bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Low Plasma Coenzyme Q10 Levels and Breast Cancer Risk in Chinese Women
Authors: Cooney Robert V. , Dai Qi , Gao Yu-Tang , Chow Wong-Ho , Franke Adrian A. , Shu Xiao-Ou , Li Honglan , Ji Butian , Cai Qiuyin , Chai Weiwen , Zheng Wei 
Published: June 2011

Abstract
Background: Low circulating levels of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) have been associated with increased cancer incidence and poor prognosis for a number of cancer types, while a recent prospective study observed a positive association for CoQ10 with breast cancer risk.
Methods: We prospectively examined the association of plasma CoQ10 with breast cancer risk in a nested case-control study of Chinese women within the Shanghai Women's Health Study (SWHS). Prediagnostic plasma samples were obtained from 340 cases and 653 age-matched controls and analyzed for total CoQ10.
Results: A borderline significant inverse association for breast cancer incidence with plasma CoQ10 level was observed by a conditional logistic regression model adjusted for age and age at first live birth, which became significant after elimination of cases diagnosed within 1 year of blood draw (Ptrend = 0.03). This association was independent of menopausal status. Plasma CoQ10 levels were also observed to be significantly associated with circulating γ-tocopherol (r = 0.50; P &lt; 0.0001) and α-tocopherol (r = 0.38; P &lt; 0.0001) levels.
Conclusions: Circulating levels of CoQ10 were generally low in this population and the observed association with breast cancer risk may be limited to those women with exceptionally low values.
Impact: This study reports an inverse relationship between circulating CoQ10 and breast cancer risk, while the only other prospective study of CoQ10 and breast cancer to date found a positive association. Lower levels of CoQ10 in the SWHS population suggest that the 2 studies may not be contradictory and indicate a possible nonlinear (U-shaped) association of CoQ10 with risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(6); 1124–30. ©2011 AACR.
Lower Risk in Parous Women Suggests That Hormonal Factors Are Important in Bladder Cancer Etiology
Authors: Davis-Dao Carol A. , Henderson Katherine D. , Sullivan-Halley Jane , Ma Huiyan , West Dee , Xiang Yong-Bing , Gago-Dominguez Manuela , Stern Mariana C. , Castelao J. Esteban , Conti David V. , Pike Malcolm C. , Bernstein Leslie , Cortessis Victoria K. 
Published: June 2011

Abstract
Background: Urinary bladder cancer is two to four times more common among men than among women, a difference in risk not fully explained by established risk factors. Our objective was to determine whether hormonal and reproductive factors are involved in female bladder cancer.
Methods: We analyzed data from two population-based studies: the Los Angeles–Shanghai Bladder Cancer Study, with 349 female case–control pairs enrolled in Los Angeles and 131 female cases and 138 frequency-matched controls enrolled in Shanghai, and the California Teachers Study (CTS), a cohort of 120,857 women with 196 incident cases of bladder urothelial carcinoma diagnosed between 1995 and 2005. We also conducted a meta-analysis summarizing associations from our primary analyses together with published results.
Results: In primary data analyses, parous women experienced at least 30% reduced risk of developing bladder cancer compared with nulliparous women (Shanghai: OR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.13–1.10; CTS: RR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.50–0.95) consistent with results of a meta-analysis of nine studies (summary RR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.63–0.85). The CTS, which queried formulation of menopausal hormone therapy (HT), revealed a protective effect for use of combined estrogen and progestin compared with no HT (RR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.37–0.98). Meta-analysis of three studies provided a similar effect estimate (summary RR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.48–0.88).
Conclusions: A consistent pattern of reduced bladder cancer risk was found among parous women and those who used estrogen and progestin for HT.
Impact: These results suggest that more research is warranted to investigate hormonal and reproductive factors as possible contributors to bladder cancer risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(6); 1156–70. ©2011 AACR.
Age-Stratified Performance of the Cervista HPV 16/18 Genotyping Test in Women with ASC-US Cytology
Authors: Einstein Mark H. , Garcia Francisco A.R. , Mitchell Amy L. , Day Stephen P. 
Published: June 2011

Abstract
Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical performance of the Cervista HPV 16/18 genotyping test for detection of human papilloma virus (HPV) 16 and 18 in cervical cytology specimens in women stratified by age.
Methods: In a multicenter, prospective clinical study, ThinPrep specimens were tested for the presence of HPV 16 and 18 using the HPV 16/18 genotyping test. Genotyping results from women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance or greater cytology were compared with local colposcopy and/or histology results. Sensitivity, specificity, and negative and positive predictive values (NPV and PPV) were determined.
Results: The prevalence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2+ in subjects positive for HPV 16/18 was 6.6% and 4.1% for women &lt;30 and ≥30 years of age, respectively. The sensitivity of the test was 70.0% (95% CI: 54.6–81.9) and 66.7% (95% CI: 46.7–82.0) in women &lt;30 and ≥30 years, respectively. The NPV was 95.5% (95% CI: 93.4–97.6) in women &lt;30 years and 96.6% (95% CI: 94.8–98.5) in women ≥30 years. Specificity was higher in women ≥30 years (79.9%; 95% CI: 74.9–84.2) than women &lt;30 years (61.9%; 95% CI: 57.1–66.4). The PPV was 15.2% (95% CI: 12.7–19.1) in women &lt;30 years and 21.9% (95% CI: 17.0–30.7) in women ≥30 years.
Conclusions: The performance of the Cervista HPV 16/18 genotyping test for predicting ≥CIN 2 is what would be expected across the key ≥CIN 2 age strata.
Impact: HPV 16/18 genotyping may help further stratify women with a greater potential to develop cervical cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(6); 1185–9. ©2011 AACR.
Trends in Extreme Apparent Temperatures over the United States, 1949–2010
Authors: Grundstein Andrew , Dowd John 
Published: June 2011

AbstractBiometeorological indices, such as the apparent temperature, are widely used in studies of heat-related mortality to quantify the human sensation to the environmental conditions. Increases in the frequency of environmentally stressful days as indicated by biometeorological indices may augment the risk for heat-related morbidity and mortality. This study examines trends in the frequency of days with extreme maximum and minimum apparent temperatures across the United States for 1949–2010. An increase in occurrence of 1-day extreme minimum apparent temperatures is particularly notable, especially in the eastern and western United States, with 44% of stations exhibiting positive trends. About 20% of stations have positive trends in 1-day extreme maximum apparent temperature, mostly in the western United States. The median trend for both 1-day extreme maximum and minimum apparent temperature is approximately 2 days per 10 yr, indicating that by 2010 there were 12 more days with extreme apparent temperatures than there were in 1949. Few stations with trends in 4-day extreme minimum or maximum apparent temperatures were noted. An important finding is that there has been a 53% increase in stations with positive trends in 1-day extreme minimum apparent temperatures and a 63% increase in stations with positive trends in 1-day extreme maximum apparent temperatures since a similar study by Gaffen and Ross was conducted using the period 1949–95. Although there is a clear increase in the hazard for days with extreme apparent temperatures, changes in health outcomes are modulated by factors, such as the age of the population and access to air conditioning, that affect social vulnerability.
A combustor-representative swirl simulator for a transonic turbine research facility
Authors: Qureshi I , Povey T 
Published: June 2011

Tighter aircraft emissions regulations have let to considerable improvement in gas turbine combustion in the past few decades. Modern combustors employ aggressive swirlers to increase mixing and to improve flame stability during the combustion process. The flow at combustor exit can therefore have high residual swirl. The impact of this swirl on the aerodynamic and heat transfer characteristics of the HP turbine stage has not yet received much attention. In order to investigate the effects of swirl on the HP turbine stage, an inlet swirl simulator has been designed and commissioned in an engine scale, short duration, rotating transonic turbine facility. The test facility simulates engine representative Mach number, Reynolds number, non-dimensional speed and gas-to-wall temperature ratio at the turbine inlet. The target swirl profile at turbine stage inlet was based upon extreme exit swirl conditions for a modern low-NO x combustor with peak yaw and pitch angles over ±40°. A number of candidate swirler designs were considered during a pilot study that was conducted in a subsonic wind tunnel to achieve suitable swirler design. The swirl simulator was developed based upon the pilot study results, which achieved a good match to the target profile after commissioning in the facility. This article mainly deals with the design and development of the swirl generator. It presents the experimental and computational results of the pilot study, followed by the description of the installation and commissioning of the swirl simulator on the test facility. Novel instrumentation was required to survey the swirl profile, which is also described. A comparison of the measured and computational aerodynamic results with and without swirl, at 10 per cent and 90 per cent span of HP nozzle guide vane is also presented. The comparison highlights significant impact of swirl on the vane incidence angle, and therefore a considerable affect on the loading distribution of the vane.
Analysis of BAC end sequences in oak, a keystone forest tree species, providing insight into the composition of its genome
Authors: Faivre Rampant Patricia , Lesur Isabelle , Boussardon Clément , Bitton Frédérique , Martin-Magniette Marie-Laure , Bodénès Catherine , Le Provost Grégoire , Bergès Hélène , Fluch Sylvia , Kremer Antoine , Plomion Christophe 
Published: June 2011

AbstractBackgroundOne of the key goals of oak genomics research is to identify genes of adaptive significance. This information may help to improve the conservation of adaptive genetic variation and the management of forests to increase their health and productivity. Deep-coverage large-insert genomic libraries are a crucial tool for attaining this objective. We report herein the construction of a BAC library forQuercus robur, its characterization and an analysis of BAC end sequences.ResultsTheEcoRI library generated consisted of 92,160 clones, 7% of which had no insert. Levels of chloroplast and mitochondrial contamination were below 3% and 1%, respectively. Mean clone insert size was estimated at 135 kb. The library represents 12 haploid genome equivalents and, the likelihood of finding a particular oak sequence of interest is greater than 99%. Genome coverage was confirmed by PCR screening of the library with 60 unique genetic loci sampled from the genetic linkage map. In total, about 20,000 high-quality BAC end sequences (BESs) were generated by sequencing 15,000 clones. Roughly 5.88% of the combined BAC end sequence length corresponded to known retroelements whileab initiorepeat detection methods identified 41 additional repeats. Collectively, characterized and novel repeats account for roughly 8.94% of the genome. Further analysis of the BESs revealed 1,823 putative genes suggesting at least 29,340 genes in the oak genome. BESs were aligned with the genome sequences ofArabidopsis thaliana,Vitis viniferaandPopulus trichocarpa. One putative collinear microsyntenic region encoding an alcohol acyl transferase protein was observed between oak and chromosome 2 ofV. vinifera.ConclusionsThis BAC library provides a new resource for genomic studies, including SSR marker development, physical mapping, comparative genomics and genome sequencing. BES analysis provided insight into the structure of the oak genome. These sequences will be used in the assembly of a future genome sequence for oak.
Aberrant methylation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor type 2B (NMDAR2B) in non-small cell carcinoma
Authors: Tamura Hajime , Suzuki Makoto , Moriya Yasumitsu , Hoshino Hidehisa , Okamoto Tatsuro , Yoshida Shigetoshi , Yoshino Ichiro 
Published: June 2011

AbstractBackgroundN-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR) act as tumor suppressors of digestive malignancies. The expression and genetic methylation patterns ofNMDAR2Bin non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are unknown.MethodsThe relationship between gene methylation and expression ofNMDAR2Bwas analyzed in NSCLC cell lines (N = 9) and clinical tissues (N = 216). The cell lines were studied using RT-PCR and 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine treatment, while the clinical tissues were examined by methylation specific real-time quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry. Retrospective investigation of patient records was used to determine the clinical significance ofNMDAR2Bmethylation.ResultsNMDAR2Bwas silenced in five of the nine cell lines; 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine treatment restored expression, and was inversely correlated with methylation. Aberrant methylation ofNMDAR2B, detected in 61% (131/216) of clinical NSCLC tissues, was inversely correlated with the status of protein expression in 20 randomly examined tumors. Aberrant methylation was not associated with clinical factors such as gender, age, histological type, or TNM stage. However, aberrant methylation was an independent prognostic factor in squamous cell carcinoma cases.ConclusionsAberrant methylation of theNMDAR2Bgene is a common event in NSCLC. The prognosis was significantly better for cases of squamous cell carcinoma in whichNMDAR2Bwas methylated. It may have different roles in different histological types.
Rapid label-free identification of mixed bacterial infections by surface plasmon resonance
Authors: Wang Jue , Luo Yang , Zhang Bo , Chen Ming , Huang Junfu , Zhang Kejun , Gao Weiyin , Fu Weiling , Jiang Tianlun , Liao Pu 
Published: June 2011

Abstract

Background
Early detection of mixed aerobic-anaerobic infection has been a challenge in clinical practice due to the phenotypic changes in complex environments. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor is widely used to detect DNA-DNA interaction and offers a sensitive and label-free approach in DNA research.

Methods
In this study, we developed a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) amplification technique and modified the traditional SPR detection system for rapid and simultaneous detection of mixed infections of four pathogenic microorganisms (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium tetani and Clostridium perfringens).

Results
We constructed the circulation detection well to increase the sensitivity and the tandem probe arrays to reduce the non-specific hybridization. The use of 16S rDNA universal primers ensured the amplification of four target nucleic acid sequences simultaneously, and further electrophoresis and sequencing confirmed the high efficiency of this amplification method. No significant signals were detected during the single-base mismatch or non-specific probe hybridization (P < 0.05). The calibration curves of amplification products of four bacteria had good linearity from 0.1 nM to 100 nM, with all R2 values of >0.99. The lowest detection limits were 0.03 nM for P. aeruginosa, 0.02 nM for S. aureus, 0.01 nM for C. tetani and 0.02 nM for C. perfringens. The SPR biosensor had the same detection rate as the traditional culture method (P < 0.05). In addition, the quantification of PCR products can be completed within 15 min, and excellent regeneration greatly reduces the cost for detection.

Conclusions
Our method can rapidly and accurately identify the mixed aerobic-anaerobic infection, providing a reliable alternative to bacterial culture for rapid bacteria detection.
Reliable processing of graphene using metal etchmasks
Authors: Kumar Shishir , Peltekis Nikos , Lee Kangho , Kim Hye-Young , Duesberg Georg Stefan 
Published: June 2011

Abstract
Graphene exhibits exciting properties which make it an appealing candidate for use in electronic devices. Reliable processes for device fabrication are crucial prerequisites for this. We developed a large area of CVD synthesis and transfer of graphene films. With patterning of these graphene layers using standard photoresist masks, we are able to produce arrays of gated graphene devices with four point contacts. The etching and lift off process poses problems because of delamination and contamination due to polymer residues when using standard resists. We introduce a metal etch mask which minimises these problems. The high quality of graphene is shown by Raman and XPS spectroscopy as well as electrical measurements. The process is of high value for applications, as it improves the processability of graphene using high-throughput lithography and etching techniques.
Determination of the relative economic impact of different molecular-based laboratory algorithms for respiratory viral pathogen detection, including Pandemic (H1N1), using a secure web based platform
Authors: Lee Bonita E , Mukhi Shamir N , May-Hadford Jennifer , Plitt Sabrina , Louie Marie , Drews Steven J 
Published: June 2011

Abstract

Background
During period of crisis, laboratory planners may be faced with a need to make operational and clinical decisions in the face of limited information. To avoid this dilemma, our laboratory utilizes a secure web based platform, Data Integration for Alberta Laboratories (DIAL) to make near real-time decisions.
This manuscript utilizes the data collected by DIAL as well as laboratory test cost modeling to identify the relative economic impact of four proposed scenarios of testing for Pandemic H1N1 (2009) and other respiratory viral pathogens.

Methods
Historical data was collected from the two waves of the pandemic using DIAL. Four proposed molecular testing scenarios were generated: A) Luminex respiratory virus panel (RVP) first with/without US centers for Disease Control Influenza A Matrix gene assay (CDC-M), B) CDC-M first with/without RVP, C) RVP only, and D) CDC-M only. Relative cost estimates of different testing algorithm were generated from a review of historical costs in the lab and were based on 2009 Canadian dollars.

Results
Scenarios A and B had similar costs when the rate of influenza A was low (< 10%) with higher relative cost in Scenario A with increasing incidence. Scenario A provided more information about mixed respiratory virus infection as compared with Scenario B.

Conclusions
No one approach is applicable to all conditions. Testing costs will vary depending on the test volume, prevalence of influenza A strains, as well as other circulating viruses and a more costly algorithm involving a combination of different tests may be chosen to ensure that tests results are returned to the clinician in a quicker manner. Costing should not be the only consideration for determination of laboratory algorithms.
Rotavirus NSP4: Cell type-dependent transport kinetics to the exofacial plasma membrane and release from intact infected cells
Authors: Gibbons Thomas F , Storey Stephen M , Williams Cecelia V , McIntosh Avery , Mitchel DeAnne M , Parr Rebecca D , Schroeder Megan E , Schroeder Friedhelm , Ball Judith M 
Published: June 2011

Abstract

Background
Rotavirus NSP4 localizes to multiple intracellular sites and is multifunctional, contributing to RV morphogenesis, replication and pathogenesis. One function of NSP4 is the induction of early secretory diarrhea by binding surface receptors to initiate signaling events. The aims of this study were to determine the transport kinetics of NSP4 to the exofacial plasma membrane (PM), the subsequent release from intact infected cells, and rebinding to naïve and/or neighboring cells in two cell types.

Methods
Transport kinetics was evaluated using surface-specific biotinylation/streptavidin pull-downs and exofacial exposure of NSP4 was confirmed by antibody binding to intact cells, and fluorescent resonant energy transfer. Transfected cells similarly were monitored to discern NSP4 movement in the absence of infection or other viral proteins. Endoglycosidase H digestions, preparation of CY3- or CY5- labeled F(ab)2 fragments, confocal imaging, and determination of preferential polarized transport employed standard laboratory techniques. Mock-infected, mock-biotinylated and non-specific antibodies served as controls.

Results
Only full-length (FL), endoglycosidase-sensitive NSP4 was detected on the exofacial surface of two cell types, whereas the corresponding cell lysates showed multiple glycosylated forms. The C-terminus of FL NSP4 was detected on exofacial-membrane surfaces at different times in different cell types prior to its release into culture media. Transport to the PM was rapid and distinct yet FL NSP4 was secreted from both cell types at a time similar to the release of virus. NSP4-containing, clarified media from both cells bound surface molecules of naïve cells, and imaging showed secreted NSP4 from one or more infected cells bound neighboring cell membranes in culture. Preferential sorting to apical or basolateral membranes also was distinct in different polarized cells.

Conclusions
The intracellular transport of NSP4 to the PM, translocation across the PM, exposure of the C-terminus on the cell surface and subsequent secretion occurs via an unusual, complex and likely cell-dependent process. The exofacial exposure of the C-terminus poses several questions and suggests an atypical mechanism by which NSP4 traverses the PM and interacts with membrane lipids. Mechanistic details of the unconventional trafficking of NSP4, interactions with host-cell specific molecules and subsequent release require additional study.