The temperature structure in the core of Sersic 159-03

We present results from a new 120 ks XMM-Newton observation of the cluster of galaxies Sersic 159-03. In this paper we focus on the high-resolution X-ray spectra obtained with the Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS). The spectra allow us to constrain the temperature structure in the core of the cluster and determine the emission measure distribution as a function of temperature. We also fit the line widths of mainly oxygen and iron lines.Comment: 7 pages and 4 figures. Contribution to the proceedings of the COSPAR Scientific Assembly, session E1.2 "Clusters of Galaxies: New Insights from XMM-Newton, Chandra and INTEGRAL", july 2004, Paris (France). Accepted for publication in Advances in Space Researc

Genopal™: A Novel Hollow Fibre Array for Focused Microarray Analysis

Expression profiling of target genes in patient blood is a powerful tool for RNA diagnosis. Here, we describe Genopal™, a novel platform ideal for efficient focused microarray analysis. Genopal™, which consists of gel-filled fibres, is advantageous for high-quality mass production via large-scale slicing of the Genopal™ block. We prepared two arrays, infectant and autoimmunity, that provided highly reliable data in terms of repetitive scanning of the same and/or distinct microarrays. Moreover, we demonstrated that Genopal™ had sensitivity sufficient to yield signals in short hybridization times (0.5 h). Application of the autoimmunity array to blood samples allowed us to identify an expression pattern specific to Takayasu arteritis based on the Spearman rank correlation by comparing the reference profile with those of several autoimmune diseases and healthy volunteers (HVs). The comparison of these data with those obtained by other methods revealed that they exhibited similar expression profiles of many target genes. Taken together, these data demonstrate that Genopal™ is an advantageous platform for focused microarrays with regard to its low cost, rapid results and reliable quality

The Radial Structure of the Cygnus Loop Supernova Remnant --- Possible evidence of a cavity explosion ---

We observed the North-East (NE) Limb toward the center region of the Cygnus Loop with the ASCA Observatory. We found a radial variation of electron temperature (kTe) and ionization timescale (log(\tau)) whereas no variation could be found for the abundances of heavy elements. In this paper, we re-analyzed the same data set and new observations with the latest calibration files. Then we constructed the precise spatial variations of kTe, log(\tau), and abundances of O, Ne, Mg, Si, and Fe over the field of view (FOV). We found a spatial variation not only in kTe and in log(\tau) but also in most of heavy elements. As described in Miyata et al. (1994), values of kTe increase and those of log(\tau) decrease toward the inner region. We found that the abundance of heavy elements increases toward the inner region. The radial profiles of O, Ne, and Fe show clear jump structures at a radius of 0.9 Rs, where Rs is the shock radius. Outside of 0.9 Rs, abundances of all elements are constant. On the contrary, inside of 0.9 Rs, abundances of these elements are 20--30 % larger than those obtained outside of 0.9 Rs. The radial profile of kTe also shows the jump structure at 0.9 Rs. This means that the hot and metal rich plasma fills the volume inside of 0.9 Rs. We concluded that this jump structure was the possible evidence for the pre-existing cavity produced by the precursor. If the ejecta fills inside of 0.9 Rs, the total mass of the ejecta was roughly 4\Msun. We then estimated the main-sequence mass to be roughly 15\Msun, which supports the massive star in origin of the Cygnus Loop supernova remnant and the existence of a pre-existing cavity.Comment: 37 pages, 14 figures. Accepted for publication of Ap

HPV type concordance in sexual couples determines the effect of condoms on regression of flat penile lesions

We earlier demonstrated, in a randomised clinical trial, that the regression time of flat penile lsions in male sexual partners of women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) was shorter in men who used condoms compared to those who did not. To further evaluate this finding, we examined whether the effect of condom use on the regression of flat penile lesions depends on the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) type concordance in sexual couples, as determined in cervical and penile scrapes by GP5+/6+ PCR testing. A Cox model with time-dependent covariates showed a beneficial effect of condoms on regression of flat penile lesions in concordant couples (hazard ratio 2.63, 95% CI 1.07–6.48) but not in those who were nonconcordant. When both partners harboured different HPV types, no effect of condoms was found (hazard ratio 0.90, 95% CI 0.27–2.96). Delayed regression of flat penile lesions was associated with either stable lesions or with new penile lesions developing at sites surrounding pre-existing lesions suggesting reinfection of the penile epithelium. We conclude that condom use blocks sexual HPV transmission by preventing reinfection and development of new penile lesions in men who are susceptible to the same type as present in the female partner

The elemental abundances in the intracluster medium as observed with XMM-Newton

XMM-Newton observations of 19 galaxy clusters are used to measure the elemental abundances and their spatial distributions in the intracluster medium. The sample mainly consists of X-ray bright and relaxed clusters with a cD galaxy. Along with detailed Si, S and Fe radial abundance distributions within 300-700 kpc in radius, the O abundances are accurately derived in the central region of the clusters. The Fe abundance maxima towards the cluster center, possibly due to the metals from the cD galaxy,are spatially resolved. The Si and S abundances also exhibit central increases in general, resulting in uniform Fe-Si-S ratios within the cluster. In contrast, the O abundances are in general uniform over the cluster. The mean O to Fe ratio within the cluster core is sub-solar, while that of the cluster scale is larger than the solar ratio. These measurements indicate that most of the Fe-Si-S and O in the intracluster medium have different origins, presumably in supernovae Ia and II, respectively. The obtained Fe and O mass are also used to discuss the past star formation history in clusters.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic