In binary radio pulsars with a main-sequence star companion, the spin-induced quadrupole moment of the companion gives rise to a precession of the binary orbit. As a first approximation one can model the secular evolution caused by this classical spin-orbit coupling by linear-in-time changes of the longitude of periastron and the projected semi-major axis of the pulsar orbit. This simple repres...

In the Netherlands young Muslim women have increasingly begun to join women-only kickboxing gyms. Dutch public discourse has taken notice, treating this phenomenon as a surprising development. The general assumption, in and western Europe more broadly, is that women's sport form of secular, feminist empowerment; participation thus exemplifies incongruence Islam with modern, secular nation-state...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Secular increase in human height and performance occurred in Europe throughout the 20th century despite the temporally worsening access to nutrients during and after World War II. This pattern is paradoxical under the assumption of the major impact of pre- and postnatal growth conditions for determination of adult size and human capital. METHODOLOGY We examined the a...

Several aspects of research on secular trends in growth, maturity status and physical performance are reviewed with a primary focus upon data for the United States, Europe and Japan. Increases in height and weight during childhood and adolescence, reductions in the age at menarche, and increases in adult stature have occurred over several generations in Europe, Japan and United States. Secular ...

Whether children, especially girls, are entering and progressing through puberty earlier today than in the mid-1900s has been debated. Secular trend analysis, based on available data, is limited by data comparability among studies in different populations, in different periods of time, and using different methods. As a result, conclusions from data comparisons have not been consistent. An exper...

[1] Recent trends in the two primary anomalies in the rotational state of the planet are analyzed in detail, namely those associated with the speed and direction of polar wander and with the non‐tidal acceleration of the rate of axial rotation (via the measurement of the changing oblateness of the Earth’s shape). It is demonstrated that a significant change in the secular trends in both of thes...