16,706 research outputs found
Mapping the train model for earthquakes onto the stochastic sandpile model
We perform a computational study of a variant of the ``train'' model for
earthquakes [PRA 46, 6288 (1992)], where we assume a static friction that is a
stochastic function of position rather than being velocity dependent. The model
consists of an array of blocks coupled by springs, with the forces between
neighbouring blocks balanced by static friction. We calculate the probability,
P(s), of the occurrence of avalanches with a size s or greater, finding that
our results are consistent with the phenomenology and also with previous models
which exhibit a power law over a wide range. We show that the train model may
be mapped onto a stochastic sandpile model and study a variant of the latter
for non-spherical grains. We show that, in this case, the model has critical
behaviour only for grains with large aspect ratio, as was already shown in
experiments with real ricepiles. We also demonstrate a way to introduce
randomness in a physically motivated manner into the model.Comment: 14 pages and 6 figures. Accepted in European Physical Journal
Detecting stars, galaxies, and asteroids with Gaia
(Abridged) Gaia aims to make a 3-dimensional map of 1,000 million stars in
our Milky Way to unravel its kinematical, dynamical, and chemical structure and
evolution. Gaia's on-board detection software discriminates stars from spurious
objects like cosmic rays and Solar protons. For this, parametrised
point-spread-function-shape criteria are used. This study aims to provide an
optimum set of parameters for these filters. We developed an emulation of the
on-board detection software, which has 20 free, so-called rejection parameters
which govern the boundaries between stars on the one hand and sharp or extended
events on the other hand. We evaluate the detection and rejection performance
of the algorithm using catalogues of simulated single stars, double stars,
cosmic rays, Solar protons, unresolved galaxies, and asteroids. We optimised
the rejection parameters, improving - with respect to the functional baseline -
the detection performance of single and double stars, while, at the same time,
improving the rejection performance of cosmic rays and of Solar protons. We
find that the minimum separation to resolve a close, equal-brightness double
star is 0.23 arcsec in the along-scan and 0.70 arcsec in the across-scan
direction, independent of the brightness of the primary. We find that, whereas
the optimised rejection parameters have no significant impact on the
detectability of de Vaucouleurs profiles, they do significantly improve the
detection of exponential-disk profiles. We also find that the optimised
rejection parameters provide detection gains for asteroids fainter than 20 mag
and for fast-moving near-Earth objects fainter than 18 mag, albeit this gain
comes at the expense of a modest detection-probability loss for bright,
fast-moving near-Earth objects. The major side effect of the optimised
parameters is that spurious ghosts in the wings of bright stars essentially
pass unfiltered.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&
Simulations of a mortality plateau in the sexual Penna model for biological ageing
The Penna model is a strategy to simulate the genetic dynamics of
age-structured populations, in which the individuals genomes are represented by
bit-strings. It provides a simple metaphor for the evolutionary process in
terms of the mutation accumulation theory. In its original version, an
individual dies due to inherited diseases when its current number of
accumulated mutations, n, reaches a threshold value, T. Since the number of
accumulated diseases increases with age, the probability to die is zero for
very young ages (n = T). Here, instead
of using a step function to determine the genetic death age, we test several
other functions that may or may not slightly increase the death probability at
young ages (n < T), but that decreases this probability at old ones. Our
purpose is to study the oldest old effect, that is, a plateau in the mortality
curves at advanced ages. Imposing certain conditions, it has been possible to
obtain a clear plateau using the Penna model. However, a more realistic one
appears when a modified version, that keeps the population size fixed without
fluctuations, is used. We also find a relation between the birth rate, the
age-structure of the population and the death probability.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev.
As Relações Da Família Com Os Pediatras: As Visões Maternais
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)To analyze the perception of pediatric guidelines by mothers at the time of consultation in private offices, in order to know how they assimilate, process and use the information received from the pediatricians. Methods Data collection was carried out by a questionnaire sent to participants by a total of 200 mothers from a virtual community in social networks participated in the research. The answers were transcribed using the Discourse of the Collective Subject method. The analyses were supported by the research qualitative perspective, from the viewpoint of the social representation theory. Results Three categories were obtained through data analysis: (1) assessing the pediatric guidelines, (2) confronting theory and practice and (3) developing a critical view of the pediatric guidelines. These categories have elucidated that the level of knowledge of pediatric issues by mothers and their ability to use them when making decisions about the care of their babies, have a direct association between following or not the pediatric guidelines. Conclusions The mother's decision on following the pediatrician's recommendations depends on two main factors: (a) certification of the updated and proven recommendations, according to the official health agencies; (b) support and recognition by the pediatrician of the maternal empowerment during the follow-up process. The mothers’ practice of accessing knowledge through social networks hinders the pediatric monitoring. © 2015 Sociedade de Pediatria de São Paulo343330335CAPES, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível SuperiorCoordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES
Using gamma regression for photometric redshifts of survey galaxies
Machine learning techniques offer a plethora of opportunities in tackling big
data within the astronomical community. We present the set of Generalized
Linear Models as a fast alternative for determining photometric redshifts of
galaxies, a set of tools not commonly applied within astronomy, despite being
widely used in other professions. With this technique, we achieve catastrophic
outlier rates of the order of ~1%, that can be achieved in a matter of seconds
on large datasets of size ~1,000,000. To make these techniques easily
accessible to the astronomical community, we developed a set of libraries and
tools that are publicly available.Comment: Refereed Proceeding of "The Universe of Digital Sky Surveys"
conference held at the INAF - Observatory of Capodimonte, Naples, on
25th-28th November 2014, to be published in the Astrophysics and Space
Science Proceedings, edited by Longo, Napolitano, Marconi, Paolillo, Iodice,
6 pages, and 1 figur
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