When radium began to be used as a cancer treatment, Eldorado quickly became familiar with the medical marketplace and adept at developing products that could solve clinical problems and, more important, save lives. When Canadian nuclear reactors at Chalk River began producing radioisotopes that outperformed radium, Eldorado's radium sales department was transferred to a new crown corporation, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, created to manage Canada's nuclear research establishment. The new company developed many useful applications for radioisotopes, including cobalt-60 cancer therapy machines and industrial sterilization plants. Bought by Medical Data Services Inc. in the early 1990s, MDS Nordion was a runaway success, creator and sole proprietor of several market-leading products. Isotopes and Innovation describes how a company capitalized on the byproducts of Canada's unique nuclear research program to attain a commanding international position in extremely specialized and demanding high-tech markets, a saga in which innovative research and enterprising global marketing have brought commercial success and saved countless lives around the world.

This book highlights new and emerging uses of stable isotope analysis in a variety of ecological disciplines. While the use of natural abundance isotopes in ecological research is now relatively standard, new techniques and ways of interpreting patterns are developing rapidly. The second edition of this book provides a thorough, up-to-date examination of these methods of research. As part of the Ecological Methods and Concepts series which provides the latest information on experimental techniques in ecology, this book looks at a wide range of techniques that use natural abundance isotopes to: follow whole ecosystem element cycling understand processes of soil organic matter formation follow the movement of water in whole watersheds understand the effects of pollution in both terrestrial and aquatic environments study extreme systems such as hydrothermal vents follow migrating organisms In each case, the book explains the background to the methodology, looks at the underlying principles and assumptions, and outlines the potential limitations and pitfalls. Stable Isotopes in Ecology and Environmental Science is an ideal resource for both ecologists who are new to isotopic analysis, and more experienced isotope ecologists interested in innovative techniques and pioneering new uses.

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

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.

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.

In the past few decades, the field of ecology has made huge advancements thanks to stable isotopes. Ecologists need to understand the principles of stable isotopes to fully appreciate many studies in their discipline. Ecologists also need to be aware of isotopic approaches to enrich their "toolbox" for further advancing the discipline. A Primer on Stable Isotopes in Ecology is a concise and foundational resource for anyone interested in acquiring theoretical and practical knowledge for the application of stable isotopes in ecology. Readers will gain a more in-depth and complete knowledge of stable isotopes and explore isotopic methods used in ecological research, learning about stable isotope definitions, measurement, ecological processes, and applications in research. Chapters include in-depth descriptions of stable isotopes and their notation, isotope fractionation, isotope mixing, heavy isotope enrichment, and quantification methods by mass spectrometry and laser spectroscopy. The text guides readers to think "isotopically" to better understand research conducted using stable isotopes. The book also provides basic practical skills and activities to apply stable isotope methods in ecological research. It includes 5 activities through which readers can apply their knowledge to real-world problems and improve their skills for interpreting and using stable isotopes in ecological research. This book is designed for students and scientists from different backgrounds who share the common interest in stable isotopes.

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 cases--for example, biological tracers--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.