Treatment of Advanced or Recurrent Cervical Cancer with Cisplatin or Cisplatin Containing Regimens: A Cost Effective Analysis

Background: Trials have demonstrated improvements in survival with adding paclitaxel (P) or topotecan (T) to cisplatin (C) for the treatment of advanced cervical cancer. We sought to evaluate the cost effectiveness of these regimens. Methods: A decision model was developed based on Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) protocols 169 and 179. Arm 1 is 6 cycles of cisplatin. Arm 2 is 6 cycles of CP while arm 3 is 6 cycles of CT. Parameters include overall survival (OS), cost and complications. Sensitivity analyses were performed. Results: The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for C versus CP is $13,654/quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. For CT compared to C, the ICER is$152,327/QALY. When compared simultaneously, CT is dominated. At a willingness to pay (WTP) threshold of $50,000/QALY, C is the preferred option but CP is acceptable. Sensitivity analyses suggest that CT would become the preferred option if it was to improve OS to 24 months (compared to 9.4 months). Conclusions: In this model, CP is an acceptable alternative to cisplatin for the treatment of these patients with an increase in cost of only$13,654/QALY. The addition of topotecan did not increase survival enough to justify the increased cost

Batteries and fuel cells working group report

Electrochemical energy systems are dominated by interfacial phenomena. Catalysis, corrosion, electrical and ionic contact, and wetting behavior are critical to the performance of fuel cells and batteries. Accordingly, development of processing techniques to control these surface properties is important to successful commercialization of advanced batteries and fuel cells. Many of the surface processing issues are specific to a particular electrochemical system. Therefore, the working group focused on systems that are of specific interest to DOE/Conservation and Renewable Energy. These systems addressed were: Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cells, Direct Methanol Oxidation (DMO) Fuel Cells, and Lithium/Polymer Batteries. The approach used by the working group for each of these systems was to follow the current path through the system and to identify the principal interfaces. The function of each interface was specified together with its desired properties. The degree to which surface properties limit performance in present systems was rated. Finally, the surface processing needs associated with the performance limiting interfaces were identified. This report summarizes this information

Gold nanoelectrode ensembles for direct trace electroanalysis of iodide

A procedure for the standardization of ensembles of gold nanodisk electrodes (NEE) of 30 nm diameter is presented, which is based on the analytical comparison between experimental cyclic voltammograms (CV) obtained at the NEEs in diluted solutions of redox probes and CV patterns obtained by digital simulation. Possible origins of defects sometimes found in NEEs are discussed. Selected NEEs are then employed for the study of the electrochemical oxidation of iodide in acidic solutions. CV patterns display typical quasi-reversible behavior which involves associated chemical reactions between adsorbed and solution species. The main CV characteristics at the NEE compare with those observed at millimeter sized gold disk electrodes (Au-macro), apart a slight shift in E1/2 values and slightly higher peak to peak separation at the NEE. The detection limit (DL) at NEEs is 0.3 M, which is more than one order of magnitude lower than DL at the Au-macro (4 M). The mechanism of the electrochemical oxidation of iodide at NEEs is discussed. Finally, NEEs are applied to the direct determination of iodide at micromolar concentration levels in real samples, namely in some ophthalmic drugs and iodized table salt

Track A Basic Science

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138319/1/jia218438.pd