In vitro invasion of small-cell lung cancer cell lines correlates with expression of epidermal growth factor receptor.

Formation of metastasis is a multistep process involving attachment to the basement membrane, local proteolysis and migration into surrounding tissues, lymph or bloodstream. In the present study, we have analysed the correlation between in vitro invasion and presence of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in a panel of 21 small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) cell lines. We have previously reported that ten of these cell lines expressed EGFR protein detected by radioreceptor and affinity labelling assays. In 11 small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) cell lines, EGFR mRNA was detected by Northern blot analysis. In vitro invasion in a Boyden chamber assay was found in all EGFR-positive cell lines, whereas no invasion was detected in the EGFR-negative cell lines. Quantification of the in vitro invasion in 12 selected SCLC cell lines demonstrated that, in the EGFR-positive cell lines, between 5% and 16% of the cells added to the upper chamber were able to traverse the Matrigel membrane. Expression of several matrix metalloproteases (MMP), of tissue inhibitor of MMP (TIMP) and of cathepsin B was evaluated by immunoprecipitation, Western blot analysis and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). However, in vitro invasive SCLC cell lines could not be distinguished from non-invasive cell lines based on the expression pattern of these molecules. In six SCLC cell lines, in vitro invasion was also determined in the presence of the EGFR-neutralizing monoclonal antibody mAb528. The addition of this antibody resulted in a significant reduction of the in vitro invasion in three selected EGFR-positive cell lines. Our results show that only EGFR-positive SCLC cell lines had the in vitro invasive phenotype, and it is therefore suggested that the EGFR might play an important role for the invasion potential of SCLC cell lines

MINERvA neutrino detector response measured with test beam data

The MINERvA collaboration operated a scaled-down replica of the solid scintillator tracking and sampling calorimeter regions of the MINERvA detector in a hadron test beam at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility. This article reports measurements with samples of protons, pions, and electrons from 0.35 to 2.0 GeV/c momentum. The calorimetric response to protons, pions, and electrons are obtained from these data. A measurement of the parameter in Birks' law and an estimate of the tracking efficiency are extracted from the proton sample. Overall the data are well described by a Geant4-based Monte Carlo simulation of the detector and particle interactions with agreements better than 4%, though some features of the data are not precisely modeled. These measurements are used to tune the MINERvA detector simulation and evaluate systematic uncertainties in support of the MINERvA neutrino cross section measurement program.Comment: as accepted by NIM

Influence of Market Type and Time of Purchase on Bacterial Counts and Salmonella and Listeria Prevalence in Whole Chickens in Vietnam

The objective of the current study was to determine the influence of market type and sampling time on Salmonella and Listeria prevalence and bacterial counts of 180 whole chicken carcasses collected from 6 supermarkets (SM), 6 indoor markets (IM), and 6 open markets (OM) in Vietnam, at opening (T0) and 4 h after the opening (T4). Salmonella and Listeria prevalence was at least 25.6% and 42.7%, respectively. Whole birds in IM had greater Salmonella prevalence than birds from both SM and OM by 28.4% and 23.0% (P = 0.006 and 0.022, respectively). Listeria prevalence was lower in whole chickens from SM, at 56.6%, than those in IM and OM (78.6% and 73.2%, P = 0.024 and 0.089, respectively). Whole chicken carcasses had more than 10.1, 7.5, and 9.4 log colony-forming units (CFU)/g of aerobic bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli), and coliforms, respectively. Both E. coli and coliform counts were greater in IM than in SM (P = 0.002 and 0.006). However, only E. coli counts differed between SM (7.7 log CFU/g) and OM (8.3 log CFU/g; P = 0.024). These results highlighted high levels of bacteria and high prevalence of Salmonella and Listeria in whole chickens in retail establishments in Vietnam, posing potential food safety and public health risks

The effects of juvenile stress on anxiety, cognitive bias and decision making in adulthood:a rat model

Stress experienced in childhood is associated with an increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders in adulthood. These disorders are particularly characterized by disturbances to emotional and cognitive processes, which are not currently fully modeled in animals. Assays of cognitive bias have recently been used with animals to give an indication of their emotional/cognitive state. We used a cognitive bias test, alongside a traditional measure of anxiety (elevated plus maze), to investigate the effects of juvenile stress (JS) on adulthood behaviour using a rodent model. During the cognitive bias test, animals were trained to discriminate between two reward bowls based on a stimulus (rough/smooth sandpaper) encountered before they reached the bowls. One stimulus (e.g. rough) was associated with a lower value reward than the other (e.g. smooth). Once rats were trained, their cognitive bias was explored through the presentation of an ambiguous stimulus (intermediate grade sandpaper): a rat was classed as optimistic if it chose the bowl ordinarily associated with the high value reward. JS animals were lighter than controls, exhibited increased anxiety-like behaviour in the elevated plus maze and were more optimistic in the cognitive bias test. This increased optimism may represent an optimal foraging strategy for these underweight animals. JS animals were also faster than controls to make a decision when presented with an ambiguous stimulus, suggesting altered decision making. These results demonstrate that stress in the juvenile phase can increase anxiety-like behaviour and alter cognitive bias and decision making in adulthood in a rat model

A moral panic? The problematization of forced marriage in British newspapers

This paper examines the British media’s construction of forced marriage as an urgent social problem in a context where other forms of violence against women are not similarly problematised. A detailed analysis of four British newspapers over a ten-year period demonstrates that media reporting of forced marriage constitutes a moral panic in that it is constructed as a cultural problem that threatens Britain’s social order rather than as a specific form of violence against women. Thus, the current problematisation of forced marriage restricts discursive spaces for policy debates and hinders attempts to respond to this problem as part of broader efforts to tackle violence against women

A velocity map imaging spectrometer for electron?ion and ion?ion coincidence experiments with synchrotron radiation

We have built a velocity imaging (VMI) spectrometer optimized for angle-resolved photoionization experiments with synchrotron radiation (SR) in the VUV and soft X-tay range. The spectrometer is equiped with four electrostatic lenses that focus the charged photoionization products onto a position-sensitive multi-hit delay-line anode. The use of two additional electrostatic lens elements as compared to the standard design of Eppink and Parker [T.J.B. Eppink and D.H. Parker, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 68 (1997) 3477]provides better focusing of an extended interaction region, which is crucial for most SR applications. Furthermore, the apparatus is equipped with a second micro-channel plate detector opposite to the VMI spectrometer, enabling electron-ion coincidence experiments and thereby mass-resolved ion spectroscopy independent of the time structure of the synchrotron radiation. First results for the photofragmentation of CO2 molecules are presented

Forensic interviewing of mentally disordered suspects: The impact of interview style on investigation outcomes.

The investigative interviewing of a vulnerable suspect is a complex and difficult task. Current best practice advocates for the use of open questions in order to elicit a free recall. However, those with mental health conditions have limited cognitive abilities that relate to free recall and episodic memory, and there is emerging evidence that suggests open questions may not always be most suitable for the vulnerable interviewee. As such, the present study examined the impact of two different interview models (best practice v modified interview) on the amount and accuracy of investigation relevant information obtained within an experimental vulnerable ‘suspect’ sample. Participants engaged in two tasks; a minor transgression and a matched non-transgression. Each participant was then subject to either a best practice (containing largely open questions) or a modified interview (containing largely closed questions). Vulnerable participants provided a significantly higher and more accurate amount of investigation relevant information during the modified interview rather than the best practice interview. In addition, participants that have mental health conditions sought more clarifications during the best practice interviews. The type of interview did not impact upon the level of vulnerability displayed. Our findings challenge current best practice in that vulnerable participants performed worse in interviews containing more open questions than closed questions. These findings add to the emerging evidence base that vulnerable individuals may require an alternative method of questioning, including the use of closed questions as ‘scaffolding’ during an investigative interview