Sustainability, innovation, and efficiency:A key relationship

Sustainability has become the emerging goal for countries, companies, and people. Sustainability usually refers to the need to develop models necessary for both human beings and our planet to survive. However, sustainability is not a short-term problem; it is above all a long-term issue, posing intergenerational equity problems. Moreover, sustainability needs efficiency. The efficient use of energy, natural, material, and informational resources is vital for sustainability and sustainable development, which should be the major goal of every country, as established in Rio in 1992, and reaffirmed at Rio+ 20 in 2012. But any strategy aiming at sustainability and efficient use of resources must focus on innovation and technological progress. Consequently, innovation is fundamental to making sustainability possible and improving efficiency. Yet, innovation for sustainability must be environmentally friendly (e.g., green technologies). The principle behind such a strategy is better instead of more. This paper aims at highlighting the key relationship among sustainability, innovation, and efficiency. First, it examines the concept of sustainability, looking at the neoclassical literature on sustainability and its relationship with innovation. Then, it analyzes different theoretical approaches and discusses the policy issues for sustainability where innovation, natural capital, human capital, population, and institutions are fundamental factors

The effects of pentachlorophenol on the electrical conductivity of lipid bilayer membranes

The effects of pentachlorophenol (PCP), a widely used pesticide, on the electrical characteristics of lipid bilayer membranes has been studied. When a small amount of PCP (even at a concentration of a few micromoles per liter) is present in the electrolytic solution surrounding the membrane, the electrical conductivity of the membrane significantly increases. The present work was concerned with detailed measurements of the changes in the conductivity caused by PCP under chemically controlled conditions. The experimental results were analyzed to determine the permanent species in the membrane, and an attempt was made to correlate the data with existing models of transport

Quality assurance of PASADENA hyperpolarization for ^(13)C biomolecules

Object Define MR quality assurance procedures for maximal PASADENA hyperpolarization of a biological ^(13)C molecular imaging reagent. Materials and methods An automated PASADENA polarizer and a parahydrogen generator were installed. ^(13)C enriched hydroxyethyl acrylate, 1^(-13)C, 2,3,3-d_3 (HEA), was converted to hyperpolarized hydroxyethyl propionate, 1^(-13)C, 2,3,3-d_3 (HEP) and fumaric acid, 1^(-13)C, 2,3-d_2 (FUM) to hyperpolarized succinic acid, 1^(-13)C, 2,3-d_2 (SUC), by reaction with parahydrogen and norbornadiene rhodium catalyst. Incremental optimization of successive steps in PASADENA was implemented. MR spectra and in vivo images of hyperpolarized ^(13)C imaging agents were acquired at 1.5 and 4.7 T. Results Application of quality assurance (QA) criteria resulted in incremental optimization of the individual steps in PASADENA implementation. Optimal hyperpolarization of HEP of P = 20% was achieved by calibration of the NMR unit of the polarizer (B_0 field strength ± 0.002 mT). Mean hyperpolarization of SUC, P = [15.3 ± 1.9]% (N = 16) in D _2O, and P = [12.8 ± 3.1]% (N = 12) in H_2O, was achieved every 5–8 min (range 13–20%). An in vivo ^(13)C succinate image of a rat was produced. Conclusion PASADENA spin hyperpolarization of SUC to 15.3% in average was demonstrated (37,400 fold signal enhancement at 4.7 T). The biological fate of 13C succinate, a normally occurring cellular intermediate, might be monitored with enhanced sensitivity

Fast volumetric spatial-spectral MR imaging of hyperpolarized ^(13)C-labeled compounds using multiple echo 3D bSSFP

Purpose: The goal of this work was to develop a fast 3D chemical shift imaging technique for the noninvasive measurement of hyperpolarized ^(13)C-labeled substrates and metabolic products at low concentration. Materials and Methods: Multiple echo 3D balanced steady state magnetic resonance imaging (ME-3DbSSFP) was performed in vitro on a syringe containing hyperpolarized [1,3,3-2H3; 1-^(13)C]2-hydroxyethylpropionate (HEP) adjacent to a ^(13)C-enriched acetate phantom, and in vivo on a rat before and after intravenous injection of hyperpolarized HEP at 1.5 T. Chemical shift images of the hyperpolarized HEP were derived from the multiple echo data by Fourier transformation along the echoes on a voxel by voxel basis for each slice of the 3D data set. Results: ME-3DbSSFP imaging was able to provide chemical shift images of hyperpolarized HEP in vitro, and in a rat with isotropic 7-mm spatial resolution, 93 Hz spectral resolution and 16-s temporal resolution for a period greater than 45 s. Conclusion: Multiple echo 3D bSSFP imaging can provide chemical shift images of hyperpolarized ^(13)C-labeled compounds in vivo with relatively high spatial resolution and moderate spectral resolution. The increased signal-to-noise ratio of this 3D technique will enable the detection of hyperpolarized ^(13)C-labeled metabolites at lower concentrations as compared to a 2D technique

Treatment of early non-small cell lung cancer, stage IA, by image-guided robotic stereotactic radioablation--CyberKnife

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy of using image-guided robotic stereotactic radioablation as an alternative treatment modality for patients with surgically resectable, but medically inoperable, T1 N0 M0, stage IA non-small cell lung cancer.METHODSBetween January 2004 and May 2006, 19 patients, 11 women and 8 men ranging in age from 52 to 88 years, with stage IA non-small cell lung cancer were treated. Tumor volume ranged from 1.7 to 13 mL. Total doses ranged from 24 to 60 Gy delivered in 3 fractions. Eleven patients received 60 Gy. Real-time target localization was accomplished by radiographic detection of fiducial marker(s) implanted within the tumor combined with respiratory motion tracking.RESULTSAll patients tolerated radioablation well with fatigue as the main side effect. Fourteen patients are alive from 1 to 25 months posttreatment. Four patients died: 2 of comorbid disease and 2 of cancer progression (status post 60 and 55.5 Gy). Three patients developed grade I radiation pneumonitis. Two patients have stable disease. In 3 patients, cancer recurred in the planning treatment volume: in 2 patients after treatment with 60 Gy and in 1 patient after treatment with 55.5 Gy. One patient had local control in the target volume but developed metastasis to the ipsilateral hilum. Nine patients had a complete response and show no evidence of disease.CONCLUSIONSIn our early experience, stereotactic radioablation using the CyberKnife system appears to be a safe, minimally invasive, and effective modality for treating early stage lung cancer in patients with medically inoperable disease. Dose escalation and/or increasing the treatment volumes, with the aid of the high conformality of this technique, may help to achieve further improvements in these promising results