An isotopic effect in phi photoproduction at a few GeV

A distinct isotopic effect in phi photoproduction at 2-5 GeV region is identified by examining the production amplitudes due to Pomeron-exchange and meson-exchange mechanisms. This effect is mainly caused by the pi-eta interference constrained by SU(3) symmetry and the isotopic structure of the gamma NN coupling in the direct phi-radiation amplitude. It can be tested experimentally by measuring differences in the polarization observables between the gamma-p and gamma-n reactions.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure

Leptoquark pair production at the Fermilab Tevatron: Signal and backgrounds

We perform a Monte-Carlo simulation of scalar leptoquark pair production at the Tevatron (energy =1.8 TeV and luminosity =100 pb^{-1}) with ISAJET. We also investigate the dominant sources of Standard Model background: Z*jj, ZZ production and heavy quark top-antitop. We find that the top-antitop background is the most important except near the Z pole where the Z*jj background is peaked. We also evaluate the signal-to-background ratio and find a discovery reach of 130 GeV (170 GeV) for a branching ratio of B(LQ-> eq)=0.5 (B=1).Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, latex (revtex

Scalar and Vector Leptoquark Pair Production at Hadron Colliders: Signal and Backgrounds

We perform a systematic analysis of scalar and vector leptoquark pair production at the Fermilab Tevatron and at the CERN LHC. We evaluate signal expectations and background levels for the processes pp (p ppar) -> 2 jets + e^{+} + e^{-} and 2 jets + e + missing p_T. The Monte Carlo event generator ISAJET is used to simulate the experimental conditions at the current (Sqrt{s}=1.8 TeV, Luminosity=100 pb^{-1}) and upgraded (Luminosity=100 pb^{-1}) Tevatron as well as the LHC (Sqrt{s}=14 TeV, Luminosity=10 fb^{-1}). Depending on the luminosity, and assuming a branching ratio B(LQ -> eq)=0.5, we find a discovery reach up to 170 (255) GeV for scalar leptoquarks at the current (upgraded) Tevatron. Similarly, we find vector leptoquarks to be detectable at masses below 300 (400) GeV depending on the coupling. At the LHC, the discovery reach is enhanced to 1 TeV for scalar leptoquarks and to 1.5 TeV for vectors.Comment: 15 pages (REVTEX), 12 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Gastric cancer, version 2.2013: featured updates to the NCCN Guidelines

The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology for Gastric Cancer provide evidence- and consensus-based recommendations for a multidisciplinary approach for the management of patients with gastric cancer. For patients with resectable locoregional cancer, the guidelines recommend gastrectomy with a D1+ or a modified D2 lymph node dissection (performed by experienced surgeons in high-volume centers). Postoperative chemoradiation is the preferred option after complete gastric resection for patients with T3-T4 tumors and node-positive T1-T2 tumors. Postoperative chemotherapy is included as an option after a modified D2 lymph node dissection for this group of patients. Trastuzumab with chemotherapy is recommended as first-line therapy for patients with HER2-positive advanced or metastatic cancer, confirmed by immunohistochemistry and, if needed, by fluorescence in situ hybridization for IHC 2+

Esophageal and esophagogastric junction cancers, version 1.2015

Esophageal cancer is the sixth most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Adenocarcinoma is more common in North America and Western European countries, originating mostly in the lower third of the esophagus, which often involves the esophagogastric junction (EGJ). Recent randomized trials have shown that the addition of preoperative chemoradiation or perioperative chemotherapy to surgery significantly improves survival in patients with resectable cancer. Targeted therapies with trastuzumab and ramucirumab have produced encouraging results in the treatment of advanced or metastatic EGJ adenocarcinomas. Multidisciplinary team management is essential for patients with esophageal and EGJ cancers. This portion of the NCCN Guidelines for Esophageal and EGJ Cancers discusses management of locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and EGJ

Assessing the cardiology community position on transradial intervention and the use of bivalirudin in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing invasive management: results of an EAPCI survey.

AIMS: Our aim was to report on a survey initiated by the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) collecting the opinion of the cardiology community on the invasive management of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), before and after the MATRIX trial presentation at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) 2015 Scientific Sessions. METHODS AND RESULTS: A web-based survey was distributed to all individuals registered on the EuroIntervention mailing list (n=15,200). A total of 572 and 763 physicians responded to the pre- and post-ACC survey, respectively. The radial approach emerged as the preferable access site for ACS patients undergoing invasive management with roughly every other responder interpreting the evidence for mortality benefit as definitive and calling for a guidelines upgrade to class I. The most frequently preferred anticoagulant in ACS patients remains unfractionated heparin (UFH), due to higher costs and greater perceived thrombotic risks associated with bivalirudin. However, more than a quarter of participants declared the use of bivalirudin would increase after MATRIX. CONCLUSIONS: The MATRIX trial reinforced the evidence for a causal association between bleeding and mortality and triggered consensus on the superiority of the radial versus femoral approach. The belief that bivalirudin mitigates bleeding risk is common, but UFH still remains the preferred anticoagulant based on lower costs and thrombotic risks

Serious Asthma Events with Fluticasone plus Salmeterol versus Fluticasone Alone

BACKGROUND: The safe and appropriate use of long-acting beta-agonists (LABAs) for the treatment of asthma has been widely debated. In two large clinical trials, investigators found a potential risk of serious asthma-related events associated with LABAs. This study was designed to evaluate the risk of administering the LABA salmeterol in combination with an inhaled glucocorticoid, fluticasone propionate. METHODS: In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial, adolescent and adult patients (age, ≥12 years) with persistent asthma were assigned to receive either fluticasone with salmeterol or fluticasone alone for 26 weeks. All the patients had a history of a severe asthma exacerbation in the year before randomization but not during the previous month. Patients were excluded from the trial if they had a history of life-threatening or unstable asthma. The primary safety end point was the first serious asthma-related event (death, endotracheal intubation, or hospitalization). Noninferiority of fluticasone-salmeterol to fluticasone alone was defined as an upper boundary of the 95% confidence interval for the risk of the primary safety end point of less than 2.0. The efficacy end point was the first severe asthma exacerbation. RESULTS: Of 11,679 patients who were enrolled, 67 had 74 serious asthma-related events, with 36 events in 34 patients in the fluticasone-salmeterol group and 38 events in 33 patients in the fluticasone-only group. The hazard ratio for a serious asthma-related event in the fluticasone-salmeterol group was 1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64 to 1.66), and noninferiority was achieved (P=0.003). There were no asthma-related deaths; 2 patients in the fluticasone-only group underwent asthma-related intubation. The risk of a severe asthma exacerbation was 21% lower in the fluticasone-salmeterol group than in the fluticasone-only group (hazard ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.70 to 0.89), with at least one severe asthma exacerbation occurring in 480 of 5834 patients (8%) in the fluticasone-salmeterol group, as compared with 597 of 5845 patients (10%) in the fluticasone-only group (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients who received salmeterol in a fixed-dose combination with fluticasone did not have a significantly higher risk of serious asthma-related events than did those who received fluticasone alone. Patients receiving fluticasone-salmeterol had fewer severe asthma exacerbations than did those in the fluticasone-only group