Near-Infrared Coronagraphic Observations of the T Tauri Binary System UY Aur

We present a near-infrared image of UY Aur, a 0.9" separated binary system, using the Coronagraphic Imager with Adaptive Optics on the Subaru Telescope. Thanks to adaptive optics, the spatial resolution of our image was ~0.1" in the full width at half maximum of the point spread function, the highest achieved. By comparison with previous measurements, we estimated that the orbital period is ~1640 yrs and the total mass of the binary is ~1.73 solar mass. The observed H-band magnitude of the secondary varies by as much as 1.3 mag within a decade, while that of the primary is rather stable. This inconstancy may arise from photospheric variability caused by an uneven accretion rate or from the rotation of the secondary. We detected a half-ring shaped circumbinary disk around the binary with a bright southwest part but a barely detectable northeast portion. The brightness ratio is ~57. Its inner radius and inclination are about 520 AU and 42, respectively. The disk is not uniform but has remarkable features, including a clumpy structure along the disk, circumstellar material inside the inner cavity, and an extended armlike structure. The circumstellar material inside the cavity probably corresponds to a clump or material accreting from the disk onto the binary. The armlike structure is a part of the disk, created by the accretion from the outer region of the disk or encounters with other stellar systems.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures; accepted for publication in A

UBVI Surface Photometry of the Spiral Galaxy NGC 300 in the Sculptor Group

We present UBVI surface photometry for 20.'5 X 20.'5 area of a late-type spiral galaxy NGC 300. In order to understand the morphological properties and luminosity distribution characteristics of NGC 300, we have derived isophotal maps, surface brightness profiles, ellipticity profiles, position angle profiles, and color profiles. By merging the I-band data of our surface brightness measurements with those of Boeker et al. (2002) based on Hubble Space Telescope observations, we have made combined I-band surface brightness profiles for the region of 0."02 < r < 500" and decomposed the profiles into three components: a nucleus, a bulge, and an exponential disk.Comment: 16 pages(cjaa209.sty), Accepted by the Chinese J. Astron. Astrophys., Fig 2 and 8 are degraded to reduce spac

Intrathecal injection of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of basilar artery dissection: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Basilar artery dissection is a rare occurrence, and is significantly associated with morbidity and mortality. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first case of basilar artery dissection treated with mesenchymal stem cells.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We present the case of a 17-year-old Korean man who was diagnosed with basilar artery dissection. Infarction of the bilateral pons, midbrain and right superior cerebellum due to his basilar artery dissection was partially recanalized by intrathecal injection of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells. No immunosuppressants were given to our patient, and human leukocyte antigen alloantibodies were not detected after cell therapy.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This case indicates that intrathecal injections of mesenchymal stem cells can be used in the treatment of basilar artery dissection.</p

INSPIRE: A phase III study of the BLP25 liposome vaccine (L-BLP25) in Asian patients with unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Previous research suggests the therapeutic cancer vaccine L-BLP25 potentially provides a survival benefit in patients with locally advanced unresectable stage III non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). These promising findings prompted the phase III study, INSPIRE, in patients of East-Asian ethnicity. East-Asian ethnicity is an independent favourable prognostic factor for survival in NSCLC. The favourable prognosis is most likely due to a higher incidence of EGFR mutations among this patient population.</p> <p>Methods/design</p> <p>The primary objective of the INSPIRE study is to assess the treatment effect of L-BLP25 plus best supportive care (BSC), as compared to placebo plus BSC, on overall survival time in East-Asian patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC and either documented stable disease or an objective response according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria following primary chemoradiotherapy. Those in the L-BLP25 arm will receive a single intravenous infusion of cyclophosphamide (300 mg/m²) 3 days before the first L-BLP25 vaccination, with a corresponding intravenous infusion of saline to be given in the control arm. A primary treatment phase of 8 subcutaneous vaccinations of L-BLP25 930 μg or placebo at weekly intervals will be followed by a maintenance treatment phase of 6-weekly vaccinations continued until disease progression or discontinuation from the study.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The ongoing INSPIRE study is the first large study of a therapeutic cancer vaccine specifically in an East-Asian population. It evaluates the potential of maintenance therapy with L-BLP25 to prolong survival in East-Asian patients with stage III NSCLC where there are limited treatment options currently available.</p> <p>Study number</p> <p>EMR 63325-012</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>Clinicaltrials.gov reference: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01015443">NCT01015443</a></p

The Parker Instability in a Thick Gaseous Disk II: Numerical Simulations in 2D

We present 2D, ideal-MHD numerical simulations of the Parker instability in a multi-component warm disk model. The calculations were done using two numerical codes with different algorithms, TVD and ZEUS-3D. The outcome of the numerical experiments performed with both codes is very similar, and confirms the results of the linear analysis for the undular mode derived by Kim et al. (2000): the most unstable wavelength is about 3 kpc and its growth timescale is between 30-50 Myr (the growth rate is sensitive to the position of the upper boundary of the numerical grid). Thus, the time and length scales of this multicomponent disk model are substantially larger than those derived for thin disk models. We use three different types of perturbations, random, symmetric, and antisymmetric, to trigger the instability. The antisymmetric mode is dominant, and determines the minimum time for the onset of the nonlinear regime. The instability generates dense condensations and the final peak column density value in the antisymmetric case, as also derived by Kim et al. (2000), is about a factor of 3 larger than its initial value. These wavelengths and density enhancement factors indicate that the instability alone cannot be the main formation mechanism of giant molecular clouds in the general interstellar medium. The role of the instability in the formation of large-scale corrugations along spiral arms is briefly discussed.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 20 text pages with 8 figure

Acupuncture for sequelae of Bell's palsy: a randomized controlled trial protocol

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>Incomplete recovery from facial palsy has a long-term impact on the quality of life, and medical options for the sequelae of Bell's palsy are limited. Invasive treatments and physiotherapy have been employed to relieve symptoms, but there is limited clinical evidence for their effectiveness. Acupuncture is widely used on Bell's palsy patients in East Asia, but there is insufficient evidence for its effectiveness on Bell's palsy sequelae. The objective is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in patients with sequelae of Bell's palsy.</p> <p>Method/Design</p> <p>This study consists of a randomized controlled trial with two parallel arms: an acupuncture group and a waitlist group. The acupuncture group will receive acupuncture treatment three times per week for a total of 24 sessions over 8 weeks. Participants in the waitlist group will not receive any acupuncture treatments during this 8 week period, but they will participate in the evaluations of symptoms at the start of the study, at 5 weeks and at 8 weeks after randomization, at which point the same treatment as the acupuncture group will be provided. The primary outcome will be analyzed by the change in the Facial Disability Index (FDI) from baseline to week eight. The secondary outcome measures will include FDI from baseline to week five, House-Brackmann Grade, lip mobility, and stiffness scales.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Current Controlled-Trials <a href="http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN43104115">ISRCTN43104115</a>; registration date: 06 July 2010; the date of the first patient's randomization: 04 August 2010</p

Evaluation of wet-cupping therapy for persistent non-specific low back pain: a randomised, waiting-list controlled, open-label, parallel-group pilot trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Persistent non-specific low back pain (PNSLBP) is one of the most frequently experienced types of back pain around the world. Wet-cupping is a common intervention for various pain conditions, especially in Korea. In this context, we conducted a pilot study to determine the effectiveness and safety of wet-cupping treatment for PNSLBP.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We recruited 32 participants (21 in the wet-cupping group and 11 in the waiting-list group) who had been having PNSLBP for at least 3 months. The participants were recruited at the clinical research centre of the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Korea. Eligible participants were randomly allocated to wet-cupping and waiting-list groups. Following the practice of traditional Korean medicine, the treatment group was provided with wet-cupping treatment at two acupuncture points among the BL23, BL24 and BL25 6 times within 2 weeks. Usual care, including providing brochures for exercise, general advice for PNSLBP and acetaminophen, was allowed in both groups. Separate assessors participated in the outcome assessment. We used the 0 to100 numerical rating scale (NRS) for pain, the McGill Pain Questionnaire for pain intensity (PPI) and the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire (ODQ), and we assessed acetaminophen use and safety issues.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results showed that the NRS score for pain decreased (-16.0 [95% CI: -24.4 to -7.7] in the wet-cupping group and -9.1 [-18.1 to -0.1] in the waiting-list group), but there was no statistical difference between the groups (p = 0.52). However, the PPI scores showed significant differences between the two groups (-1.2 [-1.6 to -0.8] for the wet-cupping group and -0.2 [-0.8 to 0.4] for the waiting-list group, p < 0.01). In addition, less acetaminophen was used in the wet-cupping group during 4 weeks (p = 0.09). The ODQ score did not show significant differences between the two groups (-5.60 [-8.90 to -2.30] in the wet-cupping group and -1.8 [-5.8 to 2.2] in the waiting-list group, p = 0.14). There was no report of adverse events due to wet-cupping.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This pilot study may provide preliminary data on the effectiveness and safety of wet-cupping treatments for PNSLBP. Future full-scale randomised controlled trials will be needed to provide firm evidence of the effectiveness of this intervention.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov: (Identifier: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00925951">NCT00925951</a>)</p> <p>Date of trial registration: June 19th, 2009</p> <p>The date when the first patient was randomised: July 15th, 2009</p> <p>The date when the study was completed: November 27th, 2009</p

Predicting survival of de novo metastatic breast cancer in Asian women: Systematic review and validation study

10.1371/journal.pone.0093755PLoS ONE94-POLN

Phase II study of weekly paclitaxel and capecitabine in patients with metastatic or recurrent esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This phase II study assessed the response rate and toxicity profile of weekly paclitaxel and capecitabine in patients with metastatic or recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (SCCE)</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Patients with histologically confirmed SCCE were treated with paclitaxel 80 mg/m²intravenously on days 1 and 8 plus capecitabine 900 mg/m²orally twice a day on days 1-14. Treatment cycles were repeated every 3 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Between 2006 and 2009, 32 patients were enrolled. Twelve patients were chemotherapy-naïve. Twenty patients had received prior chemotherapy including platinum-based regimens. Patients received a median of 5 cycles of treatment (range, 1-12). The response rate was 75% (95%CI; 50.5~99.5%) in the first-line and 45% (95%CI; 26.9~73.1%) in the second-line. With a median follow-up of 20.7 months, median progression-free survival was 5.2 months (95% CI, 4.0 to 6.4) for all patients and median overall survival (OS) was 11.7 months (95% CI, 5.5 to 18.0) for all patients. The median OS was 14.3 months (95% CI, 10.6 to 18.0) for patients receiving therapy as 1^stline and 8.4 months (95% CI, 6.6 to 10.1) for those receiving as 2^nd-line therapy. Grade 3/4 neutropenia was observed in 53.3% of the patients, which was the most common cause of dose reduction. G3 non-hematologic toxicity included stomatitis (9.4%), asthenia (6.3%), and hand-foot skin reaction (3.1%).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Weekly paclitaxel and capecitabine is a highly active and well-tolerated regimen in patients with metastatic or recurrent SCCE in the first-line as well as second-line setting.</p