39 research outputs found
ASCA Observation of the Nearest Gravitational Lensing Cluster Candidate -- A 3408
We observed the nearest gravitational lensing cluster candidate, A 3408
(), with ASCA. The projected mass profile of A 3408 was
determined from the ICM temperature and the -model parameters obtained
with ASCA, assuming that the hot gas is spherically symmetric and in
hydrostatic equilibrium. The projected mass within an arc radius, , of 110 kpc is M(r_{\rm arc})=1.2^{+0.8}_{-0.4} \times10^{13} \MO. This
is 18 -- 45% of the mass previously derived from a lensing analysis by
Campusano et al. (1998, AAA 069.160.189) without any X-ray information.
The primary cause of this discrepancy is in their assumption that the center
of the cluster potential coincides with the position of the brightest cluster
galaxy (BCG), while we reveal the BCG position to be 60 outside of the
X-ray center. We further calculated a model for the source galaxy position and
the gravitational potential that can reproduce both the X-ray data and the arc
image. In this model, the magnification factor of the lens for the source
galaxy was evaluated to be 0.070.03 mag; i.e., the source
galaxy is slightly magnified by the lens cluster A 3408.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, to appear in PASJ vol. 5
In Orbit Performance of the MAXI/SSC onboard the ISS
We report here the in orbit performance of the CCD camera (MAXI/SSC) onboard
the International Space Station (ISS). It was commissioned in August, 2009.
This is the first all-sky survey mission employing X-ray CCDs. It consists of
32 CCDs each of which is 1 inch square. It is a slit camera with a field of
view of 1deg.5x 90deg and scans the sky as the rotation of the ISS. The CCD on
the SSC is cooled down to the working temperature around -60degC by the
combination of the peltier cooler, a loop heat pipe and a radiator. The
standard observation mode of the CCD is in a parallel sum mode (64-binning).
The CCD functions properly although it suffers an edge glow when the Sun is
near the field of view (FOV) which reduces the observation efficiency of the
SSC down to about 30%. The performance of the CCD is continuously monitored
both by the Mn-K X-rays and by the Cu-K X-rays. There are many sources
detected, not only point sources but extended sources. Due to the lack of the
effective observation time, we need more observation time to obtain an extended
emission analysis extraction process.Comment: 15 pages 11 figure
Association between Overall Survival and Activities of Daily Living in Patients with Spinal Bone Metastases
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between overall survival (OS) and activities of daily living (ADL) in patients with skeletal-related events. In this study, 265 patients whose clinical parameters were available before radiotherapy were investigated. Methods: Age, sex, ADL, pain, the primary site, spinal level of bone metastases, spinal instability, treatment strategy, including chemotherapy or palliative treatment, and OS were investigated. ADL patients with a Barthel index of >= 90 were classified as the high ADL group, while those with a score = 160 days were classified as the non-poor prognosis group, and those who survived <160 days were classified as the poor prognosis group. Results: Age, sex, ADL, pain, the primary site, and treatment strategy for OS were different between the two groups (p < 0.1). Logistic regression analysis revealed that ADL, the primary site, and treatment strategy were significant predictors of OS (p < 0.05). High ADL, breast cancer, and chemotherapy had a positive effect on OS. Conclusions: It is suggested that improvements may be obtained by performing rehabilitation interventions to maintain and improve ADL, by constructing a system for monitoring spinal bone metastases with images before ADL decreases, and by performing interventions such as changes in treatment methods such as RT or surgery at appropriate times
An X-ray measurement of Titan's atmospheric extent from its transit of the Crab Nebula
Saturn's largest satellite, Titan, transited the Crab Nebula on 5 January
2003. We observed this astronomical event with the {\it Chandra} X-ray
Observatory. An ``occultation shadow'' has clearly been detected and is found
to be larger than the diameter of Titan's solid surface. The difference gives a
thickness for Titan's atmosphere of 880 60 km. This is the first
measurement of Titan's atmospheric extent at X-ray wavelengths. The value
measured is consistent with or slightly larger than those estimated from
earlier Voyager observations at other wavelengths. We discuss the possibility
of temporal variations in the thickness of Titan's atmosphere.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, AASTeX preprint. Accepted for publication in the
Astrophysical Journa
Effect of bacterium in the malignant wounds of soft tissue sarcoma
Malignant wounds (MWs) are rare skin lesions, which accompany ulceration, necrosis and infection caused by infiltration or damage by malignant tumor. The present study aimed to investigate the bacterial etiology implicated in MW in soft tissue sarcoma (STS), and the effectiveness of culture‑guided perioperative antibacterial administration. A retrospective evaluation was conducted on medical records of patients who presented with MW between 2006 and 2020. A total of seven patients were included in the present study, in whom all tumors were relatively large (>5 cm) and high‑grade. Subsequently, five patients underwent limb‑sparing surgery, and three patients had distant metastases with a 5‑year overall survival of 71%. Preoperative microbiological sampling from the wound identified 11 different bacterial strains in five patients. The infections were polymicrobial with an average of 2.6 strains isolated per patient (1 aerobic, 1.6 anaerobic bacteria). They were predominantly methicillin‑sensitive Staphylococcus aureus. Patients with MWs from STS reported symptoms, including bleeding (71%), exudation (71%) and malodorous wound (43%) at the initial presentation; these completely resolved after surgery. All but one patient reported pain at the MW site with an average numeric rating scale of 4.4 at presentation that decreased to 1.4 (P=0.14) and 0.6 (P=0.04) one and two weeks after surgery, respectively. The patients had elevated C‑reactive protein (71%), anemia (57%), low albumin (86%) and renal/liver dysfunction (14‑29%). One patient was diagnosed with sepsis. Surgical resection afforded symptomatic relief and resolution of abnormal laboratory values. Although selected antibiotics were administered in four patients based on the preoperative antibiotic sensitivity test, surgical site infection (SSI) occurred in three patients. Therefore, the effectiveness of the selected antibiotics based on the results of the preoperative culture in preventing SSI needs to be investigated in the future. In conclusion, physicians should keep in mind that although surgical resection can improve the symptoms and abnormal values in laboratory examination form MW, it is accompanied with a high rate of SSI and poor prognosis
Clinical Application of Unidirectional Porous Hydroxyapatite to Bone Tumor Surgery and Other Orthopedic Surgery
Unidirectional porous hydroxyapatite (UDPHAp) was developed as a remarkable scaffold characterized by a distinct structure with unidirectional pores oriented in the horizontal direction and connected through interposes. We evaluated the radiographic changes, clinical outcomes, and complications following UDPHAp implantation for the treatment of bone tumors. Excellent bone formation within and around the implant was observed in all patients treated with intralesional resection and UDPHAp implantation for benign bone tumors. The absorption of UDPHAp and remodeling of the bone marrow space was observed in 45% of the patients at a mean of 17 months postoperatively and was significantly more common in younger patients. Preoperative cortical thinning was completely regenerated in 84% of patients at a mean of 10 months postoperatively. No complications related to the implanted UDPHAp were observed. In a pediatric patient with bone sarcoma, when the defect after fibular resection was filled with UDPHAp implants, radiography showed complete resorption of the implant and clear formation of cortex and marrow in the resected part of the fibula. The patient could walk well without crutches and participate in sports activities. UDPHAp is a useful bone graft substitute for the treatment of benign bone tumors, and the use of this material has a low complication rate. We also review and discuss the potential of UDPHAp as a bone graft substitute in the clinical setting of orthopedic surgery
Properties of the Brightest Cluster Galaxy and Its Host Cluster
We investigate the relation between the properties of Brightest Cluster
Galaxies (BCGs) and those of their host clusters. To quantify the properties of
cluster hot gas, we employ the parameter of the fundamental plane of X-ray
clusters. It is found that the offset of the BCG from the peak of cluster X-ray
emission is larger for smaller clusters. The parameter (not the
redshift {\it z}), which mainly depends on virial density ,
is considered to represent the formation epoch of a cluster. We thus consider
that the offset of the BCG is correlated with the dynamical equilibrium state
of its host cluster. On the contrary, no significant correlation is found
between the absolute optical magnitude of the BCG and the parameter . If the
extreme brightness of the BCG is mainly acquired in the course of cluster
evolution by environmental effect, BCGs are expected to be brighter in large
clusters. Our result is not consistent with this simplified view. On the
contrary, it is possible that the extreme brightness of the BCG is likely to be
determined in the early history of cluster collapse.Comment: 18 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Clinicopathological and histological analysis of secondary malignant giant cell tumors of bone without radiotherapy
Giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) is an intermediate bone tumor that rarely undergoes malignant transformation. Secondary malignant GCTB (SMGCTB) is defined as a lesion in which high‑grade sarcoma occurs at the site of previously treated GCTB. The present study retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with GCTB treated at Okayama University Hospital between April 1986 and April 2020. The clinicopathological and histological features of patients with SMGCTB without prior radiotherapy were investigated. A total of three patients (4%) with SMGCTB were detected, and the tumor sites were the distal ulna, distal femur and sacrum. Two of the patients had been treated with curettage and bone graft, and one had been treated with denosumab. In all cases, the lesions were made up of two components, the conventional GCTB component and the malignant component. The Ki67 labeling index was higher in the malignant components of SMGCTB and metastatic lesions compared with that in primary and recurrent conventional GCTB, or the conventional GCTB component of SMGCTB. Moreover, p53 expression was higher in these same components in patients who underwent curettage and bone grafting; however, there was no difference in the patient that received denosumab treatment. In this patient, clinical cancer genomic profiling revealed loss of CDKN2A, CDKN2B and MTAP expression. All three patients developed distant metastasis. The patients with SMGCTB in the ulna and femur died 13 and 54 months after detection of malignant transformation, respectively. The patient with SMGCTB in the sacrum received carbon‑ion radiotherapy to the sacrum and pazopanib; the treatment was effective and the patient was alive at the last follow‑up 3 years later. In conclusion, p53 may be associated with malignant transformation in GCTB. Future studies should investigate the association of between denosumab treatment and malignant transformation, as well as molecular targeted therapy to improve the clinical outcomes of SMGCTB