Current Performance and On-Going Improvements of the 8.2 m Subaru Telescope

An overview of the current status of the 8.2 m Subaru Telescope constructed and operated at Mauna Kea, Hawaii, by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan is presented. The basic design concept and the verified performance of the telescope system are described. Also given are the status of the instrument package offered to the astronomical community, the status of operation, and some of the future plans. The status of the telescope reported in a number of SPIE papers as of the summer of 2002 are incorporated with some updates included as of 2004 February. However, readers are encouraged to check the most updated status of the telescope through the home page, http://subarutelescope.org/index.html, and/or the direct contact with the observatory staff.Comment: 18 pages (17 pages in published version), 29 figures (GIF format), This is the version before the galley proo

Individual and combining effects of anti-RANKL monoclonal antibody and teriparatide in ovariectomized mice

We examined the individual and combined effects of teriparatide and anti-RANKL (receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand) monoclonal antibody in ovariectomized mice. Three-month-old female C57BL/6 mice were ovariectomized (OVX) or sham operated. Four weeks after OVX, they were assigned to 3 different groups to receive anti-RANKL monoclonal antibody (Ab) alone (5 mg/kg single injection at 4 weeks after OVX, Ab group), teriparatide alone (80 μg/kg daily injection for 4 weeks from 4 weeks after OVX, PTH group), or mAb plus teriparatide (Ab + PTH group). Mice were sacrificed 8 weeks after OVX. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured at the femur and lumbar spine. Hind limbs were subjected to histological and histomorphometric analysis. Serum osteocalcin and CTX-I levels were measured to investigate the bone turnover. Compared with Ab group, Ab + PTH group showed a significant increase in BMD at distal femur and femoral shaft. Cortical bone volume was significantly increased in PTH and Ab + PTH groups compared with Ab group. Bone turnover in Ab + PTH group was suppressed to the same degree as in Ab group. The number of TRAP-positive multinucleated cells was markedly reduced in Ab and Ab + PTH groups. These results suggest that combined treatment of teriparatide with anti-RANKL antibody has additive effects on BMD in OVX mice compared with individual treatment

Therapeutic efficacy of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapy versus exercise therapy in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain: a prospective study

Therapy for chronic, nonspecific low back pain is mainly conservative: medication and/or exercise. Pharmacotherapy, however, has side effects, and the quantities of concomitant drugs in older persons require attention. Although exercise promises improved function, its use to alleviate pain is controversial. Thus, we compared the efficacy of pharmacotherapy versus exercise for treating chronic nonspecific low back pain. The pharmacotherapy group (n=18: 8 men, 10 women) were prescribed celecoxib monotherapy. The exercise group (n=22: 10 men, 12 women) undertook stretching exercises. Because of drop-outs, the NSAID group (n=15: 7 men, 8 women) and the exercise group (n =18: 8 men, 10 women) were finally analyzed. We applied a visual analog scale, Roland-Morris disability scores, and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey. We used a paired t-test for within-group analyses and an unpaired t-test for between-group analyses. Pain relief was achieved after 3 months of pharmacotherapy or exercise. Quality of life improved only in the exercise group. Recovery outcomes for the two groups were not significantly different. Efficacy of exercise therapy for strictly defined low back pain was almost equivalent to that of pharmacotherapy and provided better quality of life