ScienceCache
Vol. 174
June 10, 2004
TOP QUARK MEASUREMENTS GIVE 'GOD PARTICLE' NEW LEASE ON LIFE
Rochester researchers have helped measure the elusive top quark with
unparalleled precision, and the surprising results affect everything
from the Higgs boson, nicknamed the "God particle," to the
makeup of the dark matter that comprises 90 percent of the universe.
The scientists developed a new method to analyze data from particle accelerator
collisions at Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory, which is far
more accurate than previous methods and has the potential to change the
dynamics of the Standard Model of particle physics. Details of the research
are in today's issue of the journal Nature. “This is a remarkable
achievement in the measurement of the top quark,” says Thomas Ferbel,
professor of physics and astronomy and a principal author of the paper. "The
improvement has caused quite a stir because it has changed the accepted
mass of the top quark in such a way that the Higgs boson is now in an
energy range we have yet to explore. It's as if we've been digging a
hole for the Higgs, and suddenly we realize we read the map wrong and
it’s really somewhere else." The findings indicate that the
Higgs boson – the particle that is theorized to give rise to mass
itself – apparently exists at higher energy levels than where scientists
have been searching. The information is critical to understanding how
the quantum world works, including answering one of science's great conundrums – what
gives mass, mass?
Full story
MANY CANCER PATIENTS TURN TO COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR HEALING
People with cancer believe that it takes more than modern medicine to
help them. A study of 750 patients found that most rely on prayer, relaxation
techniques, exercise, and sometimes herbs or mega-vitamins, to improve
their health. But fewer than half of them discuss using complementary
therapies with their doctors. The study raises many questions about complementary
therapies, why patients use them, and why they believe this type of therapy
may lead to a cure. It also presents a question for doctors to resolve
with their patients: Does taking herbal remedies or high doses of vitamins
impact the effectiveness of chemotherapy or radiation therapy? Doctors
say better communication with their patients might bring about some of
those answers. “We were a bit surprised by how many people were
using these techniques,” says Jennifer Yates, an exercise physiologist
at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center. “And we don’t really
know why they’re using them – to beat the cancer or to ease
the side effects of treatment. Those are questions we still have to ask.” The
study, presented this week at the American Society of Clinical Oncology
meeting in New Orleans, surveyed cancer patients after treatment about
the use of non-medical therapies for healing. The healing power of prayer
and relaxation were cited as the most common, with 85 percent of all
patients citing the use of prayer. One out of four patients reported
changing their diets or used mega-vitamins to improve their health.
Full story
RESEARCHERS SEEK CLUES TO HEALING RADIATION SCARS
Cancer patients who suffer from a progressive, deep scarring of tissue
following radiation treatment might benefit from a drug that’s
FDA-approved to treat vascular disease, according to a study published
in this month’s Journal of Clinical Oncology. Radiation fibrosis
is a chronic condition that occasionally develops months or years after
radiation to the neck, chest wall, breast, pelvis, or limbs. It causes
the tissue below the skin to tighten, resulting in poor range of motion,
swelling and weakness. It can be so painful that narcotics are required
to control it. Results of the small, open-label drug study at the James
P. Wilmot Cancer Center and National Cancer Institute showed that 85
percent of the patients experienced some improvement after taking the
drug pentoxifylline for eight weeks. “We are very encouraged,” says
lead author Paul Okunieff, professor and chair of radiation oncology. “Even
for patients who receive only partial relief of symptoms, this brings
a significant improvement in their quality of life. It can mean a change
in medication from narcotics to an anti-inflammatory, or improved strength
and range of motion, perhaps allowing them to drive a car again.”
Full story
|
