nPI Resummation in 3D SU(N) Higgs Theory

We test the utility of the nPI formalism for solving nonperturbative dynamics of gauge theories by applying it to study the phase diagram of SU(N) Higgs theory in 3 Euclidean spacetime dimensions. Solutions reveal standard signatures of a first order phase transition with a critical endpoint leading to a crossover regime, in qualitative agreement with lattice studies. The location of the critical endpoint, x sim 0.14 for SU(2) with a fundamental Higgs, is in rough but not tight quantitative agreement with the lattice. We end by commenting on the overall effectiveness and limitations of an nPI effective action based study. In particular, we have been unable to find an nPI gauge-fixing procedure which can simultaneously display the right phase structure and correctly handle the large-VEV Higgs region. We explain why doing so appears to be a serious challenge.Comment: 24 pages plus appendices, 8 figure

3-loop 3PI effective action for 3D SU(3) QCD

The 3PI method is a technique to resum an infinite class of diagrams, which may be useful in studying nonperturbative thermodynamics and dynamics in quantum field theory. But it has never been successfully applied to gauge theories, where there are serious questions about gauge invariance breaking. We show how to perform the 3PI resummation of QCD in 3 Euclidean spacetime dimensions, a warmup problem to the 4 or 3+1 dimensional case. We present the complete details of the technical problems and how they are overcome. We postpone a comparison of gauge invariant correlation functions with their lattice-determined counterparts to a future publication.Comment: 44 pages, 13 figures. Version as it appears in JHEP, including the corrected Figure 1

UV Cascade in Classical Yang-Mills via Kinetic Theory

We show that classical Yang-Mills theory with statistically homogeneous and isotropic initial conditions has a kinetic description and approaches a scaling solution at late times. We find the scaling solution by explicitly solving the Boltzmann equations, including all dominant processes (elastic and number-changing). Above a scale $p_{max} \propto t^{1/7}$ the occupancy falls exponentially in $p$. For asymptotically late times and sufficiently small momenta the occupancy scales as $f(p)\propto 1/p$, but this behavior sets in only at very late time scales. We find quantitative agreement of our results with lattice simulations, for times and momenta within the range of validity of kinetic theory.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figure

Study of multiband disordered systems using the typical medium dynamical cluster approximation

We generalize the typical medium dynamical cluster approximation to multiband disordered systems. Using our extended formalism, we perform a systematic study of the non-local correlation effects induced by disorder on the density of states and the mobility edge of the three-dimensional two-band Anderson model. We include inter-band and intra-band hopping and an intra-band disorder potential. Our results are consistent with the ones obtained by the transfer matrix and the kernel polynomial methods. We apply the method to K$_x$Fe$_{2-y}$Se$_2$ with Fe vacancies. Despite the strong vacancy disorder and anisotropy, we find the material is not an Anderson insulator. Our results demonstrate the application of the typical medium dynamical cluster approximation method to study Anderson localization in real materials.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figure

Adversarial Deformation Regularization for Training Image Registration Neural Networks

We describe an adversarial learning approach to constrain convolutional neural network training for image registration, replacing heuristic smoothness measures of displacement fields often used in these tasks. Using minimally-invasive prostate cancer intervention as an example application, we demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing biomechanical simulations to regularize a weakly-supervised anatomical-label-driven registration network for aligning pre-procedural magnetic resonance (MR) and 3D intra-procedural transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) images. A discriminator network is optimized to distinguish the registration-predicted displacement fields from the motion data simulated by finite element analysis. During training, the registration network simultaneously aims to maximize similarity between anatomical labels that drives image alignment and to minimize an adversarial generator loss that measures divergence between the predicted- and simulated deformation. The end-to-end trained network enables efficient and fully-automated registration that only requires an MR and TRUS image pair as input, without anatomical labels or simulated data during inference. 108 pairs of labelled MR and TRUS images from 76 prostate cancer patients and 71,500 nonlinear finite-element simulations from 143 different patients were used for this study. We show that, with only gland segmentation as training labels, the proposed method can help predict physically plausible deformation without any other smoothness penalty. Based on cross-validation experiments using 834 pairs of independent validation landmarks, the proposed adversarial-regularized registration achieved a target registration error of 6.3 mm that is significantly lower than those from several other regularization methods.Comment: Accepted to MICCAI 201

Benefits of Hybrid-Electric Propulsion to Achieve 4x Increase in Cruise Efficiency for a VTOL Aircraft

Electric propulsion enables radical new vehicle concepts, particularly for Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft because of their significant mismatch between takeoff and cruise power conditions. However, electric propulsion does not merely provide the ability to normalize the power required across the phases of flight, in the way that automobiles also use hybrid electric technologies. The ability to distribute the thrust across the airframe, without mechanical complexity and with a scale-free propulsion system, is a new degree of freedom for aircraft designers. Electric propulsion is scale-free in terms of being able to achieve highly similar levels of motor power to weight and efficiency across a dramatic scaling range. Applying these combined principles of electric propulsion across a VTOL aircraft permits an improvement in aerodynamic efficiency that is approximately four times the state of the art of conventional helicopter configurations. Helicopters typically achieve a lift to drag ratio (L/D) of between 4 and 5, while the VTOL aircraft designed and developed in this research were designed to achieve an L/D of approximately 20. Fundamentally, the ability to eliminate the problem of advancing and retreating rotor blades is shown, without resorting to unacceptable prior solutions such as tail-sitters. This combination of concept and technology also enables a four times increase in range and endurance while maintaining the full VTOL and hover capability provided by a helicopter. Also important is the ability to achieve low disc-loading for low ground impingement velocities, low noise and hover power minimization (thus reducing energy consumption in VTOL phases). This combination of low noise and electric propulsion (i.e. zero emissions) will produce a much more community-friendly class of vehicles. This research provides a review of the concept brainstorming, configuration aerodynamic and mission analysis, as well as subscale prototype construction and flight testing that verifies transition flight control. A final down-selected vehicle is also presented

The use of a prefabricated radial forearm free flap for closure of a large tracheocutaneous fistula: a case report and review of the literature

The closure of complex tracheocutaneous fistulae is a surgical challenge. We describe a staged approach for management of a patient with a large tracheocutaneous fistula in the setting of prior surgery and local radiation therapy

Fiber Optic Rosette Strain Gauge Development and Application on a Large-Scale Composite Structure

A detailed description of the construction, application, and measurement of 196 FO rosette strain gauges that measured multi-axis strain across the outside upper surface of the forward bulkhead component of a multibay composite fuselage test article is presented. A background of the FO strain gauge and the FO measurement system as utilized in this application is given and results for the higher load cases of the testing sequence are shown

Day length as a key factor moderating the response of coccolithophore growth to elevated pCO2

The fate of coccolithophores in the future oceans remains uncertain, in part due to key factors having not been standardized across experiments. A potentially moderating role for differences in day length (photoperiod) remains largely unexplored. We therefore cultured four different geographical isolates of the species Emiliania huxleyi, as well as two additional species, Gephyrocapsa oceanica (tropical) and Coccolithus braarudii (temperate), to test for interactive effects of pCO2 with the light : dark (L : D) cycle. We confirmed a general regulatory effect of photoperiod on the pCO2 response, whereby growth and particulate inorganic carbon and particulate organic carbon (PIC : POC) ratios were reduced with elevated pCO2 under 14 : 10 h L : D, but these reductions were dampened under continuous (24 h) light. The dynamics underpinning this pattern generally differed for the temperate vs. tropical isolates. Reductions in PIC : POC with elevated pCO2 for tropical taxa were largely through reduced calcification and enhanced photosynthesis under 14 : 10 h L : D, with differences dampened under continuous light. In contrast, reduced PIC : POC for temperate strains reflected increases of photosynthesis that outpaced increases in calcification rates under 14 : 10 h L : D, with both responses again dampened under continuous light. A multivariate analysis of 35 past studies of E. huxleyi further demonstrated that differences in photoperiod account for as much as 40% (strain B11/92) to 55% (strain NZEH) of the variance in reported pCO2-induced reductions to growth but not PIC : POC. Our study thus highlights a critical role for day length in moderating the effect of ocean acidification on coccolithophore growth and consequently how this response may play out across latitudes and seasons in future oceans