下水汚泥由来炭化物の地域循環利用システム

取得学位：博士(工学)，学位授与番号：博甲第1103号，学位授与年月日：平成21年3月23

活性汚泥処理の安定化・高度化に関する研究

[研究概要

Effect of daily setup errors on individual dose distribution in conventional radiotherapy: An initial study

金沢大学医薬保健研究域保健学系Recent linear accelerators can perform cone-beam computed tomography to correct setup errors immediately before dose delivery. We calculated the dose distribution with setup errors acquired from cone-beam computed tomography to determine a more realistic and individual effect of setup errors. The differences in dose distribution were analyzed. The setup errors of three patients who were irradiated in the neck, esophagus, and pelvic area were obtained retrospectively. We found that the maximum dose variances for the three cases were 19.9-35.9%. The maximum dose variance points were relatively far from the isocenter. The volume of the 10% dose difference had widths of 1.3-1.85 cm around the beam edges. The V95 and mean doses at the clinical target volume were mostly unchanged. Doses around the beam edges were more varied than those around the isocenter for every case. The dose on the spinal cord located near the beam edges varied by 5-10% compared with the dose of the radiotherapy plan in two of the cases. We demonstrated the individual dose distributions of the cases affected by daily setup errors for all fractions. © 2009 Japanese Society of Radiological Technology and Japan Society of Medical Physics

Improved On-Site Characterization of Arsenic in Gypsum from Waste Plasterboards Using Smart Devices

The impurities in waste plasterboards, a product of ethical demolition, are a serious problem for their recycling. Plasterboards, the wall materials used in old buildings, are often recycled into gypsum powder for various applications, including ground stabilization. However, this powder contains various chemical impurities from the original production process of the gypsum itself, and such impurities pose a risk of polluting the surrounding soil. Here, we present a simple method for verifying the presence of arsenic, a harmful element in recycled gypsum that is suitable for use at demolition sites. First, we developed a simple pretreatment method using a cation-exchange resin to dissolve insoluble gypsum suspended in water by exploiting a chemical equilibrium shift, and we estimated the quantity suitable for releasing the arsenic from arsenic-containing gypsum. This pretreated solution could then be tested with a conventional arsenic test kit by observing the color changes in the test paper using the image sensor of a smart device. This simple method could determine a wide range of arsenic quantities in the gypsum, which would be helpful for monitoring arsenic in recycled gypsum powder, thereby supporting the development of a safe circular economy for waste plasterboards

Ganglionic Acetylcholine Receptor Antibodies and Autonomic Dysfunction in Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases

Autonomic neuropathy has been reported in autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARD) including Sjögren’s syndrome, systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. However, the pathophysiological mechanism underlying autonomic dysfunction remains unknown to researchers. On the other hand, autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy (AAG) is an acquired immune-mediated disorder, which causes dysautonomia that is mediated by autoantibodies against ganglionic acetylcholine receptors (gAChRs). The purpose of this review was to describe the characteristics of autonomic disturbance through previous case reports and the functional tests used in these studies and address the importance of anti-gAChR antibodies. We have established luciferase immunoprecipitation systems to detect antibodies against gAChR in the past and determined the prevalence of gAChR antibodies in various autoimmune diseases including AAG and rheumatic diseases. Autonomic dysfunction, which affects lower parasympathetic and higher sympathetic activity, is usually observed in ARD. The anti-gAChR antibodies may play a crucial role in autonomic dysfunction observed in ARD. Further studies are necessary to determine whether anti-gAChR antibody levels are correlated with the severity of autonomic dysfunction in ARD