James R. A. Davenport, Morgan Fouesneau, Erin Grand, Alex Hagen, Katja Poppenhaeger, Laura L. Watkins

(Submitted on 12 Mar 2014)

We present a study on the gender balance, in speakers and attendees, at the recent major astronomical conference, the American Astronomical Society meeting 223, in Washington, DC. We conducted an informal survey, yielding over 300 responses by volunteers at the meeting. Each response included gender data about a single talk given at the meeting, recording the gender of the speaker and all question-askers.

In total, 225 individual AAS talks were sampled. We analyze basic statistical properties of this sample. We find that the gender ratio of the speakers closely matched the gender ratio of the conference attendees. The audience asked an average of 2.8 questions per talk. Talks given by women had a slightly higher number of questions asked (3.2 +/- 0.2) than talks given by men (2.6 +/- 0.1).

The most significant result from this study is that while the gender ratio of speakers very closely mirrors that of conference attendees, women are under-represented in the question-asker category. We interpret this to be an age-effect, as senior scientists may be more likely to ask questions, and are more commonly men. A strong dependence on the gender of session chairs is found, whereby women ask disproportionately fewer questions in sessions chaired by men. While our results point to laudable progress in gender-balanced speaker selection, we believe future surveys of this kind would help ensure that collaboration at such meetings is as inclusive as possible.

Comments: 4 pages, 5 figures. Comments welcomed

Subjects: Physics and Society (physics.soc-ph); Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM)

Cite as: arXiv:1403.3091 [physics.soc-ph] (or arXiv:1403.3091v1 [physics.soc-ph] for this version)

Submission history From: James RA Davenport

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Studying Gender in Conference Talks: Data From 223rd American Astronomical Society Meeting

The Director of the Hong Kong Observatory, Mr Shun Chi-ming, spoke on the updated weather forecast for this year and updated projection for Hong Kong due to climate change, as well as the Observatory's upcoming initiatives at the press briefing today (17 March). Mr Shun, together with the Controller (TV) of Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), Miss Chan Man-kuen, also announced the launch of "Meteorology Series IV".

Mr Shun pointed to the outbreak of abnormal weather events around the world in recent years, such as severe flooding in the United Kingdom, record heat wave in Australia, snowstorms in North America, as clear signs that the impact of climate change was already being felt, and that we would expect more of the same. While 2013 was the sixth warmest year on instrumental records, temperatures in Hong Kong exhibited rather large fluctuations in the past few months. Part of the reasons could be attributed to the occurrence of atmospheric "blocking" situation which, according to some scientific studies, might be related to the melting of Arctic ice due to global warming. The forecasting of such fluctuating weather would inevitably become more challenging in the future.

Regarding the weather outlook for 2014, the Observatory expects the annual rainfall to be normal to below-normal. However, as abnormal weather, including rainstorms, might still occur from time to time, Mr Shun reminded the public to remain vigilant against the threat of inclement weather and take appropriate precautionary measures. For tropical cyclones, considering that sea surface temperature over the central and eastern equatorial Pacific would remain normal in spring, the Observatory expects the number of tropical cyclones coming within 500 km of Hong Kong to be near normal, i.e. between four and seven, and the typhoon season would start in June or later.

Based on the Fifth Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released last September, the Observatory reviewed the rainfall trends in Hong Kong in the 21st century. "We anticipate an increase in the number of extremely wet years in the 21st century, while the likelihood of drought episodes still remains," Mr Shun said. For details, please refer to http://www.hko.gov.hk/climate_change/ClimProj20140317-e.pdf.

Looking ahead, Mr Shun highlighted the new services to be launched by the Observatory in the coming year, including the extension of weather forecast period from seven days to nine days starting from April, so that the public could take note of weather changes earlier for planning their activities ahead. Subsequent to the launch of the 9-day Weather Forecast, the contents of the mobile app "MyObservatory" will also be enhanced progressively.

For night sky observations, the Observatory together with the Hong Kong Space Museum and the Department of Physics of the University of Hong Kong jointly launched the "Weather Information for Astronomical Observation" webpage (http://www.weather.gov.hk/gts/astronomy/astro_portal.html) today. This webpage is a platform to provide weather information for astronomical observation hot spots in Hong Kong to facilitate stargazers in planning their astronomical observation activities. The webpage contents include the latest all sky image, night sky brightness, weather observation and digital weather forecast at astronomical observation hot spots. The latest star map and other useful astronomical information are also available.

On weather observation, the Observatory continues to enhance and optimise the automatic weather station network, and plans to progressively increase observation sites, including the Kai Tak Runway Park, Yuen Long Park, Sheung Shui and Lamma Island, to provide useful and timely weather information for the public.

To further promote weather observation among the public, especially for the younger generation, the Observatory collaborates with the Department of Applied Physics of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in implementing the "Community Weather Observing Scheme" (CWOS) to encourage the public to undertake first-hand weather observations by uploading and sharing weather photos and observation reports through the website (co-win.org), mobile app (iCWeatherOS) and social network (www.facebook.com/icwos).

Looking back to the 130th anniversary of the Hong Kong Observatory last year, Mr Shun highlighted the well-received exhibition and series of public lectures conducted jointly with the Hong Kong Museum of History. A web-based platform has been set up for re-visiting the exhibits at the website: http://www.weather.gov.hk/hko_virtualtour/vtour/vtour_e/index.html.

The Observatory has made significant progress in enhancing weather information services last year, including the launch of self-produced high definition TV weather programmes "Weather-on-Air" and a weekly educational feature "Cool Met Stuff". The programmes are uploaded to the Observatory webpage, the "MyObservatory" mobile app and YouTube for viewing by the public anytime and anywhere.

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Director of Hong Kong Observatory highlights the Observatorys latest developments (17 March 2014)

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The Pull List (3/12/13): Setting sail with new titles

In its first airing, Cosmos created a new star, Cornell astronomer Carl Sagan. The seminal series opened the eyes of millions to the universe and made a science celebrity out of Sagan.

Now astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson is stepping up to star in a 13-part remake of the series on the National Geographic Channel and Fox. The first show airs on Sunday, March 9 (at 9 p.m. ET/PT), and will be broadcast in more than 70 nationsthe biggest launch ever for a global TV series.

National Geographic spoke to Tyson, the director of the American Museum of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium, about life, the universe, and the "cosmic perspective" Cosmos will offer viewers.

Q: Why re-create Cosmos? Why now?

A: Any time is good for Cosmos. A lot of things have come together to make this the right time to do it. We have come so far in the last 34 yearsmore than a generation. Clearly its time for another Cosmos.

Since then we have discovered a thousand new planets. A lot has changed.

Back in 1980 we were trapped in a Cold War mind-set, which polarized people and affected everything. People thought of the environment as a local thing. They didn't think of the global environment and how we are all connected. (Click the video below to watch an interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson.)

What's new about this Cosmos?

With Cosmos, this version, we're able to bring a whole tool kit of storytelling cinematics to bear on the science, the history, the culture, and the politics to fill people with a sense of wonder about our universe.

It might even impact people spiritually. I mean that with a little s. Thats the reaction some people might feel by gaining the cosmic perspectiveseeing that we are just a small part of the vastness of everything. But that can be emotionally fulfilling in a very deep way.

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Q&A: Neil deGrasse Tyson Unveils the Cosmos

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has issued a new white paper, "A review of safety, quality management, and practice guidelines for high-dose-rate brachytherapy," that recommends specific guidance to follow in the delivery of high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy to improve quality and patient safety, according to the manuscript published in the March-April 2014 print issue of Practical Radiation Oncology (PRO), the official clinical practice journal of ASTRO.

Commissioned by ASTRO's Board of Directors as part of the Target Safely campaign, the white paper evaluates the current safety and practice guidance for HDR brachytherapy, makes recommendations for guidance applications to the delivery of HDR brachytherapy, suggests topics where additional guidance is needed and examines the adequacy of general physics, quality assurance (QA) and clinical guidance currently available for the most common treatment sites with regard to patient safety. The manuscript also addresses HDR brachytherapy procedures, the use of checklists and forms, the multidisciplinary treatment team, challenges to maintaining safe use of HDR brachytherapy and key measures for avoiding catastrophic failure.

To ensure correct actions are followed for a specific brachytherapy procedure, the white paper recommends the use of a quality management program, including checklists and forms to maintain quality and prevent errors. ASTRO's white paper references the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Task Group (TG) 59 report that includes examples of forms for quality control and checklists for the various stages of treatment, which can be customized by the treatment team. The AAPM TG-100 report that includes the tools and process for creating an effective quality management program is also cited.

Due to the multidisciplinary nature of HDR brachytherapy treatment, the modality requires coordination among several clinicians to treat the patient accurately and safely. The white paper details the roles and qualifications of those directly involved with radiation therapy decisions: the radiation oncologist, medical physicist, medical dosimetrist, radiation therapist and surgeon. The roles and qualifications are based on ASTRO's Safety is No Accident: A Framework for Quality Radiation Oncology and Care, a comprehensive book detailing minimum recommended guidelines for radiation oncology practices, and the AAPM TG 59 report specific to HDR brachytherapy.

The white paper addresses 12 anticipated challenges to maintaining quality in HDR brachytherapy because of the constant changes in the modality. Anticipated challenges include the replacement of the traditional radiation therapy simulator with a computed tomographic simulator, which requires significant changes in how HDR brachytherapy procedures are performed; the use of new procedures and methods, which can lead to mistakes due to inadequate training, QA or inappropriate procedures; the proliferation of devices, applicators and radionuclides used for brachytherapy treatment, which leads to an increased number of possible processes, types of equipment and clinical uses, making it increasingly difficult to determine how to assure that all of the variations are used with appropriate process control and quality management; and the potential for increased use of model-based algorithms such as Monte Carlo methods for dose calculations for brachytherapy sources, which will require new procedures for commissioning, new algorithm QA and new patient-specific planning checks. The full list of anticipated challenges is available in the supplemental material.

The manuscript makes seven recommendations for improved safety and quality in HDR brachytherapy. The white paper recommends that practitioners follow relevant guidance documents and that deviation from consensus recommendations should be supported by clinical studies or pursued in the setting of a clinical trial approved by an institutional review board; that practitioners receive training in a new procedure before beginning its practice, that the training should include a practical, "hands-on" component and that all team members directly involved with the radiation therapy decisions should participate in at least five proctored cases before performing similar procedures independently; and that professional societies should accelerate the generation of new or updated guidance documents for the following disease sites and techniques: skin, central nervous system, gastrointestinal, lung or endobronchial and esophagus, and, while outside the charge of this panel, assess the need for updated guidance documents for accelerated partial breast irradiation using electronic brachytherapy. The complete list of recommendations is available in the supplemental material.

The white paper describes six benchmarks to provide facilities with measures to evaluate compliance with the seven recommendations in the manuscript. The six benchmarks are: 1) HDR brachytherapy procedures are supported with the appropriate team as described in the report of the AAPM TG 59 and the American College of Radiology HDR Brachytherapy Practice Standard; 2) commissioning of the treatment unit, treatment planning system and each new source is performed by a qualified medical physicist and verified through a QA process; 3) assay of the HDR brachytherapy unit source is performed using a well-type ionization chamber with a calibration traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and this assay is performed or confirmed for each source change. Planning system source strength parameters must be updated with each source change; 4) treatments are performed according to the guidelines from the American Brachytherapy Society when available for the treatment site; 5) treatment plans and programs are checked through independent verification before treatment delivery; and 6) daily QA checks of the HDR brachytherapy system are performed before any treatment.

"As the technology and use of HDR brachytherapy advances, it is imperative that clinical, physics and quality assurance guidance be reviewed and updated, as necessary, to ensure quality and patient safety in the treatment delivery," said Bruce R. Thomadsen, PhD, a professor in the Department of Medical Physics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. "This white paper affirms that HDR brachytherapy is a safe treatment option when current process guidance is followed and appropriate clinical decisions are made based on clinical guidance provided in white papers such as this."

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The above story is based on materials provided by American Society for Radiation Oncology. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Guidance for optimal quality, safety of HDR brachytherapy

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Newswise Fairfax, Va., March 5, 2014 The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has issued a new white paper, A review of safety, quality management, and practice guidelines for high-dose-rate brachytherapy, that recommends specific guidance to follow in the delivery of high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy to improve quality and patient safety, according to the manuscript published in the March-April 2014 print issue of Practical Radiation Oncology (PRO), the official clinical practice journal of ASTRO. The executive summary and supplemental material are also available as open-access articles online at http://www.practicalradonc.org.

Commissioned by ASTROs Board of Directors as part of the Target Safely campaign, the white paper evaluates the current safety and practice guidance for HDR brachytherapy, makes recommendations for guidance applications to the delivery of HDR brachytherapy, suggests topics where additional guidance is needed and examines the adequacy of general physics, quality assurance (QA) and clinical guidance currently available for the most common treatment sites with regard to patient safety. The manuscript also addresses HDR brachytherapy procedures, the use of checklists and forms, the multidisciplinary treatment team, challenges to maintaining safe use of HDR brachytherapy and key measures for avoiding catastrophic failure.

To ensure correct actions are followed for a specific brachytherapy procedure, the white paper recommends the use of a quality management program, including checklists and forms to maintain quality and prevent errors. ASTROs white paper references the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Task Group (TG) 59 report that includes examples of forms for quality control and checklists for the various stages of treatment, which can be customized by the treatment team. The AAPM TG-100 report that includes the tools and process for creating an effective quality management program is also cited.

Due to the multidisciplinary nature of HDR brachytherapy treatment, the modality requires coordination among several clinicians to treat the patient accurately and safely. The white paper details the roles and qualifications of those directly involved with radiation therapy decisions: the radiation oncologist, medical physicist, medical dosimetrist, radiation therapist and surgeon. The roles and qualifications are based on ASTROs Safety is No Accident: A Framework for Quality Radiation Oncology and Care, a comprehensive book detailing minimum recommended guidelines for radiation oncology practices, and the AAPM TG 59 report specific to HDR brachytherapy.

The white paper addresses 12 anticipated challenges to maintaining quality in HDR brachytherapy because of the constant changes in the modality. Anticipated challenges include the replacement of the traditional radiation therapy simulator with a computed tomographic simulator, which requires significant changes in how HDR brachytherapy procedures are performed; the use of new procedures and methods, which can lead to mistakes due to inadequate training, QA or inappropriate procedures; the proliferation of devices, applicators and radionuclides used for brachytherapy treatment, which leads to an increased number of possible processes, types of equipment and clinical uses, making it increasingly difficult to determine how to assure that all of the variations are used with appropriate process control and quality management; and the potential for increased use of model-based algorithms such as Monte Carlo methods for dose calculations for brachytherapy sources, which will require new procedures for commissioning, new algorithm QA and new patient-specific planning checks. The full list of anticipated challenges is available in the supplemental material.

The manuscript makes seven recommendations for improved safety and quality in HDR brachytherapy. The white paper recommends that practitioners follow relevant guidance documents and that deviation from consensus recommendations should be supported by clinical studies or pursued in the setting of a clinical trial approved by an institutional review board; that practitioners receive training in a new procedure before beginning its practice, that the training should include a practical, hands-on component and that all team members directly involved with the radiation therapy decisions should participate in at least five proctored cases before performing similar procedures independently; and that professional societies should accelerate the generation of new or updated guidance documents for the following disease sites and techniques: skin, central nervous system, gastrointestinal, lung or endobronchial and esophagus, and, while outside the charge of this panel, assess the need for updated guidance documents for accelerated partial breast irradiation using electronic brachytherapy. The complete list of recommendations is available in the supplemental material.

The white paper describes six benchmarks to provide facilities with measures to evaluate compliance with the seven recommendations in the manuscript. The six benchmarks are: 1) HDR brachytherapy procedures are supported with the appropriate team as described in the report of the AAPM TG 59 and the American College of Radiology HDR Brachytherapy Practice Standard; 2) commissioning of the treatment unit, treatment planning system and each new source is performed by a qualified medical physicist and verified through a QA process; 3) assay of the HDR brachytherapy unit source is performed using a well-type ionization chamber with a calibration traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and this assay is performed or confirmed for each source change. Planning system source strength parameters must be updated with each source change; 4) treatments are performed according to the guidelines from the American Brachytherapy Society when available for the treatment site; 5) treatment plans and programs are checked through independent verification before treatment delivery; and 6) daily QA checks of the HDR brachytherapy system are performed before any treatment.

As the technology and use of HDR brachytherapy advances, it is imperative that clinical, physics and quality assurance guidance be reviewed and updated, as necessary, to ensure quality and patient safety in the treatment delivery, said Bruce R. Thomadsen, PhD, a professor in the Department of Medical Physics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. This white paper affirms that HDR brachytherapy is a safe treatment option when current process guidance is followed and appropriate clinical decisions are made based on clinical guidance provided in white papers such as this.

Read the original post:

New ASTRO White Paper Provides Guidance to Achieving Optimal Quality and Safety of High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

5-Mar-2014

Contact: Brittany Ashcroft press@astro.org 703-839-7336 American Society for Radiation Oncology

Fairfax, Va., March 5, 2014 The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has issued a new white paper, "A review of safety, quality management, and practice guidelines for high-dose-rate brachytherapy," that recommends specific guidance to follow in the delivery of high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy to improve quality and patient safety, according to the manuscript published in the March-April 2014 print issue of Practical Radiation Oncology (PRO), the official clinical practice journal of ASTRO. The executive summary and supplemental material are also available as open-access articles online at http://www.practicalradonc.org.

Commissioned by ASTRO's Board of Directors as part of the Target Safely campaign, the white paper evaluates the current safety and practice guidance for HDR brachytherapy, makes recommendations for guidance applications to the delivery of HDR brachytherapy, suggests topics where additional guidance is needed and examines the adequacy of general physics, quality assurance (QA) and clinical guidance currently available for the most common treatment sites with regard to patient safety. The manuscript also addresses HDR brachytherapy procedures, the use of checklists and forms, the multidisciplinary treatment team, challenges to maintaining safe use of HDR brachytherapy and key measures for avoiding catastrophic failure.

To ensure correct actions are followed for a specific brachytherapy procedure, the white paper recommends the use of a quality management program, including checklists and forms to maintain quality and prevent errors. ASTRO's white paper references the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Task Group (TG) 59 report that includes examples of forms for quality control and checklists for the various stages of treatment, which can be customized by the treatment team. The AAPM TG-100 report that includes the tools and process for creating an effective quality management program is also cited.

Due to the multidisciplinary nature of HDR brachytherapy treatment, the modality requires coordination among several clinicians to treat the patient accurately and safely. The white paper details the roles and qualifications of those directly involved with radiation therapy decisions: the radiation oncologist, medical physicist, medical dosimetrist, radiation therapist and surgeon. The roles and qualifications are based on ASTRO's Safety is No Accident: A Framework for Quality Radiation Oncology and Care, a comprehensive book detailing minimum recommended guidelines for radiation oncology practices, and the AAPM TG 59 report specific to HDR brachytherapy.

The white paper addresses 12 anticipated challenges to maintaining quality in HDR brachytherapy because of the constant changes in the modality. Anticipated challenges include the replacement of the traditional radiation therapy simulator with a computed tomographic simulator, which requires significant changes in how HDR brachytherapy procedures are performed; the use of new procedures and methods, which can lead to mistakes due to inadequate training, QA or inappropriate procedures; the proliferation of devices, applicators and radionuclides used for brachytherapy treatment, which leads to an increased number of possible processes, types of equipment and clinical uses, making it increasingly difficult to determine how to assure that all of the variations are used with appropriate process control and quality management; and the potential for increased use of model-based algorithms such as Monte Carlo methods for dose calculations for brachytherapy sources, which will require new procedures for commissioning, new algorithm QA and new patient-specific planning checks. The full list of anticipated challenges is available in the supplemental material.

The manuscript makes seven recommendations for improved safety and quality in HDR brachytherapy. The white paper recommends that practitioners follow relevant guidance documents and that deviation from consensus recommendations should be supported by clinical studies or pursued in the setting of a clinical trial approved by an institutional review board; that practitioners receive training in a new procedure before beginning its practice, that the training should include a practical, "hands-on" component and that all team members directly involved with the radiation therapy decisions should participate in at least five proctored cases before performing similar procedures independently; and that professional societies should accelerate the generation of new or updated guidance documents for the following disease sites and techniques: skin, central nervous system, gastrointestinal, lung or endobronchial and esophagus, and, while outside the charge of this panel, assess the need for updated guidance documents for accelerated partial breast irradiation using electronic brachytherapy. The complete list of recommendations is available in the supplemental material.

The white paper describes six benchmarks to provide facilities with measures to evaluate compliance with the seven recommendations in the manuscript. The six benchmarks are: 1) HDR brachytherapy procedures are supported with the appropriate team as described in the report of the AAPM TG 59 and the American College of Radiology HDR Brachytherapy Practice Standard; 2) commissioning of the treatment unit, treatment planning system and each new source is performed by a qualified medical physicist and verified through a QA process; 3) assay of the HDR brachytherapy unit source is performed using a well-type ionization chamber with a calibration traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and this assay is performed or confirmed for each source change. Planning system source strength parameters must be updated with each source change; 4) treatments are performed according to the guidelines from the American Brachytherapy Society when available for the treatment site; 5) treatment plans and programs are checked through independent verification before treatment delivery; and 6) daily QA checks of the HDR brachytherapy system are performed before any treatment.

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ASTRO white paper provides guidance for optimal quality, safety of HDR brachytherapy

Getting to meet a fighter pilot is pretty amazing; getting to meet an astronaut is out of this world.

Students at the 3 Canadian Forces Flight Training School (3CFFTS) got the chance to meet Canadian astronaut Maj. Jeremy Hansen on Feb. 27 and listen to him recount his journey of getting to fly into space.

Its a fantastic opportunity for students here to see what options are available in the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Canadian Armed Forces, said Lt.-Col. Peter Fedak of 3CFFTS.

Hansen, who grew up on a farm near Ailsa Craig, Ontario, began his trek towards being an astronaut as an air cadet at 12 years old and received a private pilots licence at 17. He later gained a Bachelor of Science degree in Space Science from the Royal Military College whereupon he earned a Master of Science in Physics in 2000 with a focus on wide field of view satellite tracking.

Prior to joining the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the 38-year-old served as a CF-18 fighter pilot and held the position of combat operations officer at Four Wing Operations in Cold Lake, Alberta.

Ive kept this dream of going into space since I was a young child. My tree house was a spaceship and I was always going on space missions as a kid, said Hansen. As I got older, I understood the challenges of being an astronaut and knew it wasnt likely for me, but I knew it was possible. I just kept aiming for that goal.

Hansen has been in training and working with NASA since May 2009 as one of two Canadian members waiting to fly into space before 2020. Being only one of 12 Canadians in the history of the CSA to go into space is a privilege for Hansen.

Thats something Im entitled to and its true Ive worked hard, but really what it comes down to is Im just a really fortunate Canadian to have this opportunity to fly into space, he said.

During his presentation, Hansen discussed some of the changes that are happening in the space program, including the commercialization of space travel.

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Rocket man visits Southport

Ten ways to transform your business in a digital economy

Two teams working on the search for dark matter have independently suggested the search could concentrate at a specific X-ray wavelength, following study of data collected by the XMM-Newton space observatory.

While it's not a proof of anything just yet, the two groups one from the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics, the other from the Netherlands' Leiden Observatory have spotted a spectrographic line in X-rays at 3.5 kiloelectron volts, and this line is observed across 73 galaxy clusters.

Readers familiar with particle physics discoveries such as the search for the Higgs boson will be aware that identifying possible energies is a big thing to particle hunters. It's an interface between the theoretician and the experimentalist: If particle W exists, its decay should emit Particles X and Y, carrying energy Z.

What's intriguing the scientists is this: that particular energy doesn't match anything we already know about what generates galactic X-rays. Science quotes one of the scientists, Maxim Markevitch of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, as putting it this way: We could not match it with anything that would come from a thermal plasma.

Markevitch was part of the Harvard-Smithsonian group, whose paper's lead author is Esra Bulbul. Their paper (Arxiv) states On the origin of this line, we argue that there should be no atomic transitions in thermal plasma at this energy which suggests that some other particle interaction is at work.

The Perseus cluster in false colour. Image: NASA

The Leiden group's paper says Although for individual objects it is hard to exclude the possibility that the feature is due to an instrumental effect or an atomic line of anomalous brightness, it is consistent with the behaviour of a line originating from the decay of dark matter particles.

Bulbul's paper suggests that the lines may come from the decay of an exotic form of neutrino, a sterile neutrino, while acknowledging the problems with this hypothesis.

Sterile neutrinos have been put forward as a possible candidate for dark matter, and would exist only if an active neutrino morphed into a sterile form. The sterile neutrino could then decay into a kEv-range photon and a normal neutrino. According to Science, if the original sterile neutrino started out at around 7 kEv, its decay could yield an X-ray with the right energy to produce the lines observed by the two groups.

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Boffins say dark matter found with X-ray

25.02.2014 - (idw) Ruprecht-Karls-Universitt Heidelberg

Did the universe begin with a hot Big Bang or did it slowly thaw from an extremely cold and almost static state? Prof. Dr. Christof Wetterich, a physicist at Heidelberg University, has developed a theoretical model that complements the nearly 100-year-old conventional model of cosmic expansion. According to Wetterichs theory, the Big Bang did not occur 13.8 billion years ago instead, the birth of the universe stretches into the infinite past. This view holds that the masses of all particles constantly increase. The scientist explains that instead of expanding, the universe is shrinking over extended periods of time. Press Release Heidelberg, 25 February 2014

How Did the Universe Begin: Hot Big Bang or Slow Thaw? Heidelberg physicist develops a new theoretical model in which the Big Bang stretches into the infinite past

Did the universe begin with a hot Big Bang or did it slowly thaw from an extremely cold and almost static state? Prof. Dr. Christof Wetterich, a physicist at Heidelberg University, has developed a theoretical model that complements the nearly 100-year-old conventional model of cosmic expansion. According to Wetterichs theory, the Big Bang did not occur 13.8 billion years ago instead, the birth of the universe stretches into the infinite past. This view holds that the masses of all particles constantly increase. The scientist explains that instead of expanding, the universe is shrinking over extended periods of time.

Cosmologists usually call the birth of the universe the Big Bang. The closer we approach the Big Bang in time, the stronger the geometry of space and time curves. Physicists call this a singularity a term describing conditions whose physical laws are not defined. In the Big Bang scenario, the spacetime curvature becomes infinitely large. Shortly after the Big Bang, the universe was extremely hot and dense. Prof. Wetterich believes, however, that a different picture is also possible. If the masses of all elementary particles grow heavier over time and gravitational force weakens, the universe could have also had a very cold, slow start. In that view, the universe always existed and its earliest state was virtually static, with the Big Bang stretching over an infinitely long time in the past. The scientist from the Institute for Theoretical Physics assumes that the earliest events that are indirectly observable today came to pass 50 trillion years ago, and not in the billionth of a billionth of a billionth of a second after the Big Bang. There is no longer a singularity in this new picture of the cosmos, says Prof. Wetterich.

Wetterich stresses that this in no way renders the previous view of the Big Bang invalid, however. Physicists are accustomed to describing observed phenomena using different pictures. Light, for example, can be depicted as particles and as a wave. Similarly, his model can be seen as a picture equivalent to the Big Bang. This is very useful for many practical predictions on the consequences that arise from this new theoretical approach. However, describing the birth of the universe without a singularity does offer a number of advantages, emphasises Prof. Wetterich. And in the new model, the nagging dilemma of there must have been something before the Big Bang is no longer an issue.

Publications: C. Wetterich: Hot big bang or slow freeze? arXiv:1401.5313 [astro-ph.CO] C. Wetterich: Variable gravity Universe, Physical Review D 89, 024005 (6 January 2014), doi: 10.1103/PhysRevD.89.024005

Internet information: http://www.thphys.uni-heidelberg.de/~wetteric

Contact: Prof. Dr. Christof Wetterich Institute for Theoretical Physics Phone: +49 6221 54-9340 c.wetterich@thphys.uni-heidelberg.de

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How Did the Universe Begin: Hot Big Bang or Slow Thaw?

OPT is thrilled to be able to offer our customers Astro-Physics mounts and accessories. Astro-Physics is legendary in the astronomical community, and has been developing and building telescopes and accessories since 1975.

Astro-Physics mounts, such as the Mach1, 1600, and 3600GTO models, are designed for solid stability under a variety of observing conditions. At the same time, these mounts are truly portable so that they can be transported and set up quickly and accurately. AP mounts break down into manageable sizes, but when set up, they are extremely rugged and steady platforms. A very accurate worm gear set was designed to insure smooth, effortless tracking of celestial objects for all visual and photographic purposes.

AP accessories, including piers, saddle and dovetail plates, counterweights, and a wide range of adapters are designed for functionality and tested in the field under actual observing conditions. The OPT telescope staff is expert in matching the proper accessories to a telescope system for optimal performance. You can choose from any of the categories below to find quality Astro-Physics equipment, and if you need help or advice, just give us a call, start a chat, or send an email.

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Newswise Fairfax, Va., February 10, 2014 The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) are pleased to announce the publication of the consensus guideline on margins for breast-conserving surgery with whole-breast irradiation in stages I and II invasive breast cancer. The guideline document represents an intensive collaboration among experts in the radiation oncology and surgical oncology fields, led by Meena S. Moran, MD, associate professor of the Department of Therapeutic Radiology at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., on behalf of ASTRO, and Monica Morrow, MD, SSO immediate past president, breast cancer surgeon and Chief of Breast Surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, co-chairs of the Margin Consensus Panel (MCP). In addition to determining the ideal margin width that minimizes the risk of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR), the guideline outlines an evidence-based surgical treatment path that could reduce unnecessary surgery for patients.

Society of Surgical OncologyAmerican Society for Radiation Oncology Consensus Guideline on Margins for Breast-Conserving Surgery With Whole-Breast Irradiation in Stages I and II Invasive Breast Cancer uses the results of a meta-analysis of margin width and IBTR from a thorough review of 33 research studies from MEDLINE and evidence-based medicine published from 1965 to January 2013, in the context of outcomes from contemporary trials. The included studies encompassed 28,162 patients with stage I or II invasive breast cancer who were treated with whole-breast irradiation and with a minimum median follow-up time of four years. Patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy or patients with pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) breast cancer were not included in the research for the guideline.

The consensus guideline was made possible by a research grant from the Susan G. Komen Foundation and underwent extensive peer review prior to approval by the SSO Executive Council and ASTROs Board of Directors in October 2013. In addition, the American Society of Breast Surgeons and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) have both endorsed the guideline. It is available open access online as a PDF document at http://www.redjournal.org, http://www.annsugoncol.org and http://jco.ascopubs.org/, and will be published in the March 1, 2014 print issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics (Red Journal), the official scientific journal of ASTRO; the March 2014 print issue of Annals of Surgical Oncology, the official journal of SSO; and the March 10, 2014 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the official journal of ASCO.

The consensus guideline includes eight clinical practice recommendations: 1) positive margins, defined as ink on invasive cancer or DCIS, are associated with at least a two-fold increase in IBTR. This increased risk is not nullified by delivery of a boost, delivery of systemic therapy or favorable biology; 2) negative margins (no ink on tumor) optimize IBTR. Wider margin widths do not significantly lower this risk; 3) the rates of IBTR are reduced with the use of systemic therapy. In the event that a patient does not receive adjuvant systemic therapy, there is no evidence suggesting that margins wider than no ink on tumor are needed; 4) margins wider than no ink on tumor are not indicated based on biologic subtype; 5) the choice of whole-breast irradiation delivery technique, fractionation and boost dose should not be dependent on margin width; 6) wider negative margins than no ink on tumor are not indicated for invasive lobular cancer. Classic lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) at the margin is not an indication for re-excision. The significance of pleomorphic LCIS at the margin is uncertain; 7) young age (40 years) is associated with both an increased risk of IBTR after breast-conserving therapy (BCT) and an increased risk of local relapse on the chest wall after mastectomy and is more frequently associated with adverse biologic and pathologic features. There is no evidence that increased margin width nullifies the increased risk of IBTR in young patients; and 8) an extensive intraductal component (EIC) identifies patients who may have a large residual DCIS burden after lumpectomy. There is no evidence of an association between increased risk of IBTR and EIC when margins are negative.

Our hope is that this guideline will ultimately lead to significant reductions in the high re-excision rate for women with early-stage breast cancer undergoing breast-conserving surgery. Based on the consensus panels extensive review of the literature, the vast majority of re-excisions are unnecessary because disease control in the breast is excellent for women with early-stage disease when radiation and hormonal therapy and/or chemotherapy are added to a womens treatment plan, said Dr. Moran.

A significant portion of breast cancer surgeries in the United States are performed by surgical oncologists, and the definition of an adequate margin has been a major controversy. Therefore, it was only natural that we decided to create a definitive guideline that helps to minimize unnecessary surgery while maintaining the excellent outcomes seen with lumpectomy and radiation therapy, said Dr. Morrow. We are proud to provide this pivotal document to the oncology community, which will improve the lives and treatment of patients touched by this disease.

In addition to Drs. Moran and Morrow, members of the MCP and authors of the Society of Surgical OncologyAmerican Society for Radiation Oncology Consensus Guideline on Margins for Breast-Conserving Surgery With Whole-Breast Irradiation in Stages I and II Invasive Breast Cancer include Stuart J. Schnitt, MD, of the Department of Pathology at Harvard Medical School, Boston; Armando E. Guiliano, MD, of the Department of Surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles; Jay R. Harris, MD, FASTRO, of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Harvard Medical School, Boston; Seema A. Khan, MD, of the Department of Surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago; Janet Horton, MD, of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C.; Suzanne Klimberg, MD, of the Department of Surgery at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Fayetteville, Ark.; Mariana Chavez-MacGregor, MD, of the Department of Medical Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston; Gary Freedman, MD, of the Department of Radiation Oncology at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia; Nehmat Houssami, MD, PhD, of the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney Medical School, New South Wales, Australia; and Peggy L. Johnson, Advocate in Science, Susan G. Komen, Wichita, Kan.

We appreciate the dedicated efforts of Drs. Moran and Morrow for leading an exemplary team to produce this valuable guideline from both specialty organizations, said Colleen A.F. Lawton, MD, FASTRO, chair of ASTROs Board of Directors. Society of Surgical OncologyAmerican Society for Radiation Oncology Consensus Guideline on Margins for Breast-Conserving Surgery With Whole-Breast Irradiation in Stages I and II Invasive Breast Cancer is an essential tool for every practice to provide the necessary context and variables in order to provide high quality, patient-centered care.

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ASTRO and SSO Issue Consensus Guideline on Margins for Breast-Conserving Surgery with Whole-Breast Irradiation

Astro-Physics mounts at Concordia Station. Summer maintenance.
Astro-Physics mounts at Concordia Station, Dome C, Antarctica. I forgot the keypad outside for two days, which withstood -55C without problem. The blinking effect of the screen is an optical...

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Astro-Physics mounts at Concordia Station. Summer maintenance. - Video

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Newswise Fairfax, Va., January 29, 2014 Long-term (five-year) outcomes of breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) after breast-conserving surgery show excellent tumor control and breast cosmesis (cosmetic outcomes) with minimal late toxicity, according to a study published in the February 1, 2014 print edition of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics (Red Journal), the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

APBI delivers highly conformal radiation therapy, during a period of one to two weeks, to the site where the cancer was removed. APBI has seen a 10-fold increase in use from 2002 to 2007 and is currently the focus of several ongoing phase III trials.

The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute study examines the long-term outcomes, tumor control and breast cosmesis of a cohort of early-stage and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) breast cancer patients who received a five-day treatment of APBI at the University of Pittsburgh from 2002 to 2007.

The study is a retrospective review of 157 patients with localized breast cancer treated with adjuvant MammoSite, single-lumen balloon-based brachytherapy after breast-conserving surgery from June 1, 2002 to December 31, 2007. For all patients, at least five years had passed since receiving brachytherapy. Patients were all age 40 or older, with 88.5 percent over age 50, and had stage T1-T2 breast cancer, with 82.4 percent in stage T1A-C, 12.2 percent with DCIS, 4.7 percent in stage T2 and 0.7 percent in stage T1mic. Patients were also categorized by demographics and tumor characteristics into suitable, cautionary and unsuitable groups based on recommendations from ASTROs APBI Consensus Statement.

APBI was delivered to a median dose of 34 Gy in 10 fractions over a five-day period. In addition, 89 percent of patients received additional adjuvant systemic therapy, with 66.9 percent receiving hormonal therapy, 13.4 percent chemotherapy and 8.3 percent chemotherapy with hormonal therapy. Follow-up was conducted every three to four months for the first two years post-treatment, and every six months thereafter at the discretion of the patients breast surgeon and radiation oncologist. Baseline mammograms were performed three to six months after treatment, and annually thereafter. In addition, cosmetic outcomes were documented via photography at each visit, and toxicity was assessed during the final follow-up visit.

At a median follow-up of 5.5 years post-treatment, the five-year and seven-year actuarial ipsilateral breast control were 98 percent/98 percent, the lymph nodal control were 99 percent/98 percent and the distant control were 99 percent/99 percent. The breast cancer specific survival was 100 percent at five years and 99 percent at seven years. The overall survival was 89 percent at five years and 86 percent at seven years. There were no significant differences in tumor recurrence or survival rates in the appropriateness subgroups based on ASTROs consensus statement. Good to excellent breast cosmesis was reported in 93.4 percent of patients. Overall toxicity rates were low, and the most common toxicity was telangiectasia, small, dilated blood vessels near the surface of the skin, which was reported in 27 percent of study participants. The study correlated telangiectasia development and the maximum radiation dose to the skin. The study institution practice is to keep maximum skin dose 100 percent and at maximum 125 percent to limit the risk of telangiectasia.

These results may encourage women to choose this convenient five-day treatment and also help radiation oncologists use techniques that can reduce skin dose further, thus further reducing the long-term effects of partial breast radiation therapy on skin changes and breast cosmesis, said Sushil Beriwal, MD, a co-author of the study and a radiation oncologist at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Center. The promising outcomes seen across subgroups, as defined by prior consensus definitions for appropriate patient selection, suggest that the current metrics for selecting patients for APBI may need to be redefined such that more women may be candidates for less radiation over a shorter time via APBI.

The February 1 print edition of the Red Journal also contains two editorials addressing breast brachytherapy and examining the data from this study. Peter Y. Chen, MD, a radiation oncologist at William Beaumont Health System in Royal Oak, Mich., emphasizes the need to ensure guidelines keep up with changing data. Robert R. Kuske, MD, a radiation oncologist at Arizona Breast Cancer Specialists in Scottsdale, Ariz., and S. Stanley Young, PhD, the assistant director for bioinformatics at the National Institute of Statistical Sciences, explore the reported differences between breast brachytherapy and whole breast irradiation from the statistical and clinical implications.

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Extended Outcomes of Adjuvant Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation Patients Show Excellent Tumor Control, Breast ...

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

29-Jan-2014

Contact: Brittany Ashcroft press@astro.org 703-839-7336 American Society for Radiation Oncology

Fairfax, Va., January 29, 2014 Standard external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) provided a higher breast preservation rate than brachytherapy in women age 66 and older with invasive breast cancer, according to a study published in the February 1, 2014 print edition of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics (Red Journal), the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

Brachytherapy after lumpectomy is an increasingly popular treatment protocol for breast cancer; however, there is conflicting data regarding its effectiveness. Additionally, published suitability criteria directing patient selection for brachytherapy have not been empirically validated. This study compares the long-term likelihood of breast preservation, risks of post-operative complications and local toxicities, and validity of suitability categories of three treatment strategies after lumpectomy: EBRT, brachytherapy and no radiation.

This study used the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database to identify 35,947 women, age 66 and older, diagnosed with invasive breast cancer (79.9 percent) or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) (20.1 percent) from 2002 to 2007 and treated with lumpectomy alone (23 percent), lumpectomy followed by brachytherapy (3.6 percent) or lumpectomy followed by EBRT (73.4 percent). Patients with invasive breast cancer were also classified as suitable (34.7 percent), cautionary (17.6 percent) or unsuitable (35.2 percent) for brachytherapy based on ASTRO's Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation Consensus Statement. Twelve-and-a-half percent of patients were unclassified. The patients with DCIS in this study were analyzed separately. For this study, patients age 70 or older were classified as "older suitable."

The median follow-up for patients was 3.5 years. For this study, subsequent mastectomy is defined as a claim for mastectomy identified from one year after diagnosis until December 31, 2009, which was the last date of follow-up. The five-year cumulative incidence of subsequent mastectomy for patients with invasive breast cancer was 4.7 percent for those treated with lumpectomy alone, 2.8 percent for those treated with lumpectomy followed by brachytherapy and 1.3 percent for those treated with lumpectomy followed by EBRT. In patients with DCIS, 2.2 percent underwent subsequent mastectomy during follow-up. The five-year cumulative incidence of subsequent mastectomy in patients with DCIS was 3.2 percent for those treated with lumpectomy alone, 4.6 percent for those treated with brachytherapy and 1.6 percent for those treated with EBRT.

In this study, brachytherapy was associated with a greater likelihood of breast preservation than lumpectomy alone, while EBRT showed more likelihood of breast preservation than brachytherapy. When stratified into the ASTRO-defined suitability groups, the study found suitable group patients were the least likely to undergo subsequent mastectomy and had the smallest absolute difference when comparing those treated with brachytherapy and those treated with EBRT. The small number of patients with DCIS treated with brachytherapy in this cohort does not allow definitive conclusions on the effectiveness of brachytherapy for these patients.

"Brachytherapy offered a breast preservation benefit, although in general this benefit was slightly less than the benefit derived from standard external beam radiation therapy," said Benjamin D. Smith, MD, a co-author of the study and associate professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. "Our findings suggest that certain patients with very favorable tumors do just as well with either brachytherapy or standard external beam radiation therapy, whereas other patients with higher risk tumors seem to do better with standard external beam radiation therapy."

The February 1 print edition of the Red Journal also contains two editorials addressing breast brachytherapy and examining the data from this study. Peter Y. Chen, MD, a radiation oncologist at William Beaumont Health System in Royal Oak, Mich., emphasizes the need to ensure guidelines keep up with changing data. Robert R. Kuske, MD, a radiation oncologist at Arizona Breast Cancer Specialists in Scottsdale, Ariz., and S. Stanley Young, PhD, the assistant director for bioinformatics at the National Institute of Statistical Sciences, explore the reported differences between breast brachytherapy and whole breast irradiation from the statistical and clinical implications.

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EBRT reduces risk of subsequent mastectomy in patients with invasive breast cancer

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Newswise Fairfax, Va., January 29, 2014 Standard external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) provided a higher breast preservation rate than brachytherapy in women age 66 and older with invasive breast cancer, according to a study published in the February 1, 2014 print edition of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics (Red Journal), the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

Brachytherapy after lumpectomy is an increasingly popular treatment protocol for breast cancer; however, there is conflicting data regarding its effectiveness. Additionally, published suitability criteria directing patient selection for brachytherapy have not been empirically validated. This study compares the long-term likelihood of breast preservation, risks of post-operative complications and local toxicities, and validity of suitability categories of three treatment strategies after lumpectomy: EBRT, brachytherapy and no radiation.

This study used the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database to identify 35,947 women, age 66 and older, diagnosed with invasive breast cancer (79.9 percent) or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) (20.1 percent) from 2002 to 2007 and treated with lumpectomy alone (23 percent), lumpectomy followed by brachytherapy (3.6 percent) or lumpectomy followed by EBRT (73.4 percent). Patients with invasive breast cancer were also classified as suitable (34.7 percent), cautionary (17.6 percent) or unsuitable (35.2 percent) for brachytherapy based on ASTROs Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation Consensus Statement. Twelve-and-a-half percent of patients were unclassified. The patients with DCIS in this study were analyzed separately. For this study, patients age 70 or older were classified as older suitable.

The median follow-up for patients was 3.5 years. For this study, subsequent mastectomy is defined as a claim for mastectomy identified from one year after diagnosis until December 31, 2009, which was the last date of follow-up. The five-year cumulative incidence of subsequent mastectomy for patients with invasive breast cancer was 4.7 percent for those treated with lumpectomy alone, 2.8 percent for those treated with lumpectomy followed by brachytherapy and 1.3 percent for those treated with lumpectomy followed by EBRT. In patients with DCIS, 2.2 percent underwent subsequent mastectomy during follow-up. The five-year cumulative incidence of subsequent mastectomy in patients with DCIS was 3.2 percent for those treated with lumpectomy alone, 4.6 percent for those treated with brachytherapy and 1.6 percent for those treated with EBRT.

In this study, brachytherapy was associated with a greater likelihood of breast preservation than lumpectomy alone, while EBRT showed more likelihood of breast preservation than brachytherapy. When stratified into the ASTRO-defined suitability groups, the study found suitable group patients were the least likely to undergo subsequent mastectomy and had the smallest absolute difference when comparing those treated with brachytherapy and those treated with EBRT. The small number of patients with DCIS treated with brachytherapy in this cohort does not allow definitive conclusions on the effectiveness of brachytherapy for these patients.

Brachytherapy offered a breast preservation benefit, although in general this benefit was slightly less than the benefit derived from standard external beam radiation therapy, said Benjamin D. Smith, MD, a co-author of the study and associate professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Our findings suggest that certain patients with very favorable tumors do just as well with either brachytherapy or standard external beam radiation therapy, whereas other patients with higher risk tumors seem to do better with standard external beam radiation therapy.

The February 1 print edition of the Red Journal also contains two editorials addressing breast brachytherapy and examining the data from this study. Peter Y. Chen, MD, a radiation oncologist at William Beaumont Health System in Royal Oak, Mich., emphasizes the need to ensure guidelines keep up with changing data. Robert R. Kuske, MD, a radiation oncologist at Arizona Breast Cancer Specialists in Scottsdale, Ariz., and S. Stanley Young, PhD, the assistant director for bioinformatics at the National Institute of Statistical Sciences, explore the reported differences between breast brachytherapy and whole breast irradiation from the statistical and clinical implications.

For a copy of the manuscript of the study or the editorials, contact Brittany Ashcroft at 703-839-7336, press@astro.org. For more information about the Red Journal, visit http://www.redjournal.org.

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External Beam Radiation Therapy Reduces Risk of Subsequent Mastectomy in Patients with Invasive Breast Cancer

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

29-Jan-2014

Contact: Brittany Ashcroft press@astro.org 703-839-7336 American Society for Radiation Oncology

Fairfax, Va., January 29, 2014 Long-term (five-year) outcomes of breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) after breast-conserving surgery show excellent tumor control and breast cosmesis (cosmetic outcomes) with minimal late toxicity, according to a study published in the February 1, 2014 print edition of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics (Red Journal), the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

APBI delivers highly conformal radiation therapy, during a period of one to two weeks, to the site where the cancer was removed. APBI has seen a 10-fold increase in use from 2002 to 2007 and is currently the focus of several ongoing phase III trials.

The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute study examines the long-term outcomes, tumor control and breast cosmesis of a cohort of early-stage and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) breast cancer patients who received a five-day treatment of APBI at the University of Pittsburgh from 2002 to 2007.

The study is a retrospective review of 157 patients with localized breast cancer treated with adjuvant MammoSite, single-lumen balloon-based brachytherapy after breast-conserving surgery from June 1, 2002 to December 31, 2007. For all patients, at least five years had passed since receiving brachytherapy. Patients were all age 40 or older, with 88.5 percent over age 50, and had stage T1-T2 breast cancer, with 82.4 percent in stage T1A-C, 12.2 percent with DCIS, 4.7 percent in stage T2 and 0.7 percent in stage T1mic. Patients were also categorized by demographics and tumor characteristics into suitable, cautionary and unsuitable groups based on recommendations from ASTRO's APBI Consensus Statement.

APBI was delivered to a median dose of 34 Gy in 10 fractions over a five-day period. In addition, 89 percent of patients received additional adjuvant systemic therapy, with 66.9 percent receiving hormonal therapy, 13.4 percent chemotherapy and 8.3 percent chemotherapy with hormonal therapy. Follow-up was conducted every three to four months for the first two years post-treatment, and every six months thereafter at the discretion of the patient's breast surgeon and radiation oncologist. Baseline mammograms were performed three to six months after treatment, and annually thereafter. In addition, cosmetic outcomes were documented via photography at each visit, and toxicity was assessed during the final follow-up visit.

At a median follow-up of 5.5 years post-treatment, the five-year and seven-year actuarial ipsilateral breast control were 98 percent/98 percent, the lymph nodal control were 99 percent/98 percent and the distant control were 99 percent/99 percent. The breast cancer specific survival was 100 percent at five years and 99 percent at seven years. The overall survival was 89 percent at five years and 86 percent at seven years. There were no significant differences in tumor recurrence or survival rates in the appropriateness subgroups based on ASTRO's consensus statement. Good to excellent breast cosmesis was reported in 93.4 percent of patients. Overall toxicity rates were low, and the most common toxicity was telangiectasia, small, dilated blood vessels near the surface of the skin, which was reported in 27 percent of study participants. The study correlated telangiectasia development and the maximum radiation dose to the skin. The study institution practice is to keep maximum skin dose 100 percent and at maximum 125 percent to limit the risk of telangiectasia.

"These results may encourage women to choose this convenient five-day treatment and also help radiation oncologists use techniques that can reduce skin dose further, thus further reducing the long-term effects of partial breast radiation therapy on skin changes and breast cosmesis," said Sushil Beriwal, MD, a co-author of the study and a radiation oncologist at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Center. "The promising outcomes seen across subgroups, as defined by prior consensus definitions for appropriate patient selection, suggest that the current metrics for selecting patients for APBI may need to be redefined such that more women may be candidates for less radiation over a shorter time via APBI."

Originally posted here:

Extended outcomes from APBI show tumor control, breast cosmesis and minimal late toxicity

Published:Sunday, January 26, 2014

Updated:Sunday, January 26, 2014 23:01

JON KULAKOFSKY/The Daily Campus

Harvard professor Julia Lee addresses colloquium participants at the University of Connecticut on Friday. The topic of the colloquium was Experimental Astrophysics: From Black Hole Winds to Cosmic Dust.

In a spirited talk on Friday Jan. 24, professor Julia Lee, CFA, from Harvard University, gave a rundown of new exciting possibilities coming from the studies of cosmic dust and the answers they provide about the ways the universe works in her lecture Experimental Astrophysics: From Black Hole Winds to Cosmic Dust.

Black holes, the physicists beautiful nightmare, are enigmas not only because of their distance, but because their very natures make it impossible to study them directly. She said during her visit that to retrieve any information back from the edge of a gravity field that can consume even light is no small feat. However, new breakthroughs in X-ray spectroscopy have made it possible for new, cutting-edge research of astronomical significance.

She spoke of the near and long-term dusty future to be explored, closing with the statement that there is a lot of work to be done in the lab in order to further our understanding of interstellar space, black holes, and cosmic dust. She said she has helped to solve a 90-year-old mystery surrounding interstellar bands, and has been able to provide much cosmically interesting information.

When asked how she became involved at UConn, Lee said she knows a few UConn faculty members. She lauded UConns experimental expertise, particularly in reference to its laser facilities, and says she is open to prospects of future collaboration with the school.

Lee also expressed her excitement in anticipation of the Astro-H launch, from which there will be opportunity for much data gathering.

Astro-H is an orbiting observatory in development in Japan, to be launched in 2015. It will be equipped with a Soft X-ray Spectrometer, or SXS, an unparalleled, highly sensitive X-ray spectroscopic system, which was developed in part by NASA.

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UConn physics department hosts cosmic colloquium

Every student has stories of their professors unique personalities but one has been to the moon and back, at least metaphorically.

A Penn State alumnus and currently an instructional designer for the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Nahks TrEhnl is the artistic astronomer or the astronomic artist, whatever you want to call him.

He has finally found a way to mix his pallet with his two favorite interests, only to arrive back at Penn State, where he first realized his passion for them.

Long ago in time and space

TrEhnl got into space, robots and aliens some 30 years ago like many kids his age.

He grew up during the Voyager probe era with the mindset: Soon we'll get to see even more incredible things no one has ever seen before.

TrEhnl owned many astronomy books at the time, but one in particular had an effect on him that would solidify his interest in astrobiology to this day.

One of these had a particularly profound effect on me, containing a passage something to the effect of . . . and just think what if, on a planet around that star you see in your telescope, there's another creature with its own telescope, looking back at you? TrEhnl said via email. My interests in astrobiology, life elsewhere in the universe, and all that lit up big time, and its just stuck ever since.

When he was young, TrEhnl said he found a relief in Star Trek and the idea of life on other planets as he moved around the country every few years.

His fathers job with the United Way allowed him to travel to Tennessee, Mississippi , Georgia , Iowa and Texas before staying in Pennsylvania for the second half of high school.

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Penn State alumnus turns art into science and vice versa

Tharaka Sadayai me (Star Party Sri Lanka Theme Song )
This video is about Star Party which is the most awaiting astronomy observation camp in sri lanka. This event consists a whole night night sky observation co...

By: Kasun Jayalath

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Tharaka Sadayai me (Star Party Sri Lanka Theme Song ) - Video