[en] In this paper, we show how nature oriented forestry measures in a typical temperate forest type in combination with bioenergy systems could lead to continuous and permanent removal of CO₂ from the atmosphere. We employ a forest growth model suited for modeling uneven-aged mixed temperate stands and analyze the interaction with biomass energy systems that allow for CO₂ removal and long-term sequestration in geological formations. On global scales this technological option to convert the global energy system from a CO₂ emitter to a CO₂ remover has been overlooked by both the science and policy communities. Removal of the major Greenhouse Gas (GHG) CO₂ from the atmosphere is possible using biomass energy to produce both carbon neutral energy carriers (e.g., electricity and hydrogen) and, at the same time, offer a permanent CO₂ sink by capturing carbon at the conversion facility and permanently storing it in geological formations. This technological option resolves the issues of permanence and saturation of biological sinks while at the same time this option respects the multiple benefits of sustaining diverse, healthy, and resilient forests. Our results indicate that a typical temperate forest in combination with capturing and long-term storage can permanently remove and on a continuous basis about 2.5 t C yr^-1 ha^-1 on a sustainable basis respecting the ecological integrity of the ecosystem

[en] This article presents official statistics on the Siberian forests, encompassing the Asian part of Russia, from the Urals to the Pacific. The concerns relating to the deterioration of the forest resources in all regions of Siberia are addressed. Emphasis is given to the need to develop sustainable utilization policies. 31 refs, 2 figs, 12 tabs

[en] During high dose-rate brachytherapy boost in 20 patients the use of a prostate-water-rectal-displacement-kit contributed to an increase in the distance between the prostate and the rectum, however, the prostate was not totally immobilized by the needles, implying the necessity for an very careful on-line dose-planning dosimetry

[en] The bone-seeking, alpha-particle emitting radiopharmaceutical Alpharadin, 223RaCl2 (t1/2 = 11.4 days) is under clinical development as a novel treatment for skeletal metastases from breast and prostate cancer. This paper summarizes the current status of preclinical and clinical research on 223RaCl2. Potential advantages of 223Ra to that of external beam irradiation or registered beta-emitting bone-seekers are discussed. Published data of 223Ra dosimetry in mice and a therapeutic study in a skeletal metastases model in nude rats have indicated significant therapeutic potential of bone-seeking alpha-emitters. This paper provides short-term and long-term results from the first clinical single dosage trial. We present data from a repeated dosage study of five consecutive injections of 50 kBq/kg bodyweight, once every third week, or two injections of 125 kBq/kg bodyweight, six weeks apart. Furthermore, preliminary results are given for a randomized phase II trial involving 64 patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer and painful skeletal metastases who received four monthly injections of 223Ra or saline as an adjuvant to external beam radiotherapy. Also presented are preliminary dose estimates for 223Ra in humans. Results indicate that repeated dosing is feasible and that opportunities are available for combined treatment strategies

[en] Purpose: To compare the differences in prostate volume assessed by computerized tomography (CT), step-section transrectal ultrasound (TRUS-step), and TRUS with ellipsoid-formula volume calculation (TRUS-ellipsoid). Methods and materials: Thirty-one patients with localized prostate cancer treated with combined external conformal radiotherapy and high dose rate brachytherapy, who had prostate volumes evaluated using CT, TRUS-step and TRUS-ellipsoid according to our clinical routine for dose planning. The measurements were collected retrospectively based on actual dose-plans. Results: The prostate volume was on average 34 cc (range 18-60 cc) according to CT, 28 cc (range 12-57 cc) and 24 cc (range 13-44 cc) according to TRUS-step and TRUS-ellipsoid, respectively. The differences between the lengths measured were most pronounced with a mean length of 4.5 cm (range 3.0-6.0 cm) defined by CT as compared to 3.6 cm (range 3.0-5.0 cm) and 3.6 cm (range 2.8-5.0 cm) when defined by TRUS-step and TRUS-ellipsoid, respectively. Conclusion: CT defined volumes are 30% larger than volumes defined with TRUS-step. This is probably due to uncertainty in defining the apex of the prostate and thereby the length of the prostate using CT. When defining target in radiotherapy, it is important to be aware of the differences in volumes depending on the technique used

[en] An attempt is made to synthesize the current understanding of the impact of Russian forests on the global carbon (C) budget for the period 1961-1998 (37 years), based on a detailed inventory of pools and fluxes in 1988-1992, and a historical reconstruction of a full forest carbon budget for 1961-1998. All major intermediate indicators of the budget (phytomass, net primary production, impact of disturbances, soil respiration, etc.) were independently estimated and compared with earlier reported results. During the entire period, the C pools of Russian forest land (FL, 882.0 106 ha in 1998) increased by 433 Tg C/yr, of which 153 Tg C/yr are accumulated in live biomass, 57 Tg C/yr in above- and below-ground dead wood, and 223 Tg C/yr are sequestered in soil. A significant part of this increase deals with land-cover changes. The annual average C uptake by the FL from the atmosphere, defined by a flux-based method, is estimated to be 322 Tg C/yr for 1961-1998. The lateral transport to the lithosphere and hydrosphere comprised 47 Tg C/yr (including charcoal), which is considered part of the 'missing C sink.' The uncertainties (excluding unrecognized biases) of averages for the entire period are estimated to be in the range of ±5-8% and ±24% for major fluxes out/into the atmosphere and for net ecosystem exchange, respectively (a priori confidential probability of 0.9). If the impact of land-cover change is excluded, the average annual sink in 1961-1998, estimated by both pool- and flux-based methods, was 268 ± 94 and 272 ± 68 Tg C/yr, respectively. The reported results are in line with recent estimates for Northern Eurasia made by inverse modeling at the continental scale, if land classes other than forests contribute to the total sink of terrestrial vegetation

[en] This study describes a method for the radiolabeling of dextran with rhenium-188 (¹⁸⁸Re). In nuclear oncology ¹⁸⁸Re is very useful for therapeutic applications. Its nuclear characteristics allow radiotherapy and in situ monitoring of tumor uptake as well as dosimetry calculations. Consequently new compounds with this radiolabel are of general interest. Dextran was oxidized with sodium periodate yielding reactive aldehyde groups and subsequently reacted with cysteine. The linkage was stabilized by reducing the Schiff bases with sodium cyanoborohydride. The conjugate was then radiolabeled with ¹⁸⁸Re by using ¹⁸⁸Re-gluconate as the transchelator, labeling the free thiols. Synthesis and radiolabeling were done in the absence of oxygen. The labeling efficiency was 60-70% and the radiochemical purity >95%. The in vitro stability study, using 'cysteine challenge' demonstrated that 50% of the radiolabel was transcomplexed to the 100 mM cysteine solution (after 1 h incubation at 37 deg.). However, at physiologic conditions and presence of an antioxidant good stability was achieved. The ¹⁸⁸Re labeled dextran presented in this study provides a template with therapeutic and diagnostic potential in nuclear oncology, either alone for local treatment or as a backbone in a tumor specific conjugate for systemic treatment

[en] This study presents a technetium-99m labelling method based on organometallic chemistry. It describes the simple mixing of a ^99mTc(I)-carbonyl compound [^99mTc(OH₂)₃(CO)₃]⁺ with a histidine-tagged somatostatin-dextran (SMS-Dx-His) conjugate. Somatostatin and histidine was coupled to periodate activated dextran. The linkage was stabilised by reductive amination. The conjugate was then radiolabelled with ^99mTc by using the ^99mTc(CO)₃ core. The labelling efficiency was 65-80% and the radiochemical purity >95%. In the in vitro cysteine challenge, the result showed that 25% of the radiolabel was released after 1 h incubation at 37 degree sign C (cysteine-conjugate at 1000:1 molar ratio). The radiolabelled SMS-Dx-His showed similar HPLC profile as the unlabelled conjugate. This labelling method, employing non reducing conditions, is useful for the labelling of peptides containing disulphide bonds. It should be possible to be used also for labelling with rhenium-188 for therapeutic applications

[en] The discovery of neuroendocrine differentiation in hormone-refractory prostatic adenocarcinoma has opened a potentially new therapeutic approach in this group of patients with a poor prognosis and few effective therapy modalities. Based on previous findings of increased uptake of ¹¹C-5-hydroxytryptophan (¹¹C-5-HTP) in neuroendocrine tumours using the PET technique, this tracer was applied in the study of 10 patients with metastatic hormone-refractory prostatic adenocarcinoma. In three patients, the study was repeated after treatment. An increased uptake of ¹¹C-5-HTP was observed in all investigated skeletal lesions, although the magnitude of the uptake was moderate. The difference between the standard uptake values (SUV) in normal bone and metastatic lesions was significant (p < 0.001). A kinetic analysis of the uptake of ¹¹C-5-HTP demonstrates an increase during the first minutes followed by a wash-out and a stabilization of the tissue/blood ratio at about 2. The Patlak plots demonstrated a gradual increase in the transport rate during the first 20 to 30 min, after which a constant level was observed. The SUV varied between patients and between lesions over time and treatment. The uptake of ¹¹C-5-HTP discriminates metastatic lesions from normal bone and may thus aid in the diagnosis and, potentially, in treatment monitoring of metastatic hormone-refractory prostatic adenocarcinoma. Uptake kinetics are characterized by a wash-out and cannot alone be used as proof of neuroendocrine differentiation in hormone-refractory prostatic adenocarcinoma

[en] A systematic review of radiation therapy trials in prostate cancer has been performed according to principles adopted by the Swedish Council of Technology Assessment in Health Care (SBU). This synthesis of the literature is based on data from one meta-analysis, 30 randomized trials, many dealing with hormonal therapy, 55 prospective trials, and 210 retrospective studies. Totally the studies included 152,614 patients. There is a lack of properly controlled clinical trials in most important aspects of radiation therapy in prostate cancer. The conclusions reached can be summarized as follows: There are no randomized studies that compare the outcome of surgery (radical prostatectomy) with either external beam radiotherapy or brachytherapy for patients with clinically localized low-risk prostate cancer. However, with the advent of widely accepted prognostic markers for prostate cancer (pre-treatment PSA, Gleason score, and T-stage), such comparisons have been made possible. There is substantial documentation from large single-institutional and multi-institutional series on patients with this disease category (PSA<10, GS≤6, ≤T2b) showing that the outcome of external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy is similar to those of surgery. There is fairly strong evidence that patients with localized, intermediate risk, and high risk (pre-treatment PSA=10 and/or GS=7 and/or>T2) disease, i.e. patients normally not suited for surgery, benefit from higher than conventional total dose. No overall survival benefit has yet been shown. Dose escalation to patients with intermediate-risk or high-risk disease can be performed with 3D conformal radiotherapy (photon or proton) boost, with Ir-192 high dose rate brachytherapy boost, or brachytherapy boost with permanent seed implantation. Despite an increased risk of urinary tract and/or rectal side effects, dose-escalated therapy can generally be safely delivered with all three techniques. There is some evidence that 3D conformal radiotherapy results in reduced late rectal toxicity and acute anal toxicity compared with radiotherapy administered with non-conformal treatment volumes. There is some evidence that postoperative external beam radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy in patients with pT3 disease prolongs biochemical disease-free survival and that the likelihood of achieving long-term DFS is higher when treatment is given in an adjuvant rather than a salvage setting. A breakpoint seems to exist around a PSA level of 1.0 ng/mL, above which the likelihood for eradication of the recurrence of cancer diminishes. After prostatectomy, endocrine therapy prior to and during adjuvant radiotherapy may result in longer biochemical disease-free survival than if only adjuvant radiotherapy is given. No impact on overall survival has been shown. There is fairly strong evidence that short-term endocrine therapy prior to and during radiotherapy results in increased disease-free survival, increased local control, reduced incidence of distant metastases, and reduced cause-specific mortality in patients with locally advanced disease. There is some evidence that short-term endocrine therapy prior to and during radiotherapy results in increased overall survival in a subset (GS 2-6) of patients with locally advanced disease. There is strong evidence that adjuvant endocrine treatment after curative radiotherapy results in improved local control, increased freedom from distant metastases, and increased disease-free survival in patients with loco-regionally advanced and/or high-risk disease. There is moderately strong evidence that adjuvant endocrine treatment after radiotherapy results in longer overall survival compared with radiotherapy alone in patients with loco-regionally advanced disease