We report on the results from Suzaku observations of the Galactic black hole X-ray binary H1743-322 in the low/hard state during its outburst in 2012 October. We appropriately take into account the ...effects of dust scattering to accurately analyze the X-ray spectra. The time-averaged spectra in the 1-200 keV band are dominated by a hard power-law component of a photon index of approximately 1.6 with a high-energy cutoff at approximately 60 keV, which is well described with the Comptonization of the disk emission by the hot corona. We estimate the inner disk radius from the multi-color disk component, and find that it is 1.3-2.3 times larger than the radius in the high/soft state. This suggests that the standard disk was not extended to the innermost stable circular orbit. A reflection component from the disk is detected with R = Omega/2pi approximately 0.6 (Omega is the solid angle). We also successfully estimate the stable disk component independent of the time-averaged spectral modeling by analyzing short-term spectral variability on a ~ 1 s timescale. A weak low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillation at 0.1-0.2 Hz is detected, whose frequency is found to correlate with the X-ray luminosity and photon index. This result may be explained by the evolution of the disk truncation radius.
The influence of pelagic larval duration (PLD) and egg type dispersal capabilities of 35 demersal and pelagic‐spawning tropical fish species is examined in relation to their abundance on the ...temperate coasts of Japan. The PLDs of pelagic spawners were significantly longer than those of demersal spawners, and a high occurrence of pelagic spawners on the temperate coasts suggests that these fishes are more easily transported to temperate coasts than demersal spawners. For demersal spawners, the common species on the temperate coasts had significantly longer PLDs than the rare species; this suggests that PLD is a major factor influencing the distribution patterns of tropical demersal spawners on temperate coasts. Moreover, a negative correlation between PLD and the abundance of some species of pelagic and demersal spawners suggests the presence of reproductively active fishes in northern subtropical and even in temperate waters.
We present the third MAXI/GSC catalog in the high Galactic latitude sky ( ) based on the 7-year data from 2009 August 13 to 2016 July 31, complementary to that in the low Galactic latitude sky ( ) ...(Hori et al. 2018). We compile 682 sources detected at significances of sD,4-10 keV ≥ 6.5 in the 4-10 keV band. A two-dimensional image fit based on the Poisson likelihood algorithm (C-statistics) is adopted for the detections and constraints on their fluxes and positions. The 4-10 keV sensitivity reaches 0.48 mCrab, or 5.9 × 10−12 erg cm−2 s−1, over half of the survey area. Compared with the 37-month Hiroi et al. (2013) catalog, which adopted a threshold of sD,4-10 keV ≥ 7, the source number increases by a factor of ∼1.4. The fluxes in the 3-4 keV and 10-20 keV bands are further estimated, and hardness ratios (HRs) are calculated using the 3-4 keV, 4-10 keV, 3-10 keV, and 10-20 keV band fluxes. We also make the 4-10 keV light curves in 1-year bins for all the sources and characterize their variabilities with an index based on a likelihood function and the excess variance. Possible counterparts are found from five major X-ray survey catalogs by Swift, Uhuru, RXTE, XMM-Newton, and ROSAT, as well as an X-ray galaxy cluster catalog (MCXC). Our catalog provides the fluxes, positions, detection significances, HRs, 1-year bin light curves, variability indices, and counterpart candidates.
Purpose
The diagnosis and treatment of cancer negatively affect patients’ physical, functional and psychological wellbeing. Patients’ needs for care cannot be addressed unless they are recognized by ...healthcare providers (HCPs). The use of quality of life (QoL) assessments with feedback to HCPs might facilitate the identification and discussion of QoL-topics.
Methods
113 patients with stage I–IIIB breast cancer treated with chemotherapy were included in this randomized controlled trial. Patients were randomly allocated to receive either usual care, or usual care with an intervention consisting of a QoL-monitor assessing QoL, distress and care needs before every chemotherapy cycle visit. Patients completed questionnaires regarding QoL, illness perceptions, self-efficacy, and satisfaction with communication. From the 2nd visit onwards, patients in the intervention arm and their HCPs received a copy of the QoL overview and results were shown in patients’ medical files. Audio-recordings and patients’ self-reports were used to investigate effects on communication, patient management and patient-wellbeing. A composite score for communication was calculated by summing the number of QoL-topics discussed during each consultation.
Results
Use of the QoL-monitor resulted in a higher communication score (0.7 topics increase per visit,
p
= 0.04), especially regarding the disease-specific and psychosocial issues (
p
< 0.01). There were no differences in patient management, QoL, illness perceptions or distress. Patients in the experimental arm (
n
= 60) had higher scores on satisfaction with communication (
p
< 0.05).
Conclusions
Use of a QoL-monitor during chemotherapy in patients with early breast cancer might result in a more frequent discussion of QoL-topics, associated with high levels of patients’ satisfaction.
We present optical photometry and spectroscopy of the broad-lined Type Ic supernova (SN Ic-BL) PTF10qts, which was discovered as part of the Palomar Transient Factory. The SN was located in a dwarf ...galaxy of magnitude r = 21.1 at a redshift z = 0.0907. We find that the R-band light curve is a poor proxy for bolometric data and use photometric and spectroscopic data to construct and constrain the bolometric light curve. The derived bolometric magnitude at maximum light is M
bol = −18.51 ± 0.2 mag, comparable to that of SN 1998bw (M
bol = −18.7 mag) which was associated with a gamma-ray burst (GRB). PTF10qts is one of the most luminous SNe Ic-BL observed without an accompanying GRB. We estimate the physical parameters of the explosion using data from our programme of follow-up observations, finding that it produced a larger mass of radioactive nickel compared to other SNe Ic-BL with similar inferred ejecta masses and kinetic energies. The progenitor of the event was likely an ∼20 M⊙ star.
The supernova remnant G347.3-0.5 (J1713.7-3946) is known as one of the unique SNRs that emit TeV g-rays, as well as nonthermal X-rays. We present a detailed study of molecular gas toward this SNR ...obtained with the 4 m millimeter and submillimeter telescope NANTEN at an angular resolution of 2'.6. This study has revealed that several intensity peaks and the overall distribution of the molecular gas with radial velocities from -12 to -3 km s super(-1) show a remarkably good correlation with the X-ray features, strongly supporting the recently derived kinematic distance around 1 kpc, as opposed to the 6 kpc previously claimed. In addition, we show that absorption of X-rays is caused by local molecular gas at softer X-ray bands. Subsequent measurements of the submillimeter J = 3-2 transition of CO made with the ASTE 10 m and CSO 10.4 m submillimeter telescopes toward three of the molecular intensity peaks have revealed higher excitation conditions, most likely higher temperatures above 630 K, in contrast to the typical gas temperature, 10 K, in low-mass dark clouds. This temperature rise is most likely caused by enhanced heating by the high-energy events in the SNR, where possible mechanisms include heating by X-rays, g-rays, and/or cosmic-ray protons, although we admit that additional radiative heating by young protostars embedded may be working as well. In one of the CO peaks, we have confirmed the presence of broad molecular wings of 620 km s super(-1) velocity extent in the CO J = 3-2 transition. Two alternative interpretations for the wings are presented; one is shock acceleration by the blast wave, and the other is molecular outflow driven by an embedded protostar. The SNR evolution is well explained as the free expansion phase based on the distance of 1 kpc. The molecular data set should be valuable for making a further detailed comparison with the g-ray and X-ray distributions in order to examine the cosmic-ray acceleration quantitatively.
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