Explicit Soliton for the Laplacian Co-Flow on a Solvmanifold

We apply the general Ansatz in geometric flows on homogeneous spaces proposed by Jorge Lauret for the Laplacian co-flow of invariant $G_2$-structures on a Lie group, finding an explicit soliton on a particular almost Abelian $7$-manifold.Comment: Minor corrections, proof's Lemma 4.1 modified. To appear in the S\~ao Paulo Journal of mathematical scienc

air Representation vs. Systematic Exclusion

The Supreme Court in Duran u. Missouri, 99 S.Ct. 664 (1979) overturned a Missouri defendant\u27s first degree murder conviction in holding that a systematic exclusion of women [which] results in jury venires averaging less than 15% females violates the Constitution\u27s fair cross-section requirement. 99 S.Ct. at 666. The decision, delivered by Justice White, represents a further progression in the Whitus to Castendal line of cases establishing and defining the meaning of a fair trial under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments

A constructive algorithm for the Cartan decomposition of SU(2^N)

We present an explicit numerical method to obtain the Cartan-Khaneja-Glaser decomposition of a general element G of SU(2^N) in terms of its `Cartan' and `non-Cartan' components. This effectively factors G in terms of group elements that belong in SU(2^n) with n<N, a procedure that can be iterated down to n=2. We show that every step reduces to solving the zeros of a matrix polynomial, obtained by truncation of the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula, numerically. All computational tasks involved are straightforward and the overall truncation errors are well under control.Comment: 15 pages, no figures, matlab file at http://cam.qubit.org/users/jiannis

The Distant Horizon: investigating the relationship between social sciences academic research and game development

Research in the social sciences devotes a great amount of attention to investigating the impact of video games on the individual and on society. However, results generated by this research often fail to inform game development. The present study investigated the outreach of research conducted by the academic community by interviewing 30 game developers and 14 researchers, highlighting critical aspects in the relationship between game research and game industry. Specifically, we found that the difference in priorities, speed cycles, and dissemination practices between these two contexts hinder communication. Subsequently, we carried out a focus group for a set of developers and researchers (N=6) with the aim of eliciting recommendation for improving communication between academics and developers. Among the recommendations to emerge were calls to diversify dissemination channels, promote joint conferences and develop research-production partnerships. It was felt such measures could strengthen the influence of research results outside the academic community

J-integral analysis: An EDXD and DIC comparative study for a fatigue crack

Synchrotron Energy Dispersive X-ray Diffraction (EDXD) and Digital Image Correlation (DIC) have been applied to map simultaneously the 2D elastic strain and displacement fields of a propagating fatigue crack in the HAZ of a welded Cr2Ni4MoV bainitic steel. The position of the crack tip was tracked via a phase congruency analysis of the displacement field, and also by detection of its cyclic plastic zone. Both types of full field data provided independent inputs to finite element/J-integral analyses that directly quantified the elastic cyclic stress intensity factor range applied to the crack. No knowledge was required of the specimen geometry, crack length or applied loads. The agreement between the two analyses in this controlled study shows that strain mapping by synchrotron EDXD can provide a reliable method to study the crack fields in more complex problems, such as interactions between crack closure, residual stresses and applied loading

Consent-GPT: is it ethical to delegate procedural consent to conversational AI?

Obtaining informed consent from patients prior to a medical or surgical procedure is a fundamental part of safe and ethical clinical practice. Currently, it is routine for a significant part of the consent process to be delegated to members of the clinical team not performing the procedure (eg, junior doctors). However, it is common for consent-taking delegates to lack sufficient time and clinical knowledge to adequately promote patient autonomy and informed decision-making. Such problems might be addressed in a number of ways. One possible solution to this clinical dilemma is through the use of conversational artificial intelligence using large language models (LLMs). There is considerable interest in the potential benefits of such models in medicine. For delegated procedural consent, LLM could improve patients’ access to the relevant procedural information and therefore enhance informed decision-making. In this paper, we first outline a hypothetical example of delegation of consent to LLMs prior to surgery. We then discuss existing clinical guidelines for consent delegation and some of the ways in which current practice may fail to meet the ethical purposes of informed consent. We outline and discuss the ethical implications of delegating consent to LLMs in medicine concluding that at least in certain clinical situations, the benefits of LLMs potentially far outweigh those of current practices

Faster movement speed results in greater tendon strain during the loaded squat exercise

Introduction: Tendon dynamics influence movement performance and provide the stimulus for long-term tendon adaptation. As tendon strain increases with load magnitude and decreases with loading rate, changes in movement speed during exercise should influence tendon strain. Methods: Ten resistance-trained men [squat one repetition maximum (1RM) to body mass ratio: 1.65 ± 0.12] performed parallel-depth back squat lifts with 60% of 1RM load at three different speeds: slow fixed-tempo (TS: 2-s eccentric, 1-s pause, 2-s concentric), volitional-speed without a pause (VS) and maximum-speed jump (JS). In each condition joint kinetics, quadriceps tendon length (LT), patellar tendon force (FT), and rate of force development (RFDT) were estimated using integrated ultrasonography, motion-capture, and force platform recordings. Results: Peak LT, FT, and RFDT were greater in JS than TS (p < 0.05), however no differences were observed between VS and TS. Thus, moving at faster speeds resulted in both greater tendon stress and strain despite an increased RFDT, as would be predicted of an elastic, but not a viscous, structure. Temporal comparisons showed that LT was greater in TS than JS during the early eccentric phase (10–14% movement duration) where peak RFDT occurred, demonstrating that the tendon's viscous properties predominated during initial eccentric loading. However, during the concentric phase (61–70 and 76–83% movement duration) differing FT and similar RFDT between conditions allowed for the tendon's elastic properties to predominate such that peak tendon strain was greater in JS than TS. Conclusions: Based on our current understanding, there may be an additional mechanical stimulus for tendon adaptation when performing large range-of-motion isoinertial exercises at faster movement speeds

J-integral analysis: an EDXD and DIC comparative study for a fatigue crack

Synchrotron Energy Dispersive X-ray Diffraction (EDXD) and Digital Image Correlation (DIC) have been applied to map simultaneously the 2D elastic strain and displacement fields of a propagating fatigue crack in the HAZ of a welded Cr2Ni4MoV bainitic steel. The position of the crack tip was tracked via a phase congruency analysis of the displacement field, and also by detection of its cyclic plastic zone. Both types of full field data provided independent inputs to finite element/J-integral analyses that directly quantified the elastic cyclic stress intensity factor range applied to the crack. No knowledge was required of the specimen geometry, crack length or applied loads. The agreement between the two analyses in this controlled study shows that strain mapping by synchrotron EDXD can provide a reliable method to study the crack fields in more complex problems, such as interactions between crack closure, residual stresses and applied loading

Surface plasmon resonance study of the actin-myosin sarcomeric complex and tubulin dimers

Biosensors based on the principle of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) detection were used to measure biomolecular interactions in sarcomeres and changes of the dielectric constant of tubulin samples with varying concentration. At SPR, photons of laser light efficiently excite surface plasmons propagating along a metal (gold) film. This resonance manifests itself as a sharp minimum in the reflection of the incident laser light and occurs at a characteristic angle. The dependence of the SPR angle on the dielectric permittivity of the sample medium adjacent to the gold film allows the monitoring of molecular interactions at the surface. We present results of measurements of cross-bridge attachment/detachment within intact mouse heart muscle sarcomeres and measurements on bovine tubulin molecules pertinent to cytoskeletal signal transduction models.Comment: Submitted to Journal of Modern Optics *Corresponding author: Andreas Mershin ([email protected]