NASAs Kepler telescope has discovered many strange, new worlds. None are stranger than the planetary systems that are commonly seen orbiting very close to their host star. These planets are typically Earth to super-Earth-size. Some of these planets are almost 100 times closer to their star than the Earth is to the Sun, and many of these orbits are much smaller than those of Mercury. The relative inclination between the orbits in these systems is even lower than our solar system making these systems very flat. Understanding the origin of these close-in super-Earths is a major challenge for astronomers.In a recent paper by Sourav Chatterjee and Jonathan C. Tan, appearing in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, a new model of planet formation is tested against the properties of the innermost of these planets, nicknamed Vulcan planets by the authors. Vulcan was the name given to the once-sought innermost planet of our solar system that was thought might exist inside Mercurys orbit, but was never found. The new study finds extrasolar Vulcan planets have a property that the larger their distance from their parent star, the larger their mass.This property is a prediction of a theory of inside-out planet formation proposed last year by Chatterjee and Tan in the Astrophysical Journal, which involves planets forming at their current locations from a ring of pebbles and small rocks delivered there after spiraling in from an extended gas and dust disk. Such in situ formation of planets at very close distances to the star using material that may come from large regions of the planet-forming disk is a radical departure from most previous theories of the formation of these planets, which involved formation in the outer regions of disks followed by planetary migration to the current orbits. Proving the existence of different modes of planet formation would be a key breakthrough for understanding the diversity of worlds that are now being discovered by planet hunters.PIO Contact:Megan FellmanScience and Engineering Editor+1 (847) 491-3115fellman@northwestern.eduScience Contacts:Sourav ChatterjeePostdoctoral Fellow, Northwestern UniversityCenter for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA)sourav.chatterjee@northwestern.eduJonathan C. TanAssociate Professor of Astronomy and Physics, University of Floridajctan@astro.ufl.eduReference:Vulcan Planets: Inside-Out Formation of the Innermost Super-Earths, Sourav Chatterjee and Jonathan C. Tan, 2015, Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 798, No. 2, Let. 32 [http://iopscience.iop.org/2041-8205/798/2/L32, preprint:http://arxiv.org/abs/1411.2629%5D.

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Vulcan Planets - Inside-Out Formation of Super-Earths

Scientists led by University of Birmingham asteroseismologists have discovered a solar system with 5 Earth-sized planets dating back to the dawn of the Galaxy.

Thanks to the NASA Kepler mission, the scientists announced today (Tuesday 27 January 2015) in The Astrophysical Journal the observation of a Sun-like star (Kepler-444) hosting 5 planets with sizes between Mercury and Venus.

Kepler-444 was formed 11.2 billion years ago, when the Universe was less than 20% its current age. This is the oldest known system of terrestrial-sized planets in our Galaxy - 2 and a half times older than the Earth.

The team carried out the research using asteroseismology - listening to the natural resonances of the host star which are caused by sound trapped within it. These oscillations lead to miniscule changes or pulses in its brightness which allow the researchers to measure its diameter, mass and age. The planets were then detected from the dimming that occurs when the planets transited, or passed across, the stellar disc. This fractional fading in the intensity of the light received from the star enables scientists to accurately measure the size of the planets relative to the size of the star.

Dr Tiago Campante, from the University of Birmingham's School of Physics and Astronomy, who led the research, said: 'There are far-reaching implications for this discovery. We now know that Earth-sized planets have formed throughout most of the Universe's 13.8 billion year history, which could provide scope for the existence of ancient life in the Galaxy.

'By the time the Earth formed, the planets in this system were already older than our planet is today. This discovery may now help to pinpoint the beginning of what we might call the "era of planet formation".'

Professor Bill Chaplin, from the University of Birmingham's School of Physics and Astronomy, who has been leading the team studying solar-type stars using asteroseismology for the Kepler Mission, said: 'The first discoveries of exoplanets around other Sun-like stars in our Galaxy have fuelled efforts to find other worlds like Earth and other terrestrial planets outside our Solar System.

'We are now getting first glimpses of the variety of Galactic environments conducive to the formation of these small worlds. As a result, the path towards a more complete understanding of early planet formation in the Galaxy is now unfolding before us.'

###

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'Astro-archaeological' discovery from the dawn of time

Scientists must now decide whether the anomalous signal is truly exotic or has a more mundane provenance

When astronomers recently discovered x-rays with no obvious origin, it sparked an exciting hypothesis. Credit: Chandra X-Ray Observatory

Many major discoveries in astronomy began with an unexplained signal: pulsars, quasars and the cosmic microwave background are just three out of many examples. When astronomers recently discovered x-rays with no obvious origin, it sparked an exciting hypothesis. Maybe this is a sign of dark matter, the invisible substance making up about 85 percent of all the matter in the universe. If so, it hints that the identity of the particles is different than the prevailing models predict.

The anomalous x-rays, spotted by the European Space Agencys orbiting XMMNewton telescope, originate from two different sources: the Andromeda Galaxy and the Perseus cluster of galaxies. The challenge is to determine what created those x-rays, as described in a study published last month in Physical Review Letters. (See also an earlier study published in The Astrophysical Journal.) The signal is real but weak and astronomers must now determine whether it is extraordinary or has a mundane explanation. If that can be done, they can set about the work of identifying what kind of dark matter might be responsible.

If the [x-ray emission] line is conclusively shown to be due to dark matter, the implications are of course profound, wrote University of California, Irvine, astrophysicist Kevork Abazajian in a commentary published December 15, 2014, in Physical Review Letters.

If this observation sounds familiar, it is because researchers using NASAs Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope detected anomalous gamma rays near the Milky Way center, which some think could be from dark matter particles colliding and annihilating. The difference between the Fermi and the XMMNewton observations is the energy of the light involved, which is connected to the masses of the hypothetical dark matter particles that created it. Fermis gamma rays are more than a million times more energetic than the x-rays, so the particles that created the former would be more massive than a proton.

The x-rays, on the other hand, would have to originate from particles significantly lighter than an electron. (For those keeping track at home, the x-rays have an energy of about 3.5 kilo-electron volts, corresponding to less than one one-hundredth of the electron mass.) If the XMMNewton detection is a sign of dark matter, however, it would not be due to weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), which are researchers most popular candidates for what constitutes dark matter.

Other potential dark matter particles could include sterile neutrinosheavier cousins of the types produced in many nuclear reactionsor more exotic possibilities such as axions, originally predicted to solve an unrelated problem in particle physics. Both of these particles remain hypothetical, but if they exist, they would be much less massive than electrons.

If the culprits are sterile neutrinos, they would possess masses slightly larger than the energy of the x-ray photons. They decay into the well-known standard neutrinos, with the rest of their mass converted into x-ray lightthe very signal seen by XMMNewton. This idea, however, presents a few problems: there are no equivalent x-rays in the Milky Way and other experiments hunting for sterile neutrinos have turned up empty.

By contrast, axions are stable but they transform into photons in the presence of strong magnetic fields. Because galaxies and galaxy clusters generate such intense magnetism, they are prime axion makers. The particles (technically axionlike particles) required to make the anomalous x-rays would be of higher mass than the typical axion, but within constraints allowed by some theories.

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Weird X-Rays Spur Speculation about Dark Matter Detection

Supercomputer and the Milky Way - Computerphile
This Supercomputer is doing some of the most difficult computations in the world, about things that are out of this world. Thanks to Dr Mark Wilkinson Gary Gilchrist for showing us the...

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Newswise Fairfax, Va., January 14, 2015 The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is seeking an editor for its new open-access journal. This new, online-only, open-access journal will provide practical and clinical information for the radiation oncology community and complement ASTROs two highly successful journals, International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics (Red Journal) and Practical Radiation Oncology (PRO). The new open-access journal will be published online-only and will be supported by article processing charges.

The incoming editor will work closely with ASTROs Board of Directors, and the editors and staff of Red Journal and PRO to finalize the new journal, build the editorial board for the journal, and begin soliciting and reviewing papers. The new open-access journal is expected to launch online in late 2015, and access to accepted and published manuscripts will be free of charge without a subscription. Additional details about the new journal, including the title, will be announced when finalized later this year.

ASTRO is proud to launch this new open-access journal that will fill a critical need to publish important radiation oncology research that exceeds the publishing capacity of our current journals, said ASTRO Chair Bruce G. Haffty, MD, FASTRO. This open-access journal will be peer-reviewed and provide a sound distribution platform for quality studies related to our specialty. Together with Red Journal and PRO, this open-access journal will solidify ASTROs role as the leading publisher of radiation oncology science, research and education.

Ideal candidates will: Have notable professional expertise in radiation oncology, including an advanced degree in the related sciences. Be committed to the launch, growth and improvement of this new open-access journal, and be a strong advocate for the open-access platform. Possess strong attention to detail and excellent follow-through. Be committed to maintaining comprehensive communications and a close working relationship with ASTROs Board of Directors and staff, and the publisher. Be committed to maintaining the journal and its editorial board, which will be representative of the scientific and professional diversity of ASTROs members. Have substantial experience writing, editing and reviewing scientific manuscripts. Be able to make the significant time commitment to the journal for the full, five-year term of the position.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES: The editor is responsible for evaluating and selecting materials submitted for publication in the journal; promptly responding to communications regarding the journal; appointing and working closely with the editorial board on final selections of all manuscripts; developing and implementing improvements to journal; ensuring proper communication and tracking systems are in place in the editorial office and coordinating with the publishing staff. In addition, the editor will work collaboratively with the publisher and ASTRO on efforts to finalize and launch this new journal.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES: Candidates must indicate their institutions willingness to commit to providing adequate time to fulfill the roles and responsibilities of the editor.

INFORMATION AND DEADLINES: The term of the editor is expected to begin in early 2015. The editors term will be for five years, beginning immediately upon acceptance, and will be renewable once. To apply, please submit a letter of interest detailing your qualifications for the position, along with a brief statement of your vision for the new journal and your CV to Katherine Bennett at katherineb@astro.org. Letters of interest will be accepted through March 15, 2015.

ABOUT ASTRO ASTRO is the premier radiation oncology society in the world, with nearly 11,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals that specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through professional education and training, support for clinical practice and health policy standards, advancement of science and research, and advocacy. ASTRO publishes two medical journals, International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics (www.redjournal.org) and Practical Radiation Oncology (www.practicalradonc.org); developed and maintains an extensive patient website, http://www.rtanswers.org; and created the Radiation Oncology Institute (www.roinstitute.org), a non-profit foundation to support research and education efforts around the world that enhance and confirm the critical role of radiation therapy in improving cancer treatment. To learn more about ASTRO, visit http://www.astro.org. ###

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The Grand Mosquee de Paris is a place of history. One of the largest and oldest mosques in France, it has been a symbol of the role of Muslims in French society for decades. In World War II, it functioned as a place of resistance against the Nazi occupation: French Jews were sheltered here and given forged identity papers to allow them to pass as Muslims.

In the Paris of 2015, the Grand Mosquee is once again a deeply symbolic place. Two days after the killings at the offices of Charlie Hebdo, the mosque's rector called for the week's Friday prayers to become a show of unity against extremism: "Truly, Islam condemns assassination, condemns murder, condemns taking the lives of those around you."

At the Friday prayers themselves, the atmosphere was somber. Crowds of worshippers thronged outside, debating the week's events, watched anxiously by dozens of heavily armed gendarmes. Security had been drastically stepped up. Since the Charlie Hebdo murders, several French mosques have already been hit by violent attacks.

Some of those present spoke of their anger and embarrassment that their community would be associated with extremism. Noor, a 19-year-old astro-physics student, said that she was attending because she wanted to show the rest of France that there was more to Islam than violence. "In France, there is a gap in people's perception people think Islam is just war, killing people. But that's not right people are very far from being that. People like me".

Another woman walked through the crowd waving a placard with the words "Je suis Musulman, je suis Charlie" I am Muslim, I am Charlie' written on it.

Not everyone felt that way. One group of young men argued loudly that Islam was under attack, and that the cartoons in Charlie Hebdo were part of the problem. They were quickly surrounded by a scrum of TV crews and other worshippers trying to contradict them.

One topic that nearly everyone agreed on was that a backlash was on its way. Ahmed, a 39-year-old translator, said he had not left his house for a few days after the first attack out of fear of reprisals. He saw the closest parallel with United States. "From my point of view, this is no less serious than the 11th of September," he explained. "It makes me scared".

A few hours later, news of further shootouts and hostage takings in and around Paris began to emerge. The Grand Mosque's message of unity and peace has never looked more important.

From PRI's The World 2014 Public Radio International

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Je suis Musulman; Je suis Charlie

You step out from your house, onto the pink Martian frontier. An inspiring piano soundtrack underscores your every step every slow, choppy step in your heavy spacesuit. Maybe you'll jog around the landscape. Maybe you'll get in your '50s-style car and drive through the bizarre scenery. Maybe you'll be hit by lightning, flip over and drive upside down.

This is Naut, a "pay-what-you-want" astronaut simulator, and it is majestic. Made by three people Lucie Viatg, Tom Victor and Titouan Millet all part of a French game development group called Klondike, Naut is a sort of goofy, joyful take on exploration games that've been en vogue in the indie space as of late.

"Naut was made during a game jam which had the theme 'Shelter,'" Tom Victor, the game's programmer, told Polygon. "We quickly thought of a roadtrip, and the various encounters you can make along. How far would you go to reach the next house, what awaits at the end of the day? Like in many of the game jams we've done, we were a bit too ambitious, so we mostly tried to have fun with the elements we had."

Naut features truly epic co-op play, where two goofy astronauts can attempt to navigate the bizarre landscape together.

"We didn't feel the need to justify our split-screen, we simply wanted to be able to play with a friend, sit together in a car, maybe do races if you find another one, or even feel desperate when you're abandoned in the wild during the night," Said Victor. "The game's physics are completely broken, but we decided to let it that way because we found it hilarious to see our nauts flip their stupid car with such a serious and epic soundtrack in the background."

That soundtrack and the colorful visuals really sell the experience.

The music is dynamic and designed to complement every crazy situation you might find yourself in within this world. "I tried to make something melancholic," explained composer and universe designer Titouan Millet. "But at the same time kind of epic. Like, you are lost on Mars forever, far away from your home planet and your friends and family, but in the same time you are now able to run or drive through this amazing landscape, as fast as you can, as long as you want, free."

"Naut is a mix between an American roadtrip and a space odyssey," Lucie Viatg, the game's graphic designer, told us. "When we made Naut, we were in a mood to try out things and didn't really intend to stick to anything in particular. And because we wanted to have fun making Naut, the game became messed up in an enjoyable way."

"As for me, I personally wanted to make convertible cars with flashy colors and cute 'astro/cosmo/spationauts' and this is actually why the game is called that way, we didn't want to attribute our 'nauts' to any country or culture."

There's something incredibly freeing about playing Naut. It certainly feels like a quirky piece born out of experienced designers playing around at a game jam, and it is. But there's a nobility to it, underneath the goofiness, a sense that exploring this world by foot or by neon cadillac is difficult and worthwhile.

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The trippiest astronaut simulator you'll ever play

Scientists have used the National Science Foundation's Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) radio-telescope system and NASA's Cassini spacecraft to measure the position of Saturn and its family of moons to within about a mile - at a range of nearly a billion miles.

This feat improves astronomers' knowledge of the dynamics of our Solar System and also benefits interplanetary spacecraft navigation and research on fundamental physics.

The researchers, from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), used the continent-wide VLBA to pinpoint the position of Cassini as it orbited Saturn over the past decade by receiving the signal from the spacecraft's radio transmitter.

Combined with information about Cassini's orbit from NASA's Deep Space Network, the VLBA observations allowed the scientists to make the most accurate determinations yet of the position of the center of mass, called the barycenter, of Saturn and its numerous moons.

The scientists presented the results of their work at the American Astronomical Society's meeting in Seattle, Washington.

The measurement, some 50-100 times more precise than those provided by ground-based optical telescopes, was possible because of the VLBA's great resolving power, or ability to discern fine detail. With its 10 dish antennas spread from Hawaii to the Virgin Islands, the VLBA operates as a single radio telescope with a virtual size nearly equal to the Earth's diameter.

The result is a greatly improved ephemeris - a table of predicted positions - for the Saturnian system.

"An accurate ephemeris is one of the basic tools of astronomy, and this work is a great step toward tying together our understanding of the orbits of the outer planets and those of the inner planets," said Dayton Jones, of JPL, in Pasadena, California. "The orbits of the inner planets are well tied together, but those of the outer planets, including Saturn, have not been tied as well to each other or to those of the inner planets," Jones said.

The improved positional information will directly benefit scientists' ability to precisely navigate interplanetary spacecraft. In addition, it will help refine measurements of the masses of other Solar System objects. Also, the positional precision will improve predictions of when Saturn or its rings will pass in front of background stars, events that provide a variety of research opportunities.

Other benefits will come to studies of several aspects of fundamental physics. The new positional information will help researchers improve their precision when timing the radio pulses from pulsars - spinning superdense neutron stars. Such timing will help answer unsolved questions about particle physics and the exact nature of the highly-compressed material inside a neutron star.

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More accurate Saturn positioning helps improve astro navigation

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Newswise Fairfax, Va., January 9, 2015 Locally advanced rectal cancer patients who receive preoperative radiation therapy with either irinotecan plus capecitabine or oxaliplatin plus capecitabine have a four-year overall survival rate of 85 percent and 75 percent, respectively, according to a study published in the January 1, 2015 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics (Red Journal), the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). This study is a secondary endpoint analysis of Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 0247, originally published in 2012[1], to evaluate long-term survival outcomes and patterns of failure.

RTOG 0247 was a randomized, Phase II multicenter trial of patients with locally advanced (T3 and T4) rectal cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation from March 2004 to February 2007. The primary endpoint analysis of RTOG 0247 examined the pathologic complete remission (pCR) rates of two concurrent neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimens to determine which regimen should be studied further. The initial results demonstrated that patients who received irinotecan plus capecitabine had lower pCR rates (10 percent compared to those who received oxaliplatin plus capecitabine (21 percent).

The study accrued 146 patients from 59 institutions from March 2004 to February 2007. All patients received preoperative pelvic radiation therapy of 50.4 Gy over five-and-a-half weeks, with 45 Gy delivered in 25 fractions (1.8 Gy per fraction, five fractions per week for five weeks) and a boost of 5.4 Gy in three fractions. Patients were randomized to two chemotherapy treatment arms concurrent to their radiation therapy: Patients in arm 1 received concurrent chemotherapy consisting of four doses of irinotecan (50 mg/m2 IV weekly) and capecitabine (1200 mg/m2/d orally Monday through Friday during radiation therapy). Patients in arm 2 received concurrent chemotherapy consisting of five doses of oxaliplatin (50 mg/m2 IV weekly) and capecitabine (1600 mg/m2/d orally Monday through Friday during radiation therapy). All patients in each arm had surgery four to six weeks after completion of radiation therapy, and all patients in both arms had postoperative chemotherapy of FOLFOX four to six weeks after surgery. (FOLFOX includes oxaliplatin, leucovorin; 5-fluorouacil (5-FU); and 5-FU infusion).

Both arms of the study were temporarily closed in January 2005 due to excessive gastrointestinal adverse events. The study reopened in April 2005 with an amended chemotherapy regimen. One hundred four (104) patients, 52 in each arm, were eligible and included in this analysis. Eligible patients were at least 18 years old with a median age of 57 years; had clinical stage T3 or T4, potentially resectable adenocarcinoma of the rectum originating 12 cm from the anal verge without evidence of distant metastasis; had Zubrod performance of zero to two (the Zubrod performance scale grades patient health status from 0 to 4: a score of 0 means that the patient is fully active, able to carry on all pre-disease performance without restriction; and a score of 4 means that the patient is completely disabled, cannot carry on any self-care, totally confined to a chair or bed); and had adequate hematologic, renal, cardiac and hepatic function.

Patient evaluations occurred weekly during concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy, before surgery and before each cycle of postoperative chemotherapy. Follow-up was conducted every three months for the first two years post-treatment, every six months for the next three years and annually thereafter. The median follow-up for patients in arm 1 was 3.77 years (range 0.19 to 5.23 years), and the median follow-up for patients in arm 2 was 3.97 years (range 0.44 to 5.15 years).

The new studys analysis of RTOG 0247s long-term data found that at four-year follow-up, patients in arm 1 (irinotecan plus capecitabine) had an overall survival (OS) rate of 85 percent (44); a disease-free survival (DFS) rate of 68 percent (35), a local-regional failure (LRF) rate of 16 percent (8), a distant failure (DF) rate of 24 percent (12) and a second/new primary failure (SP) rate of 2 percent (1). At four-year follow-up, patients in arm 2 (oxaliplatin plus capecitabine) had an OS rate of 75 percent (39), a DFS rate of 62 percent (32), a LRF rate of 18 percent (9), a DF rate of 30 percent (16) and an SP rate of 6 percent (3). All measures had a 95 percent confidence interval.

Our new analysis of RTOG 0247 provides us with favorable efficacy results of two preoperative chemotherapy regimens used in conjunction with radiation therapy protocols, said Neal J. Meropol, MD, co-author of the study, and the Dr. Lester E. Coleman Jr., Professor of Cancer Research and Therapeutics and chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. These favorable long-term survival rates confirm that both of these concurrent chemoradiotherapy regimens followed by surgery can be a highly curative approach for patients with localized rectal cancer, despite the low pCR results we reported in 2012. It is important to find new biomarkers beyond the local remission rate that can help us determine which patients will be cured and who may benefit from more aggressive therapy following chemoradiation.

For a copy of the study manuscript, contact ASTROs Press Office at press@astro.org. For more information about the Red Journal, visit http://www.redjournal.org.

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Secondary Analysis of RTOG 0247 Demonstrates Favorable Overall Survival Rates for Rectal Cancer Patients Who Received ...

SEVERAL cars parked in Cherry Drive and Chestnut Drive at Holme-on-Spalding Moor were damaged when eggs were thrown at them on a number of occasions between Christmas Eve and Monday.

Anyone with information should call Humberside Police on 101.

Woman freed from car

FIREFIGHTERS removed the roof of a car to free a woman after it collided with another vehicle in Fleet Lane, Tockwith, yesterday.

The 58-year-old woman was taken to hospital with neck and shoulder injuries, as was another woman who had a suspected spinal condition.

Trough stolen from field

THIEVES stole a black plastic double self-feeding water trough from a field in Hirst Courtney between January 4 and 7.

North Yorkshire Police said the trough has a flat back and is half-moon shaped with a central blue ballcock and yellow hose. Anyone with information or who has been offered a similar item for sale should contact the police on 101.

Open weekend at sportsclub

WIGGINTON Squash and Social Club are holding an open weekend tomorrow and on Sunday.

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Cars damaged by eggs, and 11 news snippets you may have missed

Patients received two different chemotherapy regimens concurrently with radiation therapy prior to surgery

Fairfax, Va., January 9, 2015 --Locally advanced rectal cancer patients who receive preoperative radiation therapy with either irinotecan plus capecitabine or oxaliplatin plus capecitabine have a four-year overall survival rate of 85 percent and 75 percent, respectively, according to a study published in the January 1, 2015 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology * Biology * Physics (Red Journal), the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). This study is a secondary endpoint analysis of Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 0247, originally published in 2012[1], to evaluate long-term survival outcomes and patterns of failure.

RTOG 0247 was a randomized, Phase II multicenter trial of patients with locally advanced (T3 and T4) rectal cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation from March 2004 to February 2007. The primary endpoint analysis of RTOG 0247 examined the pathologic complete remission (pCR) rates of two concurrent neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimens to determine which regimen should be studied further. The initial results demonstrated that patients who received irinotecan plus capecitabine had lower pCR rates (10 percent compared to those who received oxaliplatin plus capecitabine (21 percent).

The study accrued 146 patients from 59 institutions from March 2004 to February 2007. All patients received preoperative pelvic radiation therapy of 50.4 Gy over five-and-a-half weeks, with 45 Gy delivered in 25 fractions (1.8 Gy per fraction, five fractions per week for five weeks) and a boost of 5.4 Gy in three fractions. Patients were randomized to two chemotherapy treatment arms concurrent to their radiation therapy: Patients in arm 1 received concurrent chemotherapy consisting of four doses of irinotecan (50 mg/m2 IV weekly) and capecitabine (1200 mg/m2/d orally Monday through Friday during radiation therapy). Patients in arm 2 received concurrent chemotherapy consisting of five doses of oxaliplatin (50 mg/m2 IV weekly) and capecitabine (1600 mg/m2/d orally Monday through Friday during radiation therapy). All patients in each arm had surgery four to six weeks after completion of radiation therapy, and all patients in both arms had postoperative chemotherapy of FOLFOX four to six weeks after surgery. (FOLFOX includes oxaliplatin, leucovorin; 5-fluorouacil (5-FU); and 5-FU infusion).

Both arms of the study were temporarily closed in January 2005 due to excessive gastrointestinal adverse events. The study reopened in April 2005 with an amended chemotherapy regimen. One hundred four (104) patients, 52 in each arm, were eligible and included in this analysis. Eligible patients were at least 18 years old with a median age of 57 years; had clinical stage T3 or T4, potentially resectable adenocarcinoma of the rectum originating ? 12 cm from the anal verge without evidence of distant metastasis; had Zubrod performance of zero to two (the Zubrod performance scale grades patient health status from 0 to 4: a score of 0 means that the patient is "fully active, able to carry on all pre-disease performance without restriction;" and a score of 4 means that the patient is "completely disabled, cannot carry on any self-care, totally confined to a chair or bed"); and had adequate hematologic, renal, cardiac and hepatic function.

Patient evaluations occurred weekly during concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy, before surgery and before each cycle of postoperative chemotherapy. Follow-up was conducted every three months for the first two years post-treatment, every six months for the next three years and annually thereafter. The median follow-up for patients in arm 1 was 3.77 years (range 0.19 to 5.23 years), and the median follow-up for patients in arm 2 was 3.97 years (range 0.44 to 5.15 years).

The new study's analysis of RTOG 0247's long-term data found that at four-year follow-up, patients in arm 1 (irinotecan plus capecitabine) had an overall survival (OS) rate of 85 percent (44); a disease-free survival (DFS) rate of 68 percent (35), a local-regional failure (LRF) rate of 16 percent (8), a distant failure (DF) rate of 24 percent (12) and a second/new primary failure (SP) rate of 2 percent (1). At four-year follow-up, patients in arm 2 (oxaliplatin plus capecitabine) had an OS rate of 75 percent (39), a DFS rate of 62 percent (32), a LRF rate of 18 percent (9), a DF rate of 30 percent (16) and an SP rate of 6 percent (3). All measures had a 95 percent confidence interval.

"Our new analysis of RTOG 0247 provides us with favorable efficacy results of two preoperative chemotherapy regimens used in conjunction with radiation therapy protocols," said Neal J. Meropol, MD, co-author of the study, and the Dr. Lester E. Coleman Jr., Professor of Cancer Research and Therapeutics and chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. "These favorable long-term survival rates confirm that both of these concurrent chemoradiotherapy regimens followed by surgery can be a highly curative approach for patients with localized rectal cancer, despite the low pCR results we reported in 2012. It is important to find new biomarkers beyond the local remission rate that can help us determine which patients will be cured and who may benefit from more aggressive therapy following chemoradiation."

###

For a copy of the study manuscript, contact ASTRO's Press Office at press@astro.org. For more information about the Red Journal, visit http://www.redjournal.org.

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Secondary analysis of RTOG 0247 demonstrates favorable OS rates for rectal cancer patients

IMAGE:On the left is a Sloan Digital Sky Survey archival image of a galaxy some 400 million light years away in which the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN, pronounced... view more

Credit: ASAS-SN image courtesy of The Ohio State University

SEATTLE--While many astronomical collaborations use powerful telescopes to target individual objects in the distant universe, a new project at The Ohio State University is doing something radically different: using small telescopes to study a growing portion of the nearby universe all at once.

The strategy is paying off. At the American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting in Seattle this week, researchers reported early successes from the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN, pronounced "assassin").

Since it officially launched in May 2014, ASAS-SN has detected 89 bright supernovae and counting--more than all other professional astronomical surveys combined.

Right now, the survey consists of six 6-inch telescopes--four in Hawaii and two in Chile--and a cadre of telescopes volunteered by amateurs around the world. Two additional telescopes are set to go online early in 2015. And because the survey is capturing hundreds of other bright, local objects in addition to supernovae, Ohio State researchers are about to launch a series of spin-off projects, each geared to serve the growing interests of amateurs and professional astronomers alike.

ASAS-SN covers the nearest 500 million light years around the Milky Way Galaxy--about 1 percent of the observable universe, the edge of which is more than 46 billion light years away.

"It's natural to be interested in our local neighborhood. This is where we live, this is where the action is," said Krzysztof Stanek, professor of astronomy at Ohio State.

"ASAS-SN is the only survey to study the local universe. Our early success proves that small telescopes can do big things, and the interest we've received from the astronomical community has quickly grown to the point that we need additional projects to cover other types of detection events besides supernovae."

In particular, ASAS-SN has spotted more than 250 cataclysmic variables--stars that vary dramatically in brightness. At AAS, Ohio State doctoral student A. Bianca Danilet announced the launch of an ASAS-SN offshoot called the CV Patrol, which will track cataclysmic variable data from small telescopes online and in real time.

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'Assassin' targets supernovae in our neighborhood of the universe

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Newswise Fairfax, Va., January 7, 2015 Peer review is a common practice in medicine to support the complementary, multidisciplinary team approach in healthcare. A 2013 survey of radiation oncologists indicates that they would like more formal recommendations and guidance in order to improve the peer review process, according to a study published in the January-February 2015 issue of Practical Radiation Oncology (PRO), the clinical practice journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

The study, Practice patterns for peer review in radiation oncology, analyzed the results of a radiation oncology-specific, peer review survey conducted by ASTRO in 2013. The goal of the survey was to describe the frequency and content of peer review activities, to determine which peer review functions directly evaluate medical decision-making and technical expertise, to conduct an exploratory analysis of factors and demographics that impact peer review, and to determine ASTROs physician members interest in additional guidance on peer review.

Designed by ASTROs Health Services Research Committee, the survey included eight demographic and 25 peer or practice review questions. The survey was distributed to all of ASTROs physician members and members-in-training worldwide (n=5,674). Of the 572 respondents, 93 percent (532) were practicing radiation oncologists and 7 percent (40) were residents, trainees or other. The respondents were divided evenly between academic and private practices or other. Seventy-eight percent (446) of respondents were from the United States; 5 percent (29) were from Canada; and 17 percent (97) were from other countries.

Eighty-three percent (475) of respondents reported being involved in peer review, and 75 percent (435) of respondents were comfortable with their practices current peer review program. Eleven percent (63) of respondents reported being uncomfortable with their program, and 6 percent (40) responded that their working environment did not encourage peer review.

Respondents were asked when peer review was conducted at their institution. The results demonstrated that respondents were involved in peer review either during the first week of treatment or prior to initiation of treatment. Eighty-three percent (475) performed peer review during the first week of radiation therapy treatment, and 65 percent (372) were involved in peer review prior to the beginning of treatment, also known as prospective peer review.

Respondents were asked what, if any, changes to patient case management were made as a result of peer review. Eighty-seven percent (498) of respondents made changes to fractionation; 82 percent (469) made adjustments to dose; 70 percent (400) altered contouring; and 49 percent (280) altered the treatment intent. Physicians reported that 7 to 10 percent of patient cases were changed as a result of the peer review process.

Finally, respondents were asked if they supported the development of additional recommendations and guidance on peer review. Seventy-four percent (423) of respondents expressed interest in formal guidelines and recommendations from ASTRO to strengthen and improve the peer review process.

Peer review is an important quality assurance process that facilitates physicians in constructively evaluating each others work, and our survey focused on medical decision making and technical expertise, said David J. Hoopes, MD, lead author of the study and a radiation oncologist at the Joint Radiation Oncology Center at Travis Air Force Base in Travis, California. This study confirms that peer review is a common practice, however, there is wide variation in how it is performed. Additional research and evaluation of peer review are necessary to provide formal recommendations and guidance, including tools and workflow, to improve peer review processes, which will ultimately improve the efficacy and safety of radiation therapy for our patients.

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Physician Survey Indicates Positive Experience and Desire for More Formal Guidelines to Improve the Peer Review Process

Fairfax, Va., January 7, 2015 -- Peer review is a common practice in medicine to support the complementary, multidisciplinary team approach in healthcare. A 2013 survey of radiation oncologists indicates that they would like more formal recommendations and guidance in order to improve the peer review process, according to a study published in the January-February 2015 issue of Practical Radiation Oncology (PRO), the clinical practice journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

The study, "Practice patterns for peer review in radiation oncology," analyzed the results of a radiation oncology-specific, peer review survey conducted by ASTRO in 2013. The goal of the survey was to describe the frequency and content of peer review activities, to determine which peer review functions directly evaluate medical decision-making and technical expertise, to conduct an exploratory analysis of factors and demographics that impact peer review, and to determine ASTRO's physician members' interest in additional guidance on peer review.

Designed by ASTRO's Health Services Research Committee, the survey included eight demographic and 25 peer or practice review questions. The survey was distributed to all of ASTRO's physician members and members-in-training worldwide (n=5,674). Of the 572 respondents, 93 percent (532) were practicing radiation oncologists and 7 percent (40) were residents, trainees or other. The respondents were divided evenly between academic and private practices or other. Seventy-eight percent (446) of respondents were from the United States; 5 percent (29) were from Canada; and 17 percent (97) were from other countries.

Eighty-three percent (475) of respondents reported being involved in peer review, and 75 percent (435) of respondents were comfortable with their practice's current peer review program. Eleven percent (63) of respondents reported being uncomfortable with their program, and 6 percent (40) responded that their working environment did not encourage peer review.

Respondents were asked when peer review was conducted at their institution. The results demonstrated that respondents were involved in peer review either during the first week of treatment or prior to initiation of treatment. Eighty-three percent (475) performed peer review during the first week of radiation therapy treatment, and 65 percent (372) were involved in peer review prior to the beginning of treatment, also known as prospective peer review.

Respondents were asked what, if any, changes to patient case management were made as a result of peer review. Eighty-seven percent (498) of respondents made changes to fractionation; 82 percent (469) made adjustments to dose; 70 percent (400) altered contouring; and 49 percent (280) altered the treatment intent. Physicians reported that 7 to 10 percent of patient cases were changed as a result of the peer review process.

Finally, respondents were asked if they supported the development of additional recommendations and guidance on peer review. Seventy-four percent (423) of respondents expressed interest in formal guidelines and recommendations from ASTRO to strengthen and improve the peer review process.

"Peer review is an important quality assurance process that facilitates physicians in constructively evaluating each other's work, and our survey focused on medical decision making and technical expertise," said David J. Hoopes, MD, lead author of the study and a radiation oncologist at the Joint Radiation Oncology Center at Travis Air Force Base in Travis, California. "This study confirms that peer review is a common practice, however, there is wide variation in how it is performed. Additional research and evaluation of peer review are necessary to provide formal recommendations and guidance, including tools and workflow, to improve peer review processes, which will ultimately improve the efficacy and safety of radiation therapy for our patients."

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For a copy of the study manuscript, contact ASTRO's Press Office at press@astro.org. For more information about PRO, visit http://www.practicalradonc.org.

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Physician survey indicates positive experience, desire for formal guidelines to improve peer review

Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc of Great British Bake Off. Photo: Love Productions 2010

RECTIFY Series return Thursday 9.30pm, SBS One

Other dramas have been getting way more attention (yes, we're looking at you, True Detective) but this exquisite series produced for the Sundance Channel stands head and shoulders above the pack. The budget isn't huge but the production values are impeccable, achieving a great deal with very little. A host of small, impeccably-considered details mean that while the pace is languid (season one covered a single week) every moment is drenched with meaning without ever feeling overwrought. Simultaneously brutal and gentle, and completely compelling.

SPORT: SOCCER From Friday 10pm, ABC

Inspector Gadget

Even if you don't follow the round ball game, the Asian Cup is a big deal. Like the World Cup, it's held every four years and a fascinating collection of nations is represented: Australia, of course; big names like Japan and Korea; and others where you wonder how they managed to field a team at all. If nothing else it's a testament to the truly global nature of the game. The action kicks off in Melbourne tonight, when the Socceroos take on Kuwait.

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HUMAN UNIVERSE WITH BRIAN COX New series Wednesday 8.30pm, ABC

Rock star. Astro-physicist. Pin up. It's so tempting to mock Professor Brian Cox, but that would be to do him and this series a great disservice. He can't help being perfect! And at least he's putting his many talents to excellent use in making complex science so accessible, and so thought provoking. It's a credit to both his intelligence and his imagination that he's able to take a rarefied field (physics) and show us not just how it relates to every day life, but in this series how it shaped the development of our species. Fascinating.

Professor Brian Cox Human Universe with Brian Cox 8.30pm ABC. MMag TV Previews by Melinda Houston. Photo: ABC Publicity

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M42 Orion Nebula @44X thru Night Vision in Real-Time
This take shows the famous Orion nebula with its wispy nebula arms and the 4-star Trapezium cluster near the bright center of the nebula cloud. Shot thru an ...

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12-Dec-2014

Contact: Michelle Kirkwood michellek@astro.org 703-286-1600 American Society for Radiation Oncology @ASTRO_org

Fairfax, Va., December 12, 2014--The American Society for Radiation Oncology's (ASTRO's) education credentials have been recognized and upgraded by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) from Accreditation to Accreditation with Commendation, approved at the ACCME's December 2014 meeting. ASTRO's Accreditation status was renewed on March 31, 2014, for four years and has now been extended for two additional years as Accreditation with Commendation until March 31, 2020. The ACCME is the national accrediting board for all medical education organizations in the U.S. that administer courses and confer Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits to physicians and health care providers.

"ASTRO is proud to be recognized for the exceptional education programs we produce that enhance and strengthen the professional skills of the entire radiation oncology treatment team," said Bruce G. Haffty, MD, FASTRO, chair of ASTRO's Board of Directors. "To be recognized by the ACCME with 'Accreditation with Commendation' is an honor and testament to the significant depth and value of ASTRO's investment in its comprehensive education programs. ASTRO is committed to providing meaningful learning opportunities that equip the multidisciplinary treatment team with up-to-date knowledge and techniques, resulting in high quality cancer care for our patients."

Approximately 20 percent of the medical education organizations currently accredited by the ACCME have achieved "Accreditation with Commendation" status. In its December 4, 2014, notification letter to ASTRO, the ACCME commented that ASTRO is in compliance with all 22 of the ACCME's Accreditation Criteria and that ASTRO demonstrates that "yours is a learning organization and a change agent for the physicians you serve," with an "engagement with your environment in support of physician learning and change that is a part of a system for quality improvement."

ACCME accreditation is a voluntary, self-regulatory system that assures the public and the medical community that accredited CME provides physicians with relevant, effective education that meets their learning and practice needs. Accreditation standards ensure that CME is designed to be independent, free of commercial bias and based on valid content. The ACCME accreditation system is recognized as a national model by federal and state government agencies, other healthcare accrediting bodies and the profession of medicine.

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Founded in 1981, the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) is committed to continuously improving the quality, integrity and independence of CME by accrediting the organizations and institutions that offer CME to physicians and other healthcare professionals. The ACCME's mission is to identify, develop and promote rigorous national standards for quality CME that improves physician performance and medical care for patients and their communities. There are approximately 2,000 accredited CME providers who produce more than 138,000 activities that educate more than 24 million healthcare practitioner participants annually. The ACCME's member organizations, which represent the profession of medicine and include physician licensing and credentialing bodies, are the American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Hospital Association, the American Medical Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the Association for Hospital Medical Education, the Council of Medical Specialty Societies and the Federation of State Medical Boards of the US, Inc. For more information, visit http://www.accme.org.

ABOUT ASTRO

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ASTRO recognized with distinguished 'Accreditation with Commendation' status from ACCME

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Newswise Fairfax, Va., December 12, 2014The American Society for Radiation Oncologys (ASTROs) education credentials have been recognized and upgraded by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) from Accreditation to Accreditation with Commendation, approved at the ACCMEs December 2014 meeting. ASTROs Accreditation status was renewed on March 31, 2014, for four years and has now been extended for two additional years as Accreditation with Commendation until March 31, 2020. The ACCME is the national accrediting board for all medical education organizations in the U.S. that administer courses and confer Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits to physicians and health care providers.

ASTRO is proud to be recognized for the exceptional education programs we produce that enhance and strengthen the professional skills of the entire radiation oncology treatment team, said Bruce G. Haffty, MD, FASTRO, chair of ASTROs Board of Directors. To be recognized by the ACCME with Accreditation with Commendation is an honor and testament to the significant depth and value of ASTROs investment in its comprehensive education programs. ASTRO is committed to providing meaningful learning opportunities that equip the multidisciplinary treatment team with up-to-date knowledge and techniques, resulting in high quality cancer care for our patients.

Approximately 20 percent of the medical education organizations currently accredited by the ACCME have achieved Accreditation with Commendation status. In its December 4, 2014, notification letter to ASTRO, the ACCME commented that ASTRO is in compliance with all 22 of the ACCMEs Accreditation Criteria and that ASTRO demonstrates that yours is a learning organization and a change agent for the physicians you serve, with an engagement with your environment in support of physician learning and change that is a part of a system for quality improvement.

ACCME accreditation is a voluntary, self-regulatory system that assures the public and the medical community that accredited CME provides physicians with relevant, effective education that meets their learning and practice needs. Accreditation standards ensure that CME is designed to be independent, free of commercial bias and based on valid content. The ACCME accreditation system is recognized as a national model by federal and state government agencies, other healthcare accrediting bodies and the profession of medicine.

Founded in 1981, the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) is committed to continuously improving the quality, integrity and independence of CME by accrediting the organizations and institutions that offer CME to physicians and other healthcare professionals. The ACCME's mission is to identify, develop and promote rigorous national standards for quality CME that improves physician performance and medical care for patients and their communities. There are approximately 2,000 accredited CME providers who produce more than 138,000 activities that educate more than 24 million healthcare practitioner participants annually. The ACCME's member organizations, which represent the profession of medicine and include physician licensing and credentialing bodies, are the American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Hospital Association, the American Medical Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the Association for Hospital Medical Education, the Council of Medical Specialty Societies and the Federation of State Medical Boards of the US, Inc. For more information, visit http://www.accme.org.

ABOUT ASTRO ASTRO is the premier radiation oncology society in the world, with nearly 11,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals that specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through professional education and training, support for clinical practice and health policy standards, advancement of science and research, and advocacy. ASTRO publishes two medical journals, International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics (www.redjournal.org) and Practical Radiation Oncology (www.practicalradonc.org); developed and maintains an extensive patient website, http://www.rtanswers.org; and created the Radiation Oncology Institute (www.roinstitute.org), a non-profit foundation to support research and education efforts around the world that enhance and confirm the critical role of radiation therapy in improving cancer treatment. To learn more about ASTRO, visit http://www.astro.org.

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ASTRO Recognized with Distinguished "Accreditation with Commendation" Status From the Accreditation Council for ...

chengaikanan #39;s ASTRO-PHYSICS-MATHS
K.P ASTROLOGER SAIRAMANA@CHENGAIKANAN 9245183905.

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CHENGAIKANAN #39;S ASTRO-PHYSICS-MATHS PART1
K.P ASTROLOGER SAIRAMANA@CHENGAIKANAN 9245183905.

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CHENGAIKANAN'S ASTRO-PHYSICS-MATHS PART1 - Video