A suggested guiding panel of seromarkers for efficient discrimination between primary and secondary human hepatocarcinoma.

Although alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a golden diagnostic marker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), its value is debatable. Differentiation between primary and secondary hepatocarcinomas (HC) relying on AFP is confusing, does not exceed 20 % in the later. To find alternative markers other than AFP to differentiate between primary and secondary HC from colorectal carcinoma (CRC) and breast (BC) and lung cancers (LC), 60 individuals were recruited: group 1, healthy volunteers; group 2, with primary; and group 3, with secondary HC. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), total glycosaminoglycans (TGAGs), total sialic acid (TSA), free glucosamine (FGA), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), 5'-nucleotidase (5'-NU) activities, and AFP were estimated in sera, in addition to liver histology. CEA, TGAGs, TSA, and FGA were elevated in secondary HC among CRC primary cancers, while LAP, 5'-NU activities, and AFP were elevated in primary HCC. We concluded that a new panel can be used to differentiate primary from secondary HC better than AFP, speculating the primary cancer. AFP, LAP, and 5'-NU predominated in primary, while CEA, TGAGs, TSA, and FGA, in secondary HC. Elevation of 5'-NU, LAP, TGAGs, TSA, and FGA to CEA indicated that primary source of HC is CRC. Association of TGAGs, TSA, and FGA only to CEA indicated that the primary cancer is breast. Elevation of TGAGs, TSA, and FGA, with other normal parameters, indicated that the primary cancer is lung. A guiding table is recommended in the oncology laboratory, for management and follow-up, and having more expected level of sensitivity than AFP.

Coherence tuned fiber optic sensing system, with self-initialization, based on a multimode laser diode.

In this paper we study the potential of using multimode laser diodes as an alternative to low coherence length sources normally used white light fiber optic interferometric sensors. A simple theoretical model is introduced to demonstrate the autocorrelation function of such sources. An experimental setup of two interferometers in tandem was used to study the coherence properties of the multimode laser diode Mitsubishi ML-4406 and then to demonstrate the possibility of using it in coherence tuned multiplexing systems. The main advantage of using such sources is to launch more optical power into the monomode fiber and hence to improve the system resolution.

High-sensitivity fiber-optic accelerometer.

We describe a novel accelerometer in which the sensing element is a weighted diaphragm. The displacement of the diaphragm produced by acceleration is measured using a miniature hemispherical air-spaced Fabry-Perot interferometer, of which one mirror is mounted on the diaphragm. The interferometer is illuminated by a diode laser and addressed through a monomode optical fiber.

Practical fiber-optic-based submicro-g accelerometer free from source and environmental perturbations.

We describe a novel accelerometer in which the sensing element is a weighted diaphragm designed to have minimal cross coupling. The displacement of the diaphragm, produced by acceleration, is measured by using two miniature hemispherical air-spaced Fabry-Perot interferometers, one constructed on either side of the diaphragm. The output of the two interferometers is processed such that the detrimental effects caused by wavelength drift of the source and variation in temperature of the sensor are reduced by 45.8 and 27.3 dB, respectively, compared with those of a single interferometer.