1,825 research outputs found
Models of cuspy triaxial stellar systems. II. Regular orbits
In the first paper of this series we used the N--body method to build a dozen
cuspy (gamma ~ 1) triaxial models of stellar systems, and we showed that they
were highly stable over time intervals of the order of a Hubble time, even
though they had very large fractions of chaotic orbits (more than 85 per cent
in some cases). The models were grouped in four sets, each one comprising
models morphologically resembling E2, E3, E4 and E5 galaxies, respectively. The
three models within each set, although different, had the same global
properties and were statistically equivalent. In the present paper we use
frequency analysis to classify the regular orbits of those models. The bulk of
those orbits are short axis tubes (SATs), with a significant fraction of long
axis tubes (LATs) in the E2 models that decreases in the E3 and E4 models to
become negligibly small in the E5 models. Most of the LATs in the E2 and E3
models are outer LATs, but the situation reverses in the E4 and E5 models where
the few LATs are mainly inner LATs. As could be expected for cuspy models, most
of the boxes are resonant orbits, i.e., boxlets. Nevertheless, only the (x, y)
fishes of models E3 and E4 amount to about 10 per cent of the regular orbits,
with most of the fractions of the other boxlets being of the order of 1 per
cent or less.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Monthly Notices of the Royal
Astronomical Societ
SiPM and front-end electronics development for Cherenkov light detection
The Italian Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) is involved in the
development of a demonstrator for a SiPM-based camera for the Cherenkov
Telescope Array (CTA) experiment, with a pixel size of 66 mm. The
camera houses about two thousands electronics channels and is both light and
compact. In this framework, a R&D program for the development of SiPMs suitable
for Cherenkov light detection (so called NUV SiPMs) is ongoing. Different
photosensors have been produced at Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), with
different micro-cell dimensions and fill factors, in different geometrical
arrangements. At the same time, INFN is developing front-end electronics based
on the waveform sampling technique optimized for the new NUV SiPM. Measurements
on 11 mm, 33 mm, and 66 mm NUV SiPMs
coupled to the front-end electronics are presentedComment: In Proceedings of the 34th International Cosmic Ray Conference
(ICRC2015), The Hague, The Netherlands. All CTA contributions at
arXiv:1508.0589
Scalable Safe Policy Improvement via Monte Carlo Tree Search
Algorithms for safely improving policies are important to deploy reinforcement learning approaches in real-world scenarios. In this work, we propose an algorithm, called MCTS-SPIBB, that computes safe policy improvement online using a Monte Carlo Tree Search based strategy. We theoretically prove that the policy generated by MCTS-SPIBB converges, as the number of simulations grows, to the optimal safely improved policy generated by Safe Policy Improvement with Baseline Bootstrapping (SPIBB), a popular algorithm based on policy iteration. Moreover, our empirical analysis performed on three standard benchmark domains shows that MCTS-SPIBB scales to significantly larger problems than SPIBB because it computes the policy online and locally, i.e., only in the states actually visited by the agent
HPLC-HRMS Global Metabolomics Approach for the Diagnosis of “Olive Quick Decline Syndrome” Markers in Olive Trees Leaves
Olive quick decline syndrome (OQDS) is a multifactorial disease affecting olive plants. The onset of this economically devastating disease has been associated with a Gram-negative plant pathogen called Xylella fastidiosa (Xf). Liquid chromatography separation coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry detection is one the most widely applied technologies in metabolomics, as it provides a blend of rapid, sensitive, and selective qualitative and quantitative analyses with the ability to identify metabolites. The purpose of this work is the development of a global metabolomics mass spectrometry assay able to identify OQDS molecular markers that could discriminate between healthy (HP) and infected (OP) olive tree leaves. Results obtained via multivariate analysis through an HPLC-ESI HRMS platform (LTQ-Orbitrap from Thermo Scientific) show a clear separation between HP and OP samples. Among the differentially expressed metabolites, 18 different organic compounds highly expressed in the OP group were annotated; results obtained by this metabolomic approach could be used as a fast and reliable method for the biochemical characterization of OQDS and to develop targeted MS approaches for OQDS detection by foliage analysis
The X-Gamma Imaging Spectrometer (XGIS) onboard THESEUS
A compact and modular X and gamma-ray imaging spectrometer (XGIS) has been
designed as one of the instruments foreseen on-board the THESEUS mission
proposed in response to the ESA M5 call. The experiment envisages the use of
CsI scintillator bars read out at both ends by single-cell 25 mm 2 Silicon
Drift Detectors. Events absorbed in the Silicon layer (lower energy X rays) and
events absorbed in the scintillator crystal (higher energy X rays and
Gamma-rays) are discriminated using the on-board electronics. A coded mask
provides imaging capabilities at low energies, thus allowing a compact and
sensitive instrument in a wide energy band (~2 keV up to ~20 MeV). The
instrument design, expected performance and the characterization performed on a
series of laboratory prototypes are discussed.Comment: To be published in the Proceedings of the THESEUS Workshop 2017
(http://www.isdc.unige.ch/theseus/workshop2017.html), Journal of the Italian
Astronomical Society (Mem.SAIt), Editors L. Amati, E. Bozzo, M. Della Valle,
D. Gotz, P. O'Brien. Details on the THESEUS mission concept can be found in
the white paper Amati et al. 2017 (arXiv:171004638) and Stratta et al. 2017
(arXiv:1712.08153
Measurement of neutron detection efficiency between 22 and 174 MeV using two different kinds of Pb-scintillating fiber sampling calorimeters
We exposed a prototype of the lead-scintillating fiber KLOE calorimeter to
neutron beam of 21, 46 and 174 MeV at The Svedberg Laboratory, Uppsala, to
study its neutron detection efficiency. This has been found larger than what
expected considering the scintillator thickness of the prototype. %To check our
method, we measured also the neutron %detection efficiency of a 5 cm thick
NE110 scintillator. We show preliminary measurement carried out with a
different prototype with a larger lead/fiber ratio, which proves the relevance
of passive material to neutron detection efficiency in this kind of
calorimeters
Measurement of the neutron detection efficiency of a 80% absorber - 20% scintillating fibers calorimeter
The neutron detection efficiency of a sampling calorimeter made of 1 mm
diameter scintillating fibers embedded in a lead/bismuth structure has been
measured at the neutron beam of the The Svedberg Laboratory at Uppsala. A
significant enhancement of the detection efficiency with respect to a bulk
organic scintillator detector with the same thickness is observed.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure
Evolving spectrum of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: Implications for Sports Cardiology
Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a genetic heart muscle disease, structurally characterized by progressive fibro-fatty replacement of the normal myocardium and clinically by ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). Predominantly thanks to the use of cardiac magnetic resonance, we have learnt that the spectrum of the disease encompasses not only the classical right ventricular phenotype, but also biventricular and left dominant variants. Sport activity contributes to the phenotypic expression and progression of ACM and may trigger life-threatening VAs and sudden cardiac death (SCD). We conducted a review of the literature about ACM and its implications in Sport Cardiology and summarized the main findings in this topic. Early identification of affected athletes through preparticipation screening (PPS) is fundamental but, while classical right-ventricular or biventricular phenotypes are usually suspected because of electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiographic abnormalities, variants with predominant left ventricular involvement are often characterized by normal ECG and unremarkable echocardiography. Usually the only manifestations of such variants are exercise-induced VAs and for this reason exercise testing may empower the diagnostic yield of the PPS. Patients with ACM are not eligible to competitive sports activity, but low-to-moderate intensity physical activity under medical supervision is possible in most cases
Benign hereditary chorea and deletions outside NKX2-1 : what's the role of MBIP?
Heterozygous point mutations or deletions of the NKX2-1 gene cause benign hereditary chorea (BHC) or a various combinations of primary hypothyroidism, respiratory distress and neurological disorders. Deletions proximal to, but not encompassing, NKX2-1 have been described in few subjects with brain-lung-thyroid syndrome. We report on a three-generation Italian family, with 6 subjects presenting BHC and harboring a genomic deletion adjacent to NKX2-1 and including the gene MBIP, recently proposed to be relevant for the pathogenesis of brain-lung-thyroid syndrome. We observed a clear reduction of NKX2-1 transcript levels in fibroblasts from our patients compared to controls; this finding suggests that MBIP deletion affects NKX2-1 expression, mimicking haploinsufficiency caused by classical NKX2-1 related mutations
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