A search for water maser emission toward obscured post-AGB star and planetary nebula candidates

Water maser emission at 22 GHz is a useful probe to study the transition between the nearly spherical mass-loss in the AGB to a collimated one in the post-AGB phase. In their turn, collimated jets in the post-AGB phase could determine the shape of planetary nebulae (PNe) once photoionization starts. We intend to find new cases of post-AGB stars and PNe with water maser emission, including water fountains or water-maser-emitting PNe. We observed water maser emission in a sample of 133 objects, with a significant fraction being post-AGB and young PN candidate sources with strong obscuration. We detected this emission in 15 of them, of which seven are reported here for the first time. We identified three water fountain candidates: IRAS 17291-2147, with a total velocity spread of ~96 km/s in its water maser components and two sources (IRAS 17021-3109 and IRAS 17348-2906) that show water maser emission outside the velocity range covered by OH masers. We have also identified IRAS 17393-2727 as a possible new water-maser-emitting PN. The detection rate is higher in obscured objects (14%) than in those with optical counterparts (7%), consistent with previous results. Water maser emission seems to be common in objects that are bipolar in the near-IR (43% detection rate). The water maser spectra of water fountain candidates like IRAS 17291-2147 show significantly less maser components than others (e.g., IRAS 18113-2503). We speculate that most post-AGBs may show water maser emission with wide enough velocity spread (> 100 km/s) when observed with enough sensitivity and/or for long enough periods of time. Therefore, it may be necessary to single out a special group of "water fountains", probably defined by their high maser luminosities. We also suggest that the presence of both water and OH masers in a PN is a better tracer of its youth, rather than the presence of just one of these species.Comment: To be published in Astronomy & Astrophysics. 16 pages, 1 figure (spanning 5 pages). This version includes some minor language corrections and fixes some errors in Table

Asignación de horarios de clase basado en los ritmos de aprendizaje de los estudiantes usando un algoritmo genético

The objective of this proposal is to implement a school day agenda focused on the learning rhythms of students of elementary and secondary schools using a genetic algorithm. The methodology of this proposal takes into account legal requirements and constraints on the assignment of teachers and classrooms in public educational institutions in Colombia. In addition, this proposal provides a set of constraints focused on cognitive rhythms and subjects are scheduled at the most convenient times according to the area of knowledge. The genetic algorithm evolves through a process of mutation and selection and builds a total solution based on the best solutions for each group. Sixteen groups in a school are tested and the results of class schedule assignments are presented. The quality of the solution obtained through the established approach is validated by comparing the results to the solutions obtained using another algorithm.El objetivo de esta propuesta es implementar una agenda de día escolar enfocada en los ritmos de aprendizaje de los estudiantes de escuelas primarias y secundarias utilizando un algoritmo genético. La metodología de esta propuesta tiene en cuenta los requisitos legales y las limitaciones en la asignación de maestros y aulas en instituciones educativas públicas en Colombia. Además, esta propuesta proporciona un conjunto de restricciones centradas en los ritmos cognitivos y los temas se programan en los momentos más convenientes según el área de conocimiento. El algoritmo genético evoluciona a través de un proceso de mutación y selección y construye una solución total basada en las mejores soluciones para cada grupo. Dieciséis grupos en una escuela se evalúan y se presentan los resultados de las tareas del horario de clases. La calidad de la solución obtenida a través del enfoque establecido se valida comparando los resultados con las soluciones obtenidas utilizando otro algoritmo

Paper-based chromatic toxicity bioassay by analysis of bacterial ferricyanide reduction

Water quality assessment requires a continuous and strict analysis of samples to guarantee compliance with established standards. Nowadays, the increasing number of pollutants and their synergistic effects lead to the development general toxicity bioassays capable to analyse water pollution as a whole. Current general toxicity methods, e.g. Microtox®, rely on long operation protocols, the use of complex and expensive instrumentation and sample pre-treatment, which should be transported to the laboratory for analysis. These requirements delay sample analysis and hence, the response to avoid an environmental catastrophe. In an attempt to solve it, a fast (15 min) and low-cost toxicity bioassay based on the chromatic changes associated to bacterial ferricyanide reduction is here presented. E. coli cells (used as model bacteria) were stably trapped on low-cost paper matrices (cellulose-based paper discs, PDs) and remained viable for long times (1 month at -20 °C). Apart from bacterial carrier, paper matrices also acted as a fluidic element, allowing fluid management without the need of external pumps. Bioassay evaluation was performed using copper as model toxic agent. Chromatic changes associated to bacterial ferricyanide reduction were determined by three different transduction methods, i.e. (i) optical reflectometry (as reference method), (ii) image analysis and (iii) visual inspection. In all cases, bioassay results (in terms of half maximal effective concentrations, EC50) were in agreement with already reported data, confirming the good performance of the bioassay. The validation of the bioassay was performed by analysis of real samples from natural sources, which were analysed and compared with a reference method (i.e. Microtox). Obtained results showed agreement for about 70% of toxic samples and 80% of non-toxic samples, which may validate the use of this simple and quick protocol in the determination of general toxicity. The minimum instrumentation requirements and the simplicity of the bioassay open the possibility of in-situ water toxicity assessment with a fast and low-cost protocolPostprint (author's final draft

Chiral Perturbation Theory and the f2(1270) resonance

Within Chiral Perturbation Theory, we study elastic pion scattering in the I=0, J=2, channel, whose main features are the f2(1270) resonance and the vanishing of the lowest order. By means of a chiral model that includes an explicit resonance coupled to pions, we describe the data and calculate the resonance contribution to the O(p^4) and O(p^6) chiral parameters. We also generalize the Inverse Amplitude Method to higher orders, which allows us to study channels with vanishing lowest order. In particular, we apply it to the I=0,J=2 case, finding a good description of the f2(1270) resonance, as a pole in the second Riemann sheet.Comment: 4 pages,1 figur

Consistency tests of AMPCALCULATOR and chiral amplitudes in SU(3) Chiral Perturbation Theory: A tutorial based approach

Ampcalculator is a Mathematica based program that was made publicly available some time ago by Unterdorfer and Ecker. It enables the user to compute several processes at one-loop (upto $O(p^4)$) in SU(3) chiral perturbation theory. They include computing matrix elements and form factors for strong and non-leptonic weak processes with at most six external states. It was used to compute some novel processes and was tested against well-known results by the original authors. Here we present the results of several thorough checks of the package. Exhaustive checks performed by the original authors are not publicly available, and hence the present effort. Some new results are obtained from the software especially in the kaon odd-intrinsic parity non-leptonic decay sector involving the coupling $G_{27}$. Another illustrative set of amplitudes at tree level we provide is in the context of $\tau$-decays with several mesons including quark mass effects, of use to the BELLE experiment. All eight meson-meson scattering amplitudes have been checked. Kaon-Compton amplitude has been checked and a minor error in published results has been pointed out. This exercise is a tutorial based one, wherein several input and output notebooks are also being made available as ancillary files on the arXiv. Some of the additional notebooks we provide contain explicit expressions that we have used for comparison with established results. The purpose is to encourage users to apply the software to suit their specific needs. An automatic amplitude generator of this type can provide error-free outputs that could be used as inputs for further simplification, and used in varied scenarios such as applications of chiral perturbation theory at finite temperature, density and volume. This can also be used by students as a learning aid in low-energy hadron dynamics.Comment: 25 pages, plain latex, corresponds to version to appear in EPJA, additional ancillary files adde

Scalar meson dynamics in Chiral Perturbation Theory

A comparison of the linear sigma model (L$\sigma$M) and Chiral Perturbation Theory (ChPT) predictions for pion and kaon dynamics is presented. Lowest and next-to-leading order terms in the ChPT amplitudes are reproduced if one restricts to scalar resonance exchange. Some low energy constants of the order $p^4$ ChPT Lagrangian are fixed in terms of scalar meson masses. Present values of these low energy constants are compatible with the L$\sigma$M dynamics. We conclude that more accurate values would be most useful either to falsify the L$\sigma$M or to show its capability to shed some light on the controversial scalar physics.Comment: 9 pages, REVTeX 4.0. Final version accepted for publicatio

The role of the land-surface model for climate change projections over the Iberian Peninsula

The importance of land-surface processes within Regional Climate Models for accurately reproducing the present-day climate is well known. However, their role when projecting future climate is still poorly reported. Hence, this work assesses the influence of the land-surface processes, particularly the contribution of soil moisture, when projecting future changes for temperature, precipitation and wind over a complex area as the Iberian Peninsula, which, in addition, shows great sensitivity to climate change. The main signals are found for the summer season, when the results indicate a strengthening in the increases projected for both mean temperature and temperature variability as a consequence of the future intensification of the positive soil moisture-temperature feedback. The more severe warming over the inner dry Iberian Peninsula further implies an intensification of the Iberian thermal low and, thus, of the cyclonic circulation. Furthermore, the land-atmosphere coupling leads to the projection of a wider future daily temperature range, since maximum temperatures are more affected than minima, a feature absent in non-coupled simulations. Regarding variability, the areas where the land-atmosphere coupling introduces larger changes are those where the reduction in the soil moisture content is more dramatic in future simulations, i.e., the so-called transitional zones. As regards precipitation, weaker positive signals for convective precipitation and more intense negative signals for non-convective precipitation are obtained as a result of the soil moisture-atmosphere interactions. These results highlight the crucial contribution of soil moisture to climate change projections and suggest its plausible key role for future projections of extreme events