Application of the discrete Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin method to spin tunneling

A discrete version of the WKB method is developed and applied to calculate the tunnel splittings between classically degenerate states of spin Hamiltonians. The results for particular model problems are in complete accord with those previously found using instanton methods. The discrete WKB method is more elementary and also yields wavefunctions.Comment: RevTex, 2ps figures, incorporates errata (typos and omitted reference) in JMP pape

Optimal Active Social Network De-anonymization Using Information Thresholds

In this paper, de-anonymizing internet users by actively querying their group memberships in social networks is considered. In this problem, an anonymous victim visits the attacker's website, and the attacker uses the victim's browser history to query her social media activity for the purpose of de-anonymization using the minimum number of queries. A stochastic model of the problem is considered where the attacker has partial prior knowledge of the group membership graph and receives noisy responses to its real-time queries. The victim's identity is assumed to be chosen randomly based on a given distribution which models the users' risk of visiting the malicious website. A de-anonymization algorithm is proposed which operates based on information thresholds and its performance both in the finite and asymptotically large social network regimes is analyzed. Furthermore, a converse result is provided which proves the optimality of the proposed attack strategy

Seeded Graph Matching: Efficient Algorithms and Theoretical Guarantees

In this paper, a new information theoretic framework for graph matching is introduced. Using this framework, the graph isomorphism and seeded graph matching problems are studied. The maximum degree algorithm for graph isomorphism is analyzed and sufficient conditions for successful matching are rederived using type analysis. Furthermore, a new seeded matching algorithm with polynomial time complexity is introduced. The algorithm uses `typicality matching' and techniques from point-to-point communications for reliable matching. Assuming an Erdos-Renyi model on the correlated graph pair, it is shown that successful matching is guaranteed when the number of seeds grows logarithmically with the number of vertices in the graphs. The logarithmic coefficient is shown to be inversely proportional to the mutual information between the edge variables in the two graphs

A method for partitioning centralized controllers

The notion of controller partitioning is described. Conditions are developed under which the input/output behavior of a multi-input multi-output centralized controller can be exactly matched by two separate subsystem controllers interconnected through output crossfeed. A systematic method is developed for determining a controller partitioning which best approximates the input/output behavior of the centralized controller for the general case when the exact matching conditions are not satisfied. The controller partitioning procedure is demonstrated for a centralized integrated flight/propulsion controller designed in a previous study

Motion of falling object

A simple setup was assembled to study the motion of an object while it falls. The setup was used to determine the instantaneous velocity, terminal velocity and acceleration due to gravity. Also, since the whole project was done within $20 it can easily be popularized.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figur

Evaluation of CNN-based Single-Image Depth Estimation Methods

While an increasing interest in deep models for single-image depth estimation methods can be observed, established schemes for their evaluation are still limited. We propose a set of novel quality criteria, allowing for a more detailed analysis by focusing on specific characteristics of depth maps. In particular, we address the preservation of edges and planar regions, depth consistency, and absolute distance accuracy. In order to employ these metrics to evaluate and compare state-of-the-art single-image depth estimation approaches, we provide a new high-quality RGB-D dataset. We used a DSLR camera together with a laser scanner to acquire high-resolution images and highly accurate depth maps. Experimental results show the validity of our proposed evaluation protocol

IMPAC: An Integrated Methodology for Propulsion and Airframe Control

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is actively involved in the development of enabling technologies that will lead towards aircraft with new/enhanced maneuver capabilities such as Short Take-Off Vertical Landing (STOVL) and high angle of attack performance. Because of the high degree of dynamic coupling between the airframe and propulsion systems of these types of aircraft, one key technology is the integration of the flight and propulsion control. The NASA Lewis Research Center approach to developing Integrated Flight Propulsion Control (IFPC) technologies is an in-house research program referred to as IMPAC (Integrated Methodology for Propulsion and Airframe Control). The goals of IMPAC are to develop a viable alternative to the existing integrated control design methodologies that will allow for improved system performance and simplicity of control law synthesis and implementation, and to demonstrate the applicability of the methodology to a supersonic STOVL fighter aircraft. Based on some preliminary control design studies that included evaluation of the existing methodologies, the IFPC design methodology that is emerging at the Lewis Research Center consists of considering the airframe and propulsion system as one integrated system for an initial centralized controller design and then partitioning the centralized controller into separate airframe and propulsion system subcontrollers to ease implementation and to set meaningful design requirements for detailed subsystem control design and evaluation. An overview of IMPAC is provided and detailed discussion of the various important design and evaluation steps in the methodology are included

Echocardiography in Liver Transplant Candidates

Involvement of the cardiovascular system in patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) is well recognized and may be seen in several scenarios in adult liver transplantation (LT) candidates. The hemodynamic effects of ESLD may result in apparent heart disease, or in some instances may mask cardiac disease. Alternatively, cardiac disease can occasionally be the underlying etiology of ESLD. LT imposes significant hemodynamic stresses, with cardiovascular complications accounting for considerable perioperative mortality and morbidity. Pre-operative assessment of the cardiac status of LT candidates is thus critically important for risk stratification and management. Cardiac imaging plays an integral role in the assessment of LT candidates. In this review, we discuss the role of cardiac imaging, including transthoracic echocardiography with Doppler and contrast enhancement, noninvasive functional assessment for routine pre-operative assessment of coronary artery disease, and transesophageal echocardiography in select cases to aid in intra-operative fluid management and monitoring in LT candidates