We report on the Balloon-borne Investigation of Temperature and Speed of Electrons in the corona (BITSE) mission launched recently to observe the solar corona from
≈
3
Rs to 15 Rs at four ...wavelengths (393.5, 405.0, 398.7, and 423.4 nm). The BITSE instrument is an externally occulted single stage coronagraph developed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in collaboration with the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI). BITSE used a polarization camera that provided polarization and total brightness images of size
1024
×
1024
pixels. The Wallops Arc Second Pointer (WASP) system developed at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) was used for Sun pointing. The coronagraph and WASP were mounted on a gondola provided by WFF and launched from the Fort Sumner, New Mexico station of Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF) on September 18, 2019. BITSE obtained 17,060 coronal images at a float altitude of
≈
128,000
feet (
≈
39
km) over a period of
≈
4
hrs. BITSE flight software was based on NASA’s core Flight System, which was designed to help develop flight quality software. We used EVTM (Ethernet Via Telemetry) to download science data during operations; all images were stored on board using flash storage. At the end of the mission, all data were recovered and analyzed. Preliminary analysis shows that BITSE imaged the solar minimum corona with the equatorial streamers on the east and west limbs. The narrow streamers observed by BITSE are in good agreement with the geometric properties obtained by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) coronagraphs in the overlapping physical domain. In spite of the small signal-to-noise ratio (
≈
14
) we were able to obtain the temperature and flow speed of the western steamer. In the heliocentric distance range 4 – 7 Rs on the western streamer, we obtained a temperature of
≈
1.0
±
0.3
MK and a flow speed of
≈
260
km s
−1
with a large uncertainty interval.
Background: This study investigated the outcomes after radical hysterectomy according to tumor size divided by 2-cm interval in patients with International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology ...stage IA2–IIA cervical cancer.
Patients and methods: A total of 1415 patients were eligible for participation in the study and were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into four groups according to tumor size (i.e. ≤2, 2–4, 4–6 and >6 cm). The relationships between tumor size and other clinicopathologic risk factors, the probability of adjuvant therapy, survival parameters, recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed.
Results: The incidence of intermediate- and high-risk factors gradually increased with increasing tumor size. Adjuvant therapy was required in 13.6%, 34.0%, 56.7% and 92.9% of patients with tumor sizes of ≤2, 2–4, 4–6 and >6 cm, respectively (P < 0.001). The risks of recurrence and death gradually increased with increasing tumor size, after adjusting for other significant prognostic factors in multivariate analysis (P < 0.001 and < 0.001, respectively). Even in patients with no intermediate- or high-risk factors, tumor size was a significant predictor of RFS and OS (P < 0.001 and < 0.001, respectively). Immediate surgical parameters did not significantly differ according to tumor size.
Conclusions: Tumor size divided by a 2-cm interval was an independent prognostic factor and correlated well with other risk factors and with the need for adjuvant therapy.
We investigated the physical connection between interplanetary flux ropes (IFRs) near Earth and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) by comparing the magnetic field structures of IFRs and CME source ...regions. The analysis is based on the list of 54 pairs of ICMEs (interplanetary coronal mass ejections) and CMEs that are taken to be the most probable solar source events. We first attempted to identify the flux rope structure in each of the 54 ICMEs by fitting models with a cylinder and torus magnetic field geometry, both with a force-free field structure. This analysis determined the possible geometries of the identified flux ropes. Then we compared the flux rope geometries with the magnetic field structure of the solar source regions. We obtained the following results: (1) Flux rope structures are seen in 51 ICMEs out of the 54. The result implies that all ICMEs have an intrinsic flux rope structure, if the three exceptional cases are attributed to unfavorable observation conditions. (2) It is possible to find flux rope geometries with the main axis orientation close to the orientation of the magnetic polarity inversion line (PIL) in the solar source regions, the differences being less than 25°. (3) The helicity sign of an IFR is strongly controlled by the location of the solar source: flux ropes with positive (negative) helicity are associated with sources in the southern (northern) hemisphere (six exceptions were found). (4) Over two-thirds of the sources in the northern hemisphere are concentrated along PILs with orientations of 45° ± 30° (measured clockwise from the east), and over two-thirds in the southern hemisphere along PILs with orientations of 135° ± 30°, both corresponding to the Hale boundaries. These results strongly support the idea that a flux rope with the main axis parallel to the PIL erupts in a CME and that the erupted flux rope propagates through the interplanetary space with its orientation maintained and is observed as an IFR.
Summary
The present study evaluates the incidence and mortality of vertebral fractures in Korea, using data from the Health Insurance Review Assessment Service, which includes nationwide information ...entrusted by Korean government.
Introduction
A vertebral compression fracture is a serious complication associated with osteoporosis of the spine. We evaluated the incidence of vertebral fracture and subsequent mortality in South Korea, using nationwide data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA).
Methods
All new visits or admissions to clinics or hospitals for fractures were recorded in nationwide cohort by the Korean HIRA using International Classification of Disease, tenth Revision (ICD-10) code. The incidence of vertebral fracture and excess mortality associated with vertebral fracture were evaluated, in men and women aged 50 years or more between 2005 and 2008. Standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was calculated to determine excess mortality associated with vertebral fracture.
Results
The crude overall incidence of vertebral fractures was 984 per 100,000 person years from 2005 to 2008. The overall mortality rate at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after vertebral fracture in men (5.56%, 9.41%, 14.6%, and 20.61%, respectively) were higher than that in women (2.41%, 4.36%, 7.16%, and 10.48%, respectively). In both genders, the age-specific mortality rates were more than those of the general population. The SMR was highest during the first 3 months and gradually declined to 2.53 in men and 1.86 in women at the 2-year period.
Conclusions
The incidence of vertebral fracture in South Korea was comparable with other countries such as Switzerland, and the mortality after vertebral fracture is higher than that of normal populations. The incidence of osteoporotic vertebral fracture and following high mortality are likely to become serious socioeconomic problems.
It has been reported that Pi2 pulsations can be excited under extremely quiet geomagnetic conditions (Kp=0). However, there have been few comprehensive reports of Pi2 pulsations in such a near ground ...state magnetosphere. To understand the characteristics of quiet‐time Pi2 pulsations, we statistically examined Pi2 events observed on the nightside between 1800 and 0600 local time at the low‐latitude Bohyun (BOH, L = 1.35) station in South Korea. We chose year 2008 for analysis because geomagnetic activity was unusually low in that year. A total of 982 Pi2 events were identified when Kp≤1. About 80% of the Pi2 pulsations had a period between 110 and 300 s, which significantly differs from the conventional Pi2 period from 40 to 150 s. Comparing Pi2 periods and solar wind conditions, we found that Pi2 periods decrease with increasing solar wind speed, consistent with the result of Troitskaya (1967). The observed wave properties are discussed in terms of plasmaspheric resonance, which has been proposed for Pi2 pulsations in the inner magnetosphere. We also found that Pi2 pulsations occur quasi‐periodically with a repetition period of ∼23–38 min. We will discuss what determines such a recurrence time of Pi2 pulsations under quiet geomagnetic conditions.
Key Points
Pi2 pulsations during quiet geomagnetic conditions
Pi2 frequencies depending on solar wind speeds
Quasi‐periodic Pi2 pulsations with an occurrence rate of about 23‐53 min
Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare the postoperative stability following bimaxillary surgery performed either with or without preoperative orthodontic treatment, in class III ...malocclusion patients. These patients were enrolled using standardized inclusion criteria. Forty patients with a class III malocclusion were included in this retrospective study. Inclusion criteria were class III malocclusion with and without premolar extraction, <3 mm midline deviation, and <5 mm arch width discordance. Patients were assigned to the conventional bimaxillary surgery group ( n = 20) or the surgery-first bimaxillary surgery group ( n = 20). Serial cephalometric radiographs obtained before surgery (T0), at 2 months after surgery (T1), and at 6 months after surgery (T2) were used to assess the variation in surgical change (T0 to T1) and postsurgical change (T1 to T2). Eight linear and three angular parameters were used to evaluate postoperative stability. With respect to postsurgical changes, significant differences were observed in the changes for the vertical reference plane to the posterior nasal spine, horizontal reference plane to B-point, and occlusal plane angle in both groups. No statistically significant differences in the relapse rates were observed between the two groups. No significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of the postoperative stability.
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