2,980 research outputs found
How do Clusters/Pipelines and Core/Periphery Structures Work Together in Knowledge Processes?
This paper contributes to the empirical identification of geographical and structural properties of innovative networks, focusing on the particular case of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) at the European level. We show that knowledge bases of organizations and knowledge phases of the innovation process are the critical factors in determining the nature of the interplay between structural and geographical features of knowledge networks. Developing a database of R&D collaborative projects of the 5th and 6th European Framework Programs, we propose a methodology based on social network analysis. Its originality consists in starting from a bimodal network, in order to deduce two affiliation matrixes that allow us to study both the properties of the organization network and the properties of the project network. The results are discussed in the light of the mutual influence of the cognitive, structural and geographical dimensions on knowledge production and diffusion, and in the light of the knowledge drivers that give rise to the coexistence of a relational core-periphery structure with a geographical cluster and pipeline structure.Economic Geography, Knowledge networks, Social network analysis, EU Framework Programs, GNSS
Symmetric tensor decomposition
We present an algorithm for decomposing a symmetric tensor, of dimension n
and order d as a sum of rank-1 symmetric tensors, extending the algorithm of
Sylvester devised in 1886 for binary forms. We recall the correspondence
between the decomposition of a homogeneous polynomial in n variables of total
degree d as a sum of powers of linear forms (Waring's problem), incidence
properties on secant varieties of the Veronese Variety and the representation
of linear forms as a linear combination of evaluations at distinct points. Then
we reformulate Sylvester's approach from the dual point of view. Exploiting
this duality, we propose necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence
of such a decomposition of a given rank, using the properties of Hankel (and
quasi-Hankel) matrices, derived from multivariate polynomials and normal form
computations. This leads to the resolution of polynomial equations of small
degree in non-generic cases. We propose a new algorithm for symmetric tensor
decomposition, based on this characterization and on linear algebra
computations with these Hankel matrices. The impact of this contribution is
two-fold. First it permits an efficient computation of the decomposition of any
tensor of sub-generic rank, as opposed to widely used iterative algorithms with
unproved global convergence (e.g. Alternate Least Squares or gradient
descents). Second, it gives tools for understanding uniqueness conditions, and
for detecting the rank
Stochastic models and numerical algorithms for a class of regulatory gene networks
Regulatory gene networks contain generic modules like those involving
feedback loops, which are essential for the regulation of many biological
functions. We consider a class of self-regulated genes which are the building
blocks of many regulatory gene networks, and study the steady state
distributions of the associated Gillespie algorithm by providing efficient
numerical algorithms. We also study a regulatory gene network of interest in
synthetic biology and in gene therapy, using mean-field models with time
delays. Convergence of the related time-nonhomogeneous Markov chain is
established for a class of linear catalytic networks with feedback loop
Optical-resolution photoacoustic imaging through thick tissue with a thin capillary as a dual optical-in acoustic-out waveguide
We demonstrate the ability to guide high-frequency photoacoustic waves
through thick tissue with a water-filled silica-capillary (150 \mu m inner
diameter and 30 mm long). An optical-resolution photoacoustic image of a 30 \mu
m diameter absorbing nylon thread was obtained by guiding the acoustic waves in
the capillary through a 3 cm thick fat layer. The transmission loss through the
capillary was about -20 dB, much lower than the -120 dB acoustic attenuation
through the fat layer. The overwhelming acoustic attenuation of high-frequency
acoustic waves by biological tissue can therefore be avoided by the use of a
small footprint capillary acoustic waveguide for remote detection. We finally
demonstrate that the capillary can be used as a dual optical-in acoustic-out
waveguide, paving the way for the development of minimally invasive
optical-resolution photoacoustic endoscopes free of any acoustic or optical
elements at their imaging tip
Small-scale dissipative structures of diffuse ISM turbulence: I- CO diagnostics
Observations of translucent molecular gas in CO and CO emission lines, at high spectral and spatial resolutions, evidence different kinds of structures at small scales: (1) optically thin CO emission, (2) optically thick CO emission, visible in CO(1-0), and (3) regions of largest velocity shear in the field, found from a statistical analysis. They are all elongated with high aspect ratio, preferentially aligned with the plane-of-the-sky projection of the magnetic fields. The latter structures coincide with the former, shown to trace gas warmer and more diluted than average. Combining our data to large-scale observations of poorer spatial resolution, we show that the regions of largest velocity shear remain coherent over more than a parsec. These filaments are proposed to be the sites of the intermittent dissipation of turbulence
Separability and Nonseparability of Elastic States in Arrays of One-Dimensional Elastic Waveguides
We show that the directional projection of longitudinal waves propagating in a parallel array of N elastically coupled waveguides can be described by a nonlinear Dirac-like equation in a 2N dimensional exponential space. This space spans the tensor product Hilbert space of the two-dimensional subspaces of N uncoupled waveguides grounded elastically to a rigid substrate (called
φ
-bits). The superposition of directional states of a
φ
-bit is analogous to that of a quantum spin. We can construct tensor product states of the elastically coupled system that are nonseparable on the basis of tensor product states of N
φ
-bits. We propose a system of coupled waveguides in a ring configuration that supports these nonseparable states
Carotid Atherosclerotic Markers in CADASIL
Purpose: Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is a cerebral small vessel disease caused by mutations of the NOTCH3 gene. Marked variations in disease severity have raised the hypothesis that non-genetic factors may modulate the expressivity of the phenotype. The aim of the current study was to evaluate whether atherosclerosis, assessed by carotid duplex ultrasonography, is associated with variations in the clinical and MRI phenotype of CADASIL. Methods: Data from 144 consecutive patients enrolled in an ongoing prospective cohort study were collected. Degree of disability was assessed by the modified Rankin Scale, that of cognitive impairment by the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale (MDRS). The total volume of the brain, of lacunar lesions and of white matter hyperintensities, the number of cerebral microhemorrhages, and parameters derived from histograms of apparent diffusion coefficient were measured on cerebral MRI. Atherosclerosis was evaluated by B-mode ultrasonography of carotid arteries. Both the carotid intima-media thickness cIMT) and the presence of carotid plaques or stenosis were recorded. Results: Higher cIMT was found to be independently associated with lower MDRS scores when this score was less than the quartile limit (p = 0.02). Only a trend for a positive association was detected between cIMT and the Rankin score (p = 0.06). There was no significant association between carotid markers and the occurrence of stroke or MRI parameters except for diffusion data. The mean and peak values of MRI diffusion histograms were found positively associated with the presence of plaques (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The results suggest that the severity of atherosclerosis may relate to cognitive decline in CADASIL and that this effect is possibly related to the degree of microstructural cerebral tissue lesions. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these results. Copyright (C) 2010 S. Karger AG, Base
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