A Comparison of Soviet and US Industrial Performance: 1928-90

This paper contains estimates of comparative labour productivity levels in manufacturing for the Soviet Union and the USA. Value added was converted to a common currency by using an expenditure based unit value ratio (or purchasing power parity). Time series for value added and labour inputs were used to estimate relative Soviet/US productivity levels back to 1928. The main findings are that in 1987, Soviet value added per person employed was 24.8 per cent of American levels. Value added per hour was 26.3 per cent of the USA. Combining US and Soviet time series for output and employment together with the results of the detailed comparison of labour productivity for 1987, brought me to the conclusion that over the period 1928-89 Soviet labour productivity inproved very little relative to the US. The results of this study are partly based on Soviet datasets that were formerly not available to researchers.

A Comparison of Soviet and US Industrial Performance:1928-90

This paper contains estimates of comparative labour productivity levels in manufacturing for the Soviet Union and the USA. Value added was converted to a common currency by using an expenditure based unit value ratio (or purchasing power parity). Time series for value added and labour inputs were used to estimate relative Soviet/US productivity levels back to 1928. The main findings are that in 1987, Soviet value added per person employed was 24.8 per cent of American levels. Value added per hour was 26.3 per cent of the USA. Combining US and Soviet time series for output and employment together with the results of the detailed comparison of labour productivity for 1987, brought me to the conclusion that over the period 1928-89 Soviet labour productivity inproved very little relative to the US. The results of this study are partly based on Soviet datasets that were formerly not available to researchers

Study protocol of a phase IB/II clinical trial of metformin and chloroquine in patients with IDH1-mutated or IDH2-mutated solid tumours

Introduction High-grade chondrosarcoma, high-grade glioma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma are aggressive types of cancer with a dismal outcome. This is due to the lack of effective treatment options, emphasising the need for novel therapies. Mutations in the genes IDH1 and IDH2 (isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2) occur in 60% of chondrosarcoma, 80% of WHO grade II-IV glioma and 20% of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. IDH1/2-mutated cancer cells produce the oncometabolite D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D-2HG) and are metabolically vulnerable to treatment with the oral antidiabetic metformin and the oral antimalarial drug chloroquine. Methods and analysis We describe a dose-finding phase Ib/II clinical trial, in which patients with IDH1/2-mutated chondrosarcoma, glioma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma are treated with a combination of metformin and chloroquine. Dose escalation is performed according to a 3+3 dose-escalation scheme. The primary objective is to determine the maximum tolerated dose to establish the recommended dose for a phase II clinical trial. Secondary objectives of the study include (1) determination of pharmacokinetics and toxic effects of the study therapy, for which metformin and chloroquine serum levels will be determined over time; (2) investigation of tumour responses to metformin plus chloroquine in IDH1/2-mutated cancers using CT/MRI scans; and (3) whether tumour responses can be measured by non-invasive D-2HG measurements (mass spectrometry and magnetic resonance spectroscopy) of tumour tissue, serum, urine, and/or bile or next-generation sequencing of circulating tumour DNA (liquid biopsies). This study may open a novel treatment avenue for IDH1/2-mutated high-grade chondrosarcoma, glioma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma by repurposing the combination of two inexpensive drugs that are already approved for other indications. Ethics and dissemination This study has been approved by the medical-ethical review committee of the Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The report will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journa