6,990 research outputs found
Point-by-point inscription of apodized fiber Bragg gratings
We demonstrate apodized fiber Bragg gratings inscribed with a point-by-point
technique. We tailor the grating phase and coupling amplitude through precise
control over the longitudinal and transverse position of each laser-inscribed
modification. This method of apodization is facilitated by the
highly-localized, high-contrast modifications generated by focussed IR
femtosecond laser inscription. Our technique provides a simple method for the
design and implementation of point-by-point fiber Bragg gratings with complex
apodization profiles.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, article in revie
Use of multiple singular value decompositions to analyze complex intracellular calcium ion signals
We compare calcium ion signaling () between two exposures;
the data are present as movies, or, more prosaically, time series of images.
This paper describes novel uses of singular value decompositions (SVD) and
weighted versions of them (WSVD) to extract the signals from such movies, in a
way that is semi-automatic and tuned closely to the actual data and their many
complexities. These complexities include the following. First, the images
themselves are of no interest: all interest focuses on the behavior of
individual cells across time, and thus, the cells need to be segmented in an
automated manner. Second, the cells themselves have 100 pixels, so that they
form 100 curves measured over time, so that data compression is required to
extract the features of these curves. Third, some of the pixels in some of the
cells are subject to image saturation due to bit depth limits, and this
saturation needs to be accounted for if one is to normalize the images in a
reasonably unbiased manner. Finally, the signals have
oscillations or waves that vary with time and these signals need to be
extracted. Thus, our aim is to show how to use multiple weighted and standard
singular value decompositions to detect, extract and clarify the signals. Our signal extraction methods then lead to simple although
finely focused statistical methods to compare signals
across experimental conditions.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/09-AOAS253 the Annals of
Applied Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aoas/) by the Institute of
Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org
Tensor hypercontraction: A universal technique for the resolution of matrix elements of local, finite-range -body potentials in many-body quantum problems
Configuration-space matrix elements of N-body potentials arise naturally and
ubiquitously in the Ritz-Galerkin solution of many-body quantum problems. For
the common specialization of local, finite-range potentials, we develop the
eXact Tensor HyperContraction (X-THC) method, which provides a quantized
renormalization of the coordinate-space form of the N-body potential, allowing
for a highly separable tensor factorization of the configuration-space matrix
elements. This representation allows for substantial computational savings in
chemical, atomic, and nuclear physics simulations, particularly with respect to
difficult "exchange-like" contractions.Comment: Third version of the manuscript after referee's comments. In press in
PRL. Main text: 4 pages, 2 figures, 1 table; Supplemental material (also
included): 14 pages, 2 figures, 2 table
News from Academy Bay
New Faces and New Projects in a New CDRS Department. International Workshop: Feral Goat Eradication Program. Geologists to Invade Galápagos. GIS in Galápagos. The Isabela Project: Off and Running. A Pig-Free Santiago: Is it a Dream or on the Horizon? The Special Law for Galápagos
Diffractive imaging of dissociation and ground state dynamics in a complex molecule
We have investigated the structural dynamics in photoexcited
1,2-diiodotetrafluoroethane molecules (C2F4I2) in the gas phase experimentally
using ultrafast electron diffraction and theoretically using FOMO-CASCI excited
state dynamics simulations. The molecules are excited by an ultra-violet
femtosecond laser pulse to a state characterized by a transition from the
iodine 5p orbital to a mixed 5p|| hole and CF2 antibonding orbital, which
results in the cleavage of one of the carbon-iodine bonds. We have observed,
with sub-Angstrom resolution, the motion of the nuclear wavepacket of the
dissociating iodine atom followed by coherent vibrations in the electronic
ground state of the C2F4I radical. The radical reaches a stable classical
(non-bridged) structure in less than 200 fs.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figure
Robust Learning-Based Incipient Slip Detection using the PapillArray Optical Tactile Sensor for Improved Robotic Gripping
The ability to detect slip, particularly incipient slip, enables robotic
systems to take corrective measures to prevent a grasped object from being
dropped. Therefore, slip detection can enhance the overall security of robotic
gripping. However, accurately detecting incipient slip remains a significant
challenge. In this paper, we propose a novel learning-based approach to detect
incipient slip using the PapillArray (Contactile, Australia) tactile sensor.
The resulting model is highly effective in identifying patterns associated with
incipient slip, achieving a detection success rate of 95.6% when tested with an
offline dataset. Furthermore, we introduce several data augmentation methods to
enhance the robustness of our model. When transferring the trained model to a
robotic gripping environment distinct from where the training data was
collected, our model maintained robust performance, with a success rate of
96.8%, providing timely feedback for stabilizing several practical gripping
tasks. Our project website:
https://sites.google.com/view/incipient-slip-detection
Limiting absorption principle for the dissipative Helmholtz equation
Adapting Mourre's commutator method to the dissipative setting, we prove a
limiting absorption principle for a class of abstract dissipative operators. A
consequence is the resolvent estimates for the high frequency Helmholtz
equation when trapped trajectories meet the set where the imaginary part of the
potential is non-zero. We also give the resolvent estimates in Besov spaces
The Fallacy of Using Administrative Data in Assessing the Effectiveness of Food Fortification. Comment on: "Folic Acid Fortification and Neural Tube Defect Risk: Analysis of the Food Fortification Initiative Dataset. Nutrients 2020, 12, 247".
Our objective in this comment is to highlight several limitations in an ecological research study that was published in Nutrients by Murphy and Westmark (2020) in January 2020. The study used data from the Food Fortification Initiative (FFI) website, and applying an ecological study design, made an error of "ecologic fallacy" in concluding that "national fortification with folic acid is not associated with a significant decrease in the prevalence of neural tube defects (NTDs) at the population level". We list study limitations that led to their erroneous conclusions, stemming from incorrect considerations regarding NTD prevalence, the average grain availability for a country, the fortification coverage in a country, the population reach of fortified foods within a country, and the absence of the consideration of fortification type (voluntary vs. mandatory), country-specific policies on elective terminations for NTD-affected pregnancies, stillbirth proportions among those with NTDs, and fortification implementation. FFI data are derived from many sources and intended for fortification advocacy, not for hypothesis testing. The flawed study by Murphy & Westmark (2020) in Nutrients promotes a confusing and incorrect message to stakeholders, misguides policy makers, and hinders progress in global NTD prevention through a cost-effective, safe, and effective intervention: the mandatory large-scale folic acid fortification of staple foods
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