Relation of serum total cholesterol, serum triglycerides and fasting plasma glucose to colorectal carcinoma in situ

BACKGROUND: No one has previously examined the relation of serum total cholesterol, serum triglycerides and fasting plasma glucose to colorectal carcinoma in situ. METHODS: A case-control study was performed with 129 cases of colorectal carcinoma in situ and 258 matched controls among examinees undergoing a health check-up in Tokyo from January 1991 to March 1993. RESULTS: There was a significant, positive association between serum total cholesterol levels and the risk of colorectal carcinoma in situ after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, smoking status and alcohol consumption. Serum triglyceride levels were significantly and positively associated with colorectal carcinoma in situ risk regardless of adjustment for the above covariates. Although there was no clear relation between colorectal carcinoma in situ and fasting plasma glucose levels, a modest increase of colorectal carcinoma in situ risk was observed in the highest category (> or =116 mg/dl) of fasting plasma glucose levels. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest a positive association between serum total cholesterol levels and the risk of colorectal cancer, rather than an inverse relation. The strong association with serum triglyceride levels and the weak association with fasting plasma glucose levels support the hypothesis that hyperinsulinaemia may play an important role in colorectal carcinogenesis.     

Results of radiation therapy for limited small-cell lung cancer

Results of radiotherapy were reviewed in 68 patients with limited small-cell lung cancer from the aspect of local control. Thirty-one patients achieved CR (46%), while the other 31 remained at PR. The 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year cumulative survival rates were 57%, 28%, 21%, and 16%, respectively, for 15 months in MST. Thirty-six patients developed local recurrence (53%) and 46 had distant metastasis (68%). The thirty-one patients with CR had a 43% 2-year-survival rate and 23 months in MST. The remaining 37 patients (PR + NC) had respective figures of 13% and 13 months (p < 0.025). There was no statistically significant difference between radiation dose and local thoracic failure among the patients. Of the 31 patients with CR, 28 had achieved CR at 45Gy (17 received 55Gy or more, and 11 less than 55Gy). In the former, the local control rate, 2-year-survival and MST were 94%, 53% and 44 months, while in the latter these were 45%, 27% and 17 months, respectively. Thirty-five patients were irradiated by the shrinking field technique according to tumor reduction; however, this technique did not influence the treatment results. To obtain better results, it is first necessary to achieve CR at initial chemo-radiotherapy. As to irradiation, randomized trials between 50Gy and 60Gy would require patients with CR at 45Gy.     

Estimation of fatigue crack propagation life of steel plates and of structural member model of ship hull

The authors carried out experimental and analytical investigation for the purpose of finding out a method of estimating the fatigue crack propagation life of large flat steel plate and of ship hull structure model quantitatively.We theoretically derived a formula indicating that fatigue crack propagation rate is in proportion to the $\text{m-}\text{th}$ power of the plastic displacement of the tip of a crack based on a B.C.S. dislocation model. The crack propagation rate is proportional to $\text{2m-}\text{th}$ power of stress intensity factor in the case stress is small.We proved experimentally that this relation holds generally, from fatigue crack propagation tests for flat plates with a center notch (mild steel, high tensile strength steel), large flat plate with an edge notch and ship hull corner model (mild steel), and from the $\text{K-}\text{value}$ calculation by the finite element method for these specimens. The fatigue crack propagation life is obtained by integrating the reciprocal number of crack propagation rate from the initial crack length to the final crack length. The life calculated agreed well with the one observed. But for the two stress level test, the life calculated was smaller than the experimental value due to slackened progress of crack. We also stated the general characteristics of the rate curve.     

Neutron field produced by 25 MeV deuteron on thick beryllium for radiobiological study; energy spectrum

Biological data is necessary for estimation of protection from neutrons, but there is a lack of data on biological effects of neutrons for radiation protection. Radiological study on fast neutrons has been done at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences. An intense neutron source has been produced by 25 MeV deuterons on a thick beryllium target. The neutron energy spectrum, which is essential for neutron energy deposition calculation, was measured from thermal to maximum energy range by using an organic liquid scintillator and multi-sphere moderated 3He proportional counters. The spectrum of the gamma rays accompanying the neutron beam was measured simultaneously with the neutron spectrum using the organic liquid scintillator. The transmission by the shield of the spurious neutrons originating from the target was measured to be less than 1% by using the organic liquid scintillator placed behind the collimator. The measured neutron energy spectrum is useful in dose calculations for radiobiology studies.     

Concentration profiles of Zn ions implanted with 60 keV for nanoparticle formation in silica glass

Surface recession due to sputtering under low-energy and high-fluence heavy-ion implantation makes shallower and broader depth profile of implanted ions than those calculated by conventional ion-range simulation-codes such as SRIM. Depth profiles of Zn atoms in silica glasses (SiO₂) implanted with Zn⁺ ions of 60 keV up to 1.0×10¹⁷ ions/cm² were evaluated using both experimental methods as Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), sputtering depth-profiling by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and an advanced numerical simulation code TRIDYN, which includes the sputtering loss effects. The TRIDYN code predicts the shallowing of the projectile range from ∼46 to ∼27 nm with increasing the fluence up to 1×10¹⁷ ions/cm², and very high-concentration (∼20 at%) of Zn atoms close to the surface. However, RBS and XPS results exclude such high concentration close to the surface. These results suggest remarkable redistribution of Zn atoms from the nearer surface to the deeper region during the implantation. In fact, Zn-atom concentration near the surface and that near the projectile range are, respectively, lower and higher than those by the SRIM code predictions.     

Observer-based control of a manipulator system with structured uncertainty

In this article, we show a derivation of an uncertain system of a two-link RR manipulator with uncertainties in the two rotation angles of each joint. For this system, we apply a guaranteed cost control based on a linear upper bound. In our method, uncertainties are included in the state, input, and also output matrices. Parameter tuning of γ _i in the linear upper bound is effective in designing a feedback gain which has appropriate characteristics. In the numerical simulation, we show that the state observer is effective at reducing the influence of signal noise in a state vector.