Note on consensual assessment technique in creativity research.

Amabile's Consensual Assessment Technique is commonly used in research on creative products. This study evaluates a modification of that technique which may facilitate research on creative products by calibrating nonexpert judges to expert judges in previous studies. University students (N=200; 59% women, M=22.

Protoporphyrin biosynthesis in melanoma B16 cells stimulated by 5-aminolevulinic acid and chemical inducers: characterization of photodynamic inactivation.

The stimulation of protoporphyrin (PP) biosynthesis in B16 melanoma cells in order to facilitate photodynamic cell killing was studied. Biosynthesis and accumulation of PP in the melanoma cells was increased from 8 to 15 pmol/mg protein by the use of dimethyl-sulfoxide (DMSO), a differentiation-inducer. Treatment of the cells with the porphyrogenic agent allylisopropyl-acetamide (AIA) stimulated an additional PP increase.

Novobiocin modulates colchicine sensitivity in parental and multidrug-resistant B16 melanoma cells.

The effect of the antibiotic agent novobiocin on the sensitivity of melanoma cells to colchicine and vinblastine was examined in drug-sensitive and drug-resistant B16 melanoma cells. A cell line COL/R was selected for colchicine resistance. The COL/R cell line (resistant to 80 ng/ml colchicine) was found to possess the multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotype.

[Indicators of lipid metabolism and the blood lipid peroxidation system in men with regard to hereditary predisposition to atherosclerotic vascular pathology].

Lipid metabolism and the blood lipid peroxidation system were examined in 56 military males living in rather similar conditions. The parameters in question were compared in the following groups: (1) control subjects, including healthy individuals without a family history of atherosclerotic vascular abnormalities; (2) healthy subjects with a family history of atherosclerosis; (3) patients with coronary heart diseases. There were significant differences only in single cases between the groups.