Classical T-Tauri stars with VPHAS+: II: NGC 6383 in Sh 2-012

This paper presents optical ($ugri$H$\alpha$)-infrared ($JHK$s,3.6--8.0$\mu$m) photometry, and $Gaia$ astrometry of 55 Classical T-Tauri stars (CTTS) in the star-forming region Sh 2-012, and it's central cluster NGC 6383. The sample was identified based on photometric H$\alpha$ emission line widths, and has a median age of 2.8$\pm$1.6 Myr, with a mass range between 0.3-1 $M_{\odot}$. 94% of CTTS with near-infrared cross-matches fall on the near-infrared T-Tauri locus, with all stars having mid-infrared photometry exhibiting evidence for accreting circumstellar discs. CTTS are found concentrated around the central cluster NGC 6383, and towards the bright rims located at the edges of Sh 2-012. Stars across the region have similar ages, suggestive of a single burst of star formation. Mass accretion rates ($\dot{M}_{\textrm{acc}}$) estimated via H$\alpha$ and $u$-band line intensities show a scatter (0.3 dex) similar to spectroscopic studies, indicating the suitability of H$\alpha$ photometry to estimate $\dot{M}_{\textrm{acc}}$. Examining the variation of $\dot{M}_{\textrm{acc}}$ with stellar mass ($M_{\ast}$), we find a smaller intercept in the $\dot{M}_{\textrm{acc}}$-$M_{\ast}$ relation than oft-quoted in the literature, providing evidence to discriminate between competing theories of protoplanetary disc evolution.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS; 12 pages, 9 figures; Table 1 is published in electronic form only along with the source cod

The Magellanic Bridge cluster NGC 796: Deep optical AO imaging reveals the stellar content and initial mass function of a massive open cluster

NGC 796 is a massive young cluster located 59 kpc from us in the diffuse intergalactic medium of the 1/5-1/10 $Z_{\odot}$ Magellanic Bridge, allowing to probe variations in star formation and stellar evolution processes as a function of metallicity in a resolved fashion, providing a link between resolved studies of nearby solar-metallicity and unresolved distant metal-poor clusters located in high-redshift galaxies. In this paper, we present adaptive optics $gri$H$\alpha$ imaging of NGC 796 (at 0.5", which is ~0.14 pc at the cluster distance) along with optical spectroscopy of two bright members to quantify the cluster properties. Our aim is to explore if star formation and stellar evolution varies as a function of metallicity by comparing the properties of NGC 796 to higher metallicity clusters. We find from isochronal fitting of the cluster main sequence in the colour-magnitude diagram an age of 20$^{+12}_{-5}$ Myr. Based on the cluster luminosity function, we derive a top-heavy stellar initial mass function (IMF) with a slope $\alpha$ = 1.99$\pm$0.2, hinting at an metallicity and/or environmental dependence of the IMF which may lead to a top-heavy IMF in the early Universe. Study of the H$\alpha$ emission line stars reveals that Classical Be stars constitute a higher fraction of the total B-type stars when compared with similar clusters at greater metallicity, providing some support to the chemically homogeneous theory of stellar evolution. Overall, NGC 796 has a total estimated mass of 990$\pm200$ $M_{\odot}$, and a core radius of 1.4$\pm$0.3 pc which classifies it as a massive young open cluster, unique in the diffuse interstellar medium of the Magellanic Bridge.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. Contains 14 pages, 11 figures, and 3 table

Pre-main sequence accretion in the low metallicity Galactic star-forming region Sh 2-284

We present optical spectra of pre-main sequence (PMS) candidates around the H$\alpha$ region taken with the Southern African Large Telescope, SALT, in the low metallicity ($Z$) Galactic region Sh 2-284, which includes the open cluster Dolidze 25 with an atypical low metallicity of $Z$ $\sim$ 1/5 $Z_{\odot}$. It has been suggested on the basis of both theory and observations that PMS mass-accretion rates, $\dot M_{\rm{acc}}$, are a function of $Z$. We present the first sample of spectroscopic estimates of mass-accretion rates for PMS stars in any low-$Z$ star-forming region. Our data-set was enlarged with literature data of H$\alpha$ emission in intermediate-resolution R-band spectroscopy. Our total sample includes 24 objects spanning a mass range between 1 - 2 $M_{\odot}$ and with a median age of approximately 3.5 Myr. The vast majority (21 out of 24) show evidence for a circumstellar disk on the basis of 2MASS and Spitzer infrared photometry. We find $\dot M_{\rm{acc}}$ in the 1 - 2 $M_{\odot}$ interval to depend quasi-quadratically on stellar mass, with $\dot M_{\rm{acc}}$ $\propto$ $M_{\ast}^{2.4\,\pm\,0.35}$, and inversely with stellar age $\dot M_{\rm{acc}}$ $\propto$ $t_{\ast}^{-\,0.7\,\pm\,0.4}$. Furthermore, we compare our spectroscopic $\dot M_{\rm{acc}}$ measurements with solar $Z$ Galactic PMS stars in the same mass range, but, surprisingly find no evidence for a systematic change in $\dot M_{\rm{acc}}$ with $Z$. We show that literature accretion-rate studies are influenced by detection limits, and we suggest that $\dot M_{\rm{acc}}$ may be controlled by factors other than $Z_{\ast}$, $M_{\ast}$, and age.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. Contains 13 pages, 11 figures, 4 table

Pillars of creation amongst destruction: Star formation in molecular clouds near R136 in 30 Doradus

New sensitive CO(2-1) observations of the 30 Doradus region in the Large Magellanic Cloud are presented. We identify a chain of three newly discovered molecular clouds we name KN1, KN2 and KN3 lying within 2--14 pc in projection from the young massive cluster R136 in 30 Doradus. Excited H$_2$ 2.12$\mu$m emission is spatially coincident with the molecular clouds, but ionized Br$\gamma$ emission is not. We interpret these observations as the tails of pillar-like structures whose ionized heads are pointing towards R136. Based on infrared photometry, we identify a new generation of stars forming within this structure.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ (includes 13 pages, 8 figures). For higher resolution figures please see http://www.das.uchile.cl/~vkalari/staplervk.pd

Massive young stellar objects in the N66/NGC346 region of the SMC

We present HK spectra of three sources located in the N66 region of the Small Magellanic Cloud. The sources display prominent stellar Br Gamma and extended H2 emission, and exhibit infrared excesses at lambda > 2 micron. Based on their spectral features, and photometric spectral energy distributions, we suggest that these sources are massive young stellar objects (mYSOs). The findings are interpreted as evidence of on-going high mass star formation in N66.Comment: Accepted for publication on Astronomy and Astrophysics Journal, acceptance date 21/03/2018 (includes 12 pages, 5 figures

Minkä nuorena hallitsee sen aikuisena taitaa? Liikehallinnan pysyvyys kouluiästä aikuisikään – 24 vuoden seurantatutkimus

Tässä 24 vuoden pitkittäistutkimuksessa tutkitaan liikehallinnan kehitystä ja pysyvyyttä kouluiästä aikuisikään. Lisäksi ennustetaan ja selitetään aikuisiän liikehallintaa kouluiän liikehallinnan perusteella. Tutkimukseen osallistui 44 miestä ja 44 naista eri puolilta Suomea, joiden liikehallintaa mitattiin kouluiässä 1985 ja 1988 (9–16-vuotiaina) sekä aikuisiässä 2009 (33−39-vuotiaina). Liikehallintaa mitattiin kuudella liiketehtävämittarilla (flamingoseisonta, tarkkuusheittokiinniotto, kahdeksikkokuljetus, edestakaisinhyppely, vauhditon 5-loikka ja kärrynpyörä) sekä niistä lasketulla summamuuttujalla. Miesten ja naisten liikehallintaa vertailtiin varianssianalyysilla. Kouluiässä pojat menestyivät välineenkäsittelytehtävissä ja tytöt tasapaino- ja voimistelutehtävissä, mutta kokonaisuutena sukupuolten välillä ei ollut eroa. Aikuisena miehet olivat naisia parempia lähes kaikissa tehtävissä. Kovarianssianalyysissä havaittiin, että kehonrakenteeltaan (BMI) erilaisten ryhmien liikehallinnassa oli vain yksittäisiä eroja koulu- ja aikuisiässä. Toistettujen mittausten varianssianalyysissa ilmeni, että kouluiässä molempien sukupuolten liikehallinnan kehitys oli samanlaista. Kouluiän jälkeen kevyiden ja keskipainoisten poikien liikehallinta parani, mutta painavien tulokset eivät muuttuneet. Kevyiden tyttöjen tuloksissa ei tapahtunut muutosta, mutta keskipainoisten ja painavien tulokset heikkenivät. Koululiikunnan tehostus- ja vertailuryhmien välille kouluiässä muodostuneet erot kaventuivat tai katosivat aikuisena. Kouluiän liikehallinnaltaan eritasoisten ryhmien väliset erot kaventuivat, mutta eivät poistuneet kouluiän jälkeen. Klusterianalyysissa tutkittavat jakaantuivat kouluiässä neljään liikehallintatyyppiin (yleishyvät, tasapainoiset, pallotaitajat ja yleisheikot), jotka säilyivät myös aikuisiässä, mutta niiden väliset erot kaventuivat. Ristiintaulukointi ja khiin neliö -testi osoittivat, että tasoryhmän ja liikehallinnan monipuolisuuden pysyvyys oli vahvaa kouluiästä aikuisikään. Koulu- ja aikuisiän liikehallintatulosten välinen korrelaatio oli naisilla (0.69) vahvempaa kuin miehillä (0.48). Yksittäiset mittaustulokset kouluiässä selittivät keskimäärin 33 % aikuisiän tuloksista (korrelaation neliö). Regressioanalyysissa miesten aikuisiän liikehallintaa selittivät kouluiän muuttujista parhaiten liikehallinnan monipuolisuus sekä liikkuvuus (61 %), mutta naisilla vain liikehallinnan monipuolisuus (37 %). Miesten ja naisten erot liikehallinnassa syntyivät kouluiän jälkeen, mikä johtunee erilaisista liikuntatavoista ja -harrastuksista. Kouluiän liikehallinta määritti vahvasti varsinkin tytöillä aikuisiän liikehallintaa sekä yksilö- että ryhmätasolla, mikä korostaa monipuolisen koululiikunnan merkitystä. Yksilölliset muutokset olivat mahdollisia. Kouluiän jälkeen erityisesti naiset ja kehonrakenteeltaan painavat tarvitsisivat hermolihasjärjestelmää monipuolisesti kuormittavaa ja liikesuunniltaan moniulotteista liikuntaa liikehallinnan kehittämiseksi ja ylläpitämiseksi. Naisten liikehallinnan taantuminen varsinkin tasapainotehtävissä voi altistaa kaatumistapaturmille ja rajoittaa fyysistä toimintakykyä.Coordinative abilities from childhood to adulthood – A 24-year longitudinal study The aim of this longitudinal study is to investigate development and stability of coordinative abilities from childhood to adulthood. The predictors of adults’ coordinative abilities at school age and the effect of school based intervention to coordinative abilities in adulthood are also explained. The sample consisted of 44 men and 44 women from different parts of Finland who were measured 1985 and 1988 (9-16 years old) and 2009 (33-39 years old). Coordinative abilities were measured with six movement tests: flamingo balance, throw and catch, ball dribbling, side jumps, standing 5 jump and cartwheel. Also the sum variable of the test results was used. At school age boys were better in ball handling tasks and girls in balance and gymnastic tasks, but on the whole there was no differences between sexes. Adult men were better than women in almost every tasks. The BMI didn’t explain the differences within the groups of men or women neither at school age nor as an adult. The development of coordinative abilities at school age was similar in both sexes. After school age boys developed their results further but girls’ results decreased. Especially light weight boys improved and heavy weight girls lost their results. The differences between intervention and control group disappeared as an adult. The differences between level groups at school age diminished but didn’t disappeared as an adult. In cluster analysis participants were divided four different types at school age (all round experts, balanced, dribblers and general weaks). The types stayed same as an adult but the differences between the types narrowed. The position in the level group and the diversity of coordinative abilities were very stable from childhood to adulthood. The Pearson correlation between school age and adult results was stronger in women (0.69) than in men (0.48). Test results at school age explained 33 % about the test results as an adult. In regression analysis 61 % of men’s coordinative ability was explained by the diversity of coordinative abilities and flexibility at school age. Women’s coordinative ability was explained only by the diversity of coordinative abilities at school age (37 %). The differences in coordinative abilities between adult men and women developed only after school age which was probably caused by different hobbies and moving habits. The coordinative abilities in adulthood are strongly determined at school age both in individual and group level and particularly in women. This emphasizes the importance of school physical education. Nevertheless large individual changes were possibly. The development of coordinative ability call for neuromuscular varied load exercises and multidimensional movement. Popular activities in adulthood like walking, cycling and swimming are not enough. From a public health point of view the most significant result is the regression of women’s coordinative abilities after school age particularly in balance tasks which might result in fall accidents and limit the capacity of independent life later.Siirretty Doriast

Physical education in Finnish early childhood teacher education–curricula and pre-service teachers’ perceptions

Physical education (PE) course curricula in Finnish universities were reviewed and compared, and 274 preservice teachers' perceptions of their PE studies in Finnish early childhood teacher education (ECTE) programmes were investigated using quantitative and qualitative methods. The results of the inductive content analysis revealed both knowledge- and skill-based learning outcomes, with teaching skills receiving the most emphasis. One-way ANOVAs revealed that the preservice teachers were relatively satisfied with their PE studies. They reported being prepared for teaching PE and provided detailed information on the policies regulating early childhood education and care (ECEC). However, they perceived their training with children as insufficient and felt they would have benefited from further training in inclusive PE. Preservice teachers reported inculcating joy of movement as the most important aim of PE teaching in ECEC. These findings suggest that future PE course curricula should place greater emphasis on teaching joy of movement, provide more knowledge on inclusive PE, and include more practical training with children. It is recommended that PE studies in Finnish ECTE should continue to account for at least five ECTS

Minerva and minepy: a C engine for the MINE suite and its R, Python and MATLAB wrappers

We introduce a novel implementation in ANSI C of the MINE family of algorithms for computing maximal information-based measures of dependence between two variables in large datasets, with the aim of a low memory footprint and ease of integration within bioinformatics pipelines. We provide the libraries minerva (with the R interface) and minepy for Python, MATLAB, Octave and C++. The C solution reduces the large memory requirement of the original Java implementation, has good upscaling properties, and offers a native parallelization for the R interface. Low memory requirements are demonstrated on the MINE benchmarks as well as on large (n=1340) microarray and Illumina GAII RNA-seq transcriptomics datasets. Availability and Implementation: Source code and binaries are freely available for download under GPL3 licence at http://minepy.sourceforge.net for minepy and through the CRAN repository http://cran.r-project.org for the R package minerva. All software is multiplatform (MS Windows, Linux and OSX).Comment: Bioinformatics 2012, in pres

From Foreign Relation to Foreign Policy: Transformation of the Kurdish De Facto State into an Independent Foreign Policy Actor

This thesis analyses and examines the trajectory of the Kurdish de facto state otherwise known as KRI starting from its inception in 1992 to 2011 when the U.S. forces withdrew from Iraq. The thesis argues that having undergone through four different transitions, by 2011, the KRI emerged as an independent foreign policy actor pursuing its own distinct foreign policy objectives.In 1991, following its defeat in the Second Gulf War and as a response to the international humanitarian protectionist umbrella provided to the three Kurdish-population governorates in Northern Iraq, the Government of Iraq (GOI) under Saddam Hussein centrally seceded from the area. The vacuum that ensued was soon filled by the leadership of the Iraqi Kurdistan Front (KNA) and soon a de facto state resurrected from the ashes of destruction besieging Iraqi Kurdistan for many decades. Hence, the precarious existence of what came to be known as the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) in a highly challenging geopolitical environment and the strategic imperative of preserving the de facto independence of the entity forced the Kurdish leadership to give high priority to building foreign relations and pursuit of foreign policy. Foreign policy as a political activity is of paramount importance to all actors including sovereign states to preserve and promote their national interests. The practice of foreign policy, however, is particularly acute for de facto states. As internationally non-recognized entities, the international system of sovereign states is often skeptical if not hostile to engage in foreign relations with de facto states. Yet, projection of foreign policy and building foreign relations is extremely vital for the continued survival and consolidation of de facto states. By exploring the case of the KRI as a case of de facto statehood, this research argues that, mutatis mutandis, de facto states can pursue independent foreign policies. By identifying major transitions in the KRI, this thesis seeks to better explain foreign policy determinants, objectives and instruments of implementation of foreign policies of the KRI. In doing so, this thesis further seeks to contribute to the analysis of de facto statehood in general, and to contribute to the study of the KRI as the case of de facto statehood in the Middle East region

Vuorovaikutuksen rikkoutuminen lapsen ja sosiaalityöntekijän haastattelukohtaamisessa

Artikkelissa tarkastellaan lapsen ja sosiaalityöntekijän haastattelukohtaamista suomalaisen lapsiperheiden sosiaalityön kontekstissa. Haastatteluepisodien analyysissä käytetään teoreettis-analyyttisenä välineenä Goffmanin (1983) ajatteluun perustuvaa vuorovaikutusjärjestyksen käsitettä. Aineisto koostuu neljästä lapsiperheiden sosiaalityön palveluissa videoidusta lapsen haastattelusta. Analyysi perustuu mikroanalyyttiseen vuorovaikutuksen tutkimuksen orientaatioon ja kohdistuu haastatteluaineiston kysymisen ja vastaamisen vierusparijaksoihin. Tutkimuksen tärkein havainto on, että lapsi rikkoo usein odotusten mukaista vuorovaikutusjärjestystä. Tulososiossa esitetään kolme keskeistä vuorovaikutuksen rikkoutumisen tapaa kuvaavaa haastattelukohtaamisen episodia: Lapsi vastaa kysymyksiin - omassa järjestyksessään, Lapsi muuttaa haastattelukohtaamisen muotoa ja Lapsi tukahduttaa haastattelukohtaamisen. Johtopäätöksissä pohditaan, mitä lopulta tarkoittaa oikeanlainen haastattelukohtaamisen vuorovaikutusjärjestys