Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α expression is associated with histological type in human gastric carcinoma.

Gastric carcinoma is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Gastric carcinoma is histologically subdivided into differentiated and undifferentiated carcinoma, with the latter including poorly differentiated carcinoma and signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC). Poorly differentiated carcinoma and SRCC have a worse prognosis compared with differentiated carcinoma. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear hormone receptors and the PPAR-α subtype regulates important cellular functions, including cell proliferation, energy metabolism, oxidative stress, immune responses and cell differentiation. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the associations between clinicopathological factors and PPAR-α expression in patients with gastric carcinoma. The immunohistochemical staining of specimens obtained from 57 patients showed that PPAR-α expression was slightly weaker in undifferentiated carcinoma than in differentiated carcinoma (P<0.01). PPAR-α expression also significantly differed between poorly differentiated carcinoma (both positive and negative: 14/20, 70%) and SRCC (not expressed: 0/7, 0%) (P<0.01). However, PPAR-α expression was not significantly affected by age, lymph node invasion, venous invasion, lymph node metastasis, depth of invasion or stage. Collectively, the present results demonstrated that the downregulated expression of PPAR-α may play a key role in the biological transformation of tumors. Therefore, PPAR-α appears to be an important protein related to histology and may hold promise as a prognostic marker. Further studies with a larger number of subjects are needed to elucidate the relationship between PPAR-α expression and tumor progression and to analyze long-term clinical survival.

Statistical generalized phase-shifting digital holography with a continuous fringe-scanning scheme.

We propose a novel statistical generalized phase-shifting digital holography using a continuous fringe-scanning scheme. In this method, the continuous fringe-scanning scheme is implemented using a PC-based measurement system without any synchronous circuit between the digital camera and the phase shifter. Thus, nonuniformly phase-shifted interference fringes are captured sequentially because of the fluctuation of the image-capturing interval. To cope with the nonuniform phase shifts, we employ a statistical generalized phase-shifting approach. Since the algorithm is designed to use an arbitrary phase shift, the nonuniform phase shifts do not obstruct object wave retrieval. Simulations and experiments demonstrate that the proposed method can be used to implement a practical and accurate digital holography system.

Robust phase-shift estimation method for statistical generalized phase-shifting digital holography.

We propose a robust phase-shift estimation method for statistical generalized phase-shifting digital holography using a slightly off-axis optical configuration. The phase randomness condition in the Fresnel diffraction field of an object can be sufficiently established by the linear phase factor of the oblique incident reference wave. Signed phase-shift values can be estimated with a statistical approach regardless of the statistical properties of the Fresnel diffraction field of the object. We present computer simulations and optical experiments to verify the proposed method.