Circulating soluble adhesion molecules E-cadherin, E-selectin, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in patients with gastric cancer

The concentrations of the soluble adhesion molecules E-cadherin, E-selectin, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) were investigated in 45 patients with gastric cancer before treatment and their correlation with clinical, histological and routine laboratory parameters was examined. Data were collected on tumour stage at presentation, presence and sites of metastatic disease, tumour pathology, survival and results of routine laboratory tests. Serum concentrations of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were significantly elevated in the patients with gastric cancer in comparison with the group of healthy subjects (P < 0.00001 and P < 0.0001 respectively). Increased serum concentrations of VCAM-1 were associated with locally advanced and metastatic disease whereas ICAM-1 was significantly elevated both in local and in advanced/metastatic disease. Soluble E-cadherin and E-selectin concentrations did not show any significant elevation in gastric cancer patients. Concentrations of soluble adhesion molecules showed significant correlation with each other (except E-selectin and VCAM-1) and with alkaline phosphatase. Soluble ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were significantly associated with an elevated total white cell count. Patients with elevated VCAM-1 had significantly poorer survival in comparison with patients with normal serum levels (P = 0.0361).     

Compact digitally tunable laser

We present a new design for a digitally tunable laser using two waveguide grating routers with different free spectral range. For an N-channel device, both the number of required amplifiers and the number of required grating arms scale as the square root of N, resulting in a more compact device than previously demonstrated and better scaleability. Contrary to previously demonstrated devices with a reduced number of amplifiers, all wavelength channels are multiplexed together in one common channel, allowing for a higher output power. Tuning speeds below 10 ns are envisioned. Experimental results are presented.     

Producing robust use case diagrams via reverse engineering of use case descriptions

In a use case driven development process, a use case model is utilized by a development team to construct an object-oriented software system. The large degree of informality in use case models, coupled with the fact that use case models directly affect the quality of all aspects of the development process, is a very dangerous combination. Naturally, informal use case models are prone to contain problems, which lead to the injection of defects at a very early stage in the development cycle. In this paper, we propose a structure that will aid the detection and elimination of potential defects caused by inconsistencies present in use case models. The structure contains a small set of formal constructs that will allow use case models to be machine readable while retaining their readability by retaining a large degree of unstructured natural language. In this paper we also propose a process which utilizes the structured use cases to systematically generate their corresponding use case diagrams and vice versa. Finally a tool provides support for the new structure and the new process. To demonstrate the feasibility of this approach, a simple study is conducted using a mock online hockey store system.     

STUDY OF GLAZE PENETRATION AND ITS EFFECT ON GLAZE FIT: I-III*

A method for determining glaze penetration was developed and the effect of glaze penetration on glaze fit studied. The effects of twenty-four fluxes on penetration of a base glaze into semivitreous, hotel china, terra cotta, cordierite, pyrophyllite, wall tile, and steatite bodies were determined. The result shows that glaze penetration affects glaze fit and that penetration varies greatly, depending on glaze composition and the character of the body.     

Effect of tea phenolics on iron uptake from different fortificants by Caco-2 cells

The in vitro effects of tea phenolics on Fe uptake from different fortificants (FeSO₄, FeCl₃, FeEDTA) by Caco-2 cells were compared. Cell cultures were exposed to catechin, tannic acid, green or black tea solutions, added within Fe-containing solution, or used to pre-treat cell cultures before Fe-exposure. Cell ferritin formation was used as a measure of Fe uptake. Reverse phase chromatography was used to identify specific phenolics in tea solutions, and the Fe-binding catechol and galloyl groups were determined spectrophotometrically. The results showed a positive effect of catechin on Fe uptake only from dissociable Fe sources, and a marked inhibitory effect of tannic acid regardless of the Fe source. Tea phenolics exhibit similar inhibitory patterns on Fe uptake from FeCl₃ and FeEDTA solutions; however, the Fe uptake from FeSO₄ solutions was significantly less affected. These data improve the understanding of interactions by which tea phenolics affect Fe uptake at the intestinal level.     

Responding to threat: Hemispheric asymmetries and interhemispheric division of input.

This investigation examined how hemispheric asymmetry and interhemispheric processing contribute to attentional biases toward emotional information. Participants (n?=?88) named the color of lateralized squares presented concurrently with neutral, positive, or threatening words. A left-hemisphere advantage in color naming was reduced when distractors were emotional, suggesting right-hemisphere priming by emotional stimuli. Furthermore, the advantage of dividing the word and color across visual fields was increased for emotion words when they were frequently presented, indicating a strategic use of interhemispheric division of labor to reduce the distracting effect of emotional words. Finally, participants with high levels of anxious apprehension were most likely to make use of this interhemispheric processing strategy, supporting a processing efficiency theory of cognitive function in anxiety. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cross-cultural research in the perception of pictorial materials.

Reviews cross-cultural studies of the perception of objects in pictures, the use of depth and familiarity cues, and intercultural differences in picture perception in general. Criticisms of the ambiguities and inadequacies in existing stimulus materials and in instruction and questioning techniques are advanced, along with suggestions for changes. An attempt is made to evaluate existing research in light of the evidence it provides for the importance of direct experience with pictorial materials in the use and comprehension of such materials. (56 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A table for prorating incomplete Form R MMPIs.

Provides and describes a table for prorating scales when the entire Form R has not been completed. The table includes the standard validity and clinical scales, as well as Ego Strength and the Subtle and Obvious scores, and ranges from 200 to 390 completed items in increments of 10. MMPIs from 190 patients were used to test the accuracy of these conversions for 200, 250, 300, and 350 items. Good concordance of profile types was found for 300 and 350 completed questions, but clinical interpretations based on only 200 items may be suspect. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Yeast and corn hydrolysates and other nutritious materials as attractants for onion and seed flies

The attractancy of enzymatic yeast hydrolysate, a corn hydrolysate, brewers' yeast, honey, ammonia,n-dipropyl disulfide, and several combinations of these treatments was tested in an onion field containing onion flies,Hylemya antiqua (Meigen) and seedcorn flies,H. platura (Meigen). Enzymatic yeast hydrolysate (concentrated powder) proved to be highly attractive to both fly species; females were more responsive than males. Brewers' yeast and corn hydrolysate were intermediately attractive, while all other treatments were only slightly or not at all attractive. Although no steps were taken to prolong release of volatiles, some of the nutritious materials remained highly attractive even after 11 days. The yeast products may, at certain times, be even more attractive than specific host volatiles. However, their activity was not constant over time and may be influenced by the stage of reproductive development of female flies.Diptera: AnthomyiidaePaper No. 9511 of the Michigan State University Agricultural Experiment Station.