Lattice study of "f0_{0}(600) or σ\sigma"

We investigate the propagator of "f$_{0}$(600) or the $\sigma$" by the full-QCD simulation with Wilson fermions. We calculate the mesonic correlator in the I=0, $J^P=0^{+}$ channel on the $8^{3} \times 16$ lattice. Plaquet action and Wilson fermion action are adopted. A coupling constant $\beta$ is set to 4.8 and three kinds of hopping parameter, $\kappa$=0.1846, 0.1874 and 0.1891 are assayed. The disconnected diagram in the propagator is evaluated through taking average over 500 or 1000 Z2 noise. Simulations with the larger hopping parameter provide us with less noisy results. Though the statistics is not yet enough, our results indicate the existence of a pole with a mass in almost the same order as that of the $\rho$.Comment: Talk given at 20th International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory (LATTICE 2002), Boston, Massachusetts, 24-29 Jun 200

Lattice Study of Low-lying Nonet Scalar Mesons in Quenched Approximation

Using lattice QCD simulation in the quenched approximation, we study the $\kappa$ meson, which is ^3P_0 in the quark model, and compare experimental and other lattice data. The $\kappa$ is the lowest scalar meson with strangeness and constitutes the scalar nonet. The obtained mass is much higher than the recent experimental value, and therefore the $\kappa(800)$ is difficult to consider as a simple two-body constituent-quark structure, and may have another unconventional structure.Comment: 11pages, 5figure

Spontaneous tumor rejection by cbl-b–deficient CD8+ T cells

The concept of tumor surveillance implies that specific and nonspecific components of the immune system eliminate tumors in the early phase of malignancy. Understanding the biochemical mechanisms of tumor immunosurveillance is of paramount significance because it might allow one to specifically modulate spontaneous antitumor activity. We report that inactivation of the E3 ligase Casitas B cell lymphoma-b (Cbl-b) confers spontaneous in vivo rejection of tumor cells that express human papilloma virus antigens. Moreover, cbl-b−/− mice develop significantly fewer ultraviolet B (UVB)–induced skin malignancies and reject UVB-induced skin tumors. CD8+ T cells were identified as key players in the spontaneous tumor rejection response. Loss of Cbl-b not only enhances antitumor reactivity of CD8+ T cells but also occurs in the absence of CD4+ T cells. Mechanistically, cbl-b−/− CD8+ T cells are resistant to T regulatory cell–mediated suppression and exhibit enhanced activation and rapid tumor infiltration. Importantly, therapeutic transfer of naive cbl-b−/− CD8+ T cells is sufficient to mediate rejection of established tumors. Even up to 1 yr after the first encounter with the tumor cells, cbl-b−/− mice carry an “anticancer memory.” These data identify Cbl-b as a key signaling molecule that controls spontaneous antitumor activity of cytotoxic T cells in different cancer models. Inhibition of Cbl-b is a novel approach to stimulate long-lasting immunity against cancer

Scalar Particles in Lattice QCD

We report a project to study scalar particles by lattice QCD simulations. After a brief introduction of the current situation of lattice study of the sigma meson, we describe our numerical simulations of scalar mesons, $\sigma$ and $\kappa$. We observe a low sigma mass, $m_\pi<m_\sigma\le m_\rho$, for which the disconnected diagram plays an important role. For the kappa meson, we obtain higher mass than the experimental value, i.e., $m_\kappa\sim 2m_{K^*}$.Comment: 4 figures, to be published in Proceedings of `International Symposium on Hadron Spectroscopy, Chiral Symmetry and Relativistic Description of Bound Systems' (in a series of KEK proceedings

Randomised, multicentre prospective trial of transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) plus sorafenib as compared with TACE alone in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: TACTICS trial.

OBJECTIVE:This trial compared the efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) plus sorafenib with TACE alone using a newly established TACE-specific endpoint and pre-treatment of sorafenib before initial TACE. DESIGN:Patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were randomised to TACE plus sorafenib (n=80) or TACE alone (n=76). Patients in the combination group received sorafenib 400 mg once daily for 2-3 weeks before TACE, followed by 800 mg once daily during on-demand conventional TACE sessions until time to untreatable (unTACEable) progression (TTUP), defined as untreatable tumour progression, transient deterioration to Child-Pugh C or appearance of vascular invasion/extrahepatic spread. Co-primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), which is not a conventional one but defined as TTUP, or time to any cause of death plus overall survival (OS). Multiplicity was adjusted by gatekeeping hierarchical testing. RESULTS:Median PFS was significantly longer in the TACE plus sorafenib than in the TACE alone group (25.2 vs 13.5 months; p=0.006). OS was not analysed because only 73.6% of OS events were reached. Median TTUP (26.7 vs 20.6 months; p=0.02) was also significantly longer in the TACE plus sorafenib group. OS at 1 year and 2 years in TACE plus sorafenib group and TACE alone group were 96.2% and 82.7% and 77.2% and 64.6%, respectively. There were no unexpected toxicities. CONCLUSION:TACE plus sorafenib significantly improved PFS over TACE alone in patients with unresectable HCC. Adverse events were consistent with those of previous TACE combination trials. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:NCT01217034