Differential amplitude discriminator with digital/analog control

A differential amplitude discriminator is described that can operate both with a constant threshold of discrimination (registration of the number of pulses over sequential time intervals), and in the amplitude analysis mode, when discrimination levels change automatically by the chosen value ΔU. This circuit can be applied when locking the output signals to the time of arrival of the input pulses is not required. © 1996 MAHK Hayka/Interperiodica Publishing

Longitudinal changes of blood parameters and weight in inoperable stage III NSCLC patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by maintenance treatment with durvalumab

Background Investigating dynamic changes in blood-parameters and weight in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving durvalumab maintenance therapy after chemoradiotherapy (cCRT). Laboratory outcomes were determined based on the number of durvalumab administrations received. Methods Twenty-two patients completed platinum-based cCRT followed by maintenance treatment with durvalumab. Different parameters such as hemoglobin (Hb), leukocytes, Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein (CRP), body weight and albumin were analyzed before cCRT, after cCRT, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after starting durvalumab maintenance. Results Sixteen (72.7%) patients were male; twelve (54.5%) and fifteen (68.2%) patients had non-squamous histology and Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) stage IIIB-C disease, respectively. Median follow-up time was 24.4 months; 12- and 18-months- progression-free and overall-survival rates were 55.0% and 45.0 as well as 90.2 and 85.0%, respectively. During maintenance treatment Hb increased by 1.93 mg/dl (17.53%) after 9 months ( p < 0.001) and 2.02 mg/dl (18.46%) after 12 months compared to the start of durvalumab ( p < 0.001). LDH decreased by 29.86 U/l (− 11.74%) after 3 months ( p = 0.022). Receipt of at least 12 cycles of durvalumab was beneficial in terms of Hb-recovery (Hb 6 months: 12.64 vs. 10.86 [mg/dl]; Hb 9 months: 13.33 vs 11.74 [mg/dl]; ( p = 0.03)). Median weight change [kilogram (kg)] was + 6.06% (range: − 8.89 − + 18.75%) after 12 months. The number of durvalumab cycles significantly correlated with total weight gain [kg] (Spearman-Rho-correlation: r = 0.502*). Conclusion In the investigated cohort, no severe hematologic toxicity occurred by laboratory blood tests within 1 year of durvalumab maintenance therapy after cCRT for unresectable stage III NSCLC. Receiving at least 12 cycles of durvalumab appears to have a significant effect on recovery of hemoglobin levels and body weight

The effect of radiofrequency modulation of 57Fe hyperfine interaction by rotating magnetic field

The effect of 57Fe hyperfine interaction radiofrequency (rf) modulation by external rotating magnetic field was studied in thin Permalloy foil by means of Mössbauer spectroscopy. The rf effect was investigated as a function of intensity for several rf field frequencies. The experiments show that the external rotating rf field causes considerable changes in the hyperfine pattern. The obtained spectra are in disagreement with those obtained by Perlow [Phys. Rev. 172 (1968) 319]. They also are inconsistent with magnetostriction hypothesis. Proceeding from the Mössbauer spectrum analysis one may conclude that the magnetization of investigated foil changes its direction in a complex manner. However, the undertaken experiments show that the essential number of Mössbauer nuclei experience the rotating magnetic field influence

The effect of a radio-frequency magnetic field on resonant absorption saturation in FeBO3

We experimentally study the influence of a radio-frequency magnetic field on the resonant absorption of gamma radiation in samples with high density of resonant nuclei. An increase of the integrated area of absorption spectra and a change in the relative intensity of hyperfine lines can be explained by the excitation of magnetostriction vibrations in the sample, resulting in reduction of the saturation effect of resonant absorption. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media B.V

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Local Treatment in Oligometastatic Disease

Background: In certain malignancies, patients with oligometastatic disease benefit from radical ablative or surgical treatment. The SABR-COMET trial demonstrated a survival benefit for oligometastatic patients randomized to local stereotactic ablative radiation (SABR) compared to patients receiving standard care (SC) alone. Our aim was to determine the cost-effectiveness of SABR. Materials and Methods: A decision model based on partitioned survival simulations estimated costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALY) associated with both strategies in a United States setting from a health care perspective. Analyses were performed over the trial duration of six years as well as a long-term horizon of 16 years. Model input parameters were based on the SABR-COMET trial data as well as best available and most recent data provided in the published literature. An annual discount of 3% for costs was implemented in the analysis. All costs were adjusted to 2019 US Dollars according to the United States Consumer Price Index. SABR costs were reported with an average of $11,700 per treatment. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. Incremental costs, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) were calculated. The willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold was set to$100,000/QALY. Results: Based on increased overall and progression-free survival, the SABR group showed 0.78 incremental QALYs over the trial duration and 1.34 incremental QALYs over the long-term analysis. Treatment with SABR led to a marginal increase in costs compared to SC alone (SABR: $304,656; SC:$303,523 for 6 years; ICER $1,446/QALY and SABR:$402,888; SC: $350,708 for long-term analysis; ICER$38,874/QALY). Therapy with SABR remained cost-effective until treatment costs of $88,969 over the trial duration (i.e. 7.6 times the average cost). Sensitivity analysis identified a strong model impact for ongoing annual costs of oligo- and polymetastatic disease states. Conclusion: Our analysis suggests that local treatment with SABR adds QALYs for patients with certain oligometastatic cancers and represents an intermediate- and long-term cost-effective treatment strategy

Hypofractionated radiotherapy for prostate cancer

In the last few years, hypofractionated external beam radiotherapy has gained increasing popularity for prostate cancer treatment, since sufficient evidence exists that prostate cancer has a low alpha/beta ratio, lower than the one of the surrounding organs at risk and thus there is a potential therapeutic benefit of using larger fractionated single doses. Apart from the therapeutic rationale there are advantages such as saving treatment time and medical resources and thereby improving patient's convenience. While older trials showed unsatisfactory results in both standard and hypofractionated arm due to insufficient radiation doses and non-standard contouring of target volumes, contemporary randomized studies have reported on encouraging results of tumor control mostly without an increase of relevant side effects, especially late toxicity. Aim of this review is to give a detailed analysis of relevant, recently published clinical trials with special focus on rationale for hypofractionation and different therapy settings

Differential amplitude discriminator with digital/analog control

A differential amplitude discriminator is described that can operate both with a constant threshold of discrimination (registration of the number of pulses over sequential time intervals), and in the amplitude analysis mode, when discrimination levels change automatically by the chosen value ΔU. This circuit can be applied when locking the output signals to the time of arrival of the input pulses is not required. © 1996 MAHK Hayka/Interperiodica Publishing