Effects of relaxation training on glucose tolerance and diabetic control in type II diabetes.

The present study examined the effects of progressive relaxation training and EMG biofeedback on acute glucose disposal in diabetic subjects, as measured by glucose tolerance and three other measures of diabetic metabolic control. Twenty subjects with non-insulin-using Type II diabetes took part in progressive relaxation training and EMG biofeedback in a pre-post treatment versus wait-list experimental design. Treatment effects were assessed on glucose tolerance along with three measures of diabetic control: fasting blood glucose, two-hour postprandial blood glucose, and fructosamine.

Agreement between death certificate and autopsy diagnoses among atomic bomb survivors.

Based on the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission/Radiation Effects Research Foundation series of over 5,000 autopsies, we examined death certificate accuracy for 12 disease categories and assessed the effect of potential modifying factors on agreement and accuracy. The overall percentage agreement between death certificate and autopsy diagnoses was only 52.5%.

Mortality among workers at a nuclear power plant in the United States.

A second follow-up of 9,000 workers at the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant (MD, USA) identified 346 deaths in the years 1969-88, 101 of which were attributed to malignant neoplasms. The original study had the primary purpose of assessing the feasibility of studies of workers based upon individual plant and Nuclear Regulatory Commission records. The average, cumulative, occupational dose through 1984 was low, only 21 mSv, but ranged up to 470 mSv, with 12 percent of the workers receiving more than 50 mSv.

Cancer in populations living near nuclear facilities. A survey of mortality nationwide and incidence in two states.

Reports from the United Kingdom have described increases in leukemia and lymphoma among young persons living near certain nuclear installations. Because of concerns raised by these reports, a mortality survey was conducted in populations living near nuclear facilities in the United States. All facilities began service before 1982.

Selection, follow-up, and analysis in the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission Study.

More is known about ionizing radiation as a cause of human cancer than about any other carcinogen. Most of this knowledge is derived from the studies conducted by the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission and Radiation Effects Research Foundation on about 100,000 Japanese survivors of the atomic bombing in 1945. The importance of these studies is based on the large size of the exposed population and the fact that individual estimates of radiation dose were possible.

Effects upon health of occupational exposure to microwave radiation (radar).

The effects of occupational experience with microwave radiation (radar) on the health of US enlisted Naval personnel were studied in cohorts of approximately 20,000 men with maximum opportunity for exposure (electronic equipment repair) and 208000 with minimum potential for exposure (equipment operation) who served during the Korean War period. Potential exposure was assessed in terms of occupational duties, length of time in occupation and power of equipment at the time of exposure. Actual exposure to members of each cohort could not be established.

Army technologists: 29-year follow up for cause of death.

A previous 18-year follow-up study revealed no significant excess of cancer among men who served in the Army during World War II as radiological technologists (n = 6,560) as compared with men who served as medical, laboratory, or pharmacy technologists (n = 6,826). Extension of the follow up by 11 years (1946-1974) revealed that 145 former radiological technologists had died of cancer, as compared with 158 controls. No statistically significant differences were found between these groups for individual sites of cancer or for deaths from other causes.

Army rank and subsequent mortality by cause: 23-year follow-up.

Mortality among veterans has been studied in relation to military rank at separation in a series of 85,491 men discharged from the US Army in 1946 and traced through 1969. It was found that although the mortality of privates was very close to expectation based on population rates, non-commissioned officers had a 23% advantage and commissioned officers about a 40% advantage. The relative advantage of the veterans who had higher rank held not only for deaths from all causes but also for most of the specific causes examined and there was only a small tendency for the differences to diminish with the passage of time during the 23-year period of follow-up.