Differentially Private Multi-Agent Planning for Logistic-like Problems

Planning is one of the main approaches used to improve agents' working efficiency by making plans beforehand. However, during planning, agents face the risk of having their private information leaked. This paper proposes a novel strong privacy-preserving planning approach for logistic-like problems. This approach outperforms existing approaches by addressing two challenges: 1) simultaneously achieving strong privacy, completeness and efficiency, and 2) addressing communication constraints. These two challenges are prevalent in many real-world applications including logistics in military environments and packet routing in networks. To tackle these two challenges, our approach adopts the differential privacy technique, which can both guarantee strong privacy and control communication overhead. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first to apply differential privacy to the field of multi-agent planning as a means of preserving the privacy of agents for logistic-like problems. We theoretically prove the strong privacy and completeness of our approach and empirically demonstrate its efficiency. We also theoretically analyze the communication overhead of our approach and illustrate how differential privacy can be used to control it

A low-cost time-hopping impulse radio system for high data rate transmission

We present an efficient, low-cost implementation of time-hopping impulse radio that fulfills the spectral mask mandated by the FCC and is suitable for high-data-rate, short-range communications. Key features are: (i) all-baseband implementation that obviates the need for passband components, (ii) symbol-rate (not chip rate) sampling, A/D conversion, and digital signal processing, (iii) fast acquisition due to novel search algorithms, (iv) spectral shaping that can be adapted to accommodate different spectrum regulations and interference environments. Computer simulations show that this system can provide 110Mbit/s at 7-10m distance, as well as higher data rates at shorter distances under FCC emissions limits. Due to the spreading concept of time-hopping impulse radio, the system can sustain multiple simultaneous users, and can suppress narrowband interference effectively.Comment: To appear in EURASIP Journal on Applied Signal Processing (Special Issue on UWB - State of the Art

DAMA/LIBRA results and perspectives

The DAMA/LIBRA experiment, running at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the I.N.F.N. in Italy, has a sensitive mass of about 250 kg highly radiopure NaI(Tl). It is mainly devoted to the investigation of Dark Matter (DM) particles in the Galactic halo by exploiting the model independent DM annual modulation signature. The present DAMA/LIBRA experiment and the former DAMA/NaI one (the first generation experiment having an exposed mass of about 100 kg) have released so far results corresponding to a total exposure of 1.17 ton yr over 13 annual cycles. They provide a model independent evidence of the presence of DM particles in the galactic halo at 8.9 sigma C.L.. A short summary of the obtained results is presented and future perspectives of the experiment mentioned.Comment: 12 pages, Proceed. of the 15th Bled Workshop "What Comes Beyond Standard Models" (December 2012), Vol. 13, No.

Dark Matter investigation by DAMA at Gran Sasso

Experimental observations and theoretical arguments at Galaxy and larger scales have suggested that a large fraction of the Universe is composed by Dark Matter particles. This has motivated the DAMA experimental efforts to investigate the presence of such particles in the galactic halo by exploiting a model independent signature and very highly radiopure set-ups deep underground. Few introductory arguments are summarized before presenting a review of the present model independent positive results obtained by the DAMA/NaI and DAMA/LIBRA set-ups at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the INFN. Implications and model dependent comparisons with other different kinds of results will be shortly addressed. Some arguments put forward in literature will be confuted.Comment: review article, 71 pages, 25 figures, 8 tables; v2: minor modifications. In publication on the International Journal of Modern Physics

Model independent result on possible diurnal effect in DAMA/LIBRA-phase1

The results obtained in the search for possible diurnal effect in the single-hit low energy data collected by DAMA/LIBRA-phase1 (total exposure: 1.04 ton x yr) deep underground at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS) of the I.N.F.N. are presented. At the present level of sensitivity the presence of any significant diurnal variation and of diurnal time structures in the data can be excluded for both the cases of solar and sidereal time. In particular, the diurnal modulation amplitude expected, because of the Earth diurnal motion, on the basis of the DAMA Dark Matter annual modulation results is below the present sensitivity.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables; in publication on Eur. Phys. J.

Final model independent result of DAMA/LIBRA-phase1

The results obtained with the total exposure of 1.04 ton x yr collected by DAMA/LIBRA-phase1 deep underground at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS) of the I.N.F.N. during 7 annual cycles (i.e. adding a further 0.17 ton x yr exposure) are presented. The DAMA/LIBRA-phase1 data give evidence for the presence of Dark Matter (DM) particles in the galactic halo, on the basis of the exploited model independent DM annual modulation signature by using highly radio-pure NaI(Tl) target, at 7.5 sigma C.L.. Including also the first generation DAMA/NaI experiment (cumulative exposure 1.33 ton x yr, corresponding to 14 annual cycles), the C.L. is 9.3 sigma and the modulation amplitude of the single-hit events in the (2-6) keV energy interval is: (0.0112 \pm 0.0012) cpd/kg/keV; the measured phase is (144 \pm 7) days and the measured period is (0.998 \pm 0.002) yr, values well in agreement with those expected for DM particles. No systematic or side reaction able to mimic the exploited DM signature has been found or suggested by anyone over more than a decade.Comment: 20 pages, 13 figures, 6 tables; in publication on Eur. Phys. J.

No role for neutrons, muons and solar neutrinos in the DAMA annual modulation results

This paper summarizes in a simple and intuitive way why the neutrons, the muons and the solar neutrinos cannot give any significant contribution to the DAMA annual modulation results. A number of these elements have already been presented in individual papers; they are recalled here. Afterwards, few simple considerations are summarized which already demonstrate the incorrectness of the claim reported in PRL 113 (2014) 081302.Comment: 11 pages, 1 tabl

Investigating Earth shadowing effect with DAMA/LIBRA-phase1

In the present paper the results obtained in the investigation of possible diurnal effects for low-energy single-hit scintillation events of DAMA/LIBRA-phase1 (1.04 ton $\times$ yr exposure) have been analysed in terms of an effect expected in case of Dark Matter (DM) candidates inducing nuclear recoils and having high cross-section with ordinary matter, which implies low DM local density in order to fulfill the DAMA/LIBRA DM annual modulation results. This effect is due to the different Earth depths crossed by those DM candidates during the sidereal day.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures, 1 table; in publication on Eur. Phys. J.

Long-term intermittent high-amplitude subcutaneous nerve stimulation reduces sympathetic tone in ambulatory dogs

BACKGROUND: Reducing sympathetic efferent outflow from the stellate ganglia (SG) may be antiarrhythmic. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that chronic thoracic subcutaneous nerve stimulation (ScNS) could reduce SG nerve activity (SGNA) and control paroxysmal atrial tachycardia (PAT). METHODS: Thoracic ScNS was performed in 8 dogs while SGNA, vagal nerve activity (VNA), and subcutaneous nerve activity (ScNA) were monitored. An additional 3 dogs were used for sham stimulation as controls. RESULTS: Xinshu ScNS and left lateral thoracic nerve ScNS reduced heart rate (HR). Xinshu ScNS at 3.5 mA for 2 weeks reduced mean average SGNA from 5.32 μV (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.89-6.75) at baseline to 3.24 μV (95% CI 2.16-4.31; P = .015) and mean HR from 89 bpm (95% CI 80-98) at baseline to 83 bpm (95% CI 76-90; P = .007). Bilateral SG showed regions of decreased tyrosine hydroxylase staining with increased terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling-positive nuclei in 18.47% (95% CI 9.68-46.62) of all ganglion cells, indicating cell death. Spontaneous PAT episodes were reduced from 9.83 per day (95% CI 5.77-13.89) in controls to 3.00 per day (95% CI 0.11-5.89) after ScNS (P = .027). Left lateral thoracic nerve ScNS also led to significant bilateral SG neuronal death and significantly reduced average SGNA and HR in dogs. CONCLUSION: ScNS at 2 different sites in the thorax led to SG cell death, reduced SGNA, and suppressed PAT in ambulatory dogs

Mott physics, sign structure, ground state wavefunction, and high-Tc superconductivity

In this article I give a pedagogical illustration of why the essential problem of high-Tc superconductivity in the cuprates is about how an antiferromagnetically ordered state can be turned into a short-range state by doping. I will start with half-filling where the antiferromagnetic ground state is accurately described by the Liang-Doucot-Anderson (LDA) wavefunction. Here the effect of the Fermi statistics becomes completely irrelevant due to the no double occupancy constraint. Upon doping, the statistical signs reemerge, albeit much reduced as compared to the original Fermi statistical signs. By precisely incorporating this altered statistical sign structure at finite doping, the LDA ground state can be recast into a short-range antiferromagnetic state. Superconducting phase coherence arises after the spin correlations become short-ranged, and the superconducting phase transition is controlled by spin excitations. I will stress that the pseudogap phenomenon naturally emerges as a crossover between the antiferromagnetic and superconducting phases. As a characteristic of non Fermi liquid, the mutual statistical interaction between the spin and charge degrees of freedom will reach a maximum in a high-temperature "strange metal phase" of the doped Mott insulator.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figure