Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lindblad dynamics of a quantum spherical spin

The coherent quantum dynamics of a single bosonic spin variable, subject to a constraint derived from the quantum spherical model of a ferromagnet, and coupled to an external heat bath, is studied through the Lindblad equation for the reduced density matrix. Closed systems of equations of motion for several quantum observables are derived and solved exactly. The relationship to the single-mode Dicke model from quantum optics is discussed. The analysis of the interplay of the quantum fluctuation and the dissipation and their influence on the relaxation of the time-dependent magnetisation leads to the distinction of qualitatively different regimes of weak and strong quantum couplings. Considering the model’s behaviour in an external field as a simple mean-field approximation of the dynamics of a quantum spherical ferromagnet, the magnetic phase diagram appears to be re-entrant and presents a quantum analogue of well-established classical examples of fluctuation-induced order.
PR ] 2 0 N ov 2 01 7 SPECTRAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE FREE JACOBI PROCESS

We obtain a description for the spectral distribution of the free Jacobi process for any initial pair of projections. This result relies on a study of the unitary operator RUtSU ∗ t where R,S are two symmetries and Ut a free unitary Brownian motion, freely independent from {R,S}. In particular, for non-null traces of R and S, we prove that the spectral measure of RUtSU ∗ t possesses two atoms at ±1 and an L∞-density on the unit circle T, for every t > 0. Next, via a Szegő type transform of this law, we obtain a full description of the spectral distribution of PUtQU ∗ t beyond the τ(P ) = τ(Q) = 1/2 case. Finally, we give some specializations for which these measures are explicitly computed.
Comparative in vitro Efficacies of Colistin-Levofloxacin, Colistin- Tigecycline and Tigecycline-Levofloxacin based Catheter Lock Solutions on Eradication of Acinetobacter baumannii Biofilms

Aims: Although the central venous catheter (CVC)s play an essential role in patient care, catheter-related bacteraemia (CRB) infections are an important problem in patients, putting them at increased risk for morbidity and mortality [1, 2]. The aim of this study was to determine the in-vitro stability and efficacy of colistin-levofloxacin, colistin-tigecycline and tigecycline-levofloxacin combinations based catheter lock solutions against biofilm embedded Acinetobacter baumannii strains.
Intergenerational risk sharing within funded pension schemes

Abstract Is intergenerational risk sharing desirable and feasible in funded pension schemes? Using a multi-period OLG model, we study risk sharing between generations for a variety of realistic collective funded pension schemes, where pension benefits and contributions may depend on the funding ratio and the asset returns. We find that well-structured intergenerational risk sharing via collective schemes can be welfare-enhancing vis-à-vis the optimal individual benchmark. Moreover, from an ex ante perspective the expected welfare gain of the current entry cohort is not at the cost of the older and future cohorts.
TIMBRE MORPHING USING THE MODAL DISTRIBUTION

We present techniques for timbre morphing between two audio signals based on the Modal distribution time-frequency representation of music signals. A signal synthesis method is described which resynthesises signals from Modal distributions. Direct resynthesis from the original signal produces a timbre that is almost indistinguishable from the source. In deciding which salient features to morph a relational graph representation of timbre is used and linear interpolation and non-linear warping are applied in performing the morph between Modal distributions. The Modal Distribution [1] in Eqn. (1) was developed as a tool for music signal analysis and is based on Cohen’s class of bilinear time-frequency distributions. These distributions, which include the Wigner distribution (WD), have superior resolution to the traditional spectrogram. The Modal distribution is related, more specifically, to the smoothed pseudo-Wigner distribution (SPWD) and was designed for the analysis of signals based on the sum of sinusoids model.
Sliding-mode control for systems with mismatched uncertainties via a disturbance observer

This paper aims to solve the sliding mode control (SMC) problem for systems with mismatched uncertainties via a disturbance observer. By designing a novel sliding surface based on the disturbance estimation, a disturbance observer based sliding mode control method is proposed to counteract the mismatched disturbance which is possibly nonvanishing. There are two distinct features for the proposed method. Firstly, the switching gain is only required to be designed greater than the magnitude of the disturbance estimation error rather than that of the disturbance, thus the chattering problem is substantially alleviated. Secondly, the proposed method retains its nominal performance, which means the proposed method acts the same as the baseline controller in the absence of disturbance. Application to a MAGLEV suspension system shows that the proposed method exhibits much better control performance than the baseline SMC and the integral SMC (I-SMC) methods, such as reduced chattering and nominal performance recovery.
Diagnostic Experimental Philosophy

Experimental philosophy’s much-discussed ‘restrictionist’ program seeks to delineate the extent to which philosophers may legitimately rely on intuitions about possible cases. The present paper shows that this program can be (i) put to the service of diagnostic problem-resolution (in the wake of J.L. Austin) and (ii) pursued by constructing and experimentally testing psycholinguistic explanations of intuitions which expose their lack of evidentiary value: The paper develops a psycholinguistic explanation of paradoxical intuitions that are prompted by verbal case-descriptions, and presents two experiments that support the explanation. This debunking explanation helps resolve philosophical paradoxes about perception (known as ‘arguments from hallucination’).
Gender roles in family and earnings differences in Brazil 1

The gender gap in the Brazilian labor market has been decreasing over the last decades with larger female labor force participation rates, improvements in educational levels for women, and declining fertility rates. By the end of the first decade of this millennium, female labor force participation in Brazil was approximately 47%, and women had improved their participation in almost every occupation. Differences in payments by gender have been declining steadily for 40 years, but the pace of reduction was lessened over the last decade (Wajnman, 2012). As seen in Figure 1, the female to male earnings ratio was slightly above 0.50 in 1978, reaching 0.72 in 1998. In the following decade, however, it was increased by only 0.02.
High-throughput sequencing and analysis of chromosome one of Eimeria tenella ( Houghton strain )

Introduction Eimeria tenella is one of the most common Eimeria species that causes coccidiosis. This species is also highly pathogenic and it is the most common species occurring in the field. Eimeria tenella is also related to other protozoan parasites placed under the same phylum such as Plasmodium falciparum, Toxoplasma gondii and Cryptosporidium. The molecular karyotype of the haploid nuclear of Eimeria tenella, as determined by Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) comprises 60Mb DNA contained within 14 linear chromosomes that range in size between 1 and more than 7Mb (Shirley, 2000). The four smallest chromosomes of Eimeria tenella are between 1-2Mb and are suitable candidates for sequencing. Chromosome one is approximately 1.05Mb in size and a previous study by Shirley et al, (1996) showed that chromosome one bears the arprinocid resistant genes in Eimeria tenella.
The Vital Core Connectivity Problem

Let G = (V, E) be an edge-weighted complete graph representing a network in which the edges represent potential links, and the vertices (centres) are partitioned into two classes – vital vertices, which represent the vital core of the network, and secondary vertices. We consider the vital core connectivity problem (VCC), which is the problem of finding a minimum weight spanning multi-subgraph of G which is k-edge connected overall and whose vital core remains at least l-edge connected even if some or all of the secondary vertices are removed. The VCC arises naturally in many practical applications in which one wishes to design a network at minimum cost which will not only survive the loss of a certain number of links overall, but for which the vital core remains at least l-edge connected even if some or all of the secondary centres are lost. We show that the VCC is, in general, NP-hard, and present the first constant factor approximation algorithm for this problem, as well as give an upper bound on the integrality gap of its linear programming relaxation. In particular, we show an approximation guarantee (and upper bound on the integrality gap) of 8 3 for l ≥ ⌈
Physical Activities among Adults with a Special Focus in Saudi Arabia

It was well documented that the physical activity level has a strong impact on individuals’ better quality of life. In Saudi Arabia, there is a lack of data regarding the positive association of physical activity, health-related quality of life among the Saudi population. Thus, the objective of this review was to highlight the perception of physical activities among adults with an especial focus among Saudi civilian in view of the existing literature. However, even in the lack of consistent physical activities and a weight-loss diet, relatively little expanses of repetitive exercise within an ordinary lifestyle, slightly rises in fitness, and less body fatness are linked with a better health-related quality of life and mood. In Saudi Arabia, little is known about the health benefits and the factors that motivate physical activity among Saudi adults. Thus more evidence is needed to show the perception of physical activity or exercise on quality of life particularly among Saudi population in light of the existent literature.
PHARMACOGNOSTIC STUDIES AND ANTIINFLAMMATORY ACTIVITIES OF CLERODENDRUM VOLUBILE P Beauv LEAF

Clerodendrum volubile P Beauv (Verbenaceae) is a climbing shrub used traditionally in the treatment of swelling, gout and venereal diseases. In this study, the microscopic, macroscopic, phytochemical analysis and anti-inflammatory activities were investigated using standard procedures. The results revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, anthraquinone and cardiac glycoside while the methanol extract, petroleum ether and ethyl acetate fractions exhibited significant (p<0.05) anti-inflammatory activities when compared to the effect of the reference drug Diclofenac sodium.
Learning Control Architectures by Robotics Application

Engineering students starting their studies in engineering find it difficult to understand and appreciate the value of undergraduate education. Our group has experimented with various robotic projects for diverse engineering students designed specifically to improve their learning and understanding of the subjects taught. In particular, we are interested in teaching the basics of control architectures, and robotics has given us the clue to get this objective. The wide variety of projects, their quality and originality gives us confidence that these students can become far more fruitful engineers if we employ the right strategy of education. In this work we present some developed projects related to control architectures applied to robotics, the results obtained and the gained experiences.
Plasmonic Nano-Hole Arrays for Quantum Efficiency Enhancement of Er Photoemission Laureando:

The purpose of the present thesis is the study of the interaction of plasmonic nanostructures with an emitter in close proximity. The investigation was carried out following different approaches but always with the aim of inserting the experimental results in the framework of new or existing theoretical models in order to better understand the photophysical nature of the interaction. To this aim in the framework of this thesis plasmonic nanohole arrays have been synthesised and coupled to Er-doped silica layers. The choice of Erbium as emitting source was driven by the great technological importance of this rare earth in photonics and optoelectronics, connected to the characteristic emission at 1540 nm that matches the window of minimum transmission loss for silica. For this reason the first step of the research activity was devoted to the optimization of the Er photoluminescent properties in silica. When an emitter is placed near an interface, its optical properties will be modified. To describe this variation different contributions have to be taken into account: the variation of the local density of state due to the reflection from the interface, the coupling of the emitted radiation with propagating surface plasmons on the metal-dielectric interface and the dissipation in the overlayer. Nanostructuring the overlayer offers further opportunities for changing the optical properties of a nearby emitter. Among different plasmonic nanostructures, nanohole arrays (NHAs) can represent the ideal candidate for this purpose due to their extraordinary optical transmission (EOT): at specific frequencies determined by the hole periodicity, the light transmitted through the NHA is orders of magnitude higher than the one predicted with the classical diffraction theory. When the EOT peak was tailored with the emission wavelength of the emitter strong plasmonic coupling was demonstrated, leading to lifetime shortening with almost no dissipation in the overlayer. Finally, all the obtained results allowed the development of predictive models that can be used in the design of novel devices for different photonic applications.
Including high quality essays from UEA students in our Exemplary Student Essays feature and a Lifestyle and Reviews

In this essay I compare two experimental approaches on financial decision making – namely, experiments on the choice between simple and compound lotteries and experiments on asset markets. Based on behavioural finance literature, I argue that we learn more from the former about individual choice behaviour with assets and more from the latter about how to explain real world financial data.
Sea Ice Concentration Estimation and Ice Type Classification from Dual-Frequency Satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar

The sea ice cover in the Arctic has undergone dramatic changes in recent years. The perennial sea ice extent is decreasing by 12.2 % per decade while annual mean sea ice thickness has decreased by more than 2 m for the central Arctic Basin from 1975 to 2012. High resolution information of the ice cover is necessary for a better understanding of the involved processes. Furthermore increased economic, scientific and touristic activities in the Arctic demand ice information for safer navigation in ice infested waters. Satellite synthetic aperture radar facilitates year round monitoring of the sea ice cover with high spatial and temporal coverage. High resolution is a requirement to capture small scale sea ice features like leads and the dynamics of the ice cover driven by the atmosphere and ocean. This thesis presents investigations on sea ice characterization from multi-spectral SAR imagery. Dual-polarization C- and L-band images from Sentinel-1 and ALOS PALSAR-2 have been used to derive sea ice concentration, for creation of ice-water maps and ice type classification. The developed algorithms for sea ice concentration estimation and ice/water classification use spatial autocorrelation as a texture feature to improve the discrimination of ice and water. The mapping between image features and the output variable is realized with a neural network. The proposed algorithms show good performance when evaluated against manually derived ice charts and radiometer data. We demonstrate that C- and L-band contain complementary data and a combination of these frequencies could achieve more robust classification results. Furthermore the separability and signatures of ice types in different ice regimes, i.e. marginal ice zone, pack ice and areas containing fast ice, have been investigated. Classification only based on backscatter intensities has been carried out by means of a support vector machine on selected examples of the same C- and L-band dataset. The results indicate that also for ice type classification a combination of frequencies can improve the classification accuracy.
Sublittoral and bathyal Harpacticoida (Crustacea, Copepoda) of the Magellan region. Composition, distribution and species diversity of selected major taxa

Two expeditions, undertaken in 1994 and 1996, provided quantitatively sampled material of sublittoral and bathyal meiobenthos from the Paso Ancho of the Straits of Magellan, the Beagle Channel, and the Patagonian continental slope (Chile). To investigate whether these distinct geographic areas might also be characterised by different harpacticoid assemblages, qualitative and quantitative analyses of Copepoda Harpacticoida were carried out. At supraspecific level 25 harpacticoid families were found, as well as several species that could not yet be assigned to any major harpacticoid taxon. Due to the high amount of collected Harpacticoida, detailed investigations at species level had to be restricted to six taxa, namely the Ancorabolidae, Argestidae, Cletodidae, Diosaccinae, Paramesochridae, and Paranannopinae. The corresponding specimens were assigned to 122 species in 52 genera. More than 80% of them are new to science. Qualitative comparisons of both species composition and species distribution allow the three areas to be distinguished in terms of species richness. However, statistical analyses confirm these results only partly. Similarity analyses applying non-metrical multidimensional scaling, as well as diversity analyses using the rarefaction method, suggest that the observed differences in distribution and diversity patterns are due to small-scale, local conditions, which may overlay possible large-scale ones.
Breeding biology and hatching success of Chelonia mydas (Testudines: Cheloniidae) in Aves Island Wildlife Refuge, Venezuela, during the 2010 reproductive season

El Refugio de Fauna Silvestre Isla de Aves (Venezuela) es la segunda colonia anidadora mas importante para la tortuga verde ( Chelonia mydas ) en el Caribe, y su proyecto de investigacion representa una solida fuente de conocimiento sobre la ecologia de esta especie. Sin embargo, existe poca informacion disponible sobre su biologia reproductiva. Esta investigacion estuvo enfocada en la evaluacion de las caracteristicas reproductivas y exito de eclosion de la poblacion anidadora durante la temporada 2010 en Isla de Aves. Los datos de anidacion fueron recogidos a lo largo de la playa durante patrullajes nocturnos del 31 de julio al 09 de noviembre con el fin de determinar la actividad de anidacion de las tortugas. Todas las hembras fueron marcadas y medidas para comparar los datos de las nuevas reclutas con los de las hembras remigrantes. Fue determinado el numero de hembras anidadoras, el tamano y la distribucion espacial de las nidadas, el periodo de incubacion, los periodos interanidacion y remigracion, asi como el exito de eclosion y emergencia por primera vez en la RFSIA. Se midieron las dimensiones de playa para determinar la densidad de nidos a lo largo de sus secciones. Fueron registradas 1 106 hembras anidadoras, de las cuales 436 hembras fueron identificadas individualmente como remigrantes. Las hembras anidadoras tuvieron un largo curvo del caparazon promedio de 112.2 ± 5.5 cm. La media para el tamano de las nidadas fue de 124.0 ± 25.7 huevos, con una frecuencia de puesta estimada de 2.0 nidos/hembra y un intervalo de puesta inferido de 12.4 dias. Estimamos un total de 2 261 ± 33 nidadas y un rango de 1 130 ± 17 hembras anidadodra para la temporada 2010. Para las nidadas in situ observamos un exito de eclosion de 54.4 ± 30.0 % y un exito de emergencia de 74.3 ± 29.2 %. Observamos una correlacion positiva entre la morfometria de las hembras anidadoras y el tamano de la nidada, asi como diferencias significativas en el numero de nidadas, los exitos de eclosion y emergencia entre las tres secciones de la isla. Estos resultados son una primera aproximacion para la caracterizacion de la poblacion de Isla de Aves, pero tienen gran valor para establecer prioridades de conservacion dentro del contexto de los planes de manejo nacionales. Los valores observados en este trabajo deben ser extrapolados con cuidados a otros anos, ya que existe una importante necesidad de continuar con el monitoreo de la anidacion, asi como de desarrollar estrategias de conservacion dirigidas a todas las etapas de vida de la poblacion.
Approach to Publishing Adverse Event Case Reports in BiomedicalJournals

Case reports describing suspected adverse events of drugs and medical products are important for post-marketing safety monitoring. Such reports could help identify potential product-associated risks and serve as signals of possible events that may require further studies. They also serve as legal documents and have been used as evidence in “toxic tort” litigation. Lack of relevant details in the reports would render them of limited value and misleading. Deficiencies in the previously published adverse event case reports in some biomedical journals from developing countries clearly illustrate a need for guidelines. A properly documented report should provide details to enable readers make differential diagnoses, ascertain the causality of the reaction to the suspected drug, and provide pharmacological and biological explanations for the reaction. Authors should also report the suspected events to the National Pharmacovigilance Centre to ensure their inclusion in adverse drug reaction databases. Reviewers and journal editors should be well familiar with adverse drug event reporting guidelines to enable them weed out junk manuscripts. It would seem reasonable to include such guidelines in the instructions for authors, should a journal continue to publish case reports of adverse drug events.
Fuzzy Estimator for Gain Scheduling and its Application to Magnetic Suspension

Fuzzy Estimator for Gain Scheduling and its Application to Magnetic Suspension Seon-Ho Lee and Jong-Tae Lim Abstract: The external force disturbance is the one of the main causes that deteriorate the performance of the magnetic suspension. Thus, this paper develops a fuzzy estimator for gain scheduling control of magnetic suspension systems suffering from the unknown disturbance. The proposed fuzzy estimator computes the disturbance injected to the plant and the gain scheduled controller generates the corresponding stabilizing control input associated with the estimated disturbance. In the simulation results we con rm the novelty of the proposed control scheme comparing with the other method using a feedback linearization.