APPLICABILITY OF A FULL BODY INERTIAL MEASUREMENT SYSTEM FOR KINEMATIC ANALYSIS OF THE DISCUS THROW

The aim of the study was the application of a full body inertial measurement system (IMS) for a kinematic analysis of the discus throw and the evaluation of its applicability. For this purpose, one male sports student performed three discus throws equipped with the IMS. All trials were additionally filmed by high-speed video. The results indicate that perfor-mance-relevant information can be obtained regarding the temporal coordination of the body segments and body joint angles. Limitations exist for the accurate detection of the last foot contact related instant and the discus release instant by solely using the IMS data

Nucleon Polarizibilities for Virtual Photons

We generalize the sum rules for the nucleon electric plus magnetic polarizability $\Sigma=\alpha+\beta$ and for the nucleon spin-polarizability $\gamma$, to virtual photons with $Q^2>0$. The dominant low energy cross sections are represented in our calculation by one-pion-loop graphs of relativistic baryon chiral perturbation theory and the $\Delta(1232)$-resonance excitation. For the proton we find good agreement of the calculated $\Sigma_p(Q^2)$ with empirical values obtained from integrating up electroproduction data for $Q^2<0.4 GeV^2$. The proton spin-polarizability $\gamma_p(Q^2)$ switches sign around $Q^2= 0.4 GeV^2$ and it joins smoothly the "partonic" curve, extracted from polarized deep-inelastic scattering, around $Q^2=0.7 GeV^2$. For the neutron our predictions of $\Sigma_n(Q^2)$ and $\gamma_n(Q^2)$ agree reasonably well at $Q^2=0$ with existing determinations. Upcoming (polarized) electroproduction experiments will be able to test the generalized polarizability sum rules investigated here.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, submittes to Nuclear Physics

Radiative corrections to deep-inelastic ed−ed- scattering. Case of tensor polarized deuteron

The model-independent radiative corrections to deep-inelastic scattering of unpolarized electron beam off the tensor polarized deuteron target have been considered. The contribution to the radiative corrections due to the hard-photon emission from the elastic electron-deuteron scattering (the so-called elastic radiative tail) is also investigated. The calculation is based on the covariant parametrization of the deuteron quadrupole polarization tensor. The numerical estimates of the radiative corrections to the polarization observables have been done for the kinematical conditions of the current experiment at HERAComment: 21 pages, 5 figure

Antenatal Glucocorticoid Treatment is Associated with Diurnal Cortisol Regulation in Term-Born Children

Due to the rapid developmental changes that occur during the fetal period, prenatal influences can affect the developing central nervous system with lifelong consequences for physical and mental health. Glucocorticoids are one of the proposed mechanisms by which fetal programing occurs. Glucocorticoids pass through the blood-brain barrier and target receptors throughout the central nervous system. Unlike endogenous glucocorticoids, synthetic glucocorticoids readily pass through the placental barrier to reach the developing fetus. The synthetic glucocorticoid, betamethasone, is routinely given prenatally to mothers at risk for preterm delivery. Over 25% of the fetuses exposed to betamethasone will be born at term. Few studies have examined the lasting consequences of antenatal treatment of betamethasone on the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The purpose of this study is to examine whether antenatal exposure to betamethasone alters circadian cortisol regulation in children who were born full term. School-aged children prenatally treated with betamethasone and born at term (n=19, mean (SD) = 8.1 (1.2) years old) were compared to children not treated with antenatal glucocorticoids (n=61, mean (SD) = 8.2 (1.4) years old). To measure the circadian release of cortisol, saliva samples were collected at awakening; 30, 45, and 60 minutes after awakening; and in the evening. Comparison children showed a typical diurnal cortisol pattern that peaked in the morning (the cortisol awakening response) and gradually decreased throughout the day. In contrast, children exposed to antenatal betamethasone lacked a cortisol awakening response and had a flatter diurnal slope (p’

SDSS J013655.91+242546.0 - an A-type hyper-velocity star from the outskirts of the Galaxy

Hyper-velocity stars (HVS) are moving so fast that they are unbound to the Galaxy. Dynamical ejection by a supermassive black hole is favoured to explain their origin. Locating the place of birth of an individual HVS is of utmost importance to understanding the ejection mechanism. SDSS J013655.91+242546.0 (J0136+2425 for short) was found amongst three high-velocity stars (drawn from a sample of more than 10000 blue stars), for which proper motions were measured. A kinematical as well as a quantitative NLTE spectral analysis was performed. When combined with the radial velocity (RV) and the spectroscopic distance, the trajectory of the star in the Galactic potential was reconstructed. J0136+2425 is found to be an A-type main-sequence star travelling at $\approx$590 \kms, possibly unbound to the Galaxy and originating in the outer Galactic rim nowhere near the Galactic centre. J0136+2425 is the second HVS candidate with measured proper motion, besides the massive B star HD 271791, and also the second for which its proper motion excludes a Galactic centre origin and, hence, the SMBH slingshot mechanism. Most known HVS are late B-type stars of about 3 M$_\odot$. With a mass of 2.45 M$_\odot$, J0136+2425 resembles a typical HVS far more than HD 271791 does. Hence, this is the first time that a typical HVS is found not to originate in the Galactic centre. Its ejection velocity from the disk is so high (550 \kms) that the extreme supernova binary scenario proposed for HD 271791 is very unlikely.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Modeling Evolutionary Dynamics of Lurking in Social Networks

Lurking is a complex user-behavioral phenomenon that occurs in all large-scale online communities and social networks. It generally refers to the behavior characterizing users that benefit from the information produced by others in the community without actively contributing back to the production of social content. The amount and evolution of lurkers may strongly affect an online social environment, therefore understanding the lurking dynamics and identifying strategies to curb this trend are relevant problems. In this regard, we introduce the Lurker Game, i.e., a model for analyzing the transitions from a lurking to a non-lurking (i.e., active) user role, and vice versa, in terms of evolutionary game theory. We evaluate the proposed Lurker Game by arranging agents on complex networks and analyzing the system evolution, seeking relations between the network topology and the final equilibrium of the game. Results suggest that the Lurker Game is suitable to model the lurking dynamics, showing how the adoption of rewarding mechanisms combined with the modeling of hypothetical heterogeneity of users' interests may lead users in an online community towards a cooperative behavior.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures. Accepted at CompleNet 201

Towards a self-consistent model of the convective core boundary in upper-main-sequence stars

There is strong observational evidence that convective cores of intermediate-mass and massive main-sequence stars are substantially larger than standard stellar-evolution models predict. However, it is unclear what physical processes cause this phenomenon or how to predict the extent and stratification of stellar convective boundary layers. Convective penetration is a thermal-time-scale process that is likely to be particularly relevant during the slow evolution on the main sequence. We use our low-Mach-number Seven-League Hydro (SLH) code to study this process in 2.5D and 3D geometries. Starting with a chemically homogeneous model of a $15$ M$_\odot$ zero-age main-sequence star, we construct a series of simulations with the luminosity increased and opacity decreased by the same factor ranging from $10^3$ to $10^6$. After reaching thermal equilibrium, all of our models show a clear penetration layer. Its thickness becomes statistically constant in time and it is shown to converge upon grid refinement. As the luminosity is decreased, the penetration layer becomes nearly adiabatic with a steep transition to a radiative stratification. This structure corresponds to the adiabatic ,,step overshoot'' model often employed in stellar-evolution calculations. The thickness of the penetration layer slowly decreases with decreasing luminosity. Depending on how we extrapolate our 3D data to the actual luminosity of the initial stellar model, we obtain penetration distances ranging from $0.09$ to $0.44$ pressure scale heights, which are broadly compatible with observations.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figures, submitted to A&

Altered Dopamine Signaling in Naturally Occurring Maternal Neglect

Child neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment, yet the biological basis of maternal neglect is poorly understood and a rodent model is lacking.The current study characterizes a population of mice (MaD1) which naturally exhibit maternal neglect (little or no care of offspring) at an average rate of 17% per generation. We identified a set of risk factors that can predict future neglect of offspring, including decreased self-grooming and elevated activity. At the time of neglect, neglectful mothers swam significantly more in a forced swim test relative to nurturing mothers. Cross-fostered offspring raised by neglectful mothers in turn exhibit increased expression of risk factors for maternal neglect and decreased maternal care as adults, suggestive of possible epigenetic contributions to neglect. Unexpectedly, offspring from neglectful mothers elicited maternal neglect from cross-fostered nurturing mothers, suggesting that factors regulating neglect are not solely within the mother. To identify a neurological pathway underlying maternal neglect, we examined brain activity in neglectful and nurturing mice. c-Fos expression was significantly elevated in neglectful relative to nurturing mothers in the CNS, particularly within dopamine associated areas, such as the zona incerta (ZI), ventral tegmental area (VTA), and nucleus accumbens. Phosphorylated tyrosine hydroxylase (a marker for dopamine production) was significantly elevated in ZI and higher in VTA (although not significantly) in neglectful mice. Tyrosine hydroxylase levels were unaltered, suggesting a dysregulation of dopamine activity rather than cell number. Phosphorylation of DARPP-32, a marker for dopamine D1-like receptor activation, was elevated within nucleus accumbens and caudate-putamen in neglectful versus nurturing dams.These findings suggest that atypical dopamine activity within the maternal brain, especially within regions involved in reward, is involved in naturally occurring neglect and that MaD1 mice are a useful model for understanding the basis of naturally occurring neglect

HE 0437-5439 -- an unbound hyper-velocity main-sequence B-type star

We report the discovery of a 16th magnitude star, HE0437-5439, with a heliocentric radial velocity of +723+-3km/s. A quantitative spectral analysis of high-resolution optical spectra obtained with the VLT and the UVES spectrograph shows that HE0437-5439 is a main sequence B-type star with Teff=20350K, log g=3.77, solar within a factor of a few helium abundance and metal content, rotating at v sin i=54km/s. Using appropriate evolutionary tracks we derive a mass of 8 Msun and a corresponding distance of 61 kpc. Its galactic rest frame velocity is at least 563km/s, almost twice the local Galactic escape velocity, indicating that the star is unbound to the Galaxy. Numerical kinematical experiments are carried out to constrain its place of birth. It has been suggested that such hyper-velocity stars can be formed by the tidal disruption of a binary through interaction with the super-massive black hole at the Galactic center (GC). HE0437-5439 needs about 100Myrs to travel from the GC to its presentposition, much longer than its main sequence lifetime of 25Myrs. This can only be reconciled if HE0437-5439 is a blue straggler star. In this case, the predicted proper motion is so small that it can only be measured by future space missions. Since the star is much closer to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC, 18kpc) than to the GC, it can reach its position from the center of the LMC. The proper motion predicted in this case is about 2mas/y (relative to the LMC), large enough to be measurable with conventional techniques from the ground. The LMC origin could also be tested by a high-precision abundance analysis.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures. Astrophysical Journal Letters, accepte