Periodic elements of the free idempotent generated semigroup on a biordered set

We show that every periodic element of the free idempotent generated semigroup on an arbitrary biordered set belongs to a subgroup of the semigroup

New energy-transfer upconversion process in Er(3+):ZBLAN mid-infrared fiber lasers

Abstract not availableOri Henderson-Sapir, Jesper Munch, and David J. Ottawa

Retaining Expression on De-identified Faces

© Springer International Publishing AG 2017The extensive use of video surveillance along with advances in face recognition has ignited concerns about the privacy of the people identifiable in the recorded documents. A face de-identification algorithm, named k-Same, has been proposed by prior research and guarantees to thwart face recognition software. However, like many previous attempts in face de-identification, kSame fails to preserve the utility such as gender and expression of the original data. To overcome this, a new algorithm is proposed here to preserve data utility as well as protect privacy. In terms of utility preservation, this new algorithm is capable of preserving not only the category of the facial expression (e.g., happy or sad) but also the intensity of the expression. This new algorithm for face de-identification possesses a great potential especially with real-world images and videos as each facial expression in real life is a continuous motion consisting of images of the same expression with various degrees of intensity.Peer reviewe

Analysis of airplane boarding via space-time geometry and random matrix theory

We show that airplane boarding can be asymptotically modeled by 2-dimensional Lorentzian geometry. Boarding time is given by the maximal proper time among curves in the model. Discrepancies between the model and simulation results are closely related to random matrix theory. We then show how such models can be used to explain why some commonly practiced airline boarding policies are ineffective and even detrimental.Comment: 4 page

Casting Light Upon The Great Endarkenment

While the Enlightenment promoted thinking for oneself independent of religious authority, the ‘Endarkenment’ (Millgram 2015) concerns deference to a new authority: the specialist, a hyperspecializer. Non-specialists need to defer to such authorities as they are unable to understand their reasoning. Millgram describes how humans are capable of being serial hyperspecializers, able to move from one specialism to another. We support the basic thrust of Millgram’s position, and seek to articulate how the core idea is deployed in very different ways in relation to extremely different philosophical areas. We attend to the issue of the degree of isolation of different specialists and we urge greater emphasis on parallel hyperspecialization, which describes how different specialisms can be embodied in one person at one time

Covariation Among Vowel Height Effects on Acoustic Measures

Covariation among vowel height effects on vowel intrinsic fundamental frequency (IF0), voice onset time (VOT), and voiceless interval duration (VID) is analyzed to assess the plausibility of a common physiological mechanism underlying variation in these measures. Phrases spoken by 20 young adults, containing words composed of initial voiceless stops or /s/ and high or low vowels, were produced in habitual and voluntarily increased F0 conditions. High vowels were associated with increased IF0 and longer VIDs. VOT and VID exhibited significant covariation with IF0 only for males at habitua

1H NMR of Deep Eutectic Solvents

Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) form between a variety of quaternary ammonium or phosphonium salts and hydrogen-bond donors. Over the past decade, DESs have been studied as green solvents with potential applications in industrial processes, chemical extractions, and pharmaceuticals. The recent suggestion that many plants produce natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) from primary metabolites led to investigation of the potential uses of DESs in biophysics research. This study examined the 1H NMR spectra of the choline chloride:urea 1:2, and choline chloride:ethylene glycol 1:3 molar ratio DES. Spectra of the choline chloride:urea 1:2 with various solutes were acquired to see what effect these solutes had on the DESs NMR spectrum. For both DESs tested, the NMR spectra were a superposition of the spectra of the components. DES-solute spectra showed that interaction between components persisted, indicating the solvent properties of the DESs were not lost upon addition of solutes

Transition phenomena in unstably stratified turbulent flows

We study experimentally and theoretically transition phenomena caused by the external forcing from Rayleigh-Benard convection with the large-scale circulation (LSC) to the limiting regime of unstably stratified turbulent flow without LSC whereby the temperature field behaves like a passive scalar. In the experiments we use the Rayleigh-B\'enard apparatus with an additional source of turbulence produced by two oscillating grids located nearby the side walls of the chamber. When the frequency of the grid oscillations is larger than 2 Hz, the large-scale circulation (LSC) in turbulent convection is destroyed, and the destruction of the LSC is accompanied by a strong change of the mean temperature distribution. However, in all regimes of the unstably stratified turbulent flow the ratio $\big[(\ell_x \nabla_x T)^2 + (\ell_y \nabla_y T)^2 + (\ell_z \nabla_z T)^2\big] /$ varies slightly (even in the range of parameters whereby the behaviour of the temperature field is different from that of the passive scalar). Here $\ell_i$ are the integral scales of turbulence along x, y, z directions, T and \theta are the mean and fluctuating parts of the fluid temperature. At all frequencies of the grid oscillations we have detected the long-term nonlinear oscillations of the mean temperature. The theoretical predictions based on the budget equations for turbulent kinetic energy, turbulent temperature fluctuations and turbulent heat flux, are in agreement with the experimental results.Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures, REVTEX4-1, revised versio

Black Stork Down: Military Discourses in Bird Conservation in Malta

Tensions between Maltese hunters and bird conservation NGOs have intensified over the past decade. Conservation NGOs have become frustrated with the Maltese State for conceding to the hunter lobby and negotiating derogations from the European Union’s Bird Directive. Some NGOs have recently started to organize complex field-operations where volunteers are trained to patrol the landscape, operate drones and other surveillance technologies, detect illegalities, and lead police teams to arrest poachers. We describe the sophisticated military metaphors which conservation NGOs have developed to describe, guide and legitimize their efforts to the Maltese public and their fee-paying members. We also discuss why such groups might be inclined to adopt these metaphors. Finally, we suggest that anthropological studies of discourse could help understand delicate contexts such as this where conservation NGOs, hunting associations and the State have ended in political deadlock