Variation of Iwasawa invariants in Hida families

Let r : G_Q -> GL_2(Fpbar) be a p-ordinary and p-distinguished irreducible residual modular Galois representation. We show that the vanishing of the algebraic or analytic Iwasawa mu-invariant of a single modular form lifting r implies the vanishing of the corresponding mu-invariant for all such forms. Assuming that the mu-invariant vanishes, we also give explicit formulas for the difference in the algebraic or analytic lambda-invariants of modular forms lifting r. In particular, our formula shows that the lambda-invariant is constant on branches of the Hida family of r. We further show that our formulas are identical for the algebraic and analytic invariants, so that the truth of the main conjecture of Iwasawa theory for one form in the Hida family of r implies it for the entire Hida family

In vivo characterization of hippocampal electrophysiological processes in the heterozygous Pten knockout model of autism

While cognitive deficits have been described in the heterozygous Pten (+/-) KO mouse model of autism, little work has been done to demonstrate how corresponding in vitro physiological alterations in this model may underpin these cognitive deficits in vivo. As Pten KO (+/-) is known to alter electrophysiological characteristics of neurons in vitro, this study measures the in vivo electrophysiological characteristics of CA1 interneurons, pyramidal cells, and place cells which may underlie the spatial cognitive deficits seen in the model. Four transgenic conditional heterozygous Pten+/loxPloxP;Gfap-cre mice (HetPten) and four homozygous Pten littermate control mice were used in this study. This transgene drives cre expression and excision of the Pten gene in hippocampal granule cells of the dentate gyrus, and neurons in CA2 and CA1, but not astrocytes. In vivo local field potentials and single cell recordings were made in CA1 of each mouse during an open field foraging task in two distinct arenas. HetPten mice were found to have increased interneuron and pyramidal cell firing rates. In addition, place cells demonstrated abnormal properties including increased out-of-field firing rates, an increased number of fields, and trends towards larger field sizes that were less stable in comparison to controls. HetPten mice had slower CA1 fast gamma oscillations and more variable speed/theta oscillation correlations. Behaviorally, there were weak trends towards decreased motor output compared to controls. These data suggest that the electrophysiological alterations due to Pten KO (+/-) in mouse hippocampal neurons lead to hyperactivation of CA1 interneurons, pyramidal cells, and place cells

Match performances of soccer referees: the role of sport science

Sports science has extensively quantified the physical demands of soccer refereeing over the past 15 years. Early observational studies provided descriptive accounts of referee match activity profiles. More recently, sports science has examined factors influencing match activities, such as age, competition standard and player activities. Soccer referees’ match physical performances are inextricably linked to their ability to make the correct judgment; decision-making is therefore a crucial aspect of refereeing. The aim of this brief commentary is to concisely review the role that sports science has played thus far in the understanding of soccer referees’ match performances and then provide some recommendations for future scientific work to assist in the preparation for, and assessment of, match performance

The effect of 12 weeks of combined upper- and lower-body high-intensity interval training on muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness in older adults

Background: High-intensity interval training (HIT) can impact cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness simultaneously, yet protocols typically focus on lower-body exercise. For older adults however, performing activities of daily living requires upper- and lower-body fitness. Aims: To assess the effects of combined upper- and lower-body HIT on fitness in adults aged > 50 years. Methods: Thirty-six adults (50–81 years; 21 male) were assigned via minimisation to either HIT (n = 18) or a no-exercise control group (CON, n = 18) following baseline assessment of leg extensor muscle power, handgrip strength, cardiorespiratory fitness (predicted VO2max) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The HIT group completed two training sessions per week for 12-weeks, performing a combination of upper-, lower- and full-body exercises using a novel hydraulic resistance ergometer. Data were analysed via ANCOVA with probabilistic inferences made about the clinical relevance of observed effects. Results: All participants completed the intervention with mean (82 ± 6%HRmax) and peak (89 ± 6%HRmax) exercise heart rates confirming a high-intensity training stimulus. Compared with CON, HIT showed possibly small beneficial effects for dominant leg power (10.5%; 90% confidence interval 2.4–19.4%), non-dominant leg power (9.4%; 3.3–16.0%) and non-dominant handgrip strength (6.3%; 1.2–11.5%) while the intervention effect was likely trivial (5.9%; 0.5–11.5%) for dominant handgrip strength. There was a likely small beneficial effect for predicted VO2max (8.4%; 1.8–15.4%) and small-moderate improvements across several domains of HRQoL. Conclusion: Combined upper- and lower-body HIT has small clinically relevant beneficial effects on muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness in older adults

Long work hours and the wellbeing of fathers and their families

The average hours worked by full-time employees in Australia have increased since the late 1970s. This, combined with increases in female labour force participation, has led to concerns about the impact of long work hours on family life. This paper explores the relationship between fathers' work hours, their own wellbeing and that of their families using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. The analysis is restricted to full-time employed fathers with a partner and dependent children. Overall, satisfaction with work hours decreases as the number of hours worked increases. However, long work hours are not necessarily, or even on average associated with pervasively lower wellbeing. Work hours are negatively related to only two of the thirteen measures of wellbeing examined. For fathers working very long hours, their satisfaction with their work hours is found to be very important to the relationship between work hours and wellbeing.

University-level Soccer Players Adopt a Unique ‘Pacing Strategy'

Letter to the editor: We were interested to read the recent article by Mugglestone et al. [9], which examined high-speed running performances of university soccer players during the early stages of each half in competitive match-play. The data is a welcome addition to a small body of work examining the intra-match trends in soccer work rate, with particular reference to the half-time interval and its impact upon players' subsequent physical performances. In this letter we direct the authors to several relevant studies that were not considered in their article [1] [3] [11] [12]. We hope that by highlighting these research contributions to the authors and readership, interpretation of intra-match analysis trends can be undertaken with necessary due care and caution