Gauge invariance of color confinement due to the dual Meissner effect caused by Abelian monopoles

The mechanism of non-Abelian color confinement is studied in SU(2) lattice gauge theory in terms of the Abelian fields and monopoles extracted from non-Abelian link variables without adopting gauge fixing. Firstly, the static quark-antiquark potential and force are computed with the Abelian and monopole Polyakov loop correlators, and the resulting string tensions are found to be identical to the non-Abelian string tension. These potentials also show the scaling behavior with respect to the change of lattice spacing. Secondly, the profile of the color-electric field between a quark and an antiquark is investigated with the Abelian and monopole Wilson loops. The color-electric field is squeezed into a flux tube due to monopole supercurrent with the same Abelian color direction. The parameters corresponding to the penetration and coherence lengths show the scaling behavior, and the ratio of these lengths, i.e, the Ginzburg-Landau parameter, indicates that the vacuum type is near the border of the type1 and type2 (dual) superconductor. These results are summarized that the Abelian fundamental charge defined in an arbitrary color direction is confined inside a hadronic state by the dual Meissner effect. As the color-neutral state in any Abelian color direction corresponds to the physical color-singlet state, this effect explains non-Abelian color confinement and supports the existence of a gauge-invariant mechanism of color confinement due to the dual Meissner effect caused by Abelian monopoles.Comment: 11 pages, 14 figure

Epidemiology of Pediatric Acute Encephalitis/Encephalopathy in Japan

We studied the etiology of pediatric acute encephalitis/encephalopathy (pAEE) using epidemiological data obtained from a nationwide survey in Japan. Two-step questionnaires were sent to the pediatric departments of hospitals throughout the country in 2007, querying the number of the cases during 2005-2006 as the first step, and asking for the details of clinical information as the second step. In all, 636 children with pAEE (age ≤ 15 years) were enrolled. For the known etiology of pAEE (63.5% of the total cases), 26 microbes and 2 clinical entities were listed, but the etiology of 36.5% remained unknown. Influenza virus (26.7%), exanthem subitum (12.3%), and rotavirus (4.1%) were the most common, and the incidence of pAEE peaked at the age of 1 year. This trend was common among all etiologies. Among the neurological symptoms observed at the onset of pAEE, seizures were observed more often in patients aged ≤ 3 years, although abnormal speech and behavior were also common in older children. Undesirable outcomes (death and neurological sequelae) occurred at high rates in patients with any known etiology other than mycoplasma. In conclusion, these findings provide comprehensive insight into pAEE in Japan

気管支喘息におけるHRCTによるLow attenuation area(LAA)と平均CT numberとの関連

The maximal percent low attenuation area < -950 HU (% LAA) among three anatomic lung levels on high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) was examined in patients with asthma, classified by the degree of % LAA, in relation to the mean CT number, % FVC of the predicted value, and FEV 1/FVC (FEV1%). 1 . The mean CT number was closely related to the degree of % LAA of the lungs. The mean CT number was significantly lower in patients with high % LAA (mean CT number-915.3HU, % LAA 37.6%) than in those with low % LAA (-852.9HU, 4.7%). 2. The FEV1% value was significantly lower in patients with high % LAA (47.8%) than in those with low % LAA (62.2%)(p<0.05). The % FVC value was also significantly lower in patients with high % LAA (77.1%) compared to the value in those with low % LAA (101.2%). The results suggest that a large volume of LAA<-950HU of the lungs can be observed in patients with asthma, and the % LAA is closely correlated with mean CT number and the values of FEV1% and % FVC.HRCT (high resolution computed tomography)により,-950HU以下のlow attenuation area(LAA)を3つの高さの肺野レベルで観察し,そのなかの最も高い値をmaximal% LAAとして表し,この値と平均CT number, % FVCおよびFEV1.0%の値と比較検討した｡1.平均CT numberは,maximal% LAAと密接な関連を示した｡そして,平均CT numberは,% LAAが低い症例(% LAA :4.7%, mean CT number:-852.9HU)に比べ,% LAAが高い症例(% LAA :37.6%, mean CT number:-915.3HU)において低い傾向が見られた｡2.FEV1.0%値は,% LAA値が低い症例(62.2%)に比べ% LAA値が高い症例(47.8%)において有意に低い値を示した(P<0.05)。% FVC値も同様% LAA値が低い症例(101.2%)に比べ高い症例(77.1%)で低い値を示したが両群間に有意の差は見られなかった｡これらの結果より,気管支喘息においも,HRCT上肺野で-950HU以下のLow attenuation area(LAA)を示す症例が見られること,そして,% LAAは,mean CT number,FEV1.0%や% FVC値とある程度関連していることが示唆された

Thermal Infrared Imaging Experiments of C-Type Asteroid 162173 Ryugu on Hayabusa2

The thermal infrared imager TIR onboard Hayabusa2 has been developed to investigate thermo-physical properties of C-type, near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu. TIR is one of the remote science instruments on Hayabusa2 designed to understand the nature of a volatile-rich solar system small body, but it also has significant mission objectives to provide information on surface physical properties and conditions for sampling site selection as well as the assessment of safe landing operations. TIR is based on a two-dimensional uncooled micro-bolometer array inherited from the Longwave Infrared Camera LIR on Akatsuki (Fukuhara et al., 2011). TIR takes images of thermal infrared emission in 8 to 12 μm with a field of view of 16×12∘ and a spatial resolution of 0.05∘ per pixel. TIR covers the temperature range from 150 to 460 K, including the well calibrated range from 230 to 420 K. Temperature accuracy is within 2 K or better for summed images, and the relative accuracy or noise equivalent temperature difference (NETD) at each of pixels is 0.4 K or lower for the well-calibrated temperature range. TIR takes a couple of images with shutter open and closed, the corresponding dark frame, and provides a true thermal image by dark frame subtraction. Data processing involves summation of multiple images, image processing including the StarPixel compression (Hihara et al., 2014), and transfer to the data recorder in the spacecraft digital electronics (DE). We report the scientific and mission objectives of TIR, the requirements and constraints for the instrument specifications, the designed instrumentation and the pre-flight and in-flight performances of TIR, as well as its observation plan during the Hayabusa2 mission

Two male steroid-dependent asthmatics treated with etidronate

男性のステロイド依存性気管支喘息患者にエチドロネートを4年間の長期間にわたり投与した経験を得たので報告する｡症例は,男性のステロイド依存性気管支喘息で,エチドロネート200mg/日･14日間投与を4ケ月おきに4年間にわたり反復投与し,活性型ビタミンD製剤 (VD)投与と併用した2例と,活性型VD製剤を単独授与した2例｡椎体圧迫骨折数,境骨耗骨密度,海綿骨骨密度,皮質骨骨密度について,椎体X線像,PQCT(Stratec XCT960)を用いて4ケ月毎に測定し,48ケ月後の効果を検討した｡エチドロネートを投与した症例1では,総骨密度と海綿骨はやや増加を認め皮質骨密度は減少していた｡エチドロネートを授与した症例2では,総骨密度,海綿骨,皮質骨密度はいずれも減少を認めたが,VD単独投与した2例よりもやや減少が抑制されていたようであった｡VD単独投与した2例ではいずれの項目も減少を認めた｡これらの症例からは,エチドロネートは男性のステロイドによる骨傷害にも有効と考えられたが,現在投与継続途中であり,今後さらに検討を続ける必要がある｡We report an experience about administration of etidronate to male steroid-dependent asthmatics for a long time. For 4 years, two men with steroid-dependent asthma were treated with etidronate (200 mg / day, for 14 days) every 4 months and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (VD) together, and two patients were treated with VD alone. Vertebral fractures were evaluated by the lateral spinal X-ray films, and radial total bone mineral density (BMD) , trabecular BMD and the cortical BMD were measured by pQCT (Stratec XCT960) every four months. Trabecular and total BMD increased but cortical BMD decreased in the case 1 who was treated with both etidronate and VD. In the case 2 with etidronate and VD treatments, total and trabecular BMD decreased, but reduction of these indices seemed to be more suppressed than that in two patients with VD alone. According to these experiences, etidronate may be effective against the steroid-induced bone injury in men. Since periods treatment are not en-ough long to evaluate therapeutic effect of etid-ronate, we will have to continue the examination of these cases further more from now on

The Far-Infrared Surveyor (FIS) for AKARI

The Far-Infrared Surveyor (FIS) is one of two focal plane instruments on the AKARI satellite. FIS has four photometric bands at 65, 90, 140, and 160 um, and uses two kinds of array detectors. The FIS arrays and optics are designed to sweep the sky with high spatial resolution and redundancy. The actual scan width is more than eight arcmin, and the pixel pitch is matches the diffraction limit of the telescope. Derived point spread functions (PSFs) from observations of asteroids are similar to the optical model. Significant excesses, however, are clearly seen around tails of the PSFs, whose contributions are about 30% of the total power. All FIS functions are operating well in orbit, and its performance meets the laboratory characterizations, except for the two longer wavelength bands, which are not performing as well as characterized. Furthermore, the FIS has a spectroscopic capability using a Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS). Because the FTS takes advantage of the optics and detectors of the photometer, it can simultaneously make a spectral map. This paper summarizes the in-flight technical and operational performance of the FIS.Comment: 23 pages, 10 figures, and 2 tables. Accepted for publication in the AKARI special issue of the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japa

言語聴覚療法におけるリスクマネジメントと養成校での教育

研究報告Original Paper医療現場におけるリスクマネジメントの重要性が認識され、多くの病院で医療事故防止のためのアプローチが試みられているが、言語聴覚士は資格制定からの日が浅く、養成校では言語聴覚療法そのものに関する教育のみに主眼が置かれ、医療安全に関する教育は十分とは言えない状況である。日本言語聴覚士協会の調査によれば、事故、ヒヤリハット、苦情、不満等を体験した回答者は83%に上り、事例の具体的記載内容では身体的危害に関するものが70%、患者との人間関係に関するものが27%であった。言語聴覚士にとってのリスクは、基本的な業務遂行上の問題、情報伝達・人間関係・守秘義務に関する問題、専門的臨床能力に関する問題、全般的な安全に関する問題に分類された。養成校におけるリスクマネジメント教育は、個々の専門科目のシラバスの改訂、臨床実習手引書の改訂と実習前教育、当該科目の新設によって改善が図られるべきである。As the importance of risk management in medical field has been emphasized these days, various kinds of approaches have been taken to help prevent medical incidents and accidents in many hospitals. It is only several years since the national law of the certification system of speech-language-hearing therapists was established, so education for those therapists at institutes tended to be focused on professional skill, not on medical safety. A survey organized by Japanese association of speech-language-hearing therapists showed that 83% of respondents had experienced accidents, incidents and complaints by their patients. 70% of specific instances of what they had experienced were concerned with physical damages and 27% of them were concerned with human relationships. The risk in speech-language-hearing therapy was assorted into four types of problems, 1) basic performance, 2) communication, human relationship and confidentiality, 3) professional ability and 4) general safety, which were then examined. We concluded that risk management education had to be improved by revising each syllabus of professional subjects, by amending each guidebook for clinical practice, by guiding students just before carrying out that practice and by setting up new subjects

Serum potassium and adverse outcomes across the range of kidney function: a CKD Prognosis Consortium meta-analysis.

Aims: Both hypo- and hyperkalaemia can have immediate deleterious physiological effects, and less is known about long-term risks. The objective was to determine the risks of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and end-stage renal disease associated with potassium levels across the range of kidney function and evaluate for consistency across cohorts in a global consortium. Methods and results: We performed an individual-level data meta-analysis of 27 international cohorts [10 general population, 7 high cardiovascular risk, and 10 chronic kidney disease (CKD)] in the CKD Prognosis Consortium. We used Cox regression followed by random-effects meta-analysis to assess the relationship between baseline potassium and adverse outcomes, adjusted for demographic and clinical characteristics, overall and across strata of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albuminuria. We included 1 217 986 participants followed up for a mean of 6.9 years. The average age was 55 ± 16 years, average eGFR was 83 ± 23 mL/min/1.73 m2, and 17% had moderate- to-severe increased albuminuria levels. The mean baseline potassium was 4.2 ± 0.4 mmol/L. The risk of serum potassium of >5.5 mmol/L was related to lower eGFR and higher albuminuria. The risk relationship between potassium levels and adverse outcomes was U-shaped, with the lowest risk at serum potassium of 4-4.5 mmol/L. Compared with a reference of 4.2 mmol/L, the adjusted hazard ratio for all-cause mortality was 1.22 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15-1.29] at 5.5 mmol/L and 1.49 (95% CI 1.26-1.76) at 3.0 mmol/L. Risks were similar by eGFR, albuminuria, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitor use, and across cohorts. Conclusions: Outpatient potassium levels both above and below the normal range are consistently associated with adverse outcomes, with similar risk relationships across eGFR and albuminuria