Study of the Large-scale Temperature Structure of the Perseus Cluster with Suzaku

We report on a study of the large-scale temperature structure of the Perseus cluster with Suzaku, using the observational data of four pointings of 30' offset regions, together with the data from the central region. Thanks to the Hard X-ray Detector (HXD-PIN: 10 - 60 keV), Suzaku can determine the temperature of hot galaxy clusters. We performed the spectral analysis, by considering the temperature structure and the collimator response of the PIN correctly. As a result, we found that the upper limit of the temperature in the outer region is $\sim$ 14 keV, and an extremely hot gas, which was reported for RXJ 1347.5-1145 and A 3667, was not found in the Perseus cluster. This indicates that the Perseus cluster has not recently experienced a major merger.Comment: 17 pages, 25 figures, accepted for Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan, references adde

Fe-K line probing of material around the AGN central engine with Suzaku

We systematically analyzed the high-quality Suzaku data of 88 Seyfert galaxies. We obtained a clear relation between the absorption column density and the equivalent width of the 6.4 keV line above 10$^{23}$ cm$^{-2}$, suggesting a wide-ranging column density of $10^{23-24.5}$ cm$^{-2}$ with a similar solid and a Fe abundance of 0.7--1.3 solar for Seyfert 2 galaxies. The EW of the 6.4 keV line for Seyfert 1 galaxies are typically 40--120 eV, suggesting the existence of Compton-thick matter like the torus with a column density of $>10^{23}$ cm$^{-2}$ and a solid angle of $(0.15-0.4)*4pi$, and no difference of neutral matter is visible between Seyfert 1 and 2 galaxies. An absorber with a lower column density of $10^{21-23}$ cm$^{-2}$ for Compton-thin Seyfert 2 galaxies is suggested to be not a torus but an interstellar medium. These constraints can be understood by the fact that the 6.4 keV line intensity ratio against the 10--50 keV flux is almost identical within a range of 2--3 in many Seyfert galaxies. Interestingly, objects exist with a low EW, 10--30 eV, of the 6.4 keV line, suggesting that those torus subtends only a small solid angle of $<0.2*4pi$. Ionized Fe-K$\alpha$ emission or absorption lines are detected from several percents of AGNs. Considering the ionization state and equivalent width, emitters and absorbers of ionized Fe-K lines can be explained by the same origin, and highly ionized matter is located at the broad line region. The rapid increase in EW of the ionized Fe-K emission lines at $N_{H}>10^{23}$ cm$^{-2}$ is found, like that of the cold material. It is found that these features seem to change for brighter objects with more than several $10^{44}$ erg/s such that the Fe-K line features become weak. We discuss this feature, together with the torus structure.Comment: 32 pages, 20 figures, ApJ accepte

Identifying the molecular adsorption site of a single molecule junction through combined Raman and conductance studies

Single-molecule junctions are ideal test beds for investigating the fundamentals of charge transport at the nanoscale. Conducting properties are strongly dependent on the metal–molecule interface geometry, which, however, is very poorly characterized due to numerous experimental challenges. We report on a new methodology for characterizing the adsorption site of single-molecule junctions through the combination of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), current–voltage (I–V) curve measurements, and density functional theory simulations. This new methodology discriminates between three different adsorption sites for benzenedithiol and aminobenzenethiol junctions, which cannot be identified by solo measurements of either SERS or I–V curves. Using this methodology, we determine the interface geometry of these two prototypical molecules at the junction and its time evolution. By modulating the applied voltage, we can change and monitor the distribution of adsorption sites at the junction

コンパクト デジタル カメラ ニヨル テンタイ キョウザイ サクセイ ノ カノウセイ ト ジュギョウ エノ ドウニュウ ノ ココロミ

情報機器類の性能向上により,パソコンを含めた情報機器類の教材製作機材としての重要度がますます高くなってきている。その中でもデジタルカメラは,高性能で安価なものが市販され,学校への普及も急速に進んでいる。本論文ではデジタルカメラの中でも特に,安価なコンパクトデジタルカメラを使って,星座の撮影の可能性について検討した。その結果,コンパクトデジタルカメラでも,十分星座写真が写せることが明らかになった。手軽な星座撮影は,新たな教材開発につながるであろう。The performance of information-processing equipment has been greatly improved, thus they become very vital tool for teaching materials. Especially, as for the digital camera, an efficient yet cheap one is marketed. As a result, it was clarified that it is possible to use a compact digital camera to take constellation photograph. the spread of the digital camera to the school is also rapidly advanced. In this paper, we examined the possibility of taking a picture of the constellation in the compact digital camera. As a result, it was clarified to be able to take the constellation photograph with the compact digital camera. It is likely to lead to the development of new teaching material if the constellation photograph can be easily taken.国立情報学研究所『研究紀要公開支援事業』により電子化

Why Are Outcomes Different for Registry Patients Enrolled Prospectively and Retrospectively? Insights from the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF).

Background: Retrospective and prospective observational studies are designed to reflect real-world evidence on clinical practice, but can yield conflicting results. The GARFIELD-AF Registry includes both methods of enrolment and allows analysis of differences in patient characteristics and outcomes that may result. Methods and Results: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and ≥1 risk factor for stroke at diagnosis of AF were recruited either retrospectively (n = 5069) or prospectively (n = 5501) from 19 countries and then followed prospectively. The retrospectively enrolled cohort comprised patients with established AF (for a least 6, and up to 24 months before enrolment), who were identified retrospectively (and baseline and partial follow-up data were collected from the emedical records) and then followed prospectively between 0-18 months (such that the total time of follow-up was 24 months; data collection Dec-2009 and Oct-2010). In the prospectively enrolled cohort, patients with newly diagnosed AF (≤6 weeks after diagnosis) were recruited between Mar-2010 and Oct-2011 and were followed for 24 months after enrolment. Differences between the cohorts were observed in clinical characteristics, including type of AF, stroke prevention strategies, and event rates. More patients in the retrospectively identified cohort received vitamin K antagonists (62.1% vs. 53.2%) and fewer received non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (1.8% vs . 4.2%). All-cause mortality rates per 100 person-years during the prospective follow-up (starting the first study visit up to 1 year) were significantly lower in the retrospective than prospectively identified cohort (3.04 [95% CI 2.51 to 3.67] vs . 4.05 [95% CI 3.53 to 4.63]; p = 0.016). Conclusions: Interpretations of data from registries that aim to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with AF must take account of differences in registry design and the impact of recall bias and survivorship bias that is incurred with retrospective enrolment. Clinical Trial Registration: - URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier for GARFIELD-AF (NCT01090362)

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

Photo-induced strain imaging of semiconductors

This paper presents a novel method for high-resolutions imaging of band-gap energies of semiconductors. When electron-hole pairs are generated in a semiconductor irradiated with a laser, they induce electronic strains in the semiconductor. The electronic strains can be detected and imaged by a scanning probe microscope. The electron-hole-pair generation depends on the band-gap and photon energies. When there are variations in band-gap energies in a sample, strains could be detected in regions having narrower gaps than the irradiated photon energy, and so their distributions can be imaged. The threshold of electron-hole-pair generation can be varied by changing the irradiated photon energies. Consequently, we can quantitatively image the band-gap energy distributions of semiconductors

New Evaluation Method for Bone Formation around a Fully Hydroxyapatite-Coated Stem Using Digital Tomosynthesis: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Digital tomosynthesis (DTS) is a new imaging technique derived from radiography, and its usefulness has been gradually reported in the field of orthopedic diagnosis in recent years. A fully hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated stem, which is used for total hip arthroplasty (THA), is a type of cementless stem that has been widely used recently and reported to have good results. However, stem loosening on plain radiographs is difficult to determine in some cases due to cancellous condensation around the stem. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, we compared the results of plain radiography versus DTS to evaluate the imaging findings after THA using a fully HA-coated stem. Twenty joints each in the 3 y and 1 y postoperative groups underwent plain radiography and DTS. On DTS, bone formation around the stem was confirmed in all cases; however, this formation was not reproducible on plain radiography, and there were cases in which the reaction could not be confirmed or cases with cancellous condensation resembling reactive lines. This reaction was not reproducible on plain radiographs, and in some cases, the reaction could not be confirmed, or there were cases with cancellous condensation that resembled reactive lines. Therefore, DTS was useful in the diagnosis of bone formation around the implant