Laplace Approximation for Divisive Gaussian Processes for Nonstationary Regression

The standard Gaussian Process regression (GP) is usually formulated under stationary hypotheses: The noise power is considered constant throughout the input space and the covariance of the prior distribution is typically modeled as depending only on the difference between input samples. These assumptions can be too restrictive and unrealistic for many real-world problems. Although nonstationarity can be achieved using specific covariance functions, they require a prior knowledge of the kind of nonstationarity, not available for most applications. In this paper we propose to use the Laplace approximation to make inference in a divisive GP model to perform nonstationary regression, including heteroscedastic noise cases. The log-concavity of the likelihood ensures a unimodal posterior and makes that the Laplace approximation converges to a unique maximum. The characteristics of the likelihood also allow to obtain accurate posterior approximations when compared to the Expectation Propagation (EP) approximations and the asymptotically exact posterior provided by a Markov Chain Monte Carlo implementation with Elliptical Slice Sampling (ESS), but at a reduced computational load with respect to both, EP and ESS

A refined analysis of the low-mass eclipsing binary system T-Cyg1-12664

The observational mass-radius relation of main sequence stars with masses between ~0.3 and 1.0 Msun reveals deviations between the stellar radii predicted by models and the observed radii of stars in detached binaries. We generate an accurate physical model of the low-mass eclipsing binary T-Cyg1-12664 in the Kepler mission field to measure the physical parameters of its components and to compare them with the prediction of theoretical stellar evolution models. We analyze the Kepler mission light curve of T-Cyg1-12664 to accurately measure the times and phases of the primary and secondary eclipse. In addition, we measure the rotational period of the primary component by analyzing the out-of-eclipse oscillations that are due to spots. We accurately constrain the effective temperature of the system using ground-based absolute photometry in B, V, Rc, and Ic. We also obtain and analyze V, Rc, Ic differential light curves to measure the eccentricity and the orbital inclination of the system, and a precise Teff ratio. From the joint analysis of new radial velocities and those in the literature we measure the individual masses of the stars. Finally, we use the PHOEBE code to generate a physical model of the system. T-Cyg1-12664 is a low eccentricity system, located d=360+/-22 pc away from us, with an orbital period of P=4.1287955(4) days, and an orbital inclination i=86.969+/-0.056 degrees. It is composed of two very different stars with an active G6 primary with Teff1=5560+/-160 K, M1=0.680+/-0.045 Msun, R1=0.799+/-0.017 Rsun, and a M3V secondary star with Teff2=3460+/-210 K, M2=0.376+/-0.017 Msun, and R2=0.3475+/-0.0081 Rsun. The primary star is an oversized and spotted active star, hotter than the stars in its mass range. The secondary is a cool star near the mass boundary for fully convective stars (M~0.35 Msun), whose parameters appear to be in agreement with low-mass stellar model.Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures, 15 table

Boundaries of Oscillatory Motion in Structures with Nonviscous Dampers

[EN] In this paper, a new methodology for the determination of the boundaries between oscillatory and non-oscillatory motion for nonviscously damped nonproportional systems is proposed. It is assumed that the damping forces are expressed as convolution integrals of the velocities via hereditary exponential kernels. Oscillatory motion is directly related to the complex nature of eigensolutions in a frequency domain and, in turn, on the value of the damping parameters. New theoretical results are derived on critical eigenmodes for viscoelastic systems with multiple degrees of freedom, with no restrictions on the number of hereditary kernels. Furthermore, these outcomes enable the construction of a numerical approach to draw the critical curves as solutions of certain parameter-dependent eigenvalue problems. The method is illustrated and validated through two numerical examples, covering discrete and continuous systems.This research was partially supported by the Grant PID2020-112759GB-I00, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033, and by "ERDF A way of making Europe".Lázaro, M.; García-Raffi, LM. (2022). Boundaries of Oscillatory Motion in Structures with Nonviscous Dampers. Applied Sciences. 12(5):1-23. https://doi.org/10.3390/app1205247812312

Residential segregation and cultural dissemination: An Axelrod-Schelling model

In the Axelrod's model of cultural dissemination, we consider mobility of cultural agents through the introduction of a density of empty sites and the possibility that agents in a dissimilar neighborhood can move to them if their mean cultural similarity with the neighborhood is below some threshold. While for low values of the density of empty sites the mobility enhances the convergence to a global culture, for high enough values of it the dynamics can lead to the coexistence of disconnected domains of different cultures. In this regime, the increase of initial cultural diversity paradoxically increases the convergence to a dominant culture. Further increase of diversity leads to fragmentation of the dominant culture into domains, forever changing in shape and number, as an effect of the never ending eroding activity of cultural minorities

Effects of waterlogging during grain filling on yield components, nitrogen uptake and grain quality in bread wheat

Waterlogging stress frequently affects wheat production in the current conditions. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of waterlogging during grain filling on grain yield components, nitrogen uptake and partitioning and gluten composition and quality in bread wheat. Two greenhouse experiments were conducted under contrasting environmental conditions in Azul, Buenos Aires, in a completely randomized design with three replicates. The cultivar chosen was Klein León and the waterlogging treatment was imposed from 5 days after anthesis to maturity. The effects of waterlogging during grain filling in wheat depended on explored environmental conditions: early sowing vs. late sowing. Waterlogging had not significant effects on the most variables at early sowing conditions. However, the delaying in sowing date (higher temperature and radiation) enhance the effects of waterlogging: i) reducing grain weight by 41% and total nitrogen uptake by 51%; ii) reducing the ratio between the contents of high and low molecular weight glutenin subunits, affecting gluten composition; and iii) increasing the sodium dodecyl sulfate test from 79 to 108 mm, which correlates positively with the gluten strength. Reductions in grain weight due to waterlogging during grain filling affect the milling quality, although changes in protein composition may increase or maintain the gluten strength (SDSS) under particular conditions