Novel expression and regulation of gastrin gene in human ovarian cancer cell line, SW626

Gastrin-secreting tumors have been identified in ectopic locations including the ovary; the mechanisms regulating gastrin gene expression, its distribution, and signaling pathways in these ectopic tissues are not known. The purpose of our present study was to determine: (1) whether the gastrin gene and peptide could be detected in ovarian cancer cell lines, (2) if functional gastrin releasing peptide receptors (GRP-R) are present, and (3) whether gastrin gene expression is altered by GRP. Five ovarian cancer cell lines (SW626, OVCA 420, OVCA 429, OVCA 432, and OVCA 433) were analyzed. We identified gastrin gene and peptide expression in the SW626 cell line but not in the OVCA lines. SW626 cells express a functional GRP-R that is correctly coupled to the Ca2+ signaling pathway. Treatment of SW626 cells with bombesin, the amphibian equivalent of GRP, inhibited expression of the gastrin gene in a time- and dose-dependent fashion. The SW626 ovarian cancer cell line will provide a useful model to further define regulation and expression of both the gastrin gene and peptide in ectopic (nongastrointestinal) tissues.     

Implementing enterprise resource planning systems: organizational performance and the duration of the implementation

This paper examines the impact of the duration of ERP implementation on firm performance both during and after implementation. Organizations choose either an accelerated implementation approach or a traditional (longer) implementation approach. The former approach gives the organization the advantage of speed, but the disadvantage of fitting its processes to that of a packaged (thus, undifferentiated from competitors) ERP. The latter approach allows the organization to redesign strategy and processes, and thus, search for ways to be unique from its competition. The study uses a regression model to capture the changes in various performance measures during and after implementation between firms that implemented the ERP, using the performance measure of a matched group of firms that did not implement an ERP as a benchmark/control sample, on the basis of the duration of the implementation. Financial data from Compustat, and data on start date and end date of ERP implementation between 1990 and 2005 for firms in the Oil and Gas industry was collected from an ERP vendor. Results show that measures such as return on sales improved after implementation. However, measures such as inventory turnover, which reflect operational benefits, improve during implementation. We find that accelerated implementation confers both operational and strategic benefits. This study highlights the strategic consequences of the different choices of implementation.     

Automatic Summarization of Changes in Biological Image Sequences Using Algorithmic Information Theory

An algorithmic information-theoretic method is presented for object-level summarization of meaningful changes in image sequences. Object extraction and tracking data are represented as an attributed tracking graph (ATG). Time courses of object states are compared using an adaptive information distance measure, aided by a closed-form multidimensional quantization. The notion of meaningful summarization is captured by using the gap statistic to estimate the randomness deficiency from algorithmic statistics. The summary is the clustering result and feature subset that maximize the gap statistic. This approach was validated on four bioimaging applications: 1) It was applied to a synthetic data set containing two populations of cells differing in the rate of growth, for which it correctly identified the two populations and the single feature out of 23 that separated them; 2) it was applied to 59 movies of three types of neuroprosthetic devices being inserted in the brain tissue at three speeds each, for which it correctly identified insertion speed as the primary factor affecting tissue strain; 3) when applied to movies of cultured neural progenitor cells, it correctly distinguished neurons from progenitors without requiring the use of a fixative stain; and 4) when analyzing intracellular molecular transport in cultured neurons undergoing axon specification, it automatically confirmed the role of kinesins in axon specification.     

Coatings on graphite crucibles used in melting uranium

Standard coatings for graphite crucibles used for melting uranium have generally been zirconia based and have been applied as a paint or by flame spraying. These coatings do not provide adequate protection at the temperatures normally required for melting uranium alloys. Yttria provides superior protection above 1300°C but becomes less satisfactory above 1450°C when applied directly on graphite. The utilization of a protective niobium/zirconia bilayer coating between the yttria and the graphite results in improved performance at 1500°C. Yttria has been satisfactorily applied both by plasma spraying and by brush applying a stable suspension. When the protective niobium layer is used, coating adherence after melting is excellent and multiple use of coatings is practical. The coatings adhere to graphite with a high coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) (≈7 μm m^-1 °C^-1) much better than to standard crucible grade graphite (≈4μm m^-1 °C^-1). A single Nb/Y₂O₃-coated high CTE graphite crucible has been used for seven melts at 1450°C without repair or increased carbon contamination.The yttria paint coating is cost effective when compared with flame- or plasma-sprayed zirconia.     

Numerical investigation of heat transfer enhancement in a multitube thermal energy storage heat exchanger using fins

The application of a phase change material (PCM) as thermal energy storage observed unprecedented growth due to its large latent heat storage capacity at a constant temperature. However, the design of an energy storage heat exchanger is a challenging task because of the poor thermal conductivity of PCMs. In an effort to improve the heat exchanger design, this paper presents a numerical performance investigation of a PCM-based multitube heat exchanger incorporated with two new fin configurations. The analysis of the results shows that the placement of fins is one of the important aspects, which needs to be cogitated in the design of heat exchangers.     

Reducing intergroup bias: Elements of intergroup cooperation.

The authors examined the potentially separable contributions of 2 elements of intergroup cooperation, interaction and common fate, and the processes through which they can operate. The manipulation of interaction reduced bias in evaluative ratings, which supports the idea that these components are separable, whereas the manipulation of common fate when the groups were interacting was associated with lower bias in nonverbal facial reactions in response to contributions by in-group and out-group members. Whereas interaction activated several processes that can lead to reduced bias, including decategorization, consistent with the common in-group identity model (S. L. Gaertner, I F. Dovidio, P. A. Anastasio, B. A. Bachman, & M. C. Rust, 1993) as well as M. Hewstone and R. J. Brown's (1986) group differentiation model, the primary set of mediators involved participants' representations of the memberships as 2 subgroups within a superordinate entity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Starch urea formaldehyde matrix encapsulation of solid agrochemicals. I. Matrix synthesis and characterizations

A starch urea formaldehyde (starch-UF) matrix has been studied for application to the encapsulation of a solid insecticide. The pertinent parameters relating to the matrix synthesis have been identified and the influences of these parameters on release of the insecticide from the starch UF matrix have been investigated. The key parameter controlling the rate of release is the urea to starch ratio. It is shown that the release process can be described in terms of the generalized equation M_t/M_∞ = ktⁿ where k and n vary with system variables.     

Influence of an oligodendroglial component on the survival of patients with anaplastic astrocytomas: a report of Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 83-02

PURPOSE: Seven percent of patients with high grade gliomas enrolled in RTOG 83-02 had mixed astrocytoma/oligodenroglial elements on central pathology review. It has often been assumed that the most aggressive histologic component of a tumor determines biologic behavior; however in this trial, the survival of patients who had mixed glioblastomas/oligodenrogliomas was significantly longer than that of patients with pure glioblastomas (GBM). We therefore evaluated the effect of an oligodendroglial component on the survival of patients who had anaplastic astrocytomas (AAF) treated in the same trial. METHODS AND MATERIALS: One hundred nine patients who had AAF and 24 patients with mixed AAF/oligodendrogliomas (AAF/OL) were enrolled in a Phase I/II trial of randomized dose-escalation hyperfractioned radiotherapy plus BCNU. AAF/OL patients were older and more likely to have had more aggressive surgery than AAF patients. Other pretreatment characteristics were balanced between groups, as was assigned treatment. RESULTS: The median survival time for AAF was 3.0 years versus 7.3 years for AAF/OL (p = 0.019). In a multivariate analysis, adjusting for extent of surgical resection and age, an oligodendroglial component was an independent prognostic factor for survival. CONCLUSION: The results support the concept that AAFs with an oligodendroglial component have a better prognosis than pure AAF tumors, similar to the effect seen among patients with glioblastoma multiforme tumors. This better survival outcome should be taken into consideration in the design and stratification of future trials. Additionally, in contrast to patients with GBMs, patients who have AAF/OL have the potential for prolonged survival; therefore, late sequelae of treatment (both radiation and chemotherapy) must be weighed more heavily in the benefits to risks analysis.