Entropic force in black hole binaries and its Newtonian limits

We give an exact solution for the static force between two black holes at the turning points in their binary motion. The results are derived by Gibbs' principle and the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy applied to the apparent horizon surfaces in time-symmetric initial data. New power laws are derived for the entropy jump in mergers, while Newton's law is shown to derive from a new adiabatic variational principle for the Hilbert action in the presence of apparent horizon surfaces. In this approach, entropy is strictly monotonic such that gravity is attractive for all separations including mergers, and the Bekenstein entropy bound is satisfied also at arbitrarily large separations, where gravity reduces to Newton's law. The latter is generalized to point particles in the Newtonian limit by application of Gibbs' principle to world-lines crossing light cones.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Scattering Lens Resolves sub-100 nm Structures with Visible Light

The smallest structures that conventional lenses are able to optically resolve are of the order of 200 nm. We introduce a new type of lens that exploits multiple scattering of light to generate a scanning nano-sized optical focus. With an experimental realization of this lens in gallium phosphide we have succeeded to image gold nanoparticles at 97 nm optical resolution. Our work is the first lens that provides a resolution in the nanometer regime at visible wavelengths.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Peripheral neuropathy induced by combination chemotherapy of docetaxel and cisplatin.

Docetaxel, a new semisynthetic taxoid that has demonstrated promising activity as an antineoplastic agent, was administered in combination with cisplatin to 63 patients in a dose-escalating study. As both drugs were known to be potentially neurotoxic, peripheral neurotoxicity was prospectively assessed in detail. Neuropathy was evaluated by clinical sum-score for signs and symptoms and by measurement of the vibration perception threshold (VPT). The severity of neuropathy was graded according to the National Cancer Institute's 'Common Toxicity Criteria'. The docetaxel-cisplatin combination chemotherapy induced a predominantly sensory neuropathy in 29 (53%) out of 55 evaluable patients. At cumulative doses of both cisplatin and docetaxel above 200 mg m(-2), 26 (74%) out of 35 patients developed a neuropathy which was mild in 15, moderate in ten and severe in one patient. Significant correlations were present between both the cumulative dose of docetaxel and cisplatin and the post-treatment sum-score of neuropathy (P < 0.01) as well as the post-treatment VPT (P < 0.01). The neurotoxic effects of this combination were more severe than either cisplatin or docetaxel as single agent at similar doses

Measurement of the ΔS=-ΔQ Amplitude from K_(e3)^0 Decay

We have measured the time distribution of the π^+e^-ν and π^-e^+ν modes from initial K^0's in a spark-chamber experiment performed at the Bevatron. From 1079 events between 0.2 and 7 K_S^0 lifetime, we find ReX=-0.069±0.036, ImX=+0.108_(-0.074)^(+0.092). This result is consistent with X=0 (relative probability = 0.25), but more than 4 standard deviations from the existing world average, +0.14 -0.13i

Cathepsin-D in primary breast cancer: prognostic evaluation involving 2810 patients

There is controversy regarding the prognostic value of cathepsin-D in primary breast cancer. An increased level of cathepsin-D in tumour extracts has been found to be associated with a poor relapse-free and overall survival. Studies performed with immunohistochemistry or Western blotting have produced diverse results. We have analysed 2810 cytosolic extracts obtained from human primary breast tumours for cathepsin-D expression, and have correlated their levels with prognosis. The median follow-up of the patients still alive was 88 months. Patients with high cathepsin-D levels had a significantly worse relapse-free and overall survival, also in multivariate analysis (P < 0.0001). Adjuvant therapy which was associated with an improved prognosis in node-positive patients in univariate analysis, also significantly added to the multivariate models for relapse-free and overall survival. There were no statistically significant interactions between the levels of cathepsin-D and any of the classical prognostic factors in analysis for relapse-free survival, suggesting that the prognostic value of cathepsin-D is not different in the various subgroups of patients. Indeed, multivariate analyses in subgroups of node-negative and -positive patients, pre- and post-menopausal patients, and their combinations, showed that tumours with high cathepsin-D values had a significantly poor relapse-free survival, with relative hazard rates ranging from 1.3 to 1.5, compared with tumours with low cathepsin-D levels. The results presented here on 2810 patients confirm that high cytosolic cathepsin-D values are associated with poor prognosis in human primary breast cancer. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaig

Theory and astrophysical consequences of a magnetized torus around a rapidly rotating black hole

(Abbrev.) We analyze the topology, lifetime, and emissions of a torus around a black hole formed in hypernovae and black hole-neutron star coalescence. The torus is ab initio uniformly magnetized, represented by two counter oriented current-rings, and develops a state of suspended accretion against a "magnetic wall" around the black hole. Magnetic stability of the torus gives rise to a new fundamental limit EB/Ek<0.1 for the ratio of poloidal magnetic field energy-to-kinetic energy. The lifetime of rapid spin of the black hole is effectively defined by the timescale of dissipation of black hole-spin energy in the horizon, and satisfies T= 40s (MH/7MSun)(R/6MH)^4(0.03MH/MT) for a black hole of mass MH surrounded by a torus of mass MT and radius R. The torus converts a major fraction Egw/Erot=0.1 into gravitational radiation through a finite number of multipole mass-moments, and a smaller fraction into MeV neutrinos and baryon-rich winds. At a source distance of 100Mpc, these emissions over N=2e4 periods give rise to a characteristic strain amplitude \sqrt{N}hchar=6e-21. We argue that torus winds create an open magnetic flux-tube on the black hole, which carries a minor and standard fraction Ej/Erot=1e-3 in baryon-poor outflows to infinity. We identify this baryon poor output of tens of seconds with GRBs with contemporaneous and strongly correlated emissions in gravitational radiation, conceivably at multiple frequencies. Ultimately, this leaves a black hole binary surrounded by a supernova remnant.Comment: To appear in ApJ (44p

Feasibility, endocrine and anti-tumour effects of a triple endocrine therapy with tamoxifen, a somatostatin analogue and an antiprolactin in post-menopausal metastatic breast cancer: a randomized study with long-term follow-up.

Suppression of the secretion of prolactin, growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) might be important in the growth regulation and treatment of breast cancer. Because oestrogens may counteract the anti-tumour effects of such treatment, the combination of an anti-oestrogen (tamoxifen), a somatostatin analogue (octreotide) and a potent anti-prolactin (CV 205-502) might be attractive. In this respect, we performed a first exploratory long-term study on the feasibility of combined treatment and possible clear differences in endocrine and anti-tumour effects during such combined treatment vs standard treatment with tamoxifen alone. Twenty-two post-menopausal patients with metastatic breast cancer (ER and/or PR positive or unknown) were randomized to receive either 40 mg of tamoxifen per day or the combination of 40 mg of tamoxifen plus 75 microg of CV 205-502 orally plus 3 x 0.2 mg of octreotide s.c. as first-line endocrine therapy. An objective response was found in 36% of the patients treated with tamoxifen alone and in 55% of the patients treated with combination therapy. Median time to progression was 33 weeks for patients treated with tamoxifen and 84 weeks for patients treated with combination therapy, but the numbers are too small for hard conclusions. There was no difference in overall post-relapse survival between the two treatment arms. With respect to the endocrine parameters, there was a significant decrease of plasma IGF-1 levels in both treatment arms, whereas during combined treatment plasma growth hormone tended to decrease and plasma prolactin levels were strongly suppressed; in some patients insulin and transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha) decreased during the triple therapy. Although there was no significant difference in mean decrease of plasma IGF-1 levels between the two treatment arms, combined treatment resulted in a more uniform suppression of IGF-1. Therefore, the addition of a somatostatin analogue and an anti-prolactin may potentially enhance the efficacy of anti-oestrogens in the treatment of breast cancer owing to favourable endocrine and possible direct anti-tumour effects. Large phase III trials using depot formulations (to increase the feasibility) of somatostatin analogues are warranted to demonstrate the potential extra beneficial anti-tumour effects of such combination therapy

Gravitational radiation from gamma-ray bursts as observational opportunities for LIGO and VIRGO

Gamma-ray bursts are believed to originate in core-collapse of massive stars. This produces an active nucleus containing a rapidly rotating Kerr black hole surrounded by a uniformly magnetized torus represented by two counter-oriented current rings. We quantify black hole spin-interactions with the torus and charged particles along open magnetic flux-tubes subtended by the event horizon. A major output of Egw=4e53 erg is radiated in gravitational waves of frequency fgw=500 Hz by a quadrupole mass-moment in the torus. Consistent with GRB-SNe, we find (i) Ts=90s (tens of s, Kouveliotou et al. 1993), (ii) aspherical SNe of kinetic energy Esn=2e51 erg (2e51 erg in SN1998bw, Hoeflich et al. 1999) and (iii) GRB-energies Egamma=2e50 erg (3e50erg in Frail et al. 2001). GRB-SNe occur perhaps about once a year within D=100Mpc. Correlating LIGO/Virgo detectors enables searches for nearby events and their spectral closure density 6e-9 around 250Hz in the stochastic background radiation in gravitational waves. At current sensitivity, LIGO-Hanford may place an upper bound around 150MSolar in GRB030329. Detection of Egw thus provides a method for identifying Kerr black holes by calorimetry.Comment: to appear in PRD, 49