bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE EUROPEAN EMISSION TRADING SCHEME: IMPLICATIONS FOR LONG-TERM INVESTMENT VALUATION
Authors: ABADIE LUIS M. , GALARRAGA IBON
Published: August 2011

As the EU Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) moves towards its third phase (2013–2020) it has undergone numerous improvements, including a gradual increase in the use of auctions as a distribution mechanism and the prevalence of sectoral criteria over National Allocation Plans. At the same time, emission allowances with maturities up to December 2020 have begun to be traded on the futures markets, reflecting the impact that the new measures are expected to have on prices. This paper sets out to obtain a financial valuation of the impact and analyze whether the resulting prices will facilitate investment in installations to bring about reductions in emissions. The effect on investments of the potential introduction of caps and floors on emission trading prices is also studied.
Fundus Autofluorescence and Spectral Domain OCT in Central Serous Chorioretinopathy
Authors: Roisman Luiz , Lavinsky Daniel , Magalhaes Fernanda , Aggio Fabio Bom , Moraes Nilva , Cardillo Jose A. , Farah Michel E.
Published: August 2011

Background. To describe the standard autofluorescence (FAF), the near infrared autofluorescence (NIA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) patterns in central serous chorioretinopathy, correlating them with fluorescein angiography.Methods. Cross-sectional observational study, in which patients with at least seven months of CSC underwent ophthalmologic examination, fundus photography, FAF, NIA, fluorescein angiography (FA), and spectral-domain OCT.Results. Seventeen eyes of thirteen patients were included. The presentation features were a mottled hyperFAF in the detached area and areas with pigment mottling. NIA images showed areas of hyperNIA similar to FAF and localized areas of hypoNIA, which correlated with the points of leakage in the FA. OCT showed pigment epithelium detachment at the location of these hypoNIA spots.Discussion. FAF showed increased presence of fluorophores in the area of retinal detachment, which is believed to appear secondary to lipofuscin accumulation in the RPE or the presence of debris in the subretinal fluid. NIA has been related to the choroidal melanin content and there were areas of both increased and decreased NIA, which could be explained by damage ahead the retina, basically RPE and choroid. These findings, along with the PEDs found in the areas of hypoNIA, support the notion of a primary choroidal disease in CSC.
Profound Deficit of IL10 at Birth in Children Who Develop Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Chang Jeffrey S. , Zhou Mi , Buffler Patricia A. , Chokkalingam Anand P. , Metayer Catherine , Wiemels Joseph L.
Published: August 2011

Background: Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) may originate via abnormal immune responses to infectious agents. It is unknown whether prenatal immune development may differ in children who develop the disease. The current study examines the association between neonatal cytokine profiles, a proxy measure for a child's prenatal immune development, and childhood ALL.

Methods: Neonatal blood spots of 116 childhood ALL cases and 116 controls living in California were ascertained. Eleven cytokines associated with Th1, Th2, and Th17 lymphocytes were measured using a multiplex bead–based assay. Unconditional logistic regression was done to estimate the odds ratio (OR) by measuring the association between neonatal cytokines and ALL adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and household income.

Results: Of the 11 cytokines measured, 5 [interleukin (IL)4, IL6, IL10, IL12, and IL13] were detectable. Except for IL12, the other 4 cytokines were all significantly lower among cases than controls. In a multivariable model including the 5 cytokines, only IL10 remained independently associated with childhood ALL with an OR = 0.04, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.18, comparing the highest tertile to the lowest tertile.

Conclusions: A child's neonatal level of IL10, a key regulator for modulating the intensity and duration of immune responses, is associated with his/her subsequent risk of developing ALL.

Impact: The current analysis shows that children with ALL may have a dysregulated immune function present at birth. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(8); 1736–40. ©2011 AACR.
A Novel Approach to Exploring Potential Interactions among Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms of Inflammation Genes in Gliomagenesis: An Exploratory Case-Only Study
Authors: Amirian E. Susan , Scheurer Michael E. , Liu Yanhong , D'Amelio Anthony M. , Houlston Richard S. , Etzel Carol J. , Shete Sanjay , Swerdlow Anthony J. , Schoemaker Minouk J. , McKinney Patricia A. , Fleming Sarah J. , Muir Kenneth R. , Lophatananon Artitaya , Bondy Melissa L.
Published: August 2011

Background: Despite extensive research on the topic, glioma etiology remains largely unknown. Exploration of potential interactions between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of immune genes is a promising new area of glioma research. The case-only study design is a powerful and efficient design for exploring possible multiplicative interactions between factors that are independent of one another. The purpose of our study was to use this exploratory design to identify potential pair wise SNP–SNP interactions from genes involved in several different immune-related pathways for investigation in future studies.

Methods: The study population consisted of two case groups: 1,224 histologic confirmed, non-Hispanic white glioma cases from the United States and a validation population of 634 glioma cases from the United Kingdom. Polytomous logistic regression, in which one SNP was coded as the outcome and the other SNP was included as the exposure, was utilized to calculate the ORs of the likelihood of cases simultaneously having the variant alleles of two different SNPs. Potential interactions were examined only between SNPs located in different genes or chromosomes.

Results: Using this data mining strategy, we found 396 significant SNP–SNP interactions among polymorphisms of immune-related genes that were present in both the U.S. and U.K. study populations.

Conclusion: This exploratory study was conducted for the purpose of hypothesis generation, and thus has provided several new hypotheses that can be tested using traditional case–control study designs to obtain estimates of risk.

Impact: This is the first study, to our knowledge, to take this novel approach to identifying SNP–SNP interactions relevant to glioma etiology. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(8); 1683–9. ©2011 AACR.
ABO Genotype and the Risk of Gastric Cancer, Atrophic Gastritis, and Helicobacter pylori Infection
Authors: Nakao Makoto , Matsuo Keitaro , Ito Hidemi , Shitara Kohei , Hosono Satoyo , Watanabe Miki , Ito Seiji , Sawaki Akira , Iida Shinsuke , Sato Shigeki , Yatabe Yasushi , Yamao Kenji , Ueda Ryuzo , Tajima Kazuo , Hamajima Nobuyuki , Tanaka Hideo
Published: August 2011

Background: Although several studies have investigated the association between ABO blood type and risk of gastric cancer (GC), atrophic gastritis (AG), and Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection, no study has investigated these associations by using ABO genotype.

Methods: We conducted a case–control study in 703 patients with GC and 1,465 noncancer patients. We also conducted a cross-sectional study by using 1,406 of these 1,465 controls, who were examined for pepsinogens and anti-HP IgG antibody levels in serum. ABO genotype was determined from single nucleotide polymorphisms in ABO gene. We used rs8176719 to mark the O allele, and rs8176746 and rs8176747 to mark the B allele. ORs and 95% CIs were calculated by a multivariate logistic model.

Results: We observed significant associations between ABO genotype and GC, AG, and HP infection. ORs (95% CIs) of GC were 0.70 (0.50–0.99) for OO and 0.53 (0.36–0.77) for BO relative to AA genotype. An increased risk of GC was observed with addition of the A allele (Ptrend < 0.001), and a decreased risk with that of the B allele (Ptrend = 0.023). An OR of AG was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.53–0.99) for blood type B relative to blood type A, and an OR of HP infection was 0.39 (95% CI, 0.17–0.87) for BB relative to AA genotype.

Conclusion: This study identified a statistically significant association between ABO genotype and GC risk. In addition, ABO gene locus may influence AG prevalence and HP infection.

Impact: Further studies are necessary to confirm these findings. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(8); 1665–72. ©2011 AACR.
Trends in Colorectal Cancer Test Use among Vulnerable Populations in the United States
Authors: Klabunde Carrie N. , Cronin Kathleen A. , Breen Nancy , Waldron William R. , Ambs Anita H. , Nadel Marion R.
Published: August 2011

Background: Evaluating trends in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening use is critical for understanding screening implementation, and whether population groups targeted for screening are receiving it, consistent with guidelines. This study examines recent national trends in CRC test use, including among vulnerable populations.

Methods: We used the 2000, 2003, 2005, and 2008 National Health Interview Survey to examine national trends in CRC screening use overall and for fecal occult blood test (FOBT), sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy. We also assessed trends by race/ethnicity, educational attainment, income, time in the United States, and access to health care.

Results: During 2000 to 2008, significant declines in FOBT and sigmoidoscopy use and significant increases in colonoscopy use and in the percentages of adults up-to-date with CRC screening occurred overall and for most population subgroups. Subgroups with consistently lower rates of colonoscopy use and being up-to-date included Hispanics; people with minimal education, low income, or no health insurance; recent immigrants; and those with no usual source of care or physician visits in the past year. Among up-to-date adults, there were few subgroup differences in the type of test by which they were up-to-date (i.e., FOBT, sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy).

Conclusions: Although use of CRC screening and colonoscopy increased among U.S. adults, including those from vulnerable populations, 45% of adults aged 50 to 75—or nearly 35 million people—were not up-to-date with screening in 2008.

Impact: Continued monitoring of CRC screening rates among population subgroups with consistently low utilization is imperative. Improvement in CRC screening rates among all population groups in the United States is still needed. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(8); 1611–21. ©2011 AACR.
Sunlight Exposure–Mediated DNA Damage in Young Adults
Authors: Kato Masashi , Iida Machiko , Goto Yuji , Kondo Takaaki , Yajima Ichiro
Published: August 2011

Background: Previous experimental studies showed that single ultraviolet B (UVB) light irradiation increased levels of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), a well-established biomarker of carcinogenesis and oxidative DNA damage, in epithelial cells in animals and humans. We conducted for the first time an epidemiologic study to investigate the correlations among levels of oxidative DNA damage, skin pigmentation, and sunlight exposure in human daily life.

Methods: Digitalized skin pigmentation levels and creatinine-adjusted urinary 8-OHdG levels were examined in 127 healthy young adults aged 20 to 24 years and in hairless mice with normal pigmented skin (HL-mice; n = 20) and hyperpigmented skin (HL-HPS-mice; n = 20). Data obtained by a questionnaire were also analyzed for the 127 subjects.

Results: Binary logistic regression analysis showed that increased sunlight intensity, but not sunlight-exposed time or sunlight-exposed skin area, was correlated with elevation in creatinine-adjusted urinary 8-OHdG levels. In contrast, increased skin pigmentation level, but not the use of sunscreen, was correlated with reduction in urinary 8-OHdG level in humans. UVB irradiation corresponding to several minutes of sunlight exposure significantly increased urinary 8-OHdG levels in HL-mice but not in HL-HPS-mice.

Conclusions: We showed that increase in intensity of sunlight in human daily life increased levels of DNA damage. We also showed a protective effect of skin pigmentation on sunlight exposure–mediated DNA damage.

Impact: We have provided more reliable evidence of routine sunlight exposure–mediated DNA damage in humans through the combination of epidemiologic and experimental studies. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(8); 1622–8. ©2011 AACR.
Aberrant Methylation ofRARβ2andAPCGenes in Voided Urine as Molecular Markers for Early Detection of Bilharzial and Nonbilharzial Bladder Cancer
Authors: Eissa Sanaa , Swellam Menha , El-Khouly Inas M. , Kassim Samar K. , Shehata Hanan , Mansour Amal , Esmat Mohamed , Nossier Ahmed Ibrahim , Hamdy Mohamed A. , Awad Nahla M. , El-Ahmady Omar
Published: August 2011

Background: Bladder cancer cells illustrate major disruptions in their DNA methylation patterns as compared with normal ones. Authors aimed to identify epigenetic molecular markers in urine for early detection of bladder cancer.

Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the methylation status of RARβ2 and APC genes in urine samples from 210 bladder cancer patients, 61 patients with benign urological diseases, and 49 healthy volunteers by using methylation-specific PCR.

Results: Methylated RARβ2 and APC were significantly higher in bladder cancer patients (62.8%, 59.5%) than benign (16.4%, 5%) but not detected in healthy volunteers (0%) at (P < 0.0001). Both methylated genes showed no significant difference among clinicopathologic factors; however, they were detected in all grades and stages. Among the 128 patients with bilharzial bladder cancer, 94 (73.4%) showed methylated RARβ2 and 86 (67.2%) showed methylated APC. Homoplasmic methylation pattern of both genes were only detected in bilharzial bladder cancer cases. Both sensitivities and specificities of the methylated genes for bladder cancer detection were superior to urine cytology and when altogether combined, the sensitivities improved to (91.8%), (93.5%), (91.9%), and (80.9%) in detection of: bladder cancer, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, low-grade tumors, and bilharzial associated bladder cancer, respectively.

Conclusion: Thus, methylated RARβ2 and APC genes might be valuable urinary molecular markers for early detection of bilharzial and nonbilharzial bladder cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(8); 1657–64. ©2011 AACR.
A Systematic Review of Replication Studies of Prostate Cancer Susceptibility Genetic Variants in High-Risk Men Originally Identified from Genome-Wide Association Studies
Authors: Ishak Miriam B. , Giri Veda N.
Published: August 2011

Background: Several prostate cancer genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified risk-associated genetic variants primarily in populations of European descent. Less is known about the association of these variants in high-risk populations, including men of African descent and men with a family history of prostate cancer. This article provides a detailed review of published studies of prostate cancer–associated genetic variants originally identified in GWAS and replicated in high-risk populations.

Methods: Articles replicating GWAS findings (National Human Genome Research Institute GWAS database) were identified by searching PubMed and relevant data were extracted.

Results: Eleven replication studies were eligible for inclusion in this review. Of more than 30 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) identified in prostate cancer GWAS, 19 SNPs (63%) were replicated in men of African descent and 10 SNPs (33%) were replicated in men with familial and/or hereditary prostate cancer (FPC/HPC). The majority of SNPs were located at the 8q24 region with modest effect sizes (OR 1.11–2.63 in African American men and OR 1.3–2.51 in men with FPC). All replicated SNPs at 8q24 among men of African descent were within or near regions 2 and 3.

Conclusions: This systematic review revealed several GWAS markers with replicated associations with prostate cancer in men of African descent and men with FPC/HPC. The 8q24 region continues to be the most implicated in prostate cancer risk. These replication data support ongoing study of clinical utility and potential function of these prostate cancer–associated variants in high-risk men.

Impact: The replicated SNPs presented in this review hold promise for personalizing risk assessment for prostate cancer for high-risk men upon further study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(8); 1599–610. ©2011 AACR.
Hormonal Factors and the Risk of Papillary Thyroid Cancer in the California Teachers Study Cohort
Authors: Horn-Ross Pamela L. , Canchola Alison J. , Ma Huiyan , Reynolds Peggy , Bernstein Leslie
Published: August 2011

Background: Despite the increasing incidence of thyroid cancer, there is limited information on its etiology. The strikingly higher rates in young women, compared with men, suggest that sex steroid hormones may be involved in the development of this disease.

Methods: We investigated the effects of menstrual, reproductive, and other hormonal factors on papillary thyroid cancer risk in the prospective California Teachers Study cohort. Among 117,646 women, 233 were diagnosed with invasive histologically confirmed papillary thyroid cancer after cohort enrollment and before January 1, 2008. Relative risks (RR) and 95% CIs were estimated by using Cox proportional hazards regression models.

Results: Among younger women (age <45 years at baseline; approximately one-third of the cohort), but not older women, later age at menarche (age ≥14 years) was associated with increased risk (RR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.13–3.13; pinteraction by age = 0.06). Risk was also increased among young women who had longer (>30 days) adolescent menstrual cycles (RR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.01–3.14) and whose last pregnancy had ended within five years of cohort enrollment (RR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.13–4.34). Among older women (age ≥45 years at baseline), ever use of estrogen-only therapy was associated with a statistically nonsignificant increase in risk (RR = 1.69, 95% CI: 0.95–2.98).

Conclusions: The findings from this prospective analysis suggest that several factors related to delayed pubertal development and the transient effects of pregnancy may be particularly important in influencing risk in young women.

Impact: These results suggest the importance of future research into the role of progesterone and the estrogen-to-progesterone ratio. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(8); 1751–9. ©2011 AACR.
MicroRNA Processing and Binding Site Polymorphisms Are Not Replicated in the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium
Authors: Permuth-Wey Jennifer , Chen Zhihua , Tsai Ya-Yu , Lin Hui-Yi , Chen Y. Ann , Barnholtz-Sloan Jill , Birrer Michael J. , Chanock Stephen J. , Cramer Daniel W. , Cunningham Julie M. , Fenstermacher David , Fridley Brooke L. , Garcia-Closas Montserrat , Gayther Simon A. , Gentry-Maharaj Aleksandra , Gonzalez-Bosquet Jesus , Iversen Edwin , Jim Heather , McLaughlin John , Menon Usha , Narod Steven A. , Phelan Catherine M. , Ramus Susan J. , Risch Harvey , Song Honglin , Sutphen Rebecca , Terry Kathryn L. , Tyrer Jonathan , Vierkant Robert A. , Wentzensen Nicolas , Lancaster Johnathan M. , Cheng Jin Q. , Berchuck Andrew , Pharoah Paul D.P. , Schildkraut Joellen M. , Goode Ellen L. , Sellers Thomas A.
Published: August 2011

Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in microRNA-related genes have been associated with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) risk in two reports, yet associated alleles may be inconsistent across studies.

Methods: We conducted a pooled analysis of previously identified SNPs by combining genotype data from 3,973 invasive EOC cases and 3,276 controls from the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium. We also conducted imputation to obtain dense coverage of genes and comparable genotype data for all studies. In total, 226 SNPs within 15 kb of 4 miRNA biogenesis genes (DDX20, DROSHA, GEMIN4, and XPO5) and 23 SNPs located within putative miRNA binding sites of 6 genes (CAV1, COL18A1, E2F2, IL1R1, KRAS, and UGT2A3) were genotyped or imputed and analyzed in the entire dataset.

Results: After adjustment for European ancestry, no overall association was observed between any of the analyzed SNPs and EOC risk.

Conclusions: Common variants in these evaluated genes do not seem to be strongly associated with EOC risk.

Impact: This analysis suggests earlier associations between EOC risk and SNPs in these genes may have been chance findings, possibly confounded by population admixture. To more adequately evaluate the relationship between genetic variants and cancer risk, large sample sizes are needed, adjustment for population stratification should be carried out, and use of imputed SNP data should be considered. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(8); 1793–7. ©2011 AACR.
Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug and Acetaminophen Use and Risk of Adult Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Ross Julie A. , Blair Cindy K. , Cerhan James R. , Soler John T. , Hirsch Betsy A. , Roesler Michelle A. , Higgins Rodney R. , Nguyen Phuong L.
Published: August 2011

Background: Little is known about the causes of adult leukemia. A few small studies have reported a reduced risk associated with regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID).

Methods: In a population-based case–control study, we evaluated analgesic use among 670 newly diagnosed myeloid leukemia cases [including 420 acute myeloid leukemias (AML) and 186 chronic myeloid leukemias (CML)] and 701 controls aged 20 to 79 years. Prior use of aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, other NSAIDs, and COX-2 inhibitors was assessed and included frequency, duration, and quantity. ORs and 95% CIs were calculated using unconditional logistic regression adjusting for potential confounders.

Results: Regular/extra strength aspirin use was inversely associated with myeloid leukemia in women (OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.37–0.93) but not in men (OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.58–1.24). In contrast, acetaminophen use was associated with an increased risk of myeloid leukemia in women only (OR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.04–2.47). These relationships were stronger with increasing dose and duration. When stratified by leukemia type, aspirin use was inversely associated with AML and CML in women. No significant overall associations were found with ibuprofen or COX-2 inhibitors for either sex; however, a decreased risk was observed with other anti-inflammatory analgesic use for women with AML or CML (OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.22–0.99; OR = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.10–0.92, respectively).

Conclusions: Our results provide additional support for the chemopreventive benefits of NSAIDs, at least in women. Because leukemia ranks fifth in person-years of life lost due to malignancy, further investigation is warranted.

Impact: NSAIDs may reduce, whereas acetaminophen may increase, myeloid leukemia risk in women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(8); 1741–50. ©2011 AACR.
Differentials in Survival for Childhood Cancer in Australia by Remoteness of Residence and Area Disadvantage
Authors: Youlden Danny R. , Baade Peter D. , Valery Patricia C. , Ward Leisa J. , Green Adele C. , Aitken Joanne F.
Published: August 2011

Background: It is not known whether improvements in cancer survival over recent decades have benefited children from different geographic locations equally. This is the first study to produce national survival estimates for childhood cancer in Australia by remoteness of residence and area-based socioeconomic status.

Methods: The study utilized population-based data from the Australian Paediatric Cancer Registry for children diagnosed with cancer from 1996 onward who were at risk of mortality between January 2001 and December 2006 (n = 6,289). Remoteness was specified according to the Australian Standard Geographical Classification Remoteness Areas, whereas an index of area disadvantage was obtained from census information. Five-year relative survival estimates were produced by the period method for all cancers and the most common diagnostic groups, with corresponding age–sex adjusted mortality hazard ratios calculated using Poisson regression.

Results: Overall, children with cancer from remote/very remote areas had a significantly lower survival rate than their counterparts in major cities (HR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.08–2.23). Survival was also lower for children with leukemia living in inner regional (HR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.11–2.08) or outer regional areas (HR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.03–2.28). There was weak evidence (Pgrad = 0.051) of a trend toward poorer survival by greater area disadvantage for all childhood cancers.

Conclusions: Some variation in prognosis by place of residence was present for children with cancer in Australia, particularly among leukemia patients.

Impact: Treatment, clinical or area-related factors that contribute to these survival differentials need to be identified. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(8); 1649–56. ©2011 AACR.
Circulating Insulin-like Growth Factor-I in Pregnancy and Maternal Risk of Breast Cancer
Authors: Toriola Adetunji T. , Lundin Eva , Schock Helena , Grankvist Kjell , Pukkala Eero , Chen Tianhui , Zeleniuch-Jacquotte Anne , Toniolo Paolo , Lehtinen Matti , Surcel Helja-Marja , Lukanova Annekatrin
Published: August 2011

Background: Elevated serum concentrations of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I have been associated with increased risk of developing breast cancer. Previously, we reported a similar association in samples obtained during pregnancy. This study was conducted to further characterize the association of IGF-I during pregnancy with maternal breast cancer risk.

Methods: A case–control study was nested within the Finnish Maternity Cohort. The study was limited to primiparous women younger than 40 years, who donated blood samples during early (median, 12 weeks) pregnancy and delivered a single child at term. Seven hundred nineteen women with invasive breast cancer were eligible. Two controls (n = 1,434) were matched with each case on age and date at blood donation. Serum IGF-I concentration was measured using an Immulite 2000 analyzer. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate ORs and 95% CIs.

Results: No significant associations were observed between serum IGF-I concentrations and breast cancer risk in both the overall analysis (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.80–1.47) and in analyses stratified by histologic subtype, lag time to cancer diagnosis, age at pregnancy, or age at diagnosis.

Conclusion: There was no association between IGF-I and maternal breast cancer risk during early pregnancy in this large nested case–control study.

Impact: Serum IGF-I concentrations during early pregnancy may not be related to maternal risk of developing breast cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(8); 1798–801. ©2011 AACR.
Public Opinion Discourses on Democratization in the Arab Middle East
Authors: Al-Sumait Fahed
Published: August 2011

In contemporary political discussions, the Middle East is often lamented as democratically deficient. During the last decade, processes of democratization in the region have gained considerable momentum as accepted goals of the international community—a condition noticeably accelerated following the events of 11 September 2001 and recent revolutions in North Africa. With democratization promoted as an explicit foreign policy objective, new discourses have emerged examining democracy's efficacy when translated into these contexts. Such discourses are heavily influenced by strategic political rhetoric rather than empirical assessments; a condition with significant consequences for public perceptions and policy decisions. Public opinion polls are starting to play an important role in these emerging discourses, yet polling research in the Middle East is still in its infancy. Major reports from three large-scale polls are used to highlight existing gaps between theoretical assessments of democratic attitudes and their empirical measures. Applying a four-part definition of democratization, this article assesses the relative ability of these polls to communicate the diversity of transnational perspectives concerning democracy's tenets. It is concluded that many Arab populations are not given adequate voice since polls often over-generalize attitudes based on interests in regional measures of central tendency rather than reflecting on the diversity among individual nation states.
Rethinking Orality in Turkish Classical Music: A Genealogy of Contemporary Musical Assemblages
Authors: Poulos Panagiotis
Published: August 2011

This article examines the tensions surrounding the status of the Ottoman musical heritage in the context of Turkey's modernizing program, through the study of the transformation of the oral transmission process of music, from the late Ottoman through the Republican period. Employing the concept of mediation, this study aims to underline the complexities of the contemporary creative process in Turkish classical music, as a means of challenging simplistic readings of the relation between Turkish modernity and music, based on binary oppositions such as orality-literacy. Instead, this article situates this process in the 'in-between' spaces produced by Turkish modernity, tracing the continuities of the Ottoman musical tradition within Republican Turkey.
New dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) taxa from arid south-western Africa
Authors: Deschodt Christian , Davis Adrian , Scholtz Clarke
Published: August 2011

In this paper we describe new dung beetle taxa (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) and discuss others previously described from arid south-western Africa. Descriptions are provided for a new monotypic genus (Versicorpus Deschodt, Davis and Scholtz gen.n.) and three new species, Versicorpus erongoensis Deschodt, Davis and Scholtz sp.n., Namakwanus endroedyi Deschodt, Davis and Scholtz, sp.n., and Scarabaeus (Kheper) kalaharicus Davis, Deschodt and Scholtz, sp.n. The type material of Scarabaeus (Scarabaeus) hottentorum Péringuey is examined and spelling errors on the labels are discussed. Inconsistencies between the published type locality, type locality labels, and the known geographical range are also discussed. The recently described Kheper namibicus Krajcik 2006 is synonymised with Scarabaeus (Kheper) cupreus (Castelnau 1840). Distribution records are provided for the new species described here while some closely related species are discussed.
Venereal Disease, Prostitution, and the Control of Sexuality in World War II Vienna
Authors: Czech Herwig
Published: August 2011

The Nazi drive for racial order led to the implementation of an authoritarian public health system which systematically subordinated the rights of the individual to the preventive protection of the Volksgemeinschaft. This article focuses on the example of Vienna in order to address the history of venereal disease control, public health politics towards prostitution and medical persecution of socially undesirable behavior under the influence of the biopolitical agenda of the Nazi regime. Combining sexual and racist motives, VD provided the regime with powerful images evoking a threat to the “purity” of the community. On one hand, forced laborers were subjected to a strict segregation from the local population because they personified the threat of infectious transgression. On the other hand, the concern with VD infections led to the stigmatization of women as sexually promiscuous and “antisocial.” At the same time, the authorities undertook the systematic reorganization of extramarital sex in the city. The network of brothels set up for this purpose not only served to minimize the dangers of VD; they channelled uncontrolled sexual activities by providing men with outlets for their sexual needs and by subjugating prostitution to the control of the authorities. This indicates that the whole realm of illicit sex was subjected to the principles of economic rationality, hygiene, discipline and visibility, thereby adding the brothel to the classic set of disciplinary institutions.
Degeneration, Darwinism and the Development of Eugenics in Bulgaria (1890–1929)
Authors: Promitzer Christian
Published: August 2011

The article treats the historical appearance of eugenic thinking in Bulgaria within debates on the notion of degeneration and on Darwinism since the early 1890s. Due to the marginal role of industry and urbanity in a widely rural country, such eugenic ideas initially only attracted a minority among Bulgarian intellectuals who followed similar debates in Russia. In the wake of Bulgaria's defeat in the First World War the focus of eugenic thinking shifted from the left to the right wing of the political specter with German racial hygiene as a new landmark. The article ends with the Bulgarian health legislation of 1929 which introduced voluntary prenuptial health certification.
Fighting Social Pathology: Criminology and Eugenics in Bulgaria, 1896–1939
Authors: Mircheva Gergana
Published: August 2011

The article examines the measures for combating forms of social pathology, such as criminal behavior and medicalized moral disorders, which were debated in Bulgaria from the end of 19th century onwards. Hence, the regime of mental incapacity under Bulgarian criminal law and the professional discussions on the nature of crime and abnormality are explored. The analysis focuses on the influence of criminological concepts on Bulgarian psychiatric and legal discourses, as well as on their links to interwar eugenic projects. The engagement of Bulgarian intellectuals with criminological and eugenic policies is studied within a general process of adoption and adaptation of Western biopolitical models. The article addresses the conceptual specifics of the Bulgarian debates on social and mental pathology and their practical relevance.
Eugenics and Lysenkoism in Interwar and Postwar Polish Biology
Authors: Lambert William de Jong
Published: August 2011

is article shows the impact of the interwar eugenics movement in Central Europe upon Polish biologists to postwar Lysenkoism by analyzing the actions of Polish geneticist Stanisław Skowron. Skowron was both a supporter of eugenics and Lysenkoism; while the former attitude seems to have been sincere, it is likely that Skowron's advocacy of the Lysenko theory was motivated by his concerns for political repression, and infl uenced by his experiences in Nazi concentration camps during the Second World War.
From Association to Organization
Authors: Mandler George
Published: August 2011

Recent as well as historical critiques of association theory, which is based on automatic linking mechanisms, lead to a consideration of an alternative: organization theory. The latter theory postulates that human memory is organized, instead, in a nested, hierarchical fashion that structures storage and retrieval. Organization theory also postulates that there is a limit of four expandable units in organized memory and that the same limit is found in recall and production units.
The Impact of Pets on Human Health and Psychological Well-Being
Authors: Herzog Harold
Published: August 2011

Because of extensive media coverage, it is now widely believed that pets enhance their owners’ health, sense of psychological well-being, and longevity. But while some researchers have reported that positive effects accrue from interacting with animals, others have found that the health and happiness of pet owners is no better, and in some cases worse, than that of non–pet owners. I discuss some reasons why studies of the effects of pets on people have produced conflicting results, and I argue that the existence of a generalized “pet effect” on human mental and physical health is at present not a fact but an unsubstantiated hypothesis.
Who Takes Risks When and Why?
Authors: Figner Bernd , Weber Elke U.
Published: August 2011

Life is full of risky decisions, from the mundane to matters of life or death. Individuals differ in the risks they accept (or even deliberately embrace). However, risk taking is not a single trait but is a behavior influenced by characteristics of the situation (what the decision is about and to what extent it engages affect vs. deliberation), the decision maker (age and gender), and interactions between situation and decision maker. Understanding the mechanisms behind risk taking—or who takes risks when and why—is particularly important when the goal is to influence and modify the behavior.
A Comparative Analysis on the Socio-economic Welfare of Dependents of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in India
Authors: Surendran A. , Sekar C.
Published: August 2011

Biodiversity is a valuable and yet poorly understood natural resource, depleting rapidly through human interventions. The economic value of biodiversity in a forest ecosystem includes its direct-use value and indirect-use value for the ecological regulatory services it provides. The Western Ghats is one of the world’s 25 biodiversity hotspots and forest ecosystem that are protected as the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR). This study was undertaken with the objective of asserting the consumptive and passive use values of the ATR as well as to examine the people’s attitudes towards consumption and sustainable use of natural resources and forest biodiversity.

To estimate the direct-use value, the sample respondents, namely, agriculture and forest dependents within the fringe areas and tourist dependents in urban areas, were selected. Education and income were positively related to per capita consumption expenditure and were highly significant. Family size and landholdings had negative influences on both agriculture and forest dependents and tourist dependents. It was concluded that the development of ecotourism will reduce forest dependents and enhance their income through tourism-related occupations by creating more employment and other related income-generating activities besides protecting the valuable natural resources through optimal and sustainable use.
In the epicenter of politics: Axel Honneth’s theory of the struggles for recognition and Luc Boltanski and Laurent Thévenot’s moral and political sociology
Authors: Basaure Mauro
Published: August 2011

Axel Honneth’s development of the Frankfurt School’s Critical Social Theory has increased the amount of attention that is paid to the dimension of political praxis by emphasizing the social struggle for recognition. Nevertheless, the political-sociological axis of this tradition remains relatively unexplored and unclear. Taking this as a starting point, I investigate the contribution that the pragmatic sociology of Luc Boltanski and Laurent Thévenot could make to the fortification of this political dimension. I do this by tracing a line of argument through several of Boltanski’s studies in the direction of a political-sociological axis. I show that this aspect of Boltanski’s sociology can be understood as a very fruitful analysis of processes of political articulation that may help Critical Theory overcome a political deficiency.
Politics between justification and defiance
Authors: Blokker Paul , Brighenti Andrea
Published: August 2011

The article discusses the status and role of politics — in its various facets — in the pragmatic sociology of critique. We focus on a number of different dimensions of politics — politics-as-justification, politics-as-distribution, politics-as-constitution, and politics-as-defiance — that can said to be of importance for a pragmatic sociology of critique, but that have not all been taken up equally in this approach. We situate pragmatic sociology in a tradition of thought that views politics as emerging in the settlement of disputes over differences without resorting to violence. However, we argue that pragmatic sociology tends to ignore questions of the constitution of politics, and suggest that one way of bringing the foundational aspect upfront is by conceptualizing and studying defiance, including forms of explicit (dissent) and implicit critique (resistance) of the existing order.
Interpreters, Translators, and the Spoken Word in the Nineteenth-Century Transatlantic Slave Trade to Brazil and Cuba
Authors: Graden Dale T.
Published: August 2011

Interpreters and translators played a central role in the transatlantic slave trade in the nineteenth century. Some helped traffickers. Others aided in the suppression of the slave trade. On land, Mixed Courts of Justice for the Suppression of the Transatlantic Slave Trade (1819–71) employed interpreters and translators. Courts in Havana and Rio de Janeiro along with seven other Courts situated throughout the Atlantic Basin heard more than six hundred cases and “liberated” some 100,000 Africans taken off captured slave vessels. At sea, interpreters interviewed enslaved Africans on board captured slave ships to provide information to British naval officers. Numerous interpreters and translators were Africans or African descendants. Using language skills and knowledge of the Atlantic world, these “Atlantic Creoles” defended personal freedoms and the human rights of others during the Age of Revolutions (1760–1850). Two episodes are noted in which enslaved blacks spoke fluent Eng lish as a means to convince British and United States officials that they merited immediate emancipation.
Feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of Internet-based dynamic telepathology between Uganda and Germany
Authors: Wamala Dan , Katamba Achilles , Dworak Otto
Published: August 2011

We assessed the feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of Internet-based telepathology compared with conventional microscopic examination. A total of 96 cases from the routine workload of the Department of Pathology at the Mulago Hospital in Uganda were examined by robotic telemicroscopy via the Internet at the Fuerth Hospital in Germany. The telepathology diagnoses were compared with those of conventional microscopy. Email and Skype telephony were used to exchange clinical and diagnostic information. The reference diagnosis (gold standard) was established by consensus between two or more experienced pathologists using both conventional microscopy and telemicroscopy; immunohistochemistry was used whenever it was necessary. It took approximately 30 min for a pathologist to learn to use the telepathology system and 4–25 min to read a case remotely. Internet speed was the main limiting factor. The images were of good quality and the pathologist at the remote site was able to navigate through the slide and change the magnification as necessary. In 92 of the specimens (97%), the pathologists at the two hospitals agreed exactly about the diagnosis. Agreement overall was moderate (kappa = 0.39). The discordant diagnoses were attributed to factors related to diseases morphologically difficult to diagnose, such as soft tissue sarcomas and primitive tumours. Internet-based conferencing systems offer an inexpensive method of obtaining a primary diagnosis by telepathology and consulting on cases that require subspecialty expertise.
A pilot project for improving paediatric diabetes outcomes using a website: the Pediatric Diabetes Education Portal
Authors: Pinsker Jordan E , Nguyen Charles , Young Susan , Fredericks Gregory J , Chan Debora
Published: August 2011

We created a website for patients and families that allowed them to review clinic test results, review educational materials related to these results and post questions to their diabetes educator. Fingerstick haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) testing and periodic use of a continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) were offered to all patients. The HbA1c and CGMS results were posted to the website after each clinic visit. A total of 52 patients with type 1 diabetes were enrolled in the study. There were 16 patients with HbA1c values within ADA guidelines and 16 with HbA1c values above guidelines; 20 patients were excluded for various reasons. Users of the website were defined as families who logged in four or more times over the six-month study period. For patients whose HbA1c started above ADA guidelines, the mean HbA1c for website users decreased from 10.5% (SD 2.2) at baseline to 9.1% (SD 1.2) after six months. In the non-users, the mean HbA1c increased from 9.5% (SD 1.5) at baseline to 10.4% (SD 2.5). However, these changes were not significant. A between groups comparison (users versus non-users) showed a significant improvement in HbA1c for website users ( P = 0.03). This change in HbA1c was clinically relevant. Further studies with more patients are needed to see if these improvements can be sustained over a longer period.
Telemonitoring improves home health utilization outcomes in rural settings
Authors: Golbeck Amanda L , Hansen Dianne , Lee Kim , Noblitt Valerie , Christner Janie , Pinsonneault Julie
Published: August 2011

We have examined the hypothesis that home telemonitoring, when added to conventional home care in rural settings, results in less acute care hospitalization and more discharge to the community. Five US rural home health agencies of different types participated in the study. All agencies were not-for-profit and served low-income patients in designated health professional shortage areas or medically underserved areas/populations. A prospective treatment group was telemonitored daily in the home during the period 1 October 2006 to 31 May 2009 ( n = 1419). An historical control group was selected sequentially backwards from 30 September 2006 ( n = 1502). Both groups had home health services for approximately 50 days ( P = 0.76). We used logistic regression modelling, with covariate data captured from the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) data set, to assess the effect of group on outcome. Home telemonitoring was found to reduce the odds of any acute care hospitalization (OR = 0.59, P < 0.001) and to increase the odds of discharge to the community (OR = 1.36, P = 0.003).
A brief self-guided telehealth intervention for post-traumatic stress disorder in combat veterans: a pilot study
Authors: Possemato Kyle , Ouimette Paige , Knowlton Paul
Published: August 2011

To engage more US combat veterans in PTSD treatment, we offered a psychological intervention that could be initiated in primary care and completed using the Internet. Participants ( n = 31) were randomized to complete either Written Emotional Disclosure (WED) or time management narratives on a secure Internet website. In the WED group, participants wrote about their thoughts and emotions regarding one traumatic combat experience in three 20-min sessions. Writing instructions encouraged exposure to traumatic memories and cognitive processing of trauma. The intervention was found to be feasible and safe to implement. Although follow-up assessments did not reveal significant group differences in PTSD symptoms, half of the WED participants reported symptom reductions. Content analyses revealed that participants who expressed more emotion and cognitions were significantly more likely to experience decreased PTSD symptoms. WED may have promise as a brief intervention for veterans with PTSD.
Normality, Projective Normality and EGZ Theorem
Authors: Kannan S. Senthamarai , Pattanayak Santosha Kumar
Published: August 2011

In this note, we prove that the projective normality of (ℙ(