Four New Delta Scuti Pulsators from a Variability Survey of 131 Stars

In a photometric variability survey of 131 stars with B < 14 mag, we have found four new Delta Scuti stars. We were sensitive to oscillation amplitudes as low as a few mmag. The detection rate of short-period (P < 0.1 d) pulsating variable stars, which may be relevant for planned large variability surveys such as GAIA, POI, and even the LSST, was therefore 3%. All four new variable stars have low pulsation amplitude (tens of mmag), and one has a very short period (0.0198 d). This star is one of the fastest known Delta Scuti pulsators. The short period of this variable star makes it observationally tractable, and it may therefore be a particularly good candidate for asteroseismological studies. All four new variable stars will add to the cadre of low-amplitude and relatively short-period Delta Scuti stars that are potentially useful for learning about the structure of stars on or near the main sequence, slightly more massive than the Sun.Comment: To appear in the June 2002 issue of PASP, 9 pages, 6 figure

Afhængighed af pengespil i Grønland – et sociologisk perspektiv på misbrug og afhængighed i et samfund under hastig forandring

Formålet med herværende artikel er at undersøge sammenhængen mellem den samfundsmæssige udvikling og sociale problemer i Grønland eksemplificeret ved afhængighed af pengespil. Der tages udgangspunkt i en sociologisk forståelse af begrebet sociale patologier og social transition. Afhængighed af pengespil sættes ligeledes i relation til misbrug af alkohol og hash. Data er indsamlet i byer og bygder i hele Grønland som led i det internationale forskningsprojekt Inuit Health in Transition og bestod dels af en klinisk undersøgelse, samt interview og et selvudfyldt skema. I alt 2.454 personer deltog i interviewundersøgelsen (63%) og heraf udfyldte 2.189 personer det selvudfyldte spørgeskema (56%). Analysen af afhængighed af pengespil i relation til social transition viser, at afhængighed af pengespil forekommer i et mindre omfang blandt fangere og fiskere i bygderne samt de veluddannede professionelle i byerne sammenlignet med de øvrige sociale grupper i samfundet. Blandt problemspillere er både alkohol- og hashmisbrug udbredt. Den lavere forekomst af problemspil blandt fangere/fiskere i bygder samt blandt professionelle i byer kan være et tegn på, at social integration i den dominerende livsstil, der hvor man bor, har betydning for afhængigheden af pengespil. Sammenfaldet mellem misbrug viser desuden, at det ikke giver mening at betragte spilleafhængigheden som et isoleret problem. ENGELSK ABSTRACT: Christina Viskum Lytken Larsen: Pathological Gambling Among Greenland Inuit – A Sociological Approach to Addictive Behavior in a Society Undergoing Rapid Transition The aim of this paper is to analyze the social problems in Greenland in relation to the rapid transition which characterizes the Greenlandic society by using a sociological perspective on social pathologies and social transition. Pathological gambling is used as an example of the high prevalence of social problems that proposes a current challenge in modern Greenland. The association between pathological gambling, use of alcohol and marijuana is also analyzed. Data was collected in towns and villages across Greenland as a part of the international study Inuit Health in Transition. A total of 2454 persons were interviewed and 2189 of these also filled out a self-administered questionnaire. The study shows that the prevalence of pathological gambling is lower among hunters and fishermen in villages and professionals in towns than in other social groups. In addition the prevalence of harmful use of alcohol and marijuana among pathological gamblers was relatively high. A significant association between pathological gambling and social groups defined by their involvement in the ongoing social transition suggests that people caught between tradition and modern ways of life are especially vulnerable. Furthermore, the association between pathological gambling and other addictive behaviors underlines the importance of a comprehensive approach in understanding these phenomena. Keywords: gambling, inuit, Greenland, social pathology, addictive behavior

Spectroscopy of the roAp star Alpha-Cir -- II. The bisector and equivalent-width of the H-alpha line

We present bisector measurements of the H-alpha line of the rapidly oscillating Ap (roAp) star, Alpha-Cir, obtained from dual-site observations with medium-dispersion spectrographs. The velocity amplitude and phase of the principal pulsation mode vary significantly, depending on the height in the H-alpha line, including a phase reversal between the core and the wings of the line. This supports the theory, suggested in Paper I, of a radial pulsational node in the atmosphere of the star. Blending with metal lines partially affects the H-alpha bisector results but probably not enough to explain the phase reversal. We have also detected changes in the equivalent-width of the line during the pulsation, and measured the oscillatory signal as a function of wavelength across the H-alpha region.Comment: 13 pages, 14 figures, accepted by MNRA

Parents’ perspectives on preparing for parenthood: a qualitative study on Greenland’s universal parenting programme MANU 0–1 year

Background The transition to parenthood has received increasing attention in research, partly due to evidence pointing out the crucial developmental period of a child’s first thousand days. Parenting programmes aim to prepare and support families in their transition and distress. For a programme to be implemented successfully it is important to consider parents’ needs and resources. Bringing parents’ perspectives and experiences to the forefront of the implementation of the Greenlandic parenting programme MANU 0–1 Year (MANU) is important for determining if the programme can meet its aim of contributing to thriving families. This study aims to investigate how parents’ notions and experiences of parenthood are reflected and challenged in MANU. Method Data were collected in three of Greenland’s five municipalities. Qualitative interviews were held with 38 mothers and 12 fathers either individually or as couples: a total of 40 interviews. Additionally, a Sharing Circle with three fathers was held. Interviews were in Greenlandic or Danish. A thematic, inductive analysis was applied. Results In their transition to parenthood, participants experienced a reprioritisation of their life and changes in their network. It is important to parents that their child experiences security and care, and participants describe this in contrast to their own childhood. Community is the most important value in child-rearing. Conversations and advice from family members and friends are mentioned as a means to prepare for birth and parenthood. Additionally, conversations with midwives and MANU sessions were also used for preparation. Parents appreciated learning from and listening to other parents in MANU sessions. However, accessing MANU depends on the individual parent’s interest and ability to attend sessions. Conclusions Parents’ notions and experiences of parenthood are addressed in the programme, but the use of MANU depends on the parents’ attendance and how it is organised and locally offered. The study suggests that MANU has the possibility to create a space for parents to reflect and prepare. However, for MANU to be universal as intended and to reach both mother and father the facilitation of sessions could be revisited

Motives for leisure-time physical activity participation: an analysis of their prevalence, consistency and associations with activity type and social background.

BACKGROUND Studies argue that knowledge about motives for physical activity participation can inform activities, initiatives and interventions to promote physical activity. However, most of these studies are based on small sample sizes and only include participants within a few selected types of PA. Further, they have not examined the consistency of individuals' motives across different activity types. As a result, this article examines RQ1: the most prevalent motives, RQ2: the association of motives with activity type and social background characteristics, and RQ3: the consistency of motives across different activity types. METHODS We utilised data from a survey of physical activity participation among 163,000 adult Danes (aged 15 + years). In the survey, the participants were asked about their participation in thirteen activity types and about their motives for practising the activity types they reported to do at least weekly. The motive items were operationalised based on the eight dimensions in the Physical Activity and Leisure Motivation Scale (PALMS). We conducted analyses of mean values and standard deviations as well as multilevel regression analyses. RESULTS We identified large differences in the importance of different motives for physical activity participation. The three most important motives were psychological condition (M = 4.54), physical condition (M = 4.48) and enjoyment (M = 4.36). We also found significant associations between motives and activity types in particular, but also between motives and social background characteristics (gender, age and educational level). For instance, we found that compared to running, physical condition was a much less important motive in outdoor activities (b = -3.01), activities on water (b = -2.44) and street sports (b = -2.38). Finally, our analysis showed how individuals' motives are not consistent across different activity types. CONCLUSIONS Our study contributes to the literature on motives for physical activity participation by using a large sample of individuals and by differentiating motives according to a wide range of activity types. The results underline the need to study motives in relation to activity types, as there are large differences in the prevalence of different motives. Our findings suggest that motives are not consistent across activity types, but rather they develop in an interplay between the individual and the activity type practised

Variable stars in the Open Cluster M11 (NGC 6705)

V-band time-series CCD photometric observations of the intermediate-age open cluster M11 were performed to search for variable stars. Using these time-series data, we carefully examined light variations of all stars in the observing field. A total of 82 variable stars were discovered, of which 39 stars had been detected recently by Hargis et al. (2005). On the basis of observational properties such as variable period, light curve shape, and position on a color-magnitude diagram, we classified their variable types as 11 delta Scuti-type pulsating stars, 2 gamma Doradus-type pulsating stars, 40 W UMa-type contact eclipsing binaries, 13 Algol-type detached eclipsing binaries, and 16 eclipsing binaries with long period. Cluster membership for each variable star was deduced from the previous proper motion results (McNamara et al. 1977) and position on the color-magnitude diagram. Many pulsating stars and eclipsing binaries in the region of M11 are probable members of the cluster.Comment: 23 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables, and accepted for publication in PAS