Radiation Therapy after Radical Prostatectomy: Implications for Clinicians.

Depending on the pathological findings, up to 60% of prostate cancer patients who undergo radical prostatectomy (RP) will develop biochemical relapse and require further local treatment. Radiotherapy (RT) immediately after RP may potentially eradicate any residual localized microscopic disease in the prostate bed, and it is associated with improved biochemical, clinical progression-free survival, and overall survival in patients with high-risk pathological features according to published randomized trials. Offering immediate adjuvant RT to all men with high-risk pathological factors we are over-treating around 50% of patients who would anyway be cancer-free, exposing them to unnecessary toxicity and adding costs to the health-care system. The current dilemma is, thus, whether to deliver adjuvant immediate RT solely on the basis of high-risk pathology, but in the absence of measurable prostate-specific antigen, or whether early salvage radiotherapy would yield equivalent outcomes. Randomized trials are ongoing to definitely answer this question. Retrospective analyses suggest that there is a dose-response favoring doses >70 Gy to the prostate bed. The evidence regarding the role of androgen deprivation therapy is emerging, and ongoing randomized trials are underway

Laser ablation loading of a radiofrequency ion trap

The production of ions via laser ablation for the loading of radiofrequency (RF) ion traps is investigated using a nitrogen laser with a maximum pulse energy of 0.17 mJ and a peak intensity of about 250 MW/cm^2. A time-of-flight mass spectrometer is used to measure the ion yield and the distribution of the charge states. Singly charged ions of elements that are presently considered for the use in optical clocks or quantum logic applications could be produced from metallic samples at a rate of the order of magnitude 10^5 ions per pulse. A linear Paul trap was loaded with Th+ ions produced by laser ablation. An overall ion production and trapping efficiency of 10^-7 to 10^-6 was attained. For ions injected individually, a dependence of the capture probability on the phase of the RF field has been predicted. In the experiment this was not observed, presumably because of collective effects within the ablation plume.Comment: submitted to Appl. Phys. B., special issue on ion trappin

Quantitative importance of staminodes for female reproductive success in Parnassia palustris under contrasting environmental conditions.

The five sterile stamens, or staminodes, in Parnassia palustris act both as false and as true nectaries. They attract pollinators with their conspicuous, but non-rewarding tips, and also produce nectar at the base. We removed staminodes experimentally and compared pollinator visitation rate and duration and seed set in flowers with and without staminodes in two different populations. We also examined the relative importance of the staminode size to other plant traits. Finally, we bagged, emasculated, and supplementary cross-pollinated flowers to determine the pollination strategy and whether reproduction was limited by pollen availability. Flowers in both populations were highly dependent on pollinator visitation for maximum seed set. In one population pollinators primarily cross-pollinated flowers, whereas in the other the pollinators facilitated self-pollination. The staminodes caused increased pollinator visitation rate and duration to flowers in both populations. The staminodes increased female reproductive success, but only when pollen availability constrained female reproduction. Simple linear regression indicated a strong selection on staminode size, multiple regression suggested that selection on staminode size was mainly caused by correlation with other traits that affected female fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR

Search for direct production of charginos and neutralinos in events with three leptons and missing transverse momentum in √s = 7 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for the direct production of charginos and neutralinos in final states with three electrons or muons and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis is based on 4.7 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded with the ATLAS detector. Observations are consistent with Standard Model expectations in three signal regions that are either depleted or enriched in Z-boson decays. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set in R-parity conserving phenomenological minimal supersymmetric models and in simplified models, significantly extending previous results

Measurement of D*+/- meson production in jets from pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper reports a measurement of D*+/- meson production in jets from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The measurement is based on a data sample recorded with the ATLAS detector with an integrated luminosity of 0.30 pb^-1 for jets with transverse momentum between 25 and 70 GeV in the pseudorapidity range |eta| < 2.5. D*+/- mesons found in jets are fully reconstructed in the decay chain: D*+ -> D0pi+, D0 -> K-pi+, and its charge conjugate. The production rate is found to be N(D*+/-)/N(jet) = 0.025 +/- 0.001(stat.) +/- 0.004(syst.) for D*+/- mesons that carry a fraction z of the jet momentum in the range 0.3 < z < 1. Monte Carlo predictions fail to describe the data at small values of z, and this is most marked at low jet transverse momentum.Comment: 10 pages plus author list (22 pages total), 5 figures, 1 table, matches published version in Physical Review

Perfil epidemiológico das lesões de glândulas salivares menores diagnosticadas na FAODO-UFMS

As lesões que acometem as glândulas salivares são incomuns e variadas. Podem ser neoplásicas (benignas e malignas) e não neoplásicas (infecciosas, imunológicas e reacionais). O objetivo desse trabalho foi traçar o perfil epidemiológico das lesões em glândulas salivares menores, diagnosticados na Faculdade de Odontologia da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, durante o período de 2000 a 2018 (n = 429). Dados como sexo, idade, etnia, hábitos (tabagista e etilista), sintomatologia, localização anatômica, tamanho da lesão e diagnóstico histológico foram coletados no livro de registro do Laboratório de Anatomopatologia Bucal. Testes estatísticos foram utilizados na análise e correlação de variáveis (α=0,05). Essa pesquisa evidenciou predomínio das lesões não neoplásicas sobre as neoplásicas (p&lt;0,05) . A faixa etária com maior prevalência foi entre a segunda e quinta década de vida; a maioria das lesões foi encontrada em pacientes leucodermas, sendo que grande parte foram marcadamente assintomáticas. As lesões neoplásicas apresentaram maior tamanho quando comparadas as lesões não neoplásicas s (p&lt;0,05). O lábio inferior foi a região mais afetada nas lesões não neoplásicas e o palato duro nas neoplásicas. Não foi encontrada correlação entre os hábitos do paciente com o aparecimento de lesões. De acordo com os resultados apresentados, conclui-se que estudos envolvendo glândulas salivares menores são necessários no intuito de identificar o perfil do paciente acometido, para contribuir com a prevenção e evolução dessas entidades. &nbsp; Palavras-chave: Glândulas salivares.&nbsp; Neoplasias bucais.&nbsp; Levantamento epidemiológico. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As lesões que acometem as glândulas salivares são incomuns e variadas. Podem ser neoplásicas (benignas e malignas) e não neoplásicas (infecciosas, imunológicas e reacionais). O objetivo desse trabalho foi traçar o perfil epidemiológico das lesões em glândulas salivares menores, diagnosticados na Faculdade de Odontologia da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, durante o período de 2000 a 2018 (n = 429). Dados como sexo, idade, etnia, hábitos (tabagista e etilista), sintomatologia, localização anatômica, tamanho da lesão e diagnóstico histológico foram coletados no livro de registro do Laboratório de Anatomopatologia Bucal. Testes estatísticos foram utilizados na análise e correlação de variáveis (α=0,05). Essa pesquisa evidenciou predomínio das lesões não neoplásicas sobre as neoplásicas (p&lt;0,05) . A faixa etária com maior prevalência foi entre a segunda e quinta década de vida; a maioria das lesões foi encontrada em pacientes leucodermas, sendo que grande parte foram marcadamente assintomáticas. As lesões neoplásicas apresentaram maior tamanho quando comparadas as lesões não neoplásicas s (p&lt;0,05). O lábio inferior foi a região mais afetada nas lesões não neoplásicas e o palato duro nas neoplásicas. Não foi encontrada correlação entre os hábitos do paciente com o aparecimento de lesões. De acordo com os resultados apresentados, conclui-se que estudos envolvendo glândulas salivares menores são necessários no intuito de identificar o perfil do paciente acometido, para contribuir com a prevenção e evolução dessas entidades. &nbsp; &nbsp; Palavras-chave: Glândulas salivares. Neoplasias bucais. Levantamento epidemiológico. &nbsp

Search for supersymmetry in final states with jets, missing transverse momentum and one isolated lepton in sqrt{s} = 7 TeV pp collisions using 1 fb-1 of ATLAS data

We present an update of a search for supersymmetry in final states containing jets, missing transverse momentum, and one isolated electron or muon, using 1.04 fb^-1 of proton-proton collision data at sqrt{s} = 7 TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC in the first half of 2011. The analysis is carried out in four distinct signal regions with either three or four jets and variations on the (missing) transverse momentum cuts, resulting in optimized limits for various supersymmetry models. No excess above the standard model background expectation is observed. Limits are set on the visible cross-section of new physics within the kinematic requirements of the search. The results are interpreted as limits on the parameters of the minimal supergravity framework, limits on cross-sections of simplified models with specific squark and gluino decay modes, and limits on parameters of a model with bilinear R-parity violation.Comment: 18 pages plus author list (30 pages total), 9 figures, 4 tables, final version to appear in Physical Review

Reducing heterotic M-theory to five dimensional supergravity on a manifold with boundary

This paper constructs the reduction of heterotic $M$-theory in eleven dimensions to a supergravity model on a manifold with boundary in five dimensions using a Calabi-Yau three-fold. New results are presented for the boundary terms in the action and for the boundary conditions on the bulk fields. Some general features of dualisation on a manifold with boundary are used to explain the origin of some topological terms in the action. The effect of gaugino condensation on the fermion boundary conditions leads to a `twist' in the chirality of the gravitino which can provide an uplifting mechanism in the vacuum energy to cancel the cosmological constant after moduli stabilisation.Comment: 16 pages, RevTe

Measurement of charm production at central rapidity in proton-proton collisions at s=2.76\sqrt{s} = 2.76 TeV

The $p_{\rm T}$-differential production cross sections of the prompt (B feed-down subtracted) charmed mesons D$^0$, D$^+$, and D$^{*+}$ in the rapidity range $|y|<0.5$, and for transverse momentum $1< p_{\rm T} <12$ GeV/$c$, were measured in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 2.76$ TeV with the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis exploited the hadronic decays D$^0 \rightarrow$K$\pi$, D$^+ \rightarrow$K$\pi\pi$, D$^{*+} \rightarrow$D$^0\pi$, and their charge conjugates, and was performed on a $L_{\rm int} = 1.1$ nb$^{-1}$ event sample collected in 2011 with a minimum-bias trigger. The total charm production cross section at $\sqrt{s} = 2.76$ TeV and at 7 TeV was evaluated by extrapolating to the full phase space the $p_{\rm T}$-differential production cross sections at $\sqrt{s} = 2.76$ TeV and our previous measurements at $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV. The results were compared to existing measurements and to perturbative-QCD calculations. The fraction of cdbar D mesons produced in a vector state was also determined.Comment: 20 pages, 5 captioned figures, 4 tables, authors from page 15, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/307

Particle-yield modification in jet-like azimuthal di-hadron correlations in Pb-Pb collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76 TeV

The yield of charged particles associated with high-$p_{\rm T}$ trigger particles ($8 < p_{\rm T} < 15$ GeV/$c$) is measured with the ALICE detector in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV relative to proton-proton collisions at the same energy. The conditional per-trigger yields are extracted from the narrow jet-like correlation peaks in azimuthal di-hadron correlations. In the 5% most central collisions, we observe that the yield of associated charged particles with transverse momenta $p_{\rm T}> 3$ GeV/$c$ on the away-side drops to about 60% of that observed in pp collisions, while on the near-side a moderate enhancement of 20-30% is found.Comment: 15 pages, 2 captioned figures, 1 table, authors from page 10, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/350