Digital Commons Network^™

A Monte Carlo Approach To Closing The Reality Gap, Damian Lyons, James Finocchiaro, Michael Novitzky, Christopher Korpela

Faculty Publications

We propose a novel approach to the ’reality gap’ problem, i.e., modifying a robot simulation so that its performance becomes more similar to observed real world phenomena. This problem arises whether the simulation is being used by human designers or in an automated policy development mechanism. We expect that the program/policy is developed using simulation, and subsequently deployed on a real system. We further assume that the program includes a monitor procedure with scalar output to determine when it is achieving its performance objectives. The proposed approach collects simulation and real world observations and builds conditional probability functions. These are …

Optimal Uniform Continuity Bound For Conditional Entropy Of Classical–Quantum States, Mark M. Wilde

Faculty Publications

In this short note, I show how a recent result of Alhejji and Smith (A tight uniform continuity bound for equivocation, 2019. arXiv:1909.00787v1) regarding an optimal uniform continuity bound for classical conditional entropy leads to an optimal uniform continuity bound for quantum conditional entropy of classical–quantum states. The bound is optimal in the sense that there always exists a pair of classical–quantum states saturating the bound, and so, no further improvements are possible. An immediate application is a uniform continuity bound for the entanglement of formation that improves upon the one previously given by Winter (Commun Math Phys 347(1):291–313, 2016. …

Synthesis, Characterization, Dna Binding, Topoisomerase Inhibition, And Apoptosis Induction Studies Of A Novel Cobalt(Iii) Complex With A Thiosemicarbazone Ligand, Stephen J. Beebe, Michael J. Celestine, Jimmie L. Bullock, Shayna Sandhaus, Jessa Faye Arca, Donald M. Cropek, Tekettay A. Ludvig, Sydney R. Foster, Jasmine S. Clark, Floyd A. Beckford, Criszcele M. Tano, Elizabeth A. Tonsel-White, Raj K. Gurung, Courtney E. Stankavich, Yuk Ching Tse-Dinh, William L. Jarrett, Alvin A. Holder

Faculty Publications

In this study, 9-anthraldehyde-N(4)-methylthiosemicarbazone (MeATSC) 1 and [Co(phen)₂(O₂CO)]Cl·6H₂O 2 (where phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) were synthesized. [Co(phen)₂(O₂CO)]Cl·6H₂O 2 was used to produce anhydrous [Co(phen)₂(H₂O)₂](NO₃)₃ 3. Subsequently, anhydrous [Co(phen)₂(H₂O)₂](NO₃)₃ 3 was reacted with MeATSC 1 to produce [Co(phen)₂(MeATSC)](NO₃)₃·1.5H₂O·C₂H₅OH 4. The ligand, MeATSC 1 and all complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, FT IR, UV–visible, and multinuclear NMR ( …

Mixed Perverse Sheaves On Flag Varieties For Coxeter Groups, Pramod N. Achar, Simon Riche, Cristian Vay

Faculty Publications

In this paper we construct an abelian category of mixed perverse sheaves attached to any realization of a Coxeter group, in terms of the associated Elias-Williamson diagrammatic category. This construction extends previous work of the first two authors, where we worked with parity complexes instead of diagrams, and we extend most of the properties known in this case to the general setting. As an application we prove that the split Grothendieck group of the Elias-Williamson diagrammatic category is isomorphic to the corresponding Hecke algebra, for any choice of realization.

Xact Implementation Of The Theory Of Cosmological Perturbation In Bianchi I Spacetimes, Ivan Agullo, Javier Olmedo, Vijayakumar Sreenath

Faculty Publications

This paper presents a computational algorithm to derive the theory of linear gauge invariant perturbations on anisotropic cosmological spacetimes of the Bianchi I type. Our code is based on the tensor algebra packages xTensor and xPert, within the computational infrastructure of xAct written in Mathematica. The algorithm is based on a Hamiltonian, or phase space formulation, and it provides an efficient and transparent way of isolating the gauge invariant degrees of freedom in the perturbation fields and to obtain the Hamiltonian generating their dynamics. The restriction to Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker spacetimes is straightforward.

Plumage Patterns: Ecological Functions, Evolutionary Origins, And Advances In Quantification, Nicholas A. Mason, Rauri C.K. Bowie

Faculty Publications

Birds exhibit remarkable variation in plumage patterns, both within individual feathers and among plumage patches. Differences in the size, shape, and location of pigments and structural colors comprise important visual signals involved in mate choice, social signaling, camouflage, and many other functions. While ornithologists have studied plumage patterns for centuries, recent technological advances in digital image acquisition and processing have transformed pattern quantification methods, enabling comprehensive, detailed datasets of pattern phenotypes that were heretofore inaccessible. In this review, we synthesize recent and classic studies of plumage patterns at different evolutionary and organismal scales and discuss the various roles that plumage …

Fine Structure Of Viral Dsdna Encapsidation, Shawn Walker, Javier Arsuaga, Lindsey Hiltner, M. Carme Calderer, Mariel Vázquez

Faculty Publications

Unraveling the mechanisms of packing of DNA inside viral capsids is of fundamental importance to understanding the spread of viruses. It could also help develop new applications to targeted drug delivery devices for a large range of therapies. In this article, we present a robust, predictive mathematical model and its numerical implementation to aid the study and design of bacteriophage viruses for application purposes. Exploiting the analogies between the columnar hexagonal chromonic phases of encapsidated viral DNA and chromonic aggregates formed by plank-shaped molecular compounds, we develop a first-principles effective mechanical model of DNA packing in a viral capsid. The …

Harmonic Equiangular Tight Frames Comprised Of Regular Simplices, Matthew C. Fickus, Courtney A. Schmitt

Faculty Publications

An equiangular tight frame (ETF) is a sequence of unit-norm vectors in a Euclidean space whose coherence achieves equality in the Welch bound, and thus yields an optimal packing in a projective space. A regular simplex is a simple type of ETF in which the number of vectors is one more than the dimension of the underlying space. More sophisticated examples include harmonic ETFs which equate to difference sets in finite abelian groups. Recently, it was shown that some harmonic ETFs are comprised of regular simplices. In this paper, we continue the investigation into these special harmonic ETFs. We begin …

230Th Normalization: New Insights On An Essential Tool For Quantifying Sedimentary Fluxes In The Modern And Quaternary Ocean, Kassandra M. Costa, Christopher T. Hayes, Robert F. Anderson, Frank J. Pavia, Alexandra Bausch, Feifei Deng, Jean Claude Dutay, Walter Geibert, Christoph Heinze, Gideon Henderson, Claude Hillaire-Marcel, Sharon Hoffmann, Samuel L. Jaccard, Allison W. Jacobel, Stephanie S. Kienast, Lauren Kipp, Paul Lerner, Jörg Lippold, David Lund, Franco Marcantonio, David Mcgee, Jerry F. Mcmanus, Figen Mekik, Jennifer L. Middleton, Lise Missiaen, Christelle Not, Sylvain Pichat, Laura F. Robinson, George H. Rowland, Matthieu Roy-Barman, Alessandro Tagliabue, Adi Torfstein, Gisela Winckler, Yuxin Zhou

Faculty Publications

²³⁰Th normalization is a valuable paleoceanographic tool for reconstructing high‐resolution sediment fluxes during the late Pleistocene (last ~500,000 years). As its application has expanded to ever more diverse marine environments, the nuances of ²³⁰Th systematics, with regard to particle type, particle size, lateral advective/diffusive redistribution, and other processes, have emerged. We synthesized over 1000 sedimentary records of ²³⁰Th from across the global ocean at two time slices, the late Holocene (0–5,000 years ago, or 0–5 ka) and the Last Glacial Maximum (18.5–23.5 ka), and investigated the spatial structure of ²³⁰Th‐normalized mass fluxes. On a global scale, …

Metrics To Meet Security & Privacy Requirements With Agile Software Development Methods In A Regulated Environment, Torrey J. Wagner, Thomas C. Ford

Faculty Publications

This work examines metrics that can be used to measure the ability of agile software development methods to meet security and privacy requirements of communications applications. Many implementations of communication protocols, including those in vehicular networks, occur within regulated environments where agile development methods are traditionally discouraged. We propose a framework and metrics to measure adherence to security, quality and software effectiveness regulations if developers desire the cost and schedule benefits of agile methods. After providing an overview of specific challenges that a regulated environment imposes on communications software development, we proceed to examine the 12 agile principles and how …

An Ultra-Sparse Approximation Of Kinetic Solutions To Spatially Homogeneous Flows Of Non-Continuum Gas, Alexander Alekseenko, Amy Grandilli, Aihua W. Wood

Faculty Publications

We consider a compact approximation of the kinetic velocity distribution function by a sum of isotropic Gaussian densities in the problem of spatially homogeneous relaxation. Derivatives of the macroscopic parameters of the approximating Gaussians are obtained as solutions to a linear least squares problem derived from the Boltzmann equation with full collision integral. Our model performs well for flows obtained by mixing upstream and downstream conditions of normal shock wave with Mach number 3. The model was applied to explore the process of approaching equilibrium in a spatially homogeneous flow of gas. Convergence of solutions with respect to the model …

Radiation-Induced Electron And Hole Traps In Ge1-XSnX (X = 0-0.094), Michael R. Hogsed, Kevin K. Choe, Norman Miguel, Buguo Wang, John Kouvetakis

Faculty Publications

The band structure of germanium changes significantly when alloyed with a few percent concentrations of tin, and while much work has been done to characterize and exploit these changes, the corresponding deep-level defect characteristics are largely unknown. In this paper, we investigate the dominant deep-level defects created by 2 MeV proton irradiation in Ge1 -xSnx (x = 0.0, 0.020, 0.053, 0.069, and 0.094) diodes and determine how the ionization energies of these defects change with tin concentrations. Deep-level transient spectroscopy measurements approximate the ionization energies associated with electron transitions to/from the valence band (hole traps) and conduction band (electron traps) …

A Sequential Partial Information Bomber‐Defender Shooting Problem, Krishna Kalyanam, David W. Casbeer, Meir Pachter

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Kinetic Alfvénwaves Frommagnetotail To The Ionosphere In Global Hybrid Simulation Associated With Fast Flows, Lei Cheng, Yu Lin, J. D. Perez, Jay R. Johnson, Xueyi Wang

Faculty Publications

We have used the Auburn Global Hybrid Code in 3‐D to study the generation, dynamics, and global structure of kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs) from the magnetotail to the ionosphere. Our results show that KAWs are generated in magnetic reconnection in the plasma sheet, located around fast flows, and carrying transverse electromagnetic perturbations, parallel Poynting fluxes, parallel currents, and parallel electric field. Overall, shear Alfvénic turbulent spectrum is found in the plasma sheet. The KAWs are shear Alfvén waves possessing short perpendicular wavelength with , where is the perpendicular wave number and the ion Larmor radius. The KAWs are identified by …

Emerging Decolonialized Research Collaboration: The Max Planck Society And The Leibniz Association In Latin America, Pedro Pineda, Gustavo Gregorutti, Bernhard Streitwieser

Faculty Publications

Analyzing the number of publications and proportion of corresponding authors of Latin American scholars and scholars from the German Max Planck Society (MPS) and the Leibniz Association (LA; 1954–2018), this article asks if North–South partnerships continue to represent power imbalances. Our bibliometric analysis indicates that (a) in comparison with the LA, the MPS’s scientists published more articles with Latin American countries, led by Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Mexico; (b) researchers from the MPS and the LA frequently took the role of corresponding author; (c) researchers from Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Mexico primarily controlled their region’s productivity, but (d) Brazil built …

Physics Of Nuclei: Key Role Of An Emergent Symmetry, T. Dytrych, K. D. Launey, J. P. Draayer, D. J. Rowe, J. L. Wood, G. Rosensteel, C. Bahri, D. Langr, R. B. Baker

Faculty Publications

We show through first-principles nuclear structure calculations that the special nature of the strong nuclear force determines highly regular patterns heretofore unrecognized in nuclei that can be tied to an emergent approximate symmetry. This symmetry is ubiquitous and mathematically tracks with a symplectic symmetry group. This, in turn, has important implications for understanding the physics of nuclei: we find that nuclei are made of only a few equilibrium shapes, deformed or not, with associated vibrations and rotations. It also opens the path for ab initio large-scale modeling of open-shell intermediate-mass nuclei without the need for renormalized interactions and effective charges.

Green Edge Ice Camp Campaigns: Understanding The Processes Controlling The Under-Ice Arctic Phytoplankton Spring Bloom, Philippe Massicotte, Rémi Amiraux, Marie-Pier Amyot, Philippe Archambault, Mathieu Ardyna, Laurent Arnaud, Lise Artigue, Cyril Aubry, Pierre Ayotte, Guislain Bécu, Simon Bélanger, Ronald Benner, Henry C. Bittig, Annick Bricaud, Éric Brossier, Flavienne Bruyant, Et. Al.

Faculty Publications

The Green Edge initiative was developed to investigate the processes controlling the primary productivity and fate of organic matter produced during the Arctic phytoplankton spring bloom (PSB) and to determine its role in the ecosystem. Two field campaigns were conducted in 2015 and 2016 at an ice camp located on landfast sea ice southeast of Qikiqtarjuaq Island in Baffin Bay (67.4797∘ N, 63.7895∘ W). During both expeditions, a large suite of physical, chemical and biological variables was measured beneath a consolidated sea-ice cover from the surface to the bottom (at 360 m depth) to better understand the factors driving the …

Production Of The Polysaccharide Curdlan By Agrobacterium Species On Processing Coproducts And Plant Lignocellulosic Hydrolysates, Thomas P. West

Faculty Publications

This review examines the production of the biopolymer curdlan, synthesized by Agrobacterium species(sp.),on processing coproducts and plant ligno cellulosichydrolysates. Curdlanis a-(1 3)-D-glucan that has various food, non-food and biomedical applications. A number of carbon sources support bacterial curdlan production upon depletion of nitrogen in the culture medium. The influence of culture medium pH is critical to the synthesis of curdlan. The biosynthesis of the-(1 3)-D-glucan is likely controlled by a regulatory protein that controls the genes involved in the bacterial production of curdlan. Curdlan overproducer mutant strains have been isolated from Agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31749 and ATCC 31750 by chemical …

Calorimetry For Low-Energy Electrons Using Charge And Light In Liquid Argon, W. Foreman, R. Acciarri, J. A. Asaadi, W. Badgett, F. D.M. Blaszczyk, R. Bouabid, C. Bromberg, R. Carey, F. Cavanna, J. I. Cevallos Aleman, A. Chatterjee, J. Evans, A. Falcone, W. Flanagan, B. T. Fleming, D. Garcia-Gamez, B. Gelli, T. Ghosh, R. A. Gomes, E. Gramellini, R. Gran, P. Hamilton, C. Hill, J. Ho, J. Hugon, E. Iwai, E. Kearns, E. Kemp, T. Kobilarcik, M. Kordosky, P. Kryczyński, K. Lang, R. Linehan

Faculty Publications

Precise calorimetric reconstruction of 5-50 MeV electrons in liquid argon time projection chambers (LArTPCs) will enable the study of astrophysical neutrinos in DUNE and could enhance the physics reach of oscillation analyses. Liquid argon scintillation light has the potential to improve energy reconstruction for low-energy electrons over charge-based measurements alone. Here we demonstrate light-augmented calorimetry for low-energy electrons in a single-phase LArTPC using a sample of Michel electrons from decays of stopping cosmic muons in the LArIAT experiment at Fermilab. Michel electron energy spectra are reconstructed using both a traditional charge-based approach as well as a more holistic approach that …

Resonances In E+ E− Annihilation Near 2.2 Gev, J. P. Lees, V. Poireau, V. Tisserand, E. Grauges, A. Palano, G. Eigen, D. N. Brown, Yu G. Kolomensky, M. Fritsch, H. Koch, T. Schroeder, R. Cheaib, C. Hearty, T. S. Mattison, J. A. Mckenna, R. Y. So, V. E. Blinov, A. R. Buzykaev, V. P. Druzhinin, Milind Purohit, Et. Al.

Faculty Publications

Using the initial-state radiation method, the e⁺e⁻ → K_SK_L cross section from 1.98 to 2.54 GeV is measured in a data sample of 469 fb⁻¹ collected with the BABAR detector. The results are used in conjunction with previous BABAR results for the e⁺e⁻→ K⁺K⁻, e⁺e⁻ → π⁺π⁻, e⁺e⁻ → π⁺π⁻η, and e⁺e⁻ → ωππ cross sections to investigate the nature of the resonance structure recently observed by …

Measurement Of The Muon Neutrino Charged-Current Single Π+ Production On Hydrocarbon Using The T2k Off-Axis Near Detector Nd280, K. Abe, R. Akutsu, A. Ali, C. Alt, J. Amey, C. Andreopoulos, L. Anthony, M. Antonova, S. Aoki, A. Ariga, Y. Ashida, E. T. Atkin, Y. Awataguchi, Y. Azuma, S. Ban, M. Barbi, G. J. Barker, G. Barr, C. Barry, M. Batkiewicz-Kwasniak, A. Beloshapkin, F. Bench, V. Berardi, S. Berkman, R. M. Berner, L. Berns, S. Bhadra, S. Bienstock

Faculty Publications

We report the measurements of the single and double differential cross section of muon neutrino charged-current interactions on carbon with a single positively charged pion in the final state at the T2K off-axis near detector using 5.56×1020 protons on target. The analysis uses data control samples for the background subtraction and the cross section signal, defined as a single negatively charged muon and a single positively charged pion exiting from the target nucleus, is extracted using an unfolding method. The model-dependent cross section, integrated over the T2K off-axis neutrino beam spectrum peaking at 0.6 GeV, is measured to be σ=(11.76±0.44(stat)±2.39(syst))×10-40 …

Carbon Use Efficiency And Its Temperature Sensitivity Covary In Soil Bacteria, Grace Pold, Luiz A. Domeignoz-Horta, Eric W. Morrison, Serita D. Frey, Seeta A. Sistla, Kristen M. Deangelis

Faculty Publications

The strategy that microbial decomposers take with respect to using substrate for growth versus maintenance is one essential biological determinant of the propensity of carbon to remain in soil. To quantify the environmental sensitivity of this key physiological trade-off, we characterized the carbon use efficiency (CUE) of 23 soil bacterial isolates across seven phyla at three temperatures and with up to four substrates. Temperature altered CUE in both an isolate-specific manner and a substrate-specific manner. We searched for genes correlated with the temperature sensitivity of CUE on glucose and deemed those functional genes which were similarly correlated with CUE on …

Model Comparison From Ligo-Virgo Data On Gw170817'S Binary Components And Consequences For The Merger Remnant, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, S. Abraham, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, G. Allen, A. Allocca, M. A. Aloy, P. A. Altin, A. Amato, S. Anand, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, S. V. Angelova, S. Antier, S. Appert, K. Arai, M. C. Araya, J. S. Areeda, Tiffany Summerscales

Faculty Publications

© 2020 IOP Publishing Ltd. GW170817 is the very first observation of gravitational waves originating from the coalescence of two compact objects in the mass range of neutron stars, accompanied by electromagnetic counterparts, and offers an opportunity to directly probe the internal structure of neutron stars. We perform Bayesian model selection on a wide range of theoretical predictions for the neutron star equation of state. For the binary neutron star hypothesis, we find that we cannot rule out the majority of theoretical models considered. In addition, the gravitational-wave data alone does not rule out the possibility that one or both …

A Robust Solver For A Second Order Mixed Finite Element Method For The Cahn–Hilliard Equation, Susanne C. Brenner, Amanda E. Diegel, Li Yeng Sung

Faculty Publications

We develop a robust solver for a second order mixed finite element splitting scheme for the Cahn–Hilliard equation. This work is an extension of our previous work in which we developed a robust solver for a first order mixed finite element splitting scheme for the Cahn–Hilliard equation. The key ingredient of the solver is a preconditioned minimal residual algorithm (with a multigrid preconditioner) whose performance is independent of the spatial mesh size and the time step size for a given interfacial width parameter. The dependence on the interfacial width parameter is also mild.

Using Simulation To Develop Clinical Teaching Competencies In Nurse Educators, Julie Fitzwater

Faculty Publications

This report describes a research study to measure the effect of simulation on clinical educators’ knowledge and skills about effective formative feedback for prelicensure nursing students.

Subject Population: Clinical nurse educators who teach prelicensure nursing students in clinical education were recruited.

Research Design: Pre-test and post-test design with a simulation workshop for educators as the intervention. This was a pilot study.

Theoretical Frameworks: The theoretical frameworks guiding the research study include Meleis’ Transitions theory and the NLN Jeffries Simulation theory. Transitions theory addresses the situational transition when a nurse clinician takes on the new role of nurse educator. Simulation theory …

Granulins Modulate Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation And Aggregation Of Prion-Like C-Terminal Domain Of The Neurodegeneration-Associated Protein Tdp-43, Anukool A. Bhopatkar, Vladimir N. Uversky, Vijay Rangachari

Faculty Publications

Tar DNA binding protein 43 (TDP-43) has emerged as a key player in many neurodegenerative pathologies including frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Hallmarks of both FTLD and ALS are the toxic cytoplasmic inclusions of the prion-like C-terminal fragments of TDP-43 (TDP-43 CTD), formed upon proteolytic cleavage of full-length TDP-43 in the nucleus and subsequent transport to the cytoplasm. Both full-length TDP-43 and its CTD are also known to form stress granules (SGs) by coacervating with RNA in the cytoplasm during stress and may be involved in these pathologies. Furthermore, mutations in PGRN gene, leading to haploinsufficiency …

Simulation Studies Of Combustion In Spark Ignition Engine Using Openfoam, Lucky Anetor, Edward E. Osakue, Kendall Harris

Faculty Publications

The open source Field Operation and Manipulation (OpenFOAM) software was used to investigate the performance of a fully premixed, modern high-performance 4-valve, iso-octane, dual overhead cam (DOHC) engine with quasi-symmetric pent roof combustion chamber running at 1500 revolutions per minute. The peak pressure occurred at the TDC and had a value of about 30 bar. The results from this study show that the maximum combustion temperature occurred at approximately 95 degrees crank angle ATDC and has a volume averaged value of about 2700° K, whereas the actual computed peak temperature was found to be about 3000° K and it occurred …

Simultaneity Of Synchronization And Antisynchronization In A Class Of Chaotic Systems, Zhi Liu, Rongwei Guo, Yi Qi, Cuimei Jiang

Faculty Publications

In this paper, a new synchronization phenomenon, that is, the simultaneity of synchronization and antisynchronization, is investigated for a class of chaotic systems. First, for a given chaotic system, necessary and sufficient conditions for the simultaneity of synchronization and antisynchronization are proved. Then, based on these conditions, all solutions of such synchronization phenomenon for a given chaotic system are derived. After that, physical controllers that are not only simple but also implementable are designed to realize the simultaneity of synchronization and antisynchronization in the above system. Finally, illustrative examples based on numerical simulations are used to verify the validity and …

Methods For Identifying Truck Crash Hotspots, Wenrui Qu, Shaojie Liu, Qun Zhao, Yi Qi

Faculty Publications

The goal of this study was to develop a new method for identifying the actual risky spots by using the geographic information system (GIS). For this purpose, in this study, three different methods for detecting hotspots are developed, i.e., (1) the annual average daily traffic (AADT) normalization method, (2) AK crashes (A is the incapacitating crash, and K is the fatal crash) percentage method, and (3) distribution difference method. To evaluate the performances of these three hotspot detection methods along with a baseline method that only considered the frequency of crashes, we applied these three methods to identify the top …

Pressure Control Of High-Pressure Oil Pipe, Wenrui Qu, Lei Liu, Qun Zhao

Faculty Publications

In this paper, to realize the pressure stability control of high-pressure oil pipe, the dynamic differential equation of fuel oil inlet and outlet is established based on the theory of mass conservation. According to the change of the pressure in the high-pressure tubing, an optimization model is established to achieve precise control of the working time of each part of the high-pressure oil pipe.