Photoemission study of Ca-intercalated graphite superconductor CaC₆

In this work, we have performed resonant photoemission studies of Ca-intercalated graphite superconductor CaC6. Using photon energy of the Ca 2p-3d threshold, the photoemission intensity of the peak at Fermi energy (E-F) is resonantly enhanced. This result provides spectroscopic evidence for the existence of Ca 3d states at E-F, and strongly supports that Ca 3d state plays a crucial role for the superconductivity of this material with relatively high T-c

Hitomi (ASTRO-H) X-ray Astronomy Satellite

The Hitomi (ASTRO-H) mission is the sixth Japanese x-ray astronomy satellite developed by a large international collaboration, including Japan, USA, Canada, and Europe. The mission aimed to provide the highest energy resolution ever achieved at E  >  2  keV, using a microcalorimeter instrument, and to cover a wide energy range spanning four decades in energy from soft x-rays to gamma rays. After a successful launch on February 17, 2016, the spacecraft lost its function on March 26, 2016, but the commissioning phase for about a month provided valuable information on the onboard instruments and the spacecraft system, including astrophysical results obtained from first light observations. The paper describes the Hitomi (ASTRO-H) mission, its capabilities, the initial operation, and the instruments/spacecraft performances confirmed during the commissioning operations for about a month

BepiColombo Science Investigations During Cruise and Flybys at the Earth, Venus and Mercury

The dual spacecraft mission BepiColombo is the first joint mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to explore the planet Mercury. BepiColombo was launched from Kourou (French Guiana) on October 20th, 2018, in its packed configuration including two spacecraft, a transfer module, and a sunshield. BepiColombo cruise trajectory is a long journey into the inner heliosphere, and it includes one flyby of the Earth (in April 2020), two of Venus (in October 2020 and August 2021), and six of Mercury (starting from 2021), before orbit insertion in December 2025. A big part of the mission instruments will be fully operational during the mission cruise phase, allowing unprecedented investigation of the different environments that will encounter during the 7-years long cruise. The present paper reviews all the planetary flybys and some interesting cruise configurations. Additional scientific research that will emerge in the coming years is also discussed, including the instruments that can contribute

Retrospective study of the effectiveness of Intra-Aortic Balloon Occlusion (IABO) for traumatic haemorrhagic shock

[Introduction] Intra-aortic balloon occlusion (IABO) is useful for proximal vascular control, by clamping the descending aorta, in traumatic haemorrhagic shock. However, there are limited clinical studies regarding its effectiveness. This study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of IABO for traumatic haemorrhagic shock. [Methods] This retrospective, observational study included trauma patients who underwent IABO at the Emergency and Critical Care Center of Nippon Medical School Tama-Nagayama Hospital between January 2009 and March 2013. 14 patients were included to this study who were in shock on arrival (systolic blood pressure [SBP] <90 mmHg or shock index ≥1), underwent IABO for resuscitation and temporary haemostasis, and subsequently underwent haemostatic intervention (operation or transcatheter arterial embolization). Patient characteristics, physiological status, SBP, heart rate (HR), initial fluid and blood transfusion, time course, and total occlusion time were compared before and after IABO as well as between the survived (n = 5) and non-survived (n = 9) groups. [Results] The majority of patients experienced blunt injuries, with an average injury severity score of 29.5. The liver, pelvis, spleen, and mesenterium represented the majority of injured organs. SBP, but not HR, was significantly higher after IABO than before IABO (123.1 vs. 65.5 mmHg, P = 0.0001). The revised trauma score and probability of survival were significantly different between the survived and non-survived groups (both, P = 0.04). The survived group required significantly less blood transfusion volume than the non-survived group (20 vs. 33.7 red blood cell units, P = 0.04). In addition, the survived group required a significantly shorter total occlusion time than the non-survived group (46.2 vs. 224.1 min, P = 0.002). [Conclusions] IABO was used for relatively severe trauma patients. SBP was significantly higher after IABO, but was not related to survival. However, blood transfusion volume and total occlusion time were related to survival; therefore, it is important to reduce or shorten these parameters, i.e., immediate definitive haemostasis. IABO is effective for traumatic haemorrhagic shock; however, it is also important to consider these points and potential complications

Prognosis of otitis media with effusion in pediatric patients with cleft palate during language-acquisition period treated by simultaneous tympanostomy tube placement with palatoplasty

[Objective] Cleft palate (CP) in children is frequently complicated by otitis media with effusion (OME) due to Eustachian tube dysfunction. Although tympanostomy tube (TT) placement can be beneficial in the treatment of OME to prevent short-term hearing loss, there is no consensus regarding the indications for and timing of TT insertion. The present study was performed to define the safety and effectiveness of simultaneous TT placement with palatoplasty during the language-acquisition period. [Methods] We retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of pediatric patients who underwent palatoplasty for CP in a tertiary medical center, Kyoto University Hospital, from June 2010 to October 2018. The TT retention time was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The incidence of OME recurrence was compared among four Veau classification groups based on the patients' sex, type of CP, median TT retention time, and type of fluid. [Results] Seventy-six subjects (150 ears) were enrolled in the study. The median follow-up duration was 48.7 months (range, 18.2–108.0 months) after the first TT placement. A first TT retention time of <20.1 months was a significant risk factor for OME recurrence. Subjects with maxillofacial anomaly complex and subjects with cleft lip and palate and an alveolar cleft showed a significantly higher OME recurrence rate than subjects with clefts only in the hard and/or soft palate. There was no significant difference in the occurrence of sequelae between subjects with only a single TT placement and subjects with more than one TT placement. [Conclusions] Based on the findings of the present study, it is reasonable to perform TT insertion at the same time as palatoplasty on patients who meet the indications. This technique may reduce the number of times the patient requires general anesthesia and maintain good middle ear condition during the period of language acquisition between 1 and 3 years of age