Hyperlogic: A System for Talking about Logics

Sentences about logic are often used to show that certain embedding expressions, including attitude verbs, conditionals, and epistemic modals, are hyperintensional. Yet it not clear how to regiment “logic talk” in the object language so that it can be compositionally embedded under such expressions. This paper does two things. First, it argues against a standard account of logic talk, viz., the impossible worlds semantics. It is shown that this semantics does not easily extend to a language with propositional quantifiers, which are necessary for regimenting some logic talk. Second, it develops an alternative framework based on logical expressivism, which explains logic talk using shifting conventions. When combined with the standard S5π+ semantics for propositional quantifiers, this framework results in a well-behaved system that does not face the problems of the impossible worlds semantics. It can also be naturally extended with hybrid operators to regiment a broader range of logic talk, e.g., claims about what laws hold according to other logics. The resulting system, called hyperlogic, is therefore a better framework for modeling logic talk than previous accounts

Teaching Value-based Care: A Framework for a Family Medicine Resident Clinic

Milton Family Practice is home to the University of Vermont’s Family Medicine residency program. As efforts to improve the value of health care increase, graduate medical education accreditation organizations may begin to reward and penalize residency programs based on their commitment to teaching and providing value-based care. Residency programs currently lack a clear strategy to prepare residents to assess and deliver value-based care. In this presentation, I present the VALUE Framework (Patel, Davis, & Lypson 2012) for the University of Vermont Family Medicine residency program to teach residents to assess and deliver value-based care for their patients during preceptor sessions.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/fmclerk/1329/thumbnail.jp

Pseudomodes and the corresponding transformation of the temperature-dependent bath correlation function

In open system approaches with non-Markovian environments, the process of inserting an individual mode (denoted as "pseudomode") into the bath or extracting it from the bath is widely employed. This procedure, however, is typically performed on basis of the spectral density (SD) and does not incorporate temperature. Here, we show how the - temperature-dependent - bath correlation function (BCF) transforms in such a process. We present analytic formulae for the transformed BCF and numerically study the differences between factorizing initial state and global thermal (correlated) initial state of mode and bath, respectively. We find that in the regime of strong coupling of the mode to both system and bath, the differences in the BCFs give rise to pronounced differences in the dynamics of the system.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

A closer look at semistability for singular principal bundles

We substantially refine the theory of singular principal bundles introduced in a former paper. In particular, we show that we need only honest singular principal bundles in our compactification. These are objects which carry the structure of a rational principal bundle in the sense of Ramanathan. Moreover, we arrive at a much simpler semistability condition. In the case of a semisimple group, this is just the Gieseker-version of Ramanathan's semistability condition for the corresponding rational principal $G$-bundle.Comment: To appear in the International Mathematics Research Notices. V2: Minor correction

Global Boundedness for Decorated Sheaves

An important classification problem in Algebraic Geometry deals with pairs (\E,\phi), consisting of a torsion free sheaf \E and a non-trivial homomorphism \phi\colon (\E^{\otimes a})^{\oplus b}\lra\det(\E)^{\otimes c}\otimes \L on a polarized complex projective manifold (X,\O_X(1)), the input data $a$, $b$, $c$, \L as well as the Hilbert polynomial of \E being fixed. The solution to the classification problem consists of a family of moduli spaces ${\cal M}^\delta:={\cal M}^{\delta-\rm ss}_{a/b/c/L/P}$ for the $\delta$-semistable objects, where \delta\in\Q[x] can be any positive polynomial of degree at most $\dim X-1$. In this note we show that there are only finitely many distinct moduli spaces among the ${\cal M}^\delta$ and that they sit in a chain of "GIT-flips". This property has been known and proved by ad hoc arguments in several special cases. In our paper, we apply refined information on the instability flag to solve this problem. This strategy is inspired by the fundamental paper of Ramanan and Ramanathan on the instability flag.Comment: To appear in the International Mathematics Research Notices. V2: A few typos corrected (notably in the definition of semistability in the introduction); Expanded Introductio

Miscellaneous Letters on Burma, 1755-1760, I, edited by Alexander Dalrymple and re-edited by Michael W. Charney

These letters, and in cases extracts of letters, were reproduced by Alexander Dalrymple in 1808, published in London under the title Oriental Repertory, by William Ballintine for the East India Company. Relevant portions of Dalrymple’s commentary to some letters have also been included. Edited by Michael W. Charney for the SOAS Bulletin of Burma Research

An Evaluation of Age Effects on Driver Comprehension of Flashing Traffic Signal Indications using Multivariate Multiple Response Analysis of Variance Models

Objective: The objective of this experiment was to identify whether drivers comprehended traffic signals differently when turning left at signalized intersections where traffic signals were in “flashing mode” operation. Method:Multivariate multiple response analysis of variance models were used to analyze the simultaneous effects of displayed color combination, age, and geographical location on signal message interpretation. Data were gathered in a laboratory environment. Results: Left-turn and through-signal color combination had a significant effect on subject comprehension. Comprehension was found to be lowest for displays flashing red only, followed by displays flashing red on the left-turn, and yellow on the through-signal, with best comprehended displays flashing yellow only. No overall significant age effects were identified, with one minor exception. No geographical region effects were identified. Signal section arrangement and the use of an arrow or circular illuminated lens had no significant effect on comprehension. Discussion: Traffic signal displays in “flashing mode” operation were previously identified as the least well-comprehended displays for drivers turning left. The present effort identified that this is mainly due to displays flashing red indications on the through-signal. Comprehension of displays flashing yellow indications on the through-signal is comparable to that of permitted left-turn indications. Impact on the Industry: There is a need to develop alternatives for signal displays flashing red indications on the through-signal because a large percentage of drivers facing such indications mistakenly think they have the right-of-way when, in fact, they do not. However, use of such displays on minor streets intersecting major streets cannot currently be avoided when signals are placed in flashing operation. Practitioners using flashing signal operations need not be concerned about signal message comprehension differences among age groups. They can use any among the analyzed alternative signals that convey a given message without impacting signal message comprehension

Preferences for Permitted and Protected Left-Turn Signal Displays

Twenty-two different signal displays for permitted and protected left turns were evaluated from a driver comprehension perspective. The objective was to identify which alternate signal displays used to convey the same left-turn message to the driver are better comprehended and therefore recommended for use in the field. Protected displays compliant with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices were found to be better comprehended than certain noncompliant displays; however, some noncompliant permitted displays were found to outperform their compliant counterparts. Regional comprehension biases are nonexistent for the most part, regardless of display compliance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Permitted left-turn signals using indications other than a steady green ball were found to enhance driver comprehension. The “Left Turn Must Yield on Green Ball” sign used with a “doghouse” display is beneficial during the permitted phase, but confusing when displayed during the protected left-and-through phase. Other supplemental signs used with various left-turn displays were also evaluated

Hubble Space telescope thermal cycle test report for large solar array samples with BSFR cells (Sample numbers 703 and 704)

The Hubble space telescope (HST) solar array was designed to meet specific output power requirements after 2 years in low-Earth orbit, and to remain operational for 5 years. The array, therefore, had to withstand 30,000 thermal cycles between approximately +100 and -100 C. The ability of the array to meet this requirement was evaluated by thermal cycle testing, in vacuum, two 128-cell solar cell modules that exactly duplicated the flight HST solar array design. Also, the ability of the flight array to survive an emergency deployment during the dark (cold) portion of an orbit was evaluated by performing a cold-roll test using one module