5,595 research outputs found
The value function of an asymptotic exit-time optimal control problem
We consider a class of exit--time control problems for nonlinear systems with
a nonnegative vanishing Lagrangian. In general, the associated PDE may have
multiple solutions, and known regularity and stability properties do not hold.
In this paper we obtain such properties and a uniqueness result under some
explicit sufficient conditions. We briefly investigate also the infinite
horizon problem
Comparison of in situ devices for the assessment of pavement subgrade stiffness
The subgrade is the top surface of a roadbed upon which the pavement structure is constructed. The purpose is to provide a platform for construction of the pavement and to support the pavement without unwanted deflection that would reduce its performance. For those reasons subgrade bearing capacity have to be investigate during the construction process as a quality control, based on the design results. The dynamic in situ Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) tests are nowadays widely used and considered the most reliable and suitable approach to determine bearing capacity of road pavements and elastic moduli. In addition, the use of the Light Weight Deflectometer (LWD) takes the advantage of the dynamic application of load, and the flexibility of the handling of the equipment on construction area and unbound layer. In the present paper, a wide literature review is presented on the topic of correlation between different subgrade bearing capacity in situ tests. In order to assess the transferability of LWD measures, these results were compared with FWD test and Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) test. Soil samples, taken from the site, have also been investigate in laboratory to relate geotechnical and in situ test results
The Brightest Cluster Galaxy in Abell 85: The Largest Core Known so far
We have found that the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) in Abell~85, Holm 15A,
displays the largest core so far known. Its cusp radius, kpc (), is more than 18 times
larger than the mean for BCGs, and kpc larger than A2261-BCG, hitherto
the largest-cored BCG (Postman, Lauer, Donahue, et al. 2012) Holm 15A hosts the
luminous amorphous radio source 0039-095B and has the optical signature of a
LINER. Scaling laws indicate that this core could host a supermassive black
hole (SMBH) of mass . We
suggest that cores this large represent a relatively short phase in the
evolution of BCGs, whereas the masses of their associated SBMH might be set by
initial conditions.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figure, 2 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ Letters
on October 6th, 2014, replacement of previous manuscript submitted on May
30th, 2014 to astro-p
SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine Breakthrough Infections in Fully Vaccinated Healthcare Personnel: A Systematic Review
The number of people vaccinated against COVID-19 increases worldwide every day; however, it is important to study the risk of breakthrough infections in vaccinated individuals at high risk of exposure such as healthcare personnel (HCP). A systematic literature review (SLR) applying the PRISMA declaration and the PECOS format using the following entry terms was used: “Health Personnel OR Healthcare Worker OR Healthcare Provider OR Healthcare Personnel AND breakthrough OR infection after vaccine*”. The research was carried out utilizing the following databases: SCOPUS, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Sciences. An overall very low incidence of post-vaccination breakthrough infections was found, ranging from 0.011 to 0.001 (per 100 individuals at risk). Our findings further support the published high effectiveness rates of mRNA vaccines in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infections among fully vaccinated HCP. Additional studies are needed to define the duration of the vaccine-induced protection among HCP
The optical counterpart of the bright X-ray transient Swift J1745-26
We present a 30-day monitoring campaign of the optical counterpart of the
bright X-ray transient Swift J1745-26, starting only 19 minutes after the
discovery of the source. We observe the system peaking at i' ~17.6 on day 6
(MJD 56192) to then decay at a rate of ~0.04 mag/day. We show that the optical
peak occurs at least 3 days later than the hard X-ray (15-50 keV) flux peak.
Our measurements result in an outburst amplitude greater than 4.3 magnitudes,
which favours an orbital period < 21 h and a companion star with a spectral
type later than ~ A0. Spectroscopic observations taken with the GTC-10.4 m
telescope reveal a broad (FWHM ~ 1100 km/s), double-peaked H_alpha emission
line from which we constrain the radial velocity semi-amplitude of the donor to
be K_2 > 250 km/s. The breadth of the line and the observed optical and X-ray
fluxes suggest that Swift J1745-26 is a new black hole candidate located closer
than ~7 kpc.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
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