Coronal Hole Detection and Open Magnetic Flux

Many scientists use coronal hole (CH) detections to infer open magnetic flux. Detection techniques differ in the areas that they assign as open, and may obtain different values for the open magnetic flux. We characterize the uncertainties of these methods, by applying six different detection methods to deduce the area and open flux of a near-disk center CH observed on 2010 September 19, and applying a single method to five different EUV filtergrams for this CH. Open flux was calculated using five different magnetic maps. The standard deviation (interpreted as the uncertainty) in the open flux estimate for this CH approximate to 26%. However, including the variability of different magnetic data sources, this uncertainty almost doubles to 45%. We use two of the methods to characterize the area and open flux for all CHs in this time period. We find that the open flux is greatly underestimated compared to values inferred from in situ measurements (by 2.2-4 times). We also test our detection techniques on simulated emission images from a thermodynamic MHD model of the solar corona. We find that the methods overestimate the area and open flux in the simulated CH, but the average error in the flux is only about 7%. The full-Sun detections on the simulated corona underestimate the model open flux, but by factors well below what is needed to account for the missing flux in the observations. Under-detection of open flux in coronal holes likely contributes to the recognized deficit in solar open flux, but is unlikely to resolve it.Peer reviewe

Reduced-Intensity Allogeneic Transplantation Provides High Event-Free and Overall Survival in Patients with Advanced Indolent B Cell Malignancies: CALGB 109901

CALGB conducted a Phase II study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a reduced-intensity conditioning regimen with allogeneic transplantation to treat patients with recurrent low grade B cell malignancies. Patients over age 18 with a diagnosis of relapsed, chemotherapy-sensitive disease underwent transplantation with a matched sibling donor and conditioning with cyclophosphamide (1 g/m2/d × 3) and fludarabine phosphate (25 mg/m2/d × 5). GVH prophylaxis included cyclosporine or tacrolimus plus low-dose methotrexate. Forty-four evaluable patients with a median age of 53 and median of two prior regimens were accrued. Sixteen patients had follicular NHL and 28 had histologies including 7 indolent B cell lymphomas, 4 mantle cell, 15 chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and 2 prolymphocytic leukemia pts. The six-month treatment-related mortality (TRM) was 2.4% and three-year TRM was 9%. Three-year event-free and overall survival were.75 and .81 for the follicular patients, .59 and .71 for the CLL/PLL patients, and .55 and .64 for the other histologies. The incidence of grade 2–4 acute graft vs host disease (GVHD) was 29% and extensive chronic GVHD was 18%. This report demonstrates that allogeneic sibling transplantation with a reduced intensity conditioning regimen is safe and efficacious for patients with advanced indolent B cell malignancies enrolled on a Cooperative Group study

Reduced-Intensity Conditioning Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Patients with Hematologic Malignancies Who Relapse following Autologous Transplantation: A Multi-institutional Prospective Study from the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB trial 100002)

We prospectively treated 80 patients with relapse of malignancy or secondary myelodysplasia after autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) with allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) using a reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimen of fludarabine 150 mg/m2 plus intravenous busulfan 6.4 mg/kg. Both sibling (MSD) and unrelated donors (MUD) were allowed. Patients transplanted from MUD donors received more intensive graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis, including rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin 10 mg/kg, mycophenolate mofetil, and an extended schedule of tacrolimus. With a median follow-up of 3.1 years (0.9 to 5.8), TRM at 6 months and 2 years was 8% and 23% respectively. Neither TRM nor the rates of acute GVHD were different in those with sibling or MUD donors. Donor CD3 cell chimerism > 90% at day +30 was achieved more often in patients with MUD than with MSD donors, 70% versus 23% (p<0.0001). Median EFS was higher in patients who achieved early full donor chimerism (14.2 versus 8 mo, p = 0.0395). Allo-HCT using this RIC regimen can be performed with low TRM in patients who have received a prior AHCT. Efforts to improve early donor CD3 chimerism may improve EFS

Phase II Study of Allogeneic Transplantation for Older Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia in First Complete Remission Using a Reduced-Intensity Conditioning Regimen: Results From Cancer and Leukemia Group B 100103 (Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology)/Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trial Network 0502

Long-term survival rates for older patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are extremely low. Previous observational studies suggest that allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) may improve overall survival (OS) because of lower rates of relapse. We sought to prospectively determine the value of HSCT for older patients with AML in first complete remission

Lenalidomide after Stem-Cell Transplantation for Multiple Myeloma

Data are lacking on whether lenalidomide maintenance therapy prolongs the time to disease progression after autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation in patients with multiple myeloma

Miniaturized Explosive Preconcentrator for Use in a Man-Portable Field Detection System

We discuss the design and testing of a miniaturized explosives preconcentrator that can be used to enhance the capabilities of man-portable field detection systems, such as those based on ion mobility spectrometry (IMS). The preconcentrator is a smaller version of a similar device that was developed recently at Sandia National Laboratories for use in a trace detection portal that screens personnel for explosives. Like its predecessor, this preconcentrator is basically a filtering device that allows a small amount of explosive residue in a large incoming airflow to be concentrated into a much smaller air volume via adsorption and resorption, prior to delivery into a chemical detector. We discuss laboratory testing of this preconcentrator interfaced to a commercially available IMS-based detection system, with emphasis on the explosives 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX). The issues investigated include optimization of the preconcentrator volume and inlet airflow, the use of different types of adsorbing surfaces within the preconcentrator, Wd preconcentrator efficiency and concentration factor. We discuss potential field applications of the preconcentrator, as well as avenues for further investigations and improvements