Visualization of a stationary CPG-revealing spinal wave.

Central Pattern Generator (CPG) is still an elusive concept that has a visual manifestation as a rhythmic oscillation commanded from the spine, but that also has another manifestation as a train of bursts in the surface electromyographic (sEMG) signals recorded on the para-spinal muscles. This leads to the challenging problem of correlating the visually observed spinal wave with the sEMG signals recorded during the session. This paper develops a mathematical model of the spinal wave phenomenon, which, when driven by the sEMG data, yields such visually observable features as wave nodes.

ChiroSensor -- an array of non-invasive sEMG electrodes.

It is shown that the statistical analysis of the sEMG signals recorded by the ChiroSensors along the paraspinal muscles during Network Spinal Analysis (NSA) provides objective confirmation of the physiological reality as perceived by the practitioner as it relates to levels of care and spinal injury recovery.

Colorectal cancer risk factors: a case-control study in Bangkok.

A case-control study for colorectal cancer risk factors was conducted in Bangkok, Thailand. A total of 279 incident cases of colorectal cancer were individually matched by sex, age and same hospital to 279 hospital controls with other cancers except gastrointestinal cancer. Each subject was interviewed with regard to bowel pattern information, family history, past history of illness and dietary information. The major findings were elevated risk for those with a history of bowel polyps (OR = 14.69, 95%CI = 2.01-301.46), parent's history of colon cancer (OR = 4.00, 95%CI = 1.39-12.43), anal abscess (OR = 3.78, 95%CI = 0.97-17.24), chronic colitis (OR = 3.61, 95%CI = 1.67-8.00), chronic hemorrhoid (OR = 3.13, 95%CI = 2.03-4.86) and the frequency of stools every three days or more (OR = 2.16, 95%CI = 1.17-4.01). The results also indicated an increased risk for dietary factors; bacon (OR = 12.49, 95%CI = 1.68-269.1) and butter (OR = 2.68, 95%CI = 1.29-5.68). There was a protective effect provided by banana (OR = 0.54, 95%CI = 0.37-0.79) and papaya (OR = 0.58, 95%CI = 0.40-0.84) for colorectal cancer. In unconditional logistic regression analysis, bacon showed the highest risk for colorectal cancer (OR = 8.82, 95%CI = 1.03-75.57), instead of bowel polyps (OR = 4.50, 95%CI = 0.48-42.59). The data suggest that nitrite-treated meat increases colorectal cancer risk while dietary fiber decreases colorectal cancer risk.

Relationship between cholecystectomy and ascending colon cancer.

A retrospective study involving 706 sample cases of large bowel cancer grouped by subsite (ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon, ana rectum), sex, and age identified during the Third National Cancer Survey (Pittsburgh SMSA, 1969--1971) was recently completed. The basic strategy of this comparative study was to determine whether the frequency distribution patterns of both demorgraphic characteristics and environmental factors differed among persons with subsite-specific cancer of the large bowel. Based on the information provided in the hospital records there was a gradient of previous cholecystectomy history from ascending colon cancer (10.5%) to rectal cancer (2.1%) in those patient records whose only gastrointestinal surgery indicated was cholecystectomy. For patient records in which the only surgical operation was cholecystectomy, or cholecystectomy plus other gastrointestinal surgery, the gradient persisted as one moved from the right to the left subsites of the large bowel. No relationship with respect to other types of gastrointestinal surgery was observed. It is clear, however, that a bias associated with the review of hospital records can account for this relationship and, therefore, the finding may be spurious. On the other hand, there is increasing evidence of a relationship between bile acid metabolism and carcinoma of the colon. It might be considered that the right side of the colon would be most likely affected by the potential carcinogenic effect of certain bile acid metabolites.