Association of mineral metabolism factors with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in hemodialysis patients: the Japan dialysis outcomes and practice patterns study

Abnormalities in mineral metabolism have been linked to mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients. We postulated that these abnormalities would have a particularly large deleterious impact on deaths due to cardiovascular causes in Japan. This study describes the recent status of abnormal mineral metabolism, significant predictors, and potential consequences in the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS), Phases 1 and 2, in Japan. Major predictor variables were patient demographics, comorbidities, and laboratory markers of mineral metabolism such as albumin-adjusted serum calcium (calciumAlb), phosphorus, and intact PTH (iPTH). In a cross section of 3973 Japanese HD patients in DOPPS I and II, a large faction had laboratory values outside of the recommended Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (K/DOQI) guideline range for serum concentrations of phosphorus (51% of patients above upper target range), calciumAlb (43.7% above), calcium-phosphorus (Ca x P) product (41.1% above), and iPTH (18.6% above). All-cause mortality was significantly and independently associated with calciumAlb (relative risk [RR]=1.22 per 1 mg/dL, p=0.0005) and iPTH (RR=1.04 per 100 pg/mL, p=0.04). Cardiovascular mortality was significantly associated with calciumAlb (RR=1.28, p=0.02), phosphorus (RR=1.13 per 1 mg/dL, p=0.008), Ca x P product (RR=1.07 per 2 mg(2)/dL(2), p=0.002), and PTH (RR=1.08, p=0.0001). This study expands our understanding of the relationship between altered mineral metabolism and mortality outcomes, showing slightly stronger associations with cardiovascular causes than observed for all-cause mortality. These findings have important therapeutic implications for Japanese HD patients.     

Decrease in work function of boron ion-implanted ZnO thin films

We have fabricated boron ion-implanted ZnO thin films by ion implantation into sputtered ZnO thin films on a glass substrate. An investigation of the effects of ion doses and activation time on the electrical and optical properties of the films has been made. The electrical sheet resistance and resistivity of the implanted films are observed to increase with increasing rapid thermal annealing (RTA) time, while decreasing as the ion dose increases. Without any RTA process, the variation of the carrier density is insensitive to the ion dose. With the RTA process, however, the carrier density of the implanted films increases and approaches that of the un-implanted ZnO film as the ion dose increases. On the other hand, the carrier mobility is shown to decrease with increasing ion doses when no RTA process is applied. With the RTA process, however, there is almost no change in the mobility. We have achieved the optical transmittance as high as 87% within the visible wavelength range up to 800 nm. It is also demonstrated that the work function can be engineered by changing the ion dose during the ion implantation process. We have found that the work function decreases as the ion dose increases.     

Multi-wavelength emitting InGan/GaN quantum well grown on V-shaped gan(1101) microfacet

InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) were successfully grown on the inclined GaN(1101) microfacets. Conventional photolithography and subsequent growth of GaN were employed to generate the V-shaped microfacets along (1120) direction. The well-developed microfacets observed by scanning electron microscopy and the clear transmission electron microscope interfacial images indicated that the MQW was successfully grown on the GaN microfacets. Interestingly, cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra measured on the microfacets showed a continuous change in the luminescence peak positions. The CL peaks were shifted to a longer wavelength from 420 nm to 440 nm as the probing points were changed along upward direction. This could be attributed to the nonuniform distribution of the In composition and/or the wavefunction overlapping between adjacent wells. Present works thus propose a novel route to fabricate a monolithic white light emitting diode without phosphors by growing the InGaN/GaN MQWs on (1101) facet.     

Application of the bimodal meso/macroporous composite synthesized from MCM-41 sol

A route to synthesize porous materials with a bimodal macro/mesoscopic pore system has been investigated in this work. Polystyrene with sub-micrometer size was used as a template in the synthesis. The resulting mesoporous silica wall replicated inversely the morphology of polystyrene template and had highly ordered three-dimensional arrays of macro pores. Large and moldable meso/macro porous silica monoliths could be obtained in centimeter scale by using monodispersed polystyrene beads and MCM-41 sol solutions. These bimodal structured porous silicates have been used as supports for asymmetric kinetic resolution of racemic epoxides to synthesize optically pure epoxide.     

In vitro Digestibility of Cross‐Linked Starches – RS4

In vitro digestibility of cross‐linked starches (RS4 type), which were prepared from wheat, corn, rice, potato, and high‐amylose corn starches, was determined by Prosky AOAC and pancreatin gravimetric (P/G) methods. The RS levels of RS4 starches obtained by the AOAC method were higher than those by the P/G method. Pronase treatment before digestion with heat‐stable α‐amylase (AOAC method) gave similar RS levels as those by P/G method. The shapes of residues after digestion by the AOAC method were not different from untreated ones, but those after digestion by the P/G method showed irregular and fluffy forms. It was found that the P/G method provided more exhaustive digestion of RS4 starches than the AOAC method.     

竹纤维和椰纤维增强水泥复合材料

本工作采用竹短纤维和椰壳纤维增强水泥, 改善水泥基体的韧性和抗裂性, 提高了韧度和强度。研究了植物纤维含量、加入乳胶成分和含水量等因素对植物纤维增强水泥复合材料性能的影响, 以及植物纤维复合材料的微观破坏。      

竹材——一种天然的复合材料

采用显微观察、拉伸和弯曲等力学测试方法,研究了竹材的微观结构和力学特性的关系。提出两相纤维复合模型来描述竹材的结构和力学行为。实验数据与模型吻合良好。指出,竹材的结构对复合材料的设计有参考价值。      

Intelligence based on adaptive control

This paper considers the problem of intelligence in control from the viewpoint of adaptive control theory. First, intelligence in control is treated here as the inverse problem. There are two ways to solve the inverse problem. One is an inverse calculation, subtraction to addition, division to multiplication, and so on. The other is successive estimation. This is suitable for adaptive control because online estimation is frequently used in adaptive control, and the error is significant for intelligence. The other intelligence related to adaptive control can be found in an interaction between estimation and control, so we introduce here three types of adaptive control system, certainty equivalence, caution, and dual-type adaptive system. Moreover, we consider an interaction between adaptive systems based on decentralized adaptive control systems, and we reveal that self-similarity is crucial for intelligence in control. This work was presented, in part, at the Third International Symnposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 19–21, 1998.     

Reoperation for failed prosthetic replacement used for limb salvage

Patients with segmental bone and joint replacement prostheses because of tumors increasingly need revision surgery because of their long term survival. Between 1970 and 1990, 208 custom prosthetic replacements were performed for limb salvage in patients with tumors. Reoperations were required in 52 patients. The mean time to reoperation was 37 months. The reoperation procedures included 35 prosthetic revisions, 11 amputations, four arthrodeses, one vascularized fibular graft, and one open reduction and internal fixation of a fracture with supplemental bone graft. Functional assessment using the new Musculoskeletal Tumor Society scoring system was available for the 36 living patients, and their mean rating was 63% (18.9) at 12 years' mean followup. Of the 35 patients who received a new prosthesis, 12 (33%) patients needed a third operation at mean followup of 68 months. The probability of prosthetic survival in the group of 35 patients needing revision to the same or another prosthesis was 79% at 5 years and 65% at 10 years. The chance and frequency of needing reoperation increased as patients survived longer. Reoperations for tumor recurrence or infection usually resulted in amputation. Reoperation for failed initial segmental bone and joint prosthetic replacement is feasible and effective and can be done without jeopardizing subsequent patient and implant survival or without significantly affecting functional results compared with the values before reoperation.