Potential and current distribution on the surface of a hydrogen gas diffusion anode

The current and potential distribution for a hydrogen gas-diffusion disc electrode with a relatively high ohmic resistance are investigated. A theoretical model for these distributions is presented. Potential differences between the edge of the electrode and points on the electrode surface have been measured for a hydrogen gas-diffusion electrode loaded with various total currents. From the results it is concluded that the proposed model is very useful to obtain the potential and the current density distribution along a hydrogen-gas diffusion disc electrode. Moreover, the allowable size of cylindrical holes in a perforated plate placed against the rear of the gas diffusion electrode for its current supply, can be calculated to achieve a reasonably uniform current distribution along the gas-diffusion electrode

Thyroidal and Extrathyroidal Requirements for Iodine and Selenium:A Combined Evolutionary and (Patho)Physiological Approach

Iodide is an antioxidant, oxidant and thyroid hormone constituent. Selenoproteins are needed for triiodothyronine synthesis, its deactivation and iodine release. They also protect thyroidal and extrathyroidal tissues from hydrogen peroxide used in the ‘peroxidase partner system’. This system produces thyroid hormone and reactive iodine in exocrine glands to kill microbes. Exocrine glands recycle iodine and with high urinary clearance require constant dietary supply, unlike the thyroid. Disbalanced iodine-selenium explains relations between thyroid autoimmune disease (TAD) and cancer of thyroid and exocrine organs, notably stomach, breast, and prostate. Seafood is iodine unconstrained, but selenium constrained. Terrestrial food contains little iodine while selenium ranges from highly deficient to highly toxic. Iodine vs. TAD is U-shaped, but only low selenium relates to TAD. Oxidative stress from low selenium, and infection from disbalanced iodine-selenium, may generate cancer of thyroid and exocrine glands. Traditional Japanese diet resembles our ancient seashore-based diet and relates to aforementioned diseases. Adequate iodine might be in the milligram range but is toxic at low selenium. Optimal selenoprotein-P at 105 µg selenium/day agrees with Japanese intakes. Selenium upper limit may remain at 300–400 µg/day. Seafood combines iodine, selenium and other critical nutrients. It brings us back to the seashore diet that made us what we currently still are

Self-assembled monolayers on gold for the fabrication of radioactive stents

An innovative and easily applicable method for the fabrication of radioactive stents, to be used for the treatment of restenosis, is presented. By incorporating the b-emitting radioisotopes 186Re, 188Re, 90Y, or 32P into sulfur-containing adsorbates, it becomes possible to cover a gold surface with a radioactive self-assembled monolayer (SAM). Two methods have been investigated. In the first, SAMs consisting of potentially radioactive rhenium-, yttrium-, and phosphorus-containing adsorbates have been assembled on 2D gold substrates, after which they have been studied by wettability measurements, electrochemistry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The stability of these SAMs under simulated physiological conditions (phosphate buffered saline, PBS solution) for periods up to two months has been demonstrated. Alternatively, potentially radioactive monolayers have been prepared by exposure of SAMs of mono-, bi-, and tridentate ligands to a solution containing a radiometal (rhenium) in order to bind the metal to the monolayer. The polydentate ligands exhibit excellent binding capacity, leading to SAMs containing over 10±10 mol/cm2 of the radiometal, which is more than sufficient to make this system viable for the delivery of therapeutical dosages of radiation

The evolution of precision oncology:The ongoing impact of the Drug Rediscovery Protocol (DRUP)

Background and purpose: The Drug Rediscovery Protocol (DRUP) is a Dutch, pan-cancer, nonrandomized clinical trial that aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of targeted and immunotherapies outside their registered indication in patients with advanced or metastatic cancer. Patients: Patients with advanced or metastatic cancer are eligible when there are no standard of care treatment options left and the tumor possesses a molecular genomic variant for which commercially available anticancer treatment is accessible off-label in DRUP. Clinical benefit is the study’s primary endpoint, characterized by a confirmed objective response or stable disease after at least 16 weeks of treatment. Results: More than 2,500 patients have undergone evaluation, of which over 1,500 have started treatment in DRUP. The overall clinical benefit rate (CBR) remains 33%. The nivolumab cohort for patients with microsatellite instable metastatic tumors proved highly successful with a CBR of 63%, while palbociclib or ribociclib in patients with tumors harboring CDK4/6 pathway alterations showed limited efficacy, with a CBR of 15%. The formation of two European initiatives (PCM4EU and PRIME-ROSE) strives to accelerate implementation and enhance data collection to broaden equitable access to anticancer treatments and gather more evidence. Conclusion: DRUP persists in improving patients access to off-label targeted or immunotherapy in the Netherlands and beyond. The expansion of DRUP-like clinical trials across Europe provides countless opportunities for broadening the horizon of precision oncology.</p

Variability of cost trajectories over the last year of life in patients with advanced breast cancer in the Netherlands

Objective In breast cancer patients, treatment at the end of life accounts for a major share of medical spending. However, little is known about the variability of cost trajectories between patients. This study aims to identify underlying latent groups of advanced breast cancer patients with similar cost trajectories over the last year before death. Methods Data from deceased advanced breast cancer patients, diagnosed between 2010 and 2017, were retrieved from the Southeast Netherlands Advanced Breast Cancer (SONABRE) Registry. Costs of hospital care over the last twelve months before death were analyzed, and the variability of longitudinal patterns between patients were explored using group-based trajectory modeling. Descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression were applied to investigate differences between the identified latent groups. Results We included 558 patients. Over the last twelve months before death, mean hospital costs were €2,255 (SD = €492) per month. Costs increased over the last five months and reached a maximum of €3,614 in the last month of life, driven by hospital admissions, while spending for medication declined over the last three months of life. Based on patients’ individual cost trajectories, we identified six latent groups with distinct longitudinal patterns, of which only two showed a marked increase in costs over the last twelve months before death. Latent groups were constituted of heterogeneous patients, and clinical characteristics explained membership only to a limited extent. Conclusions The average costs of advanced breast cancer patients increased towards the end of life. However, we uncovered several latent groups of patients with divergent cost trajectories, which did not reflect the overall increasing trend. The mechanisms underlying the variability in cost trajectories warrants further research