The effect of signal acquisition and processing choices on ApEn values: Towards a “gold standard” for distinguishing effort levels from isometric force records

Approximate Entropy (ApEn) is frequently used to identify changes in the complexity of isometric force records with ageing and disease. Different signal acquisition and processing parameters have been used, making comparison or confirmation of results difficult. This study determined the effect of sampling and parameter choices by examining changes in ApEn values across a range of submaximal isometric contractions of the First Dorsal Interosseus. Reducing the sample rate by decimation changed both the value and pattern of ApEn values dramatically. The pattern of ApEn values across the range of effort levels was not sensitive to the filter cut-off frequency, or the criterion used to extract the section of data for analysis. The complexity increased with increasing effort levels using a fixed ‘r’ value (which accounts for measurement noise) but decreased with increasing effort level when ‘r’ was set to 0.1 of the standard deviation of force. It is recommended isometric force records are sampled at frequencies >200 Hz, template length (‘m’) is set to 2, and 'r' set to measurement system noise or 0.1 SD depending on physiological process to be distinguished. It is demonstrated that changes in ApEn across effort levels are related to changes in force gradation strategy

Placing Confidence Limits on Polarization Measurements

The determination of the true source polarization given a set of measurements is complicated by the requirement that the polarization always be positive. This positive bias also hinders construction of upper limits, uncertainties, and confidence regions, especially at low signal-to-noise levels. We generate the likelihood function for linear polarization measurements and use it to create confidence regions and upper limits. This is accomplished by integrating the likelihood function over the true polarization (parameter space), rather than the measured polarization (data space). These regions are valid for both low and high signal-to-noise measurements.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, submitted to PAS

Far-infrared polarimetry from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy

Multi-wavelength imaging polarimetry at far-infrared wavelengths has proven to be an excellent tool for studying the physical properties of dust, molecular clouds, and magnetic fields in the interstellar medium. Although these wavelengths are only observable from airborne or space-based platforms, no first-generation instrument for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is presently designed with polarimetric capabilities. We study several options for upgrading the High-resolution Airborne Wideband Camera (HAWC) to a sensitive FIR polarimeter. HAWC is a 12 x 32 pixel bolometer camera designed to cover the 53 - 215 micron spectral range in 4 colors, all at diffraction-limited resolution (5 - 21 arcsec). Upgrade options include: (1) an external set of optics which modulates the polarization state of the incoming radiation before entering the cryostat window; (2) internal polarizing optics; and (3) a replacement of the current detector array with two state-of-the-art superconducting bolometer arrays, an upgrade of the HAWC camera as well as polarimeter. We discuss a range of science studies which will be possible with these upgrades including magnetic fields in star-forming regions and galaxies and the wavelength-dependence of polarization.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure

Convolution Theorems for Clifford Fourier Transform and Properties

The non-commutativity of the Clifford multiplication gives different aspects from the classical Fourier analysis.We establish main properties of convolution theorems for the Clifford Fourier transform. Some properties of these generalized convolutionsare extensions of the corresponding convolution theorems of the classical Fourier transform.DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.22342/jims.20.2.143.125-14

Magnetic Field Structure around Low-Mass Class 0 Protostars: B335, L1527 and IC348-SMM2

We report new 350 micron polarization observations of the thermal dust emission from the cores surrounding the low-mass, Class 0 YSOs L1527, IC348-SMM2 and B335. We have inferred magnetic field directions from these observations, and have used them together with results in the literature to determine whether magnetically regulated core-collapse and star-formation models are consistent with the observations. These models predict a pseudo-disk with its symmetry axis aligned with the core magnetic field. The models also predict a magnetic field pinch structure on a scale less than or comparable to the infall radii for these sources. In addition, if the core magnetic field aligns (or nearly aligns) the core rotation axis with the magnetic field before core collapse, then the models predict the alignment (or near alignment) of the overall pinch field structure with the bipolar outflows in these sources. We show that if one includes the distorting effects of bipolar outflows on magnetic fields, then in general the observational results for L1527 and IC348-SMM2 are consistent with these magnetically regulated models. We can say the same for B335 only if we assume the distorting effects of the bipolar outflow on the magnetic fields within the B335 core are much greater than for L1527 and IC348-SMM2. We show that the energy densities of the outflows in all three sources are large enough to distort the magnetic fields predicted by magnetically regulated models.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

Characterizing web pornography consumption from passive measurements

Web pornography represents a large fraction of the Internet traffic, with thousands of websites and millions of users. Studying web pornography consumption allows understanding human behaviors and it is crucial for medical and psychological research. However, given the lack of public data, these works typically build on surveys, limited by different factors, e.g. unreliable answers that volunteers may (involuntarily) provide. In this work, we collect anonymized accesses to pornography websites using HTTP-level passive traces. Our dataset includes about $15\,000$ broadband subscribers over a period of 3 years. We use it to provide quantitative information about the interactions of users with pornographic websites, focusing on time and frequency of use, habits, and trends. We distribute our anonymized dataset to the community to ease reproducibility and allow further studies.Comment: Passive and Active Measurements Conference 2019 (PAM 2019). 14 pages, 7 figure

Weather effects on autumn nocturnal migration of passerines on opposite shores of the St. Lawrence estuary

We modeled migration intensity as a function of weather, using nightly migration measurements from Doppler surveillance weather radar during autumn migration on the north (Côte-Nord) and south (Gaspésie) shores of the St. Lawrence estuary, Québec, Canada. The radar had negative elevation angles, an uncommon characteristic among weather radars, which allowed simultaneous low-altitude monitoring of bird migration on each side of the estuary. Precipitation and wind both had strong effects on the intensity of migration. Very few birds migrated when >40% of the area had precipitation, especially when winds were strong. Light winds were associated with the strongest migration intensity, regardless of wind direction; in stronger winds, migration was likely only when winds were predominantly from the north. Days immediately after adverse weather events, which are assumed to lead to an accumulation of migrants, were associated with an increase in the intensity of migration in Côte-Nord, but not in Gaspésie. Time since the passage of a cold front had no effect in either region. Bird flight direction and behavior in relation to wind differed on each side of the estuary. On Côte-Nord, birds tended to migrate in a southwesterly direction along the St. Lawrence north coast, in a direction relatively unaffected by wind direction; they compensated or overcompensated for wind drift by following the coast. By contrast, birds in Gaspésie tended to fly in a more southerly direction. They migrated partially or almost fully downwind with only limited compensation, their flight direction often changing with wind direction. Nous avons modélisé l'intensité migratoire automnale en fonction de la météo, en utilisant des mesures de la migration nocturne prises à la fois sur la rive nord (Côte-Nord) et la rive sud (Gaspésie) de l'estuaire du Saint-Laurent, Québec, Canada, à l'aide d'un radar Doppler de surveillance météorologique. Ce radar effectue des balayages à des angles négatifs, une caractéristique rare chez les radars météo qui permet entre autres, de relever des données de migration d'oiseaux à basse altitude et simultanément de chaque côté de l'estuaire. Nos résultats montrent que les précipitations et le vent avaient de forts effets sur l'intensité migratoire. Peu d'oiseaux migraient quand 40% ou plus du territoire était affecté par des précipitations, particulièrement en combinaison avec des vents forts. Les plus fortes intensités migratoires étaient associés avec des vents légers, peu importe la direction du vent; par vents forts, la migration était plus probable quand les vents avaient une composante nord. Un événement de conditions météo adverses à la migration s'ensuivait d'une augmentation de l'intensité migratoire sur la Côte-Nord, mais pas en Gaspésie. Le passage d'un front froid n'avait aucun effet sur la migration dans l'une ou l'autre des deux régions. La direction de vol des oiseaux et leur comportement relativement au vent différaient de chaque côté de l'estuaire. Sur la Côte-Nord, les oiseaux avaient tendance à migrer vers Ie sud-ouest, Ie long de la rive nord du Saint-Laurent; cette direction de vol était peu affectée par la direction du vent et les oiseaux suivaient la côte en compensant ou surcompensant pour la dérive par les vents. En opposition, les oiseaux en Gaspésie avaient tendance à voler vers Ie sud; leur migration se faisait en suivant partiellement ou pleinement le vent avec peu de compensation et avec une direction de vol qui changeait souvent avec la direction du vent

High-Angular Resolution Dust Polarization Measurements: Shaped B-field Lines in the Massive Star Forming Region Orion BN/KL

We present observational results of the thermal dust continuum emission and its linear polarization in one of the nearest massive star-forming sites Orion BN/KL in Orion Molecular Cloud-1. The observations were carried out with the Submillimeter Array. With an angular resolution of 1" (~2 mpc; 480 AU), we have detected and resolved the densest cores near the BN/KL region. At a wavelength of ~870 micron, the polarized dust emission can be used to trace the structure of the magnetic field in this star-forming core. The dust continuum appears to arise from a V-shaped region, with a cavity nearly coincident with the center of the explosive outflows observed on larger scales. The position angles (P.A.s) of the observed polarization vary significantly by a total of about 90 degree but smoothly, i.e., curl-like, across the dust ridges. Such a polarization pattern can be explained with dust grains being magnetically aligned instead of mechanically with outflows, since the latter mechanism would cause the P.A.s to be parallel to the direction of the outflow, i.e., radial-like. The magnetic field projected in the plane of sky is therefore derived by rotating the P.A.s of the polarization by 90 degree. We find an azimuthally symmetric structure in the overall magnetic field morphology, with the field directions pointing toward 2.5" west to the center of the explosive outflows. We also find a preferred symmetry plane at a P.A. of 36 degree, which is perpendicular to the mean magnetic field direction (120 degree) of the 0.5 pc dust ridge. Two possible interpretations of the origin of the observed magnetic field structure are discussed.Comment: 27 pages, 7 figures; ApJ in pres