measures $\Lambda$ leading to a geometric stationary distribution, the
Bolthausen-Sznitman model being the most prominent example having this feature.
Next, we solve the linear system of equations corresponding to the Moran model.
For the $\Lambda$-Wright-Fisher model we show that the probability generating
function associated to the stationary distribution of the block counting
process satisfies an integro differential equation. We solve the latter for the
Kingman model and the star-shaped model.


  The use of photonic crystal fibers pumped by femtosecond pulses has enabled
the generation of broad optical supercontinua with nano-joule input energies.
This striking discovery has applications ranging from spectroscopy and
metrology to telecommunication and medicine. Amongst the physical principles
underlying supercontinuum generation are soliton fission, a variety of
four-wave mixing processes, Raman induced soliton self-frequency shift, and
dispersive wave generation mediated by solitons. Although all of the above
effects contribute to supercontinuum generation none of them can explain the
generation of blue and violet light from infrared femtosecond pump pulses,
which has been seen already in the first observations of the supercontinuum in
photonic crystal fibers. In this work we argue that the most profound role in
the shaping of the short-wavelength edge of the continuum is played by the
effect of radiation trapping in a gravity-like potential created by
accelerating solitons. The underlying physics of this effect has a
straightforward analogy with the inertial forces acting on an observer moving
with a constant acceleration.


  We use the, covariant and gauge-invariant, 1+1+2 formalism developed by
Clarkson and Barrett, and develop new techniques, to decouple electromagnetic
(EM) perturbations on arbitrary locally rotationally symmetric (LRS)
space-times. Ultimately, we derive 3 decoupled complex equations governing 3
complex scalars. One of these is a new Regge-Wheeler (RW) equation generalized
for LRS space-times, whereas the remaining two are new generalizations of the
Bardeen-Press (BP) equations. This is achieved by first using linear algebra
techniques to rewrite the first-order Maxwell equations in a new complex 1+1+2
form which is conducive to decoupling. This new complex system immediately
yields the generalized RW equation, and furthermore, we also derive a decoupled
equation governing a newly defined complex EM 2-vector. Subsequently, a further
decomposition of the 1+1+2 formalism into a 1+1+1+1 formalism is developed,
allowing us to decompose the complex EM 2-vector, and its governing equations,
into spin-weighted scalars, giving rise to the generalized BP equations.


  We discuss the Schr\"odinger functional in lattice QCD with staggered
fermions and relate it, in the classical continuum limit, to the Schr\"odinger
functional regularized with Wilson fermions. We compute the strong coupling
constant defined via the Schr\"odinger functional with staggered fermions at
one loop and show that it agrees with the continuum running coupling constant
in the Schr\"odinger functional formalism. We compute this running coupling in
the ``weak coupling phase'' of many flavor QCD numerically at several values of
the bare coupling and for several system sizes from $L/a=4$ to 12. The results
indicate that the $\beta$-function for 16 flavors has the opposite sign than
for few flavor QCD, in agreement with a recent claim, and with the perturbative
prediction.


  We have investigated the relation between magnetic ordered structure and
magnetic refrigeration efficiency in the Ising model on a simple cubic lattice
using Monte Carlo simulations. The magnetic entropy behaviors indicate that the
protocol, which was first proposed in [Appl. Phys. Lett. {\bf 104}, 052415
(2014).], can produce the maximum isothermal magnetic entropy change and the
maximum adiabatic temperature change in antiferromagnets. Furthermore, the
total amount of heat transfer under the proposed protocol reaches a maximum.
The relation between measurable physical quantities and magnetic refrigeration
efficiency is also discussed.


  Purpose: In this study, the recently emerged advances in Fuzzy Cognitive Maps
(FCM) are investigated and employed, for achieving the automatic and
non-invasive diagnosis of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). Methods: A
Computer-Aided Diagnostic model for the acceptable and non-invasive prediction
of CAD using the State Space Advanced FCM (AFCM) approach is proposed. Also, a
rule-based mechanism is incorporated, to further increase the knowledge of the
system and the interpretability of the decision mechanism. The proposed method
is tested utilizing a CAD dataset from the Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine of
the University of Patras. More specifically, two architectures of AFCMs are
designed, and different parameter testing is performed. Furthermore, the
proposed AFCMs, which are based on the new equations proposed recently, are
compared with the traditional FCM approach. Results: The experiments highlight
the effectiveness of the AFCM approach and the new equations over the
traditional approach, which obtained an accuracy of 78.21%, achieving an
increase of seven percent (+7%) on the classification task, and obtaining
85.47% accuracy. Conclusions: It is demonstrated that the AFCM approach in
developing Fuzzy Cognitive Maps outperforms the conventional approach, while it
constitutes a reliable method for the diagnosis of Coronary Artery Disease.
Conclusions and future research related to recent pandemic of coronavirus are
provided.


  Terahertz-driven dielectric-lined waveguides (DLWs) have uses in electron
manipulation; in particular deflection, acceleration, and focussing. A
rectangular DLW has been optimised for deflection of 100 keV electrons using a
THz pulse with a centre frequency 0.5 THz. Electron-THz interaction and the
effect of electron bunch injection timing on maximising deflection is
presented. DLWs and corrugated waveguides are compared to discuss relative
advantages and disadvantages.


  We discuss one-dimensional(1D) spin compass model or 1D Kitaev model in the
presence of local bond defects. Three types of local disorders concerning both
bond-nature and bond-strength that occur on kitaev materials have been
investigated. Using exact diagonalization, two-point spin-spin structural
correlations and four-point Out-of-Time-Order Correlators(OTOC) have been
computed for the defective spin chains. The proposed quantities give signatures
of these defects in terms of their responses to location and strength of
defects. A key observation is that the information in the OTOC space gets
trapped at the defect site giving rise to the phenomena of localization of
information thus making these correlators a suitable diagnostic tool to detect
and characterize these defects.


  This paper develops a technique for computing a quadratic terminal cost for
linear model predictive controllers that is valid for all states in the maximal
control invariant set. This maximizes the set of recursively feasible states
for the controller, ensures asymptotic stability using standard proofs, and
allows for easy tuning of the controller in linear operation.


  Let $R$ be a valuation ring and let $Q$ be its total quotient ring. It is
proved that any singly projective (respectively flat) module is finitely
projective if and only if $Q$ is maximal (respectively artinian). It is shown
that each singly projective module is a content module if and only if any
non-unit of $R$ is a zero-divisor and that each singly projective module is
locally projective if and only if $R$ is self injective. Moreover, $R$ is
maximal if and only if each singly projective module is separable, if and only
if any flat content module is locally projective. Necessary and sufficient
conditions are given for a valuation ring with non-zero zero-divisors to be
strongly coherent or $\pi$-coherent. A complete characterization of
semihereditary commutative rings which are $\pi$-coherent is given. When $R$ is
a commutative ring with a self FP-injective quotient ring $Q$, it is proved
that each flat $R$-module is finitely projective if and only if $Q$ is perfect.


  The origins of hydrodynamic transport in strongly interacting Dirac and Weyl
semimetals have remained elusive in theoretical descriptions and experimental
measurements. We investigate the structure and microscopic properties of
transport in WP$_2$, a type-II Weyl semimetal, to probe the emergence of
hydrodynamic phenomena. We characterize the quantum behavior underlying the
hydrodynamic transport regime as a function of temperature through ab initio
calculations of the relevant microscopic scattering processes, including
electron-phonon, electron-electron, and phonon-mediated electron-electron
lifetimes. We present a fundamentally new approach to calculate phonon-drag, a
mechanism that is invoked in numerous recent experiments, and remains the
subject of active debate in the field. Further, we show unique and unexpected
features of the lifetime-resolved Fermi surfaces of WP$_2$ in the hydrodynamic
regime and quantify the degree of anisotropy in electron and hole pockets. This
description of the microscopic dynamics in hydrodynamic systems like WP$_2$
indicates the importance of electron-phonon interactions in understanding
connections between transport in hydrodynamic materials and strongly correlated
quantum systems including unconventional metals and high $T_c$ superconductors.


  STATCOMs is used widely in power systems these days. Traditionally, this
converter was controlled using a double-loop control or Direct Output Voltage
(DOV) controller. But DOV controller do not function properly during a
three-phase fault and has a lot of overshoot. Also, the number of PI
controllers used in double-loop control is high, which led to complexities when
adjusting the coefficients. Therefore, in this paper, an improved DOV method is
proposed which, in addition to a reduced number of PI controllers, has a higher
speed, lower overshoots and a higher stability in a wider range. By validating
the proposed DOV method for controlling the STATCOMs, it has been attempted to
improve the dynamical behaviors of induction motor using Matlab/Simulink, and
the results indicate a better performance of the proposed method as compared to
the other methods.


  We show boundedness for PT-semistable objects of any Chern classes on a
smooth projective three-fold $X$. Then we show that the stack of objects in the
heart $\langle \Coh_{\leq 1}(X), \Coh_{\geq 2}(X)[1] \rangle$ satisfies a
version of the valuative criterion for completeness. In the remainder of the
paper, we give a series of results on how to compute cohomology with respect to
this heart.


  Regarding the duality of the XY-plaquette model in the $2+1d$ system, We
compared and discussed the equivalence and difference between the modified
Villain formulation, recently introduced by Gorantla et al. to study duality in
exotic field theories such as fracton theory, and the standard Villain
formulation and dual Hamiltonian method we introduced in our previous paper to
study duality between Josephson junctions and quantum phase slips in the $1+1d$
system.


  We report on a superoutburst of a WZ Sge-type dwarf nova (DN), ASASSN-15po.
The light curve showed the main superoutburst and multiple rebrightenings. In
this outburst, we observed early superhumps and growing (stage A) superhumps
with periods of 0.050454(2) and 0.051809(13) d, respectively. We estimated that
the mass ratio of secondary to primary ($q$) is 0.0699(8) by using $P_{\rm
orb}$ and a superhump period $P_{\rm SH}$ of stage A. ASASSN-15po [$P_{\rm orb}
\sim$ 72.6 min] is the first DN with the orbital period between 67--76 min.
Although the theoretical predicted period minimum $P_{\rm min}$ of
hydrogen-rich cataclysmic variables (CVs) is about 65--70 min, the
observational cut-off of the orbital period distribution at 80 min implies that
the period minimum is about 82 min, and the value is widely accepted. We
suggest the following four possibilities: the object is (1) a theoretical
period minimum object (2) a binary with a evolved secondary (3) a binary with a
metal-poor (Popullation II) seconday (4) a binary which was born with a
brown-dwarf donor below the period minimum.


  We present results for the Quenched SU(2) N=1 Super-Yang-Mills spectrum at
$\beta=2.6$, on a $V=16^3 \times 32$ lattice, in the OZI approximation. This is
a first step towards the understanding of the chiral limit of lattice N=1 SUSY.


  Scattering of waves is omnipresent in nature in systems with sizes varying
from $10^{-15}$ to $10^{25}$ m. Within this 40 orders of magnitude, in a great
number of systems, the scattering can be separated in an averaged response that
crosses rapidly the scattering region and a fluctuating delayed response. This
fact is the basis of the optical model; the averaged response, represented by
the optical matrix $\langle S\rangle$, is composed with the fluctuating part
that can be taken as a random matrix. Although the optical model was developed
more than 60 years ago, a theoretical prediction for the optical matrix was
obtained until very recently. The validity of such prediction is experimentally
demonstrated here. This is done studying the scattering of torsional waves in a
quasi-1D elastic system in which a locally periodic system is built; the
distribution of the scattering matrix is calculated completely free of
parameters. In contradistinction to all previous works, in microwaves and in
elasticity, in which the value of $\langle S\rangle$ is obtained from the
experiment, here the theoretical prediction is used to compare with the
experiment. Numerical simulations show that the theoretical value is still
valid when strong disorder is present. Several applications of the theoretical
expression for the optical matrix in other areas of physics are proposed.
Possible extensions of this work are also discussed.


  The recent observations of type Ia supernovae strongly support that the
universe is accelerating now and decelerated in the recent past. This may be
the evidence of the breakdown of the standard Friemann equation. We consider a
general modified Friedmann equation. Three different models are analyzed in
detail. The current supernovae data and the Wilkinson microwave anisotropy
probe data are used to constrain these models. A detailed analysis of the
transition from the deceleration phase to the acceleration phase is also
performed.


  A 3-simplex is a collection of four sets A_1,...,A_4 with empty intersection
such that any three of them have nonempty intersection. We show that the
maximum size of a set system on n elements without a 3-simplex is $2^{n-1} +
\binom{n-1}{0} + \binom{n-1}{1} + \binom{n-1}{2}$ for all $n \ge 1$, with
equality only achieved by the family of sets either containing a given element
or of size at most 2. This extends a result of Keevash and Mubayi, who showed
the conclusion for n sufficiently large.


  In this short note, we discuss a mechanism for the transport of energy,
momentum and dipole moment via transient neutral carriers in plasma. This gives
a way to rapidly convert bulk hydrodynamic flow energy into thermal energy over
a distance of several mean free paths. In the transition region of the solar
corona we estimate various processes and their potential to introduce the high
energies needed to to reach the 2 x10^6K observed there. It implies that
kinetic methods may be essential for modeling the corona and that there are
more gentle but still robust means than reconnection to relax magnetic fields
in plasmas.


  Liquid-scintillator-based detectors are a robust technology that scales well
to large volumes. For this reason, they are attractive for experiments
searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay. A combination of improved
photo-detection technology and novel liquid scintillators may allow for the
extraction of particle direction in addition to the total energy of the
particle. Such an advance would find applications beyond searches for
neutrinoless double-beta decay.


  In this paper we calculate the quark number susceptibility (QNS) of QCD at
finite temperature under the rainbow-ladder and Ball-Chiu type truncation
schemes of the Dyson-Schwinger approach. It is found that the difference
between the result of the rainbow-ladder truncation and that of Ball-Chiu type
truncation is small, which shows that the dressing effect of the quark-gluon
vertex on the QNS at finite temperature is small. It is also found that at low
temperature the quark number susceptibility is nearly zero and it increases
sharply when the temperature approaches the chiral phase transition point. A
comparison between the result in the present paper with those in the literature
is made.


  According to the cosmic censorship hypothesis of Penrose, naked singularities
should never occur in realistic collapse situations. One of the major open
problems in this context is the existence of a naked singularity in the Kerr
solution with |a|>m; this singularity can be interpreted as the final product
of collapse of a rapidly rotating object. Assuming that certain very general
and physically reasonable conditions hold, we show here, using the global
techniques, that a realistic gravitational collapse of any rotating object,
which develops from a regular initial state, cannot lead to the formation of a
final state resembling the Kerr solution with a naked singularity. This result
supports the validity of the cosmic censorship hypothesis.


  We show how high fidelity quantum teleportation of light to atoms can be
achieved in the same setup as was used in the recent experiment [J. Sherson
et.al., quant-ph/0605095, accepted by Nature], where such an inter-species
quantum state transfer was demonstrated for the first time. Our improved
protocol takes advantage of the rich multimode entangled structure of the state
of atoms and scattered light and requires simple post-processing of homodyne
detection signals and squeezed light in order to achieve fidelities up to 90%
(85%) for teleportation of coherent (qubit) states under realistic experimental
conditions. The remaining limitation is due to atomic decoherence and light
losses.


  Image enhancement aims at processing an input image so that the visual
content of the output image is more pleasing or more useful for certain
applications. Although histogram equalization is widely used in image
enhancement due to its simplicity and effectiveness, it changes the mean
brightness of the enhanced image and introduces a high level of noise and
distortion. To address these problems, this paper proposes image enhancement
using fuzzy intensity measure and adaptive clipping histogram equalization
(FIMHE). FIMHE uses fuzzy intensity measure to first segment the histogram of
the original image, and then clip the histogram adaptively in order to prevent
excessive image enhancement. Experiments on the Berkeley database and
CVF-UGR-Image database show that FIMHE outperforms state-of-the-art histogram
equalization based methods.


  We study models of neutrino masses which naturally give rise to an inverted
mass hierarchy and bi-maximal mixing. The models are based on the see-saw
mechanism with three right-handed neutrinos, which generates a single mass term
of the form $\nu_e(\nu_{\mu}+\nu_{\tau})$ corresponding to two degenerate
neutrinos $\nu_e$ and $\nu_{\mu}+\nu_{\tau}$, and one massless neutrino
$\nu_{\mu}-\nu_{\tau}$. Atmospheric neutrino oscillations are accounted for if
the degenerate mass term is about $5\times 10^{-2}$ eV. Solar neutrino
oscillations of the Large Mixing Angle MSW type arise when small perturbations
are included leading to a mass splitting between the degenerate pair of about
$(1.7-2.0)\times 10^{-4}$ eV for the successful cases. We study the conditions
that such models must satisfy in the framework of a U(1) family symmetry broken
by vector singlets, and catalogue the simplest examples. We then perform a
renormalisation group analysis of the neutrino masses and mixing angles,
assuming the supersymmetric standard model, and find modest radiative
corrections of a few per cent, showing that the model is stable. At low
energies we find $\sin^22\theta_{23}\approx 0.93-0.96$ and
$\sin^22\theta_{12}\approx 0.9-1.0$.


  We analyze the ground states and the elementary collective excitations
(phonons) of a class of systems, which form cluster crystals in the absence of
attractions. Whereas the regime of moderate-to-high-temperatures in the phase
diagram has been analyzed in detail by means of density functional
considerations (Likos C N, Mladek B M, Gottwald D and Kahl G 2007 {\it
J.~Chem.~Phys.}\ {\bf 126} 224502), the present approach focuses on the
complementary regime of low temperatures. We establish the existence of an
infinite cascade of isostructural transitions between crystals with different
lattice site occupancy at $T=0$ and we quantitatively demonstrate that the
thermodynamic instabilities are bracketed by mechanical instabilities arising
from long-wavelength acoustical phonons. We further show that all optical modes
are degenerate and flat, giving rise to perfect realizations of Einstein
crystals. We calculate analytically the complete phonon spectrum for the whole
class of models as well as the Helmholtz free energy of the systems. On the
basis of the latter, we demonstrate that the aforementioned isostructural phase
transitions must terminate at an infinity of critical points at low
temperatures, brought about by the anharmonic contributions in the Hamiltonian
and the hopping events in the crystals.


  We consider neutralino dark matter within the framework of SUSY GUTs with
non-universal gaugino masses. In particular we focus on the case of SU(5) with
a SUSY breaking F-term in the 1, 24, 75 and 200 dimensional representations. We
discuss the 24 case in some detail, and show that the bulk dark matter region
cannot be accessed. We then go on to consider the admixture of the singlet SUSY
breaking F-term with one of the 24, 75 or 200 dimensional F-terms, and show
that in these cases it becomes possible to access the bulk regions
corresponding to low fine-tuned dark matter. Our results are presented in the
$(M_1,M_2)$ plane for fixed $M_3$ and so are useful for considering general GUT
models, as well as more general non-universal gaugino models.


  A well-defined reward function is crucial for successful training of an
reinforcement learning (RL) agent. However, defining a suitable reward function
is a notoriously challenging task, especially in complex, multi-objective
environments. Developers often have to resort to starting with an initial,
potentially misspecified reward function, and iteratively adjusting its
parameters, based on observed learned behavior. In this work, we aim to
automate this process by proposing ITERS, an iterative reward shaping approach
using human feedback for mitigating the effects of a misspecified reward
function. Our approach allows the user to provide trajectory-level feedback on
agent's behavior during training, which can be integrated as a reward shaping
signal in the following training iteration. We also allow the user to provide
explanations of their feedback, which are used to augment the feedback and
reduce user effort and feedback frequency. We evaluate ITERS in three
environments and show that it can successfully correct misspecified reward
functions.


  Context. Comets are primitive objects, remnants of the volatile-rich
planetesimals from which the solar system condensed. Knowing their structure
and composition is thus crucial for the understanding of our origins. After the
successful landing of Philae on the nucleus of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in
November 2014, for the first time, the Rosetta mission provided the opportunity
to measure the low frequency electrical properties of a cometary mantle with
the permittivity probe SESAME-PP (Surface Electric Sounding and Acoustic
Monitoring Experiment - Permittivity Probe).
  Aims. In this paper, we conduct an in-depth analysis of the data from active
measurements collected by SESAME-PP at Abydos, which is the final landing site
of Philae, to constrain the porosity and, to a lesser extent, the composition
of the surface material down to a depth of about 1 meter.
  Methods. SESAME-PP observations on the surface are then analyzed by
comparison with data acquired during the descent toward the nucleus and with
numerical simulations that explore different possible attitudes and
environments of Philae at Abydos using a method called the Capacity-Influence
Matrix Method.
  Results. Reasonably assuming that the two receiving electrode channels have
not drifted with respect to each other during the ten-year journey of the
Rosetta probe to the comet, we constrain the dielectric constant of the first
meter below the surface at Abydos to be > 2.45 p/m 0.20, which is consistent
with a porosity < 50% if the dust phase is analogous to carbonaceous chondrites
and < 75% in the case of less primitive ordinary chondrites. This indicates
that the near surface of the nucleus of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko nucleus is
more compacted than its interior and suggests that it could consist of a
sintered dust-ice layer.


  The nuclear spin relaxation rate (1/$T_1$) is measured for GaAs
two-dimensional electron systems in the quantum Hall regime with an
all-electrical technique for agitating and probing the nuclear spins. A "tilted
plateau" feature is observed near the Landau level filling factor $\nu=1$ in
1/$T_1$ versus $\nu$. Both width and magnitude of the plateau increase with
decreasing electron density. At low temperatures, 1/$T_1$ exhibits an Arrhenius
temperature dependence within the tilted plateau regime. The extracted energy
gaps are up to two orders of magnitude smaller than the corresponding charge
transport gaps. These results point to a nontrivial mechanism for the disorder
enhanced nuclear spin relaxation, in which microscopic inhomogeneities play a
key role for the low energy spin excitations related to skyrmions.


  We show a simple NMS-free, end-to-end object detection framework, of which
the network is a minimal modification to a one-stage object detector such as
the FCOS detection model [Tian et al. 2019]. We attain on par or even improved
detection accuracy compared with the original one-stage detector. It performs
detection at almost the same inference speed, while being even simpler in that
now the post-processing NMS (non-maximum suppression) is eliminated during
inference. If the network is capable of identifying only one positive sample
for prediction for each ground-truth object instance in an image, then NMS
would become unnecessary. This is made possible by attaching a compact PSS head
for automatic selection of the single positive sample for each instance (see
Fig. 1). As the learning objective involves both one-to-many and one-to-one
label assignments, there is a conflict in the labels of some training examples,
making the learning challenging. We show that by employing a stop-gradient
operation, we can successfully tackle this issue and train the detector. On the
COCO dataset, our simple design achieves superior performance compared to both
the FCOS baseline detector with NMS post-processing and the recent end-to-end
NMS-free detectors. Our extensive ablation studies justify the rationale of the
design choices.


  This paper presents accurate spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of 16 M31
globular clusters (GCs) confirmed by spectroscopy and/or high
spatial-resolution imaging, as well as 30 M31 globular cluster candidates
detected by Mochejska et al. Most of these candidates have m_V > 18, deeper
than previous searches, and these candidates have not yet been confirmed to be
globular clusters. The SEDs of these clusters and candidates are obtained as
part of the BATC Multicolor Survey of the Sky, in which the
spectrophotometrically-calibrated CCD images of M31 in 13 intermediate-band
filters from 4000 to 10000 A were observed. These filters are specifically
designed to exclude most of the bright and variable night-sky emission lines
including the OH forest. In comparison to the SEDs of true GCs, we find that
some of the candidate objects are not GCs in M31. SED fits show that
theoretical simple stellar population (SSP) models can fit the true GCs very
well. We estimate the ages of these GCs by comparing with SSP models. We find
that, the M31 clusters range in age from a few ten Myr to a few Gyr old, as
well as old GCs, confirming the conclusion that has been found by Barmby et a,
Williams & Hodge, Beasley et al., Burstein et al. and Puzia et al. in their
investigations of the SEDs of M31 globular clusters.


  We investigate the effect of surface acoustic waves on the atomic-like
optical emission from defect centers in hexagonal boron nitride layers
deposited on the surface of a LiNbO$_3$ substrate. The dynamic strain field of
the surface acoustic waves modulates the emission lines resulting in intensity
variations as large as 50% and oscillations of the emission energy with an
amplitude of almost 1 meV. From a systematic study of the dependence of the
modulation on the acoustic wave power, we determine a hydrostatic deformation
potential for defect centers in this two-dimensional material of about 40
meV/%. Furthermore, we show that the dynamic piezoelectric field of the
acoustic wave could contribute to the stabilization of the optical properties
of these centers. Our results show that surface acoustic waves are a powerful
tool to modulate and control the electronic states of two-dimensional
materials.


  Described experimental conditions, reproducibility and optimization for the
nonlinear optical effects (SHG, THG) for the diagnostic of functionalization of
vertically aligned mesoporous silica thin films activated by silver and copper
ions. The samples synthesis procedure are described in details. The dependence
sof the seonc dhamroni genriaotn (SHG) and third harmonic genriaotn (THG) verus
the fundamental energy density are presetned. The diffences between the SHG and
THG energy power dependences are observed.


  Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are large-scale ejections of magnetized plasma
from the Sun and are associated with the most extreme space weather events. The
geoeffectiveness of a CME is primarily determined by the southward component of
its magnetic fields (CME-$B_z$). Recent studies have shown that CMEs evolve
significantly in the inner heliosphere ($\sim20-90\ R_\odot$), and relying on
extrapolations from low coronal heights can lead to wrong predictions of
CME-$B_z$ in the vicinity of Earth. Hence, it is important to measure CME
magnetic fields at these heights to improve CME-$B_z$ prediction. A promising
method to measure the CME-entrained magnetic field in the inner heliosphere is
by measuring the changes in Faraday rotation (FR) of linearly polarized
emission from background radio sources as their line-of-sight crosses the CME
plasma. Here, we present the current preparation of new-generation ground-based
radio telescopes for this purpose.


  The integrated light of a stellar population, measured through photometric
filters that are sensitive to the presence of young stars, is often used to
infer the star formation rate (SFR) for that population. However, these
techniques rely on an assumption that star formation is a continuous process,
whereas in reality stars form in discrete spatially- and temporally-correlated
structures. This discreteness causes the light output to undergo significant
time-dependent fluctuations, which, if not accounted for, introduce systematic
errors in the inferred SFRs due to the intrinsic distribution of luminosities
at any fix SFR. We use SLUG, a code that Stochastically Lights Up Galaxies, to
simulate galaxies undergoing stochastic star formation. We then use these
simulations to present a quantitative analysis of these effects and provide
tools for calculating probability distribution functions of SFRs given a set of
observations. We show that, depending on the SFR tracer used, stochastic
fluctuations can produce non-trivial errors at SFRs as high as 1 M/yr, and
biases >0.5 dex at the lowest SFRs. We emphasize that due to the stochastic
behavior of blue SFR tracers, one cannot assign a deterministic single value to
the SFR of an individual galaxy, but we suggest methods by which future
analyses that rely on integrated-light indicators can properly account for
these stochastic effects.