Rhythmic tapping to a moving beat motion kinematics overrules natural gravity

beat induction is the cognitive ability that allows humans to listen to a regular pulse in music and move in synchrony with it. although auditory rhythmic cues induce more consistent synchronization than flashing visual metronomes, this auditory-visual asymmetry can be canceled by visual moving stimuli. here, we investigated whether the naturalness of visual motion or its kinematics could provide a synchronization advantage over flashing metronomes. Subjects were asked to tap in sync with visual metronomes defined by vertically accelerating/decelerating motion, either congruent or not with natural gravity; horizontally accelerating/decelerating motion; or flashing stimuli. we found that motion kinematics was the predominant factor determining rhythm synchronization, as accelerating moving metronomes in any cardinal direction produced more precise and predictive tapping than decelerating or flashing conditions. our results support the notion that accelerating visual metronomes convey a strong sense of beat, as seen in the cueing movements of an orchestra director

Bioactive Phenolic Compounds from Aerial Parts of Plinia glomerata

Abstract The present work describes the antinociceptive properties and chemical composition of the aerial parts of Plinia glomerata (Myrtaceae). Both of the extracts evaluated, acetonic and methanolic, showed potent antinociceptive action, when analyzed against acetic acid-induced abdominal constrictions in mice, with calculated ID50 (mg/kg, i. p.) values of 24.8 and 3.3, respectively. Through usual chromatographic techniques with an acetonic extract, the following compounds were obtained: 3,4,3′-trimethoxy flavellagic acid (1), 3,4,3′-trimethoxy flavellagic acid 4′-O-glucoside (3) and quercitrin (4), which were identified based on spectroscopic data. Compounds 1 (ID50 = 3.9 mg/kg, i. p., or 10.8 μmol/kg) and 3 (ID50 = 1.3 mg/kg or 2.5 μmol/kg) were notably more active than some well-known analgesic drugs used here for comparison

MOONLIGHT: A NEW LUNAR LASER RANGING RETROREFLECTOR AND THE LUNAR GEODETIC PRECESSION

Since the 1970s Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) to the Apollo Cube Corner Retroreflector (CCR) arrays (developed by the University of Maryland, UMD) supplied almost all significant tests of General Relativity (Alley et al., 1970; Chang et al., 1971; Bender et al.,1973): possible changes in the gravitational constant, gravitational self-energy, weak equivalence principle, geodetic precession, inverse-square force-law. The LNF group, in fact, has just completed a new measurement of the lunar geodetic precession with Apollo array, with accuracy of 9 × 10−3, comparable to the best measurement to date. LLR has also provided significant information on the composition and origin of the moon. This is the only Apollo experiment still in operation. In the 1970s Apollo LLR arrays contributed a negligible fraction of the ranging error budget. Since the ranging capabilities of ground stations improved by more than two orders of magnitude, now, because of the lunar librations, Apollo CCR arrays dominate the error budget. With the project MoonLIGHT (Moon Laser Instrumentation for General relativity High-accuracy Tests), in 2006 INFN-LNF joined UMD in the development and test of a new-generation LLR payload made by a single, large CCR (100mm diameter) unaffected by the effect of librations. With MoonLIGHT CCRs the accuracy of the measurement of the lunar geodetic precession can be improved up to a factor 100 compared to Apollo arrays. From a technological point of view, INFN-LNF built and is operating a new experimental apparatus (Satellite/lunar laser ranging Characterization Facility, SCF) and created a new industry-standard test procedure (SCF-Test) to characterize and model the detailed thermal behavior and the optical performance of CCRs in accurately laboratory-simulated space conditions, for industrial and scientific applications. Our key experimental innovation is the concurrent measurement and modeling of the optical Far Field Diffraction Pattern (FFDP) and the temperature distribution of retroreflector payloads under thermal conditions produced with a close-match solar simulator. The apparatus includes infrared cameras for non-invasive thermometry, thermal control and real-time payload movement to simulate satellite orientation on orbit with respect to solar illumination and laser interrogation beams. These capabilities provide: unique pre-launch performance validation of the space segment of LLR/SLR (Satellite Laser Ranging); retroreflector design optimization to maximize ranging efficiency and signal-to-noise conditions in daylight. Results of the SCF-Test of our CCR payload will be presented. Negotiations are underway to propose our payload and SCF-Test services for precision gravity and lunar science measurements with next robotic lunar landing missions. In particular, a scientific collaboration agreement was signed on Jan. 30, 2012, by D. Currie, S. Dell’Agnello and the Japanese PI team of the LLR instrument of the proposed SELENE-2 mission by JAXA (Registered with INFN Protocol n. 0000242-03/Feb/2012). The agreement foresees that, under no exchange of funds, the Japanese single, large, hollow LLR reflector will be SCF-Tested and that MoonLIGHT will be considered as backup instrument

Proposal for taking data with the KLOE-2 detector at the DAΦ\PhiNE collider upgraded in energy

This document reviews the physics program of the KLOE-2 detector at DA$\Phi$NE upgraded in energy and provides a simple solution to run the collider above the $\phi$-peak (up to 2, possibly 2.5 GeV). It is shown how a precise measurement of the multihadronic cross section in the energy region up to 2 (possibly 2.5) GeV would have a major impact on the tests of the Standard Model through a precise determination of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon and the effective fine-structure constant at the $M_Z$ scale. With a luminosity of about $10^{32}$cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$, DA$\Phi$NE upgraded in energy can perform a scan in the region from 1 to 2.5 GeV in one year by collecting an integrated luminosity of 20 pb$^{-1}$ (corresponding to a few days of data taking) for single point, assuming an energy step of 25 MeV. A few years of data taking in this region would provide important tests of QCD and effective theories by $\gamma\gamma$ physics with open thresholds for pseudo-scalar (like the $\eta'$), scalar ($f_0,f'_0$, etc...) and axial-vector ($a_1$, etc...) mesons; vector-mesons spectroscopy and baryon form factors; tests of CVC and searches for exotics. In the final part of the document a technical solution for the energy upgrade of DA$\Phi$NE is proposed.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figure

CELL-SUSPENSION CULTURES OF MACLURA-POMIFERA - OPTIMIZATION OF GROWTH AND METABOLITE PRODUCTION

Explants of stem of Maclura pomifera were cultured in media with varied concentrations of hormones. The obtained calli were separated on the basis of colour into two lines, A and B, which gave different metabolite accumulations. The major components of the extracts were A-ring prenylated flavanones, isoflavones and flavones. Cell suspension cultures of lines A and B showed the same difference together with a considerable increase in flavonoid production