Revisiting the Conflicts between ‘Environmental Taxes vs Standard’ in the Context of International Trade: The Role of Waste Recycling

The present paper throws light on the famous “tax versus standard” debate in the sphere of environmental economics by using general equilibrium framework and tries to examine which of the two, i.e., tax or standard is the better way to deal with pollution. The present paper has done so in the presence of a waste recycling sector which is the unique feature of it and has shown the impact of tax and standard separately on different polluting and non-polluting sectors of the economy. The paper has developed a unique as well as an interesting result that in the presence of a waste recycling sector in the economy, both pollution tax and environmental standard have the same impact

Radiation therapy combined with intracerebral administration of carboplatin for the treatment of brain tumors

Background: In this study we determined if treatment combining radiation therapy (RT) with intracerebral (i.c.) administration of carboplatin to F98 glioma bearing rats could improve survival over that previously reported by us with a 15 Gy dose (5 Gy × 3) of 6 MV photons.Methods: First, in order to reduce tumor interstitial pressure, a biodistribution study was carried out to determine if pretreatment with dexamethasone alone or in combination with mannitol and furosemide (DMF) would increase carboplatin uptake following convection enhanced delivery (CED). Next, therapy studies were carried out in rats that had received carboplatin either by CED over 30 min (20 μg) or by Alzet pumps over 7 d (84 μg), followed by RT using a LINAC to deliver either 20 Gy (5 Gy × 4) or 15 Gy (7.5 Gy × 2) dose at 6 or 24 hrs after drug administration. Finally, a study was carried out to determine if efficacy could be improved by decreasing the time interval between drug administration and RT.Results: Tumor carboplatin values for D and DMF-treated rats were 9.4 ±4.4 and 12.4 ±3.2 μg/g, respectively, which were not significantly different (P = 0.14). The best survival data were obtained by combining pump delivery with 5 Gy × 4 of X-irradiation with a mean survival time (MST) of 107.7 d and a 43% cure rate vs. 83.6 d with CED vs. 30-35 d for RT alone and 24.6 d for untreated controls. Treatment-related mortality was observed when RT was initiated 6 h after CED of carboplatin and RT was started 7 d after tumor implantation. Dividing carboplatin into two 10 μg doses and RT into two 7.5 Gy fractions, administered 24 hrs later, yielded survival data (MST 82.1 d with a 25% cure rate) equivalent to that previously reported with 5 Gy × 3 and 20 μg of carboplatin.Conclusions: Although the best survival data were obtained by pump delivery, CED was highly effective in combination with 20 Gy, or as previously reported, 15 Gy, and the latter would be preferable since it would produce less late tissue effects.peer-reviewe

Revisiting the Conflicts between ‘Environmental Taxes vs Standard’ in the Context of International Trade: The Role of Waste Recycling

The present paper throws light on the famous “tax versus standard” debate in the sphere of environmental economics by using general equilibrium framework and tries to examine which of the two, i.e., tax or standard is the better way to deal with pollution. The present paper has done so in the presence of a waste recycling sector which is the unique feature of it and has shown the impact of tax and standard separately on different polluting and non-polluting sectors of the economy. The paper has developed a unique as well as an interesting result that in the presence of a waste recycling sector in the economy, both pollution tax and environmental standard have the same impact

Treating cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with highly irregular surfaces with photon irradiation using rice as tissue compensator.

PurposeCutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is known to have an excellent response to radiotherapy, an important treatment modality for this disease. In patients with extremity and digit involvement, the irregular surface and depth variations create difficulty in delivering a homogenous dose using electrons. We sought to evaluate photon irradiation with rice packing as tissue equivalence and determine clinical tolerance and response.Materials and methodsThree consecutive CTCL patients with extensive lower extremity involvement including the digits were treated using external beam photon therapy with rice packing for tissue compensation. The entire foot was treated to 30-40 Gy in 2-3 Gy per fraction using 6 MV photons prescribed to the mid-plane of an indexed box filled with rice in which the foot was placed. Treatment tolerance and response were monitored with clinical evaluation.ResultsAll patients tolerated the treatment without treatment breaks. Toxicities included grade 3 erythema and desquamation with resolution within 4 weeks. No late toxicities were observed. All patients had a partial response by 4 weeks after therapy with two patients achieving a complete response. Patients reported improved functionality after treatment. No local recurrence has been observed.ConclusionTissue compensation with rice packing offers a convenient, inexpensive, and reproducible method for the treatment of CTCL with highly irregular surfaces

Pulse Parameter Optimization for Ultra High Dose Rate Electron Beams

Purpose: The eFLASH Mobetron delivers UHDR doses at discrete combinations of pulse width (PW), pulse repetition frequency (PRF) and number of pulses (N), which dictate unique combinations of dose and dose rates. Currently, obtaining pulse parameters for the desired dose and dose rate is a cumbersome manual process involving creating, updating and looking up values in large spreadsheets for every collimator. The purpose of this work is to present a MATLAB based pulse parameter optimizer tool to match intended dose and dose rate more precisely and efficiently. Methods: A constrained optimization problem for the dose and dose rate cost function was modelled as a mixed integer problem in MATLAB. The beam and machine data required for the software were acquired using GafChromic film and Alternating Current Current Tranformers (ACCTs), including dose per pulse for every collimator, pulse widths measured using ACCT, and air gap factors. Results: Using N, PRF, PW and air gap factors as the parameters, the software was created to optimize for dose and dose rate. By largely automating this dose calculation part, we have greatly reduced safety concerns associated with manual look up and calculation of these parameters, especially when many subjects at different doses and dose rates are to be irradiated. Conclusion: A pulse parameter optimization tool was built in MATLAB for the eFLASH Mobetron to increase efficiency in the dose, dose rate and pulse parameter prescription proces

Dose prescription in boron neutron capture therapy

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to address some aspects of the many considerations that need to go into a dose prescription in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) for brain tumors; and to describe some methods to incorporate knowledge from animal studies and other experiments into the process of dose prescription. Materials and Methods: Previously, an algorithm to estimate the normal tissue tolerance to mixed high and low linear energy transfer (LET) radiations in BNCT was proposed. We have developed mathematical formulations and computational methods to represent this algorithm. Generalized models to fit the central axis dose rate components for an epithermal neutron field were also developed. These formulations and beam fitting models were programmed into spreadsheets to simulate two treatment techniques which are expected to be used in BNCT: a two-field bilateral scheme and a single-field treatment scheme. Parameters in these spreadsheets can be varied to represent the fractionation scheme used, the B-10 microdistribution in normal tissue, and the ratio of B-10 in tumor to normal tissue. Most of these factors have to be determined for a given neutron field and B-10 compound combination from large animal studies. The spreadsheets have been programmed to integrate all of the treatment-related information and calculate the location along the central axis where the normal tissue tolerance is exceeded first. This information is then used to compute the maximum treatment time allowable and the maximum tumor dose that may be delivered for a given BNCT treatment. Results and Conclusion: The effect of different treatment variables on the treatment time and tumor dose has been shown to be very significant. It has also been shown that the location of D-max shifts significantly, depending on some of the treatment variables-mainly the fractionation scheme used. These results further emphasize the fact that dose prescription in BNCT is very complicated and nonintuitive. The physician prescribing the dose would need to rely on some method, like the one developed here, to come up with an appropriate dose prescription

Treating cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with highly irregular surfaces with photon irradiation using rice as tissue compensator.

PurposeCutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is known to have an excellent response to radiotherapy, an important treatment modality for this disease. In patients with extremity and digit involvement, the irregular surface and depth variations create difficulty in delivering a homogenous dose using electrons. We sought to evaluate photon irradiation with rice packing as tissue equivalence and determine clinical tolerance and response.Materials and methodsThree consecutive CTCL patients with extensive lower extremity involvement including the digits were treated using external beam photon therapy with rice packing for tissue compensation. The entire foot was treated to 30-40 Gy in 2-3 Gy per fraction using 6 MV photons prescribed to the mid-plane of an indexed box filled with rice in which the foot was placed. Treatment tolerance and response were monitored with clinical evaluation.ResultsAll patients tolerated the treatment without treatment breaks. Toxicities included grade 3 erythema and desquamation with resolution within 4 weeks. No late toxicities were observed. All patients had a partial response by 4 weeks after therapy with two patients achieving a complete response. Patients reported improved functionality after treatment. No local recurrence has been observed.ConclusionTissue compensation with rice packing offers a convenient, inexpensive, and reproducible method for the treatment of CTCL with highly irregular surfaces

IDB induction of ERK activation, egr-1, and CD9 in CD34+ cells.

<p>(<b>A&B</b>) CD34+ cells were thawed and recovered overnight in serum-free medium supplemented with SCF (25 ng/ml). Cells were stimulated with TPO (40 ng/ml) with 25 nM IDB or vehicle. mRNA for CD9 and egr-1 were quantitated using SYBR green and real time PCR. The values shown in A and B represent the mean of 2–3 replicate determinations. (<b>C</b>) CD34+ cells were recovered overnight as described above. Cells were stimulated with TPO with or without IDB as indicated. Immunoblot analysis of phospho-ERK and total ERK then were performed on whole cell lysates. (<b>D</b>) CD34+ cells were cultured in serum-free media and TPO/SCF with or without 100 nM IDB+/− 10 µM of the MEK inhibitor U0126 for 3 days and then analyzed for CD9 expression by flow cytometry.</p

Systematic review and meta-analysis of prediction models used in cervical cancer

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in women with an incidence of around 6.5 % of all the cancer in women worldwide. Early detection and adequate treatment according to staging improve the patient's life expectancy. Outcome prediction models might aid treatment decisions, but a systematic review on prediction models for cervical cancer patients is not available. DESIGN: We performed a systematic review for prediction models in cervical cancer following PRISMA guidelines. Key features that were used for model training and validation, the endpoints were extracted from the article and data were analyzed. Selected articles were grouped based on prediction endpoints i.e. Group1: Overall survival, Group2: progression-free survival; Group3: recurrence or distant metastasis; Group4: treatment response; Group5: toxicity or quality of life. We developed a scoring system to evaluate the manuscript. As per our criteria, studies were divided into four groups based on scores obtained in our scoring system, the Most significant study (Score > 60 %); Significant study (60 % > Score > 50 %); Moderately Significant study (50 % > Score > 40 %); least significant study (score 0.7) in endpoint prediction. CONCLUSIONS: Prediction models of cervical cancer toxicity, local or distant recurrence and survival prediction show promising results with reasonable prediction accuracy [c-index/AUC/R 2 > 0.7]. These models should also be validated on external data and evaluated in prospective clinical studies