bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Role of the Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome 1 Gene in Familial and Sporadic Prostate Cancer
Authors: Hebbring Scott J. , Fredriksson Henna , White Kirsten A. , Maier Christiane , Ewing Charles , McDonnell Shannon K. , Jacobsen Steven J. , Cerhan James , Schaid Daniel J. , Ikonen Tarja , Autio Ville , Tammela Teuvo L.J. , Herkommer Kathleen , Paiss Thomas , Vogel Walther , Gielzak Marta , Sauvageot Jurga , Schleutker Johanna , Cooney Kathleen A. , Isaacs William , Thibodeau Stephen N. 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
The Nijmegen breakage syndrome 1 (NBS1) gene, which participates in DNA double strand break repair, has been postulated to be a susceptibility factor for a number of cancers, including prostate cancer. Numerous mutations have been identified in NBS1, including the founder mutation 657del5. In this study, a number of analyses were done to determine whether mutations in NBS1 are associated with an increased risk for prostate cancer. The frequency of the 657del5 mutation in both familial prostate cancer cases (1,819 affected men among 909 families) and sporadic prostate cancer cases (1,218 affected men) collected from five centers participating in the International Consortium for Prostate Cancer Genetics were compared with that found in 697 normal controls. Seven individuals were identified to carry the mutation among the 3,037 cases screened: four in the familial group (three from one family and one from another) and three in the sporadic cases. The carrier frequency was 0.22% (2 of 909) for the probands and 0.25% (3 of 1,218) for the sporadic cases of prostate cancer. The 657del5 mutation was not detected in either the 293 unaffected members of the prostate cancer families or in the 697 control samples tested. The entire NBS1 gene was also sequenced in 20 of the youngest affected individuals from the Finnish group of familial cases to identify the presence of possible mutations in this high-risk group. One rare (D95N) and one common (E185Q) missense alteration was identified. More detailed analyses of the E185Q polymorphism, along with a third rare variant (R215W), failed to show an association with prostate cancer. Because the 657del5 mutation was absent from the control population, we are unable to determine if this alteration predisposes to prostate cancer. However, our data does suggest that mutations within NBS1, and in particular, 657del5, do not significantly contribute to the overall prostate cancer burden within our patient samples. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(5):935–8)
Alcohol Dehydrogenase 2 His47Arg Polymorphism Influences Drinking Habit Independently of Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 2 Glu487Lys Polymorphism: Analysis of 2,299 Japanese Subjects
Authors: Matsuo Keitaro , Wakai Kenji , Hirose Kaoru , Ito Hidemi , Saito Toshiko , Tajima Kazuo 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
Although the functional effect of alcohol dehydrogenase 2 (ADH2) His47Arg polymorphism has been elucidated, its effect on habitual drinking remains unknown. Here, we conducted a cross-sectional study in 2,299 nonalcoholic Japanese subjects (989 men and 1,310 women). Drinking status, ethanol consumption, and physical reaction to one glass of beer were examined with regard to ADH2 and aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) polymorphism. Strength of associations were assessed by age-, sex-, smoking status-, and genotype-adjusted odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals. ADH2 His/Arg and Arg/Arg genotypes showed higher risk for habitual drinking. Among men, ALDH2 genotype- and confounder-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) were 1.30 (0.89-1.89) and 3.16 (1.03-9.70), and this trend was significant (P = 0.024). A similar trend was observed among women. The combination genotypes of two polymorphisms revealed the clear effect of the ADH2 Arg allele among those with ALDH2 Glu/Lys in both sexes (Ptrend = 0.007 for men and 0.024 for women). Physical reactions, such as flushing and palpitation, were significantly less common in those with Arg/Arg compared with other ADH2 genotypes, and this was marked when combined with ALDH2 Glu/Lys. Heavy drinker status was also strongly associated with ADH2 Arg alleles. In conclusion, this study showed the strong effect of ADH2 His47Arg polymorphism on habitual drinking regardless of ALDH2 genotype. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(5):1009–13)
Smokers at Higher Risk for Undetected Antibody for Oncogenic Human Papillomavirus Type 16 Infection
Authors: Wiley Dorothy J. , Wiesmeier Edward , Masongsong Emmanuel , Gylys Karen H. , Koutsky Laura A. , Ferris Daron G. , Barr Eliav , Yu Rao Jian ,   The Proof of Principle Study Investigative Group
Published: May 2006

AbstractObjective: To determine the association between tobacco smoking and serologic evidence of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16)–specific antibodies among HPV16 DNA–positive women.Design, Setting, and Participants: Baseline health history, physical examination, and laboratory data for 205 HPV16 DNA–positive women with no prior cytologic evidence of squamous intraepithelial lesions who were enrolled subsequently in a randomized clinical trial.Main Outcome Measure: HPV16-L1 antibody (anti-HPV16 antibody) detected from serum using RIA or ELISA.Results: Eighty-seven percent (179 of 205) of women tested positive for HPV16 DNA using cervicovaginal swabs or lavage specimens, and 26 women showed similar results using swab specimens of external genitalia alone. HPV16-infected women who reported increasingly greater levels of daily cigarette smoking were less likely to test positive for anti-HPV16 antibodies than nonsmoking women (P = 0.02). Smokers were twice as likely as nonsmokers to test negative for anti-HPV16 antibodies, even after controlling for the effects of other covariates in the analyses (adjusted odds ratio, 0.5; 95% confidence limits, 0.2-0.9). Although Papanicolaou test findings and smoking characteristics were poorly correlated (r2 = 0.01), women who showed atypical cells of unknown significance or squamous intraepithelial lesion were twice as likely to test anti-HPV16 antibody positive as women who showed normal Papanicolaou tests (adjusted odds ratio, 2.0; 95% confidence limits, 1.1-3.7).Conclusion: These data suggest that smoking may influence the long-term risk for cancer by perturbing early immune responses to the virus and may increase the likelihood of persistent infection. Patient education messages should alert women to this additional risk of smoking. A clinical trial of smoking cessation should be explored as a therapeutic intervention for primary HPV16 infection. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(5):915–20)
The Association of Plasma DHEA and DHEA Sulfate with Breast Cancer Risk in Predominantly Premenopausal Women
Authors: Tworoger Shelley S. , Missmer Stacey A. , Eliassen A. Heather , Spiegelman Donna , Folkerd Elizabeth , Dowsett Mitch , Barbieri Robert L. , Hankinson Susan E. 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
Concentrations of adrenal androgens are positively associated with postmenopausal breast cancer risk; however, results in premenopausal women are conflicting. Therefore, we conducted a prospective nested case-control study within the Nurses' Health Study II cohort to examine the relationship of DHEA and DHEA sulfate (DHEAS) with breast cancer risk in predominantly premenopausal women. Blood samples were collected from 1996 to 1999. The analysis included 317 cases of breast cancer diagnosed after blood collection and before June 1, 2003; for each case, two controls were matched on age, fasting status, time of day and month of blood collection, race/ethnicity, and timing of blood draw within the menstrual cycle. No associations were observed between DHEA or DHEAS levels and breast cancer risk overall [in situ and invasive; DHEA relative risk (RR), top versus bottom quartile, 1.2; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.8-1.8, Ptrend = 0.53; DHEAS RR, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.9-2.0; Ptrend = 0.07]. However, both DHEA and DHEAS were positively associated with estrogen receptor–positive/progesterone receptor–positive breast cancer (DHEA RR, 1.6; 95% CI, 0.9-2.8, Ptrend = 0.09; DHEAS RR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.1-3.3, Ptrend = 0.02). We observed a significant interaction by age, with an RR for DHEAS of 0.8 (95% CI, 0.4-1.5, Ptrend = 0.62) for women &lt;45 years old and 2.0 (95% CI, 1.2-3.5, Ptrend = 0.003) for women ≥45 years old; results were similar for DHEA. Our results suggest that adrenal androgens are positively associated with breast cancer among predominately premenopausal women, especially for estrogen receptor–positive/progesterone receptor–positive tumors and among women over age 45 years. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(5):967–71)
Selenomethionine Treatment Does Not Alter Gene Expression in Normal Squamous Esophageal Mucosa in a High-Risk Chinese Population
Authors: Joshi Nina , Johnson Laura Lee , Wei Wen-Qiang , Abnet Christian C. , Dong Zhi-Wei , Taylor Philip R. , Limburg Paul J. , Dawsey Sanford M. , Hawk Ernest T. , Qiao You-Lin , Kirsch Ilan R. 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
Selenium is a promising cancer chemoprevention agent. A recent randomized controlled chemoprevention trial found that selenomethionine (SeMet) supplementation for 10 months favorably effected a change in esophageal dysplasia grade among participants who started the trial with mild dysplasia. To further explore the role of SeMet in this trial, we compared gene expression profiles by treatment group using Affymetrix HU 133A chips in before/after supplementation paired normal esophageal biopsies from a subset of 29 trial participants, 16 who received SeMet, and 13 who received placebo. Using P &lt; 0.001 as a cutoff, 11 differentially expressed genes were found in the SeMet supplementation group but these genes did not include either known selenoprotein genes or genes previously shown to be modulated by selenium treatment. Because the number of differentially expressed genes (n = 11) was less than expected by chance (n = 18), we concluded that SeMet supplementation had no measurable effect on gene expression in the normal squamous esophagus of these subjects with dysplasia. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(5):1046-7)
Understanding Population and Individual Risk Assessment: The Case of Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Authors: Shields Peter G. 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
Decisions about how to improve or protect the public health can be, and sometimes necessarily are, made on imprecise science. The regulation of potential human carcinogens in the environment entails a population-risk assessment process intended to reduce risks to less than one additional cancer in 100,000 or 1,000,000 persons. These risk assessment processes, however, may be miscommunicated or misinterpreted in the context of individual cancer risks by scientists, regulators, the lay media, and the public. This commentary will review methods for establishing a causal relationship between carcinogen exposures and cancer risk. It will use the case of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) as an example of how to place scientific data into the context of human exposure and cancer risk. PCBs are widespread environmental contaminants and most people have detectable levels of PCBs in their bodies. The primary source for exposure in the general population is through the diet. PCBs are carcinogens in experimental animal models, but how this information can be extrapolated to human risk remains uncertain. PCB experimental studies provide data that are used to regulate and control human exposure, although the epidemiologic evidence fails to establish PCBs as human carcinogens. Thus, what is used for population-risk assessment may not be appropriate for individual-risk assessment or concluding that a causal relationship exists between PCB exposure and cancer risk. The hazards from a carcinogen designated by regulatory and review agencies as a “probable” human carcinogen is often misunderstood out of context about the magnitude of the risk and in what settings. How scientists communicate their results in scientific articles can strongly influence how others interpret their data. Misunderstandings from both the use of regulatory and review-agency opinions and the conclusions espoused by scientists occur in the media, among private physicians counseling their patients about cancer risk, and in the legal settings where plaintiffs seek compensation for exposure and alleged harm (or future harm). This can lead to false conclusions about what caused a cancer in a specific patient, undue anxiety about future cancer risk, inappropriate cancer screening, and attendant increased morbidity due to increased uses of the medical system and complication rates from medical procedures. The communication of research findings by scientists must be presented with caution, resisting the temptation to extrapolate, inappropriately, research data to the general population. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(5):830–9)
Biogeography of Neurergus strauchii barani Öz, 1994 and N. s. strauchii (Steindachner, 1887) (Amphibia: Salamandridae) assessed using morphological and molecular data
Authors: Woeltjes Tonnie , Bogaerts Sergé , Carranza Salvador , Pasmans Frank 
Published: May 2006

AbstractFive new locations of N. strauchii are reported from Turkey, closing the gap between the two subspecies N. s. barani and N. s. strauchii. A molecular analysis based on 829 base pairs from two mitochondrial ribosomal genes (12S and 16S rRNA), together with geographical data from the area concerned, indicate all new populations found are very closely related to the mitochondrial sequences from specimens of N. s. strauchii from its type locality and suggest the river Euphrates might have acted as a natural barrier separating the only populations of N. s. barani known to date from all other populations of N. s. strauchii. A morphological analysis of all N. strauchii populations sampled for this study indicates that belly patterns are not a good diagnostic character to differentiate between N. s. barani and N. s. strauchii, suggesting the only reliable morphological taxonomic character that allows their identification is the different number of yellow spots in adult specimens, which is significantly higher in N. s. strauchii. The analyses also indicate that the number of spots is similar between sub-adult and adult N. s. barani but significantly different between sub-adult and adult specimens of N. s. strauchii, suggesting there is also a difference between both subspecies in increase in the number of spots during maturation.Listed by IUCN as vulnerable and protected by the Bern Convention (1979), our findings indicate N. s. strauchii is more widely distributed than previously thought, while N. s. barani would be restricted to just a few localities. Disturbance of its prime habitat, mountain brooks, and uncontrolled illegal collection, especially of N. s. barani, are still the main threats to the Anatolia newt throughout its known distribution range.
Home range area may vary considerably in relation to habitat contamination in two African terrapins from pristine and oil polluted habitats
Authors: Bello  , Ude  , Luiselli  , Akani  , Angelici  
Published: May 2006

AbstractHome range and nesting habitat were studied in two sympatric pelomedusid terrapins (Pelusios niger and Pelusios castaneus) from two study areas in the Niger Delta (Nigeria, West Africa), one with pristine habitat conditions and one which was polluted by a oil spill event some years before. Seventy-seven individuals (38 P. niger and 39 P. castaneus) were radiotracked, each for more than 60 days, and their home range was calculated by the minimum convex polygon method, with 95% of the point locations per individual. The mean home range size of females was significantly larger in the polluted area than in the pristine area in both P. niger and P. castaneus, and the mean home range size of female P. niger was significantly larger than that of female P. castaneus in the polluted area, but not in the pristine area. The mean home range size of males was significantly larger in the polluted area than in the pristine area in P. niger but not in P. castaneus, and the mean home range size of male P. niger was significantly larger than that of male P. castaneus in the polluted area but not in the pristine area. Radiotracked females of both species showed a clear preference for nesting sites situated along ponds and not along the banks of the river, on sandy soil, often with abundant vegetation around. Some females of both species deposited their eggs at greater distances from water bodies in the polluted area than in the pristine area. The comparative evidence of these patterns indicates consistent responses of the two species to the altered habitat, which further supports the general hypothesis that habitat pollution has seriously affected the ecological strategies of these terrapin species.
Improving data analysis in herpetology: using Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) to assess the strength of biological hypotheses
Authors: Mazerolle Marc 
Published: May 2006

AbstractIn ecology, researchers frequently use observational studies to explain a given pattern, such as the number of individuals in a habitat patch, with a large number of explanatory (i.e., independent) variables. To elucidate such relationships, ecologists have long relied on hypothesis testing to include or exclude variables in regression models, although the conclusions often depend on the approach used (e.g., forward, backward, stepwise selection). Though better tools have surfaced in the mid 1970's, they are still underutilized in certain fields, particularly in herpetology. This is the case of the Akaike information criterion (AIC) which is remarkably superior in model selection (i.e., variable selection) than hypothesis-based approaches. It is simple to compute and easy to understand, but more importantly, for a given data set, it provides a measure of the strength of evidence for each model that represents a plausible biological hypothesis relative to the entire set of models considered. Using this approach, one can then compute a weighted average of the estimate and standard error for any given variable of interest across all the models considered. This procedure, termed model-averaging or multimodel inference, yields precise and robust estimates. In this paper, I illustrate the use of the AIC in model selection and inference, as well as the interpretation of results analysed in this framework with two real herpetological data sets. The AIC and measures derived from it is should be routinely adopted by herpetologists.
Morphological variability of the Lataste's viper (Vipera latastei) and the Atlas dwarf viper (Vipera monticola): patterns of biogeographical distribution and taxonomy
Authors: Parellada Xavier , Fahd Soumia , Santos Xavier , Brito José , Llorente Gustavo , Pleguezuelos Juan 
Published: May 2006

AbstractThe Lataste's viper Vipera latastei is a medium-sized viper distributed throughout almost the entire Iberian Peninsula and north-west of Africa. Former morphological studies noted the existence of two subspecies, V. l. gaditana and V. l. latastei, as well as a full species, V. monticola, in the High Atlas, corresponding to the prior overall range described for V. latastei. However, some results remained unclear in these former studies, e.g. the specific status of the Medium Atlas populations, the intra-subspecific differences in V. l. gaditana and, the true status of some isolated populations of the northern range. For this reason, 45 morphological characters were analysed in 672 preserved specimens covering the entire range. Categorical Principal Components Analysis (CATPCA) and Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) were used to assess geographic variability, treating specimens individually or assigning them a priori to groups, respectively. Geographic groups were established according to the origin of specimens in isolated areas of mountain chains. As the percentage of correct assignment was low in DFA, initial groups were combined to maximize the percentage. The results from the multivariate analysis suggest morphological differentiation between populations. Some variables accounted for geographic variability: e.g. rows of dorsal scales at mid-body are taxonomically stable and clearly separate the African populations; and number of ventral scales showed a clinal variation from 126 to 143 ventrals in extreme populations. The three African groups manifested clear morphological differences, and especially specimens from the High Atlas (V. monticola) and Alger. On the contrary, a large number of initial Iberian groups were merged because of the low scores in the correct classification. The final groups showed a vast central area with low morphological differentiation as well as isolated populations in the NW, NE and SW Iberian Peninsula. This conclusion matches well with allopatric speciation processes during the Quaternary ice ages, which contributed to the contraction/expansion of range, isolation events, and peripheral population refugia. Morphological differentiation in external characters of V. latastei exhibited similar results with respect to V. aspis and V. ammodytes, the vipers occupying other southern European peninsulas. Molecular markers will contribute to elucidate the relationships between V. latastei populations and the history of colonisation across the Strait of Gibraltar.
Chondrocranium, cranial muscles and buccopharyngeal morphology on tadpoles of the controversial leptodactylid frog Limnomedusa macroglossa (Anura: Leptodactylidae)
Authors: Blotto Boris , Alcalde Leandro 
Published: May 2006

AbstractThe present paper provides original data on the chondrocranium, cranial muscles, oral disc and buccopharyngeal morphology of Limnomedusa macroglossa. We found that the cranial muscles and the buccopharyngeal papillation are not useful to relate Limnomedusa either to telmatobiine or leptodactyline genera. There are two chondrocranial characters (presence of a long processus pseudopterygoideus and sindesmotic connection of the partes alares and partes corpora of the cartilago suprarostralis) that relate Limnomedusa to the telmatobiine genera more than to any other genus within Leptodactylidae. Additionally, the processus pseudopterygoideus of Limnomedusa is fused to the basi cranii, a character state only known for some telmatobiine genera such as Alsodes and Telmatobius.
Historical biogeography, mitochondrial DNA, and allozymes of Psammodromus algirus (Lacertidae): a preliminary hypothesis
Authors: Busack Stephen , Lawson Robin 
Published: May 2006

AbstractPairwise sequence polymorphism in mitochondrial DNA and levels of differentiation among presumptive gene loci (expressed as Nei's Dˆ) tend to be greater between populations separated by the Strait of Gibraltar than between populations inhabiting either Morocco or Spain. Ancestral Psammodromus algirus inhabiting Iberia and North Africa while the Strait of Gibraltar was being formed and stabilized (Miocene-Pliocene) evolved in association with physiogeographic change brought about by this barrier to gene exchange. Considered in units of genetic change per kilometer, mtDNA differentiation is greater in Morocco than in Spain, and allozyme differentiation is slightly greater than, or equal to, that in Spain, suggesting that P. algirus has a longer and more complex history in Morocco than in Spain.