2,004 research outputs found
Electroconvulsive therapy mediates neuroplasticity of white matter microstructure in major depression.
Whether plasticity of white matter (WM) microstructure relates to therapeutic response in major depressive disorder (MDD) remains uncertain. We examined diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) correlates of WM structural connectivity in patients receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), a rapidly acting treatment for severe MDD. Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) applied to DTI data (61 directions, 2.5 mm(3) voxel size) targeted voxel-level changes in fractional anisotropy (FA), and radial (RD), axial (AD) and mean diffusivity (MD) in major WM pathways in MDD patients (n=20, mean age: 41.15 years, 10.32 s.d.) scanned before ECT, after their second ECT and at transition to maintenance therapy. Comparisons made at baseline with demographically similar controls (n=28, mean age: 39.42 years, 12.20 s.d.) established effects of diagnosis. Controls were imaged twice to estimate scanning-related variance. Patients showed significant increases of FA in dorsal fronto-limbic circuits encompassing the anterior cingulum, forceps minor and left superior longitudinal fasciculus between baseline and transition to maintenance therapy (P<0.05, corrected). Decreases in RD and MD were observed in overlapping regions and the anterior thalamic radiation (P<0.05, corrected). Changes in DTI metrics associated with therapeutic response in tracts showing significant ECT effects differed between patients and controls. All measures remained stable across time in controls. Altered WM microstructure in pathways connecting frontal and limbic areas occur in MDD, are modulated by ECT and relate to therapeutic response. Increased FA together with decreased MD and RD, which trend towards normative values with treatment, suggest increased fiber integrity in dorsal fronto-limbic pathways involved in mood regulation
The Mass-Radius Relationship for Very Low Mass Stars: Four New Discoveries from the HATSouth Survey
We report the discovery of four transiting F-M binary systems with companions
between 0.1-0.2 Msun in mass by the HATSouth survey. These systems have been
characterised via a global analysis of the HATSouth discovery data, combined
with high-resolution radial velocities and accurate transit photometry
observations. We determined the masses and radii of the component stars using a
combination of two methods: isochrone fitting of spectroscopic primary star
parameters, and equating spectroscopic primary star rotation velocity with
spin-orbit synchronisation. These new very low mass companions are HATS550-016B
(0.110 -0.006/+0.005 Msun, 0.147 -0.004/+0.003 Rsun), HATS551-019B (0.17
-0.01/+0.01 Msun, 0.18 -0.01/+0.01 Rsun), HATS551-021B (0.132 -0.005/+0.014
Msun, 0.154 -0.008/+0.006 Rsun), HATS553-001B (0.20 -0.02/+0.01 Msun, 0.22
-0.01/+0.01 Rsun). We examine our sample in the context of the radius anomaly
for fully-convective low mass stars. Combining our sample with the 13 other
well-studied very low mass stars, we find a tentative 5% systematic deviation
between the measured radii and theoretical isochrone models.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Optical and Infrared Photometry of the Unusual Type Ia Supernova 2000cx
We present optical and infrared photometry of the unusual Type Ia supernova
2000cx. With the data of Li et al. (2001) and Jha (2002), this comprises the
largest dataset ever assembled for a Type Ia SN, more than 600 points in
UBVRIJHK. We confirm the finding of Li et al. regarding the unusually blue B-V
colors as SN 2000cx entered the nebular phase. Its I-band secondary hump was
extremely weak given its B-band decline rate. The V minus near infrared colors
likewise do not match loci based on other slowly declining Type Ia SNe, though
V-K is the least ``abnormal''. In several ways SN 2000cx resembles other slow
decliners, given its B-band decline rate (Delta m_15(B) = 0.93), the appearance
of Fe III lines and weakness of Si II in its pre-maximum spectrum, the V-K
colors and post-maximum V-H colors. If the distance modulus derived from
Surface Brightness Fluctuations of the host galaxy is correct, we find that the
rate of light increase prior to maximum, the characteristics of the bolometric
light curve, and the implied absolute magnitude at maximum are all consistent
with a sub-luminous object with Delta m_15(B) ~ 1.6-1.7 having a higher than
normal kinetic energy.Comment: 46 pages, 17 figures, to be published in Publications of the
Astronomical Society of the Pacifi
HATS-11b and HATS-12b: Two transiting Hot Jupiters orbiting sub-solar metallicity stars selected for the K2 Campaign 7
We report the discovery of two transiting extrasolar planets from the
HATSouth survey. HATS-11, a V=14.1 G0-star shows a periodic 12.9 mmag dip in
its light curve every 3.6192 days and a radial velocity variation consistent
with a Keplerian orbit. HATS-11 has a mass of 1.000 0.060 M, a
radius of 1.444 0.057 M and an effective temperature of 6060
150 K, while its companion is a 0.85 0.12 M, 1.510 0.078
R planet in a circular orbit. HATS-12 shows a periodic 5.1 mmag flux
decrease every 3.1428 days and Keplerian RV variations around a V=12.8 F-star.
HATS-12 has a mass of 1.489 0.071 M, a radius of 2.21
0.21 R, and an effective temperature of 6408 75 K. For HATS-12,
our measurements indicate that this is a 2.38 0.11 M, 1.35 0.17
R planet in a circular orbit. Both host stars show sub-solar metallicity of
-0.390 0.060 dex and -0.100 0.040 dex, respectively and are
(slightly) evolved stars. In fact, HATS-11 is amongst the most metal-poor and,
HATS-12 is amongst the most evolved stars hosting a hot Jupiter planet.
Importantly, HATS-11 and HATS-12 have been observed in long cadence by Kepler
as part of K2 campaign 7 (EPIC216414930 and EPIC218131080 respectively).Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, 6 tables, submitted to A
HATS-9b and HATS-10b: Two Compact Hot Jupiters in Field 7 of the K2 Mission
We report the discovery of two transiting extrasolar planets by the HATSouth
survey. HATS-9b orbits an old (10.8 1.5 Gyr) V=13.3 G dwarf star, with a
period P = 1.9153 d. The host star has a mass of 1.03 M, radius of
1.503 R and effective temperature 5366 70 K. The planetary
companion has a mass of 0.837 M, and radius of 1.065 R yielding a mean
density of 0.85 g cm . HATS-10b orbits a V=13.1 G dwarf star, with a
period P = 3.3128 d. The host star has a mass of 1.1 M, radius of 1.11
R and effective temperature 5880 120 K. The planetary companion
has a mass of 0.53 M, and radius of 0.97 R yielding a mean density of
0.7 g cm . Both planets are compact in comparison with planets receiving
similar irradiation from their host stars, and lie in the nominal coordinates
of Field 7 of K2 but only HATS-9b falls on working silicon. Future
characterisation of HATS-9b with the exquisite photometric precision of the
Kepler telescope may provide measurements of its reflected light signature.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in A
Mixing of the CP Even and the CP Odd Higgs Bosons and the EDM Constraints
The mixing among the CP even and the CP odd neutral Higgs bosons of MSSM by
one loop induced effects in the presence of CP phases is investigated using
three different mechanisms to satisfy the EDM constraints, i.e., a fine tuning
of phases, a heavy sparticle spectrum, and the cancellation mechanism. It is
shown that if a mixing effect among the CP even and the CP odd Higgs bosons is
observed experimentally, then it is only the cancellation mechanism that can
survive under the naturalness constraint.Comment: 14 pages, Latex and 4figures. A new paragraph is added and few more
references. One figure is modified. To appear in Phys. Rev.
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