Bimodal chemical evolution of the Galactic disk and the Barium abundance of Cepheids

In order to understand the Barium abundance distribution in the Galactic disk based on Cepheids, one must first be aware of important effects of the corotation resonance, situated a little beyond the solar orbit. The thin disk of the Galaxy is divided in two regions that are separated by a barrier situated at that radius. Since the gas cannot get across that barrier, the chemical evolution is independent on the two sides of it. The barrier is caused by the opposite directions of flows of gas, on the two sides, in addition to a Cassini-like ring void of HI (caused itself by the flows). A step in the metallicity gradient developed at corotation, due to the difference in the average star formation rate on the two sides, and to this lack of communication between them. In connection with this, a proof that the spiral arms of our Galaxy are long-lived (a few billion years) is the existence of this step. When one studies the abundance gradients by means of stars which span a range of ages, like the Cepheids, one has to take into account that stars, contrary to the gas, have the possibility of crossing the corotation barrier. A few stars born on the high metallicity side are seen on the low metallicity one, and vice-versa. In the present work we re-discuss the data on Barium abundance in Cepheids as a function of Galactic radius, taking into account the scenario described above. The [Ba/H] ratio, plotted as a function of Galactic radius, apparently presents a distribution with two branches in the external region (beyond corotation). One can re-interpret the data and attribute the upper branch to the stars that were born on the high metallicity side. The lower branch, analyzed separately, indicates that the stars born beyond corotation have a rising Barium metallicity as a function of Galactic radius.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, Proceedings of IAU Symposium 29

A novel mutation in SACS gene in a family from southern Italy

A form of autosomal recessive spastic ataxia (ARSACS) has been described in the Charlevoix and Saguenay regions of Quebec. So far a frameshift and a nonsense mutation have been identified in the SACS gene. The authors report a new mutation (1859insC), leading to a frameshift with a premature termination of the gene product sacsin, in two sisters from consanguineous parents. The phenotype is similar to previously described patients with ARSACS

Thermal/electrical properties and texture of carbon black pc polymer composites near the electrical percolation threshold

Polycarbonate (PC), a thermoplastic polymer with excellent properties, is used in many advanced technological applications. When PC is blended with other polymers or additives, new properties, such as electrical properties, can be available. In this study, carbon black (CB) was melt-compounded with PC to produce polymer compounds with compositions (10–16 wt.% of CB), which are close to or above the electrical percolation threshold (13.5–14 wt.% of CB). Effects due to nanofiller dispersion/aggregation in the polymer matrix, together with phase composition, glass transition temperature, morphology and textural properties, were studied by using thermal analysis methods (thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry) and scanning electron microscopy. The DC electrical properties of these materials were also investigated by means of electrical conductivity measurements and correlated with the “structure” of the CB, to better explain the behaviour of the composites close to the percolation threshold

The path curvature of the body centre of mass during walking as an index of balance control in patients with Multiple Sclerosis

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The path curvature of the centre of mass (CM), mechanically representative of the whole body system, may provide hints to detection of fall risk during walking. Here, an example is taken from results of an ongoing controlled study. It shows the comparison between the CM path in a healthy subject and in a fully autonomous patient with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). METHODS: A representative healthy subject (woman, 26 years, 1.55 m tall) and a MS patient (woman, 34 years, 1.65 m tall, with very mild left hemiparesis) are presented. Subjects walked on a force-sensorized treadmill (1) at 0.6 m/s. Data were averaged across 6 subsequent strides. The 3D displacements of the CM were computed via double integration of the ground reaction forces (Cavagna's Method). The path curvature of the CM during one stride was computed according to the Frenet-Serret formula (2). The instantaneous efficiency of the kinetic-potential, pendulum-like energy transfer of the CM was also computed (percent recovery, R: 100%=complete recovery, i.e. fully passive CM translation) (3). RESULTS: The left and right panels refer to the control and the MS subject, respectively. In the upper set of panels the human sketches on top of the figure help identifying the stride phases (% cycle) and give a frontal and a sagittal perspectives. The first and second rows of curves from the top give the instantaneous R and the path curvature of the CM during one stride. Each step begins with the single stance of the front leg (R=right; L=left). The horizontal bars under the curves mark the double and the single stance phases (continuous and dashed lines, respectively; grey tract=left step). The lower set of panels (closed curves) gives the planar projections of the CM path during the same stride. The space-time correspondence between the 2 sets of curves is facilitated by the shared A-D labeling of peak curvatures and the shared graphic conventions (dashed line=single stance; gray tract=left step). In both steps the curvature is peaking when R suddenly drops from 100 to 0, demonstrating that the passive pendulum-like mechanism of translation is briskly substituted by a short lasting, fully muscle-driven, propulsion. The highest peaks (A and C) are coincident with the lateral redirection during single stance. Of note, the patient's CM path is characterized by a 10-fold higher C peak (single stance, paretic-to-unaffected side redirection). This may be interpreted as a feature of "escape" limp, barely perceivable by clinical observation, when seen from the perspective of the body CM on the horizontal plane (bottom curves). CONCLUSIONS: Increased curvature peaks may reveal the attempt to shorten the stance on the affected side yet, placing at risk the lateral stability of the body. REFERENCES:[1] Tesio L, Rota V, Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2008;87:515-526 [2] Tesio L et al, J Biomech 2011;44:732-740 [3] Cavagna GA, J Appl Physiol 1975;39:174-179

Signature of the presence of a third body orbiting around XB 1916-053

The ultra-compact dipping source \object{XB 1916-053} has an orbital period of close to 50 min and a companion star with a very low mass (less than 0.1 M$_{\odot}$). The orbital period derivative of the source was estimated to be $1.5(3) \times 10^{-11}$ s/s through analysing the delays associated with the dip arrival times obtained from observations spanning 25 years, from 1978 to 2002. The known orbital period derivative is extremely large and can be explained by invoking an extreme, non-conservative mass transfer rate that is not easily justifiable. We extended the analysed data from 1978 to 2014, by spanning 37 years, to verify whether a larger sample of data can be fitted with a quadratic term or a different scenario has to be considered. We obtained 27 delays associated with the dip arrival times from data covering 37 years and used different models to fit the time delays with respect to a constant period model.We find that the quadratic form alone does not fit the data. The data are well fitted using a sinusoidal term plus a quadratic function or, alternatively, with a series of sinusoidal terms that can be associated with a modulation of the dip arrival times due to the presence of a third body that has an elliptical orbit. We infer that for a conservative mass transfer scenario the modulation of the delays can be explained by invoking the presence of a third body with mass between 0.10-0.14 M$_{\odot}$, orbital period around the X-ray binary system of close to 51 yr and an eccentricity of $0.28 \pm 0.15$. In a non-conservative mass transfer scenario we estimate that the fraction of matter yielded by the degenerate companion star and accreted onto the neutron star is $\beta = 0.08$, the neutron star mass is $\ge 2.2$ M$_{\odot}$, and the companion star mass is 0.028 M$_{\odot}$. (Abridged)Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in A&

Alteration of the Growth Hormone Axis, Visceral Fat Dysfunction and Early Cardiometabolic Risk in Adults: The Role of The Visceral Adiposity Index

The aim of the study is to clarify the relationship between adipose tissue dysfunction, metabolic profile and growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I secretion in healthy adult subjects. We investigated the metabolic profile in a cohort of 231 consecutive healthy subjects in relation to GH, IGF-I levels, and visceral adiposity index (VAI). Anthropometric measures, lipid profile, and glucose and insulin levels during oral glucose tolerance test, Homa-IR and ISI Matsuda, IGF-I and GH peak after GHRH plus Arginine test were analyzed. The subjects with high VAI showed lower GH peak (22.8 ± 11.1 vs. 42.2 ± 21.3 µg/L; p = 0.049) and lower IGF-I (presented as IGF-I under normal range, UNR) (0.54 ± 0.14 vs. 0.64 ± 0.12; p = 0.005) than group with normal VAI. ROC curve analysis identified the cut-off, able to detect subjects with high VAI, i.e., 31.8 µg/L for GH peak and 0.63 for IGF-1 UNR. The subjects with GH peak and IGF-I UNR under the cut-off showed significantly higher levels of VAI, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, glucose and insulin levels, Homa-IR, and lower ISI Matsuda, with a concomitant worse lipid profile (all p < 0.001). A strong relationship between GH axis, VAI and metabolic risk has been demonstrated. A percentage of apparently healthy subjects show a degree of visceral adipose dysfunction associated with GH and IGF-I levels that do not meet the criteria of overt GH deficiency (GHD). Long-term prospective studies could help to clarify and confirm whether a hypothetical condition of subclinical GHD could be taken into account as a new clinical entity

Numerical and experimental investigations of the supersonic microramp wake

The flow past a microramp immersed in a supersonic turbulent boundary layer is studied by means of numerical simulations with the implicit large-eddy simulation technique and experiments conducted with tomographic particle image velocimetry. The experimental data are mostly used to verify the validity of the numerical results by ample comparisons on the time-averaged velocity, turbulent statistics, and vortex intensity. Although some discrepancies are observed on the intensity of the upwash motion generated by the streamwise vortex pair, the rates of the recovery of momentum deficit and the decay of streamwise vortex pair intensity are found in good agreement. The instantaneous flow organization is inspected, making use of the flow realizations available from implicit large-eddy simulation. The flow behind the microramp exhibits significant large-scale unsteady fluctuations. Notably, the quasi-conical shear layer enclosing the wake is strongly undulated under the action of Kelvin–Helmholtz (K–H) vortices. The resulted vortices induce localized high-speed arches in the outer region and a deceleration within the wake associated with ejection of low-momentum fluid. Because of the presence of the K–H vortex, the streamwise vortex filaments exhibit downward and outward motions. The further evolution of vortical structures within the wake features the development of K–H vortices from arch shape to full ring in the far wake, under the effects of the streamwise vortices, which induce an inward motion of the vortex legs and eventually connect the vortex at the bottom