Emission-Line Eclipse Mapping of Velocity Fields in Dwarf-Nova Accretion Disk

We propose a new method, emission-line eclipse mapping, to map the velocity fields of an accretion disk in position space. Quiescent dwarf novae usually exhibit double-peaked emission line profiles because of disk rotation. Since a part of the disk having a different line-of-sight velocity is successively obscured by a companion in eclipsing systems, they show time-varying line profiles. We calculate time changes of the emission line profiles, assuming Keplerian rotation fields (v_\phi\propto r^(-1/2) with r being the distance from the disk center) and the emissivity distribution of j \propto r^(-3/2). We, then, apply the usual eclipse mapping technique to the light curves at each of 12-24 wavelengths across the line center to map the region with the same line-of-sight velocity. The reconstructed images typically exhibit a `two-eye' pattern for high line-of-sight velocities and we can recover the relation, v_\phi \propto d^(-1/2), on the assumption of the axisymmetric disk, where d is the separation between the two `eyes'. We will be able to probe the Keplerian rotation law, the most fundamental assumption adopted in many disk models, by high-speed spectroscopic observations with 8-m class telescopes.Comment: 12pages, LaTeX with 26 eps figures using pasj00.cls and 21 JPEG figures, to appear in PASJ Vol. 54, No.3. Preprint in PDF format, including all color pictures, is available at ftp://ftp.kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp/pub/makoto/preprint/revmakpasj2.pdf.g

Spiral Structure in WZ Sagittae around the 2001 Outburst Maximum

Intermediate resolution phase-resolved spectra of WZ Sge were obtained on five consecutive nights (July 23 -- 27) covering the initial stage of the 2001 superoutburst. Double-peaked emission lines of He\textsc{II} at 4686 \AA, which were absent on July 23, emerged on July 24 together with emission lines of C\textsc{III} / N\textsc{III} Bowen blend. Analyses of the He\textsc{II} emission lines using the Doppler tomography revealed an asymmetric spiral structure on the accretion disk. This finding demonstrates that spiral shocks with a very short orbital period can arise during the initial stage of an outburst and may be present in all SU UMa stars.Comment: 5 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in PAS

オーストラリア ノ ニホンテイエン ノインターネット ヲ カツヨウ シタ コウホウ ノ ゲンジョウ ト カダイ

戦略的国際交流が求められる今日，海外の日本庭園の運営もそれぞれの国や地域にみあったグローバルな構築が望まれる。オーストラリアは公開日本庭園33庭園中，姉妹都市が契機となり造園したものが24庭園で全体の72％と極めて高い割合で，日本大使館，国立大学所有の2庭園以外は庭園のある地域の自治体・市民団体が運営しているという特徴がある。本研究ではオーストラリアの公開日本庭園33庭園を対象とし，庭園マネジメントの重要な要素の一つであるインターネットを活用した広報の現状から，国際文化交流における日本庭園のマネジメントの方向性を考察した。運営主体が公式に掲載している各日本庭園に関するウェブページの，掲載場面，内容などを調査し，その結果を試験的に数値化し，「積極的な広報＝戦略的」（A．地域の観光資源としての存在感のあるもの4庭園，B．地域市民の日常的利用を主体として観光資源を目指しているもの10庭園），「消極的な広報＝非戦略的」（C．日豪交流の証として存在を維持しているもの13庭園，D．日豪交流の義務として庭園名だけを表記させているもの6庭園）の4類型を得た。積極的な広報と消極的な広報は両極で差があり，その半数以上が消極的であることから，日本庭園を介した日本の文化の理解のための場として，その役割が全うしていけるのかが課題として見えた。These days, there is a need for strategic management of International relationships. The management of Japanese gardens outside Japan is desirable as a global structure which corresponds to each county and area. In Australia, 24 Japanese gardens (exceeding 70% of the total) were made through relationship of sister city. It is characteristic that Japanese gardens in Australia are managed by the local government or a citizen’s group, other than the 2 gardens owned by the Japanese Embassy and the national university. In this study, we clarified the present conditions of public relations that utilized the Internet, which is one of the important elements of garden management, and considered the future direction of management in the international cultural relationship concerning the 33 public Japanese gardens in Australia. We researched such factors as position and content, and quantified the result experimentally. We can set out 4 types in which “an active public relations＝an active strategy”, A type (4 gardens) : they can becomes tourist attractions in the area, B type (10 gardens) : they are used by citizens daily and suggest tourist attractions, “As a passive public relations＝an passive strategy”, C type (13 gardens) : they keep the presence as a symbol of the Japan-Australia relationship, and D type (6 gardens) : they introduce only the garden name as the obligation of a Japan-Australia exchange. Concerning Japanese gardens in Australia, active public relations and passive public relations are the extremes. We could clarity whether the public relations that utilized the Internet in half or more of the Australian Japanese gardens could accomplish the role as a place for furthering understanding of Japanese culture through passive public relations in the Japanese garden

Theoretical model for en face optical coherence tomography imaging and its application to volumetric differential contrast imaging

A new formulation of lateral imaging process of point-scanning optical coherence tomography (OCT) and a new differential contrast method designed by using this formulation are presented. The formulation is based on a mathematical sample model called the dispersed scatterer model (DSM), in which the sample is represented as a material with a spatially slowly varying refractive index and randomly distributed scatterers embedded in the material. It is shown that the formulation represents a meaningful OCT image and speckle as two independent mathematical quantities. The new differential contrast method is based on complex signal processing of OCT images, and the physical and numerical imaging processes of this method are jointly formulated using the same theoretical strategy as in the case of OCT. The formula shows that the method provides a spatially differential image of the sample structure. This differential imaging method is validated by measuring in vivo and in vitro samples

Longitudinal changes in attention bias to infant crying in primiparous mothers

IntroductionInfant stimuli attract caregiver attention and motivate parenting behavior. Studies have confirmed the existence of attentional bias toward infant face stimuli; however, relatively little is known about whether attentional bias exists for infant cry stimuli, which are as important as faces in child-rearing situations. Furthermore, scarce longitudinal evidence exists on how attentional bias toward infant crying changes through the postpartum period.MethodsIn the present study, we conducted an experiment to assess bias toward infant crying at two postpartum time points: at Time 1 (Mean = 75.24 days), 45 first-time mothers participated and at Time 2 (Mean = 274.33 days), 30 mothers participated. At both time points, the mothers participated in a Stroop task with infant crying and white noise as the stimuli. They were instructed to answer the color out loud as quickly and accurately as possible, while ignoring the sound. Four types of audio stimuli were used in this task (the cry of the mother’s own infant, the cry of an unfamiliar infant, white noise matched to the cry of the mother’s own infant, and white noise matched to the cry of an unfamiliar infant), one of which was presented randomly before each trial. Response time and the correct response rate for each condition were the dependent variables.ResultsFor response time, the main effect of familiarity was significant, with longer response times when the participant’s infant’s cry was presented. In addition, response times were lower at Time 2 than at Time 1 in some conditions in which crying was presented.DiscussionThe results suggest that mothers may be less disturbed by infant crying as they gain more experience. Elucidating the characteristics of postpartum mothers’ changes in cognitive performance related to infants’ cries would be useful in fundamental and applied research to understand the process of parents’ adaptation to parenting

Perioperative Elevation in Cell-Free DNA Levels in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery: Possible Contribution of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps to Perioperative Renal Dysfunction

Background. This study aimed to determine the perioperative change in serum double-strand DNA (dsDNA) as a marker potentially reflecting neutrophil extracellular trap concentration in samples from patients undergoing cardiac surgery and to analyze a relationship between serum dsDNA concentrations and perioperative renal dysfunction. Methods. Serum dsDNA concentrations in samples that were collected during a previously conducted, prospective, multicenter, observational study were measured. Eighty patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery were studied. Serum samples were collected at baseline, immediately after surgery, and the day after surgery (POD-1). Results. Serum dsDNA concentration was significantly increased from baseline (median, 398 ng/mL [interquartile range, 372–475 ng/mL]) to immediately after surgery (median, 540 ng/mL [437–682 ng/mL], p<0.001), and they were reduced by POD-1 (median, 323 ng/mL [256–436 ng/mL]). The difference in serum creatinine concentration between baseline and POD-1 was correlated with dsDNA concentration on POD-1 (rs=0.61, p<0.001). Conclusions. In patients undergoing cardiac surgery, serum dsDNA concentration is elevated postoperatively. Prolonged elevation in dsDNA concentration is correlated with perioperative renal dysfunction. Further large-scale studies are needed to determine the relationship between serum concentration of circulating dsDNA and perioperative renal dysfunction

Lack of association between the CARD10 rs6000782 polymorphism and type 1 autoimmune hepatitis in a Japanese population

Background: Previous genome-wide association studies have evaluated the impact of common genetic variants and identified several non-HLA risk loci associated with autoimmune liver diseases. More recent genome-wide association studies and replication analyses reported an association between variants of the CARD10 polymorphism rs6000782 and risk of type 1 autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). In this case-control study, we genotyped 326 Japanese AIH patients and 214 control subjects. Results: Genomic DNA from 540 individuals of Japanese origin, including 326 patients with type-1 AIH and 214 healthy controls, was analyzed for two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CARD10 gene. We selected CARD10 rs6000782 SNPs and genotyped these using PCR-RFLP method and direct sequencing. The Chi square test revealed that the rs6000782 variant alle (c) was not associated with the susceptibility for AIH in a Japanese population [p = 0.376, odds ratio (OR) 1.271, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.747-2.161] in an allele model. Our data also showed that CARD10 rs6000782 variants were not associated with AIH or with the clinical parameters of AIH. Conclusions: In this study we examined an association between rs6000782 SNPs in the CARD10 gene and type-1 AIH. Results showed no significant association of rs62000782 with type-1 AIH in a Japanese population. This study demonstrated no association between CARD10 rs6000782 variants and AIH in a Japanese population

Atrasentan and renal events in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (SONAR): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial

Background: Short-term treatment for people with type 2 diabetes using a low dose of the selective endothelin A receptor antagonist atrasentan reduces albuminuria without causing significant sodium retention. We report the long-term effects of treatment with atrasentan on major renal outcomes. Methods: We did this double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial at 689 sites in 41 countries. We enrolled adults aged 18–85 years with type 2 diabetes, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)25–75 mL/min per 1·73 m 2 of body surface area, and a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR)of 300–5000 mg/g who had received maximum labelled or tolerated renin–angiotensin system inhibition for at least 4 weeks. Participants were given atrasentan 0·75 mg orally daily during an enrichment period before random group assignment. Those with a UACR decrease of at least 30% with no substantial fluid retention during the enrichment period (responders)were included in the double-blind treatment period. Responders were randomly assigned to receive either atrasentan 0·75 mg orally daily or placebo. All patients and investigators were masked to treatment assignment. The primary endpoint was a composite of doubling of serum creatinine (sustained for ≥30 days)or end-stage kidney disease (eGFR <15 mL/min per 1·73 m 2 sustained for ≥90 days, chronic dialysis for ≥90 days, kidney transplantation, or death from kidney failure)in the intention-to-treat population of all responders. Safety was assessed in all patients who received at least one dose of their assigned study treatment. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01858532. Findings: Between May 17, 2013, and July 13, 2017, 11 087 patients were screened; 5117 entered the enrichment period, and 4711 completed the enrichment period. Of these, 2648 patients were responders and were randomly assigned to the atrasentan group (n=1325)or placebo group (n=1323). Median follow-up was 2·2 years (IQR 1·4–2·9). 79 (6·0%)of 1325 patients in the atrasentan group and 105 (7·9%)of 1323 in the placebo group had a primary composite renal endpoint event (hazard ratio [HR]0·65 [95% CI 0·49–0·88]; p=0·0047). Fluid retention and anaemia adverse events, which have been previously attributed to endothelin receptor antagonists, were more frequent in the atrasentan group than in the placebo group. Hospital admission for heart failure occurred in 47 (3·5%)of 1325 patients in the atrasentan group and 34 (2·6%)of 1323 patients in the placebo group (HR 1·33 [95% CI 0·85–2·07]; p=0·208). 58 (4·4%)patients in the atrasentan group and 52 (3·9%)in the placebo group died (HR 1·09 [95% CI 0·75–1·59]; p=0·65). Interpretation: Atrasentan reduced the risk of renal events in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease who were selected to optimise efficacy and safety. These data support a potential role for selective endothelin receptor antagonists in protecting renal function in patients with type 2 diabetes at high risk of developing end-stage kidney disease. Funding: AbbVie