Convergence of Gradient Descent for Low-Rank Matrix Approximation

This paper provides a proof of global convergence of gradient search for low-rank matrix approximation. Such approximations have recently been of interest for large-scale problems, as well as for dictionary learning for sparse signal representations and matrix completion. The proof is based on the interpretation of the problem as an optimization on the Grassmann manifold and Fubiny-Study distance on this space

Three pseudoscalar meson production in e+e−e^+ e^- annihilation

We study, at leading order in the large number of colours expansion and within the Resonance Chiral Theory framework, the odd-intrinsic-parity $e^+ e^- \rightarrow \pi^+ \pi^- (\pi^0, \eta)$ cross-sections in the energy regime populated by hadron resonances, namely 3 \, m_{\pi} \lsim E \lsim 2 \, \mbox{GeV}. In addition we implement our results in the Monte Carlo generator PHOKHARA 7.0 and we simulate hadron production through the radiative return method.Comment: 39 pages, 5 figure

Compressive Sensing DNA Microarrays

Compressive sensing microarrays (CSMs) are DNA-based sensors that operate using group testing and compressive sensing (CS) principles. In contrast to conventional DNA microarrays, in which each genetic sensor is designed to respond to a single target, in a CSM, each sensor responds to a set of targets. We study the problem of designing CSMs that simultaneously account for both the constraints from CS theory and the biochemistry of probe-target DNA hybridization. An appropriate cross-hybridization model is proposed for CSMs, and several methods are developed for probe design and CS signal recovery based on the new model. Lab experiments suggest that in order to achieve accurate hybridization profiling, consensus probe sequences are required to have sequence homology of at least 80% with all targets to be detected. Furthermore, out-of-equilibrium datasets are usually as accurate as those obtained from equilibrium conditions. Consequently, one can use CSMs in applications in which only short hybridization times are allowed

3D-BEVIS: Bird's-Eye-View Instance Segmentation

Recent deep learning models achieve impressive results on 3D scene analysis tasks by operating directly on unstructured point clouds. A lot of progress was made in the field of object classification and semantic segmentation. However, the task of instance segmentation is less explored. In this work, we present 3D-BEVIS, a deep learning framework for 3D semantic instance segmentation on point clouds. Following the idea of previous proposal-free instance segmentation approaches, our model learns a feature embedding and groups the obtained feature space into semantic instances. Current point-based methods scale linearly with the number of points by processing local sub-parts of a scene individually. However, to perform instance segmentation by clustering, globally consistent features are required. Therefore, we propose to combine local point geometry with global context information from an intermediate bird's-eye view representation.Comment: camera-ready version for GCPR '1

Dryland maize yields and water use efficiency in response to tillage and nutrient management practices in China

Rainfed crop production in northern China is constrained by low and variable rainfall. This study explored the effects of tillage and nutrient management practices on maize (Zea mays L.) yield and water use efficiency (WUE), at Shouyang Dryland Farming Experimental Station in northern China during 2003-2008. The experiment was set-up using a split-plot design with 3 tillage methods as main treatments: conventional, reduced (till with crop residue incoperated in fall but no-till in spring), and no-till. Sub-treatments were 3 NP fertilizer rates: 105-46, 179-78 and 210-92 kg N and P ha. -1 Maize grain yields were greatly influenced by the amount of growing season rainfall, and by soil water contents at sowing. Mean grain yields over the 6-year period in response to tillage treatments were 5604, 5347 and 5185 kg ha, under reduced, no-till and conventional tillage, respectively. Mean WUE was 13.7, 13.6 and 12.6 kg ha mm under reduced, no-till, and conventional tillage, respectively. Mean soil water contents at sowing and at harvest were significantly influenced by tillage treatments. At harvest time, the no-till treatment had ~8-12% more water in the soil than the conventional and reduced tillage treatments. Under conventional tillage, grain yields increased with NP fertilizer application rates. However, under reduced tillage, grain yields were highest with lowest NP fertilizer application rate. In conclusion, grain yields and WUE were highest under reduced tillage at modest NP fertilizer application rates of 105 kg N and 46 kg P per ha. No-till increased soil water storage by 8-12% and improved WUE compared to conventional tillage

Analytical and numerical studies of central galactic outflows powered by tidal disruption events -- a model for the Fermi bubbles?

Capture and tidal disruption of stars by the supermassive black hole in the Galactic center (GC) should occur regularly. The energy released and dissipated by this processes will affect both the ambient environment of the GC and the Galactic halo. A single star of super-Eddington eruption generates a subsonic out ow with an energy release of more than $10^{52}$ erg, which still is not high enough to push shock heated gas into the halo. Only routine tidal disruption of stars near the GC can provide enough cumulative energy to form and maintain large scale structures like the Fermi Bubbles. The average rate of disruption events is expected to be $10^{-4}$ ~ $10^{-5}$ yr$^{-1}$, providing the average power of energy release from the GC into the halo of dW/dt ~ 3*10$^{41}$ erg/s, which is needed to support the Fermi Bubbles. The GC black hole is surrounded by molecular clouds in the disk, but their overall mass and filling factor is too low to stall the shocks from tidal disruption events significantly. The de facto continuous energy injection on timescales of Myr will lead to the propagation of strong shocks in a density stratified Galactic halo and thus create elongated bubble-like features, which are symmetric to the Galactic midplane.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures. The title and abstract have been changed. Accepted by Astrophysical Journa

Страна детства выдающегося ученого

Рецензія на книгу: Соколов Б.С. Записки с берегов Имоложья. — СПб.: Рериховский центр СПбГУ; Вышний Волочёк: Ирида-пресс, 2007. — 448 с. (Серия «Щедрый дар». — Вып.. IV).Академик РАН Борис Сергеевич Соколов — крупнейший ученый-естествоиспытатель, широко известный на постсоветском пространстве и за рубежом трудами по палеонтологии ископаемых кораллов и древнейшим группам органического мира, по стратиграфии, палеогео графии, региональной геологии, геологии нефти и газа Русской платформы, Сибири, Средней Азии и Китая, а также развитием учения В.И. Вернадского о биосфере. Б.С. Соколов — лауреат Ленинской премии (1967), Герой Социалистического Труда (1984), лауреат международной премии имени Карпинского — Швейцера, российской независимой премии «Триумф» и международной премии имени Николая Рериха, три десятка лет он возглавлял в СССР и России авторитетнейшее научное общество — Палеонтологическое, с 1980 г. — президент Международной палеонтологической ассоциации

Cyclic Compression Behavior of Concrete-Filled Hybrid Large Rupture Strain FRP Tube

This paper experimentally investigates the behavior of concrete-filled-fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) cylinders under cyclic axial compression. The FRP used in this study were either large rupture strain FRP (LRS-FRP) or hybrid LRS-FRP and conventional glass FRP (GFRP). LRS-FRP are manufactured out of polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) obtained from recycled plastics. Hence, they are much cheaper and environment-friendly than conventional GFRP or carbon FRP (CFRP). LRS-FRPs has high tensile rupture strain (usually greater than 5%) compared to 1-2% for GFRP and CFRP. This study presents the results of 4 specimens with different confinement ratios to investigate the behavior of concrete-filled LRS-FRP or hybrid LRS-FRP and GFRP tubes in terms of ductility, ultimate strain, and strength improvement. The results showed that using LRS-FRP significantly improved the ductility of the confined concrete. However, the improvement in strength was limited. The hybrid confinement improves both the ductility and strength

Effects of boundary conditions on irreversible dynamics

We present a simple one-dimensional Ising-type spin system on which we define a completely asymmetric Markovian single spin-flip dynamics. We study the system at a very low, yet non-zero, temperature and we show that for empty boundary conditions the Gibbs measure is stationary for such dynamics, while introducing in a single site a $+$ condition the stationary measure changes drastically, with macroscopical effects. We achieve this result defining an absolutely convergent series expansion of the stationary measure around the zero temperature system. Interesting combinatorial identities are involved in the proofs

Scattering of Noncommutative Waves and Solitons in a Supersymmetric Chiral Model in 2+1 Dimensions

Interactions of noncommutative waves and solitons in 2+1 dimensions can be analyzed exactly for a supersymmetric and integrable U(n) chiral model extending the Ward model. Using the Moyal-deformed dressing method in an antichiral superspace, we construct explicit time-dependent solutions of its noncommutative field equations by iteratively solving linear equations. The approach is illustrated by presenting scattering configurations for two noncommutative U(2) plane waves and for two noncommutative U(2) solitons as well as by producing a noncommutative U(1) two-soliton bound state.Comment: 1+13 pages; v2: reference added, version published in JHE