A split-based incremental deterministic automata minimization algorithm

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00224-014-9588-y. La fecha de publicación corresponde a la versión First OnlineWe here study previous results due to Hopcroft and Almeida et al. to propose an incremental split-based deterministic automata minimization algorithm whose average running-time does not depend on the size of the alphabet. The experimentation carried out shows that our proposal outperforms the algorithms studied whenever the automata have more than a (quite small) number of states and symbols.García Gómez, P.; Vázquez-De-Parga Andrade, M.; Velasco, JA.; López Rodríguez, D. (2014). A split-based incremental deterministic automata minimization algorithm. Theory of Computing Systems. 1-18. doi:10.1007/s00224-014-9588-y118Hopcroft, J.E., Ullman, J.D.: Introduction to Automata Theory, Languages and Computation. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company (1979)Watson, B.W., Daciuk, J.: An efficient incremental DFA minimization algorithm. Nat. Lang. Eng. 9(1), 49–64 (2003)Almeida, M., Moreira, N., Reis, R.: Incremental DFA minimisation. In: Domaratzki, M., Salomaa, K. (eds.) CIAA, of Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 6482, pp 39–48. Springer (2010)Hopcroft, J.E.: An n ⋅ log n $n\cdot \log n$ algorithm for minimizing states in a finite automaton. Technical report, Stanford, University, Stanford (1971)Moore, E.F.: Gedanken experiments on sequential machines. In: Shannon, C.E., Mc-Carthy, J. (eds.) Automata Studies. Princeton Universty Press, Princeton (1956)Berstel, J., Boasson, L., Carton, O., Fagnot, I.: Automata: from Mathematics to Applications, chapter Minimization of automata. European Mathematical Society. (arXiv: 1010.5318v3. ) To appear.David, J.: Average complexity of Moore’s and Hopcroft’s algorithms. Theor. Comput. Sci. 417, 50–65 (2012)Almeida, M., Moreira, N., Reis, R.: Aspects of enumeration and generation with a string automata representation. In: Leung, H., Pighizzini, G. (eds.) DCFS, pp 58–69. New Mexico State University, Las Cruces (2006)Gries, D.: Describing an algorithm by Hopcroft. Acta Informatica 2, 97–109 (1973)Aho, A., Hopcroft, J.E., Ullman, J.D.: The Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company (1974)Blum, N.: A O ( n log n ) $\mathcal {O}(n\log n)$ implementation of the standard method for minimizing n-state finite automata. Inf. Process. Lett. 57, 65–69 (1996)Knuutila, T.: Re-describing an algorithm by Hopcroft. Theor. Comput. Sci. 250, 333–363 (2001)Veanes, M.: Minimization of symbolic automata. Technical report, Microsoft Research, MSR-TR-2013-48 (2013)Lothaire, M.: Applied Combinatorics on Words chap. 1. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2005

Control of Giant Topological Magnetic Moment and Valley Splitting in Trilayer Graphene

Bloch states of electrons in honeycomb two-dimensional crystals with multi-valley band structure and broken inversion symmetry have orbital magnetic moments of a topological nature. In crystals with two degenerate valleys, a perpendicular magnetic field lifts the valley degeneracy via a Zeeman effect due to these magnetic moments, leading to magnetoelectric effects which can be leveraged for creating valleytronic devices. In this work, we demonstrate that trilayer graphene with Bernal stacking, (ABA TLG) hosts topological magnetic moments with a large and widely tunable valley g-factor, reaching a value 1050 at the extreme of the studied parametric range. The reported experiment consists in sublattice-resolved scanning tunneling spectroscopy under perpendicular electric and magnetic fields that control the TLG bands. The tunneling spectra agree very well with the results of theoretical modeling that includes the full details of the TLG tight-binding model and accounts for a quantum-dot-like potential profile formed electrostatically under the scanning tunneling microscope tip.Comment: Manuscript and Supporting Information update

Denoising Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Images of Graphene with Supervised Machine Learning

Machine learning (ML) methods are extraordinarily successful at denoising photographic images. The application of such denoising methods to scientific images is, however, often complicated by the difficulty in experimentally obtaining a suitable expected result as an input to training the ML network. Here, we propose and demonstrate a simulation-based approach to address this challenge for denoising atomic-scale scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images, which consists of training a convolutional neural network on STM images simulated based on a tight-binding electronic structure model. As model materials, we consider graphite and its mono- and few-layer counterpart, graphene. With the goal of applying it to any experimental STM image obtained on graphitic systems, the network was trained on a set of simulated images with varying characteristics such as tip height, sample bias, atomic-scale defects, and non-linear background. Denoising of both simulated and experimental images with this approach is compared to that of commonly-used filters, revealing a superior outcome of the ML method in the removal of noise as well as scanning artifacts - including on features not simulated in the training set. An extension to larger STM images is further discussed, along with intrinsic limitations arising from training set biases that discourage application to fundamentally unknown surface features. The approach demonstrated here provides an effective way to remove noise and artifacts from typical STM images, yielding the basis for further feature discernment and automated processing.Comment: Includes S

Antibiotic delivery from bone-targeted mesoporous silica nanoparticles for the treatment of osteomyelitis caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Osteomyelitis is a hard-to-treat infection of the bone and bone marrow that is mainly caused by Staphylococcus aureus, with an increasing incidence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Owing to the aggressiveness of these bacteria in colonizing and destroying the bone, systemic antibiotic treatments fail to eradicate the infection. Instead, it normally entails surgery to remove the dead or infected bone. In this work, we report bone-targeted mesoporous silica nanoparticles for the treatment of osteomyelitis. The nanoparticles have been engineered with a functional gelatine/colistin coating able to hamper premature release from the mesopores while effectively disaggregating the bacterial biofilm. Because antibiotic resistance is a global emergency, we have designed two sets of identical nanoparticles, carrying each of them a clinically relevant antibiotic, that have demonstrated to have synergistic effect. The bone-targeted nanoparticles have been thoroughly evaluated in vitro and in vivo, obtaining a notable reduction of the amount of bacteria in the bone in just 24 h after only one dose, and paving the way for localized, nanoparticle-mediated treatment of MRSA-caused osteomyelitis. Statement of significance In this work, we propose the use of bone-targeted mesoporous silica nanoparticles to address S. aureus-caused osteomyelitis that render synergistic therapeutic effect via multidrug delivery. Because the bacterial biofilm is responsible for an aggressive surgical approach and prolonged antibiotic treatment, the nanoparticles have been functionalized with a functional coating able to both disaggregate the biofilm, hamper premature antibiotic release and protect the intact bone. These engineered nanoparticles are able to effectively target bone tissue both in vitro and in vivo, showing high biocompatibility and elevated antibacterial effect

XVI International Congress of Control Electronics and Telecommunications: "Techno-scientific considerations for a post-pandemic world intensive in knowledge, innovation and sustainable local development"

Este título, sugestivo por los impactos durante la situación de la Covid 19 en el mundo, y que en Colombia lastimosamente han sido muy críticos, permiten asumir la obligada superación de tensiones sociales, políticas, y económicas; pero sobre todo científicas y tecnológicas. Inicialmente, esto supone la existencia de una capacidad de la sociedad colombiana por recuperar su estado inicial después de que haya cesado la perturbación a la que fue sometida por la catastrófica pandemia, y superar ese anterior estado de cosas ya que se encontraban -y aún se encuentran- muchos problemas locales mal resueltos, medianamente resueltos, y muchos sin resolver: es decir, habrá que rediseñar y fortalecer una probada resiliencia social existente - producto del prolongado conflicto social colombiano superado parcialmente por un proceso de paz exitoso - desde la tecnociencia local; como lo indicaba Markus Brunnermeier - economista alemán y catedrático de economía de la Universidad de Princeton- en su libro The Resilient Society…La cuestión no es preveerlo todo sino poder reaccionar…aprender a recuperarse rápido.This title, suggestive of the impacts during the Covid 19 situation in the world, and which have unfortunately been very critical in Colombia, allows us to assume the obligatory overcoming of social, political, and economic tensions; but above all scientific and technological. Initially, this supposes the existence of a capacity of Colombian society to recover its initial state after the disturbance to which it was subjected by the catastrophic pandemic has ceased, and to overcome that previous state of affairs since it was found -and still is find - many local problems poorly resolved, moderately resolved, and many unresolved: that is, an existing social resilience test will have to be redesigned and strengthened - product of the prolonged Colombian social conflict partially overcome by a successful peace process - from local technoscience; As Markus Brunnermeier - German economist and professor of economics at Princeton University - indicates in his book The Resilient Society...The question is not to foresee everything but to be able to react...learn to recover quickly.Bogot

Evaluación multicriterio de 44 introducciones de Tithonia diversifolia (hemsl.) Gray en Candelaria, Valle del Cauca

La producción de forrajes, como fuente principal de alimentación de bovinos, ha generado proteína de alta calidad en carne y leche para satisfacer las necesidades humanas. La elección de forrajes no sólo debe basarse en las virtudes agronómicas, sino también en su valor nutricional, palatabilidad y nivel de toxicidad para el ganado. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar la respuesta productiva forrajera de 44 introducciones de T diversifolia, provenientes de varias localidades del centro occidente de Colombia, establecidas en una colección en el Centro Experimental Universidad Nacional sede Palmira (CEUNP) Candelaria (Colombia). Coordenadas 2°06' N y 65°03' O, con temperatura de 26 °C y precipitación promedio anual de1532 mm. Se evaluaron indicadores morfoagronómicos y nutricionales de las 44 introducciones; luego estas se clasificaron mediante estadística multivariada y la posterior aplicación de índices integrales (Índice de Potencial Forrajero Ponderado e Índice de Rendimiento y Calidad Ponderado). Se seleccionaron las ocho introducciones más rendidoras y de mejor calidad nutricional; posteriormente solo cuatro fueron identificados como las más promisorias (17,9; 22,14; 13,5 y 1,2). Se concluye que el uso de índices integrales multicriterio facilita la selección de materiales rendidores, con base en diferentes criterios de adaptabilidad, productividad y calidad de las especies