Overview of the SiLC R&D Activities

The R&D Collaboration SiLC (Silicon tracking for Linear Colliders) is based on generic R&D aiming to develop the next generation of large Silicon tracking systems for the Linear collider experiments; it serves all three ILC detector concepts. There is a strong involvement in ILD, a natural collaboration with SiD and recent 4th concept interest to use Silicon tracking technology as well. Here is a very brief summary of the latest results on sensors, Front End Electronics, Mechanics and Integration issues, test bench and test beam results and where to go from there.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, LCWS08 Worksho

Nonparametric regression with homogeneous group testing data

We introduce new nonparametric predictors for homogeneous pooled data in the context of group testing for rare abnormalities and show that they achieve optimal rates of convergence. In particular, when the level of pooling is moderate, then despite the cost savings, the method enjoys the same convergence rate as in the case of no pooling. In the setting of "over-pooling" the convergence rate differs from that of an optimal estimator by no more than a logarithmic factor. Our approach improves on the random-pooling nonparametric predictor, which is currently the only nonparametric method available, unless there is no pooling, in which case the two approaches are identical.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/11-AOS952 the Annals of Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aos/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Methodology and theory for partial least squares applied to functional data

The partial least squares procedure was originally developed to estimate the slope parameter in multivariate parametric models. More recently it has gained popularity in the functional data literature. There, the partial least squares estimator of slope is either used to construct linear predictive models, or as a tool to project the data onto a one-dimensional quantity that is employed for further statistical analysis. Although the partial least squares approach is often viewed as an attractive alternative to projections onto the principal component basis, its properties are less well known than those of the latter, mainly because of its iterative nature. We develop an explicit formulation of partial least squares for functional data, which leads to insightful results and motivates new theory, demonstrating consistency and establishing convergence rates.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/11-AOS958 the Annals of Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aos/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Introduction of longitudinal and transverse Lagrangian velocity increments in homogeneous and isotropic turbulence

Based on geometric considerations, longitudinal and transverse Lagrangian velocity increments are introduced as components along, and perpendicular to, the displacement of fluid particles during a time scale {\tau}. It is argued that these two increments probe preferentially the stretching and spinning of material fluid elements, respectively. This property is confirmed (in the limit of vanishing {\tau}) by examining the variances of these increments conditioned on the local topology of the flow. Interestingly, these longitudinal and transverse Lagrangian increments are found to share some qualitative features with their Eulerian counterparts. In particular, direct numerical simulations at turbulent Reynolds number up to 300 show that the distributions of the longitudinal increment are negatively skewed at all {\tau}, which is a signature of time irreversibility of turbulence in the Lagrangian framework. Transverse increments are found more intermittent than longitudinal increments, as quantified by the comparison of their respective flatnesses and scaling laws. Although different in nature, standard Lagrangian increments (projected on fixed axis) exhibit scaling properties that are very close to transverse Lagrangian increments

A flow-pattern map for phase separation using the Navier-Stokes Cahn-Hilliard model

We use the Navier-Stokes-Cahn-Hilliard model equations to simulate phase separation with flow. We study coarsening - the growth of extended domains wherein the binary mixture phase separates into its component parts. The coarsening is characterized by two competing effects: flow, and the Cahn-Hilliard diffusion term, which drives the phase separation. Based on extensive two-dimensional direct numerical simulations, we construct a flow-pattern map outlining the relative strength of these effects in different parts of the parameter space. The map reveals large regions of parameter space where a standard theory applies, and where the domains grow algebraically in time. However, there are significant parts of the parameter space where the standard theory does not apply. In one region, corresponding to low values of viscosity and diffusion, the coarsening is accelerated compared to the standard theory. Previous studies involving Stokes flow report on this phenomenon; we complete the picture by demonstrating that this anomalous regime occurs not only for Stokes flow, but also, for flows dominated by inertia. In a second region, corresponding to arbitrary viscosities and high Cahn-Hilliard diffusion, the diffusion overwhelms the hydrodynamics altogether, and the latter can effectively be ignored, in contrast to the prediction of the standard scaling theory. Based on further high-resolution simulations in three dimensions, we find that broadly speaking, the above description holds there also, although the formation of the anomalous domains in the low-viscosity-low-diffusion part of the parameter space is delayed in three dimensions compared to two.Comment: 17 pages, 13 figure

What the eye does not see : a critical interpretive synthesis of European Union policies addressing sexual violence in vulnerable migrants

AbstractIn Europe, refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants are more vulnerable to sexual victimisation than European citizens. They face more challenges when seeking care. This literature review examines how legal and policy frameworks at national, European and international levels condition the prevention of and response to sexual violence affecting these vulnerable migrant communities living in the European Union (EU). Applying the Critical Interpretive Synthesis method, we reviewed 187 legal and policy documents and 80 peer-reviewed articles on migrant sexual health for elements on sexual violence and further analysed the 37 legal and 12 peer-reviewed articles among them that specifically focused on sexual violence in vulnerable migrants in the EU-27 States. Legal and policy documents dealing with sexual violence, particularly but not exclusively in vulnerable migrants, apply ‘tunnel vision’. They ignore: a) frequently occurring types of sexual violence, b) victimisation rates across genders and c) specific risk factors within the EU such as migrants’ legal status, gender orientation and living conditions. The current EU policy-making paradigm relegates sexual violence in vulnerable migrants as an ‘outsider’ and ‘female only’ issue while EU migration and asylum policies reinforce its invisibility. Effective response must be guided by participatory rights- and evidence-based policies and a public health approach, acknowledging the occurrence and multiplicity of sexual victimisation of vulnerable migrants of all genders within EU borders

Strategy of recreational anglers and estimated eel (Anguilla anguilla) catches in a large European catchment basin, the Loire (France)

The European Council Regulation (18 September 2007) for the recovery of eel stocks required European states to report on eel stocks and anthropic mortalities. The data sources for France reveal gaps in our knowledge about angling in the public domain, and catches from privately-owned rivers. We tested a simple method, using a survey, for estimating the strategy employed and the catches landed by the 350 000 anglers fishing in the Loire catchment area. The first findings show that the answers of the fishermen varied between 1 and 2% in the departments with the most eels, and between 0.1 and 0.2% in the departments located further upstream. The interest in eel fishing, the average weight of the eels caught by the fishermen, and the total catch all decreased from downstream to upstream. Finally, we estimated the annual average weight of eel caught by anglers, which ranged from 0.8 to 5.3 kg per year depending on the department and the local interest in eel fishing. This preliminary study shows that it is possible to estimate the different fishing strategies used and the quantities caught by means of a survey