2,353 research outputs found
Ages and abundances in large-scale stellar disks of nearby S0 galaxies
By undertaking deep long-slit spectroscopy with the focal reducer SCORPIO of
the Russian 6m telescope, we studied stellar population properties and their
variation with radius in 15 nearby S0 galaxies sampling a wide range of
luminosities and environments. For the large-scale stellar disks of S0s, we
have measured SSP-equivalent metallicities ranging from the solar one down to
[Z/H]=-0.4 - -0.7, rather high magnesium-to-iron ratios, [Mg/Fe] > +0.2, and
mostly old SSP-equivalent ages. Nine of 15 (60%) galaxies have large-scale
stellar disks older than 10 Gyr, and among those we find all the galaxies which
reside in denser environments. The isolated galaxies may have intermediate-age
stellar disks which are 7-9 Gyr old. Only two galaxies of our sample, NGC 4111
and NGC 7332, reveal SSP-equivalent ages of their disks of 2-3 Gyrs. Just these
two young disks appear to be thin, while the other, older disks have scale
heights typical for thick stellar disks. The stellar populations in the bulges
at radii of 0.5r_eff are on the contrary more metal-rich than the solar
metallicity, with the ages homogeneously distributed between 2 and 15 Gyr,
being almost always younger than the disks. We conclude that S0 galaxies could
not form in groups at z=0.4 as is thought now; a new scenario of the general
evolution of disk galaxies is proposed instead.Comment: Accepted to the MNRA
Enabling and promoting walking rehabilitation by paired associative stimulation after incomplete paraplegia : a case report
Introduction: Paired associative stimulation (PAS) is a combination of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) and induces plastic changes in the human corticospinal tract. We have previously shown that PAS consisting of TMS pulses given at 100% of stimulator output and high-frequency PNS is beneficial for motor rehabilitation of patients with a chronic incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). The therapeutic possibilities of this PAS variant for walking rehabilitation of paraplegic patients are unexplored. Case presentation: A 47-year old man with traumatic incomplete paraplegia (AIS D, neurological level T7) received PAS to his left leg for 3 months at 12 months post injury (PAS1) and for an additional 3 months at 24 months post injury (PAS2). The right leg had normal AIS scores and was not stimulated. Before PAS, the patient was nonambulatory, could not stand without weight support, and was consequently not eligible for conventional walking rehabilitation. After PAS1, the patient could stand for 1.5 min and take 13 steps (24 steps in follow up) on parallel bars without weight support and was enrolled into conventional walking rehabilitation. He achieved independent walking ability with a rollator. During PAS2, walking distance increased 2.4 times faster than during the preceding year. The left leg AIS score and spinal cord independence measure mobility subscore increased. No adverse effects were detected. Discussion: This is the first report of PAS with a high-frequency peripheral component that enabled and promoted walking rehabilitation. Together with previous reports on this technique, this result encourages further research into its therapeutic potential and mechanism. © 2020, The Author(s).Peer reviewe
Validity of abundances derived from spaxel spectra of the MaNGA survey
We measured the emission lines in the spaxel spectra of MaNGA galaxies in
order to determine the abundance distributions therein. It has been suggested
that the strength of the low-ionization lines, R_2, N_2, and S_2 may be
increased (relative to Balmer lines) in (some) spaxel spectra of the MaNGA
survey due to a contribution of the radiation of the diffuse ionized gas.
Consequently, the abundances derived from the spaxel spectra through
strong-line methods may suffer from large errors. We examined this expectation
by comparing the behaviour of the line intensities and the abundances estimated
through different calibrations for slit spectra of HII regions in nearby
galaxies, for fibre spectra from the SDSS, and for spaxel spectra of the MaNGA
survey. We found that the S_2 strength is increased significantly in the fibre
and spaxel spectra. The mean enhancement changes with metallicity and can be as
large as a factor of 2. The mean distortion of R_2 and N_2 is less than a
factor of 1.3. This suggests that Kaufmann et al.'s demarcation line between
AGNs and HII regions in the BPT diagram is a useful criterion to reject spectra
with significantly distorted strengths of the N_2 and R_2 lines. We find that
the three-dimensional R calibration, which uses the N_2 and R_2 lines, produces
reliable abundances in the MaNGA galaxies. The one-dimensional N2 calibration
produces either reliable or wrong abundances depending on whether excitation
and N/O abundance ratio in the target region (spaxel) are close to or differ
from those parameters in the calibrating points located close to the
calibration relation. We then determined abundance distributions within the
optical radii in the discs of 47 MaNGA galaxies. The optical radii of the
galaxies were estimated from the surface brightness profiles constructed based
on the MaNGA observations.Comment: 19 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Gravitational potential of a homogeneous circular torus: new approach
The integral expression for gravitational potential of a homogeneous circular
torus composed of infinitely thin rings is obtained. Approximate expressions
for torus potential in the outer and inner regions are found. In the outer
region a torus potential is shown to be approximately equal to that of an
infinitely thin ring of the same mass; it is valid up to the surface of the
torus. It is shown in a first approximation, that the inner potential of the
torus (inside a torus body) is a quadratic function of coordinates. The method
of sewing together the inner and outer potentials is proposed. This method
provided a continuous approximate solution for the potential and its
derivatives, working throughout the region.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, 1 table; some misprints in formulae were
correcte
Restoration of hand function with long-term paired associative stimulation after chronic incomplete tetraplegia: a case study
INTRODUCTION: This case study explores the gains in hand function in an individual with a chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). The intervention was long-term paired associative simulation (PAS). We aimed to provide PAS until full recovery of hand muscle strength occurred, or until improvements ceased. CASE PRESENTATION: A 46-year-old man with traumatic C7 AIS B tetraplegia was administered PAS three times per week. After 24 weeks, PAS was combined with concomitant motor training of the remaining weak hand muscles. Outcome measures included the manual muscle test (MMT), motor-evoked potentials (MEPs), F-responses, hand functional tests, and the spinal cord independence measure (SCIM). DISCUSSION: After 47 weeks of PAS the subject had improved self-care and indoor mobility and was able to perform complex motor tasks (SCIM score improved from 40 to 56). His left hand regained maximum MMT score (total 75; increase of score from baseline condition 19); the effect remained stable in the 32-week follow up. In the right-hand muscles, MMT scores of 4-5 were observed in follow up (total 71; increase from baseline 48). Improved values were also observed in other outcomes. This is the first demonstration of long-term PAS restoring muscle strength corresponding to MMT scores of 4-5 in an individual with chronic SCI. The effect persisted for several months, indicating that PAS induces stable plastic changes in the corticospinal pathway.Peer reviewe
Myasthenia Gravis Diagnosis with Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
Modern medicine aims to diagnose diseases at early stages which constitutes a
relevant task of biomedical research. The present investigation focuses on
myasthenia, a disease that takes the third place in terms of frequency
worldwide, has complex symptoms and is difficult to treat. It is early
diagnostics that allows for providing competent medical assistance and,
sometimes, curing the patient. To detect the cause of the disease, the Raman
spectroscopy was used to study blood serum samples covered with quartz glass
with gold clusters embedded. The Raman cross-section has been amplified with
the gold nanoparticles which made it possible to detect Botulotoxin-A in blood
serum of patients suffering from myastheni
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