Proton Accelerators for Radiation Therapy

Author(s):  
А. Черняев ◽  
A. Chernyaev ◽  
Г. Кленов ◽  
G. Klenov2 ◽  
Андрей Бушманов ◽  
...  

Purpose: To make an analysis (including statistical data) of accelerator equipment for proton therapy (PT) in Russia and the world; to identify the main trends and directions of development in this area. Material and methods: Currently, proton therapy is developing rapidly in the world. Every year new proton centers are built. The number of commercial companies and research institutes, that are included in this high-tech sector, grows every year. Physicists and doctors together actively develop and introduce new ideas and technologies that are able to increase the efficiency and quality of proton therapy and also make it less costly. This review is an analysis of both publications in refereed publications, and reports made at relevant conferences and seminars. In addition, the data presented in the review are based on the information from the companies-manufacturers of equipment for proton therapy, which is open or provided for non-commercial use, with an indication of the sources. Results: In recent years, the main trends in the development of accelerators for proton therapy are: reducing the size and weight of machines, using of active pencil scanning as a standard method of dose delivering, reducing the time spent by patients in treatment rooms, using modulated radiation intensity in proton therapy. There is a transition from the construction of multi-cabin PT centers with an annual number of patients about 1000 people (due to their high cost and need to have an infrastructure for such big number of patients), to the creation of small-sized single-cabin complexes with an annual flow of several hundred people. Conclusion: Despite proton therapy has a good promotion and popularization activities, it is still an inaccessible method for most cancer patients with the exception of the United States, Japan and Europe. The lack of PT centers, the price per course of treatment, the lack of specialists in this area, and the attitude of most clinicians to PT as an experimental method of treatment is acute. In Russia, proton therapy does not receive enough support, despite the enormous potential and extensive experience that has been used for half a century of using PT. The last open proton center is private, and the only local manufacturer of equipment for PT exists only thanks to foreign contracts. Nevertheless, research and development continues. Moreover, the development is equal to the level of leading countries.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Folabi Ariganjoye ◽  

The prevalence of prediabetes and diabetes in the United States and around the world has increased faster than expected in the last 30 years. The economic burden this costs a nation can be astronomic both in terms of expense and loss in productivity. One-third of U.S. adults, 86 million people, have prediabetes. Effective management is needed that can reach these 86 million, and others at high risk, to reduce their progression to diagnosed Type 2 diabetes. After the literature review, there was not enough literature to support how these led to the progression to diabetes. The abundant literature is centered on how to prevent complications and improve the quality of life of those living with type 2 diabetes. This paper will focus on the longitudinal association between these social determinants and how they may predispose to the progression to Type 2 diabetes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 536-546
Author(s):  
Marina S. Reshetnikova

The rapid acceleration of scientific and technological progress, which started at the beginning of the 21st century, has become a decisive factor in influencing the global economy. Who will lead the global innovation race? This problem is especially relevant in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). At the moment, the United States and China are the main participants in the battle for dominance in this area. The author assesses Chinas innovative potential in the field of AI and identifies its achievements in this area. Based on the statistics provided, Chinas AI leadership has reached a critical point. China is confidently leading the new fundamental research of artificial intelligence, forming its theoretical base and applied research and development, which will contribute to the creation of new high-tech innovative products and services. However, in terms of the number and quality of AI specialists (AI Talents) and the number of companies engaged in AI, China is still lagging behind its main rival, namely the United States. The author proved that, despite the obvious successes of China, the United States still has an equal lead in the global innovation race.


Author(s):  
Jingli Chen ◽  
Xin Li ◽  
Yifan Jia ◽  
Zhongyuan Xia ◽  
Jishi Ye

In the past 16 years, research on mitophagy has increasingly expanded to a wider range of subjects. Therefore, comprehensively analyzing the relevant progress and development trends on mitophagy research requires specific methods. To assess the hotspots, directions, and quality of results in this field worldwide, we used multiple tools to examine research progress and growing trends in research on the matter during the last 16 years (from 2005 to 2020). We also compared the quantity and quality of the literature records on mitophagy published by research institutions in China and other developed countries, reviewed China’s contribution, and examined the gap between China and these developed countries. According to the results of our bibliometric analysis, the United States and its research institutes published the most papers. We identified cell biology as the most commonly researched subject on mitophagy and AUTOPHAGY as the most popular journal for research on mitophagy. We also listed the most cited documents from around the world and China. With gradually increased funding, China is progressively becoming prominent in the field of mitophagy; nevertheless, the gap between her and major countries in the world must be closed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael F Knoll ◽  
Carmela A Knoll ◽  
Rita Bottino ◽  
Massimo Trucco ◽  
Suzanne Bertera ◽  
...  

Clinical islet transplantation was first realized over four decades ago at the University of Minnesota. Autologous islet transplantation is now widely recognized as a treatment to prevent diabetes in patients after pancreas excision and is offered at major transplant centers throughout the United States and the world. Type 1 diabetes represents a much larger demographic in which islet transplantation may benefit patients. Allogeneic islet transplantation can now offer similar outcomes to pancreas transplantation in a subset of patients with labile type 1 diabetes with less risk than whole organ transplantation. It is recognized as a standard of care in nations around the world but not in the United States, despite the important developmental role US scientists and physicians have played. Early reports of islet transplantation focused on insulin independence that proved to diminish over time. However, regardless of insulin status, islet transplantation provides benefits ranging from improved quality of life to reduction in diabetic complications. A National Institutes of Health sponsored multi-center Phase 3 Clinical Trial (CIT-07) demonstrated safety and efficacy, although the Food and Drug Administration chose to consider islets as a biologic that requires licensure, which makes offering the procedure in the clinic very challenging. Until regulations can be brought into communion with international standards, allogeneic islet transplantation in the United States is unlikely to match international levels of success and once promising programs are left to wither on the vine. Food and Drug Administration approval would open the door for third party medical reimbursement and allow many patients the opportunity to enjoy better health and quality of life. Establishment of clinical islet transplantation for type 1 diabetes would lead to optimizations in procedures making it more efficacious and cost effective while offering support for ongoing islet xenotransplantation studies that could bring islet transplantation to even more patients.


Stroke ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahshid Abir ◽  
Barbara G Vickrey ◽  
Paul Koegel ◽  
Joseph P Broderick ◽  
Robert Suter ◽  
...  

This study’s purpose is to characterize the range of TC programs for stroke survivors in a national sample of healthcare facilities in the U.S., as an initial step toward ultimately associating those characteristics with TC program outcomes. Hospitals in the following networks were invited to complete an electronic survey: The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke’s Neurological Emergencies Treatment Trials network and StrokeNet, the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines hospitals, and the Michigan Health & Hospital Association. The survey inquired whether the facilities have stroke TC programs, program description, number of patients seen annually, facility type, and healthcare context. Out of 82 respondents, 65 hospitals reported a TC program, and 17 did not have such programs. Respondents include facilities from all five U.S. geographic regions. The 42 facilities that reported the annual number of patients served, served between 48.0-1974.0 patients (median 426.0, inter-quantile range 245.0-840.0). Of the facilities that reported hospital type, 23 (57.5%) are academic, 7 (17.5%) are academic affiliates, and 10 (25%) are community. Of the 25 facilities that reported the healthcare setting in which the TC program is delivered, 12 (48%) are delivered in a fee-for-service, 6 (24%) in integrated delivery system, 3 (12%) in traditional primary care, and 1 (4%) in a patient-centered medical home. TC program components reported (in descending order of frequency) include: Support services, call-backs, transitional planning, inpatient physical rehabilitation, care coordination, neurology follow up, telemedicine, home visits, anytime access. Of the 61 facilities that provided information regarding the TC program components 33 (51%) have one, 15 (23%) have two, 8 (12%) have three, and 5 (8%) have four components. This survey found substantial heterogeneity in TC programs. A standardized definition of TC program components is not available, hence the necessary first step in studying comparative effectiveness of TC programs is building a taxonomy of TC program components. This will enable analysis of the most effective TC programs, and ultimately guide improving the TC experience and outcomes for stroke survivors.


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 667-669
Author(s):  
Martha Kropf

We have kept our republic through a variety of localized disasters and various problem elections. The research presented here highlights the field of “Election Science and Administration” (ESA). Research in our field maximize our probability of continuing to keep our republic—even in the face of a pandemic which is a national—and international challenge. As the United States and the world deal with the specter of a pandemic election, the growth of the scholarly field designed to advocate for transparency in data collection and to improve the quality of elections is more important than ever.


1993 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Dush

The hospice movement grew in part as a reaction to the perception that modern medical care had become too technological at the expense of being impersonal and insensitive to human psychological and spiritual concerns. In the United States, the institutionalization of hospice care under Medicare and other reimbursement systems has further established hospice as an alternative to high-technology, high-cost care. The present paper examines the question: What if hospice care becomes itself high-technology, aggressive, costly health care in order to remain true to its goal of maximizing quality of life? Implications for the goals and philosophical underpinnings of palliative care are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Hurtado ◽  
Aníbal García-Sempere ◽  
Salvador Peiró ◽  
Gabriel Sanfélix-Gimeno

Background: The opioid epidemic has been extensively documented in the United States and Canada, but fewer data are available for Europe.Aim: To describe the trends in opioid use—volume of prescriptions, dosage and number of patients treated—in a Spanish population with more than 4.2 million inhabitants aged 18 years and older.Patients and Methods: Population-based cross-sectional analysis of opioid prescription in adults (≥18 years) from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2018 in the region of Valencia, Spain. Outcomes were estimated on an annual basis: number of prescriptions, prescription rate per 100 inhabitants, dosage per capita (morphine mg equivalents, MME/c) and volume of patients treated (overall and by drug).Results: Over the study period, 2,107,756 unique patients were prescribed more than 35 million total treatments. The yearly number of treatments doubled, and total MME/c showed almost a threefold increase. Fentanyl MME/c more than tripled, accounting for 34.4% of the total MME/c in 2018. Oxycodone MME/c showed a 10-fold increase, while tapentadol, launched in 2011, showed the highest growth rates. The annual number of patients receiving at least one opioid prescription more than doubled, from 335,379 in 2010 to 722,838 in 2018.Conclusions: Even if proportions still seem far from epidemic, urgent research is warranted on the observed patterns of use, their appropriateness and their association with health and safety outcomes, especially for high-use and high-strength drugs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 05 (03) ◽  
pp. 289-315
Author(s):  
Sanja Arežina

The beginning of the 21st century witnessed remarkable changes in the distribution of global power. The lack of strategic vision by the United States has resulted in a power crisis, which in turn accelerates the trends of new multipolarity with several power centers in the world. Since President Trump took office in January 2017, the United States has been challenging the established norms of international relations on many fronts and, in particular, shifting its policy toward China to one that trumpets geopolitical rivalry amid their economic interdependence. The ever increasing anxiety of the United States has undermined multilateralism and globalization, generating profound consequences and impacts on major-power relations around the world. In the future, Washington and Beijing must seek common goals that can bring them together to resolve disagreements and set boundaries for potential conflicts. The U.S. leadership should always keep in mind that China is an important partner; and if the two powers fail to cooperate, there will be devastating implications for the whole world. In the meantime, Washington and Beijing need to be aware that an acute conflict of any kind between two high-tech countries may substantially change the world for all.


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