Risk of diabetes after para-aortic radiation for testicular cancer

Background: While the risk of diabetes is increased following radiation exposure to the pancreas among childhood cancer survivors, its association among testicular cancer (TC) survivors has not been investigated. Methods: Diabetes risk was studied in 2998 1-year TC survivors treated before 50 years of age with orchidectomy with/without radiotherapy between 1976 and 2007. Diabetes incidence was compared with general population rates. Treatment-specific risk of diabetes was assessed using a case–cohort design. Results: With a median follow-up of 13.4 years, 161 TC survivors were diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes risk was not increased compared to general population rates (standardised incidence ratios (SIR): 0.9; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.7–1.1). Adjusted for age, para-aortic radiotherapy was associated with a 1.66-fold (95% CI: 1.05–2.62) increased diabetes risk compared to no radiotherapy. The excess hazard increased with 0.31 with every 10 Gy increase in the prescribed radiation dose (95% CI: 0.11–0.51, P = 0.003, adjusted for age and BMI); restricted to irradiated patients the excess hazard increased with 0.33 (95% CI: −0.14 to 0.81, P = 0.169) with every 10 Gy increase in radiation dose. Conclusion: Compared to surgery only, para-aortic irradiation is associated with increased diabetes risk among TC survivors

Audio system

An audio system includes a circuit (12) for processing an audio signal, which circuit (12) having an input (20) for receiving the audio signal and an output (26) for supplying an output signal. The circuit (12) further includes a harmonics generator (22) coupled to the input (20) for generating harmonics of the audio signal and an adding circuit (24) coupled to the input (20) as well as to the harmonics generator (22) for supplying a sum of the audio signal and the generated harmonics to the output (26). The harmonics generator (22) includes an integrator (34) for integrating the audio signal and, coupled thereto, a resetting circuit (36) for resetting the integrator (34) at resetting times

Audio device for improved sound reproduction

An audio device includes a first audio path with a loudspeaker for reproducing an audio signal, and a second audio path. The second audio path includes in series a band-pass filter for filtering an audio signal, a detector for detecting the amplitude of the band-pass filtered audio signal, a multiplier for multiplying a periodic signal by the amplitude of the band-pass filtered audio signal, and a vibration device for reproducing the multiplied periodic signal. The frequency of the periodic signal is substantially equal to the resonance frequency of the vibration devic

Device for and a method of processing an audio signal

A device for processing an audio signal, wherein the device comprises a detection unit adapted for detecting a widening state of the audio signal, and a widening modification unit adapted for modifying a widening characteristic of the audio signal depending on the detected widening state of the audio signal

Shuffle device and central control device provided with the shuffle device

A shuffle device for players with different types of storage medium such as CD, DVD, hard disk drive or random access memory. The shuffle device is provided in a particular central control device such as a remote control, a hand-held computer, a personal digital assistant or palmtop that is valuable for all the players of the (home) system. As the shuffle device includes hardware and software, thus such hardware and software are needed only once and can be used for different players using a single shuffle device, for example. This alleviates the need for each player to have its own shuffle device thus reducing the cost of each player. Meta data that are downloaded from the Internet, derived from a smart card, added by means of a voice-to-text-converter, or typed in by the user may be displayed on the central control system

Monitoring apparatus for monitoring a user's heart rate and/or heart rate variation

A monitoring apparatus (4) monitors a user's heart rate and/or heart rate variation. The apparatus includes a capacitor (22) which is positionable on or near a body part of a person, for example a person's limb, for example an arm (3), such that an electrical capacitance of the capacitor (22) is influenced by blood pressure pulses of blood running through the body part. The apparatus (4) also includes a data processor (26) for determining the heart rate and/or heart rate variation from changes in the capacitance of the capacitor (22)

Data based ambient lighting control

In controlling an ambient lighting element, a category of data being rendered by a host is identified, ambient lighting data associated with the identified category is retrieved, and the retrieved ambient lighting data is rendered in correspondence with the rendered data. The retrieved ambient lighting data may be an ambient light script arranged to determine temporal portions of ambient lighting data. The ambient lighting data may be associated with the category based on user input. A sub-category of the data may be identified and the retrieved ambient lighting data may be modified with additional ambient lighting data associated with the sub-category. An association of a category with ambient lighting data may be edited by a user. A default association of a category to ambient lighting data may be provide

Method and apparatus for reducing the word length of a digital input signal and method and apparatus for recovering a digital input signal

A method and signal processing apparatus for reducing the number of bits of a digital input signal (M.sub.i), includes adding a pseudo-random noise signal (N.sub.a) to the digital input signal (M.sub.i) to obtain an intermediate signal (D.sub.i), the pseudo-random noise signal (N.sub.a) being defined by noise parameters (N.sub.p), and quantizing the intermediate signal (D.sub.i), having a word length of n bits, to a reduced word-length signal (M.sub.e) having a word length of m bits, n being larger than or equal to m. The method further includes quantizing the intermediate signal (D.sub.i) using a first transfer function which is non-linear, the first transfer function being defined by non-linear device parameters (NLD.sub.p)

Applications of DSP for sound reproduction improvement

Today and tomorrow's audio and video, portable audio and multi-media applications put increasing demands on sound reproduction techniques. On one hand there is a need for reductions in both cost and size, on the other hand we wish to enhance the experience of the user beyond today's possibilities. A good sound reproduction system is in general in conict with the boundary conditions for consumer products both by size as well as by price requirements. A possible way to ease these conicts is to enhance the reproduction and perception of sound for listeners by exploiting the combination of psycho-acoustics, loudspeaker configurations and digital signal processing. Various examples will be given, such as increasing the perceived bass response of loudspeakers, and increasing the number of loudspeaker channels (converting stereo to multichannel sound). When multichannel reproduction through loudspeakers is not a viable option, the same percept can be simulated over headphones. This method, using active noise control principles, is discussed as well