Novel radiation therapy method shortens prostate cancer treatment time

Feb. 1, 2013 ? According to a study in the January issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology, the use of volume-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) to deliver intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to prostate cancer patients results in an overall reduction in treatment time of approximately 14 percent. The study was performed at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University in Atlanta.

Treatment with IMRT is increasingly standard for prostate cancer. However, although the benefits of IMRT in the treatment of prostate cancer are ample, it remains a complex and time-consuming treatment modality that requires numerous gantry positions, a large number of monitor units and considerable daily treatment time commitments by patients.

"Given the time requirement by patients for daily prostate cancer treatment, we aimed to measure the true efficiency of VMAT treatment compared with IMRT using custom institutional software to record the actual in-room times," said William A. Hall, MD, author of the study.

Custom institutional software was used to mine the treatment times from the record-and-verify database. The in-room time (the time between patient entry and exit) was computed for each patient. Average room time was compared between VMAT patients and IMRT patients. Subgroup comparisons (1-arc or 2-arc VMAT, 5-field or 7-field IMRT, and electromagnetic transponder [Calypso] or gold-marker tracking) were performed.

Average room time was significantly shorter for all VMAT versus DMLC IMRT procedures. The average room time for all DMLC IMRT patients was found to be 14.69 ? 4.36 min, and the average room time for all VMAT patients was found to be 12.6 ? 2.62 min. Room time was longer for Calypso versus gold seed patients, but VMAT reduced treatment time in Calypso patients. This resulted in Calypso VMAT patients' having similar treatment times to non-Calypso DMLC IMRT patients.

"With an aging population and rapidly rising rates of prostate cancer, the ability to determine the most efficient modality by which patients with adenocarcinoma of the prostate should be treated is critical. It seems from our analysis that 5-field IMRT and VMAT are the most efficient modalities by which to deliver prostate IMRT," said Hall.

"Furthermore, our analysis shows that if more advanced methods of IMRT delivery are used, localization devices can be incorporated without any statistically significant differences in the overall treatment time. This may provide important information to prostate cancer practices looking to improve their efficiency while maximizing the quality of their radiation therapy delivery," said Hall.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American College of Radiology, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/EbQGPoQSXoI/130201114402.htm

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Analysis: Israel airstrike to complicate Syria crisis

By Ayman Mohyeldin, Correspondent, NBC News

News analysis

There may have been confusion about the target of the attack, but there is no doubt who was behind a deadly airstrike in Syria early on Wednesday.

The Syrian government said Israeli fighter jets struck a research facility northwest of the capital Damascus, killing two people.

The Pentagon said Israeli war planes struck a convoy that was transporting weapons to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

Israeli forces conducted an airstrike on a convoy on the Syrian-Lebanese border Wednesday. NBC's Richard Engel joins Brian Williams with his analysis.

Either way, the action and its consequences could widen and complicate the ongoing Syrian conflict on multiple fronts.

It also raises questions about Israel's vulnerabilities: What was so important of a target that compelled Israel to act? And what was Israel afraid would fall into the hands of Hezbollah?

In recent days, Iran's ambassador to Syria and a senior aide to Iran's supreme leader both reiterated that an attack on Syria would constitute an attack on Iran. The comment was originally intended to dissuade western countries, specifically NATO, from taking any kind of action against Syria by force like they did in Libya.

Officials in Tehran referred to Syria as part of the 'axis of resistance' to Israeli and Western aggression across the region. If Iran's words are to be taken seriously, the recent Israeli attack on Syria would be a triggering mechanism for an Iranian response.

Both Iran and Syria, according to the Associated Press, have said they will respond. How, and when, is unclear.

It is unlikely the embattled Syrian regime -- and by extension its beleaguered military -- could undertake a full-blown confrontation with Israel.

Instead, Syria may rely on its allies across the region, including Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, Iran and Hamas in Gaza. However, those allies may calculate that there is not much to gain from acting on behalf of the Syrian regime.

Hamas is an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, whose Syrian branch is engaged in the revolt against the Assad regime. It is unlikely Hamas will undertake any attack on Israel for the sake of a regime with which it is increasingly at ideological odds.

Hamas has even closed its Damascus headquarters since the uprising there began, focusing instead on its own struggle with Israel. More importantly, any unilateral action by Hamas would anger Cairo's domestically embattled Islamist government which has worked to maintain a fragile calm between Israel and Hamas.?

Hezbollah is much more willing to defend the Syrian regime. Hezbollah has come to the tactical and moral defense of the Assad regime in the past two years.

Police detonate a rocket-propelled grenade that struck a house in Turkey believed to have come from across the border in Syria. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

However in the past, Hezbollah has also explicitly stated its weapons are for the defense of Lebanon only. It has repeatedly stated that Hezbollah does not fight for anything except the right to resist Israel's occupation of Arab lands. More importantly, there would be substantial backlash against Hezbollah within Lebanon if the entire state was dragged into a costly war with Israel.

The third possible actor in this drama is Iran. With all of the pressure it faces over its nuclear program in the international arena, Iran is unlikely to take any overt action to retaliate for the Israeli airstrike on its ally, Syria. However, to complicate matters, Iran my ramp up its support for the Assad regime by providing financial and military assistance.

Instead, Hezbollah and Iran may opt for covert operations across the globe. Recent attacks on Israeli interests in Bulgaria and India -- allegedly linked to Iran and its proxies -- have raised the stakes for direct action by Israel.

Many players in the region are dismayed by Israel?s airstrike. Even Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, which has previously supported the rebels, has condemned the airstrike.

The Syria regime has begun to exploit this by painting Israel?s airstrike as evidence of an alliance between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar to protect Western hegemony across the region. The fact that those countries are providing money -- and, reportedly, weapons -- to rebels in Syria at the same time as Assad?s regime is being attacked by Israel is only reinforcing a perception there that Syria is the target of an international conspiracy.

That may slow down the public appetite for Assad's overthrow. It may also prove to be costliest consequence of Israel's attack.?

Related:

Israeli attack in Syria could trigger Iran reaction

Biden to meet abroad with key figures in Syrian conflict

Full coverage of Syria on nbcnews.com

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/01/16806224-analysis-israels-airstrike-likely-to-complicate-syria-crisis?lite

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SUPER BOWL WATCH: No ad surprises, Boldin wiser

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? Around the Super Bowl and its host city with journalists from The Associated Press bringing the flavor and details of everything surrounding the game:

___

SURPRISES? NOT REALLY

Don't be surprised if you're not surprised by the Super Bowl ads on Sunday.

The multimillion-dollar spots used to be closely guarded secrets. That's out the window. Thank Facebook, Twitter and other social networks. Today, the eyeballs advertisers covet are online.

Last year, Super Bowl ads released early had six times the views ? with 9.1 million average views ? than spots released after the game, according to YouTube.com, which hosts advertisers' commercials on its site.

In recent years, more advertisers have been making their spots public before the Big Game. This year, 26 of the 35 or so advertisers have released their spots, with more reveals expected, YouTube says.

? Mae Anderson ? http://twitter.com/maetron

___

ENDURING LOSSES

AP national sports columnist Tim Dahlberg writes about Colin Kaepernick's parents, Rick and Teresa, who lost two sons while young parents in their mid-20s before the future 49ers quarterback was born. Read the whole column here: http://bit.ly/VsFmEc

An excerpt:

Their new son was 5 weeks old when they first held him at the Lutheran Social Services office in Appleton, Wis. He was healthy, vibrant, and full of life.

On Sunday he'll be behind center, trying to win a Super Bowl for the San Francisco 49ers.

"He's ready to roll," Rick Kaepernick said this week from his hotel room in this party town. "He's pretty focused."

If the story of Colin Kaepernick's meteoric rise from obscurity to superstar in the making is a remarkable one, the story of his life bears some telling, too. Born to a teenager in Wisconsin a quarter century ago, the only memories he has of his early life are with the couple who adopted him.

He doesn't like to talk about it, and has declined chances to meet with his birth mother. For their part, the Kaepernicks particularly dislike it when people refer to their son as adopted.

Of course, they couldn't have imagined when they began the process that the offspring of a blonde, athletic mother and an African-American father who was out of the picture before he was born would be a star quarterback.

"At the end of the day he's just our son," Rick said.

? Tim Dahlberg ? http://twitter.com/timdahlberg

___

APE PICKS RAVENS

Too bad gambling's illegal in Utah: This ape's on a roll.

An orangutan at a Utah zoo has predicted the winning Super Bowl team each of the past five years. The ape, named Eli, is picking the Baltimore Ravens this time around.

Casinos in neighboring Nevada favor the San Francisco 49ers.

Eli made his pick by knocking down a papier mache goal post decorated with the Ravens logo. He ignored the 49ers post.

Hogle Zoo spokeswoman Erica Hansen said Eli has hesitated in years past, but charged toward the Ravens side this year. He then joined his mate and daughter in chowing down on the edible posts.

At least he's confident.

___

OLDER AND WISER

Sunday's Super Bowl has been five years in the making for Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Anquan Boldin.

Boldin was with Arizona when the Cardinals lost to Pittsburgh 27-23 in the 2009 Super Bowl, and he still feels the sting.

"Everything that I have done as far as working out, as far as preparing, has been to get back to this point and to win," Boldin said. "I think whenever you're in a situation like that and being a competitor, you don't want to lose. But I think when you do (lose) in a situation like that, it drives you. I mean, for me, it's been only about football and getting back and trying to win."

Now that he's back in the NFL championship, Boldin is drawing on his experiences from 2009.

The Super Bowl is unlike any other game, with a longer-than-normal halftime and long delays following warmups and the coin toss. Though football players are creatures of habit, Boldin said he and his teammates have to be prepared to adjust their normal routines.

"Everybody is used to going out and warming up at a certain time. Coming in the locker room, having a certain amount of time in the locker room before you go back out. Having a certain amount of time before the coin toss," Boldin said. "You can toss all that to the side, because it's completely different. (You can't) ... use too much energy or get too excited too early."

? Nancy Armour ? http://twitter.com/nrarmour

___

EDITOR'S NOTE ? "Super Bowl Watch" shows you the Super Bowl and the events surrounding the game through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across New Orleans and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/super-bowl-watch-no-ad-surprises-boldin-wiser-162003286--spt.html

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The 34 greatest, most absurdly interesting doors in gaming ...

JarkayColt - 5 hours, 10 minutes ago

That's true, allowing the world to succumb to evil is pretty bad. But hey, if that door was never opened, no one would ever have laid eyes upon the marvelous sight of the Master Sword resting in its majestic pedestal, and therefore also never have had the privilege of removing it; that timeless scene where Link grasps the blade and is overwhelmed by a strange power. Also, with no evil to destroy there is no epic adventure to be had, amirite?? So thanks, Link, for opening the Door of Time and plunging the world into darkness.

Source: http://www.gamesradar.com/greatest-doors-gaming/

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The Three R's of Nonprofit Marketing | Synaxis Drupal Websites

A cost-effective way of using technology to assist the nonprofit while employing business-to-business marketing strategies is to use open-source software. This has inherent challenges ranging from familiarity at the end-user level to technical support to compatibility issues. While these challenges persist it is unmistakable the level of functionality and practically open-source software provides while keeping the cost at a minimum. The key is utilizing the software that best meets the need effectively. A useful way to determine which open-source software to employ for any business, not just nonprofits, is to remember the three R?s; research, review and read. Using the three R?s can stop potential problems before they impact performance.

Research

It is critical to determine what solution you are looking for. Whether it?s SMTP protocol software or a campaign specific tool knowing what you need is half the battle. With this you can begin your efforts to find the perfect match. You should not exclusively look for open-source product upon the start of your research. This could steer you away from find the right software. Many times you can find a commercial product and then discover a comparable open-source that has similar features that otherwise overlooked. Try your best not to exclude potential fits or ideas. Some key elements to remember are compatibility, performance and support. You need to think about what impact or value the software will provide your marketing campaign. nonprofits do not have the luxury of making costly mistakes due to not researching needs and capabilities. ????

Review and Read

Don't get lazy and let other people handle the work for you. Just because you are a nonprofit does not mean you have it easier than a commercial business. You will have to work harder to make a nonprofit successful. This means doing your homework and finding the most effective solution that best serves your needs. Sometimes it is better to go with an older product that has fewer features than a newer one that has not been fleshed out. This is where reading available resources and taking the time to review the product can determine what the best software to use. So when looking into what open-source software, remember the R?s it is the difference between a success and failure. ?

Source: http://www.synaxisworks.com/blog/three-rs-nonprofit-marketing

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New study sheds light on link between dairy intake and bone health

Feb. 1, 2013 ? A study by researchers at the Institute for Aging Research (IFAR) at Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School (HMS), has found that dairy intake -- specifically milk and yogurt -- is associated with higher bone mineral density (BMD) in the hip, but not the spine. Cream, on the other hand, may be associated with lower BMD overall. Published February 1 in the journal Archives of Osteoporosis, these findings suggest that not all dairy products are equally beneficial in promoting bone strength.

"Dairy foods provide several important nutrients that are beneficial for bone health," says lead author Shivani Sahni, Ph.D., Musculoskeletal Research Team, IFAR. "However, cream and its products such as ice cream have lower levels of these nutrients and have higher levels of fat and sugar. In this study, 2.5 -- 3 servings of milk and yogurt intake per day were associated with better bone density. More research is needed to examine the role of cheese intake (some of which can be high in fat and sodium), and whether individual dairy foods have a significant impact in reducing fractures."

IFAR researchers based their findings on data collected from a food frequency questionnaire completed by 3,212 participants from the Framingham Offspring study. They then compared participants' dairy intake with BMD measurement, which revealed the benefits of milk and yogurt versus cream in largely middle-aged men and women. According to the study, nutrient composition varies among dairy foods. Choosing low-fat milk or yogurt over cream can increase intake of protein, calcium and vitamin D while limiting intake of saturated fats.

This study is an example of a growing area of research focused on the relationship between nutrition and bone health. Past studies suggest that dairy products contain more than one beneficial nutrient, and for this reason certain dairy products may contribute towards maintaining healthier bones.

Research like this supports the idea that proper nutrition can help combat osteoporosis and fractures. Osteoporosis is considered a major public health threat for an estimated 44 million Americans, or half of those aged 50 and older.

? An estimated 10 million in the U.S. already have the disease. Women are at higher risk than men.

? Another 34 million Americans have low bone density, putting them at increased risk for osteoporosis and fractures, especially of the hip, spine and wrist. About one-quarter of those who suffer a hip fracture die within a year of the injury.

? Osteoporosis-related fractures were responsible for an estimated $19 billion in health care costs in 2005, with that figure expected to increase to $25 billion by 2025.

Co-authors on the study include, Katherine L. Tucker, Ph.D.; Douglas P. Kiel, M.D., M.P.H.; Lien Quach, M.P.H, M.S.; Virginia A. Casey, Ph.D.; Marian T. Hannan, D.Sc., M.P.H.

This work was supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (AR # 053205 and also AR/AG41398) and by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study (N01-HC-25195), the Melvin First Young Investigator Award and General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition.

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Journal Reference:

1. Shivani Sahni, Katherine L. Tucker, Douglas P. Kiel, Lien Quach, Virginia A. Casey, Marian T. Hannan. Milk and yogurt consumption are linked with higher bone mineral density but not with hip fracture: the Framingham Offspring Study. Archives of Osteoporosis, 2013; 8 (1-2) DOI: 10.1007/s11657-013-0119-2

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/dAJpGOcggcg/130201132336.htm

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China: Fireworks Explosion On Highway Kills 26, Destroys Elevated Roadway

BEIJING ? A truckload of fireworks intended for Lunar New Year celebrations went off Friday in a massive, deadly explosion that destroyed part of an elevated highway in central China, sending vehicles plummeting 30 meters (about 100 feet) to the ground.

State TV broadcaster CCTV said eight people were confirmed dead and 11 injured, after seven vehicles were recovered from the wreckage. The death toll appeared likely to rise: The official Xinhua News Agency said the collapse smashed and buried at least 25 vehicles.

Earlier reports by China National Radio and some other outlets of 26 people killed were later removed from websites, without explanation.

An 80-meter (260-foot) stretch of a major east-west highway collapsed in Mianchi county in Henan province. It scattered blackened chunks of debris and shattered the windows of a nearby truck stop.

A truck driver interviewed on CCTV said he was only 20 meters (yards) away from the explosion.

"I heard a huge bang and immediately braked. I saw small fireballs falling down one by one," said the unidentified truck driver, whose truck windshield was smashed from the impact of the blast.

"I then heard the sounds of clanking and exploding for five to six minutes," the driver said. "My face was covered in dust."

Photos posted online by Xinhua showed a stretch of elevated highway gone, with one truck's back wheels perched at the edge of a shorn-off section of the highway. Other photos showed firefighters below spraying water on scorched hunks of concrete, wrecked trucks and flattened shipping containers.

There was no immediate word on the cause of the explosion. It occurred about 90 kilometers (55 miles) west of Luoyang, an ancient capital of China known for grottoes of Buddhist statues carved from limestone cliffs.

Fireworks are an enormously popular part of Chinese Lunar New Year festivities. To meet the demand, fireworks are made, shipped and stored in large quantities, sometimes in unsafe conditions.

A result is periodic catastrophe: In 2006, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, a storeroom of fireworks exploded at a temple fair in Henan, killing 36 people and injuring dozens more. In 2000, an unlicensed fireworks factory in southern China exploded, killing 33 people, including 13 primary and secondary school students working there.

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/01/china-fireworks-explosion_n_2595940.html

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