bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anti-E Alloimmunization: A Rare Cause of Severe Fetal Hemolytic Disease Resulting in Pregnancy Loss
Authors: Chao An-Shine , Chao Angel , Ho Szu Ying , Chang Yao-Lung , Lien Reyin
Published: March 2010

We report a case of severe intrauterine hemolysis caused by sole anti-E alloimmunization. A 36-year-old multipara woman presented with hydrops fetalis at 27 weeks of gestation. She had a history of previous neonatal death. In this pregnancy, she was found to have very high titer of anti-E antibody. Ultrasonography detected marked skin edema, cardiomegaly, hepatosplenomegaly, pleural effusion, ascites, placentomegaly, and polyhydramnios. The Doppler peak systolic velocity in the middle cerebral artery was 0.8 m/s, indicating severe fetal anemia. Multiple intrauterine transfusions for the anemic fetus were administered. However, persistent severe fetal anemia and placentomegaly caused poor neonatal death and mirror syndrome in the mother. Uncommon red blood cell alloimmunization has to be watched for early in any population, especially in a woman with a history of unexplained perinatal loss.
A Dynamic Economic Model with Discrete Time and Consumer Sentiment
Authors: Dobrescu L. I. , Neamţu M. , Ciurdariu A. L. , Opriş D.
Published: March 2010

The paper describes a dynamical economic model with discrete time and consumer sentiment in the deterministic and stochastic cases. We seek to demonstrate that consumer sentiment may create fluctuations in the economical activities. The model possesses a flip bifurcation and a Neimark‐Sacker bifurcation, after which the stable state
is replaced by a (quasi) periodic motion. We associate the difference stochastic equation to the model by randomizing the control parameter d and by adding one stochastic control. Numerical simulations are made for the deterministic and stochastic models, for different values of the control parameter d.
Genital Tuberculosis as the Cause of Tuboovarian Abscess in an Immunosuppressed Patient
Authors: Ilmer M. , Bergauer F. , Friese K. , Mylonas I.
Published: March 2010

Background. Although tuberculosis (TB) is a major health problem worldwide, primary extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB), and in particular female genital tract infection, remains a rare event.Case Report. A 35-year-old human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositive woman of African descent with lower abdominal pain and fever of two days duration underwent surgery due to left adnexal mass suggesting pelvic inflammatory disease. The surgical situs showed a four quadrant peritonitis, consistent with the clinical symptoms of the patient, provoked by a tuboovarian abscess (TOA) on the left side. All routine diagnostic procedures failed to determine the causative organism/pathogen of the infection. Histopathological evaluation identified a necrotic granulomatous salpingitis and specific PCR analysis corroboratedMycobacterium tuberculosis(M. Tb). Consequently, antituberculotic therapy was provided.Conclusion. In the differential diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease, internal genital tuberculosis should be considered. Moreover, physicians should consider tuberculous infections early in the work-up of patients when immunosuppressive conditions are present.
An Analysis on Stability and Deposition Zones of Natural Gas Hydrate in Dongsha Region, North of South China Sea
Authors: Chen Zuan , Bai Wuming , Xu Wenyue , Jin Zhihe
Published: March 2010

We propose several physical/chemical causes to support the seismic results which find presence of Bottom Simulating Reflector (BSR) at site 1144 and site 1148 in Dongsha Region, North of South China Sea. At site 1144, according to geothermal gradient, the bottom of stability zone of conduction mode is in agreement with BSR. At site 1148, however, the stability zone of conduction mode is smaller than the natural gas presence zone predicted by the BSR. We propose three causes, that is, mixed convection and conduction thermal flow mode, multiple composition of natural gas and overpressure in deep sediment to explain the BSR presence or gas hydrate presence. Further, our numerical simulation results suggest yet another reason for the presence of BSR at site 1144 and site 1148. Because the temperatures in deep sediment calculated from the mixed convection and conduction thermal flow mode are lower than that from the single conduction mode, the bottom of gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) is deeper than the bottom of gas hydrate deposition zone (GHDZ) or BSR. The result indicates that occurrence zone of natural is decided by the condition that natural gas concentrate in the zone is greater than its solubility.
Testing the Coding Potential of Conserved Short Genomic Sequences
Authors: Wu Jing
Published: March 2010

Proposed is a procedure to test whether a genomic sequence contains coding DNA, called acoding potential region. The procedure tests the coding potential of conserved short genomic sequence, in which the assumptions on the probability models of gene structures are relaxed. Thus, it is expected to provide additional candidate regions that contain coding DNAs to the current genomic database. The procedure was applied to the set of highly conserved human-mouse sequences in the genome database at the University of California at Santa Cruz. For sequences containing RefSeq coding exons, the procedure detected 91.3% regions having coding potential in this set, which covers 83% of the human RefSeq coding exons, at a 2.6% false positive rate. The procedure detected 12,688 novel short regions with coding potential at the false discovery rate <0.05; 65.7% of the novel regions are between annotated genes.
Effect of Localized Heating on Three-Dimensional Flat-Plate Oscillating Heat Pipe
Authors: Thompson S. M. , Ma H. B.
Published: March 2010

An experimental investigation was conducted, both thermally and visually, on a three-dimensional flat-plate oscillating heat pipe (3D FP-OHP) to characterize its performance under localized heat fluxes while operating in the bottom heating mode and charged with acetone at a filling ratio of 0.73. The cooling area was held constant and three heating areas of 20.16 [Formula: see text], 11.29 [Formula: see text], and 1.00 [Formula: see text] were investigated, respectively. It was found that as the heating area was reduced and higher heat fluxes were imposed, the thermal resistance increased and the amplitude of thermal oscillations in the evaporator increased and became more chaotic. Using neutron radiography, it was observed that fluid oscillations did not occur in outer channels located away from the region of local heating. Although the thermal resistance increased during localized heating, a maximum heat flux of 180 W/[Formula: see text] was achieved with the average evaporator temperature not exceeding [Formula: see text].
Existence of Solutions of Nonlinear Stochastic Volterra Fredholm Integral Equations of Mixed Type
Authors: Balachandran K. , Kim J.-H.
Published: March 2010

We establish sufficient conditions for the existence and
uniqueness of random solutions of nonlinear Volterra‐Fredholm stochastic integral
equations of mixed type by using admissibility theory and fixed point theorems. The
results obtained in this paper generalize the results of several papers.
A Multistandard Frequency Offset Synchronization Scheme for 802.11n, 802.16d, LTE, and DVB-T/H Systems
Authors: González-Bayón Javier , Carreras Carlos , Edfors Ove
Published: March 2010

Carrier frequency offset (CFO) synchronization is a crucial issue in the implementation of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. Since current technology tends to implement different standards in the same wireless device, a common frequency synchronization structure is desirable. Knowledge of the physical frame and performance and cost system requirements are needed to choose the most suitable scheme. This paper analyzes the performance and FPGA resource requirements of several data-aided (DA) and decision-directed (DD) schemes for four wireless standards: 802.11n, 802.16d, LTE, and DVB-T/H. Performance results of the different methods are shown as BER plots and their resource requirements are evaluated in terms of the number of computations and operators that are needed for each scheme. As a result, a common architecture for the four standards is proposed. It improves the overall performance of the best of the schemes when the four standards are considered while reducing the required resources by 50%.
Is Depression “Evolutionary” or Just “Adaptive”? A Comment
Authors: Sharpley Christopher F. , Bitsika Vicki
Published: March 2010

Some recent explanations of depression have suggested that it may be “evolutionary” in that there are advantages to the depressed individual which arise from some aspects of depressive symptomatology. While the depressive behaviour of withdrawal from the adverse environment may provide some immediate benefits to the depressed individual, thus making it potentially “adaptive” in the short-term, this does not fit the biological definition of “evolutionary”. In fact, depression does not meet two of the three required criteria from natural selection in order to be evolutionary. Therefore, while some depressive behaviour may be advantageous for the depressed individual, and is therefore “adaptive” in an immediate sense, it cannot be accurately described as “evolutionary”. Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.
Decoupling of Multifrequency Dipole Antenna Arrays for Microwave Imaging Applications
Authors: Saenz E. , Guven K. , Ozbay E. , Ederra I. , Gonzalo R.
Published: March 2010

The mutual coupling between elements of a multifrequency dipole antenna array is experimentally investigated byS-parameter measurements and planar near-field scanning of the radiated field. A multifrequency array with six dipoles is analyzed. In order to reduce the coupling between dipoles, a planar metasurface is placed atop the array acting as superstrate. The mutual coupling of the antenna elements in the absence and presence of the superstrate is presented comparatively. Between 3 and 20 dB mutual coupling reduction is achieved when the superstrate is used. By scanning the field radiated by the antennas and far-field measurements of the radiation pattern, it is observed that the superstrate confines the radiated power, increases the boresight radiation, and reduces the endfire radiation.
Non‐Self‐Adjoint Singular Sturm‐Liouville Problems with Boundary Conditions Dependent on the Eigenparameter
Authors: Bairamov Elgiz , Seyyidoglu M. Seyyit
Published: March 2010

Let A denote the operator generated in L2(ℛ+) by the Sturm‐Liouville problem: −y′′ + q(x)y = λ2y, x ∈ ℛ+ = [0, ∞), (y′/y)(0) = (β1λ + β0)/(α1λ + α0), where q is a complex valued function and α0, α1, β0, β1 ∈ 𝒞, with α0β1 − α1β0 ≠ 0. In this paper, using the uniqueness theorems of analytic functions, we investigate the eigenvalues and the spectral singularities of A. In particular, we obtain the conditions on q under which the operator A has a finite number of the eigenvalues and the spectral singularities.
The Potential of Genes and Other Markers to Inform about Risk
Authors: Pepe Margaret S. , Gu Jessie W. , Morris Daryl E.
Published: March 2010

Background: Advances in biotechnology have raised expectations that biomarkers, including genetic profiles, will yield information to accurately predict outcomes for individuals. However, results to date have been disappointing. In addition, statistical methods to quantify the predictive information in markers have not been standardized.

Methods: We discuss statistical techniques to summarize predictive information, including risk distribution curves and measures derived from them, that relate to decision making. Attributes of these measures are contrasted with alternatives such as receiver operating characteristic curves, R2, percent reclassification, and net reclassification index. Data are generated from simple models of risk conferred by genetic profiles for individuals in a population. Statistical techniques are illustrated, and the risk prediction capacities of different risk models are quantified.

Results: Risk distribution curves are most informative and relevant to clinical practice. They show proportions of subjects classified into clinically relevant risk categories. In a population in which 10% have the outcome event and subjects are categorized as high risk if their risk exceeds 20%, we identified some settings where more than half of those destined to have an event were classified as high risk by the risk model. Either 150 genes each with odds ratio of 1.5 or 250 genes each with odds ratio of 1.25 were required when the minor allele frequencies are 10%. We show that conclusions based on receiver operating characteristic curves may not be the same as conclusions based on risk distribution curves.

Conclusions: Many highly predictive genes will be required to identify substantial numbers of subjects at high risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(3); 655–65
Sequence Variants in the TLR4 and TLR6-1-10 Genes and Prostate Cancer Risk. Results Based on Pooled Analysis from Three Independent Studies
Authors: Lindström Sara , Hunter David J. , Grönberg Henrik , Stattin Pär , Wiklund Fredrik , Xu Jianfeng , Chanock Stephen J. , Hayes Richard , Kraft Peter
Published: March 2010

Background: Genetic variation in two members of the Toll-like receptor family, TLR4 and the gene cluster TLR6-1-10, has been implicated in prostate cancer in several studies but the associated alleles have not been consistent across reports.

Methods: We did a pooled analysis combining genotype data from three case-control studies, Cancer of the Prostate in Sweden, the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, and the Prostate, Lung, Colon and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial, with data from 3,101 prostate cancer cases and 2,523 controls. We did imputation to obtain dense coverage of the genes and comparable genotype data for all cohorts. In total, 58 single nucleotide polymorphisms in TLR4 and 96 single nucleotide polymorphisms in TLR6-1-10 were genotyped or imputed and analyzed in the entire data set. We did a cohort-specific analysis as well as meta-analysis and pooled analysis. We also evaluated whether the analyses differed by age or disease severity.

Results: We observed no overall association between genetic variation at the TLR4 and TLR6-1-10 loci and risk of prostate cancer.

Conclusions: Common germ line genetic variation in TLR4 and TLR6-1-10 did not seem to have a strong association with risk of prostate cancer.

Impact: This study suggests that earlier associations between prostate cancer risk and TLR4 and TLR6-1-10 sequence variants were chance findings. To definitely assess the causal relationship between TLR sequence variants and prostate cancer risk, very large sample sizes are needed. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(3); 873–6
Adolescent Diet in Relation to Breast Cancer Risk among Premenopausal Women
Authors: Linos Eleni , Willett Walter C. , Cho Eunyoung , Frazier Lindsay
Published: March 2010

Background: Although the association between adult diet and breast cancer has been investigated extensively, large prospective studies have generally not shown a direct link between intakes of carbohydrate, fat, fiber, and other nutrients and risk of breast cancer. Adolescence may be a period of increased susceptibility to risk factors that predispose to breast cancer. Dietary risk factors could therefore be more important during early life than later in adulthood.

Methods: This is a prospective observational study of 39,268 premenopausal women in the Nurses' Health Study II who completed a 124-item food frequency questionnaire on their diet during high school (HS-FFQ) in 1998, at which time participants were 34 to 53 years of age. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate relative risks and 95% CIs.

Results: Four hundred fifty-five incident cases of invasive breast cancer were diagnosed between 1998 and 2005. Compared with women in the lowest quintile of intake, the relative risk of breast cancer in the highest quintile of adolescent total fat consumption was 1.35 (95% confidence interval, 1.00-1.81). Adolescent consumption of saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans fats was not significantly associated with breast cancer risk. Total dairy, milk, carbohydrate intake, glycemic index, glycemic load, and fiber consumed during adolescence were not significantly related to breast cancer incidence.

Conclusion: Dietary fat consumed during adolescence may be associated with an elevated risk of breast cancer. Further studies to assess this relationship among postmenopausal women, and confirm these results in premenopausal women, are needed. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(3); 689–96
Association Between Cytokine Gene Polymorphisms and Gastric Precancerous Lesions: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Peleteiro Bárbara , Lunet Nuno , Carrilho Carla , Durães Cecília , Machado José Carlos , La Vecchia Carlo , Barros Henrique
Published: March 2010

Polymorphisms within interleukin-1 (IL1) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFA) gene clusters are associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer. However, their role in gastric precancerous lesions remains poorly understood. Our objective was to perform a meta-analysis of studies addressing the association between IL1B-511, IL1RN variable number of tandem repeat, and TNFA-308 gene polymorphisms and gastric precancerous lesions, including original data from Portugal and Mozambique. Published studies on the association between these cytokine gene polymorphisms and gastric precancerous lesions were identified by systematic review, and estimates of the association were combined using random-effects meta-analysis taking into account new data obtained from Portuguese volunteer shipyard workers (n = 215) and Mozambican dyspeptic patients (n = 96) who underwent endoscopic and pathologic evaluation following the same protocol. Odds ratio (OR) estimates for intestinal metaplasia were 2.83 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.15-6.96] for the IL1RN*22 genotype, 1.86 (95% CI, 1.03-3.36) for IL1B-511 T carriers, and 0.59 (95% CI, 0.12-3.04) for the TNFA-308*AA genotype in the Portuguese sample. All Mozambican subjects with intestinal metaplasia were T carriers for IL1B-511 and none had the 2 allele for IL1RN. In meta-analysis, IL1RN*22 genotype was associated with an increased risk of gastric precancerous lesions (22 versus LL: OR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.40-3.70; I2 = 26.4%; 12 studies). No such association was found for the IL1B-511 (TT versus CC: OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 0.87-2.07; I2 = 65.7%; 13 studies) or TNFA-308 genotypes (AA versus GG: OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.35-2.43; I2 = 0.0%; 7 studies). The IL1RN*22 genotype seems to consistently increase the risk of gastric precancerous lesions, supporting a role for this polymorphism in the early stages of gastric carcinogenesis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(3); 762–76
Misconceptions about Breast Lumps and Delayed Medical Presentation in Urban Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Rauscher Garth H. , Ferrans Carol Estwing , Kaiser Karen , Campbell Richard T. , Calhoun Elizabeth E. , Warnecke Richard B.
Published: March 2010

Background: Despite current recommendations for women to be screened for breast cancer with mammography every 1 to 2 years, less than half of all newly diagnosed breast cancers are initially detected through screening mammography. Prompt medical attention to a new breast symptom can result in earlier stage at diagnosis, yet many patients delay seeking medical care after becoming aware of a breast symptom.

Methods: In a population-based study of breast cancer, we examined factors potentially associated with patient delay in seeking health care for a breast symptom among 436 symptomatic urban breast cancer patients (146 white, 197 black, and 95 Hispanic). Race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, health care access and utilization, and misconceptions about the meaning of breast lumps were the key independent variables.

Results: Sixteen percent of patients reported delaying more than 3 months before seeking medical advice about breast symptoms. Misconceptions about breast lumps and lacking a regular provider, health insurance, and recent preventive care were all associated with prolonged patient delay (P < 0.005 for all). Misconceptions were much more common among ethnic minorities and women of lower socioeconomic status.

Conclusion: Reducing patient delay and disparities in delay will require educating women about the importance of getting breast lumps evaluated in a timely manner and providing greater access to regular health care. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(3); 640–7
Antioxidant Micronutrients and Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Colorectal Adenoma Patients: Results from a Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Hopkins Myfanwy H. , Fedirko Veronika , Jones Dean P. , Terry Paul D. , Bostick Roberd M.
Published: March 2010

Previous epidemiologic observational and experimental studies investigated the potential of antioxidant micronutrients to modulate cancer risk, but these studies produced inconsistent results. In this pilot, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial (n = 47), we assessed the effects of an antioxidant micronutrient combination (800 mg dl-α-tocopherol acetate, 24 mg β-carotene, 1.0 g vitamin C, 200 μg l-selenomethionine, 7.2 mg riboflavin, 80 mg niacin, 60 mg zinc, 5 mg manganese) given daily over 4 months on oxidative and inflammatory biomarkers in patients with a history of sporadic colorectal adenoma. Plasma tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6, and F2-isoprostane concentrations were measured using ELISAs, and cystine (CySS) was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography. Plasma TNF-α concentration decreased in the active treatment group by 37% relative to the placebo group (P = 0.002), and CySS decreased by 19% (P = 0.03); however, interleukin-6 and F2-isoprostane concentrations decreased in antioxidant-treated nonsmokers but increased in smokers, although these findings were not statistically significant. The decreases of TNF-α and CySS were more pronounced in nonsmokers. These data suggest that (a) an antioxidant micronutrient cocktail can modulate biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation in humans and (b) the effects of antioxidant micronutrient supplementation on biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress may differ according to smoking status. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(3); 850–8
Breast Cancer and Urinary Biomarkers of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon and Oxidative Stress in the Shanghai Women's Health Study
Authors: Lee Kyoung-Ho , Shu Xiao-Ou , Gao Yu-Tang , Ji Bu-Tian , Yang Gong , Blair Aaron , Rothman Nathaniel , Zheng Wei , Chow Wong-Ho , Kang Daehee
Published: March 2010

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure and oxidative stress from such and other exposures have been associated with breast cancer in some studies. To further evaluate the role of PAH metabolites and oxidative stress on the development of breast cancer, we conducted a nested case-control study in the Shanghai Women’s Health Study.

We measured urinary 1-hydroxypyrene and 2-naphthol as PAH metabolites and urinary levels of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine and malondialdehyde as oxidative stress biomarkers in 327 breast cancer cases and 654 controls in the Shanghai Women’s Health Study. Information on demographic characteristics, past medical history, lifestyles, history of menstruation, pregnancy history, eating and drinking habit, history of residence, employment history, family history, husband’s information, and physical activity were collected by a self-administered questionnaire.

The mean age was 52.3 in breast cancer cases (n = 354) and 52.5 in controls (n = 708). Age at menarche (P = 0.04), months of breast-feeding the first baby (P = 0.05), and grade of education (Ptrend < 0.01) were significantly different between cases and controls. No association was observed for PAH metabolites and the oxidative stress biomarkers of urinary malondialdehyde and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine and risk of breast cancer.

This nested case-control study provides no evidence of association between PAH exposure and oxidative stress and risk of breast cancer in Shanghai women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(3); 877–83
Coherence and Completeness of Population-based Family Cancer Reports
Authors: Wideroff Louise , Garceau Anne O. , Greene Mark H. , Dunn Marsha , McNeel Timothy , Mai Phuong , Willis Gordon , Gonsalves Lou , Martin Michael , Graubard Barry I.
Published: March 2010

Background: Although family history of cancer is widely ascertained in research and clinical care, little is known about assessment methods, accuracy, or other quality measures. Given its widespread use in cancer screening and surveillance, better information is needed about the clarity and accuracy of family history information reported in the general population.

Methods: This telephone survey in Connecticut examined coherence and completeness of reports from 1,019 respondents about 20,504 biological relatives.

Results: Of 2,657 cancer reports, 97.7% were judged consistent with malignancy (versus benign or indeterminate conditions); 79% were site specific, 10.1% had unspecified cancer sites, and 8.6% had “ill-defined” sites. Only 6.1% of relatives had unknown histories. Unknown histories and ambiguous sites were significantly higher for second-degree relatives. The adjusted percentage of first-degree relative reports with ambiguous sites increased with decreasing education and African-American race of survey respondents, and with deceased vital status of relatives. Ambiguous second-degree relative reports were also associated with deceased vital status and with male gender of respondents.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that family history of cancer reports from the general population are generally complete and coherent.

Impact: Strategies are needed to improve site specificity and thus maximize the utility of such information in primary care settings. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(3); 799–810
Up-regulation of Endothelin-2 as a Common andEarly Event in localized Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Parker A , Bot B , LeGrand S , Eckel-Passow J
Published: March 2010

Purpose: Despite incidence rates that have been rising for decades, the molecular underpinnings that support the development of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remain unclear. Herein, we evaluate expression levels of the hypoxia-induced autocrine survival factor endothelin-2 (EDN2) in patient-matched ccRCC and normal kidney samples.

Methods: We identified 169 patients who underwent nephrectomy for histologically confirmed, localized ccRCC at our institution from 2000 to 2003 and had fresh-frozen tumor and normal kidney samples available. After mRNA was extracted from microdissected tissue, we conducted real time PCR to determine expression levels of EDN2. We normalized the expression data using four control genes and then fit linear mixed models to evaluate differential expression between tumor and normal samples. In addition, we explored potential interactions with relevant clinicopathologic characteristics including tumor stage and grade.

Results: Of the 161 patients analyzed, 65% were male, 58% were stage pT1, and 43% were nuclear grade 1 or 2. Overall, EDN2 expression was higher in tumor samples compared to paired normal samples with an average fold change (FC) of 2.0 (P-value < 0.0001). This over-expression in tumor versus normal tissue was apparent in early stage (pT1) tumors but not later stage (pT2, pT3) tumors (FC of 2.9 v. 1.1 respectively; interaction P-value = 0.001). Similarly, over-expression was more pronounced in low grade (1, 2) tumors compared to high grade (3, 4) tumors (FC of 3.5 v. 1.3 respectively; interaction P-value = 0.0002).

Conclusions: While independent validation is required, our patient-based data suggest that up-regulation of EDN2 is a common and early event in localized ccRCC. If confirmed in future studies, EDN2 could represent a target for the development of novel chemopreventive or neo-adjuvant therapeutics for ccRCC.
Circulating 25-Hydroxyvitamin-D and Risk of Colorectal Adenomas and Hyperplastic Polyps
Authors: Adams S , Newcomb P , Burnett-Hartman A , Mandelson M , Potter J
Published: March 2010

Background: Colorectal adenomas are clear precursors of cancer; hyperplastic polyps have recently been hypothesized to also have malignant potential. However, these two distinct colorectal lesions are probably on different molecular pathways to neoplasia. An inverse association between vitamin D and adenoma risk has been reported, but this is the first study, to our knowledge, that examines circulating 25(OH)D in relation to risk of hyperplastic polyps.

Methods: We conducted a colonoscopy-based case-control study of adenomas and hyperplastic polyps among 474 members of a large integrated health plan. Self-administered questionnaires provided data on demographics and colorectal polyp risk factors, and we assayed plasma samples donated by participants at the time of the colonoscopy for total 25-hydroxyvitamin-D (25(OH)D) concentration. Polytomous regression was used to estimate separate odds ratios for adenomas (n = 153) and hyperplastic polyps (n = 91) by tertile of 25(OH)D.

Results: An inverse association between 25(OH)D and adenomas was observed (comparing upper to lower tertiles: adjusted OR [95%CI]: 0.60 [0.34-1.08]). After restriction of the analyses to study participants with no history of polyps, this OR estimate moved further from the null and became statistically significant (adjusted OR [95%CI]: 0.43 [0.20-0.96]). In comparison, no statistically significant association between hyperplastic polyps and 25(OH)D was observed among the full study participants (adjusted OR [95%CI]: 1.12 [0.59-2.13]) nor among those without prior polyps (adjusted OR [95%CI]: 1.27 [0.57-2.35]).

Conclusions: There is no evidence in our study that the established inverse association between circulating 25(OH)D and colorectal adenoma applies to hyperplastic polyps.
PACE+ Nutrition and Exercise Counseling for Obese Patients Based on Stage of Change at an Urban Primary Care Clinic
Authors: Sun G , Peechakara S , Thomas CL , Seeholzer EL
Published: March 2010

Background: Obesity screening and behavioral counseling for adults is recommended but rarely feasible to reduce the risk of developing cancer and many chronic diseases. We intiated obesity screening at an urban clinic and offered obese patients tailored counseling using PACE+, a validated tool designed for the primary care setting.

Aim: To evaluate obesity screening rates, readiness to change, preferences for change and change in BMI in patients counseled with PACE+.

Methods: Electronic medical record (EMR) review of patient data from May 2006 to March 2008. Analyses comparing stage of change to patient characteristics was conducted using the Cochran-Armitage Trend Test. Bivariate comparisons of the continuous items were analyzed using the Chi-square.

Results: Of 5,390 patients in the clinic practice, 2532 (47%) were obese, 2269 (42%) were normal or overweight, and 589 (11%) were not screened. PACE+ educators counseled 843 obese patients (33%) May 2006-March 2008. Mean age 50, mean BMI 39, 79% female and 98% African American. 31% of PACE+ participants had hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia. Stage of change for exercise was most often contemplation (38%) and preparation (40%). The preferred activity was walking (62%). Most cited reasons to change behavior were to lower blood pressure, improve health, reduce weight, and increase energy. Most reported activity barriers were pain (20%), weather (13%), and time (10%). Most patients rated their stage of change for reducing calories as preparation (62%). Anticipated nutrition adherence barriers were “will-power,” cost, and time. Participants rated their self-confidence for activity and dietary changes highly. A trend to weight stabilization and weight loss was observed with follow-up.

Conclusion: Obesity screening and a structured low-intensity behavioral counseling by educators was feasible and reached 33% of obese patients in the practice. PACE+ evaluation in the EMR provides retrievable and measurable information about patient stage of change, preferences and perceived adherence barriers. This data can direct efforts to link community and personal resources to optimize behavioral and weight outcomes. Pain cited as an activity barrier by 20% needs further study.
Associations of Telomere Length and Diabetes with Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Skinner H , Gangnon R , Chari S , Johnson R , Boardman L
Published: March 2010

Risk for pancreatic cancer increases strongly with older age, and diabetic conditions have been consistently associated with pancreatic cancer, although the temporal relation between diabetes and pancreatic cancer remains uncertain. Telomeres are complexes of proteins and hexameric DNA repeats that cap and protect the ends of chromosomes. Telomere length decreases with subsequent cell divisions and the length of telomeres in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) has been observed to be shorter with older age, and shorter among cases of several cancer types than in controls. We conducted a hospital-based case-control study with 500 cases of pancreatic cancer, and 1,000 controls without pancreatic cancer (500 diabetic and 500 non-diabetic). We examined associations between PBL telomere length and pancreatic cancer status using generalized additive models (GAM), adjusting for age, body mass index, and gender. We observed significant heterogeneity in the association between PBL telomere length and pancreatic cancer by fasting blood glucose status (P < 0.003). Among those with impaired fasting blood glucose (>100 mg/dL) there was a continuous inverse association between pancreatic cancer and telomere length in the GAM adjusted for age, body mass index, sex, and cigarette smoking status. The adjusted odds ratio for pancreatic cancer comparing the 10th percentile of telomere length (4,184 bp) to the 90th percentile (7,823 bp) was 3.21 (95% C.I. 1.87, 5.52). In contrast, no significant association was found between telomere length and pancreatic cancer status among those with normal fasting blood glucose (OR = 0.67; 95% C.I. 0.39, 1.05; comparing 10th to 90th percentiles). We did not find strong evidence for effect modification of the relation between PBL telomere length and pancreatic cancer by age, gender, or cigarette smoking status. Shorter telomeres in peripheral blood may portend higher risk for pancreatic cancer among those with impaired fasting blood glucose, or may indicate cases who are more likely to have tumors that result in diabetes.
Expression of Inflammatory Molecules Among Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Different Chemotherapies:Implications for Chemobrain
Authors: Janelsins M , Roscoe J , Mustian K , Palesh O , Peppone L , Sprod L , Morrow G
Published: March 2010

Increased levels of MCP-1, IL-8 and IL-6 are associated with mild cognitive impairment, defined as frequent and irregular bouts of forgetfulness, difficulties with attention and/or difficulties with language-a condition with comparable symptomology reported by cancer patients experiencing chemobrain. High levels of these molecules may compromise neuronal and synaptic integrity, leading to cognitive impairment. Patients receiving doxorubicin-based (with cyclophosphamide, or cyclophosphamide and fluorouracil; AC/CAF) chemotherapy or a combination of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil (CMF) chemotherapy report experiencing chemobrain, but MCP-1, IL-8 and IL-6 may be differentially influenced by these regimens. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in expression of these molecules among breast cancer patients (N = 54) receiving combinations of AC/CAF or CMF. Changes in MCP-1, IL-8 and IL-6 were assessed at baseline (T1) and after 2 chemotherapy cycles (T2). T-tests were used to compare between group and within group differences on raw means and mean change (T2-T1). IL-6 significantly increased in the AC/CAF group (4.95 pg/mL,SEM = 2.31;P < 0.05), but MCP-1 (42.8 pg/mL;SEM = 40.36) and IL-8 (0.25 pg/mL;SEM = 1.19) did not. IL-6 (−1.46 pg/mL,SEM = 0.94), MCP-1 (−15.8 pg/mL,SEM = 49.95) and IL-8 (−0.79 pg/mL,SEM = 1.04) all decreased in the CMF group; however, none of these changes were significant. No significant differences in IL-6 (1.06 pg/mL, SEM = 1.05), MCP-1(73.48 pg/mL, SEM = 67.30), or IL-8 (−1.95 pg/mL, SEM = 3.28) at T1 were observed between AC/CAF and CMF groups. At T2, there was a significant difference in IL-6 (7.72 pg/mL,SEM = 3.82; P ≤ 0.05) between AC/CAF and CMF groups, but not in MCP-1 (131.91 pg/mL,SEM = 87.09) or IL-8 (5.72 pg/mL,SEM = 4.0). A significant change (T2-T1) in IL-6 (6.41 pg/mL,SEM = 2.57;P < 0.05) between AC/CAF and CMF groups was observed. Changes in MCP-1 (58.65 pg/mL,SEM = 63.94) and IL-8 (1.08 pg/mL,SEM = 1.58) between groups were not significant. These results suggest AC/CAF and CMF chemotherapy regimens elicit distinct inflammatory response patterns in MCP-1, IL-8 and IL-6 suggesting different mechanisms may be responsible for the development of chemobrain. Future research is needed to confirm these findings. Funding:NCI R25CA10618.
Focus on Survivorship: Refining Complete Prevalence Estimates Using Local Cancer Registry Data
Authors: Wobker S , Yeh W , Carpenter W
Published: March 2010

Purpose: This study applies NCI's ComPrev software to ten years of North Carolina Central Cancer Registry (NCCCR) data to demonstrate the added value of using complete prevalence (CP) methods to estimate cancer prevalence compared with the prior standard, limited-duration prevalence (LDP).

Methods: All cases for years 1995-2004 were obtained from the NCCCR and merged with vital status and date of death from the NC State Center for Health Statistics' vital statistics to form the “case data.” Population data for four expanded races and individual ages, originally from the U.S. Census Bureau, were obtained from the SEER program. Case and population data were integrated using SEER*Prep software. SEER*Stat software was used to calculate 10-year LDP based on first primary cancer as of January 1, 2005. ComPrev software was subsequently used to convert LDP into CP for each cancer site, gender, and race combination. CP applies a completeness index based on incidence and survival to adjust for underascertainment of cases due to limited years of surveillance, providing a more accurate estimate of survivor burden.

Results: LDP methods estimated 228,457 cancer survivors living in NC as of January 1, 2005. CP methods estimated 371,537 individuals living with cancer, 63% more than LDP estimates. Compared to cancers with typically short survival duration or later age at diagnosis, cancers of greater survival duration or earlier age at diagnosis tended to have greater difference between LDP and CP estimates. Breast, prostate, colorectal, and melanoma comprise 205,747 (55%) of the cancer survivors in NC as estimated by CP methods.

Conclusions: The number of cancer survivors in the US is expected to grow from the 2006 estimate of >11 million, and more refined prevalence estimates are needed for survivorship planning. In North Carolina, the commonly used method of LDP based on SEER data underestimates the survivor burden by nearly 40%. Regional, gender-based, and racial differences suggest local programs should understand their community's prevalent cancer population when prioritizing local survivorship services. Future analysis will use MIAMOD methods as a supporting method of estimating CP, and updated case data to generate January 1, 2008 prevalence estimates.
Neighborhood Socio-Economic Status and Individual Smoking Status Interact to Predict PAH-DNA Adduct Levels in Prostate Tissue
Authors: Richards C , Rybicki B , Tang D , Neslund-Dudas C , Rundle A
Published: March 2010

Background: We extend our work studying environmental and genetic determinants of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) DNA adducts in radical prostatectomy specimens, to consider cross-level interactions between cigarette smoking and indicators of neighborhood level socio-economic status.

Methods: PAH-DNA adducts were measured in 397 prostatectomy specimens from the Henry Ford Health System using immunohistochemistry with image analysis to measure staining intensity in optical density units. Subjects' home addresses were geo-coded to Census tracts and linked to 2000 Census data. Tracts were classified for educational attainment using the median value across tracts for the percentage of residents who graduated college. GEE models, accounting for clustering at the Census tract level, were used to determine if smoking was associated with adduct levels in tumor tissue by strata of neighborhood educational attainment. Analyses adjusted for race, age, tumor volume, primary Gleason grade and PSA level at diagnosis.

Results: Among those living in tracts with high educational attainment, smoking status predicted adduct levels. The covariate adjusted mean staining intensity for current smokers was 0.17 (95% CI = 0.15-0.19), for ex-smokers was 0.16 (95% CI = 0.15-0.17) and never-smokers was 0.13 (95% CI = 0.12-0.14). For those living in tracts with low educational attainment there was no significant difference in adduct levels by smoking status, the covariate adjusted mean staining intensity for current smokers was 0.16 (95% CI = 0.14-0.18), for ex-smokers was 0.15 (95% CI = 0.14-0.16) and for never smokers was 0.16 (95% CI = 0.15-0.17). The P-value for the interaction term between smoking status and tract level educational attainment was 0.02. Further adjustment for individual level education and for tract median household income did not alter these results.

Conclusion: The results suggest that neighborhood context modifies the relationship between individual smoking status and PAH-DNA adduct levels in prostate tissue; smoking is only predictive of adduct levels in higher SES tracts. The spatial segregation of income groups in and around Detroit suggests that indicators of lower neighborhood SES serve as a proxy for other environmental sources of PAH.
Evidence of Interaction between Type 2 Diabetes Susceptibility Genes and Dietary Fat Intake for Adiposity and Glucose Homeostasis-Related Phenotypes
Authors: Ruchat Stephanie-May , Elks Cathy E. , Loos Ruth J.F. , Vohl Marie-Claude , Weisnagel S. John , Rankinen Tuomo , Bouchard Claude , Pérusse Louis
Published: March 2010

Background/Aims: Genome-wide association studies have led to the identification of several susceptibility genes for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in these genes and adiposity and glucose homeostasis-related phenotypes are influenced by dietary fat intake. Methods: Thirty-three SNPs in 9 T2DM genes (CDKAL1, CDKN2A/B, HHEX, HNF1B, IGF2BP2, KCNJ11, SLC30A8, TCF7L2 and WFS1) were tested in a maximum of 669 subjects from the Quebec Family Study. Subjects were measured for several adiposity indices and underwent a 75-gram oral glucose tolerance test. Total fat intake was estimated from a 3-day dietary record. Results: We observed 13 significant (p ≤ 0.01) SNP-dietary fat interactions. Among them, IGF2BP2 rs4402960, alone or in interaction with dietary fat intake, influenced abdominal total fat (ATF: SNP effect, p = 0.006, interaction effect, p = 0.009) and abdominal visceral fat (AVF: SNP effect, p = 0.007, interaction effect, p = 0.01). Similarly, TCF7L2 rs12573128 alone or in interaction with dietary fat intake, influenced insulin sensitivity (SNP effect and interaction effect, p ≤ 0.008) and glucose tolerance (SNP effect p ≤ 0.009 and interaction effect, p ≤ 0.01). Conclusion: These results suggest that gene-dietary fat interactions may influence glucose homeostasis-related phenotypes and play an important role in determining the increased risk of diabetes associated with the T2DM susceptibility genes.
Prognostic Factors Affecting Progression and Survival in Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Authors: Nayyar Rishi , Sharma Nitin , Gupta Narmada P.
Published: March 2010

Purpose: To evaluate the role of age, Gleason score, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), PSA doubling time (PSADT), and PSA half-time (PSAT1/2) as prognostic factors in metastatic prostate cancer to predict long-term outcome. Patients and Methods: 412 patients with metastatic prostate cancer diagnosed after January 1995, with at least 6 months of follow-up, were enrolled. Serum PSA was determined at diagnosis and every 3–6 months thereafter. All patients underwent medical or surgical castration. End points of the study were either death or disease progression. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to evaluate prognostic factors. Results: Median progression-free and overall survival was 3 and 5.7 years. Patients aged ≤65 years at diagnosis, high baseline PSA and high nadir PSA were associated with poor overall survival. Patients with a PSAT1/2 of <6 months, high baseline alkaline phosphatase, and PSADT of <1 month had significantly poorer progression-free and overall survival. Conclusion: Prostate cancer is a common malignancy in the elderly population. We have found that younger patients with high baseline and nadir PSA, shorter PSADT and PSAT1/2 have poorer overall and progression-free survival.
Analysis of NSAID-Activated Gene 1 Expression in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Kawahara Takashi , Ishiguro Hitoshi , Hoshino Koji , Teranishi Jun-ichi , Miyoshi Yasuhide , Kubota Yoshinobu , Uemura Hiroji
Published: March 2010

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) induce expression of NSAID-activated gene 1 (NAG-1). NAG-1 expression in prostate cancer has previously been detected by microarray and immunohistochemical analyses. We examined the mRNA expression of NAG-1 by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction using 51 human prostate cancer tissue specimens. The level of NAG-1 expression was higher in prostate cancer than in normal prostate tissues (p = 0.025). The level of NAG-1 expression was also significantly higher in well-differentiated prostate cancer than in moderately (p = 0.04) and poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas (p = 0.03). These data suggest that NAG-1 may be a new biomarker for evaluating the grade of malignancy in prostate cancer.
Combined Intravenous Recombinant-Tissular Plasminogen Activator and Endovascular Treatment of Spontaneous Occlusive Internal Carotid Dissection with Tandem Intracranial Artery Occlusion
Authors: Lekoubou Alain , Cho Tae-Hee , Nighoghossian Norbert , Kumako Vincent , Derex Laurent , Trouillas Paul , Turjman Francis
Published: March 2010

Internal carotid artery (ICA) dissection with tandem internal carotid and middle cerebral artery occlusion may carry a poor prognosis even if intravenous recombinant-tissular plasminogen activator is administered. A better outcome may be expected with the combination of intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular methods (stenting and thromboaspiration). This procedure was performed in 3 patients who had concurrent ICA dissection and intracerebral occlusion. Endovascular treatment was feasible and safe. All our patients had a good clinical outcome. This potential effective approach may need further validation.