Choice Of Options Research Articles

The modern view on adipose tissue regenerative products potential in skin pathologies treatment

At this stage of regenerative medicine development, adipose tissue as a source of stem cells is the choice option due to its availability, a sufficient number of cells and the most painless sampling procedure. The high interest in this product use in scars, wounds and other dermatological diseases treatment is driven by demonstrated positive results in other medical fields.
 This review presents data on the efficacy and safety of cellular and acellular adipose tissue products use in various skin pathologies treatment. Scientific literature open electronic databases PubMed (MEDLINE), Clinical Trials, and eLIBRARY.RU were used. The literature data search was carried out using the keywords: regenerative medicine, SVF, scar, skin, dermatology, nanofat, ADSC, exosomes, lipoaspirat.
 The article presents the results and the rationale of adipose tissue regenerative products use in the most common and most significant skin diseases treatment. Cellular and acellular adipose tissue products use in dermatology and surgery is a safe and promising direction to improve skin quality. For the subsequent effective techniques application further research is needed to assess the systemic effect, as well as the development of standardized protocols for their use.

Patient-reported health-related quality of life outcomes following mastectomy for breast cancer, with immediate, delayed or no breast reconstruction: Four-year follow-up from a prospective cohort study.

Breast reconstruction (BR) improves women's health-related quality of life (HRQOL) following mastectomy for breast cancer, yet factors contributing to improved HRQOL remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the overall impact of mastectomy with or without BR on participants' perceptions of HRQOL over time in a cohort of women with high-risk breast cancer; to examine differences in mean HRQOL scores between immediate BR, delayed BR and no BR groups; to assess the influence of patient characteristics potentially associated with HRQOL scores; and to determine the feasibility of long-term collection of patient-reported outcome measures in clinical settings. A prospective, longitudinal study of 100 women with high-risk breast cancer who underwent mastectomy with or without breast reconstruction and were likely to require post-mastectomy radiotherapy. Four validated patient-reported questionnaires, comprising 21 outcome measures relating to HRQOL, administered at baseline and up to 4 years post-mastectomy. Demographic, clinical and surgical data extracted from patient medical records. Consistently significant declines in perceptions of future health and arm symptoms, consistently significant improvements in treatment side effects, breast symptoms and fatigue, as well as significant improvements, compared to baseline, in social functioning and financial difficulties at 48 months. No significant differences in mean HRQOL scores between women given a choice of reconstructive options. Similar trajectories of HRQOL scores were found in women with high-risk breast cancer who were offered a choice of BR. Informed choice may be an independent contributing factor in long-term maintenance of most HRQOL indicators at their pre-mastectomy levels.

After-use of cutover peatland from the perspective of landowners: Future effects on the national greenhouse gas budget in Finland

Recently, increased attention has been drawn to the greenhouse gas emissions of the Land use, Land use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector. In the Finnish LULUCF sector, the soil-originated emissions from the after-use of cutover peatland have become a more relevant question. This is due to the rapid increase in the number of former peat-harvesting sites, caused by the decline in the combustion of energy peat due to its high CO2 emissions. We conducted a nationally representative survey to study which after-use options of cutover peatlands are preferred by landowners. Based on the preferred after-use options, we estimated their impact on the national greenhouse gas emissions in the Finnish regions in 2035, and what factors influence the landowners’ choice of after-use options. We found that the four most popular after-use options for landowners were afforestation (71%), agriculture (24%), production of wind and solar power (22%) and rewetting (18%) when the respondent chose the three most attractive options. However, there were clear regional differences in the preferred after-use options, which might lead, if realized, to different soil-originated emissions at the regional level. The preferred after-use options could produce emissions of 0.35 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent a year (Mt CO2 eq y−1) by 2035 in Finland. Most of these emissions (30.1%) would come from South Ostrobothnia in western Finland, mainly due to the indicated high interest in agricultural after-use. Most landowners prefer financially profitable after-use options, such as forestry, agriculture, as well as wind and solar energy production in cutover peatlands. However, environmentally oriented landowners favour many kinds of actions to support biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and water protection in cutover peatlands. It is crucial that economic productivity and the greenhouse gas sinks of cutover peatlands be considered simultaneously to meet the climate targets of the LULUCF sector in Finland.

Gaucher disease in a patient with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis: case report

BackgroundGaucher disease (GD) is a rare autosomal recessive inherited, lysosomal storage disoder that involves liver, spleen, lung, bone, bone marrow even central nervous. However, GD associated membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) is seldom reported.Case presentationHere we described a case of 35-year-old man suffering from GD with hepatosplenomegaly, ascites, bone destruction, myelofibrosis and MPGN. Renal biopsy revealed MPGN and Gaucher cells presented in the glomeruli capillaries. β-glucosidase activity was 1.95nmol/1 h/mg and gene detection demonstrated that one homozygous pathogenic variant Leu483Pro in GBA. He received the treatment of oral prednisone and mycophenolate mofetil and his ascites and renal outcomes had been significantly improved.ConclusionsTherapy of prednisone and mycophenolate mofetil may be an optional choice for patients with Gaucher disease who have no opportunity to use enzyme treatment.

Nesfatin-1: A Biomarker and Potential Therapeutic Target in Neurological Disorders.

Nesfatin-1 is a novel adipocytokine consisting of 82 amino acids with anorexic and anti-hyperglycemic properties. Further studies of nesfatin-1 have shown it to be closely associated with neurological disorders. Changes in nesfatin-1 levels are closely linked to the onset, progression and severity of neurological disorders. Nesfatin-1 may affect the development of neurological disorders and can indicate disease evolution and prognosis, thus informing the choice of treatment options. In addition, regulation of the expression or level of nesfatin-1 can improve the level of neuroinflammation, apoptosis, oxidative damage and other indicators. It is demonstrated that nesfatin-1 is involved in neuroprotection and may be a therapeutic target for neurological disorders. In this paper, we will also discuss the role of nesfatin-1 as a biomarker in neurological diseases and its potential mechanism of action in neurological diseases, providing new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases.

Interdisciplinary aspects of abdominal and plastic surgery- what does the (abdominal) surgeon need to know?

The aim was to reflect the established interdisciplinary aspects of general/abdominal and plastic surgery by means of a narrative review. Methods: (i) With specific references out of the medical literature and (ii) own clinical and perioperative as well as operating technical and tactical management experiences obtained in surgical daily practice, we present a choice of options for interdisciplinary cooperation that could be food of thought for other surgeons. - Decubital ulcers require pressure relieve, debridement and plastic surgery coverage, e.g., by a rotation flap plasty, V-Y flap or"tensor-fascia-lata"(TFL) flap depending on localization (sacral/gluteal defects, ischiadic tuber).-Coverage of soft tissue defects, e.g., after lymph node dissection, tumor lesions or disturbance of wound healing can be managed with fasciocutaneous or muscle flaps.-Bariatric surgery: Surgical interventions such as butt lift, tummy tuck should be explained and demonstrated in advance and performed commonly after reduction of the body weight.-Abdominoperineal rectum extirpation (APE): Holm's procedure with greater circumferential extent of resection at the mesorectum and the insertion site of the levator muscle at the anal sphicter muscle resulting in a substantial defect is covered by myocutaneous flap plasty.-Hernia surgery: Complicated/recurrent hernias or abdominal wall defect can be covered by flap plasty to achieve functional reconstruction, e.g., using innervated muscle. Thus, abdominal wall can respond better onto changes of pressure and tension.-Necrotising fasciitis: Even in case of suspicious fasciitis, an immediate radical debridement must be performed, followed by intensive care with calculated antibiotic treatment; after appropriate stabilization tissue defects can be covered by mesh graft of flap plasty.-Soft tissue tumor lesions cannot be resected with primary closure to achieve appropriate as intended R0 resection status by means of local radical resection all the time-plastic surgery expertise has to be included into interdisciplinary tumor concepts.-Liposuction/-filling: Liposuction can be used with aesthetic intention after bariatric surgery or for lipedema. Lipofilling is possible for reconstruction and for aesthetic purpose.-Reconstruction of lymphatic vessels: Lymphedema after tumor operations interrupting or blocking lymphatic drainage can be treated with microsurgical reconstructions (such as lympho-venous anastomoses, lympho-lymphatic anastomoses or free microvascular lymph node transfer).-Microsurgery: It is substantial part of modern reconstructive plastic surgery, i.e.,surgery of peripheral nerves belongs to this field. For visceral surgery, it can become important for reconstruction of the recurrent laryngeal nerve.-Sternum osteomyelitis: Radical debridement (eventually, complete sternal resection) with conditioning of the wound by vacuum-assisted closure followed byplastic surgery coveragecan prevent chronification, threatening mediastinitis, persisting infectious risk, long-term suffering or limited quality of life. The presented selection of single topics can only be an excerpt of all the options for surgical cooperation in daily clinical and surgical practice. An interdisciplinary approach of abdominal and plastic surgery is characterized bya highly developed cooperationin common surgical interventions including various techniques and tactics highlighting the specifics of the two fields.

Financing investment projects in the IT sector of the Russian economy

The purpose of the article is to analyze the specifics of financing investment projects in the IT sector of the Russian economy. As part of the paper’s research objectives systemic aspects and peculiarities of investment in the IT sphere, state of the Russian IT market, and trends in its development have been considered. IT investment types and characteristics have been analyzed. Research methods include data systematization and generalization on the topics of modern research on the peculiarities of financing investment projects in the IT sector of the Russian economy. The developed target mechanism allows to consider system aspects of investment and improve validity of the most effective option choice for the IT sphere, which is a new scientific result obtained by the author. Based on the proposed sequence of using the target mechanism, it is possible to develop effective algorithms for decision-making on investment in the IT sphere.

Repair of Surgical Defect by Pectoralis Major Flap Versus Free Radial Forearm Flap in Buccal Carcinoma: Assessment of Quality of Life

Background: Soft tissue reconstruction of the oral cavity is the most critical factor in achieving a successful functional result. Malignant lesions occurring in the buccal area are usually treated with primary surgical and/or radiotherapy of the head and neck region. Depending on the location and size of the buccal tumor, radical surgical treatment often affects all oral function such as speech, swallowing, chewing, oral rehabilitation, nutrition and appearance. To maximize postoperative function, flap repair is currently the preferred method for reconstruction of buccal defects after major surgery. Among the flaps most commonly used are pedicle pectoralis major myocutaneous flap and the free radial forearm fasciocutaneous flap. The choice of the best reconstructive option is still controversial. Objective: To find out the quality of life after repair of surgical defect by pectoralis major flap versus free radial forearm flap in buccal carcinoma. Methods: This prospective study was conducted in the department Otolaryngology- Head & Neck Surgery, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka from September 2017 to August 2019. A total number of 44 cases of buccal carcinoma patient who had the inclusion criteria were enrolled as a study sample. These subjects were selected from the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Shahbag, National Institute of ENT, Tejgaon, Dhaka. Comparison of nominal or ordinal variables between patients who have undergone surgery with either the RFFF or PMMF were analyzed using a chi-square test. The UW-QOL scores were compared for each domain using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney test. P-value < .05 was accepted as the level of significance. Results: In this study 40 out of 44 patients were completed UW-QOL questionnaires. The median age was 52 (range 40-65years), the male-female ratio was 1.44:1. All were habituated in either smoking or betel leaf/ nut or alcohol. Most of them were illiterate to the primary level of education and suffering from stage- iii tumor. All these variables were statistically insignificant except gender. Patients reconstructed with RFFF felt better in shoulder domains than PMMF but felt worse appearance domains and these were statistically significant in both 3 months and 6 months postoperatively. Conclusion: The study result had shown that reconstruction of the defect after buccal cancer resection using either RFFF or PMMF significantly influences patient’s quality of life. This study will provide valuable information for surgeons who will decide reconstruction modalities for buccal cancer and also will help the patients getting a better outcome. Bangladesh J Otorhinolaryngol 2023; 29(1): 32-38

Institutional Repositories of Russian Organisations: a Comparative Analysis

In order to study the current state of domestic institutional repositories (IR), the official websites of 106 Russian universities — participants of the programme “Priority-2030” and 454 scientific research institutes (SRI) of three categories approved by the Federal Agency of Scientific Organisations according to the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation from April 8, 2009 No. 312 “On the assessment and monitoring of the effectivness of scientific organisations performing research, development and technological works of civilian designation” were monitored. A comparative analysis of IR was carried out. In the course of the study the following data were analyzed: availability of the IR on the site, navigation on the site for the convenience of using the IR, content, functionality, visibility, accessibility of materials, etc. Despite the fact that the problems of creating and developing repositories are actively studied both in Russia and abroad, the results of the study showed that the practice of maintaining IRs in Russian universities and scientific organisations is unevenly developed. In scientific institutions repositories are created much less frequently than in educational organisations. However, a half of higher education institutionsʼ IRs are closed to remote users. Access is granted only to teachers and students of educational institutions. In some repositories it is not always possible to successfully use scientific information, as not all repository objects contain the full text of the document, references to external sources are not always correct. The resource base of repositories of higher education institutions is richer than that of research institutes, because in addition to the works of their staff, it includes educational collections and student works. Mostly IRs provide text documents, very rarely other data (audio, video materials, data sets).Repositories of educational and scientific institutions are limited by chronological frameworks, including mainly documents of 1990—2022. Materials from earlier years of publication are presented in small quantities or include only metadata. The IRs of higher education institutions much more often provide wide search possibilities: choice of simple or advanced search options, use of logical operators, faceted navigation. Except for isolated cases, the IRs of research institutes have one search window with the possibility to search by keywords.Providing open access to information in repositories increases the visibility and accessibility of scientific research results, citability of publications, and promotes scientific communication.

A Comprehensive and Multi-Stage Approach to the Use of Simulation Technologies in the Training of Residents and Doctors in the Specialty of Oncology

The use of simulation technologies in the training of oncologists opens up new possibilities, providing not only realistic training, but also training in a safe and controlled environment. At the same time the complexity and multi-stage approach to preparation is important. The specifics of the profession makes us pay special attention to all aspects of treatment: from a competent and tactful collection of anamnesis to the choice of the optimal therapy option.

Reference-Point Theory: An Account of Individual Differences in Risk Preferences.

We propose an account of individual differences in risk preferences called "reference-point theory" for choices between sure things and gambles. Like most descriptive theories of risky choice, preferences depend on two drivers-hedonic sensitivities to change and beliefs about risk. But unlike most theories, these drivers are estimated from judged feelings about choice options and gamble outcomes. Furthermore, the reference point is assumed to be the less risky option (i.e., sure thing). Loss aversion (greater impact of negative change than positive change) and pessimism (belief the worst outcome is likelier) predict risk aversion. Gain seeking (greater impact of positive change than negative change and optimism (belief the best outcome is likelier) predict risk seeking. But other combinations of hedonic sensitivities and beliefs are possible, and they also predict risk preferences. Finally, feelings about the reference point predict hedonic sensitivities. When decision makers feel good about the reference point, they are frequently loss averse. When they feel bad about it, they are often gain seeking. Three studies show that feelings about reference points, feelings about options and feelings about outcomes predict risky choice and help explain why individuals differ in their risk preferences.

A learning process to deliver virtual staff training involving patients in shared haemodialysis care.

Shared haemodialysis (HD) care (SHC) is a person-centred approach delivering a flexible choice of options for centre-based HD patients to become more involved in their treatment. To support this, a 4-day course was developed to provide healthcare professionals with the confidence and skills to engage, involve, support and train patients in their care and has been accessed by >700 UK staff over 9years. The disruption caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in 2020 prompted a revision of what was deliverable within the restrictions. In response to this, we designed, developed and tested a virtual training program that was shorter and more accessible while remaining effective in meeting its core objectives. This provides a greater geographical reach and enables a collaborative team approach with patients and staff learning from and with each other, thus supporting a partnership approach advocated in shared decision making. In this review we explore the learning that informed the virtual training program 2022 and provide qualitative evaluation to demonstrate evidence of understanding, behavioural change and organisational benefit. Using a validated evaluation, we present key themes that support the initiation, development and sustainability of SHC in the form of a roadmap to guide strategic planning.

Parents' food choice for their preschool-aged children: A means-end investigation.

Despite the growing literature on the importance of parental feeding practices, the factors that influence how parents make decisions regarding the foods they offer to their young children are not fully understood. Means-end theory and its associated methodology known as laddering provide a useful framework for characterizing the relationships between the attributes of a choice option (e.g., a food item), the consequences (i.e., the benefits or costs/risks) associated with those attributes and the personal values (i.e., enduring beliefs) those consequences help reinforce. The present research uses this means-end perspective to enrich our understanding of how parents make food choices for their preschool-aged children. Interviews were conducted with parents (N = 33) of 3- to 5-year-old children to explore the factors underlying parents' decisions regarding the foods they recently offered, prefer to offer and avoid offering to their preschooler. The resulting data were transcribed, content analysed and summarized in a series of summary diagrams known as hierarchical value maps (HVMs). Study results indicate that although most parents reported trying to make food decisions because they want their child to be healthy, factors such as avoiding fights/battles and low perceived likelihood their child would eat a food may be barriers to offering certain foods. Taken together, these study findings enhance our understanding of the range of meanings underlying parents' food choice decisions and suggest opportunities for interventions to improve the quality of foods that parents offer to their children at home.

Correction to Biderman et al. (2023).

Reports an error in "The role of memory in counterfactual valuation" by Natalie Biderman, Samuel J. Gershman and Daphna Shohamy (Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 2023[Jun], Vol 152[6], 1754-1767). In this article, several corrections have been made to two equations, the text, and Figure 3. First, there was an error in two equations of the policy gradient model depicted in the Model Description section. The correction did not alter the main conclusion of the model, but it did change slightly the comparison between experimental conditions of each model depicted in the Results section. The correct Equation 3 and correct Equation 4 are present in the erratum. Additionally, the last four sentences in the first paragraph of the A Policy Gradient Model Captures the Memory-Based Inverse Decision Bias have been revised. Finally, the model predictions shown in the gray bars of Figure 3 were slightly modified. The online version of this article has been corrected. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2023-72914-001.) Value-based decisions are often guided by past experience. If a choice led to a good outcome, we are more likely to repeat it. This basic idea is well-captured by reinforcement-learning models. However, open questions remain about how we assign value to options we did not choose and which we therefore never had the chance to learn about directly. One solution to this problem is proposed by policy gradient reinforcement-learning models; these do not require direct learning of value, instead optimizing choices according to a behavioral policy. For example, a logistic policy predicts that if a chosen option was rewarded, the unchosen option would be deemed less desirable. Here, we test the relevance of these models to human behavior and explore the role of memory in this phenomenon. We hypothesize that a policy may emerge from an associative memory trace formed during deliberation between choice options. In a preregistered study (n = 315) we show that people tend to invert the value of unchosen options relative to the outcome of chosen options, a phenomenon we term inverse decision bias. The inverse decision bias is correlated with memory for the association between choice options; moreover, it is reduced when memory formation is experimentally interfered with. Finally, we present a new memory-based policy gradient model that predicts both the inverse decision bias and its dependence on memory. Our findings point to a significant role of associative memory in valuation of unchosen options and introduce a new perspective on the interaction between decision-making, memory, and counterfactual reasoning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Indiana

This report about Indiana school funding relates to budgetary changes in the state’s school funding priorities and technical changes to its state aid to schools formula. Pressing issues that affect school funding as well as public policy dimensions of alternatives to traditional public schools are considered. The most pressing need for the schooling system that is mediated by the school funding program remains increasing the labor market supply of highly credentialed teachers. The most evident public policy trend is the continuing expansion of free market-based school choice options.

GP specialty trainees' knowledge and values towards physical activity: a national survey of Scottish trainees.

Despite the known benefits of physical activity (PA), one-third of adults in the UK fail to meet recommended levels of PA. PA promotion in primary care has been shown to be effective at improving PA in patients but implementation of PA promotion by GPs remains poor. Research has shown a need to improve PA education in undergraduate medical education, but, to the authors' knowledge, no review of postgraduate medical education has been performed. To assess the knowledge and values of general practice specialist trainees (GPSTs) towards PA promotion in Scotland. Cross-sectional survey distributed to GPSTs in Scotland. A mixed-methods cross-sectional survey, informed by previous research, was developed and distributed to all (n = 1205) GPSTs in Scotland in December 2022. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse quantitative data. A content analysis of free-text responses was also performed. A total of 168 GPSTs responded, representing 13.9% of all GPSTs in Scotland. Of responders, 93.5% reported no previous experience in the subject of sports and exercise science and medicine. Overall, 38.9% of responders stated they were unaware of the current UK PA guidelines, with 33.9% unable to correctly identify the UK PA guidelines when presented with multiple choice options. In addition, 83.3% felt they had been inadequately trained to deliver PA advice during their medical training. This study highlights a lack of knowledge, confidence, and education in PA promotion in GPSTs in Scotland. Given the importance of primary prevention, this urgently needs to be addressed.

Using Discrete Choice Experiments to Quantify Patient Preferences.

Discrete choice experiments are a robust technique for quantifying preferences. With this method, respondents are presented with a series of hypothetical comparisons described by attributes with varying levels. The aggregated choices from respondents can be used to infer the relative importance of the described attributes and acceptable trade-offs between attributes. The data generated from discrete choice experiments can aid surgeons in aligning patient values with treatment decisions and support the design of research that is responsive to patient preferences. This article summarizes the application of discrete choice experiments to orthopaedics. We share best practices for designing discrete choice experiments and options for reporting study results. Finally, we suggest opportunities for this method within our field.

Achieving High Pseudocapacitance Anode SnP2O7@C By an in Situ Self-Nanocrystallization Method for Ultrastable Sodium Storage

Title: High Pseudocapacitance Anode SnP2O7@C by In Situ Self-Nanocrystallization Method for Ultrastable Sodium StorageThe rich resource and cheap price of Na have attracted attention in energy storage research and the market, becoming an optional choice for Li-ion batteries. The large radius of sodium-ion leads to a high diffusion barrier that restricted the development of sodium-ion batteries. Therefore, anodes with high capacity and stable cyclability are urgently addressed before further utilization.The mechanism of sodium-ion batteries can be classified into three categories: intercalation, alloying and conversion. Anode based on alloying and conversion mechanism became a research hotspot due to superior theoretical capacity. In pursuit of surpassing capacity, recent studies concentrated on anode with mixed mechanism, which had the potential to marriage the benefit of alloying and conversion mechanisms. However, the large volume expansion and short lifetime hindered the application in batteries.Here, we demonstrated an ultrastable sodium battery based on a novel anode, pomegranate-like SnP2O7 nanoparticles with a mixed mechanism homogeneously dispersed in the N-doped carbon matrix. Without the constraint of the grinding method, in situ self-nanocrystallization method has been first used to generate ultra-fine SnP2O7 particles.The results of the Ex-situ transmission electron microscope (TEM) characterization exhibited that the size range of SnP2O7 particles was efficiently decreased by the new fabrication method, from 66 to 20nm. During cycling tests, the nanostructure SnP2O7 particles remained well distributed in the N-doped carbon matrix rather than aggregation under long cycling tests. The self-nanocrystallization SnP2O7 nanoparticles ameliorated the diffusion of sodium-ion, which attained the acceleration of reaction kinetics. The N-doped carbon matrix contributed to the conductivity of composite material and meanwhile form strong adhesion with the carbon matrix to maintain the nanostructure SnP2O7 particles active during charge and discharge cycling. The pomegranate-like SnP2O7@C nanomaterial enhanced the pseudocapacitance to attain higher capacity and fast-charging storage. Under the capacitive-controlled behaviour test at 0.4mVs-1, the calculated capacitive showed a dominant contribution of total capacity, made up 75.7% of all. The participation of capacitive promoted avert the slow diffusion of sodium ion and obviate the destruction of the structure. The SnP2O7 carbon matrix anode exhibited superior specific capacity 403 mAh g-1 at 200 mA g-1 and cycling stability (185 mAh g-1 at 1000 mA g-1). The cycling stability of SnP2O7 nanomaterial has been ameliorated by the protection of N-doped carbon. The coulombic efficiency of SnP2O7@C showed no obvious changes and maintained around 100%, while the CE of SnP2O7 had appreciable variation. A new fabrication route of conversion and alloying anode nanomaterial was introduced in this work and has the potential to be utilized in large-scale manufacture. Figure 1

Monte Carlo calculations of dose profiles with the ‘given profile” method and comparison with measurements

Measurement of complex dose distributions which typically occur in modern radiation therapy methods is demanding. One of the main difficulties arises from the volume averaging effect due to the extended size of the employed dosimeter. Although small-sized detectors such as solid state detectors are obviously best suited in such situations, ionization chambers are frequently used. The question then arises whether the volume averaging effect plays such a role that it must be taken into account. In this work a procedure is presented which can answer this question and offer correction factors if needed.The new method of this work is based on the Monte Carlo tool for dose calculations and was applied at profile measurements. It is using the ‘Given Profile’ procedure and enables a comparison between profiles in a water phantom in a chamber-free geometry (true profiles) and measured profiles. Based on this procedure a specific in-air profile was obtained which was then commonly applied as a new input source option at all measured depths.The calculated profile data simulating a measurement with the PTW Semiflex chamber well agreed with corresponding measurements at all depths. The identical source model also yielded profile data for the chamber-free geometry. The comparison between calculated chamber-free data and measured data clearly demonstrates that a volume averaging effect indeed occurs in the field edge region for this type of a mid-sized ionization chamber. The ratio of these data gives values in the order of 1.1 inside the field edges and values between 0.4 and 0.8 outside. The method presented in this work, although connected with the known effort of the Monte Carlo tool for dose calculations, is well feasible and results in meaningful data with respect to chamber-free profile data in water. It was shown, that the volume averaging effect plays a role at profile measurements with the Semiflex chamber. The ratio between calculated chamber-free data and measured data can be used as a correction factor to obtain the true profiles in water. It is suggested that the ‘Given Profile’ method could be additionally included in the existing choice of source options in codes of the EGSnrc system.

I've got the power: Encouraging pro-environmental behavior through messaging

Manufacturers and retailers are introducing pro-environmental alternatives (such as alternative meat products) to more conventional and less environmentally friendly products in order to encourage sustainable consumption. In this research, we test the impact of product-related environmental information, self-efficacy, power messages, and green consumption values (GCV) on purchase intentions and choice of pro-environmental alternatives. Our findings suggest that the effect of environmental information on purchase intentions for pro-environmental alternatives is stronger for individuals with high self-efficacy. We show that using power messages in marketing communications as an intervention has an effect similar to self-efficacy on purchase intentions toward the alternative. We also show that the power message manipulation interacts with GCV in enhancing perceptions of the individual’s environmental impact, which further influences purchase intentions and choice of the pro-environmental option. This research has implications for the literature on environmental messaging, advertisers, and marketers of sustainable products.