Age is not a limiting factor for brachytherapy for carcinoma of the node negative oral tongue in patients aged eighty or older

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To examine the role of brachytherapy for aged patients 80 or more in the trend of rapidly increasing number.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We examined the outcomes for elderly patients with node negative oral tongue cancer (T1-3N0M0) treated with brachytherapy. The 21 patients (2 T1, 14 T2, and 5 T3 cases) ranged in age from 80 to 89 years (median 81), and their cancer was pathologically confirmed. All patients underwent definitive radiation therapy, with low dose rate (LDR) Ra-226 brachytherapy (n = 4; median 70Gy), with Ir-192 (n = 12; 70Gy), with Au-198 (n = 1) or with high dose rate (HDR) Ir-192 brachytherapy (n = 4; 60 Gy). Eight patients also underwent external radiotherapy (median 30 Gy). The period of observation ranged from 13 months to 14 years (median 2.5 years). We selected 226 population matched younger counterpart from our medical chart.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Definitive radiation therapy was completed for all 21 patients (100%), and acute grade 2-3 mucositis related to the therapy was tolerable. Local control (initial complete response) was attained in 19 of 21 patients (90%). The 2-year and 5-year local control rates were 91%, (100% for T1, 83% for T2 and 80% for T3 tumors after 2 years). These figures was not inferior to that of younger counterpart (82% at 5-year, n.s.). The cause-specific survival rate was 83% and the regional control rate 84% at the 2-years follow-up. However, 12 patients died because of intercurrent diseases or senility, resulting in overall survival rates of 55% at 2 years and 34% at 5 years.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Age is not a limiting factor for brachytherapy for appropriately selected elderly patients, and brachytherapy achieved good local control with acceptable morbidity.</p

Role of P2 purinergic receptors in synaptic transmission under normoxic and ischaemic conditions in the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices

The role of ATP and its stable analogue ATPγS [adenosine-5′-o-(3-thio)triphosphate] was studied in rat hippocampal neurotransmission under normoxic conditions and during oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD). Field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) from the dendritic layer or population spikes (PSs) from the soma were extracellularly recorded in the CA1 area of the rat hippocampus. Exogenous application of ATP or ATPγS reduced fEPSP and PS amplitudes. In both cases the inhibitory effect was blocked by the selective A1 adenosine receptor antagonist DPCPX (8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine) and was potentiated by different ecto-ATPase inhibitors: ARL 67156 (6-N,N-diethyl-D-β,γ-dibromomethylene), BGO 136 (1-hydroxynaphthalene-3,6-disulfonate) and PV4 [hexapotassium dihydrogen monotitanoundecatungstocobaltate(II) tridecahydrate, K6H2[TiW11CoO40]·13H2O]. ATPγS-mediated inhibition was reduced by the P2 antagonist suramin [8-(3-benzamido-4-methylbenzamido)naphthalene-1,3,5-trisulfonate] at the somatic level and by other P2 blockers, PPADS (pyridoxalphosphate-6-azophenyl-2′,4′-disulfonate) and MRS 2179 (2′-deoxy-N6-methyladenosine 3′,5′-bisphosphate), at the dendritic level. After removal of both P2 agonists, a persistent increase in evoked synaptic responses was recorded both at the dendritic and somatic levels. This effect was prevented in the presence of different P2 antagonists. A 7-min OGD induced tissue anoxic depolarization and was invariably followed by irreversible loss of fEPSP. PPADS, suramin, MRS2179 or BBG (brilliant blue G) significantly prevented the irreversible failure of neurotransmission induced by 7-min OGD. Furthermore, in the presence of these P2 antagonists, the development of anoxic depolarization was blocked or significantly delayed. Our results indicate that P2 receptors modulate CA1 synaptic transmission under normoxic conditions by eliciting both inhibitory and excitatory effects. In the same brain region, P2 receptor stimulation plays a deleterious role during a severe OGD insult

A new approach for measuring the muon anomalous magnetic moment and electric dipole moment

This paper introduces a new approach to measure the muon magnetic moment anomaly a?? = (g - 2)/2 and the muon electric dipole moment (EDM) d?? at the J-PARC muon facility. The goal of our experiment is to measure a?? and d?? using an independent method with a factor of 10 lower muon momentum, and a factor of 20 smaller diameter storage-ring solenoid compared with previous and ongoing muon g - 2 experiments with unprecedented quality of the storage magnetic field. Additional significant differences from the present experimental method include a factor of 1000 smaller transverse emittance of the muon beam (reaccelerated thermal muon beam), its efficient vertical injection into the solenoid, and tracking each decay positron from muon decay to obtain its momentum vector. The precision goal for a?? is a statistical uncertainty of 450 parts per billion (ppb), similar to the present experimental uncertainty, and a systematic uncertainty less than 70 ppb. The goal for EDM is a sensitivity of 1.5 ?? 10-21 ecm

Search for Periodic Time Variations of the Solar 8^8B Neutrino Flux Between 1996 and 2018 in Super-Kamiokande

We report a search for time variations of the solar $^8$B neutrino flux using 5,804 live days of Super-Kamiokande data collected between May 31, 1996, and May 30, 2018. Super-Kamiokande measured the precise time of each solar neutrino interaction over 22 calendar years to search for solar neutrino flux modulations with unprecedented precision. Periodic modulations are searched for in a data set comprised of five-day interval solar neutrino flux measurements with a maximum likelihood method. We also applied the Lomb-Scargle method to this data set to compare it with previous reports. The only significant modulation found is due to the elliptic orbit of the Earth around the Sun. The observed modulation is consistent with astronomical data: we measured an eccentricity of (1.53$\pm$0.35)\,\%, and a perihelion shift is ($-$1.5$\pm$13.5)\,days.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables, and data file: "sksolartimevariation5804d.txt

Pebbles and sand on asteroid (162173) Ryugu: In situ observation and particles returned to Earth

International audienceThe Hayabusa2 spacecraft investigated the C-type (carbonaceous) asteroid (162173) Ryugu. The mission performed two landing operations to collect samples of surface and subsurface material, the latter exposed by an artificial impact. We present images of the second touchdown site, finding that ejecta from the impact crater was present at the sample location. Surface pebbles at both landing sites show morphological variations ranging from rugged to smooth, similar to Ryugu’s boulders, and shapes from quasi-spherical to flattened. The samples were returned to Earth on 6 December 2020. We describe the morphology of >5 grams of returned pebbles and sand. Their diverse color, shape, and structure are consistent with the observed materials of Ryugu; we conclude that they are a representative sample of the asteroid