[Correlations between invasion of gastric cancer to serosal layer and other relevant factors]

OBJECTIVE

To study correlations between invasion of stomach cancer to serosal layer and such factors as size and type of tumor, depth of ulcer, gastric wall contraction, etc.

METHODS

Gastric cancer specimens from 150 patients admitted to the hospital in March 1993 through March 1997 were examined.

RESULTS

The frequency of tumor invasion to the serosa in gastric cancer of Borrmann type I, II, III and IV was 8.3%, 23.4%, 32.9% and 76.2%, respectively. The frequency of serosal involvement was 13.6% in tumors with a diameter < or = 3.0 cm which was significantly less frequent than in tumors with a diameter > 3.0 cm. The frequency of serosal involvement increased with the increase in depth of ulcer and with spastic contraction of gastric wall as observed in pre-operative barium meal examination. That of serosal involvement varied with degree of differentiation of the tumor, being much lower in well- and moderately well-differentiated adenocarcinomas (10.3%) than in poorly differentiated ones (62.8%). The serosa was frequently invaded by mucinous adenocarcinoma (42.9) and signet cell carcinoma (83.3%).

CONCLUSION

Invasion of gastric cancer to serosal layer correlates, to various extents, with the tumor size and type, status of cell differentiation, and depth of ulcer.

Preparation and Organized Assembly of Nanoparticulate TiO2-Stearate Alternating Langmuir-Blodgett Films

Nanoparticulate TiO2-stearate Langmuir-Blodgett-type monolayers and multilayers were directly obtained by using TiO2 hydrosol as the subphase. The surface pressure-versus-surface area isotherms showed that the monolayer could be compressed to a mean molecular area of 0.25 nm2. The monolayer was transferred onto a CaF2 or Si substrate at a dipping speed of 18 cm/min and surface pressure of 25 mN/m. It exhibited Y-type multilayer films over the range investigated (1-30 layers) with a transfer ratio of 1.0 &plusmn; 0.1. FTIR transmission spectra and linear infrared dichroic spectra provided evidence of the formation of a stable organic/inorganic alternating multilayer with nanoparticulate TiO2 between the organic monolayers. There is only slight absorption in the range of the C;equals;O stretching vibration band of the carboxylic group with the 3- and 6-nm TiO2 nanoparticles. This means that TiO2 particles are packed closely; i.e., the surface coverage is very high. A possible structure consists of layers of nanoparticles in close-packed form with two stearate ion layers inbetween. But it can be seen that there are some carboxylic groups (1700 cm-1) not connected to the 20-nm TiO2 nanoparticle. Electron microscopic (TEM) images of TiO2-stearate monolayers show that high-coverage monolayers were obtained when the surface pressure increased to 25 mN/m and the dipping speed to 18 cm/min. Copyright 1997Academic Press

[9-cis retinoic acid induces apoptosis in HL-60 cells]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the apoptosis of HL-60 cells induced by 9-cis retinoic acid (9-cis RA), and illustrate the possible molecular mechanism.

METHODS

Apoptosis was detected by morphological observation, DNA electrophoresis and flow cytometric cell cycle analysis. Bcl-2 expression was detected by flow cytometry.

RESULTS

9-cis RA initiated apoptosis of HL-60 cells after inducing them irreversibly commited to differentiation. Bcl-2 was downregulated during the differentiation and apoptosis process. 9-cis RA was more potent than all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) did in inducing terminal differentiation associated apoptosis and in downregulation of Bcl-2 expression.

CONCLUSION

9-cis RA can induce apoptosis in HL-60 cells. Downregulation of Bcl-2 expression appears to play an important role in the apoptosis of the differentiated leukemic cells.

Convective and radiative heat transfer coefficients for individual human body segments

Human thermal physiological and comfort models will soon be able to simulate both transient and spatial inhomogeneities in the thermal environment. With this increasing detail comes the need for anatomically specific convective and radiative heat transfer coefficients for the human body. The present study used an articulated thermal manikin with 16 body segments (head, chest, back, upper arms, forearms, hands, pelvis, upper legs, lower legs, feet) to generate radiative heat transfer coefficients as well as natural- and forced-mode convective coefficients. The tests were conducted across a range of wind speeds from still air to 5.0 m/s, representing atmospheric conditions typical of both indoors and outdoors. Both standing and seated postures were investigated, as were eight different wind azimuth angles. The radiative heat transfer coefficient measured for the whole-body was 4.5 W/m2 per K for both the seated and standing cases, closely matching the generally accepted whole-body value of 4.7 W/m2 per K. Similarly, the whole-body natural convection coefficient for the manikin fell within the mid-range of previously published values at 3.4 and 3.3 W/m2 per K when standing and seated respectively. In the forced convective regime, heat transfer coefficients were higher for hands, feet and peripheral limbs compared to the central torso region. Wind direction had little effect on convective heat transfers from individual body segments. A general-purpose forced convection equation suitable for application to both seated and standing postures indoors was hc = 10.3v0.6 for the whole-body. Similar equations were generated for individual body segments in both seated and standing postures.

Spatial localization with modified Fourier series windows. Application to the transmural 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of the in vivo myocardium

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

A modified Fourier Series Window (FSW) method is introduced that provides a simple, reasonably accurate, solution to spatial localization for layers in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. This method was developed because signal originating from spins immediately adjacent to the coil plane can leak into standard FSW localized spectra obtained from more distal layers.

METHODS

The B1 profile of the surface coil and a priori sample knowledge were used to generate modified FSW coefficients that largely compensate for contamination from proximal layers. These modified coefficients were used to acquire spatially localized spectra from a three-layered phantom containing inorganic phosphate, phosphocreatine, and pyrophosphate. Spatially localized spectra also were obtained from the open-chest canine myocardium.

RESULTS

The modified Fourier Series Window approach was validated using a quality assurance phantom. This method was then applied to the transmural analysis of 13C-containing metabolites in the in vivo canine myocardium during 3-(13)C sodium pyruvate infusion (n = 10). In vivo NMR spectra were characterized by resonances corresponding to the C2, C3, and C4 carbons of glutamic acid and to endogenous triacyglycerides and surface lipids. A transmural trend in metabolites could be observed under these conditions. This trend, however, was likely to result from the interference of surface lipids in the epicardial layer.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors demonstrate that the modified Fourier Series Window method can be applied in situations where signal-to-noise considerations limit the applicability of more sophisticated spatial localization methods. In addition, the authors report a slight gradient in the endogenous triacylglyceride resonance, which is likely to originate from the presence of surface lipids.

Cloning and characterization of a lung-specific cDNA corresponding to the gamma chain of hepatic fibrinogen

The gene (gamma FBG) encoding the fibrinogen gamma chain (gamma FBG) has been shown to exhibit both tissue-specific and ubiquitous expression. To confirm the identity of the gamma FBG transcripts expressed in extrahepatic tissue, lung tissue was chosen as a model of extrahepatic gamma FBG gene expression. A ferret lung cDNA clone bank was constructed in lambda gt11 and several positive plaques were isolated using cross-species hybridization with the rat gamma FBG cDNA. Sequence data of the longest clone, designated pFLG gamma 3, was compared at the nucleotide and deduced amino acid (aa) levels with sequences of gamma FBG from other species. The results indicated that the identity of the ferret lung-specific gamma FBG cDNA to pig, rat, bovine and human gamma FBG cDNAs ranged from 78-88%; the similarity of the ferret lung-specific gamma FBG deduced aa sequence ranged from 84-88% across species. Cysteine aa involved in intra- and inter-chain disulfide-bonded secondary and tertiary structure are absolutely conserved in ferret gamma FBG. The putative cell-cell adhesion sites for both platelet alpha IIb beta 3 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 receptor binding to ferret gamma FBG are > 90% similar to the corresponding sites in the human gamma FBG. The results of Northern hybridization indicated that the ferret lung gamma FBG mRNA was equivalent in size to the liver gamma FBG mRNA; Southern hybridization suggested that ferret gamma FBG is a single-copy gene, as is the gamma FBG of other species. Lung-specific gamma FBG expression was localized to epithelial cells of the large and small airways and chondrocytes by in situ RNA:RNA hybridization. The functional significance of gamma FBG expression in lung is not presently known. Since expression of FBG is up-regulated 2-10-fold in the liver during an inflammatory event, it is possible that lung-specific gamma FBG expression occurs predominantly during lung disease or injury.

[A study on serologic markers for screening before hepatitis B vaccination]

Three serologic markers for screening before hepatitis B vaccination were HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc. The data of HB virus infection in eight cities were analysed in order to save test cost and to achieve similar immune effect. For routine screening, anti-HBc is the only one marker needed to be used. The neonates and children aged 0-3 years can be vaccinated directly without screening.

Immunoglobulin M antibodies against hepatitis B core antigen in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection

A batch of sera obtained from subjects with acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, chronic carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) who were either asymptomatic or who had chronic active hepatitis, and 32 sera from patients with HBsAg negative chronic active hepatitis were examined for the presence of antibodies against hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Sera containing anti-HBc were fractionated on sucrose density gradients to separate immunoglobulin M (IgM) and the titre of anti-HBc IgM was determined. In patients with acute HBV infection, anti-HBc IgM was detected during the acute phase of the illness with titres ranging from 1:128 to 1:4,096 (geometric mean titre 1:709). The titre of anti-HBc IgM fell rapidly over the following months and in most patients persisted at low levels for several years. Anti-HBc IgM was also detected in subjects with chronic HBV infection but with significantly lower titres. In asymptomatic carriers, anti-HBc IgM titres ranged from 1:4 to 1:32 (geometric mean titre 1:12), whilst carriers with chronic active hepatitis had titres ranging from 1:4 to 1:128 (geometric mean titre 1:35). By using a standardized assay procedure, the titre of anti-HBc IgM in a patient's serum may be of value in differentiating between acute and chronic HBV infection.