Hilbert's 16th Problem for Quadratic Systems. New Methods Based on a Transformation to the Lienard Equation

Fractionally-quadratic transformations which reduce any two-dimensional quadratic system to the special Lienard equation are introduced. Existence criteria of cycles are obtained

Like grandparents, like parents: Empirical evidence and psychoanalytic thinking on the transmission of parenting styles

The authors discuss the issue of intergenerational transmission of parenting from an empirical and psychoanalytic perspective. After presenting a framework to explain their conception of parenting, they describe intergenerational transmission of parenting as a key to interpreting and eventually changing parenting behaviors. Then they present (1) the empirical approach aimed at determining if there is actually a stability across generations that contributes to harsh parenting and eventually maltreatment and (2) the psyphoanalytic thinking that seeks to explain the continuity in terms of representations and clinical phenomena. The authors also discuss the relationship between the attachment and the caregiving systems and hypothesize a common base for the two systems in childhood experience. Finally, they propose the psychoanalytic perspective as a fruitful theoretical framework to integrate the evidence for the neurophysiological mediators and moderators of intergenerational transmission. Psychoanalytically informed research can provide clinically relevant insights and hypotheses to be tested

Mean first passage time analysis reveals rate-limiting steps, parallel pathways and dead ends in a simple model of protein folding

We have analyzed dynamics on the complex free energy landscape of protein folding in the FOLD-X model, by calculating for each state of the system the mean first passage time to the folded state. The resulting kinetic map of the folding process shows that it proceeds in jumps between well-defined, local free energy minima. Closer analysis of the different local minima allows us to reveal secondary, parallel pathways as well as dead ends.Comment: 7 page

A formal approach to autonomic systems programming: the SCEL Language

The autonomic computing paradigm has been proposed to cope with size, complexity and dynamism of contemporary software-intensive systems. The challenge for language designers is to devise appropriate abstractions and linguistic primitives to deal with the large dimension of systems, and with their need to adapt to the changes of the working environment and to the evolving requirements. We propose a set of programming abstractions that permit to represent behaviors, knowledge and aggregations according to specific policies, and to support programming context-awareness, self-awareness and adaptation. Based on these abstractions, we define SCEL (Software Component Ensemble Language), a kernel language whose solid semantic foundations lay also the basis for formal reasoning on autonomic systems behavior. To show expressiveness and effectiveness of SCEL’s design, we present a Java implementation of the proposed abstractions and show how it can be exploited for programming a robotics scenario that is used as a running example for describing features and potentials of our approac

Premartensitic transition driven by magnetoelastic interaction in bcc ferromagnetic Ni2MnGaNi_{2}MnGa

We show that the magnetoelastic coupling between the magnetization and the amplitude of a short wavelength phonon enables the existence of a first order premartensitic transition from a bcc to a micromodulated phase in $Ni_{2}MnGa$. Such a magnetoelastic coupling has been experimentally evidenced by AC susceptibility and ultrasonic measurements under applied magnetic field. A latent heat around 9 J/mol has been measured using a highly sensitive calorimeter. This value is in very good agreement with the value predicted by a proposed model.Comment: 4 pages RevTex, 3 Postscript figures, to be published in Physical Review Letter

Prediction of minimum temperatures in an alpine region by linear and non-linear post-processing of meteorological models

International audienceModel Output Statistics (MOS) refers to a method of post-processing the direct outputs of numerical weather prediction (NWP) models in order to reduce the biases introduced by a coarse horizontal resolution. This technique is especially useful in orographically complex regions, where large differences can be found between the NWP elevation model and the true orography. This study carries out a comparison of linear and non-linear MOS methods, aimed at the prediction of minimum temperatures in a fruit-growing region of the Italian Alps, based on the output of two different NWPs (ECMWF T511?L60 and LAMI-3). Temperature, of course, is a particularly important NWP output; among other roles it drives the local frost forecast, which is of great interest to agriculture. The mechanisms of cold air drainage, a distinctive aspect of mountain environments, are often unsatisfactorily captured by global circulation models. The simplest post-processing technique applied in this work was a correction for the mean bias, assessed at individual model grid points. We also implemented a multivariate linear regression on the output at the grid points surrounding the target area, and two non-linear models based on machine learning techniques: Neural Networks and Random Forest. We compare the performance of all these techniques on four different NWP data sets. Downscaling the temperatures clearly improved the temperature forecasts with respect to the raw NWP output, and also with respect to the basic mean bias correction. Multivariate methods generally yielded better results, but the advantage of using non-linear algorithms was small if not negligible. RF, the best performing method, was implemented on ECMWF prognostic output at 06:00 UTC over the 9 grid points surrounding the target area. Mean absolute errors in the prediction of 2 m temperature at 06:00 UTC were approximately 1.2°C, close to the natural variability inside the area itself

General behaviour of Bianchi VI_0 solutions with an exponential-potential scalar field

The solutions to the Einstein-Klein-Gordon equations without a cosmological constant are investigated for an exponential potential in a Bianchi VI_0 metric. There exists a two-parameter family of solutions which have a power-law inflationary behaviour when the exponent of the potential, k, satisfies k^2<2. In addition, there exists a two-parameter family of singular solutions for all k^2 values. A simple anisotropic exact solution is found to be stable when 2<k^2.Comment: 10 pages, no figures. To be published in General Relativity and Gravitatio

Scalar fields on SL(2,R) and H^2 x R geometric spacetimes and linear perturbations

Using appropriate harmonics, we study the future asymptotic behavior of massless scalar fields on a class of cosmological vacuum spacetimes. The spatial manifold is assumed to be a circle bundle over a higher genus surface with a locally homogeneous metric. Such a manifold corresponds to the SL(2,R)-geometry (Bianchi VIII type) or the H^2 x R-geometry (Bianchi III type). After a technical preparation including an introduction of suitable harmonics for the circle-fibered Bianchi VIII to separate variables, we derive systems of ordinary differential equations for the scalar field. We present future asymptotic solutions for these equations in a special case, and find that there is a close similarity with those on the circle-fibered Bianchi III spacetime. We discuss implications of this similarity, especially to (gravitational) linear perturbations. We also point out that this similarity can be explained by the "fiber term dominated behavior" of the two models.Comment: 23 pages, no figures, to be published in Class. Quant. Gravi

Optimal control strategies for tuberculosis treatment: a case study in Angola

We apply optimal control theory to a tuberculosis model given by a system of ordinary differential equations. Optimal control strategies are proposed to minimize the cost of interventions. Numerical simulations are given using data from Angola.Comment: This is a preprint of a paper whose final and definite form will appear in the international journal Numerical Algebra, Control and Optimization (NACO). Paper accepted for publication 15-March-201

Stability of inflationary solutions driven by a changing dissipative fluid

In this paper the second Lyapunov method is used to study the stability of the de Sitter phase of cosmic expansion when the source of the gravitational field is a viscous fluid. Different inflationary scenarios related with reheating and decay of mini-blackholes into radiation are investigated using an effective fluid described by time--varying thermodynamical quantities.Comment: 17 pages, LaTeX 2.09, 2 figures. To be published in Classical and Quantum Gravit