Linear Extensions and Comparable Pairs in Partial Orders

We study the number of linear extensions of a partial order with a given proportion of comparable pairs of elements, and estimate the maximum and minimum possible numbers. We also consider a random interval partial order on n elements, which has close to a third of the pairs comparable with high probability: we show that the number of linear extensions is n! 2^?Θ(n) with high probability.     

Signal classification with a point process distance on the space of persistence diagrams

In this paper, we consider the problem of signal classification. First, the signal is translated into a persistence diagram through the use of delay-embedding and persistent homology. Endowing the data space of persistence diagrams with a metric from point processes, we show that it admits statistical structure in the form of Fréchet means and variances and a classification scheme is established. In contrast with the Wasserstein distance, this metric accounts for changes in small persistence and changes in cardinality. The classification results using this distance are benchmarked on both synthetic data and real acoustic signals and it is demonstrated that this classifier outperforms current signal classification techniques.     

Strong perturbations in nonlinear systems

A novel case of probabilistic coupling for hybrid stochastic systems with chaotic components via Markovian switching is presented. We study its stability in the norm, in the sense of Lyapunov and present a quantitative scheme for detection of stochastic stability in the mean. In particular we examine the stability of chaotic dynamical systems in which a representative parameter undergoes a Markovian switching between two values corresponding to two qualitatively different attractors. To this end we employ, as case studies, the behaviour of two representative chaotic systems (the classic Rössler and the Thomas-Rössler models) under the influence of a probabilistic switch which modifies stochastically their parameters. A quantitative measure, based on a Lyapunov function, is proposed which detects regular or irregular motion and regimes of stability. In connection to biologically inspired models (Thomas-Rössler models), where strong fluctuations represent qualitative structural changes, we observe the appearance of stochastic resonance-like phenomena i.e. transitions that lead to orderly behavior when the noise increases. These are attributed to the nonlinear response of the system.     

Speech task effects on acoustic and aerodynamic measures of women with vocal nodules

Vowel prolongation is often used to evaluate disordered voice production. In light of previous findings showing that co-articulation has significant influence on laryngeal function measures, the practice of using prolonged vowels to represent a speech sample is questioned. To test whether disordered and normal voice during vowel production is generalizable to connected speech, three speaking tasks were investigated: sustained vowel prolongation, syllable repetition and reading. Statistical differences were found between these tasks for certain amplitude and time based laryngeal function measures for adult women with disordered and normal voice. However, for the specific measures which were statistically different, the actual numerical and perceptual differences may be quite small. From a clinical assessment standpoint, the choice of the speech task may not make an apparent difference in the objective evaluation of disordered voice.     

A time-dependent numerical analysis of flow in a mechanical heart valve: Comparison with experimental results

There is a great need to fabricate heart valves that have similar haemodynamic properties with the natural ones. Towards this goal, we examine the dynamics of fluid flow in a mechanical heart valve with one leaflet. The fluid is incompressible and Newtonian and the leaflet is a neo-Hookean material. The Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian method is used to model the fluid-leaflet interaction, and the system of equations is solved using the Finite Element method. The pseudo solid approach along with a set of algebraic equations are used to deform the mesh, while care is taken to avoid remeshing of the domain, at the moment of valve closure. The computational results are compared against the experimental results, and we find an excellent agreement for the time period of valve closure, the time the valve is fully opened, and the value of the maximum valve opening angle. This study indicates that the present model is capable of describing the valve dynamics in physiological geometries.     

A Family of Induced Distributions

Methodology and Computing in Applied Probability - In the present paper a family of discrete distributions is introduced through the probability generating function of any discrete distribution...     

Extending the eigCG algorithm to nonsymmetric Lanczos for linear systems with multiple right‐hand sides

The technique that was used to build the eigCG algorithm for sparse symmetric linear systems is extended to the nonsymmetric case using the BiCG algorithm. We show that, similar to the symmetric case, we can build an algorithm that is capable of computing a few smallest magnitude eigenvalues and their corresponding left and right eigenvectors of a nonsymmetric matrix using only a small window of the BiCG residuals while simultaneously solving a linear system with that matrix. For a system with multiple right‐hand sides, we give an algorithm that computes incrementally more eigenvalues while solving the first few systems and then uses the computed eigenvectors to deflate BiCGStab for the remaining systems. Our experiments on various test problems, including Lattice QCD, show the remarkable ability of eigBiCG to compute spectral approximations with accuracy comparable with that of the unrestarted, nonsymmetric Lanczos. Furthermore, our incremental eigBiCG followed by appropriately restarted and deflated BiCGStab provides a competitive method for systems with multiple right‐hand sides. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hyperchaos of arbitrary order generated by a single feedback circuit, and the emergence of chaotic walks

It is shown that hyperchaos of order m (i.e., with m positive Lyapunov exponents) can be generated by a single feedback circuit in n = 2m + 1 variables. This feedback circuit is constructed such that, dividing phase space into hypercubes, it changes sign wherever the trajectory passes from one hypercube into an adjacent one. Letting the negative diagonal elements in the Jacobian tend to zero, the dynamics becomes conservative. Instead of chaotic attractors, unbounded chaotic walks are then generated. Here we report chaotic walks emerging from a continuous system rather than the well known chaotic walks present in "Lorentz gas" and "couple map lattices."     

Self-affine surface morphology of plastically deformed metals

We analyze the surface morphology of metals after plastic deformation over a range of scales from 10 nm to 2 mm using atomic force microscopy and scanning white-light interferometry. We demonstrate that an initially smooth surface during deformation develops self-affine roughness over almost 4 orders of magnitude in scale. The Hurst exponent H of one-dimensional surface profiles initially decreases with increasing strain and then stabilizes at H approximately 0.75. We show that the profiles can be mathematically modeled as graphs of a fractional Brownian motion. Our findings can be understood in terms of a fractal distribution of plastic strain within the deformed samples.     

Usefulness of event-related potentials in the assessment of mild cognitive impairment

Background  

The aim of this study was to determine if changes in latencies and amplitudes of the major waves of Auditory Event-Related Potentials (AERP), correlate with memory status of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and conversion to Alzheimer's disease (AD).