Vehicle cabin air quality: influence of air recirculation on energy use, particles, and CO.

In this study, simulations were performed to investigate the influence of different vehicle climate ventilation strategies, mainly the air recirculation (REC) degree, on the cabin air quality and climate system power. The focus of air quality is on the cabin particle concentrations including PM (particles of aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm), UFP (ultrafine particles of aerodynamic diameter less than 100 nm), and cabin CO concentration.

Size-resolved simulation of particulate matters and CO concentration in passenger vehicle cabins.

The main aim of this study is to develop a mathematical size-dependent vehicle cabin model for particulate matter concentration including PM (particles of aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm) and UFPs (ultrafine particles of aerodynamic diameter less than 100 nm), as well as CO concentration. The ventilation airflow rate and cabin volume parameters are defined from a previously developed vehicle model for climate system design.

PM and ultrafine particles in passenger car cabins in Sweden and northern China-the influence of filter age and pre-ionization.

The main aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of filter status (new and aged), pre-ionization, on the particle filtration in modern passenger cars. Measurements of in-cabin and outside PM (dp < 2.5 μm) concentration and UFP (ultrafine particle, dp < 100 nm) counts, to calculate I/O (indoor to outdoor) ratios, were performed.

Indoor ozone/human chemistry and ventilation strategies.

This study aimed to better understand and quantify the influence of ventilation strategies on occupant-related indoor air chemistry. The oxidation of human skin oil constituents was studied in a continuously ventilated climate chamber at two air exchange rates (1 h and 3 h ) and two initial ozone mixing ratios (30 and 60 ppb). Additional measurements were performed to investigate the effect of intermittent ventilation ("off" followed by "on").

Differences in health related quality of life in the randomised ARTSCAN study; accelerated vs. conventional radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. A five year follow up.

Background And Purpose: Health related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed in the randomised, prospective ARTSCAN study comparing conventional radiotherapy (CF) with accelerated radiotherapy (AF) for head and neck cancer.

Material And Methods: 750 patients with squamous cell carcinoma (of any grade and stage) in the oral cavity, oro-, or hypopharynx or larynx (except T1-2, N0 glottic carcinoma) without distant metastases were randomised to either conventional fractionation (2 Gy/day, 5 days/week in 49 days, total dose 68 Gy) or accelerated fractionation (1.1+2.

Mature results from a Swedish comparison study of conventional versus accelerated radiotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma - The ARTSCAN trial.

Background And Purpose: This report contains the mature five-year data from the Swedish ARTSCAN trial including information on the influence of p16 positivity (p16+) for oropharyngeal cancers.

Material And Methods: Patients with previously untreated squamous cell carcinoma without distant metastases of the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx (except T1-2, N0 glottic cancers) and hypopharynx were included. Patients were randomised between accelerated fractionation (AF) (1.

Ionizer assisted air filtration for collection of submicron and ultrafine particles-evaluation of long-term performance and influencing factors.

Previous research has demonstrated that unipolar ionization can enhance the filter performance to collect airborne particles, aeroallergens, and airborne microorganisms, without affecting the filter pressure drop. However, there is a lack of research on the long-term system performance as well as the influence of environmental and operational parameters. In this paper, both field and laboratory tests were carried out to evaluate the long-term particle collection efficiency of a synthetic filter of class M6 with and without ionization.

The impact of hyperfractionated radiotherapy regimen in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

The prognosis for patients with lung cancer is poor with an average of 5-year overall survival rate of only 10-15 % taking all clinical stages together. The aim of this study was to elucidate the impact of the radiotherapy regimen on survival. Clinical data were collected from all the Swedish Oncology Departments for 1,287 patients with a diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) subjected to curatively intended irradiation (≥50 Gy) during the years 1990 to 2000.

Swedish Lung Cancer Radiation Study Group: predictive value of age at diagnosis for radiotherapy response in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Introduction: The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of age at diagnosis on prognosis in patients treated with curatively intended radiotherapy for NSCLC.

Material And Methods: This is a joint effort among all the Swedish Oncology Departments that includes all identified patients with a diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer that have been subjected to curatively intended irradiation (≥50 Gy) treated during 1990 to 2000. Included patients had a histopathological/cytological diagnosis date as well as a death date or a last follow-up date.

The value of induction chemotherapy for survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with radiotherapy.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to retrospectively investigate the impact of induction chemotherapy on treatment outcome in patients treated with curatively intended radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: Patients with a diagnosed NSCLC that have been subjected to curatively intended irradiation (≥50 Gy) and treated in an oncology department in Sweden during the years 1990-2000 were included in the study. Operated patients and patients having received concomitant chemotherapy were excluded.

Two-year results from a Swedish study on conventional versus accelerated radiotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma--the ARTSCAN study.

Background And Purpose: Studies on accelerated fractionation (AF) in head and neck cancer have shown increased local control and survival compared with conventional fractionation (CF), while others have been non-conclusive. In 1998 a national Swedish group decided to perform a randomised controlled clinical study of AF.

Materials And Methods: Patients with verified squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx (except glottic T1-T2, N0) and hypopharynx were included.

NTCP modelling of lung toxicity after SBRT comparing the universal survival curve and the linear quadratic model for fractionation correction.

Background: In SBRT of lung tumours no established relationship between dose-volume parameters and the incidence of lung toxicity is found. The aim of this study is to compare the LQ model and the universal survival curve (USC) to calculate biologically equivalent doses in SBRT to see if this will improve knowledge on this relationship.

Material And Methods: Toxicity data on radiation pneumonitis grade 2 or more (RP2+) from 57 patients were used, 10.

Outcome in a prospective phase II trial of medically inoperable stage I non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy.

Purpose: The impact of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) on 3-year progression-free survival of medically inoperable patients with stage I non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was analyzed in a prospective phase II study.

Patients And Methods: Fifty-seven patients with T1NOMO (70%) and T2N0M0 (30%) were included between August 2003 and September 2005 at seven different centers in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark and observed up to 36 months. SBRT was delivered with 15 Gy times three at the 67% isodose of the planning target volume.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy for medically inoperable patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer - a first report of toxicity related to COPD/CVD in a non-randomized prospective phase II study.

Background And Aims: In a retrospective study using stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in medically inoperable patients with stage I NSCLC we previously reported a local control rate of 88% utilizing a median dose of 15Gyx3. This report records the toxicity encountered in a prospective phase II trial, and its relation to coexisting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cardio vascular disease (CVD).

Material And Methods: Sixty patients were entered in the study between August 2003 and September 2005.

The quality assurance process for the ARTSCAN head and neck study - a practical interactive approach for QA in 3DCRT and IMRT.

Aim: This paper describes the quality assurance (QA) work performed in the Swedish multicenter ARTSCAN (Accelerated RadioTherapy of Squamous cell CArcinomas in the head and Neck) trial to guarantee high quality in a multicenter study which involved modern radiotherapy such as 3DCRT or IMRT.

Materials And Methods: The study was closed in June 2006 with 750 randomised patients. Radiation therapy-related data for every patient were sent by each participating centre to the QA office where all trial data were reviewed, analysed and stored.

Dummy run for a phase II study of stereotactic body radiotherapy of T1-T2 N0M0 medical inoperable non-small cell lung cancer.

In forthcoming multicentre studies on stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) compliance with volume and dose prescriptions will be mandatory to avoid unnecessary heterogeneity bias. To evaluate compliance in a multicentre setting we used two cases from an ongoing phase II study of SBRT of T1-T2N0M0 inoperable NSCLC in a dummy run oriented on volumes and doses. Six Scandinavian centres participated.

Factors important for efficacy of stereotactic body radiotherapy of medically inoperable stage I lung cancer. A retrospective analysis of patients treated in the Nordic countries.

We reviewed results of SBRT treatment of 138 patients with medically inoperable stage I NSCLC treated during 1996-2003 at five different centres in Sweden and Denmark. Mean age was 74 years (range 56-90) with 69 men and 72 women. SBRT was delivered using a 3D conformal multifield technique and a stereotactic body frame.