title: Strength of the Vortex-Pinning Interaction from Real-Time Dynamics

abstract:
  We present an efficient and general method to compute vortex-pinning
interactions - which arise in neutron stars, superconductors, and trapped cold
atoms - at arbitrary separations using real-time dynamics. This method
overcomes uncertainties associated with matter redistribution by the vortex
position and the related choice of ensemble that plague the typical approach of
comparing energy differences between stationary pinned and unpinned
configurations: uncertainties that prevent agreement in the literature on the
sign and magnitude of the vortex-nucleus interaction in the crust of neutron
stars. We demonstrate and validate the method with Gross-Pitaevskii-like
equations for the unitary Fermi gas, and demonstrate how the technique of
adiabatic state preparation with time-dependent simulation can be used to
calculate vortex-pinning interactions in fermionic systems such as the
vortex-nucleus interaction in the crust of neutron stars.


title: Quantum Gravity via Causal Dynamical Triangulations

abstract:
  "Causal Dynamical Triangulations" (CDT) represent a lattice regularization of
the sum over spacetime histories, providing us with a non-perturbative
formulation of quantum gravity. The ultraviolet fixed points of the lattice
theory can be used to define a continuum quantum field theory, potentially
making contact with quantum gravity defined via asymptotic safety. We describe
the formalism of CDT, its phase diagram, and the quantum geometries emerging
from it. We also argue that the formalism should be able to describe a more
general class of quantum-gravitational models of Horava-Lifshitz type.


title: Intermittency in Hall-magnetohydrodynamics with a strong guide field

abstract:
  We present a detailed study of intermittency in the velocity and magnetic
field fluctuations of compressible Hall-magnetohydrodynamic turbulence with an
external guide field. To solve the equations numerically, a reduced model valid
when a strong guide field is present is used. Different values for the ion skin
depth are considered in the simulations. The resulting data is analyzed
computing field increments in several directions perpendicular to the guide
field, and building structure functions and probability density functions. In
the magnetohydrodynamic limit we recover the usual results with the magnetic
field being more intermittent than the velocity field. In the presence of the
Hall effect, field fluctuations at scales smaller than the ion skin depth show
a substantial decrease in the level of intermittency, with close to monofractal
scaling.


title:
Testing quantum electrodynamics in the lowest singlet states of
  beryllium atom

abstract:
  High-precision results are reported for the energy levels of $2{^1S}$ and
$2{^1P}$ states of the beryllium atom. Calculations are performed using fully
correlated Gaussian basis sets and taking into account the relativistic,
quantum electrodynamics (QED), and finite nuclear mass effects. Theoretical
predictions for the ionization potential of the beryllium ground state
$75\,192.699(7) \icm$ and the $2{^1P} \rightarrow 2{^1S}$ transition energy
$42\,565.441(11) \icm$ are compared to the known but less accurate experimental
values. The accuracy of the four-electron computations approaches that achieved
for the three-electron atoms, which enables determination of the nuclear charge
radii and precision tests of QED.


title: Minimax Optimal Algorithms for Unconstrained Linear Optimization

abstract:
  We design and analyze minimax-optimal algorithms for online linear
optimization games where the player's choice is unconstrained. The player
strives to minimize regret, the difference between his loss and the loss of a
post-hoc benchmark strategy. The standard benchmark is the loss of the best
strategy chosen from a bounded comparator set. When the the comparison set and
the adversary's gradients satisfy L_infinity bounds, we give the value of the
game in closed form and prove it approaches sqrt(2T/pi) as T -> infinity.
  Interesting algorithms result when we consider soft constraints on the
comparator, rather than restricting it to a bounded set. As a warmup, we
analyze the game with a quadratic penalty. The value of this game is exactly
T/2, and this value is achieved by perhaps the simplest online algorithm of
all: unprojected gradient descent with a constant learning rate.
  We then derive a minimax-optimal algorithm for a much softer penalty
function. This algorithm achieves good bounds under the standard notion of
regret for any comparator point, without needing to specify the comparator set
in advance. The value of this game converges to sqrt{e} as T ->infinity; we
give a closed-form for the exact value as a function of T. The resulting
algorithm is natural in unconstrained investment or betting scenarios, since it
guarantees at worst constant loss, while allowing for exponential reward
against an "easy" adversary.


title:
Two-photon interference of weak coherent laser pulses recalled from
  separate solid-state quantum memories

abstract:
  Quantum memories for light, which allow the reversible transfer of quantum
states between light and matter, are central to the development of quantum
repeaters, quantum networks, and linear optics quantum computing. Significant
progress has been reported in recent years, including the faithful transfer of
quantum information from photons in pure and entangled qubit states. However,
none of these demonstrations confirm that photons stored in and recalled from
quantum memories remain suitable for two-photon interference measurements, such
as C-NOT gates and Bell-state measurements, which constitute another key
ingredient for all aforementioned applications of quantum information
processing. Using pairs of weak laser pulses, each containing less than one
photon on average, we demonstrate two-photon interference as well as a
Bell-state measurement after either none, one, or both pulses have been
reversibly mapped to separate thulium-doped titanium-indiffused lithium niobate
(Ti:Tm:LiNbO3) waveguides. As the interference is always near the theoretical
maximum, we conclude that our solid-state quantum memories, in addition to
faithfully mapping quantum information, also preserves the entire photonic
wavefunction. Hence, we demonstrate that our memories are generally suitable
for use in advanced applications of quantum information processing that require
two-photon interference.


title: Gaussian State Amplification with Noisy State Observations

abstract:
  The problem of simultaneous message transmission and state amplification in a
Gaussian channel with additive Gaussian state is studied when the sender has
imperfect noncausal knowledge of the state sequence. Inner and outer bounds to
the rate--state-distortion region are provided. The coding scheme underlying
the inner bound combines analog signaling and Gelfand-Pinsker coding, where the
latter deviates from the operating point of Costa's dirty paper coding.


title:
Entering the "magnetic highway": energetic particle anisotropies at the
  heliospheric boundary

abstract:
  In August of 2012 the Voyager 1 space probe entered a distinctly new region
of space characterized by a virtual absence of heliospheric energetic charged
particles and magnetic fluctuations, dubbed a "magnetic highway". Prior to
their disappearance, the particle distributions strongly peaked at a 90$^\circ$
pitch angle implying a faster particle escape along the magnetic field lines.
We investigate the process of particle crossing from the heliosheath region
into the "magnetic highway" region using a kinetic approach resolving scales of
the particle's cyclotron radius and smaller. We show that a "loss-cone" type
distribution naturally arises as the orbiting particles enter a region of space
with an extremely low pitch-angle scattering rate.


title: Quarkonia in the Quark Gluon Plasma

abstract:
  In this paper we review recent progress towards understanding the nature of
quarkonia in the quark-gluon plasma. We review the theory necessary to
understand the melting of bound states due to color-screening, including
lattice results for the heavy quark potential, lattice results on the
correlation functions related to the relevant spectral functions, and the
emergence of a complex-valued potential in high-temperature quantum
chromodynamics. We close with a brief survey of phenomenological models of
quarkonium suppression in relativistic heavy ion collisions.


title: Quantum Spacetime, from a Practitioner's Point of View

abstract:
  We argue that theories of quantum gravity constructed with the help of
(Causal) Dynamical Triangulations have given us the most informative,
quantitative models to date of quantum spacetime. Most importantly, these are
derived dynamically from nonperturbative and background-independent quantum
theories of geometry. In the physically relevant case of four spacetime
dimensions, the ansatz of Causal Dynamical Triangulations produces - from a
fairly minimal set of quantum field-theoretic inputs - an emergent spacetime
which macroscopically looks like a de Sitter universe, and on Planckian scales
possesses unexpected quantum properties. Important in deriving these results
are a regularized version of the theory, in which the quantum dynamics is well
defined, can be studied with the help of numerical Monte Carlo methods and
extrapolated to infinite lattice volumes.


title: Slow Evolution of rag1 and pomc Genes in Vertebrates with Large Genomes

abstract:
  Growing evidence suggests that many vertebrate lineages are evolving at
significantly different rates. As a first approximation of evolutionary rates,
we assessed the amount of neutral (dS) and non-neutral (dN) substitutions that
have accumulated within and across sister clades since the time of their
divergence. We found that in fish, tetraodontiformes (pufferfish) are evolving
at faster rates than cypriniformes (fresh water teleosts), while cypriniformes
are evolving faster than elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays). A similar
rate variation was observed in salamanders: plethodontidae were found to evolve
at a rate nearly two fold faster than the hydromantes lineage. We discuss
possible explanations for this striking variation in substitution rates among
different vertebrate lineages that occupy widely diverse habitats and niches.


title: The Importance of Tie-Breaking in Finite-Blocklength Bounds

abstract:
  We consider upper bounds on the error probability in channel coding. We
derive an improved maximum-likelihood union bound, which takes into account
events where the likelihood of the correct codeword is tied with that of some
competitors. We compare this bound to various previous results, both
qualitatively and quantitatively. With respect to maximal error probability of
linear codes, we observe that when the channel is additive, the derivation of
bounds, as well as the assumptions on the admissible encoder and decoder,
simplify considerably.


title:
The two-edge connectivity survivable-network design problem in planar
  graphs

abstract:
  Consider the following problem: given a graph with edge costs and a subset Q
of vertices, find a minimum-cost subgraph in which there are two edge-disjoint
paths connecting every pair of vertices in Q. The problem is a
failure-resilient analog of the Steiner tree problem arising, for example, in
telecommunications applications. We study a more general mixed-connectivity
formulation, also employed in telecommunications optimization. Given a number
(or requirement) r(v) in {0, 1, 2} for each vertex v in the graph, find a
minimum-cost subgraph in which there are min{r(u), r(v)} edge-disjoint u-to-v
paths for every pair u, v of vertices.
  We address the problem in planar graphs, considering a popular relaxation in
which the solution is allowed to use multiple copies of the input-graph edges
(paying separately for each copy). The problem is max SNP-hard in general
graphs and strongly NP-hard in planar graphs. We give the first polynomial-time
approximation scheme in planar graphs. The running time is O(n log n).
  Under the additional restriction that the requirements are only non-zero for
vertices on the boundary of a single face of a planar graph, we give a
polynomial-time algorithm to find the optimal solution.


title:
Passive Self-Interference Suppression for Full-Duplex Infrastructure
  Nodes

abstract:
  Recent research results have demonstrated the feasibility of full-duplex
wireless communication for short-range links. Although the focus of the
previous works has been active cancellation of the self-interference signal, a
majority of the overall self-interference suppression is often due to passive
suppression, i.e., isolation of the transmit and receive antennas. We present a
measurement-based study of the capabilities and limitations of three key
mechanisms for passive self-interference suppression: directional isolation,
absorptive shielding, and cross-polarization. The study demonstrates that more
than 70 dB of passive suppression can be achieved in certain environments, but
also establishes two results on the limitations of passive suppression: (1)
environmental reflections limit the amount of passive suppression that can be
achieved, and (2) passive suppression, in general, increases the frequency
selectivity of the residual self-interference signal. These results suggest two
design implications: (1) deployments of full-duplex infrastructure nodes should
minimize near-antenna reflectors, and (2) active cancellation in concatenation
with passive suppression should employ higher-order filters or per-subcarrier
cancellation.


title:
Evolution of the Cosmological Horizons in a Universe with Countably
  Infinitely Many State Equations

abstract:
  This paper is the second of two papers devoted to the study of the evolution
of the cosmological horizons (particle and event horizons). Specifically, in
this paper we consider the extremely general case of an accelerated universe
with countably infinitely many constant state equations, and we obtain simple
expressions in terms of their respective recession velocities that generalize
the previous results for one and two state equations. We also provide a
qualitative study of the values of the horizons and their velocities at the
origin of the universe and at the far future, and we prove that these values
only depend on one dominant state equation. Finally, we compare both horizons
and determine when one is larger that the other.


title:
Linear Precoding and Equalization for Network MIMO with Partial
  Cooperation

abstract:
  A cellular multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) downlink system is studied
in which each base station (BS) transmits to some of the users, so that each
user receives its intended signal from a subset of the BSs. This scenario is
referred to as network MIMO with partial cooperation, since only a subset of
the BSs are able to coordinate their transmission towards any user. The focus
of this paper is on the optimization of linear beamforming strategies at the
BSs and at the users for network MIMO with partial cooperation. Individual
power constraints at the BSs are enforced, along with constraints on the number
of streams per user. It is first shown that the system is equivalent to a MIMO
interference channel with generalized linear constraints (MIMO-IFC-GC). The
problems of maximizing the sum-rate(SR) and minimizing the weighted sum mean
square error (WSMSE) of the data estimates are non-convex, and suboptimal
solutions with reasonable complexity need to be devised. Based on this,
suboptimal techniques that aim at maximizing the sum-rate for the MIMO-IFC-GC
are reviewed from recent literature and extended to the MIMO-IFC-GC where
necessary. Novel designs that aim at minimizing the WSMSE are then proposed.
Extensive numerical simulations are provided to compare the performance of the
considered schemes for realistic cellular systems.


title:
First Long-Term Application of Squeezed States of Light in a
  Gravitational-Wave Observatory

abstract:
  We report on the first long-term application of squeezed vacuum states of
light to improve the shot-noise-limited sensitivity of a gravitational-wave
observatory. In particular, squeezed vacuum was applied to the German/British
detector GEO600 during a period of three months from June to August 2011, when
GEO600 was performing an observational run together with the French/Italian
Virgo detector. In a second period squeezing application continued for about 11
months from November 2011 to October 2012. During this time, squeezed vacuum
was applied for 90.2% (205.2 days total) of the time that science-quality data
was acquired with GEO600. Sensitivity increase from squeezed vacuum application
was observed broad-band above 400Hz. The time average of gain in sensitivity
was 26% (2.0dB), determined in the frequency band from 3.7kHz to 4.0kHz. This
corresponds to a factor of two increase in observed volume of the universe, for
sources in the kHz region (e.g. supernovae, magnetars). We introduce three new
techniques to enable stable long-term application of squeezed light, and show
that the glitch-rate of the detector did not increase from squeezing
application. Squeezed vacuum states of light have arrived as a permanent
application, capable of increasing the astrophysical reach of
gravitational-wave detectors.


title: Periods of Jacobi forms and Hecke operator

abstract:
  A Hecke action on the space of periods of cusp forms, which is compatible
with that on the space of cusp forms, was first computed using continued
fraction and an explicit algebraic formula of Hecke operators acting on the
space of period functions of modular forms was derived by studying the rational
period functions. As an application an elementary proof of the Eichler-Selberg
trace formula was derived. Similar modification has been applied to period
space of Maass cusp forms with spectral parameter $s$. In this paper we study
the space of period functions of Jacobi forms by means of Jacobi integral and
give an explicit description of Hecke operator acting on this space. a Jacobi
Eisenstein series $E_{2,1}({\tau},z)$ of weight 2 and index 1 is discussed as
an example. Periods of Jacobi integrals are already appeared as a disguised
form in the work of Zwegers to study Mordell integral coming from Lerch sums
and mock Jacobi forms are typical example of Jacobi integral.


title:
Planetary harmonics in the historical Hungarian aurora record
  (1523-1960)

abstract:
  The historical Hungarian auroral record extends from 1523 to 1960 and is
longer than the sunspot record. Harmonic analysis reveals four major
multidecadal secular cycles forming an approximate harmonic set at periods of
42.85, 57.13, 85.7 and 171.4 years. These four frequencies are very close to
the four major heliospheric oscillations relative to the center of mass of the
solar system caused by Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Similar frequencies
are found in solar radiation models based on long cosmogenic isotope records
(Steinhilber et al. 2012) and in long records of naked-eye sunspot observations
(Vaquero et al., 2002). Harmonic regression models are used to reconstruct and
forecast aurora and solar activity for the period 1956-2050. The model
predicts: (1) the multidecadal solar minimum in the 1970s that is also observed
in the sunspot record; (2) a solar maximum in 2000-2002 that is observed in the
ACRIM total solar irradiance satellite composite; (3) a prolonged solar minimum
centered in the 2030s. These findings support a hypothesis that the Sun, the
heliosphere and the terrestrial magnetosphere are partially modulated by
planetary gravitational and magnetic forces synchronized to planetary
oscillations, as also found in other recent publications (Scafetta, 2010,
2012a, 2012c, 2012d; Abreu et al., 2012; Tan & Cheng, 2012).

categories: astro-ph.EP astro-ph.SR physics.geo-ph physics.space-ph


title: mrPUF: A Memristive Device based Physical Unclonable Function

abstract:
  Physical unclonable functions (PUFs) exploit the intrinsic complexity and
irreproducibility of physical systems to generate secret information. PUFs have
the potential to provide fundamentally higher security than traditional
cryptographic methods by preventing the cloning of identities and the
extraction of secret keys. One unique and exciting opportunity is that of using
the super-high information content (SHIC) capability of nanocrossbar
architecture as well as the high resistance programming variation of resistive
memories to develop a highly secure on-chip PUFs for extremely resource
constrained devices characterized by limited power and area budgets such as
passive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) devices. We show how to implement
PUF based on nano-scale memristive (resistive memory) devices (mrPUF). Our
proposed architecture significantly increased the number of possible
challenge-response pairs (CRPs), while also consuming relatively lesser power
(around 70 uW). The presented approach can be used in other silicon-based PUFs
as well.


title: Mixed Orbital Ground States of Fe2+ in Prussian Blues

abstract:
  We report on the mixed-orbital ground state compounds analogous to the
mixed-valence ones. Orbital doublet and singlet ground states of the Fe2+ ion
displayed in Moessbauer spectra of the Prussian blue analogues
AyFe3-y[Co(CN)6]2xH2O (y<1) are interconverting to each other as temperature
changes for A = K, Na. Relative weight of orbital singlet ground states
increases with lowering temperature. In the alcali-free cobalticyanides, the
Moessbauer spectra are dominated by quadrupole-splt doublets of the same origin
with a large splitting characteristic of the Fe2+ species coordinated by two
(at least) oxygen atoms of water molecules in cis-configuration. Single type
octahedral coordination of Fe2+ is isolated in A-filled cobalticyanides for
A=Rb, Cs to be characterized by the narrower quadrupole spectrum associated
with the orbital doublet ground states. Ionic exchange of K for Cs in
KFe[Co(CN)6]H2O results in predominance of the orbital singlet, i.e., in
enhanced anisotropy of the Fe2+ valence electrons. We found hence that the Fe2+
charge distribution can be modified together with crystal size at the step of
synthesis owing to distortion isomerism.


title: Circumstantial-Evidence-Based Judgment for Software Effort Estimation

abstract:
  Expert judgment for software effort estimation is oriented toward direct
evidences that refer to actual effort of similar projects or activities through
experts' experiences. However, the availability of direct evidences implies the
requirement of suitable experts together with past data. The
circumstantial-evidence-based judgment proposed in this paper focuses on the
development experiences deposited in human knowledge, and can then be used to
qualitatively estimate implementation effort of different proposals of a new
project by rational inference. To demonstrate the process of
circumstantial-evidence-based judgment, this paper adopts propositional
learning theory based diagnostic reasoning to infer and compare different
effort estimates when implementing a Web service composition project with some
different techniques and contexts. The exemplar shows our proposed work can
help determine effort tradeoff before project implementation. Overall,
circumstantial-evidence-based judgment is not an alternative but complementary
to expert judgment so as to facilitate and improve software effort estimation.


title:
Two-loop Renormalization Factors of Dimension-six Proton Decay Operators
  in the Supersymmetric Standard Models

abstract:
  The renormalization factors of the dimension-six effective operators for
proton decay are evaluated at two-loop level in the supersymmetric grand
unified theories. For this purpose, we use the previous results in which the
quantum corrections to the effective Kahler potential are evaluated at
two-loop level. Numerical values for the factors are presented in the case of
the minimal supersymmetric SU(5) grand unified model. We also derive a simple
formula for the one-loop renormalization factors for any higher-dimensional
operators in the Kahler potential, assuming that they are induced by the gauge
interactions.


title:
Top Forward-backward asymmetry at the Tevatron vs. Charge asymmetry at
  the LHC in chiral $U(1)'$ models with flavored Higgs fields

abstract:
  An extra $U(1)'$ model with $Z'$ coupled only to the right-handed (RH)
up-type quarks has been one of the popular models for the Tevatron top
forward-backward asymmetry (FBA), and has been excluded by the same-sign
top-pair productions at the LHC. However, the original $Z'$ model is not
physical, since the up-type quarks are massless including the top quark. This
disaster can be evaded if the Higgs sector is extended by including new Higgs
doublets with nonzero $U(1)'$ charges. We find that some parameter regions
could achieve not only the top FBA at the Tevatron, but also the charge
asymmetry at the LHC without exceeding the upper limit of the same-sign
top-quark pair production at the LHC. The lesson is that it is mandatory to
extend the Higgs sector whenever one considers chiral gauge symmetries beyond
the SM gauge group. Otherwise some fermions remain massless, and thus it is
meaningless to work on phenomenology without the extra Higgs doublets with new
chiral gauge charges.


title:
Phase structure and Hosotani mechanism in gauge theories with compact
  dimensions revisited

abstract:
  We investigate the phase structure of SU(3) gauge theory in four and five
dimensions with one compact dimension by using perturbative one-loop and
PNJL-model-based effective potentials, with emphasis on spontaneous gauge
symmetry breaking. When adjoint matter with the periodic boundary condition is
introduced, we have rich phase structure in the quark-mass and compact-size
space with gauge-symmetry-broken phases, called the $SU(2)\times U(1)$ split
and the $U(1)\times U(1)$ re-confined phases. Our result is qualitatively
consistent with the recent lattice calculations. When fundamental quarks are
introduced in addition to adjoint quarks, the split phase becomes more dominant
and larger as a result of explicit center symmetry breaking. We also show that
another $U(1)\times U(1)$ phase (pseudo-reconfined phase) with negative vacuum
expectation value of Polyakov loop exists in this case. We study chiral
properties in these theories and show that chiral condensate gradually
decreases and chiral symmetry is slowly restored as the size of the compact
dimension is decreased.


title: Towards Technology Independent Strategies for SOA Implementations

abstract:
  Benefiting from the technology based strategies, Service-Oriented
Architecture (SOA) has been able to achieve the general goals such as agility,
flexibility, reusability and efficiency. Nevertheless, technical conditions
alone cannot guarantee successful SOA implementations. As a valuable and
necessary supplement, the space of technology independent strategies should
also be explored. Through treating SOA system as an instance of organization
and identifying the common ground on the similar process of SOA implementation
and organization design, this paper uses existing work in organization theory
area to inspire the research into technology independent strategies of SOA
implementation. As a result, four preliminary strategies that can be applied to
organizational area we identify to support SOA implementations. Furthermore,
the novel methodology of investigating technology independent strategies for
implementing SOA is revealed, which encourages interdisciplinary research
across service-oriented computing and organization theory.


title:
Tests of General Relativity and Alternative theories of gravity using
  Gravitational Wave observations

abstract:
  Gravitational Wave (GW) observations of coalescing compact binaries will be
unique probes of strong-field, dynamical aspects of relativistic gravity. We
present a short review of various schemes proposed in the literature to test
General Relativity (GR) and alternative theories of gravity using inspiral
waveforms. Broadly these schemes may be classified into two types: model
dependent and model independent. In the model dependent category, GW
observations are compared against a specific waveform model representative of a
particular theory or a class of theories like Scalar-Tensor theories, Dynamical
Chern-Simons theory and Massive graviton theories. Model independent tests are
attempts to write down a parametrised gravitational waveform where the free
parameters take different values for different theories and (at least some of)
which can be constrained by GW observations. We revisit some of the proposed
bounds in the case of downscaled LISA configuration (eLISA) and compare them
with the original LISA configuration. We also compare the expected bounds on
alternative theories of gravity from ground-based and space-based detectors and
find that space-based GW detectors can test GR and other theories of gravity
with unprecedented accuracies. We then focus on a recent proposal to use
singular value decomposition (SVD) of the Fisher information matrix to improve
the accuracies with which Post-Newtonian (PN) theory can be tested. We extend
those results to the case of space based detector eLISA and discuss its
implications.


title:
Software Cost Estimation Framework for Service-Oriented Architecture
  Systems using Divide-and-Conquer Approach

abstract:
  Due to the complexity of Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), cost and effort
estimation for SOA-based software development is more difficult than that for
traditional software development. Unfortunately, there is a lack of published
work about cost and effort estimation for SOA-based software. Existing cost
estimation approaches are inadequate to address the complex service-oriented
systems. This paper proposes a novel framework based on Divide-and-Conquer
(D&C) for cost estimation for building SOA-based software. By dealing with
separately development parts, the D&C framework can help organizations simplify
and regulate SOA implementation cost estimation. Furthermore, both cost
estimation modeling and software sizing work can be satisfied respectively by
switching the corresponding metrics within this framework. Given the
requirement of developing these metrics, this framework also defines the future
research in four different directions according to the separate cost estimation
sub-problems.


title:
Counting statistics of hole transfer in a p-type GaAs quantum dot with
  dense excitation spectrum

abstract:
  Low-temperature transport experiments on a p-type GaAs quantum dot
capacitively coupled to a quantum point contact are presented. The
time-averaged as well as time-resolved detection of charging events of the dot
are demonstrated and they are used to extract the tunnelling rates into and out
of the quantum dot. The extracted rates exhibit a super-linear enhancement with
the bias applied across the dot which is interpreted in terms of a dense
spectrum of excited states contributing to the transport, characteristic for
heavy hole systems. The full counting statistics of charge transfer events and
the effect of back action is studied. The normal cumulants as well as the
recently proposed factorial cumulants are calculated and discussed in view of
their importance for interacting systems.


title: Effort-Oriented Classification Matrix of Web Service Composition

abstract:
  Within the service-oriented computing domain, Web service composition is an
effective realization to satisfy the rapidly changing requirements of business.
Therefore, the research into Web service composition has unfolded broadly.
Since examining all of the related work in this area becomes a mission next to
impossible, the classification of composition approaches can be used to
facilitate multiple research tasks. However, the current attempts to classify
Web service composition do not have clear objectives. Furthermore, the contexts
and technologies of composition approaches are confused in the existing
classifications. This paper proposes an effort-oriented classification matrix
for Web service composition, which distinguishes between the context and
technology dimension. The context dimension is aimed at analyzing the
environment influence on the effort of Web service composition, while the
technology dimension focuses on the technique influence on the effort.
Consequently, besides the traditional classification benefits, this matrix can
be used to build the basis of cost estimation for Web service composition in
future research.


title: Building an Expert System for Evaluation of Commercial Cloud Services

abstract:
  Commercial Cloud services have been increasingly supplied to customers in
industry. To facilitate customers' decision makings like cost-benefit analysis
or Cloud provider selection, evaluation of those Cloud services are becoming
more and more crucial. However, compared with evaluation of traditional
computing systems, more challenges will inevitably appear when evaluating
rapidly-changing and user-uncontrollable commercial Cloud services. This paper
proposes an expert system for Cloud evaluation that addresses emerging
evaluation challenges in the context of Cloud Computing. Based on the knowledge
and data accumulated by exploring the existing evaluation work, this expert
system has been conceptually validated to be able to give suggestions and
guidelines for implementing new evaluation experiments. As such, users can
conveniently obtain evaluation experiences by using this expert system, which
is essentially able to make existing efforts in Cloud services evaluation
reusable and sustainable.


title:
A Factor Framework for Experimental Design for Performance Evaluation of
  Commercial Cloud Services

abstract:
  Given the diversity of commercial Cloud services, performance evaluations of
candidate services would be crucial and beneficial for both service customers
(e.g. cost-benefit analysis) and providers (e.g. direction of service
improvement). Before an evaluation implementation, the selection of suitable
factors (also called parameters or variables) plays a prerequisite role in
designing evaluation experiments. However, there seems a lack of systematic
approaches to factor selection for Cloud services performance evaluation. In
other words, evaluators randomly and intuitively concerned experimental factors
in most of the existing evaluation studies. Based on our previous taxonomy and
modeling work, this paper proposes a factor framework for experimental design
for performance evaluation of commercial Cloud services. This framework
capsules the state-of-the-practice of performance evaluation factors that
people currently take into account in the Cloud Computing domain, and in turn
can help facilitate designing new experiments for evaluating Cloud services.


title: Traces of Sobolev functions on regular surfaces in infinite dimensions

abstract:
  In a Banach space $X$ endowed with a nondegenerate Gaussian measure, we
consider Sobolev spaces of real functions defined in a sublevel set $O= \{x\in
X:\;G(x) <0\}$ of a Sobolev nondegenerate function $G:X\mapsto \R$. We define
the traces at $G^{-1}(0)$ of the elements of $W^{1,p}(O, \mu)$ for $p>1$, as
elements of $L^1(G^{-1}(0), \rho)$ where $\rho$ is the surface measure of Feyel
and de La Pradelle. The range of the trace operator is contained in
$L^q(G^{-1}(0), \rho)$ for $1\leq q<p$ and even in $L^p(G^{-1}(0), \rho)$ under
further assumptions. If $O$ is a suitable halfspace, the range is characterized
as a sort of fractional Sobolev space at the boundary.
  An important consequence of the general theory is an integration by parts
formula for Sobolev functions, which involves their traces at $G^{-1}(0)$.


title: Studies of rare B hadron decays to leptons at hadron colliders

abstract:
  Rare B hadron decays provide an excellent test bench for the Standard Model
and can probe new physics models. We review the experimental progress of the
searches for rare leptonic B decays ($b\rightarrow \ell^+ \ell^-$ and
$b\rightarrow s \ell^+ \ell^-$) at LHC and Tevatron experiments.


title:
Performance Evaluation of IPTV over WiMAX Networks Under Different
  Terrain Environments

abstract:
  Deployment Video on Demand (VoD) over the next generation (WiMAX) has become
one of the intense interest subjects in the research these days, and is
expected to be the main revenue generators in the near future. In this paper,
the performance of Quilty of Service of video streaming (IPTV) over fixed
mobile WiMax network is investigated under different terrain environments,
namely Free Space, Outdoor to Indoor and Pedestrian. OPNET is used to
investigate the performance of VoD over WiMAX. Our findings analyzing different
network statistics such as packet lost, path loss, delay, network throughput.


title:
Strange baryons, nuclear dripline and shrinkage : A Relativistic Mean
  Field study

abstract:
  Neutron and proton driplines of single-$\Lambda$ and double-$\Lambda$
hypernuclei, $\Xi^{-}$ hypernuclei as well as normal nuclei are studied within
a relativistic mean field approach using an extended form of the FSU Gold
Lagrangian density. Hyperons are found to produce bound nuclei beyond the
normal nuclear driplines. Radii are found to decrease in hypernuclei near the
driplines, in line with observations in light $\Lambda$ hypernuclei near the
stability valley, The inclusion of a $\Xi^{-}$ introduces a much larger change
in radii than one or more $\Lambda$'s.


title: Note on Integrability of Marginally Deformed ABJ(M) Theories

abstract:
  We study the anomalous dimensions of operators in the scalar sector of
\beta-deformed ABJ(M) theories. We show that the anomalous dimension matrix at
two-loop order gives an integrable Hamiltonian acting on an alternating SU(4)
spin chain with the spins at odd lattice sides in the fundamental
representation and the spins at even lattices in the anti-fundamental
representation. We get a set of $\beta$-deformed Bethe ansatz equations which
give the eigenvalues of Hamiltonian of this deformed spin chain system. Based
on our computations, we also extend our study to non-supersymmetric
three-parameter $\gamma$-deformation of ABJ(M) theories and find that the
corresponding Hamiltonian is the same as the one in \beta-deformed case at
two-loop level in the scalar sector.


title:
On the Doppler boosting in the compact radio jet of the distant blazar
  J1026+2542 at z=5.3

abstract:
  Based on its broad-band spectral energy distribution, and the X-ray spectrum
in particular, the radio-loud active galactic nucleus (AGN) SDSS
J102623.61+254259.5 (J1026+2542) has recently been classified as a blazar. The
extremely high redshift of the source, z=5.3, makes it one of the most distant
and most luminous radio-loud AGN known to date. From published 5-GHz very long
baseline interferometry (VLBI) imaging data obtained in 2006, the source has a
typical blazar appearance on mas scales, with a prominent one-sided jet
extending to ~20 mas. We estimate the brightness temperature of J1026+2542 and
find no strong evidence for Doppler boosting. The jet viewing angle is possibly
at least ~20 deg. The bulk Lorentz factor and the viewing angle of the jet
could reliably be determined in the near future from multi-epoch VLBI
observations.


title:
The transfer matrix method in four-dimensional causal dynamical
  triangulations

abstract:
  The Causal Dynamical Triangulation model of quantum gravity (CDT) is a
proposition to evaluate the path integral over space-time geometries using a
lattice regularization with a discrete proper time and geometries realized as
simplicial manifolds. The model admits a Wick rotation to imaginary time for
each space-time configuration. Using computer simulations we determined the
phase structure of the model and discovered that it predicts a de Sitter phase
with a four-dimensional spherical semi-classical background geometry. The model
has a transfer matrix, relating spatial geometries at adjacent (discrete
lattice) times. The transfer matrix uniquely determines the theory. We show
that the measurements of the scale factor of the (CDT) universe are well
described by an effective transfer matrix where the matrix elements are
labelled only by the scale factor. Using computer simulations we determine the
effective transfer matrix elements and show how they relate to an effective
minisuperspace action at all scales.


title:
Foundations of ab initio simulations of electric charges and fields at
  semiconductor surfaces within slab models

abstract:
  Semiconductor surfaces were divided into charge categories, i.e. surface
acceptor, donor and neutral ones that are suitable for simulations of their
properties within a slab model. The potential profiles, close to the charged
surface states, accounting for explicit dependence of the point defects energy,
were obtained. A termination charge slab model was formulated and analyzed
proving that two control parameters of slab simulations exist: the slope and
curvature of electric potential profiles which can be translated into a surface
and volumetric charge density. The procedures of slab model parameter control
are described and presented using examples of the DFT simulations of GaN and
SiC surfaces showing the potential profiles, linear or curved, depending on the
band charge within the slab. It was also demonstrated that the field at the
surface may affect some surface properties in a considerable degree proving
that verification of this dependence is obligatory for a precise simulation of
the properties of semiconductor surfaces.


title:
Entanglement of formation for qubit-qudit system using partition of
  qudit sytem into a set of qubit system

abstract:
  Gerjuoy [Phys. Rev. A 67, 052308 (2003)] has derived a closed- form lower
bound for the entanglement of formation of a mixed qubit-qudit system (qudit
system has d levels with d>=3. In this paper, inspired by Gerjuoy's method, we
propose a scheme that partitions a qubit-qudit system into d(d-1)/2 qubit-qubit
systems, which can be treated by all known methods pertinent to qubit-qubit
system. The method is demonstrated by a qubit-qudit system (The levels of qudit
are d=3 and d=5, respectively)


title:
Dimension-Independent MCMC Sampling for Inverse Problems with
  Non-Gaussian Priors

abstract:
  The computational complexity of MCMC methods for the exploration of complex
probability measures is a challenging and important problem. A challenge of
particular importance arises in Bayesian inverse problems where the target
distribution may be supported on an infinite dimensional space. In practice
this involves the approximation of measures defined on sequences of spaces of
increasing dimension. Motivated by an elliptic inverse problem with
non-Gaussian prior, we study the design of proposal chains for the
Metropolis-Hastings algorithm with dimension independent performance.
Dimension-independent bounds on the Monte-Carlo error of MCMC sampling for
Gaussian prior measures have already been established. In this paper we provide
a simple recipe to obtain these bounds for non-Gaussian prior measures. To
illustrate the theory we consider an elliptic inverse problem arising in
groundwater flow. We explicitly construct an efficient Metropolis-Hastings
proposal based on local proposals, and we provide numerical evidence which
supports the theory.


title:
Diffusion of a particle quadratically coupled to a thermally fluctuating
  field

abstract:
  We study the diffusion of a Brownian particle quadratically coupled to a
thermally fluctuating field. In the weak coupling limit, a path-integral
formulation allows to compute the effective diffusion coefficient in the cases
of an active particle, that tends to suppress the field fluctuations, and of a
passive particle, that only undergoes the field fluctuations. We show that the
behavior is similar to what was previously found for a linear coupling: an
active particle is always slowed down, whereas a passive particle is slowed
down in a slow field and accelerated in a fast field. Numerical simulations
show a good agreement with the analytical calculations. The examples of a
membrane protein coupled to the curvature or composition of the membrane are
discussed, with focus on the room for anomalous diffusion.


title: Nonlinear localized modes in two-dimensional electrical lattices

abstract:
  We report the observation of spontaneous localization of energy in two
spatial dimensions in the context of nonlinear electrical lattices. Both
stationary and traveling self-localized modes were generated experimentally and
theoretically in a family of two-dimensional square, as well as hon- eycomb
lattices composed of 6x6 elements. Specifically, we find regions in driver
voltage and frequency where stationary discrete breathers, also known as
intrinsic localized modes (ILM), exist and are stable due to the interplay of
damping and spatially homogeneous driving. By introduc- ing additional
capacitors into the unit cell, these lattices can controllably induce traveling
discrete breathers. When more than one such ILMs are experimentally generated
in the lattice, the interplay of nonlinearity, discreteness and wave
interactions generate a complex dynamics wherein the ILMs attempt to maintain a
minimum distance between one another. Numerical simulations show good agreement
with experimental results, and confirm that these phenomena qualitatively carry
over to larger lattice sizes.


title:
Existence and uniqueness for planar anisotropic and crystalline
  curvature flow

abstract:
  We prove short-time existence of \phi-regular solutions to the planar
anisotropic curvature flow, including the crystalline case, with an additional
forcing term possibly unbounded and discontinuous in time, such as for instance
a white noise. We also prove uniqueness of such solutions when the anisotropy
is smooth and elliptic. The main tools are the use of an implicit variational
scheme in order to define the evolution, and the approximation with flows
corresponding to regular anisotropies.


title:
Introducing Speculation in Self-Stabilization - An Application to Mutual
  Exclusion

abstract:
  Self-stabilization ensures that, after any transient fault, the system
recovers in a finite time and eventually exhibits. Speculation consists in
guaranteeing that the system satisfies its requirements for any execution but
exhibits significantly better performances for a subset of executions that are
more probable. A speculative protocol is in this sense supposed to be both
robust and efficient in practice. We introduce the notion of speculative
stabilization which we illustrate through the mutual exclusion problem. We then
present a novel speculatively stabilizing mutual exclusion protocol. Our
protocol is self-stabilizing for any asynchronous execution. We prove that its
stabilization time for synchronous executions is diam(g)/2 steps (where diam(g)
denotes the diameter of the system). This complexity result is of independent
interest. The celebrated mutual exclusion protocol of Dijkstra stabilizes in n
steps (where n is the number of processes) in synchronous executions and the
question whether the stabilization time could be strictly smaller than the
diameter has been open since then (almost 40 years). We show that this is
indeed possible for any underlying topology. We also provide a lower bound
proof that shows that our new stabilization time of diam(g)/2 steps is optimal
for synchronous executions, even if asynchronous stabilization is not required.


title: Semi-topologization in motivic homotopy theory and applications

abstract:
  We study the semi-topologization functor of Friedlander-Walker from the
perspective of motivic homotopy theory. We construct a triangulated
endo-functor on the stable motivic homotopy category $\mathcal{SH}(\C)$, which
we call \emph{homotopy semi-topologization}. As applications, we discuss the
representability of several semi-topological cohomology theories in
$\mathcal{SH}(\C)$, a construction of a semi-topological analogue of algebraic
cobordism, and a construction of Atiyah-Hirzebruch type spectral sequences for
this theory.


title: Hyperbolic groups with planar boundaries

abstract:
  We prove that the class of convex-cocompact Kleinian groups is
quasi-isometrically rigid. We also establish that a word hyperbolic group with
a planar boundary different from the sphere is virtually a convex-cocompact
Kleinian group provided that its boundary has Ahlfors regular conformal
dimension strictly less than $2$ or if it acts geometrically on a CAT(0) cube
complex.


title: A note on envelopes of holomorphy

abstract:
  Let $p:X\longrightarrow M$ be a Riemann domain over a connected
$n$-dimensional complex submanifold $M$ of $\mathbb C^N$ and let $\mathcal
F\subset\mathcal O(X)$ be such that $p\in\mathcal F^N$. Our aim is to discuss
relations between the $\mathcal F$-envelope of holomorphy of $(X,p)$ in the
sense of Riemann domains over $M$ and the $\mathcal F$-envelope of holomorphy
of $X$ in the sense of complex manifolds.


title:
Hole-doping driven antiparallel magnetic order underlying the
  superconducting and pseudogap states in high-temperature cuprate
  superconductor

abstract:
  Unveiling the nature of the pseudogap and its relation to both
superconductivity and antiferromagnetic Mott insulators, the pairing mechanism,
and a non-Fermi liquid phase is a key issue for understanding high temperature
superconductivity in cuprates.We here show that antiparallel magnetic order can
be reasonably and naturally predicted in hole-doped CuO2 planes by starting
from the ground state of a weakly doped antiferromagnetic insulator, where a
Skyrmion-type three-dimensional spin texture is created around the doped hole.
The superconducting transition temperature Tc can be understood in terms of the
temperature at which long-range antiparallel magnetic ordering is established,
resulting in the magnetically mediated superconducting state with
phase-coherent Cooper pairs. Upon heating above Tc, long-range phase coherence
in the pair state is lost, but the pair condensate still survives on the
medium-range length scale, transforming to the pseudogap state with charge and
magnetic orders. We believe the present model provides a key initial point to
unravel a wide variety of the apparently complex phenomena related to high
temperature cuprate superconductors.


title: Ontology-Based Administration of Web Directories

abstract:
  Administration of a Web directory and maintenance of its content and the
associated structure is a delicate and labor intensive task performed
exclusively by human domain experts. Subsequently there is an imminent risk of
a directory structures becoming unbalanced, uneven and difficult to use to all
except for a few users proficient with the particular Web directory and its
domain. These problems emphasize the need to establish two important issues: i)
generic and objective measures of Web directories structure quality, and ii)
mechanism for fully automated development of a Web directory's structure. In
this paper we demonstrate how to formally and fully integrate Web directories
with the Semantic Web vision. We propose a set of criteria for evaluation of a
Web directory's structure quality. Some criterion functions are based on
heuristics while others require the application of ontologies. We also suggest
an ontology-based algorithm for construction of Web directories. By using
ontologies to describe the semantics of Web resources and Web directories'
categories it is possible to define algorithms that can build or rearrange the
structure of a Web directory. Assessment procedures can provide feedback and
help steer the ontology-based construction process. The issues raised in the
article can be equally applied to new and existing Web directories.


title:
WNtags: A Web-Based Tool For Image Labeling And Retrieval With Lexical
  Ontologies

abstract:
  Ever growing number of image documents available on the Internet continuously
motivates research in better annotation models and more efficient retrieval
methods. Formal knowledge representation of objects and events in pictures,
their interaction as well as context complexity becomes no longer an option for
a quality image repository, but a necessity. We present an ontology-based
online image annotation tool WNtags and demonstrate its usefulness in several
typical multimedia retrieval tasks using International Affective Picture System
emotionally annotated image database. WNtags is built around WordNet lexical
ontology but considers Suggested Upper Merged Ontology as the preferred
labeling formalism. WNtags uses sets of weighted WordNet synsets as high-level
image semantic descriptors and query matching is performed with word stemming
and node distance metrics. We also elaborate our near future plans to expand
image content description with induced affect as in stimuli for research of
human emotion and attention.


title: Computer-Aided Derivation of Multi-scale Models: A Rewriting Framework

abstract:
  We introduce a framework for computer-aided derivation of multi-scale models.
It relies on a combination of an asymptotic method used in the field of partial
differential equations with term rewriting techniques coming from computer
science.
  In our approach, a multi-scale model derivation is characterized by the
features taken into account in the asymptotic analysis. Its formulation
consists in a derivation of a reference model associated to an elementary
nominal model, and in a set of transformations to apply to this proof until it
takes into account the wanted features. In addition to the reference model
proof, the framework includes first order rewriting principles designed for
asymptotic model derivations, and second order rewriting principles dedicated
to transformations of model derivations. We apply the method to generate a
family of homogenized models for second order elliptic equations with periodic
coefficients that could be posed in multi-dimensional domains, with possibly
multi-domains and/or thin domains.


title: Relativistic neoclassical radial fluxes in the 1/nu regime

abstract:
  The radial neoclassical fluxes of electrons in the 1/nu regime are calculated
with relativistic effects taken into account and compared with those in the
non-relativistic approach. The treatment is based on the relativistic
drift-kinetic equation with the thermodynamic equilibrium given by the
relativistic Maxwell-J\"uttner distribution function. It is found that for the
range of fusion temperatures, T_e<100 keV, the relativistic effects produce a
reduction of the radial fluxes which does not exceed 10%. This rather small
effect is a consequence of the non-monotonic temperature dependence of the
relativistic correction caused by two counteracting factors: a reduction of the
contribution from the bulk and a significant broadening with the temperature
growth of the energy range of electrons contributing to transport.
  The relativistic formulation for the radial fluxes given in this paper is
expressed in terms of a set of relativistic thermodynamic forces which is not
identical to the canonical set since it contains an additional relativistic
correction term dependent on the temperature. At the same time, this
formulation allows application of the non-relativistic solvers currently used
for calculation of mono-energetic transport coefficients.


title:
Faces for two qubit separable states and the convex hulls of
  trigonometric moment curves

abstract:
  We analyze the facial structures of the convex set consisting of all two
qubit separable states. One of faces is a four dimensional convex body
generated by the trigonometric moment curve arising from polyhedral
combinatorics. Another one is an eight dimensional convex body, which is the
convex hull of a homeomorphic image of the two dimensional sphere. Extreme
points consist of points on the surface, and any two of them determines an
edge. We also reconstruct the trigonometric moment curve in any even
dimensional affine space using the qubit-qudit systems, and characterize the
facial structures of the convex hull.


title: Virtual Machine Consolidation for Datacenter Energy Improvement

abstract:
  Rapid growth and proliferation of cloud computing services around the world
has increased the necessity and significance of improving the energy efficiency
of could implementations. Virtual machines (VM) comprise the backend of most,
if not all, cloud computing services. Several VMs are often consolidated on a
physical machine to better utilize its resources. We take into account the
cooling and network structure of the datacenter hosting the physical machines
when consolidating the VMs so that fewer racks and routers are employed,
without compromising the service-level agreements, so that unused routing and
cooling equipment can be turned off to reduce energy consumption. Our
experimental results on four benchmarks shows that our technique improves
energy consumption of servers, network equipment, and cooling systems by 2.5%,
18.8%, and 28.2% respectively, resulting in a total of 14.7% improvement on
average in the entire datacenter.


title:
Deformations of constant mean curvature surfaces preserving symmetries
  and the Hopf differential

abstract:
  We define certain deformations between minimal and non-minimal constant mean
curvature (CMC) surfaces in Euclidean space $E^3$ which preserve the Hopf
differential. We prove that, given a CMC $H$ surface $f$, either minimal or
not, and a fixed basepoint $z_0$ on this surface, there is a naturally defined
family $f_h$, for all real $h$, of CMC $h$ surfaces that are tangent to $f$ at
$z_0$, and which have the same Hopf differential. Given the classical
Weierstrass data for a minimal surface, we give an explicit formula for the
generalized Weierstrass data for the non-minimal surfaces $f_h$, and vice
versa. As an application, we use this to give a well-defined dressing action on
the class of minimal surfaces. In addition, we show that symmetries of certain
types associated with the basepoint are preserved under the deformation, and
this gives a canonical choice of basepoint for surfaces with symmetries. We use
this to define new examples of non-minimal CMC surfaces naturally associated to
known minimal surfaces with symmetries.


title:
Quantization of the inhomogeneous Bianchi I model: quasi-Heisenberg
  picture

abstract:
  The quantization scheme is suggested for a spatially inhomogeneous 1+1
Bianchi I model. The scheme consists in quantization of the equations of motion
and gives the operator (so-called quasi-Heisenberg) equations describing an
explicit evolution of a system. Some particular gauge suitable for quantization
is proposed. The Wheeler-DeWitt equation is considered in the vicinity of zero
scale factor and it is used to construct a space, where the quasi-Heisenberg
operators act. Spatial discretization as a UV regularization procedure is
suggested for the equations of motion.


title: The Existence of Relative pure Injective Envelopes

abstract:
  Let $\mathcal{S}$ be a class of finitely presented $R$-modules such that
$R\in \mathcal{S}$ and $\mathcal{S}$ has a subset $\mathcal{S}^*,$ with the
property that for any $U\in \mathcal{S}$ there is a $U^*\in \mathcal{S}^*$ with
$U^*\cong U.$ We show that the class of $\mathcal{S}$-pure injective
$R$-modules is preenveloping. As an application, we deduce that the left global
$\mathcal{S}$-pure projective dimension of $R$ is equal to its left global
$\mathcal{S}$-pure injective dimension. As our main result, we prove that, in
fact, the class of $\mathcal{S}$-pure injective $R$-modules is enveloping.


title: On the optimal dividend problem for a spectrally positive Levy process

abstract:
  In this paper we study the optimal dividend problem for a company whose
surplus process evolves as a spectrally positive Levy process. This model
including the dual model of the classical risk model and the dual model with
diffusion as special cases. We assume that dividends are paid to the
shareholders according to admissible strategy whose dividend rate is bounded by
a constant. The objective is to find a dividend policy so as to maximize the
expected discounted value of dividends which are paid to the shareholders until
the company is ruined. We show that the optimal dividend strategy is formed by
a threshold strategy.


title: Instanton interaction in de Sitter spacetime

abstract:
  Because of the presence of a cosmological horizon the dilute instanton gas
approximation used for the derivation of the Coleman-De Luccia tunneling rate
in de Sitter spacetime receives additional contributions due to the finite
instanton separation. Here I calculate the first corrections to the vacuum
decay rate that arise from this effect and depend on the parameters of the
theory and the cosmological constant of the background spacetime.


title: Nucleon axial charge and pion decay constant from two-flavor lattice QCD

abstract:
  The axial charge of the nucleon $g_A$ and the pion decay constant $f_\pi$ are
computed in two-flavor lattice QCD. The simulations are carried out on lattices
of various volumes and lattice spacings. Results are reported for pion masses
as low as $m_\pi=130\,\mbox{MeV}$. Both quantities, $g_A$ and $f_\pi$, suffer
from large finite size effects, which to leading order ChEFT and ChPT turn out
to be identical. By considering the naturally renormalized ratio $g_A/f_\pi$,
we observe a universal behavior as a function of decreasing quark mass. From
extrapolating the ratio to the physical point, we find $g_A^R=1.29(5)(3)$,
using the physical value of $f_\pi$ as input and $r_0=0.50(1)$ to set the
scale. In a subsequent calculation we attempt to extrapolate $g_A$ and $f_\pi$
separately to the infinite volume. Both volume and quark mass dependencies of
$g_A$ and $f_\pi$ are found to be well decribed by ChEFT and ChPT. We find at
the physical point $g_A^R=1.24(4)$ and $f_\pi^R=89.6(1.1)(1.8)\,\mbox{MeV}$.
Both sets of results are in good agreement with experiment. As a by-product we
obtain the low-energy constant $\bar{l}_4=4.2(1)$.


title:
Evolution of Genetic Redundancy : The Relevance of Complexity in
  Genotype-Phenotype Mapping

abstract:
  Genetic redundancy is ubiquitous and can be found in any organism. However,
it has been argued that genetic redundancy reduces total population fitness,
and therefore, redundancy is unlikely to evolve. In this letter, we study an
evolutionary model with high-dimensional genotype-phenotype mapping (GPM) to
investigate the relevance of complexity in GPM to the evolution of genetic
redundancy. By applying the replica method to deal with quenched randomness,
the redundancy dependence of the fitness is analytically obtained, which
demonstrates that genetic redundancy can indeed evolve, provided that the GPM
is complex. Our result provides a novel insight into how genetic redundancy
evolves.


title: Continuous mappings with null support

abstract:
  Let $X$ be a (topological) space and let ${\mathscr I}$ be an ideal in $X$,
that is, a collection of subsets of $X$ which contains all subsets of its
elements and is closed under finite unions. The elements of ${\mathscr I}$ are
called null. The space $X$ is locally null if each $x$ in $X$ has a null
neighborhood in $X$. Let $C_b(X)$ denote the normed algebra of all continuous
bounded real-valued mappings on $X$ equipped with the supremum norm, $C_0(X)$
denote the subalgebra of $C_b(X)$ consisting of elements vanishing at infinity
and $C_{00}(X)$ the subalgebra of $C_b(X)$ consisting of elements with compact
support.
  We study the normed subalgebra $C^{\mathscr I}_{00}(X)$ of $C_b(X)$
consisting of all $f$ in $C_b(X)$ whose support has a null neighborhood in $X$,
and the Banach subalgebra $C^{\mathscr I}_0(X)$ of $C_b(X)$ consisting of all
$f$ in $C_b(X)$ such that $|f|^{-1}([1/n,\infty))$ has a null neighborhood in
$X$ for all positive integer $n$. We prove that if $X$ is a normal locally null
space then $C^{\mathscr I}_{00}(X)$ and $C^{\mathscr I}_0(X)$ are respectively
isometrically isomorphic to $C_{00}(Y)$ and $C_0(Y)$ for a unique locally
compact Hausdorff space $Y$; furthermore, $C^{\mathscr I}_{00}(X)$ is dense in
$C^{\mathscr I}_0(X)$. We construct $Y$ explicitly as a subspace of the
Stone--\v{C}ech compactification $\beta X$ of $X$. The space $Y$ is locally
compact (and countably compact, in certain cases), contains $X$ densely, and in
specific cases turns out to be familiar subspaces of $\beta X$. The known
topological structure of $Y$ enables us to establish several commutative
Gelfand--Naimark type theorems and derive results not generally expected to be
deducible from the standard Gelfand theory.


title: Tracing the extreme interplay between radio jets and the ISM in IC5063

abstract:
  We report the discovery with the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX) of an
outflow of molecular gas in the radio-loud Seyfert galaxy IC5063 (z = 0.0110).
In addition to the emission of the large-scale CO disk, a prominent blueshifted
wing is observed in the CO(2-1) spectrum. IC5063 represents one of the best
cases of a fast jet-driven HI (and ionized gas) outflow, which is located at
the site of a radio-bright feature about 0.5 kpc from the nucleus. It is
possible that the blueshifted part of the molecular gas is associated with this
outflow and is accelerated by the interaction with the radio jet. The outflow
of molecular gas is characterized by an H$_2$ mass of the outflowing component
of between 2.25 +/- 0.70 x 10^7 M_sun and 1.29 +/- 0.40 x 10^8 M_sun and a mass
outflow rate between 22 and 129 M_sun/yr depending on the assumption for
alpha_X and assuming a luminosity ratio L'_CO(2-1)/L'_CO(1-0) = 1. This
confirms that this may indeed be the dominant component in outflows driven by
the nuclear activity that are also found in other objects. However, this high
mass outflow rate cannot easily be supported for a long time, suggesting that
the gas outflow in IC5063 happens in bursts and is in a particularly strong
phase at present. Owing to its proximity, IC5063 serves as an excellent
laboratory for understanding the impact of radio jets on the gas-rich
inter-stellar medium.


title: Hysteresis phenomena in electron tunneling, induced by surface plasmons

abstract:
  A high spatial resolution surface plasmon near field scanning tunneling
microscope (STM) has been used to study the properties of localized surface
plasmons (SPO) in so-called hot spots on a gold surface, where the local
electromagnetic field is extremely high. A CW semiconductor laser and a
femtosecond Ti:Sa laser were used to excite the plasmons and the SPO excited
tunnel current was used as the detector. When scanning the STM from negative to
positive bias and reversed, hysteresis in the tunnel signal was found,
excluding (or rather minimizing) the role of the presence of a Casimir effect
in the process. It was found, however, that a multiple image charge induced
double well potential may explain our experimental findings. The stepwise
behaviour of the area of the observed hysteresis loops is a new, additional
indication of the non-classical properties of the SPOs.


title: The missing link between ultraluminous X-ray sources and metallicity

abstract:
  The nature of ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) is still debated. Recent
studies show that metal-poor massive stars can collapse into massive stellar
black holes (MSBHs), that is black holes with mass > 25 Msun. Such MSBHs are
sufficiently massive to explain most ULXs without requiring substantial
violations of the Eddington limit. The recent finding of an anti-correlation
between metallicity of the environment and number of ULXs per galaxy supports
this hypothesis. We present the results of recent N-body simulations, including
metallicity dependent stellar evolution, and we discuss the main pathways to
produce X-ray binaries powered by MSBHs.


title: Free-fermion entanglement and spheroidal functions

abstract:
  We consider the entanglement properties of free fermions in one dimension and
review an approach which relates the problem to the solution of a certain
differential equation. The single-particle eigenfunctions of the entanglement
Hamiltonian are then seen to be spheroidal functions or generalizations of
them. The analytical results for the eigenvalue spectrum agree with those
obtained by other methods. In the continuum case, there are close connections
to random matrix theory.


title: Shedding light on the nature of ESO 243-49 HLX-1

abstract:
  The point-like X-ray source HLX-1, close to the S0 galaxy ESO 243-49, is one
of the strongest intermediate-mass black hole candidates. We discuss the
hypothesis that ESO 243-49 is undergoing a minor merger with a gas-rich disc
galaxy. We propose that the counterpart of HLX-1 coincides with the nucleus of
the secondary galaxy. We re-analyze the available photometric HST data, and we
compare them with the results of N-body/smoothed particle hydrodynamics
simulations. In particular, we derive synthetic surface brightness profiles for
the simulated counterpart of HLX-1 in six HST filters, ranging from far
ultraviolet (FUV) to infrared wavelengths. Such synthetic profiles include a
contribution from the stellar population associated with the simulated
disrupted satellite and a contribution from an irradiated disc model. These are
in agreement with the observed surface brightness profiles of the HLX-1
counterpart, provided that the merger is at sufficiently late stage (>~2.5 Gyr
since the first pericentre passage). The main difference between models and
observations is in the FUV band, where the HST image shows a fuzzy and extended
emission.


title: A reformulation of an ordinary differential equation

abstract:
  The purpose of this note is to present a formulation of a given nonlinear
ordinary differential equation into an equivalent system of linear ordinary
differential equations. It is evident that the easiness of a such procedure
would be able to open a new way in order to calculate or approximate the
solution of an ordinary differential equation. Some examples are presented.


title: Photon solid phases in driven arrays of nonlinearly coupled cavities

abstract:
  We introduce and study the properties of an array of QED cavities coupled by
nonlinear elements, in the presence of photon leakage and driven by a coherent
source. The nonlinear couplings lead to photon hopping and to nearest-neighbor
Kerr terms. By tuning the system parameters, the steady state of the array can
exhibit a photon crystal associated with a periodic modulation of the photon
blockade. In some cases, the crystalline ordering may coexist with phase
synchronization. The class of cavity arrays we consider can be built with
superconducting circuits of existing technology.


title: Fluctuations of inflationary magnetogenesis

abstract:
  This analysis aims at exploring what can be said about the growth rate of
magnetized inhomogeneities under two concurrent hypotheses: a phase of quasi-de
Sitter dynamics driven by a single inflaton field and the simultaneous presence
of a spectator field coupled to gravity and to the gauge sector. Instead of
invoking ad hoc correlations between the various components, the system of
scalar inhomogeneities is diagonalized in terms of two gauge-invariant
quasi-normal modes whose weighted sum gives the curvature perturbations on
comoving orthogonal hypersurfaces. The predominance of the conventional
adiabatic scalar mode implies that the growth rate of magnetized
inhomogeneities must not exceed 2.2 in Hubble units if the conventional
inflationary phase is to last about 70 efolds and for a range of slow roll
parameters between 0.1 and 0.001. Longer and shorter durations of the quasi-de
Sitter stage lead, respectively, either to tighter or to looser bounds which
are anyway more constraining than the standard backreaction demands imposed on
the gauge sector. Since a critical growth rate of order 2 leads to a quasi-flat
magnetic energy spectrum, the upper bounds on the growth rate imply a lower
bound on the magnetic spectral index. The advantages of the uniform curvature
gauge are emphasized and specifically exploited throughout the treatment of the
multicomponent system characterizing this class of problems.


title:
Efficient Data Gathering in Wireless Sensor Networks Based on Matrix
  Completion and Compressive Sensing

abstract:
  Gathering data in an energy efficient manner in wireless sensor networks is
an important design challenge. In wireless sensor networks, the readings of
sensors always exhibit intra-temporal and inter-spatial correlations.
Therefore, in this letter, we use low rank matrix completion theory to explore
the inter-spatial correlation and use compressive sensing theory to take
advantage of intra-temporal correlation. Our method, dubbed MCCS, can
significantly reduce the amount of data that each sensor must send through
network and to the sink, thus prolong the lifetime of the whole networks.
Experiments using real datasets demonstrate the feasibility and efficacy of our
MCCS method.


title:
Field-induced long-range magnetic order in the spin-singlet ground state
  system YbAl3C3: Neutron diffraction study

abstract:
  The $4f$-electron system YbAl$_3$C$_3$ with a non-magnetic spin-dimer ground
state has been studied by neutron diffraction in an applied magnetic field. A
long-range magnetic order involving both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic
components has been revealed above the critical field H$_C\sim $ 6T at
temperature T=0.05K. The magnetic structure indicates that the geometrical
frustration of the prototype hexagonal lattice is not fully relieved in the
low-temperature orthorhombic phase. The suppression of magnetic ordering by the
remanent frustration is the key factor stabilizing the non-magnetic singlet
ground state in zero field. Temperature dependent measurements in the applied
field H=12T revealed that the long-range ordering persists up to temperatures
significantly higher than the spin gap indicating that this phase is not
directly related to the singlet-triplet excitation. Combining our neutron
diffraction results with the previously published phase diagram, we support the
existence of an intermediate disordered phase as the first excitation from the
non-magnetic singlet ground state. Based on our results, we propose
YbAl$_3$C$_3$ as a new material for studying the quantum phase transitions of
heavy-fermion metals under the influence of geometrical frustration.


title: Lower bounds on the minimum distance of long codes in the Lee metric

abstract:
  The Gilbert type bound for codes in the title is reviewed, both for small and
large alphabets. Constructive lower bounds better than these existential bounds
are derived from geometric codes, either over Fp or Fp2 ; or over even degree
extensions of Fp: In the latter case the approach is concatena- tion with a
good code for the Hamming metric as outer code and a short code for the Lee
metric as an inner code. In the former case lower bounds on the minimum Lee
distance are derived by algebraic geometric arguments inspired by results of
Wu, Kuijper, Udaya (2007).


title: Wi-Fi & WiMAX: A Comparative Study

abstract:
  Usually broadband wireless access networks are considered to be enterprise
level networks providing us with more capacity as well as coverage. We have
seen that in remote inaccessible areas wired networks are not at all cost
effective. Wireless networking has offered us an alternative solution for such
problem of information access. They have definitely changed the way people
communicate and share information among themselves by overcoming problems
nowadays associated with distance and location. This paper provides a
comparison and technical analysis of alternatives for implementing last-mile
wireless broadband services. It provides detailed technical differences between
802.11 (Wi-FI) wireless networks with 802.16 (WiMAX), a new technology that
solves many of the difficulties in last-mile implementations.


title: Extremal results in random graphs

abstract:
  According to Paul Erd\H{o}s [Some notes on Tur\'an's mathematical work, J.
Approx. Theory 29 (1980), page 4] it was Paul Tur\'an who "created the area of
extremal problems in graph theory". However, without a doubt, Paul Erd\H{o}s
popularized extremal combinatorics, by his many contributions to the field, his
numerous questions and conjectures, and his influence on discrete
mathematicians in Hungary and all over the world. In fact, most of the early
contributions in this field can be traced back to Paul Erd\H{o}s, Paul Tur\'an,
as well as their collaborators and students. Paul Erd\H{o}s also established
the probabilistic method in discrete mathematics, and in collaboration with
Alfr\'ed R\'enyi, he started the systematic study of random graphs. We shall
survey recent developments at the interface of extremal combinatorics and
random graph theory.


title:
Thirring model at finite density in 2+1 dimensions with stochastic
  quantization

abstract:
  We consider a generalization of the Thirring model in 2+1 dimensions at
finite density. We employ stochastic quantization and check for the
applicability in the finite density case to circumvent the sign problem. To
this end we derive analytical results in the heavy dense limit and compare with
numerical ones obtained from a complex Langevin evolution. Furthermore we make
use of indirect indicators to check for incorrect convergence of the underlying
complex Langevin evolution. The method allows the numerical evaluation of
observables at arbitrary values of the chemical potential. We evaluate the
results and compare to the (0+1)-dimensional case.


title: On quantum subsystem measurement

abstract:
  It is assumed that an arbitrary composite bipartite pure state in which the
two subsystems are entangled is given, and it is investigated how the
entanglement transmits the influence of measurement on only one of the
subsystems to the state of the opposite subsystem. It is shown that any exact
subsystem measurement has the same influence as ideal measurement on the
opposite subsystem. In particular, the distant effect of subsystem measurement
of a twin observable, i. e., so-called 'distant measurement', is always ideal
measurement on the distant subsystem no matter how intricate the direct exact
measurement on the opposite subsystem is.


title: Observations of Anomalous Microwave Emission from HII regions

abstract:
  In this brief review, I give a summary of the observations of Anomalous
Microwave Emission (AME) from HII regions. AME has been detected in, or in the
vicinity of, HII regions. Given the difficulties in measuring accurate SEDs
over a wide range of frequencies and in complex environments, many of these
detections require more data to confirm them as emitting significant AME. The
contribution from optically thick free-free emission from UCHII regions may be
also be significant in some cases. The AME emissivity, defined as the ratio of
the AME brightness to the 100 micron brightness, is comparable to the value
observed in high-latitude diffuse cirrus in some regions, but is significantly
lower in others. However, this value is dependent on the dust temperature. More
data, both at high frequencies (>5 GHz) and high resolution (~1 arcmin or
better) is required to disentangle the emission processes in such complex
regions.


title: On high dimensional maximal operators

abstract:
  In this note we describe some recent advances in the area of maximal function
inequalities. We also study the behaviour of the centered Hardy-Littlewood
maximal operator associated to certain families of doubling, radial decreasing
measures, and acting on radial functions. In fact, we precisely determine when
the weak type $(1,1)$ bounds are uniform in the dimension.


title: Security and Privacy Challenges in Cognitive Wireless Sensor Networks

abstract:
  Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have attracted a lot of interest in the
research community due to their potential applicability in a wide range of
real-world practical applications. However, due to the distributed nature and
their deployments in critical applications without human interventions and
sensitivity and criticality of data communicated, these networks are vulnerable
to numerous security and privacy threats that can adversely affect their
performance. These issues become even more critical in cognitive wireless
sensor networks (CWSNs) in which the sensor nodes have the capabilities of
changing their transmission and reception parameters according to the radio
environment under which they operate in order to achieve reliable and efficient
communication and optimum utilization of the network resources. This chapter
presents a comprehensive discussion on the security and privacy issues in CWSNs
by identifying various security threats in these networks and various defense
mechanisms to counter these vulnerabilities. Various types of attacks on CWSNs
are categorized under different classes based on their natures and targets, and
corresponding to each attack class, appropriate security mechanisms are also
discussed. Some critical research issues on security and privacy in CWSNs are
also identified.


title: Strengthened Cauchy-Schwarz and H\"older inequalities

abstract:
  We present some identities related to the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality in
complex inner product spaces. A new proof of the basic result on the subject of
Strengthened Cauchy-Schwarz inequalities is derived using these identities.
Also, an analogous version of this result is given for Strengthened H\"older
inequalities.


title: Hyperbolic chaos at blinking coupling of noisy oscillators

abstract:
  We study an ensemble of identical noisy phase oscillators with a blinking
mean-field coupling, where one-cluster and two-cluster synchronous states
alternate. In the thermodynamic limit the population is described by a
nonlinear Fokker-Planck equation. We show that the dynamics of the order
parameters demonstrates hyperbolic chaos. The chaoticity manifests itself in
phases of the complex mean field, which obey a strongly chaotic Bernoulli map.
Hyperbolicity is confirmed by numerical tests based on the calculations of
relevant invariant Lyapunov vectors and Lyapunov exponents. We show how the
chaotic dynamics of the phases is slightly smeared by finite-size fluctuations.


title: A packed Ramsey's theorem and computability theory

abstract:
  Ramsey's theorem states that each coloring has an infinite homogeneous set,
but these sets can be arbitrarily spread out. Paul Erdos and Fred Galvin proved
that for each coloring f, there is an infinite set that is "packed together"
which is given "a small number" of colors by f.
  We analyze the strength of this theorem from the perspective of computability
theory and reverse mathematics. We show that this theorem is close in
computational strength to standard Ramsey's theorem by giving arithmetical
upper and lower bounds for solutions to computable instances. In reverse
mathematics, we show that that this packed Ramsey's theorem is equivalent to
Ramsey's theorem for exponents not equal to 2. When n=2, we show that it
implies Ramsey's theorem, and that it does not imply ACA_0.


title: Current-driven dynamics of chiral ferromagnetic domain walls

abstract:
  In most ferromagnets the magnetization rotates from one domain to the next
with no preferred handedness. However, broken inversion symmetry can lift the
chiral degeneracy, leading to topologically-rich spin textures such as
spin-spirals and skyrmions via the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI).
Here we show that in ultrathin metallic ferromagnets sandwiched between a heavy
metal and an oxide, the DMI stabilizes chiral domain walls (DWs) whose spin
texture enables extremely efficient current-driven motion. We show that spin
torque from the spin Hall effect drives DWs in opposite directions in
Pt/CoFe/MgO and Ta/CoFe/MgO, which can be explained only if the DWs assume a
N\'eel configuration with left-handed chirality. We directly confirm the DW
chirality and rigidity by examining current-driven DW dynamics with magnetic
fields applied perpendicular and parallel to the spin spiral. This work
resolves the origin of controversial experimental results and highlights a new
path towards interfacial design of spintronic devices.


title:
Scaling solutions of the two fluid hydrodynamic equations in a
  harmonically trapped gas at unitarity

abstract:
  We prove that the two fluid Landau hydrodynamic equations, when applied to a
gas interacting with infinite scattering length (unitary gas) in the presence
of harmonic trapping, admit exact scaling solutions of mixed compressional and
surface nature. These solutions are characterized by a linear dependence of the
velocity field on the spatial coordinates and a temperature independent
frequency which is calculated in terms of the parameters of the trap. Our
results are derived in the regime of small amplitude oscillations and hold both
below and above the superfluid phase transition. They apply to isotropic as
well as to deformed configurations, thereby providing a generalization of
Castin's theorem (Y. Castin, C. R. Phys. \textbf{5}, 407 (2004)) holding for
isotropic trapping. Our predictions agree with the experimental findings in
resonantly interacting atomic Fermi gases. The breathing scaling solution, in
the presence of isotropic trapping, is also used to prove the vanishing of two
bulk viscosity coefficients in the superfluid phase.


title: Derived equivalence and non-vanishing loci II

abstract:
  We prove a few cases of a conjecture on the invariance of cohomological
support loci under derived equivalence by establishing a concrete connection
with the related problem of the invariance of Hodge numbers. We use the main
case in order to study the derived behavior of fibrations over curves.


title:
Semiclassical inverse spectral theory for singularities of focus-focus
  type

abstract:
  We prove, assuming that the Bohr-Sommerfeld rules hold, that the joint
spectrum near a focus-focus critical value of a quantum integrable system
determines the classical Lagrangian foliation around the full focus-focus leaf.
The result applies, for instance, to h-pseudodifferential operators, and to
Berezin-Toeplitz operators on prequantizable compact symplectic manifolds.


title: On the list decodability of random linear codes with large error rates

abstract:
  It is well known that a random q-ary code of rate \Omega(\epsilon^2) is list
decodable up to radius (1 - 1/q - \epsilon) with list sizes on the order of
1/\epsilon^2, with probability 1 - o(1). However, until recently, a similar
statement about random linear codes has until remained elusive. In a recent
paper, Cheraghchi, Guruswami, and Velingker show a connection between list
decodability of random linear codes and the Restricted Isometry Property from
compressed sensing, and use this connection to prove that a random linear code
of rate \Omega(\epsilon^2 / log^3(1/\epsilon)) achieves the list decoding
properties above, with constant probability. We improve on their result to show
that in fact we may take the rate to be \Omega(\epsilon^2), which is optimal,
and further that the success probability is 1 - o(1), rather than constant. As
an added benefit, our proof is relatively simple. Finally, we extend our
methods to more general ensembles of linear codes. As an example, we show that
randomly punctured Reed-Muller codes have the same list decoding properties as
the original codes, even when the rate is improved to a constant.


title: Flag-Dipole Spinor Fields in ESK Gravities

abstract:
  We consider the Riemann-Cartan geometry as a basis for the
Einstein-Sciama-Kibble theory coupled to spinor fields: we focus on $f(R)$ and
conformal gravities, regarding the flag-dipole spinor fields, type-(4) spinor
fields under the Lounesto classification. We study such theories in specific
cases given for instance by cosmological scenarios: we find that in such
background the Dirac equation admits solutions that are not Dirac spinor
fields, but in fact the aforementioned flag-dipoles ones. These solutions are
important from a theoretical perspective, as they evince that spinor fields are
not necessarily determined by their dynamics, but also a discussion on their
structural (algebraic) properties must be carried off. Furthermore, the
phenomenological point of view is shown to be also relevant, since for
isotropic Universes they circumvent the question whether spinor fields do
undergo the Cosmological Principle.


title:
Quantitatively Enhanced Reliability and Uniformity of High-{\kappa}
  Dielectrics on Graphene Enabled by Self-Assembled Seeding Layers

abstract:
  The full potential of graphene in integrated circuits can only be realized
with a reliable ultra-thin high-{\kappa} top-gate dielectric. Here, we report
the first statistical analysis of the breakdown characteristics of dielectrics
on graphene, which allows the simultaneous optimization of gate capacitance and
the key parameters that describe large-area uniformity and dielectric strength.
In particular, vertically heterogeneous and laterally homogenous Al2O3 and HfO2
stacks grown via atomic-layer deposition and seeded by a molecularly thin
perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride organic monolayer exhibit high
uniformities (Weibull shape parameter {\beta} > 25) and large breakdown
strengths (Weibull scale parameter, EBD > 7 MV/cm) that are comparable to
control dielectrics grown on Si substrates.


title:
Extrinsic and Intrinsic Photoresponse in Monodisperse Carbon Nanotube
  Thin Film Transistors

abstract:
  Spectroscopic, time-resolved scanning photocurrent microscopy is shown to
distinguish the intrinsic photoresponse of monodisperse semiconducting (99%)
single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) from the extrinsic photoresponse of the
substrate. A persistent positive photocurrent induced by near-IR excitation is
attributed to the generation of free carriers by inter-band excitation in
SWCNTs. For shorter excitation wavelengths, absorption by the Si substrate
generates two types of photocurrent: a transient positive photoresponse,
identified as a displacement current, and a persistent negative photocurrent
that arises from photogating of the SWCNT thin film.


title: Proton-induced fission on 241Am, 238U and 237Np at intermediate energies

abstract:
  Intermediate energy data of proton-induced fission on 241Am, 238U and 237Np
targets were analysed and investigated using the computational simulation code
CRISP. Inelastic interactions of protons on heavy nuclei and both symmetric and
asymmetric fission are regarded. The fission probabilities are obtained from
the CRISP code calculations by means of the Bohr-Wheeler model. The fission
cross sections, the fissility and the number of nucleons evaporated by the
nuclei, before and after fission, are calculated and compared with experimental
data. Some of the model predictions agree completely with the data. We conclude
that our two step model of the CRISP code provides a good description of
intermediate energy proton-induced fission.


title: Bounding the quantum dimension with contextuality

abstract:
  We show that the phenomenon of quantum contextuality can be used to certify
lower bounds on the dimension accessed by the measurement devices. To prove
this, we derive bounds for different dimensions and scenarios of the simplest
noncontextuality inequalities. The resulting dimension witnesses work
independently of the prepared quantum state. Our constructions are robust
against noise and imperfections, and we show that a recent experiment can be
viewed as an implementation of a state-independent quantum dimension witness.


title:
Spatial Discrete Choice and Spatial Limited Dependent Variable Models: a
  review with an emphasis on the use in Regional Health Economics

abstract:
  Despite spatial econometrics is now considered a consolidated discipline,
only in recent years we have experienced an increasing attention to the
possibility of applying it to the field of discrete choices (e.g. Smirnov, 2010
for a recent review) and limited dependent variable models. In particular, only
a small number of papers introduced the above-mentioned models in Health
Economics. The main purpose of the present paper is to review the different
methodological solutions in spatial discrete choice models as they appeared in
several applied fields by placing an emphasis on the health economics
applications.


title: Dark Matter in galaxies: leads to its Nature

abstract:
  Recent observations have revealed the structural properties of the dark and
luminous mass distribution in spirals. These results led to the vision of a new
and amazing scenario. The investigation of single and coadded objects has shown
that the rotation curves of spirals follow, from their centers out to their
virial radii, an universal profile that implies a tuned combination of their
stellar disk and dark halo mass distributions. This, alongside with accurate
mass modeling of individual galaxies, poses important challenges to the
presently theoretically favored $\Lambda$CDM Cosmology.


title:
Chronic Diseases and Biorhythm's Phase-Shift Dynamic. Lyapounov Criteria
  for Health Stability

abstract:
  When stressors are present, they cause delays or phase shifts in the
biorhythms of the body because the body needs to stop its normal habitual work
and mobilize for respond to the stressors. The genetically-inherited weak
organ, being with lowest energy, will not have enough energy to propel the
phase shifts, and they will accumulate there, which will make its functioning
sluggish and its biorhythms weakly integrated. When the accumulated phase
shifts surpass the ultimate level, which the genetically weak organ can
tolerate, its biorhythms will become desynchronized, which will lead to chronic
disease of this organ. This article discusses the dynamic of phase shift
changes caused by stress and uses Lyapounov criteria for stability to evaluate
how close the genetically weak organ is to becoming chronically sick. Both, the
effect of self-calming and irregular self-calming of the biorhythms are
considered.


title: Connected Hopf algebras of Gelfand-Kirillov dimension four

abstract:
  We classify connected Hopf algebras of Gelfand-Kirillov dimension 4 over an
algebraic closed field of characteristic zero.


title: Diffuse Reflection Diameter in Simple Polygons

abstract:
  We prove a conjecture of Aanjaneya, Bishnu, and Pal that the minimum number
of diffuse reflections sufficient to illuminate the interior of any simple
polygon with $n$ walls from any interior point light source is $\lfloor n/2
\rfloor - 1$. Light reflecting diffusely leaves a surface in all directions,
rather than at an identical angle as with specular reflections.


title: On abelian subgroups of finitely generated metabelian groups

abstract:
  In this note we introduce the class of $\mathcal H$-groups (or Hall groups)
related to the class of $\mathcal B$-groups defined by Ph. Hall in 1950's.
Establishing some basic properties of Hall groups we use them to obtain results
concerning embeddings of abelian groups. In particular, we give an explicit
classification of all abelian groups that can occur as subgroups in
finitely-generated metabelian groups. Hall groups allow to give a negative
answer to the Baumslag's conjecture of 1990 on the cardinality of the set of
isomorphism classes for abelian subgroups in finitely generated metabelian
groups.


title: Learning Universally Quantified Invariants of Linear Data Structures

abstract:
  We propose a new automaton model, called quantified data automata over words,
that can model quantified invariants over linear data structures, and build
poly-time active learning algorithms for them, where the learner is allowed to
query the teacher with membership and equivalence queries. In order to express
invariants in decidable logics, we invent a decidable subclass of QDAs, called
elastic QDAs, and prove that every QDA has a unique
minimally-over-approximating elastic QDA. We then give an application of these
theoretically sound and efficient active learning algorithms in a passive
learning framework and show that we can efficiently learn quantified linear
data structure invariants from samples obtained from dynamic runs for a large
class of programs.


title: Quadrant marked mesh patterns in 132-avoiding permutations II

abstract:
  Given a permutation $\sg = \sg_1...\sg_n$ in the symmetric group $S_n$, we
say that $\sg_i$ matches the marked mesh pattern $MMP(a,b,c,d)$ in $\sg$ if
there are at least $a$ points to the right of $\sg_i$ in $\sg$ which are
greater than $\sg_i$, at least $b$ points to the left of $\sg_i$ in $\sg$ which
are greater than $\sg_i$, at least $c$ points to the left of $\sg_i$ in $\sg$
which are smaller than $\sg_i$, and at least $d$ points to the right of $\sg_i$
in $\sg$ which are smaller than $\sg_i$.
  This paper is continuation of the systematic study of the distribution of
quadrant marked mesh patterns in 132-avoiding permutations started in
\cite{kitremtie} where we mainly studied the distribution of the number of
matches of $MMP(a,b,c,d)$ in 132-avoiding permutations where exactly one of
$a,b,c,d$ is greater than zero and the remaining elements are zero. In this
paper, we study the distribution of the number of matches of $MMP(a,b,c,d)$ in
132-avoiding permutations where exactly two of $a,b,c,d$ are greater than zero
and the remaining elements are zero. We provide explicit recurrence relations
to enumerate our objects which can be used to give closed forms for the
generating functions associated with such distributions. In many cases, we
provide combinatorial explanations of the coefficients that appear in our
generating functions. The case of quadrant marked mesh patterns $MMP(a,b,c,d)$
where three or more of $a,b,c,d$ are constrained to be greater than 0 will be
studied in \cite{kitremtieIII}.


title: Diophantine approximation in Banach spaces

abstract:
  In this paper, we extend the theory of simultaneous Diophantine approximation
to infinite dimensions. Moreover, we discuss Dirichlet-type theorems in a very
general framework and define what it means for such a theorem to be optimal. We
show that optimality is implied by but does not imply the existence of badly
approximable points.


title:
The effect of uniaxial pressure on the magnetic anisotropy of the
  Mn_{12}-Ac single-molecule magnet

abstract:
  We study the effect of uniaxial pressure on the magnetic hysteresis loops of
the single-molecule magnet Mn_{12}-Ac. We find that the application of pressure
along the easy axis increases the fields at which quantum tunneling of
magnetization occurs. The observations are attributed to an increase in the
molecule's magnetic anisotropy constant D of 0.142(1)%/kbar. The increase in D
produces a small, but measurable increase in the effective energy barrier for
magnetization reversal. Density-functional theory calculations also predict an
increase in the barrier with applied pressure.