Spectral variability of planetary nebulae and related objects

The results of long-term spectral observations were used to search for changes in planetary nebulae and emission-line stars. Significant increase of excitation degree is found in two objects: M1-6 and M1-11

Asteroseismological studies of three Beta Cephei stars: IL Vel, V433 Car and KZ Mus

We have acquired between 127 and 150 h of time-resolved multicolour photometry for each of the three Beta Cephei stars IL Vel, V433 Car and KZ Mus over a time span of four months from two observatories. All three objects are multiperiodic with at least three modes of pulsation. Mode identification from the relative colour amplitudes is performed. We obtain unambiguous results for the two highest-amplitude modes of IL Vel (both are l=1) and the three strongest modes of KZ Mus (l=2,0 and 1), but none for V433 Car. Spectroscopy shows the latter star to be a fast rotator (v sin i = 240 km/s), whereas the other two have moderate v sin i (65 and 47 km/s, respectively). We performed model calculations with the Warsaw-New Jersey stellar evolution and pulsation code. We find that IL Vel is an object of about 12 Msun in the second half of its main sequence evolutionary track. Its two dipole modes are most likely rotationally split components of the mode originating as p1 on the ZAMS; one of these modes is m=0. V433 Car is suggested to be an unevolved 13 Msun star just entering the Beta Cephei instability strip. KZ Mus seems less massive (about 12.7 Msun) and somewhat more evolved, and its radial mode is probably the fundamental one. In this case its quadrupole mode would be the one originating as g1, and its dipole mode would be p1. It is suggested that mode identification of slowly rotating Beta Cephei stars based on photometric colour amplitudes is reliable; we estimate that a relative accuracy of 3% in the amplitudes is sufficient for unambiguous identifications. Due to the good agreement of our theoretical and observational results we conclude that the prospects for asteroseismology of multiperiodic slowly rotating Beta Cephei star are good.Comment: 16 pages, 16 figures, MNRAS, in pres

Hairy Tongue

Hairy tongue (lingua villosa) is a commonly observed condition of defective desquamation of the filiform papillae that results from a variety of precipitating factors. [1] The condition is most frequently referred to as black hairy tongue (lingua villosa nigra); however, hairy tongue may also appear brown, white, green, pink, or any of a variety of hues depending on the specific etiology and secondary factors (eg, use of colored mouthwashes, breath mints, candies). [2, 3] See the images below

The pulsating DA white dwarf star EC 14012-1446: results from four epochs of time-resolved photometry

The pulsating DA white dwarfs are the coolest degenerate stars that undergo self-driven oscillations. Understanding their interior structure will help to understand the previous evolution of the star. To this end, we report the analysis of more than 200 h of time-resolved CCD photometry of the pulsating DA white dwarf star EC 14012-1446 acquired during four observing epochs in three different years, including a coordinated three-site campaign. A total of 19 independent frequencies in the star's light variations together with 148 combination signals up to fifth order could be detected. We are unable to obtain the period spacing of the normal modes and therefore a mass estimate of the star, but we infer a fairly short rotation period of 0.61 +/- 0.03 d, assuming the rotationally split modes are l=1. The pulsation modes of the star undergo amplitude and frequency variations, in the sense that modes with higher radial overtone show more pronounced variability and that amplitude changes are always accompanied by frequency variations. Most of the second-order combination frequencies detected have amplitudes that are a function of their parent mode amplitudes, but we found a few cases of possible resonantly excited modes. We point out the complications in the analysis and interpretation of data sets of pulsating white dwarfs that are affected by combination frequencies of the form f_A+f_B-f_C intruding into the frequency range of the independent modes.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, 6 tables. MNRAS, in pres

Discovery and analysis of p-mode and g-mode oscillations in the A-type primary of the eccentric binary HD 209295

We have discovered both intermediate-order gravity mode and low-order pressure mode pulsation in the same star, HD 209295. It is therefore both a Gamma Doradus and a Delta Scuti star, which makes it the first pulsating star to be a member of two classes. The star is a single-lined spectroscopic binary with an orbital period of 3.10575 d and an eccentricity of 0.352. Weak pulsational signals are found in both the radial velocity and line-profile variations, allowing us to show that the two highest-amplitude Gamma Doradus pulsation modes are consistent with l=1 and |m|=1. In our 280 h of BVI multi-site photometry we detected ten frequencies in the light variations, one in the Delta Scuti regime and nine in the Gamma Doradus domain. Five of the Gamma Doradus frequencies are exact integer multiples of the orbital frequency. This observation leads us to suspect they are tidally excited. Results of theoretical modeling (stability analysis, tidal excitation) were consistent with the observations. We could not detect the secondary component of the system in infrared photometry, suggesting that it may not be a main-sequence star. Archival data of HD 209295 show a strong ultraviolet excess, the origin of which is not known. The orbit of the primary is consistent with a secondary mass of M > 1.04 Msun indicative of a neutron star or a white dwarf companion.Comment: 18 pages, 18 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS, shortened abstrac

Can yoga reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression?

Q. Can yoga reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression? A. Yes, yoga can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression (strength of recommendation [SOR]: B, systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials [RCTs] with significant heterogeneity). Across multiple RCTs using varied yoga interventions and diverse study populations, yoga typically improves overall symptom scores for anxiety and depression by about 40%, both by itself and as an adjunctive treatment. It produces no reported harmful side effects

Osteosclerotic myeloma with peripheral neuropathy

A case of solitary osteosclerotic myeloma with peripheral neuropathy and unusual radiological features is presented. The association of myeloma and clinical peripheral neuropathy is unusual, but occurs more commonly with osteosclerotic lesions. The radiological appearance of a lytic focus involving contiguous vertebrae with a surrounding rim of sclerosis is extremely uncommon, but the diagnosis of myeloma should, in future, be suspected in these circumstances. The literature is briefly reviewed.S. Afr. Med. J., 48, 1246 (1974)

An asteroseismic test of diffusion theory in white dwarfs

The helium-atmosphere (DB) white dwarfs are commonly thought to be the descendants of the hotter PG1159 stars, which initially have uniform He/C/O atmospheres. In this evolutionary scenario, diffusion builds a pure He surface layer which gradually thickens as the star cools. In the temperature range of the pulsating DB white dwarfs (T_eff ~ 25,000 K) this transformation is still taking place, allowing asteroseismic tests of the theory. We have obtained dual-site observations of the pulsating DB star CBS114, to complement existing observations of the slightly cooler star GD358. We recover the 7 independent pulsation modes that were previously known, and we discover 4 new ones to provide additional constraints on the models. We perform objective global fitting of our updated double-layered envelope models to both sets of observations, leading to determinations of the envelope masses and pure He surface layers that qualitatively agree with the expectations of diffusion theory. These results provide new asteroseismic evidence supporting one of the central assumptions of spectral evolution theory, linking the DB white dwarfs to PG1159 stars.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in A&