Isotopes And Innovation

Few people realize that Canada leads in the world in the production of radio isotopes, the raw material of nuclear medicine and high-tech scanners, and in their use in medicine and industry. In Isotopes and Innovation Paul Litt gives us an in-depth look at MDS Nordion, a company that started as the radium sales department of Eldorado Mining and Refining, the Canadian uranium producer that was a key strategic resource for the Allies during the race to build the nuclear bomb, and went on to become the world's leading producer of radioisotopes.

The 20th century has experienced environmental changes that appear to be unprecedented in their rate and magnitude during the Earth’s history. For the first time, Stable Isotopes as Indicators of Ecological Change brings together a wide range of perspectives and data that speak directly to the issues of ecological change using stable isotope tracers. The information presented originates from a range of biological and geochemical sources and from research fields within biological, climatological and physical disciplines covering time-scales from days to centuries. Unlike any other reference, editors discuss where isotope data can detect, record, trace and help to interpret environmental change. Provides researchers with groundbreaking data on how to predict the terrestrial ecosystems response to the ongoing rapid alterations Reveals how ecosystems have responded to environmental and biotic fluctuations in the past Includes examples from research by a wide range of biological and physical scientists who are using isotopic records to both detect and interpret environmental change

The Third International Conference on Isotopes focused on the theme of “Isotope Production and Applications in the 21st Century” and included presentations by several eminent experts in this field. The three central subjects — Isotopes in Medicine, Industry and the Environment — were supplemented by presentations on the latest developments in isotope production and synthesis, research into radiopharmaceuticals, applications in agriculture, analytical applications, radiocarbon dating, AMS and PET. Various views on the future directions for producers and users of isotopes were considered at this multi-disciplinary meeting. Contents:Isotope Facilities and ProgramsRadiochemical Synthesis I–II, Nuclear Analytical Applications of Radioisotopes I–IIRadioisotope ProductionSeparation and Applications of Stable IsotopesIndustrial Applications and Radiation SafetyRadiopharmaceutical Applications and Medical Imaging I–IIProduction and Applications of Isotope Tracers in Industry I–IIUse of Isotopes in Environmental Studies I–IIApplications of Isotopes in Medical Imaging and TherapyRadiation Safety Aspects at Isotope FacilitiesApplications in Agriculture and NutritionAMS and Radiocarbon Dating TechniquesPoster SessionApplications of Isotopes in Environmental StudiesProduction and Applications of Short-Lived RadioisotopesLabeling Compounds and Other Applications of TritiumNovel Applications of Isotopes and Opportunities for Technology TransferClosing Plenary Session: “Isotope Production and Applications in the 21st Century” Readership: Radiochemists, radiopharmacists, environmental scientists, reactor and accelerator physicists, and nuclear medicine researchers. Keywords:

Radioactive isotopes and enriched stable isotopes are used widely in medicine, agriculture, industry, and science, where their application allows us to perform many tasks more accurately, more simply, less expensively, and more quickly than would otherwise be possible. Indeed, in many casesâ€"for example, biological tracersâ€"there is no alternative. In a stellar example of "technology transfer" that began before the term was popular, the Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessors has supported the development and application of isotopes and their transfer to the private sector. The DOE is now at an important crossroads: Isotope production has suffered as support for DOE's laboratories has declined. In response to a DOE request, this book is an intensive examination of isotope production and availability, including the education and training of those who will be needed to sustain the flow of radioactive and stable materials from their sources to the laboratories and medical care facilities in which they are used. Chapters include an examination of enriched stable isotopes; reactor and accelerator-produced radionuclides; partnerships among industries, national laboratories, and universities; and national isotope policy.

This report explores the main reasons behind the unreliable supply of Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) in health-care systems and policy options to address the issue. Tc-99m is used in 85% of nuclear medicine diagnostic scans performed worldwide – around 30 million patient examinations every year. These scans allow diagnoses of diseases in many parts of the human body, including the skeleton, heart and circulatory system, and the brain. Medical isotopes are subject to radioactive decay and have to be delivered just-in-time through a complex supply chain. However, ageing production facilities and a lack of investment have made the supply of Tc-99m unreliable. This report analyses the use and substitutability of Tc-99m in health care, health-care provider payment mechanisms for scans, and the structure of the supply chain. It concludes that the main reasons for unreliable supply are that production is not economically viable and that the structure of the supply chain prevents producers from charging prices that reflect the full costs of production and supply.

In Under the Radar, Ellen Leopold shows how nearly every aspect of our understanding and discussion of cancer bears the imprint of its Cold War entanglement. The current biases toward individual rather than corporate responsibility for rising incidence rates, research that promotes treatment rather than prevention, and therapies that can be patented and marketed all reflect a largely hidden history shaped by the Cold War. Even the language we use to describe the disease, such as the guiding metaphor for treatment, "fight fire with fire," can be traced back to the middle of the twentieth century.