We present two results of a search for MeV-scale neutrino and anti-neutrino events correlated with gravitational wave events/candidates and large solar flares with KamLAND. The KamLAND detector is a ...large-volume neutrino detector using liquid scintillator, which is located at 1 km underground under the top of Mt. Ikenoyama in Kamioka, Japan. KamLAND has multiple reaction channels to detect neutrinos. Electron antineutrino can be detected via inverse-beta decay with 1.8 MeV neutrino energy threshold. All flavors of neutrinos can be detected via neutrino-electron scattering without neutrino energy threshold. KamLAND has continued the neutrino observation since 2002 March. We use the data set of 60 gravitational waves provided by the LIGO/Virgo collaboration during their second and third observing runs and search for coincident electron antineutrino events in KamLAND. We find no significant coincident signals within a ±500 s timing window from each gravitational wave and present 90% C.L. upper limits on the electron antineutrino fluence between 108–1013 cm-2 for neutrino energies of 1.8–111 MeV. For a solar-flare neutrino search at KamLAND, we determine the timing window using the solar X-ray data set provided by the GOES satellite series from 2002 to 2019 and search for the excess of coincident event rate on the all-flavor neutrinos. We find no significant event rate excess in the flare time windows and get 90% C.L. upper limits on the fluence of neutrinos of all flavors (electron anti-neutrinos) between 1010–1013 cm-2 (108–1013 cm-2) for neutrino energies in the energy range of 0.4–35 MeV.
Some values of the coincidence search in Section 3 were not correct in the published article. The time differences of the closest event to GW150915, GW151226, and LVT151012 are 1.9 h, 5.7 h, and 1017 ...s, respectively. The energies of the closest event are 2.07 MeV, 2.67 MeV, and 1.41 MeV, respectively. Figures 1, 2, and 3 were not correct in the published article. The corrected figures are provided here.
The Thermal and Near-infrared Sensor for Carbon Observation Fourier Transform Spectrometer (TANSO-FTS) on board the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) simultaneously observes column ...abundances and profiles of CH4 in the same field of view, from the shortwave infrared (SWIR) and thermal infrared (TIR) bands, respectively. We compared CH4 column-averaged dry-air mole fractions (XCH4) derived from the SWIR band, XCH4 calculated from the TIR CH4 profiles, and XCH4 calculated from the CH4 data obtained over Guam airport by commercial aircraft. The difference between the SWIR-XCH4 and aircraft XCH4 values (SWIR - aircraft) was −8 ppbv on average, and the 1σ standard deviation was 10 ppbv. The average difference between the TIR-XCH4 and aircraft XCH4 values (TIR - aircraft) was −5 ppbv, and the 1σ standard deviation was 15 ppbv. The ranges of uncertainties in the calculated aircraft XCH4 values were estimated to be 9, 3, and 2 ppbv, which came from stratospheric CH4 assumption, tropopause height determination, and meteorological dataset used, respectively. Both the SWIR- and TIR-XCH4 values agreed within 0.5% of the aircraft XCH4 values, demonstrating that the GOSAT CH4 data are both valid and consistent with each other over the tropical ocean.
We present vertical profiles of hydrogen chloride (HCl) and chlorine monoxide (ClO) as observed by the Superconducting Submillimeter-Wave Limb-Emission Sounder (SMILES) on the International Space ...Station (ISS) inside the Antarctic vortex on 19–24 November 2009. The SMILES HCl value reveals 2.8–3.1 ppbv between 450 K and 500 K levels in potential temperature (PT). The high value of HCl is highlighted since it is suggested that HCl is a main component of the total inorganic chlorine (Cly), defined as Cly ≃ HCl + ClO + chlorine nitrate (ClONO2), inside the Antarctic vortex in spring, owing to low ozone values. To confirm the quality of two SMILES level 2 (L2) data products provided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), vis-à-vis the partitioning of Cly, comparisons are made using other satellite data from the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) and Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS). HCl values from the SMILES NICT L2 product agree to within 10% (0.3 ppbv) with the MLS HCl data between 450 and 575 K levels in PT and with the ACE-FTS HCl data between 425 and 575 K. The SMILES JAXA L2 product is 10 to 20% (0.2–0.5 ppbv) lower than that from MLS between 400 and 700 K and from ACE-FTS between 500 and 700 K. For ClO in daytime, the difference between SMILES (JAXA and NICT) and MLS is less than ±0.05 ppbv (100 %) between 500 K and 650 K with the ClO values less than 0.2 ppbv. ClONO2 values as measured by ACE-FTS also reveal 0.2 ppbv at 475–500 K level, resulting in the HCl / Cly ratios of 0.91–0.95. The HCl / Cly ratios derived from each retrieval agree to within −5 to 8 % with regard to their averages. The high HCl values and HCl / Cly ratios observed by the three instruments in the lower stratospheric Antarctic vortex are consistent with previous observations in late Austral spring.
Please cite this paper as: Shoda A, Hayashi M, Takayama N, Oshima K, Nishikawa M, Okazaki T, Negishi M, Hayashida S, Watanabe H, Inaba N. Maternal screening and postpartum vaccination for measles ...infection in Japan: a cohort study. BJOG 2011;118:88–92.
We investigated the prevalence of measles‐sensitive pregnant women and the clinical usefulness of measles vaccination in postpartum women. Measles antibody levels were measured in 751 pregnant women. Forty‐four women were vaccinated postpartum, and screened for antibody levels and adverse effects 1 month after vaccination. The prevalence of measles‐sensitive pregnant women was 10–20%, with the highest prevalence in those under 24 years of age. Almost all (97.7%) vaccinated women acquired immunity, and did not show any adverse effects. Serum measles antibody levels should be determined in all pregnant women as a screening tool, and sensitive women should be vaccinated immediately after delivery.
The temporal evolution of the volume mixing ratio (VMR) of chlorine nitrate (ClONO2) observed with the Improved Limb Atmospheric Spectrometer (ILAS) is described for the Arctic late winter and early ...spring of 1997. The temporal development of ClONO2 on the 475‐K isentropic surface during winter and spring is characterized by high variability in the VMR with seasonal enhancement to about 2 ppbv. In February, depleted values of ClONO2 were also observed; some of these low values are attributable to denitrification or to occurrence of polar stratospheric clouds. After mid‐March, when ClONO2 reached peak values, ClONO2 decreased and showed much less variability. Comparison of ClONO2 with HCl observed by the Halogen Occultation Experiment/Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite (HALOE/UARS) suggests a conversion of ClONO2 into HCl earlier at high altitudes than at lower altitudes. During the period a marked enhancement in NO2 was observed with a reduction in ClONO2 in the vortex, providing the first evidence from space of the NO2 time evolution in conjunction with ClONO2. Continuous measurements of ClONO2 through winter and spring over the Arctic are limited to date. The ILAS measurements reported in this paper will be useful for reanalyzing the seasonal variation of chlorine activation/deactivation processes in the Arctic lower stratosphere that control the degree of ozone destruction.
Summary
Background Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) frequently suffer from recalcitrant digital ulceration because of impaired cutaneous blood flow (CBF). A simple and accurate CBF measurement ...would be helpful to evaluate the disease status and efficacy of treatment in such patients.
Objectives To examine the feasibility of a newly developed, micromachined integrated laser blood flowmeter (MILBF) for evaluation of abnormal CBF responses in patients with SSc.
Methods CBF of finger pulp was measured in eight patients with SSc and in six healthy controls using MILBF. CBF in the steady state and the responses to the arm‐raising test and cold provocation were assessed. The therapeutic efficacy of a single and an intensive prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) infusion treatment was also evaluated in some of the SSc patients.
Results The patients with SSc showed significantly lower steady‐state CBF than controls. The rate of blood flow with cold provocation and the velocity of blood flow recovery after cold provocation (VR‐CP) tended to be lower in patients with SSc. Augmentation of amplitude of the digital pulse wave by arm raising (AA‐AR) was observed in controls, but not in patients with SSc. We also found that VR‐CP and AA‐AR may be good markers for evaluating the efficacy of vasodilatory treatment. It should be noted that the examined patients did not complain of any pain and/or distress during the arm‐raising test, as opposed to during cold provocation.
Conclusions CBF assessment using MILBF and an arm‐raising test is accurate, noninvasive and well tolerated and thus the combination may be a better alternative method to evaluate abnormal CBF and efficacy of treatment in patients with SSc.
Summary
Background. The proteins p53, p63 and p73 are known to be overexpressed and to play important roles in the pathogenesis of many tumours, but the expression of p63 and p73 has not previously ...been investigated in extramammary Paget’s disease (EMPD).
Aim. To investigate the potential contribution of p53, p63 and p73 in the pathogenesis of EMPD.
Methods. In total, 35 paraffin wax‐embedded tissue samples from patients with EMPD were examined using immunohistochemical staining for p53, p63 and p73.
Results. All of the 35 EMPD specimens, including all 6 invasive EMPD and 2 metastatic lymph‐node specimens, showed nuclear overexpression of both p53 and p73. The expression levels (percentage of positive cells) of p53 and p73 (90.66 ± 12.53% and 80.20 ± 13.07%) in EMPD were significantly higher than those of normal skin. There was a significant correlation between the expression levels of p53 and p73 in EMPD. In 29 of 35 EMPD specimens, there was no nuclear expression of p63, and weak or moderate staining was found in only 6 specimens. The expression level of p63 in EMPD was significantly less than that in normal skin.
Conclusions. Our study shows that the concordant overexpression of p53 and p73 and the decreased expression of p63 may play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of EMPD. The decreased expression of p63 may play a more important role in the pathogenesis of EMPD than the overexpression of p53 and p73.
State-level policy support for electric vehicles (EVs) increased from 2010 to 2015. A total of 27 U.S. states enacted a variety of subsidies to promote EV adoption and use. From 2015, however, many ...states repealed their policies and others levied annual EV fees. There is a lack of coherence in state approaches to EV policy, most exemplified by states that both subsidize EV purchases and charge them annual fees. Using panel data on EV purchase subsidies, home charger subsidies, and annual EV fees from 2010 to 2018, we estimate whether changes in economic, environmental, demographic, political, and ideological factors explain variation in state EV policies. We find that environmental ideology and state politics are the main factors supporting state EV subsidies. Economic and environmental pollution factors only played an important role in enactment of annual EV fees, as states with higher unemployment, lower reliance on the gas tax, and better air quality are less likely to impose annual EV fees.
•We analyze the political economy of state legislation subsidizing and taxing EV adoption.•Econometric analysis uses new data set on state EV policies from 2010 to 2018.•Environmental ideology and politics are main factors supporting state EV subsidies.•Politics played a substantial role in state adoption of home charger subsidies.•Environmental ideology, gas taxes, unemployment affected state adoption of EV fees.
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