If necessary, the filter can be applied several times; it operate

If necessary, the filter can be applied several times; it operates by removing the magnetization of spins that reside

at the immobile site and therefore the diffusional decay detected at the end is, if the filter applied repeatedly, contributed only by those spins that resided on the “free” and mobile site during the whole diffusion time. In other words, the detected decay is supposed to be single-component with setting D = Df in Eq. (1). The pulse sequence with a single T2-filter was proposed previously [39] but without a detailed analysis, evaluation, and without having identified its possible use for eliminating exchange effects. The signal attenuation in the pulse sequence given in Fig. 2 can be found by analyzing the same set of coupled of differential selleck inhibitor equations as above, Eq. (2a) and (2b).

The effect of the T2-filter is to re-establish after having applied the filter the same initial condition as in Eq. (6). As the other initial condition, at the end of the first τex delay and after having applied the first T2-filter, the free-pool magnetization is expressed similarly to that in Eq. (7a). equation(8a) Mz(q,τex)∝P′e-(2πq)2D1τex+(1-P′)e-(2πq)2D2τexMz(q,τex)∝P′e-(2πq)2D1τex+(1-P′)e-(2πq)2D2τex Hence, the selleckchem effect of any subsequent delay τex and T2-filter is to simply multiply the free-pool magnetization by the same factor; for n filters and thereby (n + 1) τex delays the obtained signal becomes equation(8b) S(q,n,τex)∝Mz(q,n,τex)∝(P′e-(2πq)2D1τex+(1-P′)e-(2πq)2D2τex)n+1S(q,n,τex)∝Mzq,n,τex∝P′e-(2πq)2D1τex+(1-P′)e-(2πq)2D2τexn+1

(We provide in Appendix A the formal solutions for those situations where delays τ1 and τrel are not of negligible length.) In that limit where the filter is applied with sufficiently high (τex ≪ 1/kb) frequency, the original exchange equation Eq. (2a) becomes modified by having suppressed any magnetization returning form the “bound” site equation(9) dMf(t)dt=-(2πq)2Df+kf+RfMf(t) As a result, the effect of exchange on the diffusional decay is removed and one retains the original Stejskal–Tanner expression with exchange Staurosporine chemical structure solely exhibited as an intensity reduction equation(10) S=(S0e-kfΔ)e-γ2δ2g2(Δ-δ/3)DS=(S0e-kfΔ)e-γ2δ2g2(Δ-δ/3)Dby the factor exp(−kfΔ) that arises because longitudinal magnetization transferred to the “bound” site is eliminated. With τ1 ≫ T2b as is under consideration here, the system is selectively excited so that in the beginning of the τ2 period it is only the “free” site that exhibits nonzero longitudinal magnetization. This situation is similar to that explored in exchanging systems where spectral resolution permits the excitation of individual resonances by selective RF pulses [41]. As compared to conventional PGSTE experiments with nonselective RF pulses, the effect of exchange is reduced with selective excitation.

Identifying personality characteristics and underlying

Identifying personality characteristics and underlying IDH inhibitor drugs biological mechanisms that predispose to weight gain are of considerable public health interest because this will enable ‘profiling’ of persons at risk for overweight and the development of personalized weight-management interventions. In the past decades a wide range of personality characteristics related to food intake and body weight has been identified (for an excellent review, see Ref. [2]). This includes general personality characteristics like reward sensitivity as well as specific eating-related characteristics, such as restrained and external eating 2••, 3 and 4. While behavioral evidence for a link between personality characteristics and eating behavior is mounting,

less is known about the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Several meta-analyses and reviews have begun to identify the core neural responses to food cues 5, 6 and 7••. However, the modulating effect of personality on food-induced brain responses has been relatively little investigated. This review and meta-analysis gives an overview of the current knowledge www.selleckchem.com/products/Metformin-hydrochloride(Glucophage).html and recent advances in the study of personality characteristics in relation to food-induced brain responses. A large number of personality characteristics have been used in research on food-induced brain responses. However, it seems unlikely that each of these characteristics represents an independent

neurobiological mechanism. Indeed, behavioral studies have shown that many of these characteristics are interrelated, for example, food addiction, impulsivity and external eating 8• and 9 and external eating, emotional eating and restraint [10]. To establish which personality characteristics share a common neural background, that is, which characteristics modulate food-induced brain responses in similar brain areas, we conducted an Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) meta-analysis 11, 12 and 13. ALE meta-analysis is a quantitative voxel-wise meta-analysis technique that compares the Ceramide glucosyltransferase results of neuroimaging studies using reported coordinates. Extensive inclusion criteria, included

studies and meta-analysis methodology can be found in the supplementary material and Tables S1 and S2. The analysis yielded several remarkable findings. First, overall there is rather low concurrence in the brain areas which are modulated, as reflected by the widespread cloud of plotted peak coordinates in Figure 1 and the low number of contributing experiments to significant clusters (Table 1). This could suggest that there is low overlap in brain regions where different personality characteristics modulate food-induced brain responses. However, considering the wide range of task-designs, subject groups and stimuli, the low concurrence could also be attributed to methodological differences between studies. This is further supported by the surprising finding that studies investigating the same personality characteristic (e.g.

Findings of cognitive changes in unilateral vestibular loss have

Findings of cognitive changes in unilateral vestibular loss have been less consistent. In a large study, 50 patients with unilateral labyrinthine hypofunction as a consequence find more of previous vestibular neuritis were compared to 50 age- and sex-matched healthy controls on their spatial working memory performance (using the Corsi block task) and their navigation abilities (Guidetti et al., 2008). Results

showed spatial working memory as well as navigational impairments in both left and right labyrinthine-deficient patients as compared to controls. In contrast, an earlier study found a trend toward spatial memory and navigation impairments in patients with right, but not left, unilateral vestibular deafferentation (Hufner et al., 2007). Attention processes (involved in simple, inhibitory, and forced choice reaction time tasks) have also been described as compromised in patients with well compensated (no symptoms of dizziness or definable postural deficit) surgically confirmed unilateral vestibular loss, particularly when patients were simultaneously engaged in a postural challenge task (Redfern et al., 2004). Beyond spatial navigation and memory, the capacity to perform mental rotation

tasks has been reported as impaired PLX-4720 nmr in a small sample of patients (n=8) with bilateral vestibular loss as compared to 14 healthy controls ( Grabherr et al., 2011). There is also some references in the literature associating vestibular loss with impairments with mental arithmetic or dyscalculia ( Risey and Briner, 1990 and Smith, 2012); however the findings are inconsistent (e.g. see Andersson et al. (2003)). Some further support for vestibular input to various cognitive tasks is derived from galvanic and caloric vestibular stimulation studies. For example, a recent study applied suprathreshold bilateral bipolar galvanic vestibular stimulation to 120 healthy adults and compared their performance on a cognitive battery to a control condition which involved no GVS or subthreshold stimulation ( Dilda et al., 2012). Results were consistent with the literature on bilateral vestibular loss

and indicated that galvanic vestibular stimulation significantly degraded performance on short-term spatial memory, egocentric mental rotation (perspective taking) with no difference noted in other areas of cognition (including reaction 2-hydroxyphytanoyl-CoA lyase time and dual tasking). An earlier study using unilateral caloric stimulation in healthy individuals suggested that caloric stimulation selectively activates contralateral cerebral structures and enhances cognitive processes mediated by these structures, with left ear stimulation improving spatial memory and right ear stimulation improving verbal memory ( Bachtold et al., 2001). Given that the cognitive changes in spatial memory associated with vestibular loss remain apparent 5–10 years following vestibular neurectomies (Brandt et al., 2005 and Schautzer et al.

The concentrations of essential oil evaluated were: 0, 25, 50, 10

The concentrations of essential oil evaluated were: 0, 25, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 μg/mL. The antioxidant activity was expressed as inhibition percentage with reference to the control after a 60 min incubation using the following equation: %AA = 100 [1 − (Ai − At)/Ac − Act)], where %AA = antioxidant activity; Ai = sample absorbance at time 0; At = sample absorbance at Docetaxel in vivo 60 min; Ac = absorbance of control at time 0; Act = absorbance

of control at 60 min. The hydrogen atom or electron donation ability of the savory essential oil and the timol pure compound (reference) were measured from the bleaching of purple-colored ethanol solution of DPPH. This spectrophotometric assay uses the stable radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) as a reagent (Amarowicz, Pegg, Rahimi-Moghaddam, Barl, & Weil, 2004). An aliquot of the sample (100 μl) was mixed with 1.4 ml of ethanol and then added to 1 ml of 0.004% DPPH (Sigma–Aldrich) in ethanol. The mixture was shaken vigorously and then immediately placed in a UV–vis spectrophotometer (UV – 1601PC Shimadzu) to monitor the decrease in absorbance at 517 nm. Monitoring was continued for 60 min until the reaction reached a plateau. The radical-scavenging activities of samples, expressed as percentage inhibition of DPPH, were calculated according

Forskolin in vivo to the formula: Antioxidant activity %AA = 100 − [(As × 100)/Ac] where As and Ac are the absorbance values of the sample and of the control checked after 60 min, respectively. The effect of S. montana L. EO on lipid oxidation in the sausages was evaluated using a spectrophotometer (Cary, Varian) and the 2-thiobarbituric

acid (TBA) extraction method described by Raharjo, Sofos, and Schmidt (1992). Ten-gram portions of sausages were combined with 40 ml of 5% trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and 1 ml of 0.15% antioxidant BHT (Sigma–Aldrich) and homogenized for 5 min. The homogenate Protein kinase N1 was filtered through Whatman No. 1 filter paper, and 2 ml of filtrate was combined with 2 ml of 0.08 mol/l TBA reagent and heated in boiling water (100 ± 5 °C) for 5 min. The absorbance of the resulting solution was measured at 531 nm, and the TBARS values were expressed as mg of malondialdehyde (MDA) per kg sample, calculated using 1,1,3,3-tetraethoxypropane (TEP) as the standard. Treatments were arranged in split-plot factorial designs, with EO concentrations (0.00, 7.80, 15.60 and 31.25 μl/g) and nitrite levels (0, 100 and 200 mg/kg) as plots and times of storage (1, 10, 20 and 30 days) as subplots. The whole experiment was conducted in three independent batches, and the collected data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) to verify the interactions between the effects. The differences among the treatments at each day of storage were also determined by ANOVA, and the means were compared with a Scott–Knott test, adopting a 5% significance level. The statistical analyses, plots and regression plots were performed using Statistical R® software (2010).

, 2010) Salmon lice affect host physiology, suppress host

, 2010). Salmon lice affect host physiology, suppress host

immune responses and are suspected as vectors for other pathogens ( Nowak et al., 2010, Nylund et al., 2010, Nylund et al., 1994 and Jakob et al., 2011). Because of the adverse effects on the hosts and indicated negative effects salmon louse have on some wild populations, it has been identified this website as one of the major challenges to salmonid aquaculture. If not kept under control, it represents a potentially severe burden for farmed and unfarmed salmonids ( Costello, 2006). Control has hitherto relied on a limited number of chemotherapeutants, but environmental concerns and reports of resistance have spurred broad research on

the salmon louse including studies of their molecular biology ( Carmichael et al., 2013, Dalvin et al., 2011, Eichner et al., 2008, Fallang et al., 2005, Fallang selleck inhibitor et al., 2004, Kvamme et al., 2004 and Treasurer et al., 2000). The available salmon louse genome assemblies (sealouse.imr.no and www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genbank) are important resources when embarking on studies of uncharacterized salmon louse genes. However, additional information about spatiotemporal expression patterns are of dire importance when evaluating predicted gene functions. Therefore, we have characterized the spatial expression pattern of 11,100 genes using a 44 K oligomicroarray. In the present study, five different types of tissue were sampled from adult salmon lice (Fig. 1). The ovaries and testes aminophylline are paired organs positioned on each side of the coalesced eyes just below the cuticula and are easily identified. In female lice, the ovaries have a continuous production of oocytes that are transported via the oviduct to the genital segment where egg maturation takes place. In males, testes produce spermatozytes that are deposited on the females by transfer of spermatophores. Digestion of the blood, slime and skin cells from the salmonid host takes place in the

gut. The gut is an elongated organ that stretches from the mouth found in the anterior part on the underside of the animal to the rectum in the very end of the abdominal segment. The gut content is repeatedly homogenized by muscular mixing and the gut appears to be undifferentiated (Kvamme et al., 2004 and Nylund et al., 1992). There is no hepatopancreas associated with the gut as found among many other crustacean taxa. The subcuticular tissue is a tissue type found throughout the louse just below the cuticula. In adult females, this tissue type is characterized by high expression of vitellogenins and a yolk associated protein (Dalvin et al., 2011 and Dalvin et al., 2009). In the present paper we have additionally dissected out a sample defined as frontal tissue.

rf1+rph+rH=1 The quantum yields/energy efficiencies of these thr

rf1+rph+rH=1. The quantum yields/energy efficiencies of these three deactivation processes take values that vary widely in different seas and at different times. They are especially strongly affected by the irradiance conditions in the sea, the trophic type of sea water and to a lesser extent the water temperature. This is borne out by the results of empirical studies of these processes by numerous authors in various sea regions, and also by their statistical and modelled generalizations. Many of these studies, however, refer to just one of these deactivation processes – photosynthesis (Koblentz-Mishke et al., www.selleckchem.com/products/CP-690550.html 1985, Morel, 1991, Antoine

et al., 1996, Antoine and Morel, 1996 and Ficek, 2001) or to the Sun-Induced Chlorophyll a Fluorescence (SICF) (e.g. Babin et al., 1995, Maritorena et al., 2000, Morrison, 2003, Huot et al., 2005 and Huot et al., 2007). In contrast, only a few papers give the results of experimental studies or statistical and model generalizations of the yields/efficiencies of all three processes. For example, the study

by Westberry & Siegel (2003), carried out in the north-western Sargasso Sea in 1992–1997, presents the results of simultaneous comprehensive empirical investigations (including the use of remote sensing methods) INK128 of all three processes. It provides valuable data on the long-term regularities governing changes in time and marine space, absolute values of the quantum yields of the three processes, and information on the interrelations among them in the context of the variability of environmental conditions in the Sargasso Sea. On the other hand, Ostrowska, 2011, Ostrowska, 2012a and Ostrowska, 2012b successively developed 5-Fluoracil manufacturer a preliminary but unique, semi-empirical, mathematical model describing the dependences of the quantum yields of the three processes on the three principal factors governing phytoplankton growth in the sea, namely, the surface chlorophyll a concentration Ca(0) (the trophic index of the sea water), the light conditions and the temperature at different

depths in the water. Universally applicable to the different environmental conditions obtaining in the sea, this model is a synthesis of earlier models of the photosynthesis and fluorescence of marine phytoplankton ( Woźniak et al., 1992, Woźniak et al., 2002, Woźniak et al., 2003, Woźniak et al., 2007, Ostrowska, 2012a and Ostrowska, 2012b). We will be using these models in the present study to calculate the yields and efficiencies of the expenditure of pigment molecule excitation energy and its distribution among the three processes in various typical conditions prevailing in seas and oceans. As we have already stated, the quantum yields and energy efficiencies of all three processes are strongly dependent on environmental factors.

Their

structures are similar; all display an Arg-Gly-Asp

Their

structures are similar; all display an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motif which facilitates cell attachment, and all are commonly located on the human chromosome 4q21-23 [4], ERK inhibitor chemical structure [7] and [8]. In bone, MEPE is primarily expressed by osteocytes, but Mepe mRNA expression has also been observed in osteoblasts [9]. The expression of MEPE is increased during osteoblast matrix mineralization suggesting a function for MEPE in bone mineralization [10] and [11]. This has been further fuelled by analysis of the MEPE null mouse in which the ablation of MEPE leads to an increased bone mass due to increased numbers and activity of osteoblasts [12]. Furthermore, the overexpression of MEPE in mice, under the control of the Col1a1 promoter, leads to defective mineralization coupled with an increased level HDAC inhibitor of MEPE-ASARM peptides in bone [13]. The MEPE-overexpressing mice displayed wider epiphyseal growth plates, with associated expanded primary spongiosa and a significant decrease in mineral apposition rate [13]. Further studies in vitro have confirmed the inhibitory effect of MEPE on mineralization and have identified that MEPE is cleaved to a 2.2 kDa ASARM peptide which causes this effect [14] and [15]. The ASARM motif is located immediately downstream of a cathepsin B cleavage site, and it is responsible for the mineralization defect observed

in X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets, the most common form of inherited rickets [4], [14] and [15]. This defect can be reversed by administration of cathepsin inhibitors CAO74 or pepstatin [16]. PHEX PI-1840 plays a central role in the protection of MEPE from proteolytic cleavage by cathepsin B; it can bind to MEPE and prevent the release of the ASARM peptide [17]. The Hyp mouse, a spontaneous Phex knockout model, has an increased expression of cathepsin D, an upstream activator of cathepsin B [16]. Therefore PHEX may also assist in decreasing the activation of cathepsin B. Previous studies have shown that the post translational modification

of the MEPE-ASARM peptide is key to its functional role. MEPE has a number of potential casein kinase II phosphorylation motifs, and it is here that the ASARM peptide is phosphorylated at 3 serine residues [4]. This has been shown to inhibit mineralization in murine calvarial osteoblasts and in bone marrow stromal cells by the direct binding of the MEPE-ASARM peptide to HA crystals [14] and [18]. To elucidate the interactions of MEPE in the growth plate, this study was undertaken to examine the presence and function of MEPE and its ASARM peptide in growth plate matrix mineralization during the endochondral ossification process. The data indicated that MEPE is expressed by growth plate chondrocytes, in particular in the hypertrophic zone of chondrocytes consistent with a potential role in matrix mineralization.

There is already some support for this idea from electrophysiolog

There is already some support for this idea from electrophysiological studies in primates. The response properties of anterior inferior temporal neurons change as monkeys learn novel associations between

visual stimuli, suggesting a role for this region in the acquisition of concepts (Albright, 2012). In the present study, we tested this hypothesis in humans by studying acquisition of new conceptual knowledge in patients with SD. The hub-and-spoke model predicts that the ATLs are critical for integrating the various sensory features of an object into a unified, coherent conceptual representation that can be generalised to new exemplars. We tested this prediction by training SD patients to recognise GSK-3 inhibitor novel visual stimuli as members of two categories. Previous research has shown that SD patients are able to apply well-defined rules to classify novel stimuli, when the classification rule is provided by the experimenter (Koenig, Smith, & Grossman, 2006). Here, we tested the patients’ ability to acquire more complex category structures that could not be captured by a simple rule and when no information about the nature of the categories was supplied by the experimenter. The

structure of the two categories (shown in Fig. 1A) was designed such Screening Library datasheet that optimal performance could only be achieved by acquiring integrated representations of the various typical characteristics of each category. When presented en masse as in Fig. 1, it is easy to discern the features associated with each category. Members of Category A usually contained squares while those in B contained

circles, though there were exceptions in both categories. The same was true for the number of shapes (members of A usually contain one shape) and the colour of the background square (usually blue for A). The colour of the internal shapes, though perceptually salient, was not diagnostic of category. This category structure, in which a number of features are associated with each category but no single feature Buspirone HCl is diagnostic, is termed a family resemblance structure and is characteristic of object categories in the real world ( Rosch and Mervis, 1975, Smith and Medin, 1981 and Wittgenstein, 1953). Within such a structure, it is impossible to classify with complete accuracy by learning only about a single feature dimension. Optimum performance instead requires participants to form integrated representations that include second-order statistical information about the feature conjunctions that characterise each category, allowing them, for example, to correctly class an exemplar with two circles as a member of Category B, even if it has a blue background. We predicted that forming such integrated representations is a key function of the ATLs and, therefore, that SD patients would be impaired in learning the categories.

CSIR Junior Research Fellowship to Preeti

Arora is gratef

CSIR Junior Research Fellowship to Preeti

Arora is gratefully acknowledged. “
“Concerns about freshwater pollution from fish farming have led to the development of high-performance low-phosphorus (P) diets, resulting in a reduced nutrient output (Vandenberg and Koko, 2006). However, questions have been raised regarding the impact of insufficient P during rapid fish growth on the occurrence of vertebral deformities (Sugiura et al., 2004, Fjelldal et al., 2012a and Fjelldal selleck et al., 2012b). In most cases, skeletal abnormalities in early stages are not visually detectable (Witten et al., 2005) and may be reversed to a certain degree, hence the importance of understanding initial underlying biological mechanisms. To date, transcriptomic data are still lacking regarding specific bone response to P deficiency. Here, we used RNA-sequencing technology, which appeared suitable to generate transcriptomic information on non-model species (McGettigan, 2013 and Fox et al., 2014). This study aims to provide a more comprehensive reference transcriptome for the bone tissue in trout as well as to annotate and highlight sequences that have biological functions involved in P regulation. It is intended as a first step permitting quantitative genomic studies on the skeletal buy Fulvestrant tissue in relation

to P requirements. All-female triploid rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were transferred (N = 1680, initial mass 60.8 ± 1.6 g; St-Alexis-des-Monts Inc., Canada) to the experimental facilities of the Laboratoire de recherche des sciences aquatiques (LARSA), Université Laval (Québec, Canada). Fish were initially acclimated for two weeks and fed a commercial

feed (Corey Optimum 3 mm) in accordance to the manufacturer’s tables. Thereafter, fish were fed with until practical diets, either P-deficient (D, available P: 0.29%) or P-sufficient (S, available P: 0.45%), already tested in our laboratory ( Deschamps et al., 2014, Le Luyer et al., 2014 and Poirier Stewart et al., 2014). Animal rearing, P status and vertebrae monitoring were assessed according to the published methods (see for details Le Luyer et al., 2014 and Poirier Stewart et al., 2014). Experiments took place in compliance with the guidelines of the Canadian Council on Animal Care (2005) and supervised by the Animal Protection Committee of the Université Laval. Fish sampling was performed to maximize the representation of fish sizes, diets and vertebral phenotypes (Table 1). Initially (week 0) and for P-deficient and P-sufficient diets (week 4), fish were randomly sampled. Two individuals displaying the two most common types of P-related vertebral deformities at week 27 were also added (Poirier Stewart et al., 2014). Three caudal vertebrae (V35–36–37) with ligaments and intervertebral tissues were collected from each fish. Hemal and neural arches were removed and the remaining body and flesh removed by rinsing and brushing with PBS (1X).

Table 1 summarizes our results The vast majority of the tumors e

Table 1 summarizes our results. The vast majority of the tumors expressed SCF ( Figure 1B and Supplemental Figure 1B and F); it was largely found in the duct-type epithelial component ( Figure 1C) where c-Kit was predominantly elevated ( Figure 1B). We used antibody-based IHC to detect active forms of ERK1/2 on tumor sections (Figure 1E). The Ras-Raf-MEK1/2-ERK1/2 cascade is a major downstream effector-signaling pathway of RTKs, including c-Kit. Thus, SCF-induced PD-0332991 in vivo activation of c-Kit would accompany

active ERK1/2 expression in the inner duct-type epithelial component of the tumor cells where c-Kit was elevated. Table summarizes our results. In 17 of 27 ACCs, active ERK1/2 protein was substantially increased in more than 20% of tumor cells. Interestingly, other types of non-cancerous cells adjacent to tumors

within salivary glands were positive for SCF. They included stromal fibroblasts (Figure 2A and Supplemental Figure 2A and B), neutrophils ( Figure 2B and Supplemental Figure 2C and D), peripheral nerve ( Figure 2, C–E and Supplemental Figure 2E), skeletal muscle ( Figure 2F and Supplemental Figure 2F), vascular endothelial cells ( Figure 2G), and mucous acinar cells and intercalated ducts buy Vemurafenib ( Figure 2H). Strong immunoreactivity to the SCF antibody was found in neutrophils and peripheral nerve ( Figure 2, B and D). In addition, Figure 2E shows that staining for SCF highlights a peripheral nerve with a tumor wrapping around the nerve bundle,

creating a targetoid pattern. We investigated whether mRNA expression of c-Kit and SCF was also elevated in ACC (Figure 3, A and B), and also included EGFR because it has been implicated in the development of ACC ( [17] and [18]; Figure 3C). mRNA was isolated from FFPE sections as described above, and quantitative PCR performed. Figure 3A shows that c-Kit mRNA expression was elevated Microbiology inhibitor in ACC, with the relative expression increased by 1.88 (P < .05) over the average of normal samples. The top quartile of mRNA expression of c-Kit particularly distinguished ACCs from normal salivary tissues. In contrast, the expression levels of SCF and EGFR mRNA showed a broad range, which overlapped with those in normal tissue ( Figure 3, B and C) and showed no significant difference (P > .05) from ACC samples. Given that SCF-mediated c-Kit activity is important for local invasion and metastasis, we determined the strength of correlation between SCF and c-Kit mRNA expression in the presence (cases 1, 11, 15, 16, 21, 23, 25 and 26; Table) or absence of perineural invasion (PNI). We generated scatter plots with trend lines to show correlations (Figure 4, A–C). Trend line equations and R-squared values were calculated with Microsoft Excel and are displayed atop each chart.