title:
Very fast X-ray spectral variability in Cygnus X-1: Origin of the hard
  and soft-state emission components

abstract:
  The way in which the X-ray photon index, {\Gamma}, varies as a function of
count rate is a strong diagnostic of the emission processes and emission
geometry around accreting compact objects. Here we present the results from a
study using a new, and simple, method designed to improve sensitivity to the
measurement of the variability of {\Gamma} on very short time-scales.
  We have measured {\Gamma} in ~2 million spectra, extracted from observations
with a variety of different accretion rates and spectral states, on time-scales
as short as 16 ms for the high mass X-ray binary Cygnus X-1, and have
cross-correlated these measurements with the source count rate. In the
soft-state cross-correlation functions (CCFs) we find a positive peak at zero
lag, stronger and narrower in the softer observations. Assuming that the X-rays
are produced by Compton scattering of soft seed photons by high energy
electrons in a corona, these results are consistent with Compton cooling of the
corona by seed photons from the inner edge of the accretion disc, the
truncation radius of which increases with increasing hardness ratio.
  The CCFs produced from the hard-state observations, however, show an
anti-correlation which is most easily explained by variation in the energy of
the electrons in the corona rather than in variation of the seed photon flux.
The hard-state CCFs can be decomposed into a narrow anti-correlation at zero
lag, which we tentatively associate with the effects of self-Comptonisation of
cyclo-synchrotron seed photons in either a hot, optically thin accretion flow
or the base of the jet, and a second, asymmetric component which we suggest is
produced as a consequence of a lag between the soft and hard X-ray emission.
The lag may be caused by a radial temperature/energy gradient in the
Comptonising electrons combined with the inward propagation of accretion rate
perturbations.


title:
A Systematically Empirical Evaluation of Vulnerability Discovery Models:
  a Study on Browsers' Vulnerabilities

abstract:
  A precise vulnerability discovery model (VDM) will provide a useful insight
to assess software security, and could be a good prediction instrument for both
software vendors and users to understand security trends and plan ahead
patching schedule accordingly. Thus far, several models have been proposed and
validated. Yet, no systematically independent validation by somebody other than
the author exists. Furthermore, there are a number of issues that might bias
previous studies in the field. In this work, we fill in the gap by introducing
an empirical methodology that systematically evaluates the performance of a VDM
in two aspects: quality and predictability. We further apply this methodology
to assess existing VDMs. The results show that some models should be rejected
outright, while some others might be adequate to capture the discovery process
of vulnerabilities. We also consider different usage scenarios of VDMs and find
that the simplest linear model is the most appropriate choice in terms of both
quality and predictability when browsers are young. Otherwise, logistics-based
models are better choices.


title:
Cloud Security Challenges: Investigating Policies, Standards, and
  Guidelines in a Fortune 500 Organization

abstract:
  Cloud computing is quickly becoming pervasive in today's globally integrated
networks. The cloud offers organizations opportunities to potentially deploy
software and data solutions that are accessible through numerous mechanisms, in
a multitude of settings, at a reduced cost with increased reliability and
scalability. The increasingly pervasive and ubiquitous nature of the cloud
creates an environment that is potentially conducive to security risks. While
previous discussions have focused on security and privacy issues in the cloud
from the end-users perspective, minimal empirical research has been conducted
from the perspective of a corporate environment case study. This paper presents
the results of an initial case study identifying real-world information
security documentation issues for a Global Fortune 500 organization, should the
organization decide to implement cloud computing services in the future. The
paper demonstrates the importance of auditing policies, standards and
guidelines applicable to cloud computing environments along with highlighting
potential corporate concerns. The results from this case study has revealed
that from the 1123 'relevant' statements found in the organization's security
documentation, 175 statements were considered to be 'inadequate' for cloud
computing. Furthermore, the paper provides a foundation for future analysis and
research regarding implementation concerns for corporate cloud computing
applications and services


title:
Jellett-Minkowski's formula revisited. Isoperimetric inequalities for
  submanifolds in an ambient manifold with bounded curvature

abstract:
  In this paper we provide an extension to the Jellett-Minkowski's formula for
immersed submanifolds into ambient manifolds which possesses a pole and radial
curvatures bounded from above or below by the radial sectional curvatures of a
rotationally symmetric model space. Using this Jellett-Minkowski's generalized
formula we can focus on several isoperimetric problems. More precisely, on
lower bounds for isoperimetric quotients of any precompact domain with smooth
boundary, or on the isoperimetric profile of the submanifold and its modified
volume. In the particular case of a model space with strictly decreasing radial
curvatures, an Aleksandrov type theorem is provided.


title:
Incomplete-exclusion Statistical Mechanics in Non-collisional Violent
  Relaxation of Celestial Objects

abstract:
  Violent relaxation has been proposed half a century ago to bear
responsibility for non-collisional dynamics and formation of gravitationally
bound systems of extended celestial objects (agglomeration of stars, galaxies,
clusters of galaxies) when reaching an approximate equilibrium state which can
be described thermodynamically. The Lynden-Bell equilibrium distribution of
such systems, resulting from a spatial exclusion principle, had been shown to
be an analog to the Fermi distribution of states in solid state physics. Real
extended objects like galaxies do not completely exclude each other, however.
Permitting for partial exclusion leads to a modification of the equilibrium
distribution. Here we show that this case can be treated in analogy to a
hypothetical incomplete population of Fermi states. An incomplete-exclusion
equilibrium distribution is obtained which enters the violent relaxation
theory.


title: Boolean constraint satisfaction problems for reaction networks

abstract:
  We define and study a class of (random) Boolean constraint satisfaction
problems representing minimal feasibility constraints for networks of chemical
reactions. The constraints we consider encode, respectively, for hard
mass-balance conditions (where the consumption and production fluxes of each
chemical species are matched) and for soft mass-balance conditions (where a net
production of compounds is in principle allowed). We solve these constraint
satisfaction problems under the Bethe approximation and derive the
corresponding Belief Propagation equations, that involve 8 different messages.
The statistical properties of ensembles of random problems are studied via the
population dynamics methods. By varying a chemical potential attached to the
activity of reactions, we find first order transitions and strong hysteresis,
suggesting a non-trivial structure in the space of feasible solutions.


title:
Is bimodality a sufficient condition for a first order phase transition
  existence?

abstract:
  Here we present two explicit counterexamples to the widely spread beliefs
about an exclusive role of bimodality as the first order phase transition
signal. On the basis of an exactly solvable statistical model generalizing the
statistical multifragmentation model we demonstrate that the bimodal
distributions can naturally appear both in infinite and in finite systems
without a phase transition. In the first counterexample a bimodal distribution
appears in an infinite system at the supercritical temperatures due to the
negative values of the surface tension coefficient. In the second
counterexample we explicitly demonstrate that a bimodal fragment distribution
appears in a finite volume analog of a gaseous phase. In contrast to the
statistical multifragmentation model, the developed statistical model
corresponds to the compressible nuclear liquid with the tricritical endpoint
located at one third of the normal nuclear density. The suggested
parameterization of the liquid phase equation of state is consistent with the
L. van Hove axioms of statistical mechanics and it does not lead to an
appearance of the non-monotonic isotherms in the macroscopic mixed phase region
which are typical for the classical models of the Van der Waals type.
Peculiarly, such a way to account for the nuclear liquid compressibility
automatically leads to an appearance of an additional state that in many
respects resembles the physical antinuclear matter.


title:
Thermal convection in Earth's inner core with phase change at its
  boundary

abstract:
  Inner core translation, with solidification on one hemisphere and melting on
the other, provides a promising basis for understanding the hemispherical
dichotomy of the inner core, as well as the anomalous stable layer observed at
the base of the outer core - the F-layer - which might be sustained by
continuous melting of inner core material. In this paper, we study in details
the dynamics of inner core thermal convection when dynamically induced melting
and freezing of the inner core boundary (ICB) are taken into account. If the
inner core is unstably stratified, linear stability analysis and numerical
simulations consistently show that the translation mode dominates only if the
viscosity $\eta$ is large enough, with a critical viscosity value, of order $3
10^{18}$ Pas, depending on the ability of outer core convection to supply or
remove the latent heat of melting or solidification. If $\eta$ is smaller, the
dynamical effect of melting and freezing is small. Convection takes a more
classical form, with a one-cell axisymmetric mode at the onset and chaotic
plume convection at large Rayleigh number. [...] Thermal convection requires
that a superadiabatic temperature profile is maintained in the inner core,
which depends on a competition between extraction of the inner core internal
heat by conduction and cooling at the ICB. Inner core thermal convection
appears very likely with the low thermal conductivity value proposed by Stacey
& Davis (2007), but nearly impossible with the much higher thermal conductivity
recently put forward. We argue however that the formation of an iron-rich layer
above the ICB may have a positive feedback on inner core convection: it implies
that the inner core crystallized from an increasingly iron-rich liquid,
resulting in an unstable compositional stratification which could drive inner
core convection, perhaps even if the inner core is subadiabatic.


title: Motif matching using gapped patterns

abstract:
  We present new algorithms for the problem of multiple string matching of
gapped patterns, where a gapped pattern is a sequence of strings such that
there is a gap of fixed length between each two consecutive strings. The
problem has applications in the discovery of transcription factor binding sites
in DNA sequences when using generalized versions of the Position Weight Matrix
model to describe transcription factor specificities. In these models a motif
can be matched as a set of gapped patterns with unit-length keywords. The
existing algorithms for matching a set of gapped patterns are worst-case
efficient but not practical, or vice versa, in this particular case. The novel
algorithms that we present are based on dynamic programming and
bit-parallelism, and lie in a middle-ground among the existing algorithms. In
fact, their time complexity is close to the best existing bound and, yet, they
are also practical. We also provide experimental results which show that the
presented algorithms are fast in practice, and preferable if all the strings in
the patterns have unit-length.


title:
Generalization of Boole-Shannon expansion, consistency of Boolean
  equations and elimination by orthonormal expansion

abstract:
  The well known Boole-Shannon expansion of Boolean functions in several
variables (with co-efficients in a Boolean algebra $B$) is also known in more
general form in terms of expansion in a set $\Phi$ of orthonormal functions.
However, unlike the one variable step of this expansion an analogous
elimination theorem and consistency is not well known. This article proves such
an elimination theorem for a special class of Boolean functions denoted
$B(\Phi)$. When the orthonormal set $\Phi$ is of polynomial size in number $n$
of variables, the consistency of a Boolean equation $f=0$ can be determined in
polynomial number of $B$-operations. A characterization of $B(\Phi)$ is also
shown and an elimination based procedure for computing consistency of Boolean
equations is proposed.


title: A Scientific Analysis of the Preprint arXiv:1301.1828v1 [nucl-th]

abstract:
  Below we analyze the `critic' statements made in the Preprint
arXiv:1301.1828v1 [nucl-th]. The doubtful scientific argumentation of the
authors of the Preprint arXiv:1301.1828v1 [nucl-th] is also discussed.


title: Nuclear PDFs from the LHeC perspective

abstract:
  We study the prospects for constraining the nuclear parton distribution
functions by small-x deep inelastic scattering. Performing a global fit of
nuclear parton distribution functions including a sample of pseudodata
representing expected measurements at the planned LHeC collider, we demonstrate
that the accuracy of the present nuclear parton distributions could be be
improved substantially. We also discuss the impact of flavour-tagged data.


title: How many parameters to model states of mind ?

abstract:
  A series of examples of computational models is provided, where the model aim
is to interpret numerical results in terms of internal states of agents minds.
Two opposite strategies or research can be distinguished in the literature.
First is to reproduce the richness and complexity of real world as faithfully
as possible, second is to apply simple assumptions and check the results in
depth. As a rule, the results of the latter method agree only qualitatively
with some stylized facts. The price we pay for more detailed predictions within
the former method is that consequences of the rich set of underlying
assumptions remain unchecked. Here we argue that for computational reasons,
complex models with many parameters are less suitable.


title:
Tracing the Physical Conditions in Active Galactic Nuclei with
  Time-Dependent Chemistry

abstract:
  We present an extension of the code ProDiMo that allows for a modeling of
processes pertinent to active galactic nuclei and to an ambient chemistry that
is time dependent. We present a proof-of-concept and focus on a few
astrophysically relevant species, e.g., H+, H2+ and H3+; C+ and N+; C and O; CO
and H2O; OH+, H2O+ and H3O+; HCN and HCO+. We find that the freeze-out of water
is strongly suppressed and that this affects the bulk of the oxygen and carbon
chemistry occurring in AGN. The commonly used AGN tracer HCN/HCO+ is strongly
time-dependent, with ratios that vary over orders of magnitude for times longer
than 10^4 years. Through ALMA observations this ratio can be used to probe how
the narrow-line region evolves under large fluctuations in the SMBH accretion
rate. Strong evolutionary trends, on time scales of 10^4-10^8 years, are also
found in species such as H3O+, CO, and H2O. These reflect, respectively, time
dependent effects in the ionization balance, the transient nature of the
production of molecular gas, and the freeze-out/sublimation of water.


title:
Stability of mode-locked kinks in the ac driven and damped sine-Gordon
  lattice

abstract:
  Kink dynamics in the underdamped and strongly discrete sine-Gordon lattice
that is driven by the oscillating force is studied. The investigation is
focused mostly on the properties of the mode-locked states in the {\it
overband} case, when the driving frequency lies above the linear band. With the
help of Floquet theory it is demonstrated that the destabilizing of the
mode-locked state happens either through the Hopf bifurcation or through the
tangential bifurcation. It is also observed that in the overband case the
standing mode-locked kink state maintains its stability for the bias amplitudes
that are by the order of magnitude larger than the amplitudes in the
low-frequency case.


title:
Crossover from injection to tunneling conduction mode and associated
  magneto-resistance in a single $Fe_{3}O_{4}$(111)/$Alq_{3}$/Co spin-valve
  device

abstract:
  We demonstrate interface energy level engineering, exploiting the
modification in energy band structure across Verwey phase transition of
$Fe_{3}O_{4}$ electrode, in a $Fe_{3}O_{4}$(111)/$Alq_{3}$/Co vertical
spin-valve (SV) device. Experimental results on device characteristics I-V)
study exhibit a transition in conduction mode from carrier injection to
tunneling across Verwey transition temperature ($T_{V}$) of $Fe_{3}O_{4}$
electrode. Both giant magneto-resistance (GMR) and tunneling MR (TMR) have been
observed in a single SV device as a function of temperature, below and above
$T_{V}$, respectively. Appearance of GMR, accompanied by injection limited
natural Schottky-like I-V characteristics, provide evidences of spin injection
at electrode/$Alq_{3}$ interface and transport through molecular orbitals in
this SV device. Features of TMR exhibit significant differences from that of
GMR. This is due to the dominant hyperfine-field interaction in the multi-step
tunneling regime. We have achieved room-temperature SV operation in our device.
A phenomenological model for device operation has been proposed to explain the
transition in the conduction mode and associated MR features across $T_{V}$. We
propose that the tuning of charge gap at Fermi level across Verwey transition
due to charge ordering on the octahedral iron sites of $Fe_{3}O_{4}$ results in
a corresponding tuning of conduction mode causing this unique cross over from
GMR to TMR in this ferrite-based organic SV.


title: Optimal Sensor and Actuator Placement in Complex Dynamical Networks

abstract:
  Controllability and observability have long been recognized as fundamental
structural properties of dynamical systems, but have recently seen renewed
interest in the context of large, complex networks of dynamical systems. A
basic problem is sensor and actuator placement: choose a subset from a finite
set of possible placements to optimize some real-valued controllability and
observability metrics of the network. Surprisingly little is known about the
structure of such combinatorial optimization problems. In this paper, we show
that an important class of metrics based on the controllability and
observability Gramians has a strong structural property that allows efficient
global optimization: the mapping from possible placements to the trace of the
associated Gramian is a modular set function. We illustrate the results via
placement of power electronic actuators in a model of the European power grid.


title: Two Finite Classes of Orthogonal Functions

abstract:
  By using Fourier transforms of two symmetric sequences of finite orthogonal
polynomials, we introduce two new classes of finite orthogonal functions and
obtain their orthogonality relations via Parseval's identity.


title: Fractional Negative Binomial and Polya Processes

abstract:
  In this paper, we define a fractional negative binomial process (FNBP) by
replacing the Poisson process by a fractional Poisson process (FPP) in the
gamma subordinated form of the negative binomial process. First, it is shown
that the one-dimensional distributions of the FPP are not infinitely divisible.
The long-range dependence of the FNBP, the short-range dependence of its
increments and the infinite divisibility of the FPP and the FNBP are
investigated. Also, the space fractional Polya process (SFPP) is defined by
replacing the rate parameter $\lambda$ by a gamma random variable in the
definition of the space fractional Poisson process. The properties of the FNBP
and the SFPP and the connections to $pde$'$s$ governing the density of the FNBP
and the SFPP are also investigated.


title:
Generalized Inexact Proximal Algorithms: Habit's/ Routine's Formation
  with Resistance to Change, following Worthwhile Changes

abstract:
  This paper shows how, in a quasi metric space, an inexact proximal algorithm
with a generalized perturbation term appears to be a nice tool for Behavioral
Sciences (Psychology, Economics, Management, Game theory,...). More precisely,
the new perturbation term represents an index of resistance to change, defined
as a "curved enough" function of the quasi distance between two successive
iterates. Using this behavioral point of view, the present paper shows how such
a generalized inexact proximal algorithm can modelize the formation of habits
and routines in a striking way. This idea comes from a recent "variational
rationality approach" of human behavior which links a lot of different theories
of stability (habits, routines, equilibrium, traps,...) and changes (creations,
innovations, learning and destructions,...) in Behavioral Sciences and a lot of
concepts and algorithms in Variational Analysis. In this variational context,
the perturbation term represents a specific instance of the very general
concept of resistance to change, which is the disutility of some inconvenients
to change. Central to the analysis are the original variational concepts of
"worthwhile changes" and "marginal worthwhile stays". At the behavioral level,
this paper advocates that proximal algorithms are well suited to modelize the
emergence of habituation/routinized human behaviors. We show when, and at which
speed, a "worthwhile to change" process converges to a behavioral trap.


title:
Large-scale dynamo action due to $\alpha$ fluctuations in a linear shear
  flow

abstract:
  We present a model of large-scale dynamo action in a shear flow that has
stochastic, zero-mean fluctuations of the $\alpha$ parameter. This is based on
a minimal extension of the Kraichnan-Moffatt model, to include a background
linear shear and Galilean-invariant $\alpha$-statistics. Using the first order
smoothing approximation we derive a linear integro-differential equation for
the large-scale magnetic field, which is non perturbative in the shearing rate
$S\,$, and the $\alpha$-correlation time $\tau_\alpha\,$. The white-noise case,
$\tau_\alpha = 0\,$, is solved exactly, and it is concluded that the necessary
condition for dynamo action is identical to the Kraichnan-Moffatt model without
shear; this is because white-noise does not allow for memory effects, whereas
shear needs time to act. To explore memory effects we reduce the
integro-differential equation to a partial differential equation, valid for
slowly varying fields when $\tau_\alpha$ is small but non zero. Seeking
exponential modal solutions, we solve the modal dispersion relation and obtain
an explicit expression for the growth rate as a function of the six independent
parameters of the problem. A non zero $\tau_\alpha$ gives rise to new physical
scales, and dynamo action is completely different from the white-noise case;
e.g. even weak $\alpha$ fluctuations can give rise to a dynamo. We argue that,
at any wavenumber, both Moffatt drift and Shear always contribute to increasing
the growth rate. Two examples are presented: (a) a Moffatt drift dynamo in the
absence of shear; (b) a Shear dynamo in the absence of Moffatt drift.


title:
VLT/X-Shooter Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and HST Imaging of
  Gravitationally-Lensed z~2 Compact Quiescent Galaxies

abstract:
  Quiescent massive galaxies at z~2 are thought to be the progenitors of
present-day massive ellipticals. Observations revealed them to be
extraordinarily compact. The determination of stellar ages, star formation
rates and dust properties via spectroscopic measurements has up to now only
been feasible for the most luminous and massive specimens (~3x M*). Here we
present a spectroscopic study of two near-infrared selected galaxies which are
close to the characteristic stellar mass M* (~0.9x M* and ~1.3x M*) and whose
observed brightness has been boosted by the gravitational lensing effect. We
measure the redshifts of the two galaxies to be z=1.71\pm0.02 and
z=2.15\pm0.01. By fitting stellar population synthesis models to their
spectro-photometric SEDs we determine their ages to be 2.4^{+0.8}_{-0.6} Gyr
and 1.7\pm0.3 Gyr, respectively, which implies that the two galaxies have
higher mass-to-light ratios than most quiescent z~2 galaxies in other studies.
We find no direct evidence for active star-formation or AGN activity in either
of the two galaxies, based on the non-detection of emission lines. Based on the
derived redshifts and stellar ages we estimate the formation redshifts to be
z=4.3^{+3.4}_{-1.2} and z=4.3^{+1.0}_{-0.6}, respectively. We use the increased
spatial resolution due to the gravitational lensing to derive constraints on
the morphology. Fitting Sersic profiles to the de-lensed images of the two
galaxies confirms their compactness, with one of them being spheroid-like, and
the other providing the first confirmation of a passive lenticular galaxy at a
spectroscopically derived redshift z~2.


title:
A Nadel vanishing theorem for metrics with minimal singularities on big
  line bundles

abstract:
  The purpose of this paper is to establish a Nadel vanishing theorem for big
line bundles with multiplier ideal sheaves of singular metrics admitting an
analytic Zariski decomposition (such as, metrics with minimal singularities and
Siu's metrics). For this purpose, we apply the theory of harmonic integrals and
generalize Enoki's proof of Koll'ar's injectivity theorem. Moreover we
investigate the asymptotic behavior of harmonic forms with respect to a family
of regularized metrics.


title: On a class of intersection graphs

abstract:
  Given a directed graph D = (V,A) we define its intersection graph I(D) =
(A,E) to be the graph having A as a node-set and two nodes of I(D) are adjacent
if their corresponding arcs share a common node that is the tail of at least
one of these arcs. We call these graphs facility location graphs since they
arise from the classical uncapacitated facility location problem. In this paper
we show that facility location graphs are hard to recognize and they are easy
to recognize when the graph is triangle-free. We also determine the complexity
of the vertex coloring, the stable set and the facility location problems on
that class.


title:
Using Arabic Wordnet for semantic indexation in information retrieval
  system

abstract:
  In the context of arabic Information Retrieval Systems (IRS) guided by arabic
ontology and to enable those systems to better respond to user requirements,
this paper aims to representing documents and queries by the best concepts
extracted from Arabic Wordnet. Identified concepts belonging to Arabic WordNet
synsets are extracted from documents and queries, and those having a single
sense are expanded. The expanded query is then used by the IRS to retrieve the
relevant documents searched. Our experiments are based primarily on a medium
size corpus of arabic text. The results obtained shown us that there are a
global improvement in the performance of the arabic IRS.


title:
Can atmospheric neutrino experiments provide the first hint of leptonic
  CP violation?

abstract:
  The measurement of a non-zero value of the 1-3 mixing angle has paved the way
for the determination of leptonic CP violation. However the current generation
long-baseline experiments T2K and NOvA have limited sensitivity to delta_{CP}.
In this paper we show for the first time, the significance of that atmospheric
neutrino experiments in providing the first hint of CP violation in conjunction
with T2K and NOvA. In particular, we find that adding atmospheric neutrino data
from the ICAL detector at the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) to T2K and
NOvA results in a two-fold increase in the range of delta_{CP} values for which
a 2 sigma hint of CP violation can be obtained. In fact in the parameter region
unfavorable for the latter experiments, the first signature of CP violation may
well come from the inclusion of atmospheric neutrino data.


title: The structure of the R^8 term in type IIB string theory

abstract:
  Based on the structure of the on-shell linearized superspace of type IIB
supergravity, we argue that there is a non--BPS 16 derivative interaction in
the effective action of type IIB string theory of the form (t_8 t_8 R^4)^2,
which we call the R^8 interaction. It lies in the same supermultiplet as the
G^8 R^4 interaction. Using the KLT relation, we analyse the structure of the
tree level eight graviton scattering amplitude in the type IIB theory, which
leads to the R^8 interaction at the linearized level. This involves an analysis
of color ordered multi-gluon disc amplitudes in the type I theory, which shows
an intricate pole structure and transcendentality consistent with various other
interactions. Considerations of S-duality show that the R^8 interaction
receives non-analytic contributions in the string coupling at one and two
loops. Apart from receiving perturbative contributions, we show that the R^8
interaction receives a non-vanishing contribution in the one
D-instanton-anti-instanton background at leading order in the weak coupling
expansion.


title: Case Study Based Software Engineering Project Development: State of Art

abstract:
  This research paper designates the importance and usage of the case study
approach effectively to educating and training software designers and software
engineers both in academic and industry. Subsequently an account of the use of
case studies based on software engineering in the education of professionals,
there is a conversation of issues in training software designers and how a case
teaching method can be used to state these issues. The paper describes a
software project titled Online Tower Plotting System (OTPS) to develop a
complete and comprehensive case study, along with supporting educational
material. The case study is aimed to demonstrate a variety of software areas,
modules and courses: from bachelor through masters, doctorates and even for
ongoing professional development.


title: Defining Predictive Probability Functions for Species Sampling Models

abstract:
  We review the class of species sampling models (SSM). In particular, we
investigate the relation between the exchangeable partition probability
function (EPPF) and the predictive probability function (PPF). It is
straightforward to define a PPF from an EPPF, but the converse is not
necessarily true. In this paper we introduce the notion of putative PPFs and
show novel conditions for a putative PPF to define an EPPF. We show that all
possible PPFs in a certain class have to define (unnormalized) probabilities
for cluster membership that are linear in cluster size. We give a new necessary
and sufficient condition for arbitrary putative PPFs to define an EPPF.
Finally, we show posterior inference for a large class of SSMs with a PPF that
is not linear in cluster size and discuss a numerical method to derive its PPF.


title: Semiclassical geons as solitonic black hole remnants

abstract:
  We find that the end state of black hole evaporation could be represented by
non-singular and without event horizon stable solitonic remnants with masses of
the order the Planck scale and up to 16 units of charge. Though these objects
are locally indistinguishable from spherically symmetric, massive electric (or
magnetic) charges, they turn out to be sourceless geons containing a wormhole
generated by the electromagnetic field. Our results are obtained by
interpreting semiclassical corrections to Einstein's theory in the first-order
(Palatini) formalism, which yields second-order equations and avoids the
instabilities of the usual (metric) formulation of quadratic gravity. We also
discuss the potential relevance of these solutions for primordial black holes
and the dark matter problem.


title:
Topological classification with additional symmetries from Clifford
  algebras

abstract:
  We classify topological insulators and superconductors in the presence of
additional symmetries such as reflection or mirror symmetries. For each member
of the 10 Altland-Zirnbauer symmetry classes, we have a Clifford algebra
defined by operators of the generic (time-reversal, particle-hole, or chiral)
symmetries and additional symmetries, together with gamma matrices in Dirac
Hamiltonians representing topological insulators and superconductors. Following
Kitaev's approach, we classify gapped phases of non-interacting fermions under
additional symmetries by examining all possible distinct Dirac mass terms which
can be added to the set of generators of the Clifford algebra. We find that
imposing additional symmetries in effect changes symmetry classes and causes
shifts in the periodic table of topological insulators and superconductors. Our
results are in agreement with the classification under reflection symmetry
recently reported by Chiu et al. Several examples are discussed including a
topological crystalline insulator with mirror Chern numbers and mirror
superconductors.


title:
The t-motivic mixed Carlitz zeta category and Carlitz-Thakur multi-zeta
  values

abstract:
  We construct the t-motivic mixed Carlitz zeta category over $\F_q(t)$ and
show that it contains all the (mixed) t-motives with Carlitz-Thakur multi-zeta
values as periods constructed by Anderson and Thakur. Our construction is
canonical and our category is Tannakian and neutral and every object is
equipped with a weight filtration whose graded pieces are Carlitz motives over
$\F_q(t)$. For any finite separable extension L/\F_q(t) we show that existence
of a similar category over $L$ is a consequence of a version of a conjecture of
L. Taelman. Along the way we also prove the existence of the category of mixed
$t$-motives and the category of mixed Carlitz motives over any $L$ (these two
existence results are independent of any conjectures).


title: Eigenvalue Spectra of Modular Networks

abstract:
  A large variety of dynamical processes that take place on networks can be
expressed in terms of the spectral properties of some linear operator which
reflects how the dynamical rules depend on the network topology. Often such
spectral features are theoretically obtained by considering only local node
properties, such as degree distributions. Many networks, however, possess
large-scale modular structures that can drastically influence their spectral
characteristics, and which are neglected in such simplified descriptions. Here
we obtain in a unified fashion the spectrum of a large family of operators,
including the adjacency, Laplacian and normalized Laplacian matrices, for
networks with generic modular structure, in the limit of large degrees. We
focus on the conditions necessary for the merging of the isolated eigenvalues
with the continuous band of the spectrum, after which the planted modular
structure can no longer be easily detected by spectral methods. This is a
crucial transition point which determines when a modular structure is strong
enough to affect a given dynamical process. We show that this transition
happens in general at different points for the different matrices, and hence
the detectability threshold can vary significantly depending on the operator
chosen. Equivalently, the sensitivity to the modular structure of the different
dynamical processes associated with each matrix will be different, given the
same large-scale structure present in the network. Furthermore, we show that,
with the exception of the Laplacian matrix, the different transitions coalesce
into the same point for the special case where the modules are homogeneous, but
separate otherwise.


title: Phase Transition in the S&P Stock Market

abstract:
  We analyze the stock prices of the S&P market from 1987 until 2012 with the
covariance matrix of the firm returns determined in time windows of several
years. The eigenvector belonging to the leading eigenvalue (market) exhibits in
its long term time dependence a phase transition with an order parameter which
can be interpreted within an agent-based model. From 1995 to 2005 the market is
in an ordered state and after 2005 in a disordered state.


title:
Sur l'\'enonc\'e d'un th\'eor\`eme concernant les op\'erateurs positifs
  sur les espaces $L_p$ $(1<p< \infty)$ dont la suite des puissances est
  sous-additive

abstract:
  In this article we give a counter-example on the statement of a theorem
appearing in a note $[3]$ of A. Brunel concerning the study of positive
operators on the the spaces $L_p\,\,(1<p<\infty)$ which the sequence of the
powers is sub-additive.


title:
Universal behavior of two-dimensional bosonic gases at
  Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transitions

abstract:
  We study the universal critical behavior of two-dimensional (2D) lattice
bosonic gases at the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) transition, which
separates the low-temperature superfluid phase from the high-temperature normal
phase. For this purpose, we perform quantum Monte Carlo simulations of the
hard-core Bose-Hubbard (BH) model at zero chemical potential. We determine the
critical temperature by using a matching method that relates finite-size data
for the BH model with corresponding data computed in the classical XY model. In
this approach, the neglected scaling corrections decay as inverse powers of the
lattice size L, and not as powers of 1/lnL, as in more standard approaches,
making the estimate of the critical temperature much more reliable. Then, we
consider the BH model in the presence of a trapping harmonic potential, and
verify the universality of the trap-size dependence at the BKT critical point.
This issue is relevant for experiments with quasi-2D trapped cold atoms.


title:
Spectroscopic Variations of the Be-shell Star EW Lac in the V/R
  Variation Periods

abstract:
  EW Lac has shown remarkable V/R variations in 1976 - 1986, and a similar V/R
variation has started again in around 2007, after some quasi-periodic V/R
variation. For the first V/R variation event, we analyze the spectroscopic
behaviors of emission lines and shell absorption lines of the Balmer series.
The V/R variations of the H_alpha through H_delta lines are characterized by
the different manner of variations of the individual emission lines in time lag
and in duration of the V/R phases. Weak correlation is also notable between the
V/R variations and other variations of the line-profile parameter such as the
peak velocities, emission line intensities and peak separations. We analyze
shell absorption lines for higher members of the Balmer series for their
central depths and radial velocities. The optical depth of the H_alpha line is
in a range of 2000 to 6000, and its long-term variation discloses different
behaviors as compared to the V/R variations. Combining the analyses of emission
and shell absorption lines, and regarding the V/R variation as wave propagation
phenomena, we find for the 1976 - 1986 event that the V/R variation is of
retrograde structure and a spiral structure is likely formed inside the disk in
the latter half of this event. The weak correlations among physical parameters
are suggestive of the disk truncated at some radius. It is noticed that
remarkable stellar brightening has occurred in the latter half of the event,
accompanying marked decrease of emission line intensities. As for the V/R
variation appeared in around 2007, which looks like a recurrence of the
previous event, we found less developed state of the disk without appreciable
time lag.


title: Dressing phases of AdS3/CFT2

abstract:
  We determine the all-loop dressing phases of the AdS3/CFT2 integrable system
related to type IIB string theory on AdS3 x S3 x T4 by solving the recently
found crossing relations and studying their singularity structure. The two
resulting phases present a novel structure with respect to the ones appearing
in AdS5/CFT4 and AdS4/CFT3. In the strongly-coupled regime, their leading order
reduces to the universal Arutyunov-Frolov-Staudacher phase as expected. We also
compute their sub-leading order and compare it with recent one-loop
perturbative results, and comment on their weak-coupling expansion.


title:
Optimal L2-control problem in coefficients for a linear elliptic
  equation

abstract:
  In this paper we study an optimal control problem (OCP) associated to a
linear elliptic equation {on a bounded domain $\Omega$}. The matrix-valued
coefficients A of such systems is our control taken in L2 which in particular
may comprise som cases of unboundedness. Concerning the boundary value problems
associated to the equations of this type, one may face non-uniqueness of weak
solutions--- namely, approximable solutions as well as another type of weak
solutions that can not be obtained through the bouded-approximation of matrix
A. Following the direct method in the calculus of variations, we show that the
given OCP is well-posed in the sense that it admits at least one solution. At
the same time, optimal solutions to such problem may have a singular character
in the above sense. In view of this, we indicate two types of optimal solutions
to the above problem: the so-called variational and non-variational solutions,
and show that some of that optimal solutions can be attainable by solutions of
special optimal boundary control problems.


title:
Orbital migration of giant planets induced by gravitationally unstable
  gaps: the effect of planet mass

abstract:
  It has been suggested that long-period giant planets, such as HD 95086b and
HR 8799bcde, may have formed through gravitational instability of
protoplanetary discs. However, self-gravitating disc-satellite interaction can
lead to the formation of a gravitationally unstable gap. Such an instability
significantly affects the orbital migration of gap-opening perturbers in
massive discs. We use 2D hydrodynamical simulations to examine the role of
planet mass on the gravitational stability of gaps and its impact on orbital
migration. We consider giant planets with planet-to-star mass ratio q=0.0003 to
q=0.003, in a self-gravitating disc with disc-to-star mass ratio M_d/M_*=0.08,
aspect ratio h=0.05, and Keplerian Toomre parameter Q = 1.5 at 2.5 times the
planet's initial orbital radius. Fixed-orbit simulations show that all planet
masses we consider open gravitationally unstable gaps, but the instability is
stronger and develops sooner with increasing planet mass. The disc-on-planet
torques typically become more positive with increasing planet mass. In
freely-migrating simulations, we observe faster outward migration with
increasing planet mass, but only for planet masses capable of opening unstable
gaps early on. For q=0.0003, the planet undergoes rapid inward type III
migration before it can open a gap. For q=0.0013 we find it is possible to
balance the tendency for inward migration by the positive torques due to an
unstable gap, but only for a few 10's of orbital periods. We find the unstable
outer gap edge can trigger outward type III migration, sending the planet to
twice its initial orbital radius on dynamical timescales. This triggered type
III migration may be a way of bringing giant planets to large orbital
distances. On the other hand, our results also imply gap-opening is not a
sufficient condition for the in situ formation of giant planets on wide orbits
through disc fragmentation.


title: Apollonian Ball Packings and Stacked Polytopes

abstract:
  We investigate in this paper the relation between Apollonian $d$-ball
packings and stacked $(d+1)$-polytopes for dimension $d\ge 3$. For $d=3$, the
relation is fully described: we prove that the $1$-skeleton of a stacked
$4$-polytope is the tangency graph of an Apollonian $3$-ball packing if and
only if no six $4$-cliques share a $3$-clique. For higher dimension, we have
some partial results.


title: Projections Onto Convex Sets (POCS) Based Optimization by Lifting

abstract:
  Two new optimization techniques based on projections onto convex space (POCS)
framework for solving convex and some non-convex optimization problems are
presented. The dimension of the minimization problem is lifted by one and sets
corresponding to the cost function are defined. If the cost function is a
convex function in R^N the corresponding set is a convex set in R^(N+1). The
iterative optimization approach starts with an arbitrary initial estimate in
R^(N+1) and an orthogonal projection is performed onto one of the sets in a
sequential manner at each step of the optimization problem. The method provides
globally optimal solutions in total-variation, filtered variation, l1, and
entropic cost functions. It is also experimentally observed that cost functions
based on lp, p<1 can be handled by using the supporting hyperplane concept.


title: Classification of near-horizon geometries of extremal black holes

abstract:
  Any spacetime containing a degenerate Killing horizon, such as an extremal
black hole, possesses a well-defined notion of a near-horizon geometry. We
review such near-horizon geometry solutions in a variety of dimensions and
theories in a unified manner. We discuss various general results including
horizon topology and near-horizon symmetry enhancement. We also discuss the
status of the classification of near-horizon geometries in theories ranging
from vacuum gravity to Einstein-Maxwell theory and supergravity theories.
Finally, we discuss applications to the classification of extremal black holes
and various related topics. Several new results are presented and open problems
are highlighted throughout.


title: Critical Behaviors of 3D Black Holes with a Scalar Hair

abstract:
  The principal focus of the present work concerns the critical behaviors of a
class of three dimensional black holes with a scalar field hair. Since the
cosmological constant is viewed as a thermodynamic pressure and its conjugate
quantity as a volume, we examine such properties in terms of two parameters B
and a. The latters are related to the scalar field and the angular momentum
respectively. In particular, we give the equation of state predicting a
critical universal number depending on the (B,a) moduli space. In the vanishing
limit of the B parameter, we recover the usual perfect gas behavior appearing
in the case of the non rotating BTZ black hole. We point out that in a generic
region of the (B,a) moduli space, the model behaves like a Van der Waals
system.


title:
Effects of non-equilibrium noise on a quantum memory encoded in Majorana
  zero modes

abstract:
  In order to increase the coherence time of topological quantum memories in
systems with Majorana zero modes, it has recently been proposed to encode the
logical qubit states in non-local Majorana operators which are immune to
localized excitations involving the unpaired Majorana modes. In this encoding,
a logical error only happens when the quasi-particles, subsequent to their
excitation, travel a distance of the order of the spacing between the Majorana
modes. Here, we study the decay time of a quantum memory encoded in a clean
topological nanowire interacting with an environment with a particular emphasis
on the propagation of the quasi-particles above the gap. We show that the
non-local encoding does not provide a significantly longer coherence time than
the local encoding. In particular, the characteristic speed of propagation is
of the order of the Fermi velocity of the nanowire and not given by the much
slower group velocity of quasi-particles which are excited just above the gap.


title: Topological insulators, spin, and the tight-binding method

abstract:
  As one of the first proposed topologically protected states, the quantum spin
Hall effect in graphene relies critically on the existence of a spin-dependent
gap at the K/K' points of the Brillouin zone. Using a tight-binding formulation
based on the method of invariants, we identify the origin of such an intrinsic
gap as the three-center interaction between the pi-orbitals caused by
spin-orbit interactions. This methodology incorporates all symmetry compliant
interactions previously neglected and has wider applications for comparisons
between first-principle calculations and the tight-binding method. It also
identifies a correction to the Haldane model and its generalization, which
incorporates the spin degrees of freedom and reproduces all the salient
features required for the quantum spin Hall effect in graphene.


title:
Invariance principle for the random conductance model in a degenerate
  ergodic environment

abstract:
  We study a continuous time random walk, $X$, on ${\mathbb{Z}}^d$ in an
environment of random conductances taking values in $(0,\infty)$. We assume
that the law of the conductances is ergodic with respect to space shifts. We
prove a quenched invariance principle for $X$ under some moment conditions of
the environment. The key result on the sublinearity of the corrector is
obtained by Moser's iteration scheme.


title: Inductance Due to Spin Current

abstract:
  The inductance of spintronic devices that transport charge neutral spin
currents is discussed. It is known that in a media that contains charge neutral
spins, a time-varying electric field induces a spin current. We show that since
the spin current itself produces an electric field, this implies existence of
inductance and electromotive force when the spin current changes with time. The
relations between the electromotive force and the corresponding flux, which is
a vector calculated by the cross product of electric field and the trajectory
of the device, are clarified. The relativistic origin generally renders an
extremely small inductance, which indicates the advantage of spin current in
building low inductance devices. The same argument also explains the inductance
due to electric dipole current, and applies to physical dipoles consist of
polarized bound charges.


title: Artinian Gorenstein algebras with linear resolutions

abstract:
  Fix a pair of positive integers d and n. We create a ring R and a complex G
of R-modules with the following universal property. Let P be a polynomial ring
in d variables over a field and let I be a grade d Gorenstein ideal in P which
is generated by homogeneous forms of degree n. If the resolution of P/I by free
P-modules is linear, then there exists a ring homomorphism from R to P such
that P tensor G is a minimal homogeneous resolution of P/I by free P-modules.
Our construction is coordinate free.


title:
Unitary Representations of Quantum Superpositions of two Coherent States
  and beyond

abstract:
  The construction of a class of unitary operators generating linear
superpositions of generalized coherent states from the ground state of a
quantum harmonic oscillator is reported. Such a construction, based on the
properties of a new ad hoc introduced set of hermitian operators, leads to the
definition of new basis in the oscillator Hilbert space, extending in a natural
way the displaced Fock states basis. The potential development of our method
and our results is briefly outlined.


title:
Optimal Squeezing in the Resonance Fluorescence of Single Photon
  Emitters

abstract:
  Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Volume 51, page 511e studied for
coherently driven single photon sources, such as atoms and quantum dots.
Maximal squeezing is realized, if the electronic subsystem of the emitter is in
a pure quantum state. The purification is achieved by using a cavity as a
second decay channel, besides the incoherent coupling to the electromagnetic
vacuum. For realistic cavities this yields a purity of the electronic state of
more than 99%. Aside from numerical calculations, we also derive approximate
analytical results. Based on the approximations, effects are studied which
originate from the environment of the emitter, including radiationless
dephasing and incoherent pumping of the emitter and the cavity mode. The
fragility of squeezing against decoherence is substantially reduced, so that
squeezing persists even under hostile conditions. The measurement of squeezing
from such light sources is also considered.


title: Dynamic Distance Measures on Spaces of Isospectral Mixed Quantum States

abstract:
  Distance measures are indispensable tools in quantum information processing
and quantum computing. This since they can be used to quantify to what extent
information is preserved, or altered, by quantum processes. In this paper we
propose a new distance measure for mixed quantum states, that we call the
dynamic distance measure, and show that it is a proper distance measure. The
dynamic distance measure is defined in terms of a measurable quantity, which
make it very suitable for applications. In a final section we compare the
dynamical distance measure with the well-known Bures distance.


title: Algebraic Curve for a Cusped Wilson Line

abstract:
  We consider the classical limit of the recently obtained exact result for the
anomalous dimension of a cusped Wilson line with the insertion of an operator
with L units of R-charge at the cusp in planar N=4 SYM. The classical limit
requires taking both the 't Hooft coupling and L to infinity. Since the formula
for the cusp anomalous dimension involves determinants of size proportional to
L, the classical limit requires a matrix model reformulation of the result. We
construct such matrix model-like representation and find corresponding
classical algebraic curve. Using this we derive the classical value of the cusp
anomalous dimension and the 1-loop correction to it. We check our results
against the energy of the classical solution and numerically by extrapolating
from the quantum regime of finite L.


title:
Numerical simulations of granular dynamics. I. Hard-sphere discrete
  element method and tests

abstract:
  We present a new particle-based (discrete element) numerical method for the
simulation of granular dynamics, with application to motions of particles on
small solar system body and planetary surfaces. The method employs the parallel
N-body tree code pkdgrav to search for collisions and compute particle
trajectories. Collisions are treated as instantaneous point-contact events
between rigid spheres. Particle confinement is achieved by combining arbitrary
combinations of four provided wall primitives, namely infinite plane, finite
disk, infinite cylinder, and finite cylinder, and degenerate cases of these.
Various wall movements, including translation, oscillation, and rotation, are
supported. We provide full derivations of collision prediction and resolution
equations for all geometries and motions. Several tests of the method are
described, including a model granular "atmosphere" that achieves correct energy
equipartition, and a series of tumbler simulations that show the expected
transition from tumbling to centrifuging as a function of rotation rate.


title: A remark on relatively prime sets

abstract:
  Four functions counting the number of subsets of $\{1, 2, ..., n\}$ having
particular properties are defined by Nathanson and generalized by many authors.
They derive explicit formulas for all four functions. In this paper, we point
out that we need to compute only one of them as the others will follow as a
consequence. Moreover, our method is simpler and leads to more general results
than those in the literature.


title: Torelli spaces of high-dimensional manifolds

abstract:
  The Torelli group of a manifold is the group of all diffeomorphisms which act
as the identity on the homology of the manifold. In this paper, we calculate
the invariant part (invariant under the action of the automorphisms of the
homology) of the cohomology of the classifying space of the Torelli group of
certain high-dimensional, highly connected manifolds, with rational
coefficients and in a certain range of degrees. This is based on
Galatius--Randal-Williams' work on the diffeomorphism groups of these
manifolds, Borel's classical results on arithmetic groups, and methods from
surgery theory and pseudoisotopy theory. As a corollary, we find that all
Miller--Morita--Mumford characteristic classes are nontrivial in the cohomology
of the classifying space of the Torelli group, except for those associated with
the Hirzebruch class, whose vanishing is forced by the family index theorem.


title:
A Parallel-Propagating Alfv\'enic Ion-Beam Instability in the High-Beta
  Solar Wind

abstract:
  We investigate the conditions under which parallel-propagating
Alfv\'en/ion-cyclotron waves are driven unstable by an isotropic ($T_{\perp
\alpha} = T_{\parallel\alpha}$) population of alpha particles drifting parallel
to the magnetic field at an average speed $U_{\alpha}$ with respect to the
protons. We derive an approximate analytic condition for the minimum value of
$U_{\alpha}$ needed to excite this instability and refine this result using
numerical solutions to the hot-plasma dispersion relation. When the
alpha-particle number density is $\simeq 5%$ of the proton number density and
the two species have similar thermal speeds, the instability requires that
$\beta_{\rm p} \gtrsim 1$, where $\beta_{\rm p}$ is the ratio of the proton
pressure to the magnetic pressure. For $1\lesssim \beta_{\mathrm p}\lesssim
12$, the minimum $U_{\alpha}$ needed to excite this instability ranges from
$0.7v_{\mathrm A}$ to $0.9v_{\mathrm A}$, where $v_{\mathrm A}$ is the Alfv\'en
speed. This threshold is smaller than the threshold of $\simeq 1.2v_{\mathrm
A}$ for the parallel magnetosonic instability, which was previously thought to
have the lowest threshold of the alpha-particle beam instabilities at
$\beta_{\mathrm p}\gtrsim 0.5$. We discuss the role of the parallel Alfv\'enic
drift instability for the evolution of the alpha-particle drift speed in the
solar wind. We also analyze measurements from the \emph{Wind} spacecraft's
Faraday cups and show that the $U_{\alpha}$ values measured in solar-wind
streams with $T_{\perp \alpha}\approx T_{\parallel\alpha}$ are approximately
bounded from above by the threshold of the parallel Alfv\'enic instability.


title: A new representation of the Adler function for lattice QCD

abstract:
  We address several aspects of lattice QCD calculations of the hadronic vacuum
polarization and the associated Adler function. We implement a representation
derived previously which allows one to access these phenomenologically
important functions for a continuous set of virtualities, irrespective of the
flavor structure of the current. Secondly we present a theoretical analysis of
the finite-size effects on our particular representation of the Adler function,
based on the operator product expansion at large momenta and on the spectral
representation of the Euclidean correlator at small momenta. Finally, an
analysis of the flavor structure of the electromagnetic current correlator is
performed, where a recent theoretical estimate of the Wick-disconnected diagram
contributions is rederived independently and confirmed.


title:
DISCOMAX: A Proximity-Preserving Distance Correlation Maximization
  Algorithm

abstract:
  In a regression setting we propose algorithms that reduce the dimensionality
of the features while simultaneously maximizing a statistical measure of
dependence known as distance correlation between the low-dimensional features
and a response variable. This helps in solving the prediction problem with a
low-dimensional set of features. Our setting is different from subset-selection
algorithms where the problem is to choose the best subset of features for
regression. Instead, we attempt to generate a new set of low-dimensional
features as in a feature-learning setting. We attempt to keep our proposed
approach as model-free and our algorithm does not assume the application of any
specific regression model in conjunction with the low-dimensional features that
it learns. The algorithm is iterative and is fomulated as a combination of the
majorization-minimization and concave-convex optimization procedures. We also
present spectral radius based convergence results for the proposed iterations.


title:
Coupling vortex dynamics with collective excitations in Bose-Einstein
  Condensates

abstract:
  Here we analyze the collective excitations as well as the expansion of a
trapped Bose-Einstein condensate with a vortex line at its center. To this end,
we propose a variational method where the variational parameters have to be
carefully chosen in order to produce reliable results. Our variational
calculations agree with numerical simulations of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation.
The system considered here turns out to exhibit four collective modes of which
only three can be observed at a time depending of the trap anisotropy. We also
demonstrate that these collective modes can be excited using well established
experimental methods such as modulation of the s-wave scattering length.


title: Superfluorescence spectra of excitons in quantum wells

abstract:
  We study the fluorescence light emitted from GaAs excitons in semiconductor
quantum wells. The excitons are modeled as interacting bosons. By combining
quantum optical methods for the excitonic emission spectrum with many particle
descriptions of the transmission through the medium, we can evaluate the
spectra outside the well. Comparing with experimental spectra, we get a very
good agreement. The method helps explaining the main features of the observed
spectra. It is demonstrated that the observed spectra show clear evidence of
superfluorescent emission.


title: Absolutely Maximally Entangled States: Existence and Applications

abstract:
  We investigate absolutely maximally entangled (AME) states, which are
multipartite quantum states that are maximally entangled with respect to any
possible bipartition. These strong entanglement properties make them a powerful
resource for a variety of quantum information protocols. In this paper, we show
the existence of AME states for any number of parties, given that the dimension
of the involved systems is chosen appropriately. We prove the equivalence of
AME states shared between an even number of parties and pure state threshold
quantum secret sharing (QSS) schemes, and prove necessary and sufficient
entanglement properties for a wider class of ramp QSS schemes. We further show
how AME states can be used as a valuable resource for open-destination
teleportation protocols and to what extend entanglement swapping generalizes to
AME states.


title: Analysis of communities in a mythological social network

abstract:
  The intriguing nature of classical Homeric narratives has always fascinated
the occidental culture contributing to philosophy, history, mythology and
straight forwardly to literature. However what would be so intriguing about
Homer's narratives' At a first gaze we shall recognize the very literal appeal
and aesthetic pleasure presented on every page across Homer's chants in Odyssey
and rhapsodies in Iliad. Secondly we may perceive a biased aspect of its
stories contents, varying from real-historical to fictional-mythological. To
encompass this glance, there are some new archeological finding that supports
historicity of some events described within Iliad, and consequently to Odyssey.
Considering these observations and using complex network theory concepts, we
managed to built and analyze a social network gathered across the classical
epic, Odyssey of Homer. Longing for further understanding, topological
quantities were collected in order to classify its social network qualitatively
into real or fictional. It turns out that most of the found properties belong
to real social networks besides assortativity and giant component's size. In
order to test the network's possibilities to be real, we removed some
mythological members that could imprint a fictional aspect on the network.
Carrying on this maneuver the modified social network resulted on assortative
mixing and reduction of the giant component, as expected for real social
networks. Overall we observe that Odyssey might be an amalgam of fictional
elements plus real based human relations, which corroborates other author's
findings for Iliad and archeological evidences.


title: Delayed self-regulation leads to novel states in epigenetic landscapes

abstract:
  The epigenetic pathway of a cell as it differentiates from a stem cell state
to a mature lineage-committed one has been historically understood in terms of
Waddington's landscape, consisting of hills and valleys. The smooth top and
valley-strewn bottom of the hill represents their undifferentiated and
differentiated states respectively. Although mathematical ideas rooted in
nonlinear dynamics and bifurcation theory have been used to quantify this
picture, the importance of time delays arising from multistep chemical
reactions or cellular shape transformations have been ignored so far. We argue
that this feature is crucial in understanding cell differentiation and explore
the role of time delay in a model of a single gene regulatory circuit. We show
that the interplay of time-dependant drive and delay introduces a new regime
where the system shows sustained oscillations between the two admissible steady
states. We interpret these results in the light of recent perplexing
experiments on inducing the pluripotent state in mouse somatic cells. We also
comment on how such an oscillatory state can provide a framework for
understanding more general feedback circuits in cell development.


title:
Deriving ice thickness, glacier volume and bedrock morphology of the
  Austre Lov\'enbreen (Svalbard) using Ground-penetrating Radar

abstract:
  The Austre Lov\'enbreen is a 4.6 km2 glacier on the Archipelago of Svalbard
(79 degrees N) that has been surveyed over the last 47 years in order of
monitoring in particular the glacier evolution and associated hydrological
phenomena in the context of nowadays global warming. A three-week field survey
over April 2010 allowed for the acquisition of a dense mesh of
Ground-penetrating Radar (GPR) data with an average of 14683 points per km2
(67542 points total) on the glacier surface. The profiles were acquired using a
Mala equipment with 100 MHz antennas, towed slowly enough to record on average
every 0.3 m, a trace long enough to sound down to 189 m of ice. One profile was
repeated with 50 MHz antenna to improve electromagnetic wave propagation depth
in scattering media observed in the cirques closest to the slopes. The GPR was
coupled to a GPS system to position traces. Each profile has been manually
edited using standard GPR data processing including migration, to pick the
reflection arrival time from the ice-bedrock interface. Snow cover was
evaluated through 42 snow drilling measurements regularly spaced to cover all
the glacier. These data were acquired at the time of the GPR survey and
subsequently spatially interpolated using ordinary kriging. Using a snow
velocity of 0.22 m/ns, the snow thickness was converted to electromagnetic wave
travel-times and subtracted from the picked travel-times to the ice-bedrock
interface. The resulting travel-times were converted to ice thickness using a
velocity of 0.17 m/ns. The velocity uncertainty is discussed from a common
mid-point profile analysis. A total of 67542 georeferenced data points with
GPR-derived ice thicknesses, in addition to a glacier boundary line derived
from satellite images taken during summer, were interpolated over the entire
glacier surface using kriging with a 10 m grid size. Some uncertainty analysis
were carried on and we calculated an averaged ice thickness of 76 m and a
maximum depth of 164 m with a relative error of 11.9%. The volume of the
glacier is derived as 0.3487$\pm$0.041 km3. Finally a 10-m grid map of the
bedrock topography was derived by subtracting the ice thicknesses from a
dual-frequency GPS-derived digital elevation model of the surface. These two
datasets are the first step for modelling thermal evolution of the glacier and
its bedrock, as well as the main hydrological network.


title: Truncation symmetry type graphs

abstract:
  There are operations that transform a map M (an embedding of a graph on a
surface) into another map in the same surface, modifying its structure and
consequently its set of flags F(M). For instance, by truncating all the
vertices of a map M, each flag in F(M) is divided into three flags of the
truncated map. Orbanic, Pellicer and Weiss studied the truncation of k-orbit
maps for k < 4. They introduced the notion of T-compatible maps in order to
give a necessary condition for a truncation of a k-orbit map to be either k-,
3k/2- or 3k-orbit map. Using a similar notion, by introducing an appropriate
partition on the set of flags of the maps, we extend the results on truncation
of k-orbit maps for k < 8 and k=9.


title: Spin decoherence due to a randomly fluctuating spin bath

abstract:
  We study the decoherence of a spin in a quantum dot due to its hyperfine
coupling to a randomly fluctuating bath of nuclear spins. The system is
modelled by the central spin model with the spin bath initially being at
infinite temperature. We calculate the spectrum and time evolution of the
coherence factor using a Monte Carlo sampling of the exact eigenstates obtained
via the algebraic Bethe ansatz. The exactness of the obtained eigenstates
allows us to study the non-perturbative regime of weak magnetic fields in a
full quantum mechanical treatment. In particular, we find a large non-decaying
fraction in the zero-field limit. The crossover from strong to weak fields is
similar to the decoherence starting from a pure initial bath state treated
previously. We compare our results to a simple semiclassical picture [Merkulov
et al., Phys. Rev. B 65, 205309 (2002)] and find surprisingly good agreement.
Finally, we discuss the effect of weakly coupled spins and show that they will
eventually lead to complete decoherence.


title:
HW/HZ + 0 and 1 jet at NLO with the POWHEG BOX interfaced to GoSam and
  their merging within MiNLO

abstract:
  We present a generator for the production of a Higgs boson H in association
with a vector boson V=W or Z (including subsequent V decay) plus zero and one
jet, that can be used in conjunction with general-purpose shower Monte Carlo
generators, according to the POWHEG method, as implemented within the POWHEG
BOX framework. We have computed the virtual corrections using GoSam, a program
for the automatic construction of virtual amplitudes. In order to do so, we
have built a general interface of the POWHEG BOX to the GoSam package. With
this addition, the construction of a POWHEG generator within the POWHEG BOX is
now fully automatized, except for the construction of the Born phase space. Our
HV + 1 jet generators can be run with the recently proposed MiNLO method for
the choice of scales and the inclusion of Sudakov form factors. Since the HV
production is very similar to V production, we were able to apply an improved
MiNLO procedure, that was recently used in H and V production, also in the
present case. This procedure is such that the resulting generator achieves NLO
accuracy not only for inclusive distributions in HV + 1 jet production but also
in HV production, i.e. when the associated jet is not resolved, yielding a
further example of matched calculation with no matching scale.


title:
IIB supergravity on manifolds with SU(4) structure and generalized
  geometry

abstract:
  We consider N=(2,0) backgrounds of IIB supergravity on eight-manifolds M_8
with strict SU(4) structure. We give the explicit solution to the Killing
spinor equations as a set of algebraic relations between irreducible su(4)
modules of the fluxes and the torsion classes of M_8. One consequence of
supersymmetry is that M_8 must be complex. We show that the conjecture of
arxiv:1010.5789 concerning the correspondence between background supersymmetry
equations in terms of generalized pure spinors and generalized calibrations for
admissible static, magnetic D-branes, does not capture the full set of
supersymmetry equations. We identify the missing constraints and express them
in the form of a single pure-spinor equation which is well defined for generic
SU(4)\times SU(4) backgrounds. This additional equation is given in terms of a
certain analytic continuation of the generalized calibration form for
codimension-2 static, magnetic D-branes.


title: Interaction of static charges in graphene within Monte-Carlo simulation

abstract:
  The study of the interaction potential between static charges within
Monte-Carlo simulation of graphene is carried out. The numerical simulations
are performed in the effective lattice field theory with noncompact $3 +
1$-dimensional Abelian lattice gauge fields and $2 + 1$-dimensional staggered
lattice fermions. It is shown that for all considered temperatures the
interaction can be well described by the Debye screened potential created by
two-dimensional electron-hole excitations. At low temperatures Debye mass $m_D$
plays a role of order parameter of the insulator-semimetal phase transition. In
the semimetal phase at high temperature graphene reveals the properties of
weakly interacting two-dimensional plasma of fermions excitations.


title: Triangulated surfaces in triangulated categories

abstract:
  For a triangulated category A with a 2-periodic dg-enhancement and a
triangulated oriented marked surface S we introduce a dg-category F(S,A)
parametrizing systems of exact triangles in A labelled by triangles of S. Our
main result is that F(S,A) is independent on the choice of a triangulation of S
up to essentially unique Morita equivalence. In particular, it admits a
canonical action of the mapping class group. The proof is based on general
properties of cyclic 2-Segal spaces.
  In the simplest case, where A is the category of 2-periodic complexes of
vector spaces, F(S,A) turns out to be a purely topological model for the Fukaya
category of the surface S. Therefore, our construction can be seen as
implementing a 2-dimensional instance of Kontsevich's program on localizing the
Fukaya category along a singular Lagrangian spine.


title:
Principal Component Analysis of Modified Gravity using Weak Lensing and
  Peculiar Velocity Measurements

abstract:
  We perform a principal component analysis to assess ability of future
observations to measure departures from General Relativity in predictions of
the Poisson and anisotropy equations on linear scales. In particular, we focus
on how the measurements of redshift-space distortions (RSD) observed from
spectroscopic galaxy redshift surveys will improve the constraints when
combined with lensing tomographic surveys. Assuming a Euclid-like galaxy
imaging and redshift survey, we find that adding the 3D information decreases
the statistical uncertainty by a factor between 3 and 10 compared to the case
when only observables from lensing tomographic surveys are used. We also find
that the number of well-constrained modes increases by a factor between 3 and
7. Our study indicates the importance of joint galaxy imaging and redshift
surveys such as SuMIRe and Euclid to give more stringent tests of the
{\Lambda}CDM model and to distinguish between various modified gravity and dark
energy models.


title: Efficient Classification for Metric Data

abstract:
  Recent advances in large-margin classification of data residing in general
metric spaces (rather than Hilbert spaces) enable classification under various
natural metrics, such as string edit and earthmover distance. A general
framework developed for this purpose by von Luxburg and Bousquet [JMLR, 2004]
left open the questions of computational efficiency and of providing direct
bounds on generalization error.
  We design a new algorithm for classification in general metric spaces, whose
runtime and accuracy depend on the doubling dimension of the data points, and
can thus achieve superior classification performance in many common scenarios.
The algorithmic core of our approach is an approximate (rather than exact)
solution to the classical problems of Lipschitz extension and of Nearest
Neighbor Search. The algorithm's generalization performance is guaranteed via
the fat-shattering dimension of Lipschitz classifiers, and we present
experimental evidence of its superiority to some common kernel methods. As a
by-product, we offer a new perspective on the nearest neighbor classifier,
which yields significantly sharper risk asymptotics than the classic analysis
of Cover and Hart [IEEE Trans. Info. Theory, 1967].


title: The Holonomy Decomposition of Circular Semi-Flower Automata

abstract:
  Eilenberg's holonomy decomposition is useful to ascertain the structural
properties of automata. Using this method, Egri-Nagy and Nehaniv characterized
the absence of certain types of cycles in automata. In the direction of
studying the structure of automata with cycles, this work focuses on a special
class of semi-flower automata and establish the holonomy decompositions of
certain circular semi-flower automata.


title: Motion of test particles in a regular black hole space--time

abstract:
  We consider the motion of test particles in the regular black hole space-time
given by Ay\'{o}n-Beato and Garc\'{\i}a in Phys. Rev. Lett. 80:5056 (1998). The
complete set of orbits for neutral and weakly charged test particles is
discussed, including for neutral particles the extreme and over-extreme metric.
We also derive the analytical solutions for the equation of motion of neutral
test particles in a parametric form and consider a post-Schwarzschild expansion
of the periastron shift to second order in the charge.


title: Fixed-to-Variable Length Resolution Coding for Target Distributions

abstract:
  The number of random bits required to approximate a target distribution in
terms of un-normalized informational divergence is considered. It is shown that
for a variable-to-variable length encoder, this number is lower bounded by the
entropy of the target distribution. A fixed-to-variable length encoder is
constructed using M-type quantization and Tunstall coding. It is shown that the
encoder achieves in the limit an un-normalized informational divergence of zero
with the number of random bits per generated symbol equal to the entropy of the
target distribution. Numerical results show that the proposed encoder
significantly outperforms the optimal block-to-block encoder in the finite
length regime.


title: Discovery of high-frequency iron K lags in Ark 564 and Mrk 335

abstract:
  We use archival XMM-Newton observations of Ark 564 and Mrk 335 to calculate
the frequency dependent time-lags for these two well-studied sources. We
discover high-frequency Fe K lags in both sources, indicating that the red wing
of the line precedes the rest frame energy by roughly 100 s and 150 s for Ark
564 and Mrk 335, respectively. Including these two new sources, Fe K
reverberation lags have been observed in seven Seyfert galaxies. We examine the
low-frequency lag-energy spectrum, which is smooth, and shows no feature of
reverberation, as would be expected if the low-frequency lags were produced by
distant reflection off circumnuclear material. The clear differences in the low
and high frequency lag-energy spectra indicate that the lags are produced by
two distinct physical processes. Finally, we find that the amplitude of the Fe
K lag scales with black hole mass for these seven sources, consistent with a
relativistic reflection model where the lag is the light travel delay
associated with reflection of continuum photons off the inner disc.


title: Space-Efficient Parallel Algorithms for Combinatorial Search Problems

abstract:
  We present space-efficient parallel strategies for two fundamental
combinatorial search problems, namely, backtrack search and branch-and-bound,
both involving the visit of an $n$-node tree of height $h$ under the assumption
that a node can be accessed only through its father or its children. For both
problems we propose efficient algorithms that run on a $p$-processor
distributed-memory machine. For backtrack search, we give a deterministic
algorithm running in $O(n/p+h\log p)$ time, and a Las Vegas algorithm requiring
optimal $O(n/p+h)$ time, with high probability. Building on the backtrack
search algorithm, we also derive a Las Vegas algorithm for branch-and-bound
which runs in $O((n/p+h\log p \log n)h\log^2 n)$ time, with high probability. A
remarkable feature of our algorithms is the use of only constant space per
processor, which constitutes a significant improvement upon previous algorithms
whose space requirements per processor depend on the (possibly huge) tree to be
explored.


title: Counterexamples to Mercat's Conjecture

abstract:
  For any n>3, we provide examples of curves lying on K3 surfaces and vector
bundles on those curves which invalidate Mercat's conjecture for rank n
bundles.


title:
The association problem in wireless networks: a Policy Gradient
  Reinforcement Learning approach

abstract:
  The purpose of this paper is to develop a self-optimized association
algorithm based on PGRL (Policy Gradient Reinforcement Learning), which is both
scalable, stable and robust. The term robust means that performance degradation
in the learning phase should be forbidden or limited to predefined thresholds.
The algorithm is model-free (as opposed to Value Iteration) and robust (as
opposed to Q-Learning). The association problem is modeled as a Markov Decision
Process (MDP). The policy space is parameterized. The parameterized family of
policies is then used as expert knowledge for the PGRL. The PGRL converges
towards a local optimum and the average cost decreases monotonically during the
learning process. The properties of the solution make it a good candidate for
practical implementation. Furthermore, the robustness property allows to use
the PGRL algorithm in an "always-on" learning mode.


title: Tensor sphere bundle of Cheeger-Gromoll type

abstract:
  We construct a metrical framed structure on the tensor bundle of a Riemannian
manifold equipped with a Cheeger-Gromoll type metric and by restricting this
structure to the tensor sphere bundle, we obtain an almost metrical paracontact
structure on the tensor sphere bundle. Moreover, we show that the tensor sphere
bundles endowed with the induced metric are never space forms.


title: An Optimized Design of Reversible Sequential Digital Circuits

abstract:
  In the today's era, reversible logics are the promising technology for the
designing of low power digital logic system having major application in the
field of nanotechnology, quantum computation, DNA and other low power digital
circuits. Reversible logics provide zero power dissipation (Ideally) in the
digital operations. There are numbers of circuit designed by the reversible
logics and sequential circuits have their own importance in the digital
systems. In this paper authors provides a optimized approach and optimized
design for the sequential circuit (counter as an example) by using the MUX gate
(a reversible gate) which provides the better results against the previous
designs discussed in the literature. The proposed design has lower quantum
cost, garbage output, constant input and total number of logical calculations
performing by the design.


title:
Concentration bounds for temporal difference learning with linear
  function approximation: The case of batch data and uniform sampling

abstract:
  We propose a stochastic approximation (SA) based method with randomization of
samples for policy evaluation using the least squares temporal difference
(LSTD) algorithm. Our proposed scheme is equivalent to running regular temporal
difference learning with linear function approximation, albeit with samples
picked uniformly from a given dataset. Our method results in an $O(d)$
improvement in complexity in comparison to LSTD, where $d$ is the dimension of
the data. We provide non-asymptotic bounds for our proposed method, both in
high probability and in expectation, under the assumption that the matrix
underlying the LSTD solution is positive definite. The latter assumption can be
easily satisfied for the pathwise LSTD variant proposed in [23]. Moreover, we
also establish that using our method in place of LSTD does not impact the rate
of convergence of the approximate value function to the true value function.
These rate results coupled with the low computational complexity of our method
make it attractive for implementation in big data settings, where $d$ is large.
A similar low-complexity alternative for least squares regression is well-known
as the stochastic gradient descent (SGD) algorithm. We provide finite-time
bounds for SGD. We demonstrate the practicality of our method as an efficient
alternative for pathwise LSTD empirically by combining it with the least
squares policy iteration (LSPI) algorithm in a traffic signal control
application. We also conduct another set of experiments that combines the SA
based low-complexity variant for least squares regression with the LinUCB
algorithm for contextual bandits, using the large scale news recommendation
dataset from Yahoo.


title:
The Effect of Biased Communications On Both Trusting and Suspicious
  Voters

abstract:
  In recent studies of political decision-making, apparently anomalous behavior
has been observed on the part of voters, in which negative information about a
candidate strengthens, rather than weakens, a prior positive opinion about the
candidate. This behavior appears to run counter to rational models of decision
making, and it is sometimes interpreted as evidence of non-rational "motivated
reasoning". We consider scenarios in which this effect arises in a model of
rational decision making which includes the possibility of deceptive
information. In particular, we will consider a model in which there are two
classes of voters, which we will call trusting voters and suspicious voters,
and two types of information sources, which we will call unbiased sources and
biased sources. In our model, new data about a candidate can be efficiently
incorporated by a trusting voter, and anomalous updates are impossible;
however, anomalous updates can be made by suspicious voters, if the information
source mistakenly plans for an audience of trusting voters, and if the partisan
goals of the information source are known by the suspicious voter to be
"opposite" to his own. Our model is based on a formalism introduced by the
artificial intelligence community called "multi-agent influence diagrams",
which generalize Bayesian networks to settings involving multiple agents with
distinct goals.


title: Getting back to Na_xCoO_2: spectral and thermoelectric properties

abstract:
  Sodium cobaltate Na_xCoO_2 as dopable strongly correlated layered material
with a triangular sublattice still poses a challenging problem in condensed
matter. The intriguing interplay between lattice, charge, spin and orbital
degrees of freedom leads to a complex phase diagram bounded by a nominal Mott
(x=0) regime and a band-insulating (x=1) phase. By means of the charge
self-consistent density functional theory (DFT) plus dynamical mean-field
theory (DMFT) scheme, built on a pseudopotential framework combined with a
continuous-time quantum Monte-Carlo solver, we here study the one-particle
spectral function A(k,\omega) as well as the thermopower S(T). The computations
may account for the suppression of the e_g' pockets in A(k,\omega) at lower
doping in line with photoemission experiments. Enhancement of the thermopower
is verified within the present elaborate multi-orbital method to treat
correlated materials. In addition, the two-particle dynamic spin susceptibility
\chi_s(\omega,q) is investigated based on a simplified tight-binding approach,
yet by including vertex contributions in the DMFT linear response. Besides the
identification of paramagnon branches at higher doping, a prominent high-energy
antiferromagnetic mode close to x=0.67 is therewith identified in
\chi_s(\omega,q), which can be linked to extended hopping terms on the CoO_2
sublattice.


title: Dynamic Phase Diagram for the Quantum Phase Model

abstract:
  We address the stability of superfluid currents in a system of interacting
lattice bosons. We consider various Gutzwiller trial states for the quantum
phase model which provides a good approximation for the Bose-Hubbard model in
the limit of large interactions and boson populations. We thoroughly analyze
the current-carrying stationary states of the dynamics ensuing from a Gaussian
ansatz, and derive analytical results for the critical lines signaling their
modulational and energetic instability, as well as the maximum of the carried
current. We show that these analytical results are in good qualitative
agreement with those obtained numerically in previous works on the Bose-Hubbard
model, and in the present work for the quantum phase model.


title: Li-Yau inequality on graphs

abstract:
  We prove the Li-Yau gradient estimate for the heat kernel on graphs. The only
assumption is a variant of the curvature-dimension inequality, which is purely
local, and can be considered as a new notion of curvature for graphs. We
compute this curvature for lattices and trees and conclude that it behaves more
naturally than the already existing notions of curvature. Moreover, we show
that if a graph has non-negative curvature then it has polynomial volume
growth.
  We also derive Harnack inequalities and heat kernel bounds from the gradient
estimate, and show how it can be used to strengthen the classical Buser
inequality relating the spectral gap and the Cheeger constant of a graph.


title: Mathematical analysis in high school : a fundamental dilemma

abstract:
  We provide a theoretical framework for analysing and comparing different
forms of organizing introductions to mathematical analysis at the secondary
level, then illustrate it by two characteristic examples from certain periods
of change in the 20th century, as they occurred in Denmark. We conclude by
extracting from this a fundamental dilemma for the teaching of analysis at
secondary level in view of the requirements and affordances provided by
computer algebra systems on the one hand, and contemporary utilitarian school
pedagogies on the other hand.


title:
Unbounded Order Convergence and Application to Martingales without
  Probability

abstract:
  A net $(x_\alpha)_{\alpha\in \Gamma}$ in a vector lattice $X$ is unbounded
order convergent (uo-convergent) to $x$ if $|x_\alpha-x| \wedge y
\xrightarrow{o} 0$ for each $y \in X_+$, and is unbounded order Cauchy
(uo-Cauchy) if the net $(x_\alpha-x_{\alpha'})_{\Gamma\times \Gamma}$ is
uo-convergent to 0. In the first part of this article, we study uo-convergent
and uo-Cauchy nets in Banach lattices and use them to characterize Banach
lattices with the positive Schur property and KB-spaces. In the second part, we
use the concept of uo-Cauchy sequences to extend Doob's submartingale
convergence theorems to a measure-free setting. Our results imply, in
particular, that every norm bounded submartingale in $L_1(\Omega;F)$ is almost
surely uo-Cauchy in $F$, where $F$ is an order continuous Banach lattice with a
weak unit.


title: Survey of Publicly Available State Health Databases

abstract:
  We surveyed every state and the District of Columbia to see what patient
specific information states release on hospital visits and how much potentially
identifiable information is released in those records. Thirty-three states
release hospital discharge data in some form, with varying levels of
demographic information and hospital stay details such as hospital name,
admission and discharge dates, diagnoses, doctors who attended to the patient,
payer, and cost of the stay. We compared the level of demographic and other
data to federal standards set by the Health Information Portability and
Accountability Act or HIPAA), which states do not have to adhere to for this
type of data. We found that states varied widely in whether their data was
HIPAA equivalent; while 13 were equivalent (or stricter) with demographic
fields only 3 of the 33 states that released data did so in a form that was
HIPAA equivalent across all fields.


title: Strong solutions in the dynamical theory of compressible fluid mixtures

abstract:
  In this paper we investigate the compressible Navier-Stokes-Cahn-Hilliard
equations (the so-called NSCH model) derived by Lowengrub and Truskinowsky.
This model describes the flow of a binary compressible mixture; the fluids are
supposed to be macroscopically immiscible, but partial mixing is permitted
leading to narrow transition layers. The internal structure and macroscopic
dynamics of these layers are induced by a Cahn-Hilliard law that the mixing
ratio satisfies. The PDE constitute a strongly coupled hyperbolic-parabolic
system. We establish a local existence and uniqueness result for strong
solutions.


title: Surface sensitivity of Rayleigh anomalies in metallic nanogratings

abstract:
  Sensing schemes based on Rayleigh anomalies (RAs) in metal nanogratings
exhibit an impressive bulk refractive-index sensitivity determined solely by
the grating period. However, the surface sensitivity (which is a key figure of
merit for label-free chemical and biological sensing) needs to be carefully
investigated to assess the actual applicability of this technological platform.
In this paper, we explore the sensitivity of RAs in metal nanogratings when
local refractive-index changes are considered. Our studies reveal that the
surface sensitivity deteriorates up to two orders of magnitude by comparison
with the corresponding bulk value; interestingly, this residual sensitivity is
not attributable to the wavelength shift of the RAs, which are completely
insensitive to local refractive-index changes, but rather to a strictly
connected plasmonic effect. Our analysis for increasing overlay thickness
reveals an ultimate surface sensitivity that approaches the RA bulk value,
which turns out to be the upper-limit of grating-assisted
surface-plasmon-polariton sensitivities.


title:
Dynamics of tungsten hexacarbonyl, dicobalt octacarbonyl and their
  fragments adsorbed on silica surfaces

abstract:
  Tungsten and cobalt carbonyls adsorbed on a substrate are typical starting
points for the electron beam induced deposition of tungsten or cobalt based
metallic nanostructures. We employ first principles molecular dynamics
simulations to investigate the dynamics and vibrational spectra of W(CO)6 and
W(CO)5 as well as Co2(CO)8 and Co(CO)4 precursor molecules on fully and
partially hydroxylated silica surfaces. Such surfaces resemble the initial
conditions of electron beam induced growth processes. We find that both W(CO)6
and Co2(CO)8 are stable at room temperature and mobile on a silica surface
saturated with hydroxyl groups (OH), moving up to half an Angstr\"om per
picosecond. In contrast, chemisorbed W(CO)5 or Co(CO)4 ions at room temperature
do not change their binding site. These results contribute to gaining
fundamental insight into how the molecules behave in the simulated time window
of 20ps and our determined vibrational spectra of all species provide
signatures for experimentally distinguishing the form in which precursors cover
a substrate.


title: Dense lattices in low dimensions

abstract:
  The Barnes-Wall lattice ${\bf \Lambda}_{16}$ with the center density
${\{1}{16}}$ and the kissing number 4320 was found in 1959 and is the only
known densest sphere packing in the dimension 16. J. H. Conway and N.J.A.
Sloane conjectured that ${\bf \Lambda}_{16}$ is the densest 16 dimensional
lattice. Sometimes it is conjectured that the Barnes-Wall lattice ${\bf
\Lambda}_{16}$ is the only densest lattice and the optimal sphere packing in
${\bf R}^{16}$. In this paper two new 16 dimensional lattices with the center
density $\{1}{16}$ and the kissing numbers 4224 and 4176 are constructed. This
leads to several new 14 and 15 dimensional lattices which have the same center
densities but different kissing numbers as the presently known densest lattices
in these two dimensions. This gives a negative answer to the long time
expectation that ${\bf \Lambda}_n$'s, $n \leq 24, n \neq 11,12,13$ are the only
densest lattices in their dimensions. {abstract}


title:
Theory of wetting-induced fluid entrainment by advancing contact lines
  on dry surfaces

abstract:
  We report on the onset of fluid entrainment when a contact line is forced to
advance over a dry solid of arbitrary wettability. We show that entrainment
occurs at a critical advancing speed beyond which the balance between
capillary, viscous and contact line forces sustaining the shape of the
interface is no longer satisfied. Wetting couples to the hydrodynamics by
setting both the morphology of the interface at small scales and the viscous
friction of the front. We find that the critical deformation that the interface
can sustain is controlled by the friction at the contact line and the viscosity
contrast between the displacing and displaced fluids, leading to a rich variety
of wetting-entrainment regimes. We discuss the potential use of our theory to
measure contact-line forces using atomic force microscopy, and to study
entrainment under microfluidic conditions exploiting colloid-polymer fluids of
ultra-low surface tension.


title:
Canonical form of three-fermion pure-states with six single particle
  states

abstract:
  We construct a canonical form for pure states in $\bwe^3(\bC^6)$, the
three-fermion system with six single particle states, under local unitary (LU)
transformations, i.e., the unitary group $\Un(6)$. We also construct a minimal
set of generators of the algebra of polynomial $\Un(6)$-invariants on
$\bwe^3(\bC^6)$. It turns out that this algebra is isomorphic to the algebra of
polynomial LU-invariants of three-qubits which are additionally invariant under
qubit permutations. As a consequence of this surprising fact, we deduce that
there is a one-to-one correspondence between the $\Un(6)$-orbits of pure
three-fermion states in $\bwe^3(\bC^6)$ and the LU orbits of pure three-qubit
states when qubit permutations are allowed. As an important byproduct, we
obtain a new canonical form for pure three-qubit states under LU
transformations $\Un(2)\times\Un(2)\times\Un(2)$ (no qubit permutations
allowed).