Definition of glaucoma: clinical and experimental concepts

Glaucoma is a term describing a group of ocular disorders with multi-factorial etiology united by a clinically characteristic intraocular pressure-associated optic neuropathy. It is not a single entity and is sometimes referred to in the plural as the glaucomas. All forms are potentially progressive and can lead to blindness. The diverse conditions that comprise glaucoma are united by a clinically characteristic optic neuropathy: glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON). Evidence suggests that the primary site of neurological injury is at the optic nerve head. This fact enables the conditions to be grouped, irrespective of the causal mechanism(s). The term experimental glaucoma implies model resemblance to the human condition. We propose that 'experimental glaucoma' be restricted to animal models with demonstrable features of GON and/or evidence of a primary axonopathy at the optic nerve head. A fundamental inadequacy in this framework is any reference to the pathogenesis of GON, which remains unclear.Robert J Casson, Glyn Chidlow, John PM Wood, Jonathan G Crowston, and Ivan Goldber

Cox-2 Inhibition Enhances the Activity of Sunitinib in Human Renal Cell Carcinoma Xenografts

Background: Sunitinib (Su), a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of VEGFR, is effective at producing tumour response in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (cRCC), but resistance to therapy is inevitable. As COX-2 is a known mediator of tumour growth, we explored the potential benefit of COX-2 inhibition in combination with VEGFR inhibition in attempts at delaying tumour progression on Su. Methods: COX-2 expression was compared with areas of hypoxia in tumours that progressed on Su vs untreated tumours. Mice bearing human cRCC xenografts were treated with Su and the COX-2 inhibitor, celecoxib, and the effects on tumour growth were assessed. Sequential vs concurrent regimens were compared. Results: COX-2 expression was increased in cRCC xenografts in areas of tumour hypoxia. The combination of Su and celecoxib achieved longer times to tumour progression compared to treatment with either agent alone or to untreated control animals in four models. This effect was seen with concurrent but not with sequential therapy. Conclusion: COX-2 inhibition can extend the effectiveness of VEGFR inhibition. This effect is dependent on the timing of therapy. Clinical trials combining Su and COX-2 inhibitors should be considered as a means delaying time to progression on sunitinib in patients with metastatic cRCC

The standard model of low-mass star formation applied to massive stars: multiwavelength modelling of IRAS 20126+4104

In order to investigate whether massive stars form similarly to their low-mass counterparts, we have used the standard envelope plus disc geometry successfully applied to low-mass protostars to model the near-IR to submillimetre spectral energy distribution (SED) and several mid-IR images of the embedded massive star IRAS 20126+4104. We have used a Monte Carlo radiative transfer dust code to model the continuum absorption, emission and scattering through two azimuthally symmetric dust geometries, the first consisting of a rotationally flattened envelope with outflow cavities, and the second which also includes a flared accretion disc. Our results show that the envelope plus disc model reproduces the observed SED and images more accurately than the model without a disc, although the latter model more closely reproduces the morphology of the mid-IR emission within a radius of 1.1 arcsec or ∼1800 au. We have put forward several possible causes of this discontinuity, including inner truncation of the disc due to stellar irradiation or precession of the outflow cavity. Our best-fitting envelope plus disc model has a disc radius of 9200 au. We find that it is unlikely that the outer regions of such a disc would be in hydrostatic or centrifugal equilibrium, however we calculate that the temperatures within the disc would keep it stable to fragmentation

Thorough characterization of a EUV mask

We reported that we were successful in our 45nm technology node device demonstration in February 2008 and 22nm node technology node device patterning in February 2009 using ASML's Alpha Demo Tool (ADT). In order to insert extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography at the 15nm technology node and beyond, we have thoroughly characterized one EUV mask, a so-called NOVACD mask. In this paper, we report on three topics, The first topic is an analysis of line edge roughness (LER) using a mask Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and the Actinic Inspection Tool (AIT) to compare resist images printed with the ASML ADT. The results of the analysis show a good correlation between the mask AFM and the mask SEM measurements, However, the resist printing results for the isolated space patterns are slightly different. The cause ofthis discrepancy may be resist blur, image log slope and SEM image quality and so on. The second topic is an analysis of mask topography using an AFM and relative reflectivity of mirror and absorber surface using the AIT, The AFM data show 6 and 7 angstrom rms roughness for mirror and absorber, respectively. The reflectivity measurements show that the mirror reflects EUV light about 20 times higher than absorber. The last topic is an analysis of a 32nm technology node SRAM cell which includes a comparison of mask SEM image, AIT image, resist image and simulation results. The ADT images of the SRAM pattern were of high quality even though the mask patters were not corrected for OPC or any EUV-specific effects. Image simulation results were in good agreement with the printing results

Search for Exclusive Charmless Hadronic B Decays

We have searched for two-body charmless hadronic decays of $B$ mesons. Final states include $\pi\pi$, $K \pi$, and $KK$ with both charged and neutral kaons and pions; $\pi\rho$, $K \rho$, and $K^*\pi$; and $K\phi$, $K^*\phi$, and $\phi\phi$. The data used in this analysis consist of 2.6~million $B\bar{B}$~pairs produced at the $\Upsilon(4S)$ taken with the CLEO-II detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR). We measure the branching fraction of the sum of $B^0 \rightarrow \pi^+\pi^-$ and $B^0 \rightarrow K^+\pi^-$ to be $(1.8^{+0.6+0.2}_{-0.5-0.3}\pm0.2) \times 10^{-5}$. In addition, we place upper limits on individual branching fractions in the range from $10^{-4}$ to $10^{-6}$.Comment: 33 page LATEX file, uses REVTEX and psfig, 14 figures in a separate uuencoded postscript file, postscript version also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN

Semileptonic Branching Fraction of Charged and Neutral B Mesons

An examination of leptons in ${\Upsilon (4S)}$ events tagged by reconstructed $B$ decays yields semileptonic branching fractions of $b_-=(10.1 \pm 1.8\pm 1.4)\%$ for charged and $b_0=(10.9 \pm 0.7\pm 1.1)\%$ for neutral $B$ mesons. This is the first measurement for charged $B$. Assuming equality of the charged and neutral semileptonic widths, the ratio $b_-/b_0=0.93 \pm 0.18 \pm 0.12$ is equivalent to the ratio of lifetimes. A postscript version is available through World-Wide-Web in http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/1994Comment: 9 pages (in REVTEX format) Preprint CLNS94-1286, CLEO 94-1

Observation of the Isospin-Violating Decay Ds∗+→Ds+π0D_s^{*+}\to D_s^+\pi^0

Using data collected with the CLEO~II detector, we have observed the isospin-violating decay $D_s^{*+}\to D_s^+\pi^0$. The decay rate for this mode, relative to the dominant radiative decay, is found to be $\Gamma(D_s^{*+}\to D_s^+\pi^0)/\Gamma(D_s^{*+}\to D_s^+\gamma)= 0.062^{+0.020}_{-0.018}\pm0.022$.Comment: 8 page uuencoded postscript file, also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN

Precision Measurement of the Ds∗+−Ds+D_s^{*+}- D_s^+ Mass Difference

We have measured the vector-pseudoscalar mass splitting $M(D_s^{*+})-M(D_s^+) = 144.22\pm 0.47\pm 0.37 MeV$, significantly more precise than the previous world average. We minimize the systematic errors by also measuring the vector-pseudoscalar mass difference $M(D^{*0})-M(D^0)$ using the radiative decay $D^{*0}\rightarrow D^0\gamma$, obtaining $[M(D_s^{*+})-M(D_s^+)]-[M(D^{*0})-M(D^0)] = 2.09\pm 0.47\pm 0.37 MeV$. This is then combined with our previous high-precision measurement of $M(D^{*0})-M(D^0)$, which used the decay $D^{*0}\rightarrow D^0\pi^0$. We also measure the mass difference $M(D_s^+)-M(D^+)=99.5\pm 0.6\pm 0.3$ MeV, using the $\phi\pi^+$ decay modes of the $D_s^+$ and $D^+$ mesons.Comment: 18 pages uuencoded compressed postscript (process with uudecode then gunzip). hardcopies with figures can be obtained by sending mail to: [email protected]

Production and Decay of D_1(2420)^0 and D_2^*(2460)^0

We have investigated $D^{+}\pi^{-}$ and $D^{*+}\pi^{-}$ final states and observed the two established $L=1$ charmed mesons, the $D_1(2420)^0$ with mass $2421^{+1+2}_{-2-2}$ MeV/c$^{2}$ and width $20^{+6+3}_{-5-3}$ MeV/c$^{2}$ and the $D_2^*(2460)^0$ with mass $2465 \pm 3 \pm 3$ MeV/c$^{2}$ and width $28^{+8+6}_{-7-6}$ MeV/c$^{2}$. Properties of these final states, including their decay angular distributions and spin-parity assignments, have been studied. We identify these two mesons as the $j_{light}=3/2$ doublet predicted by HQET. We also obtain constraints on {\footnotesize $\Gamma_S/(\Gamma_S + \Gamma_D)$} as a function of the cosine of the relative phase of the two amplitudes in the $D_1(2420)^0$ decay.Comment: 15 pages in REVTEX format. hardcopies with figures can be obtained by sending mail to: [email protected]