In-betweenness: a geometric monotonicity property for operator means

We introduce the notions of in-betweenness and monotonicity with respect to a metric, for operator means. These notions can be seen as generalising their natural counterpart for scalar means, and as a relaxation of the notion of geodesity. We exhibit two classes of non-trivial means that are monotonic with respect to the Euclidean metric. We also show that all Kubo-Ando means are monotonic with respect to the trace metric, which is the natural metric for the geometric mean.Comment: 15 pages; a preliminary version has been presented at the June 2010 ILAS Conference in Pisa, Ital

Development of 3D anti-Swing control for hydraulic knuckle boom crane

In this paper, 3D anti-swing control for a hydraulic loader crane is presented. The difference between hydraulic and electric cranes are discussed to show the challenges associated with hydraulic actuation. The hanging load dynamics and relevant kinematics of the crane are derived to model the system and create the 3D anti-swing controller. The anti-swing controller generates a set of tool point velocities which are added to the electro-hydraulic motion controller via feedforward. A dynamic simulation model of the crane is made, and the control system is evaluated in simulations with a path controller in actuator space. Simulation results show significant reduction in the load swing angles during motion using the proposed anti-swing controller in addition to pressure feedback. Experiments are carried out to verify the performance of the anti-swing controller. Results show that the implemented pressure feedback is crucial for reaching stability, and with it the control system yields good suppression of the swing angles in practice.publishedVersio

Faraday rotation spectra of bismuth-substituted ferrite garnet films with in-plane magnetization

Single crystalline films of bismuth-substituted ferrite garnets have been synthesized by the liquid phase epitaxy method where GGG substrates are dipped into the flux. The growth parameters are controlled to obtain films with in-plane magnetization and virtually no domain activity, which makes them excellently suited for magnetooptic imaging. The Faraday rotation spectra were measured across the visible range of wavelengths. To interprete the spectra we present a simple model based on the existence of two optical transitions of diamagnetic character, one tetrahedral and one octahedral. We find excellent agreement between the model and our experimental results for photon energies between 1.77 and 2.53 eV, corresponding to wavelengths between 700 and 490 nm. It is shown that the Faraday rotation changes significantly with the amount of substituted gallium and bismuth. Furthermore, the experimental results suggest that the magnetooptic response changes linearly with the bismuth substitution.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, published in Phys. Rev.

Kinect Depth Sensor Evaluation for Computer Vision Applications

This technical report describes our evaluation of the Kinect depth sensor by Microsoft for Computer Vision applications. The depth sensor is able to return images like an ordinary camera, but instead of color, each pixel value represents the distance to the point. As such, the sensor can be seen as a range- or 3D-camera. We have used the sensor in several different computer vision projects and this document collects our experiences with the sensor. We are only focusing on the depth sensing capabilities of the sensor since this is the real novelty of the product in relation to computer vision. The basic technique of the depth sensor is to emit an infrared light pattern (with an IR laser diode) and calculate depth from the reflection of the light at different positions (using a traditional IR sensitive camera). In this report, we perform an extensive evaluation of the depth sensor and investigate issues such as 3D resolution and precision, structural noise, multi-cam setups and transient response of the sensor. The purpose is to give the reader a well-founded background to choose whether or not the Kinect sensor is applicable to a specific problem

Are parent-reported outcomes for self-directed or telephone-assisted behavioral family intervention enhanced if parents are observed?

The study examined the effects of conducting observations as part of a broader assessment of families participating in behavior family intervention (BFI). It was designed to investigate whether the observations improve intervention outcomes. Families were randomly assigned to different levels of BFI or a waitlist control condition and subsequently randomly assigned to either observation or no-observation conditions. This study demonstrated significant intervention and observation effects. Mothers in more intensive BFI reported more improvement in their child’s behavior and their own parenting. Observed mothers reported lower intensity of child behavior problems and more effective parenting styles. There was also a trend for less anger among mothers who were observed and evidence of an observation-intervention interaction for parental anger, with observed mothers in more intensive intervention reporting less anger compared to those not observed. Implications for clinical and research intervention contexts are discussed

Polynomial kernels for 3-leaf power graph modification problems

A graph G=(V,E) is a 3-leaf power iff there exists a tree T whose leaves are V and such that (u,v) is an edge iff u and v are at distance at most 3 in T. The 3-leaf power graph edge modification problems, i.e. edition (also known as the closest 3-leaf power), completion and edge-deletion, are FTP when parameterized by the size of the edge set modification. However polynomial kernel was known for none of these three problems. For each of them, we provide cubic kernels that can be computed in linear time for each of these problems. We thereby answer an open problem first mentioned by Dom, Guo, Huffner and Niedermeier (2005).Comment: Submitte

Simple Fluids with Complex Phase Behavior

We find that a system of particles interacting through a simple isotropic potential with a softened core is able to exhibit a rich phase behavior including: a liquid-liquid phase transition in the supercooled phase, as has been suggested for water; a gas-liquid-liquid triple point; a freezing line with anomalous reentrant behavior. The essential ingredient leading to these features resides in that the potential investigated gives origin to two effective core radii.Comment: 7 pages including 3 eps figures + 1 jpeg figur

Quasicondensate and superfluid fraction in the 2D charged-boson gas at finite temperature

The Bogoliubov - de Gennes equations are solved for the Coulomb Bose gas describing a fluid of charged bosons at finite temperature. The approach is applicable in the weak coupling regime and the extent of its quantitative usefulness is tested in the three-dimensional fluid, for which diffusion Monte Carlo data are available on the condensate fraction at zero temperature. The one-body density matrix is then evaluated by the same approach for the two-dimensional fluid with e^2/r interactions, to demonstrate the presence of a quasi-condensate from its power-law decay with increasing distance and to evaluate the superfluid fraction as a function of temperature at weak coupling.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figure

Mechanistic Understanding of the Heterogeneous, Rhodium-Cyclic (Alkyl)(Amino)Carbene-Catalyzed (Fluoro-)Arene Hydrogenation

Recently, chemoselective methods for the hydrogenation of fluorinated, silylated, and borylated arenes have been developed providing direct access to previously unattainable, valuable products. Herein, a comprehensive study on the employed rhodium-cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene (CAAC) catalyst precursor is disclosed. Mechanistic experiments, kinetic studies, and surface-spectroscopic methods revealed supported rhodium(0) nanoparticles (NP) as the active catalytic species. Further studies suggest that CAAC-derived modifiers play a key role in determining the chemoselectivity of the hydrogenation of fluorinated arenes, thus offering an avenue for further tuning of the catalytic properties. Copyright © 2020 American Chemical Society