title:
The Dynamical Response of Dark Matter to Galaxy Evolution Affects
  Direct-Detection Experiments

abstract:
  Over a handful of rotation periods, dynamical processes in barred galaxies
induce non-axisymmetric structure in dark matter halos. Using n-body
simulations of a Milky Way-like barred galaxy, we identify both a trapped
dark-matter component, a shadow bar, and a strong response wake in the
dark-matter distribution that affects the predicted dark-matter detection rates
for current experiments. The presence of a baryonic disk together with
well-known dynamical processes (e.g. spiral structure and bar instabilities)
increase the dark matter density in the disk plane. We find that the magnitude
of the combined stellar and shadow bar evolution, when isolated from the effect
of the axisymmetric gravitational potential of the disk, accounts for >30% of
this overall increase in disk-plane density. This is significantly larger that
of previously claimed deviations from the standard halo model. The dark-matter
density and kinematic wakes driven by the Milky Way bar increase the
detectability of dark matter overall, especially for the experiments with
higher $v_{min}$. These astrophysical features increase the detection rate by
more than a factor of two when compared to the standard halo model and by a
factor of ten for experiments with high minimum recoil energy thresholds. These
same features increase (decrease) the annual modulation for low (high) minimum
recoil energy experiments. We present physical arguments for why these dynamics
are generic for barred galaxies such as the Milky Way rather than contingent on
a specific galaxy model.


title: Radio spectral index from NVSS and TGSS

abstract:
  I extract the radio spectral index, $\alpha$, from 541,195 common sources
observed in the 150 MHz TIFR GMRT Sky Survey (TGSS) and the 1.4 GHz NRAO VLA
Sky Survey (NVSS). This large common source catalogue covers about $80\%$ of
the sky. The flux density limits in these surveys are such that the observed
galaxies are presumably hosts of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). I confirm the
steepening of $\alpha$ with increasing flux density for this large sample and
provide a parametric fit between $\alpha$ and flux density. Next, I divide the
data into a low flux (LF) and a high flux (HF) density sample of roughly equal
number of galaxies. The LF sample contains all galaxies below 100 mJy TGSS and
20 mJy NVSS flux density and the HF sample is all galaxies above 100 mJy TGSS
and 20 mJy NVSS. I observe an increase in $\alpha$ with source size (TGSS
measured), saturating for large sizes to $0.89\pm0.22$ and $0.76\pm 0.21$ for
the LF and HF sources, respectively. I discuss the observed results and
possible physical mechanisms to explain observed $\alpha$ dependence with
source size for LF and HF samples.


title:
Implementation of Electrical Feedback Technologies in 5 Households in
  Ankara Turkey

abstract:
  Most people do not know how much energy they are spending for different
purposes and also they are unaware of potential electrical consumption
reduction level they could make by changing their consumption behaviors or
investing in new efficient technology products. Providing electrical
consumption information to household and make the consumption information
tangible is very effective strategy in reducing electrical consumption in
households. In Home Displays provide consumers real time information on
electrical consumption level and related expenditure, with that strategy
turning an intangible electric bill into transparent and controllable is
possible. We interviewed the participants before the start to our study in
order to have knowledge of their income, environmental attitudes and the
knowledge level of their electrical consumption conserving activities.
Monitoring over 3 to 5 months maximal of five households electrical consumption
and comparing that consumption level with the previous year had been realized.
Households received advanced real time appliance level feedback. Behavioral
change associated electrical consumption reduction levels were identified. It
is also realized that setting goals via an electrical energy consumption
display have high potential on reducing the total electricity consumption in
households. We found 0, 0, 13.21, 3.42, 1.59 % electricity savings on house 1,
house 2, house 3, house 4 and house 5 correspondingly. It is suggested that
further attention need to be given on potential reduction effect of applying
different type of monitor designs and implication of special designed
stimulants that can be used all over the house that can alert households with
their current consumption level. Also, it is suggested to concentrate on time
periods in order to analyze and try to reveal specific time periods for
specific consumption behaviors.


title:
Dynamics of a Vacuum Bianchi Type V Universe with an Arbitrary
  Cosmological Constant

abstract:
  In this paper, we describe the dynamics of a Bianchi Type V vacuum universe
with an arbitrary cosmological constant. We begin by using an orthonormal frame
approach to write Einstein's field equations as a coupled system of first-order
ordinary differential equations. The equilibrium points of the resulting
dynamical system are found to be expanding and contracting de Sitter universe
solutions, a Minkowski spacetime solution, and static Anti-de Sitter universe
solutions, which are characterized by a negative cosmological constant in
addition to constant negative spatial curvature. While the expanding de Sitter
universe solution is found to be asymptotically stable for $\Lambda > 0$, we
also found that the AdS solution is stable for $\Lambda < 0$, as solutions form
closed trajectories around it. Further, we show that the different equilibrium
points are related to each other by a series of bifurcations of $\Lambda$.


title: A Dynamical Mechanism for Large Volumes with Consistent Couplings

abstract:
  A mechanism for addressing the 'decompactification problem' is proposed,
which consists of balancing the vacuum energy in Scherk-Schwarzed theories
against contributions coming from non- perturbative physics. Universality of
threshold corrections ensures that, in such situations, the stable minimum will
have consistent gauge couplings for any gauge group that shares the same N = 2
beta function for the bulk excitations as the gauge group that takes part in
the minimisation. Scherk- Schwarz compactification from 6D to 4D in heterotic
strings is discussed explicitly, together with two alternative possibilities
for the non-perturbative physics, namely metastable SQCD vacua and a single
gaugino condensate. In the former case, it is shown that modular symmetries
gives various consistency checks, and allow one to follow soft-terms, playing a
similar role to R-symmetry in global SQCD. The latter case is particularly
attractive when there is nett Bose-Fermi degeneracy in the massless sector. In
such cases, because the original Casimir energy is generated entirely by
excited and/or non-physical string modes, it is completely immune to the
non-perturbative IR physics. The large separation between UV and IR
contributions to the potential greatly simplifies the analysis of
stabilisation, and is a general possibility that has not been considered
before.


title:
Towards Noncommutative Topological Quantum Field Theory: Tangential
  Hodge-Witten cohomology

abstract:
  We present a method to develop a Hodge theory for tangential cohomology of
foliations by mimicing Witten's approach to ordinary Morse theory by
perturbations of the Laplacian


title: On hierarchical hyperbolicity of cubical groups

abstract:
  Let X be a proper CAT(0) cube complex admitting a proper cocompact action by
a group G. We give three conditions on the action, any one of which ensures
that X has a factor system in the sense of [BHS14]. We also prove that one of
these conditions is necessary. This combines with results of
Behrstock--Hagen--Sisto to show that $G$ is a hierarchically hyperbolic group;
this partially answers questions raised by those authors. Under any of these
conditions, our results also affirm a conjecture of BehrstockHagen on
boundaries of cube complexes, which implies that X cannot contain a convex
staircase. The conditions on the action are all strictly weaker than virtual
cospecialness, and we are not aware of a cocompactly cubulated group that does
not satisfy at least one of the conditions.


title:
The stellar obliquity, planet mass, and very low albedo of Qatar-2 from
  K2 Photometry

abstract:
  The Qatar-2 transiting exoplanet system was recently observed by the {\it
Kepler} telescope as part of {\it K2} Campaign 6. The photometric time series
has one-minute time sampling and a precision of about 690~ppm, after filtering
out artifacts and spurious trends. We identify dozens of starspot-crossing
events, when the planet eclipsed a relatively dark region of the stellar
photosphere. The observed patterns in the sequence of these events demonstrate
that the planet always transits over the same range of stellar latitudes, and
therefore that the stellar obliquity is less than about 10$^\circ$. We support
this conclusion with two different modeling approaches: one based on explicit
identification and timing of the events, and the other based on fitting the
light curves with a spotted-star model. We are also able to refine the usual
transit parameters and measure the stellar rotation period ($18.5 \pm
1.9$~days), corresponding to a 'gyrochronological' age of $1.4 \pm 0.3$ Gyr.
Coherent flux variations with the same period as the transits are seen
throughout the entire light curve. These variations are well modeled as the
combined effects of ellipsoidal light variations ($17.4 \pm 2.8$~ppm) and
Doppler boosting ($11.9 \pm 2.5$~ppm). The magnitudes of these effects are both
consistent with a planetary mass of $2.6 \pm 0.5~ M_{\text{Jup}}$, which is in
turn consistent with the mass determined by the Doppler technique. No
occultations are detected, giving a 2$\sigma$ upper limit of $0.013$ on the
planet's visual geometric albedo. The measured transit times are consistent
with a constant orbital period. In particular we find no evidence for orbital
decay, although we are only able to place a weak lower bound on the relevant
tidal quality factor: $Q'_\star > 1.5\times 10^4$~(95\% confidence).


title: Height bounds and the Siegel property

abstract:
  Let $G$ be a reductive group defined over $\mathbb{Q}$ and let $\mathfrak{S}$
be a Siegel set in $G(\mathbb{R})$. The Siegel property tells us that there are
only finitely many $\gamma \in G(\mathbb{Q})$ of bounded determinant and
denominator for which the translate $\gamma.\mathfrak{S}$ intersects
$\mathfrak{S}$. We prove a bound for the height of these $\gamma$ which is
polynomial with respect to the determinant and denominator. The bound
generalises a result of Habegger and Pila dealing with the case of $GL_2$, and
has applications to the Zilber-Pink conjecture on unlikely intersections in
Shimura varieties.
  In addition we prove that if $H$ is a subset of $G$, then every Siegel set
for $H$ is contained in a finite union of $G(\mathbb{Q})$-translates of a
Siegel set for $G$.


title:
Field theory of symmetry-protected valence bond solid states in (2+1)
  dimensions

abstract:
  This paper describes a semiclassical field-theory approach to the topological
properties of spatially featureless Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki type valence
bond solid ground states of antiferromagnets in spatial dimensions one to
three. Using nonlinear sigma models set in the appropriate target manifold and
augmented with topological terms, we argue that the path integral
representation of the ground-state wave functional can correctly distinguish
symmetry-protected topological ground states from topologically trivial ones.
The symmetry-protection feature is demonstrated explicitly in terms of a dual
field theory, where we take into account the nontrivial spatial structure of
topological excitations, which are caused by competition among the relevant
ordering tendencies. A temporal surface contribution to the action originating
from the bulk topological term plays a central role in our study. We discuss
how the same term governs the behavior of the so-called strange correlator. In
particular, we find that the path integral expression for the strange
correlator in two dimensions reduces to the well-known Haldane expression for
the two point spin correlator of antiferromagnetic spin chains.


title: Volume Raycasting mit OpenCL

abstract:
  This German paper was written entirely at the University of Duisburg-Essen in
2011 for a 3D modeling masters course in applied computer science. We publish
this paper, thus, interested people can acquire a first impression of the topic
"volume raycasting". In addition to writing this paper, we developed a
functioning open-source OpenCL raycaster. A video of this raycaster is
available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMMsQnf4zEY. Additionally, we
archived and published the complete source code of the raycaster in the Google
Code Archive: http://code.google.com/p/gputracer/. If this is no longer the
case, those who are interested can also write an email to the author, hence, we
can provide the source code.
  This paper provides an introduction and overview of the topic "volume ray
casting with OpenCL". We show how volume data can be loaded, manipulated, and
visualized by modern GPUs in real time. In addition, we present basic
algorithms and data structures that are necessary for building such a
raycaster. Then, we describe how we built a rudimentary raycaster using OpenCL
and .NET C#. Furthermore, we analyze different gradient operators
(CentralDifference, Sobel3D and Zucker-Hummel) for surface detection and show
an evaluation of these with respect to their performance. Finally, we present
optimization techniques (hitpoint refinement, adaptive sampling, octrees, and
empty-space-skipping) for improving a raycaster.


title: Role of coherence in transport through engineered atomic spin devices

abstract:
  We give a further step in the quantum mechanical description of engineered
atomic spin structures by deriving a master equation of the Redfield type that
governs the dynamics of the atomic spin density matrix. By generalizing this
approach to charge-specific density matrices, we are able to describe magnetic
transport quantities, such as the average inelastic current and the shot noise,
accessible by tunneling spectroscopy. Our method suitably describes moderate
lead-atom coupling regimes where quantum coherence effects cannot be
disregarded. We contrast our approach with the existing descriptions in terms
of rate equations and show examples where coherence effects are crucial to
understand the physics of spin-polarized tunnel current through spin
structures.


title: Analytic Performance Model of a Main-Memory Index Structure

abstract:
  Efficient evaluation of multi-dimensional range queries in a main-memory
database is an important, but difficult task. State-of-the-art techniques rely
on optimised sequential scans or tree-based structures. For range queries with
small result sets, sequential scans exhibit poor asymptotic performance. Also,
as the dimensionality of the data set increases, the performance of tree-based
structures degenerates due to the curse of dimensionality. Recent literature
proposed the Elf, a main-memory structure that is optimised for the case of
such multi-dimensional low-selectivity queries. The Elf outperforms other
state-of-the-art methods in manually tuned scenarios. However, choosing an
optimal parameter configuration for the Elf is vital, since for poor
configurations, the search performance degrades rapidly. Consequently, further
knowledge about the behaviour of the Elf in different configurations is
required to achieve robust performance. In this thesis, we therefore propose a
numerical cost model for the Elf. Like all main-memory index structures, the
Elf response time is not dominated by disk accesses, refusing a straightforward
analysis. Our model predicts the size and shape of the Elf region that is
examined during search. We propose that the response time of a search is linear
to the size of this region. Furthermore, we study the impact of skewed data
distributions and correlations on the shape of the Elf. We find that they lead
to behaviour that is accurately describable through simple reductions in
attribute cardinality. Our experimental results indicate that for data sets of
up to 15 dimensions, our cost model predicts the size of the examined Elf
region with relative errors below 5%. Furthermore, we find that the size of the
Elf region examined during search predicts the response time with an accuracy
of 80%.


title:
It\^o Formula for Processes Taking Values in Intersection of Finitely
  Many Banach Spaces

abstract:
  Motivated by applications to SPDEs we extend the It\^o formula for the square
of the norm of a semimartingale $y(t)$ from Gy\"ongy and Krylov (Stochastics
6(3):153-173, 1982) to the case \begin{equation*} \sum_{i=1}^m \int_{(0,t]}
v_i^{\ast}(s)\,dA(s) + h(t)=:y(t)\in V \quad \text{$dA\times \mathbb{P}$-a.e.},
\end{equation*} where $A$ is an increasing right-continuous adapted process,
$v_i^{\ast}$ is a progressively measurable process with values in $V_i^{\ast}$,
the dual of a Banach space $V_i$, $h$ is a cadlag martingale with values in a
Hilbert space $H$, identified with its dual $H^{\ast}$, and $V:=V_1\cap V_2
\cap \ldots \cap V_m$ is continuously and densely embedded in $H$.
  The formula is proved under the condition that $\|y\|_{V_i}^{p_i}$ and
$\|v_i^\ast\|_{V_i^\ast}^{q_i}$ are almost surely locally integrable with
respect to $dA$ for some conjugate exponents $p_i, q_i$. This condition is
essentially weaker than the one which would arise in application of the results
in Gy\"ongy and Krylov (Stochastics 6(3):153-173, 1982) to the semimartingale
above.


title: Backward Error Analysis for Perturbation Methods

abstract:
  We demonstrate via several examples how the backward error viewpoint can be
used in the analysis of solutions obtained by perturbation methods. We show
that this viewpoint is quite general and offers several important advantages.
Perhaps the most important is that backward error analysis can be used to
demonstrate the validity of the solution, however obtained and by whichever
method. This includes a nontrivial safeguard against slips, blunders, or bugs
in the original computation. We also demonstrate its utility in deciding when
to truncate an asymptotic series, improving on the well-known rule of thumb
indicating truncation just prior to the smallest term. We also give an example
of elimination of spurious secular terms even when genuine secularity is
present in the equation. We give short expositions of several well-known
perturbation methods together with computer implementations (as scripts that
can be modified). We also give a generic backward error based method that is
equivalent to iteration (but we believe useful as an organizational viewpoint)
for regular perturbation.


title: Mobile Relays for Smart Cities: Mathematical Proofs

abstract:
  The increasing number of connected vehicles in densely populated urban areas
provides an interesting opportunity to counteract the high wireless data
demands in high density and highly mobile scenarios. The idea is to support the
macro base station (BS) with a secondary communication tier composed of a set
of smart and connected vehicles that are in movement in the urban area.
  As a first step towards a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of this
architecture, this paper considers the case where these vehicles are equipped
with femto-mobile Access Points (fmAPs) and constitute a mobile out-of-band
relay infrastructure. In particular, three techniques to select an fmAP (if
more than one is available) are proposed and the maximal feasible gain in the
packet delivery rate and data rate as a function of the vehicle density,
average vehicle speeds, handoff overhead cost, as well as physical layer
parameters is characterized. The analytical and simulation results provide a
first benchmark characterizing this architecture and the definition of
guidelines for its future realistic study and implementation.


title:
Newton flows for elliptic functions II Structural stability:
  Classification & Representation

abstract:
  In our previous paper we associated to each non-constant elliptic function
$f$ on a torus $T$ a dynamical system, the elliptic Newton flow corresponding
to $f$. We characterized the functions for which these flows are structurally
stable and showed a genericity result. In the present paper we focus on the
classification and representation of these structurally stable flows. The phase
portrait of a structurally stable elliptic Newton flow generates a connected,
cellularly embedded, graph $\mathcal{G}(f)$ on a torus $T$ with $r$ vertices,
2$r$ edges and $r$ faces that fulfil certain combinatorial properties ( Euler,
Hall) on some of its subgraphs. The graph $\mathcal{G}(f)$ determines the
conjugacy class of the flow. [classification] A connected, cellularly embedded
toroidal graph $\mathcal{G}$ with the above Euler and Hall properties, is
called a Newton graph. Any Newton graph $\mathcal{G}$ can be realized as the
graph $\mathcal{G}(f)$ of the structurally stable Newton flow for some function
$f$. This leads to: up till conjugacy between flows and (topological)
equivalency between graphs, there is a one to one correspondence between the
structurally stable Newton flows and Newton graphs, both with respect to the
same order $r$ of the underlying functions $f$.[representation] Finally, we
clarify the analogy between rational and elliptic Newton flows, and show that
the detection of elliptic Newton flows is possible in polynomial time.


title: Isospin dependence of nucleon effective masses in neutron-rich matter

abstract:
  In this talk, we first briefly review the isospin dependence of the total
nucleon effective mass $M^{\ast}_{J}$ inferred from analyzing nucleon-nucleus
scattering data within an isospin dependent non-relativistic optical potential
model, and the isospin dependence of the nucleon E-mass $M^{\ast,\rm{E}}_{J}$
obtained from applying the Migdal-Luttinger theorem to a phenomenological
single-nucleon momentum distribution in nuclei constrained by recent
electron-nucleus scattering experiments. Combining information about the
isospin dependence of both the nucleon total effective mass and E-mass, we then
infer the isospin dependence of nucleon k-mass using the well-known relation
$M^{\ast}_{J}=M^{\ast,\rm{E}}_{J}\cdot M^{\ast,\rm{k}}_{J}$. Implications of
the results on the nucleon mean free path (MFP) in neutron-rich matter are
discussed.


title: Non-Gaussianity in a quasiclassical electronic circuit

abstract:
  We study the non-Gaussian dynamics of a quasiclassical electronic circuit
inductively coupled to a mesoscopic conductor. Non-Gaussian noise accompanying
the nonequilibrium transport through the conductor significantly modifies the
steady-state probability density function (PDF) of the flux in the dissipative
circuit. We evaluate the quantum correction of the steady-state PDF by
incorporating the quantum fluctuation of the circuit. The inverse formula to
infer the statistical properties of the non-Gaussian noise from the
steady-state PDF is extended to the classical-quantum crossover regime.


title: UnrealCV: Connecting Computer Vision to Unreal Engine

abstract:
  Computer graphics can not only generate synthetic images and ground truth but
it also offers the possibility of constructing virtual worlds in which: (i) an
agent can perceive, navigate, and take actions guided by AI algorithms, (ii)
properties of the worlds can be modified (e.g., material and reflectance),
(iii) physical simulations can be performed, and (iv) algorithms can be learnt
and evaluated. But creating realistic virtual worlds is not easy. The game
industry, however, has spent a lot of effort creating 3D worlds, which a player
can interact with. So researchers can build on these resources to create
virtual worlds, provided we can access and modify the internal data structures
of the games. To enable this we created an open-source plugin UnrealCV
(http://unrealcv.github.io) for a popular game engine Unreal Engine 4 (UE4). We
show two applications: (i) a proof of concept image dataset, and (ii) linking
Caffe with the virtual world to test deep network algorithms.


title: Almost all multipartite qubit quantum states have trivial stabilizer

abstract:
  The stabilizer group of an n-qubit state \psi is the set of all matrices of
the form g=g_1\otimes\cdots\otimes g_n, with g_1,...,g_n being any 2x2
invertible complex matrices, that satisfy g\psi=\psi. We show that for 5 or
more qubits, except for a set of states of zero measure, the stabilizer group
of multipartite entangled states is trivial; that is, containing only the
identity element. We use this result to show that for 5 or more qubits, the
action of deterministic local operations and classical communication (LOCC) can
almost always be simulated simply by local unitary (LU) operations. This proves
that almost all n-qubit states with n>4 are isolated, that is they can neither
be reached nor converted into any other (n-partite entangled), LU-inequivalent
state via deterministic LOCC. We also find a simple and elegant expression for
the maximal probability to convert one multi-qubit entangled state to another
for this generic set of states.


title:
The Widom-Rowlinson model under spin flip: Immediate loss and sharp
  recovery of quasilocality

abstract:
  We consider the continuum Widom-Rowlinson model under independent spin-flip
dynamics and investigate whether and when the time-evolved point process has an
(almost) quasilocal specification (Gibbs-property of the time-evolved measure).
Our study provides a first analysis of a Gibbs-non-Gibbs transition for point
particles in Euclidean space. We find a picture of loss and recovery, in which
even more regularity is lost faster than it is for time-evolved spin models on
lattices. We show immediate loss of quasilocality in the percolation regime,
with full measure of discontinuity points for any specification. For the
color-asymmetric percolating model, there is a transition from this non-a.s.
quasilocal regime back to an everywhere Gibbsian regime. At the sharp
reentrance time $t_G>0$ the model is a.s. quasilocal. For the color-symmetric
model there is no reentrance. On the constructive side, for all $t>t_G$, we
provide everywhere quasilocal specifications for the time-evolved measures and
give precise exponential estimates on the influence of boundary conditions.


title:
Depth Reconstruction and Computer-Aided Polyp Detection in Optical
  Colonoscopy Video Frames

abstract:
  We present a computer-aided detection algorithm for polyps in optical
colonoscopy images. Polyps are the precursors to colon cancer. In the US alone,
more than 14 million optical colonoscopies are performed every year, mostly to
screen for polyps. Optical colonoscopy has been shown to have an approximately
25% polyp miss rate due to the convoluted folds and bends present in the colon.
In this work, we present an automatic detection algorithm to detect these
polyps in the optical colonoscopy images. We use a machine learning algorithm
to infer a depth map for a given optical colonoscopy image and then use a
detailed pre-built polyp profile to detect and delineate the boundaries of
polyps in this given image. We have achieved the best recall of 84.0% and the
best specificity value of 83.4%.


title:
Critical Current Oscillations of Josephson Junctions Containing PdFe
  Nanomagnets

abstract:
  Josephson junctions with ferromagnetic layers are vital elements in a new
class of cryogenic memory devices. One style of memory device contains a spin
valve with one "hard" magnetic layer and one "soft" layer. To achieve low
switching fields, it is advantageous for the soft layer to have low
magnetization and low magnetocrystalline anisotropy. A candidate class of
materials that fulfills these criteria is the Pd$_{1-x}$Fe$_{x}$ alloy system
with low Fe concentrations. We present studies of micron-scale
elliptically-shaped Josephson junctions containing Pd$_{97}$Fe$_{3}$ layers of
varying thickness. By applying an external magnetic field, the critical current
of the junctions are found to follow characteristic Fraunhofer patterns. The
maximum value of the critical current, extracted from the Fraunhofer patterns,
oscillates as a function of the ferromagnetic barrier thickness, indicating
transitions in the phase difference across the junction between values of zero
and $\pi$.


title:
Joint Audio-Video Fingerprint Media Retrieval Using Rate-Coverage
  Optimization

abstract:
  In this work, we propose a joint audio-video fingerprint Automatic Content
Recognition (ACR) technology for media retrieval. The problem is focused on how
to balance the query accuracy and the size of fingerprint, and how to allocate
the bits of the fingerprint to video frames and audio frames to achieve the
best query accuracy. By constructing a novel concept called Coverage, which is
highly correlated to the query accuracy, we are able to form a rate-coverage
model to translate the original problem into an optimization problem that can
be resolved by dynamic programming. To the best of our knowledge, this is the
first work that uses joint audio-video fingerprint ACR technology for media
retrieval with a theoretical problem formulation. Experimental results indicate
that compared to reference algorithms, the proposed method has up to 25% query
accuracy improvement while using 60% overall bit-rates, and 25% bit-rate
reduction while achieving 85% accuracy, and it significantly outperforms the
solution with single audio or video source fingerprint.


title: Statistical Treatment of Beam Position Monitor Data

abstract:
  We review beam position monitors adopting the perspective of an analogue-to-
digital converter in a sampling data acquisition system. From a statistical
treatment of independent data samples we derive basic formulae of position
uncertainty for beam position monitors. Uncertainty estimates only rely on a
few simple model parameters and have been calculated for two "practical" signal
shapes, a square pulse and a triangular pulse. The analysis has been carried
out for three approaches: the established signal integration and
root-sum-square ap- proaches, and a least-square fit for the models of direct
proportion and straight-line. The latter approach has not been reported in the
literature so far.
  The straight-line fit provides the most robust estimator since it does not
require baseline restoration, it is immune to signal offsets, and its standard
deviation is smallest. Consequently, of the analysed estimators it promises the
highest fidelity of results. The fit approach represents a simple, natural way
to analyse beam position monitor data which can be easily implemented in
hardware and offers potential for new applications.


title: Three-state Potts model on Non-local Directed Small-World Lattices

abstract:
  In this paper, we study the effects of non-local directed Small-World (NLDSW)
disorder in the three-state Potts model as a form to capture the essential
features shared by real complex systems where non-locality effects play a
important role in the behavior of these systems. Using Monte Carlo techniques
and finite-size scaling analysis, we estimate the infinite lattice critical
temperatures and the leading critical exponents in this model. In particular,
we investigate the first- to second-order phase transition crossover when NLDSW
links are inserted. A cluster-flip algorithm was used to reduce the critical
slowing down effect in our simulations. We find that for a NLDSW disorder
densities $p<p^{*}=0.05(4)$, the model exhibits a continuous phase transition
falling into a new universality class, which continuously depends on $p$, while
for $p^{*}\leqslant p \leqslant 1.0$, the model presents a weak first-order
phase transition.


title: Revisiting Uraltsev's BPS limit for Heavy Quarks

abstract:
  Motivated by the recent experimental data of the values of the Heavy Quark
Expansion parameters, in particular the spin-orbit and Darwin terms, we argue
that nature actually may be close to a limit of QCD which has been suggested by
Uraltsev more than ten years ago. Assuming that this limit is not accidental,
we derive the relations among the Heavy Quark Expansion parameters that occur
up to the order 1/mb^5.


title:
Newton flows for elliptic functions III Classification of
  $3^{\text{rd}}$ order Newton graphs

abstract:
  A Newton graph of order $r( \geqslant 2)$ is a cellularly embedded toroidal
graph on $r$ vertices, $2r$ edges and $r$ faces that fulfils certain
combinatorial properties (Euler, Hall). The significance of these graphs relies
on their role in the study of structurally stable elliptic Newton flows - say
$\bar{\bar{\mathcal{N}}} (f)$ - of order $r$, i.e. desingularized continuous
versions of Newton's iteration method for finding zeros for an elliptic
function $f$ (of order $r$). In previous work we established a representation
of these flows in terms of Newton graphs. The present paper results into the
classification of all $3^{\text{rd}}$ order Newton graphs, implying a list of
all nine possible $3^{\text{rd}}$ order flows $\bar{\bar{\mathcal{N}}} (f)$ (up
to conjugacy and duality).


title: Robust Particle Filter by Dynamic Averaging of Multiple Noise Models

abstract:
  State filtering is a key problem in many signal processing applications. From
a series of noisy measurement, one would like to estimate the state of some
dynamic system. Existing techniques usually adopt a Gaussian noise assumption
which may result in a major degradation in performance when the measurements
are with the presence of outliers. A robust algorithm immune to the presence of
outliers is desirable. To this end, a robust particle filter (PF) algorithm is
proposed, in which the heavier tailed Student's t distributions are employed
together with the Gaussian distribution to model the measurement noise. The
effect of each model is automatically and dynamically adjusted via a Bayesian
model averaging mechanism. The validity of the proposed algorithm is evaluated
by illustrative simulations.


title: On coordinatising planes of prime power order using finite fields

abstract:
  We revisit the coordinatisation method for projective planes. First, we
discuss how the behaviour of the additive and multiplicative loops can be
described in terms of its action on the "vertical" line, and how this means one
can coordinatise certain planes in an optimal sense. We then move to consider
projective planes of prime power order only. Specifically, we consider how
coordinatising planes of prime power order using finite fields as the
underlying labelling set leads to some general restrictions on the form of the
resulting planar ternary ring (PTR) when viewed as a trivariate polynomial over
the field. We also consider the Lenz-Barlotti type of the plane being
coordinatised, deriving further restrictions on the form of the PTR polynomial.


title: Perturbation Bounds for Williamson's Symplectic Normal Form

abstract:
  Given a real-valued positive semidefinite matrix, Williamson proved that it
can be diagonalised using symplectic matrices. The corresponding diagonal
values are known as the symplectic spectrum. This paper is concerned with the
stability of Williamson's decomposition under perturbations. We provide norm
bounds for the stability of the symplectic eigenvalues and prove that if $S$
diagonalises a given matrix $M$ to Williamson form, then $S$ is stable if the
symplectic spectrum is nondegenerate and $S^TS$ is always stable. Finally, we
sketch a few applications of the results in quantum information theory.


title:
Rank-one convexity implies polyconvexity in isotropic planar
  incompressible elasticity

abstract:
  We study convexity properties of energy functions in plane nonlinear
elasticity of incompressible materials and show that rank-one convexity of an
objective and isotropic elastic energy $W$ on the special linear group
$\mathrm{SL}(2)$ implies the polyconvexity of $W$.


title: Chaotic lensing around boson stars and Kerr black holes with scalar hair

abstract:
  In a recent letter, arXiv:1509.00021, it was shown that the lensing of light
around rotating boson stars and Kerr black holes with scalar hair can exhibit
chaotic patterns. Since no separation of variables is known (or expected) for
geodesic motion on these backgrounds, we examine the 2D effective potentials
for photon trajectories, to obtain a deeper understanding of this phenomenon.
We find that the emergence of stable light rings on the background spacetimes,
allows the formation of "pockets" in one of the effective potentials, for open
sets of impact parameters, leading to an effective trapping of some
trajectories, dubbed quasi-bound orbits. We conclude that pocket formation
induces chaotic scattering, although not all chaotic orbits are associated to
pockets. These and other features are illustrated in a gallery of examples,
obtained with a new ray-tracing code, PYHOLE, which includes tools for a
simple, simultaneous visualization of the effective potential together with the
spacetime trajectory, for any given point in a lensing image. An analysis of
photon orbits allows us to further establish a positive correlation between
photon orbits in chaotic regions and those with more than one turning point in
the radial direction; we recall that the latter is not possible around Kerr
black holes. Moreover, we observe that the existence of several light rings
around a horizon (several fundamental orbits, including a stable one), is a
central ingredient for the existence of multiple shadows of a single hairy
black hole. We also exhibit the lensing and shadows by Kerr black holes with
scalar hair, observed away from the equatorial plane, obtained with PYHOLE.


title:
Photophoresis on particles hotter/colder than the ambient gas for the
  entire range of pressures

abstract:
  Small, illuminated aerosol particles embedded in a gas experience a
photophoretic force. Most approximations assume the mean particle surface
temperature to be effectively the gas temperature. This might not always be the
case. If the particle temperature or the thermal radiation field strongly
differs from the gas temperature (optically thin gases), given approximations
for the free molecule regime overestimate the photophoretic force by an order
of magnitude on average and for individual configurations up to three
magnitudes. We apply the radiative equilibrium condition from the previous
paper (Paper 1) -- where photophoresis in the free molecular flow regime was
treated -- to the slip flow regime. The slip-flow model accounts for thermal
creep, frictional and thermal stress gas slippage and temperature jump at the
gas-particle interface. In the limiting case for vanishing Knudsen numbers --
the continuum limit -- our derived formula has a mean error of only 4 \%
compared to numerical values. Eventually, we propose an equation for
photophoretic forces for all Knudsen numbers following the basic idea from
Rohatschek by interpolating between the free molecular flow and the continuum
limit.


title: Quantum and Classical Behavior in Interacting Bosonic Systems

abstract:
  It is understood that in free bosonic theories, the classical field theory
accurately describes the full quantum theory when the occupancy numbers of
systems are very large. However, the situation is less understood in
interacting theories, especially on time scales longer than the dynamical
relaxation time. Recently there have been claims that the quantum theory
deviates spectacularly from the classical theory on this time scale, even if
the occupancy numbers are extremely large. Furthermore, it is claimed that the
quantum theory quickly thermalizes while the classical theory does not. The
evidence for these claims comes from noticing a spectacular difference in the
time evolution of expectation values of quantum operators compared to the
classical micro-state evolution. If true, this would have dramatic consequences
for many important phenomena, including laboratory studies of interacting BECs,
dark matter axions, preheating after inflation, etc. In this work we critically
examine these claims. We show that in fact the classical theory can describe
the quantum behavior in the high occupancy regime, even when interactions are
large. The connection is that the expectation values of quantum operators in a
single quantum micro-state are approximated by a corresponding classical
ensemble average over many classical micro-states. Furthermore, by the ergodic
theorem, a classical ensemble average of local fields with statistical
translation invariance is the spatial average of a single micro-state. So the
correlation functions of the quantum and classical field theories of a single
micro-state approximately agree at high occupancy, even in interacting systems.
Furthermore, both quantum and classical field theories can thermalize, when
appropriate coarse graining is introduced, with the classical case requiring a
cutoff on low occupancy UV modes. We discuss applications of our results.


title:
Elementary Evaluation of Convolution Sums involving primitive Dirichlet
  Characters for a Class of positive Integers

abstract:
  We extend the results obtained by E. Ntienjem to all positive integers. Let
$\EuFrak{N}$ be the subset of $\mathbb{N}$ consisting of $\,2^{\nu}\mho$, where
$\nu$ is in $\{0,1,2,3\}$ and $\mho$ is a squarefree finite product of distinct
odd primes. We discuss the evaluation of the convolution sum,
$\underset{\substack{ {(l,m)\in\mathbb{N}^{2}} {\alpha\,l+\beta\,m=n} }
}{\sum}\sigma(l)\sigma(m)$, when $\alpha\beta$ is in
$\mathbb{N}\setminus\EuFrak{N}$. The evaluation of convolution sums belonging
to this class is achieved by applying modular forms and primitive Dirichlet
characters. In addition, we revisit the evaluation of the convolution sums for
$\alpha\beta=9$, $16$, $18$, $25$, $36$. If $\alpha\beta\equiv 0 \pmod{4}$, we
determine natural numbers $a,b$ and use the evaluated convolution sums together
with other known convolution sums to carry out the number of representations of
$n$ by the octonary quadratic forms $a\,(x_{1}^{2} + x_{2}^{2} + x_{3}^{2} +
x_{4}^{2})+ b\,(x_{5}^{2} + x_{6}^{2} + x_{7}^{2} + x_{8}^{2})$. Similarly, if
$\alpha\beta\equiv 0 \pmod{3}$, we compute natural numbers $c,d$ and make use
of the evaluated convolution sums together with other known convolution sums to
determine the number of representations of $n$ by the octonary quadratic forms
$c\,(\,x_{1}^{2} + x_{1}x_{2} + x_{2}^{2} + x_{3}^{2} + x_{3}x_{4} +
x_{4}^{2}\,) + d\,(\,x_{5}^{2} + x_{5}x_{6} + x_{6}^{2} + x_{7}^{2} +
x_{7}x_{8} + x_{8}^{2}\,)$. We illustrate our method with the explicit examples
$\alpha\beta = 3^{2}\cdot 5$, $\alpha\beta = 2^{4}\cdot 3$, $\alpha\beta =
2\cdot 5^{2}$ and $\alpha\beta = 2^{6}$, .


title: Vision-based Engagement Detection in Virtual Reality

abstract:
  User engagement modeling for manipulating actions in vision-based interfaces
is one of the most important case studies of user mental state detection. In a
Virtual Reality environment that employs camera sensors to recognize human
activities, we have to know when user intends to perform an action and when
not. Without a proper algorithm for recognizing engagement status, any kind of
activities could be interpreted as manipulating actions, called "Midas Touch"
problem. Baseline approach for solving this problem is activating gesture
recognition system using some focus gestures such as waiving or raising hand.
However, a desirable natural user interface should be able to understand user's
mental status automatically. In this paper, a novel multi-modal model for
engagement detection, DAIA, is presented. using DAIA, the spectrum of mental
status for performing an action is quantized in a finite number of engagement
states. For this purpose, a Finite State Transducer (FST) is designed. This
engagement framework shows how to integrate multi-modal information from user
biometric data streams such as 2D and 3D imaging. FST is employed to make the
state transition smoothly using combination of several boolean expressions. Our
FST true detection rate is 92.3% in total for four different states. Results
also show FST can segment user hand gestures more robustly.


title:
Efficient Volumetric Fusion of Airborne and Street-Side Data for Urban
  Reconstruction

abstract:
  Airborne acquisition and on-road mobile mapping provide complementary 3D
information of an urban landscape: the former acquires roof structures, ground,
and vegetation at a large scale, but lacks the facade and street-side details,
while the latter is incomplete for higher floors and often totally misses out
on pedestrian-only areas or undriven districts. In this work, we introduce an
approach that efficiently unifies a detailed street-side Structure-from-Motion
(SfM) or Multi-View Stereo (MVS) point cloud and a coarser but more complete
point cloud from airborne acquisition in a joint surface mesh. We propose a
point cloud blending and a volumetric fusion based on ray casting across a 3D
tetrahedralization (3DT), extended with data reduction techniques to handle
large datasets. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to adopt a 3DT
approach for airborne/street-side data fusion. Our pipeline exploits typical
characteristics of airborne and ground data, and produces a seamless,
watertight mesh that is both complete and detailed. Experiments on 3D urban
data from multiple sources and different data densities show the effectiveness
and benefits of our approach.


title: The remnant CP transformation and its implications

abstract:
  In the context of remnant CP transformations, I briefly discuss a generalized
$\mu-\tau$ reflection symmetry, where the "Majorana" phases have CP conserving
values, which are directly related with the CP parities of neutrino states.
Also, one finds that the "Dirac-like" CP violation phase is correlated with the
atmospheric mixing angle, giving important phenomenological implications for
current and future long baseline oscillation neutrino experiments.


title: Beyond Special Relativity at second order

abstract:
  The study of generic, non-linear, deformations of Special Relativity
parametrized by a high-energy scale $M$, which was carried out at first order
in $M$ in Phys.Rev. D86, 084032 (2012), is extended to second order. This can
be done systematically through a ('generalized') change of variables from
momentum variables that transform linearly. We discuss the different
perspectives on the meaning of the change of variables, obtain the coefficients
of modified composition laws and Lorentz transformations at second order, and
work out how $\kappa$-Poincar\'e, the most commonly used example in the
literature, is reproduced as a particular case of the generic framework exposed
here.


title: Incentive Engineering Framework for Crowdsourcing Systems

abstract:
  Significant effort has been made to understand user motivation and to elicit
user participation in crowdsourcing systems. However, incentive engineering,
i.e., designing incentives that can purposefully motivate users, is still an
open question and remains one of the key challenges of crowdsourcing
initiatives. In this work in progress, we propose a general and systematic
incentive engineering framework that system designers can use to implement
appropriate incentives in order to effect desirable user behaviours.


title:
Optical Phase Imaging Using Synthetic Aperture Illumination and Phase
  Retrieval

abstract:
  We perform quantitative phase imaging using phase retrieval to implement
synthetic aperture imaging. Compared to digital holography, the developed
technique is simpler, less expensive, and more stable.


title: Chiral corrections to the Adler-Weisberger sum rule

abstract:
  The Adler-Weisberger sum rule for the nucleon axial-vector charge, $g_A$,
offers a unique signature of chiral symmetry and its breaking in QCD. Its
derivation relies on both algebraic aspects of chiral symmetry, which guarantee
the convergence of the sum rule, and dynamical aspects of chiral symmetry
breaking---as exploited using chiral perturbation theory---which allow the
rigorous inclusion of explicit chiral symmetry breaking effects due to
light-quark masses. The original derivations obtained the sum rule in the
chiral limit and, without the benefit of chiral perturbation theory, made
various attempts at extrapolating to non-vanishing pion masses. In this paper,
the leading, universal, chiral corrections to the chiral-limit sum rule are
obtained. Using PDG data, a recent parametrization of the pion-nucleon total
cross-sections in the resonance region given by the SAID group, as well as
recent Roy-Steiner equation determinations of subthreshold amplitudes,
threshold parameters, and correlated low-energy constants, the Adler-Weisberger
sum rule is confronted with experimental data. With uncertainty estimates
associated with the cross-section parameterization, the Goldberger-Treimann
discrepancy, and the truncation of the sum rule at $\mathcal{O}(M_\pi^4)$ in
the chiral expansion, this work finds $g_A = 1.248 \pm 0.010 \pm \ 0.007 \pm
0.013$.


title:
The finite dimensions and determining modes of the global attractor for
  2d Boussinesq equations with fractional Laplacian

abstract:
  In this article, we prove the finite dimensionality of the global attractor
and estimate the numbers of the determining modes for the 2D Boussinesq system
in a periodic channel with fractional Laplacian in subcritical case.


title:
Recent advances in the theoretical modeling of pulsating low-mass
  He-core white dwarfs

abstract:
  Many extremely low-mass (ELM) white-dwarf (WD) stars are currently being
found in the field of the Milky Way. Some of these stars exhibit long-period
nonradial $g$-mode pulsations, and constitute the class of ELMV pulsating WDs.
In addition, several low-mass pre-WDs, which could be precursors of ELM WDs,
have been observed to show short-period photometric variations likely due to
nonradial $p$ modes and radial modes. They could constitute a new class of
pulsating low-mass pre-WD stars, the pre-ELMV stars. Here, we present the
recent results of a thorough theoretical study of the nonadiabatic pulsation
properties of low-mass He-core WDs and pre-WDs on the basis of fully
evolutionary models representative of these stars.


title: On quasi-isometry and choice

abstract:
  In this note we prove that the symmetry of the quasi-isometry relation
implies the axiom of choice, even when the relation is restricted to geodesic
hyperbolic spaces. We show that this result is sharp by demonstrating that
symmetry of quasi-isometry in an even more restrictive setting does not imply
the axiom of choice. The "Bottleneck Theorem" of Jason Fox Manning also implies
choice.


title: Geometry and design of origami bellows with tunable response

abstract:
  Origami folded cylinders (origami bellows) have found increasingly
sophisticated applications in space flight and medicine. In spite of this
interest, a general understanding of the mechanics of an origami folded
cylinder has been elusive. With a newly developed set of geometrical tools, we
have found an analytic solution for all possible cylindrical rigid-face states
of both Miura-ori and triangular tessellations. Although an idealized bellows
in both of these families may have two allowed rigid-face configurations over a
well-defined region, the corresponding physical device, limited by nonzero
material thickness and forced to balance hinge and plate-bending energy, often
cannot stably maintain a stowed configuration. We have identified the
parameters that control this emergent bistability, and have demonstrated the
ability to design and fabricate bellows with tunable deployability.


title:
$B \to K^*(\to K\pi) \ell^+\ell^-$ theory and the global picture: What's
  next?

abstract:
  The present status of the LHC anomalies found in exclusive semileptonic $b\to
s\ell^+\ell^-$ decays is discussed with special emphasis on the exclusive
4-body angular distribution $B \to K^*(\to K\pi)\ell^+\ell^-$. The treatment of
hadronic uncertainties in this mode is briefly reviewed, and some of the
analyses in the literature are critically reassessed. The global picture
provided by the global fit points to a coherent pattern of deviations with a
significance substantially above 4$\sigma$ for different New Physics scenarios.
Finally, we propose as the next step in the field to focus on the study of
optimized observables that compare electron and muon modes, sensitive to
lepton-flavour universality violations and free from hadronic uncertainties
(including charm) in the SM, the so called $Q_i$ observables.


title: Grassmann Duality and the Particle Spectrum

abstract:
  Schemes based on anticommuting scalar coordinates, corresponding to
properties, lead to generations of particles naturally. The application of
Grassmannian duality cuts down the number of states substantially and is vital
for constructing sensible Lagrangians anyhow. We apply duality to all of the
subgroups within the {\em classification} group
SU(3)$\times$SU(2)$_L\times$SU(2)$_R$, which encompasses the standard model
gauge group, and thereby determine the full state inventory; this includes the
definite prediction of quarks with charge -4/3 and other exotic states.
Assuming universal gravitational coupling to the gauge fields and parity even
property curvature, we also obtain $4\sin^2\theta_w = 1 - 2\alpha/3\alpha_s$
which is not far from the experimental value around the $M_Z$ mass.


title:
Identifying emerging influential Nodes in evolving networks: Exploiting
  strength of weak nodes

abstract:
  Identifying emerging influential or popular node/item in future on network is
a current interest of the researchers. Most of previous works focus on
identifying leaders in time evolving networks on the basis of network structure
or node's activity separate way. In this paper, we have proposed a hybrid model
which considers both, node's structural centrality and recent activity of nodes
together. We consider that the node is active when it is receiving more links
in a given recent time window, rather than in the whole past life of the node.
Furthermore our model is flexible to implement structural rank such as PageRank
and webpage click information as activity of the node. For testing the
performance of our model, we adopt the PageRank algorithm and linear
preferential attachment based model as the baseline methods. Experiments on
three real data sets (i.e Movielens, Netflix and Facebook wall post data set),
we found that our model shows better performance in terms of finding the
emerging influential nodes that were not popular in past.


title: Efficient initials for computing maximal eigenpair

abstract:
  This paper introduces some efficient initials for a well-known algorithm (an
inverse iteration) for computing the maximal eigenpair of a class of real
matrices. The initials not only avoid the collapse of the algorithm but are
also unexpectedly efficient. The initials presented here are based on our
analytic estimates of the maximal eigenvalue and a mimic of its eigenvector for
many years of accumulation in the study of stochastic stability speed. In
parallel, the same problem for computing the next to the maximal eigenpair is
also studied.

categories: math.PR cs.IT math.IT math.NA math.OC math.SP


title:
A comparative study on heat capacity, magnetization and magnetic
  susceptibility for a GaAs quantum dot with asymmetric confinement

abstract:
  In this work, thermal and magnetic properties for an electron with
cylindrical confinement in presence of external electric and magnetic fields
have been investigated. We found that the corresponding time-independent
Schr\"odinger equation can be separated into the product of the radially
symmetric and an axial equation. Moreover, we have obtained a quasi-exact
expression for the energy spectrum of the system in terms of the exact
solutions for the radial equation and an approximation up to first order for
the axial equation. We have calculated the well-known thermal and magnetic
properties as the heat capacity, magnetization and the magnetic susceptibility
via the canonical partition function. We found that our results for thermal and
magnetic properties differ significantly from results previously obtained by
others authors (by Gumber et. al.). Moreover, our results are in agreement with
the diamagnetic properties of GaAs.


title:
Evolutionary Synthesis of Deep Neural Networks via Synaptic
  Cluster-driven Genetic Encoding

abstract:
  There has been significant recent interest towards achieving highly efficient
deep neural network architectures. A promising paradigm for achieving this is
the concept of evolutionary deep intelligence, which attempts to mimic
biological evolution processes to synthesize highly-efficient deep neural
networks over successive generations. An important aspect of evolutionary deep
intelligence is the genetic encoding scheme used to mimic heredity, which can
have a significant impact on the quality of offspring deep neural networks.
Motivated by the neurobiological phenomenon of synaptic clustering, we
introduce a new genetic encoding scheme where synaptic probability is driven
towards the formation of a highly sparse set of synaptic clusters. Experimental
results for the task of image classification demonstrated that the synthesized
offspring networks using this synaptic cluster-driven genetic encoding scheme
can achieve state-of-the-art performance while having network architectures
that are not only significantly more efficient (with a ~125-fold decrease in
synapses for MNIST) compared to the original ancestor network, but also
tailored for GPU-accelerated machine learning applications.


title: Fourier-sparse interpolation without a frequency gap

abstract:
  We consider the problem of estimating a Fourier-sparse signal from noisy
samples, where the sampling is done over some interval $[0, T]$ and the
frequencies can be "off-grid". Previous methods for this problem required the
gap between frequencies to be above 1/T, the threshold required to robustly
identify individual frequencies. We show the frequency gap is not necessary to
estimate the signal as a whole: for arbitrary $k$-Fourier-sparse signals under
$\ell_2$ bounded noise, we show how to estimate the signal with a constant
factor growth of the noise and sample complexity polynomial in $k$ and
logarithmic in the bandwidth and signal-to-noise ratio.
  As a special case, we get an algorithm to interpolate degree $d$ polynomials
from noisy measurements, using $O(d)$ samples and increasing the noise by a
constant factor in $\ell_2$.


title: On the sum relation of multiple Hurwitz zeta functions

abstract:
  In this paper we shall define a special-valued multiple Hurwitz zeta
functions, namely the multiple $t$-values $t(\boldsymbol{\alpha})$ and define
similarly the multiple star $t$-values as $t^{\star}(\boldsymbol{\alpha})$.
Then we consider the sum of all such multiple (star) $t$-values of fixed depth
and weight with even argument and prove that such a sum can be evaluated when
the evaluations of $t(\{2m\}^n)$ and $t^{\star}(\{2m\}^n)$ are clear. We give
the evaluations of them in terms of the classical Euler numbers through their
generating functions.


title:
Modelling the structure and kinematics of the Firework nebula: The
  nature of the GK Persei nova shell and its jet-like feature

abstract:
  To gain a more complete understanding of the dynamics of the GK Per (1901)
remnant faint-object high-resolution echelle spectroscopic observations and
imaging were undertaken covering the knots which comprise the nova shell and
the surrounding nebulosity. New imaging from the Aristarchos telescope in
Greece and long-slit spectra from the MES instrument at the San Pedro Martir
observatory in Mexico were obtained, supplemented with archival observations
from several other optical telescopes. Position-velocity arrays are produced of
the shell, and also individual knots, and are then used for morpho-kinematic
modelling with the shape code. Evidence is found for the interaction of knots
with each other and with a wind component, most likely the periodic fast wind
emanating from the central binary system. We find that a cylindrical shell with
a lower velocity polar structure gives the best model fit to the spectroscopy
and imaging. We show in this work that the previously seen jet-like feature is
of low velocity. The individual knots have irregular tail shapes; we propose
here that they emanate from episodic winds from ongoing dwarf nova outbursts by
the central system. The nova shell is cylindrical and the symmetry axis relates
to the inclination of the central binary system. Furthermore, the cylinder axis
is aligned with the long axis of the bipolar planetary nebula in which it is
embedded. Thus, the central binary system is responsible for the bipolarity of
the planetary nebula and the cylindrical nova shell. The gradual planetary
nebula ejecta versus sudden nova ejecta is the reason for the different degrees
of bipolarity. We propose that the 'jet' feature is an illuminated lobe of the
fossil planetary nebula that surrounds the nova shell.


title:
Exponential convergence for the Fredrikson-Andersen one spin facilitated
  model

abstract:
  We prove exponential convergence to equilibrium for the Fredrikson-Andersen
one spin facilitated model on bounded degree graphs satisfying a
subexponential, but larger than polynomial, growth condition. This was a
classical conjecture related to non-attractive spin systems. Our proof rely on
coupling techniques based on Harris graphical construction for interacting
particle systems.


title:
The non-multiplicativity of the signature modulo 8 of a fibre bundle is
  an Arf-Kervaire invariant

abstract:
  It was proved by Chern, Hirzebruch and Serre that the signature of a fibre
bundle is multiplicative if the fundamental group of the base acts trivially on
the cohomology ring of the fibre with real coefficients, in which case the
signature of the total space equals the product of the signatures of base and
fibre. Hambleton, Korzeniewski and Ranicki proved that in any case the
signature is multiplicative modulo 4. In this paper we present two results
concerning the multiplicativity modulo 8: firstly we identify the obstruction
to multiplicativity modulo 8 with the Arf-Kervaire invariant of a Pontryagin
squaring operation. Furthermore, we prove that if the fibre is even-dimensional
and the action of the fundamental group of the base is trivial on the middle
cohomology of the fibre with $\mathbb{Z}_4$ coefficients, then this
Arf-Kervaire invariant takes value 0 and hence the signature is multiplicative
modulo 8.


title:
Object Specific Deep Learning Feature and Its Application to Face
  Detection

abstract:
  We present a method for discovering and exploiting object specific deep
learning features and use face detection as a case study. Motivated by the
observation that certain convolutional channels of a Convolutional Neural
Network (CNN) exhibit object specific responses, we seek to discover and
exploit the convolutional channels of a CNN in which neurons are activated by
the presence of specific objects in the input image. A method for explicitly
fine-tuning a pre-trained CNN to induce an object specific channel (OSC) and
systematically identifying it for the human face object has been developed.
Based on the basic OSC features, we introduce a multi-resolution approach to
constructing robust face heatmaps for fast face detection in unconstrained
settings. We show that multi-resolution OSC can be used to develop state of the
art face detectors which have the advantage of being simple and compact.


title: When Two-Holed Torus Graphs are Hamiltonian

abstract:
  Trotter and Erd\"os found conditions for when a directed $m \times n$ grid
graph on a torus is Hamiltonian. We consider the analogous graphs on a
two-holed torus, and study their Hamiltonicity. We find an $\mathcal{O}(n^4)$
algorithm to determine the Hamiltonicity of one of these graphs and an
$\mathcal{O}(\log(n))$ algorithm to find the number of diagonals, which are
sets of vertices that force the directions of edges in any Hamiltonian cycle.
We also show that there is a periodicity pattern in the graphs' Hamiltonicities
if one of the sides of the grid is fixed; and we completely classify which
graphs are Hamiltonian in the cases where $n=m$, $n=2$, the $m \times n$ graph
has $1$ diagonal, or the $\frac{m}{2} \times \frac{n}{2}$ graph has $1$
diagonal.


title: Product BMO, little BMO and Riesz Commutators in the Bessel setting

abstract:
  In this paper, we study the product BMO space, little bmo space and their
connections with the corresponding commutators associated with Bessel operators
studied by Weinstein, Huber, and by Muckenhoupt-Stein. We first prove that the
product BMO space in the Bessel setting can be used to prove the boundedness of
the iterated commutators with the Bessel Riesz transforms. We next study the
little $\rm bmo$ space in this Bessel setting and obtain the equivalent
characterization of this space in terms of commutators. We further show that in
analogy with the classical setting, the little $\rm bmo$ space is a proper
subspace of the product $\rm BMO$ space. These extend the previous related
results studied by Cotlar-Sadosky and Ferguson-Sadosky on the bidisc to the
Bessel setting.


title:
Interlayer Transport through a Graphene / Rotated-Boron-Nitride /
  Graphene Heterostructure

abstract:
  Interlayer electron transport through a graphene / hexagonal boron-nitride
(h-BN) / graphene heterostructure is strongly affected by the misorientation
angle $\theta$ of the h-BN with respect to the graphene layers with different
physical mechanisms governing the transport in different regimes of angle,
Fermi level, and bias. The different mechanisms and their resulting signatures
in resistance and current are analyzed using two different models, a
tight-binding, non-equilibrium Green function model and an effective continuum
model, and the qualitative features resulting from the two different models
compare well. In the large-angle regime ($\theta > 4^\circ$), the change in the
effective h-BN bandgap seen by an electron at the $K$ point of the graphene
causes the resistance to monotonically increase with angle by several orders of
magnitude reaching a maximum at $\theta = 30^\circ$. It does not affect the
peak-to-valley current ratios in devices that exhibit negative differential
resistance. In the small-angle regime ($\theta < 4^\circ$), Umklapp processes
open up new conductance channels that manifest themselves as non-monotonic
features in a plot of resistance versus Fermi level that can serve as
experimental signatures of this effect. For small angles and high bias, the
Umklapp processes give rise to two new current peaks on either side of the
direct tunneling peak.


title:
The probability of avoiding consecutive patterns in the Mallows
  distribution

abstract:
  We use various combinatorial and probabilistic techniques to study growth
rates for the probability that a random permutation from the Mallows
distribution avoids consecutive patterns. The Mallows distribution behaves like
a $q$-analogue of the uniform distribution by weighting each permutation $\pi$
by $q^{inv(\pi)}$, where $inv(\pi)$ is the number of inversions in $\pi$ and
$q$ is a positive, real-valued parameter. We prove that the growth rate exists
for all patterns and all $q>0$, and we generalize Goulden and Jackson's cluster
method to keep track of the number of inversions in permutations avoiding a
given consecutive pattern. Using singularity analysis, we approximate the
growth rates for length-3 patterns, monotone patterns, and non-overlapping
patterns starting with 1, and we compare growth rates between different
patterns. We also use Stein's method to show that, under certain assumptions on
$q$, the length of $\sigma$, and $inv(\sigma)$, the number of occurrences of a
given pattern $\sigma$ is well approximated by the normal distribution.


title: Reconstructing Articulated Rigged Models from RGB-D Videos

abstract:
  Although commercial and open-source software exist to reconstruct a static
object from a sequence recorded with an RGB-D sensor, there is a lack of tools
that build rigged models of articulated objects that deform realistically and
can be used for tracking or animation. In this work, we fill this gap and
propose a method that creates a fully rigged model of an articulated object
from depth data of a single sensor. To this end, we combine deformable mesh
tracking, motion segmentation based on spectral clustering and skeletonization
based on mean curvature flow. The fully rigged model then consists of a
watertight mesh, embedded skeleton, and skinning weights.


title: E1, M1, E2 transition energies and probabilities of W$^{54+}$ ions

abstract:
  A comprehensive theoretical study of the E1, M1, E2 transitions of Ca-like
tungsten ions is presented. Using multi-configuration Dirac-Fock (MCDF) method
with a restricted active space treatment, the wavelengths and probabilities of
the M1 and E2 transitions between the multiplets of the ground state
configuration ([Ne]3s$^{2}$3p$^{6}$3d$^{2}$) and of the E1 transitions between
[Ne]3s$^{2}$3p$^{5}$3d$^{3}$ and [Ne]3s$^{2}$3p$^{6}$3d$^{2}$ have been
calculated. The results are in reasonable agreement with available experimental
data. The present E1 and M1 calculations are compared with previous theoretical
values. For E2 transitions, the importance of electron correlation from 3s and
3p orbitals is pointed out. Several strong E1 transitions are predicted, which
have potential advantage for plasma diagnostics.


title: Improved Algorithms for Computing $k$-Sink on Dynamic Path Networks

abstract:
  We present a novel approach to finding the $k$-sink on dynamic path networks
with general edge capacities. Our first algorithm runs in $O(n \log n + k^2
\log^4 n)$ time, where $n$ is the number of vertices on the given path, and our
second algorithm runs in $O(n \log^3 n)$ time. Together, they improve upon the
previously most efficient $O(kn \log^2 n)$ time algorithm due to Arumugam et
al. for all values of $k$. In the case where all the edges have the same
capacity, we again present two algorithms that run in $O(n + k^2 \log^2n)$ time
and $O(n \log n)$ time, respectively, and they together improve upon the
previously best $O(kn)$ time algorithm due to Higashikawa et al. for all values
of $k$.


title:
Test-Bed based Comparison of Single and Parallel TCP and the Impact Of
  Parallelism on Throughput and Fairness in Heterogenous Networks

abstract:
  Parallel Transport Control Protocol (TCP) has been used to effectively
utilize bandwidth for data intensive applications over high Bandwidth-Delay
Product (BDP) networks. On the other hand, it has been argued that, a
single-based TCP connection with proper modification such as HSTCP can emulate
and capture the robustness of parallel TCP and can well replace it. In this
work a Comparison between Single-Based and the proposed parallel TCP has been
conducted to show the differences in their performance measurements such as
throughput performance and throughput ratio, as well as the link sharing
Fairness also has been observed to show the impact of using the proposed
Parallel TCP on the existing Single-Based TCP connections. The experiment
results show that, single-based TCP cannot overcome Parallel TCP especially in
heterogeneous networks where the packet losses are common. Furthermore, the
proposed parallel TCP does not affect TCP fairness which makes parallel TCP
highly recommended to effectively utilize bandwidth for data intensive
applications.


title: Small perturbation solutions for nonlocal elliptic equations

abstract:
  We present a small perturbation result for nonlocal elliptic equations, which
says that for a class of nonlocal operators, the solutions are in
$C^{\sigma+\alpha}$ for any $\alpha\in (0,1)$ as long as the solutions are
small. This is a nonlocal generalization of a celebrated result of Savin in the
case of second order equations.


title: Unique continuation for fractional orders of elliptic equations

abstract:
  We establish the strong unique continuation property of fractional orders of
linear elliptic equations with Lipschitz coefficients by establishing
monotonicity of some Almgren-type frequency functional via an extension
procedure.


title:
A remark on our paper "Negative Holomorphic curvature and positive
  canonical bundle"

abstract:
  This is a continuation of our first paper in [WY16]. There are two purposes
of this paper: One is to give a proof of the main result in [WY16] without
going through the argument depending on numerical effectiveness. The other one
is to provide a proof of our conjecture, mentioned in [TY], where the
assumption of negative holomorphic sectional curvature is dropped to
quasi-negative. We should note that a solution to our conjecture is also
provided by Diverio-Trapani [DT]. Both proofs depend on our argument in [WY16].
But our argument here makes use of the argument given by the second author and
Cheng in [CY75].


title:
Chirally Invariant Avatar in a Model of Neutrinos with Light Cone
  Reflection Symmetry

abstract:
  In previous work we developed a model of neutrinos based on a new symmetry,
Light Cone Reflection (LCR), that interchanges spacelike and timelike
intervals. In this paper we start with the four-dimensional model, and
construct a two-dimensional avatar that obeys the same equations of motion, and
preserves both the light-cone reflection symmetry and the chiral symmetry of
the original theory. The avatar also contains the interaction that rendered the
four-dimensional model gauge invariant. In an addendum, we make some remarks
about how to determine the scalar field that enters into the definition of the
LCR-covariant derivative.


title:
Observation of spontaneous spin-splitting in the band structure of an
  n-type zinc-blende ferromagnetic semiconductor

abstract:
  Large spin splitting in the conduction band (CB) and valence band (VB) of
ferromagnetic semiconductors (FMSs), predicted by the influential mean-field
Zener model[1,2] and assumed in many spintronic device proposals[3-8], has
never been observed in the mainstream p-type Mn-doped FMSs[9-15]. Here using
tunnelling spectroscopy in Esaki-diode structures, we report the observation of
such a large spontaneous spin-splitting energy ({\Delta}E = 31.7 - 50 meV) in
the CB bottom of n-type FMS (In,Fe)As, which is surprising considering the very
weak s-d exchange interaction reported in several zinc-blende (ZB) type
semiconductors[16,17]. The mean-field Zener model also fails to explain
consistently the ferromagnetism and the spin splitting energy {\Delta}E of
(In,Fe)As, because we found that the Curie temperature (TC) values calculated
using the observed {\Delta}E are much lower than the experimental TC by a
factor of 400. These results urge the need for a more sophisticated theory of
FMSs. Furthermore, bias-dependent tunnelling anisotropic magnetoresistance
(TAMR) reveals the magnetic anisotropy of each component of the (In,Fe)As band
structure [CB, VB, and impurity band (IB)]. The results suggest that the energy
range of IB overlaps with the CB bottom or VB top, which may be important to
understand the strong s-d exchange interaction in (In,Fe)As[18,19].


title:
An Adaptive Parameter Estimation for Guided Filter based Image
  Deconvolution

abstract:
  Image deconvolution is still to be a challenging ill-posed problem for
recovering a clear image from a given blurry image, when the point spread
function is known. Although competitive deconvolution methods are numerically
impressive and approach theoretical limits, they are becoming more complex,
making analysis, and implementation difficult. Furthermore, accurate estimation
of the regularization parameter is not easy for successfully solving image
deconvolution problems. In this paper, we develop an effective approach for
image restoration based on one explicit image filter - guided filter. By
applying the decouple of denoising and deblurring techniques to the
deconvolution model, we reduce the optimization complexity and achieve a simple
but effective algorithm to automatically compute the parameter in each
iteration, which is based on Morozov's discrepancy principle. Experimental
results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms many
state-of-the-art deconvolution methods in terms of both ISNR and visual
quality.


title: Infrared photodetectors based on graphene van der Waals heterostructures

abstract:
  We propose and evaluate the graphene layer (GL) infrared photodetectors
(GLIPs) based on the van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures with the radiation
absorbing GLs. The operation of the GLIPs is associated with the electron
photoexcitation from the GL valence band to the continuum states above the
inter-GL barriers (either via tunneling or direct transitions to the continuum
states). Using the developed device model, we calculate the photodetector
characteristics as functions of the GL-vdW heterostructure parameters. We show
that due to a relatively large efficiency of the electron photoexcitation and
low capture efficiency of the electrons propagating over the barriers in the
inter-GL layers, GLIPs should exhibit the elevated photoelectric gain and
detector responsivity as well as relatively high detectivity. The possibility
of high-speed operation, high conductivity, transparency of the GLIP contact
layers, and the sensitivity to normally incident IR radiation provides
additional potential advantages in comparison with other IR photodetectors. In
particular, the proposed GLIPs can compete with unitravelling-carrier
photodetectors.


title:
Creating Interactive Behaviors in Early Sketch by Recording and Remixing
  Crowd Demonstrations

abstract:
  In the early stages of designing graphical user interfaces (GUIs), the look
(appearance) can be easily presented by sketching, but the feel (interactive
behaviors) cannot, and often requires an accompanying description of how it
works (Myers et al. 2008). We propose to use crowdsourcing to augment early
sketches with interactive behaviors generated, used, and reused by collective
"wizards-of-oz" as opposed to a single wizard as in prior work (Davis et al.
2007). This demo presents an extension of Apparition (Lasecki et al. 2015), a
crowd-powered prototyping tool that allows end users to create functional GUIs
using speech and sketch. In Apparition, crowd workers collaborate in real-time
on a shared canvas to refine the user-requested sketch interactively, and with
the assistance of the end users. Our demo extends this functionality to let
crowd workers "demonstrate" the canvas changes that are needed for a behavior
and refine their demonstrations to improve the fidelity of interactive
behaviors. The system then lets workers "remix" these behaviors to make
creating future behaviors more efficient.


title: Rate-Distortion Analysis of Quantizers with Error Feedback

abstract:
  A Delta-Sigma modulator that is often utilized to convert analog signals into
digital signals can be modeled as a static uniform quantizer with an error
feedback filter. In this paper, we present a rate-distortion analysis of
quantizers with error feedback including the Delta-Sigma modulators, assuming
that the error owing to overloading in the static quantizer is negligible. We
demonstrate that the amplitude response of the optimal error feedback filter
that minimizes the mean squared quantization error can be parameterized by one
parameter. This parameterization enables us to determine the optimal error
feedback filter numerically. The relationship between the number of bits used
for the quantization and the achievable mean squared error can be obtained
using the optimal error feedback filter. This clarifies the rate-distortion
property of quantizers with error feedback. Then, ideal optimal error feedback
filters are approximated by practical filters using the Yule-Walker method and
the linear matrix inequality-based method. Numerical examples are provided for
demonstrating our analysis and synthesis.


title:
The Importance of Being Negative: A serious treatment of non-trivial
  edges in brain functional connectome

abstract:
  Understanding the modularity of fMRI-derived brain networks or connectomes
can inform the study of brain function organization. However, fMRI connectomes
additionally involve negative edges, which are not rigorously accounted for by
existing approaches to modularity that either ignores or arbitrarily weight
these connections. Furthermore, most Q maximization-based modularity algorithms
yield variable results with suboptimal reproducibility. Here we present an
alternative, reproducible approach that exploits how frequent the BOLD-signal
correlation between two nodes is negative. We validated this novel
probability-based modularity approach on two independent publicly-available
resting-state connectome dataset (the Human Connectome Project and the 1000
Functional Connectomes) and demonstrated that negative correlations alone are
sufficient in understanding resting-state modularity. In fact, this approach a)
permits a dual formulation, leading to equivalent solutions regardless of
whether one considers positive or negative edges; b) is theoretically linked to
the Ising model defined on the connectome, thus yielding modularity result that
maximizes data likelihood. We additionally were able to detect sex differences
in modularity that the most widely utilized methods did not. Results confirmed
the superiority of our approach in that: a) correlations with the highest
probability of being negative are consistently placed between modules, b) due
to the equivalent dual forms, no arbitrary weighting factor is required to
balance the influence between negative and positive correlations, unlike
existing Q maximization-based modularity approaches. As datasets like HCP
become widely available for analysis by the neuroscience community at large,
appropriate computational tools to understand the neurobiological information
of negative edges in fMRI connectomes are increasingly important.


title:
Remarks on Non-BPS String Amplitudes and Their All Order $\alpha'$
  Contact Interactions in IIB, IIA

abstract:
  We explore the entire form of S-Matrix elements of a potential $C_{n-1}$
Ramond-Ramond (RR) form field, a tachyon and two transverse scalar fields on
both world volume and transverse directions of type IIB and IIA superstring
theories. Apart from $<V_{C^{-2}}V_{\phi^{0}}V_{\phi ^{0}}V_{T ^{0}}>$ the
other scattering amplitude, namely $<V_{C^{-1}}V_{\phi^{-1}}V_{\phi ^{0}}V_{T
^{0}}>$ is also revealed. We then start to compare all singularity structures
of symmetric and asymmetric analysis, generating all infinite singularity
structures as well as all order $\alpha'$ contact interactions on the whole
directions. This leads to deriving various new contact terms and several new
restricted Bianchi identities in both type IIB and IIA. It is also shown that
just some of the new couplings of type IIB (IIA) string theory can be
re-verified in an Effective Field Theory (EFT) by pull-back of branes. To
construct the rest of S-matrix elements one needs to first derive restricted
world volume (or bulk) Bianchi identities and then discover new EFT couplings
in both type IIB and IIA. Finally the presence of commutator of scalar fields
inside the exponential of Wess-Zumino action for non-BPS branes has been
confirmed as well.


title: Quantum unique ergodicity of degenerate eisenstein series on gl(n)

abstract:
  We prove quantum unique ergodicity for a subspace of the continuous spectrum
spanned by the degenerate Eisenstein Series on GL(n).


title:
Learning Model Predictive Control for iterative tasks. A Data-Driven
  Control Framework

abstract:
  A Learning Model Predictive Controller (LMPC) for iterative tasks is
presented. The controller is reference-free and is able to improve its
performance by learning from previous iterations. A safe set and a terminal
cost function are used in order to guarantee recursive feasibility and
non-increasing performance at each iteration. The paper presents the control
design approach, and shows how to recursively construct terminal set and
terminal cost from state and input trajectories of previous iterations.
Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed control logic.


title:
To Click or Not To Click: Automatic Selection of Beautiful Thumbnails
  from Videos

abstract:
  Thumbnails play such an important role in online videos. As the most
representative snapshot, they capture the essence of a video and provide the
first impression to the viewers; ultimately, a great thumbnail makes a video
more attractive to click and watch. We present an automatic thumbnail selection
system that exploits two important characteristics commonly associated with
meaningful and attractive thumbnails: high relevance to video content and
superior visual aesthetic quality. Our system selects attractive thumbnails by
analyzing various visual quality and aesthetic metrics of video frames, and
performs a clustering analysis to determine the relevance to video content,
thus making the resulting thumbnails more representative of the video. On the
task of predicting thumbnails chosen by professional video editors, we
demonstrate the effectiveness of our system against six baseline methods, using
a real-world dataset of 1,118 videos collected from Yahoo Screen. In addition,
we study what makes a frame a good thumbnail by analyzing the statistical
relationship between thumbnail frames and non-thumbnail frames in terms of
various image quality features. Our study suggests that the selection of a good
thumbnail is highly correlated with objective visual quality metrics, such as
the frame texture and sharpness, implying the possibility of building an
automatic thumbnail selection system based on visual aesthetics.


title:
Accelerating More Secure RC4 : Implementation of Seven FPGA Designs in
  Stages upto 8 byte per clock

abstract:
  RC4 can be made more secured if an additional RC4-like Post-KSA Random
Shuffing (PKRS) process is introduced between KSA and PRGA. It can also be made
significantly faster if RC4 bytes are processed in a FPGA embedded system using
multiple coprocessors functioning in parallel. The PKRS process is tuned to
form as many S-boxes as required by particular design architectures involving
multiple coprocessors, each one undertaking byte-by-byte processing. Following
a ecent idea [1] [2] the speed of execution of each processor is also enhanced
by another fold if the byte-by-byte processing is replaced by a scheme of
processing two consecutive bytes together. Adopting some new innovative
concepts, three hardware design architectures are proposed in a suitable FPGA
embedded system involving 1, 2 and 4 coprocessors functioning in parallel and a
study is made on accelerating RC4 by processing bytes in byte-by-byte mode
achieving throughputs from 1-byte-in-1-clock to 4-bytes-in-1-clock. The
hardware designs are appropriately upgraded to accelerate RC4 further by
processing 2 onsecutive RC4 bytes together and it has been possible to achieve
a maximum throughput of 8-bytes per clock in Xilinx Virtex-5 LX110t FPGA [3]
architecture followed by secured data communication between two FPGA boards.


title:
From Filter Paper to Functional Actuator by Poly(ionic liquid)-Modified
  Graphene Oxide

abstract:
  A commercially available membrane filter paper composed of mixed cellulose
esters bearing typically an interconnected pore structure was transformed into
a stimuli-responsive bilayer actuator by depositing a thin film of poly(ionic
liquid)-modified graphene oxide sheets (GO-PIL) onto the filter paper. In
acetone vapor, the as-synthesized bilayer actuator bent readily into multiple
loops at a fast speed with the GO-PIL top film inwards. Upon pulling back into
air the actuator recovered their original shape. The asymmetric swelling of the
top GO-PIL film and the bottom porous filter paper towards organic vapor offers
a favorably synergetic function to drive the actuation. The PIL polymer chains
in the hybrid film were proven crucial to enhance the adhesion strength between
the GO sheets and the adjacent filter paper to avoid interfacial delamination
and thus improve force transfer. The overall construction allows a prolonged
lifetime of the bilayer actuator under constant operation, especially when
compared to that of the GO/filter paper bilayer actuator without PIL.


title:
Antiferro-quadrupolar correlations in the quantum spin ice candidate
  Pr2Zr2O7

abstract:
  We present an experimental study of the quantum spin ice candidate pyrochlore
coumpound \przr\ by means of magnetization measurements, specific heat and
neutron scattering up to 12 T and down to 60 mK. When the field is applied
along the $[111]$ and $[1\bar{1}0]$ directions, ${\bf k}=0$ field induced
structures settle in. We find that the ordered moment rises slowly, even at
very low temperature, in agreement with macroscopic magnetization.
Interestingly, for $H \parallel [1\bar{1}0]$, the ordered moment appears on the
so called $\alpha$ chains only. The spin excitation spectrum is essentially
{\it inelastic} and consists in a broad flat mode centered at about 0.4 meV
with a magnetic structure factor which resembles the spin ice pattern. For $H
\parallel [1\bar{1}0]$ (at least up to 2.5 T), we find that a well defined mode
forms from this broad response, whose energy increases with $H$, in the same
way as the temperature of the specific heat anomaly. We finally discuss these
results in the light of mean field calculations and propose a new
interpretation where quadrupolar interactions play a major role, overcoming the
magnetic exchange. In this picture, the spin ice pattern appears shifted up to
finite energy because of those new interactions. We then propose a range of
acceptable parameters for \przr\, that allow to reproduce several experimental
features observed under field. With these parameters, the actual ground state
of this material would be an antiferroquadrupolar liquid with spin-ice like
excitations.


title:
Sensing solvents with ultra-sensitive porous poly(ionic liquid)
  actuators

abstract:
  We introduced a new concept for fabricating solvent stimulus polymer
actuators with unprecedented sensitivity and accuracy. This was accomplished by
integrating porous architectures and electrostatic complexation gradients in a
poly(ionic liquid) membrane that bears ionic liquid species for solvent
sorption. In contact with 1.5 mol% of acetone molecules in water, the actuator
membrane (1 mm x 20 mm x 30 um) bent into a closed loop. While the interaction
between solvents and the polymer drives the actuation, the continuous gradient
in complexation degree combined with the porous architecture optimizes the
actuation, giving it a high sensitivity and even the ability to discriminate
butanol solvent isomers. The membrane is also capable of cooperative actuation.
The design concept is easy to implement and applicable to other polyelectrolyte
systems, which substantially underpins their potentials in smart and sensitive
signaling microrobotics/devices.


title: A Perron-Frobenius type result for integer maps and applications

abstract:
  It is shown that for certain maps, including concave maps, on the
$d$-dimensional lattice of positive integer points, 'approximate' eigenvectors
can be found. Applications in epidemiology as well as distributed resource
allocation are discussed as examples.


title:
On the homotopy theory for Lie $\infty$-groupoids, with an application
  to integrating $L_\infty$-algebras

abstract:
  Lie $\infty$-groupoids are simplicial Banach manifolds that satisfy an analog
of the Kan condition for simplicial sets. An explicit construction of Henriques
produces certain Lie $\infty$-groupoids called `Lie $\infty$-groups' by
integrating finite type Lie $n$-algebras. In order to study the compatibility
between this integration procedure and the homotopy theory of Lie $n$-algebras
introduced in the companion paper arXiv:1809.05999, we present a homotopy
theory for Lie $\infty$-groupoids. Unlike Kan simplicial sets and the higher
geometric groupoids of Behrend and Getzler, Lie $\infty$-groupoids do not form
a category of fibrant objects (CFO), since the category of manifolds lacks
pullbacks. Instead, we show that Lie $\infty$-groupoids form an `incomplete
category of fibrant objects' in which the weak equivalences correspond to
`stalkwise' weak equivalences of simplicial sheaves. This homotopical structure
enjoys many of the same properties as a CFO, such as having, in the presence of
functorial path objects, a convenient realization of its simplicial
localization. We further prove that the acyclic fibrations are precisely the
hypercovers, which implies that many of Behrend and Getzler's results also hold
in this more general context. As an application, we show that Henriques'
integration functor is an exact functor with respect to a class of
distinguished fibrations which we call `quasi-split fibrations'. Such
fibrations include acyclic fibrations as well as fibrations that arise in
string-like extensions. In particular, integration sends $L_\infty$
quasi-isomorphisms to weak equivalences, quasi-split fibrations to Kan
fibrations, and preserves acyclic fibrations, as well as pullbacks of
acyclic/quasi-split fibrations.


title:
A Hitchin Connection for a large class of families of K\"ahler
  Structures

abstract:
  In this paper we construct a Hitchin connection in a setting, which
significantly generalizes the setting covered by the first author previously,
which in turn was a generalisation of the moduli space case covered by Hitchin
in his original work on the Hitchin connection. In fact, our construction
provides a Hitchin connection, which is a partial connection on the space of
all compatible complex structures on an arbitrary, but fixed prequantizable
symplectic manifold, which satisfies a certain Fano type condition. The
subspace of the tangent space to the space of compatible complex structures on
which the constructed Hitchin connection is defined, is in fact of finite
co-dimension, if the symplectic manifold is compact. In a number of examples,
including flat symplectic space, symplectic tori and moduli spaces of flat
connections for a compact Lie group, we prove that our Hitchin connection is
defined in a neighbourhood of the natural families of complex structures
compatible with the given symplectic form, which these spaces admits.


title:
The Devil is in the Tails: Regression Discontinuity Design with
  Measurement Error in the Assignment Variable

abstract:
  Identification in a regression discontinuity (RD) research design hinges on
the discontinuity in the probability of treatment when a covariate (assignment
variable) exceeds a known threshold. When the assignment variable is measured
with error, however, the discontinuity in the relationship between the
probability of treatment and the observed mismeasured assignment variable may
disappear. Therefore, the presence of measurement error in the assignment
variable poses a direct challenge to treatment effect identification. This
paper provides sufficient conditions to identify the RD treatment effect using
the mismeasured assignment variable, the treatment status and the outcome
variable. We prove identification separately for discrete and continuous
assignment variables and study the properties of various estimation procedures.
We illustrate the proposed methods in an empirical application, where we
estimate Medicaid takeup and its crowdout effect on private health insurance
coverage.


title: Tailoring Spin Chain Dynamics for Fractional Revivals

abstract:
  The production of quantum states required for use in quantum protocols &
technologies is studied by developing the tools to re-engineer a perfect state
transfer spin chain so that a separable input excitation is output over
multiple sites. We concentrate in particular on cases where the excitation is
superposed over a small subset of the qubits on the spin chain, known as
fractional revivals, demonstrating that spin chains are capable of producing a
far greater range of fractional revivals than previously known, at high speed.
We also provide a numerical technique for generating chains that produce
arbitrary single-excitation states, such as the W state.


title: Generating Quantum States through Spin Chain Dynamics

abstract:
  Spin chains can realise perfect quantum state transfer between the two ends
via judicious choice of coupling strengths. In this paper, we study what other
states can be created by engineering a spin chain. We conclude that, up to
local phases, all single excitation quantum states with support on every site
of the chain can be created. We pay particular attention to the generation of
W-states that are superposed over every site of the chain.


title:
On the Semistability of certain Lazarsfeld-Mukai bundles on Abelian
  surfaces

abstract:
  Let $X$ be the Jacobian of a genus 2 curve $\widetilde{\mathcal{C}}$ over
$\mathbb{C}$ and $Y$ be the associated Kummer surface. Consider an ample line
bundle $L=O(m\widetilde{\mathcal{C}})$ on $X$ for an even number $m$, and its
descent to $Y$, say $L'$. We show that any dominating component of
$\mathcal{W}^1_{d}(|L'|)$ corresponds to $\mu_{L'}$-stable Lazarsfeld-Mukai
bundles on $Y$. Further, for a smooth curve $C \in |L|$ and a base-point free
$g^1_d$ on $C$, say $(A,V)$, we study the $\mu_L$-semistability of the rank-2
Lazarsfeld-Mukai bundle associated to $(C,(A,V))$ on $X$. Under certain
assumptions on $C$ and the $g^1_d$, we show that the above Lazarsfeld-Mukai
bundles are $\mu_L$-semistable.


title: Succinct data-structure for nearest colored node in a tree

abstract:
  We give a succinct data-structure that stores a tree with colors on the
nodes. Given a node x and a color alpha, the structure finds the nearest node
to x with color alpha. This results improves the $O(n\log n)$-bits structure of
Gawrychowski et al.~[CPM 2016].