Some remarks on the history of transfer in language studies

Transfer is a notion that is pervasive in the modern field of second and third language acquisition. However, the definition of transfer is not easily found. Most of this paper is devoted to a historical overview of the notion of transfer and the changes the definition underwent over the years. At the end of this paper, I sketch a proposal which involves discarding the notion of “transfer” in favor of more computationally efficient options

Anatomy of the fragmented Hilbert space: eigenvalue tunneling, quantum scars and localization in the perturbed random regular graph

We consider the properties of the random regular graph with node degree $d$ perturbed by chemical potentials $\mu_k$ for a number of short $k$-cycles. We analyze both numerically and analytically the phase diagram of the model in the $(\mu_k,d)$ plane. The critical curve separating the homogeneous and clusterized phases is found and it is demonstrated that the clusterized phase itself generically is separated as the function of $d$ into the phase with ideal clusters and phase with coupled ones when the continuous spectrum gets formed. The eigenstate spatial structure of the model is investigated and it is found that there are localized scar-like states in the delocalized part of the spectrum, that are related to the topologically equivalent nodes in the graph. We also reconsider the localization of the states in the non-perturbative band formed by eigenvalue instantons and find the semi-Poisson level spacing distribution. The Anderson transition for the case of combined ($k$-cycle) structural and diagonal (Anderson) disorders is investigated. It is found that the critical diagonal disorder gets reduced sharply at the clusterization phase transition, but does it unevenly in non-perturbative and mid-spectrum bands, due to the scars, present in the latter. The applications of our findings to $2$d quantum gravity are discussed.Comment: 27 pages, 9 figures, 87 references + 4 pages, 4 figures in Appendice

A cerebellar internal model calibrates a feedback controller involved in sensorimotor control

Animals can adjust their behavior in response to changes in the environment when these changes can be predicted. Here the authors show the role of the cerebellum in zebrafish that change their swimming as they adjust to long-lasting changes in visual feedback Animals must adapt their behavior to survive in a changing environment. Behavioral adaptations can be evoked by two mechanisms: feedback control and internal-model-based control. Feedback controllers can maintain the sensory state of the animal at a desired level under different environmental conditions. In contrast, internal models learn the relationship between the motor output and its sensory consequences and can be used to recalibrate behaviors. Here, we present multiple unpredictable perturbations in visual feedback to larval zebrafish performing the optomotor response and show that they react to these perturbations through a feedback control mechanism. In contrast, if a perturbation is long-lasting, fish adapt their behavior by updating a cerebellum-dependent internal model. We use modelling and functional imaging to show that the neuronal requirements for these mechanisms are met in the larval zebrafish brain. Our results illustrate the role of the cerebellum in encoding internal models and how these can calibrate neuronal circuits involved in reactive behaviors depending on the interactions between animal and environment

Mesoscopic conductance fluctuations and noise in disordered Majorana wires

Superconducting wires with broken time-reversal and spin-rotational symmetries can exhibit two distinct topological gapped phases and host bound Majorana states at the phase boundaries. When the wire is tuned to the transition between these two phases and the gap is closed, Majorana states become delocalized leading to a peculiar critical state of the system. We study transport properties of this critical state as a function of the length $L$ of a disordered multichannel wire. Applying a non-linear supersymmetric sigma model of symmetry class D with two replicas, we identify the average conductance, its variance and the third cumulant in the whole range of $L$ from the Ohmic limit of short wires to the regime of a broad conductance distribution when $L$ exceeds the correlation length of the system. In addition, we calculate the average shot noise power and variance of the topological index for arbitrary $L$. The general approach developed in the paper can also be applied to study combined effects of disorder and topology in wires of other symmetries.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figure

Factors of research groups’ productivity: The case of the Ural Federal University

Relevance. One of the main goals of state university support programs in Russia is to increase the number of scientific publications. In 2021, Project 5-100 was replaced by the program PRIORITY 2030 (Strategic Academic Leadership Program). The new program increased the significance of the factors affecting the number of publications in universities and the issue of the optimal allocation of funding among research groups.Research objective. This study examines the factors that affect the productivity of research groups at the university. Unlike the majority of other studies on this topic, this study analyzes scientific productivity at the level of research groups.Data and methods. The study was possible due to the availability of data for 79 research groups at the Ural Federal University for the period from 2014 to 2020. The total number of articles and the number of articles in journals with an impact factor of more than two were used as indicators of research groups’ performance. To determine the factors influencing these indicators, we used econometric models for panel data. We used two separate samples: for social sciences and humanities and for other sciences.Results. We identified the following factors affecting the performance of research groups: the number of participants, the age of the research group, the supervisor’s scientific age, and the amount of funding (the possibility of obtaining more funds or being denied funds). The most interesting result is the following: the supervisor's scientific age and increased funding have a negative impact on the group’s performance. The article provides possible explanations for these results.Conclusion. Since the purpose of creating and funding research groups is primarily to increase their productivity, the results may be in favor of younger supervisors. University managers may also be interested in the ambiguous impact of increased funding: we suppose that research groups are more motivated not by the actual funding but by the prospective amount they may get

Knowledge and innovation dynamics of the Northwest Russia under geopolitical changes

Over the past 25 years, Russia has faced several economic and geopolitical challenges, including the 2008 global financial crisis, sanctions imposed in 2014, and the COVID-19 pandemic. To remain resilient in the face of these challenges, Russia needs to adopt a flexible development strategy and transition to a new path of development. This transition requires the development of new knowledge-intensive industries, expansion into promising markets, strengthening trade and economic partnerships, and achieving technological sovereignty. This study examines the innovation system in Northwest Russia and identifies factors that are critical for its sustainability and innovation security in the face of geopolitical instability. The study uses an integrated approach to trace the knowledge production and innovation process from research findings to the commercialization of new technologies. The study finds that there are strong correlations between innovation activity and R&D investment, patent activity, and the number of innovative organisations. The study also identifies three types of regional innovation systems in Northwest Russia: core, semi-periphery, and periphery. The nature of the regions' involvement in R&D determines the dynamics and specialization of their publications and patents. The study also finds that there is a positive correlation between the volume of innovative products and quantitative factors in the functioning of subsystems involved in knowledge generation and innovation. Finally, the study examines the geography and structure of the international research network that the regions of Northwest Russia had formed by 2022. It shows that the geopolitical transformation requires a significant part of cooperation ties with unfriendly countries to be restructured