2056 Background: The only approved 2nd-line treatment for glioblastoma is Bevacizumab (Avastin), with estimated 6-month progression-free survival (PFS) rate of 42.6% and overall survival (OS) of 9.2 months. Laboratory data show Bortezomib (Velcade) is an effective agent in glioma models. We evaluated the combination of Avastin and Velcade in patients with recurrent GBM in a phase II, 2 center, open-label trial.Eligible patients were over 18 years of age, with WHO grade 4 glioma, Karnofsky score 70%. Bevacizumab was given 15 mg/kg IV every 3 weeks, and Bortezomib was given on days 1, 4, 8, 11, 22, 25, 29, and 32 of a 42 day cycle, at 1.7 mg/m2 for patients on non-enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs (EIAED) and 2.5 mg/m2 for patients on EIAED. Primary end points were 6-month PFS; secondary endpoints were toxicity, PFS, OS and radiographic response.There were a total of 61 patients enrolled, 32 patients on non-EIAEDs, and 29 patients on EIADs. Median age was 55.2. Six-month PFS was 40.6% for patients on non-EIAEDs, and 24.1% for patients on EIAEDs (p=0.17). Eleven patients are still alive; median OS was 9.1 months, with 8.8 months for non-EIAED patients, and 9.6 months for EIAED patients (p = 0.9). Of the patients on non-EIAEDs, best radiographic response included 11 patients (34.4%) with partial response, 13 with stable disease (40.6%), and 8 with progressive disease. Of patients on EIAEDs, 3 patients (10.3%) had a partial response, 18 (62.1%) with stable disease, and 6 with progression. On comparison of partial response rates between the 2 groups, p=0.03 was obtained. Most frequent grade 3 non-hematologic toxicities included fatigue (15.9%), sensory neuropathy (10.2%), diarrhea (9%), and thrombosis (8%). There were 2 episodes of grade 4 hyponatremia and 1 episode of epistaxis from a nasal septal ulcer. 14 patients eventually had to be taken off of Velcade and continued Avastin alone, due to sensory neuropathy.Bevacizumab and Bortezomib appear to be an effective treatment for recurrent malignant gliomas with a moderate toxicity profile. However, this phase II clinical study suggests that the combination is not superior to single-agent Bevacizumab and that the response may be blunted in the presence of EIAEDs.

Representing the electrodynamics of relativistically drifting particle ensembles in discrete, co-propagating Galilean coordinates enables the derivation of a Particle-In-Cell algorithm that is intrinsically free of the numerical Cherenkov instability for plasmas flowing at a uniform velocity. Application of the method is shown by modeling plasma accelerators in a Lorentz-transformed optimal frame of reference.

Unlabelled

Radiographs and spinal bone mineral density (BMD) were evaluated from 342 elderly men regarding possible effects of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) on vertebral fractures and densitometry measurements. Prevalent vertebral fractures were more frequent among men with DISH compared to men with no DISH even after fracture prevalence was adjusted for BMD. Paravertebral calcifications should be considered in patients with DISH when interpreting BMD measurements because both dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and quantitative CT (QCT) densitometry may not be reliable.

Introduction

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of DISH in older men and its association with vertebral fractures and with BMD determined by DXA and QCT.

Methods

Lateral radiographs of the spine were analyzed in a sample of 342 men aged ≥ 65 years participating in the MrOS Study concerning the presence and grade of DISH and vertebral fractures. Lumbar BMD was measured by both DXA (areal, grams per square centimeter) and QCT (volumetric, grams per cubic centimeter). The association between DISH, BMD, and presence of fractures was studied using χ ( 2 ) and t tests.

Results

DISH was present in 52% (178/342) of the men. Men with DISH were older (mean, 75.1 vs 73.3, p < 0.05) and more likely to have prevalent fractures (28% vs 20%, p < p = 0.09). BMD assessed with DXA (1.08 vs 1.00 g/cm(2), p ≤ 0.0001), but not with QCT (0.11 vs 0.11 g/cm3, p = 0.65), was significantly higher in men with DISH compared to men without DISH. Significantly lower BMD of men with both DISH and fractures compared to men with DISH but without fractures was only detected by QCT (-25%, 0.09 vs 0.12, p < 0.05). Both DXA BMD and QCT BMD were significantly higher in severe lumbar DISH (+22% and +31%, p < 0.0001), respectively.

Conclusion

DISH was associated with a higher prevalence of vertebral fractures in elderly men. Lumbar ossifications related to DISH should be considered when interpreting BMD measurements to predict their fracture risk.

The last few years have been witness to a proliferation of new results concerning heavy exotic hadrons. Experimentally, many new signals have been discovered that could be pointing towards the existence of tetraquarks, pentaquarks, and other exotic configurations of quarks and gluons. Theoretically, advances in lattice field theory techniques place us at the cusp of understanding complex coupled-channel phenomena, modelling grows more sophisticated, and effective field theories are being applied to an ever greater range of situations. It is thus an opportune time to evaluate the status of the field. In the following, a series of high priority experimental and theoretical issues concerning heavy exotic hadrons is presented.

A golden age for heavy-quarkonium physics dawned a decade ago, initiated by the confluence of exciting advances in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and an explosion of related experimental activity. The early years of this period were chronicled in the Quarkonium Working Group (QWG) CERN Yellow Report (YR) in 2004, which presented a comprehensive review of the status of the field at that time and provided specific recommendations for further progress. However, the broad spectrum of subsequent breakthroughs, surprises, and continuing puzzles could only be partially anticipated. Since the release of the YR, the BESII program concluded only to give birth to BESIII; the B-factories and CLEO-c flourished; quarkonium production and polarization measurements at HERA and the Tevatron matured; and heavy-ion collisions at RHIC have opened a window on the deconfinement regime. All these experiments leave legacies of quality, precision, and unsolved mysteries for quarkonium physics, and therefore beg for continuing investigations at BESIII, the LHC, RHIC, FAIR, the Super Flavor and/or Tau-Charm factories, JLab, the ILC, and beyond. The list of newly found conventional states expanded to include hc(1P), χc2(2P), B+c, and ηb(1S). In addition, the unexpected and still-fascinating X(3872) has been joined by more than a dozen other charmonium- and bottomonium-like "XYZ" states that appear to lie outside the quark model. Many of these still need experimental confirmation. The plethora of new states unleashed a flood of theoretical investigations into new forms of matter such as quark-gluon hybrids, mesonic molecules, and tetraquarks. Measurements of the spectroscopy, decays, production, and in-medium behavior of cā, bē, and bā bound states have been shown to validate some theoretical approaches to QCD and highlight lack of quantitative success for others. Lattice QCD has grown from a tool with computational possibilities to an industrial-strength effort now dependent more on insight and innovation than pure computational power. New effective field theories for the description of quarkonium in different regimes have been developed and brought to a high degree of sophistication, thus enabling precise and solid theoretical predictions. Many expected decays and transitions have either been measured with precision or for the first time, but the confusing patterns of decays, both above and below open-flavor thresholds, endure and have deepened. The intriguing details of quarkonium suppression in heavy-ion collisions that have emerged from RHIC have elevated the importance of separating hot- and coldnuclear- matter effects in quark-gluon plasma studies. This review systematically addresses all these matters and concludes by prioritizing directions for ongoing and future efforts. © Springer-Verlag / Società Italiana di Fisica 2011.

We analyze the three-body charmless decay B±→K±K± K using a sample of 226.0±2.5 million BB̄ pairs collected by the BABAR detector. We measure the total branching fraction and CP asymmetry to be B=(35.2±0.9±1.6)×10-6 and ACP=(-1.7±2.6±1.5)%. We fit the Dalitz plot distribution using an isobar model and measure the magnitudes and phases of the decay coefficients. We find no evidence of CP violation for the individual components of the isobar model. The decay dynamics is dominated by the K+K- S-wave, for which we perform a partial-wave analysis in the region m(K+K-)<2GeV/c2. Significant production of the f0(980) resonance, and of a spin zero state near 1.55GeV/c2 are required in the isobar model description of the data. The partial-wave analysis supports this observation. © 2006 The American Physical Society.

Measurement of time-dependent conjugation (C) and parity (P) asymmetries and the CP-odd fraction in the decay B0→D*+D *- was discussed. It was found that this measurement of R⊥ supersedesthe BABAR results with a factor of 3 reduction in statistical uncertainty. Results also showed that B0→D*+D*- is mostly CP even.