Foliations, solvability and global injectivity

Let F: R^n -> R^n be a C^\infty map such that DF(x) is invertible for all x in R^n. We know that F is a local diffeomorphism but, in general, it is not globally injective. We discuss the relations between some additional hypothesis that guarantee the global injectivity of F. Further, based on one of these hypotheses, we establish a necessary condition for the existence of F: R^n -> R^n such that det DF = h, where h: R^n -> [0,\infty) is a given C^\infty function

A possible reference to the solar corona in a contemporary report of the AD1239 eclipse

The codex kept at the Arnamagnean Institute, in Copenhagen, with the number 805 4º (København, Det Arnamagnaeanske Institut, Københavns Universitet, AM 805 4º), contains a combination of texts featuring legal and short historiographic pieces. In the latter we find a few astronomical references, among them a contemporary mention of the solar eclipse of June 3, 1239 containing what seems to be a reference to the solar corona. This reference could be added to the only other commonly accepted timed report of the corona from medieval times in the Annales Sangallenses regarding the total solar eclipse of the year AD968

On the role of Prognostics and Health Management in advanced maintenance systems

The advanced use of the Information and Communication Technologies is evolving the way that systems are managed and maintained. A great number of techniques and methods have emerged in the light of these advances allowing to have an accurate and knowledge about the systems’ condition evolution and remaining useful life. The advances are recognized as outcomes of an innovative discipline, nowadays discussed under the term of Prognostics and Health Management (PHM). In order to analyze how maintenance will change by using PHM, a conceptual model is proposed built upon three views. The model highlights: (i) how PHM may impact the definition of maintenance policies; (ii) how PHM fits within the Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) and (iii) how PHM can be integrated into Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) programs. The conceptual model is the research finding of this review note and helps to discuss the role of PHM in advanced maintenance systems.EU Framework Programme Horizon 2020, 645733 - Sustain-Owner - H2020-MSCA-RISE-201

Avaluació i tractament interdisciplinari de trastorns fòbics en el context de l’activitat física i de l’esport: presentació d’un cas de fòbia a l’estrès físic

En aquest article es presenta el procés d’avaluació i tractament interdisciplinari –metge/psicòleg– d’un cas de fòbia a estímuls d’esforç físic (estrès físic). La metodologia d’avaluació utilitzada es basa en l’“anàlisi funcional del comportament” i en protocols mèdics consistents en la realització de proves cardiològiques i respiratòries en repòs, i la valoració de la resposta cardiorespiratòria durant l’esforç, mitjançant la realització d’un test d’esforç sobre cicloergòmetre. En la fase de tractament es van aplicar tècniques d’exposició graduada en viu, de control de l’activació i de maneig d’autoinstruccions. Al cap de 13 sessions d’entrenament, realitzades durant 24 setmanes, es constata en l’esportista l’extinció de la resposta condicionada d’ansietat i pànic davant els estímuls fòbics, alhora que l’adquisició d’un adequat repertori de conductes d’enfrontament a les situacions temudes. Els resultats es mantenen en el seguiment realitzat als 9 mesos

Accurate analytical and statistical approaches to reduce O-C discrepancies in the precessional parameters

The Hipparcos catalog provides a reference frame at optical wavelengths for the new International Celestial Reference System (ICRS). This new reference system was adopted following the resolution agreed at the 23rd IAU General Assembly held in Kyoto in 1997. Differences in the Hipparcos system of proper motions and the previous materialization of the reference frame, the FK5, are expected to be caused only by the combined effects of the motion of the equinox of the FK5 and the precession of the equator and the ecliptic. Several authors have pointed out an inconsistency between the differences in proper motion of the Hipparcos-FK5 and the correction of the precessional values derived from VLBI and lunar laser ranging (LLR) observations. Most of them have claimed that these discrepancies are due to slightly biased proper motions in the FK5 catalog. The different mathematical models that have been employed to explain these errors have not fully accounted for the discrepancies in the correc- tion of the precessional parameters. Our goal here is to offer an explanation for this fact. We propose the use of independent parametric and nonparametric models. The introduction of a nonparametric model, combined with the inner product in the square integrable functions over the unitary sphere, would give us values which do not depend on the possible interdependencies existing in the data set. The evidence shows that zonal studies are needed. This would lead us to introduce a local nonparametric model. All these models will provide independent corrections to the precessional values, which could then be compared in order to study the reliability in each case. Finally, we obtain values for the precession corrections that are very consistent with those that are currently adopte

The Lyrids meteor shower: A historical perspective

The April Lyrid meteor shower is the oldest meteor shower ever recorded continuously throughout history, dating as far back as 687 BC. Before the 20th century, historical sources only provided reports of two years of strong activity and up to nine possible additional events. Currently, the shower has low activity, but it has had significant episodes that, during the 20th century, seem to repeat at time intervals that are multiples of 12yr or 60 yr. Earlier outbursts may have also occurred with a frequency consistent with this period. Outbursts of activity are also known in other meteor showers. The classical explanation that they are correlated to the close proximity of the parent comet to the Earth was proven wrong in the last years of the 20th century and this is also clear in the case of the April Lyrids, whose parent comet is C/1861 G1 (Thatcher), with an orbital period of about 400 yr. Our previous research has led us to compile an additional list of possible April Lyrids in the last 2000 years. This paper has two objectives. First, to present the list of possible Lyrids that we have compiled that would significantly increase the number of historical observations considered to date. Secondly, to study if the historical data fit well with the main theories and recent studies concerning the Lyrids

Lotus tenuis x L. corniculatus interspecific hybridization as a means to breed bloat-safe pastures and gain insight into the genetic control of proanthocyanidin biosynthesis in legumes

Background: Proanthocyanidins (PAs) are secondary metabolites that strongly affect plant quality traits. The concentration and the structure of these metabolites influence the palatability and nutritional value of forage legumes. Hence, modulating PAs in the leaves of forage legumes is of paramount relevance for forage breeders worldwide. The lack of genetic variation in the leaf PA trait within the most important forage species and the difficulties in engineering this pathway via the ectopic expression of regulatory genes, prompted us to pursue alternative strategies to enhance this trait in forage legumes of agronomic interest. The Lotus genus includes forage species which accumulate PAs in edible organs and can thus be used as potential donor parents in breeding programs. Results: We recovered a wild, diploid and PA-rich population of L. corniculatus and crossed with L. tenuis. The former grows in an alkaline-salty area in Spain while the latter is a diploid species, grown extensively in South American pastures, which does not accumulate PAs in the herbage. The resulting interspecific hybrids displayed several traits of outstanding agronomic relevance such as rhizome production, PA levels in edible tissues sufficient to prevent ruminal bloating (around 5 mg of PAs/g DW), biomass production similar to the cultivated parent and potential for adaptability to marginal lands. We show that PA levels correlate with expression levels of the R2R3MYB transcription factor TT2 and, in turn, with those of the key structural genes of the epicatechin and catechin biosynthetic pathways leading to PA biosynthesis. Conclusions: The L. tenuis x L. corniculatus hybrids, reported herein, represent the first example of the introgression of the PA trait in forage legumes to levels known to provide nutritional and health benefits to ruminants. Apart from PAs, the hybrids have additional traits which may prove useful to breed forage legumes with increased persistence and adaptability to marginal conditions. Finally, our study suggests the hybrids and their progeny are an invaluable tool to gain a leap forward in our understanding of the genetic control of PA biosynthesis and tolerance to stresses in legumes.Fil: Escaray, Francisco José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Raúl Alfonsín" (sede Chascomús). Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Raúl Alfonsín" (sede Chascomús); ArgentinaFil: Passeri, Valentina. Institute of Biosciences and BioResources; Italia. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; ItaliaFil: Babuin, María Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Raúl Alfonsín" (sede Chascomús). Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Raúl Alfonsín" (sede Chascomús); ArgentinaFil: Marco, Francisco. Universidad de Valencia; EspañaFil: Carrasco, Pedro. Universidad de Valencia; EspañaFil: Damiani, Francesco. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; Italia. Institute of Biosciences and BioResources; ItaliaFil: Pieckenstain, Fernando Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Raúl Alfonsín" (sede Chascomús). Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Raúl Alfonsín" (sede Chascomús); ArgentinaFil: Paolocci, Francesco. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; Italia. Institute of Biosciences and BioResources; ItaliaFil: Ruiz, Oscar Adolfo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Raúl Alfonsín" (sede Chascomús). Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Raúl Alfonsín" (sede Chascomús); Argentin

A Survey of Meteoric Activity over Spain during the Eighth Fifteenth Centuries

The lack of astronomical observations from medieval and early modern Spanish sources is a constant in the records of solar eclipses, meteors, and other celestial phenomena. This may be partially explained by the absence of a documentary corpus similar to the Monumenta Germaniae Historica, for example, that scholars may use for conducting a systematic search of such records; the problems increase by the presence of four different vernacular languages in the peninsula: Castilian, Catalan, Basque, and Galician, together with some other minority languages, to which Latin and Arabic must be added for historical research purposes. Currently, scientific literature records few medieval Spanish astronomical accounts, and most of them are contained in wider Arab surveys or they come from the best-known annals and chronicles. Our article intends to fill this gap partially in the issue of meteoritic activity. We present a survey of meteors, bolides, and meteor storms observed in Spain in the eighth-fourteenth centuries. Most of them have not been previously published and come from local or minor sources, but for the sake of completeness, we have included some records already mentioned by other authors.A part of this work was supported by grant P1.1B2012-47 from Universitat Jaume I.Martínez Uso, MJ.; Marco Castillo, FJ. (2016). A Survey of Meteoric Activity over Spain during the Eighth Fifteenth Centuries. Journal for the History of Astronomy. 47:168-193. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021828616649316S1681934

Fifteenth Century Comets in Non-Astronomical Catalan Manuscripts

[EN] From the fifteenth century onwards, it was common in Western Europe to consider astrology as the best instrument to provide a link between the circumstances of life on the Earth and the disposition of the stars in the universe. The intimate relation between astronomy and astrology is reflected even in non-specialist works where the words astrònom and astròleg are used indistinctly. To this effect, the intrusion of astrology into medicine is also revealing, mainly in the countries of the Mediterranean and Western Europe, where several university chairs in both astronomy and astrology were established.Martínez Uso, MJ.; Marco Castillo, FJ. (2016). Fifteenth Century Comets in Non-Astronomical Catalan Manuscripts. Journal of Catalan Studies. (18/19):51-65. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/136514S516518/1

Astronomical references in the first volume of the Dietaris de la Generalitat de Catalunya (1411-1539) and the the Dietari o llibre de Jornades de Jaume Safont (1411-1484)

In 2 08, after 13 years of preparation, the Generalitat of Catalunya finished the publication of the 10 volumes of the Dietaris de la Generalitat de Catalunya. The Dietaris, as well as a closely related source, the llibre de Jornades 1411/1484 de Jaume Safont, cover the period of 1411 to 1539. In this article, we examine astronomical references contained in these two sources, and place them in their historical context. Our main focus lies on astronomical phenomena that have not previously been published in the astronomical literature. In fact, relatively few astronomical records are accessible in Spanish medieval and early modern history and our paper intends to fill this gap partially.Dept. Matematiques, IMAC, Campus de Riu Sec, 12071 Castello. (Spain). Part of this work was supported by grant P1.1B2012-47 from Universitat Jaume I. The authors wish to thank the Generalitat de Catalunya for allowing us the reproduction of part of the artwork contained in the Dietaris de la Generalitat de Catalunya. They also wish to thank the Servei de traduccio de la universitat Jaume I de Castello for their help in translating some of the ancient expressions contained in the Dietaris, and C.H. Luthy, editor of Early Science and Medicine, for his helpful comments and efforts to improve this paper.Martínez Uso, MJ.; Marco Castillo, FJ. (2014). New Astronomical References in Two Catalonian Late Medieval Documents. Early Science and Medicine. 19(2):174-185. https://doi.org/10.1163/15733823-00192P03S17418519