Confirmation of a New Metal-poor Globular Cluster in the Galactic Bulge

© 2018. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.We use deep near-IR photometry of the VISTA Variables in the V'a L'ctea (VVV) Survey and deep DECam Plane Survey (DECaPS) optical photometry to confirm the physical reality of the candidate globular cluster (GC) Minni 22, which is located in the Galactic bulge. This object, which was detected as a high density region in our maps of bulge red giants, is now confirmed as a real GC based on the optical and near-IR color'magnitude diagrams. We also recover three known fundamental mode (ab type) RR Lyrae stars within 2 arcmin of the cluster center. The presence of RR Lyrae stars also seems to confirm Minni 22 as a bonafide old and metal-poor GC. We estimate a cluster reddening E(J - Ks) = 0.6 mag and determine its heliocentric distance D = 7.4 ± 0.3 kpc. The optical and near-IR color'magnitude diagrams reveal well-defined red giant branches in all cases, including a red giant branch bump at Ks = 13.30 ± 0.05 mag. The comparison with theoretical isochrones yields a mean metallicity of [Fe/H] = -1.3 ± 0.3 dex, and age of t ∼ 11.2 Gyr. This is a good example of a new low-luminosity (MV = -6.2 mag) GC found in the central bulge of the Milky Way. After discussing the different ways to confirm the existence of bulge GC candidates, we find that one of the best methods is to use the CMDs from the combination of the DECaPS + VVV photometries.Peer reviewe

Synchronization of follicular wave dynamics and ovulation for fixed-time artificial insemination in cattle

The overall objective was to develop new synchronization protocols that facilitate fixed-time artificial insemination (AI). A series of experiments were designed to evaluate the effects of estradiol and progesterone on gonadotrophin release, follicular wave emergence and ovulation in beef cattle. In ovariectomized cows, a new CIDR-B device increased plasma progesterone to near-luteal concentrations, but for only 2 to 3 days. Injection of 100 mg progesterone increased plasma progesterone approximately 2 ng/mL. Progesterone suppressed plasma LH concentrations but did not affect plasma FSH concentrations. Estradiol, with or without progesterone, resulted in FSH suppression with resurgence (and follicular wave emergence) at an interval that varied according to the estradiol formulation. Estradiol administration following CIDR-B removal resulted in LH release (and ovulation in intact animals). Both estradiol-17β and estradiol benzoate (EB) synchronized ovarian follicular wave emergence in CIDR-B�-treated animals and the interval from CIDR-B removal to ovulation (72 to 120 h) was shorter and more synchronous in estradiol-treated animals than in controls. In cattle given a CIDR-B device and estradiol plus progesterone, estradiol treatment following CIDR-B removal 7 days later resulted in acceptable conception rates to fixed-time AI. Estradiol or GnRH at the beginning and end of a 7-day MGA-based synchronization regimen resulted in acceptable pregnancy rates to fixed-time AI. In a single experiment, EB, GnRH or pLH in CIDR-B- or MGA-treated beef heifers effectively synchronized ovulation for fixed-time AI. Pregnancy rates were, on average, 58.0% (range 52.5 to 65.0%). A 6- or 7-d interval from GnRH to PGF in a Cosynch regimen resulted in similar pregnancy rates in cows. The addition of a progestin to a Cosynch or Ovsynch regimen improved pregnancy rates in heifers but not in cows. Synchronization of follicular wave emergence and ovulation in a two-dose PGF-based protocol resulted in acceptable fertility to fixed-time AI; the administration of EB induced luteal regression in some animals but E-17β did not. In conclusion, synchronization programs including GnRH, pLH or estradiol to synchronize follicular wave emergence and ovulation in CIDR-B-, MGA- or two-dose PGF-protocols resulted in acceptable pregnancy rates to fixed-time AI

A study on factors effecting walking stage after operation for femoral neck fracture in the elderlies

高齢者が大腿骨頚部骨折で手術を受け、退院した後の歩行状態と関連する要因について、退院後の約3カ月前後で独歩可能となった群と、杖歩行または要介助群の2グループを比較検討した。対象者はN県T病院において大腿骨頚部骨折の手術を受けた60歳以上84名であった。この結果、年齢、配偶者の有無、受傷前の日常生活活動および社会環境、骨折の原因、合併症、不安特性が退院後の歩行に影響することが示唆された。以上から、退院後、高齢者の自立歩行が可能となり、QOLを維持するためには、単に独り立ちすることだけでなく、周囲からの日常生活活動に対する支え、身体・精神的援助や協力が必要になると考えられる。The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors effecting walking state after the operation for femoral neck fracture in elderly people. We studied 84 subjects, who were over 60 years old and received the operation for femoral neck fracture in Niigata Prefectural Center Hospital. The results indicated that age, existence of spouses, ADL and social environments, causes of fracture, anxiety characters, have an influence on walking state after the operation in elderly people. Physical and emotional support to the patients from their family and community as well as their own effort, in such patients, are needed to promote postoperation walking state.departmental bulletin pape

Error estimation in multitemporal InSAR deformation time series, with application to Lanzarote, Canary Islands

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is a reliable technique for measuring crustal deformation. However, despite its long application in geophysical problems, its error estimation has been largely overlooked. Currently, the largest problem with InSAR is still the atmospheric propagation errors, which is why multitemporal interferometric techniques have been successfully developed using a series of interferograms. However, none of the standard multitemporal interferometric techniques, namely PS or SB (Persistent Scatterers and Small Baselines, respectively) provide an estimate of their precision. Here, we present a method to compute reliable estimates of the precision of the deformation time series. We implement it for the SB multitemporal interferometric technique (a favorable technique for natural terrains, the most usual target of geophysical applications). We describe the method that uses a properly weighted scheme that allows us to compute estimates for all interferogram pixels, enhanced by a Montecarlo resampling technique that properly propagates the interferogram errors (variance-covariances) into the unknown parameters (estimated errors for the displacements). We apply the multitemporal error estimation method to Lanzarote Island (Canary Islands), where no active magmatic activity has been reported in the last decades. We detect deformation around Timanfaya volcano (lengthening of line-of-sight ∼ subsidence), where the last eruption in 1730–1736 occurred. Deformation closely follows the surface temperature anomalies indicating that magma crystallization (cooling and contraction) of the 300-year shallow magmatic body under Timanfaya volcano is still ongoing.Peer reviewe