Carotid Dose Spring in Definitive Irradiation of T1N0 Squamous Cell Laryngeal Carcinoma Using Helical Tomotherapy

Purpose/Objective(s): To implement a carotid dose sparing protocol using helical Tomotherapy in T1N0 squamous cell laryngeal carcinoma.Materials/Methods: Between July and August 2010, 7 men with stage T1N0 laryngeal carcinoma were included in this study. Age ranged from 47 - 74 years. Staging included endoscopic examination, CT-scan and MRI when indicated. Planned irradiation dose was 70 Gy in 35 fractions over 7 weeks. A simple treatment planning algorithm for carotid sparing was used: maximum point dose to the carotids 35 Gy, to the spinal cord 30 Gy, and 100% PTV volume to be covered with 95% of the prescribed dose. Carotid volume of interest extended to 1 cm above and below of the PTV. Doses to the carotid arteries, to the critical organs, and to the planned target volume (PTV) with our standard laryngeal irradiation protocol was compared. Daily megavoltage scans were obtained before each fraction. When necessary, the Planned Adaptive software (TomoTherapy Inc., Madison, WI) was used to evaluatethe need for a re-planning, which has never been indicated. Dose data were extracted using the VelocityAI software (Atlanta, GA), and data normalization and dose-volume histogram (DVH) interpolation were realized using the Igor Pro software (Portland, OR).Results:A significant (p\0.05) carotid dose sparing compared to our standard protocol with an average maximum point dose of 38.3 Gy (standard deviation [SD] 4.05 Gy), average mean dose of 18.59 Gy (SD 0.83 Gy) was achieved. In all patients, 95% of the carotid volume received less than 28.4 Gy (SD 0.98 Gy). The average maximum point dose to the spinal cord was 25.8 Gy (SD 3.24 Gy). PTV was fully covered with more than 95% of the prescribed dose for all patients with an average maximum point dose of 74.1 Gy and the absolute maximum dose in a single patient of 75.2 Gy. To date, the clinical outcomes have been excellent. Three patients (42%) developed stage 1 mucositis that was conservatively managed, and all the patients presented a mild to moderate dysphonia. All adverse effects resolved spontaneously in the month following the end of treatment. Early local control rate is 100% considering a 4 - 5 months post treatment follow-up.Conclusions: Helical Tomotherapy allows a clinically significant decrease of carotid irradiation dose compared to standard irradiation protocols with an acceptable spinal cord dose tradeoff. Moreover, this technique allows the PTV to be homogenously covered with a curative irradiation dose. Daily control imaging brings added security margins especially when working with high dose gradients. Further investigations and follow-up are underway to better evaluate the late clinical outcomes especially the local control rate, late laryngeal and vascular toxicity, and expected potential impact on cerebrovascular events.

Carotid sparing in definitive irradiation of T1N0 squamous cell larnyx cancer using helical tomotherapy

Objective: To implement a carotid sparing protocol using helical Tomotherapy(HT) in T1N0 squamous-cell laryngeal carcinoma.Materials/Methods: Between July and August 2010, 7 men with stage T1N0 laryngeal carcinoma were included in this study. Age ranged from 47-74 years. Staging included endoscopic examination, CT-scan and MRI when indicated.Planned irradiation dose was 70 Gy in 35 fractions over 7 weeks. A simple treatment planning algorithm for carotidsparing was used: maximum point dose to the carotids 35 Gy, to the spinal cord 30 Gy, and 100% PTV volume to becovered with 95% of the prescribed dose. Carotid volume of interest extended to 1 cm above and below of the PTV.Doses to the carotid arteries, critical organs, and planned target volume (PTV) with our standard laryngealirradiation protocol was compared. Daily megavoltage scans were obtained before each fraction. When necessary, thePlanned Adaptive? software (TomoTherapy Inc., Madison, WI) was used to evaluate the need for a re-planning,which has never been indicated. Dose data were extracted using the VelocityAI software (Atlanta, GA), and datanormalization and dosevolume histogram (DVH) interpolation were realized using the Igor Pro software (Portland,OR).Results: A significant (p < 0.05) carotid dose sparing compared to our standard protocol with an average maximum point dose of 38.3 Gy (standard devaition [SD] 4.05 Gy), average mean dose of 18.59 Gy (SD 0.83 Gy) was achieved.In all patients, 95% of the carotid volume received less than 28.4 Gy (SD 0.98 Gy). The average maximum point doseto the spinal cord was 25.8 Gy (SD 3.24 Gy). PTV was fully covered with more than 95% of the prescribed dose forall patients with an average maximum point dose of 74.1 Gy and the absolute maximum dose in a single patient of75.2 Gy. To date, the clinical outcomes have been excellent. Three patients (42%) developed stage 1 mucositis that was conservatively managed, and all the patients presented a mild to moderate dysphonia. All adverse effectsresolved spontaneously in the month following the end of treatment. Early local control rate is 100% considering a 4-5months post treatment follow-up.Conclusions: HT allows a clinically significant decrease of carotid irradiation dose compared tostandard irradiation protocols with an acceptable spinal cord dose tradeoff. Moreover, this technique allows the PTV to be homogenously covered with a curative irradiation dose. Daily control imaging brings added security marginsespecially when working with high dose gradients. Further investigations and follow-up are underway to better evaluatethe late clinical outcomes especially the local control rate, late laryngeal and vascular toxicity, and expected potentialimpact on cerebrovascular events.

Henkilökohtaiset suhteet teollisessa markkinoinnissa

Teollisessa markkinoinnissa myyjän suhde asiakkaaseen on erilainen kuin kuluttajamarkkinoinnissa. Asiakasyritys ja sen tarpeet täytyy ottaa tietoisemmin huomioon ja usein ostopäätökseen vaikuttavat aikaisemmat kokemukset tietystä kauppakumppanista. Myyntiä ja ostamista ei tapahdu ilman suhteita. Suhteisiin perustuva vaihdanta eroaa lyhyen kantaman transaktioluonteisesta vaihdannasta: kumppanit sitoutuvat ja luottavat toisiinsa vahvemmin, haluavat tavoitella päämääriään yhdessä ja ystävystyvät keskenään. Henkilökohtaisen sidosten muodostumista voidaan kiihdyttää ja suhdetta ylläpitää erilaisten toimintojen keinoin. Henkilökohtaisilla suhteilla on monenlaisia vaikutuksia, sekä positiivia että negatiivisia - useimmiten ne kuitenkin koetaan hyödyllisinä. Suhteet vaikuttavat muun muassa luottamukseen, vastavuoroisuuteen ja yksilöiden käyttäytymiseen. Nämä vaikutukset ja suhteiden merkitykset vaihtelevat eri maissa sekä kulttuureissa. Aina ei kuitenkaan voida luottaa henkilösuhteiden voimaan, vaan joskus on syytä keskittyä prosessien, tuotosten ja korkean laadun kehittämiseen.

Global surveillance of cancer survival 1995-2009 : analysis of individual data for 25 676 887 patients from 279 population-based registries in 67 countries (CONCORD-2)

BACKGROUND: Worldwide data for cancer survival are scarce. We aimed to initiate worldwide surveillance of cancer survival by central analysis of population-based registry data, as a metric of the effectiveness of health systems, and to inform global policy on cancer control. METHODS: Individual tumour records were submitted by 279 population-based cancer registries in 67 countries for 25·7 million adults (age 15-99 years) and 75 000 children (age 0-14 years) diagnosed with cancer during 1995-2009 and followed up to Dec 31, 2009, or later. We looked at cancers of the stomach, colon, rectum, liver, lung, breast (women), cervix, ovary, and prostate in adults, and adult and childhood leukaemia. Standardised quality control procedures were applied; errors were corrected by the registry concerned. We estimated 5-year net survival, adjusted for background mortality in every country or region by age (single year), sex, and calendar year, and by race or ethnic origin in some countries. Estimates were age-standardised with the International Cancer Survival Standard weights. FINDINGS: 5-year survival from colon, rectal, and breast cancers has increased steadily in most developed countries. For patients diagnosed during 2005-09, survival for colon and rectal cancer reached 60% or more in 22 countries around the world; for breast cancer, 5-year survival rose to 85% or higher in 17 countries worldwide. Liver and lung cancer remain lethal in all nations: for both cancers, 5-year survival is below 20% everywhere in Europe, in the range 15-19% in North America, and as low as 7-9% in Mongolia and Thailand. Striking rises in 5-year survival from prostate cancer have occurred in many countries: survival rose by 10-20% between 1995-99 and 2005-09 in 22 countries in South America, Asia, and Europe, but survival still varies widely around the world, from less than 60% in Bulgaria and Thailand to 95% or more in Brazil, Puerto Rico, and the USA. For cervical cancer, national estimates of 5-year survival range from less than 50% to more than 70%; regional variations are much wider, and improvements between 1995-99 and 2005-09 have generally been slight. For women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2005-09, 5-year survival was 40% or higher only in Ecuador, the USA, and 17 countries in Asia and Europe. 5-year survival for stomach cancer in 2005-09 was high (54-58%) in Japan and South Korea, compared with less than 40% in other countries. By contrast, 5-year survival from adult leukaemia in Japan and South Korea (18-23%) is lower than in most other countries. 5-year survival from childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is less than 60% in several countries, but as high as 90% in Canada and four European countries, which suggests major deficiencies in the management of a largely curable disease. INTERPRETATION: International comparison of survival trends reveals very wide differences that are likely to be attributable to differences in access to early diagnosis and optimum treatment. Continuous worldwide surveillance of cancer survival should become an indispensable source of information for cancer patients and researchers and a stimulus for politicians to improve health policy and health-care systems. FUNDING: Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (Toronto, Canada), Cancer Focus Northern Ireland (Belfast, UK), Cancer Institute New South Wales (Sydney, Australia), Cancer Research UK (London, UK), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, GA, USA), Swiss Re (London, UK), Swiss Cancer Research foundation (Bern, Switzerland), Swiss Cancer League (Bern, Switzerland), and University of Kentucky (Lexington, KY, USA).

Luottamus alueellisessa yhteistyössä. Case: Etelä-Karjala

Tutkimuksen päätavoitteena on kyselytutkimuksen avulla selvittää, ovatko Etelä-Karjalan alueella 1990-luvun lopulla ja sen jälkeen toteutetut elinkeinostrategiat auttaneet alueen eri toimijoiden välisen luottamuksen synnyttämisessä ja vahvistamisessa sekä, mikä on luottamuksen nykytila. Keskeisinä alatavoitteina tutkimuksessa on selvittää, ovatko jotkin toimijat vahingoittaneet toimijoiden välistä luottamusta ja millä tavalla sekä selvittää millaisia ongelmia ja esteitä Etelä-Karjalassa on edelleen alueen eri toimijoiden välisen luottamuksen ja yhteistyön rakentumisessa. Tutkimuksessa hyödynnetään toiminta-analyyttista tutkimusotetta. Teoriaosassa tarkastellaan luottamusta, yhteistyötä, kumppanuutta, verkostoitumista sekä alueellista yhteistyötä. Empiirisessä osassa tarkastellaan Etelä-Karjalassa toteutettuja elinkeinostrategioita ja kyselytutkimuksen tuloksia. Tutkimustulokset osoittavat, että Etelä-Karjalassa 1990-luvun lopulla ja sen jälkeen toteutetut elinkeinostrategiat ovat synnyttäneet luottamusta alueen eri toimijoiden välille, luottamustaso on korkeampi kuin ennen ja sitä voidaan pitää melko korkeana.

A Adolescente Grávida: Alguns Indicadores Sociais

Objetivos: conhecer o número e tipo de partos, categoria de internação, ocupação e diagnósticos obstétricos entre adolescentes de 12 a 19 anos no município de Ribeirão Preto, SP, no período de janeiro de 1992 a dezembro de 1996. Métodos: foram analisadas as informações relacionadas à internação, obtidas das folhas de altas hospitalares, no Centro de Processamento de Dados Hospitalares (CPDH). Para processar as informações, foram utilizados o Sistema Epi-Info 6.04a-processador de texto, banco de dados e estatística para epidemiologia, produzido pelo Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, GA, USA) e o Dbase IV. A associação entre as variáveis foi testada pelo chi² com nível de significância de 5%. Os parâmetros analisados foram: tipo e número de partos, categoria de internação, ocupação e diagnósticos obstétricos. Resultados: no período estudado ocorreram 42.969 partos, dentre os quais 7.134 (16,6%) corresponderam aos partos de adolescentes. No decorrer dos anos, houve aumento no número de partos nesta faixa etária, passando de 1.225 partos em 1992 para 1.538 em 1996. Foram relatados partos a partir dos 12 anos, havendo elevação gradual deste número, principalmente depois dos 14 anos, quando houve crescimento de 104,2% para os partos nesta idade, 48,8% aos 15 anos, 36,1% aos 16 anos, 14,0% aos 17 anos, 52,8% aos 18 anos e, praticamente, não houve aumento entre aquelas com 19 anos de idade. Na categoria de internação do sistema único de saúde (SUS) foi registrado o maior número de partos (5.709); na categoria pré-pagamento ocorreram 1.277 partos e na categoria particular registraram-se 148 partos. Com relação à ocupação, 14,1% das pacientes pertenciam à população economicamente ativa e 85,8% estavam fora da população economicamente ativa. A porcentagem de partos normais foi de 59,2%, de partos fórcipe foi 5,6% e cesariana foi de 35,2%. Os diagnósticos obstétricos mais freqüentes foram: problemas do feto ou placenta que afetam a conduta materna (7,9%), desproporção feto-pélvica (6,0%), problemas com cavidade amniótica e membranas (5,0%), hipertensão complicando o parto e puerpério (3,5%) e trabalho de parto prematuro ou falso (3,4%). Conclusão: a maioria dos partos foi normal, ocorrendo com mais freqüência no final da adolescência, principalmente entre aquelas pertencentes à categoria de internação SUS. Houve predomínio de adolescentes não inseridas na população economicamente ativa. Por ocasião da resolução da gestação foram diagnosticadas algumas complicações obstétricas.

Indicadores sociais de grávidas adolescentes: estudo caso-controle

OBJETIVO: verificar diferenças entre alguns indicadores sociais de uma população de gestantes adolescentes (12 a 19 anos) e de adultas, procedentes de e que tiveram parto em Ribeirão Preto-SP, entre janeiro de 1992 e dezembro de 1996. MÉTODOS: foram analisadas informações relacionadas à internação, obtidas das folhas de alta hospitalar no Centro de Processamento de Dados Hospitalares do Departamento de Medicina Social, FMRP-USP. Os parâmetros analisados foram: tipo e número de partos, categoria de internação, ocupação e diagnósticos obstétricos. Para processar as informações, foram utilizados o Sistema Epi-Info processador de texto 6.04a, banco de dados e estatística para epidemiologia, produzido pelos Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, GA, USA), e o Dbase IV. A associação entre variáveis foi testada pelo chi² com nível de significância de 5%, usando o software GraphPad Prism versão 2.0, 1995. RESULTADOS: ocorreram 43.253 partos no período, sendo 7.134 (16,5%) de adolescentes e 36.119 (83,5%) de adultas. Observou-se aumento de 25,5% no número de partos nas adolescentes no decorrer dos anos. A proporção de partos de adolescentes aumentou significativamente na categoria SUS no período. A proporção de internações de adolescentes pelo SUS foi significativamente superior à de adultas. Apenas 14,1% das adolescentes tinham inserção na população economicamente ativa, comparado com 34,8% das adultas. Apenas 6,8% das adolescentes eram estudantes, ao passo que 79,0% eram "do lar" ou sem ocupação remunerada. Houve aumento da proporção de parto vaginal entre adolescentes quando comparadas às mulheres adultas, enquanto a proporção de cesáreas permaneceu estável e maior entre as adultas. O trabalho de parto prematuro ou falso foi significativamente mais freqüente entre as adolescentes. CONCLUSÕES: observamos aumento do número de partos entre adolescentes, sendo a maioria normal. Tanto a proporção de partos pelo SUS quanto a proporção de partos vaginais foi maior entre a população de adolescentes. Houve predomínio de adolescentes com atividades no lar e sem remuneração. Assim, recomendamos medidas para prevenção de gestação na adolescência, com ênfase à população mais carente.

Envelope sent to Mr. Welland D. Woodruff at Thomas Cooks and Sons, Columbo, Indiana

Envelope postmarked Indo-Ceylon, special flight X’mas 1936, Bombay, Jan. 1937 and Thomas Cook and Son, Jan. 2, 1937. The letter is addressed to Mr. Welland D. Woodruff at Thomas Cook and Son, Columbo, India. This is crossed out and sent on to Royal Trust Co. 3 St. James St., London, England. This is crossed out and finally sent to the Mayfair Hotel, London, England, 1936-1937.

Time diversity decorrelator (TDD); a near-far resistant detector for asynchronous CDMA system

Greater attention has been focused on the use of CDMA for future cellular mobile communications. CA near-far resistant detector for asynchronous code-division multiple-access (CDMA) systems operating in additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels is presented. The multiuser interference caused by K users transmitting simultaneously, each with a specific signature sequence, is completely removed at the receiver. The complexity of this detector grows only linearly with the number of users, as compared to the optimum multiuser detector which requires exponential complexity in the number of users. A modified algorithm based on time diversity is described. It performs detection on a bit-by-bit basis and overcomes the complexity of using a sequence detector. The performance of this detector is shown to be superior to that of the conventional receiver.