Emergence of self-similarity in football dynamics

The multiplayer dynamics of a football game is analyzed to unveil self-similarities in the time evolution of player and ball positioning. Temporal fluctuations in both the team-turf boundary and the ball location are uncovered to follow the rules of fractional Brownian motion with a Hurst exponent of H=0.7. The persistence time below which self-similarity holds is found to be several tens of seconds, implying a characteristic time scale that governs far-from-equilibrium motion on a playing field.Comment: Figures 1 and 2 are blurred due to file-size restriction. Sharply-defined images can be viewed in the final version published by European Physical Journal

Assessment of Molecular Cytogenetic Methods for the Detection of Chromosomal Abnormalities

Some marker chromosomes and chromosome rearrangements are difficult to identify using G-bands by Giemsa staining after trypsin treatment (G-banding) alone. Molecular cytogenetic techniques, such as spectral karyotyping (SKY) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), can help to detect chromosomal aberrations precisely. We analyzed the karyotypes in 6 cases of multiple congenital abnormalities and 1 case of spontaneous abortion (case 2). Three cases (cases 1, 6, and 7) had marker chromosomes, and 4 cases (cases 2-5) had chromosomal rearrangements. The karyotypes in cases 1, 2, and 3 were determined using FISH with probes based on the clinical findings and family histories. Spectral karyotyping (SKY) analysis in cases 4-7 showed that this method is useful and saves time. The combination of SKY and FISH analyses defi ned the range of the ring chromosome in case 7. We demonstrated that a combination of G-banding, FISH, and SKY can be applied effectively to the investigation of chromosomal rearrangement and to the detection of marker chromosome origins. We suggest the use of these methods for prenatal diagnosis, in which the inherent time limitations are particularly important

La Geocronología del yacimiento pleistocénico de Lezetxiki (Arrasate, País Vasco) : Crítica de las dataciones existentes y algunas nuevas aportaciones

El yacimiento pleistocénico de Lezetxiki se sitúa en la provincia de Gipuzkoa, en el País Vasco peninsular. El depósito ha sido objeto de intentos de datación mediante métodos alternativos. En efecto, resulta muy importante establecer un cuadro geocronológico para este yacimiento excepcional, en el que han sido localizados restos humanos fósiles asociados a elementos faunísticos e industrias humanas. En este artículo se presenta un estado de la cuestión acerca de las diferentes analíticas y estudios que se han aplicado en Lezetxiki, tanto geológicos y paleoambientales, como tecnotipológicos. Tras esta presentación pluridisciplinar, se procede a efectuar una recopilación exhaustiva de las dataciones efectuadas sobre diversos tipos de muestra y diferentes métodos radiométricos

Gaze Cuing Effects in Peripheral Vision

When we see another person’s gaze, spatial attention shifts toward the gaze direction. Thus, a gaze perceiver can more quickly respond to a forthcoming target when it appears in a direction of a gaze giver than when it does not. This phenomenon is termed the gaze cuing effect. Previous studies have investigated the gaze cuing effect only in foveal vision; hence, it remains unclear whether the gaze cuing effect is induced when a face is presented in peripheral vision. This is an important issue because in our daily lives we communicate not only with people in front of us but also with those in our periphery. To tackle this question, we manipulated vertically aligned locations of a facial stimulus (i.e., a face stimulus appeared above or below the center fixation) and tested the extent to which a gaze cuing effect, conveyed by gaze shifts of another, is observed in the periphery. The facial stimulus was located 0, ±2.5, ±5.0, and ±7.5° of the visual angle from the center of the display, and a target was presented 5.6° to the left or right of the center of the display. In Experiment 1, when participants responded to the location of an abrupt onset of a target (i.e., localization task), we observed significant gaze cuing effects when a facial stimulus was located 0, ±2.5, and ±5.0°, but not ±7.5°. In Experiment 2, we replicated the findings in Experiment 1 if participants pressed a key only when a target appeared (i.e., detection task). In Experiment 3, we used adjusted sizes of facial images based on the cortical representations and manipulated eye directions of the facial images oriented toward the possible target locations; it resulted in enlarged effective field of view for gaze cuing effects. The study reveals that gaze cuing effects can appear even in peripheral vision and within a vertical distance of 5.0° of the visual angles, but the effective field of view is expanded when the facial image is adjusted based on the cortical representations, and eye gaze directly looks at the possible target locations

Quantitative estimation of renal blood flow by power Doppler ultrasonography in renovascular hypertensive dogs

Quantitative estimation of renal blood flow by power Doppler ultrasonography in renovascular hypertensive dogs.BackgroundWe estimated the value of power Doppler (PD) imaging analysis for the quantitative assessment of renal cortical blood flow (RCBF) in chronic two-kidney, one-clip (2K-1C) hypertensive dogs.MethodsTo evaluate the correlation between RCBF and PD signals, RCBF and the mean pixel intensity (MPI) of PD signals were simultaneously obtained at same region in renal cortex under progressive constriction of left main renal artery in five mongrel dogs. RCBF was measured by electrolytic hydrogen gas clearance method, and PD images were transferred to computer and analyzed by the image-analysis software Openlab®. To assess the value of quantitative PD imaging analysis on RCBF in renovascular hypertension, in six mongrel dogs with chronic 2K-1C hypertension, PD images in both of clipped kidneys (CK) and non-clipped kidneys (NK) were obtained and analyzed before and 60 minutes after the intravenous infusion of captopril or sodium nitroprusside at 10-minute intervals.ResultsThere was a linear correlation between RCBF and MPI (r = 0.878, P < 0.0001). MPI in both CK and NK significantly increased after the infusion of captopril, while no significant change was observed in both CK and NK after the infusion of sodium nitroprusside, despite similar reduction of mean arterial blood pressure.ConclusionOur data suggest that the acute inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme increased RCBF in both CK and NK of chronic 2K-1C dogs. The quantitative analysis of PD flow signals in kidney is noninvasive and a useful method to evaluate regional changes of renal tissue blood flow in various renal diseases

: New radiometric dating from the marine terraces of Corinthia, Northern Peloponnese, Greece

Two interpretations are usually proposed for the Corinthian flight of terraces: faulting or flexuration, of a single or* fewkueis, or stepping of numerous cut-and-fill shorelines. In this paper, U/Th radiometric data confirm the diachronism of the terraces and a previously proposed correlation with the isotopic stratigraphy. While they support the morphological criteria used in this correlation, thèse data strengthen the calibration of the whole flight of Corinthian Terraces, allow one to appreciate the evolution of the uplift rate and confirm the hypothesis of an uplift beginning before 600 kyr in this part of the Aegean Arc.Deux interprétations sont classiquement données de l'étagement de terrasses de Corinthie : multiplication par failles ou flexures d'un ou de quelques niveaux, ou emboîtement de paléorivages de plus en plus jeunes. Dans cette note, des données radiométriques (U/Th) confirment le diachronisme de l'êtagement et une corrélation des terrasses avec la stratigraphie isotopique proposée antérieurement. En validant les critères morphologiques utilisés dans cette corrélation, les datations confortent la calibration de la totalité de l'étagement des terrasses de Corinthie, permettent d'apprécier l'évolution des taux de surrection et appuient l'hypothèse d'un début du soulèvement avant 600 ka dans ce secteur de l'arc Égéen

Stability of some centres in quartz

Electron spin resonance (ESR) is a promising dating method for Quaternary sediments. A preliminary ESR analysis was done on quartz grains extracted from sediments baked by lava-flows of Massif Central (France). For this type of sample, zeroing occurs during heating. To test the reliability of the method, the palaeodoses were determined from centres (Al and Ti) and compared with those obtained by the thermoluminescence (TL) method.The annealing temperature and sunlight have an effect upon the stability and the behaviour of the different ESR signals. An attempt to correlate ESR signals and the red TL peak is made in terms of the variation of these two factor