Gaussian limits for multidimensional random sequential packing at saturation (extended version)

Consider the random sequential packing model with infinite input and in any dimension. When the input consists of non-zero volume convex solids we show that the total number of solids accepted over cubes of volume $\lambda$ is asymptotically normal as $\lambda \to \infty$. We provide a rate of approximation to the normal and show that the finite dimensional distributions of the packing measures converge to those of a mean zero generalized Gaussian field. The method of proof involves showing that the collection of accepted solids satisfies the weak spatial dependence condition known as stabilization.Comment: 31 page

Flavor Asymmetry of the Polarized Light Sea: Models vs. Data

The flavor asymmetry of the polarized light sea, $\Delta \bar u - \Delta \bar d$, discriminates between different model calculations of helicity densities. We show that the chiral chromodielectric model, differently from models based on a $1/N_c$ expansion, predicts a small value for this asymmetry, what seems in agreement with preliminary HERMES data.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Using Topological Statistics to Detect Determinism in Time Series

Statistical differentiability of the measure along the reconstructed trajectory is a good candidate to quantify determinism in time series. The procedure is based upon a formula that explicitly shows the sensitivity of the measure to stochasticity. Numerical results for partially surrogated time series and series derived from several stochastic models, illustrate the usefulness of the method proposed here. The method is shown to work also for high--dimensional systems and experimental time seriesComment: 23 RevTeX pages, 14 eps figures. To appear in Physical Review

Fluorine ((19)F) MRI for assessing inflammatory cells in the kidney: experimental protocol

Inflammation is one underlying contributing factor in the pathology of acute and chronic kidney disorders. Phagocytes such as monocytes, neutrophils and dendritic cells are considered to play a deleterious role in the progression of kidney disease but may also contribute to organ homeostasis. The kidney is a target of life-threatening autoimmune disorders such as the antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitides (AAV). Neutrophils and monocytes express ANCA antigens and play an important role in the pathogenesis of AAV. Noninvasive in vivo methods that can quantify the distribution of inflammatory cells in the kidney as well as other organs in vivo would be vital to identify the causality and significance of inflammation during disease progression. Here we describe an noninvasive technique to study renal inflammation in rodents in vivo using fluorine ((19)F) MRI. In this protocol we chose a murine ANCA-AAV model of renal inflammation and made use of nanoparticles prepared from perfluoro-5-crown-15-ether (PFCE) for renal (19)F MRI.This chapter is based upon work from the COST Action PARENCHIMA, a community-driven network funded by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) program of the European Union, which aims to improve the reproducibility and standardization of renal MRI biomarkers. This experimental protocol chapter is complemented by two separate chapters describing the basic concept and data analysis

Quantum walks: a comprehensive review

Quantum walks, the quantum mechanical counterpart of classical random walks, is an advanced tool for building quantum algorithms that has been recently shown to constitute a universal model of quantum computation. Quantum walks is now a solid field of research of quantum computation full of exciting open problems for physicists, computer scientists, mathematicians and engineers. In this paper we review theoretical advances on the foundations of both discrete- and continuous-time quantum walks, together with the role that randomness plays in quantum walks, the connections between the mathematical models of coined discrete quantum walks and continuous quantum walks, the quantumness of quantum walks, a summary of papers published on discrete quantum walks and entanglement as well as a succinct review of experimental proposals and realizations of discrete-time quantum walks. Furthermore, we have reviewed several algorithms based on both discrete- and continuous-time quantum walks as well as a most important result: the computational universality of both continuous- and discrete- time quantum walks.Comment: Paper accepted for publication in Quantum Information Processing Journa

Assessment of disease progression in dysferlinopathy: A 1-year cohort study

ObjectiveTo assess the ability of functional measures to detect disease progression in dysferlinopathy over 6 months and 1 year.MethodsOne hundred ninety-three patients with dysferlinopathy were recruited to the Jain Foundation's International Clinical Outcome Study for Dysferlinopathy. Baseline, 6-month, and 1-year assessments included adapted North Star Ambulatory Assessment (a-NSAA), Motor Function Measure (MFM-20), timed function tests, 6-minute walk test (6MWT), Brooke scale, Jebsen test, manual muscle testing, and hand-held dynamometry. Patients also completed the ACTIVLIM questionnaire. Change in each measure over 6 months and 1 year was calculated and compared between disease severity (ambulant [mild, moderate, or severe based on a-NSAA score] or nonambulant [unable to complete a 10-meter walk]) and clinical diagnosis.ResultsThe functional a-NSAA test was the most sensitive to deterioration for ambulant patients overall. The a-NSAA score was the most sensitive test in the mild and moderate groups, while the 6MWT was most sensitive in the severe group. The 10-meter walk test was the only test showing significant change across all ambulant severity groups. In nonambulant patients, the MFM domain 3, wrist flexion strength, and pinch grip were most sensitive. Progression rates did not differ by clinical diagnosis. Power calculations determined that 46 moderately affected patients are required to determine clinical effectiveness for a hypothetical 1-year clinical trial based on the a-NSAA as a clinical endpoint.ConclusionCertain functional outcome measures can detect changes over 6 months and 1 year in dysferlinopathy and potentially be useful in monitoring progression in clinical trials.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier:NCT01676077

A Fermi Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor Search for Electromagnetic Signals Coincident with Gravitational-wave Candidates in Advanced LIGO's First Observing Run

We present a search for prompt gamma-ray counterparts to compact binary coalescence gravitational wave (GW) candidates from Advanced LIGO's first observing run (O1). As demonstrated by the multimessenger observations of GW170817/GRB 170817A, electromagnetic and GW observations provide complementary information about the astrophysical source, and in the case of weaker candidates, may strengthen the case for an astrophysical origin. Here we investigate low-significance GW candidates from the O1 compact binary coalescence searches using the Fermi Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (GBM), leveraging its all sky and broad energy coverage. Candidates are ranked and compared to background to measure the significance. Those with false alarm rates (FARs) of less than 10−5 Hz (about one per day, yielding a total of 81 candidates) are used as the search sample for gamma-ray follow-up. No GW candidates were found to be coincident with gamma-ray transients independently identified by blind searches of the GBM data. In addition, GW candidate event times were followed up by a separate targeted search of GBM data. Among the resulting GBM events, the two with the lowest FARs were the gamma-ray transient GW150914-GBM presented in Connaughton et al. and a solar flare in chance coincidence with a GW candidate