4,299 research outputs found
Transforming triangulations on non planar-surfaces
We consider whether any two triangulations of a polygon or a point set on a
non-planar surface with a given metric can be transformed into each other by a
sequence of edge flips. The answer is negative in general with some remarkable
exceptions, such as polygons on the cylinder, and on the flat torus, and
certain configurations of points on the cylinder.Comment: 19 pages, 17 figures. This version has been accepted in the SIAM
Journal on Discrete Mathematics. Keywords: Graph of triangulations,
triangulations on surfaces, triangulations of polygons, edge fli
Effects of sucrose ester on the kinetics of polymorphic transition in hydrogenated sunflower oil
The effect of a commercial emulsifier, sucrose ester, on the crystallization kinetics of hydrogenated sunflowerseed oil was studied by means of an optical method. Induction times were measured for hydrogenated oil with the addition of 0.01, 0.05, and 0.1 wt% sucrose ester. This emulsifier delayed nucleation, thus affecting the formation of critical nuclei and prolonging induction times. Kinetics of the β’→β polymorphic transition was followed by X-ray diffractometry. Addition of the emulsifier delayed the appearance of the signal at 4.6 A. Moreover, longer times were needed to complete the transition. The kinetic model chosen to describe the transition process was based on the theory of Avrami. Avrami’s exponentn was approximately 1 in all cases. Then value was in agreement with the fact that only one β’ pattern was found. The β form could not be obtained directly from the melt, and it is unlikely that the β’→β transition occurred through a melt-mediated mechanism. Transition was hindered by the rigidity of the sucrose ester structure.Centro de InvestigaciĂłn y Desarrollo en CriotecnologĂa de Alimento
Near-infrared photometry of isolated spirals with and without an AGN. I: The Data
We present infrared imaging data in the J and K' bands obtained for 18 active
spiral galaxies, together with 11 non active galaxies taken as a control
sample. All of them were chosen to satisfy well defined isolation criteria so
that the observed properties are not related to gravitational interaction. For
each object we give: the image in the K' band, the sharp-divided image
(obtained by dividing the observed image by a filtered one), the difference
image (obtained by subtracting a model to the observed one), the color J-K'
image, the ellipticity and position angle profiles, the surface brightness
profiles in J and K', their fits by bulge+disk models and the color gradient.
We have found that four (one) active (control) galaxies previously classified
as non-barred turn out to have bars when observed in the near-infrared. One of
these four galaxies (UGC 1395) also harbours a secondary bar. For 15 (9 active,
6 control) out of 24 (14 active, 10 control) of the optically classified barred
galaxies (SB or SX) we find that a secondary bar (or a disk, a lense or an
elongated ring) is present. The work presented here is part of a large program
(DEGAS) aimed at finding whether there are differences between active and non
active galaxies in the properties of their central regions that could be
connected with the onset of nuclear activity.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics Supplement
Serie
ALMA reveals the feeding of the Seyfert 1 nucleus in NGC 1566
We report ALMA observations of CO(3-2) emission in the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC
1566, at a spatial resolution of 25 pc. Our aim is to investigate the
morphology and dynamics of the gas inside the central kpc, and to probe nuclear
fueling and feedback phenomena. NGC 1566 has a nuclear bar of 1.7 kpc radius
and a conspicuous grand design spiral starting from this radius. The ALMA field
of view, of diameter 0.9 kpc, lies well inside the nuclear bar and reveals a
molecular trailing spiral structure from 50 to 300~pc in size, which is
contributing to fuel the nucleus, according to its negative gravity torques.
The spiral starts with a large pitch angle from the center and then winds up
in a pseudo-ring at the inner Lindblad resonance (ILR) of the nuclear bar.
This is the first time that a trailing spiral structure is clearly seen
driving the gas inwards inside the ILR ring of the nuclear bar. This phenomenon
shows that the massive central black hole has a significant dynamical influence
on the gas, triggering its fueling.
The gaseous spiral is well correlated with the dusty spiral seen through
extinction in HST images, and also with a spiral feature emitting 0.87mm
continuum. This continuum emission must come essentially from cold dust heated
by the interstellar radiation field. The HCN(4-3) and HCO+(4-3) lines were
simultaneously mapped and detected in the nuclear spiral. The HCO+(4-3) line is
3 times stronger than the HCN(4-3), as expected when star formation excitation
dominates over active galactic nucleus (AGN) heating. The CO(3-2)/HCO+(4-3)
integrated intensity ratio is \sim 100.
The molecular gas is in remarkably regular rotation, with only slight
non-circular motions at the periphery of the nuclear spiral arms. These
perturbations are quite small, and no outflow nor AGN feedback is detected.Comment: 11 pages, 16 figures, accepted in Astronomy and Astrophysic
ALMA observations of feeding and feedback in nearby Seyfert galaxies: an AGN-driven outflow in NGC 1433
We report ALMA observations of CO(3-2) emission in the Seyfert 2
double-barred galaxy NGC1433, at the unprecedented spatial resolution of
0.5"=24 pc. Our aim is to probe AGN feeding and feedback phenomena through the
morphology and dynamics of the gas inside the central kpc. The CO map, which
covers the whole nuclear region (nuclear bar and ring), reveals a nuclear
gaseous spiral structure, inside the nuclear ring encircling the nuclear
stellar bar.
This gaseous spiral is well correlated with the dusty spiral seen in Hubble
Space Telescope images. The nuclear spiral winds up in a pseudo-ring at 200 pc
radius, which might correspond to the inner ILR. Continuum emission is detected
at 0.87 mm only at the very centre, and its origin is more likely thermal dust
emission than non-thermal emission from the AGN. It might correspond to the
molecular torus expected to exist in this Seyfert 2 galaxy. The HCN(4-3) and
HCO+(4-3) lines were observed simultaneously, but only upper limits are
derived, with a ratio to the CO(3-2) line lower than 1/60 at 3sigma, indicating
a relatively low abundance of very dense gas. The kinematics of the gas over
the nuclear disk reveal rather regular rotation only slightly perturbed by
streaming motions due to the spiral; the primary and secondary bars are too
closely aligned with the galaxy major or minor axis to leave a signature in the
projected velocities. Near the nucleus, there is an intense high-velocity CO
emission feature redshifted to 200 km/s (if located in the plane), with a
blue-shifted counterpart, at 2" (100 pc) from the centre. While the CO spectra
are quite narrow in the centre, this wide component is interpreted as an
outflow involving a molecular mass of 3.6 10^6 Mo and a flow rate 7 Mo/yr. The
flow could be in part driven by the central star formation, but is mainly
boosted by the AGN through its wind or radio jets.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, Accepted in Astronomy and Astrophysic
Design and validation of a three-instrument toolkit for the assessment of competence in electrocardiogram rhythm recognition
Background: Rapid and accurate interpretation of cardiac arrhythmias by nurses has been linked with safe practice and positive patient outcomes. Although training in electrocardiogram (ECG) rhythm recognition is part of most undergraduate nursing programmes, research continues to suggest that nurses and nursing students lack competence in recognising cardiac rhythms. In order to promote patient safety, nursing educators must develop valid and reliable assessment tools that allow the rigorous assessment of this competence before nursing students are allowed to practise without supervision.
Aim: To develop and psychometrically evaluate a toolkit to holistically assess competence in ECG rhythm recognition.
Methods: Following a convenience sampling technique, 293 nursing students from a nursing faculty in a Spanish university were recruited for the study. The following three instruments were developed and psychometrically tested: a knowledge assessment tool (ECG-KAT), a skills assessment tool (ECG-SAT) and a self-efficacy assessment tool (ECG-SES). Reliability and validity (content, criterion and construct) of these tools were meticulously examined.
Results: A high Cronbach’s alpha coefficient demonstrated the excellent reliability of the instruments (ECG-KAT=0.89; ECG-SAT=0.93; ECG-SES=0.98). An excellent context validity index (S-CVI/Ave>0.94) and very good criterion validity were evidenced for all the tools. Regarding construct validity, principal component analysis revealed that all items comprising the instruments contributed to measure knowledge, skills or self-efficacy in ECG rhythm recognition. Moreover, known-groups analysis showed the tools’ ability to detect expected differences in competence between groups with different training experiences.
Conclusion: The three-instrument toolkit developed showed excellent psychometric properties for measuring competence in ECG rhythm recognition
Artificial intelligence convolutional neural networks map giant kelp forests from satellite imagery
Climate change is producing shifts in the distribution and abundance of marine species. Such is the case of kelp forests, important marine ecosystem-structuring species whose distributional range limits have been shifting worldwide. Synthesizing long-term time series of kelp forest observations is therefore vital for understanding the drivers shaping ecosystem dynamics and for predicting responses to ongoing and future climate changes. Traditional methods of mapping kelp from satellite imagery are time-consuming and expensive, as they require high amount of human effort for image processing and algorithm optimization. Here we propose the use of mask region-based convolutional neural networks (Mask R-CNN) to automatically assimilate data from open-source satellite imagery (Landsat Thematic Mapper) and detect kelp forest canopy cover. The analyses focused on the giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera along the shorelines of southern California and Baja California in the northeastern Pacific. Model hyper-parameterization was tuned through cross-validation procedures testing the effect of data augmentation, and different learning rates and anchor sizes. The optimal model detected kelp forests with high performance and low levels of overprediction (Jaccard's index: 0.87 +/- 0.07; Dice index: 0.93 +/- 0.04; over prediction: 0.06) and allowed reconstructing a time series of 32 years in Baja California (Mexico), a region known for its high variability in kelp owing to El Nino events. The proposed framework based on Mask R-CNN now joins the list of cost-efficient tools for long-term marine ecological monitoring, facilitating well-informed biodiversity conservation, management and decision making.LA/P/0101/2020info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
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