The Suzaku Observation of the Nucleus of the Radio-Loud Active Galaxy Centaurus A: Constraints on Abundances of the Accreting Material

A Suzaku observation of the nucleus of the radio-loud AGN Centaurus A in 2005 has yielded a broadband spectrum spanning 0.3 to 250 keV. The net exposure times after screening were: 70 ks per X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (XIS) camera, 60.8 ks for the Hard X-ray Detector (HXD) PIN, and 17.1 ks for the HXD-GSO. The hard X-rays are fit by two power-laws of the same slope, absorbed by columns of 1.5 and 7 * 10^{23} cm^{-2} respectively. The spectrum is consistent with previous suggestions that the power-law components are X-ray emission from the sub-pc VLBI jet and from Bondi accretion at the core, but it is also consistent with a partial covering interpretation. The soft band is dominated by thermal emission from the diffuse plasma and is fit well by a two-temperature VAPEC model, plus a third power-law component to account for scattered nuclear emission, jet emission, and emission from X-ray Binaries and other point sources. Narrow fluorescent emission lines from Fe, Si, S, Ar, Ca and Ni are detected. The Fe K alpha line width yields a 200 light-day lower limit on the distance from the black hole to the line-emitting gas. Fe, Ca, and S K-shell absorption edges are detected. Elemental abundances are constrained via absorption edge depths and strengths of the fluorescent and diffuse plasma emission lines. The high metallicity ([Fe/H]=+0.1) of the circumnuclear material suggests that it could not have originated in the relatively metal-poor outer halo unless enrichment by local star formation has occurred. Relative abundances are consistent with enrichment from Type II and Ia supernovae.Comment: Accepted for publication to ApJ. 22 pages, 11 figures (3 color). Uses emulateapj5.sty. Grammatical errors corrected; some references update

Characteristics and prognosis of adolescent and young adult (AYA) breast cancers at Kawasaki Medical School Hospital, Okayama

　Adolescent and young adults（AYA）世代の癌は一般成人の癌に比べ，頻度は低いものの妊孕性の維持など複雑な問題を抱えている．AYA 世代の後半30から39歳では，乳癌の発生頻度が最も高い．今回我々は，AYA 世代の乳癌患者を後方視的に調査し，予後因子を解析した．　対象は2010年１月～2018年12月に川崎医科大学附属病院乳腺甲状腺外科で治療を行った40歳未満の AYA 世代乳癌患者123名（AYA 群）．また同期間に治療を受けた40歳以上の非若年乳癌患者1,541名（非若年群）と予後の比較を行った．無病生存率（DFS），全生存率（OS）の予後因子は，単変量解析及び多変量解析で分析した．　両側性乳癌，非浸潤癌，データ不足例を除外した1,322名（AYA 群が99名，非若年群が1,223名）の乳癌患者が予後解析の対象となった．５年 DFS は AYA 群で81.5％，非若年群は91.3％であり，AYA 群で有意に不良であった（P = 0.0007）．臨床病期を揃えると，病期Ⅱのみで両群間に有意差が認められた（P = 0.0319）．５年 OS は AYA 群，非若年群ともに96.7% であり，差は認められなかった．AYA 群の DFS 予測因子は，単変量解析では，臨床病期Ⅱ期以上，腫瘍浸潤径２cm 超，血管侵襲陽性が有意の予後不良因子であった．多変量解析では，臨床病期Ⅱ期以上，血管侵襲陽性が独立した予後不良因子であった．OS では，単変量解析では血管侵襲因子のみが OS の有意の予測因子として抽出された．多変量解析では，血管侵襲因子とトリプルネガティブサブタイプが，独立した予後不良因子であった．妊娠関連乳癌は，DFS, OS ともに有意の予後因子とならなかった．　AYA 群は非若年群に比べて５年 DFS が有意に悪かった．AYA 群の予後因子として，血管侵襲因子が重要なことが示唆された．　Adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancers are infrequent compared with common cancers but have complicated problems such as fertility preservation. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women aged between 30 and 39. In the present study, we conducted a retrospective cohort study to characterize AYA breast cancers and to analyze predictive factors for prognosis.　A total of 123 AYA breast cancer patients under 40 years-old treated in our department in Kawasaki Medical School Hospital, Okayama, between January 2010 and December 2018 (AYA group) were the study subject group. Prognostic data of 1,541 breast cancer patients older than 39 years of age treated in the same department and period (elder group) was obtained to compare with that of the AYA group. Possible prognostic factors for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were investigated using either univariate or multivariate analyses.　After excluding patients with bilateral breast cancers, non-invasive breast cancers and/or insufficient clinicopathological data, a total of 1,332 patients (99 for the AYA group and 1,223 for the elder group) were the subjects for analysis of prognosis. Five-year DFS for the AYA group was significantly worse than that for the elder group (81.5% for the former, 91.3% for the latter, P = 0.0007). This was significantly worse in the AYA group at stageⅡ(P = 0.0319) but not at the other stages. Five-year OS was almost identical between the two groups (P = 0.5532). Univariate analysis for DFS in the AYA group showed that later stage (stageⅡor Ⅲ), invasive tumor size of over 2 cm and positive vascular invasion were significantly worse prognostic factors. Multivariate analysis showed that later stage and positive vascular invasion were independent prognostic factors. With regard to OS, univariate analysis revealed that only positive vascular invasion was a worse prognostic factor. Multivariate analysis revealed that positive vascular invasion and triple negative subtype were independent worse prognostic factors. Pregnancy-associated breast cancer was not a significant prognostic factor for either DFS or OS.　In conclusion, five-year DFS was significantly worse in the AYA group than in the elder group. Presence of vascular invasion was suggested to be an important worse prognostic factor for either DFS or OS

保育現場が求める実習生像の分析

本研究の目的は、保育現場が求める実習生像を明らかにすることである。実習生に身につけておいてほしいことがらを尋ねる26項目を作成し、保育者214名に質問紙調査を実施した。保育現場が求める実習生像について、幼稚園と保育所および公立と私立という勤務先による特徴を検討した。さらに、保育現場での立場として、経験年数、職場内の立場、実習生の年間の受入人数を取りあげて、保育現場が求める実習生像との関係を検討した。分析の結果、次の３点が示された。第１に、保育現場が実習生に求めることは、「学ぶ姿勢・態度」と「保育実践のスキル」にまとめることができる。第２に、「学ぶ姿勢・態度」は、私立施設勤務者が公立施設勤務者よりも実習生に必要であると考えていた。第３に、「学ぶ姿勢・態度」は、園長、主任、保育士が幼稚園教諭よりも実習生に必要であると考えていた。以上の結果を踏まえて、実習指導および保育者養成について、「学ぶ姿勢・態度」を育てることを通して「保育実践のスキル」を身につけることができる指導が重要であること、保育現場が求める実習生像を実習生自身が知ることで実習への意識を高めること、実習先の保育現場が求める実習生像を理解した上で実習生に指導を行なうことを提起した

Asteralobia Gall Midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) on Aster Species (Asteraceae) in Japan and the Russian Far East

Full-grown larvae of Asteralobia doellongeriae and Asteralobia asteris were redescribed. An unidentified gall midge forming drop-shaped flower galls on Aster scaber in Japan was identified as A. doellingeriae, which had been known only from the Russian Far East but was newly recorded from Japan. Gall midgescausing flower galls on Aster ageratoides subsp. ovatus and Aster glehni var. hon-doensis in Japan were identified as Asteralobia species

Numerical-experimental benchmarking of a probabilistic code for prediction of Voltage Holding in High Vacuum

In the framework of the program for the construction of 1 MeV–16 MW negative neutral beam injector (NNBI) for ITER, a research and development activity on voltage holding in vacuum has been initiated since 2009, aimed at supporting the design, construction, and development of the NNBI accelerator. For this purpose, the voltage holding prediction model (VHPM) previously developed has been updated. In the VHPM, the effect of the anodic electric field and the cathodic electric field on the probability of breakdown is evaluated by means of two exponents: α and γ . On the basis of the experimental results from differenttest stands and of detailed 3-D numerical simulation of the corresponding electric-field configurations, the predictions of the VHPM numerical code have been benchmarked. New exponents, α and γ , have been proposed to obtain a more precise location of the weak point of the system and a better prediction of the maximum withstanding dc voltage in high vacuum