Autocrine transforming growth factor beta stimulation of extracellular matrix production by fibroblasts from fibrotic human gingiva

The effectiveness of cancer screening depends crucially on two elements: the sojourn time (that is, the duration of the preclinical screen-detectable period) and the sensitivity of the screening test. Previous literature on methods of estimating mean sojourn time and sensitivity has largely concentrated on breast cancer screening. Screening for colorectal cancer has been shown to be effective in randomized trials, but there is little literature on the estimation of sojourn time and sensitivity. It would be interesting to demonstrate whether methods commonly used in breast cancer screening could be used in colorectal cancer screening. In this paper, the authors consider various analytic strategies for fitting exponential models to data from a screening program for colorectal cancer conducted in Calvados, France, between 1991 and 1994. The models yielded estimates of mean sojourn time of approximately 2 years for 45- to 54-year-olds, 3 years for 55- to 64-year-olds, and 6 years for 65- to 74-year-olds. Estimates of sensitivity were approximately 75%, 50%, and 40% for persons aged 45-54, 55-64, and 65-74 years, respectively. There is room for improvement in all models in terms of goodness of fit, particularly for the first year after screening, but results from randomized trials indicate that the sensitivity estimates are roughly correct.     

Algorithm of the zonal solution of radiation — conduction heat-transfer problems

A numerical method is proposed to compute the stationary radiation-conduction heat transfer in semitransparent materials on the basis of a zonal approach.Translated from Inzhenerno-Fizicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 41, No. 6, pp. 1094–1102, December, 1981.     

Melatonin induction of testicular recrudescence in hamsters and its subsequent inhibitory action on the antigonadotrophic influence of darkness on the pituitary-gonadal axis

The results of this animal study confirm the induction of delayed hypersensitivity to a halothane metabolite, but the sensitization does not cause hepatic damage on subsequent halothane exposures. Before the hypothesis that hepatic necrosis following halothane has an immunologic basis can be accepted or rejected, more critical studies with different approaches must be made.     

Dose-dependent prolactin releasing activity of arginine vasotocin in intact and pinealectomized estrogen-progesterone treated adult male rats

Estrogen-progesterone (EP) treated adult male rats were injected intravenously (iv) with 0.1, 1 or 10 mug arginine vasotocin (AVT) or Ringers lactate solution. A significant dose-related rise in plasma prolactin was evident 10 min after injection with AVT. In a second experiment, sham-operated or pinealectomized EP-treated male rats were injected iv with 0.1 or 1 mug AVT or diluent. Plasma prolactin was significantly elevated in both sham-operated and pinealectomized groups at both 10 and 20 min post-injection of 1 mug AVT. These results indicate that AVT has prolactin-releasing activity and that this activity is not dependent upon the presence of an intact pineal gland.