Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation as a Potential Countermeasure for Skeletal Muscle Atrophy and Weakness During Human Spaceflight

This is the final version. Available on open access from Frontiers Media via the DOI in this recordHuman spaceflight is associated with a substantial loss of skeletal muscle mass and muscle strength. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) evokes involuntary muscle contractions, which have the potential to preserve or restore skeletal muscle mass and neuromuscular function during and/or post spaceflight. This assumption is largely based on evidence from terrestrial disuse/immobilization studies without the use of large exercise equipment that may not be available in spaceflight beyond the International Space Station. In this mini-review we provide an overview of the rationale and evidence for NMES based on the terrestrial state-of-the-art knowledge, compare this to that used in orbit, and in ground-based analogs in order to provide practical recommendations for implementation of NMES in future space missions. Emphasis will be placed on knee extensor and plantar flexor muscles known to be particularly susceptible to deconditioning in space missions

Constraints on Automorphic Forms of Higher Derivative Terms from Compactification

By dimensionally reducing the higher derivative corrections of ten-dimensional IIB theory on a torus we deduce constraints on the E_{n+1} automorphic forms that occur in d=10-n dimensions. In particular we argue that these automorphic forms involve the representation of E_{n+1} with fundamental weight \lambda^{n+1}, which is also the representation to which the string charges in d dimensions belong. We also consider a similar calculation for the reduction of higher derivative terms in eleven-dimensional M-theory.Comment: Minor corrections, to appear in JHE

Higher derivative type II string effective actions, automorphic forms and E11

By dimensionally reducing the ten-dimensional higher derivative type IIA string theory effective action we place constraints on the automorphic forms that appear in the effective action in lower dimensions. We propose a number of properties of such automorphic forms and consider the prospects that E11 can play a role in the formulation of the higher derivative string theory effective action.Comment: 34 page

Holographic non-perturbative corrections to gauge couplings

We give a direct microscopic derivation of the F-theory background that corresponds to four D7 branes of type I' theory by taking into account the D-instanton contributions to the emission of the axio-dilaton field in the directions transverse to the D7's. The couplings of the axio-dilaton to the D-instanton moduli modify its classical source terms which are shown to be proportional to the elements of the D7 brane chiral ring. Solving the bulk field equations with the non-perturbatively corrected sources yields the full F-theory background. This solution represents the gravitational dual of the four-dimensional theory living on a probe D3 brane of type I', namely of the N=2, Sp(1) SYM theory with Nf=4. Our results provide an explicit microscopic derivation of the non-perturbative gravitational dual of this theory. They also explain the recent observation that the exact coupling for this theory can be entirely reconstructed from its perturbative part plus the knowledge of the chiral ring on the D7 branes supporting its flavor degrees of freedom.Comment: Latex, 39 pages, 6 figure

Stringy KLT relations, global symmetries, and E_7(7) violation

We study consequences of the Kawai-Lewellen-Tye (KLT) relations applied to tree amplitudes in toroidal compactifications of string theory to four dimensions. The closed string tree amplitudes with massless external states respect a global SU(4)xSU(4) symmetry, which is enhanced to the SU(8) R-symmetry of N=8 supergravity in the field theory limit. Our analysis focuses on two aspects: (i) We provide a detailed account of the simplest SU(8)-violating amplitudes. We classify these processes and derive explicit superamplitudes for all local 5- and 6-point operators with SU(4)xSU(4) symmetry at order alpha'^3. Their origin is the dilatonic operator exp(-6 phi) R^4 in the closed-string effective action. (ii) We expand the 6-point closed string tree amplitudes to order alpha'^3 and use two different methods to isolate the SU(8)-singlet contribution from exp(-6 phi) R^4. This allows us to extract the matrix elements of the unique SU(8)-invariant supersymmetrization of R^4. Their single-soft scalar limits are non-vanishing. This demonstrates that the N=8 supergravity candidate counterterm R^4 is incompatible with continuous E_7(7) symmetry. From the soft scalar limits, we reconstruct to quadratic order the SU(8)-invariant function of scalars that multiplies R^4, and show that it satisfies the Laplace eigenvalue equation derived recently from supersymmetry and duality constraints.Comment: 23 pages, published versio

Stringy Instantons in SU(N) N=2 Non-Conformal Gauge Theories

In this paper we explicitly obtain the leading corrections to the SU(N) N=2 prepotential due to stringy instantons both in flat space-time and in the presence of a non-trivial graviphoton background field. We show that the stringy corrections to the prepotential are expressible in terms of the elementary symmetric polynomials. For N>2 the theory is not conformal; we discuss the introduction of an explicit dependence on the string scale \alpha' in the low-energy effective action through the stringy non-perturbative sector.Comment: 22 pages, 1 figur

Infrared divergences and harmonic anomalies in the two-loop superstring effective action

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 4.0), which permits any use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are creditedArticle funded by SCOAP3. This research is partially supported by STFC (Grant ST/L000415/1, String theory, gauge theory & duality

A high proportion of the world population of the spoon-billed sandpiper occurs at Tiaozini, China, during the post-breeding Moult

The Critically Endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper Calidris pygmaea breeds in arctic and subarctic Russia and migrates to winter on coastal mudflats in south-east Asia. Its world population is probably about 700 individuals. We report Lincoln-Petersen closed-population estimates of the number of Spoon-billed Sandpipers at Tiaozini, a coastal site in Jiangsu Province, China, based upon resightings and scan surveys of individually-marked leg-flagged birds. Surveys were conducted in September-October, when adult Spoon-billed Sandpipers are moulting their primary feathers and long-distance movements are unlikely. We estimated that 220 birds were present at Tiaozini in 2017 and 224 in 2018. Nearly all of them were adults (one-year old or older), so about 40% of the world population of this age class was estimated to be present. Hence, protection of the mudflats and roost sites at Tiaozini is of global importance for the conservation of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper.Non

Creating a Tool for Measuring the Social Value of Design

Social value has been measured for many years predominantly for values created by NGOs, social enterprises, social ventures, and social programmes. However, because ‘value’ is a highly subjective concept that often has ‘soft’ outcomes, it is challenging to find a measurement tool which satisfies all parties involved in social value creation, especially in the commercial sector. In this complex environment, a viable means of measuring the social value of design will enable organisations to use design more effectively to increase their societal contribution and competitiveness. This research aims to identify key considerations to produce a guideline which can be used to create desirable tools for measuring social value of design, by conducting in-depth interviews with companies and two workshops with postgraduate students and professionals from a range of backgrounds. It is recommended that the tool should have three levels: (i) an overview with a qualitative approach, (ii) a financial level with a quantitative approach, and (iii) a balanced level with both a qualitative and a quantitative approach.Arts and Humanities Research Counci