Eden growth model for aggregation of charged particles

The stochastic Eden model of charged particles aggregation in two-dimensional systems is presented. This model is governed by two parameters: screening length of electrostatic interaction, $\lambda$, and short range attraction energy, $E$. Different patterns of finite and infinite aggregates are observed. They are of following types of morphologies: linear or linear with bending, warm-like, DBM (dense-branching morphology), DBM with nucleus, and compact Eden-like. The transition between the different modes of growth is studied and phase diagram of the growth structures is obtained in $\lambda, E$ co-ordinates. The detailed aggregate structure analysis, including analysis of their fractal properties, is presented. The scheme of the internal inhomogeneous structure of aggregates is proposed.Comment: Revtex, 9 pages with 12 postscript figure

Deterministic growth model of Laplacian charged particle aggregates

The results of the computer simulation of the aggregates growth of the similarly charged particles in the framework of deterministic Laplacian growth model on a square lattice are presented. Cluster growth is controlled by three parameters ${p, E,\lambda}$, where $p$ - Laplacian growth parameter, $E$ - energy of a particle sticking to a cluster, $\lambda$ - the screening length of electrostatic interactions. The phase diagram of cluster growth is built in the co-ordinates ${E,\lambda}$. The zones of different cluster morphology are selected: I-the zone of finite X-like structures,II-the zone of infinite ramified structures, controlled by electrostatic interactions, III-the zone of infinite structures with electrostatic interactions effectively switched off. Simple electrostatic estimations of the locations of the zone boundaries are presented. It is shown that in general case within the zone II the continuous change of $D_f$, controlled by parameters ${p, E,\lambda}$, takes place. In the degeneration limit when the given model transforms into deterministic version of the Eden model (at $p=0$), the crossover from linear $(D_f=1)$ to compact $(D_f=2)$ structures is observed when passing through the boundary between the zones I and II.Comment: REVTEX, 3 pages with 4 postscript figure

Tapping into rhythm generation circuitry in humans during simulated weightlessness conditions

An ability to produce rhythmic activity is ubiquitous for locomotor pattern generation and modulation. The role that the rhythmogenesis capacity of the spinal cord plays in injured populations has become an area of interest and systematic investigation among researchers in recent years, despite its importance being long recognized by neurophysiologists and clinicians. Given that each individual interneuron, as a rule, receives a broad convergence of various supraspinal and sensory inputs and may contribute to a vast repertoire of motor actions, the importance of assessing the functional state of the spinal locomotor circuits becomes increasingly evident. Air-stepping can be used as a unique and important model for investigating human rhythmogenesis since its manifestation is largely facilitated by a reduction of external resistance. This article aims to provide a review on current issues related to the "locomotor" state and interactions between spinal and supraspinal influences on the central pattern generator (CPG) circuitry in humans, which may be important for developing gait rehabilitation strategies in individuals with spinal cord and brain injuries

Coupling of upper and lower limb pattern generators during human crawling at different arm/leg speed combinations

A crawling paradigm was performed by healthy adults to examine inter-limb coupling patterns and to understand how central pattern generators (CPGs) for the upper and lower limbs are coordinated. Ten participants performed hands-and-feet crawling on two separate treadmills, one for the upper limbs and another one for the lower limbs, the speed of each of them being changed independently. A 1:1 frequency relationship was often maintained even when the treadmill speed was not matched between the upper and lower limbs. However, relative stance durations in the upper limbs were only affected by changes of the upper limb treadmill speed, suggesting that although absolute times are adjusted, the relative proportions of stances and swing do not adapt to changes in lower limb treadmill speeds. With large differences between treadmill speeds, changes in upper and lower limb coupling ratio tended to occur when the upper limbs stepped at slower speeds than the lower limbs, but more rarely the other way around. These findings are in sharp contrast with those in the cat, where forelimbs always follow the rhythm of the faster moving hindlimbs. However, the fact that an integer frequency ratio is often maintained between the upper and lower limbs supports evidence of coupled CPG control. We speculate that the preference for the upper limb to decrease step frequency at lower speeds in humans may be due to weaker ascending propriospinal connections and/or a larger influence of cortical control on the upper limbs which allows for an overriding of spinal CPG control

Shape of primary proton spectrum in multi-TeV region from data on vertical muon flux

It is shown, that primary proton spectrum, reconstructed from sea-level and underground data on muon spectrum with the use of QGSJET 01, QGSJET II, NEXUS 3.97 and SIBYLL 2.1 interaction models, demonstrates not only model-dependent intensity, but also model-dependent form. For correct reproduction of muon spectrum shape primary proton flux should have non-constant power index for all considered models, except SIBYLL 2.1, with break at energies around 10-15 TeV and value of exponent before break close to that obtained in ATIC-2 experiment. To validate presence of this break understanding of inclusive spectra behavior in fragmentation region in p-air collisions should be improved, but we show, that it is impossible to do on the basis of the existing experimental data on primary nuclei, atmospheric muon and hadron fluxes.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Spinal motoneurons of the human newborn are highly synchronized during leg movements

Motoneurons of neonatal rodents show synchronous activity that modulates the development of the neuromuscular system. However, the characteristics of the activity of human neonatal motoneurons are largely unknown. Using a noninvasive neural interface, we identified the discharge timings of individual spinal motoneurons in human newborns. We found highly synchronized activities of motoneurons of the tibialis anterior muscle, which were associated with fast leg movements. Although neonates' motor units exhibited discharge rates similar to those of adults, their synchronization was significantly greater than in adults. Moreover, neonatal motor units showed coherent oscillations in the delta band, which is directly translated into force generation. These results suggest that motoneuron synchronization in human neonates might be an important mechanism for controlling fast limb movements, such as those of primitive reflexes. In addition to help revealing mechanisms of development, the proposed neural interface might monitor children at risk of developing motor disorders

Is PSR B0943+10 a low-mass quark star?

A recent X-ray observation has shown that the radio pulsar PSR B0943+10, with clear drifting subpulses, has a much smaller polar cap area than that of conventional pulsars with mass of \sim\msun and radius of $\sim10$ km. Zhang et al. (2005) addressed then that this new result conflicts with the standard vacuum gap model. Nonetheless, the discrepancy could be explained if PSR B0943+10 is actually a low-mass quark star. It is found that the potential drop in the open-field-line region of oblique pulsars (i.e., inclination angle $\alpha\neq 0$) might be $\sim 10^2$ times that of aligned pulsars, and that PSR B0943+10 with $\alpha = 12.4^{\rm o}$ could be well above the deathline. We thus conclude that the Ruderman-Sutherland-type vacuum gap model still works well for this pulsar if it is a bare quark star with a mass of $\sim 0.02M_\odot$ and a radius of $\sim 2.6$ km.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter

International standards of penitentiary activity: impact on the development of the penitentiary activity of the CIS countries

Overcrowding in prisons is a common problem that affects many countries. It is difficult to define this term because there is no single internationally accepted standard. This article presents a comparative study of international standards for the activities of doctors in penitentiary institutions as an integral part of international standards of penitentiary activity. The authors investigated the methods and the degree of their impact on the penitentiary legislation of the Russian Federation and other CIS countries. The conclusion is drawn about the positive role of such standards in improving the national penitentiary legislation in order to increase the level of medical care for prisoner

Blocking from continuum and monopoles in gluodynamics

We review the method of blocking of topological defects from continuum used as a non--perturbative tool to construct effective actions for these defects. The actions are formulated in the continuum limit while the couplings of these actions can be derived from simple observables calculated numerically on lattices with a finite lattice spacing. We demonstrate the success of the method in deriving the effective actions for Abelian monopoles in the pure SU(2) gauge models in an Abelian gauge. In particular, we discuss the gluodynamics in three and four space--time dimensions at zero and non--zero temperatures. Besides the action the quantities of our interest are the monopole density, the magnetic Debye mass and the monopole condensate.Comment: 24 pages, 16 figures, RevTeX 4; To be published in Phys. Atom. Nucl. dedicated to the 70th Birthday of Professor Yu. A. Simono

Rotating Black Hole, Twistor-String and Spinning Particle

We discuss basic features of the model of spinning particle based on the Kerr solution. It contains a very nontrivial {\it real} stringy structure consisting of the Kerr circular string and an axial stringy system. We consider also the complex and twistorial structures of the Kerr geometry and show that there is a {\it complex} twistor-string built of the complex N=2 chiral string with a twistorial $(x,\theta)$ structure. By imbedding into the real Minkowski $\bf M^4$, the N=2 supersymmetry is partially broken and string acquires the open ends. Orientifolding this string, we identify the chiral and antichiral structures. Target space of this string is equivalent to the Witten's `diagonal' of the $\bf CP^3\times CP^{*3}.$Comment: 19 p. 4 figures, extended version of hep-th/0412065, based on the talk given at the Conference `Symmetries and Spin'(SPIN-Praha-2004) July 200