Use of a case-mix approach to study the trends in the incidence of second primary cancers.

Science.gov (United States)

Gass, Boris; Marrer, Emilie; Bara, Simona; Ligier, Karine; Molinié, Florence; Colonna, Marc; Daubisse-Marliac, Laetitia; Trétarre, Brigitte; Lapôtre-Ledoux, Bénédicte; Woronoff, Anne-Sophie; Guizard, Anne-Valérie; Bouvier, Véronique; Troussard, Xavier; Gaiddon, Christian; Klein, Delphine; Velten, Michel; Jégu, Jérémie

2018-05-01

To analyze trends in second primary cancer (SPC) incidence by using a case-mix approach to standardize on first cancer site distribution. Cases registered by 13 French cancer registries between 1989 and 2010 and followed-up until June 2013 were included. The person-year approach was used to compute standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of metachronous SPC. Usual SIRs and cancer site-specific weighted SIRs called "case-mix SIRs" (cmSIRs) were estimated by sex and calendar period of first cancer diagnosis. Calendar trends in SIRs and cmSIRs were compared. More than 2.9 million person-years at risk were included. Among males, SIRs dropped from 1.49 to 1.23 between 1989-1994 and 2005-2010, while cmSIRs decreased from 1.40 to 1.27. This difference seems mainly related to a stronger representation of prostate cancers (at lower risk of SPC) and a weaker contribution of bladder and head and neck cancers (at higher risk of SPC) in recent periods of diagnosis. Among females, both SIRs and cmSIRs have remained stable at around 1.22 and 1.21, respectively. The cmSIR is an indicator that is not influenced by changes in first cancer site distribution. Its use should be encouraged to assess second cancer incidence control. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cancer Incidence in Patients with Acromegaly: A cohort study and meta-analysis of the literature

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dal, Jakob; Leisner, Michelle Z; Hermansen, Kasper

2018-01-01

-2010) including 529 acromegaly cases was performed. Incident cancer diagnoses and mortality were compared to national rates estimating standardized incidence ratios (SIRs). A meta-analysis of cancer SIRs from 23 studies (including the present one) was performed. Results: The cohort study identified 81 cases...... in acromegaly (SIR 1.3 [95% CI: 1.1-1.6]), cancer-specific mortality was not. The meta-analysis yielded a SIR of overall cancer of 1.5 [95% CI: 1.2-1.8]. SIRs were elevated for colorectal cancer: 2.6 [95% CI: 1.7-4.0], thyroid cancer: 9.2 [95% CI: 4.2-19.9], breast cancer: 1.6 [1.1-2.3], gastric cancer: 2.0 [95......% CI: 1.4-2.9], and urinary tract cancer: 1.5 [95% CI: 1.0-2.3]). In general, cancer SIR was higher in single-center studies and in studies with meta-analysis...

Pneumonia diagnosis in childhood and incidence of leukaemia, lymphoma and brain cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søgaard, Kirstine Kobberøe; Farkas, Dóra Körmendiné; Sørensen, Henrik Toft

2017-01-01

of pneumonia was a clinical marker of the three most common childhood cancers. DESIGN: Population-based cohort study. SETTING: Denmark, hospital diagnoses, 1994-2013. METHODS: Using national health registries, we compared the observed incidence of leukaemia, lymphoma and brain cancer among 83 935 children...... with a hospital-based pneumonia diagnosis with that expected among children in the general population. We calculated absolute cancer risks and standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) as a measure of relative risk. RESULTS: The cancer SIRs were substantially increased during the first 6 months of follow-up; lymphoid...

Cancer incidence among Nordic airline cabin crew.

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Pukkala, Eero; Helminen, Mika; Haldorsen, Tor; Hammar, Niklas; Kojo, Katja; Linnersjö, Anette; Rafnsson, Vilhjálmur; Tulinius, Hrafn; Tveten, Ulf; Auvinen, Anssi

2012-12-15

Airline cabin crew are occupationally exposed to cosmic radiation and jet lag with potential disruption of circadian rhythms. This study assesses the influence of work-related factors in cancer incidence of cabin crew members. A cohort of 8,507 female and 1,559 male airline cabin attendants from Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden was followed for cancer incidence for a mean follow-up time of 23.6 years through the national cancer registries. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were defined as ratios of observed and expected numbers of cases. A case-control study nested in the cohort (excluding Norway) was conducted to assess the relation between the estimated cumulative cosmic radiation dose and cumulative number of flights crossing six time zones (indicator of circadian disruption) and cancer risk. Analysis of breast cancer was adjusted for parity and age at first live birth. Among female cabin crew, a significantly increased incidence was observed for breast cancer [SIR 1.50, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.32-1.69], leukemia (1.89, 95% CI 1.03-3.17) and skin melanoma (1.85, 95% CI 1.41-2.38). Among men, significant excesses in skin melanoma (3.00, 95% CI 1.78-4.74), nonmelanoma skin cancer (2.47, 95% CI 1.18-4.53), Kaposi sarcoma (86.0, 95% CI 41.2-158) and alcohol-related cancers (combined SIR 3.12, 95% CI 1.95-4.72) were found. This large study with complete follow-up and comprehensive cancer incidence data shows an increased incidence of several cancers, but according to the case-control analysis, excesses appear not to be related to the cosmic radiation or circadian disruptions from crossing multiple time zones. Copyright © 2012 UICC.

Prostate cancer incidence and survival in immigrants to Sweden.

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Hemminki, Kari; Ankerst, Donna P; Sundquist, Jan; Mousavi, Seyed Mohsen

2013-12-01

The large international variation in the incidence of prostate cancer (PC) is well known but the underlying reasons are not understood. We want to compare PC incidence and survival among immigrants to Sweden in order to explain the international differences. Cancer data were obtained from the Swedish Cancer Registry. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated for PC in first-degree immigrants by country of birth. The immigrants were classified into four groups by SIR and area of origin. Survival in PC was assessed by hazard ratio (HR) in the four groups. In some analyses, clinical stage of PC was assessed by the tumor, node, and metastasis classification. The SIR was 0.47 (95% confidence interval 0.43-0.51) for immigrants with the lowest risk, constituting men from Turkey, Middle East, Asia, and Chile. The HR was 0.60 (0.45-0.81) for these men and it was 0.49 if they had stayed 20+ years in Sweden. The SIR in screening detected PC, T1c, was 0.55. Among these men, screening detected PC constituted 34.5% of all PC, compared to 29.0% among Swedes (p = 0.10). The results showed that the non-European immigrants, of mainly Middle East, Asian, and Chilean origin, with the lowest risk of PC, also had the most favorable survival in PC. As the available clinical features of PC at diagnosis or the distribution of known risk factors could not explain the differences, a likely biological mechanism through a favorable androgenic hormonal host environment is suggested as an explanation of the observed effects.

Spatiotemporal Analysis of AIDS Incidence Among Adults in Brazil.

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da Silva Lizzi, Elisangela Aparecida; Nunes, Altacilio Aparecido; Martinez, Edson Zangiacomi

2016-01-01

AIDS is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide and, currently, the overall prevalence rate of HIV infection in Brazil is 0.5% among men and 0.3% among women. To evaluate the spatiotemporal trend of AIDS in Brazil from 2006 to 2012 and its relationship with human development index (HDI) and their components income, education and life expectancy. This ecological study evaluate the spatiotemporal trend of standardized incidence ratio of AIDS among adults in Brazil from 2006 to 2012 and its relationship with HDI by using a Bayesian analysis, considering the Brazilian Federal Units as units of analysis. The proposed statistical model allows obtaining a standardized incidence ratio (SIR, adjusted by gender and age). Among the men, our results show higher incidence rates in the States of the Southern regions as well as in the state of Amazonas (Northern Brazil). In females, we found other patterns for SIR, with higher incidence rates in the states of Rio de Janeiro (Southeast region), Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina (both in Southern region). Among men it was observed as an expressive association between the SIR values and the overall HDI and income and education components, but it was observed to have an inverse association with the life expectancy component. Among women, it is noted that the SIR values are associated with the overall HDI and the education components only at the beginning of the studied period. AIDS remains a major public health problem in Brazil, mainly in the southern and southeastern regions of the country. Considering its association with HDI, it is noted that the disease still remains related to the pattern observed in the early years of the studied period, at least in the more developed regions of Brazil. This certainly happened because of the chronicity of the disease, thus affecting people with good socioeconomic status.

Mesothelioma incidence in the neighbourhood of an asbestos-cement plant located in a national priority contaminated site

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucia Fazzo

2014-12-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: An epidemic of asbestos-related disease is ongoing in most industrialized countries, mainly attributable to past occupational exposure but partly due to environmental exposure. In this perspective, the incidence of pleural mesothelioma close to a former asbestos-cement plant in a national contaminated site was estimated. METHODS: The census-tracts interested by atmospheric dispersion of facilities in the contaminated site were identified. Two subareas with different estimated environmental asbestos impact were distinguished. An ecological study at micro-geographic level was performed. The standardized incidence ratios (SIR for study area and the two subareas, in comparison with region and municipality were computed. The standardized incidence rate ratio (IRR between the two subareas was computed. RESULTS: Mesothelioma incidence in the study area was increased: 46 cases were observed with respect to 22.23 expected (SIR: 2.02. The increase was confirmed in analysis considering only the subjects without an occupationally exposure to asbestos: 19 cases among men (SIR = 2.48; 95% CI: 1.49-3.88; 11 case among women (SIR = 1.34; 95% CI: 0.67-2.40. The IRR between the two subareas is less than one in overall population considering all age-classes and of 3 fold (IRR = 3.14, 95% CI: 0.65-9.17 in the age-classes below 55 years. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate an increased incidence of pleural mesothelioma in the neighbourhood of asbestos-cement plant, and a possible etiological contribution of asbestos environmental exposure in detected risks.

Cancer incidence among Danish Seventh-day Adventists and Baptists.

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Thygesen, Lau Caspar; Hvidt, Niels Christian; Hansen, Helle Ploug; Hoff, Andreas; Ross, Lone; Johansen, Christoffer

2012-12-01

American Seventh-day Adventists have been reported to have lower cancer mortality and incidence than the general population. Adventists do not consume tobacco, alcohol or pork, and many adhere to a lacto-ovo-vegetarian lifestyle. Baptists discourage excessive use of alcohol and tobacco. In this study, we investigated whether the incidence of cancer in a large cohort of Danish Adventists and Baptists was different compared to the general Danish population. We followed 11,580 Danish Adventists and Baptists in the nationwide Danish Cancer Registry, which contains information on cases of cancer for 1943-2008. Cancer incidence in the cohort was compared with that in the general Danish population as standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and within-cohort comparisons were made with a Cox model. Lower cancer incidences were observed for both Seventh-day Adventist men (SIR, 66; 95% CI, 60-72) and women (85; 80-91). The same result was observed for Baptists although not as low. The differences were most pronounced for smoking-related cancers such as those of the buccal cavity and lung (SIR, 20; 13-30 for Seventh-day Adventist men and 33; 22-49 for Seventh-day Adventist women). The incidences of other lifestyle-related cancers, such as of stomach, rectum, liver and cervix, were also decreased. In general, the SIRs were lower for men than for women, and Adventists had lower hazard rates than Baptists. Our findings point to the benefits of compliance with public health recommendations and indicate that lifestyle changes in the population might change the cancer risks of individuals. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physiologically-based, predictive analytics using the heart-rate-to-Systolic-Ratio significantly improves the timeliness and accuracy of sepsis prediction compared to SIRS.

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Danner, Omar K; Hendren, Sandra; Santiago, Ethel; Nye, Brittany; Abraham, Prasad

2017-04-01

Enhancing the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment of severe sepsis by using physiologically-based, predictive analytical strategies has not been fully explored. We hypothesize assessment of heart-rate-to-systolic-ratio significantly increases the timeliness and accuracy of sepsis prediction after emergency department (ED) presentation. We evaluated the records of 53,313 ED patients from a large, urban teaching hospital between January and June 2015. The HR-to-systolic ratio was compared to SIRS criteria for sepsis prediction. There were 884 patients with discharge diagnoses of sepsis, severe sepsis, and/or septic shock. Variations in three presenting variables, heart rate, systolic BP and temperature were determined to be primary early predictors of sepsis with a 74% (654/884) accuracy compared to 34% (304/884) using SIRS criteria (p < 0.0001)in confirmed septic patients. Physiologically-based predictive analytics improved the accuracy and expediency of sepsis identification via detection of variations in HR-to-systolic ratio. This approach may lead to earlier sepsis workup and life-saving interventions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cancer incidence and all-cause mortality in a cohort of 21,582 Norwegian military peacekeepers deployed to Lebanon during 1978-1998.

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Strand, Leif Aage; Martinsen, Jan Ivar; Borud, Einar Kristian

2015-08-01

We investigated cancer incidence and all-cause mortality among 21,582 Norwegian male military peacekeepers deployed to Lebanon during 1978-1998. We also looked at cancer risk according to duration of service in Lebanon, in the occupational groups of cooks and mechanics, and the risk of alcohol- and smoking-related cancers among those who served during high- or low-conflict periods. The cohort was followed for cancer incidence and all-cause mortality from 1978 through 2012. Standardised incidence ratios (SIR) for cancer and mortality ratios (SMR) were calculated from national rates for the total cohort. SIRs were calculated according to duration of service; among cooks and mechanics; and according to high- and low-conflict exposure. Poisson regression, expressed as rate ratio (RR), was used to see the effect of duration of service, and of conflict exposure. A decreased risk was found for cancer incidence overall (1050 cases, SIR=0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.84-0.95) and for cancers of the prostate (SIR=0.78) and skin (other than melanoma) (SIR=0.58). The incidence of rectal cancer was 73% higher in those who served for 1 year or more than in those with shorter-term service (RR=1.73, 95% CI 1.00-3.02). The cancer risk in cooks and mechanics was within expected values. The risk of lung cancer was higher in the high-conflict exposure group than in the low-conflict exposure group (RR=1.79; 95% CI 1.00-3.18). In the total cohort, all-cause mortality was lower than expected (SMR=0.83; 95% CI 0.78-0.88). We found a "healthy soldier effect" for overall cancer incidence and all-cause mortality. Service during high-conflict periods was associated with a higher risk of lung cancer than service during low-conflict periods, but this risk was in line with that of the reference population. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Time trends in incidence and prognosis of primary liver cancer and liver metastases of unknown origin in a Danish region, 1985-2004

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Erichsen, Rune; Jepsen, Peter; Jacobsen, Jacob

2008-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Changes, over the last 20 years, in the diagnostic procedures and treatment of primary liver cancer (PLC) and liver metastases of unknown origin (LMUO) may have affected the clinical course of both cancers. Few longitudinal studies examined this issue. In a population-based setting, we...... studied changes in the incidence and prognosis of PLC and LMUO over time. METHODS: Between 1985 and 2004, we identified 2675 patients with PLC and LMUO in three Danish counties, with a population of 1.4 million. We computed the standardized incidence rate (SIR), ratio of PLC to LMUO diagnoses, median...... survival, and estimated mortality rate ratio adjusted for age, sex, and comorbidity. RESULTS: The SIR of PLC increased from 3.2 in 1985 to 5.0 in 2003, and the SIR of LMUO increased from 3.7 to 6.4. No increase was noted in the PLC-to-LMUO ratio over time (P=0.1 for trend). From 1985 to 2004, the median...

A Novel Method of SIR Measurement for Power Control in CDMA Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, J; Wu, S B; He, J Z

2006-01-01

CDMA is interference limited multiple access system. Power control is an effective way to reduce co-channel interference and solve the near-far problem. Consequently, it can improve the system capacity, and make higher data rate possible. CDMA2000 employs fast closed-loop power control in reverse link to combat channel fading, and the estimation of signal to interference ratio (SIR) is required for closed-loop power control. Transmitting power is adjusted by comparing the SIR estimation with SIR target. So, it is crucial to measure the SIR of received signal accurately. Traditional measurement methods mostly depend on pilot signal strongly, when the pilots are few, there is a greater error brought to the measurement of SIR. In this paper, we discuss the SIR measurement of the received signal under the fewer pilots condition (especially only one pilot symbol) and present a novel SIR measurement method. According to the simulation, the numerical results indicate that the SIR measured by the proposed method is more accurate than the SIR measured by conventional method under fewer pilots condition

Cancer incidence among Minnesota taconite mining industry workers.

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Allen, Elizabeth M; Alexander, Bruce H; MacLehose, Richard F; Nelson, Heather H; Ramachandran, Gurumurthy; Mandel, Jeffrey H

2015-11-01

To evaluate cancer incidence among Minnesota taconite mining workers. We evaluated cancer incidence between 1988 and 2010 in a cohort of 40,720 Minnesota taconite mining workers used between 1937 and 1983. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by comparing numbers of incident cancers with frequencies in the Minnesota Cancer Surveillance System. SIRs for lung cancer by histologic subtypes were also estimated. We adjusted for out-of-state migration and conducted a probabilistic bias analysis for smoking-related cancers. A total of 5700 cancers were identified, including 51 mesotheliomas and 973 lung cancers. The SIRs for lung cancer and mesothelioma were 1.3 (95% CI = 1.2-1.4) and 2.4 (95% CI = 1.8-3.2), respectively. Stomach, laryngeal, and bladder cancers were also elevated. However, adjusting for potential confounding by smoking attenuated the estimates for lung (SIR = 1.1, 95% CI = 1.0-1.3), laryngeal (SIR = 1.2, 95% CI = 0.8-1.6), oral (SIR = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.7-1.2), and bladder cancers (SIR = 1.0, 95% CI = 0.8-1.1). Taconite workers may have an increased risk for certain cancers. Lifestyle and work-related factors may play a role in elevated morbidity. The extent to which mining-related exposures contribute to disease burden is being investigated. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lack of Any Relationship of Stomach Cancer Incidence and Mortality with Development in Asia.

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RaFiei, Elahe; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Towhidi, Farhad; Makhsosi, Behnam Reza; Salehiniya, Hamid

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and mortality of stomach cancer, and its relationship with the Human Development Index (HDI) and its components in Asia in 2012. This ecological study was conducted based on GLOBOCAN project of WHO for Asian countries. We assessed the correlations between standardized incidence rates (SIR) and standardized mortality rates (SMR) of stomach cancer with HDI and its components using SPSS18. A total of 696,231 cases (68.7% in males and 31.3% in females, ratio of 2.19:1) and 524,465 deaths (67.1% in men and 33.0% in women, ratio 2.03:1) were included in 2012. Five countries with the highest SIR of stomach cancer were Republic Korea, Mongolia, Japan, China and Tajikistan. Five countries with the highest SMR of stomach cancer were Mongolia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and China. Correlation between HDI and SIR was 0.241 (p = 0.106), in men 0.236 (p = 0.114) and in women -0.250 (p = 0.094). Also between HDI and SMR -0.250 (p = 0.871) in men -0.018 (p = 0.903) and in women -0.014 (p = 0.927). No significant correlation was observed between the SIR of stomach cancer, and the HDI and its dimensions, such as life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, and income level of the population.

The incidence and mortality of esophageal cancer and their relationship to development in Asia.

Science.gov (United States)

Pakzad, Reza; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Khosravi, Bahman; Soltani, Shahin; Pakzad, Iraj; Mohammadian, Mahdi; Salehiniya, Hamid; Momenimovahed, Zohre

2016-01-01

Esophageal cancer is the most common cancer in less developed countries. It is necessary to understand epidemiology of the cancer for planning. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and mortality of esophageal cancer, and its relationship with Human Development Index (HDI) and its components in Asia in 2012. This study was an Ecological study, which conducted based on GLOBOCAN project of WHO for Asian counters. We assess the correlation between standardized incidence rates (SIR) and standardized mortality rates (SMR) of esophageal cancer with HDI and its components with using of SPSS18. A total of 337,698 incidence (70.33% were males and 29.87% females. Sex ratio was 2.37) and 296,734 death (69.45% in men and 30.54% in women. The sex ratio was 2.27) esophageal cancer was recorded in Asian countries in 2012. Five countries with the highest SIR and SMR of esophageal cancer were Turkmenistan, Mongolia and Tajikistan, Bangladesh and China respectively. Correlation between HDI and SIR was -0.211 (P=0.159), in men -0.175 (P=0.244) and in women -0.231 (P=0.123). Also between HDI and SMR -0.250 (P=0.094) in men -0.226 (P=0.131) and in women -0.251 (P=0.037). The incidence of esophageal cancer is more in less developed and developing countries. Statistically significant correlation was not found between standardized incidence and mortality rates of esophageal cancer, and HDI and its dimensions, except for life expectancy at birth.

Cancer incidence among Danish seafarers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kærlev, Linda; Hansen, Johnny; Lyngbeck Hansen, Hans

2005-01-01

), and an excess of cancer of the lung, rectum, and cervix uteri among women. The differences in risk pattern for lung cancer between the different job categories among men ranged in terms of SIR from 1.2 (95% CI 0.9 to 1.7) (engine officers) to 2.3 (1.6 to 3.3) (engine room crew), and 4.1 (2.1 to 7.4) among...... extensively in ships. The aim of this study was to study cancer morbidity among Danish seafarers in relation to type of ship and job title. METHODS: A cohort of all Danish seafarers during 1986-1999 (33,340 men; 11,291 women) registered by the Danish Maritime Authority with an employment history was linked...... with the nationwide Danish Cancer Registry and followed up for cancer until the end of 2002. The number of person years at risk was 517,518. Standardised incidence ratios (SIR) were estimated by use of the corresponding national rates. RESULTS: The SIR of all cancers combined was higher than expected: 1.26 (95% CI 1...

Cancer incidence in the Swedish leather tanning industry: updated findings 1958-99.

Science.gov (United States)

Mikoczy, Z; Hagmar, L

2005-07-01

To assess how a 10 year extension of the follow up period affected cancer incidence in the Swedish leather tanning cohort. A cohort of 2027 tannery workers (of which 482 were women) who had been employed for at least one year between 1900 and 1989 at one of three Swedish leather tanneries, was established. The start of observation varied between 1958 and 1966 for the three plants. Through linkage with the Swedish Cancer Registry, incident cancer cases were recorded up to 1999. Cause specific expected cancer incidence was calculated for 1958-99 based on calendar year, sex, and five year age group specific incidence rates for the counties where the plants had been located. Altogether 56,022 person-years at risk were generated. A total of 351 incident cancer cases were observed compared to 302 expected, which resulted in an increased standardised incidence ratio (SIR) of 1.16 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.29). An enhanced risk for prostate cancer was observed (SIR 1.44, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.86), mainly attributable to the later part of the observation period (1990-99). In this updated analysis the previously observed risk excess for soft tissue sarcomas was no longer significant (SIR 2.62, 95% CI 0.96 to 5.70). For multiple myelomas and sinonasal cancer the slight non-significant excesses remained, still based on very few cases. The increased risk for prostate cancer in the present study might be a chance finding, but is noteworthy, since it is in acccordance with the finding of increased SIR for prostate cancer among leather workers in another recent Swedish study. Moreover, excess risks for prostate cancer among farmers have been reported, indicating pesticides as possible causative agents. Leather tanners have also been exposed to pesticides.

Cancer incidence in the Swedish leather tanning industry: updated findings 1958–99

Science.gov (United States)

Mikoczy, Z; Hagmar, L

2005-01-01

Aims: To assess how a 10 year extension of the follow up period affected cancer incidence in the Swedish leather tanning cohort. Methods: A cohort of 2027 tannery workers (of which 482 were women) who had been employed for at least one year between 1900 and 1989 at one of three Swedish leather tanneries, was established. The start of observation varied between 1958 and 1966 for the three plants. Through linkage with the Swedish Cancer Registry, incident cancer cases were recorded up to 1999. Cause specific expected cancer incidence was calculated for 1958–99 based on calendar year, sex, and five year age group specific incidence rates for the counties where the plants had been located. Altogether 56 022 person-years at risk were generated. Results: A total of 351 incident cancer cases were observed compared to 302 expected, which resulted in an increased standardised incidence ratio (SIR) of 1.16 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.29). An enhanced risk for prostate cancer was observed (SIR 1.44, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.86), mainly attributable to the later part of the observation period (1990–99). In this updated analysis the previously observed risk excess for soft tissue sarcomas was no longer significant (SIR 2.62, 95% CI 0.96 to 5.70). For multiple myelomas and sinonasal cancer the slight non-significant excesses remained, still based on very few cases. Conclusions: The increased risk for prostate cancer in the present study might be a chance finding, but is noteworthy, since it is in acccordance with the finding of increased SIR for prostate cancer among leather workers in another recent Swedish study. Moreover, excess risks for prostate cancer among farmers have been reported, indicating pesticides as possible causative agents. Leather tanners have also been exposed to pesticides. PMID:15961622

Spatial Inequalities in the Incidence of Colorectal Cancer and Associated Factors in the Neighborhoods of Tehran, Iran: Bayesian Spatial Models

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Kamyar Mansori

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with the spatial distribution of the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC in the neighborhoods of Tehran, Iran using Bayesian spatial models. Methods This ecological study was implemented in Tehran on the neighborhood level. Socioeconomic variables, risk factors, and health costs were extracted from the Equity Assessment Study conducted in Tehran. The data on CRC incidence were extracted from the Iranian population-based cancer registry. The Besag-York-Mollié (BYM model was used to identify factors associated with the spatial distribution of CRC incidence. The software programs OpenBUGS version 3.2.3, ArcGIS 10.3, and GeoDa were used for the analysis. Results The Moran index was statistically significant for all the variables studied (p<0.05. The BYM model showed that having a women head of household (median standardized incidence ratio [SIR], 1.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06 to 2.53, living in a rental house (median SIR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.71 to 0.96, not consuming milk daily (median SIR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.55 to 0.94 and having greater household health expenditures (median SIR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.68 were associated with a statistically significant elevation in the SIR of CRC. The median (interquartile range and mean (standard deviation values of the SIR of CRC, with the inclusion of all the variables studied in the model, were 0.57 (1.01 and 1.05 (1.31, respectively. Conclusions Inequality was found in the spatial distribution of CRC incidence in Tehran on the neighborhood level. Paying attention to this inequality and the factors associated with it may be useful for resource allocation and developing preventive strategies in atrisk areas.

The mitochondrial SIR2 related protein 2 (SIR2RP2 impacts Leishmania donovani growth and infectivity.

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Nimisha Mittal

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Leishmania donovani, a protozoan parasite is the major causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis. Increased toxicity and resistance to the existing repertoire of drugs has been reported. Hence, an urgent need exists for identifying newer drugs and drug targets. Previous reports have shown sirtuins (Silent Information Regulator from kinetoplastids as promising drug targets. Leishmania species code for three SIR2 (Silent Information Regulator related proteins. Here, we for the first time report the functional characterization of SIR2 related protein 2 (SIR2RP2 of L. donovani.Recombinant L. donovani SIR2RP2 was expressed in E. coli and purified. The enzymatic functions of SIR2RP2 were determined. The subcellular localization of LdSIR2RP2 was done by constructing C-terminal GFP-tagged full-length LdSIR2RP2. Deletion mutants of LdSIR2RP2 were generated in Leishmania by double targeted gene replacement methodology. These null mutants were tested for their proliferation, virulence, cell cycle defects, mitochondrial functioning and sensitivity to known SIR2 inhibitors.Our data suggests that LdSIR2RP2 possesses NAD+-dependent ADP-ribosyltransferase activity. However, NAD+-dependent deacetylase and desuccinylase activities were not detected. The protein localises to the mitochondrion of the promastigotes. Gene deletion studies showed that ΔLdSIR2RP2 null mutants had restrictive growth phenotype associated with accumulation of cells in the G2/M phase and compromised mitochondrial functioning. The null mutants had attenuated infectivity. Deletion of LdSIR2RP2 resulted in increased sensitivity of the parasites to the known SIR2 inhibitors. The sirtuin inhibitors inhibited the ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of recombinant LdSIR2RP2. In conclusion, sirtuins could be used as potential new drug targets for visceral leishmaniasis.

Tectonic geomorphology of the Andes with SIR-A and SIR-B

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Bloom, Arthur L.; Fielding, Eric J.

1986-01-01

Data takes from SIR-A and SIR-B (Shuttle Imaging Radar) crossed all of the principal geomorphic provinces of the central Andes between 17 and 34 S latitude. In conjunction with Thematic Mapping images and photographs from hand-held cameras as well as from the Large Format Camera that was flown with SIR-B, the radar images give an excellent sampling of Andean geomorphology. In particular, the radar images show new details of volcanic rocks and landforms of late Cenozoic age in the Puna, and the exhumed surfaces of tilted blocks of Precambrian crystalline basement in the Sierras Pampeanas.

Cancer incidence among copper smelting and nickel refining workers in Finland.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavela, Markku; Uitti, Jukka; Pukkala, Eero

2017-01-01

Among workers employed at a nickel refinery in Harjavalta, Finland an increased risk of lung and sinus cancer has been demonstrated in two previous studies. The current study adds 16 more years of follow-up to these studies. A total of 1,115 persons exposed to nickel and 194 non-exposed workers in the Harjavalta nickel smelter and refinery were followed up for cancer from 1967 to 2011 through the Finnish Cancer Registry. The total number of cancer cases in men was 251 (Standardized incidence ratio (SIR) 1.05) and in women 12 (SIR 1.22). In the most nickel-exposed work site (refinery), there were 14 lung cancers (SIR 2.01) and 3 sinonasal cancers (SIR 26.7, 95%). It is likely that exposure to nickel compounds is the main reason for elevated nasal cancer risk among the nickel refinery employees and may also contribute to the excess risk of lung cancer. Am. J. Ind. Med. 60:87-95, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cancer incidence in kidney transplant recipients: a study protocol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pita-Fernandez, Salvador; Valdes-Cañedo, Francisco; Pertega-Diaz, Sonia; Seoane-Pillado, Maria Teresa; Seijo-Bestilleiro, Rocio

2009-01-01

Different publications show an increased incidence of neoplasms in renal transplant patients. The objective of this study is to determine the incidence of cancer in the recipients of renal transplants performed in the A Coruña Hospital (Spain) during the period 1981–2007. During the study period 1967 kidney transplants were performed, corresponding to 1710 patients. Patients with neoplasms prior to the transplant will be excluded (n = 38). A follow-up study was carried out in order to estimate cancer incidence after transplantation. For each patient, information included donor and recipient characteristics, patients and graft survival and cancer incidence after transplantation. Incident cancer is considered as new cases of cancer after the transplant with anatomopathological confirmation. Their location will be classified according to the ICD-9. The analysis will be calculated using the indirect standardisation method. Age-adjusted cancer incidence rates in the Spanish general population will be obtained from the Carlos III Health Institute, the National Epidemiology Centre of the Ministry of Science and Technology. Crude first, second and third-year post-transplantation cancer incidence rates will be calculated for male and female recipients. The number of cases of cancer at each site will be calculated from data in the clinical records. The expected number of cancers will be calculated from data supplied by the Carlos III Health Institute. For each tumour location we will estimate the standardized incidence ratios (SIRs), using sex-specific cancer incidence rates, by dividing the incidence rate for the transplant patients by the rate of the general population. The 95% confidence intervals of the SIRs and their associated p-values will be calculated by assuming that the observed cancers follow a Poisson distribution. Stratified analysis will be performed to examine the variation in the SIRs with sex and length of follow-up. Competing risk survival analysis

Cancer incidence in cohorts of workers in the rubber manufacturing industry first employed since 1975 in the UK and Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Boniol, M; Koechlin, A; Sorahan, T; Jakobsson, K; Boyle, P

2017-06-01

Increased cancer risks have been reported among workers in the rubber manufacturing industry employed before the 1960s, but it is unclear for workers hired subsequently. The present study focused on cancer incidence among rubber workers first employed after 1975 in Sweden and the UK. Two cohorts of rubber workers employed for at least 1 year were analysed. Standardised incidence ratios (SIRs), based on country-specific and period-specific incidence rates, were analysed for all cancers combined (except non-melanoma skin), bladder, lung, stomach cancer, leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Exploratory analyses were conducted for other cancers with a minimum of 10 cases in both genders combined. 16 026 individuals (12 441 men; 3585 women) contributed to 397 975 person-years of observation, with 846 cancers observed overall (437 in the UK, 409 in Sweden). No statistically significant increased risk was observed for any site of cancer. A reduced risk was evident for all cancers combined (SIR=0.83, 95% CI (0.74 to 0.92)), lung cancer (SIR=0.74, 95% CI (0.59 to 0.93)), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (SIR=0.67, 95% CI (0.45 to 1.00)) and prostate cancer (SIR=0.77, 95% CI (0.64 to 0.92)). For stomach cancer and multiple myeloma, SIRs were 0.93 (95% CI (0.61 to 1.43)) and 0.92 (95% CI 0.44 to 1.91), respectively. No increased risk of bladder cancer was observed (SIR=0.88, 95% CI (0.61 to 1.28)). No significantly increased risk of cancer incidence was observed in the combined cohort of rubber workers first employed since 1975. Continued surveillance of the present cohorts is required to confirm absence of long-term risk and confirmatory findings from other cohorts would be important. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Exploring neighborhood inequality in female breast cancer incidence in Tehran using Bayesian spatial models and a spatial scan statistic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erfan Ayubi

2017-05-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to explore the spatial pattern of female breast cancer (BC incidence at the neighborhood level in Tehran, Iran. METHODS The present study included all registered incident cases of female BC from March 2008 to March 2011. The raw standardized incidence ratio (SIR of BC for each neighborhood was estimated by comparing observed cases relative to expected cases. The estimated raw SIRs were smoothed by a Besag, York, and Mollie spatial model and the spatial empirical Bayesian method. The purely spatial scan statistic was used to identify spatial clusters. RESULTS There were 4,175 incident BC cases in the study area from 2008 to 2011, of which 3,080 were successfully geocoded to the neighborhood level. Higher than expected rates of BC were found in neighborhoods located in northern and central Tehran, whereas lower rates appeared in southern areas. The most likely cluster of higher than expected BC incidence involved neighborhoods in districts 3 and 6, with an observed-to-expected ratio of 3.92 (p<0.001, whereas the most likely cluster of lower than expected rates involved neighborhoods in districts 17, 18, and 19, with an observed-to-expected ratio of 0.05 (p<0.001. CONCLUSIONS Neighborhood-level inequality in the incidence of BC exists in Tehran. These findings can serve as a basis for resource allocation and preventive strategies in at-risk areas.

Prospectively Identified Incident Testicular Cancer Risk in a Familial Testicular Cancer Cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Pathak, Anand; Adams, Charleen D; Loud, Jennifer T; Nichols, Kathryn; Stewart, Douglas R; Greene, Mark H

2015-10-01

Human testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) have a strong genetic component and a high familial relative risk. However, linkage analyses have not identified a rare, highly penetrant familial TGCT (FTGCT) susceptibility locus. Currently, multiple low-penetrance genes are hypothesized to underlie the familial multiple-case phenotype. The observation that two is the most common number of affected individuals per family presents an impediment to FTGCT gene discovery. Clinically, the prospective TGCT risk in the multiple-case family context is unknown. We performed a prospective analysis of TGCT incidence in a cohort of multiple-affected-person families and sporadic-bilateral-case families; 1,260 men from 140 families (10,207 person-years of follow-up) met our inclusion criteria. Age-, gender-, and calendar time-specific standardized incidence ratios (SIR) for TGCT relative to the general population were calculated using SEER*Stat. Eight incident TGCTs occurred during prospective FTGCT cohort follow-up (versus 0.67 expected; SIR = 11.9; 95% CI, 5.1-23.4; excess absolute risk = 7.2/10,000). We demonstrate that the incidence rate of TGCT is greater among bloodline male relatives from multiple-case testicular cancer families than that expected in the general population, a pattern characteristic of adult-onset Mendelian cancer susceptibility disorders. Two of these incident TGCTs occurred in relatives of sporadic-bilateral cases (0.15 expected; SIR = 13.4; 95% CI, 1.6-48.6). Our data are the first to indicate that despite relatively low numbers of affected individuals per family, members of both multiple-affected-person FTGCT families and sporadic-bilateral TGCT families comprise high-risk groups for incident testicular cancer. Men at high TGCT risk might benefit from tailored risk stratification and surveillance strategies. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

Prospectively-Identified Incident Testicular Cancer Risk in a Familial Testicular Cancer Cohort

Science.gov (United States)

Pathak, Anand; Adams, Charleen D.; Loud, Jennifer T.; Nichols, Kathryn; Stewart, Douglas R.; Greene, Mark H.

2015-01-01

Background Human testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) have a strong genetic component and a high familial relative risk. However, linkage analyses have not identified a rare, highly-penetrant familial TGCT (FTGCT) susceptibility locus. Currently, multiple low-penetrance genes are hypothesized to underlie the familial multiple-case phenotype. The observation that two is the most common number of affected individuals per family presents an impediment to FTGCT gene discovery. Clinically, the prospective TGCT risk in the multiple-case family context is unknown. Methods We performed a prospective analysis of TGCT incidence in a cohort of multiple-affected-person families and sporadic-bilateral-case families; 1,260 men from 140 families (10,207 person-years of follow-up) met our inclusion criteria. Age-, gender-, and calendar time-specific standardized incidence ratios (SIR) for TGCT relative to the general population were calculated using SEER*Stat. Results Eight incident TGCTs occurred during prospective FTGCT cohort follow-up (versus 0.67 expected; SIR=11.9; 95% confidence interval [CI]=5.1–23.4; excess absolute risk=7.2/10,000). We demonstrate that the incidence rate of TGCT is greater among bloodline male relatives from multiple-case testicular cancer families than that expected in the general population, a pattern characteristic of adult-onset Mendelian cancer susceptibility disorders. Two of these incident TGCTs occurred in relatives of sporadic-bilateral cases (0.15 expected; SIR=13.4; 95%CI=1.6–48.6). Conclusions Our data are the first indicating that despite relatively low numbers of affected individuals per family, members of both multiple-affected-person FTGCT families and sporadic-bilateral TGCT families comprise high-risk groups for incident testicular cancer. Impact Men at high TGCT risk might benefit from tailored risk stratification and surveillance strategies. PMID:26265202

Incidence of childhood leukemia around French nuclear sites between 1990 and 1998

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White-Koning, M.; Hemon, D.; Goubin, A.; Clavel, J.; Laurier, D.; Tirmarche, M.; Jougla, E.

2006-01-01

The works presented here constitute the first systematic study of the incidence of childhood leukemia around the whole of French nuclear facilities. Globally, the incidence of childhood leukemia does not diverge significantly of the expected incidence during the period 1990-1998. It does not show a decrease of S.I.R. (standardized incidence ratio) in function of the distance from child's home to the nuclear site whatever be the age. This study represents the first analysis of the incidence of leukemia focusing on 29 French nuclear sites, including the whole of the 19 C.N.P.E. ( nuclear power plants that produce electric power), and is based on incidence data rather than mortality. The period, the age groups and the studied area have been all chosen a priori, that gives a statistical validity to the results. The estimation of population at risk have been made with several different methods of interpolation in order to check the stability of estimations. The different methods of statistical analysis used have lead to extremely close results, reinforcing our confidence in the reliability of our estimations. The excess of leukemia incidence observed at Chinon and Civaux and the deficit observed at Bruyere/Saclay/Fontenay loose their statistical significance when the correction of Bonferroni is applied. So, the global analysis of the 29 sites and the analysis by site have not shown statistically significant difference between the numbers of observed and expected cases. The study of the 19 C.N.P.E. gave same results, even in taken into account their electric power or their year of service. The possibility of confounding factors has been excluded. The power of the study to detect excess incidence and a decrease of S.I.R. with distance from the site was examined under different alternative hypotheses through simulation methods. For values of S.I.R. near the site (0-5 km) between 1.5 and 2 and a risk of error of 5%, the power of the study is between 96% and 100% depending

Stability and bifurcation analysis in a delayed SIR model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Zhichao; Wei Junjie

2008-01-01

In this paper, a time-delayed SIR model with a nonlinear incidence rate is considered. The existence of Hopf bifurcations at the endemic equilibrium is established by analyzing the distribution of the characteristic values. A explicit algorithm for determining the direction of the Hopf bifurcation and the stability of the bifurcating periodic solutions are derived by using the normal form and the center manifold theory. Numerical simulations to support the analytical conclusions are carried out

Ethnic differences in incidence of type 1 diabetes among second-generation immigrants and adoptees from abroad.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Jianguang; Hemminki, Kari; Sundquist, Jan; Sundquist, Kristina

2010-02-01

The incidence of type 1 diabetes shows a large variation worldwide, but whether the causes are environmental or genetic has not been settled. We examine here the incidence of type 1 diabetes among second-generation immigrants and adoptees from abroad to disentangle genetic/ethnic vs. environmental influence, assuming adoptees from abroad have similar environmental exposures compared with the native Swedes, with the only difference in their genetic background. Second-generation immigrants and adoptees from abroad were retrieved from the MIGMED2 database, and they were followed up until the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, death, or the end of study. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated for type 1 diabetes among these immigrants compared with native Swedes. A total of 1,050,569 children were defined as second-generation immigrants and the overall SIR of type 1 diabetes was significantly decreased. A decreased risk was observed for all countries of origin, with an exception for children with parents from Finland. A total of 51,557 children born in foreign countries were adopted by Swedes. Adoptees from Eastern Europe, Soviet countries, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, East and Southeast Asia, Chile, and other Central and South American countries had a significantly decreased SIR. The decreased incidence of type 1 diabetes observed in some second-generation immigrants and adoptees from abroad strongly suggests that ethnic genetic heterogeneity could play an important role on type 1 diabetes.

Incidence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome after endovascular aortic repair

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

De La Motte, L; Vogt, K; Jensen, Leif Panduro

2011-01-01

: Sixty-six patients were included, 40 (60%) met the SIRS criteria within the first 5 postoperative days (95% of the 40 patients met the criteria within 3 days). We found no significant differences between the SIRS and the non-SIRS group in baseline characteristics or other data including volume...... in the groups (3% in the SIRS group vs. none in the non-SIRS group). CONCLUSION: The high incidence of SIRS after EVAR is unexpected considering the minimally invasive procedure. Further studies on the cause of this response and measures to attenuate the response seem appropriate....... during 2007, were retrospectively evaluated for SIRS within the first 5 postoperative days. The only exclusion-criteria were missing data. SIRS was assessed using the criteria defined by the American College of Chest Physicians and Society of Critical Care Medicine Consensus Conference Committee. RESULTS...

Chernobyl cleanup workers from Estonia: follow-up for cancer incidence and mortality

Science.gov (United States)

Rahu, Kaja; Auvinen, Anssi; Hakulinen, Timo; Tekkel, Mare; Inskip, Peter D; Bromet, Evelyn J; Boice, John D; Rahu, Mati

2013-01-01

This study examined cancer incidence (1986–2008) and mortality (1986–2011) among the Estonian Chernobyl cleanup workers in comparison with the Estonian male population. The cohort of 4,810 men was followed through nationwide population, mortality and cancer registries. Cancer and death risks were measured by standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and standardized mortality ratio (SMR), respectively. Poisson regression was used to analyze the effects of year of arrival, duration of stay, and time since return on cancer and death risks. The SIR for all cancers was 1.06 with 95% confidence interval 0.93–1.20 (232 cases). Elevated risks were found for cancers of pharynx, oesophagus, and the joint category of alcohol-related sites. No clear evidence of an increased risk of thyroid cancer, leukaemia, or radiation-related cancer sites combined was apparent. The SMR for all causes of death was 1.02 with 95% confidence interval 0.96–1.08 (1,018 deaths). Excess mortality was observed for mouth and pharynx cancer, alcohol-related cancer sites together, and suicide. Duration of stay rather than year of arrival was associated with increased mortality. Twenty-six years of follow-up of this cohort indicates no definite health effects attributable to radiation, but the elevated suicide risk has persisted. PMID:23532116

Chernobyl cleanup workers from Estonia: follow-up for cancer incidence and mortality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahu, Kaja; Tekkel, Mare; Rahu, Mati; Auvinen, Anssi; Hakulinen, Timo; Inskip, Peter D; Bromet, Evelyn J; Boice Jr, John D

2013-01-01

This study examined cancer incidence (1986–2008) and mortality (1986–2011) among the Estonian Chernobyl cleanup workers in comparison with the Estonian male population. The cohort of 4810 men was followed through nationwide population, mortality and cancer registries. Cancer and death risks were measured by standardised incidence ratio (SIR) and standardised mortality ratio (SMR), respectively. Poisson regression was used to analyse the effects of year of arrival, duration of stay and time since return on cancer and death risks. The SIR for all cancers was 1.06 with 95% confidence interval 0.93–1.20 (232 cases). Elevated risks were found for cancers of the pharynx, the oesophagus and the joint category of alcohol-related sites. No clear evidence of an increased risk of thyroid cancer, leukaemia or radiation-related cancer sites combined was apparent. The SMR for all causes of death was 1.02 with 95% confidence interval 0.96–1.08 (1018 deaths). Excess mortality was observed for mouth and pharynx cancer, alcohol-related cancer sites together and suicide. Duration of stay rather than year of arrival was associated with increased mortality. Twenty-six years of follow-up of this cohort indicates no definite health effects attributable to radiation, but the elevated suicide risk has persisted. (paper)

Cancer incidence and mortality among temporary maintenance workers in a refinery/petrochemical complex in Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Koh, Dong-Hee; Chung, Eun-Kyo; Jang, Jae-Kil; Lee, Hye-Eun; Ryu, Hyang-Woo; Yoo, Kye-Mook; Kim, Eun-A; Kim, Kyoo-Sang

2014-01-01

Background: Petrochemical plant maintenance workers are exposed to various carcinogens such as benzene and metal fumes. In Korea, maintenance operations in petrochemical plants are typically performed by temporary employees hired as contract workers. Objectives: The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate cancer risk in temporary maintenance workers in a refinery/petrochemical complex in Korea. Methods: Subjects consisted of 14 698 male workers registered in a regional petrochemical plant maintenance workers union during 2002–2007. Cancer mortality and incidence were identified by linking with the nationwide death and cancer registries during 2002–2007 and 2002–2005, respectively. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated for each cancer. Results: Increased SMR 3.61 (six cases, 95% CI: 1.32–7.87) and SIR 3.18 (five cases, 95% CI: 1.03–7.42) were observed in oral and pharyngeal cancers. Conclusion: Our findings may suggest a potential association between oral and pharyngeal cancers and temporary maintenance jobs in the petrochemical industry. Future studies should include a longer follow-up period and a quantitative exposure assessment. PMID:24999849

Milestones in plant sulfur research on sulfur-induced-resistance (SIR in Europe

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Elke eBloem

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Until the 1970´s of the last century sulfur (S was mainly regarded as a pollutant being the main contributor of acid rain, causing forest dieback in central Europe. When Clean Air Acts came into force at the start of the 1980´s SO2 contaminations in the air were consequently reduced within the next years. S changed from an unwanted pollutant into a lacking plant nutrient in agriculture since agricultural fields were no longer fertilized indirectly by industrial pollution. S deficiency was first noticed in Brassica crops that display an especially high S demand because of its content of S-containing secondary metabolites, the glucosinolates. In Scotland, where S depositions decreased even faster than in continental Europe, an increasing disease incidence with Pyrenopeziza brassicae was observed in oilseed rape in the beginning 1990´s and the concept of sulfur-induced-resistance (SIR was developed after a relationship between the S status and the disease incidence was uncovered. Since then a lot of research was carried out to unravel the background of SIR in the metabolism of agricultural crops and to identify metabolites, enzymes and reactions, which are potentially activated by the S metabolism to combat fungal pathogens. The S status of the crop is affecting many different plant features such as color and scent of flowers, pigments in leaves, metabolite concentrations and the release of gaseous S compounds which are directly influencing the desirability of a crop for a variety of different organisms from microorganisms, over insects and slugs to the point of grazing animals.The present paper is an attempt to sum up the knowledge about the effect of the S nutritional status of agricultural crops on parameters that are directly related to their health status and by this to SIR. Milestones in SIR research are compiled, open questions are addressed and future projections were developed.

The incidence and multiplicity rates of keratinocyte cancers in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Pandeya, Nirmala; Olsen, Catherine M; Whiteman, David C

2017-10-16

To assess the incidence and multiplicity of keratinocyte cancers (basal cell carcinoma [BCC] and squamous cell carcinoma [SCC]) excised in Australia, and to examine variations by age, sex, state, and prior skin cancer history. Analysis of individual-level Medicare data for keratinocyte cancer treatments (identified by eight specific MBS item codes) during 2011-2014. Histological data from the QSkin prospective cohort study were analysed to estimate BCC and SCC incidence. A 10% systematic random sample of all people registered with Medicare during 1997-2014. People aged at least 20 years in 2011 who made at least one claim for any MBS medical service during 2011-2014 (1 704 193 individuals). Age-standardised incidence rates (ASRs) and standardised incidence ratios (SIRs). The person-based incidence of keratinocyte cancer excisions in Australia was 1531 per 100 000 person-years; incidence increased with age, and was higher for men than women (SIR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.42-1.45). Lesion-based incidence was 3154 per 100 000 person-years. The estimated ASRs for BCC and SCC were 770 per 100 000 and 270 per 100 000 person-years respectively. During 2011-2014, 3.9% of Australians had one keratinocyte cancer excised, 2.7% had more than one excised; 74% of skin cancers were excised from patients who had two or more lesions removed. Multiplicity was strongly correlated with age; most male patients over 70 were treated for multiple lesions. Keratinocyte cancer incidence was eight times as high among people with a prior history of excisions as among those without. The incidence and multiplicity of keratinocyte cancer in Australia are very high, causing a large disease burden that has not previously been quantified.

Cancer incidence in professional flight crew and air traffic control officers: disentangling the effect of occupational versus lifestyle exposures.

Science.gov (United States)

dos Santos Silva, Isabel; De Stavola, Bianca; Pizzi, Costanza; Evans, Anthony D; Evans, Sally A

2013-01-15

Flight crew are occupationally exposed to several potentially carcinogenic hazards; however, previous investigations have been hampered by lack of information on lifestyle exposures. The authors identified, through the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority medical records, a cohort of 16,329 flight crew and 3,165 air traffic control officers (ATCOs) and assembled data on their occupational and lifestyle exposures. Standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) were estimated to compare cancer incidence in each occupation to that of the general population; internal analyses were conducted by fitting Cox regression models. All-cancer incidence was 20-29% lower in each occupation than in the general population, mainly due to a lower incidence of smoking-related cancers [SIR (95% CI) = 0.33 (0.27-0.38) and 0.42 (0.28-0.60) for flight crew and ATCOs, respectively], consistent with their much lower prevalence of smoking. Skin melanoma rates were increased in both flight crew (SIR = 1.87; 95% CI = 1.45-2.38) and ATCOs (2.66; 1.55-4.25), with rates among the former increasing with increasing number of flight hours (p-trend = 0.02). However, internal analyses revealed no differences in skin melanoma rates between flight crew and ATCOs (hazard ratio: 0.78, 95% CI = 0.37-1.66) and identified skin that burns easily when exposed to sunlight (p = 0.001) and sunbathing to get a tan (p = 0.07) as the strongest risk predictors of skin melanoma in both occupations. The similar site-specific cancer risks between the two occupational groups argue against risks among flight crew being driven by occupation-specific exposures. The skin melanoma excess reflects sun-related behaviour rather than cosmic radiation exposure. Copyright © 2012 UICC.

Sumoylation of Sir2 differentially regulates transcriptional silencing in yeast.

Science.gov (United States)

Hannan, Abdul; Abraham, Neethu Maria; Goyal, Siddharth; Jamir, Imlitoshi; Priyakumar, U Deva; Mishra, Krishnaveni

2015-12-02

Silent information regulator 2 (Sir2), the founding member of the conserved sirtuin family of NAD(+)-dependent histone deacetylase, regulates several physiological processes including genome stability, gene silencing, metabolism and life span in yeast. Within the nucleus, Sir2 is associated with telomere clusters in the nuclear periphery and rDNA in the nucleolus and regulates gene silencing at these genomic sites. How distribution of Sir2 between telomere and rDNA is regulated is not known. Here we show that Sir2 is sumoylated and this modification modulates the intra-nuclear distribution of Sir2. We identify Siz2 as the key SUMO ligase and show that multiple lysines in Sir2 are subject to this sumoylation activity. Mutating K215 alone counteracts the inhibitory effect of Siz2 on telomeric silencing. SUMO modification of Sir2 impairs interaction with Sir4 but not Net1 and, furthermore, SUMO modified Sir2 shows predominant nucleolar localization. Our findings demonstrate that sumoylation of Sir2 modulates distribution between telomeres and rDNA and this is likely to have implications for Sir2 function in other loci as well. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Global analysis of multi-strains SIS, SIR and MSIR epidemic models

OpenAIRE

Bichara , Derdei; Iggidr , Abderrahman; Sallet , Gauthier

2014-01-01

International audience; We consider SIS, SIR and MSIR models with standard mass action and varying population, with $n$ different pathogen strains of an infectious disease. We also consider the same models with vertical transmission. We prove that under generic conditions a competitive exclusion principle holds. To each strain a basic reproduction ratio can be associated. It corresponds to the case where only this strain exists. The basic reproduction ratio of the complete system is the maxim...

Competitive exclusion principle for SIS and SIR models with n strains

OpenAIRE

Bichara , Derdei; Iggidr , Abderrahman; Sallet , Gauthier

2012-01-01

We consider SIS and SIR models with standard mass action and varying population, with $n$ different pathogen strains of an infectious disease. We also consider the same models with vertical transmission. We prove that under generic conditions a competitive exclusion principle holds. To each strain a basic reproduction ratio can be associated. It corresponds to the case where only this strain exists. The basic reproduction ratio of the complete system is the maximum of each individual basic re...

Relationship between the incidence infection stones and the magnesium-calcium ratio of tap water.

Science.gov (United States)

Kohri, K; Ishikawa, Y; Iguchi, M; Kurita, T; Okada, Y; Yoshida, O

1993-01-01

In a previous study we showed that the magnesium-calcium ratio of tap water is negatively correlated with the incidence of calcium-containing urinary stones. In this study we examined the relationship between the incidence of struvite stones, water hardness and the regional geological features on the basis of our previous study and an epidemiological study of urolithiasis performed in Japan. The magnesium-calcium ratio of tap water was found to correlate positively with the incidence of struvite stones. The tap water magnesium-calcium ratio was high in regions of basalt and sedimentary rock and was low in granite and limestone areas. The incidence of struvite stones in the regions of basalt and sedimentary rock was higher than that in the granite and limestone areas. Thus, this study suggested that the incidence of struvite stones is related to the magnesium-calcium ratio of tap water and to the regional geology, as is the case for calcium-containing stones.

Incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease in Danish men and women with a prolonged heavy alcohol intake

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hvidtfeldt, Ulla Arthur; Frederiksen, M.E.; Thygesen, L.C.

2008-01-01

significant higher incidence rates than would be expected in a standard population were observed for cardiovascular diseases (e.g., ischemic heart diseases, men: SIR = 1.76; 95% CI 1.69-1.83; women: SIR = 2.44; 95% CI 2.19-2.73) and cerebrovascular diseases (e.g., hemorrhagic stroke, men: SIR = 2.71; 95% CI 2...... rates of cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases than the population in general. METHODS: The cohort comprised 19,185 subjects (15,368 men and 3,817 women) who attended outpatient clinics for alcohol abusers within the Copenhagen Hospital Corporation (1954 to 1992). Incidence rates were standardized (SIR......) according to sex, age and calendar time to compare subjects' cardio- and cerebrovascular incidence with that of the general population of Copenhagen. RESULTS: During the period 1977 to 2001 a total of 9,397 events of cardio- and cerebrovascular disease were observed. In both men and women, statistically...

Evaluation of algorithms to identify incident cancer cases by using French health administrative databases.

Science.gov (United States)

Ajrouche, Aya; Estellat, Candice; De Rycke, Yann; Tubach, Florence

2017-08-01

Administrative databases are increasingly being used in cancer observational studies. Identifying incident cancer in these databases is crucial. This study aimed to develop algorithms to estimate cancer incidence by using health administrative databases and to examine the accuracy of the algorithms in terms of national cancer incidence rates estimated from registries. We identified a cohort of 463 033 participants on 1 January 2012 in the Echantillon Généraliste des Bénéficiaires (EGB; a representative sample of the French healthcare insurance system). The EGB contains data on long-term chronic disease (LTD) status, reimbursed outpatient treatments and procedures, and hospitalizations (including discharge diagnoses, and costly medical procedures and drugs). After excluding cases of prevalent cancer, we applied 15 algorithms to estimate the cancer incidence rates separately for men and women in 2012 and compared them to the national cancer incidence rates estimated from French registries by indirect age and sex standardization. The most accurate algorithm for men combined information from LTD status, outpatient anticancer drugs, radiotherapy sessions and primary or related discharge diagnosis of cancer, although it underestimated the cancer incidence (standardized incidence ratio (SIR) 0.85 [0.80-0.90]). For women, the best algorithm used the same definition of the algorithm for men but restricted hospital discharge to only primary or related diagnosis with an additional inpatient procedure or drug reimbursement related to cancer and gave comparable estimates to those from registries (SIR 1.00 [0.94-1.06]). The algorithms proposed could be used for cancer incidence monitoring and for future etiological cancer studies involving French healthcare databases. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Incidence and Mortality of Liver Cancer and Their Relationship with Development in Asia.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammadian, Maryam; Soroush, Ali; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Towhidi, Farhad; Hadadian, Fatemeh; Salehiniya, Hamid

2016-01-01

Liver cancer (LC) is the sixth world most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death. Due to the importance and necessity of awareness about the incidence and mortality of diseases to perform prevention programs, this study focused on data for LC and its relationship with the human development index (HDI) and its components in Asia in 2012. This ecological study was based on GLOBOCAN data for Asian countries. We assessed correlations between standardized incidence rates (SIR) and standardized mortality rates (SMR) of LC with HDI and its components using of SPSS18. A total of 582,420 incident cases and 557,097 deaths were recorded in Asian countries in 2012. The five with the highest SIR were Mongolia, Lao PDR, Vietnam, Republic of Korea and Thailand and those with the highest SMR were Mongolia, Lao PDR, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. A negative relation was observed between HDI and LC for SIR of 0.049 (P=0.748) and for SMR of 0.07 (P=0.645), with life expectancy at birth a positive relation for SIR of 0.061 (P=0.687) and a negative relation for SMR of 0.079 (P=0.603), with the average years of education a negative relation fo SIR of 0.476 (p=0.952) and for SMR of 0.032 (P=0.832), and with the country income level per person a negative relation for SMI of 0.11 (p=0.465) and for SMR of 0.113 (P=0.455). The incidence of LC is more in less developed and developing countries but statistically significant correlations were not found between standardized incidence and mortality rates of LC, and HDI and its dimensions.

Incidence of second malignancies for prostate cancer.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mieke Van Hemelrijck

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: There is a need to assess risk of second primary cancers in prostate cancer (PCa patients, especially since PCa treatment may be associated with increased risk of second primary tumours. METHODS: We calculated standardized incidence ratios (SIRs for second primary tumours comparing men diagnosed with PCa between 1980 and 2010 in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland (n = 20,559, and the general male population in the Canton. RESULTS: A total of 1,718 men developed a second primary tumour after PCa diagnosis, with lung and colon cancer being the most common (15 and 13% respectively. The SIR for overall second primary cancer was 1.11 (95%CI: 1.06-1.17. Site-specific SIRs varied from 1.19 (1.05-1.34 to 2.89 (2.62-4.77 for lung and thyroid cancer, respectively. When stratified by treatment, the highest SIR was observed for thyroid cancer (3.57 (1.30-7.76 when undergoing surgery, whereas liver cancer was common when treated with radiotherapy (3.21 (1.54-5.90 and kidney bladder was most prevalent for those on hormonal treatment (3.15 (1.93-4.87. Stratification by time since PCa diagnosis showed a lower risk of cancer for men with PCa compared to the general population for the first four years, but then a steep increase in risk was observed. CONCLUSION: In the Canton of Zurich, there was an increased risk of second primary cancers among men with PCa compared to the general population. Increased diagnostic activity after PCa diagnosis may partly explain increased risks within the first years of diagnosis, but time-stratified analyses indicated that increased risks remained and even increased over time.

Population-based incidence of sudden cardiac and unexpected death before and after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Iwate, northeast Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Niiyama, Masanobu; Tanaka, Fumitaka; Nakajima, Satoshi; Itoh, Tomonori; Matsumoto, Tatsuya; Kawakami, Mikio; Naganuma, Yujiro; Omama, Shinichi; Komatsu, Takashi; Onoda, Toshiyuki; Sakata, Kiyomi; Ichikawa, Takashi; Nakamura, Motoyuki

2014-05-08

The aim of this study was to evaluate the temporal impact of the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami on the incidence of sudden cardiac and unexpected death (SCUD). We surveyed the impact of the disaster on the incidence and clinical characteristics of SCUD in Iwate. To perform complete identification of SCUD for 8 weeks before and 40 weeks after the disaster, medical records and death certificates relevant to SCUD were surveyed in the study area. Compared with the previous year's rate, the incidence (per 10 000 person-year) of SCUD for the initial 4 weeks after the disaster (acute phase) was double (33.5 vs 18.9), and thereafter the rate returned to the previous level. Significant relationships were found between weekly numbers of SCUD and seismic activity (intensity, r=0.43; P<0.005: frequency, r=0.46; P<0.002). The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of SCUD in the acute phase was significantly increased compared with that of previous years (1.71, 95% CI 1.33 to 2.16). Increased SIRs were predominantly found in female subjects (1.73, 95% CI 1.22 to 2.37), the elderly (1.73, 95% CI 1.29 to 2.27), and residents living in the tsunami-stricken area (1.83, 95% CI 1.33 to 2.46). In addition, SIRs for weekdays (1.71, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.24) and nights-mornings (2.09, 95% CI 1.48 to 2.86) were amplified. The present results suggest that the magnitude of a disaster, related stress, and population aging may cause a temporary increase in the incidence of SCUD with amplification of ordinary weekly and circadian variations.

Vaccination strategies for SIR vector-transmitted diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Cruz-Pacheco, Gustavo; Esteva, Lourdes; Vargas, Cristobal

2014-08-01

Vector-borne diseases are one of the major public health problems in the world with the fastest spreading rate. Control measures have been focused on vector control, with poor results in most cases. Vaccines should help to reduce the diseases incidence, but vaccination strategies should also be defined. In this work, we propose a vector-transmitted SIR disease model with age-structured population subject to a vaccination program. We find an expression for the age-dependent basic reproductive number R(0), and we show that the disease-free equilibrium is locally stable for R(0) ≤ 1, and a unique endemic equilibrium exists for R(0) > 1. We apply the theoretical results to public data to evaluate vaccination strategies, immunization levels, and optimal age of vaccination for dengue disease.

SirR, a Novel Iron-Dependent Repressor in Staphylococcus epidermidis

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Philip J.; Cockayne, Alan; Landers, Patrick; Morrissey, Julie A.; Sims, Catriona M.; Williams, Paul

1998-01-01

In Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus, a number of cell wall- and cytoplasmic membrane-associated lipoproteins are induced in response to iron starvation. To gain insights into the molecular basis of iron-dependent gene regulation in the staphylococci, we sequenced the DNA upstream of the 3-kb S. epidermidis sitABC operon, which Northern blot analysis indicates is transcriptionally regulated by the growth medium iron content. We identified two DNA sequences which are homologous to elements of the Corynebacterium diphtheriae DtxR regulon, which controls, in response to iron stress, for example, production of diphtheria toxin, siderophore, and a heme oxygenase. Upstream of the sitABC operon and divergently transcribed lies a 645-bp open reading frame (ORF), which codes for a polypeptide of approximately 25 kDa with homology to the DtxR family of metal-dependent repressor proteins. This ORF has been designated SirR (staphylococcal iron regulator repressor). Within the sitABC promoter/operator region, we also located a region of dyad symmetry overlapping the transcriptional start of sitABC which shows high homology to the DtxR operator consensus sequence, suggesting that this region, termed the Sir box, is the SirR-binding site. The SirR protein was overexpressed, purified, and used in DNA mobility shift assays; SirR retarded the migration of a synthetic oligonucleotide based on the Sir box in a metal (Fe2+ or Mn2+)-dependent manner, providing confirmatory evidence that this motif is the SirR-binding site. Furthermore, Southern blot analysis of staphylococcal chromosomal DNA with the synthetic Sir box as a probe confirmed that there are at least five Sir boxes in the S. epidermidis genome and at least three in the genome of S. aureus, suggesting that SirR controls the expression of multiple target genes. Using a monospecific polyclonal antibody raised against SirR to probe Western blots of whole-cell lysates of S. aureus, S. carnosus, S. epidermidis

Population‐Based Incidence of Sudden Cardiac and Unexpected Death Before and After the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami in Iwate, Northeast Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Niiyama, Masanobu; Tanaka, Fumitaka; Nakajima, Satoshi; Itoh, Tomonori; Matsumoto, Tatsuya; Kawakami, Mikio; Naganuma, Yujiro; Omama, Shinichi; Komatsu, Takashi; Onoda, Toshiyuki; Sakata, Kiyomi; Ichikawa, Takashi; Nakamura, Motoyuki

2014-01-01

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the temporal impact of the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami on the incidence of sudden cardiac and unexpected death (SCUD). Methods and Results We surveyed the impact of the disaster on the incidence and clinical characteristics of SCUD in Iwate. To perform complete identification of SCUD for 8 weeks before and 40 weeks after the disaster, medical records and death certificates relevant to SCUD were surveyed in the study area. Compared with the previous year's rate, the incidence (per 10 000 person‐year) of SCUD for the initial 4 weeks after the disaster (acute phase) was double (33.5 vs 18.9), and thereafter the rate returned to the previous level. Significant relationships were found between weekly numbers of SCUD and seismic activity (intensity, r=0.43; P<0.005: frequency, r=0.46; P<0.002). The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of SCUD in the acute phase was significantly increased compared with that of previous years (1.71, 95% CI 1.33 to 2.16). Increased SIRs were predominantly found in female subjects (1.73, 95% CI 1.22 to 2.37), the elderly (1.73, 95% CI 1.29 to 2.27), and residents living in the tsunami‐stricken area (1.83, 95% CI 1.33 to 2.46). In addition, SIRs for weekdays (1.71, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.24) and nights‐mornings (2.09, 95% CI 1.48 to 2.86) were amplified. Conclusions The present results suggest that the magnitude of a disaster, related stress, and population aging may cause a temporary increase in the incidence of SCUD with amplification of ordinary weekly and circadian variations. PMID:24811614

Cancer incidence and mortality of Surinamese migrants in the Netherlands: in-between Surinamese and Dutch levels?

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Graciëlle; Mans, Dennis R A; Garssen, Joop; Visser, Otto; Kramer, Daniëlle; Kunst, Anton E

2013-07-01

It has been suggested that the cancer risk of migrants from low-income to high-income countries will converge toward the levels of their host country. However, comparisons with country of origin are mostly lacking. We compared cancer incidence and mortality rates of Surinamese migrants in the Netherlands to both native Dutch and Surinamese levels. Data covering the period 1995-2008 were obtained from Surinamese and Dutch national cancer registries and national cause-of-death registries. Cancer incidence was studied for 21 types of cancer and cancer mortality for nine types. We calculated age-standardized incidence/mortality ratios (SIR/SMR) for the Surinamese migrants and for Suriname, using the native Dutch population as reference. Significantly lower overall cancer incidence (SIR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.69-0.84) and mortality rates (SMR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.55-0.72) were found for Surinamese migrants compared to native Dutch. Generally, cancer risk was lower for most cancers (e.g., cancer of the breast, colon and rectum, lung), but higher for other cancers (e.g., cancer of the uterine cervix, liver). For most cancers, cancer risk of the Surinamese migrants was in-between Surinamese and native Dutch levels. Importantly, for many cancers, migrants' incidence and mortality rates had not closely approached native Dutch rates. For skin cancer, incidence levels for Surinamese migrants were lower than both Surinamese and native Dutch levels. The results suggest that cancer incidence and mortality rates of Surinamese migrants generally converge from Surinamese toward Dutch levels, though not for all cancer types. Overall, Surinamese migrants still had a much more favorable cancer profile than the native Dutch population.

First measurement of 153Sm in the SIR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michotte, C.; Ratel, G.; Lucas, L.

1999-01-01

In June 1998, the NIST sent to the International Reference System (SIR) a solution of 153 Sm standardized in a 4π ionization chamber. As this radionuclide had not previously been measured in the SIR, the resulting equivalent activity A e,NIST is compared with the value calculated from the efficiency curve of the SIR. However, problems occurred owing to the presence of 154 Eu and 156 Eu impurities in the solution. The manner in which the final equivalent activity value for this solution of 153 Sm has been deduced is described in this report. (authors)

The incidence and mortality of ovarian cancer and their relationship with the Human Development Index in Asia

OpenAIRE

Razi, Saeid; Ghoncheh, Mahshid; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Aziznejhad, Hojjat; Mohammadian, Mahdi; Salehiniya, Hamid

2016-01-01

Background The incidence and mortality estimates of ovarian cancer based on human development are essential for planning by policy makers. This study is aimed at investigating the standardised incidence rates (SIR) and standardised mortality rates (SMR) of ovarian cancer and their relationship with the Human Development Index (HDI) in Asian countries. Methods This study was an ecologic study in Asia for assessment of the correlation between SIR, age standardised rates (ASR), and HDI and their...

Cancer Incidence and Mortality in a Cohort of US Blood Donors: A 20-Year Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vahidnia, F.; Busch, M. P.; Custer, B.; Hirschler, N. V.; Chinn, A.; Agapova, M.; Busch, M. P.; Custer, B.

2013-01-01

Blood donors are considered one of the healthiest populations. This study describes the epidemiology of cancer in a cohort of blood donors up to 20 years after blood donation. Records from donors who participated in the Retroviral Epidemiology Donor Study (REDS, 1991-2002) at Blood Centers of the Pacific (BCP), San Francisco, were linked to the California Cancer Registry (CCR, 1991-2010). Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) were estimated using standard US 2000 population, and survival analysis used to compare all-cause mortality among donors and a random sample of non donors with cancer from CCR. Of 55,158 eligible allogeneic blood donors followed-up for 863,902 person-years, 4,236 (7.7%) primary malignant cancers were diagnosed. SIR in donors was 1.59 (95% CI = 1.54,1.64). Donors had significantly lower mortality (adjusted HR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.66-0.74) compared with non donor cancer patients, except for respiratory system cancers (adjusted HR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.82-1.05). Elevated cancer incidence among blood donors may reflect higher diagnosis rates due to health seeking behavior and cancer screening in donors. A “healthy donor effect” on mortality following cancer diagnosis was demonstrated. This population-based database and sample repository of blood donors with long-term monitoring of cancer incidence provides the opportunity for future analyses of genetic and other bio markers of cancer

Influence of atmospheric pressure on the incidence of spontaneous pneumothorax.

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz, Raúl; Díez, Manuel Mariano; Medrano, María José; Vera, Cristina; Guillamot, Paloma; Sánchez, Ana; Ratia, Tomás; Granell, Javier

2014-01-01

This study analyses the relationship between the incidence of idiopathic spontaneous pneumothorax (ISP) and atmospheric pressure (AP). A total of 288 cases of ISP were included, 229 men and 59 women. The AP of the day of diagnosis, of the 3 prior days and the monthly average was registered. The association between the incidence of ISP and AP was analyzed by calculating standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and Poisson regression. The AP on the day of admission (mean±standard deviation) (1,017.9±7 hectopascals [hPa]) was higher than the monthly average AP (1,016.9±4.1 hPa) (P=.005). There was a monthly distribution pattern of ISP with the highest incidence in the months of January, February and September and the lowest in April. When AP was less than 1,014 hPa, there were fewer cases registered than what would statistically have been expected (58/72 cases). In contrast, when the pressure was higher than 1,019 hPa, the registered cases were more than expected (109/82 cases) (SIR=1.25; 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.51). The risk of ISP increased 1.15 times (95% CI: 1.05 to 1.25, P=.001) for each hPa of AP, regardless of sex, age and monthly average AP. A dose-response relationship was observed, with progressive increases in risk (IRR=1.06 when the AP was 1,014-1016 hPa; 1.17 hPa when the AP was 1,016-1,019 hPa and 1.69 when AP was superior to 1,019 hPa) (P for trend=.089). The AP is a risk factor for the onset of idiopathic spontaneous pneumothorax. Copyright © 2012 AEC. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Lymphocyte integrin expression differences between SIRS and sepsis patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Heffernan, D S; Monaghan, S F; Ayala, Alfred

2017-11-01

Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) and sepsis remain leading causes of death. Despite many similarities, the two entities are very distinct clinically and immunologically. T-Lymphocytes play a key pivotal role in the pathogenesis and ultimately outcome following both SIRS and sepsis. Integrins are essential in the trafficking and migration of lymphocytes. They also serve vital roles in efficient wound healing and clearance of infections. Here, we investigate whether integrin expression, specifically β1 (CD29) and β2 (CD18), are disrupted in SIRS and sepsis, and assess differences in integrin expression between these two critically ill clinical categories. T-Lymphocytes were isolated from whole blood collected from ICU patients exhibiting SIRS or sepsis. Samples were analyzed for CD18 (β2) and CD29 (β1) on CD3 + T cells through flow cytometry. Septic patients were stratified into either exclusively abdominal or non-abdominal sources of sepsis. CD18 was almost ubiquitously expressed on CD3 + T cells irrespective of clinical condition. However, CD29 (β1 integrin) was lowest in SIRS patients (20.4% of CD3 + T cells) when compared with either septic patients (35.5%) or healthy volunteers (54.1%). Furthermore, there was evidence of compartmentalization in septic patients, where abdominal sources had a greater percentage of CD3 + CD29 + T cells (41.7%) when compared with those with non-abdominal sources (29.5%). Distinct differences in T-cell integrin expression exists between patients in SIRS versus sepsis, as well as relative to the source of sepsis. Further work is needed to understand cause and effect relative to the progression from SIRS into sepsis.

The incidence and risk of developing a second primary esophageal cancer in patients with oral and pharyngeal carcinoma: a population-based study in Taiwan over a 25 year period

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kuan-Der; Lu, Chang-Hsien; Chen, Ping-Tsung; Chan, Chunghuang Hubert; Lin, Jen-Tsun; Huang, Cih-En; Chen, Chih-Cheng; Chen, Min-Chi

2009-01-01

The incidence of oral and pharyngeal (including oral cavity, oropharynx and hypopharynx) carcinoma increases rapidly in Asia and South Pacific because of betel quid chewing. Thus far, large-scale epidemiological studies are not available yet to stratify these patients by their risks of developing a second primary cancer in the digestive tract including esophagus, stomach, colon, and rectum. A population-based study was conducted using the database from the Taiwan National Cancer Registry for the period 1979-2003. We quantified standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and cumulative incidence of second primary cancers among 33,787 patients with initial diagnoses of oral and pharyngeal carcinoma. Among these four digestive tract organs, the esophagus was the only site of second cancer with excess risk in patients with oral and pharyngeal carcinoma. The incidence and risk of developing a second primary esophageal cancer differed by the site of the primary index tumor, most frequently seen in hypopharyngeal cancer (71/4,218 = 1.68%, SIR = 22.76, 95% CI 17.77-28.70), followed by oropharyngeal cancer (30/3,403 = 0.88%, SIR = 14.29, 95% CI 9.64-20.39) and the least in oral cavity cancer (99/26,166 = 0.38%, SIR = 5.57, 95% CI 4.53-6.78). In addition, the risk was extraordinarily high for patients with a follow-up interval ≤ 1 year and those with first primary cancer diagnosed at age ≤50. These patients may justify more close surveillance. The present study represents the first population-based study in Asia attempting to stratify the patients of oral and pharyngeal carcinoma by their risk of developing a second esophageal cancer. It helps identify patients at high risk and tailor the application of intense follow-up surveillance to the estimated risk in each individual case

Validation of the Spanish SIRS with monolingual Hispanic outpatients.

Science.gov (United States)

Correa, Amor A; Rogers, Richard; Hoersting, Raquel

2010-09-01

Psychologists are faced with formidable challenges in making their assessment methods relevant to growing numbers of Hispanic clients for whom English is not the primary or preferred language. Among other clinical issues, the determination of malingering has profound consequences for clients. In this investigation, we evaluated a Spanish translation of the Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS; Rogers, Bagby, & Dickens, 1992) with 80 Spanish-speaking Hispanic American outpatients. Using a between-subjects simulation design, the Spanish SIRS was found to produce reliable results with small standard errors of measurement. Regarding validity, very large effect sizes (mean Cohen's d= 2.00) were observed between feigners and honest responders for the SIRS primary scales. We consider the potential role of the Spanish SIRS with reference to Spanish translations for other assessment instruments.

The Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS in acutely hospitalised medical patients: a cohort study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Storgaard Merete

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Sepsis is an infection which has evoked a systemic inflammatory response. Clinically, the Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS is identified by two or more symptoms including fever or hypothermia, tachycardia, tachypnoea and change in blood leucocyte count. The relationship between SIRS symptoms and morbidity and mortality in medical emergency ward patients is unknown. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study of the frequency of SIRS and its relationship to sepsis and death among acutely hospitalised medical patients. In 437 consecutive patients, SIRS status, blood pressure, infection and comorbidity on admission was registered together with 28-day mortality. Results A hundred and fifty-four patients (35% had SIRS on admission, 211 patients (48% had no SIRS, and 72 patients (16% had insufficient data to evaluate their SIRS status. SIRS patients were 2.2 times more frequently infected, with 66/154 SIRS patients versus 41/211 non-SIRS patients: p Conclusion We found SIRS status on admission to be moderately associated with infection and strongly related to 28-day mortality.

Evaluation of a Bladder Cancer Cluster in a Population of Criminal Investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—Part 1: The Cancer Incidence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susan R. Davis

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This study investigated a bladder cancer cluster in a cohort of employees, predominately criminal investigators, participating in a medical surveillance program with the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF between 1995 and 2007. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs were used to compare cancer incidences in the ATF population and the US reference population. Seven cases of bladder cancer (five cases verified by pathology report at time of analysis were identified among a total employee population of 3,768 individuals. All cases were white males and criminal investigators. Six of seven cases were in the 30 to 49 age range at the time of diagnosis. The SIRs for white male criminal investigators undergoing examinations were 7.63 (95% confidence interval = 3.70–15.75 for reported cases and 5.45 (2.33–12.76 for verified cases. White male criminal investigators in the ATF population are at statistically significant increased risk for bladder cancer.

The incidence and mortality of ovarian cancer and their relationship with the Human Development Index in Asia.

Science.gov (United States)

Razi, Saeid; Ghoncheh, Mahshid; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Aziznejhad, Hojjat; Mohammadian, Mahdi; Salehiniya, Hamid

2016-01-01

The incidence and mortality estimates of ovarian cancer based on human development are essential for planning by policy makers. This study is aimed at investigating the standardised incidence rates (SIR) and standardised mortality rates (SMR) of ovarian cancer and their relationship with the Human Development Index (HDI) in Asian countries. This study was an ecologic study in Asia for assessment of the correlation between SIR, age standardised rates (ASR), and HDI and their details, including life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, and gross national income (GNI) per capita. We used the correlation bivariate method for assessment of the correlation between ASR and HDI, and its details. Statistical significance was assumed if P HDI and SIR (r = 0.143, p = 0.006). Correlation between SMR of ovarian cancer and HDI was not significant (r = 0.005, p = 052.0). According to the findings of this study, between the HDI and SIR, there was a positive correlation, but there was no correlation between the SMR and HDI.

Cancer incidence among firefighters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pukkala, Eero; Martinsen, Jan Ivar; Weiderpass, Elisabete

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Firefighters are potentially exposed to a wide range of known and suspected carcinogens through their work. The objectives of this study were to examine the patterns of cancer among Nordic firefighters, and to compare them with the results from previous studies. METHODS: Data for this......OBJECTIVES: Firefighters are potentially exposed to a wide range of known and suspected carcinogens through their work. The objectives of this study were to examine the patterns of cancer among Nordic firefighters, and to compare them with the results from previous studies. METHODS: Data...... for this study were drawn from a linkage between the census data for 15 million people from the five Nordic countries and their cancer registries for the period 1961-2005. SIR analyses were conducted with the cancer incidence rates for the entire national study populations used as reference rates. RESULTS......: A total of 16 422 male firefighters were included in the final cohort. A moderate excess risk was seen for all cancer sites combined, (SIR=1.06, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.11). There were statistically significant excesses in the age category of 30-49 years in prostate cancer (SIR=2.59, 95% CI 1.34 to 4...

Cancer Incidence and Mortality in a Cohort of US Blood Donors: A 20-Year Study

Science.gov (United States)

Hirschler, Nora V.; Chinn, Artina; Busch, Michael P.; Custer, Brian

2013-01-01

Blood donors are considered one of the healthiest populations. This study describes the epidemiology of cancer in a cohort of blood donors up to 20 years after blood donation. Records from donors who participated in the Retroviral Epidemiology Donor Study (REDS, 1991–2002) at Blood Centers of the Pacific (BCP), San Francisco, were linked to the California Cancer Registry (CCR, 1991–2010). Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) were estimated using standard US 2000 population, and survival analysis used to compare all-cause mortality among donors and a random sample of nondonors with cancer from CCR. Of 55,158 eligible allogeneic blood donors followed-up for 863,902 person-years, 4,236 (7.7%) primary malignant cancers were diagnosed. SIR in donors was 1.59 (95% CI = 1.54,1.64). Donors had significantly lower mortality (adjusted HR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.66–0.74) compared with nondonor cancer patients, except for respiratory system cancers (adjusted HR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.82–1.05). Elevated cancer incidence among blood donors may reflect higher diagnosis rates due to health seeking behavior and cancer screening in donors. A “healthy donor effect” on mortality following cancer diagnosis was demonstrated. This population-based database and sample repository of blood donors with long-term monitoring of cancer incidence provides the opportunity for future analyses of genetic and other biomarkers of cancer. PMID:24489545

Cancer Incidence and Mortality in a Cohort of US Blood Donors: A 20-Year Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farnaz Vahidnia

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Blood donors are considered one of the healthiest populations. This study describes the epidemiology of cancer in a cohort of blood donors up to 20 years after blood donation. Records from donors who participated in the Retroviral Epidemiology Donor Study (REDS, 1991–2002 at Blood Centers of the Pacific (BCP, San Francisco, were linked to the California Cancer Registry (CCR, 1991–2010. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR were estimated using standard US 2000 population, and survival analysis used to compare all-cause mortality among donors and a random sample of nondonors with cancer from CCR. Of 55,158 eligible allogeneic blood donors followed-up for 863,902 person-years, 4,236 (7.7% primary malignant cancers were diagnosed. SIR in donors was 1.59 (95% CI = 1.54,1.64. Donors had significantly lower mortality (adjusted HR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.66–0.74 compared with nondonor cancer patients, except for respiratory system cancers (adjusted HR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.82–1.05. Elevated cancer incidence among blood donors may reflect higher diagnosis rates due to health seeking behavior and cancer screening in donors. A “healthy donor effect” on mortality following cancer diagnosis was demonstrated. This population-based database and sample repository of blood donors with long-term monitoring of cancer incidence provides the opportunity for future analyses of genetic and other biomarkers of cancer.

SirT1 regulates energy metabolism and response to caloric restriction in mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gino Boily

Full Text Available The yeast sir2 gene and its orthologues in Drosophila and C. elegans have well-established roles in lifespan determination and response to caloric restriction. We have studied mice carrying two null alleles for SirT1, the mammalian orthologue of sir2, and found that these animals inefficiently utilize ingested food. These mice are hypermetabolic, contain inefficient liver mitochondria, and have elevated rates of lipid oxidation. When challenged with a 40% reduction in caloric intake, normal mice maintained their metabolic rate and increased their physical activity while the metabolic rate of SirT1-null mice dropped and their activity did not increase. Moreover, CR did not extend lifespan of SirT1-null mice. Thus, SirT1 is an important regulator of energy metabolism and, like its orthologues from simpler eukaryotes, the SirT1 protein appears to be required for a normal response to caloric restriction.

33 CFR 147.817 - Sir Douglas Morpeth Tension Leg Platform safety zone.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Sir Douglas Morpeth Tension Leg... HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF ACTIVITIES SAFETY ZONES § 147.817 Sir Douglas Morpeth Tension Leg Platform safety zone. (a) Description. The Sir Douglas Morpeth Tension Leg Platform (Morpeth...

Estimating the Attack Ratio of Dengue Epidemics under Time-varying Force of Infection using Aggregated Notification Data

Science.gov (United States)

Coelho, Flavio Codeço; Carvalho, Luiz Max De

2015-12-01

Quantifying the attack ratio of disease is key to epidemiological inference and public health planning. For multi-serotype pathogens, however, different levels of serotype-specific immunity make it difficult to assess the population at risk. In this paper we propose a Bayesian method for estimation of the attack ratio of an epidemic and the initial fraction of susceptibles using aggregated incidence data. We derive the probability distribution of the effective reproductive number, Rt, and use MCMC to obtain posterior distributions of the parameters of a single-strain SIR transmission model with time-varying force of infection. Our method is showcased in a data set consisting of 18 years of dengue incidence in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We demonstrate that it is possible to learn about the initial fraction of susceptibles and the attack ratio even in the absence of serotype specific data. On the other hand, the information provided by this approach is limited, stressing the need for detailed serological surveys to characterise the distribution of serotype-specific immunity in the population.

New Processing of Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C (SIR-C) Data

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, F. J.; Gracheva, V.; Arko, S. A.; Labelle-Hamer, A. L.

2017-12-01

The Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C (SIR-C) was a radar system, which successfully operated on two separate shuttle missions in April and October 1994. During these two missions, a total of 143 hours of radar data were recorded. SIR-C was the first multifrequency and polarimetric spaceborne radar system, operating in dual frequency (L- and C- band) and with quad-polarization. SIR-C had a variety of different operating modes, which are innovative even from today's point of view. Depending on the mode, it was possible to acquire data with different polarizations and carrier frequency combinations. Additionally, different swaths and bandwidths could be used during the data collection and it was possible to receive data with two antennas in the along-track direction.The United States Geological Survey (USGS) distributes the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images as single-look complex (SLC) and multi-look complex (MLC) products. Unfortunately, since June 2005 the SIR-C processor has been inoperable and not repairable. All acquired SLC and MLC images were processed with a course resolution of 100 m with the goal of generating a quick look. These images are however not well suited for scientific analysis. Only a small percentage of the acquired data has been processed as full resolution SAR images and the unprocessed high resolution data cannot be processed any more at the moment.At the Alaska Satellite Facility (ASF) a new processor was developed to process binary SIR-C data to full resolution SAR images. ASF is planning to process the entire recoverable SIR-C archive to full resolution SLCs, MLCs and high resolution geocoded image products. ASF will make these products available to the science community through their existing data archiving and distribution system.The final paper will describe the new processor and analyze the challenges of reprocessing the SIR-C data.

Canadian breast implant cohort: extended follow-up of cancer incidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Sai Yi; Lavigne, Eric; Holowaty, Eric J; Villeneuve, Paul J; Xie, Lin; Morrison, Howard; Brisson, Jacques

2012-10-01

Cosmetic breast implants are not associated with increased breast cancer incidence, but variations of risk according to implant characteristics are still poorly understood. As well, the assessment of cancer risk for sites other than breast needs to be clarified. The purpose of this study was to fill these research gaps. This study presents an extended analysis of 10 more years of follow-up of a large Canadian cohort of women who received either cosmetic breast implants (n = 24,558) or other cosmetic surgery (15,893). Over 70% of the implant cohort was followed for over 20 years. Cancer incidence among implant women was compared to those of controls using multivariate Poisson models and the general female population using the standardized incidence ratios (SIRs). Women with breast implants had reduced rates of breast and endometrial cancers compared to other surgery women. Subglandular implants were associated to a reduced rate of breast cancer compared to submuscular implants [incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 0.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.63-0.96] and this reduction persisted over time. We observed a sevenfold increased rate (IRR = 7.36, 95% CI = 1.86-29.12) of breast cancer in the first 5 years after the date of surgery for polyurethane-coated subglandular implant women but this IRR decreased progressively over time (p value for trend = 0.02). We also observed no increased risk of rarer forms of cancer among augmented women. A reduction in breast cancer incidence was observed for women with subglandular implants relative to women with submuscular implants. Possible increase of breast cancer incidence shortly after breast augmentation with polyurethane implants needs to be verified. Copyright © 2012 UICC.

Increased incidence of malignant melanoma of the skin in workers in a telecommunications industry.

Science.gov (United States)

De Guire, L; Theriault, G; Iturra, H; Provencher, S; Cyr, D; Case, B W

1988-12-01

In 1982 physicians at a hospital melanoma clinic in Montreal noticed that among their patients there had been seven men working in a single telecommunications company. This raised suspicions that working in that industry might be associated with development of malignant melanoma of the skin (MMS). A preliminary gross comparison with general population rates indicated that there was an increased risk in this working group. To estimate the risk of MMS more accurately, a standardised incidence ratio (SIR) was calculated based on the rates of MMS in the local population of the Greater Metropolitan Montreal Area for the years 1976-83. During that period, among workers in all plants for the company, 10 male cases of MMS were observed for an expected number of 3.7 (SIR = 2.7; 95% CI = 1.31-5.02). No cases were observed among female workers (expected = 1.3). The excess was significant among cases with a short latency (less than 20 years since beginning of employment). There was no apparent pattern of exposure based on job titles or departments.

Design of power controller in CDMA system with power and SIR error minimization

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Shulan KONG; Huanshui ZHANG; Zhaosheng ZHANG; Hongxia WANG

2007-01-01

In this paper, an uplink power control problem is considered for code division multiple access (CDMA) systems. A distributed algorithm is proposed based on linear quadratic optimal control theory. The proposed scheme minimizes the sum of the power and the error of signal-to-interference ratio (SIR). A power controller is designed by constructing an optimization problem of a stochastic linear quadratic type in Krein space and solving a Kalman filter problem.

All cause mortality and incidence of cancer in workers in bauxite mines and alumina refineries.

Science.gov (United States)

Fritschi, Lin; Hoving, Jan Lucas; Sim, Malcolm R; Del Monaco, Anthony; MacFarlane, Ewan; McKenzie, Dean; Benke, Geza; de Klerk, Nicholas

2008-08-15

Bauxite is a reddish clay that is refined to produce alumina, which is then reduced to aluminium. There have been studies examining the health of workers in aluminium smelters, but not workers in bauxite mining and alumina refining. A cohort of employees of 1 large aluminium company since 1983 was assembled (n = 6,485, 5,828 men). Deaths and incident cancers to 2002 were ascertained by linkage to national and state cancer and death registries. SIRs and SMRs were calculated compared to national rates standardizing for calendar year, sex and 5-year age group. The mortality from all causes (SMR 0.68, 95% CI: 0.60-0.77), and from circulatory and respiratory diseases, all cancers combined and injury in the male cohort were lower than in the Australian male population and were similar across work groups and with duration of employment. The only significant increased mortality risk was from pleural mesothelioma. The incidence of all cancers combined was similar to the Australian rate. The cohort had a lower risk of incident lymphohaematopoietic cancer (SIR 0.50, 95% CI: 0.31-0.88) and a higher risk of melanoma (SIR 1.30, 95% CI: 1.00-1.69) although no dose-responses were seen. There was also an increased risk of mesothelioma (SIR 3.49, 95% CI: 1.82-6.71), which was associated with exposures outside the aluminium industry. This study is the first to examine cancer and mortality amongst workers in bauxite mines and alumina refineries and found little evidence for increased cancer incidence or mortality in these workers. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Development of SIR-C Ground Calibration Equipment

Science.gov (United States)

Freeman, A.; Azeem, M.; Haub, D.; Sarabandi, K.

1993-01-01

SIR-C/X-SAR is currently scheduled for launch in April 1994. SIR-C is an L-Band and C-Band, multi-polarization spaceborne SAR system developed by NASA/JPL. X- SAR is an X-Band SAR system developed by DARA/ASI. One of the problems involved in calibrating the SIR-C instrument is to make sure that the horizontal (H) and vertical (V) polarized beams are aligned in the azimuth direction, i.e.. that they are pointing in the same direction. This is important if the polarimetric performance specifications for the system are to be met. To solve this problem, we have designed and built a prototype of a low-cost ground receiver capable of recording received power from two antennas, one H-polarized, the other V-polarized. The two signals are mixed to audio then recorded on the left and right stereo channels of a standard audio cassette player. The audio cassette recording can then be played back directly into a Macintosh computer, where it is digitized. Analysis of.

Cancer incidence among merchant seafarers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ugelvig Petersen, Kajsa; Volk, Julie; Kaerlev, Linda

2018-01-01

on the incidence of specific cancers among both male and female seafarers. Methods: Using records from the Danish Seafarer Registry, all seafarers employed on Danish ships during 1986-1999 were identified, resulting in a cohort of 33 084 men and 11 209 women. Information on vital status and cancer was linked...... to each member of the cohort from the Danish Civil Registration System and the Danish Cancer Registry using the unique Danish personal identification number. SIRs were estimated for specific cancers using national rates. Results: The overall incidence of cancer was increased for both male and female...

Nicotinamide clearance by Pnc1 directly regulates Sir2-mediated silencing and longevity.

Science.gov (United States)

Gallo, Christopher M; Smith, Daniel L; Smith, Jeffrey S

2004-02-01

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sir2 protein is an NAD(+)-dependent histone deacetylase (HDAC) that functions in transcriptional silencing and longevity. The NAD(+) salvage pathway protein, Npt1, regulates Sir2-mediated processes by maintaining a sufficiently high intracellular NAD(+) concentration. However, another NAD(+) salvage pathway component, Pnc1, modulates silencing independently of the NAD(+) concentration. Nicotinamide (NAM) is a by-product of the Sir2 deacetylase reaction and is a natural Sir2 inhibitor. Pnc1 is a nicotinamidase that converts NAM to nicotinic acid. Here we show that recombinant Pnc1 stimulates Sir2 HDAC activity in vitro by preventing the accumulation of NAM produced by Sir2. In vivo, telomeric, rDNA, and HM silencing are differentially sensitive to inhibition by NAM. Furthermore, PNC1 overexpression suppresses the inhibitory effect of exogenously added NAM on silencing, life span, and Hst1-mediated transcriptional repression. Finally, we show that stress suppresses the inhibitory effect of NAM through the induction of PNC1 expression. Pnc1, therefore, positively regulates Sir2-mediated silencing and longevity by preventing the accumulation of intracellular NAM during times of stress.

Regulating repression: roles for the sir4 N-terminus in linker DNA protection and stabilization of epigenetic states.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephanie Kueng

Full Text Available Silent information regulator proteins Sir2, Sir3, and Sir4 form a heterotrimeric complex that represses transcription at subtelomeric regions and homothallic mating type (HM loci in budding yeast. We have performed a detailed biochemical and genetic analysis of the largest Sir protein, Sir4. The N-terminal half of Sir4 is dispensable for SIR-mediated repression of HM loci in vivo, except in strains that lack Yku70 or have weak silencer elements. For HM silencing in these cells, the C-terminal domain (Sir4C, residues 747-1,358 must be complemented with an N-terminal domain (Sir4N; residues 1-270, expressed either independently or as a fusion with Sir4C. Nonetheless, recombinant Sir4C can form a complex with Sir2 and Sir3 in vitro, is catalytically active, and has sedimentation properties similar to a full-length Sir4-containing SIR complex. Sir4C-containing SIR complexes bind nucleosomal arrays and protect linker DNA from nucleolytic digestion, but less effectively than wild-type SIR complexes. Consistently, full-length Sir4 is required for the complete repression of subtelomeric genes. Supporting the notion that the Sir4 N-terminus is a regulatory domain, we find it extensively phosphorylated on cyclin-dependent kinase consensus sites, some being hyperphosphorylated during mitosis. Mutation of two major phosphoacceptor sites (S63 and S84 derepresses natural subtelomeric genes when combined with a serendipitous mutation (P2A, which alone can enhance the stability of either the repressed or active state. The triple mutation confers resistance to rapamycin-induced stress and a loss of subtelomeric repression. We conclude that the Sir4 N-terminus plays two roles in SIR-mediated silencing: it contributes to epigenetic repression by stabilizing the SIR-mediated protection of linker DNA; and, as a target of phosphorylation, it can destabilize silencing in a regulated manner.

SIR-ZEE: plataforma tecnológica para el desarrollo local SIR-ZEE: technology platform for local development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marlen Treviño Villalobos

2012-11-01

Full Text Available El Sistema de Información Regional de la Zona Económica Especial (SIR-ZEE nació en Costa Rica aproximadamente en 1998, cuando se concibió la idea de crear un sistema informático para recopilar, gestionar y ofrecer temáticas generadas en forma digital por diferentes entidades públicas y privadas. En el 2008, con los fondos del Programa de Regionalización Interuniversitaria del Consejo Nacional de Rectores, se aprobó la iniciativa SIR-ZEE, Plataforma Tecnológica para el Desarrollo Local, que buscó fortalecer las capacidades productivas y las capacidades de gobernabilidad en la Región Huetar Norte mediante el acceso a la información oportuna y relevante para el desarrollo económico local. Este artículo tiene como objetivo mostrar no solo la relevancia de un sistema de información en la planificación del desarrollo local, sino también que, en la actualidad, el SIR-ZEE se está convirtiendo en una ventaja competitiva para la Región Huetar Norte, ya que facilita el proceso de toma decisiones. Los principales resultados obtenidos al final de la iniciativa fueron una propuesta metodológica para la elaboración de planes estratégicos de desarrollo local en la Región Huetar Norte, la sensibilización de los actores locales sobre la participación ciudadana en las diferentes fases de la planificación, un diagnóstico territorial con el valor agregado de contar con la información georreferenciada y disponible en un sitio web, y avances en la elaboración del Plan estratégico de desarrollo local.The Regional Information System of the Special Economic Zone (SIR-ZEE was born about the year 1998 as a computer system to collect, manage and offer thematic generated in digital format by different public and private entities. In 2008, with the funds of Interuniversity Regionalization Program the National Council of Rectors approved the initiative SIR- ZEE: Platform Technology for Local Development which sought to strengthen productive

Incidence and mortality of solid cancer among emergency workers of the Chernobyl accident: assessment of radiation risks for the follow-up period of 1992-2009

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kashcheev, V.V.; Chekin, S.Yu.; Maksioutov, M.A.; Tumanov, K.A.; Kochergina, E.V.; Kashcheeva, P.V.; Shchukina, N.V.; Ivanov, V.K. [Russian Ministry of Health, Federal State Institution, Medical Radiological Research Center, Obninsk, Kaluga Region (Russian Federation)

2015-03-15

This paper presents the results of a retrospective cohort study of cancer incidence and mortality among emergency workers of the Chernobyl accident, for the follow-up period 1992-2009. The cohort selected for analysis consists of 67,568 emergency workers who worked in the Chernobyl exclusion zone in 1986-1987. External radiation whole-body absorbed dose varied from 0.0001 gray (Gy) to 1.24 Gy, with a median of 0.102 Gy. Over the follow-up period 1992-2009, a total of 4,002 solid cancers of different sites were identified as the result of annual compulsory health examination, and a total of 2,442 deaths from all solid cancers in the study cohort were reported. Poisson regression was applied for the analysis of cancer incidence and mortality. The analysis of the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) has shown a statistically significant increase in cancer incidence in the cohort as compared with baseline cancer incidence among males of Russia. The average excess over the entire follow-up period is 18 % [SIR = 1.18, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.15; 1.22]. In contrast, however, no increase in the mortality from all cancers among the emergency workers as compared to the baseline mortality in Russian men was found. Values of excess relative risk of cancer incidence and mortality per 1 Gy (ERR Gy{sup -1}) are 0.47 (95 % CI 0.03; 0.96, p value = 0.034) and 0.58 (95 % CI 0.002; 1.25, p value = 0.049), respectively. These values are statistically significant. (orig.)

Geim, Prof. Sir Andre Konstantin

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Fellow Profile. Elected: 2015 Honorary. Geim, Prof. Sir Andre Konstantin FRS. Date of birth: 21 October 1958. Address: Royal Society Research Professor, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK Contact: Office: (+44-161) 275 4120. Email: geim@manchester.ac.uk. YouTube; Twitter; Facebook ...

Sir John Meurig Thomas.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, John Meurig

2013-10-11

"My greatest achievement has been to combine being a teacher, a researcher, and a popularizer of science for over 50 years. My worst nightmare is to find myself dumbstruck when I am about to give a lecture …︁" This and more about Sir John Meurig Thomas can be found on page 10938. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Incidence and Mortality of Colorectal Cancer and Relationships with the Human Development Index across the World.

Science.gov (United States)

Rafiemanesh, Hosein; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Ghoncheh, Mahshid; Sepehri, Zahra; Shamlou, Reza; Salehiniya, Hamid; Towhidi, Farhad; Makhsosi, Behnam Reza

2016-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the standardized incidence and mortality rate of colorectal cancer and its relationship with the human development index (HDI) across the world in 2012. This ecologic study was conducted for assessment of the correlation between age-specific incidence rate (ASIR) and age-specific mortality rate (ASMR) with HDI and its components. Data for SIR and SMR for every country for the year 2012 were obtained from the global cancer project. We used a bivariate method for assessment of the correlation between SIR and SMR and HDI. Statistical significance was assumed at <0.05. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS (Version 22.0, SPSS Inc.). Countries with the highest SIR of colorectal cancer in the world in 2012, were Republic of Korea, Slovakia, Hungary and countries with the highest SMR were Hungary, Croatia and Slovakia. The correlation between SIR of colorectal cancer and the HDI was 0.712 (P≤0.001), with life expectancy at birth 0.513 (P≤0.001), with mean years of schooling 0.641 (P≤0.001) and with level of income per each person of the population 0.514 (P=0.013). In addition, the correlation between SMR of colorectal cancer and the HDI was 0.628 (P≤0.001), with life expectancy at birth 0.469 (P≤0.001), with mean years of schooling 0.592 (P≤0.001) and with level of income per each person of the population 0.378 (P=0.013). The highest SIR and SMR of colorectal cancer was in the WHO Europe region. There was a positive correlation between HDI and SIR and SMR of colorectal cancer.

Risk of cancer incidence before the age of 15 years after exposure to ionising radiation from computed tomography: results from a German cohort study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krille, L. [University Medical Center Mainz, Institute of Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Mainz (Germany); International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon (France); Dreger, S.; Zeeb, H. [University of Bremen, Leibniz - Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS, Research Focus Health Sciences Bremen, Bremen (Germany); Schindel, R.; Blettner, M. [University Medical Center Mainz, Institute of Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Mainz (Germany); Albrecht, T. [Vivantes, Klinikum Neukoelln, Institut fuer Radiologie und Interventionelle Therapie, Berlin (Germany); Asmussen, M. [Zentralinstitut fuer Bildgebende Diagnostik, Staedtisches Klinikum Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe (Germany); Barkhausen, J. [Universitaetsklinikum Schleswig Holstein, Klinik fuer Radiologie und Nuklearmedizin, Campus Luebeck, Luebeck (Germany); Berthold, J.D. [Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Institut fuer Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie, Hannover (Germany); Chavan, A. [Klinikum Oldenburg GmbH, Institut fuer Diagnostische and Interventionelle Radiologie, Oldenburg (Germany); Claussen, C. [Universitaetsklinikum Tuebingen, Abt. fuer Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie, Tuebingen (Germany); Forsting, M. [Universitaetsklinikum Essen, Institut fuer Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie und Neuroradiologie, Essen (Germany); Gianicolo, E.A.L. [University Medical Center Mainz, Institute of Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Mainz (Germany); National Research Council, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Lecce (Italy); Jablonka, K. [Klinikum Bremen-Mitte, Klinik fuer Radiologische Diagnostik und Nuklearmedizin, Bremen (Germany); Jahnen, A. [Centre de Recherche Public Henri Tudor, Luxembourg (Luxembourg); Langer, M. [Universitaetsklinikum Freiburg, Klinik fuer Radiologie, Freiburg (Germany); Laniado, M. [Universitaetsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Institut und Poliklinik fuer Radiologische Diagnostik, Dresden (Germany); Lotz, J. [Universitaetsmedizin Goettingen, Institut fuer Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie, Goettingen (Germany); Mentzel, H.J. [Universitaetsklinikum Jena, Institut fuer Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie, Sektion Kinderradiologie, Jena (Germany); Queisser-Wahrendorf, A. [Universitaetsmedizin Mainz, Zentrum fuer Kinder- und Jugendmedizin, Mainz (Germany); Rompel, O. [Universitaetsklinikum Erlangen, Radiologisches Institut, Erlangen (Germany); Schlick, I. [Klinikum Nuernberg Sued, Institut fuer Radiologie und Neuroradiologie, Nuremberg (Germany); Schneider, K.; Seidenbusch, M. [Institut fuer Klinische Radiologie, Klinikum der Universitaet Muenchen, Dr. von Haunersches Kinderspital, Munich (Germany); Schumacher, M. [Universitaetsklinik Freiburg, Klinik fuer Neuroradiologie, Neurozentrum, Freiburg (Germany); Spix, C. [University Medical Center Mainz, German Childhood Cancer Registry, Mainz (Germany); Spors, B. [Charite - Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Kinderradiologie, Standort Campus Virchow Klinikum, Berlin (Germany); Staatz, G. [Universitaetsmedizin Mainz, Klinik und Poliklinik fuer diagnostische und interventionelle Radiologie, Sektion Kinderradiologie, Mainz (Germany); Vogl, T. [Klinikum der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universitaet Frankfurt/Main, Institut fuer Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie, Frankfurt (Germany); Wagner, J. [Vivantes, Klinikum im Friedrichshain, Institut fuer Radiologie und Interventionelle Therapie, Berlin (Germany); Weisser, G. [Universitaetsklinikum Mannheim, Institut fuer Klinische Radiologie und Nuklearmedizin, Mannheim (Germany)

2015-03-15

The aim of this cohort study was to assess the risk of developing cancer, specifically leukaemia, tumours of the central nervous system and lymphoma, before the age of 15 years in children previously exposed to computed tomography (CT) in Germany. Data for children with at least one CT between 1980 and 2010 were abstracted from 20 hospitals. Cancer cases occurring between 1980 and 2010 were identified by stochastic linkage with the German Childhood Cancer Registry (GCCR). For all cases and a sample of non-cases, radiology reports were reviewed to assess the underlying medical conditions at time of the CT. Cases were only included if diagnosis occurred at least 2 years after the first CT and no signs of cancer were recorded in the radiology reports. Standardised incidence ratios (SIR) using incidence rates from the general population were estimated. The cohort included information on 71,073 CT examinations in 44,584 children contributing 161,407 person-years at risk with 46 cases initially identified through linkage with the GCCR. Seven cases had to be excluded due to signs possibly suggestive of cancer at the time of first CT. Overall, more cancer cases were observed (O) than expected (E), but this was mainly driven by unexpected and possibly biased results for lymphomas. For leukaemia, the SIR (SIR = O/E) was 1.72 (95 % CI 0.89-3.01, O = 12), and for CNS tumours, the SIR was 1.35 (95 % CI 0.54-2.78, O = 7). Despite careful examination of the medical information, confounding by indication or reverse causation cannot be ruled out completely and may explain parts of the excess. Furthermore, the CT exposure may have been underestimated as only data from the participating clinics were available. This should be taken into account when interpreting risk estimates. (orig.)

Cancer incidence in Italian contaminated sites

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Pietro Comba

2014-06-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION. The incidence of cancer among residents in sites contaminated by pollutants with a possible health impact is not adequately studied. In Italy, SENTIERI Project (Epidemiological study of residents in National Priority Contaminated Sites, NPCSs was implemented to study major health outcomes for residents in 44 NPCSs. METHODS. The Italian Association of Cancer Registries (AIRTUM records cancer incidence in 23 NPCSs. For each NPCSs, the incidence of all malignant cancers combined and 35 cancer sites (coded according to ICD-10, was analysed (1996-2005. The observed cases were compared to the expected based on age (5-year period,18 classes, gender, calendar period (1996-2000; 2001-2005, geographical area (North-Centre and Centre-South and cancer sites specific rates. Standardized Incidence Ratios (SIR with 90% Confidence Intervals were computed. RESULTS. In both genders an excess was observed for overall cancer incidence (9% in men and 7% in women as well as for specific cancer sites (colon and rectum, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, lung, skin melanoma, bladder and Non Hodgkin lymphoma. Deficits were observed for gastric cancer in both genders, chronic lymphoid leukemia (men, malignant thyroid neoplasms, corpus uteri and connective and soft-tissue tumours and sarcomas (women. DISCUSSION. This report is, to our knowledge, the first one on cancer risk of residents in NPCSs. The study, although not aiming to estimate the cancer burden attributable to the environment as compared to occupation or life-style, supports the credibility of an etiologic role of environmental exposures in contaminated sites. Ongoing analyses focus on the interpretation of risk factors for excesses of specific cancer types overall and in specific NPCSs in relation to the presence of carcinogenic pollutants.

Sir Karl Popper and Education

Science.gov (United States)

McNamara, D. R.

1978-01-01

Sir Karl Popper is one of England's most distinguished contemporary philosophers and it is surprising that his thought has not permeated and informed educational discussion. This paper suggests that educationists have much to learn from Karl Popper's writings and explores ways in which his ideas can illuminate and advance discussion about…

Thomas, Prof. Sir John Meurig

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Thomas, Prof. Sir John Meurig FRS. Date of birth: 15 December 1932. Address: Department of Materials Science and, Metallurgy, New Museums Site, 27, Babbage ... Theory Of Evolution. Posted on 23 January 2018. Joint Statement by the Three Science Academies of India on the teaching of the theory of evolution more.

Wakes behind surface-mounted obstacles: Impact of aspect ratio, incident angle, and surface roughness

Science.gov (United States)

Tobin, Nicolas; Chamorro, Leonardo P.

2018-03-01

The so-called wake-moment coefficient C˜h and lateral wake deflection of three-dimensional windbreaks are explored in the near and far wake. Wind-tunnel experiments were performed to study the functional dependence of C˜h with windbreak aspect ratio, incidence angle, and the ratio of the windbreak height and surface roughness (h /z0 ). Supported with the data, we also propose basic models for the wake deflection of the windbreak in the near and far fields. The near-wake model is based on momentum conservation considering the drag on the windbreak, whereas the far-wake counterpart is based on existing models for wakes behind surface-mounted obstacles. Results show that C˜h does not change with windbreak aspect ratios of 10 or greater; however, it may be lower for an aspect ratio of 5. C˜h is found to change roughly with the cosine of the incidence angle, and to depend strongly on h /z0 . The data broadly support the proposed wake-deflection models, though better predictions could be made with improved knowledge of the windbreak drag coefficient.

Constitutive Relation of Engineering Material Based on SIR Model and HAM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haoxiang He

2014-01-01

Full Text Available As an epidemic mathematical model, the SIR model represents the transition of the Susceptible, Infected, and Recovered. The profound implication of the SIR model is viewed as the propagation and dynamic evolutionary process of the different internal components and the characteristics in a complex system subject to external effect. The uniaxial stress-strain curve of engineering material represents the basic constitutive relation, which also represents the damage propagation in the units of the damaged member. Hence, a novel dynamic stress-strain model is established based on the SIR model. The analytical solution and the approximate solution for the proposed model are represented according to the homotopy analysis method (HAM, and the relationship of the solution and the size effect and the strain rate is discussed. In addition, an experiment on the size effect of confined concrete is carried out and the solution of SIR model is suitable for simulation. The results show that the mechanical mechanism of the parameters of the uniaxial stress-strain model proposed in this paper reflects the actual characteristics of the materials. The solution of the SIR model can fully and accurately show the change of the mechanical performance and the influence of the size effect and the strain rate.

Incidence rates of in-hospital carpal tunnel syndrome in the general population and possible associations with marital status

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Melani Carla

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS is a socially relevant condition associated with biomechanical risk factors. We evaluated age-sex-specific incidence rates of in-hospital cases of CTS in central/northern Italy and explored relations with marital status. Methods Seven regions were considered (overall population, 14.9 million over 3–6-year periods between 1997 and 2002 (when out-of-hospital CTS surgery was extremely rare. Incidence rates of in-hospital cases of CTS were estimated based on 1 codified demographic, diagnostic and intervention data in obligatory discharge records from all Italian public/private hospitals, archived (according to residence on regional databases; 2 demographic general population data for each region. We compared (using the χscore test age-sex-specific rates between married, unmarried, divorced and widowed subsets of the general population. We calculated standardized incidence ratios (SIRs for married/unmarried men and women. Results Age-standardized incidence rates (per 100,000 person-years of in-hospital cases of CTS were 166 in women and 44 in men (106 overall. Married subjects of both sexes showed higher age-specific rates with respect to unmarried men/women. SIRs were calculated comparing married vs unmarried rates of both sexes: 1.59 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.57–1.60 in women, and 1.42 (95% CI, 1.40–1.45 in men. As compared with married women/men, widows/widowers both showed 2–3-fold higher incidence peaks during the fourth decade of life (beyond 50 years of age, widowed subjects showed similar trends to unmarried counterparts. Conclusion This large population-based study illustrates distinct age-related trends in men and women, and also raises the question whether marital status could be associated with CTS in the general population.

Incidence rates of in-hospital carpal tunnel syndrome in the general population and possible associations with marital status.

Science.gov (United States)

Mattioli, Stefano; Baldasseroni, Alberto; Curti, Stefania; Cooke, Robin M T; Bena, Antonella; de Giacomi, Giovanna; dell'Omo, Marco; Fateh-Moghadam, Pirous; Melani, Carla; Biocca, Marco; Buiatti, Eva; Campo, Giuseppe; Zanardi, Francesca; Violante, Francesco S

2008-10-28

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a socially relevant condition associated with biomechanical risk factors. We evaluated age-sex-specific incidence rates of in-hospital cases of CTS in central/northern Italy and explored relations with marital status. Seven regions were considered (overall population, 14.9 million) over 3-6-year periods between 1997 and 2002 (when out-of-hospital CTS surgery was extremely rare). Incidence rates of in-hospital cases of CTS were estimated based on 1) codified demographic, diagnostic and intervention data in obligatory discharge records from all Italian public/private hospitals, archived (according to residence) on regional databases; 2) demographic general population data for each region. We compared (using the chiscore test) age-sex-specific rates between married, unmarried, divorced and widowed subsets of the general population. We calculated standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for married/unmarried men and women. Age-standardized incidence rates (per 100,000 person-years) of in-hospital cases of CTS were 166 in women and 44 in men (106 overall). Married subjects of both sexes showed higher age-specific rates with respect to unmarried men/women. SIRs were calculated comparing married vs unmarried rates of both sexes: 1.59 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.57-1.60) in women, and 1.42 (95% CI, 1.40-1.45) in men. As compared with married women/men, widows/widowers both showed 2-3-fold higher incidence peaks during the fourth decade of life (beyond 50 years of age, widowed subjects showed similar trends to unmarried counterparts). This large population-based study illustrates distinct age-related trends in men and women, and also raises the question whether marital status could be associated with CTS in the general population.

Scientific objectives and selection of targets for the SMART-1 Infrared Spectrometer (SIR)

Science.gov (United States)

Basilevsky, A. T.; Keller, H. U.; Nathues, A.; Mall, U.; Hiesinger, H.; Rosiek, M.

2004-12-01

The European SMART-1 mission to the Moon, primarily a testbed for innovative technologies, was launched in September 2003 and will reach the Moon in 2005. On board are several scientific instruments, including the point-spectrometer SMART-1 Infrared Spectrometer (SIR). Taking into account the capabilities of the SMART-1 mission and the SIR instrument in particular, as well as the open questions in lunar science, a selection of targets for SIR observations has been compiled. SIR can address at least five topics: (1) Surface/regolith processes; (2) Lunar volcanism; (3) Lunar crust structure; (4) Search for spectral signatures of ices at the lunar poles; and (5) Ground truth and study of geometric effects on the spectral shape. For each topic we will discuss specific observation modes, necessary to achieve our scientific goals. The majority of SIR targets will be observed in the nadir-tracking mode. More than 100 targets, which require off-nadir pointing and off-nadir tracking, are planned. It is expected that results of SIR observations will significantly increase our understanding of the Moon. Since the exact arrival date and the orbital parameters of the SMART-1 spacecraft are not known yet, a more detailed planning of the scientific observations will follow in the near future.

King, Prof. Sir David Anthony

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Elected: 1998 Honorary. King, Prof. Sir David Anthony Sc.D., FRS. Date of birth: 12 August 1939. Address: Chief Scientific Adivser & Head, Office of Science and Innovation, London SW1H 0ET, U.K.. Contact: Office: (+44-020) 7215 3821. Fax: (+44-020) 7215 0314. Email: mpst.king@dti.gsi.gov.uk, dak10@cus.cam.ac.uk.

Environmental exposure to ionizing radiation and childhood leukaemia incidence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evrard, Anne-Sophie

2006-01-01

This thesis aimed at providing an epidemiological approach of the hypothesis of the existence of an association between environmental exposure to ionizing radiation and childhood leukaemia incidence. From 1990 to 2001, 5,330 cases of acute leukaemia were registered by the French National Registry of Childhood Leukemia and Lymphoma in children under 15 years of age and living in mainland France at the time of diagnosis. Indoor radon concentration was estimated using 13,240 measurements carried out by the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), and covering the whole country. Exposure to terrestrial gamma radiation was based on continuous measurements, using thermoluminescent dosimeters, at about 1,000 sites covering the whole of France, in order to monitor the level of environmental radioactivity in France. Analyses were conducted using Poisson regressions, including ecological co-variates, at the level of the 'Departments' (95 administrative geographical units in France). A significant positive ecological association between indoor radon concentration and the incidence of acute myeloid leukaemia was evidenced (SIR=1.19 per 100 Bq/m 3 - 95% confidence interval=[1.03-1.38]) and remained significant in multivariate regression analyses including exposure to terrestrial gamma radiation and/or some ecological co-variates. Conversely, there was no evidence of an ecological association between exposure to terrestrial gamma radiation and childhood leukaemia incidence. The epidemiological studies of the incidence of childhood leukaemia around nuclear sites analyzed incidence with respect to the distance from the plants, without considering any information on the levels or geographic distribution of the radiation dose due to discharges from the plants. The present study investigated for the first time the incidence of childhood leukaemia around French nuclear installations using a geographic zoning based on estimated doses due to gaseous

90Sr content in 90Y-labeled SIR-spheres and Zevalin.

Science.gov (United States)

Metyko, John; Erwin, William; Poston, John; Jimenez, Sandra

2014-11-01

Three different 90Y internally administered radionuclide therapies are currently used in both standard-of-care and clinical trial procedures atMD Anderson Cancer Center. TheraSphere and SIR-Spheres therapies utilize 90Y-labeled microspheres, while Zevalin is an 90Y-labeled radioimmunotherapeutic agent. Several publications have indicated radionuclidic impurities resulting from 90Y production methods. The 90Y in SIR-Spheres and Zevalin are produced from a 90Sr/90Y generator, which leaves measurable quantities of 90Sr in the final product. TheraSphere 90Y is produced in a nuclear reactor which results in a large number of impurities, most notably 88Y and 91Y. Product information sheets reference these impurities with specific limits given. These limits represent a tiny fraction of the total product activity, and in the case of TheraSphere and SIR-Spheres gamma-emitting impurities, this has been verified in the literature. An analysis of 90Sr impurities in SIR-Spheres and Zevalin is presented in this paper. Impurity quantities were found to be within the vendors’ documented limits.

Magnesium-to-calcium ratio in tap water, and its relationship to geological features and the incidence of calcium-containing urinary stones.

Science.gov (United States)

Kohri, K; Kodama, M; Ishikawa, Y; Katayama, Y; Takada, M; Katoh, Y; Kataoka, K; Iguchi, M; Kurita, T

1989-11-01

We examined the relationship among magnesium and calcium content in tap water, the geological features and urinary stone incidence in Japan. The magnesium-to-calcium ratio in tap water correlated negatively with the incidence of urolithiasis. There was no correlation between calcium and magnesium concentration in tap water and urinary stone incidence. Geological features in Japan were classified into 5 groups. The magnesium-to-calcium ratio in the basalt areas was higher than in the other areas, while ratio in the granite areas was low. In the sedimentary rock areas calcium and magnesium concentrations were high; the magnesium-to-calcium ratio in these areas was between those of the basalt and granite areas. The limestone areas had a much higher calcium concentration. The incidence of urinary stones in the sedimentary rock and basalt areas was lower than that of the granite areas, while that in the limestone areas was the highest. Thus, the incidence of urinary stone is related to the magnesium-to-calcium ratio in tap water and the geological area.

Cancer incidence and mortality risks in a large US Barrett's oesophagus cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Michael B; Coburn, Sally B; Lam, Jameson R; Taylor, Philip R; Schneider, Jennifer L; Corley, Douglas A

2018-03-01

Barrett's oesophagus (BE) increases the risk of oesophageal adenocarcinoma by 10-55 times that of the general population, but no community-based cancer-specific incidence and cause-specific mortality risk estimates exist for large cohorts in the USA. Within Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC), we identified patients with BE diagnosed during 1995-2012. KPNC cancer registry and mortality files were used to estimate standardised incidence ratios (SIR), standardised mortality ratios (SMR) and excess absolute risks. There were 8929 patients with BE providing 50 147 person-years of follow-up. Compared with the greater KPNC population, patients with BE had increased risks of any cancer (SIR=1.40, 95% CI 1.31 to 1.49), which slightly decreased after excluding oesophageal cancer. Oesophageal adenocarcinoma risk was increased 24 times, which translated into an excess absolute risk of 24 cases per 10 000 person-years. Although oesophageal adenocarcinoma risk decreased with time since BE diagnosis, oesophageal cancer mortality did not, indicating that the true risk is stable and persistent with time. Relative risks of cardia and stomach cancers were increased, but excess absolute risks were modest. Risks of colorectal, lung and prostate cancers were unaltered. All-cause mortality was slightly increased after excluding oesophageal cancer (SMR=1.24, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.31), but time-stratified analyses indicated that this was likely attributable to diagnostic bias. Cause-specific SMRs were elevated for ischaemic heart disease (SMR=1.39, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.63), respiratory system diseases (SMR=1.51, 95% CI 1.29 to 1.75) and digestive system diseases (SMR=2.20 95% CI 1.75 to 2.75). Patients with BE had a persistent excess risk of oesophageal adenocarcinoma over time, although their absolute excess risks for this cancer, any cancer and overall mortality were modest. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a

Cancer Risks for Relatives of Children with Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heath, J. A.; Smibert, E.; Algar, E. M.; Heath, J. A.; Dite, G. S.; Hopper, J. L.; Algar, E. M.

2014-01-01

We determined the extent and distribution of cancers in relatives of 379 children newly diagnosed with cancer. Family history was collected from 1,337 first-degree and 3,399 second-degree relatives and incidence compared with national age- and gender-specific rates. Overall, 14 children (3.7%) had a relative with a history of childhood cancer and 26 children (6.9%) had a first-degree relative with a history of cancer, with only one of these having an identifiable familial cancer syndrome. There was a higher than expected incidence of childhood cancer among first-degree relatives (parents and siblings) (standardized incidence ratio (SIR) 1.43; 95% CI 0.54-5.08). There was also a higher than expected incidence of adult cancers among first-degree relatives (SIR 1.45; 95% CI 0.93-2.21), particularly in females (SIR 1.82; 95% CI 1.26-3.39). The increased family cancer history in first-degree females was largely attributable to an effect in mothers (SIR 1.78; 95% CI 1.27-3.33). The gender-specific association was reflected in higher than expected incidence rates of breast cancer in both mothers (SIR 1.92; 95% CI 0.72-6.83) and aunts (SIR 1.64; 95% CI 0.98-2.94). These findings support the hypothesis that previously undetected familial cancer syndromes contribute to childhood cancer.

Whither Sir William?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen J. Greenberg, MSLS, PhD

2017-04-01

Full Text Available There are times when something is simply so familiar that we can no longer see it at all. It can be a story, or a concept, or even a flesh-and-blood person. Familiarity breeds not only contempt, but a kind of invisibility as well. For too many of us, such is the case with Sir William Osler. In his time (1849–1919, many considered him to be one of the greatest practitioners, teachers, and writers ever in the field of medicine. He was instrumental in the founding of the Medical Library Association (MLA and was elected its second president.

SIRS Digues 2.0: A Cooperative Software For Levees Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moins Isabelle

2016-01-01

Full Text Available SIRS Digues is a computing tool that makes informations on levees more durable and accessible in order to enhance their management. The first version of the software, which was IRSTEA’s initiative, was deployed in 2004. The second version was released in 2015. This article aims at pointing out the innovative aspects of this last version. They concern thematic and functionalities, computing technics and architecture, and last but not least, the business model chosen in order to build a long lasting software. The software’s kernel is sketched to propose a general description of levees: it focuses on description of the levees and linked objects, on disorders that affects them, on works... Most of these topics were already broached by the first version. The kernel of the version 2 may be extended using optional thematic modules. These modules concern: vegetation monitoring, reporting (in coherence with current French regulatory requirements, riverbanks, riverbed... Main functionnalities perfomed by SIRS Digues V1 and V2 are : data structuring and centralisation, quick access to relevant data, reporting and mapping, etc. SIRS Digues 2.0 updates and improves already existing functionalities of the first version. SIRS Digues V2 relies on an documentoriented NoSQL database, CouchDB, and on geospatial libraries, Geotoolkit and Apache-SIS. SIRS Digues V2 was released with a copyleft license. Copyrights belong to the French levees managers’ society, “France Digues”, which acts as a cooperative. Members put their heads together in order to gather their financial capacities and fund software development. France Digues has got the technical and thematic expertise and supply various services to the members. This business model aims to ensure accessibility, durability and adaptability of the software.

C. elegans SIRT6/7 homolog SIR-2.4 promotes DAF-16 relocalization and function during stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiang, Wei-Chung; Tishkoff, Daniel X; Yang, Bo; Wilson-Grady, Joshua; Yu, Xiaokun; Mazer, Travis; Eckersdorff, Mark; Gygi, Steven P; Lombard, David B; Hsu, Ao-Lin

2012-09-01

FoxO transcription factors and sirtuin family deacetylases regulate diverse biological processes, including stress responses and longevity. Here we show that the Caenorhabditis elegans sirtuin SIR-2.4--homolog of mammalian SIRT6 and SIRT7 proteins--promotes DAF-16-dependent transcription and stress-induced DAF-16 nuclear localization. SIR-2.4 is required for resistance to multiple stressors: heat shock, oxidative insult, and proteotoxicity. By contrast, SIR-2.4 is largely dispensable for DAF-16 nuclear localization and function in response to reduced insulin/IGF-1-like signaling. Although acetylation is known to regulate localization and activity of mammalian FoxO proteins, this modification has not been previously described on DAF-16. We find that DAF-16 is hyperacetylated in sir-2.4 mutants. Conversely, DAF-16 is acetylated by the acetyltransferase CBP-1, and DAF-16 is hypoacetylated and constitutively nuclear in response to cbp-1 inhibition. Surprisingly, a SIR-2.4 catalytic mutant efficiently rescues the DAF-16 localization defect in sir-2.4 null animals. Acetylation of DAF-16 by CBP-1 in vitro is inhibited by either wild-type or mutant SIR-2.4, suggesting that SIR-2.4 regulates DAF-16 acetylation indirectly, by preventing CBP-1-mediated acetylation under stress conditions. Taken together, our results identify SIR-2.4 as a critical regulator of DAF-16 specifically in the context of stress responses. Furthermore, they reveal a novel role for acetylation, modulated by the antagonistic activities of CBP-1 and SIR-2.4, in modulating DAF-16 localization and function.

Predicting changes in reported notifiable disease rates for New Zealand using a SIR modelling approach

Science.gov (United States)

McBride, Graham; Slaney, David; Tait, Andrew

2013-04-01

The New Zealand health system has defined as 'notifiable' over 50 diseases. Of these campylobacteriosis is the most commonly reported comprising 41% of all notifications in 2011 (presently about 150 illness cases per 100,000 population per annum). Furthermore, the incidence of this mild illness, which is potentially waterborne, is under-reported by at least an order-of-magnitude. Increased downstream pathogen loads and/or disease incidence have been found to be associated with increased rainfall, particularly in agricultural landscapes. Therefore, given the predominance of agricultural land uses in New Zealand, transmission and exposure to its agent (thermotolerant Campylobacter bacteria) may be affected by changing rainfall and temperature patterns associated with climate change. Reporting rates for other potentially water-borne zoonoses are also noticeable (for example, the reported rate for cryptosporidiosis for 2011 was 14 per 100,000 population). The distribution of Cryptosporidium oocysts in the environment may be influenced by climate change because it has often been implicated in drinking-water contamination, and heavy rainfall events have been found to be associated with increased pathogen loads in rivers and disease incidence. Given this background, which may also be applicable to other countries with agriculturally-dominated landscapes, a New Zealand study was initiated to develop a decision-support system for the projected effects of climate change on a selected suite of environmentally-transmitted pathogens, including Campylobacter and Cryptosporodium oocysts. Herein we report on the manner in which a linear SIR (Susceptible-Ill-Recovered) model previously developed for campylobacteriosis can be extended to cryptosporidiosis, applied to changes in pathogen contact rate and hence reported illness, and coupled to climate change projections associated with different greenhouse gas emission scenarios. The resulting SIR model outputs provided projected

Occupation and mesothelioma in Sweden: updated incidence in men and women in the 27 years after the asbestos ban

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nils Plato

2016-09-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES We updated the Swedish component of the Nordic Occupational Cancer (NOCCA Study through 2009 in order to investigate the incidence of mesothelioma of the peritoneum and pleura in both genders, and explored occupational exposures that may be associated with mesothelioma. METHODS The Swedish component of the NOCCA Study includes 6.78 million individuals. Data from this cohort were linked to the population-based Swedish Cancer Registry and Swedish Total Population Registry for three periods between 1961 and 2009, and then further linked to the Swedish NOCCA job-exposure matrix, which includes 25 carcinogenic substances and the corresponding exposure levels for 280 occupations. Multivariate analysis was used to calculate standardized incidence ratios (SIRs for mesothelioma of the peritoneum and pleura by gender, occupational category, carcinogenic substance, and for multiple occupational exposures simultaneously. RESULTS A total of 3,716 incident mesotheliomas were recorded (21.1% in women. We found a significantly increased risk of mesothelioma in 24 occupations, as well as clear differences between the genders. Among men, increased risks of mesothelioma of the pleura were observed in male-dominated occupations, with the greatest elevation of risk among plumbers (SIR, 4.99; 95% confidence interval, 4.20 to 5.90. Among women, increased risks were observed in sewing workers, canning workers, packers, cleaners, and postal workers. In multivariate analysis controlling for multiple occupational exposures, significant associations were only observed between asbestos exposure and mesothelioma. CONCLUSIONS Asbestos exposure was associated with mesothelioma incidence in our study. The asbestos ban of 1982 has yet to show any clear effect on the occurrence of mesothelioma in this cohort. Among women, the occupations of canning workers and cleaners showed increased risks of mesothelioma of the pleura without evidence of asbestos exposure.

SirT1—A Sensor for Monitoring Self-Renewal and Aging Process in Retinal Stem Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chi-Hsien Peng

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Retinal stem cells bear potency of proliferation, self-renewal, and differentiation into many retinal cells. Utilizing appropriate sensors one can effectively detect the self-renewal and aging process abilities. Silencing information regulator (SirT1, a member of the sirtuin family, is a NAD-dependent histone deacetylase and an essential mediator for longevity in normal cells by calorie restriction. We firstly investigate the SirT1 mRNA expression in retinal stem cells from rats and 19 human eyes of different ages. Results revealed that SirT1 expression was significantly decreased in in vivo aged eyes, associated with poor self-renewal abilities. Additionally, SirT1 mRNA levels were dose-dependently increased in resveratrol- treated retinal stem cells. The expression of SirT1 on oxidative stress-induced damage was significantly decreased, negatively correlated with the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species production. Treatment with resveratrol could effectively further reduce oxidative stress induced by H2O2 treatment in retinal stem cells. Importantly, the anti-oxidant effects of resveratrol in H2O2-treated retinal stem cells were significantly abolished by knockdown of SirT1 expression (sh-SirT1. SirT1 expression provides a feasible sensor in assessing self-renewal and aging process in retinal stem cells. Resveratrol can prevent reactive oxygen species-induced damages via increased retinal SirT1 expression.

"Cet obscur objet du Désir"

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reto Melchior

1996-09-01

Full Text Available Luis Bunuel’s last film is based on Pierre Louÿs’ La Femme et le Pantin. This now forgotten bestseller, published in 1898, is drawn from Goya s painting El Pelele, in which four women are playing with a male puppet. In Pierre Louÿs’ novel this scene is inverted so that one woman with two faces plays with four men. In Cet Obscur Objet du Désir this “femme fatale” is interpreted by two actresses. The concentric structure of the film puts focus on a scene of being excluded from knowing. The technique of continually interrupting the flash-back sequences frustrates the audience because of its exclusion from the “real” course of events and gives rise to doubts whether the male protagonist tells the truth about his love-affair or whether he satisfies the curiosity of the audience by telling them Pierre Louÿs’ novel as his own story. This ambiguous art of narration mirrors Bunuel’s claim that the main topic of Cet Obscur Objet du Désir is frustration.

Sir Charles Scott Sherrington (1857–1952)

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Twentieth century bore witness to remarkable scientists whohave advanced our understanding of the brain. Among them,Sir Charles Scott Sherrington's ideas about the way in whichthe central nervous system operates has continuing relevanceeven today. He received honorary doctorates from twentytwouniversities and ...

Sir Charles Scott Sherrington (1857–1952)

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2016-08-26

Aug 26, 2016 ... Twentieth century bore witness to remarkable scientists whohave advanced our understanding of the brain. Among them,Sir Charles Scott Sherrington's ideas about the way in whichthe central nervous system operates has continuing relevanceeven today. He received honorary doctorates from ...

Sir Ronald Ross and the Malarial Parasite

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 11; Issue 7. Sir Ronald Ross and the Malarial Parasite - Discovery of its Route - From Man to Mosquito and Back. Shobhona Sharma. General Article Volume 11 Issue 7 July 2006 pp 4-13 ...

Sir Isaac Newton

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. A. Venter

1964-03-01

Full Text Available Die geweldige oplewing van die Christelike wetenskaps- gedagte in ons geeslose tyd, is ongetwyfeld ’n haas onverklaar- bare verskynsel. Dwarsdeur die eeue het Christene ook wetenskap beoefen saam met ongelowiges, maar dit was eers in ons leeftyd dat die principia van die Christelike religie ook vrugbaar gemaak is vir die wetenskapsbeoefening. In hierdie verband sal die name van Dooyeweerd, Vollenhoven, Stoker e.a. steeds met eer vermeld word. Natuurlik het belydende Christene ook voorheen wel deeglik saamgewerk aan die gebou van die wetenskap. Die intieme verband tussen religie, wysbegeerte en wetenskaps­ beoefening is toe egter nog nie suiwer ingesien nie. Uit hier­ die tydperk dateer die arbeid van sir Isaac Newton.

New approaches to improve a WCDMA SIR estimator by employing different post-processing stages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amnart Chaichoet

2008-09-01

Full Text Available For effective control of transmission power in WCDMA mobile systems, a good estimate of signal-to-interference ratio (SIR is needed. Conventionally, an adaptive SIR estimator employs a moving average (MA filter (Yoon et al., 2002 to encounter fading channel distortion. However, the resulting estimate seems to have high estimation error due to fluctuation in the channel variation. In this paper, an additional post-processing stage is proposed to improve the estimation accuracy by reducing the variation of the estimate. Four variations of post-processing stages, namely 1 a moving average (MA postfilter,2 an exponential moving average (EMA post-filter, 3 an IIR post-filter and 4 least-mean-squared (LMS adaptive post-filter, are proposed and their optimal performance in terms of root-mean-square error (RMSE are then compared by simulation. The results show the best comparable performance when the MA and LMS post-filter are used. However, the MA post-filter requires a lookup table of filter order for optimal performance at different channel conditions, while the LMS post-filter can be used conveniently without a lookup table.

Risk of invasive melanoma in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with biologics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mercer, Louise K; Askling, Johan; Raaschou, Pauline

2017-01-01

-specific general population of each register as reference, age, sex and calendar year standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) of invasive histology-confirmed cutaneous melanoma were calculated within each register. Pooled SIR and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) comparing biologic cohorts to biologic-naïve were...... calculated across countries by taking the size of the register into account. RESULTS: Overall 130 315 RA patients with a mean age of 58 years contributing 579 983 person-years were available for the analysis and 287 developed a first melanoma. Pooled SIRs for biologic-naïve, TNFi and rituximab...... with TNF inhibitors (TNFi), other biologic disease modifying drugs and non-biologic therapy. METHODS: Eleven biologic registers from nine European countries participated in this collaborative project. According to predefined exposure definitions, cohorts of patients with RA were selected. Using the country...

Toward the rational use of standardized infection ratios to benchmark surgical site infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Fukuda, Haruhisa; Morikane, Keita; Kuroki, Manabu; Taniguchi, Shinichiro; Shinzato, Takashi; Sakamoto, Fumie; Okada, Kunihiko; Matsukawa, Hiroshi; Ieiri, Yuko; Hayashi, Kouji; Kawai, Shin

2013-09-01

The National Healthcare Safety Network transitioned from surgical site infection (SSI) rates to the standardized infection ratio (SIR) calculated by statistical models that included perioperative factors (surgical approach and surgery duration). Rationally, however, only patient-related variables should be included in the SIR model. Logistic regression was performed to predict expected SSI rate in 2 models that included or excluded perioperative factors. Observed and expected SSI rates were used to calculate the SIR for each participating hospital. The difference of SIR in each model was then evaluated. Surveillance data were collected from a total of 1,530 colon surgery patients and 185 SSIs. C-index in the model with perioperative factors was statistically greater than that in the model including patient-related factors only (0.701 vs 0.621, respectively, P operative process or the competence of surgical teams, these factors should not be considered predictive variables. Copyright © 2013 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Anatomic Subsite of Primary Colorectal Cancer and Subsequent Risk and Distribution of Second Cancers

Science.gov (United States)

Phipps, Amanda I.; Chan, Andrew T.; Shuji Ogino, MD

2013-01-01

Background Individuals with a history of colorectal cancer (CRC) have an increased risk of subsequent cancer. We used cancer registry data to evaluate whether this increased risk of cancer after CRC differed by anatomic subsite of a first CRC. Methods Individuals diagnosed with first primary CRC between 1992–2009 were identified from 12 Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) cancer registries. We calculated standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) comparing the incidence of subsequent cancers in these index CRC cases to cancer incidence rates in the general population. SIRs were calculated for cancers at anatomic sites within and outside the colorectum in analyses stratified by subsite of the index CRC. Results Cancer incidence rates were significantly higher in those with prior CRC than in the general population (SIR=1.15, 95% CI: 1.13–1.16). Individuals with an index CRC located between the transverse and descending colon experienced the greatest increased risk both overall (SIR=1.29 to 1.33), and with respect to risk of second CRC in particular (SIR=2.53 to 3.35). Incidence of small intestinal cancer was significantly elevated regardless of index CRC subsite (SIR=4.31, 95% CI: 3.70–4.77); incidence of endometrial cancer was elevated in those with index CRC in the proximal colon (SIR=1.37 to 1.79). Conclusions Risk of second cancer after CRC differs by anatomic site of the first tumor, and is particularly pronounced for those with prior CRC located in the transverse to descending colon. The mechanisms underlying this pattern of second cancer risk remain unknown. PMID:23856984

Sir Ronald Ross and the Malarial Parasite

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

1997-08-20

Aug 20, 1997 ... In 1857, a General in the Indian Army, Sir C C G Ross and his wife Matilda .... generally low-caste Indians who required a fee before drinking the water and ... nary demand being made upon their systems, as by fatigue, chill,.

Cancer incidence among mild steel and stainless steel welders and other metal workers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, K S; Lauritsen, J M; Skytthe, A

1996-01-01

by a postal questionnaire in living cohort members and interviews by proxy for deceased and emigrated subjects. The incidence of lung cancer was increased among workers ever "employed as welders" (SIR = 1.38, 95% C.I. 1.03-1.81). There was a significant excess risk of lung cancer among "mild steel (MS) only...... "stainless steel (SS) only welders" (SIR = 2.38, 95% C.I. 0.77-5.55). In spite of signs of inconsistency in the risk estimation by duration and latency, we find the results support the conclusions of other studies: employment as a welder is associated with an increased lung cancer risk....

The geography of prostate cancer incidence in Norway: Are the patterns real?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asbjørn Aase

2009-10-01

Full Text Available  SUMMARYThe etiology of prostate cancer is to a large extent unknown. There are striking international variations inincidence, which may indicate that factors that show geographical variations can provide further cluesabout etiology. A problem with using incidence data for comparisons in time and space is that the numberof cases reported may be affected by the intensity of diagnosing, since many of the cases are latent andasymptomatic. The purpose of this study is to adjust the observed pattern of prostate cancer in communesand counties of Norway for variations which may be due to diagnostic artefacts. It is assumed that a largeproportion of local cancers may be an indication of more intensive diagnosing. Data of prostate cancerincidence for 1982-91 with tumours specified by degree of spread were provided by the Cancer Registry. Aregression function relating total incidence to % local tumours was used to predict the SIRs adjusted forvariations in % local tumours. The maps comparing incidence patterns before and after adjustement showthat a large part of the significant deviations from the national mean persists, and that the pattern of negativedeviations in the far north is even strengthened. A significant positive correlation between the ratio ofincidence to mortality against % local tumours is found, which supports the main hypothesis of the study.

Cancer incidence and mortality for all causes in HIV-infected patients over a quarter century: a multicentre cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Raffetti, Elena; Albini, Laura; Gotti, Daria; Segala, Daniela; Maggiolo, Franco; di Filippo, Elisa; Saracino, Annalisa; Ladisa, Nicoletta; Lapadula, Giuseppe; Fornabaio, Chiara; Castelnuovo, Filippo; Casari, Salvatore; Fabbiani, Massimiliano; Pierotti, Piera; Donato, Francesco; Quiros-Roldan, Eugenia

2015-03-12

We aimed to assess cancer incidence and mortality for all-causes and factors related to risk of death in an Italian cohort of HIV infected unselected patients as compared to the general population. We conducted a retrospective (1986-2012) cohort study on 16 268 HIV infected patients enrolled in the MASTER cohort. The standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were computed using cancer incidence rates of Italian Cancer Registries and official national data for overall mortality. The risk factors for death from all causes were assessed using Poisson regression models. 1,195 cancer cases were diagnosed from 1986 to 2012: 700 AIDS-defining-cancers (ADCs) and 495 non-AIDS-defining-cancers (NADCs). ADC incidence was much higher than the Italian population (SIR = 30.8, 95% confidence interval 27.9-34.0) whereas NADC incidence was similar to the general population (SIR = 0.9, 95% CI 0.8-1.1). The SMR for all causes was 11.6 (11.1-12.0) in the period, and it decreased over time, mainly after 1996, up to 3.53 (2.5-4.8) in 2012. Male gender, year of enrolment before 1993, older age at enrolment, intravenous drug use, low CD4 cell count, AIDS event, cancer occurrence and the absence of antiretroviral therapy were all associated independently with risk of death. In HIV infected patients, ADC but not NADC incidence rates were higher than the general population. Although overall mortality in HIV infected subjects decreased over time, it is about three-fold higher than the general population at present.

The Incidence and Mortality of Colorectal Cancer and Its Relationship With the Human Development Index in Asia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghoncheh, Mahshid; Mohammadian, Maryam; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Salehiniya, Hamid

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in women and the third most common cancer among men, and its incidence is increasing in Asia. Awareness about the status of this cancer incidence and mortality is necessary for a better plan. The present study was done with the aim to investigate the incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer and its relationship with the Human Development Index (HDI) in Asia in 2012. This study was an ecological study, which was conducted based on the GLOBOCAN project of the World Health Organization for Asian countries. We assessed the correlation between standardized incidence rates (SIR) and standardized mortality rates (SMR) of colorectal cancer with HDI and its components using SPSS software, version 18 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). A total of 592,563 incidences of and 325,752 deaths from colorectal cancer were recorded in Asian countries in 2012. The 5 countries with the highest SIR were Republic of Korea (45 per 100,000), Israel (35.9 per 100,000), Singapore (33.7 per 100,000), Japan (32.2 per 100,000), and Jordan (25.6 per 100,000). The 5 countries with the highest SMR for colorectal cancer were Jordan (15.5 per 100,000), Kazakhstan (12.8 per 100,000), Democratic Republic of Korea (12 per 100,000), Brunei (12 per 100,000), and Japan (11.9 per 100,000). Correlation between HDI and SIR was 0.709 overall (P ≤ .001)- 0.667 in men (P ≤ .001) and 0.759 in women (P ≤ .001). Also, correlation between HDI and SMR overall was 0.517 (P ≤ .001)- 0.447 in men (P = .002) and 0.593 in women (P ≤ .001). Cancer incidence and mortality are higher in countries with more development. A positive and statistically significant correlation was found between standardized incidence and mortality rate of colorectal cancer and the Human Development Index and its components. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Cancer Risk After Kidney Transplantation

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Hall, EC; Segev, DL; Engels, EA

2014-01-01

Transplant recipients have elevated cancer risk, but it is unknown if cancer risk differs across race and ethnicity as in the general population. U.S. kidney recipients (N=87,895) in the Transplant Cancer Match Study between 1992 and 2008 were evaluated for racial/ethnic differences in risk for six common cancers after transplantation. Compared to white recipients, black recipients had lower incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR] 0.60, pkidney (aIRR 2.09, pcancer (aIRR 2.14, pcancer (aIRR 0.72, p=0.05). Colorectal cancer incidence was similar across groups. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) measured the effect of transplantation on cancer risk and were similar for most cancers (p≥0.1). However, black and Hispanic recipients had larger increases in kidney cancer risk with transplantation (SIRs: 8.96 in blacks, 5.95 in Hispanics vs. 4.44 in whites), and only blacks had elevated prostate cancer risk following transplantation (SIR: 1.21). Racial/ethnic differences in cancer risk after transplantation mirror general population patterns, except for kidney and prostate cancers where differences reflect the effects of end-stage renal disease or transplantation. PMID:23331953

Permanence for a Delayed Nonautonomous SIR Epidemic Model with Density-Dependent Birth Rate

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Li Yingke

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Based on some well-known SIR models, a revised nonautonomous SIR epidemic model with distributed delay and density-dependent birth rate was considered. Applying some classical analysis techniques for ordinary differential equations and the method proposed by Wang (2002, the threshold value for the permanence and extinction of the model was obtained.

SIR-2 Data Normalization and Integration with M3 Data

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Grumpe, A.; Felder, M. P.; Wöhler, C.; Mall, U.

2013-09-01

The point spectrometer SIR-2 on Chandrayaan-1 provided radiance spectra integrated over circular footprints of 200 m diameter in the wavelength range 934-2410.8 nm in 256 channels [1]. To analyze SIR-2 reflectance spectra in their spatial context, a coregistration to Chandrayaan-1 M³ hyperspectral images [2] as well as a correction for topography and thermal emission are inevitable. The thermal and topographic correction procedure is based on the surface temperature and a digital elevation model (DEM) inferred from M³ data. The corrected reflectance spectra are then normalized to a standard illumination and viewing geometry.

Enhanced radiosensitivity and radiation-induced apoptosis in glioma CD133-positive cells by knockdown of SirT1 expression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, C.-J.; Hsu, C.-C.; Yung, M.-C.; Chen, K.-Y.; Tzao Ching; Wu, W.-F.; Chou, H.-Y.; Lee, Y.-Y.; Lu, K.-H.; Chiou, S.-H.; Ma, H.-I

2009-01-01

CD133-expressing glioma cells play a critical role in tumor recovery after treatment and are resistant to radiotherapy. Herein, we demonstrated that glioblastoma-derived CD133-positive cells (GBM-CD133 + ) are capable of self-renewal and express high levels of embryonic stem cell genes and SirT1 compared to GBM-CD133 - cells. To evaluate the role of SirT1 in GBM-CD133 + , we used a lentiviral vector expressing shRNA to knock-down SirT1 expression (sh-SirT1) in GBM-CD133 + . Silencing of SirT1 significantly enhanced the sensitivity of GBM-CD133 + to radiation and increased the level of radiation-mediated apoptosis. Importantly, knock-down of SirT1 increased the effectiveness of radiotherapy in the inhibition of tumor growth in nude mice transplanted with GBM-CD133 + . Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that the mean survival rate of GBM-CD133 + mice treated with radiotherapy was significantly improved by Sh-SirT1 as well. In sum, these results suggest that SirT1 is a potential target for increasing the sensitivity of GBM and glioblastoma-associated cancer stem cells to radiotherapy.

Threshold dynamics and ergodicity of an SIRS epidemic model with Markovian switching

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Li, Dan; Liu, Shengqiang; Cui, Jing'an

2017-12-01

This paper studies the spread dynamics of a stochastic SIRS epidemic model with nonlinear incidence and varying population size, which is formulated as a piecewise deterministic Markov process. A threshold dynamic determined by the basic reproduction number R0 is established: the disease can be eradicated almost surely if R0 disease persists almost surely if R0 > 1. The existing method for analyzing ergodic behavior of population systems has been generalized. The modified method weakens the required conditions and has no limitations for both the number of environmental regimes and the dimension of the considered system. When R0 > 1, the existence of a stationary probability measure is obtained. Furthermore, with the modified method, the global attractivity of the Ω-limit set of the system and the convergence in total variation to the stationary measure are both demonstrated under a mild extra condition.

Serum inflammatory markers in the elderly: are they useful in differentiating sepsis from SIRS?

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Mahshid Talebi-Taher

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Differentiating sepsis from other noninfectious causes of systemic inflammation is often difficult in the elderly. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of C-reactive protein (CRP, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR, procalcitonin (PCT, and Interleukin-6 (IL-6 to identify elderly patients with sepsis. In this single center prospective observational study, we included all consecutive elderly patients admitted with suspected sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS in an emergency department. Blood samples for measuring CRP, PCT, IL-6, ESR and white blood cells (WBC count were taken at first day of admission. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated for each inflammatory markers being studied. A total of 150 elderly patients aged 65 and older, 50 with sepsis and 50 with SIRS, and fifty individuals in a normal health status were included. CRP exhibited the greatest sensitivity (98% and negative predictive value (98.6% and performed best in differentiating patients with sepsis from those with SIRS. In a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, IL-6 performed best in distinguishing between SIRS and the control group (AUC 0.75, 95% CI. On the other hand, both CRP and ESR appeared to be a more accurate diagnostic parameter for differentiating sepsis from SIRS among elderly patients.

Sir William Jenner (1815-1898) and Queen Victoria.

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Seddon, David; Queen Victoria

2004-08-01

This biographical note outlines the work of Sir William Jenner (1815-1898), court physician 1861-93 and President of the Royal College of Physicians 1881-8. He was the first to distinguish between typhoid and typhus both clinically and pathologically.

dSir2 in the Adult Fat Body, but Not in Muscles, Regulates Life Span in a Diet-Dependent Manner

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Kushal Kr. Banerjee

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Sir2, an evolutionarily conserved NAD+-dependent deacetylase, has been implicated as a key factor in mediating organismal life span. However, recent contradictory findings have brought into question the role of Sir2 and its orthologs in regulating organismal longevity. In this study, we report that Drosophila Sir2 (dSir2 in the adult fat body regulates longevity in a diet-dependent manner. We used inducible Gal4 drivers to knock down and overexpress dSir2 in a tissue-specific manner. A diet-dependent life span phenotype of dSir2 perturbations (both knockdown and overexpression in the fat body, but not muscles, negates the effects of background genetic mutations. In addition to providing clarity to the field, our study contrasts the ability of dSir2 in two metabolic tissues to affect longevity. We also show that dSir2 knockdown abrogates fat-body dFOXO-dependent life span extension. This report highlights the importance of the interplay between genetic factors and dietary inputs in determining organismal life spans.

Burden of non-AIDS-defining and non-virus-related cancers among HIV-infected patients in the combined antiretroviral therapy era.

Science.gov (United States)

Albini, Laura; Calabresi, Alessandra; Gotti, Daria; Ferraresi, Alice; Festa, Andrea; Donato, Francesco; Magoni, Michele; Castelli, Francesco; Quiros-Roldan, Eugenia

2013-08-01

The risk of cancer is substantially increased in HIV-infected patients. However, little is known about non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADCs) without an infectious etiology. A total of 5,090 HIV-infected patients registered in the Local Health Authority (LHA) of Brescia and receiving primary care at our clinic were included in a retrospective (1999-2009) analysis. The cancer diagnoses were obtained through a record-linkage procedure between our database and the LHA general database and population-based Cancer Registry of LHA. We compared risks of these malignancies with those of the general population living in the same health area by using age-standardized incidence ratios (SIRs). Poisson regression analysis was used to assess factors associated with non-virus-related NADCs. We recorded an increase in the SIR of non-virus-related NADCs over time, with 138 cancers diagnosed in 131 patients. The mean incidence rate was 42.6/10,000 person years and the median age at the diagnosis was 49 (range, 28-78) years old. Stratifying for gender, only HIV-infected males had an increased risk of non-virus-related NADCs [SIR=1.86; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.55-2.26]. Risk was higher for lung (SIR=3.59; 95% CI, 2.36-5.45) and testis cancer (SIR=3.11; 95% CI, 1.48-6.52). However,, cancers of the prostate and breast in HIV-positive men and women were null (SIR=1.10; 95% CI, 0.53-2.32 and SIR=0.91; 95% CI, 0.47-1.74, respectively). The only predictors of non-virus-related NADCs included older age [incidence rate ratio (IRR)=1.10; 95% CI, 1.08-1.12 per each additional year, prisk of non-virus-related NADCs compared to the general population. However, the use of cART appeared to be beneficial in protecting against the development of these malignancies.

Comparison of QSOFA score and SIRS criteria as screening mechanisms for emergency department sepsis.

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Haydar, Samir; Spanier, Matthew; Weems, Patricia; Wood, Samantha; Strout, Tania

2017-11-01

The Quick Sequential [Sepsis-related] Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) score has been shown to accurately predict mortality in septic patients and is part of recently proposed diagnostic criteria for sepsis. We sought to ascertain the sensitive of the score in diagnosing sepsis, as well as the diagnostic timeliness of the score when compared to traditional systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria in a population of emergency department (ED) patients treated in the ED, admitted, and subsequently discharged with a diagnosis of sepsis. Electronic health records of 200 patients who were treated for suspected sepsis in our ED and ultimately discharged from our hospital with a diagnosis of sepsis were randomly selected for review from a population of adult ED patients (N=1880). Data extracted included the presence of SIRS criteria and the qSOFA score as well as time required to meet said criteria. In this cohort, 94.5% met SIRS criteria while in the ED whereas only 58.3% met qSOFA. The mean time from arrival to SIRS documentation was 47.1min (95% CI: 36.5-57.8) compared to 84.0min (95% CI: 62.2-105.8) for qSOFA. The median ED "door" to positive SIRS criteria was 12min and 29min for qSOFA. Although qSOFA may be valuable in predicting sepsis-related mortality, it performed poorly as a screening tool for identifying sepsis in the ED. As the time to meet qSOFA criteria was significantly longer than for SIRS, relying on qSOFA alone may delay initiation of evidence-based interventions known to improve sepsis-related outcomes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Triglyceride-to-high-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio is an index of heart disease mortality and of incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in men.

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Vega, Gloria Lena; Barlow, Carolyn E; Grundy, Scott M; Leonard, David; DeFina, Laura F

2014-02-01

High triglyceride (TG) and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) impart risk for heart disease. This study examines the relationships of TG/HDL-C ratio to mortality from all causes, coronary heart disease (CHD), or cardiovascular disease (CVD). Survival analysis was done in 39,447 men grouped by TG/HDL-C ratio cut point of 3.5 and for metabolic syndrome. National Death Index International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9 and ICD-10) codes were used for CVD and CHD deaths occurring from 1970 to 2008. Incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) according to ratio was estimated in 22,215 men. Triglyceride/HDL-C ratio and cross-product of TG and fasting blood glucose (TyG index) were used in analysis. Men were followed up for 581,194 person-years. Triglyceride/HDL-C ratio predicted CHD, CVD, and all-cause mortality after adjustment for established risk factors and non-HDL-C. Mortality rates were higher in individuals with a high ratio than in those with a low ratio. Fifty-five percent of men had metabolic syndrome that was also predictive of CHD, CVD, and all-cause mortality. Annual incidence of DM was 2 times higher in men with high TG/HDL-C ratio than in those with a low ratio. Individuals with high TG/HDL-C ratio had a higher incidence of DM than those with a low ratio. The TyG index was not equally predictive of causes of mortality to TG/HDL-C, but both were equally predictive of diabetes incidence. Triglyceride/HDL-C ratio predicts CHD and CVD mortality as well as or better than do metabolic syndrome in men. Also, a high ratio predisposes to DM. The TyG index does not predict CHD, CVD, or all-cause mortality equally well, but like TG/HDL-C ratio, it predicts DM incidence.

Delineation of major geologic structures in Turkey using SIR-B data

Science.gov (United States)

Toksoz, M. N.; Pettengill, G. H.; Ford, P.; Gulen, L.

1984-01-01

Shuttle Imaging Radar-B (SIR-B) images of well mapped segments of major faults, such as the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) and East Anatolian Fault (EAF) will be studied to identify the prominent signatures that characterize the fault zones for those specific regions. The information will be used to delineate the unmapped fault zones in areas with similar geological and geomorphological properties. The data obtained from SIR-B images will be compared and correlated with the LANDSAT thematic mapper and seismicity alignments based on well constrained earthquake epicenters.

Risk of cancer incidence before the age of 15 years after exposure to ionising radiation from computed tomography: results from a German cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Krille, L; Dreger, S; Schindel, R; Albrecht, T; Asmussen, M; Barkhausen, J; Berthold, J D; Chavan, A; Claussen, C; Forsting, M; Gianicolo, E A L; Jablonka, K; Jahnen, A; Langer, M; Laniado, M; Lotz, J; Mentzel, H J; Queißer-Wahrendorf, A; Rompel, O; Schlick, I; Schneider, K; Schumacher, M; Seidenbusch, M; Spix, C; Spors, B; Staatz, G; Vogl, T; Wagner, J; Weisser, G; Zeeb, H; Blettner, M

2015-03-01

The aim of this cohort study was to assess the risk of developing cancer, specifically leukaemia, tumours of the central nervous system and lymphoma, before the age of 15 years in children previously exposed to computed tomography (CT) in Germany. Data for children with at least one CT between 1980 and 2010 were abstracted from 20 hospitals. Cancer cases occurring between 1980 and 2010 were identified by stochastic linkage with the German Childhood Cancer Registry (GCCR). For all cases and a sample of non-cases, radiology reports were reviewed to assess the underlying medical conditions at time of the CT. Cases were only included if diagnosis occurred at least 2 years after the first CT and no signs of cancer were recorded in the radiology reports. Standardised incidence ratios (SIR) using incidence rates from the general population were estimated. The cohort included information on 71,073 CT examinations in 44,584 children contributing 161,407 person-years at risk with 46 cases initially identified through linkage with the GCCR. Seven cases had to be excluded due to signs possibly suggestive of cancer at the time of first CT. Overall, more cancer cases were observed (O) than expected (E), but this was mainly driven by unexpected and possibly biased results for lymphomas. For leukaemia, the SIR (SIR = O/E) was 1.72 (95 % CI 0.89-3.01, O = 12), and for CNS tumours, the SIR was 1.35 (95 % CI 0.54-2.78, O = 7). Despite careful examination of the medical information, confounding by indication or reverse causation cannot be ruled out completely and may explain parts of the excess. Furthermore, the CT exposure may have been underestimated as only data from the participating clinics were available. This should be taken into account when interpreting risk estimates.

Incidence and Mortality of Breast Cancer and their Relationship to Development in Asia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghoncheh, Mahshid; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Salehiniya, Hamid

2015-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the incidence and mortality of breast cancer, and its relationship with human development index (HDI) and its components in Asia in 2012. This study was an ecologic study in Asia for assessment of the correlation between age-specific incidence rate (ASIR) and age-specific mortality rate (ASMR) with HDI and its details that include: life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling and gross national income (GNI) per capita. Data about SIR and SMR for every Asian country for the year 2012 were obtained from the global cancer project. We used a bivariate method for assessment of the correlation between SIR and SMR and HDI and its individual components. Statistical significance was assumed if PASMR) was observed in Pakistan (25.2), Armenia (24.2), and Lebanon (24). There was a positive correlation between the ASIR of breast cancer and HDI (r = 0.556, p ASMR of breast cancer and HDI (r = -0.051). Breast cancer incidence in countries with higher development is greater, while mortality is greatest in countries with less development. There was a positive and significant relationship between the ASIR of breast cancer and HDI and its components. Also there was a negative but non significant relationship between the ASMR of breast cancer and HDI.

SirT1 confers hypoxia-induced radioresistance via the modulation of c-Myc stabilization on hepatoma cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie Yuexia; Zhang Jianghong; Shao Chunlin; Xu Yanwu

2012-01-01

Intratumoral hypoxia is an important contributory factor to tumor cell resistance to radiotherapy. SirT1, a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + )-dependent histone/protein deacetylase, has been linked to the decrease of radiation-induced DNA damage and seems to be critical for cancer therapy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of SirT1 in hypoxia-induced radiation response on hepatoma cells. It was found that the administration with resveratrol, a putative SirT1 activator, enhanced the resistance of HepG2 cells against radiation-induced DNA damage of MN formation under hypoxia condition; while nicotinamide, a well-known SirT1 inhibitor, sensitized this radiation damage. Nevertheless, pretreatment of cells with 10058-F4, a specific inhibitor of c-Myc, almost eliminated the nicotinamide-induced radiosensitive effect. Further studies revealed that resveratrol inhibited c-Myc protein accumulation via up-regulation of SirT1 expression and deacetylase activity, and this loss of c-Myc protein was abolished by inhibiting its degradation in the presence of MG132, a potent inhibitor of proteasome. In contrast, nicotinamide attenuated c-Myc protein degradation induced by radiation under hypoxia through inhibition of SirT1 deacetylase activity. Our findings suggest that SirT1 could serve as a novel potent target of radiation-induced DNA damage and thus as a potential strategy to advance the efficiency of radiation therapy in hepatoma entities. (author)

Second Malignancies After Adjuvant Radiation Therapy for Early Stage Breast Cancer: Is There Increased Risk With Addition of Regional Radiation to Local Radiation?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamilton, Sarah Nicole [Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Department of Radiation Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Agency-Vancouver Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Tyldesley, Scott, E-mail: styldesl@bccancer.bc.ca [Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Department of Radiation Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Agency-Vancouver Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Li, Dongdong [Cancer Control Research Department, British Columbia Cancer Agency-Vancouver Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Olson, Robert [Department of Radiation Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Agency-Centre for the North, Prince George, British Columbia (Canada); McBride, Mary [Cancer Control Research Department, British Columbia Cancer Agency-Vancouver Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada)

2015-04-01

Purpose: This study was undertaken to determine whether there was an increased risk of second malignancies (SM), particularly lung cancer, in early stage breast cancer patients treated with the addition of nodal fields to breast and/or chest wall radiation therapy (RT). Materials and Methods: Subjects were stage I/II female breast cancer patients 20 to 79 years of age, diagnosed between 1989 and 2005 and treated with adjuvant RT at our institution. Patients were included if they survived and did not have SM within 3 years of diagnosis. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to compare SM incidence to cancer incidence in the general sex- and age-matched populations. Secondary malignancy risks in patients treated with local RT (LRT) to the breast/chest wall were compared to those in patients treated with locoregional RT (LRRT) to the breast/chest wall and regional nodes, using multivariate regression analysis (MVA) to account for covariates. Results: The cohort included 12,836 patients with a median follow-up of 8.4 years. LRRT was used in 18% of patients. The SIR comparing patients treated with LRT to the general population was 1.29 (CI: 1.21-1.38). No statistically significant increased incidence of in-field malignancies (SIR, 1.04; CI: 0.87-1.23) and lung cancers (SIR, 1.06; CI: 0.88-1.26) was detected. The SIR comparing patients treated with LRRT to the general population was 1.39 (CI: 1.17-1.64). No statistically significant increased incidence of in-field malignancies (SIR, 1.26; CI: 0.77-1.94) and lung cancers (SIR, 1.27; CI: 0.76-1.98) was detected. On MVA comparing LRRT to LRT, the adjusted hazard ratio was 1.20 for in-field malignancies (CI: 0.68-2.16) and 1.26 for lung cancer (CI: 0.67-2.36). The excess attributable risk (EAR) to regional RT was 3.1 per 10,000 person years (CI: −8.7 to 9.9). Conclusions: No statistically significant increased risk of second malignancy was detected after LRRT relative to

The susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) model for viral marketing

Science.gov (United States)

Ismail, Siti Suhaila; Akil, Ku Azlina Ku; Chulan, Majdah; Sharif, Noorzila

2017-11-01

Viral marketing is a marketing strategy utilizes social media to spread information about a product or services provided. It is the most powerful way to share information in a short amount of time. The objective of this study is to investigate the dynamic of viral marketing within a time duration in the point of view of mathematics. This study used the epidemiological model known as Susceptible-Infected-Recovered (SIR). The model consists of a system of three differential equations with three state variables namely susceptible (S), infected (I) and recovered (R). It considers a case of SIR model with demography. Numerical experiments have been performed. The results show that viral marketing reaches its peak within two days. The online messages shared will become higher if the initial number of the infected individual has been increased.

Sir Karl Popper and his philosophy of physics

Science.gov (United States)

Jammer, Max

1991-12-01

The eminent mathematical physicist Sir Hermann Bondi once said: “There is no more to science than its method, and there is no more to its method than Popper has said.” Indeed, many regard Sir Karl Raimund Popper the greatest philosopher of science in our generation. Much of what Popper “has said” refers to physics, but physicists, generally speaking, have little knowledge of what he has said. True, Popper's philosophy of science and, in particular, his realistic interpretation of quantum mechanics deviates considerably from the generally accepted doctrine. But as Popper, rightly I think, points out, it is precisely the proliferation of divergent theories which promotes the growth of scientific knowledge; it would be a danger for physics if physicists were dogmatically tied to a single theory or would not test their theory against alternatives. It is for this purpose that, on the occasion of the nonagenarian celebration of Popper's birthday, the present essay has been written.

Incidence and mortality of prostate cancer and their relationship with the Human Development Index worldwide

OpenAIRE

Hassanipour-Azgomi, S.; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Ghoncheh, Mahshid; Towhidi, Farhad; Jamehshorani, Saeid; Salehiniya, Hamid

2016-01-01

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and mortality of prostate cancer and their relationship with the Human Development Index (HDI) and its components in Asia in 2012. Methods: This study was an ecological study conducted based on the GLOBOCAN project of the World Health Organization. The correlation between standardized incidence rate (SIR) and standardized mortality rate (SMR) of prostate cancer with HDI and its components was assessed using SPSS Inc Version 18...

Cellular telephone use and cancer risk

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schüz, Joachim; Jacobsen, Rune; Olsen, Jørgen H.

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND: The widespread use of cellular telephones has heightened concerns about possible adverse health effects. The objective of this study was to investigate cancer risk among Danish cellular telephone users who were followed for up to 21 years. METHODS: This study is an extended follow......-up of a large nationwide cohort of 420,095 persons whose first cellular telephone subscription was between 1982 and 1995 and who were followed through 2002 for cancer incidence. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated by dividing the number of observed cancer cases in the cohort by the number...... expected in the Danish population. RESULTS: A total of 14,249 cancers were observed (SIR = 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.93 to 0.97) for men and women combined. Cellular telephone use was not associated with increased risk for brain tumors (SIR = 0.97), acoustic neuromas (SIR = 0.73), salivary...

Spectrum of cancer risk late after AIDS onset in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Simard, Edgar P; Pfeiffer, Ruth M; Engels, Eric A

2010-08-09

Persons living with AIDS today remain at elevated cancer risk. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), widely available since 1996, prolongs life, but immune function is not fully restored. We conducted this study to assess long-term cancer risk among persons with AIDS relative to the general population and the impact of HAART on cancer incidence. Records of 263 254 adults and adolescents with AIDS (1980-2004) from 15 US regions were matched to cancer registries to capture incident cancers during years 3 through 5 and 6 through 10 after AIDS onset. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were used to assess risks relative to the general population. Rate ratios (RRs) were used to compare cancer incidence before and after 1996 to assess the impact of availability of HAART. Risk was elevated for the 2 major AIDS-defining cancers: Kaposi sarcoma (SIRs, 5321 and 1347 in years 3-5 and 6-10, respectively) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (SIRs, 32 and 15). Incidence of both malignancies declined in the HAART era (1996-2006). Risk was elevated for all non-AIDS-defining cancers combined (SIRs, 1.7 and 1.6 in years 3-5 and 6-10, respectively) and for the following specific non-AIDS-defining cancers: Hodgkin lymphoma and cancers of the oral cavity and/or pharynx, tongue, anus, liver, larynx, lung and/or bronchus, and penis. Anal cancer incidence increased between 1990-1995 and 1996-2006 (RR, 2.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.1-4.0), as did that of Hodgkin lymphoma (RR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.3-2.9). Among people who survived for several years or more after an AIDS diagnosis, we observed high risks of AIDS-defining cancers and increasing incidence of anal cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma.

Verification of the linearity of the new SIR using sources of 64Cu and 99mTc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michotte, Carine

2012-02-01

The linearity of the new SIR electronics has been verified by looking for deviations from the exponential decay for several 64 Cu and 99m Tc sources. Data analyses are compared with the half-life used as a fixed or free parameter. It is concluded that no significant non-linearity is observed in the new SIR. For comparison, the same method has been applied to analyse existing data from the original SIR. (author)

Sir Robert Sidney’s Poems Revisited: the alternative sequence

OpenAIRE

Relvas, Maria de Jesus C.

1997-01-01

The essay approaches the lyric sequence written by Sir Robert Sidney (1563-1626) in the Elizabethan age, by mainly exploring its unique formal structure, which encloses an alternative sequence formed by a re-numbering of several poems.

Stability and bifurcation analysis of an SIR epidemic model with logistic growth and saturated treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Jinhui; Teng, Zhidong; Wang, Guangqing; Zhang, Long; Hu, Cheng

2017-01-01

In this paper, we introduce the saturated treatment and logistic growth rate into an SIR epidemic model with bilinear incidence. The treatment function is assumed to be a continuously differential function which describes the effect of delayed treatment when the medical condition is limited and the number of infected individuals is large enough. Sufficient conditions for the existence and local stability of the disease-free and positive equilibria are established. And the existence of the stable limit cycles also is obtained. Moreover, by using the theory of bifurcations, it is shown that the model exhibits backward bifurcation, Hopf bifurcation and Bogdanov–Takens bifurcations. Finally, the numerical examples are given to illustrate the theoretical results and obtain some additional interesting phenomena, involving double stable periodic solutions and stable limit cycles.

SirT1 knockdown potentiates radiation-induced bystander effect through promoting c-Myc activity and thus facilitating ROS accumulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Yuexia; Tu, Wenzhi; Zhang, Jianghong; He, Mingyuan; Ye, Shuang; Dong, Chen; Shao, Chunlin

2015-01-01

Highlights: • γ-Irradiation induced bystander effects between hepatoma cells and hepatocyte cells. • SirT1 played a protective role in regulating this bystander effect. • SirT1 contributed to the protective effects via elimination the accumulation of ROS. • The activity of c-Myc is critical for maintaining the protective role of SirT1. - Abstract: Radiation-induced bystander effect (RIBE) has important implications for secondary cancer risk assessment during cancer radiotherapy, but the bystander signaling processes, especially under hypoxic condition, are still largely unclear. The present study found that micronuclei (MN) formation could be induced in the non-irradiated HL-7702 hepatocyte cells after being treated with the conditioned medium from irradiated hepatoma HepG2 and SK-Hep-1 cells under either normoxia or hypoxia. This bystander response was dramatically diminished or enhanced when the SirT1 gene of irradiated hepatoma cells was overexpressed or knocked down, respectively, especially under hypoxia. Meanwhile, SirT1 knockdown promoted transcriptional activity for c-Myc and facilitated ROS accumulation. But both of the increased bystander responses and ROS generation due to SirT1-knockdown were almost completely suppressed by c-Myc interference. Moreover, ROS scavenger effectively abolished the RIBE triggered by irradiated hepatoma cells even with SirT1 depletion. These findings provide new insights that SirT1 has a profound role in regulating RIBE where a c-Myc-dependent release of ROS may be involved

SirT1 knockdown potentiates radiation-induced bystander effect through promoting c-Myc activity and thus facilitating ROS accumulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xie, Yuexia [Institute of Radiation Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai (China); Central Laboratory, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai (China); Tu, Wenzhi; Zhang, Jianghong; He, Mingyuan; Ye, Shuang; Dong, Chen [Institute of Radiation Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai (China); Shao, Chunlin, E-mail: clshao@shmu.edu.cn [Institute of Radiation Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai (China)

2015-02-15

Highlights: • γ-Irradiation induced bystander effects between hepatoma cells and hepatocyte cells. • SirT1 played a protective role in regulating this bystander effect. • SirT1 contributed to the protective effects via elimination the accumulation of ROS. • The activity of c-Myc is critical for maintaining the protective role of SirT1. - Abstract: Radiation-induced bystander effect (RIBE) has important implications for secondary cancer risk assessment during cancer radiotherapy, but the bystander signaling processes, especially under hypoxic condition, are still largely unclear. The present study found that micronuclei (MN) formation could be induced in the non-irradiated HL-7702 hepatocyte cells after being treated with the conditioned medium from irradiated hepatoma HepG2 and SK-Hep-1 cells under either normoxia or hypoxia. This bystander response was dramatically diminished or enhanced when the SirT1 gene of irradiated hepatoma cells was overexpressed or knocked down, respectively, especially under hypoxia. Meanwhile, SirT1 knockdown promoted transcriptional activity for c-Myc and facilitated ROS accumulation. But both of the increased bystander responses and ROS generation due to SirT1-knockdown were almost completely suppressed by c-Myc interference. Moreover, ROS scavenger effectively abolished the RIBE triggered by irradiated hepatoma cells even with SirT1 depletion. These findings provide new insights that SirT1 has a profound role in regulating RIBE where a c-Myc-dependent release of ROS may be involved.

SIR JOHN CRAWFORD MEMORIAL ADDRESS: Agriculture: The challenges of the 21st century

OpenAIRE

Beddington, Sir John

2012-01-01

The Sir John Crawford Memorial Address has been presented since 1985, in honour of the distinguished Australian civil servant, educator and agriculturalist in whose name the Crawford Fund was established. Sir John Crawford was a remarkable Australian who contributed at the highest levels, and was a passionate supporter of international agricultural research for development. This talk draws attention to four current and interrelated trends that suggest the world will be rather different by 202...

Stability analysis of the Euler discretization for SIR epidemic model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suryanto, Agus

2014-01-01

In this paper we consider a discrete SIR epidemic model obtained by the Euler method. For that discrete model, existence of disease free equilibrium and endemic equilibrium is established. Sufficient conditions on the local asymptotical stability of both disease free equilibrium and endemic equilibrium are also derived. It is found that the local asymptotical stability of the existing equilibrium is achieved only for a small time step size h. If h is further increased and passes the critical value, then both equilibriums will lose their stability. Our numerical simulations show that a complex dynamical behavior such as bifurcation or chaos phenomenon will appear for relatively large h. Both analytical and numerical results show that the discrete SIR model has a richer dynamical behavior than its continuous counterpart

L’économie politique du désir dans le rituel et le militantisme au SriLanka

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Wim Van Daele

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Le désir est au cœur des interactions complexes entre le développement et la religion. Cet article examine ses différentes expressions, comme étant une des préoccupations fondamentales de nombreuses religions, qui motivent à la fois le développement et les alternatives au développement. Au SriLanka, face au changement social, la forme néolibérale et mondialisée du développement est comprise et réinterprétée à travers des idiomes et des formations locales du désir. L’économie néolibérale cultive le désir et mène à un accroissement présumé de la présence des preta (fantômes affamés et avides qui se manifestent parfois au moment de la mort d’une personne. Les fantômes affamés, en tant que formations fétichisées du désir, trouvent un écho chez les consommateurs et les entrepreneurs, qui montrent unappétit insatiable vis-à-vis d’une richesse matérielle en constante croissance. Ainsi, l’apaisement ritualisé des fantômes affamés et le militantisme social de groupes tels que le Movement for National Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR sont clairement liés par leur préoccupation mutuelle face à l’insécurité existentielle des êtres humains et non humains, causée par un désir excessif et déséquilibré. L’action rituelle et le militantisme social divergent toutefois dans la formulation explicite de leurs préoccupations spécifiques concernant le désir. Le rituel matérialise et condense l’angoisse liée au désir, alors que le militantisme social décrit la fétichisation du désir en termes économiques, politiques et scientifiques plus abstraits.

Cancer risk in systemic lupus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bernatsky, Sasha; Ramsey-Goldman, Rosalind; Labrecque, Jeremy

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To update estimates of cancer risk in SLE relative to the general population. METHODS: A multisite international SLE cohort was linked with regional tumor registries. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated as the ratio of observed to expected cancers. RESULTS: Across 30 c...

Cancer risk after iodine-131 therapy for hyperthyroidism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holm, L.E.; Hall, P.; Wiklund, K.; Lundell, G.; Berg, G.; Bjelkengren, G.; Cederquist, E.; Ericsson, U.B.; Hallquist, A.; Larsson, L.G.

1991-01-01

Cancer incidence was studied in 10,552 patients (mean age, 57 years) who received 131I therapy (mean dose, 506 MBq) for hyperthyroidism between 1950 and 1975. Follow-up on these patients was continued for an average of 15 years. Record linkage with the Swedish Cancer Register for the period 1958-1985 identified 1543 cancers occurring 1 year or more after 131I treatment, and the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) was 1.06 (95% confidence interval = 1.01-1.11). Significantly increased SIRs were observed for cancers of the lung (SIR = 1.32; n = 105) and kidney (SIR = 1.39; n = 66). Among 10-year survivors, significantly elevated risks were seen for cancers of the stomach (SIR = 1.33; n = 58), kidney (SIR = 1.51; n = 37), and brain (SIR = 1.63; n = 30). Only the risk for stomach cancer, however, increased over time (P less than .05) and with increasing activity administered (P = not significant). The risk for malignant lymphoma was significantly below expectation (SIR = 0.53; n = 11). Overall cancer risk did not increase with administered 131I dose or with time since exposure. The absence of any increase in leukemia adds further support to the view that a radiation dose delivered gradually over time is less carcinogenic than the same total dose received over a short time. Only for stomach cancer was a possible radiogenic excess suggested

Secondary Solid Organ Neoplasm in Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Nationwide Population-Based Study in Taiwan.

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Chung-Jen Teng

Full Text Available Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL is more common in children than in adults. Secondary neoplasms (SNs in childhood ALL have been widely reported. However, only one study has demonstrated SNs in adult ALL. Because of the poorer survival of adult ALL, the incidence might be underestimated.To evaluate the incidence and risk factors of secondary solid organ neoplasms among adult and child ALL patients.Newly diagnosed ALL patients between 1997 and 2011 were recruited from the Taiwan National Health Insurance database. Those who had antecedent or combined malignancies were excluded. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs were analyzed to compare the risk of our cohort to general population in the same age, sex and calendar year. Risk factors for SN development were analyzed by Cox proportional hazards models. Effects of treatments were treated as time-dependent variables.The 15-year cumulative incidence of SN was 1.9% and 8.4% in 1,381 child and 2,154 adult ALL patients, respectively. The SIR was significantly increased in child ALL (SIR 6.06, but not in adult ALL (SIR 1.16. The SIRs of follow-up periods were 5.14, 2.24, .87 and .71 at ≥ 10 years, 5-10 years, 1-5 years and 0-1, respectively. Overall, 15 SNs developed, and CNS tumors (SIR 11.56 were the most common type. Multivariate analysis showed that age ≥ 20 years (hazard ratio [HR] 5.04, end-stage renal disease (HR 18.98 and cranial irradiation (HR 8.12 were independent risk factors for cancer development.When compared with the general population, child ALL shows a increased risk of developing SNs. CNS tumors are the most common type, and cranial irradiation is an independent risk factor. With longer follow-up, the risk of SNs increases. Hence, physicians need to pay more attention on the risk of developing SNs in long-term ALL survivors with risk factors.

Lactose intolerance and risk of lung, breast and ovarian cancers: aetiological clues from a population-based study in Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, J; Sundquist, J; Sundquist, K

2015-01-06

Individuals with lactose intolerance are recommended to avoid milk or dairy products, which may affect the development of cancer. We identified individuals with lactose intolerance from several Swedish Registers linked to the Swedish Cancer Registry to calculate standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) for cancers in the breast, lung, and ovary. A total of 22,788 individuals with lactose intolerance were identified, and their risks of lung (SIR=0.55), breast (SIR=0.79), and ovarian (SIR=0.61) cancers were significantly decreased. Cancer incidences in the siblings and parents of individuals with lactose intolerance were similar to those in the general population. In this large cohort study, people with lactose intolerance, characterised by low consumption of milk and other dairy products, had decreased risks of lung, breast, and ovarian cancers, but the decreased risks were not found in their family members, suggesting that the protective effects against these cancers may be related to their specific dietary pattern.

Hoarding symptoms among psychiatric outpatients: confirmatory factor analysis and psychometric properties of the Saving Inventory – Revised (SI-R

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Siau Pheng Lee

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The growing interest in problematic hoarding as an independent clinical condition has led to the development of the Saving Inventory-Revised (SI-R to assess hoarding phenomenology. The SI-R is one of the most widely used instruments to measure hoarding symptoms; however, it lacks validation in non-Western samples. Methods The current study examined the construct, convergent, and discriminant validity of the SI-R among 500 outpatients at a psychiatric hospital in Singapore. The three-factor structure solution of the SI-R was fitted in a confirmatory factor analysis. Results The final model achieved mediocre fit (χ2 = 1026.02, df = 186; RMSEA = 0.095, SRMR = 0.06; CFI = 0.86; NNFI = 0.85. Two reverse-coded items (items 2 and 4 were removed due to insufficient factor loadings, resulting in the modified 21-item SI-R (SIR-21. Our findings indicate the need to further examine the construct validity of the SI-R, particularly in non-Western samples. Nonetheless, correlations with other hoarding-related constructs, such as anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory and depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II, supported the convergent and discriminant validity of the SIR-21 in our sample. Conclusions Findings in our current majority Chinese sample were consistent with previous observations from other Chinese samples. Implications were discussed from a cross-cultural perspective, such as cultural emphasis on saving for future use and overlap between the concepts of discarding and acquiring in Chinese samples. Future studies should also examine differences among other ethnic groups (e.g., Malay, Indian.

Familial Clustering of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia in First-Degree Relatives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oestergaard, Louise B.; Christiansen, Mia N.; Schmiegelow, Michelle D.

2016-01-01

the rate of the disease, and whether this rate is affected by the type of family relationship (that is, parent or sibling) or by how the relative acquired the infection. DESIGN: Register-based nationwide cohort study (1992 to 2011). SETTING: Denmark. PARTICIPANTS: First-degree relatives (children...... or siblings) of patients previously hospitalized with S aureus bacteremia. MEASUREMENTS: Poisson regression models were used to calculate standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of S aureus bacteremia, with the incidence rate in the population as a reference. RESULTS: 34 774 individuals (the exposed cohort...... in the background population. The estimate was significantly higher if the index case patient was a sibling (SIR, 5.01 [CI, 3.30 to 7.62]) than a parent (SIR, 1.96 [CI, 1.45 to 2.67]; interaction P

Study of cancer incidence among 6363 male workers in four Norwegian ferromanganese and silicomanganese producing plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Hobbesland, A; Kjuus, H; Thelle, D S

1999-09-01

Little has been known about the risk of cancer associated with occupational exposure to manganese. The objective of this study was therefore to examine the associations between duration of specific work and cancer incidence among employees in four Norwegian ferromanganese and silicomanganese producing plants. Among men first employed in 1933-91 and with at least 6 months in these plants, the incident cases of cancer during 1953-91 were obtained from The Cancer Registry of Norway. The numbers of various cancers were compared with expected figures calculated from age and calendar time specific rates for Norwegian men during the same period. Internal comparisons of rates were performed with Poisson regression analysis. The final cohort comprised 6363 men. A total of 607 cases of cancer were observed against 596 cases expected (standardised incidence ratio (SIR) 1.02). Internal comparisons of rates showed a positive trend between the rate of all cancers and duration of furnace work. A slightly weaker trend was also found for duration of blue collar non-furnace work when lags of 25 or 30 years were applied in the analyses. However, several results indicated that the incidence of all cancers among the non-furnace workers decreased during the period of active employment. Furnace and non-furnace workers may have exposures that increase the incidence of several cancers. The low incidence of cancer among non-furnace workers during the period of ongoing exposure cannot be explained. As this study cannot identify any causal factors, the role of exposure to manganese remains unclear.

Fkh1 and Fkh2 associate with Sir2 to control CLB2 transcription under normal and oxidative stress conditions

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Christian eLinke

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The Forkhead box family of transcription factors is evolutionary conserved from yeast to higher eukaryotes and its members are involved in many physiological processes including metabolism, DNA repair, cell cycle, stress resistance, apoptosis and aging. In budding yeast, four Forkhead transcription factors were identified, namely Fkh1, Fkh2, Fhl1, and Hcm1, which are implicated in chromatin silencing, cell cycle regulation and stress response. These factors impinge transcriptional regulation during cell cycle progression, and histone deacetylases play an essential role in this process, e.g. the nuclear localisation of Hcm1 depends on Sir2 activity, whereas Sin3/Rpd3 silence cell cycle specific gene transcription in G2/M phase. However, a direct involvement of Sir2 in Fkh1/Fkh2-dependent regulation of target genes is at present unknown. Here, we show that Fkh1 and Fkh2 associate with Sir2 in G1 and M phase, and that Fkh1/Fkh2-mediated activation of reporter genes is antagonized by Sir2. We further report that Sir2 overexpression strongly affects cell growth in an Fkh1/Fkh2-dependent manner. In addition, Sir2 regulates the expression of the mitotic cyclin Clb2 through Fkh1/Fkh2-mediated binding to the CLB2 promoter in G1 and M phase. We finally demonstrate that Sir2 is also enriched at the CLB2 promoter under stress conditions, and that the nuclear localization of Sir2 is dependent on Fkh1 and Fkh2. Taken together, our results show a functional interplay between Fkh1/Fkh2 and Sir2 suggesting a novel mechanism of cell cycle repression. Thus, in budding yeast, not only the regulation of G2/M gene expression but also the protective response against stress could be directly coordinated by Fkh1 and Fkh2.

Independent Pre-Transplant Recipient Cancer Risk Factors after Kidney Transplantation and the Utility of G-Chart Analysis for Clinical Process Control.

Science.gov (United States)

Schrem, Harald; Schneider, Valentin; Kurok, Marlene; Goldis, Alon; Dreier, Maren; Kaltenborn, Alexander; Gwinner, Wilfried; Barthold, Marc; Liebeneiner, Jan; Winny, Markus; Klempnauer, Jürgen; Kleine, Moritz

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is to identify independent pre-transplant cancer risk factors after kidney transplantation and to assess the utility of G-chart analysis for clinical process control. This may contribute to the improvement of cancer surveillance processes in individual transplant centers. 1655 patients after kidney transplantation at our institution with a total of 9,425 person-years of follow-up were compared retrospectively to the general German population using site-specific standardized-incidence-ratios (SIRs) of observed malignancies. Risk-adjusted multivariable Cox regression was used to identify independent pre-transplant cancer risk factors. G-chart analysis was applied to determine relevant differences in the frequency of cancer occurrences. Cancer incidence rates were almost three times higher as compared to the matched general population (SIR = 2.75; 95%-CI: 2.33-3.21). Significantly increased SIRs were observed for renal cell carcinoma (SIR = 22.46), post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (SIR = 8.36), prostate cancer (SIR = 2.22), bladder cancer (SIR = 3.24), thyroid cancer (SIR = 10.13) and melanoma (SIR = 3.08). Independent pre-transplant risk factors for cancer-free survival were age 62.6 years (p = 0.001, HR: 1.29), polycystic kidney disease other than autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) (p = 0.001, HR: 0.68), high body mass index in kg/m2 (pKaizen events and audits for root-cause analysis of relevant detection rate changes. Further, comparative G-chart analysis would enable benchmarking of cancer surveillance processes between centers.

Comparison of Prevalence- and Smoking Impact Ratio-Based Methods of Estimating Smoking-Attributable Fractions of Deaths

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Kyoung Ae Kong

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Smoking is a major modifiable risk factor for premature mortality. Estimating the smoking-attributable burden is important for public health policy. Typically, prevalence- or smoking impact ratio (SIR-based methods are used to derive estimates, but there is controversy over which method is more appropriate for country-specific estimates. We compared smoking-attributable fractions (SAFs of deaths estimated by these two methods. Methods: To estimate SAFs in 2012, we used several different prevalence-based approaches using no lag and 10- and 20-year lags. For the SIR-based method, we obtained lung cancer mortality rates from the Korean Cancer Prevention Study (KCPS and from the United States-based Cancer Prevention Study-II (CPS-II. The relative risks for the diseases associated with smoking were also obtained from these cohort studies. Results: For males, SAFs obtained using KCPS-derived SIRs were similar to those obtained using prevalence-based methods. For females, SAFs obtained using KCPS-derived SIRs were markedly greater than all prevalence-based SAFs. Differences in prevalence-based SAFs by time-lag period were minimal among males, but SAFs obtained using longer-lagged prevalence periods were significantly larger among females. SAFs obtained using CPS-II-based SIRs were lower than KCPS-based SAFs by >15 percentage points for most diseases, with the exceptions of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Conclusions: SAFs obtained using prevalence- and SIR-based methods were similar for males. However, neither prevalence-based nor SIR-based methods resulted in precise SAFs among females. The characteristics of the study population should be carefully considered when choosing a method to estimate SAF.

SIRS Model of Passengers’ Panic Propagation under Self-Organization Circumstance in the Subway Emergency

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Haifeng Zhao

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Subway emergency may lead to passengers’ panic, especially under self-organizing circumstance, which will spread rapidly and have an adverse impact on the society. This paper builds an improved SIRS model of passengers’ panic spread in subway emergency with consideration of passengers’ density, the characteristic of subway car with the confined space, and passengers’ psychological factors. The spread of passengers’ panic is simulated by use of Matlab, which draws the rules of how group panic spreads dynamically. The trend of stable point of the infection ratio is analyzed by changing different parameters, which help to draw a conclusion that immunization rate, spontaneous immune loss rate, and passenger number have a great influence on the final infected ratio. Finally, we propose an integrated control strategy and find the peak of passengers’ panic and the final infected ratio is greatly improved through the numerical simulation. The research plays a vital role in helping the government and subway administration to master the panic spread mechanism and reduce the panic spread by improving measures and also provides certain reference significance for rail system construction, emergency contingency plans, and the construction and implementation of emergency response system.

Can mean platelet volume and mean platelet volume/platelet count ratio be used as a diagnostic marker for sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome?

Science.gov (United States)

Ates, Selma; Oksuz, Hafıze; Dogu, Bırsen; Bozkus, Fulsen; Ucmak, Hasan; Yanıt, Fadime

2015-01-01

Objectives: To determine whether the mean platelet volume (MPV) and MPV/platelet (PLT) values can be used in the study of sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Methods: In this retrospective case-controlled study, 69 sepsis, 69 SIRS patients, and 72 control group who were treated in the years 2012-2013 were reviewed, and both the MPV and MPV/PLT rates were evaluated in all groups at Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University Intensive Care Unit, Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Results: Statistically significant difference was found between sepsis, SIRS, and control groups when comparing the MPV and MPV/PLT ratio (p0.05). Mean platelet volume values for sepsis and control groups was 10.07/8.731 femtoliter (fL) (p=0.000), and 9.45/8.731 fL (p=0.000) for SIRS and control groups. In the group of sepsis patients, the MPV was found to be at cut-off 8.915, sensitivity 71%, and specificity 63.9%. In the group of patients with SIRS, MPV was found to be at cut-off 8.85, sensitivity 69.6%, and specificity 62.5%. For the MPV/PLT values, the specificity and sensitivity were found to be insignificant. Conclusion: This study shows that although there was no significant reduction in the PLT values between the sepsis and SIRS patients, the MPV and MPV/PLT ratio values were found to have significant differences. However, the specificity and sensitivity of the values were not reliable standard to be used as a test. PMID:26446329

Cancer in the Norwegian printing industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Kvam, Bård M N; Romundstad, Pål Rikard; Boffetta, Paolo; Andersen, Aage

2005-02-01

The aim of this study was to investigate cancer risk among Norwegian workers in the printing industry, particularly lung and bladder cancer. Cancer incidence was investigated from 1953 through 1998 in a cohort of 10 549 male members of a trade union in the printing industry in Oslo and nearby areas. Rates from the region, were used to calculate standardized incidence ratios (SIR) separately for the skilled and unskilled workers. Smoking data from a sample of the cohort were utilized for evaluating the risk estimates of smoking-related cancers. Specific exposure data were not available. Among the skilled workers, significantly elevated risks of cancer of the urinary bladder [standardized incidence ratio (SIR) 1.47, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.19-1.79], liver (SIR 1.92, 95% CI 1.15-2.99), pancreas (SIR 1.46, 95% CI 1.07-1.94) and colon (SIR 1.27, 95% CI 1.05-1.55) were observed, whereas an increased risk of lung cancer in this group was confined to those born before 1910. Among the unskilled workers, there were significantly increased risks of cancer of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, larynx, lung, and all sites. The study showed that workers in the printing industry were at increased risk of several types of cancer. In particular the increased risk of bladder cancer among the skilled workers is suggestive of an occupational cause. However, no specific agent could be identified as an occupational carcinogen. The results did not support the hypothesis of a generally increased risk of lung cancer. The risk pattern for unskilled workers may reflect confounding by nonoccupational factors.

Sir James Reid and the Death of Queen Victoria: An Early Model for End-of-Life Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Abrams, Robert C

2015-12-01

An appraisal of the last ten days of Queen Victoria's life, viewed primarily from the perspective of her personal physician, Sir James Reid, is presented. Sir James' clinical encounters with his patient and the Royal Family are examined to reveal his strategic and medical thinking and gauge his level of success in basic palliative aims. It was found that the lack of effective medical interventions, tensions within the Royal Family, the importance of his post to Sir James' professional career, and the political ramifications unavoidably connected with the illness of a head of state, all presented challenges to Reid's efforts to ease the physical and emotional pain of Queen Victoria's dying. Key features of Sir James' approach included reliance on physician-patient and physician-family relationships, emphasis on emotional support for the patient, and the careful selection of interventions for the family. In the first years of the 20th century, an era when the contemporary concepts of palliative care, hospice, and family dynamics did not exist, Sir James' management of the Queen's final illness suggested an early model for end-of-life care. By the end of Queen Victoria's life, Sir James was seen to have preserved his patient's comfort and dignity, at the same time advancing family and societal acceptance of the death of this matriarchal figure. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Increased incidence of cancer observed in HIV/hepatitis C virus-coinfected patients versus HIV-monoinfected.

Science.gov (United States)

Meijide, Héctor; Pértega, Sonia; Rodríguez-Osorio, Iria; Castro-Iglesias, Ángeles; Baliñas, Josefa; Rodríguez-Martínez, Guillermo; Mena, Álvaro; Poveda, Eva

2017-05-15

Cancer is a growing problem in persons living with HIV infection (PLWH) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection could play an additional role in carcinogenesis. Herein, all cancers in an HIV-mono and HIV/HCV-coinfected cohort were evaluated and compared to identify any differences between these two populations. A retrospective cohort study was conducted including all cancers in PLWH between 1993 and 2014. Cancers were classified in two groups: AIDS-defining cancer (ADC) and non-AIDS-defining cancer (NADC). Cancer incidence rates were calculated and compared with that observed in the Spanish general population (GLOBOCAN, 2012), computing the standardized incidence ratios (SIRs). A competing risk approach was used to estimate the probability of cancer after HIV diagnosis. Cumulative incidence in HIV-monoinfected and HIV/HCV-coinfected patients was also compared using multivariable analysis. A total of 185 patients (117 HIV-monoinfected and 68 HIV/HCV) developed cancer in the 26 580 patient-years cohort, with an incidence rate of 696 cancers per 100 000 person-years, higher than in the general population (SIR = 3.8). The incidence rate of NADC in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients was 415.0 (SIR = 3.4), significantly higher than in monoinfected (377.3; SIR = 1.8). After adjustments, HIV/HCV-coinfected patients had a higher cumulative incidence of NADC than HIV-monoinfected (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.80), even when excluding hepatocellular carcinomas (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.26). PLWH have a higher incidence of NADC than the general population and HCV-coinfection is associated with a higher incidence of NADC. These data justify the need for prevention strategies in these two populations and the importance of eradicating HCV.

SIR - small is safe [in reactor design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayns, M.

1989-01-01

A joint USA-UK venture has been initiated to design a small nuclear reactor which offers low capital cost, greater flexibility and a potentially lower environmental impact. Called Safe Integral Reactor (SIR), the lead unit could be built in the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority's (UKAEA's) Winfrith site if the design is accepted by the UK Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII). This article describes the 320 MWe reactor unit that is the basis of the design being developed. (author)

Analysis of data acquired by Shuttle Imaging Radar SIR-A and Landsat Thematic Mapper over Baldwin County, Alabama

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, S.-T.

1985-01-01

Seasonally compatible data collected by SIR-A and by Landsat 4 TM over the lower coastal plain in Alabama were coregistered, forming a SIR-A/TM multichannel data set with 30 m x 30 m pixel size. Spectral signature plots and histogram analysis of the data were used to observe data characteristics. Radar returns from pine forest classes correlated highly with the tree ages, suggesting the potential utility of microwave remote sensing for forest biomass estimation. As compared with the TM-only data set, the use of SIR-A/TM data set improved classification accuracy of the seven land cover types studied. In addition, the SIR-A/TM classified data support previous finding by Engheta and Elachi (1982) that microwave data appear to be correlated with differing bottomland hardwood forest vegetation as associated with varying water regimens (i.e., wet versus dry).

SIRS score on admission and initial concentration of IL-6 as severe acute pancreatitis outcome predictors.

Science.gov (United States)

Gregoric, Pavle; Pavle, Gregoric; Sijacki, Ana; Ana, Sijacki; Stankovic, Sanja; Sanja, Stankovic; Radenkovic, Dejan; Dejan, Radenkovic; Ivancevic, Nenad; Nenad, Ivancevic; Karamarkovic, Aleksandar; Aleksandar, Karamarkovic; Popovic, Nada; Nada, Popovic; Karadzic, Borivoje; Borivoje, Karadzic; Stijak, Lazar; Stefanovic, Branislav; Branislav, Stefanovic; Milosevic, Zoran; Zoran, Milosević; Bajec, Djordje; Djordje, Bajec

2010-01-01

Early recognition of severe form of acute pancreatitis is important because these patients need more agressive diagnostic and therapeutical approach an can develope systemic complications such as: sepsis, coagulopathy, Acute Lung Injury (ALI), Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome (MODS), Multiple Organ Failure (MOF). To determine role of the combination of Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) score and serum Interleukin-6 (IL-6) level on admission as predictor of illness severity and outcome of Severe Acute Pancreatitis (SAP). We evaluated 234 patients with first onset of SAP appears in last twenty four hours. A total of 77 (33%) patients died. SIRS score and serum IL-6 concentration were measured in first hour after admission. In 105 patients with SIRS score 3 and higher, initial measured IL-6 levels were significantly higher than in the group of remaining 129 patients (72 +/- 67 pg/mL, vs 18 +/- 15 pg/mL). All nonsurvivals were in the first group, with SIRS score 3 and 4 and initial IL-6 concentration 113 +/- 27 pg/mL. The values of C-reactive Protein (CRP) measured after 48h, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score on admission and Ranson score showed the similar correlation, but serum amylase level did not correlate significantly with Ranson score, IL-6 concentration and APACHE II score. The combination of SIRS score on admission and IL-6 serum concentration can be early, predictor of illness severity and outcome in SAP.

Dietary sodium to potassium ratio and the incidence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease: A population-based longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirmiran, Parvin; Bahadoran, Zahra; Nazeri, Pantea; Azizi, Fereidoun

2018-01-30

There is an interaction between dietary sodium/potassium intake in the pathogenesis of hypertension (HTN) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim of this study was to investigate the association of dietary sodium to potassium (Na/K) ratio and the risk of HTN and CVD in a general population of Iranian adults. In this prospective cohort study, adults men and women with complete baseline data were selected from among participants of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study and were followed up for 6.3 years for incidence of HTN and CVD outcomes. Dietary sodium and potassium were assessed using a valid and reliable 168-item food frequency questionnaire. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between dietary sodium, potassium and their ratio and risk of outcomes. During the study follow-up, 291 (15.1%) and 79 (5.0%) new cases of HTN and CVD were identified, respectively. No significant association was observed between usual intakes of sodium, potassium and dietary Na/K ratio with the incidence of HTN. There was no significant association between dietary intakes of sodium and potassium per se and the risk of CVD, whereas when dietary sodium to potassium ratio was considered as exposure in the fully-adjusted Cox regression model, and participants in the highest compared to lowest tertile had a significantly increased risk of CVD (HR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.16-4.14). Our findings suggest that high dietary Na/K ratio could contribute to increased risk of CVD events.

Unemployment, ethnicity and psychosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Boydell, J; Bebbington, P; Bhavsar, V; Kravariti, E; van Os, J; Murray, R M; Dutta, R

2013-03-01

This study describes the incidence of psychosis in unemployed people and determines whether unemployment has a greater impact on the development of psychosis amongst Black minority groups than White groups. Patients with a first diagnosis of Research Diagnostic Criteria psychosis, in a defined area of London from 1998 to 2004, were identified. Crude and standardised incidence rates of psychosis amongst unemployed people for each ethnic group were calculated. Poisson regression modelling tested for interactions between unemployment and ethnicity. Hundred cases occurred amongst employed people and 78 cases occurred amongst the unemployed people. When standardised to the employed White population of the area, White unemployed people had a standardised incidence ratio (SIR) of 11.7 (95% CI 6.4-19.7), Black Caribbean people had a SIR of 60.1(95% CI 39.3-88) and Black African people had a SIR of 40.7 (95% CI 25.8-61.1). There was no interaction however between ethnicity and unemployment (Likelihood ratio test P = 0.54). Rates of psychosis are high amongst unemployed people in south London and extremely high amongst Black Caribbean and Black African unemployed people. There was no evidence however that the minority groups were particularly sensitive to the stresses, limitations or meaning of unemployment. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Yeast Tdh3 (glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase is a Sir2-interacting factor that regulates transcriptional silencing and rDNA recombination.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alison E Ringel

Full Text Available Sir2 is an NAD(+-dependent histone deacetylase required to mediate transcriptional silencing and suppress rDNA recombination in budding yeast. We previously identified Tdh3, a glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH, as a high expression suppressor of the lethality caused by Sir2 overexpression in yeast cells. Here we show that Tdh3 interacts with Sir2, localizes to silent chromatin in a Sir2-dependent manner, and promotes normal silencing at the telomere and rDNA. Characterization of specific TDH3 alleles suggests that Tdh3's influence on silencing requires nuclear localization but does not correlate with its catalytic activity. Interestingly, a genetic assay suggests that Tdh3, an NAD(+-binding protein, influences nuclear NAD(+ levels; we speculate that Tdh3 links nuclear Sir2 with NAD(+ from the cytoplasm.

Risk of lymphoma in women with breast implants: analysis of clinical studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Largent, Joan; Oefelein, Michael; Kaplan, Hilton M; Okerson, Ted; Boyle, Peter

2012-05-01

Large studies suggest that the overall rate of lymphoma in women with breast implants is no greater than in the general population; clinical reports suggest an association between breast implants and the rare non-Hodgkin lymphoma, anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). Observed cases of lymphoma reported in Allergan-sponsored breast implant clinical studies were compared with expected cases on the basis of the incidence of lymphoma among women in the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results program, using standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). In clinical studies, there were 28 observed cases of lymphoma among 89 382 patients and 204 682 person-years of follow-up compared with 43 expected cases [SIR: 28/43=0.65 (95% CI: 0.43-0.94), P=0.02]. SIRs were calculated stratifying by baseline cancer history: women without prior cancer [SIR: 17/24=0.70 (95% CI: 0.41-1.13), P=0.17] and women with prior cancer [SIR: 11/14=0.79 (95% CI: 0.39-1.41), P=0.52]. SIRs were calculated by implant shell type: textured shell implants [SIR: 16/23=0.70 (95% CI: 0.40-1.13), P=0.16] and smooth shell implants [SIR: 12/19=0.63 (95% CI: 0.33-1.10), P=0.12]. Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results reported 12 cases of primary breast ALCL in women between 1996 and 2007 without a history of cancer, for an average annual incidence of 4.28 (95% CI: 3.51-5.05)/100 million women in the US - these women may or may not have breast implants. In clinical studies, three ALCL cases were reported in women with breast implants and a history of breast cancer, yielding a crude incidence rate of 1.46 (95% CI: 0.30-4.3)/100 000 person-years. Large clinical studies, based on over 200 000 person-years of follow-up, suggest no evidence of an increased risk of lymphoma among women who have received breast implants.

Investigating The Travelling Wave Solution For an SIR Endemic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper presents the travelling wave solution for an SIR endemic disease model with no disease related death when the spatial spread of the susceptible is not negligible. In this case the disease is driven by both the susceptible and the infective classes. The population is open since the disease is habitually prevalent in ...

Science and controversy a biography of Sir Norman Lockyer

CERN Document Server

Meadows, A

2008-01-01

Sir Norman Lockyer left Nature, the world''s leading scientific journal, as his lasting memorial. But his life, and controversial theories, are an important part of science history. His ideas were at the forefront of public debate, and ranged from brilliant to perverse. This entertaining book is a fascinating insight into his eventful life

Buffels (Wes), Elsies, Sir Lowry's pass, Steenbras and Buffels (Oos)

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Heinecken, TJE

1982-06-01

Full Text Available This report is a synthesis of all available information on five of the smaller rivers discharging in to False bay combined as a single volume. The rivers dealt with are the Buffels (Wes), Elsies, Sir Lowry' Pass, Steenbras and Buffels (Oos). False...

Simulation of emotional contagion using modified SIR model: A cellular automaton approach

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Libi; Song, Weiguo; Lv, Wei; Lo, Siuming

2014-07-01

Emotion plays an important role in the decision-making of individuals in some emergency situations. The contagion of emotion may induce either normal or abnormal consolidated crowd behavior. This paper aims to simulate the dynamics of emotional contagion among crowds by modifying the epidemiological SIR model to a cellular automaton approach. This new cellular automaton model, entitled the “CA-SIRS model”, captures the dynamic process ‘susceptible-infected-recovered-susceptible', which is based on SIRS contagion in epidemiological theory. Moreover, in this new model, the process is integrated with individual movement. The simulation results of this model show that multiple waves and dynamical stability around a mean value will appear during emotion spreading. It was found that the proportion of initial infected individuals had little influence on the final stable proportion of infected population in a given system, and that infection frequency increased with an increase in the average crowd density. Our results further suggest that individual movement accelerates the spread speed of emotion and increases the stable proportion of infected population. Furthermore, decreasing the duration of an infection and the probability of reinfection can markedly reduce the number of infected individuals. It is hoped that this study will be helpful in crowd management and evacuation organization.

Hospital contacts for injuries and musculoskeletal diseases among seamen and fishermen: A population-based cohort study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olsen Jørn

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background We studied musculoskeletal diseases (MSD and injuries among fishermen and seamen with focus on low back disorders, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS, rotator cuff syndrome and arthrosis. Methods Cohorts of all male Danish seamen (officers and non-officers and fishermen employed 1994 and 1999 with at least six months employment history were linked to the Occupational Hospitalisation Register. We calculated standardised incidence ratios (SIR for the two time periods, using rates for the entire Danish workforce as a reference. Results Among fishermen, we found high SIRs for knee arthrosis, thoraco-lumbar disc disorders, injuries and statistically significant SIRs above 200 were seen for both rotator cuff syndrome and CTS. The SIR was augmented for injuries and reduced for hip arthrosis between the two time periods. The SIRs for injuries and CTS were high for non-officers. A sub-analysis revealed that the highest risk for CTS was found among male non-officers working as deck crew, SIR 233 (95% CI: 166–317 based on 40 cases. Among officers, the SIRs for injuries and MSDs were low. The number of employed Danish fishermen declined with 25% 1994–1999 to 3470. Short-term employments were common. None of the SIRs increased with increasing length of employment. Conclusion Both fishermen and non-officers have high SIRs for injuries and fishermen also for MSD. Only the SIR for injuries among fishermen was augmented between 1994 and 1999. Our findings suggest an association between the incidence of rotator cuff syndrome and CTS and work within fishery. Long-term cumulative effects of employment were not shown for any of the disease outcomes. Other conditions may play a role.

Inflammatory bowel diseases in Faroese-born Danish residents and their offspring

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hammer, T.; Lophaven, S. N.; Nielsen, K. R.

2017-01-01

National Patient Register. Standardised Incidence Ratios (SIRs) were used to compare the IBD risk in immigrants with that of Danes. 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using the square-root transform. Results: First-generation Faroese immigrants had a higher IBD incidence than Danes, SIR 1.25 (95......% CI, 0.97–1.59) for men and 1.28 (95% CI, 1.05–1.53) for women. This excess risk derived from ulcerative colitis (UC), SIR 1.44 (95% CI, 1.10–1.87) for men and 1.36 (95% CI, 1.09–1.68) for women. No excess risk was found for Crohn's disease (CD). The UC risk was nearly doubled during the immigrants......’ first 10 years in Denmark; SIR 2.13 (95% CI, 1.52–2.92) for men and 1.63 (95% CI, 1.19–2.18) for women. Conclusions: Although some impact of genetic dilution cannot be excluded, our findings indicate importance of gene-environment interplay in UC, as the excess UC risk in Faroese immigrants to Denmark...

Le continent noir du désir masculin : Colet et Flaubert, encore

OpenAIRE

Vinken, Barbara

2010-01-01

Il y a peu d’échanges de lettres qui surprennent le lecteur aussi douloureusement que celui entre Louise Colet et Gustave Flaubert. Rarement, l’espoir qui sommeille au fond de tout lecteur d’une histoire d’amour heureux fut à ce point frustré.Les études de Freud – un des plus grands sceptiques en matière d’amour – sur la vie sexuelle éclairent les vicissitudes du désir amoureux masculin. Les Lettres de Flaubert à Colet sont la mise en scène dramatique d’un désir qui suit les complications du ...

Activatable Optical Imaging with a Silica-Rhodamine Based Near Infrared (SiR700) Fluorophore: A comparison with cyanine based dyes

Science.gov (United States)

McCann, Thomas E.; Kosaka, Nobuyuki; Koide, Yuichiro; Mitsunaga, Makoto; Choyke, Peter L.; Nagano, Tetsuo; Urano, Yasuteru; Kobayashi, Hisataka

2011-01-01

Optical imaging is emerging as an important tool to visualize tumors. However, there are many potential choices among the available fluorophores. Optical imaging probes that emit in the visible range can image superficial tumors with high quantum yields, however, if deeper imaging is needed then near infrared (NIR) fluorophores are necessary. Most commercially available NIR fluorophores are cyanine based and are prone to non-specific binding and relatively limited photostability. Silica-containing rhodamine (SiR) fluorophores represent a new class of NIR fluorophores, which permit photoactivation via H-dimer formation as well as demonstrate improved photostability. This permits higher tumor-to-background ratios (TBRs) to be achieved over longer periods of time. Here, we compared an avidin conjugated with SiR700 (Av-SiR700) to similar compounds based on cyanine dyes (Av-Cy5.5 and Av-Alexa Fluor 680) in a mouse tumor model of ovarian cancer metastasis. We found that the Av-SiR700 probe demonstrated superior quenching enabling activation after binding-internalization to the target cell. As a result, Av-SiR700 had higher TBRs compared to Av-Cy5.5, and better biostability compared to Av-Alexa Fluor 680. PMID:22034863

BOREAS RSS-15 SIR-C and Landsat TM Biomass and Landcover Maps of the NSA

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickeson, Jaime (Editor); Ranson, K. Jon

2000-01-01

As part of BOREAS, the RSS-15 team conducted an investigation using SIR-C, X-SAR, and Landsat TM data for estimating total above-ground dry biomass for the SSA and NSA modeling grids and component biomass for the SSA. Relationships of backscatter to total biomass and total biomass to foliage, branch, and bole biomass were used to estimate biomass density across the landscape. The procedure involved image classification with SAR and Landsat TM data and development of simple mapping techniques using combinations of SAR channels. For the SSA, the SIR-C data used were acquired on 06-Oct-1994, and the Landsat TM data used were acquired on 02-Sep-1995. The maps of the NSA were developed from SIR-C data acquired on 13-Apr-1994. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884), or from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).

Quantitative measurement of Y90 brehmmstrahlung images after of Y90 Sir-Spheres implantation to assess lung shunting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forwood, Nicholas J.; Pocock, Nicholas; Shin, Jane; Young, Andy M; Szeto, Edwin R.

2009-01-01

Full text: Background: In clinical practice the dose of Y 9 0 Sir-Spheres is calculated using a pre injection of Tc 9 9 m MAA. There is however a potential difference due to the different properties of Tc 9 9 m MAA and Y 9 0 Sir-Spheres. We assessed the concordance of lung shunting of Y 9 0 Sir-Spheres estimated using Y 9 0 Bremsstrahlung imaging, compared to shunting assessed using Tc 9 9 m MAA. Methods: 15 Patients were evaluated using 150-200 MBq of Tc 9 9 m MAA injected into the hepatic artery under angiographic guidance. Whole body images were acquired using a LEAP collimator (window of 140 kEv+/-10%). The patients were subsequently treated with Y 9 0 Sir-Spheres. After microspheres injection, whole body brehmsstrahlung images were acquired using a medium energy collimator (window settings of 75 kEv +/- 20%). Tc 9 9 m MAA images were paired with their corresponding bremsstrahlung image and lung shunting in the stu ides calculated simultaneously. Each paired dataset was analyzed by 5 operators. Results: The mean lung shunting for Tc 9 9 m MAA acquisition was 3.32% (SD 2.03) which was significantly lower than the lung shunting using the Y 9 0 acquisitions: mean 16.19% (SD of 6.43). The Pearson coefficient was r = 0.62 (p 9 0 Sir-Spheres bremsstrahlung imaging is higher than that calculated by Tc 9 9 m MAA imaging. The relationship is not sufficiently strong to use bremsstahlung imaging to retrospectively quantify the lung-to-liver shunting as indicated using Tc 9 9 M AA. Further studies are underway to assess the reliability of Tc 9 9 m MAA lung uptake calculations in determining the dose of Y 9 0 Sir-Spheres.

Does SOFA predict outcomes better than SIRS in Brazilian ICU patients with suspected infection? A retrospective cohort study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Regis Goulart Rosa

2017-11-01

Full Text Available We compared the discriminatory capacity of the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA versus the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS score for predicting ICU mortality, need for and length of mechanical ventilation, ICU stay, and hospitalization in patients with suspected infection admitted to a mixed Brazilian ICU. We performed a retrospective analysis of a longitudinal ICU database from a tertiary hospital in Southern Brazil. Patients were categorized according to whether they met the criteria for sepsis according to SOFA (variation ≥2 points over the baseline clinical condition and SIRS (SIRS score ≥2 points. From January 2008 to December 2014, 1487 patients were admitted to the ICU due to suspected infection. SOFA ≥2 identified more septic patients than SIRS ≥2 (79.0% [n = 1175] vs. 68.5% [n = 1020], p  7 days (AUROC = 0.65 vs. 0.63, p = 0.004, and length of hospitalization >10 days (AUROC = 0.61 vs. 0.59, p 7 days.

[Sir Geoffrey Keynes 1887-1982. Surgical pioneer, medical historian, humanist].

Science.gov (United States)

Bergljung, Lars

2005-01-01

Sir Geoffrey Keynes (1887 - 1982), was a pioneer in the surgery of breast cancer and thymic deseases, n.b. in patients suffering from myastenia gravis. He strongly disapproved of the longstanding dogma of so called radical mastectomy in breast cancer, and advocated a more limited surgical approach, followed by radiation therapy. This was done more than fifty years before breastconserving surgery has become the therapy of choice and against considerable opposition from the surgical establishment of his days. He also became a pioneer in the surgical treatment of myastenia gravis by thymectomy, at a time when there was no real understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease and when considerable controversy existed as to the importance or non importance of concomitant tumour formation in the thymus. Besides being a busy surgeon Sir Geoffrey was a medical historian, writing the biography of among others William Harvey, a bibliographer with a special interest in the poet and artist William Blake and a bibliophil with a large book collection of great value to medical history.

Comparison of measured and calculated 238U capture self-indication ratios from 4 to 10 keV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perez, R.B.; de Saussure, G.; Yang, J.T.; Munoz-Cobos, J.L.; Todd, J.H.

1983-01-01

From 4 keV to 149 keV the 238 U cross sections are represented in ENDF/B-V by unresolved-resonance parameters (URP). The purpose of this representation is to enable the calculation of resonance self-protection as a function of temperature and dilution. Since the URPs are not defined unambiguously by the cross-section data, it is important that the unresolved representation be tested with appropriate experiments, such as capture self-indication ratio (SIR) measurements. In this paper we compare 238 U capture SIR measurements in the 4- to 10-keV energy range with calculations done with ENDF/B-V and with recently published resolved resonance parameters

PALEODRAINAGES OF THE EASTERN SAHARA - THE RADAR RIVERS REVISITED (SIR - A/B IMPLICATIONS FOR A MID - TERTIARY TRANS - AFRICAN DRAINAGE SYSTEM).

Science.gov (United States)

McCauley, John F.; Breed, Carlos S.; Schaber, Gerald G.; McHugh, William P.; Issawi, Bahay; Haynes, C. Vance; Grolier, Maurice J.; El Kilani, Ali

1986-01-01

A complex history of Cenozoic fluvial activity in the presently hyperarid eastern Sahara is inferred from Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR) data and postflight field investigations in southwest Egypt and northwest Sudan. SIR images were coregistered with Landsat and existing maps as a guide to exploration of the buried paleodrainages (radar rivers) first discovered by SIR-A. Field observations explain the radar responses of three types of radar rivers: RR-1, RR-2, and RR-3. A generalized model of the radar rivers, based on field studies and regional geologic relations, shows apparent changes in river regimen since the large valleys were established during the late Paleogene-early Neogene eras. SIR-based mapping of these paleodrainages, although incomplete, reveals missing links in an area once thought to be devoid of master streams.

Disease mapping based on stochastic SIR-SI model for Dengue and Chikungunya in Malaysia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samat, N. A.; Ma' arof, S. H. Mohd Imam [Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak (Malaysia)

2014-12-04

This paper describes and demonstrates a method for relative risk estimation which is based on the stochastic SIR-SI vector-borne infectious disease transmission model specifically for Dengue and Chikungunya diseases in Malaysia. Firstly, the common compartmental model for vector-borne infectious disease transmission called the SIR-SI model (susceptible-infective-recovered for human populations; susceptible-infective for vector populations) is presented. This is followed by the explanations on the stochastic SIR-SI model which involve the Bayesian description. This stochastic model then is used in the relative risk formulation in order to obtain the posterior relative risk estimation. Then, this relative estimation model is demonstrated using Dengue and Chikungunya data of Malaysia. The viruses of these diseases are transmitted by the same type of female vector mosquito named Aedes Aegypti and Aedes Albopictus. Finally, the findings of the analysis of relative risk estimation for both Dengue and Chikungunya diseases are presented, compared and displayed in graphs and maps. The distribution from risk maps show the high and low risk area of Dengue and Chikungunya diseases occurrence. This map can be used as a tool for the prevention and control strategies for both diseases.

Disease mapping based on stochastic SIR-SI model for Dengue and Chikungunya in Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samat, N. A.; Ma'arof, S. H. Mohd Imam

2014-01-01

This paper describes and demonstrates a method for relative risk estimation which is based on the stochastic SIR-SI vector-borne infectious disease transmission model specifically for Dengue and Chikungunya diseases in Malaysia. Firstly, the common compartmental model for vector-borne infectious disease transmission called the SIR-SI model (susceptible-infective-recovered for human populations; susceptible-infective for vector populations) is presented. This is followed by the explanations on the stochastic SIR-SI model which involve the Bayesian description. This stochastic model then is used in the relative risk formulation in order to obtain the posterior relative risk estimation. Then, this relative estimation model is demonstrated using Dengue and Chikungunya data of Malaysia. The viruses of these diseases are transmitted by the same type of female vector mosquito named Aedes Aegypti and Aedes Albopictus. Finally, the findings of the analysis of relative risk estimation for both Dengue and Chikungunya diseases are presented, compared and displayed in graphs and maps. The distribution from risk maps show the high and low risk area of Dengue and Chikungunya diseases occurrence. This map can be used as a tool for the prevention and control strategies for both diseases

Disease mapping based on stochastic SIR-SI model for Dengue and Chikungunya in Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Samat, N. A.; Ma'arof, S. H. Mohd Imam

2014-12-01

This paper describes and demonstrates a method for relative risk estimation which is based on the stochastic SIR-SI vector-borne infectious disease transmission model specifically for Dengue and Chikungunya diseases in Malaysia. Firstly, the common compartmental model for vector-borne infectious disease transmission called the SIR-SI model (susceptible-infective-recovered for human populations; susceptible-infective for vector populations) is presented. This is followed by the explanations on the stochastic SIR-SI model which involve the Bayesian description. This stochastic model then is used in the relative risk formulation in order to obtain the posterior relative risk estimation. Then, this relative estimation model is demonstrated using Dengue and Chikungunya data of Malaysia. The viruses of these diseases are transmitted by the same type of female vector mosquito named Aedes Aegypti and Aedes Albopictus. Finally, the findings of the analysis of relative risk estimation for both Dengue and Chikungunya diseases are presented, compared and displayed in graphs and maps. The distribution from risk maps show the high and low risk area of Dengue and Chikungunya diseases occurrence. This map can be used as a tool for the prevention and control strategies for both diseases.

On the Shoulders of Sir Isaac Newton and Arthur Storer

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Helen E.; Evans-Gondo, Bonita

2013-01-01

Helen E. Martin, the author of this article, is a retired National Board Certified Teacher who has been researching Sir Isaac Newton's unpublished manuscripts for over three decades. While researching the work of Newton, a teacher she was mentoring asked for some hands-on activities to study planetary motion. The description of the activity…

Rectal squamous cell carcinoma in immunosuppressed populations: is this a distinct entity from anal cancer?

Science.gov (United States)

COGHILL, Anna E.; SHIELS, Meredith S.; RYCROFT, Randi K.; COPELAND, Glenn; FINCH, Jack L.; HAKENEWERTH, Anne M.; PAWLISH, Karen S.; ENGELS, Eric A.

2015-01-01

Objective Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the rectum is rare, but as with anal cancer, risk may be increased among immunosuppressed individuals. We assessed risk of rectal SCC in HIV-infected people. Design Population-based registry Methods We utilized the HIV/AIDS Cancer Match, a linkage of US HIV and cancer registries (1991–2010), to ascertain cases of anal SCC, rectal SCC, rectal non-SCC, and colon non-SCC. We compared risk in HIV-infected persons to the general population using standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and evaluated risk factors using Poisson regression. We reviewed cancer registry case notes to confirm site and histology for a subset of cases. Results HIV-infected persons had an excess risk of rectal SCC compared to the general population (SIR=28.9; 95%CI 23.2–35.6), similar to the increase for anal SCC (SIR=37.3). Excess rectal SCC risk was most pronounced among HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM, SIR=61.2). Risk was not elevated for rectal non-SCC (SIR=0.88) or colon non-SCC (SIR=0.63). Individuals diagnosed with AIDS had higher rectal SCC rates than those with HIV-only (incidence rate ratio=1.86; 95%CI 1.04–3.31). Based on available information, one-third of rectal SCCs were determined to be misclassified anal cancer. Conclusions HIV-infected individuals, especially with advanced immunosuppression, appear to have substantially elevated risk for rectal SCC. As for anal SCC, rectal SCC risk was highest in MSM, pointing to involvement of a sexually transmitted infection such as human papillomavirus. Site misclassification was present, and detailed information on tumor location is needed to prove that rectal SCC is a distinct entity. PMID:26372482

Cancer among Scandinavian women with cosmetic breast implants: a pooled long-term follow-up study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lipworth, Loren; Tarone, Robert E; Friis, Søren; Ye, Weimin; Olsen, Jørgen H; Nyren, Olof; McLaughlin, Joseph K

2009-01-15

No increased risks of specific types of cancer following breast implantation have been consistently reported, but data on risk beyond 15 years are limited. We have pooled the results of 2 nationwide cohort studies of 3,486 Swedish and 2,736 Danish women who underwent cosmetic breast implantation between 1965 and 1993. Cancer incidence through 2002 was ascertained through nationwide cancer registries. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to compare cancer incidence among women with implants with women in the general population. Mean duration of follow up was 16.6 years (range 0.1-37.8 years). Over 50% of women were followed for 15 years or more after breast implantation and 13.3% for at least 25 years. There was a reduced incidence of breast cancer (SIR=0.73; 95% CI 0.58-0.90), whereas lung cancer was above expectation (SIR=1.64; 95% CI 1.10-2.36). The increased risk of lung cancer is expected due to the high prevalence of smoking among the women with implants in our study. With respect to other site-specific cancers, no significantly increased or decreased SIR was observed. This study, which includes women followed for almost 4 decades, represents the longest follow up of women with cosmetic breast implants to date. The results provide no evidence of an association between breast implants and any type of cancer. Copyright (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Invasive extramammary Paget's disease and the risk for secondary tumours in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Zwan, J M; Siesling, S; Blokx, W A M; Pierie, J P E N; Capocaccia, R

2012-03-01

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and survival of Extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) and to describe the possible increased risk of tumours after EMPD. All invasive cases diagnosed between 1990 and 2002 were selected from the RARECARE database. Incidence was expressed in European standardized rates. Relative survival was calculated for the period 1995-1999, with a follow-up until 31st December 2003. Standardized incidence ratios of second primary tumours were calculated to reveal possible increased risk after EMPD. European age standardized Incidence of EMPD within Europe is 0.6 per 1000,000 person years. Five-year relative survival for invasive EMPD was 91.2% (95%CI; 83.5-95.4), 8.6 percent of the EMPD patients developed other malignancies. The highest increased risk of developing a second primary tumour was found in the first year of follow-up (SIR:2.0 95%CI; 1.3-2.9), living in the South European region (SIR:2.3 95%CI; 1.5-3.5) or being female (SIR:1.5 95%CI; 1.1-1.9). Female genital organs displayed greatest increased risk of developing a second primary tumour after EMPD (SIR:15,1 95%CI; 0.38-84.23). Due to the increased risk of a second primary tumour after EMPD a thorough search for other tumours during their follow-up is recommended. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Sir Harold Ridley--the creator of modern cataract surgery].

Science.gov (United States)

Obuchowska, Iwona; Mariak, Zofia

2005-01-01

In February 2000, the worldwide ophthalmology community celebrated the 50th anniversary of one of the twentieth century's most important innovations in eye care--the implantation of the first intraocular lens after cataract extraction by Sir Harold Ridley. It was the initiation of a golden age for the development of ophthalmology, especially cataract surgery. In our paper we would like to remember this outstanding English ophthalmologist and his great invention.

Sir Peter Medawar: science, creativity and the popularization of Karl Popper

Science.gov (United States)

Calver, Neil

2013-01-01

Sir Peter Medawar was respected by scientists and literati alike. It was perhaps not surprising, then, that he would choose to involve himself in the ‘two cultures’ debate of 1959 and beyond. The focus of his intervention was the philosophy of Sir Karl Popper. However, Medawar's Popper was not the guru of falsification familiar from philosophy textbooks. Medawar's distinctive interpretation of Popper treated him instead as the source of insights into the role of creativity and imagination in scientific inquiry. This paper traces the context for Medawar's adoption of Popperian philosophy, together with its application before the debate. It then examines, within the context of the debate itself, the way in which Medawar attempted to reconcile scientific inquiry with literary practice. Medawar became increasingly convinced that not only was induction epistemologically unsound, but it was also damaging to the public role of the scientist. His construction of Popperianism would, he envisaged, provide a worthy alternative for scientists’ self-image.

Low sensitivity of qSOFA, SIRS criteria and sepsis definition to identify infected patients at risk of complication in the prehospital setting and at the emergency department triage.

Science.gov (United States)

Tusgul, Selin; Carron, Pierre-Nicolas; Yersin, Bertrand; Calandra, Thierry; Dami, Fabrice

2017-11-03

Sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a host response to infection. The quick SOFA (qSOFA) score has been recently proposed as a new bedside clinical score to identify patients with suspected infection at risk of complication (intensive care unit (ICU) admission, in-hospital mortality). The aim of this study was to measure the sensitivity of the qSOFA score, SIRS criteria and sepsis definitions to identify the most serious sepsis cases in the prehospital setting and at the emergency department (ED) triage. We performed a retrospective study of all patients transported by emergency medical services (EMS) to the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) over twelve months. All patients with a suspected or proven infection after the ED workup were included. We retrospectively analysed the sensitivity of the qSOFA score (≥2 criteria), SIRS criteria (≥2 clinical criteria) and sepsis definition (SIRS criteria + one sign of organ dysfunction or hypoperfusion) in the pre-hospital setting and at the ED triage as predictors of ICU admission, ICU stay of ≥3 days and early (i.e. 48 h) mortality. No direct comparison between the three tools was attempted. Among 11,411 patients transported to the University hospital, 886 (7.8%) were included. In the pre-hospital setting, the sensitivity of qSOFA reached 36.3% for ICU admission, 17.4% for ICU stay of three days or more and 68.0% for 48 h mortality. The sensitivity of SIRS criteria reached 68.8% for ICU admission, 74.6% for ICU stay of three days or more and 64.0% for 48 h mortality. The sensitivity of sepsis definition did not reach 60% for any outcome. At ED triage, the sensitivity of qSOFA reached 31.2% for ICU admission, 30.5% for ICU stay of ≥3 days and 60.0% for mortality at 48 h. The sensitivity of SIRS criteria reached 58.8% for ICU admission, 57.6% for ICU stay of ≥3 days 80.0% for mortality at 48 h. The sensitivity of sepsis definition reached 60.0% for 48 h mortality. Incidence

Sir James Paget: Paget's disease of the nipple, Paget's disease of bone.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellis, Harold

2013-04-01

Sir James Paget was one of the 'great' Victorians. Eminent as a surgeon, pathologist and teacher, his nobility of character and application to his work made him a leader in his profession in that age of great men.

Risk for cancer in a cohort of patients hospitalized for schizophrenia in Denmark, 1969-1993

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dalton, Susanne Oksbjerg; Mellemkjær, Lene; Thomassen, L.

2005-01-01

with national incidence rates, adjusted for sex, age and calendar time. The risk for cancer was increased for both men and women during the first year of follow-up. When the first year of follow-up was excluded, the risk for all tobacco-associated cancers and for prostate and rectal cancers was reduced for male...... patients with schizophrenia. The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of lung cancer was marginally reduced (SIR, 0.86; 95% CI: 0.65, 1.02) for male patients with schizophrenia; this was due, however, to a reduction in risk for older patients. An increased risk for breast cancer found for female patients...... with schizophrenia (SIR, 1.20; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.38) should be interpreted with caution, given the high proportion of nulliparous women with schizophrenia in Denmark. The data might support reduced risks for prostate and rectal cancer among male patients with schizophrenia, whereas a changing smoking pattern might...

A Possible Source For Sir Thomas More’s ‘Mountainish Inhumanity’

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steenbergh, Kristine

2017-01-01

Shakespeare’s authorship of a scene in Sir Thomas More has been established as highly probable on the basis of an analysis of the handwriting, vocabulary, and collocations stylistics. His addition to the play was long believed to have been written soon after publication of the original play, in

Incidence of lung cancer among subway drivers in Stockholm.

Science.gov (United States)

Gustavsson, Per; Bigert, Carolina; Pollán, Marina

2008-07-01

Very high levels of airborne particles have been detected in the subway system in Stockholm. Subway particles are more toxic to DNA in cultured human lung cells than particles from ambient air. This cohort comprised all men in Stockholm County who were gainfully employed in 1970. They were followed for cancer incidence until 1989. Lung cancer cases were identified from the national cancer register. Subway drivers were identified from the census in 1970. The reference cohort comprised all transport and communication workers in Stockholm. There were nine cases of lung cancer among the subway drivers, giving a SIR of 0.82 (95% confidence interval 0.38-1.56). The lung cancer incidence was not increased among the subway drivers. The study gives some evidence against the hypothesis that subway particles would be more potent in inducing lung cancer than particles in ambient air. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Infradiaphragmatic irradiation and high procarbazine doses increase colorectal cancer risk in Hodgkin lymphoma survivors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van Eggermond, Anna M; Schaapveld, Michael; Janus, Cécile Pm

2017-01-01

incidence ratios (SIR) was 2.4-fold increased (95% confidence interval (95%CI) 1.8-3.2), leading to 5.7 excess cases per 10 000 patient-years. Risk was still increased 30 years after HL treatment (SIR: 2.8; 95%CI: 1.6-4.6). The highest (SIR: 6.5, 95%CI: 3.3-11.3) was seen for transverse colon cancer (15......BACKGROUND: Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survivors are at increased risk of second malignancies, but few studies have assessed colorectal cancer (CRC) risk after HL treatment. We assessed long-term, subsite-specific CRC risk associated with specific radiation fields and chemotherapy regimens. METHODS...... a hazard ratio of 6.8 (95%CI: 3.0-15.6) compared with patients receiving neither treatment, which is significantly higher than an additive joint effect (Padditivity=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Colorectal cancer surveillance should be considered for HL survivors who received Infradiaphragmatic radiotherapy...

Sir Victor Horsley (1857-1916): pioneer of neurological surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Tze-Ching; Black, Peter McL

2002-03-01

Immortalized in surgical history for the introduction of "antiseptic wax," Sir Victor Horsley played a pivotal role in shaping the face of standard neurosurgical practice. His contributions include the first laminectomy for spinal neoplasm, the first carotid ligation for cerebral aneurysm, the curved skin flap, the transcranial approach to the pituitary gland, intradural division of the trigeminal nerve root for trigeminal neuralgia, and surface marking of the cerebral cortex. A tireless scientist, he was a significant player in discovering the cure for myxedema, the eradication of rabies from England, and the invention of the Horsley-Clarke stereotactic frame. As a pathologist, Horsley performed research on bacteria and edema and founded the Journal of Pathology. Horsley's kindness, humility, and generous spirit endeared him to patients, colleagues, and students. Born to privilege, he was nonetheless dedicated to improving the lot of the common man and directed his efforts toward the suffrage of women, medical reform, and free health care for the working class. Knighted in 1902 for his many contributions to medicine, Sir Victor met an untimely death during World War I from heat stroke at the age of 59. An iconoclast of keen intellect, unlimited energy, and consummate skill, his life and work justify his epitaph as a "pioneer of neurological surgery."

Sir William Osler's speech at Troy: a Trojan horse?

Science.gov (United States)

Moran, Michael E

2012-01-01

Troy, New York, is a city of 55,000 people in upstate New York located along the Hudson River. A city of surprisingly rich cultural heritage, it was the home of New York state's first hospital outside New York City. The 50th anniversary celebration of Troy's hospital brought William Osler to the city as the keynote speaker. This speech, delivered on November 28, 1900, is one of Sir William's less well known addresses. Osler began his comments with Sir Thomas More's Utopia and talked at length about the hospital, its obligations, the influences it has upon the community, and the role of physicians and surgeons. He broached one of his old saws, the salary of attending physicians and their needed role in hospital management. His words were published in the diamond jubilee's records, but the hospital did not outlive its prominent guest professor, and it closed its doors in 1914. Just like the great historical city of Troy, New York's own Troy was on the brink of decline, and its hospital would be the first fatality. Therefore, it is almost prescient that the words of Osler, taken into historical context juxtaposed against the socioeconomic forces at work, are akin to the Greek's offering of a wooden edifice to end the Trojan War.

Risk of Colorectal Cancer and Associated Mortality in HIV: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

OʼNeill, Tyler J; Nguemo, Joseph D; Tynan, Anne-Marie; Burchell, Ann N; Antoniou, Tony

2017-08-01

As people with HIV live longer, the numbers of colorectal cancer cases are expected to increase. We sought to compare the colorectal cancer incidence and cause-specific mortality among people living with and without HIV. Systematic review and meta-analysis. We searched 5 electronic databases up to June 28, 2016, for primary studies reporting standardized incidence ratios (SIRs), standardized mortality ratios (SMRs)/hazard ratios or data sufficient for estimating these summary measures. We performed a random effects pooled analysis to estimate SIR and SMR of colorectal cancer in HIV. Of 8110 articles, we included 27 studies from North America (n = 18), Europe (n = 7), the Pacific region (n = 4), and South America (n = 1). Overall, 1660 cases of colorectal cancer and colon cancer (excluding rectal cancer) occurred among 1,696,070 persons with HIV. In pooled analysis, we found no summary risk of malignancy among those with HIV relative to an uninfected population (SIR 1.00; 95% confidence interval 0.82 to 1.22; I = 89.2%). Colorectal cancer-specific mortality was higher among people with HIV but did not reach statistical significance (SMR 2.09; 95% confidence interval: 1.00 to 4.40; I = 85.0%). Rates of colorectal cancer are similar between people with and without HIV. Existing screening guidelines are likely adequate for people with HIV.

Increased risk of stomach and esophageal malignancies in people with AIDS.

Science.gov (United States)

Persson, E Christina; Shiels, Meredith S; Dawsey, Sanford M; Bhatia, Kishor; Anderson, Lesley A; Engels, Eric A

2012-10-01

People infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have an increased risk of some malignancies, but little is known about the effects of infection on risk of cancers of the upper gastrointestinal tract. We evaluated the risks of different histologic and anatomic subtypes of carcinomas and non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) of the stomach and esophagus in people with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). We analyzed data from the HIV/AIDS Cancer Match Study, which links data collected from 1980 to 2007 for 16 US population-based HIV and AIDS and cancer registries. We compared risks of stomach and esophageal malignancies in people with AIDS (N = 596,955) with those of the general population using standardized incidence ratios (SIRs). We assessed calendar trends using Poisson regression. People with AIDS had increased risks of carcinomas of the esophagus (SIR, 1.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.37-2.07; n = 95) and stomach (SIR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.17-1.76; n = 96). Risk was increased for esophageal adenocarcinoma (SIR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.31-2.70) and squamous cell carcinoma (SIR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.10-1.92). People with AIDS had greater risks of carcinomas of the gastric cardia (SIR, 1.36; 95% CI, 0.83-2.11) and noncardia (SIR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.12-2.05) than the general population. Although most stomach and esophageal NHLs that developed in people with AIDS were diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, these individuals also had an increased risk of stomach mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (SIR, 5.99; 95% CI, 3.19-10.2; n = 13). The incidence of carcinomas remained fairly constant over time, but rates of NHL decreased from 1980 to 2007 (P(trend) AIDS are at increased risk for developing esophageal and stomach carcinomas and NHLs. Although the incidence of NHL decreased from 1980 to 2007 as treatments for HIV infection improved, HIV-infected individuals face continued risks of esophageal and stomach carcinomas. Copyright © 2012 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc

Sir John and Lady Rita Cornforth: a distinguished chemical partnership.

Science.gov (United States)

Purchase, Rupert; Hanson, James R

2015-01-01

This review describes the life of Sir John Cornforth AC CBE FRS, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1975. It covers his early life in Australia, his work in Oxford, the National Institute for Medical Research, the Milstead Laboratory of Chemical Enzymology and the University of Sussex, together with the contributions made by his wife, Lady Rita Cornforth.

The use of multifrequency and polarimetric SIR-C/X-SAR data in geologic studies of Bir Safsaf, Egypt

Science.gov (United States)

Schaber, G.G.; McCauley, J.F.; Breed, C.S.

1997-01-01

Bir Safsaf, within the hyperarid 'core' of the Sahara in the Western Desert of Egypt, was recognized following the SIR-A and SIR-B missions in the 1980s as one of the key localities in northeast Africa, where penetration of dry sand by radar signals delineates previously unknown, sand-buried paleodrainage valleys ('radar-rivers') of middle Tertiary to Quaternary age. The Bir Safsaf area was targeted as a focal point for further research in sand penetration and geologic mapping using the multifrequency and polarimetric SIR-C/X-SAR sensors. Analysis of the SIR-C/X-SAR data from Bir Safsaf provides important new information on the roles of multiple SAR frequency and polarimetry in portraying specific types of geologic units, materials, and structures mostly hidden from view on the ground and on Landsat TM images by a relatively thin, but extensive blanket of blow sand. Basement rock units (granitoids and gneisses) and the fractures associated with them at Bir Safsaf are shown here for the first time to be clearly delineated using C- and L-band SAR images. The detectability of most geologic features is dependent primarily on radar frequency, as shown for wind erosion patterns in bedrock at X-band (3 cm wavelength), and for geologic units and sand and clay-filled fractures in weathered crystal-line basement rocks at C-band (6 cm) and L-band (24 cm). By contrast, Quaternary paleodrainage channels are detectable at all three radar frequencies owing, among other things, to an usually thin cover of blow sand. The SIR-C/X-SAR data investigated to date enable us to make specific recommendations about the utility of certain radar sensor configurations for geologic and paleoenvironmental reconnaissance in desert regions.Analysis of the shuttle imaging radar-C/X-synthetic aperture radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) data from Bir Safsaf provides important new information on the roles of multiple SAR frequency and polarimetry in portraying specific types of geologic units, materials, and

Mammalian Sir2 homolog SIRT3 regulates global mitochondrial lysine acetylation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lombard, David B; Alt, Frederick W; Cheng, Hwei-Ling

2007-01-01

Homologs of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sir2 protein, sirtuins, promote longevity in many organisms. Studies of the sirtuin SIRT3 have so far been limited to cell culture systems. Here, we investigate the localization and function of SIRT3 in vivo. We show that endogenous mouse SIRT3 is a solubl...

[Aging and influence of inversion of the CD4:CD8 ratio in the incidence of co-morbidities and mortality in a cohort of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus].

Science.gov (United States)

Cervero, Miguel; Torres, Rafael; Agud, Jose Luis; Pastor, Susana; Jusdado, Juan José

2016-03-04

It has been postulated that the inversion of the CD4:CD8 ratio as a hallmark of immunosenescence can be an independent factor that can herald the risk of co-morbidities. We studied the influence of aging and inversion of the CD4:CD8 ratio in the incidence of comorbidities and mortality in the cohort of Hosptital Severo Ochoa. We analyzed the differences in the incidence rates of age-adjusted morbidities and evaluated the inversion of the CD4:CD8 ratio as predictor of mortality and development of comorbidities. Age was associated with an increased incidence rate of diabetes mellitus, fractures, COPD and non-AIDS malignancies. We found an increased incidence rate of non-AIDS clinical events (OR 2.25; 95% CI 1.025-4.94) and AIDS events (OR 3.48; 95% CI 1.58-7.64) in individuals with CD4:CD8 ratio<0.7. Moreover, patients with a CD4:CD8 ratio<0.7 ratio had a higher risk of mortality (OR 5.96; 95% CI 0.73 to 48.40). It is important to detect and prevent non-AIDS comorbidities in the presence of a CD4:CD8 ratio<0.7. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

[Preoperative preparation, antibiotic prophylaxis and surgical wound infection in breast surgery].

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Caravaca, Gil; de las Casas-Cámara, Gonzalo; Pita-López, María José; Robustillo-Rodela, Ana; Díaz-Agero, Cristina; Monge-Jodrá, Vicente; Fereres, José

2011-01-01

The impact of surgical wound infection on public health justifies its surveillance and prevention. Our objectives were to estimate the incidence of surgical wound infection in breast procedures and assess its protocol of antibiotic prophylaxis and preoperative preparation. Observational multicentre prospective cohort study of incidence of surgical wound infection. Incidence was evaluated, stratified by National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance (NNIS) risk index and we calculated the standardized incidence ratio (SIR). The SIR was compared with Spanish rates and U.S. rates. The compliance and performance of the antibiotic prophylaxis and preoperative preparation protocol were assessed and their influence in the incidence of infection with the relative risk. Ten hospitals from the Comunidad de Madrid were included, providing 592 procedures. The cumulative incidence of surgical wound infection was 3.89% (95% CI: 2.3-5.5). The SIR was 1.82 on the Spanish rate and 2.16 on the American. Antibiotic prophylaxis was applied in 97.81% of cases, when indicated. The overall performance of antibiotic prophylaxis was 75%, and 53% for preoperative preparation. No association was found between infection and performance of prophylaxis or preoperative preparation (P>.05). Our incidence is within those seen in the literature although it is somewhat higher than the national surveillance programs. The performance of prophylaxis antibiotic must be improved, as well as the recording of preoperative preparation data. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

The risk of melanoma in airline pilots and cabin crew: a meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanlorenzo, Martina; Wehner, Mackenzie R; Linos, Eleni; Kornak, John; Kainz, Wolfgang; Posch, Christian; Vujic, Igor; Johnston, Katia; Gho, Deborah; Monico, Gabriela; McGrath, James T; Osella-Abate, Simona; Quaglino, Pietro; Cleaver, James E; Ortiz-Urda, Susana

2015-01-01

Airline pilots and cabin crew are occupationally exposed to higher levels of cosmic and UV radiation than the general population, but their risk of developing melanoma is not yet established. To assess the risk of melanoma in pilots and airline crew. PubMed (1966 to October 30, 2013), Web of Science (1898 to January 27, 2014), and Scopus (1823 to January 27, 2014). All studies were included that reported a standardized incidence ratio (SIR), standardized mortality ratio (SMR), or data on expected and observed cases of melanoma or death caused by melanoma that could be used to calculate an SIR or SMR in any flight-based occupation. Primary random-effect meta-analyses were used to summarize SIR and SMR for melanoma in any flight-based occupation. Heterogeneity was assessed using the χ2 test and I2 statistic. To assess the potential bias of small studies, we used funnel plots, the Begg rank correlation test, and the Egger weighted linear regression test. Summary SIR and SMR of melanoma in pilots and cabin crew. Of the 3527 citations retrieved, 19 studies were included, with more than 266 431 participants. The overall summary SIR of participants in any flight-based occupation was 2.21 (95% CI, 1.76-2.77; P < .001; 14 records). The summary SIR for pilots was 2.22 (95% CI, 1.67-2.93; P = .001; 12 records). The summary SIR for cabin crew was 2.09 (95% CI, 1.67-2.62; P = .45; 2 records). The overall summary SMR of participants in any flight-based occupation was 1.42 (95% CI, 0.89-2.26; P = .002; 6 records). The summary SMR for pilots was 1.83 (95% CI, 1.27-2.63, P = .33; 4 records). The summary SMR for cabin crew was 0.90 (95% CI, 0.80-1.01; P = .97; 2 records). Pilots and cabin crew have approximately twice the incidence of melanoma compared with the general population. Further research on mechanisms and optimal occupational protection is needed.

Sir Rudolf Peierls Selected private and scientific correspondence

CERN Document Server

Lee, Sabine

2007-01-01

This edition of the private and scientific correspondence of Sir Rudolf Peierls gives a unique insight into the life and work of one of the greatest theoretical physicists of the 20th century. Rudolf Peierls' scientific work contributed to the early developments in quantum mechanics, and he is well known and much appreciated for his contributions to various disciplines, including solid state physics, nuclear physics, and particle physics. As an enthusiastic and devoted teacher, he passed on his knowledge and understanding and inspired the work of collaborators and students alike. As an effecti

Incremental Predictive Value of Serum AST-to-ALT Ratio for Incident Metabolic Syndrome: The ARIRANG Study

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Song Vogue; Baik, Soon Koo; Cho, Youn zoo; Koh, Sang Baek; Huh, Ji Hye; Chang, Yoosoo; Sung, Ki-Chul; Kim, Jang Young

2016-01-01

Aims The ratio of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is of great interest as a possible novel marker of metabolic syndrome. However, longitudinal studies emphasizing the incremental predictive value of the AST-to-ALT ratio in diagnosing individuals at higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome are very scarce. Therefore, our study aimed to evaluate the AST-to-ALT ratio as an incremental predictor of new onset metabolic syndrome in a population-based cohort study. Material and Methods The population-based cohort study included 2276 adults (903 men and 1373 women) aged 40–70 years, who participated from 2005–2008 (baseline) without metabolic syndrome and were followed up from 2008–2011. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the harmonized definition of metabolic syndrome. Serum concentrations of AST and ALT were determined by enzymatic methods. Results During an average follow-up period of 2.6-years, 395 individuals (17.4%) developed metabolic syndrome. In a multivariable adjusted model, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for new onset of metabolic syndrome, comparing the fourth quartile to the first quartile of the AST-to-ALT ratio, was 0.598 (0.422–0.853). The AST-to-ALT ratio also improved the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for predicting new cases of metabolic syndrome (0.715 vs. 0.732, P = 0.004). The net reclassification improvement of prediction models including the AST-to-ALT ratio was 0.23 (95% CI: 0.124–0.337, Pmetabolic syndrome and had incremental predictive value for incident metabolic syndrome. PMID:27560931

MRI-based liver iron content determination at 3 T in regularly transfused patients by signal intensity ratio using an alternative analysis approach based on R{sub 2}* theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wunderlich, A.P. [Universitaetsklinikum Ulm (Germany). Section for Experimental Radiology; Cario, H. [Universitaetsklinik Ulm (Germany). Children' s Hospital; Bommer, M. [Alb-Fils-Clinics, Goeppingen (Germany). Hematology and Oncology Dept.; Beer, M.; Schmidt, S.A. [Universitaetsklinikum Ulm (Germany). Dept. for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology; Juchems, M.S. [Klinikum Konstanz (Germany). Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology

2016-09-15

To evaluate the feasibility of addressing liver iron content (LIC) in regularly transfused patients by MR imaging at 3 T based on the signal intensity ratio (SIR). An innovative data analysis approach was developed for this purpose. 47 consecutive examinations of regularly transfused patients were included. In all cases, we expected high LIC levels. Patients were scanned with MRI at 3 T with multi-echo gradient echo sequences (GRE) at four different flip angles between 20 and 90 with echo times (TE) ranging from 0.9 to 9.8 ms. Spin-echo protocols were acquired to determine the LIC with a reference MRI method working at 1.5 T. 3 T GRE data were analyzed using the liver-to-muscle SIR. Since the method known for 1.5 T was not expected to be applicable for analyzing 3 T data, theoretic dependence of the SIR on the LIC was derived from the equation describing R{sub 2}* signal decay. Obtained SIR values were correlated to reference LIC to get a relation for calculating LIC from SIR quantities. LIC values and their uncertainties were determined from GRE data and correlated to LIC reference values. For two LIC thresholds, the diagnostic accuracy was determined. LIC was reliably determined from SIR in our patient cohort even for large LIC values. Median of LIC uncertainties was 10%, and the diagnostic accuracy was 0.92 and 0.91, respectively. Determination of even high LIC, resulting in small SIR values, is feasible at 3 T using appropriate SIR analysis.

Application of Homotopy Perturbation and Variational Iteration Methods to SIR Epidemic Model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ghotbi, Abdoul R.; Barari, Amin; Omidvar, M.

2011-01-01

effective strategy against childhood diseases, the development of the framework that would predict the optimal vaccine coverage level needed to prevent the spread of diseases is crucial. The SIR model is a standard compartmental model that has been used to describe many epidemiological diseases...

Sir Victor Horsley: pioneer craniopharyngioma surgeon.

Science.gov (United States)

Pascual, José M; Prieto, Ruth; Mazzarello, Paolo

2015-07-01

Sir Victor Horsley (1857-1916) is considered to be the pioneer of pituitary surgery. He is known to have performed the first surgical operation on the pituitary gland in 1889, and in 1906 he stated that he had operated on 10 patients with pituitary tumors. He did not publish the details of these procedures nor did he provide evidence of the pathology of the pituitary lesions operated on. Four of the patients underwent surgery at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (Queen Square, London), and the records of those cases were recently retrieved and analyzed by members of the hospital staff. The remaining cases corresponded to private operations whose records were presumably kept in Horsley's personal notebooks, most of which have been lost. In this paper, the authors have investigated the only scientific monograph providing a complete account of the pituitary surgeries that Horsley performed in his private practice, La Patologia Chirurgica dell'Ipofisi (Surgical Pathology of the Hypophysis), written in 1911 by Giovanni Verga, Italian assistant professor of anatomy at the University of Pavia. They have traced the life and work of this little-known physician who contributed to the preservation of Horsley's legacy in pituitary surgery. Within Verga's pituitary treatise, a full transcription of Horsley's notes is provided for 10 pituitary cases, including the patients' clinical symptoms, surgical techniques employed, intraoperative findings, and the outcome of surgery. The descriptions of the topographical and macroscopic features of two of the lesions correspond unmistakably to the features of craniopharyngiomas, one of the squamous-papillary type and one of the adamantinomatous type. The former lesion was found on necropsy after the patient's sudden death following a temporal osteoplastic craniectomy. Surgical removal of the lesion in the latter case, with the assumed nature of an adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma, was successful. According to the

A buoyancy-based screen of Drosophila larvae for fat-storage mutants reveals a role for Sir2 in coupling fat storage to nutrient availability.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tânia Reis

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Obesity has a strong genetic component, but few of the genes that predispose to obesity are known. Genetic screens in invertebrates have the potential to identify genes and pathways that regulate the levels of stored fat, many of which are likely to be conserved in humans. To facilitate such screens, we have developed a simple buoyancy-based screening method for identifying mutant Drosophila larvae with increased levels of stored fat. Using this approach, we have identified 66 genes that when mutated increase organismal fat levels. Among these was a sirtuin family member, Sir2. Sirtuins regulate the storage and metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids by deacetylating key regulatory proteins. However, since mammalian sirtuins function in many tissues in different ways, it has been difficult to define their role in energy homeostasis accurately under normal feeding conditions. We show that knockdown of Sir2 in the larval fat body results in increased fat levels. Moreover, using genetic mosaics, we demonstrate that Sir2 restricts fat accumulation in individual cells of the fat body in a cell-autonomous manner. Consistent with this function, changes in the expression of metabolic enzymes in Sir2 mutants point to a shift away from catabolism. Surprisingly, although Sir2 is typically upregulated under conditions of starvation, Sir2 mutant larvae survive better than wild type under conditions of amino-acid starvation as long as sugars are provided. Our findings point to a Sir2-mediated pathway that activates a catabolic response to amino-acid starvation irrespective of the sugar content of the diet.

Mitochondrial dysfunction and risk of cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, M; Melbye, M; Diaz, L J

2015-01-01

matrilineal relatives to a cohort member with a genetically confirmed maternally inherited mDNA mutation. Information on cancer was obtained by linkage to the Danish Cancer Register. Standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) were used to assess the relative risk of cancer. RESULTS: During 7334 person......-years of follow-up, 19 subjects developed a primary cancer. The corresponding SIR for any primary cancer was 1.06 (95% confidence interval 0.68-1.63). Subgroup analyses according to mutational subtype yielded similar results, for example, a SIR of 0.94 (95% CI 0.53 to 1.67) for the m.3243A>G maternally inherited...... mDNA mutation, cases=13. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with mitochondrial dysfunction do not appear to be at increased risk of cancer compared with the general population....

Bladder cancer in cancer patients: population-based estimates from a large Swedish study

OpenAIRE

Bermejo, J Lorenzo; Sundquist, J; Hemminki, K

2009-01-01

Background: This study quantified the risk of urinary bladder neoplasms in cancer patients taking into account the age at first diagnosis, the gender of the patients and the lead time between diagnoses. Methods: We used standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) to compare the incidence of bladder tumours in 967?767 cancer patients with the incidence rate in the general Swedish population. A total of 3324 male and 1560 female patients developed bladder tumours at least 1 year after first cancer dia...

Endometriosis and risks for ovarian, endometrial and breast cancers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mogensen, Julie Brøchner; Kjær, Susanne K.; Mellemkjær, Lene

2016-01-01

Objective A growing body of evidence suggests that endometriosis increases the risk for ovarian cancer, but it is less well studied whether the excess risk is confined to certain histotypes. Furthermore, it is not fully resolved if endometriosis is associated with endometrial- and breast cancer....... The aim was to study overall- and histotype-specific risks for these hormone-dependent cancers in women with endometriosis. Methods In the Danish National Patient Register, we identified 45,790 women with a clinical diagnosis of endometriosis during 1977–2012. We linked the cohort to the Danish Cancer...... Register and calculated standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results Endometriosis was associated with increased risks for ovarian cancer (SIR 1.34; 95% CI: 1.16–1.55), due primarily to endometrioid (SIR 1.64; 95% CI: 1.09–2.37) and clear-cell types (SIR 3...

The colorectal cancer mortality-to-incidence ratio as an indicator of global cancer screening and care.

Science.gov (United States)

Sunkara, Vasu; Hébert, James R

2015-05-15

Disparities in cancer screening, incidence, treatment, and survival are worsening globally. The mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) has been used previously to evaluate such disparities. The MIR for colorectal cancer is calculated for all Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries using the 2012 GLOBOCAN incidence and mortality statistics. Health system rankings were obtained from the World Health Organization. Two linear regression models were fit with the MIR as the dependent variable and health system ranking as the independent variable; one included all countries and one model had the "divergents" removed. The regression model for all countries explained 24% of the total variance in the MIR. Nine countries were found to have regression-calculated MIRs that differed from the actual MIR by >20%. Countries with lower-than-expected MIRs were found to have strong national health systems characterized by formal colorectal cancer screening programs. Conversely, countries with higher-than-expected MIRs lack screening programs. When these divergent points were removed from the data set, the recalculated regression model explained 60% of the total variance in the MIR. The MIR proved useful for identifying disparities in cancer screening and treatment internationally. It has potential as an indicator of the long-term success of cancer surveillance programs and may be extended to other cancer types for these purposes. © 2015 American Cancer Society.

May thrombopoietin be a useful marker of sepsis severity assessment in patients with SIRS entering the emergency department?

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Segre, Elisabetta; Pigozzi, Luca; Lison, Davide; Pivetta, Emanuele; Bosco, Ornella; Vizio, Barbara; Suppo, Umberto; Turvani, Fabrizio; Morello, Fulvio; Battista, Stefania; Moiraghi, Corrado; Montrucchio, Giuseppe; Lupia, Enrico

2014-10-01

Thrombopoietin (TPO), a growth factor primarily involved in regulating thrombopoiesis, has been recently implicated in the pathogenesis of sepsis. TPO levels are, indeed, greatly increased in patients with sepsis compared to control subjects, and correlate with sepsis severity. The aim of this study was to evaluate TPO as predictive biomarker of sepsis and of sepsis severity in patients entering the emergency department (ED) with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). This was a prospective observational study. Ours is a sub-study of the 'Need-speed trial', a multi-center observational study involving six Italian centers affiliated to the GREAT Italian Network. TPO was measured by ELISA. We enrolled 13 patients with SIRS (6 with acute pancreatitis, 3 with acute heart failure, 1 with pulmonary embolism, and 3 with allergic reactions), and 40 patients with sepsis, eight of whom had severe sepsis and three septic shock. TPO was significantly higher in patients with sepsis than with SIRS. In addition, TPO was higher in patients with severe sepsis than with sepsis, and in patients with septic shock than with severe sepsis, although these differences did not reach the statistical significance. Our preliminary results suggest that TPO may have the potential to be considered a promising early biomarker for both the diagnosis of sepsis and the assessment of sepsis severity in patients with SIRS entering the ED.

Agro-transformation and evaluation of resistance to Phytophthora infestansin Solanum tuberosumL. variety Désirée

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Jeanette Orbegozo

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The Oomycete Phytophthora infestans (Mont. de Bary, the causal agent of the disease known as late blight, is primarily responsible for the decreased in production performance and potato crops worldwide. The integration of the complete Rgenes sequences in the potato genome using Agro-transformation appears an alternative to be considered in the fight against this pathogen. The Rpi-blb2 gene (Rgene from the wild species Solanum bulbocastanumDunal shows a broad resistance to isolates ofP. infestans,making it an important candidate for plant breeding studies. This paper reports the integration of the Rpi-blb2gene into potato var. Désirée genome by Agrobacterium tumefaciens- mediated transformation system, the molecular characterization of 29 events transformed and whole plant infection with isolate POX67 of P. infestansfrom Peru. Désirée events [Rpi-blb2] 4 and Désirée [Rpi-blb2] 30, showed a substantial resistance to P. infestansinfection confirming complete transfer of the Rpi-blb2gene from a wild species to a cultivated species by genetic transformation.

Risk of cancer among women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a Danish cohort study.

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Gottschau, Mathilde; Kjaer, Susanne Krüger; Jensen, Allan; Munk, Christian; Mellemkjaer, Lene

2015-01-01

To assess the association between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and cancer, especially of the endometrium, breast and ovary. The Danish National Patient Register was used to identify 12,070 in- and outpatients in whom PCOS was diagnosed when they were aged 9-49 years during 1977-2012. Using the Danish Cancer Registry, we followed the cohort through 2012 and compared the women's cancer incidence with that of the general Danish female population by means of standardized incidence ratios (SIRs). Cancer was diagnosed in 279 women with PCOS (SIR = 1.19; 95% CI = 1.06-1.34). We found an almost fourfold increased risk for endometrial cancer (numbers observed (N) = 16, SIR = 3.9; 95% CI = 2.2-6.3), the large majority of cases being type 1 (N = 14, SIR = 4.7; 95% CI = 2.6-7.9). We found no association between PCOS and breast (N = 59, SIR = 1.1; 95% CI = 0.8-1.4) or ovarian cancer (N = 10, SIR = 1.8; 95% CI = 0.8-3.2); however, significantly increased risks were found for kidney, colon and brain cancers. The results of this large cohort study support those of case-control studies showing that women with PCOS are at increased risk for endometrial cancer, whereas their risks for breast and ovarian cancer are similar to those of women in the general population. Our finding that women with PCOS also are at increased risk for cancers of the kidney, colon and brain requires further study. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hepatitis C virus infection and risk of cancer: a population-based cohort study

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Lars Haukali Omland

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Lars Haukali Omland1, Dora Körmendiné Farkas2, Peter Jepsen2,3, Niels Obel1, Lars Pedersen21Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Denmark; 2Department of Clinical Epidemiology, 3Department of Medicine V (Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Aarhus University Hospital, DenmarkBackground: Hepatitis C virus (HCV infection is associated with an increased risk of primary liver cancer; however, 5- and 10-year risk estimates are needed. The association of HCV with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL is uncertain and the association with other cancers is unknown.Method: We conducted a nationwide, population-based cohort study of 4,349 HCV-infected patients in Denmark, computing standardized incidence ratios (SIR of cancer incidence in HCV infected patients compared with cancer incidence of the general population. We calculated 5-and 10-year risks of developing cancer, stratifying our analyses based on the presence of HIV coinfection and cirrhosis.Results: We recorded an increased risk of primary liver cancer (SIR: 76.63 [95% CI: 51.69–109.40], NHL (SIR: 1.89 [95% CI: 0.39–5.52], and several smoking- and alcohol-related cancers in HCV infected patients without HIV coinfection. HCV-infected patients without HIV coinfection had a 6.3% (95% CI: 4.6%–8.7% risk of developing cancer and 2.0% (95% CI: 1.1%–3.8% risk of developing primary liver cancer within 10 years.Conclusion: We confirmed the association of HCV infection with primary liver cancer and NHL. We also observed an association between HCV infection and alcohol- and smoking-related cancers.Keywords: hepatitis C virus, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, standardized incidence ratio, cancer

Lymphohematopoietic cancer mortality and morbidity of workers in a refinery/petrochemical complex in Korea.

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Koh, Dong-Hee; Kim, Tae-Woo; Yoon, Yong-Hoon; Shin, Kyung-Seok; Yoo, Seung-Won

2011-03-01

The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to investigate the relationship between exposure of Korean workers to petrochemicals in the refinery/petrochemical industry and lymphohematopoietic cancers. The cohort consisted of 8,866 male workers who had worked from the 1960s to 2007 at one refinery and six petrochemical companies located in a refinery/petrochemical complex in Korea that produce benzene or use benzene as a raw material. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated for 1992-2007 and 1997-2005 based on the death rate and cancer incidence rate of the Korean male population according to job title (production, maintenance, laboratory, and office workers). The overall mortality and most cause-specific mortalities were lower among these workers than those of the general Korean population. Increased SMRs were observed for leukemia (4/1.45; SMR 2.77, 95% CI: 0.75-7.09) and lymphohematopoietic cancers (5/2.51; SMR 2, 95% CI: 0.65-4.66) in production workers, and increased SIRs were also observed in leukemia (3/1.34; SIR 2.24, 95% CI: 0.46-6.54) and lymphohematopoietic cancers (5/3.39; SIR 1.47, 95% CI: 0.48-3.44) in production workers, but the results were not statistically significant. The results showed a potential relationship between leukemia and lymphohematopoietic cancers and exposure to benzene in refinery/petrochemical complex workers. This study yielded limited results due to a short observational period; therefore, a follow-up study must be performed to elucidate the relationship between petrochemical exposure and cancer rates.

Sir William Mitchell (1925-2002)

CERN Multimedia

2002-01-01

Sir William (Bill) Mitchell, former President of the CERN Council, died on 30th October 2002 at the age of 77. Mitchell was professor of Physics at Oxford University from 1978 to 1989, having previously been Professor of Physics, Dean of Science and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Reading University. From 1985 to 1990 he was Chairman of the UK's Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC), which at the time was the funding agency for the UK's participation in the CERN programme. As Chairman, Mitchell was one of the UK representatives on the CERN Council, and in 1991 he was elected President, a position he held for three years. This was a difficult period for CERN. Financial problems were being faced in many member states, notably in Germany as a result of unification. This led to calls for reductions in the CERN budget and, more significantly, to requests for delays in consderation of future programmes. On the other hand for the future of CERN and the progress of elementary particle physics, it was necessary...

The optimal dynamic immunization under a controlled heterogeneous node-based SIRS model

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Yang, Lu-Xing; Draief, Moez; Yang, Xiaofan

2016-05-01

Dynamic immunizations, under which the state of the propagation network of electronic viruses can be changed by adjusting the control measures, are regarded as an alternative to static immunizations. This paper addresses the optimal dynamical immunization under the widely accepted SIRS assumption. First, based on a controlled heterogeneous node-based SIRS model, an optimal control problem capturing the optimal dynamical immunization is formulated. Second, the existence of an optimal dynamical immunization scheme is shown, and the corresponding optimality system is derived. Next, some numerical examples are given to show that an optimal immunization strategy can be worked out by numerically solving the optimality system, from which it is found that the network topology has a complex impact on the optimal immunization strategy. Finally, the difference between a payoff and the minimum payoff is estimated in terms of the deviation of the corresponding immunization strategy from the optimal immunization strategy. The proposed optimal immunization scheme is justified, because it can achieve a low level of infections at a low cost.

Serum uric acid to creatinine ratio: A predictor of incident chronic kidney disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with preserved kidney function.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Liubao; Huang, Liji; Wu, Haidi; Lou, Qinglin; Bian, Rongwen

2017-05-01

Serum uric acid has shown to be a predictor of renal disease progression in most but not all studies. This study aims to test whether renal function-normalized serum uric acid is superior to serum uric acid as the predictor of incident chronic kidney disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. In this study, 1339 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate ⩾60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 and normouricemia were included. Renal function-normalized serum uric acid was calculated using serum uric acid/creatinine. Cox regression analysis was used to estimate the association between serum uric acid, renal function-normalized serum uric acid and incident chronic kidney disease. In total, 74 (5.53%) patients developed to chronic kidney disease 3 or greater during a median follow-up of 4 years, with older ages, longer diabetes duration and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate at baseline. The decline rate of estimated glomerular filtration rate was positively correlated with serum uric acid/creatinine ( r = 0.219, p uric acid ( r = 0.005, p = 0.858). Moreover, multivariate analysis revealed that serum uric acid was not an independent risk factor for incident chronic kidney disease ( p = 0.055), whereas serum uric acid to creatinine ratio was significantly associated with incident chronic kidney disease independently of potential confounders including baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate. serum uric acid to creatinine ratio might be a better predictor of incident chronic kidney disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

Mutations that Allow SIR2 Orthologs to Function in a NAD+-Depleted Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Ondracek, Caitlin R; Frappier, Vincent; Ringel, Alison E; Wolberger, Cynthia; Guarente, Leonard

2017-03-07

Sirtuin enzymes depend on NAD + to catalyze protein deacetylation. Therefore, the lowering of NAD + during aging leads to decreased sirtuin activity and may speed up aging processes in laboratory animals and humans. In this study, we used a genetic screen to identify two mutations in the catalytic domain of yeast Sir2 that allow the enzyme to function in an NAD + -depleted environment. These mutant enzymes give rise to a significant increase of yeast replicative lifespan and increase deacetylation by the Sir2 ortholog, SIRT1, in mammalian cells. Our data suggest that these mutations increase the stability of the conserved catalytic sirtuin domain, thereby increasing the catalytic efficiency of the mutant enzymes. Our approach to identifying sirtuin mutants that permit function in NAD + -limited environments may inform the design of small molecules that can maintain sirtuin activity in aging organisms. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Threshold Dynamics of a Stochastic SIR Model with Vertical Transmission and Vaccination

OpenAIRE

Miao, Anqi; Zhang, Jian; Zhang, Tongqian; Pradeep, B. G. Sampath Aruna

2017-01-01

A stochastic SIR model with vertical transmission and vaccination is proposed and investigated in this paper. The threshold dynamics are explored when the noise is small. The conditions for the extinction or persistence of infectious diseases are deduced. Our results show that large noise can lead to the extinction of infectious diseases which is conducive to epidemic diseases control.

Incidence of Second Primary Malignancies Following Colorectal Cancer: A Distinct Pattern of Occurrence Between Colon and Rectal Cancers and Association of Co-Morbidity with Second Primary Malignancies in a Population-Based Cohort of 98,876 Patients in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Yu-Ting; Liu, Chia-Jen; Hu, Yu-Wen; Teng, Chung-Jen; Tzeng, Cheng-Hwai; Yeh, Chiu-Mei; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Lin, Jen-Kou; Lin, Chun-Chi; Lan, Yuan-Tzu; Wang, Huann-Sheng; Yang, Shung-Haur; Jiang, Jeng-Kai; Chen, Wei-Shone; Lin, Tzu-Chen; Chang, Shih-Ching; Chen, Ming-Huang; Teng, Hao-Wei; Liu, Jin-Hwang; Yen, Chueh-Chuan

2015-01-01

Abstract The purpose of this study is to determine the features of second primary malignancies (SPMs) among patients with prior colorectal cancer (CRC) using a nationwide population-based dataset. Patients with CRC newly diagnosed between 1996 and 2011, and >1 year of follow-up were recruited from the Taiwan National Health Insurance database. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of SPMs in patients with CRC were calculated. During the 16-year study period, 4259 SPMs developed among 98,876 CRC patients. The median duration of follow-up was 4.03 years. The SIR for all SPMs was 1.13 (95% confidence interval = 1.10–1.17). Compared with the general population, a higher incidence of thyroid, prostate, ovarian, and hematologic malignancies developed among patients with colon cancer, whereas the risk for bone and soft tissue cancers increased among patients with rectal cancer. The risk for breast, bladder, kidney, lung, and uterine cancers was significantly higher in patients with colon and rectal cancers than the general population. The risk for liver and biliary tract cancers declined in patients with rectal cancer. Based on multivariate analysis among patients with CRC, age ≥70 years, men, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cirrhosis, and dyslipidemia were independent predictors of an SPM. In conclusion, patients with CRC were at increased risk for a second cancer. The pattern of SPMs was distinct between patients with colon and rectal cancer. Age, men, COPD, cirrhosis, and dyslipidemia were independent risk factors for SPMs. Surveillance and education should be provided for survivors with respect to risk for SPMs. PMID:26131831

Risk of borderline ovarian tumors among women with benign ovarian tumors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guleria, Sonia; Jensen, Allan; Kjær, Susanne K

2018-01-01

tumors among women with a benign ovarian tumor. METHODS: This nationwide cohort study included all Danish women diagnosed with a benign ovarian tumor (n=139,466) during 1978-2012. The cohort was linked to the Danish Pathology Data Bank and standardized incidence ratios (SIR) with 95% confidence intervals...... (CI) were calculated. RESULTS: Women with benign ovarian tumors had increased risks for subsequent borderline ovarian tumors (SIR 1.62, 95% CI 1.43-1.82), and this applied to both serous (SIR 1.69, 95% CI 1.39-2.03) and mucinous (SIR 1.75, 95% CI 1.45-2.10) histotypes of borderline ovarian tumors....... The risk for borderline ovarian tumors was primarily increased for women diagnosed with a benign ovarian tumor before 40years of age. The risk remained increased up to 9years after a benign ovarian tumor diagnosis. Finally, the associations did not change markedly when analyzed for the different histotypes...

Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Small Bowel Cancer Risk, Clinical Characteristics, and Histopathology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bojesen, Rasmus Dahlin; Riis, Lene Buhl; Høgdall, Estrid

2017-01-01

descriptions, we identified 40 cases of IBD-SBC. Risk was calculated by standardized incidence ratio (SIR) (observed/expected); patient characteristics were derived from medical files, and surgery specimens were obtained from hospitals nationwide for histopathological and molecular analyses. RESULTS: During...... 241,620 person-years of follow-up, 23 patients with Crohn's disease developed small bowel adenocarcinoma (SIR, 14.38; 95% confidence interval, 8.78-22.20) and 9 developed neuroendocrine tumors (SIR, 6.83; 95% confidence interval, 3.13-12.97). No significantly increased risk of SBC was found among...... had evidence of microsatellite instability. CONCLUSIONS: In a population-based study of patients in Denmark with IBD and SBC, we found risk of adenocarcinomas and neuroendocrine tumors to be increased among persons with Crohn's disease. Most patients with IBD-SBC had extensive IBD of moderate...

Bora Bora, Tahaa, and Raiatea, French Polynesia, Landsat and SIR-C Images Compared to SRTM Shaded

Science.gov (United States)

2005-01-01

Bora Bora, Tahaa, and Raiatea (top to bottom) are Polynesian Islands about 220 kilometers (135 miles) west-northwest of Tahiti in the South Pacific. Each of the islands is surrounded by a coral reef and its associated islets ('motus') that enclose a lagoon. Actually, as seen here, Tahaa and Raiatea are close enough together to share a common lagoon and reef. These islands are volcanic in origin and were built up from the sea floor by lava extrusions millions of years ago. None is now active, and all are deeply eroded. This display compares three differing 'views from space' of these islands. On the left, an image from the Landsat 7 satellite shows the islands as they might have appeared to an astronaut in orbit in 1999 (but a little sharper and with atmospheric haze suppressed). In the middle is an image created from data gathered by the third-generation Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR-C), flown in 1994. On the right is a graphic illustrating elevation data gathered by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) in 2000. Each of these images shows very different information as compared to the other two. Landsat sees clouds, which are almost always above these islands, blocking the view of the terrain. It also readily sees through shallow water down to the reefs. SIR-C sees the waves and other effects of winds upon the ocean surface. It does not look through water to see the reefs, but it clearly separates land and water. It also provides a bolder (but distorted) view of the islands' topographic patterns. With the ability of radar to see through clouds and provision of its own illumination, the SIR-C view is not limited by clouds nor their shadows. SRTM was designed to provide new information that is missing in the Landsat and SIR-C views. Specifically, SRTM created the world's first near-global, detailed elevation model. Natural topographic shading in Landsat imagery and radar topographic shadowing of SIR-C give some evidence of the shape of the ground but do not

Independent Pre-Transplant Recipient Cancer Risk Factors after Kidney Transplantation and the Utility of G-Chart Analysis for Clinical Process Control.

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Harald Schrem

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to identify independent pre-transplant cancer risk factors after kidney transplantation and to assess the utility of G-chart analysis for clinical process control. This may contribute to the improvement of cancer surveillance processes in individual transplant centers.1655 patients after kidney transplantation at our institution with a total of 9,425 person-years of follow-up were compared retrospectively to the general German population using site-specific standardized-incidence-ratios (SIRs of observed malignancies. Risk-adjusted multivariable Cox regression was used to identify independent pre-transplant cancer risk factors. G-chart analysis was applied to determine relevant differences in the frequency of cancer occurrences.Cancer incidence rates were almost three times higher as compared to the matched general population (SIR = 2.75; 95%-CI: 2.33-3.21. Significantly increased SIRs were observed for renal cell carcinoma (SIR = 22.46, post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (SIR = 8.36, prostate cancer (SIR = 2.22, bladder cancer (SIR = 3.24, thyroid cancer (SIR = 10.13 and melanoma (SIR = 3.08. Independent pre-transplant risk factors for cancer-free survival were age 62.6 years (p = 0.001, HR: 1.29, polycystic kidney disease other than autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD (p = 0.001, HR: 0.68, high body mass index in kg/m2 (p<0.001, HR: 1.04, ADPKD (p = 0.008, HR: 1.26 and diabetic nephropathy (p = 0.004, HR = 1.51. G-chart analysis identified relevant changes in the detection rates of cancer during aftercare with no significant relation to identified risk factors for cancer-free survival (p<0.05.Risk-adapted cancer surveillance combined with prospective G-chart analysis likely improves cancer surveillance schemes by adapting processes to identified risk factors and by using G-chart alarm signals to trigger Kaizen events and audits for root-cause analysis of relevant detection rate changes

Residential cancer cluster investigation nearby a Superfund Study Area with trichloroethylene contamination.

Science.gov (United States)

Press, David J; McKinley, Meg; Deapen, Dennis; Clarke, Christina A; Gomez, Scarlett Lin

2016-05-01

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is an industrial solvent associated with liver cancer, kidney cancer, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). It is unclear whether an excess of TCE-associated cancers have occurred surrounding the Middlefield-Ellis-Whisman Superfund site in Mountain View, California. We conducted a population-based cancer cluster investigation comparing the incidence of NHL, liver, and kidney cancers in the neighborhood of interest to the incidence among residents in the surrounding four-county region. Case counts and address information were obtained using routinely collected data from the Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry, part of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program. Population denominators were obtained from the 1990, 2000, and 2010 US censuses. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) with two-sided 99 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for time intervals surrounding the US Censuses. There were no statistically significant differences between the neighborhood of interest and the larger region for cancers of the liver or kidney. A statistically significant elevation was observed for NHL during one of the three time periods evaluated (1996-2005: SIR = 1.8, 99 % CI 1.1-2.8). No statistically significant NHL elevation existed in the earlier 1988-1995 (SIR = 1.3, 99 % CI 0.5-2.6) or later 2006-2011 (SIR = 1.3, 99 % CI 0.6-2.4) periods. There is no evidence of an increased incidence of liver or kidney cancer, and there is a lack of evidence of a consistent, sustained, or more recent elevation in NHL occurrence in this neighborhood. This evaluation included existing cancer registry data, which cannot speak to specific exposures incurred by past or current residents of this neighborhood.

Leprosy in Brazil and its association with characteristics of municipalities: ecological study, 2009-2011.

Science.gov (United States)

Freitas, Lúcia R S; Duarte, Elisabeth C; Garcia, Leila P

2014-10-01

To analyse the ecological association between the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the Brazilian municipalities and average leprosy incidence rate in the period 2009-2011. An ecological study taking the Brazilian municipalities as its units of analysis. The local empirical Bayes estimation method was used to obtain smoothed incidence rates (SIR) for leprosy. The mean, median, first quartile (Q1) and third quartile (Q3) of the SIR were calculated per 100 000 inhabitants. Hierarchical log-linear negative binomial regression models were used to estimate the incidence rate ratios (IRR). In the period 2009-2011, the average SIR of leprosy in Brazil was 20.2 per 100 000 inhabitants, and the median incidence rate among municipalities was 9.1 per 100 000 inhabitants. Significantly higher adjusted IRR were identified for large municipalities (IRR = 1.67) compared to small municipalities, as well as in municipalities with higher illiteracy rates (IRR = 2.15), more urbanised municipalities (IRR = 1.53), those with greater social inequality as per the Gini index (IRR = 1.26), high percentage of households with inadequate sanitation (IRR = 1.63), higher average number of people per room (IRR = 1.41), high proportions of Family Health Programme coverage (IRR = 1.29), high percentage of household contacts investigated (IRR = 2.30) and those with percentage of cases with grade 2 disability considered to be the medium (IRR = 1.26). In this study, SIR was significantly associated with municipalities with low socio-economic status. Disease control activities need to be focused on these municipalities, and investments need to be made in improving the population's living conditions. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Patterns of Gram-stained fecal flora as a quick diagnostic marker in patients with severe SIRS.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimizu, Kentaro; Ogura, Hiroshi; Tomono, Kazunori; Tasaki, Osamu; Asahara, Takashi; Nomoto, Koji; Morotomi, Masami; Matsushima, Asako; Nakahori, Yasutaka; Yamano, Shuhei; Osuka, Akinori; Kuwagata, Yasuyuki; Sugimoto, Hisashi

2011-06-01

The gut is an important target organ of injury during critically ill conditions. Although Gram staining is a common and quick method for identifying bacteria, its clinical application has not been fully evaluated in critically ill conditions. This study's aims were to identify patterns of Gram-stained fecal flora and compare them to cultured bacterial counts and to investigate the association between the patterns and septic complications in patients with severe systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Fifty-two patients with SIRS were included whose Gram-stained fecal flora was classified into three patterns. In a diverse pattern, large numbers of multiple kinds of bacteria completely covered the field. In a single pattern, one specific kind of bacteria or fungi predominantly covered the field. In a depleted pattern, most bacteria were diminished in the field. In the analysis of fecal flora, the numbers of total obligate anaerobes in the depleted pattern was significantly lower than those in the diverse pattern and single pattern (p Gram-stained fecal flora can be classified into three patterns and are associated with both cultured bacterial counts and clinical information. Gram-stained fecal bacteria can be used as a quick bedside diagnostic marker for severe SIRS patients.

Désir, besoin, dépendance : l'addiction comme (épreuve de la modernité

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rita Di Lorenzo

2016-04-01

Full Text Available La frontière entre la santé et la pathologie est un lieu fascinant et dangereux, au caractère poreux et riche de familiarités des deux côtés, inavouées et coûteuses. Le terme d’addiction semble s’installer précisément sur cette frontière, gagnant en étendue médiatique ce qu’il perd en précision nosographique ; ainsi, aujourd’hui, nous serions « tous addicts » – au sucre, au téléphone portable, au chocolat, au café, aux soldes, à la chirurgie esthétique, à Facebook, à l’amour, cette liste pouvant être continuée par chacun d’entre nous puisque nous avons tous fait, nous faisons et ferons tous, l’expérience de la force des (mauvaises habitudes, du désir, voire de la pulsion, de l’abus et de la dépendance. Notre société contemporaine semble stimuler cette expérience, en multipliant tant les objets addictogènes que les comportements addictifs : d’une part par le statut attribué aux biens sériels, d’autre part par la dimension pulsionnelle revendiquée dans les habitudes de consommation. Société du plaisir, peut-être plus hédoniste qu’épicurienne, l’époque contemporaine impose le plaisir et son désir comme nouvelle norme. Dès lors, quel est notre rapport à la pulsion, au désir compulsif, au dépassement des limites imposées aux besoins et aux envies socialement acceptables ? Comment notre société régule le désir ? Comment la politique et les médias concourent-ils à le structurer, voire à le prescrire ? Quels mécanismes à l’œuvre dans l’addiction contredisent cette prescription, et surtout : s’agit-il véritablement d’une contradiction ? Notre culture de performance et satisfaction rapides peut effectivement expliquer certaines dépendances induites par leur objet ; néanmoins, la véritable addiction mentale se nourrit d’éléments plus profondément constitutifs de l’identité de l’homme moderne et contemporain : avant tout, la fragilité des acquis, la

Impulsive vaccination and dispersal on dynamics of an SIR epidemic model with restricting infected individuals boarding transports

Science.gov (United States)

Jiao, Jianjun; Cai, Shaohong; Li, Limei

2016-05-01

To understand the effect of impulsive vaccination and restricting infected individuals boarding transports on disease spread, we establish an SIR model with impulsive vaccination, impulsive dispersal and restricting infected individuals boarding transports. This SIR epidemic model for two regions, which are connected by transportation of non-infected individuals, portrays the evolvement of diseases. We prove that all solutions of the investigated system are uniformly ultimately bounded. We also prove that there exists globally asymptotically stable infection-free boundary periodic solution. The condition for permanence is discussed. It is concluded that the approach of impulsive vaccination and restricting infected individuals boarding transports provides reliable tactic basis for preventing disease spread.

Threshold Dynamics of a Stochastic SIR Model with Vertical Transmission and Vaccination

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Anqi Miao

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A stochastic SIR model with vertical transmission and vaccination is proposed and investigated in this paper. The threshold dynamics are explored when the noise is small. The conditions for the extinction or persistence of infectious diseases are deduced. Our results show that large noise can lead to the extinction of infectious diseases which is conducive to epidemic diseases control.

Identifying settlements on the SIR-B images of Rimbobujang and the surrounding areas, Sumatra, Indonesia

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Sutanto .

2013-07-01

SIR-B image proves to be a reasonably good tool to identify rural settlement in an open area, especially for that with high density of houses. Its use to identify towns and cities is more recommended.

Risk of second primary cancer among patients with early operable breast cancer registered or randomised in Danish Breast Cancer cooperative Group (DBCG) protocols of the 77, 82 and 89 programmes during 1977-2001

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersson, M.; Jensen, Maiken Brit; Engholm, G.

2008-01-01

Breast cancer survivors have increased risks of developing second primary cancers due to shared etiology, life style factors but also to primary breast cancer treatment. Among 53 418 patients registered by the population based Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group (DBCG) during 1977-2001, 31 818...... patients were treated and followed according to guidelines of DBCG. In addition to surgery 23% received tamoxifen, 23% chemotherapy and 35% radiotherapy as treatment for primary breast cancer. Second primary cancers were identified by linkage to the population based Danish Cancer Register. Cancer incidence...... rates of the Danish population were used for calculation of standardized incidence ratios (SIRs). Time at risk was from diagnosis of breast cancer+1 year until death or through 2002. Risk for all second primary cancers combined was increased, SIR=1.04 (95% confidence interval 0.99-1.08). Sites...

SIR-A views our environment An Experiment in the Batu Angkal Area, West Kalimantan, Indonesia

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Sutanto .

2013-07-01

Factors affecting the ease of identification are. mainly tonal contrast, shape, size, surface roughness, direction in relation to the illumination, and dielectric constant. Due to the future availability of SIR-B image of Kalimantan, further study is recommended.

Gynecologic cancer mortality in Trinidad and Tobago and comparisons of mortality-to-incidence rate ratios across global regions

Science.gov (United States)

Llanos, Adana A. M.; Warner, Wayne A.; Luciani, Silvana; Lee, Tammy Y.; Bajracharya, Smriti; Slovacek, Simeon; Roach, Veronica; Lamont-Greene, Marjorie

2018-01-01

Purpose To examine the factors associated with gynecologic cancer mortality risks, to estimate the mortality-to-incidence rate ratios (MIR) in Trinidad and Tobago (TT), and to compare the MIRs to those of select countries. Methods Data on 3,915 incident gynecologic cancers reported to the National Cancer Registry of TT from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 2009 were analyzed using proportional hazards models to determine factors associated with mortality. MIRs for cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers were calculated using cancer registry data (TT), GLOBOCAN 2012 incidence data, and WHO Mortality Database 2012 data (WHO regions and select countries). Results Among the 3,915 incident gynecologic cancers diagnosed in TT during the study period, 1,795 (45.8%) were cervical, 1,259 (32.2%) were endometrial, and 861 (22.0%) were ovarian cancers. Older age, African ancestry, geographic residence, tumor stage, and treatment non-receipt were associated with increased gynecologic cancer mortality in TT. Compared to GLOBOCAN 2012 data, TT MIR estimates for cervical (0.49 vs. 0.53), endometrial (0.61 vs. 0.65), and ovarian cancers (0.32 vs. 0.48) were elevated. While the Caribbean region had intermediate gynecologic cancer MIRs, MIRs in TT were among the highest of the countries examined in the Caribbean region. Conclusions Given its status as a high-income economy, the relatively high gynecologic cancer MIRs observed in TT are striking. These findings highlight the urgent need for improved cancer surveillance, screening, and treatment for these (and other) cancers in this Caribbean nation. PMID:28917021

[Sir Francis Galton: the father of eugenics].

Science.gov (United States)

Aubert-Marson, Dominique

2009-01-01

Not only was Sir Francis Galton a famous geographer and statistician, he also invented "eugenics" in 1883. Eugenics, defined as the science of improving racial stock, was developed from a new heredity theory, conceived by Galton himself, and from the evolution theory of Charles Darwin, transposed to human society by Herbert Spencer. Galton's eugenics was a program to artificially produce a better human race through regulating marriage and thus procreation. Galton put particular emphasis on "positive eugenics", aimed at encouraging the physically and mentally superior members of the population to choose partners with similar traits. In 1904, he presented his ideas in front of a vast audience of physicians and scientists in London. His widely-publicized lecture served as the starting point for the development of eugenics groups in Europe and the United States during the first half of the 20th century.

Influence of heat conductivity on the performance of RTV SIR coatings with different fillers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Siderakis, K [High Voltage Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Patras, GR-26110 Patras (Greece); Agoris, D [High Voltage Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Patras, Greece, GR-26500, Rion, Greece (Greece); Gubanski, S [High Voltage Laboratory, Department of Electric Power Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, S-41296, Gothenburg (Sweden)

2005-10-07

Room temperature vulcanized silicone rubber (RTV SIR) coatings are employed in order to improve the pollution performance of high voltage ceramic insulators by imparting surface hydrophobicity. In this paper, the performance of three RTV SIR coatings containing different fillers is investigated in a salt-fog test. Alumina trihydrate (ATH) and silica are the fillers included in the formulation, aiming to increase the material endurance to the energy supplied by the surface electrical activity during periods of hydrophobicity loss. The primary action of these fillers is to increase the material heat conductivity, i.e. the amount of energy conducted to the substrate. In addition, in the case of ATH relief is also achieved due to particle decomposition. The results indicate that for the compositions commercially available, where low amounts of fillers are used, and under the conditions of the test, ATH filled coatings performed better than the silica filled ones. This is attributed to ATH decomposition which further relieves the material structure and therefore decelerates material aging.

Nicotinamide supplementation phenocopies SIR2 inactivation by modulating carbon metabolism and respiration during yeast chronological aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Orlandi, Ivan; Pellegrino Coppola, Damiano; Strippoli, Maurizio; Ronzulli, Rossella; Vai, Marina

2017-01-01

Nicotinamide (NAM), a form of vitamin B 3 , is a byproduct and noncompetitive inhibitor of the deacetylation reaction catalyzed by Sirtuins. These represent a family of evolutionarily conserved NAD + -dependent deacetylases that are well-known critical regulators of metabolism and aging and whose founding member is Sir2 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, we investigated the effects of NAM supplementation in the context of yeast chronological aging, the established model for studying aging of postmitotic quiescent mammalian cells. Our data show that NAM supplementation at the diauxic shift results in a phenocopy of chronologically aging sir2Δ cells. In fact, NAM-supplemented cells display the same chronological lifespan extension both in expired medium and extreme Calorie Restriction. Furthermore, NAM allows the cells to push their metabolism toward the same outcomes of sir2Δ cells by elevating the level of the acetylated Pck1. Both these cells have the same metabolic changes that concern not only anabolic pathways such as an increased gluconeogenesis but also respiratory activity in terms both of respiratory rate and state of respiration. In particular, they have a higher respiratory reserve capacity and a lower non-phosphorylating respiration that in concert with a low burden of superoxide anions can affect positively chronological aging. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Revisiting the concept of ‘chronic disease’ from the perspective of the episode of care model. Does the ratio of incidence to prevalence rate help us to define a problem as chronic?

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Jean K Soler

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Background This is a study of the epidemiology of acute and chronic episodes of care (EoCs in the Transition Project in three countries. We studied the duration of EoCs for acute and chronic health problems and the relationship of incidence to prevalence rates for these EoCs.Method The Transition Project databases collect data on all elements of the doctor–patient encounter in family medicine. Family doctors code these elements using the International Classification of Primary Care.We used the data from three practice populations to study the duration of EoCs and the ratio of incidence to prevalence for common health problems.Results We found that chronic health problems tended to have proportionately longer duration EoCs, as expected, but also a lower incidence to prevalence rate ratio than acute health problems. Thus, the incidence to prevalence index could be used to define a chronic condition as one with a low ratio, below a defined threshold.Conclusions Chronic health problems tend to have longer duration EoCs, proportionately, across populations. This result is expected, but we found important similarities and differences which make defining a problem as chronic on the basis of time rather difficult. The ratio of incidence to prevalence rates has potential to categorise health problems into acute or chronic categories, at different ratio thresholds (such as 20, 30 or 50%. It seems to perform well in this study of three family practice populations, and is proposed to the scientific community for further evaluation.

Montaigne, Sir Ralph Bankes and other English readers of the Essais.

OpenAIRE

O'Brien, John

2013-01-01

This article deals with a hitherto unknown and unpublished early modern English manuscript account of Montaigne's Essais by Sir Ralph Bankes (1631?–77) of Kingston Lacy in Dorset. Bankes's account covers a range of features in Montaigne's work: crucial elements of self-portraiture such as judgement, but also his attitude to women and doctors. These characteristics are analysed and compared first with Montaigne's own pronouncements about the aspects Bankes selects and secondly with two other s...

Second cancers after squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the cervix

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chaturvedi, Anil K; Kleinerman, Ruth A; Hildesheim, Allan

2008-01-01

PURPOSE: Although cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (AC) are both caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, they differ in cofactors such as cigarette smoking. We assessed whether these cofactor differences translate into differences in second cancer risk. PATIENTS...... AND METHODS: We assessed second cancer risk among 85,109 cervical SCC and 10,280 AC survivors reported to population-based cancer registries in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and the United States. Risks compared to the general population were assessed using standardized incidence ratios (SIR). RESULTS......: Overall cancer risk was significantly increased among both cervical SCC survivors (n = 10,559 second cancers; SIR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.29 to 1.34) and AC survivors (n = 920 second cancers; SIR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.22 to 1.38). Risks of HPV-related and radiation-related cancers were increased to a similar extent...

SIR (Safe Integral Reactor) - reducing size can reduce cost

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayns, M.R.

1991-01-01

Traditional engineering economics have favoured the advantages of larger size as a means of reducing specific capital costs and hence unit generating costs. For large and small plants utilising the same concept, e.g. a small four-loop PWR vs a large four-loop PWR with the same number of components, economies of scale are well established. If, however, a smaller plant is sized to take advantage of features which are only feasible at smaller outputs, is of simpler design, with the advantage taken of the simplified design to produce the most cost-effective layout, and incorporates fewer, more easily replaceable components with minimal assembly on site, it is possible to produce a plant which is competitive with larger plant of more traditional design. When 'system' effects, such as better matching of installed capacity to the growth in demand and the fact that a smaller total capacity will be needed to meet a given demand with a specified level of confidence, are taken into account, it can be shown that a utility's overall cash-flow position can be improved with lower associated absolute financial risks. The UK/US Safe Integral Reactor (SIR) is an integral pressurized water reactor in the 300-400 MW(e) range which utilises conventional water reactor technology in a way not feasible at the very large, sizes of recent years. The SIR concept is briefly explained and its technical and economic advantages in terms of simplicity, construction, maintenance, availability, decommissioning, safety and siting described. The results of system analyses which demonstrate the overall financial advantages to a utility are presented. (author)

Long-term risk of secondary skin cancers after radiation therapy for Hodgkin’s lymphoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daniëls, Laurien A.; Krol, Augustinus D.G.; Schaapveld, Michael; Putter, Hein; Jansen, Patty M.; Marijt, Erik W.A.; Leeuwen, Flora E. van; Creutzberg, Carien L.

2013-01-01

Purpose: Survivors of Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) are at risk of secondary tumors. We investigated the risk of secondary skin cancers after radiotherapy compared to treatment without radiation and to an age-matched population. Material and methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 889 HL patients treated between 1965 and 2005. Data on secondary skin cancers and treatment fields were retrieved. Incidence rates were compared to observed rates in the Dutch population. Results: 318 skin cancers were diagnosed in 86 patients, showing significantly higher risks of skin cancers, the majority being BCC. The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of BCC in HL survivors was significantly increased (SIR 5.2, 95% CI 4.0–6.6), especially in those aged <35 years at diagnosis (SIR 8.0, 95% CI 5.8–10.7). SIR increased with longer follow-up to 15.9 (95% CI 9.1–25.9) after 35 years, with 626 excess cases per 10,000 patients per year. Most (57%) skin cancers developed within the radiation fields, with significantly increased risk in patients treated with radiotherapy compared to chemotherapy alone (p = 0·047, HR 2·75, 95% CI 1·01–7.45). Conclusion: Radiotherapy for HL is associated with a strongly increased long-term risk of secondary skin cancers, both compared to the general population and to treatment with chemotherapy alone

Procalcitonin, C-reactive protein and serum lactate dehydrogenase in the diagnosis of bacterial sepsis, SIRS and systemic candidiasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Miglietta, Fabio; Faneschi, Maria Letizia; Lobreglio, Giambattista; Palumbo, Claudio; Rizzo, Adriana; Cucurachi, Marco; Portaccio, Gerolamo; Guerra, Francesco; Pizzolante, Maria

2015-09-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), platelet count (PLT) and serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as early markers for diagnosis of SIRS, bacterial sepsis and systemic candidiasis in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Based on blood culture results, the patients were divided into a sepsis group (70 patients), a SIRS group (42 patients) and a systemic candidiasis group (33 patients). PCT, CRP, LDH and PLT levels were measured on day 0 and on day 2 from the sepsis symptom onset. PCT levels were higher in Gram negative sepsis than those in Gram positive sepsis, although the P value between the two subgroups is not significant (P=0.095). Bacterial sepsis group had higher PCT and CRP levels compared with the systemic candidiasis group, whereas PLT and LDH levels showed similar levels in these two subgroups. The AUC for PCT (AUC: 0.892, P candidiasis groups (P=0.093 N.S.). In conclusion, PCT can be used as a preliminary marker in the event of clinical suspicion of systemic candidiasis; however, low PCT levels (candidiasis and SIRS groups.

Risk of second primary colorectal cancer among colorectal cancer cases: A population-based analysis

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Kavitha P Raj

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Patients with history of colorectal cancer (CRC are at increased risk for developing a second primary colorectal cancer (SPCRC as compared to the general population. However, the degree of risk is uncertain. Here, we attempt to quantify the risk, using data from the large population-based California Cancer Registry (CCR. Materials and Methods: We analyzed the CCR data for cases with surgically-treated colon and rectal cancer diagnosed during the period 1990-2005 and followed through up to January 2008. We excluded those patients diagnosed with metastatic disease and those in whom SPCRC was diagnosed within 6 months of the diagnosis of the primary CRC. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR with 95% confidence intervals (CI were calculated to evaluate risk as compared to the underlying population after taking into account age, sex, ethnicity, and time at risk. Results: The study cohort consisted of 69809 cases with colon cancer and 34448 with rectal cancer. Among these patients there were 1443 cases of SPCRCs. The SIR for developing SPCRC was higher in colon cancer survivors (SIR=1.4; 95% CI: 1.3 to 1.5 as compared to the underlying population. The incidence of SPCRC was also higher in females (SIR=1.5; 95% CI: 1.3 to 1.6 and Hispanics (SIR=2.0; 95% CI: 1.7 to 2.4 with primary colon cancer. The SIR for developing an SPCRC was higher only among those whose initial tumor was located in the descending colon (SIR=1.6; 95% CI: 1.3 to 2.0 and proximal colon (SIR=1.4; 95% CI: 1.3 to 1.6. Conclusions: Our results confirm that CRC patients, especially females and Hispanics, are at a higher risk of developing SPCRC than the general population. Differential SPCRC risk by colorectal tumor subsite is dependent on gender and ethnicity, underscoring the heterogeneous nature of CRC.

Sir Ronald A. Fisher and the International Biometric Society.

Science.gov (United States)

Billard, Lynne

2014-06-01

The year 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Sir Ronald A. Fisher, one of the two Fathers of Statistics and a Founder of the International Biometric Society (the "Society"). To celebrate the extraordinary genius of Fisher and the far-sighted vision of Fisher and Chester Bliss in organizing and promoting the formation of the Society, this article looks at the origins and growth of the Society, some of the key players and events, and especially the roles played by Fisher himself as the First President. A fresh look at Fisher, the man rather than the scientific genius is also presented. © 2014, The International Biometric Society.

Cancer incidence rate after diagnostic X-ray exposure in 1976-2003 among patients of a university children's hospital; Inzidenz von Kinderkrebs nach Roentgendiagnostik im Patientenkollektiv der Jahre 1976-2003 einer Universitaets-Kinderklinik

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hammer, G.P.; Zeeb, H.; Blettner, M. [Mainz Univ. (DE). Inst. fuer Medizinische Biometrie, Epidemiologie und Informatik (IMBEI); Seidenbusch, M.C.; Schneider, K. [Klinikum der Univ. Muenchen, Dr. von Haunersches Kinderspital (Germany). Abt. Radiologie; Regulla, D. [Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen - Deutsches Forschungszentrum fuer Gesundheit und Umwelt, Neuherberg (Germany). Inst. fuer Strahlenschutz; Spix, C. [Mainz Univ. (Germany). Deutsches Kinderkrebsregister

2010-05-15

Purpose: Although the carcinogenic effect of ionizing radiation is well known, knowledge gaps persist on the health effects of low-dose radiation, especially in children. The cancer incidence rate in a cohort of 92,957 children diagnosed using X-rays in the years 1976-2003 in the radiology department of a large university clinic was studied. Materials and Methods: Individual radiation doses per examination were reconstructed using an algorithm taking into account the dose area product and other exposure parameters together with conversion factors computed specifically for the equipment and protocols used in the radiology department. Incident cancer cases in the period 1980-2006 were identified via record linkage to the German Childhood Cancer Registry using pseudonymized data. Results: A total of 87 cancers occurred in the cohort between 1980 and 2006: 33 leukemia, 13 lymphoma, 10 brain tumors, and 31 other tumors. The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) for all cancers was 0.99 (95 % CI: 0.79 1.22). A dose-response relationship was not observed for all cancers, leukemia and lymphoma or solid tumors. The cancer risks for boys and girls did not differ. Conclusion: No increase in the cancer incidence risk in relation to very low doses of diagnostic ionizing radiation was observed in this study. However, the results are compatible with a broad range of risk estimates. (orig.)

Investigating Environmentally Sustainable Transport Based on DALY weights and SIR Method

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Hossein Nezamianpour Jahromi

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Accessibility is one of the main causes of well-being and growth in contemporary societies. Transportation is the backbone of accessibility systems that lead to the growth of economic and social networks and spatial dispersion of activities. Unfortunately, the adverse effects of transportation have a great impact on the natural and human environment. Since transportation is associated with fossil fuel combustion, it results in emissions of pollutants that cause damage to human health. To save the global eco-system, sustainable development has become an international priority. To deal with the sustainability of transportation systems is an important issue as testified by a growing number of initiatives framed to define and measure sustainability in transportation planning and infrastructure planning as well. The capability of environmental assessment as a sustainability instrument is well known. This study proposes a new approach to rank countries based on environmental sustainability development applying disability adjusted life year (DALY weights for transportation sector emissions. DALY weights consider actual impacts of pollutants on human health. By employing SIR method, a superiority and inferiority ranking method is presented for multiple criteria decision making, the sustainability ranking of a number of European countries is presented. Three various ranking methods extracted from SIR ranking method are discussed and the results and the correlation among them are demonstrated.

Evaluation of cancer incidence among employees at the Los Alamos National Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acquavella, J.F.; Wilkinson, G.S.; Wiggs, L.D.; Tietjen, G.L.; Key, C.R.

1983-01-01

As part of the National Plutonium Workers Study, cancer incidence for 1969 to 1978 among employees of the Los Alamos National Laboratory was investigated. Incident cancers were identified by a computer match of the Los Alamos employed roster against New Mexico Tumor Registry files. The resulting numbers of total and site-specific cancers were compared to the numbers expected based on incidence rates for the State of New Mexico, specific for age, sex, ethnicity, and calendar period. For Anglo males, significantly fewer cancers than expected (SIR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.79) were found. This resulted from marked deficits of smoking-related cancers, particularly lung (2 observed, 19.4 expected) and oral (1 observed, 6.5 expected) cancer. Similarly, no smoking-related cancers were detected among Anglo females, though they had a slight nonsignificant excess of breast cancer (14 observed, 9.1 expected) and a suggestive excess of cancer of the uterine corpus (2 observed, 0.25 expected). The pattern of cancerincidence among Anglo employees is typical of high social class populations and not likely related to the Los Alamos working environment

Chronic Neurodegenerative Illnesses and Epilepsy in Danish Adventists and Baptists: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Thygesen, Lau Caspar; Gimsing, Louise NØrreslet; Bautz, Andrea; Hvidt, Niels Christian; Johansen, Christoffer

2017-01-01

Limited knowledge of the influence of lifestyle risk factors and religious living on chronic neurological diseases exists. Seventh-day Adventists (SDA) do not consume tobacco, alcohol, or pork, and many adhere to lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet, and Baptists discourage excessive use of alcohol and tobacco. We investigated whether the incidence of four common chronic neurological illnesses: dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy in a large cohort of Danish Adventists and Baptists was different compared to the general Danish population. Three of the illnesses are neurodegenerative, whereas epilepsy can occur at any age. We compared hospital admission rates for some major neurological diseases among members of the Danish Religious Societies Health Study comprising 6,532 SDA and 3,720 Baptists with the general Danish population. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) stratified by sex, age, and calendar time were calculated. SIR of dementia or Alzheimer's disease was significantly decreased for members of both communities (SDA, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-#x2013;0.90 and Baptists, 0.59; 0.47-#x2013;0.73). The SIRs of Parkinson's disease and epilepsy were not significantly different compared to the general population. We observe reduced incidence for dementia or Alzheimer's disease in a large cohort of members of two religious communities characterized by lifestyle recommendations. More studies are needed to disentangle the interaction between such lifestyle and other components of the religious belief system.

Lyapunov functions and global stability for SIR and SEIR models with age-dependent susceptibility

KAUST Repository

Korobeinikov, Andrei; Melnik, Andrey V.

2013-01-01

We consider global asymptotic properties for the SIR and SEIR age structured models for infectious diseases where the susceptibility depends on the age. Using the direct Lyapunov method with Volterra type Lyapunov functions, we establish conditions for the global stability of a unique endemic steady state and the infection-free steady state.

The Epidemiology of Hip and Major Osteoporotic Fractures in a Dutch Population of Community-Dwelling Elderly: Implications for the Dutch FRAX® Algorithm.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Corinne Klop

Full Text Available Incidence rates of non-hip major osteoporotic fractures (MOF remain poorly characterized in the Netherlands. The Dutch FRAX® algorithm, which predicts 10-year probabilities of hip fracture and MOF (first of hip, humerus, forearm, clinical vertebral, therefore incorporates imputed MOF rates. Swedish incidence rate ratios for hip fracture to MOF (Malmo 1987-1996 were used to perform this imputation. However, equality of these ratios between countries is uncertain and recent evidence is scarce. Aims were to estimate incidence rates of hip fracture and MOF and to compare observed MOF rates to those predicted by the imputation method for the Netherlands.Using hospitalisation and general practitioner records from the Dutch PHARMO Database Network (2002-2011 we calculated age-and-sex-specific and age-standardized incidence rates (IRs of hip and other MOFs (humerus, forearm, clinical vertebral and as used in FRAX®. Observed MOF rates were compared to those predicted among community-dwelling individuals ≥50 years by the standardized incidence ratio (SIR; 95% CI.Age-standardized IRs (per 10,000 person-years of MOF among men and women ≥50 years were 25.9 and 77.0, respectively. These numbers were 9.3 and 24.0 for hip fracture. Among women 55-84 years, observed MOF rates were significantly higher than predicted (SIR ranged between 1.12-1.50, depending on age. In men, the imputation method performed reasonable.Observed MOF incidence was higher than predicted for community-dwelling women over a wide age-range, while it agreed reasonable for men. As miscalibration may influence treatment decisions, there is a need for confirmation of results in another data source. Until then, the Dutch FRAX® output should be interpreted with caution.

Positron-emitting resin microspheres as surrogates of 90Y SIR-Spheres: a radiolabeling and stability study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avila-Rodriguez, Miguel A.; Selwyn, Reed G.; Hampel, Joseph A.; Thomadsen, Bruce R.; DeJesus, Onofre T.; Converse, Alexander K.; Nickles, Robert J.

2007-01-01

Commercially available resin microspheres and SIR-Spheres were labeled with metallic positron emitters and evaluated as positron emission tomography (PET) imaging surrogates of 90 Y SIR-Spheres. Radiolabeling was performed using a batch method, and in vitro stability over 24 h was evaluated in saline at physiological pH at 37 o C. The activity per microsphere distribution, as evaluated by autoradiography, showed the activity per microsphere to be proportional to the square radius of the spheres, suggesting surface binding. The in vivo stability of radiolabeling was evaluated in rats by micro-PET imaging after the intravenous injection of labeled microspheres. The different resin microspheres and radionuclides evaluated in this study all showed good radiolabeling efficiency and in vitro stability. However, only resins labeled with 86 Y and 89 Zr proved to have the in vivo stability required for clinical applications

The threshold of a stochastic delayed SIR epidemic model with temporary immunity

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Qun; Chen, Qingmei; Jiang, Daqing

2016-05-01

This paper is concerned with the asymptotic properties of a stochastic delayed SIR epidemic model with temporary immunity. Sufficient conditions for extinction and persistence in the mean of the epidemic are established. The threshold between persistence in the mean and extinction of the epidemic is obtained. Compared with the corresponding deterministic model, the threshold affected by the white noise is smaller than the basic reproduction number R0 of the deterministic system.

Sir Winston Churchill: treatment for pneumonia in 1943 and 1944.

Science.gov (United States)

Vale, J A; Scadding, J W

2017-12-01

This paper reviews Churchill's illnesses in February 1943 and August/September 1944 when he developed pneumonia; on the first occasion this followed a cold and sore throat. Churchill was managed at home by Sir Charles Wilson (later Lord Moran) with the assistance of two nurses and the expert advice of Dr Geoffrey Marshall, Brigadier Lionel Whitby and Colonel Robert Drew. A sulphonamide (sulphathiazole on the first occasion) was prescribed for both illnesses. Churchill recovered, and despite his illnesses continued to direct the affairs of State from his bed. On the second occasion, Churchill's illness was not made public.

Risk of colorectal cancer and small bowel adenocarcinoma in Crohn's disease: a population-based study from western Hungary 1977-2008.

Science.gov (United States)

Lakatos, Peter Laszlo; David, Gyula; Pandur, Tunde; Erdelyi, Zsuzsanna; Mester, Gabor; Balogh, Mihaly; Szipocs, Istvan; Molnar, Csaba; Komaromi, Erzsebet; Kiss, Lajos S; Lakatos, Laszlo

2011-04-01

Limited data are available on the incidence and predictors of colorectal (CRC) and small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) from population-based cohorts. Since data are completely missing from Eastern Europe, our aim was to analyze the incidence and risk factors of CD associated CRC and SBA in the population-based, Veszprem province database, which included incident patients diagnosed between January 1, 1977 and December 31, 2008. The data of 506 incident CD patients were analyzed (age-at-diagnosis: 31.5, SD: 13.8 years). Both hospital and outpatient records were collected and comprehensively reviewed. CRC was diagnosed in five patients (5/5758 person-year-duration) during follow-up, while no patients developed SBA in this cohort. Standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of CRC was not increased overall with five cases observed vs. 5.02 expected (SIR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.41-2.39); however, there was a tendency for increased incidence in males (five cases observed vs. 2.56 expected; SIR: 1.95, 95% CI: 0.81-4.70). Age at onset of CD (p<0.001), male gender (p=0.022) and stenosing disease behavior at diagnosis (p<0.001) but not disease location were identified as risk factors for developing CRC in univariate analysis and Kaplan-Meier analysis. The cumulative risk for developing CRC after a disease duration of 20 years was 1.1% (95% CI: 0.6-1.7%). The incidence of CRC and SBA was not increased in this population-based CD cohort. Age at onset of CD, male gender and stenosing disease behavior at diagnosis were identified as risk factors of CRC. Copyright © 2010 European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Deteriorated stress response in stationary-phase yeast: Sir2 and Yap1 are essential for Hsf1 activation by heat shock and oxidative stress, respectively.

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Inbal Nussbaum

Full Text Available Stationary-phase cultures have been used as an important model of aging, a complex process involving multiple pathways and signaling networks. However, the molecular processes underlying stress response of non-dividing cells are poorly understood, although deteriorated stress response is one of the hallmarks of aging. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a valuable model organism to study the genetics of aging, because yeast ages within days and are amenable to genetic manipulations. As a unicellular organism, yeast has evolved robust systems to respond to environmental challenges. This response is orchestrated largely by the conserved transcription factor Hsf1, which in S. cerevisiae regulates expression of multiple genes in response to diverse stresses. Here we demonstrate that Hsf1 response to heat shock and oxidative stress deteriorates during yeast transition from exponential growth to stationary-phase, whereas Hsf1 activation by glucose starvation is maintained. Overexpressing Hsf1 does not significantly improve heat shock response, indicating that Hsf1 dwindling is not the major cause for Hsf1 attenuated response in stationary-phase yeast. Rather, factors that participate in Hsf1 activation appear to be compromised. We uncover two factors, Yap1 and Sir2, which discretely function in Hsf1 activation by oxidative stress and heat shock. In Δyap1 mutant, Hsf1 does not respond to oxidative stress, while in Δsir2 mutant, Hsf1 does not respond to heat shock. Moreover, excess Sir2 mimics the heat shock response. This role of the NAD+-dependent Sir2 is supported by our finding that supplementing NAD+ precursors improves Hsf1 heat shock response in stationary-phase yeast, especially when combined with expression of excess Sir2. Finally, the combination of excess Hsf1, excess Sir2 and NAD+ precursors rejuvenates the heat shock response.

Deteriorated stress response in stationary-phase yeast: Sir2 and Yap1 are essential for Hsf1 activation by heat shock and oxidative stress, respectively.

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Nussbaum, Inbal; Weindling, Esther; Jubran, Ritta; Cohen, Aviv; Bar-Nun, Shoshana

2014-01-01

Stationary-phase cultures have been used as an important model of aging, a complex process involving multiple pathways and signaling networks. However, the molecular processes underlying stress response of non-dividing cells are poorly understood, although deteriorated stress response is one of the hallmarks of aging. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a valuable model organism to study the genetics of aging, because yeast ages within days and are amenable to genetic manipulations. As a unicellular organism, yeast has evolved robust systems to respond to environmental challenges. This response is orchestrated largely by the conserved transcription factor Hsf1, which in S. cerevisiae regulates expression of multiple genes in response to diverse stresses. Here we demonstrate that Hsf1 response to heat shock and oxidative stress deteriorates during yeast transition from exponential growth to stationary-phase, whereas Hsf1 activation by glucose starvation is maintained. Overexpressing Hsf1 does not significantly improve heat shock response, indicating that Hsf1 dwindling is not the major cause for Hsf1 attenuated response in stationary-phase yeast. Rather, factors that participate in Hsf1 activation appear to be compromised. We uncover two factors, Yap1 and Sir2, which discretely function in Hsf1 activation by oxidative stress and heat shock. In Δyap1 mutant, Hsf1 does not respond to oxidative stress, while in Δsir2 mutant, Hsf1 does not respond to heat shock. Moreover, excess Sir2 mimics the heat shock response. This role of the NAD+-dependent Sir2 is supported by our finding that supplementing NAD+ precursors improves Hsf1 heat shock response in stationary-phase yeast, especially when combined with expression of excess Sir2. Finally, the combination of excess Hsf1, excess Sir2 and NAD+ precursors rejuvenates the heat shock response.

The influence of percutaneous nephrolithotomy on human systemic stress response, SIRS and renal function.

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Shen, Pengfei; Wei, Wuran; Yang, Xiaochun; Zeng, Hao; Li, Xiong; Yang, Jie; Wang, Jia; Huang, Jiaoti

2010-10-01

The objective of this study is to investigate the influences of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) and open surgery nephrolithotomy on the systemic stress response, SIRS and renal function. Forty patients with kidney calculi were enrolled in the study. Twenty cases were randomized to the PNL group and the other twenty cases to the open surgery group. Levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6(IL-6), β(2)-microglobulin (β(2)-MG), respiration rate, heart rate, body temperature and white blood cell counts were examined. CRP and IL-6 were measured in all patients pre-operatively and on post-operative days 1, 3 and 6, respectively. There was significant difference in their pre- and post-operation levels (P PNL group and 12 cases in open surgery group; there was significant difference between the two groups (P 0.05). Urine β(2)-MG levels were also measured. There was significant difference between pre- and the first day post-PNL (P PNL (P > 0.05). There was significant difference between pre- and first and third day post-open surgery (P 0.05). There was significant difference between two groups at the first, third and sixth days (P PNL group and open surgery group to some extent. The degree of stress response of PNL is lower than that of open surgery, proving the advantages of PNL with reference to serum immunology. There were cases in both the groups with SIRS, but the degree of SIRS in PNL group was lesser than the other group. Both the groups have no obvious effect on glomerular filtration function after operation and have effect on renal tubular reabsorption in the early stage after operation; but the recovery of the PNL group is faster than the open surgery group. It is thus shown that PNL is much safer and more feasible and has lesser effect on renal function.

Medicinal use of earths and minerals from Hippocrates to Sir Hans Sloane and beyond.

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Retsas, Spyros

2012-12-01

In 1931 two pharmaceutical drawers containing mineral specimens, belonging to Sir Hans Sloane, the 18th century collector, Royal Physician, President of the Royal Society and of the Royal College of Physicians of London, were found in the Department of Botany of the Natural History Museum (NHM) of London. The drawers, each divided into 49 compartments, contained a total of 107 mineral pharmaceutical specimens, some labelled as mercury or white arsenic. Their registration, identification with the Sloane Manuscript Catalogues and subsequent transfer to the Mineralogy department of the NHM where one of these drawers is now on public display, had been documented by 1935. In antiquity therapeutic empiricism attributed medicinal properties to animal products, plants and minerals, including the soil of specific geographic locations. This communication traces the medicinal use of certain earths and minerals, listed in Sir Hans Sloane's manuscript catalogues, to classical antiquity with a reference to Arsenic compounds, which in our time are finding application in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukaemia and to Terra Lemnia, a celebrated antidote of repute spanning twenty centuries, also included in the Sloane collections.

Early Response Roles for Prolactin Cortisol and Circulating and Cellular Levels of Heat Shock Proteins 72 and 90α in Severe Sepsis and SIRS

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K. Vardas

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To evaluate the early heat shock protein (HSP and hormonal stress response of intensive care unit (ICU patients with severe sepsis/septic shock (SS or systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS compared to healthy subjects (H. Methods. Patients with early (first 48 hrs SS (n=29 or SIRS (n=29 admitted to a university ICU and 16 H were enrolled in the study. Serum prolactin, cortisol, and plasma ACTH were determined using immunoassay analyzers. ELISA was used to evaluate extracellular HSPs (eHSP90α, eHSP72 and interleukins. Mean fluorescence intensity (MFI values for intracellular HSPs (iHSP72, iHSP90α were measured using 4-colour flow-cytometry. Results. Prolactin, cortisol, and eHSP90α levels were significantly increased in SS patients compared to SIRS and H (P<0.003. ACTH and eHSP72 were significantly higher in SS and SIRS compared to H (P<0.005. SS monocytes expressed lower iHSP72 MFI levels compared to H (P=0.03. Prolactin was related with SAPS III and APACHE II scores and cortisol with eHSP90α, IL-6, and lactate (P<0.05. In SS and SIRS eHSP90α was related with eHSP72, IL-6, and IL-10. Conclusion. Prolactin, apart from cortisol, may have a role in the acute stress response in severe sepsis. In this early-onset inflammatory process, cortisol relates to eHSP90α, monocytes suppress iHSP72, and plasma eHSP72 increases.

Temporal relationship between cancer and myositis identifies two distinctive subgroups of cancers: impact on cancer risk and survival in patients with myositis.

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Kang, Eun Ha; Lee, Sang Jin; Ascherman, Dana P; Lee, Yun Jong; Lee, Eun Young; Lee, Eun Bong; Song, Yeong Wook

2016-09-01

The aim was to compare standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of cancers temporally related and unrelated to active myositis in patients with myositis. Fifty-two cancer cases were identified in 281 myositis patients. SIRs of cancers having temporal overlap with the active phase of myositis [cancers concurrent with active myositis (CAM), n = 30] and cancers not having such temporal overlap [cancers non-concurrent with active myositis (CNM), n = 22] were compared in 281 patients. Patients with CAM were older at diagnosis of myositis, had a greater tendency to be male, more frequent dysphagia and less frequent interstitial lung disease than patients with CNM. CAM SIR (95% CI) was 1.78 (1.19, 2.56) and CNM SIR 1.23 (0.75, 1.90). The peak SIR was observed in the seventh decade of life for CAM and in the third decade for CNM. When stratified by myositis-cancer intervals, CAM SIR was 9.94 (6.43, 14.67) within 1 year of myositis diagnosis, whereas no temporal relationship was found for CNM. Elevated SIRs were observed for oesophageal cancer [57.77 (11.91, 168.82)], non-Hodgkin's lymphoma [41.43 (13.45, 96.69)], adenocarcinoma of unknown primary origin [67.6 (18.42, 173.07]), lung cancer [7.27 (1.98, 18.61)] and ovarian cancer [19.15 (2.32, 69.17)] within 3 years of CAM diagnosis. The cancer stage at the time of diagnosis was more advanced in CAM than CNM (P < 0.001), with a correspondingly increased hazard ratio of mortality [4.3 (1.5, 12.7)] in patients with CAM vs CNM. A significantly elevated SIR was found for CAM, whereas there was a comparable SIR for CNM relative to the general population. Multiple types of cancers showed elevated SIRs among CAM, but none among CNM. Given that cancer stages in CAM were far advanced at diagnosis, mortality risk was greater in patients with CAM. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Evaluation of Poisson's ratio and Young's modulus of nitride films by combining grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and laser curvature techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, H.-Y.; Chen, J.-H.; Lu, F.-H.

2007-01-01

Measurements of Poisson's ratio and the Young's modulus of thin films have been problematic. In this work, evaluation of both Poisson's ratio and Young's modulus is conducted using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction combined with measurement of the induced stress. Poisson's ratio was evaluated from analysis of the X-ray diffraction data to obtain a strain-cos 2 α.sin 2 ψ plot. Moreover, the Young's modulus of the films could be also calculated from that plot as well as from the residual stress, which could be determined by a measurement of stress induced substrate curvature. The ternary nitride TiAlN is used as a model system for the evaluation. The films, prepared by cathodic arc plasma deposition, exhibited a strong (111) preferred orientation and a composition corresponding to Ti 0.6 Al 0.4 N. The measured Poisson's ratio and the Young's modulus of the films were 0.143 ± 0.003 and 310 ± 20 GPa, respectively, which are comparable to those reported in the literature

The threshold of a stochastic delayed SIR epidemic model with vaccination

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Liu, Qun; Jiang, Daqing

2016-11-01

In this paper, we study the threshold dynamics of a stochastic delayed SIR epidemic model with vaccination. We obtain sufficient conditions for extinction and persistence in the mean of the epidemic. The threshold between persistence in the mean and extinction of the stochastic system is also obtained. Compared with the corresponding deterministic model, the threshold affected by the white noise is smaller than the basic reproduction number Rbar0 of the deterministic system. Results show that time delay has important effects on the persistence and extinction of the epidemic.

An individual-based approach to SIR epidemics in contact networks.

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Youssef, Mina; Scoglio, Caterina

2011-08-21

Many approaches have recently been proposed to model the spread of epidemics on networks. For instance, the Susceptible/Infected/Recovered (SIR) compartmental model has successfully been applied to different types of diseases that spread out among humans and animals. When this model is applied on a contact network, the centrality characteristics of the network plays an important role in the spreading process. However, current approaches only consider an aggregate representation of the network structure, which can result in inaccurate analysis. In this paper, we propose a new individual-based SIR approach, which considers the whole description of the network structure. The individual-based approach is built on a continuous time Markov chain, and it is capable of evaluating the state probability for every individual in the network. Through mathematical analysis, we rigorously confirm the existence of an epidemic threshold below which an epidemic does not propagate in the network. We also show that the epidemic threshold is inversely proportional to the maximum eigenvalue of the network. Additionally, we study the role of the whole spectrum of the network, and determine the relationship between the maximum number of infected individuals and the set of eigenvalues and eigenvectors. To validate our approach, we analytically study the deviation with respect to the continuous time Markov chain model, and we show that the new approach is accurate for a large range of infection strength. Furthermore, we compare the new approach with the well-known heterogeneous mean field approach in the literature. Ultimately, we support our theoretical results through extensive numerical evaluations and Monte Carlo simulations. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Isonicotinamide Enhances Sir2 Protein-mediated Silencing and Longevity in Yeast by Raising Intracellular NAD+ Concentration*

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McClure, Julie M.; Wierman, Margaret B.; Maqani, Nazif; Smith, Jeffrey S.

2012-01-01

Sirtuins are an evolutionarily conserved family of NAD+-dependent protein deacetylases that function in the regulation of gene transcription, cellular metabolism, and aging. Their activity requires the maintenance of an adequate intracellular NAD+ concentration through the combined action of NAD+ biosynthesis and salvage pathways. Nicotinamide (NAM) is a key NAD+ precursor that is also a byproduct and feedback inhibitor of the deacetylation reaction. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the nicotinamidase Pnc1 converts NAM to nicotinic acid (NA), which is then used as a substrate by the NAD+ salvage pathway enzyme NA phosphoribosyltransferase (Npt1). Isonicotinamide (INAM) is an isostere of NAM that stimulates yeast Sir2 deacetylase activity in vitro by alleviating the NAM inhibition. In this study, we determined that INAM stimulates Sir2 through an additional mechanism in vivo, which involves elevation of the intracellular NAD+ concentration. INAM enhanced normal silencing at the rDNA locus but only partially suppressed the silencing defects of an npt1Δ mutant. Yeast cells grown in media lacking NA had a short replicative life span, which was extended by INAM in a SIR2-dependent manner and correlated with increased NAD+. The INAM-induced increase in NAD+ was strongly dependent on Pnc1 and Npt1, suggesting that INAM increases flux through the NAD+ salvage pathway. Part of this effect was mediated by the NR salvage pathways, which generate NAM as a product and require Pnc1 to produce NAD+. We also provide evidence suggesting that INAM influences the expression of multiple NAD+ biosynthesis and salvage pathways to promote homeostasis during stationary phase. PMID:22539348

Isonicotinamide enhances Sir2 protein-mediated silencing and longevity in yeast by raising intracellular NAD+ concentration.

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McClure, Julie M; Wierman, Margaret B; Maqani, Nazif; Smith, Jeffrey S

2012-06-15

Sirtuins are an evolutionarily conserved family of NAD(+)-dependent protein deacetylases that function in the regulation of gene transcription, cellular metabolism, and aging. Their activity requires the maintenance of an adequate intracellular NAD(+) concentration through the combined action of NAD(+) biosynthesis and salvage pathways. Nicotinamide (NAM) is a key NAD(+) precursor that is also a byproduct and feedback inhibitor of the deacetylation reaction. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the nicotinamidase Pnc1 converts NAM to nicotinic acid (NA), which is then used as a substrate by the NAD(+) salvage pathway enzyme NA phosphoribosyltransferase (Npt1). Isonicotinamide (INAM) is an isostere of NAM that stimulates yeast Sir2 deacetylase activity in vitro by alleviating the NAM inhibition. In this study, we determined that INAM stimulates Sir2 through an additional mechanism in vivo, which involves elevation of the intracellular NAD(+) concentration. INAM enhanced normal silencing at the rDNA locus but only partially suppressed the silencing defects of an npt1Δ mutant. Yeast cells grown in media lacking NA had a short replicative life span, which was extended by INAM in a SIR2-dependent manner and correlated with increased NAD(+). The INAM-induced increase in NAD(+) was strongly dependent on Pnc1 and Npt1, suggesting that INAM increases flux through the NAD(+) salvage pathway. Part of this effect was mediated by the NR salvage pathways, which generate NAM as a product and require Pnc1 to produce NAD(+). We also provide evidence suggesting that INAM influences the expression of multiple NAD(+) biosynthesis and salvage pathways to promote homeostasis during stationary phase.

Microstrip Cross-coupled Interdigital SIR Based Bandpass Filter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. K. Maharjan

2012-09-01

Full Text Available A simple and compact 4.9 GHz bandpass filter for C-band applications is proposed. This paper presents a novel microstrip cross-coupled interdigital half-wavelength stepped impedance resonator (SIR based bandpass filter (BPF.The designed structure is similar to that of a combination of two parallel interdigital capacitors. The scattering parameters of the structure are measured using vector network analyzer (VNA. The self generated capacitive and inductive reactances within the interdigital resonators exhibited in a resonance frequency of 4.9 GHz. The resonant frequency and bandwidth of the capacitive cross-coupled resonator is directly optimized from the physical arrangement of the resonators. The measured insertion loss (S21 and return loss (S11 were 0.3 dB and 28 dB, respectively, at resonance frequency which were almost close to the simulation results.

Reusability of coded data in the primary care electronic medical record: A dynamic cohort study concerning cancer diagnoses.

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Sollie, Annet; Sijmons, Rolf H; Helsper, Charles; Numans, Mattijs E

2017-03-01

To assess quality and reusability of coded cancer diagnoses in routine primary care data. To identify factors that influence data quality and areas for improvement. A dynamic cohort study in a Dutch network database containing 250,000 anonymized electronic medical records (EMRs) from 52 general practices was performed. Coded data from 2000 to 2011 for the three most common cancer types (breast, colon and prostate cancer) was compared to the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Data quality is expressed in Standard Incidence Ratios (SIRs): the ratio between the number of coded cases observed in the primary care network database and the expected number of cases based on the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Ratios were multiplied by 100% for readability. The overall SIR was 91.5% (95%CI 88.5-94.5) and showed improvement over the years. SIRs differ between cancer types: from 71.5% for colon cancer in males to 103.9% for breast cancer. There are differences in data quality (SIRs 76.2% - 99.7%) depending on the EMR system used, with SIRs up to 232.9% for breast cancer. Frequently observed errors in routine healthcare data can be classified as: lack of integrity checks, inaccurate use and/or lack of codes, and lack of EMR system functionality. Re-users of coded routine primary care Electronic Medical Record data should be aware that 30% of cancer cases can be missed. Up to 130% of cancer cases found in the EMR data can be false-positive. The type of EMR system and the type of cancer influence the quality of coded diagnosis registry. While data quality can be improved (e.g. through improving system design and by training EMR system users), re-use should only be taken care of by appropriately trained experts. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Constraining lowermost mantle structure with PcP/P amplitude ratios from large aperture arrays

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Ventosa, S.; Romanowicz, B. A.

2015-12-01

Observations of weak short-period teleseismic body waves help to resolve lowermost mantle structure at short wavelengths, which is essential for understanding mantle dynamics and the interactions between the mantle and core. Their limited amount and uneven distribution are however major obstacles to solve for volumetric structure of the D" region, topography of the core-mantle boundary (CMB) and D" discontinuity, and the trade-offs among them. While PcP-P differential travel times provide important information, there are trade-offs between velocity structure and core-mantle boundary topography, which PcP/P amplitude ratios can help resolve, as long as lateral variations in attenuation and biases due to focusing are small or can be corrected for. Dense broadband seismic networks help to improve signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the target phases and signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) of other mantle phases when the slowness difference is large enough. To improve SIR and SNR of teleseismic PcP data, we have introduced the slant-stacklet transform to define coherent-guided filters able to separate and enhance signals according to their slowness, time of arrival and frequency content. We thus obtain optimal PcP/P amplitude ratios in the least-square sense using two short sliding windows to match the P signal with a candidate PcP signal. This method allows us to dramatically increase the amount of high-quality observations of short-period PcP/P amplitude ratios by allowing for smaller events and wider epicentral distance and depth ranges.We present the results of measurement of PcP/P amplitude ratios, sampling regions around the Pacific using dense arrays in North America and Japan. We observe that short-period P waves traveling through slabs are strongly affected by focusing, in agreement with the bias we have observed and corrected for due to mantle heterogeneities on PcP-P travel time differences. In Central America, this bias is by far the stronger anomaly we observe

Sir Charles Alfred Ballance (1856-1936) and the introduction of facial nerve crossover anastomosis in 1895

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van de Graaf, Robert C.; Ijpma, Frank F. A.; Nicolai, Jean-Philippe A.

Sir Charles Ballance (1856-1936) was the first surgeon in history to perform a facial nerve crossover anastomosis in 1895. Although, recently, several papers on the history of facial nerve surgery have been published, little is known about this historically important operation, the theoretical

The risk of cancer in patients with connective tissue diseases but without dermatomyositis or polymyositis: A multicenter cohort study conducted over 15 years in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Wei; Guo, Huan; Liu, Zhi; Chen, Chen; Lei, Cong-Cong

2016-09-01

To investigate the relative risk of cancer in Chinese patients with connective tissue diseases (CTD) associated with and without dermatomyositis or polymyositis. A retrospective, multicenter cohort study investigated 32,380 CTD patients (2334 diagnosed with dermatomyositis or polymyositis) without a history of malignancies treated from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2011. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) of cancers determined the incidence of malignancies during follow-up. The data was compared with the cancer morbidity of the general population from the Chinese Cancer Registry Annual Report of National Central Cancer Registry. A total of 113 patients (348.98 per 100,000) developed cancer during follow-up, 75 (249.62 per 100,000) were patients with CTD without dermatomyositis or polymyositis. The risk of cancer among patients with CTD was increased (SIR=1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22-1.71), and this risk increased with age (60 years SIR=2.34 (95%CI 0.93-2.77]) and the time of follow-up (cancer risk among CTD patients without dermatomyositis or polymyositis was not affected (SIR=0.93, 95%CI 0.75-1.16), regardless of gender, age, or follow-up. The cancer risk for patients with CTD without dermatomyositis or polymyositis was not increased or decreased, but it was increased when patients with dermatomyositis or polymyositis were included. Copyright © 2016 European Federation of Immunological Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Increased risk of histologically defined cancer subtypes in human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals: clues for possible immunosuppression-related or infectious etiology.

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Shiels, Meredith S; Engels, Eric A

2012-10-01

Malignancies that occur in excess among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals may be caused by immunosuppression or infections. Because histologically defined cancer subtypes have not been systematically evaluated, their risk was assessed among people with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Analyses included 569,268 people with AIDS from the HIV/AIDS Cancer Match Study, a linkage of 15 US population-based HIV/AIDS and cancer registries during 1980 to 2007. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were estimated to compare cancer risk in people with AIDS to the general population overall, and stratified by age, calendar period (a proxy of changing HIV therapies), and time since onset of AIDS (a proxy of immunosuppression). Sixteen individual cancer histologies or histology groupings manifested significantly elevated SIRs. Risks were most elevated for adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (SIR = 11.3), neoplasms of histiocytes and accessory lymphoid cells (SIR = 10.7), giant cell carcinoma (SIR = 7.51), and leukemia not otherwise specified (SIR = 6.69). SIRs ranged from 1.4 to 4.6 for spindle cell carcinoma, bronchioloalveolar adenocarcinoma, adnexal and skin appendage neoplasms, sarcoma not otherwise specified, spindle cell sarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, mesothelioma, germ cell tumors, plasma cell tumors, immunoproliferative diseases, acute lymphocytic leukemia, and myeloid leukemias. For several of these cancer subtypes, significant declines in SIRs were observed across calendar periods (consistent with decreasing risk with improved HIV therapies) or increase in SIRs with time since onset of AIDS (ie, prolonged immunosuppression). The elevated risk of certain cancer subtypes in people with AIDS may point to an etiologic role of immunosuppression or infection. Future studies are needed to further investigate these associations and evaluate candidate infectious agents. Copyright © 2012 American Cancer Society.

The β-1,3-glucanosyltransferase Gas1 regulates Sir2-mediated rDNA stability in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Science.gov (United States)

Ha, Cheol Woong; Kim, Kwantae; Chang, Yeon Ji; Kim, Bongkeun; Huh, Won-Ki

2014-07-01

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the stability of highly repetitive rDNA array is maintained through transcriptional silencing. Recently, a β-1,3-glucanosyltransferase Gas1 has been shown to play a significant role in the regulation of transcriptional silencing in S. cerevisiae. Here, we show that the gas1Δ mutation increases rDNA silencing in a Sir2-dependent manner. Remarkably, the gas1Δ mutation induces nuclear localization of Msn2/4 and stimulates the expression of PNC1, a gene encoding a nicotinamidase that functions as a Sir2 activator. The lack of enzymatic activity of Gas1 or treatment with a cell wall-damaging agent, Congo red, exhibits effects similar to those of the gas1Δ mutation. Furthermore, the loss of Gas1 or Congo red treatment lowers the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) activity in a cell wall integrity MAP kinase Slt2-dependent manner. Collectively, our results suggest that the dysfunction of Gas1 plays a positive role in the maintenance of rDNA integrity by decreasing PKA activity and inducing the accumulation of Msn2/4 in the nucleus. It seems that nuclear-localized Msn2/4 stimulate the expression of Pnc1, thereby enhancing the association of Sir2 with rDNA and promoting rDNA stability. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Sir Robert Ball: Victorian Astronomer and Lecturer par excellence

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, R. I. G.

2005-12-01

Between 1875 and 1910 Sir Robert Stawell Ball gave an estimated 2,500 lectures in towns and cities all over the British Isles and abroad. This paper traces his lecturing career from its beginnings in Ireland to the triumphs of the Royal Institution, and on lecture tours in the United States of America. After a period in mathematics and mechanics, he became a populariser of science, especially astronomy, and found fame and fortune among the working classes and the aristocracy. What motivated him to tireless travels is uncertain, but it might have been that it was rewarding, financially and to his reputation. Whatever his motives, contemporary accounts are clear that BallÕs lectures were extremely popular and well-received.

The risk of malignancy among biologic-naïve pediatric psoriasis patients: A retrospective cohort study in a US claims database.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Yun; Nordstrom, Beth L

2017-08-01

Little published literature exists regarding malignancy risk in pediatric psoriasis patients. To compare malignancy risk in biologic-naïve pediatric psoriasis patients with a matched pediatric population without psoriasis. This retrospective cohort study used IMS LifeLink Health Plan Claims data covering 1998-2008. Cancer incidence was compared with the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data using standardized incidence ratios (SIR), and between cohorts using Cox models. Among 9045 pediatric psoriasis patients and 77,206 comparators, 18 probable or highly probable cancers were identified. Pediatric psoriasis patients had a nonsignificantly lower incidence than comparators (hazard ratio [HR] 0.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.05-3.54). The HR increased to 1.67 (95% CI 0.54-5.18) when cancer diagnosed during the first 90 days of follow-up was included. The pediatric psoriasis cohort had a significantly increased lymphoma rate compared with SEER (SIR 5.42, 95% CI 1.62-12.94), but no significant increase relative to the comparator cohort. Misclassification of disease and outcome might have occurred with patients in the claims database. Patients with pediatric psoriasis showed no significant increase in overall cancer risk compared with those without psoriasis. A potential increased risk for lymphoma was observed when compared with the general population. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Acromegaly is associated with increased cancer risk: a survey in Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Terzolo, Massimo; Reimondo, Giuseppe; Berchialla, Paola; Ferrante, Emanuele; Malchiodi, Elena; De Marinis, Laura; Pivonello, Rosario; Grottoli, Silvia; Losa, Marco; Cannavo, Salvatore; Ferone, Diego; Montini, Marcella; Bondanelli, Marta; De Menis, Ernesto; Martini, Chiara; Puxeddu, Efisio; Velardo, Antonino; Peri, Alessandro; Faustini-Fustini, Marco; Tita, Patrizia; Pigliaru, Francesca; Peraga, Giulia; Borretta, Giorgio; Scaroni, Carla; Bazzoni, Nicoletta; Bianchi, Antonio; Berton, Alessandro; Serban, Andreea Liliana; Baldelli, Roberto; Fatti, Letizia Maria; Colao, Annamaria; Arosio, Maura

2017-09-01

It is debated if acromegalic patients have an increased risk to develop malignancies. The aim of the present study was to assess the standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of different types of cancer in acromegaly on a large series of acromegalic patients managed in the somatostatin analogs era. It was evaluated the incidence of cancer in an Italian nationwide multicenter cohort study of 1512 acromegalic patients, 624 men and 888 women, mean age at diagnosis 45 ± 13 years, followed up for a mean of 10 years (12573 person-years) in respect to the general Italian population. Cancer was diagnosed in 124 patients, 72 women and 52 men. The SIRs for all cancers was significantly increased compared to the general Italian population (expected: 88, SIR 1.41; 95% CI, 1.18-1.68, P  acromegaly (all in women) did not change remarkably the study outcome. In multivariate analysis, the factors significantly associated with an increased risk of malignancy were age and family history of cancer, with a non-significant trend for the estimated duration of acromegaly before diagnosis. In conclusion, we found evidence that acromegaly in Italy is associated with a moderate increase in cancer risk. © 2017 Society for Endocrinology.

Modelling malaria incidence with environmental dependency in a locality of Sudanese savannah area, Mali.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaudart, Jean; Touré, Ousmane; Dessay, Nadine; Dicko, A Lassane; Ranque, Stéphane; Forest, Loic; Demongeot, Jacques; Doumbo, Ogobara K

2009-04-10

The risk of Plasmodium falciparum infection is variable over space and time and this variability is related to environmental variability. Environmental factors affect the biological cycle of both vector and parasite. Despite this strong relationship, environmental effects have rarely been included in malaria transmission models.Remote sensing data on environment were incorporated into a temporal model of the transmission, to forecast the evolution of malaria epidemiology, in a locality of Sudanese savannah area. A dynamic cohort was constituted in June 1996 and followed up until June 2001 in the locality of Bancoumana, Mali. The 15-day composite vegetation index (NDVI), issued from satellite imagery series (NOAA) from July 1981 to December 2006, was used as remote sensing data.The statistical relationship between NDVI and incidence of P. falciparum infection was assessed by ARIMA analysis. ROC analysis provided an NDVI value for the prediction of an increase in incidence of parasitaemia.Malaria transmission was modelled using an SIRS-type model, adapted to Bancoumana's data. Environmental factors influenced vector mortality and aggressiveness, as well as length of the gonotrophic cycle. NDVI observations from 1981 to 2001 were used for the simulation of the extrinsic variable of a hidden Markov chain model. Observations from 2002 to 2006 served as external validation. The seasonal pattern of P. falciparum incidence was significantly explained by NDVI, with a delay of 15 days (p = 0.001). An NDVI threshold of 0.361 (p = 0.007) provided a Diagnostic Odd Ratio (DOR) of 2.64 (CI95% [1.26;5.52]).The deterministic transmission model, with stochastic environmental factor, predicted an endemo-epidemic pattern of malaria infection. The incidences of parasitaemia were adequately modelled, using the observed NDVI as well as the NDVI simulations. Transmission pattern have been modelled and observed values were adequately predicted. The error parameters have shown the smallest

Modelling malaria incidence with environmental dependency in a locality of Sudanese savannah area, Mali

Science.gov (United States)

Gaudart, Jean; Touré, Ousmane; Dessay, Nadine; Dicko, A lassane; Ranque, Stéphane; Forest, Loic; Demongeot, Jacques; Doumbo, Ogobara K

2009-01-01

Background The risk of Plasmodium falciparum infection is variable over space and time and this variability is related to environmental variability. Environmental factors affect the biological cycle of both vector and parasite. Despite this strong relationship, environmental effects have rarely been included in malaria transmission models. Remote sensing data on environment were incorporated into a temporal model of the transmission, to forecast the evolution of malaria epidemiology, in a locality of Sudanese savannah area. Methods A dynamic cohort was constituted in June 1996 and followed up until June 2001 in the locality of Bancoumana, Mali. The 15-day composite vegetation index (NDVI), issued from satellite imagery series (NOAA) from July 1981 to December 2006, was used as remote sensing data. The statistical relationship between NDVI and incidence of P. falciparum infection was assessed by ARIMA analysis. ROC analysis provided an NDVI value for the prediction of an increase in incidence of parasitaemia. Malaria transmission was modelled using an SIRS-type model, adapted to Bancoumana's data. Environmental factors influenced vector mortality and aggressiveness, as well as length of the gonotrophic cycle. NDVI observations from 1981 to 2001 were used for the simulation of the extrinsic variable of a hidden Markov chain model. Observations from 2002 to 2006 served as external validation. Results The seasonal pattern of P. falciparum incidence was significantly explained by NDVI, with a delay of 15 days (p = 0.001). An NDVI threshold of 0.361 (p = 0.007) provided a Diagnostic Odd Ratio (DOR) of 2.64 (CI95% [1.26;5.52]). The deterministic transmission model, with stochastic environmental factor, predicted an endemo-epidemic pattern of malaria infection. The incidences of parasitaemia were adequately modelled, using the observed NDVI as well as the NDVI simulations. Transmission pattern have been modelled and observed values were adequately predicted. The error

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of the putative haloalkane dehalogenase DppA from Plesiocystis pacifica SIR-I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bogdanović, Xenia; Hesseler, Martin; Palm, Gottfried J.; Bornscheuer, Uwe T.; Hinrichs, Winfried

2010-01-01

The crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of DppA from P. pacifica SIR-I are reported. DppA from Plesiocystis pacifica SIR-I is a putative haloalkane dehalogenase (EC 3.8.1.5) and probably catalyzes the conversion of halogenated alkanes to the corresponding alcohols. The enzyme was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 and purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation and reversed-phase and ion-exchange chromatography. The DppA protein was crystallized by the vapour-diffusion method and protein crystals suitable for data collection were obtained in the orthorhombic space group P2 1 2 1 2. The DppA crystal diffracted X-rays to 1.9 Å resolution using an in-house X-ray generator

One day, Sir, you may tax it

CERN Multimedia

2011-01-01

“One day, Sir, you may tax it”… Those are the words I used to get the audience's attention during my talk at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, where I was invited to speak about the science agenda in 2011. For those of you who don’t know the quote, it was Michael Faraday’s response to William Gladstone when asked to comment on the utility of his blue-sky research into the newfangled phenomenon of electricity.   So what does a 19th century English scientist have to do with the science agenda today? A great deal, I would contend. Faraday was doing basic science, but he had the foresight to realise that through applied research his findings could one day be developed into something taxable – as it turned out, electric light. Faraday had a sense of the potential of his blue-sky research, but he also appreciated that basic science alone is not enough. This was my key message in Davos. Governments often speak of ...

Cancer risk in patients with alopecia areata: a nationwide population-based matched cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chih-Chiang; Chang, Yun-Ting; Liu, Han-Nan; Chen, Yi-Ju

2018-05-01

Alopecia areata (AA) is an organ-specific autoimmune disorder. Defective immune system related disorders are prone to increase the risk of cancer formation. However, the association among AA and variety of cancer types had never been studied. A nationwide population-based matched cohort study was conducted to evaluate the cancer risk in patients with AA. Records from Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database were analyzed. Cases of AA from 1997 to 2013 and cancers registered in the catastrophic illness profile from the same time period were collected. The standard incidence ratio (SIR) of each cancer was calculated. In total, 2099 cancers among 162,499 patients with AA and without prior cancers were identified. The overall cancer risks in AA patients were slightly decreased, especially among male subjects (SIR: 0.89). Refer to individual cancer, the cancer risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) (SIR: 0.59), upper GI cancer (SIR: 0.70), liver cancer (SIR: 0.82), uterine, and cervix cancer (SIR: 0.84) were significantly lower in patients with AA. In contrast, AA patients were inclined to have lymphoma, breast cancer, kidney, and urinary bladder cancer with the SIR of 1.55, 2.93, and 2.95, respectively. Age stratified analyses revealed female AA patients younger than 50 years old have even higher risk of breast cancer (SIR: 3.37). Further sensitivity analysis showed similar results after excluding major autoimmune disorders. Cancer risk in AA patients is organ specific, and it is not associated with the underlying autoimmune disorders in patients with AA. © 2018 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Risk of second primary cancers after testicular cancer in East and West Germany: A focus on contralateral testicular cancers

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Rusner, Carsten; Streller, Brigitte; Stegmaier, Christa; Trocchi, Pietro; Kuss, Oliver; McGlynn, Katherine A; Trabert, Britton; Stang, Andreas

2014-01-01

Testicular cancer survival rates improved dramatically after cisplatin-based therapy was introduced in the 1970s. However, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are potentially carcinogenic. The purpose of this study was to estimate the risk of developing second primary cancers including the risk associated with primary histologic type (seminoma and non-seminoma) among testicular cancer survivors in Germany. We identified 16 990 and 1401 cases of testicular cancer in population-based cancer registries of East Germany (1961–1989 and 1996–2008) and Saarland (a federal state in West Germany; 1970–2008), respectively. We estimated the risk of a second primary cancer using standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). To determine trends, we plotted model-based estimated annual SIRs. In East Germany, a total of 301 second primary cancers of any location were observed between 1961 and 1989 (SIR: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.7–2.1), and 159 cancers (any location) were observed between 1996 and 2008 (SIR: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.4–2.0). The SIRs for contralateral testicular cancer were increased in the registries with a range from 6.0 in Saarland to 13.9 in East Germany. The SIR for seminoma, in particular, was higher in East Germany compared to the other registries. We observed constant trends in the model-based SIRs for contralateral testicular cancers. The majority of reported SIRs of other cancer sites including histology-specific risks showed low precisions of estimated effects, likely due to small sample sizes. Testicular cancer patients are at increased risk especially for cancers of the contralateral testis and should receive intensive follow-ups. PMID:24407180

Thermal vacuum test of space equipment: tests of SIR-2 instrument Chandrayaan-1 mission

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Sitek, P.

2008-11-01

We describe the reasons of proceeding Thermal-Vacuum tests for space electronic. We will answer on following questions: why teams are doing TV tests, what kind of phases should be simulated, which situations are the most critical during TV tests, what kind of results should be expected, which errors can be detect. As an example, will be shown TV-test of SIR-2 instrument for Chandrayaan-1 moon mission.

Risk of cancer in children, adolescents, and young adults with autistic disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiang, Huey-Ling; Liu, Chia-Jen; Hu, Yu-Wen; Chen, San-Chi; Hu, Li-Yu; Shen, Cheng-Che; Yeh, Chiu-Mei; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Gau, Susan Shur-Fen

2015-02-01

To investigate whether individuals with autism have an increased risk for cancer relative to the general population. We enrolled patients with autistic disorder from the Taiwan National Health Insurance database in years 1997-2011. A total of 8438 patients diagnosed with autism were retrieved from the Registry for Catastrophic Illness Patients database. The diagnosis of cancers was also based on the certificate of catastrophic illness, which requires histological confirmation. The risk of cancer among the autism cohort was determined with a standardized incidence ratio (SIR). During the observation period, cancer occurred in 20 individuals with autism, which was significantly higher than a total number of expected cancers with a SIR estimate of 1.94 (95% CI 1.18-2.99). The number of cancer in males was greater than the expected number with a SIR of 1.95 (1.11-3.16), but no excess risk was found for females with a SIR of 1.91 (0.52-4.88). Cancer developed more than expected in individuals age 15-19 years with the SIR of 3.58 (1.44-7.38), but did not differ in other age range groups. The number of cancers of genitourinary system was significantly in excess of the expected number (SIR 4.15; 95% CI 1.13-10.65), and increased risk was found in ovarian cancer with SIR of 9.21 (1.12-33.29). Our study demonstrated that patients with autistic disorder have an increased risk of cancer. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cholangiocarcinoma among workers in the printing industry: using the NOCCA database to elucidate the generalisability of a cluster report from Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Vlaanderen, Jelle; Straif, Kurt; Martinsen, Jan Ivar; Kauppinen, Timo; Pukkala, Eero; Sparén, Pär; Tryggvadottir, Laufey; Weiderpass, Elisabete; Kjaerheim, Kristina

2013-12-01

A cluster of 11 cases of cholangiocarcinoma (CC) was observed in a small Japanese printing firm. To elucidate whether the identified cluster is indicative of an elevated risk of CC among workers in the printing industry at large, we explored the risk of cancer of the liver and CC among individuals employed in the printing industry in a large cohort set-up in four Nordic countries (Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) over a period of 45 years. The cohort was set-up by linking occupational information from censuses to national cancer registry data utilising personal identity codes in use in all Nordic countries. We calculated standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) for men and women working in the printing industry, and stratified by occupational category (typographers, printers, lithographers, bookbinders). Among men, we observed elevated SIRs for cancer of the liver (1.35, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.60; 142 cases), specifically intrahepatic CC (2.34, 95% CI 1.45 to 3.57; 21 cases). SIRs for liver cancer were especially elevated among printers and lithographers, and SIRs for intrahepatic CC among typographers and printers. SIRs for extrahepatic CC were not elevated. SIRs for women followed a similar pattern but the number of cases was low. Our study supports the notion that the finding of excess CC risk among workers in a small Japanese printing firm possibly extends beyond this specific firm and country. Further studies should focus on the specific exposures that occur in the printing industry.

Cancer risk among workers of a secondary aluminium smelter.

Science.gov (United States)

Maltseva, A; Serra, C; Kogevinas, M

2016-07-01

Cancer risk in secondary aluminium production is not well described. Workers in this industry are exposed to potentially carcinogenic agents from secondary smelters that reprocess aluminium scrap. To evaluate cancer risk in workers in a secondary aluminium plant in Spain. Retrospective cohort study of male workers employed at an aluminium secondary smelter (1960-92). Exposure histories and vital status through 2011 were obtained through personal interviews and hospital records, respectively. Standardized mortality (SMRs) and incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated. The study group consisted of 98 workers. We found increased incidence and mortality from bladder cancer [SIR = 2.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.23-5.62; SMR = 5.90, 95% CI 1.58-15.11]. Increased incidence was also observed for prostate cancer and all other cancers but neither were statistically significant. No increased risk was observed for lung cancer. Results of this study suggest that work at secondary aluminium smelters is associated with bladder cancer risk. Identification of occupational carcinogens in this industry is needed. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Sawtooth events and O+ in the plasma sheet and boundary layer: CME- and SIR-driven events

Science.gov (United States)

Lund, E. J.; Nowrouzi, N.; Kistler, L. M.; Cai, X.; Liao, J.

2017-12-01

The role of ionospheric ions in sawtooth events is an open question. Simulations[1,2,3] suggest that O+ from the ionosphere produces a feedback mechanism for driving sawtooth events. However, observational evidence[4,5] suggest that the presence of O+ in the plasma sheet is neither necessary nor sufficient. In this study we investigate whether the solar wind driver of the geomagnetic storm has an effect on the result. Building on an earlier study[4] that used events for which Cluster data is available in the plasma sheet and boundary layer, we perform a superposed epoch analysis for coronal mass ejection (CME) driven storms and streaming interaction region (SIR) driven storms separately, to investigate the hypothesis that ionospheric O+ is an important contributor for CME-driven storms but not SIR-driven storms[2]. [1]O. J. Brambles et al. (2011), Science 332, 1183.[2]O. J. Brambles et al. (2013), JGR 118, 6026.[3]R. H. Varney et al. (2016), JGR 121, 9688.[4]J. Liao et al. (2014), JGR 119, 1572.[5]E. J. Lund et al. (2017), JGR, submitted.

Does the breast cancer age at diagnosis differ by ethnicity? A study on immigrants to Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Hemminki, Kari; Mousavi, Seyed Mohsen; Sundquist, Jan; Brandt, Andreas

2011-01-01

Age-specific incidence rates for breast cancer in low-risk and high-risk ethnic populations differ by age at which the incidence maximum is reached: around 50 years in low-risk populations and over 60 years in high-risk populations. The interpretation of these differences remains unsettled, one line primarily referring to biological differences, the second one to cohort effects of rapidly increasing rates in young populations, and the third one to incomplete registration of cancer in the elderly. The nationwide Family-Cancer Database was used to analyze standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and age at diagnosis of breast cancer in female immigrants to Sweden by their region of origin compared with women native to Sweden matched on birth year and other relevant factors. We showed first that the SIRs for breast cancer were lower in many immigrant groups compared with natives of Sweden; women from Turkey had the lowest SIR of 0.45, followed by those from Chile (0.54) and Southeast Asia (0.57). Women from nine regions showed an earlier mean age at diagnosis than their matched Swedish controls, the largest differences being 5.5 years for women from Turkey, 5.1 years for those from Asian Arab and "Other African" countries, 4.3 years for those from Iran, and 4.0 years for those from Iraq. The results show that in many immigrant groups, the diagnostic age is earlier (50 years), suggesting that true biological factors underlie the differences. These factors may explain much of the international variation in breast cancer incidence. Identifying these factors should advance understanding of breast cancer etiology and prevention.

Liver and gallbladder cancer in immigrants to Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Hemminki, Kari; Mousavi, Seyed Mohsen; Brandt, Andreas; Ji, Jianguang; Sundquist, Jan

2010-03-01

The changes of cancer incidence upon immigration can be used as an estimator of environmental influence on cancer risk. We studied site-specific liver and biliary cancers in first-generation immigrants to Sweden with an aim to search for aetiological clues and to find evidence for indigenous incidence rates. We used the nation-wide Swedish Family-Cancer Database to calculate standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) in immigrants compared to native Swedes. A total of 1428 cancers were identified in immigrants whose median ages (years) at immigration were 27 for men and 26 for women and whose median diagnostic ages were 64 and 66, respectively. The highest SIRs of 6.7 for primary liver cancer were observed for men from East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Increased SIRs were recorded for male immigrants from previous Yugoslavia (1.78), Southern Europe (2.91), Turkey (2.15) and Asian Arab countries (2.89). For gallbladder cancer, only women from the Indian subcontinent (3.84) and Chile (2.34) had increased risk while some Northern European immigrants showed decreased risks. Primary liver cancer was increased in immigrants from endemic regions of hepatitis B virus infection but also from large regions lacking cancer incidence data, North Africa, Asian Arab countries, Turkey and previous Yugoslavia; these are probably intermediary risk regions for this infection. The consideration of these regions as risk areas would justify active diagnostic and vaccination programs. The increase in gallbladder cancer in Chileans and Indians suggests that some persistent damage was inflicted before emigration, characterisation of which will be a challenge for aetiological studies. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynamical Analysis of SIR Epidemic Models with Distributed Delay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wencai Zhao

2013-01-01

Full Text Available SIR epidemic models with distributed delay are proposed. Firstly, the dynamical behaviors of the model without vaccination are studied. Using the Jacobian matrix, the stability of the equilibrium points of the system without vaccination is analyzed. The basic reproduction number R is got. In order to study the important role of vaccination to prevent diseases, the model with distributed delay under impulsive vaccination is formulated. And the sufficient conditions of globally asymptotic stability of “infection-free” periodic solution and the permanence of the model are obtained by using Floquet’s theorem, small-amplitude perturbation skills, and comparison theorem. Lastly, numerical simulation is presented to illustrate our main conclusions that vaccination has significant effects on the dynamical behaviors of the model. The results can provide effective tactic basis for the practical infectious disease prevention.

Plasma concentrations of inflammatory cytokines rise rapidly during ECMO-related SIRS due to the release of preformed stores in the intestine.

Science.gov (United States)

McILwain, R Britt; Timpa, Joseph G; Kurundkar, Ashish R; Holt, David W; Kelly, David R; Hartman, Yolanda E; Neel, Mary Lauren; Karnatak, Rajendra K; Schelonka, Robert L; Anantharamaiah, G M; Killingsworth, Cheryl R; Maheshwari, Akhil

2010-01-01

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a life-saving support system used in neonates and young children with severe cardiorespiratory failure. Although ECMO has reduced mortality in these critically ill patients, almost all patients treated with ECMO develop a systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) characterized by a 'cytokine storm', leukocyte activation, and multisystem organ dysfunction. We used a neonatal porcine model of ECMO to investigate whether rising plasma concentrations of inflammatory cytokines during ECMO reflect de novo synthesis of these mediators in inflamed tissues, and therefore, can be used to assess the severity of ECMO-related SIRS. Previously healthy piglets (3-week-old) were subjected to venoarterial ECMO for up to 8 h. SIRS was assessed by histopathological analysis, measurement of neutrophil activation (flow cytometry), plasma cytokine concentrations (enzyme immunoassays), and tissue expression of inflammatory genes (PCR/western blots). Mast cell degranulation was investigated by measurement of plasma tryptase activity. Porcine neonatal ECMO was associated with systemic inflammatory changes similar to those seen in human neonates. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) concentrations rose rapidly during the first 2 h of ECMO, faster than the tissue expression of these cytokines. ECMO was associated with increased plasma mast cell tryptase activity, indicating that increased plasma concentrations of inflammatory cytokines during ECMO may result from mast cell degranulation and associated release of preformed cytokines stored in mast cells. TNF-alpha and IL-8 concentrations rose faster in plasma than in the peripheral tissues during ECMO, indicating that rising plasma levels of these cytokines immediately after the initiation of ECMO may not reflect increasing tissue synthesis of these cytokines. Mobilization of preformed cellular stores of inflammatory cytokines such as in mucosal mast cells may have

The incidence and aetiology of acute pancreatitis across Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Stephen E; Morrison-Rees, Sian; John, Ann; Williams, John G; Brown, Tim H; Samuel, David G

Acute pancreatitis is increasingly one of the most important acute gastrointestinal conditions throughout much of the world, although incidence and aetiology varies across countries and regions. This study investigated regional and national patterns in the incidence and aetiology of acute pancreatitis, demographic patterns in incidence and trends over time in incidence across Europe. A structured review of acute pancreatitis incidence and aetiology from studies of hospitalised patient case series, cohort studies or other population based studies from 1989 to 2015 and a review of trends in incidence from 1970 to 2015 across all 51 European states. The incidence of acute pancreatitis was reported from 17 countries across Europe and ranged from 4.6 to 100 per 100 000 population. Incidence was usually highest in eastern or northern Europe, although reported rates often varied according to case ascertainment criteria. Of 20 studies that reported on trends in incidence, all but three show percentage increases over time (overall median increase = 3.4% per annum; range = -0.4%-73%). The highest ratios of gallstone to alcohol aetiologies were identified in southern Europe (Greece, Turkey, Italy and Croatia) with lowest ratios mainly in eastern Europe (Latvia, Finland, Romania, Hungary, Russia and Lithuania). The incidence of acute pancreatitis varies across Europe. Gallstone is the dominant aetiology in southern Europe and alcohol in eastern Europe with intermediate ratios in northern and western Europe. Acute pancreatitis continues to increase throughout most of Europe. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Global trends in testicular cancer incidence and mortality.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosen, Alexandre; Jayram, Gautam; Drazer, Michael; Eggener, Scott E

2011-08-01

Epidemiologic studies on testicular cancer have focused primarily on European countries. Global incidence and mortality have been less thoroughly evaluated. Our goal was to gain a better understanding of the most recent global age-standardized incidence and mortality rates for testicular cancer and to use these values to estimate a region's health care quality. Age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) for testicular cancer were obtained for men of all ages in 172 countries by using the GLOBOCAN 2008 database, reflecting the annual rate of cancer incidence and mortality per 100,000 men. These data were evaluated on a regional level to compare incidence and mortality rates. Global plots of these values were constructed to better visualize geographic distributions. Finally, the ratio of ASIR to ASMR was calculated as a method to assess each region's proficiency in diagnosing and effectively treating testicular cancer. ASIR and ASMR were analyzed by region, and each region's ratio of ASIR to ASMR was calculated. Testicular cancer ASIR is highest in Western Europe (7.8%), Northern Europe (6.7%), and Australia (6.5%). Asia and Africa had the lowest incidence (ASMR was highest in Central America (0.7%), western Asia (0.6%), and Central and Eastern Europe (0.6%). Mortality was lowest in North America, Northern Europe, and Australia (0.1-0.2%). The ASIR-ASMR ratio was highest in Australia (65.0%) and lowest in western Africa (1.0%). National reporting systems varied by country, and data quality may have fluctuated between regions. Testicular cancer incidence remains highest in developed nations with primarily Caucasian populations. Variable ASIR-ASMR ratios suggest markedly different geographic-specific reporting mechanisms, access to care, and treatment capabilities. Copyright © 2011 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Area-to-Area Poisson Kriging and Spatial Bayesian Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Asmarian, Naeimehossadat; Jafari-Koshki, Tohid; Soleimani, Ali; Taghi Ayatollahi, Seyyed Mohammad

2016-10-01

Background: In many countries gastric cancer has the highest incidence among the gastrointestinal cancers and is the second most common cancer in Iran. The aim of this study was to identify and map high risk gastric cancer regions at the county-level in Iran. Methods: In this study we analyzed gastric cancer data for Iran in the years 2003-2010. Areato- area Poisson kriging and Besag, York and Mollie (BYM) spatial models were applied to smoothing the standardized incidence ratios of gastric cancer for the 373 counties surveyed in this study. The two methods were compared in term of accuracy and precision in identifying high risk regions. Result: The highest smoothed standardized incidence rate (SIR) according to area-to-area Poisson kriging was in Meshkinshahr county in Ardabil province in north-western Iran (2.4,SD=0.05), while the highest smoothed standardized incidence rate (SIR) according to the BYM model was in Ardabil, the capital of that province (2.9,SD=0.09). Conclusion: Both methods of mapping, ATA Poisson kriging and BYM, showed the gastric cancer incidence rate to be highest in north and north-west Iran. However, area-to-area Poisson kriging was more precise than the BYM model and required less smoothing. According to the results obtained, preventive measures and treatment programs should be focused on particular counties of Iran. Creative Commons Attribution License

Analysis of Active Lava Flows on Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, Using SIR-C Radar Correlation Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Zebker, H. A.; Rosen, P.; Hensley, S.; Mouginis-Mark, P. J.

1995-01-01

Precise eruption rates of active pahoehoe lava flows on Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, have been determined using spaceborne radar data acquired by the Space Shuttle Imaging Radar-C (SIR-C). Measurement of the rate of lava flow advance, and the determination of the volume of new material erupted in a given period of time, are among the most important observations that can be made when studying a volcano.

Mapping end-stage renal disease (ESRD: spatial variations on small area level in northern France, and association with deprivation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florent Occelli

Full Text Available Strong geographic variations in the incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD are observed in developed countries. The reasons for these variations are unknown. They may reflect regional inequalities in the population's sociodemographic characteristics, related diseases, or medical practice patterns. In France, at the district level, the highest incidence rates have been found in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. This area, with a high population density and homogeneous healthcare provision, represents a geographic situation which is quite suitable for the study, over small areas, of spatial disparities in the incidence of ESRD, together with their correlation with a deprivation index and other risk factors.The Renal Epidemiology and Information Network is a national registry, which lists all ESRD patients in France. All cases included in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais registry between 2005 and 2011 were extracted. Adjusted and smoothed standardized incidence ratio (SIR was calculated for each of the 170 cantons, thanks to a hierarchical Bayesian model. The correlation between ESRD incidence and deprivation was assessed using the quintiles of Townsend index. Relative risk (RR and credible intervals (CI were estimated for each quintile.Significant spatial disparities in ESRD incidence were found within the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. The sex- and age-adjusted, smoothed SIRs varied from 0.66 to 1.64. Although no correlation is found with diabetic or vascular nephropathy, the smoothed SIRs are correlated with the Townsend index (RR: 1.18, 95% CI [1.00-1.34] for Q2; 1.28, 95% CI [1.11-1.47] for Q3; 1.30, 95% CI [1.14-1.51] for Q4; 1.44, 95% CI [1.32-1.74] for Q5.For the first time at this aggregation level in France, this study reveals significant geographic differences in ESRD incidence. Unlike the time of renal replacement care, deprivation is certainly a determinant in this phenomenon. This association is probably independent of the patients' financial

Biotinylation of lysine method identifies acetylated histone H3 lysine 79 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a substrate for Sir2.

Science.gov (United States)

Bheda, Poonam; Swatkoski, Stephen; Fiedler, Katherine L; Boeke, Jef D; Cotter, Robert J; Wolberger, Cynthia

2012-04-17

Although the biological roles of many members of the sirtuin family of lysine deacetylases have been well characterized, a broader understanding of their role in biology is limited by the challenges in identifying new substrates. We present here an in vitro method that combines biotinylation and mass spectrometry (MS) to identify substrates deacetylated by sirtuins. The method permits labeling of deacetylated residues with amine-reactive biotin on the ε-nitrogen of lysine. The biotin can be utilized to purify the substrate and identify the deacetylated lysine by MS. The biotinyl-lysine method was used to compare deacetylation of chemically acetylated histones by the yeast sirtuins, Sir2 and Hst2. Intriguingly, Sir2 preferentially deacetylates histone H3 lysine 79 as compared to Hst2. Although acetylation of K79 was not previously reported in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we demonstrate that a minor population of this residue is indeed acetylated in vivo and show that Sir2, and not Hst2, regulates the acetylation state of H3 lysine 79. The in vitro biotinyl-lysine method combined with chemical acetylation made it possible to identify this previously unknown, low-abundance histone acetyl modification in vivo. This method has further potential to identify novel sirtuin deacetylation substrates in whole cell extracts, enabling large-scale screens for new deacetylase substrates.

Synchrony of sylvatic dengue isolations: a multi-host, multi-vector SIR model of dengue virus transmission in Senegal.

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Benjamin M Althouse

Full Text Available Isolations of sylvatic dengue-2 virus from mosquitoes, humans and non-human primates in Senegal show synchronized multi-annual dynamics over the past 50 years. Host demography has been shown to directly affect the period between epidemics in other pathogen systems, therefore, one might expect unsynchronized multi-annual cycles occurring in hosts with dramatically different birth rates and life spans. However, in Senegal, we observe a single synchronized eight-year cycle across all vector species, suggesting synchronized dynamics in all vertebrate hosts. In the current study, we aim to explore two specific hypotheses: 1 primates with different demographics will experience outbreaks of dengue at different periodicities when observed as isolated systems, and that coupling of these subsystems through mosquito biting will act to synchronize incidence; and 2 the eight-year periodicity of isolations observed across multiple primate species is the result of long-term cycling in population immunity in the host populations. To test these hypotheses, we develop a multi-host, multi-vector Susceptible, Infected, Removed (SIR model to explore the effects of coupling multiple host-vector systems of dengue virus transmission through cross-species biting rates. We find that under small amounts of coupling, incidence in the host species synchronize. Long-period multi-annual dynamics are observed only when prevalence in troughs reaches vanishingly small levels (< 10(-10, suggesting that these dynamics are inconsistent with sustained transmission in this setting, but are consistent with local dengue virus extinctions followed by reintroductions. Inclusion of a constant introduction of infectious individuals into the system causes the multi-annual periods to shrink, while the effects of coupling remain the same. Inclusion of a stochastic rate of introduction allows for multi-annual periods at a cost of reduced synchrony. Thus, we conclude that the eight-year period

Trends in stroke incidence. The Copenhagen City Heart Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Truelsen, T; Prescott, E; Grønbaek, M

1997-01-01

at least one of the two first examinations as well as the total cohort including nonresponders. Subjects between 45 and 84 years of age were followed from March 1, 1976 until March 1, 1993. Changes in age-specific stroke incidence were calculated by means of Poisson regression analysis. RESULTS......: For subjects aged 45 to 64 years, no significant trends were observed, with an annual incidence rate ratio of 1.00 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.97 to 1.03) and 1.04 (95% CI, 0.99 to 1.08) for men and women, respectively. In subjects aged 65 to 84 years a significant decrease in stroke incidence was found...... in men, whose annual rate ratio was 0.97 (95% CI, 0.95 to 0.99), but not in women, whose annual rate ratio was 0.98 (95% CI, 0.95 to 1.00). Throughout four observed periods the stroke incidence among men remained significantly higher than that for women. CONCLUSIONS: During the period from 1976 to 1993...

Esophageal cancer and occupation in a cohort of Swedish men.

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Chow, W H; McLaughlin, J K; Malker, H S; Linet, M S; Weiner, J A; Stone, B J

1995-05-01

Using the Cancer Environment Registry of Sweden, which links the 1960 census information on employment with cancer incidence data from 1961-1979, we conducted a systematic, population-based assessment of esophageal cancer incidence by industry and occupation for men in Sweden. A general reduction in esophageal cancer incidence was found among agricultural and professional workers, whereas excess incidence was found among business, sales, and some craftsmen and production jobs. Elevated incidence was associated with several specific industries, including the food (SIR = 1.3, p beverage and tobacco (SIR = 1.8, p service jobs, particularly waiters in the hotel and restaurant industry (SIR = 3.1, p < 0.01). Some of the occupational associations may be explained by lifestyle factors such as alcohol drinking and smoking, whereas others are specific and tend to support those of earlier investigations. This study adds to the evidence of a small but possibly important role of occupation in esophageal cancer etiology.

A stochastic SIRS epidemic model with infectious force under intervention strategies

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Cai, Yongli; Kang, Yun; Banerjee, Malay; Wang, Weiming

2015-12-01

In this paper, we extend a classical SIRS epidemic model with the infectious forces under intervention strategies from a deterministic framework to a stochastic differential equation (SDE) one through introducing random fluctuations. The value of our study lies in two aspects. Mathematically, by using the Markov semigroups theory, we prove that the reproduction number R0S can be used to govern the stochastic dynamics of SDE model. If R0S 1, under mild extra conditions, it has an endemic stationary distribution which leads to the stochastical persistence of the disease. Epidemiologically, we find that random fluctuations can suppress disease outbreak, which can provide us some useful control strategies to regulate disease dynamics.

Sir Charles Bell (1774-1842) and his contributions to early neurosurgery.

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Tubbs, R Shane; Riech, Sheryl; Verma, Ketan; Mortazavi, Martin M; Loukas, Marios; Benninger, Brion; Cohen-Gadol, Aaron A

2012-03-01

The renowned surgeon, neuroanatomist, and artist Sir Charles Bell not only impacted the lives of his peers through his creative endeavors and passion for art, but also sparked noteworthy breakthroughs in the field of neuroscience. His empathetic nature and zest for life enabled him to develop an early proclivity for patient care. As a result of his innovative findings regarding sensory and motor nerves and the anatomical makeup of the brain, he accepted some of the most prestigious awards and received an honorable reputation in society. Bell is recognized for his diligence, perseverance, and his remarkable contributions to surgery. The present review will explore his contributions to the discipline now known as neurosurgery.

Maurice Couturier. Nabokov ou la cruauté du désir.

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René Alladaye

2006-04-01

Full Text Available La lecture peut avoir partie liée avec la transgression. Maurice Couturier en apporte la preuve dans son dernier ouvrage, Nabokov ou la cruauté du désir, en enfreignant l’un des plus célèbres interdits nabokoviens, celui de la lecture psychanalytique de son œuvre. On se souvient des préfaces des romans où l’auteur ne se fait jamais faute de décourager la moindre velléité freudienne et d’une réponse des plus tranchantes administrée dans le cadre d’un entretien : « Laissons les crédules et les ...

Genes ycfR, sirA and yigG contribute to the surface attachment of Salmonella enterica Typhimurium and Saintpaul to fresh produce.

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Joelle K Salazar

Full Text Available Salmonella enterica is a frequent contaminant of minimally-processed fresh produce linked to major foodborne disease outbreaks. The molecular mechanisms underlying the association of this enteric pathogen with fresh produce remain largely unexplored. In our recent study, we showed that the expression of a putative stress regulatory gene, ycfR, was significantly induced in S. enterica upon exposure to chlorine treatment, a common industrial practice for washing and decontaminating fresh produce during minimal processing. Two additional genes, sirA involved in S. enterica biofilm formation and yigG of unknown function, were also found to be differentially regulated under chlorine stress. To further characterize the roles of ycfR, sirA, and yigG in S. enterica attachment and survival on fresh produce, we constructed in-frame deletions of all three genes in two different S. enterica serovars, Typhimurium and Saintpaul, which have been implicated in previous disease outbreaks linked to fresh produce. Bacterial attachment to glass and polystyrene microtiter plates, cell aggregation and hydrophobicity, chlorine resistance, and surface attachment to intact spinach leaf and grape tomato were compared among wild-type strains, single-gene deletion mutants, and their respective complementation mutants. The results showed that deletions of ycfR, sirA, and yigG reduced bacterial attachment to glass and polystyrene as well as fresh produce surface with or without chlorine treatment in both Typhimurium and Saintpaul. Deletion of ycfR in Typhimurium significantly reduced bacterial chlorine resistance and the attachment to the plant surfaces after chlorinated water washes. Deletions of ycfR in Typhimurium and yigG in Saintpaul resulted in significant increase in cell aggregation. Our findings suggest that ycfR, sirA, and yigG collectively contribute to S. enterica surface attachment and survival during post-harvest minimal processing of fresh produce.

Insomnia and incident depression: role of objective sleep duration and natural history.

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Fernandez-Mendoza, Julio; Shea, Sarah; Vgontzas, Alexandros N; Calhoun, Susan L; Liao, Duanping; Bixler, Edward O

2015-08-01

Longitudinal studies that have examined the association of insomnia with incident depression using objective sleep measures are very limited. The aim of this study was to examine the predictive role of the severity of insomnia for incident depression in a general population sample using psychometric and polysomnographic data. From a random, general population sample of 1741 individuals of the Penn State Adult Cohort, 1137 adults without depression were followed up with a structured telephone interview after 7.5 years. All subjects completed a full medical evaluation, 1-night polysomnogram and Multiphasic Minnesota Personality Inventory at baseline. The incidence of depression was 15%. Poor sleep (odds ratio = 1.5, P = 0.001) and insomnia (odds ratio = 1.9, P = 0.031) were significantly associated with incident depression. The odds of incident depression were highest (odds ratio = 2.2, P = 0.019) in insomnia with objective short sleep duration and independent of Multiphasic Minnesota Personality Inventory Ego Strength scores, an index of poor coping resources. The persistence of insomnia and worsening of poor sleep into insomnia significantly increased the odds of incident depression (odds ratios ranged from 1.8 to 6.3), whereas their full remission did not (odds ratio ranged from 1.2 to 1.8). Insomnia with short sleep duration is associated with incident depression independent of poor coping resources, whereas the association of insomnia with normal sleep duration with incident depression was mediated by poor coping resources. Persistence and worsening of poor sleep or insomnia, but not their full remission, are significant predictors of incident depression. These data suggest that there is a significant relationship between the severity of insomnia and incident depression. © 2015 European Sleep Research Society.

Cutaneous melanoma in situ: translational evidence from a large population-based study.

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Mocellin, Simone; Nitti, Donato

2011-01-01

Cutaneous melanoma in situ (CMIS) is a nosologic entity surrounded by health concerns and unsolved debates. We aimed to shed some light on CMIS by means of a large population-based study. Patients with histologic diagnosis of CMIS were identified from the Surveillance Epidemiology End Results (SEER) database. The records of 93,863 cases of CMIS were available for analysis. CMIS incidence has been steadily increasing over the past 3 decades at a rate higher than any other in situ or invasive tumor, including invasive skin melanoma (annual percentage change [APC]: 9.5% versus 3.6%, respectively). Despite its noninvasive nature, CMIS is treated with excision margins wider than 1 cm in more than one third of cases. CMIS is associated with an increased risk of invasive melanoma (standardized incidence ratio [SIR]: 8.08; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.66-8.57), with an estimated 3:5 invasive/in situ ratio; surprisingly, it is also associated with a reduced risk of gastrointestinal (SIR: 0.78, CI: 0.72-0.84) and lung (SIR: 0.65, CI: 0.59-0.71) cancers. Relative survival analysis shows that persons with CMIS have a life expectancy equal to that of the general population. CMIS is increasingly diagnosed and is often overtreated, although it does not affect the life expectancy of its carriers. Patients with CMIS have an increased risk of developing invasive melanoma (which warrants their enrollment in screening programs) but also a reduced risk of some epithelial cancers, which raises the intriguing hypothesis that genetic/environmental risk factors for some tumors may oppose the pathogenesis of others.

The mortality and cancer experience of New Zealand Vietnam war veterans: a cohort study.

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McBride, David; Cox, Brian; Broughton, John; Tong, Darryl

2013-09-03

The aim was to observe the patterns of mortality and cancer incidence in New Zealand Vietnam veterans. The objectives were to assess whether the patterns of disease observed were consistent with those associated with military service in Vietnam, and similar to the patterns identified in other groups of Vietnam veterans. A historical cohort study. Veterans, identified from service records, with Vietnam service between 1964 and 1972. Of the 3322 survivors of Vietnam service, we followed up 2783 (84%). Standardised mortality and incidence ratios (SMRs and SIRs, respectively) were calculated based on the number of deaths and cancer registrations observed, those expected being based on New Zealand national rates. All cause mortality was significantly reduced (SMR 0.85, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.94) and cancer incidence non-significantly increased (SIR 1.06, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.16). The risk of mortality from cancers of the head and neck (SMR 2.20, 95% CI 1.09 to 3.93); oral cavity pharynx and larynx (SMR 2.13, 95% CI 1.06 to 3.81) and the incidence of chronic lymphatic leukaemia (CLL) (SIR 1.91, 95% CI 1.04 to 3.20) were, however, significantly increased. Other lymphohaematopoietic disorders, specifically multiple myeloma and Hodgkin disease, showed non-significant mortality excesses, reflected by a similar increase in incidence. Service in the Vietnam war was associated with defoliant herbicide exposure, including 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, picloram and cacodylic acid. Subsequent reviews of mechanistic, animal and epidemiological evidence led to certain conditions being deemed compensable. The pattern of mortality and cancer incidence is not at odds with the list of compensable conditions and consistent with that found in Australian veterans serving in the same area of Vietnam, but also consistent with smoking and the healthy soldier effect. In common with the Australian experience, this is the only veterans group to show a significant

Global stability of an SIR model with differential infectivity on complex networks

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Yuan, Xinpeng; Wang, Fang; Xue, Yakui; Liu, Maoxing

2018-06-01

In this paper, an SIR model with birth and death on complex networks is analyzed, where infected individuals are divided into m groups according to their infection and contact between human is treated as a scale-free social network. We obtain the basic reproduction number R0 as well as the effects of various immunization schemes. The results indicate that the disease-free equilibrium is locally and globally asymptotically stable in some conditions, otherwise disease-free equilibrium is unstable and exists an unique endemic equilibrium that is globally asymptotically stable. Our theoretical results are confirmed by numerical simulations and a promising way for infectious diseases control is suggested.

Modelling malaria incidence with environmental dependency in a locality of Sudanese savannah area, Mali

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Demongeot Jacques

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The risk of Plasmodium falciparum infection is variable over space and time and this variability is related to environmental variability. Environmental factors affect the biological cycle of both vector and parasite. Despite this strong relationship, environmental effects have rarely been included in malaria transmission models. Remote sensing data on environment were incorporated into a temporal model of the transmission, to forecast the evolution of malaria epidemiology, in a locality of Sudanese savannah area. Methods A dynamic cohort was constituted in June 1996 and followed up until June 2001 in the locality of Bancoumana, Mali. The 15-day composite vegetation index (NDVI, issued from satellite imagery series (NOAA from July 1981 to December 2006, was used as remote sensing data. The statistical relationship between NDVI and incidence of P. falciparum infection was assessed by ARIMA analysis. ROC analysis provided an NDVI value for the prediction of an increase in incidence of parasitaemia. Malaria transmission was modelled using an SIRS-type model, adapted to Bancoumana's data. Environmental factors influenced vector mortality and aggressiveness, as well as length of the gonotrophic cycle. NDVI observations from 1981 to 2001 were used for the simulation of the extrinsic variable of a hidden Markov chain model. Observations from 2002 to 2006 served as external validation. Results The seasonal pattern of P. falciparum incidence was significantly explained by NDVI, with a delay of 15 days (p = 0.001. An NDVI threshold of 0.361 (p = 0.007 provided a Diagnostic Odd Ratio (DOR of 2.64 (CI95% [1.26;5.52]. The deterministic transmission model, with stochastic environmental factor, predicted an endemo-epidemic pattern of malaria infection. The incidences of parasitaemia were adequately modelled, using the observed NDVI as well as the NDVI simulations. Transmission pattern have been modelled and observed values were adequately

[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes and infectious diseases].

Science.gov (United States)

Ledermann D, Walter

2010-10-01

Besides a pleasant author of best sellers, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a medical doctor, writing excellent short stories about the exercise of his profession in England. However, even he mentions The British Medical Journal and The Lancet in the Sherlock Holmes's stories, when in the plot introduces infectious diseases, Conan Doyle ignores important discoveries in the field of tetanus. Anyway, the appearing of infectious diseases in the adventures of the detective are rare: one mention of tetanus, another of leprosy and- the most analyzed in medical literature a case of murder by inoculation of bacteria, probably the agent of melioidosis. Also he makes his hero discovers the toxic actions of a medusa and a transplant of solid organ. Little for a physician and less for an author who also wrote science fiction: it seems that the history of the great medical discoveries at the end of nineteenth century and beginning of the twentieth has passed by his side.., and he just couldn't see it.

Risk of cancer in patients with genital warts: A nationwide, population-based cohort study in Taiwan.

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Ching-Yi Cho

Full Text Available Condyloma acuminata currently affects around 1% of sexually active adults, and its incidence is increasing. The coexistence of genital warts (GW and certain cancers and an association between human papillomavirus (HPV and various malignancies have been reported. Therefore, we conducted this large national study to analyze the risk of malignancies among men and women with GW in Taiwan.Between January 2000 and December 2013, approximately 3 million patients were reported to the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. Of these patients, 21,763 were diagnosed with GW. In the same time period, a total of 213,541 cancer cases were reported to the registry, of which 1002 were recorded among patients with GW. The age-specific incidence rates of GW and standardized incidence ratios (SIRs of malignancies compared to the general population were calculated. Women acquired GW earlier than men, with a mean age at diagnosis of 32.63±12.78 years. The highest incidence rate for both genders peaked at 20-29 years. Of the 1002 patients with GW and malignancies, the SIR was 1.95 (95%CI 1.83-2.07. The most markedly increased risk was found for HPV-related cancers, with a SIR of 9.74 (95%CI 3.70-15.77. Significantly elevated risks were also noted for smoking-related cancers, anogenital cancers, cervix in situ, colon, rectum, lung, kidney, and prostate cancers. Most cancers developed within 10 years after the diagnosis of GW.Patients with GW have an increased risk of HPV-related cancers, especially anogenital malignancies in Taiwan. The elevated risk of other cancers highlights differences in exposure and risk factors among patients with GW compared to the general population. Cancer screening and HPV vaccination programs should be emphasized for at-risk patients.

The incidence of primary hip osteoarthritis in active duty US military servicemembers.

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Scher, Danielle L; Belmont, Philip J; Mountcastle, Sally; Owens, Brett D

2009-04-15

Although multiple studies have reported the prevalence of primary hip osteoarthritis (OA), little has been reported on incidence rates of hip OA. We sought to determine the incidence rate and demographic risk factors of hip OA in an ethnically diverse and physically active population of US military servicemembers. A query was performed using the US Defense Medical Epidemiology Database for the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code for hip OA (715.95). Multivariate Poisson regression analysis was used to estimate the rate of hip OA per 100,000 person-years, controlling for sex, race, age, rank, and service. The overall unadjusted incidence rate of hip OA was 35 per 100,000 person-years. Women, compared with men, had a significantly increased adjusted incidence rate ratio for hip OA of 1.87 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.73-2.01). The adjusted incidence rate ratio for black servicemembers when compared with white servicemembers was 1.32 (95% CI 1.23-1.41). The adjusted incidence rate ratio for the > or =40-year-old age group compared with the 20-year-old group was 22.21 (95% CI 17.54-28.14). With junior officers as the referent category, junior enlisted, senior enlisted, and senior officers rank groups had a significantly increased adjusted incidence rate ratio for hip OA. With the Air Force as the referent category, each service had a significantly increased adjusted incidence rate ratio for hip OA. Female sex; black race; age > or =40 years; junior enlisted, senior enlisted, and senior officer rank groups; and military service in the Navy, Army, or Marines were all risk factors for hip OA.

Breast implants and the risk of breast cancer: a meta-analysis of cohort studies.

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Noels, Eline C; Lapid, Oren; Lindeman, Jan H N; Bastiaannet, Esther

2015-01-01

The popularity of cosmetic breast augmentation and the incidence of breast cancer have been increasing worldwide. It has been hypothesized that the risk of breast cancer may be greater among patients who have undergone cosmetic breast implantation. The authors performed a meta-analysis of the available literature on the risk of breast cancer among women with cosmetic breast implants. The study was designed as a meta-analysis of observational studies. A systematic search of the English literature (published by August 28, 2013) was conducted in PubMed and EMBASE. Eligible reports were those that included relative risk (RR; the increased or decreased risk of breast cancer associated with breast implants) or the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of the observed number of cases of breast cancer to the expected number of cases among patients that previously underwent cosmetic breast augmentation. Seventeen studies representing 7 cohorts were selected. Some of these were follow-up reports of previously published studies; in such cases, only the most recent reports were included in the meta-analysis. Summary SIR and RR rates and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with a random-effects (SIR) or fixed-effects (RR) model. The overall SIR estimate was 0.69 (95% CI, 0.56-0.85), and the overall RR, based on 4 studies, was 0.63 (95% CI, 0.56-0.71). Finding of this meta-analysis suggest that women who have undergone cosmetic breast implantation do not have an increased risk of breast cancer. © 2015 The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc. Reprints and permission: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Increased risks of upper tract urothelial carcinoma in male and female chinese herbalists.

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Yang, Hsiao-Yu; Wang, Jung-Der; Lo, Tsai-Chang; Chen, Pau-Chung

2011-03-01

It has been shown that herbs that contain aristolochic acid induce urological cancer. Chinese herbalists have easy access to such herbs. Our previous mortality study has shown a significantly increased risk of urological cancer in female but not male herbalists. To re-examine this risk in male herbalists, the incidence of urological cancer was analyzed. We enrolled all 6550 Chinese herbalists in Taiwan registered during 1985-2000, and we retrospectively followed the development of cancer until 2001 by analysis of data collected from the Taiwan Cancer Registry. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated for urological cancers in herbalists and compared with those for the general population in Taiwan. There were 30 newly diagnosed cases of urological cancer and most of them were transitional cell carcinoma (93.1%). The mean age at diagnosis for urothelial carcinoma was 51.6 years, and 51.9% were in the upper urinary tract. After adjustment for age and sex, the SIR for all urological cancers was 3.51 [(95% confidence interval (CI): 2.37-5.01]. When stratified by location, the SIRs for kidney and upper urinary tract cancers and bladder cancer were 4.24 (95% CI: 2.47-6.80) and 2.86 (95% CI: 1.52-4.89), respectively. When analyzed by sex, the SIRs for all urological cancers, kidney and upper urinary tract cancers, and bladder cancer were also significantly increased in male herbalists. The significant risk of urothelial carcinoma noted in male herbalists increases our suspicion that this is an occupational disease that renders regular health assessment of herbalists an urgent necessity. Copyright © 2011 Formosan Medical Association & Elsevier. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Risk of pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator after radiotherapy for early-stage breast cancer in Denmark, 1982-2005

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rehammar, Jens Christian; Johansen, Jens Brock; Jensen, Maj-Britt

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To examine the risk of cardiac conduction abnormalities or severe ventricular arrhythmias requiring implantation of a cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED), either a pacemaker or an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, subsequent to breast cancer (BC) radiotherapy...... (RT). MATERIAL AND METHODS: All women treated for early-stage BC in Denmark from 1982 to 2005 were identified from the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group. By record linkage to the Danish Pacemaker and ICD Registry information was retrieved on CIED implants subsequent to RT. Standardized incidence...... ratios (SIR) of CIED implantation were estimated for women receiving RT and compared to women not receiving RT for BC. Uni- and multivariate Poisson regression models were used to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRR) among irradiated women compared to non-irradiated. RESULTS: Of 44,423 BC patients, 179...

Different strategies of osmoadaptation in the closely related marine myxobacteria Enhygromyxa salina SWB007 and Plesiocystis pacifica SIR-1.

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Amiri Moghaddam, Jamshid; Boehringer, Nils; Burdziak, Amal; Kunte, Hans-Jörg; Galinski, Erwin A; Schäberle, Till F

2016-02-03

Only a few myxobacteria are known to date which are classified as marine due to their salt-dependency. In this study, the salt tolerance mechanism of these bacteria was investigated. Therefore, a growth medium was designed, in which the mutated Escherichia coli strain BKA13 served as sole food source for the predatory, heterotrophic myxobacteria. This enabled measurement of the osmolytes without any background and revealed that the closely related strains Enhygromyxa salina SWB007 and Plesiocystis pacifica SIR-1 developed different strategies to handle salt stress. P. pacifica SIR-1, which was grown between 1-4 % NaCl, relies solely on the accumulation of amino acids, while E. salina SWB007, which was grown between 0.5-3 % NaCl, employs, beside betaine, hydroxyectoine as the major compatible solute. In accordance with this analysis, only in the latter strain a gene locus was identified which codes for genes corresponding to the biosynthesis of betaine, ectoine, and hydroxyectoine.

Deforestation and Secondary Growth in Rondonia, Brazil from SIR-C SAR and Landsat.SPOT data

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Rignot, Eric; Salas, William A.; Skole, David L.

1996-01-01

Covers problems with existing data collected with high-resolution optical sensors. They say active microwave sensors could complement other sensors in getting through things like cloud cover. They analyzed SIR-C data in combination with Landsat TM data, a 9-year time series of SPOT XS data, and a preliminary field survey. They report findings and draw conclusions, including that SARs operating at long radar wavelengths, with both like and cross-polarizations, are needed for tropical deforestation studies.

Increased extracellular heat shock protein 90α in severe sepsis and SIRS associated with multiple organ failure and related to acute inflammatory-metabolic stress response in children.

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Fitrolaki, Michaela-Diana; Dimitriou, Helen; Venihaki, Maria; Katrinaki, Marianna; Ilia, Stavroula; Briassoulis, George

2016-08-01

Mammalian heat-shock-protein (HSP) 90α rapidly responses to environmental insults. We examined the hypothesis that not only serum HSP72 but also HSP90α is increased in the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), severe-sepsis (SS), and/or sepsis (S) compared to healthy children (H); we assessed HSP90α relation to (a) multiple organ system failure (MOSF) and (b) inflammatory-metabolic response and severity of illness.A total of 65 children with S, SS, or SIRS and 25 H were included. ELISA was used to evaluate extracellular HSP90α and HSP72, chemiluminescence interleukins (ILs), flow-cytometry neutrophil-CD64 (nCD64)-expression.HSP90α, along with HSP72, were dramatically increased among MOSF patients. Patients in septic groups and SIRS had elevated HSP90α compared to H (P stress, fever, outcome endpoints, and predicted mortality and inversely related to the low-LDL/low-HDL stress metabolic pattern.

Sir Francis Joseph Campbell and His Family: The First Family in Professional Services for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

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Welsh, Richard L.

2008-01-01

The author discusses the pivotal roles of Sir Francis Campbell (1832-1914) and members of his family, especially his son Charles Campbell, in the evolution of the blindness field to a professional and reason-based service.

Stroke Risk among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Zhejiang: A Population-Based Prospective Study in China

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Lihua Guo

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. This study aimed to explore the incidence of stroke and stroke subtypes among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM based on the long-term surveillance data in Zhejiang, China, during 2007 to 2013. Materials and Methods. During January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2013, a total of 327,268 T2DM and 307,984 stroke patients were registered on Diabetes and Stroke Surveillance System, respectively. Stroke subtypes were classified according to standard definitions of subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage, and ischemic stroke. The incidence of stroke and stroke subtypes was calculated by standardized incidence ratio (SIRs with 95% confidence intervals (CIs compared with general population. Results. The incidence of stroke and stroke subtypes among patients with T2DM was significantly higher than in general population. Stroke risk was found significantly increased with an SIR of 3.87 (95% CI 3.76–3.99 and 3.38 (95% CI 3.27–3.48 in females and males, respectively. The excess risk of stroke was mainly attributable to the significantly higher risk of cerebral infarctions with the risk for T2DM being four times that for general population. Conclusions. The relationship between stroke and T2DM was strong, especially in female. The incidence of stroke and stroke subtypes among patients with T2DM was up to 3-fold higher than in general population in Zhejiang province, especially the subtype of cerebral infarctions.

Ut Pictura Poesis : dialéctica entre palabras e imagen en Sir William Sterling Maxwell

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Hilary Macartney

2002-01-01

Full Text Available En el presente artículo se analiza la estrecha relación entre la historia del arte de Sir William Stirling Maxwell, su biblioteca y su colección artística. Este vínculo encierra la clave para la comprensión de su excepcional aportación a la historiografía del arte español. Sus diversas actividades, como historiador del arte, coleccionista de libros y cuadros, y director de ediciones privadas de libros raros, fueron todas manifestaciones de su gran fascinación por el paralelo entre la literatura y el arte, la palabra y la imagen. Tal relación se encuentra incluso en el esquema decorativo de su biblioteca.This article examines the remarkable unity between Sir William Stirling Maxwell's art history, his library and his art collection and argües that this relationship is the key to understanding his unique contribution to scholarship of Spanish art. In particular, it will be shown that his actlvities as an art historian, bibliophile, art collector and editor of prívate editions of rare books were all expressions of his fascination with the relationship between literature and art in general, and more specifically between word and image. Even the decorative scheme of his library emphasised this relationship.

A mixed SIR-SIS model to contain a virus spreading through networks with two degrees

Science.gov (United States)

Essouifi, Mohamed; Achahbar, Abdelfattah

Due to the fact that the “nodes” and “links” of real networks are heterogeneous, to model computer viruses prevalence throughout the Internet, we borrow the idea of the reduced scale free network which was introduced recently. The purpose of this paper is to extend the previous deterministic two subchains of Susceptible-Infected-Susceptible (SIS) model into a mixed Susceptible-Infected-Recovered and Susceptible-Infected-Susceptible (SIR-SIS) model to contain the computer virus spreading over networks with two degrees. Moreover, we develop its stochastic counterpart. Due to the high protection and security taken for hubs class, we suggest to treat it by using SIR epidemic model rather than the SIS one. The analytical study reveals that the proposed model admits a stable viral equilibrium. Thus, it is shown numerically that the mean dynamic behavior of the stochastic model is in agreement with the deterministic one. Unlike the infection densities i2 and i which both tend to a viral equilibrium for both approaches as in the previous study, i1 tends to the virus-free equilibrium. Furthermore, since a proportion of infectives are recovered, the global infection density i is minimized. Therefore, the permanent presence of viruses in the network due to the lower-degree nodes class. Many suggestions are put forward for containing viruses propagation and minimizing their damages.

Filtering authentic sepsis arising in the ICU using administrative codes coupled to a SIRS screening protocol.

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Sudduth, Christopher L; Overton, Elizabeth C; Lyu, Peter F; Rimawi, Ramzy H; Buchman, Timothy G

2017-06-01

Using administrative codes and minimal physiologic and laboratory data, we sought a high-specificity identification strategy for patients whose sepsis initially appeared during their ICU stay. We studied all patients discharged from an academic hospital between September 1, 2013 and October 31, 2014. Administrative codes and minimal physiologic and laboratory criteria were used to identify patients at high risk of developing the onset of sepsis in the ICU. Two clinicians then independently reviewed the patient record to verify that the screened-in patients appeared to become septic during their ICU admission. Clinical chart review verified sepsis in 437/466 ICU stays (93.8%). Of these 437 encounters, only 151 (34.6%) were admitted to the ICU with neither SIRS nor evidence of infection and therefore appeared to become septic during their ICU stay. Selected administrative codes coupled to SIRS criteria and applied to patients admitted to ICU can yield up to 94% authentic sepsis patients. However, only 1/3 of patients thus identified appeared to become septic during their ICU stay. Studies that depend on high-intensity monitoring for description of the time course of sepsis require clinician review and verification that sepsis initially appeared during the monitoring period. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cancer risk among Danish women with cosmetic breast implants.

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Friis, Søren; Hölmich, Lisbet R; McLaughlin, Joseph K; Kjøller, Kim; Fryzek, Jon P; Henriksen, Trine F; Olsen, Jørgen H

2006-02-15

The available epidemiologic evidence does not support a carcinogenic effect of silicone breast implants on breast or other cancers. Data on cancer risk other than breast cancer are limited and few studies have assessed cancer risk beyond 10-15 years after breast implantation. We extended follow-up of our earlier cohort study of Danish women with cosmetic breast implants by 7 years, yielding 30 years of follow-up for women with longest implant duration. The study population consisted of women who underwent cosmetic breast implant surgery at private clinics of plastic surgery (n = 1,653) or public hospitals (n = 1,110), and a control group of women who attended private clinics for other plastic surgery (n = 1,736), between 1973-95. Cancer incidence through 2002 was ascertained using the Danish Cancer Registry. Risk evaluation was based on computation of standardized incidence ratios (SIR) and Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for age, calendar period and reproductive history. We observed 163 cancers among women with breast implants compared to 136.7 expected based on general population rates (SIR = 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.0-1.4), during a mean follow-up period of 14.4 years (range = 0-30 years). Women with breast implants experienced a reduced risk of breast cancer (SIR = 0.7; 95% CI = 0.5-1.0), and an increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancer (SIR = 2.1; 95% CI = 1.5-2.7). Stratification by age at implantation, calendar year at implantation and time since implantation showed no clear trends, however, the statistical precision was limited in these analyses. When excluding non-melanoma skin cancer, the SIR for cancer overall was 1.0 (95% CI = 0.8-1.2). With respect to other site-specific cancers, no significantly increased or decreased SIR were observed. Similar results were found when directly comparing women who had implants at private clinics with women who attended private clinics for other plastic surgery, with rate ratios for cancer

Solid tumors after chemotherapy or surgery for testicular nonseminoma: a population-based study.

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Fung, Chunkit; Fossa, Sophie D; Milano, Michael T; Oldenburg, Jan; Travis, Lois B

2013-10-20

Increased risks of solid tumors after older radiotherapy strategies for testicular cancer (TC) are well established. Few population-based studies, however, focus on solid cancer risk among survivors of TC managed with nonradiotherapy approaches. We quantified the site-specific risk of solid cancers among testicular nonseminoma patients treated in the modern era of cisplatin-based chemotherapy, without radiotherapy. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for solid tumors were calculated for 12,691 patients with testicular nonseminoma reported to the population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program (1980 to 2008) and treated initially with either chemotherapy (n = 6,013) or surgery (n = 6,678) without radiotherapy. Patients accrued 116,073 person-years of follow-up. Two hundred ten second solid cancers were observed. No increased risk followed surgery alone (SIR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.76 to 1.14; n = 99 solid cancers), whereas significantly increased 40% excesses (SIR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.18 to 1.73; n = 111 solid cancers) occurred after chemotherapy. Increased risks of solid cancers after chemotherapy were observed in most follow-up periods (median latency, 12.5 years), including more than 20 years after treatment (SIR, 1.54; 95% CI, 0.96 to 2.33); significantly increased three- to seven-fold risks occurred for cancers of the kidney (SIR, 3.37; 95% CI, 1.79 to 5.77), thyroid (SIR, 4.40; 95% CI, 2.19 to 7.88), and soft tissue (SIR, 7.49; 95% CI, 3.59 to 13.78). To our knowledge, this is the first large population-based series reporting significantly increased risks of solid cancers among patients with testicular nonseminoma treated in the modern era of cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Subsequent analytic studies should focus on the evaluation of dose-response relationships, types of solid cancers, latency patterns, and interactions with other possible factors, including genetic susceptibility.

Radioactive iodine therapy and breast cancer. A follow-up study of hyperthyroid women

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goldman, M.B.; Maloof, F.; Monson, R.R.; Aschengrau, A.; Cooper, D.S.; Ridgway, E.C.

1988-05-01

A follow-up study of 1762 hyperthyroid women who were treated at the Massachusetts General Hospital Thyroid Unit between 1946 and 1964 was conducted. The average length of follow-up was 17.2 years. A 1978 mailing address or a death certificate was located for 92% of the women, and 88% of 1058 living patients responded to a mail questionnaire. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for all causes of death was 1.3 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-1.4). The standardized mortality ratios for all malignant neoplasms and for breast cancer were 0.9 (95% CI 0.7-1.1) and 1.3 (95% CI 0.8-1.9), respectively. More deaths than expected were observed from endocrine and metabolic diseases (SMR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.2-2.7), circulatory system diseases (SMR = 1.4, 95% CI 1.3-1.6), and respiratory system diseases (SMR = 1.9, 95% CI 1.3-2.6). The standardized incidence ratios (SIR) for all malignant neoplasms and for breast cancer were 0.9 (95% CI 0.8-1.1) and 1.2 (95% CI 0.9-1.5), respectively. A nonsignificant excess breast cancer risk was observed 10 years after the onset of thyroid symptoms and was present at the end of 30 years of observation. A statistically significant excess number of pancreatic cancer cases (SIR = 2.0, 95% CI 1.0-3.7) and a nonsignificant excess of brain cancer cases (SIR = 2.3, 95% CI 0.7-5.3) were observed. Eighty per cent of the women were treated with radioactive iodine. When age at treatment and year of treatment were controlled, women who were ever treated with radioactive iodine had a standardized rate ratio for breast cancer of 1.9 (95% CI 0.9-4.1), compared with those who were never treated with radioactive iodine. Women who developed hypothyroidism as a result of their treatment for hyperthyroidism did not have an increased risk of developing breast cancer (SIR = 1.1, 95% CI 0.8-1.6).

Radioactive iodine therapy and breast cancer. A follow-up study of hyperthyroid women

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldman, M.B.; Maloof, F.; Monson, R.R.; Aschengrau, A.; Cooper, D.S.; Ridgway, E.C.

1988-01-01

A follow-up study of 1762 hyperthyroid women who were treated at the Massachusetts General Hospital Thyroid Unit between 1946 and 1964 was conducted. The average length of follow-up was 17.2 years. A 1978 mailing address or a death certificate was located for 92% of the women, and 88% of 1058 living patients responded to a mail questionnaire. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for all causes of death was 1.3 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-1.4). The standardized mortality ratios for all malignant neoplasms and for breast cancer were 0.9 (95% CI 0.7-1.1) and 1.3 (95% CI 0.8-1.9), respectively. More deaths than expected were observed from endocrine and metabolic diseases (SMR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.2-2.7), circulatory system diseases (SMR = 1.4, 95% CI 1.3-1.6), and respiratory system diseases (SMR = 1.9, 95% CI 1.3-2.6). The standardized incidence ratios (SIR) for all malignant neoplasms and for breast cancer were 0.9 (95% CI 0.8-1.1) and 1.2 (95% CI 0.9-1.5), respectively. A nonsignificant excess breast cancer risk was observed 10 years after the onset of thyroid symptoms and was present at the end of 30 years of observation. A statistically significant excess number of pancreatic cancer cases (SIR = 2.0, 95% CI 1.0-3.7) and a nonsignificant excess of brain cancer cases (SIR = 2.3, 95% CI 0.7-5.3) were observed. Eighty per cent of the women were treated with radioactive iodine. When age at treatment and year of treatment were controlled, women who were ever treated with radioactive iodine had a standardized rate ratio for breast cancer of 1.9 (95% CI 0.9-4.1), compared with those who were never treated with radioactive iodine. Women who developed hypothyroidism as a result of their treatment for hyperthyroidism did not have an increased risk of developing breast cancer (SIR = 1.1, 95% CI 0.8-1.6)

On pulse vaccine strategy in a periodic stochastic SIR epidemic model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Fengyan; Wang, Xiaoyi; Zhang, Shuwen; Ding, Changming

2014-01-01

A periodic stochastic SIR epidemic model with pulse vaccination is studied. The system has global positive solutions and under some conditions it admits a unique positive periodic disease-free solution, which is globally exponentially stable in mean square. The mathematical expectation and variance of the positive periodic solution are obtained. Two threshold parameters R 1 and R 2 (R 1 >R 2 ) are identified; if R 1 <1, the susceptible will be persistent in the mean and the disease will go to extinction; if R 2 >1, the susceptible and the disease will be weakly persistent in the mean. We show that by repeatedly vaccinating the susceptible population in series of pulses, it is possible to eradicate the infective from the entire model population in the random environment

Granular statistical mechanics - Building on the legacy of Sir Sam Edwards

Science.gov (United States)

Blumenfeld, Raphael

When Sir Sam Edwards laid down the foundations for the statistical mechanics of jammed granular materials he opened a new field in soft condensed matter and many followed. In this presentation we review briefly the Edwards formalism and some of its less discussed consequences. We point out that the formalism is useful for other classes of systems - cellular and porous materials. A certain shortcoming of the original formalism is then discussed and a modification to overcome it is proposed. Finally, a derivation of an equation of state with the new formalism is presented; the equation of state is analogous to the PVT relation for thermal gases, relating the volume, the boundary stress and measures of the structural and stress fluctuations. NUDT, Changsha, China, Imperial College London, UK, Cambridge University, UK.

Cohort study of residents of a district with soil and groundwater industrial waste contamination.

Science.gov (United States)

Pasetto, Roberto; Ranzi, Andrea; De Togni, Aldo; Ferretti, Stefano; Pasetti, Paolo; Angelini, Paola; Comba, Pietro

2013-01-01

A neighbourhood of the city of Ferrara (Italy) was built over an area polluted with chlorinated organic compounds. A residential cohort study was performed to assess the health profile of the population living in the polluted area. The residential history of 3475 subjects who had lived in the East quadrant neighbourhood in the period 1994-2010 was constructed. Mortality for the period 1994- 2010 and cancer incidence for the years 1994-2007 were studied. Standardised mortality ratios (SMR) for 2632 subjects and standardised incidence ratios (SIR) for 2578 subjects who had lived for at least 5 years in the area under study were calculated. Indicators were calculated for males and females combined, using the population of Ferrara as reference population. The health profile of the population of the East quadrant neighbourhood, defined using mortality indicators for major groups of causes, is essentially similar to that of the city of Ferrara. Increased mortality rates for lung cancer (SMR 131, 90% CI 94-178) and incidence rates for some cancer sites, including liver (SIR 135, 90% CI 67-243) were observed, albeit on the basis of few cases and with wide confidence intervals. The likelihood of observing significant increases in risk is reduced by the sizes of the cohorts and the short follow-up period, but some findings nonetheless suggest that, as a precautionary measure, the cohort study should be continued in parallel with measures for the reclamation of the site and that this study should take the form of epidemiological surveillance.

Development of Immunopathobiogenesis on SIRS-Sepsis

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A Guntur Hermawan

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Over the past decade, sepsis has been diagnosed according to consensus guidelines established in 1991 as an infection in addition to the symptoms of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS. In addition to the previous criteria, the 2001 conference added several new diagnostic criteria for sepsis. Of particular interest was the inclusion of the biomarkers procalcitonin (PCT and C-reactive protein (CRP, despite the overall conclusion that it was premature to use biomarkers for sepsis diagnosis. The primary recommendation of the panel was the implementation of the Predisposition, insult Infection, Response, and Organ dysfunction (PIRO.The immune system has traditionally been devided into innate and adaptive components, each of which has a different role and function in defending the host against infectious agents. Stimulation of different TLRs induces distinct patterns of gene expression, which not only leads to the activation of innate immunity but also increasing evidence supports an additional critical role for TLRs in orchestrating the development of adaptive immune responses. The superantigens are able to induce toxic shock syndrome and can sometimes cause multiple organ failure via adaptive immune system. The superantigenic activity of the bacterial exotoxins can be attributed to their ability to cross-link major histocompatibility complex class II molecules on antigen-presenting cells outside the peptide groove with T-cell receptors to form a trimolecular complex. This trimolecular interaction leads to uncontrolled release of a number of proinflammatory cytokines. Proinflammatory cytokines especially IFN-γ and TNF-α, the key cytokines causing toxic shock syndrome. KEYWORDS: sepsis, innate immunity, adaptive.

Risk of early-onset prostate cancer associated with occupation in the Nordic countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hughes Barry, Kathryn; Martinsen, Jan Ivar; Alavanja, Michael C. R.

2017-01-01

-49 and those aged 50 or older. We also conducted separate analyses by period of follow-up, 1961-1985 and 1986-2005, corresponding to pre- and post-prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening. RESULTS: For early-onset prostate cancer (n = 1521), we observed the highest SIRs for public safety workers (e......BACKGROUND: Early-onset prostate cancer is often more aggressive and may have a different aetiology than later-onset prostate cancer, but has been relatively little studied to date. We evaluated occupation in relation to early- and later-onset prostate cancer in a large pooled study. METHODS: We...... used occupational information from census data in five Nordic countries from 1960 to 1990. We identified prostate cancer cases diagnosed from 1961 to 2005 by linkage of census information to national cancer registries and calculated standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) separately for men aged 30...

A Suitable Approach to Estimate Cancer Incidence in Area without Cancer Registry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitton, N.; Colonna, M.; Colonna, M.

2011-01-01

Objective. Use of cancer cases from registries and PMSI claims database to estimate Department-specific incidence of four major cancers. Methods. Case extraction used principal diagnosis then surgery codes. PMSI cases/registry cases ratios for 2004 were modelled then Department-specific incidence for 2007 estimated using these ratios and 2007 PMSI cases. Results. For 2007, only colon-rectum and breast cancer estimations were satisfactorily validated for infra national incidence not ovary and kidney cancers. For breast, the estimated national incidence was 50,578 cases and the incidence rate 98.6 cases per 100,000 person per year. For colon-rectum, incidence was 21,172 in men versus 18,327 in women and the incidence rate 38 per 100,000 versus 24.8. For ovary, the estimated incidence was 4,637 and the rate 8.6 per 100,000. For kidney, incidence was 6,775 in men versus 3,273 in women and the rate 13.3 per 100.000 versus 5.2. Conclusion. Incidence estimation using PMSI patient identifiers proved encouraging though still dependent on the assumption of uniform cancer treatments and coding.

Photographic Standards for Patients With Facial Palsy and Recommendations by Members of the Sir Charles Bell Society.

Science.gov (United States)

Santosa, Katherine B; Fattah, Adel; Gavilán, Javier; Hadlock, Tessa A; Snyder-Warwick, Alison K

2017-07-01

There is no widely accepted assessment tool or common language used by clinicians caring for patients with facial palsy, making exchange of information challenging. Standardized photography may represent such a language and is imperative for precise exchange of information and comparison of outcomes in this special patient population. To review the literature to evaluate the use of facial photography in the management of patients with facial palsy and to examine the use of photography in documenting facial nerve function among members of the Sir Charles Bell Society-a group of medical professionals dedicated to care of patients with facial palsy. A literature search was performed to review photographic standards in patients with facial palsy. In addition, a cross-sectional survey of members of the Sir Charles Bell Society was conducted to examine use of medical photography in documenting facial nerve function. The literature search and analysis was performed in August and September 2015, and the survey was conducted in August and September 2013. The literature review searched EMBASE, CINAHL, and MEDLINE databases from inception of each database through September 2015. Additional studies were identified by scanning references from relevant studies. Only English-language articles were eligible for inclusion. Articles that discussed patients with facial palsy and outlined photographic guidelines for this patient population were included in the study. The survey was disseminated to the Sir Charles Bell Society members in electronic form. It consisted of 10 questions related to facial grading scales, patient-reported outcome measures, other psychological assessment tools, and photographic and videographic recordings. In total, 393 articles were identified in the literature search, 7 of which fit the inclusion criteria. Six of the 7 articles discussed or proposed views specific to patients with facial palsy. However, none of the articles specifically focused on

Adiposity to muscle ratio predicts incident physical limitation in a cohort of 3,153 older adults--an alternative measurement of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity.

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Auyeung, Tung Wai; Lee, Jenny Shun Wah; Leung, Jason; Kwok, Timothy; Woo, Jean

2013-08-01

Conventionally, sarcopenia is defined by muscle mass and physical performance. We hypothesized that the disability caused by sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity was related to the amount of adiposity or body weight bearing on a unit of muscle mass, or the adiposity to muscle ratio. We therefore examined whether this ratio could predict physical limitation by secondary analysis of the data in our previous study. We recruited 3,153 community-dwelling adults aged >65 years and their body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Assessment of physical limitation was undertaken 4 years later. The relationship between baseline adiposity to muscle ratio and incident physical limitation was examined by logistic regression. In men, the adiposity to muscle ratios, namely total body fat to lower-limb muscle mass, total body fat to fat-free mass (FFM), and body weight to FFM, were predictive of physical limitation before and after adjustment for the covariates: age, Mini-mental Status Examination score, Geriatric Depression Scale score >8, and the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart disease, and stroke (all p values physical limitation 4 years later both before and after adjustment for the same set of covariates (all p values physical limitation in older women across the entire range of the total body fat to lower-limb muscle mass ratio; and in older men when this ratio was equal to or greater than 0.75.

Memory Binding Test Predicts Incident Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Science.gov (United States)

Mowrey, Wenzhu B; Lipton, Richard B; Katz, Mindy J; Ramratan, Wendy S; Loewenstein, David A; Zimmerman, Molly E; Buschke, Herman

2016-07-14

The Memory Binding Test (MBT), previously known as Memory Capacity Test, has demonstrated discriminative validity for distinguishing persons with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and dementia from cognitively normal elderly. We aimed to assess the predictive validity of the MBT for incident aMCI. In a longitudinal, community-based study of adults aged 70+, we administered the MBT to 246 cognitively normal elderly adults at baseline and followed them annually. Based on previous work, a subtle reduction in memory binding at baseline was defined by a Total Items in the Paired (TIP) condition score of ≤22 on the MBT. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the predictive validity of the MBT for incident aMCI accounting for the effects of covariates. The hazard ratio of incident aMCI was also assessed for different prediction time windows ranging from 4 to 7 years of follow-up, separately. Among 246 controls who were cognitively normal at baseline, 48 developed incident aMCI during follow-up. A baseline MBT reduction was associated with an increased risk for developing incident aMCI (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.44, 95% confidence interval: 1.30-4.56, p = 0.005). When varying the prediction window from 4-7 years, the MBT reduction remained significant for predicting incident aMCI (HR range: 2.33-3.12, p: 0.0007-0.04). Persons with poor performance on the MBT are at significantly greater risk for developing incident aMCI. High hazard ratios up to seven years of follow-up suggest that the MBT is sensitive to early disease.

Emodin extends lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans through insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway depending on DAF-16 and SIR-2.1.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xuan; Lu, Lulu; Qi, Yonghao; Li, Miao; Zhou, Lijun

2017-10-01

The naturally occurring anthraquinone emodin has been serving primarily as an anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory agent. However, little is known about its potential on anti-aging. This investigation examined the effect of emodin on lifespan and focused on its physiological molecular mechanisms in vivo. Using Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as an animal model, we found emodin could extend lifespan of worms and improve their antioxidant capacity. Our mechanistic studies revealed that emodin might function via insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) pathway involving, specifically the core transcription factor DAF-16. Quantitative RT-PCR results illustrated that emodin up-regulated transcription of DAF-16 target genes which express antioxidants to promote antioxidant capacity and lifespan of worms. In addition, attenuated effect in sir-2.1 mutants suggests that emodin likely functioned in a SIR-2.1-dependent manner. Our study uncovers a novel role of emodin in prolonging lifespan and supports the understanding of emodin being a beneficial dietary supplement.

Post-event spontaneous intrusive recollections and strength of memory for emotional events in men and women

Science.gov (United States)

Ferree, Nikole K.; Cahill, Larry

2009-01-01

Spontaneous intrusive recollections (SIRs) follow traumatic events in clinical and non-clinical populations. To determine whether any relationship exists between SIRs and enhanced memory for emotional events, participants viewed emotional or neutral films, had their memory for the films tested two days later, and estimated the number of SIRs they experienced for each film. SIR frequency related positively to memory strength, an effect more pronounced in the emotional condition. These findings represent the first demonstration of a relationship between SIRs occurring after an emotional experience and subsequent memory strength for that experience. The results are consistent with the possibility that emotional arousal leads both to elevated SIR frequency and better memory, and that the covert rehearsal associated with SIRs enhances memory for emotional relative to neutral stimuli. Additional evidence of menstrual cycle influences on SIR incidence in female participants appears to merit consideration in future work. PMID:19131257

Spontaneous Transient Lateral Thoracic Lung Herniation Resulting in Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS and Subsequent Contralateral Lung Injury

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antony Kaliyadan

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Lung herniation is a relatively rare clinical entity that is most commonly either congenital or acquired traumatically. We describe a case of spontaneous lung herniation secondary to acute cough in an obese male smoker complicated by contralateral acute lung injury and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS. Mechanisms of lung herniation, classification, diagnosis, and management will be discussed.

Studies on the use of SIR-C and X-SAR data for identification, demarcation, and assessment of forest ecosystems. Final report; Untersuchungen zum Einsatz von SIR-C und X-SAR Daten fuer die Identifizierung, Abgrenzung und Beurteilung von Waldoekosystemen. Abschlussbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johlige, A.; Foerster, B.; Ammer, U.

1997-12-31

The purpose of the present evaluation was to use SIR-C and X-SAR data for forest surveying and assess their suitability for this task. Amongst other work this included the discrimination of forest and non-forest, demarcation of cleared areas within forests, discrimination of different forest types, and assessment of the influence of foliation. The chief steps of the study were the preparation of radar data, accompanying aerial photo evaluation for the extraction of training and verification areas, and detailed signature analysis. Evaluation trials in ``Oberpfaffenhofen`` supertest area yielded unsatisfactory results when it came to discriminating different forest ecosystems. This can be attributed to the very heterogeneous and small-scale structure of the area and the absence of topographically coded X, C, and L band data. In the second study area, located in the ``Bavarian Forest National Park``, geocoded data of all three bands were available in the form of combined products. This permitted using the mask of the local angles of incidence to reduce the influence of relief. In this case distinguishability within wooded regions was also enhanced. A general finding was that ground resolution as it presents to the user is clearly poorer than the nominal resolution. What impressed us most was the high degree of weather-independence of the radar data. All data handled in this study were recorded under conditions that would have made photography impossible. (orig.) [Deutsch] Ziel der Auswertung ist es SIR-C/X-SAR Daten fuer die Waldbeobachtung einzusetzen und ihre Eignung dafuer zu bewerten. Zu loesende Teilaufgaben waren u.a. die Wald-Nichtwaldtrennung, die Abtrennung unbestockter Flaechen im Wald, Unterscheidung verschiedener Waldtypen selbst und die Beurteilung des Einflusses des Belaubungszustndes. Die zentralen Arbeitsschritte waren die Aufbereitung der Radardaten, die begleitende Luftbildauswertung zur Extraktion von Trainings- und Verifizierungsgebieten und die

Studies on the use of SIR-C and X-SAR data for identification, demarcation, and assessment of forest ecosystems. Final report; Untersuchungen zum Einsatz von SIR-C und X-SAR Daten fuer die Identifizierung, Abgrenzung und Beurteilung von Waldoekosystemen. Abschlussbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johlige, A; Foerster, B; Ammer, U

1998-12-31

The purpose of the present evaluation was to use SIR-C and X-SAR data for forest surveying and assess their suitability for this task. Amongst other work this included the discrimination of forest and non-forest, demarcation of cleared areas within forests, discrimination of different forest types, and assessment of the influence of foliation. The chief steps of the study were the preparation of radar data, accompanying aerial photo evaluation for the extraction of training and verification areas, and detailed signature analysis. Evaluation trials in ``Oberpfaffenhofen`` supertest area yielded unsatisfactory results when it came to discriminating different forest ecosystems. This can be attributed to the very heterogeneous and small-scale structure of the area and the absence of topographically coded X, C, and L band data. In the second study area, located in the ``Bavarian Forest National Park``, geocoded data of all three bands were available in the form of combined products. This permitted using the mask of the local angles of incidence to reduce the influence of relief. In this case distinguishability within wooded regions was also enhanced. A general finding was that ground resolution as it presents to the user is clearly poorer than the nominal resolution. What impressed us most was the high degree of weather-independence of the radar data. All data handled in this study were recorded under conditions that would have made photography impossible. (orig.) [Deutsch] Ziel der Auswertung ist es SIR-C/X-SAR Daten fuer die Waldbeobachtung einzusetzen und ihre Eignung dafuer zu bewerten. Zu loesende Teilaufgaben waren u.a. die Wald-Nichtwaldtrennung, die Abtrennung unbestockter Flaechen im Wald, Unterscheidung verschiedener Waldtypen selbst und die Beurteilung des Einflusses des Belaubungszustndes. Die zentralen Arbeitsschritte waren die Aufbereitung der Radardaten, die begleitende Luftbildauswertung zur Extraktion von Trainings- und Verifizierungsgebieten und die

Newton's gift how Sir Isaac Newton unlocked the system of the world

CERN Document Server

Berlinski, David

2000-01-01

Sir Isaac Newton, creator of the first and perhaps most important scientific theory, is a giant of the scientific era. Despite this, he has remained inaccessible to most modern readers, indisputably great but undeniably remote. In this witty, engaging, and often moving examination of Newton's life, David Berlinski recovers the man behind the mathematical breakthroughs. The story carries the reader from Newton's unremarkable childhood to his awkward undergraduate days at Cambridge through the astonishing year in which, working alone, he laid the foundation for his system of the world, his Principia Mathematica, and to the subsequent monumental feuds that poisoned his soul and wearied his supporters. An edifying appreciation of Newton's greatest accomplishment, Newton's Gift is also a touching celebration of a transcendent man.

Dynamics analysis of SIR epidemic model with correlation coefficients and clustering coefficient in networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Juping; Yang, Chan; Jin, Zhen; Li, Jia

2018-07-14

In this paper, the correlation coefficients between nodes in states are used as dynamic variables, and we construct SIR epidemic dynamic models with correlation coefficients by using the pair approximation method in static networks and dynamic networks, respectively. Considering the clustering coefficient of the network, we analytically investigate the existence and the local asymptotic stability of each equilibrium of these models and derive threshold values for the prevalence of diseases. Additionally, we obtain two equivalent epidemic thresholds in dynamic networks, which are compared with the results of the mean field equations. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimizing Real-Time Vaccine Allocation in a Stochastic SIR Model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chantal Nguyen

Full Text Available Real-time vaccination following an outbreak can effectively mitigate the damage caused by an infectious disease. However, in many cases, available resources are insufficient to vaccinate the entire at-risk population, logistics result in delayed vaccine deployment, and the interaction between members of different cities facilitates a wide spatial spread of infection. Limited vaccine, time delays, and interaction (or coupling of cities lead to tradeoffs that impact the overall magnitude of the epidemic. These tradeoffs mandate investigation of optimal strategies that minimize the severity of the epidemic by prioritizing allocation of vaccine to specific subpopulations. We use an SIR model to describe the disease dynamics of an epidemic which breaks out in one city and spreads to another. We solve a master equation to determine the resulting probability distribution of the final epidemic size. We then identify tradeoffs between vaccine, time delay, and coupling, and we determine the optimal vaccination protocols resulting from these tradeoffs.

Incidence and epidemiology of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and risk of second malignancy among 22 466 survivors in Israel with 30 years of follow-up.

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Tadmor, Tamar; Liphshitz, Irena; Silverman, Barbara; Polliack, Aaron

2017-12-01

Previous studies have shown an increase risk of second malignancies after non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), which is probably related to a combination of factors including genetic predisposition, molecular background, host immunological status and therapy administered. Here, we determined the incidence of NHL and risk of second solid tumours and haematological malignancies among survivors of NHL diagnosed in Israel during 1980-2011. Data were collected from the records of the Israeli National Cancer Registry. The total cohort of 24 666 NHL-patients included 22 601 Jews and 2065 Arabs. Median age of diagnosis for Jews was 61.3 years and 48.2 for Arab patients. Of the Jews with NHL, 11 265 (50%) were of European-American origin, 5005 (22%) Asian or African and 6114 (27%) were born in Israel. Second cancers were recorded in 2010 NHL survivors, 1918 Jews and 92 Arabs, representing a rate of 8.5%, and 4.5% o, respectively. Second malignancies in all recorded sites were more frequent than in the general population, with a standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of 1.28 for Jewish men, 1.25 for Jewish women, 1.73 for Arab men and 1.98 for Arab women. This higher risk was even more pronounced for the 309 cases with secondary haematological malignancies (secondary haematological malignancies of 1.97, 1.81, 4.48 and 4.15, respectively). Our findings show that there is an increased risk of second malignancies occurring after diagnosis of NHL in Israel, particularly for haematological malignancies such as leukaemia and NHL. The differences we report in the incidence of NHL and the types of second malignancies occurring among Jews and Arabs suggest that ethnicity and genetic susceptibility may be important relevant risk factors. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Epidemiology and Inequality in the Incidence and Mortality of Nasopharynx Cancer in Asia.

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Mahdavifar, Neda; Ghoncheh, Mahshid; Mohammadian-Hafshejani, Abdollah; Khosravi, Bahman; Salehiniya, Hamid

2016-12-01

One of the most common head and neck cancers is nasopharynx cancer. Knowledge about the incidence and mortality of this disease and its distribution in terms of geographical areas is necessary for further study and better planning. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of determining the incidence and mortality rates of nasopharynx cancer and its relationship with the Human Development Index (HDI) in Asia in 2012. The aim of this ecologic study was to assess the correlation between age-specific incidence rate (ASIR) and age-specific mortality rate (ASMR) with HDI and its components, which include the following: life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, and gross national income per capita. Data about SIR and SMR for every Asian country for 2012 were obtained from the global cancer project. We used the correlation bivariate method for the assessment. Statistical significance was assumed if p  ASMR were Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei. The correlation between HDI and ASIR was 0.097 ( p  = 0.520) [0.105 in men ( p  = 0.488) and 0.119 in women ( p  = 0.901)]. The correlation between HDI and ASMR was -0.102 ( p  = 0.502) [-0.072 in men ( p  = 0.633) and -0.224 in women ( p  = 0.134)]. Nasopharynx cancer is native to Southeast Asia. The highest incidence and mortality rates are found in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Brunei. No significant relation was found between the standardized incidence and mortality rates of nasopharynx cancer and the HDI components. Further studies are recommended in Southeast Asian countries in order to find the etiology of cancer, as well as its diagnosis and treatment.

The burden of stomach cancer in indigenous populations: a systematic review and global assessment.

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Arnold, Melina; Moore, Suzanne P; Hassler, Sven; Ellison-Loschmann, Lis; Forman, David; Bray, Freddie

2014-01-01

Stomach cancer is a leading cause of cancer death, especially in developing countries. Incidence has been associated with poverty and is also reported to disproportionately affect indigenous peoples, many of whom live in poor socioeconomic circumstances and experience lower standards of health. In this comprehensive assessment, we explore the burden of stomach cancer among indigenous peoples globally. The literature was searched systematically for studies on stomach cancer incidence, mortality and survival in indigenous populations, including Indigenous Australians, Maori in New Zealand, indigenous peoples from the circumpolar region, native Americans and Alaska natives in the USA, and the Mapuche peoples in Chile. Data from the New Zealand Health Information Service and the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program were used to estimate trends in incidence. Elevated rates of stomach cancer incidence and mortality were found in almost all indigenous peoples relative to corresponding non-indigenous populations in the same regions or countries. This was particularly evident among Inuit residing in the circumpolar region (standardised incidence ratios (SIR) males: 3.9, females: 3.6) and in Maori (SIR males: 2.2, females: 3.2). Increasing trends in incidence were found for some groups. We found a higher burden of stomach cancer in indigenous populations globally, and rising incidence in some indigenous groups, in stark contrast to the decreasing global trends. This is of major public health concern requiring close surveillance and further research of potential risk factors. Given evidence that improving nutrition and housing sanitation, and Helicobacter pylori eradication programmes could reduce stomach cancer rates, policies which address these initiatives could reduce inequalities in stomach cancer burden for indigenous peoples.

The association of the human development index with global kidney cancer incidence and mortality.

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Patel, Amit R; Prasad, Sandip M; Shih, Ya-Chen Tina; Eggener, Scott E

2012-06-01

We describe contemporary worldwide age standardized incidence and mortality rates for kidney cancer, and their association with social and economic development metrics. We obtained gender specific, age standardized incidence and mortality rates for 184 countries and 16 major world regions from the GLOBOCAN 2008 database. We compared the mortality-to-incidence ratio on the national and regional levels in males and females, and assessed the association with the development level of each country using the United Nations Human Development Index. The age standardized incidence rate varied twentyfold worldwide with the highest rate in North America, and the lowest in Africa and South Central Asia (11.8 vs 1.2 and 1.0/100,000 individuals, respectively). The geographic distribution of the age standardized mortality rate was similar to that of the age standardized incidence rate with the highest rates in Europe and North America (3.1 and 2.6/100,000 individuals, respectively) and the lowest rates in Asian and African regions (0.6 to 1.5). Age standardized incidence and mortality rates were 4.5 and 2.8 times higher, respectively, in more developed countries than in developing countries. However, the mortality-to-incidence ratio was highest in Africa and Asia, and lowest in North America (0.6 to 0.8 vs 0.2/100,000 individuals). There was a strong inverse relationship between the Human Development Index and the mortality-to-incidence ratio (regression coefficient -0.79, p<0.0001). Kidney cancer incidence and mortality rates vary widely throughout the world while the mortality-to-incidence ratio is highest in less developed nations. These observations suggest significant health care disparities and may reflect differences in risk factors, health care access, quality of care, diagnostic modalities and treatment options available. Future research should assess whether the mortality-to-incidence ratio decreases with increasing development. Copyright © 2012 American Urological

Shuttle imaging radar-A (SIR-A) data analysis. [geology of the Ozark Plateau of southern Missouri, land use in western Illinois, and vegetation types at Koonamore Station, Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Arvidson, R. E.

1983-01-01

The utility of shuttle imaging radar (SIR-A) data was evaluated in several geological and environmental contexts. For the Ozark Plateau of southern Missouri, SIR-A data were of little use in mapping structural features, because of generally uniform returns. For western Illinois, little was to be gained in terms of identifying land use categories by examining differences between overlapping passes. For southern Australia (Koonamore Station), information ion vegetation types that was not obtainable from LANDSAT MSS data alone was obtained. Specifically, high SIR-A returns in the Australian site were found to correlate with locations where shrubs increase surface roughness appreciably. The Australian study site results demonstrate the synergy of acquiring spectral reflectance and radar data over the same location and time. Such data are especially important in that region, since grazing animals have substantially altered and are continuing to alter the distribution of shrublands, grasslands, and soil exposures. Periodic, synoptic acquisition of MSS and SAR data would be of use in monitoring the dynamics of land-cover change in this environment.

Sir William Turner (1832-1916) - Lancastrian, anatomist and champion of the Victorian era.

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Wessels, Quenton; Correia, Janine Carla; Taylor, Adam M

2016-11-01

Sir William Turner, a Lancastrian, was renowned as a scientist, anatomist and a great reformer of medical education. His students became anatomists at various international institutions, which consequently shaped the future of anatomy as a subject matter both in the United Kingdom and in South Africa. Although Turner's accomplishments have been documented, little is known about the details that determined his career path and the individuals that shaped his future. Here the authors aim to highlight some aspects of Turner's academic achievements and his personal life as well as how he crossed paths with other great minds of the Victorian era including Richard Owen, Charles Darwin, James Paget and Joseph Lister. © The Author(s) 2015.

Epstein-Barr virus-associated infectious mononucleosis and risk of systemic lupus erythematosus.

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Ulff-Møller, Constance J; Nielsen, Nete M; Rostgaard, Klaus; Hjalgrim, Henrik; Frisch, Morten

2010-09-01

Elevated levels of serological markers of EBV infection in patients with SLE and observations that infectious mononucleosis (IM) may precede some cases of SLE suggest a possible role of EBV in the aetiology of SLE. We evaluated the relationship between EBV-associated IM and subsequent risk of SLE in a population-based cohort study. We followed cohorts of Danes tested serologically for IM using the Paul-Bunnell (PB) heterophile antibody test between 1939 and 1989, and patients hospitalized with IM between 1977 and 2007 for subsequent first hospitalizations with SLE in the period 1977-2008. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) with 95% CI served as measures of relative risk. Risk of SLE was not increased either in individuals with a positive PB test (SIR = 1.1; 95% CI 0.8, 1.6; n = 27) or in individuals hospitalized with IM (SIR = 1.3; 95% CI 0.7, 2.2; n = 12). However, SLE risk in PB-negative individuals was significantly increased (SIR = 2.6; 95% CI 2.1, 3.2; n = 82), a risk that was particularly high 1-4 years after the PB test (SIR = 6.6; 95% CI 3.3, 13.2) and remained significantly elevated for >25 years. EBV-associated IM does not seem to be a risk factor for SLE. The temporal pattern of increased SLE risk in individuals with a negative PB test suggests that some patients who go on to develop SLE may present with unspecific symptoms, for which they may be tested for IM, long in advance of their SLE diagnosis.

Family history as a predictor of hospitalization for hypertension in Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Westerdahl, Christina; Li, Xinjun; Sundquist, Jan; Sundquist, Kristina; Zöller, Bengt

2013-10-01

Hypertension clusters in families. However, no nationwide study has investigated the family history as a predictor of hospitalization for hypertension, which was the purpose of this study. The study is a nationwide follow-up study. Swedish Multigeneration Register data for individuals aged 0-76 years were linked to Hospital Discharge Register data for 1964-2008. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated for individuals whose relatives were hospitalized with a main diagnosis of hypertension compared with those whose relatives were not. The total number of patients hospitalized with hypertension was 37,686. The familial SIR was 2.18 for individuals with one affected sibling, 44.83 for individuals with two affected siblings and 57.18 for individuals with three or more affected siblings. The SIR was 1.95 for parents with one affected child, 3.73 for parents with two affected children and 9.22 for parents with three or more affected children. The familial SIR among offspring was 1.84 for those with one affected parent and 3.62 for those with two affected parents. The familial risk for hospitalization with hypertension among offspring aged less than 30 years was 2.50 and 1.57 in those aged more than 60 years. Familial risks were similar for men and women. Spouses had low overall familial risks (SIR=1.2). Hospitalization for hypertension clusters in families. Very high risks were observed in families with multiple affected siblings, though the parent-offspring transmission was lower, suggesting the segregation of recessive or interacting susceptibility genes. The low familial risk in spouses suggests a minor nongenetic contribution.

Risk of Cancer among Commercially Insured HIV-Infected Adults on Antiretroviral Therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeannette Y. Lee

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to explore the cancer incidence rates among HIV-infected persons with commercial insurance who were on antiretroviral therapy and compare them with those rates in the general population. Paid health insurance claims for 63,221 individuals 18 years or older, with at least one claim with a diagnostic code for HIV and at least one filled prescription for an antiretroviral medication between January 1, 2006, and September 30, 2012, were obtained from the LifeLink® Health Plan Claims Database. The expected number of cancer cases in the general population for each gender-age group (60 years was estimated using incidence rates from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER program. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs were estimated using their 95% confidence intervals (CIs. Compared to the general population, incidence rates for HIV-infected adults were elevated (SIR, 95% CI for Kaposi sarcoma (46.08; 38.74–48.94, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (4.22; 3.63–4.45, Hodgkin lymphoma (9.83; 7.45–10.84, and anal cancer (30.54; 25.62–32.46 and lower for colorectal cancer (0.69; 0.52–0.76, lung cancer (0.70; 0.54, 0.77, and prostate cancer (0.54; 0.45–0.58. Commercially insured, treated HIV-infected adults had elevated rates for infection-related cancers, but not for common non-AIDS defining cancers.

Risk of second primary cancer following differentiated thyroid cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berthe, Emmanuelle; Berthet, Pascaline; Bardet, Stephane; Henry-Amar, Michel; Michels, Jean-Jacques; Rame, Jean-Pierre; Babin, Emmanuel; Icard, Philippe; Samama, Guy; Galateau-Salle, Francoise; Mahoudeau, Jacques

2004-01-01

Concerns remain over the risk of cancer following differentiated thyroid carcinoma and its causes. Iodine-131 ( 131 I) and external irradiation are known to have potential carcinogenic effects. Thyroid carcinoma is a polygenic disease which may be associated with other malignancies. We investigated the incidence of second cancer and its aetiology in a cohort of 875 patients (146 men, 729 women) with differentiated thyroid carcinoma originating from Basse-Normandie, France. Cancer incidence was compared with that of the general population of the Departement du Calvados matched for age, gender and period. The cumulative proportion of second cancer was estimated using the life-table method. Factors that correlated with the risk of second cancer were studied using the Cox model. After a median follow-up of 8 years, 58 second cancers had been observed. Compared with general population incidence rates, there was an overall increased risk of second cancer in women [standardised incidence ratio (SIR)=1.52; P 0.20). Increased risk related to cancers of the genitourinary tract (SIR=3.31; P 131 I was related to the risk. These data confirm that women with differentiated thyroid carcinoma are at risk of developing a second cancer of the genitourinary tract and kidney. Only age and medical history of primary cancer before thyroid carcinoma are risk factors for second cancer. Common environmental or genetic factors as well as long-term carcinogenic effects of primary cancer therapy should be considered. (orig.)

Risk of Cancer among Commercially Insured HIV-Infected Adults on Antiretroviral Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, J. Y.

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to explore the cancer incidence rates among HIV-infected persons with commercial insurance who were on antiretroviral therapy and compare them with those rates in the general population. Paid health insurance claims for 63,221 individuals 18 years or older, with at least one claim with a diagnostic code for HIV and at least one filled prescription for an antiretroviral medication between January 1, 2006, and September 30, 2012, were obtained from the Life Link® Health Plan Claims Database. The expected number of cancer cases in the general population for each gender-age group (<30, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and >60 years) was estimated using incidence rates from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were estimated using their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Compared to the general population, incidence rates for HIV-infected adults were elevated (SIR, 95% CI) for Kaposi sarcoma (46.08; 38.74-48.94), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (4.22; 3.63-4.45), Hodgkin lymphoma (9.83; 7.45-10.84), and anal cancer (30.54; 25.62-32.46) and lower for colorectal cancer (0.69; 0.52-0.76), lung cancer (0.70; 0.54, 0.77), and prostate cancer (0.54; 0.45-0.58). Commercially insured, treated HIV-infected adults had elevated rates for infection-related cancers, but not for common non-AIDS defining cancers.

Association Between Kidney Cancer and Occupational Exposure to Trichloroethylene.

Science.gov (United States)

Buhagen, Morten; Grønskag, Anna; Ragde, Siri Fenstad; Hilt, Bjørn

2016-09-01

This study investigates the association between occupational exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) and kidney cancer, as this correlation has been questioned. The incidence of cancers was studied in a dynamic cohort of 997 male workers who for many years had been occupationally exposed to TCE. During a 50-year observation period, 13 cases of kidney cancer were observed (7.5 expected) with a standardized incidence ratio of 1.7 and a 95% confidence interval of 1.0 to 3.0. Four other cases, not included in the SIR analysis, were also observed. Long-term TCE exposure was positively confirmed for 14 of the 17 incident cases. There is reason to assume that the remaining cases also had been exposed to TCE. The present study supports the view that TCE is a kidney carcinogen.

Performance comparison and selection criteria: an assessment for choosing the best flight detector for the SIR-2 NIR-spectrometer on Chandrayaan-1

Science.gov (United States)

Sitek, P.; Vilenius, E.; Mall, U.

2008-01-01

We describe the performance evaluation of a sample of InGaAs detectors from which the best unit had to be selected for the flight model of the SIR-2 NIR-spectrometer to be flown on the Chandrayaan-1 mission in 2008.

Female all cancer incidence in medical radiation workers in Latvia 1982-2002

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matisane, L.; Carpenter, L.; Venables, K.

2005-01-01

Medical radiation workers belong to one of the oldest occupational groups exposed to external radiation. Since the various radiological protection recommendations have been introduced, now ths process has resulted in low-dose exposure, regular monitoring of exposure and establishment of national dose registration bodies. In order to provide additional information to studies on cancer incidence among medical radiation workers (specially female workers) and in order to assess all cancer incidence in female medical radiation workers in Latvia, a retrospective cohort study based on the National Dose Register was set up in Latvia. The study cohort consisted of all workers employed in health care, occupationally exposed to ionising radiation for more than one year in any of the public health care establishments in Latvia, except military ones, between 1 January 1972 and 1 January 2002 and who were registered in the National Dose Register of Latvia. The cohort consisted of 1416 female medical radiation workers either in hospitals or outpatient departments, or both. The cohort included diagnostic and therapeutic radiologists with predominantly medical qualification, it also included radiotechnologits, nurses, junior nurses, but it did not include academic, physicists and dentists. In all cases the calculated SIR was over than expected or close to expected. Several major differences in study design makes ir difficult to compare the results of this study with the results of the studies carried out in other countries

Sir John Adams: his legacy to the world of particle accelerators

CERN Document Server

Wilson, E J N

2011-01-01

John Adams acquired an unrivalled reputation for his leading part in designing and constructing the Proton Synchrotron (PS) in CERN’s early days. In 1968, and after several years heading a fusion laboratory in the UK, he came back to Geneva to pilot the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) project to approval and then to direct its construction. By the time of his early death in 1984 he had built the two flagship proton accelerators at CERN and, during the second of his terms as Director-General, he laid the groundwork for the proton–antiproton collider which led to the discovery of the intermediate vector boson. How did someone without any formal academic qualification achieve this? What was the magic behind his leadership? The speaker, who worked many years alongside him, will discuss these questions and speculate on how Sir John Adams might have viewed today’s CERN.

Grazing-incident PIXE Analysis Technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Hongri; Wang Guangpu; Liang Kun; Yang Ru; Han Dejun

2009-01-01

In the article, the grazing incidence technology is first applied to the PIXE (proton induced X-ray emission) analysis. Three pieces of samples were investigated, including the contaminated aluminium substrate, the SIMOX (separated by oxygen implantation) SOI (Silicon on Insulator) sample and the silicon wafer implanted with Fe + . The results reveal that the grazing-incident proton can improve the sensitivity of PIXE in trace analysis, especially for samples contaminated on surface. With the penetration depth of the proton bean decreased, the ratio of the peak area to the detection limit raised observably and the sensitivity near the sample surface increased. (authors)

Is the principle of a stable heinrich ratio a myth? - A multimethod analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gallivan, Steve; Taxis, Katja; Franklin, Bryony Dean; Barber, Nick

2008-01-01

Background: Safety improvements are sometimes based on the premise that introducing measures to combat minor or no-harm incidents proportionately reduces the incidence of major incidents involving harm. This is in line with the principle of the Heinrich ratio, which asserts that there is a

Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) and Sir John Forbes (1787-1861): neighbours in Old Burlington Street, Westminster.

Science.gov (United States)

Agnew, Robin

2015-05-01

The year 2010 marks the centenary of the birth of Florence Nightingale and will, no doubt, be universally remembered. Her life and nursing career have recently been fully described by Bostridge. It is less well known that her neighbour from November 1856 was the distinguished Scottish physician Sir John Forbes MD Edin FRCP Lond FRS DCL Oxon. Although they never met, they exchanged copies of each other's books and shared a mutual respect. © The Author(s) 2015 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria in defining severe sepsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaukonen, Kirsi-Maija; Bailey, Michael; Pilcher, David; Cooper, D Jamie; Bellomo, Rinaldo

2015-04-23

The consensus definition of severe sepsis requires suspected or proven infection, organ failure, and signs that meet two or more criteria for the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). We aimed to test the sensitivity, face validity, and construct validity of this approach. We studied data from patients from 172 intensive care units in Australia and New Zealand from 2000 through 2013. We identified patients with infection and organ failure and categorized them according to whether they had signs meeting two or more SIRS criteria (SIRS-positive severe sepsis) or less than two SIRS criteria (SIRS-negative severe sepsis). We compared their characteristics and outcomes and assessed them for the presence of a step increase in the risk of death at a threshold of two SIRS criteria. Of 1,171,797 patients, a total of 109,663 had infection and organ failure. Among these, 96,385 patients (87.9%) had SIRS-positive severe sepsis and 13,278 (12.1%) had SIRS-negative severe sepsis. Over a period of 14 years, these groups had similar characteristics and changes in mortality (SIRS-positive group: from 36.1% [829 of 2296 patients] to 18.3% [2037 of 11,119], P<0.001; SIRS-negative group: from 27.7% [100 of 361] to 9.3% [122 of 1315], P<0.001). Moreover, this pattern remained similar after adjustment for baseline characteristics (odds ratio in the SIRS-positive group, 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.96 to 0.97; odds ratio in the SIRS-negative group, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94 to 0.98; P=0.12 for between-group difference). In the adjusted analysis, mortality increased linearly with each additional SIRS criterion (odds ratio for each additional criterion, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.15; P<0.001) without any transitional increase in risk at a threshold of two SIRS criteria. The need for two or more SIRS criteria to define severe sepsis excluded one in eight otherwise similar patients with infection, organ failure, and substantial mortality and failed to define a transition point in

Cancer Among Children With Perinatal Exposure to HIV and Antiretroviral Medications--New Jersey, 1995-2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Ivy, Wade; Nesheim, Steve R; Paul, Sindy M; Ibrahim, Abdel R; Chan, Miranda; Niu, Xiaoling; Lampe, Margaret A

2015-09-01

Concerns remain regarding the cancer risk associated with perinatal antiretroviral (ARV) exposure among infants. No excessive cancer risk has been found in short-term studies. Children born to HIV-infected women (HIV-exposed) in New Jersey from 1995 to 2008 were identified through the Enhanced HIV/AIDS Reporting System and cross-referenced with data from the New Jersey State Cancer Registry to identify new cases of cancer among children who were perinatally exposed to ARV. Matching of individuals in the Enhanced HIV/AIDS Reporting System to the New Jersey State Cancer Registry was conducted based on name, birth date, Social Security number, residential address, and sex using AutoMatch. Age- and sex-standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and exact 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using New Jersey (1979-2005) and US (1999-2009) cancer rates. Among 3087 children (29,099 person-years; median follow-up: 9.8 years), 4 were diagnosed with cancer. Cancer incidence among HIV-exposed children who were not exposed to ARV prophylaxis (22.5 per 100,000 person-years) did not differ significantly from the incidence among children who were exposed to any perinatal ARV prophylaxis (14.3 per 100,000 person-years). Furthermore, the number of cases observed among individuals exposed to ARV did not differ significantly from cases expected based on state (SIR = 1.21; 95% CI: 0.25 to 3.54) and national (SIR = 1.27; 95% CI: 0.26 to 3.70) reference rates. Our findings are reassuring that current use of ARV for perinatal HIV prophylaxis does not increase cancer risk. We found no evidence to alter the current federal guidelines of 2014 that recommend ARV prophylaxis of HIV-exposed infants.

Sir Harold Delf Gillies, the otolaryngologist and father of modern facial plastic surgery: review of his rhinoplasty case notes.

Science.gov (United States)

Spencer, C R

2015-06-01

Sir Harold Gillies, born in New Zealand, is widely considered a British icon and the father of modern plastic surgery. This article provides an overview of his life and the circumstances which led to him laying the foundations of plastic surgery in Britain in the early twentieth century. A hand search and review of case notes from the Gillies Archives at Queen Mary's Hospital in Sidcup, UK, where he made history, was conducted. Gillies' ongoing legacy was found to also include his influence on the development of his cousin Sir Archibald McIndoe's work. Gillies was a talented sportsman who engaged in charitable activities. Additionally, he was a gifted teacher, with his hospital attracting many young surgeons from around the world. He was found to have expressed genius in both the design and execution of the art and science of surgery. He incepted reconstructive techniques ranging from the world's first gender reassignment operation to facial reanimation procedures for the treatment of facial paralysis. His operative work on ex-servicemen in need of complex rhinoplasty and in particular the inception of the tubed pedicle flap are depicted.

Site-specific cancer risk in the Baltic cohort of Chernobyl cleanup workers, 1986-2007.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahu, Kaja; Hakulinen, Timo; Smailyte, Giedre; Stengrevics, Aivars; Auvinen, Anssi; Inskip, Peter D; Boice, John D; Rahu, Mati

2013-09-01

To assess site-specific cancer risk in the Baltic cohort of Chernobyl cleanup workers, 1986-2007. The Baltic cohort includes 17,040 men from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania who participated in the environmental cleanup after the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station in 1986-1991 and who were followed up for cancer incidence until the end of 2007. Cancer cases diagnosed in the cohort and in the male population of each country were identified from the respective national cancer registers. The proportional incidence ratio (PIR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to estimate the site-specific cancer risk in the cohort. For comparison and as it was possible, the site-specific standardised incidence ratio (SIR) was calculated for the Estonian sub-cohort, which was not feasible for the other countries. Overall, 756 cancer cases were reported during 1986-2007. A higher proportion of thyroid cancers in relation to the male population was found (PIR=2.76; 95%CI 1.63-4.36), especially among those who started their mission shortly after the accident, in April-May 1986 (PIR=6.38; 95%CI 2.34-13.89). Also, an excess of oesophageal cancers was noted (PIR=1.52; 95% CI 1.06-2.11). No increased PIRs for leukaemia or radiation-related cancer sites combined were observed. PIRs and SIRs for the Estonian sub-cohort demonstrated the same site-specific cancer risk pattern. Consistent evidence of an increase in radiation-related cancers in the Baltic cohort was not observed with the possible exception of thyroid cancer, where conclusions are hampered by known medical examination including thyroid screening among cleanup workers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Increase of Stroke Incidence in Young Adults in a Middle-Income Country: A 10-Year Population-Based Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Cabral, Norberto Luiz; Freire, Aracélli Tavares; Conforto, Adriana Bastos; Dos Santos, Nayara; Reis, Felipe Ibiapina; Nagel, Vivian; Guesser, Vanessa V; Safanelli, Juliana; Longo, Alexandre L

2017-11-01

The incidence of stroke is on the rise in young adults in high-income countries. However, there is a gap of knowledge about trends in stroke incidence in young adults from low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to measure trends in incidence of ischemic stroke (IS) and intracerebral hemorrhage (IH) in young people from 2005 to 2015 in Joinville, Brazil. We retrospectively ascertained all first-ever IS subtypes and IH that occurred in Joinville in the periods of 2005 to 2006, 2010 to 2011, and 2014 to 2015. Poisson regression was used to calculate incidence rate ratios of all strokes, IS, and IH. We also compared the prevalence of risk factors and extension of diagnostic work-up across the 3 periods. For 10 years, we registered 2483 patients (7.5% aged incidence significantly increased by 62% (incidence rate ratios, 1.62; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-2.40) in subjects incidence rate ratios, 1.29; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.60). Incidence of IS increased by 66% (incidence rate ratios, 1.66; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-2.54), but there was no significant change in incidence of IH in subjects incidence is rising in young adults in Joinville, Brazil, because of increase in rates of ischemic but not hemorrhagic strokes. We urgently need better policies of cardiovascular prevention in the young. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Circumcision status and incident herpes simplex virus type 2 infection, genital ulcer disease, and HIV infection

Science.gov (United States)

Mehta, Supriya D.; Moses, Stephen; Parker, Corette B.; Agot, Kawango; Maclean, Ian; Bailey, Robert C.

2013-01-01

Objective We assessed the protective effect of medical male circumcision (MMC) against HIV, herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), and genital ulcer disease (GUD) incidence. Design Two thousand, seven hundred and eighty-seven men aged 18–24 years living in Kisumu, Kenya were randomly assigned to circumcision (n=1391) or delayed circumcision (n =1393) and assessed by HIV and HSV-2 testing and medical examinations during follow-ups at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Methods Cox regression estimated the risk ratio of each outcome (incident HIV, GUD, HSV-2) for circumcision status and multivariable models estimated HIV risk associated with HSV-2, GUD, and circumcision status as time-varying covariates. Results HIV incidence was 1.42 per 100 person-years. Circumcision was 62% protective against HIV [risk ratio =0.38; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.22–0.67] and did not change when controlling for HSV-2 and GUD (risk ratio =0.39; 95% CI 0.23–0.69). GUD incidence was halved among circumcised men (risk ratio =0.52; 95% CI 0.37–0.73). HSV-2 incidence did not differ by circumcision status (risk ratio =0.94; 95% CI 0.70–1.25). In the multivariable model, HIV seroconversions were tripled (risk ratio =3.44; 95% CI 1.52–7.80) among men with incident HSV-2 and seven times greater (risk ratio =6.98; 95% CI 3.50–13.9) for men with GUD. Conclusion Contrary to findings from the South African and Ugandan trials, the protective effect of MMC against HIV was independent of GUD and HSV-2, and MMC had no effect on HSV-2 incidence. Determining the causes of GUD is necessary to reduce associated HIV risk and to understand how circumcision confers protection against GUD and HIV PMID:22382150

Second primary cancers in survivors of cervical cancer in the Netherlands: Implications for prevention and surveillance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnold, Melina; Liu, Lifang; Kenter, Gemma G.; Creutzberg, Carien L.; Coebergh, Jan Willem; Soerjomataram, Isabelle

2014-01-01

Background and purpose: We investigated the effects of socio-demographic, treatment- and tumor-specific determinants on the risk of developing a second malignancy among patients treated for cervical cancer. Material and methods: We included patients with a first cervical cancer (N = 12,048) from the Netherlands Cancer Registry (NCR), 1989–2008. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) and absolute excess risks (AER) per 10,000 person-years were calculated to estimate the burden of second cancers in cervical cancer survivors. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) were computed to identify predictors for second cancers among cervical cancer survivors. Results: During the study period, 676 (5.6%) patients were diagnosed with a second cancer. Smoking-related cancers contributed the most to the overall burden of second cancers (AER = 21) and risks remained elevated after 10 years of follow-up (SIR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.4–2.2), yet it decreased markedly in the younger birth cohorts. Cervical cancer survivors who underwent radiotherapy were at higher risk for a second tumor when compared to those without radiotherapy, especially at smoking-related sites (IRR = 1.6 (1.2–2.3)). Conclusion: Patients with cervical cancer had a significantly increased risk for a second cancer compared to the general population, especially for smoking- and irradiation-related tumors. Long-term follow-up suggested the importance of smoking cessation and the benefits of counseling cervical cancer patients accordingly, particularly those who received radiotherapy

Acupuncture Therapy and Incidence of Depression After Stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Chung-Yen; Huang, Hsin-Chia; Chang, Hen-Hong; Yang, Tsung-Hsien; Chang, Chee-Jen; Chang, Su-Wei; Chen, Pei-Chun

2017-06-01

We investigated whether use of acupuncture within a 3-month poststroke period after hospital discharge is associated with reduced risk of depression. This cohort study included 16 046 patients aged ≥18 years with an initial hospitalization for stroke during 2000 and 2012 in the claims database of a universal health insurance program. Patients who had received acupuncture therapies within 3 months of discharge were defined as acupuncture users (n=1714). All patients were followed up for incidence of depression until the end of 2013. We assessed the association between use of acupuncture and incidence of depression using Cox proportional hazards models in all subjects and in propensity score-matched samples consisting of 1714 pairs of users and nonusers. During the follow-up period, the incidence of depression per 1000 person-years was 11.1 and 9.7 in users and nonusers, respectively. Neither multivariable-adjusted Cox models (hazard ratio, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 0.84-1.29) nor the propensity score-matching model (hazard ratio, 1.06; 95% confidence interval, 0.79-1.42) revealed an association between use of acupuncture and incidence of depression. In patients admitted to hospital for stroke, acupuncture therapy within 3 months after discharge was not associated with subsequent incidence of depression. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Risk of sex-specific cancers in opposite-sex and same-sex twins in Denmark and Sweden

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahrenfeldt, Linda Juel; Skytthe, Axel; Möller, Sören

2015-01-01

-scale prospective twin study compared opposite-sex (OS) and same-sex (SS) twins to test the impact of intrauterine exposures on cancer risk. Based on the Danish and Swedish twin and cancer registries, we calculated incidence rate ratios for OS and SS twins while standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) with 95......% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for OS/SS twins compared with the general population. RESULTS: A total of 18,001 cancers were identified during 1943-2009. No significant differences were observed between OS and SS twins, neither for the sex-specific cancers nor for cancer at all sites. All...... to prenatal testosterone - does not increase the risk of sex-specific cancers in OS females. Furthermore, the study supports that twinning per se is not a risk factor of cancer. IMPACT: Findings are reassuring as they fail to provide evidence for the hypothesis that endocrine or other difference...

Variations in the Gender Ratio of Multiple Sclerosis Linked to Converging Smoking Trends in Men and Women

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Palacios, Natalia; Alonso, Alvaro; Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik

2010-01-01

-dependent relationship exists between changing female-to male ratios of smoking and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in worldwide birth cohorts from previously published studies. BACKGROUND: Smoking behavior in industrialized nations has changed dramatically over the second half of the 20th century, with diverging patterns...... in male and female smoking rates. During the same time period, an increase in the female to male ratio in MS incidence has been reported. We examined whether MS incidence in the two genders changed concomitantly with smoking, as would be expected if smoking truly increased MS risk. DESIGN/METHODS: We...... identified relevant studies reporting male and female age-specific incidence of MS throughout the world using within-country birth cohorts as units of observation. For each country and birth cohort, we then estimated the male to female ratio in MS incidence, and correlated these ratios with the corresponding...

Complex Fibroadenoma and Breast Cancer Risk: A Mayo Clinic Benign Breast Disease Cohort Studya

Science.gov (United States)

Nassar, Aziza; Visscher, Daniel W.; Degnim, Amy C.; Frank, Ryan D.; Vierkant, Robert A.; Frost, Marlene; Radisky, Derek C.; Vachon, Celine M.; Kraft, Ruth A.; Hartmann, Lynn C.; Ghosh, Karthik

2015-01-01

Purpose To examine the breast cancer risk overall among women with simple fibroadenoma or complex fibroadenoma and to examine the association of complex fibroadenoma with breast cancer through stratification of other breast cancer risks. Methods The study included women aged 18 to 85 years from the Mayo Clinic Benign Breast Disease Cohort who underwent excisional breast biopsy from 1967 through 1991. Within this cohort, women who had fibroadenoma were compared to women who did not have fibroadenoma. Breast cancer risk (observed vs expected) across fibroadenoma levels was assessed through standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) by using age- and calendar-stratified incidence rates from the Iowa Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry. Analyses were performed overall, within subgroups of involution status, with other demographic characteristics (age, year of biopsy, indication for biopsy, and family history), and with histologic characteristics, including overall impression (nonproliferative disease, proliferative disease without atypia [PDWA], or atypical hyperplasia). Results Fibroadenoma was identified in 2,136 women (noncomplex, 1,835 [85.9%]; complex, 301 [14.1%]). SIR for noncomplex fibroadenoma was 1.49 (95% CI, 1.26–1.74); for complex fibroadenoma, it was 2.27 (95% CI, 1.63–3.10) (test for heterogeneity in SIR, P=.02). However, women with complex fibroadenoma were more likely to have other, concomitant high-risk histologic characteristics (eg, incomplete involution and PDWA). In analyses stratified by involution status and PDWA, complex fibroadenoma was not an independent risk marker for breast cancer. Conclusions Complex fibroadenoma does not confer increased breast cancer risk beyond other established histologic characteristics. PMID:26264469

Complex fibroadenoma and breast cancer risk: a Mayo Clinic Benign Breast Disease Cohort Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Nassar, Aziza; Visscher, Daniel W; Degnim, Amy C; Frank, Ryan D; Vierkant, Robert A; Frost, Marlene; Radisky, Derek C; Vachon, Celine M; Kraft, Ruth A; Hartmann, Lynn C; Ghosh, Karthik

2015-09-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the breast cancer risk overall among women with simple fibroadenoma or complex fibroadenoma and to examine the association of complex fibroadenoma with breast cancer through stratification of other breast cancer risks. The study included women aged 18-85 years from the Mayo Clinic Benign Breast Disease Cohort who underwent excisional breast biopsy from 1967 through 1991. Within this cohort, women who had fibroadenoma were compared to women who did not have fibroadenoma. Breast cancer risk (observed versus expected) across fibroadenoma levels was assessed through standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) by using age- and calendar-stratified incidence rates from the Iowa Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry. Analyses were performed overall, within subgroups of involution status, with other demographic characteristics (age, year of biopsy, indication for biopsy, and family history), and with histologic characteristics, including overall impression [nonproliferative disease, proliferative disease without atypia (PDWA), or atypical hyperplasia]. Fibroadenoma was identified in 2136 women [noncomplex, 1835 (85.9%); complex, 301 (14.1%)]. SIR for noncomplex fibroadenoma was 1.49 (95% CI 1.26-1.74); for complex fibroadenoma, it was 2.27 (95% CI 1.63-3.10) (test for heterogeneity in SIR, P = .02). However, women with complex fibroadenoma were more likely to have other, concomitant high-risk histologic characteristics (e.g., incomplete involution and PDWA). In analyses stratified by involution status and PDWA, complex fibroadenoma was not an independent risk marker for breast cancer. Complex fibroadenoma does not confer increased breast cancer risk beyond other established histologic characteristics.

Temporal Epidemiological Assessment of Colorectal Cancer Incidence and Mortality in East Kazakhstan, 2004-2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhabagin, Kuantkan; Igissinov, Nurbek; Manambayeva, Zukhra; Adylkhanov, Tasbolat; Sandybayev, Marat; Nurgazin, Murat; Massadykov, Adilzhan; Tanatarov, Sayat; Aldyngurov, Daniyar; Urazalina, Nailya; Abiltayeva, Aizhan; Baissalbayeva, Ainoor; Zhabagina, Almagul; Sabitova, Dinara; Zhumykbayeva, Nurgul; Kenbayeva, Dinara; Rakhimbekov, Alexander

2015-01-01

Colorectal cancer incidence and mortality in Kazakhstan are relatively high but exact statistics have hitherto been lacking and trends over time are unclear. The present study was therefore undertaken to retrospectively assess data for East Kazakhstan, accessed from the central registration office, for the period 2004-2013. Approximate age standardized data for incidence and mortality were generated and compared across age groups, gender and year. It was determined that during the studied period 3,417 new cases of colorectal cancer were registered and 2,259 died of this pathology. Average cancer cancer incidence and mortality over the ten years were 24.1/105 and 15.9/105 respectively, and the overall ratio of mortality/incidence (M/I) was 0.69:1 (range 0.58-0.73). Both incidence and mortality tended to remain constant in both males and females. The male to female ratios also did not significantly vary over time but a trend for improvement of the mortality to incidence ratio was observed, especially for rectum. Whether this might be related to screening remains unclear. These preliminary data indicate that whereas colorectal cancer continues to be important, change in environmental factors are not having a great impact on incidence in East Kazakhstan.

Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism and breast cancer risk: a nationwide cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Søgaard, Mette; Farkas, Dóra Körmendiné; Ehrenstein, Vera; Jørgensen, Jens Otto Lunde; Dekkers, Olaf M; Sørensen, Henrik Toft

2016-04-01

The association between thyroid disease and breast cancer risk remains unclear. We, therefore examined the association between hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism and breast cancer risk. This was a population-based cohort study. Using nationwide registries, we identified all women in Denmark with a first-time hospital diagnosis of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, 1978-2013. We estimated the excess risk of breast cancer among patients with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism compared with the expected risk in the general population, using standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) as a measure of risk ratio. Breast cancer diagnoses in the first 12 months following diagnosis of thyroid disease were excluded from the calculations to avoid diagnostic work-up bias. We included 61, 873 women diagnosed with hypothyroidism and 80, 343 women diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Median follow-up time was 4.9 years (interquartile range (IQR): 1.8-9.5 years) for hypothyroidism and 7.4 years (IQR: 3.1-13.5 years) for hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism was associated with a slightly increased breast cancer risk compared with the general population (SIR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.07-1.16), which persisted beyond 5 years of follow-up (SIR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.08-1.19). In comparison, hypothyroidism was associated with a slightly lower risk of breast cancer (SIR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.88-1.00). Stratification by cancer stage at diagnosis, estrogen receptor status, age, comorbidity, history of alcohol-related disease and clinical diagnoses of obesity produced little change in cancer risk. We found an increased risk of breast cancer in women with hyperthyroidism and a slightly decreased risk in women with hypothyroidism indicating an association between thyroid function level and breast cancer risk. © 2016 European Society of Endocrinology.

Annual Incidence of Nephrolithiasis among Children and Adults in South Carolina from 1997 to 2012

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, Michelle E.; Song, Lihai; Sas, David J.; Keren, Ron; Denburg, Michelle R.; Chu, David I.; Copelovitch, Lawrence; Saigal, Christopher S.; Furth, Susan L.

2016-01-01

Background and objectives The prevalence of nephrolithiasis in the United States has increased substantially, but recent changes in incidence with respect to age, sex, and race are not well characterized. This study examined temporal trends in the annual incidence and cumulative risk of nephrolithiasis among children and adults living in South Carolina over a 16-year period. Design, setting, participants, & measurements We performed a population–based, repeated cross–sectional study using the US Census and South Carolina Medical Encounter data, which capture all emergency department visits, surgeries, and admissions in the state. The annual incidence of nephrolithiasis in South Carolina from 1997 to 2012 was estimated, and linear mixed models were used to estimate incidence rate ratios for age, sex, and racial groups. The cumulative risk of nephrolithiasis during childhood and over the lifetime was estimated for males and females in 1997 and 2012. Results Among an at-risk population of 4,625,364 people, 152,925 unique patients received emergency, inpatient, or surgical care for nephrolithiasis. Between 1997 and 2012, the mean annual incidence of nephrolithiasis increased 1% annually from 206 to 239 per 100,000 persons. Among age groups, the greatest increase was observed among 15–19 year olds, in whom incidence increased 26% per 5 years (incidence rate ratio, 1.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.22 to 1.29). Adjusting for age and race, incidence increased 15% per 5 years among females (incidence rate ratio, 1.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.14 to 1.16) but remained stable for males. The incidence among blacks increased 15% more per 5 years compared with whites (incidence rate ratio, 1.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.14 to 1.17). These changes in incidence resulted in doubling of the risk of nephrolithiasis during childhood and a 45% increase in the lifetime risk of nephrolithiasis for women over the study period. Conclusions The incidence of kidney stones has

Variations in the Incidence of Schizophrenia: Data Versus Dogma

Science.gov (United States)

McGrath, John J

2006-01-01

The schizophrenia research community has shared a belief that the incidence of schizophrenia shows little variation. This belief is related to the dogma that schizophrenia affects all individuals equally, regardless of sex, race, or nationality. However, there is now robust evidence that the incidence of schizophrenia is characterized by substantial variability. There is prominent variation in the incidence of schizophrenia between sites. The incidence of schizophrenia is significantly higher in males than in females (male:female ratio = 1.4). Migrants and those living in urban areas have a higher incidence of schizophrenia. The incidence of schizophrenia has fluctuations across time. In addition, the prevalence of schizophrenia is also characterized by prominent variation. The realization that schizophrenia is characterized by rich and informative gradients will serve as a catalyst for future research. PMID:16135560

Malingering as a Categorical or Dimensional Construct: The Latent Structure of Feigned Psychopathology as Measured by the SIRS and MMPI-2

Science.gov (United States)

Walters, Glenn D.; Rogers, Richard; Berry, David T. R.; Miller, Holly A.; Duncan, Scott A.; McCusker, Paul J.; Payne, Joshua W.; Granacher, Robert P., Jr.

2008-01-01

The 6 nonoverlapping primary scales of the Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS) were subjected to taxometric analysis in a group of 1,211 criminal and civil examinees in order to investigate the latent structure of feigned psychopathology. Both taxometric procedures used in this study, mean above minus below a cut (MAMBAC) and maximum…

Paleodrainages of the Eastern Sahara - The radar rivers revisited (SIR-A/B implications for a mid-tertiary Trans-African drainage system)

Science.gov (United States)

Mccauley, J. F.; Breed, C. S.; Schaber, G. G.; Mchugh, W. P.; Haynes, C. C.

1986-01-01

The images obtained by the Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR)-A and -B systems over the southwestern Egypt and northwestern Sudan were coregistered with the Landsat images and the existing maps to aid in extrapolations of the buried paleodrainages ('radar rivers'), first discovered by SIR-A. Field observations explain the radar responses of three types of radar rivers, RR-1 (broad, aggraded valleys filled with alluvium), RR-2 (braided channels inset in the RR-1 valleys), and RR-3 (narrow, long, bedrock-incised channels). A generalized model of the radar rivers, based on field studies and regional geologic relations, shows inferred changes in river regimen since the large valleys were established during the later Paleogene-early Neogene. It is suggested that a former Trans-African master stream system may have flowed from headwaters in the Red Sea Hills southwestward across North Africa, discharging into the Atlantic at the Paleo-Niger delta, prior to the Neogene domal uplifts and building of volcanic edifices across the paths of these ancient watercourses.

Occupational exposure following Yttrium-90 microspheres SIR therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fontaine, P.; Boirie, G.; Dieudonne, A.; Leguludec, D.; Lebtahi, R.; Ben Reguiga, M.

2015-01-01

Full text of publication follows. Introduction: Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT) is a promising technique for solid hepatic neoplasms treatment. SIRT consists in implanting radioactive microspheres (RMS) in targeted hepatic lesions via femoral artery. Two RMS-Therapsheres [glass-microspheres/TSR] and Sir-Spheres [resin-spheres/SSR]- are marketed in the European market, both radiolabeled with Yttrium-90. The objective of this study is to assess occupational exposure for nuclear medicine, radiology and clinical staff involved in Y 90 -RMS preparation and implantation. Materials and methods: The study was conducted on 20 patients treated for Hepato-Cellular Carcinoma: 10 treated with TSR and 10 with SSR. Dose rate (DR, mSv/h) or absorbed doses (mSv) measurements were made during all steps of TSR and SSR handling: sources receipt and unpacking, preparation, transport to radiology, implantation, and patient care. Measurements were made with portable ionization chamber(Babyline/Nardeux), spectrometer(FieldSpect/Aries), digital dosimeter (NED/Unfors) and operational dosimeter (Mk2/Siemens). Values were expressed as mean±SD. Results: patients received of 1.8 GBq to 3.1 GBq of TSR and 0.55 GBq to 2.4 GBq of SSR. TSR were delivered ready-to-use with the prescribed activity. For SSR only one activity was commercially available and shipped (3 GBq at calibration-time)requiring a preparation step to adjust needed activity. DR measured during RMS was 1723 ± 157 μSv/h SSR and 1189 ± 92 μSv/h for TSR. When preparing spheres in radiopharmacy, fingers and whole body doses were respectively 8326 ± 2360 μSv and 12.3 ± 5,2 μSv for Sir-Spheres vs. 33.5 ± 7.8 μSv and 1.1 ± 0.3 μSv for TSR. DR in contact with carrying case during RMS transfer to radiology were 299 ± 102 μSv/h for SSR and 5.3 ± 1.2 μSv/h for TSR. During RMS infusion, radiologist's finger doses were limited to 3.6 ± 1 μSv for SSR and 0.7± 0.3 μSv for TSR. Finally, following RMS

On experimental determination of the random-incidence response of microphones

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barrera Figueroa, Salvador; Rasmussen, Knud; Jacobsen, Finn

2007-01-01

The random-incidence sensitivity of a microphone is defined as the ratio of the output voltage to the sound pressure that would exist at the position of the acoustic center of the microphone in the absence of the microphone in a sound field with incident plane waves coming from all directions. Th...

Cancer incidence in Spain, 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Galceran, J; Ameijide, A; Carulla, M; Mateos, A; Quirós, J R; Rojas, D; Alemán, A; Torrella, A; Chico, M; Vicente, M; Díaz, J M; Larrañaga, N; Marcos-Gragera, R; Sánchez, M J; Perucha, J; Franch, P; Navarro, C; Ardanaz, E; Bigorra, J; Rodrigo, P; Bonet, R Peris

2017-07-01

Periodic cancer incidence estimates of Spain from all existing population-based cancer registries at any given time are required. The objective of this study was to present the current situation of cancer incidence in Spain. The Spanish Network of Cancer Registries (REDECAN) estimated the numbers of new cancer cases occurred in Spain in 2015 by applying the incidence-mortality ratios method. In the calculus, incidence data from population-based cancer registries and mortality data of all Spain were used. In 2015, nearly a quarter of a million new invasive cancer cases were diagnosed in Spain, almost 149,000 in men (60.0%) and 99,000 in women. Globally, the five most common cancers were those of colon-rectum, prostate, lung, breast and urinary bladder. By gender, the four most common cancers in men were those of prostate (22.4%), colon-rectum (16.6%), lung (15.1%) and urinary bladder (11.7%). In women, the most common ones were those of breast (28.0%), colon-rectum (16.9%), corpus uteri (6.2%) and lung (6.0%). In recent years, cancer incidence in men seems to have stabilized due to the fact that the decrease in tobacco-related cancers compensates for the increase in other types of cancer like those of colon and prostate. In women, despite the stabilization of breast cancer incidence, increased incidence is due, above all, to the rise of colorectal and tobacco-related cancers. To reduce these incident cancer cases, improvement of smoking control policies and extension of colorectal cancer screening should be the two priorities in cancer prevention for the next years.

Higher levels of albuminuria within the normal range predict incident hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Forman, John P; Fisher, Naomi D L; Schopick, Emily L; Curhan, Gary C

2008-10-01

Higher levels of albumin excretion within the normal range are associated with cardiovascular disease in high-risk individuals. Whether incremental increases in urinary albumin excretion, even within the normal range, are associated with the development of hypertension in low-risk individuals is unknown. This study included 1065 postmenopausal women from the first Nurses' Health Study and 1114 premenopausal women from the second Nurses' Health Study who had an albumin/creatinine ratio who did not have diabetes or hypertension. Among the older women, 271 incident cases of hypertension occurred during 4 yr of follow-up, and among the younger women, 296 incident cases of hypertension occurred during 8 yr of follow-up. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine prospectively the association between the albumin/creatinine ratio and incident hypertension after adjustment for age, body mass index, estimated GFR, baseline BP, physical activity, smoking, and family history of hypertension. Participants who had an albumin/creatinine ratio in the highest quartile (4.34 to 24.17 mg/g for older women and 3.68 to 23.84 mg/g for younger women) were more likely to develop hypertension than those who had an albumin/creatinine ratio in the lowest quartile (hazard ratio 1.76 [95% confidence interval 1.21 to 2.56] and hazard ratio 1.35 [95% confidence interval 0.97 to 1.91] for older and younger women, respectively). Higher albumin/creatinine ratios, even within the normal range, are independently associated with increased risk for development of hypertension among women without diabetes. The definition of normal albumin excretion should be reevaluated.

The ratio of structure functions for the neutron and the proton

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ballintijn, M.K.

1994-01-01

The subject of this thesis is the ratio of the structure functions F 2 of the deuteron and the proton. The structure function ratio is measured by the NMC with high precision due to a dedicated target setup. In this thesis the analysis is presented of the data taken in 1989, which were obtained using incident muon energies of 120, 200 and 280 GeV. These data complement the results from earlier measurements performed in 1986 and 1987 which were obtained at 90 and 280 GeV incident muon energy. The newly determined structure function ratio, in a slightly extended range of the scaling parameter x, is compared to the previous one and is found to be in good agreement. All data are combined to give the most accurate determination of the structure function ratio to date. The results are used to determine the dependence of the structure function ratio on the value of Q 2 , the scale at which the nucleon is probed. Finally, the structure function ratios obtained at four different incident muon energies separately, are used to determine the difference R d -R p , where R is the ratio of cross sections for the absorption of longitudinally and transversely polarized virtual photons. The difference in R for the deuteron and the proton is related to differences in the gluon distribution. The result is compatible with a gluon distribution that is identical for the deuteron and the proton. The degree of equality of R d and R p is a measure for the correctness of the procedure to extract structure function ratios. The present result is R d -R p =0.02±0.02 and hence compatible with zero. (orig.)

Epidemiologic contributions to recent cancer trends among HIV-infected people in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Robbins, Hilary A; Shiels, Meredith S; Pfeiffer, Ruth M; Engels, Eric A

2014-03-27

HIV-infected people have elevated risk for some cancers. Changing incidence of these cancers over time may reflect changes in three factors: HIV population demographic structure (e.g. age distribution), general population (background) cancer rates, and HIV-associated relative risks. We assessed the contributions of these factors to time trends for 10 cancers during 1996-2010. Population-based registry linkage study. We applied Poisson models to data from the U.S. HIV/AIDS Cancer Match Study to estimate annual percentage changes (APCs) in incidence rates of AIDS-defining cancers [ADCs: Kaposi sarcoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and cervical cancer] and seven non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADCs). We evaluated HIV-infected cancer trends with and without adjustment for demographics, trends in background rates, and trends in standardized incidence ratios (SIRs, to capture relative risk). Cancer rates among HIV-infected people rose over time for anal (APC 3.8%), liver (8.5%), and prostate (9.8%) cancers, but declined for Kaposi sarcoma (1996-2000: -29.3%; 2000-2010: -7.8%), NHL (1996-2003: -15.7%; 2003-2010: -5.5%), cervical cancer (-11.1%), Hodgkin lymphoma (-4.0%), and lung cancer (-2.8%). Breast and colorectal cancer incidence did not change over time. Based on comparison to adjusted models, changing demographics contributed to trends for Kaposi sarcoma and breast, colorectal, liver, lung, and prostate cancers (all P cancers. SIRs declined for ADCs, Hodgkin lymphoma (APC -3.2%), and lung cancer (-4.4%). Demographic shifts influenced several cancer trends among HIV-infected individuals. Falling relative risks largely explained ADC declines, while background incidence contributed to some NADC trends.

Gallbladder cancer: incidence and survival in a high-risk area of Chile.

Science.gov (United States)

Bertran, Enriqueta; Heise, Katy; Andia, Marcelo E; Ferreccio, Catterina

2010-11-15

We assessed population incidence rates 1998-2002 and 5-year survival rates of 317 primary gallbladder cancer (GBC) entered in the population-based cancer registry in Valdivia. We analyzed GBC incidence (Poisson regression) and GBC survival (Cox regression). Cases were identified by histology (69.4%), clinical work-up (21.8%), or death certificate only (8.8%). Main symptoms were abdominal pain (82.8%), jaundice (53.6%) nausea (42.6%), and weight loss (38.2%); at diagnosis, 64% had Stage TNM IV. In the period, 4% of histopathological studies from presumptively benign cholecystectomies presented GBC. GBC cases were mainly females (76.0%), urban residents (70.3%), Hispanic (83.7%) of low schooling Mapuche 25.0, Hispanic 16.2 (p = 0.09). The highest SIRs were in Mapuche (269.2) and Hispanic women (199.6) with 8 years of schooling. Low schooling, female and urban residence were independent risk factors. By December 31, 2007, 6 (1.9%) cases were living, 280 (88.3%) died from GBC, 32 (10.1%) were lost of follow-up. Kaplan Meier Global 5-year survival was: 10.3%, 85% at stage I and 1.9% at stage IV; median survival: 3.4 months. Independent poor prognostic factors were TNM IV, jaundice and nonincidental diagnoses. Our results suggest that women of Mapuche ancestry with low schooling (>50 years) are at the highest risk of presenting and dying from GBC and should be the target for early detection programs.

The application of HPLC with on-line coupled UV/MS-biochemical detection for isolation of an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor from Narcissus 'Sir Winston Churchill'

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ingkaninan, K.; Hazekamp, A.; de Best, C.M.; Irth, H.; Tjaden, U.R.; van der Heijden, R.; van der Greef, J.; Verpoorte, R.

2000-01-01

An HPLC with on-line coupled UV/MS-biochemical detection method for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors in natural sources has been developed. The potential of this method is shown by the isolation of a new AChE inhibitor from the alcoholic extract of Narcissus 'Sir Winston Churchill'. Combining

Incidence and survival of stomach cancer in a high-risk population of Chile

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Heise, Katy; Bertran, Enriqueta; Andia, Marcelo E; Ferreccio, Catterina

2009-01-01

AIM: To study the incidence and survival rate of stomach cancer (SC) and its associated factors in a high risk population in Chile. METHODS: The population-based cancer registry of Valdivia, included in the International Agency for Research on Cancer system, covers 356 396 residents of Valdivia Province, Southern Chile. We studied all SC cases entered in this Registry during 1998-2002 (529 cases). Population data came from the Chilean census (2002). Standardized incidence rates per 100 000 inhabitants (SIR) using the world population, cumulative risk of developing cancer before age 75, and rate ratios by sex, age, ethnicity and social factors were estimated. Relative survival (Ederer II method) and age-standardized estimates (Brenner method) were calculated. Specific survival rates (Kaplan-Meier) were measured at 3 and 5 years and survival curves were analyzed with the Logrank and Breslow tests. Survival was studied in relation to demographics, clinical presentation, laboratory results and medical management of the cases. Those variables significantly associated with survival were later included in a Cox multivariate model. RESULTS: Between 1998 and 2002, 529 primary gastric cancers occurred in Valdivia (crude incidence rate 29.2 per 100 000 inhabitants). Most cases were male (69.0%), residents of urban areas (57.5%) and Hispanic (83.2%), with a low education level (84.5% Mapuche ethnicity only significant for women (RR 2.2, 95% CI: 1.2-3.7). Of all cases, 76.4% were histologically confirmed, 11.5% had a death certificate only (DCO), 56.1% were TNM stage IV; 445 cases (84.1%) were eligible for survival analysis, all completed five years follow-up; 42 remained alive, 392 died of SC and 11 died from other causes. Specific 5-year survival, excluding cases with DCO, was 10.6% (95% CI: 7.7-13.5); 5-year relative survival rate was 12.3% (95% CI: 9.1-16.1), men 10.9% (95% CI: 7.4-15.2) and women 16.1% (95% CI: 9.5-24.5). Five-year specific survival was higher for patients

Parkinson's Disease Prevalence and Proximity to Agricultural Cultivated Fields

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Yitshak Sade, Maayan; Zlotnik, Yair; Kloog, Itai; Novack, Victor; Peretz, Chava; Ifergane, Gal

2015-01-01

The risk for developing Parkinson's disease (PD) is a combination of multiple environmental and genetic factors. The Negev (Southern Israel) contains approximately 252.5 km2 of agricultural cultivated fields (ACF). We aimed to estimate the prevalence and incidence of PD and to examine possible geographical clustering and associations with agricultural exposures. We screened all “Clalit” Health Services members in the Negev (70% of the population) between the years 2000 and 2012. Individual demographic, clinical, and medication prescription data were available. We used a refined medication tracer algorithm to identify PD patients. We used mixed Poisson models to calculate the smoothed standardized incidence rates (SIRs) for each locality. We identified ACF and calculate the size and distance of the fields from each locality. We identified 3,792 cases of PD. SIRs were higher than expected in Jewish rural localities (median SIR [95% CI]: 1.41 [1.28; 1.53] in 2001–2004, 1.62 [1.48; 1.76] in 2005–2008, and 1.57 [1.44; 1.80] in 2009–2012). Highest SIR was observed in localities located in proximity to large ACF (SIR 1.54, 95% CI 1.32; 1.79). In conclusion, in this population based study we found that PD SIRs were higher than expected in rural localities. Furthermore, it appears that proximity to ACF and the field size contribute to PD risk. PMID:26357584

Parkinson’s Disease Prevalence and Proximity to Agricultural Cultivated Fields

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Maayan Yitshak Sade

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The risk for developing Parkinson’s disease (PD is a combination of multiple environmental and genetic factors. The Negev (Southern Israel contains approximately 252.5 km2 of agricultural cultivated fields (ACF. We aimed to estimate the prevalence and incidence of PD and to examine possible geographical clustering and associations with agricultural exposures. We screened all “Clalit” Health Services members in the Negev (70% of the population between the years 2000 and 2012. Individual demographic, clinical, and medication prescription data were available. We used a refined medication tracer algorithm to identify PD patients. We used mixed Poisson models to calculate the smoothed standardized incidence rates (SIRs for each locality. We identified ACF and calculate the size and distance of the fields from each locality. We identified 3,792 cases of PD. SIRs were higher than expected in Jewish rural localities (median SIR [95% CI]: 1.41 [1.28; 1.53] in 2001–2004, 1.62 [1.48; 1.76] in 2005–2008, and 1.57 [1.44; 1.80] in 2009–2012. Highest SIR was observed in localities located in proximity to large ACF (SIR 1.54, 95% CI 1.32; 1.79. In conclusion, in this population based study we found that PD SIRs were higher than expected in rural localities. Furthermore, it appears that proximity to ACF and the field size contribute to PD risk.

Sir Sayyid Ahmed Kahn's History of the Bijnor Rebellion, Translated with Notes and Introduction. South Asia Series, Occasional Paper No. 17.

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Michigan State Univ., East Lansing. Asian Studies Center.

The Bijnor Rebellion of 1857 was a revolt of the Muslim minority in the Bijnor district of India against the British East India Company and Hindu loyalists. Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan was an Indian Muslim serving the British Company. His account of the events of 1857 is the only one produced by an Indian who both participated in and analyzed the…

Sir Karl Popper (1902-1994): in memoriam, 15 years later.

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Notturno, Mark Amadeus

2009-12-01

September 17th, 2009 marks the 15th anniversary of Sir Karl Popper's death. Popper was an outspoken champion of critical rationalism, and a constant critic of authoritarian tendencies in science and society. He was also one of the spiritual founders of this journal and served on its first editorial advisory board. Popper was recognized around the world as one of the 20th century's greatest philosophers of science and one of its most articulate and influential critics of Marxism and closed society. When he died, the contemporary wisdom among professional philosophers was that his philosophy was generally right-but somehow obsolete. Some commentators said that it was now obvious that scientific theories cannot be shown to be true. Others said that we had witnessed the end of history and that his critique of closed societies, while no doubt important in its day, had been fully assimilated into Western thinking and still had meaning, if at all, only for the democracies in transition that were trying to emerge from the former Soviet Union. But 15 years after his death, a look at science and society around the world gives us good reason to remember his philosophy.

Reconnaissance geologic mapping of a portion of the rain‐forest‐covered Guiana Shield, Northwestern Brazil, using SIR-B and digital aeromagnetic data

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Pellon de Miranda, Fernando; McCafferty, Anne E.; Taranik, James V.

1994-01-01

This paper documents the result of an integrated analysis of spaceborne radar (SIR-B) and digital aeromagnetic data carried out in the heavily forested Guiana Shield. The objective of the research is to interpret the geophysical data base to its limit to produce a reconnaissance geologic map as an aid to ground work planning in a worst‐case setting. Linear geomorphic features were identified based on the interpretation of the SIR-B image. Digital manipulation of aeromagnetic data allowed the development of a color‐shaded relief map of reduced‐to‐pole magnetic anomalies, a terrace‐magnetization map, and a map showing the location of maximum values of the horizontal component of the pseudogravity gradient (magnetization boundary lines). The resultant end product was a reconnaissance geologic map where broad terrane categories were delineated and geologic faults with both topographic and magnetic expression were defined. The availability of global spaceborne radar coverage in the 1990s and the large number of existing digital aeromagnetic surveys in northwestern Brazil indicate that this approach can be potentially useful for reconnaissance geologic mapping elsewhere in the Guiana Shield.

End-stage renal disease after occupational lead exposure: 20 years of follow-up.

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Evans, Marie; Discacciati, Andrea; Quershi, Abdul Rashid; Åkesson, Agneta; Elinder, Carl-Gustaf

2017-06-01

Whether low-level exposure to lead may give rise to chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is debated. In this study, we aimed to specifically investigate if low-level occupational exposure to lead was associated with increased incidence of ESRD. The incidence of starting renal replacement therapy as a result of ESRD was examined in a cohort of10 303 lead-workers who had controlled blood lead concentrations due to a compulsory occupational health surveillance programme in Sweden during the time period 1977-1990. The ESRD incidence (obtained through register-linkage) among the lead-exposed workers was compared with the age, sex and calendar period-adjusted expected incidence based on data from the Swedish renal registry. Dose-response association was evaluated in external (general population) and internal (within the occupational cohort) comparisons by highest achieved blood lead level. There were 30 (0.29%) individuals in the cohort who developed ESRD during the median follow-up period of 26.3 years. The standardised incidence ratio (SIR) for ESRD incidence was 0.79 (95% CI 0.54 to 1.13). Among those who achieved the highest blood lead (>41.4 µg/dL), the SIR was 1.01 (0.44 to 1.99). There was no evidence of a dose-response relationship between the maximum achieved blood lead or the cumulative blood lead exposure and ESRD in external or internal comparisons. This study of workers with documented occupational lead exposures followed for 20 years shows no statistically significant association between lead exposure (following the current occupational recommendations for Sweden) and ESRD. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Assessment of current burden of human rabies at Sir Ronald Ross Institute of Tropical and Communicable Diseases (Government Fever Hospital – Five year study

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Dukkipati Kalyani

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Human rabies has been still endemic in India. There are an increasing number of studies estimating the burden of human rabies, but the true incidence of the disease and endemicity were rarely reported in the literature. The main objectives of the present study were to determine the endemicity and to estimate the current burden of human rabies in and around Sir Ronald Ross Institute of Tropical and Communicable Diseases (SRRIT & CD, Nallakunta, Hyderabad. All cases admitted at SRRIT & CD with signs and symptoms of rabies were studied during the period of January 2009 and December 2013. The annual incidence of human rabies in this hospital was estimated to be 152. It is endemic mainly in urban areas that include many areas in Hyderabad and Secunderabad and also adjacent districts. The majority of the patients were children and adult male, from urban areas, and had not taken post exposure prophylaxis (PEP i.e. wound care, active immunization (ARV and passive immunization (RIG. The main animals responsible for bites were dogs (99%, most of which were stray and the most common bite sites were the extremities. Most common clinical feature was hydrophobia. About 92.76% of these patients had not taken PEP. Human rabies continues to be a dreadful disease in India and the dogs are the principal reservoir, mainly stray dogs. This study provides strong evidence that human rabies is still an endemic disease even in urban areas. This is mainly due to lack of awareness about proper PEP. Improved coverage with modern rabies vaccines, control of rabies due to dogs and other animals and intensifying public education about the disease play main role in the reduction of the disease. [J Med Allied Sci 2017; 7(1.000: 14-19

Safety and Outcomes of Transradial Access in Patients with International Normalized Ratio 1.5 or above.

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Titano, Joseph J; Biederman, Derek M; Zech, John; Korff, Ricki; Ranade, Mona; Patel, Rahul; Kim, Edward; Nowakowski, Francis; Lookstein, Robert; Fischman, Aaron M

2018-03-01

To examine the safety and outcomes for patients undergoing transradial noncoronary interventions with international normalized ratio (INR) ≥1.5. A retrospective review of 2,271 transradial access (TRA) cases performed from July 2012 to July 2016 was conducted. Criteria for inclusion were moderate bleeding risk cases with preprocedure INR ≥1.5. Within the study period, there were 176 moderate bleeding risk procedures (transarterial chemoembolization: 70/176 [39.8%]; Barbeau B: 121/176 [68.8%]; 5-F sheath: 157/176 [89.2%]) performed on 122 patients (age 61.6 ± 12.1 years, 68.9% male, body mass index 28.0 kg/m 2 ) with INR ≥1.5. Technical success was achieved in 98.9% of cases. Grade 1/2 hematomas developed in 10 cases (5.7%). Age ≥65 years (P = .042) and female sex (P = .046) were predictive of access site bleeding complications. Fresh frozen plasma (FFP) transfusion was administered in 11.4% of cases (n = 20). Baseline INR and creatinine were significantly different between transfused and nontransfused cases (P values .006 and .028, respectively). Minor access site bleeding occurred in 3/20 cases (15%) receiving prior FFP transfusion and 7/156 nontransfused cases (4.5%), with no significant difference between these 2 groups (P = .072). TRA in patients with elevated INR appears to be safe in our experience. Age ≥65 years and female sex were associated with increased incidence of access site bleeding. Although INR correction was not standardized in this cohort, preprocedure FFP transfusion did not decrease bleeding complications. Copyright © 2017 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

How Good Is Your Rule of Thumb? Validating Male-to-Female Case Ratio as a Proxy for Men Who Have Sex With Men Involvement in N. gonorrhoeae Incidence at the County Level.

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Stenger, Mark; Bauer, Heidi; Klingler, Ellen; Bell, Teal; Donnelly, Jennifer; Eaglin, Margaret; Jespersen, Megan; Madera, Robbie; Mattson, Melanie; Torrone, Elizabeth

2018-03-01

Lacking information on men who have sex with men (MSM) for most reported cases, sexually transmitted disease (STD) programs in the United States have used crude measures such as male-to-female case ratios (MFCR) as a rule of thumb to gauge MSM involvement at the local level, primarily with respect to syphilis cases in the past. Suitability of this measure for gonorrhea incidence has not previously been investigated. A random sample of gonorrhea cases reported from January 2010 through June 2013 were interviewed in selected counties participating in the STD Surveillance Network to obtain gender of sex partners and history of transactional sex. Weighted estimates of proportion of cases among MSM and proportion reporting transactional sex were developed; correlation between MFCR and proportion MSM was assessed. Male-to-female case ratio ranged from 0.66 to 8.7, and the proportion of cases occurring among MSM varied from 2.5% to 62.3%. The MFCR was strongly correlated with proportion of cases among MSM after controlling for transactional sex (Pearson partial r = 0.754, P < 0.0001). Male-to-female case ratio for gonorrhea at the county level is a reliable proxy measure indicating MSM involvement in gonorrhea case incidence and should be used by STD programs to tailor their programmatic mix to include MSM-specific interventions.

Site-specific cancer risk in the Baltic cohort of Chernobyl cleanup workers, 1986–2007

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Rahu, Kaja; Hakulinen, Timo; Smailyte, Giedre; Stengrevics, Aivars; Auvinen, Anssi; Inskip, Peter D.; Boice, John D.; Rahu, Mati

2013-01-01

Objective To assess site-specific cancer risk in the Baltic cohort of Chernobyl cleanup workers 1986–2007. Methods The Baltic cohort includes 17,040 men from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania who participated in the environmental cleanup after the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station in 1986–1991, and who were followed for cancer incidence until the end of 2007. Cancer cases diagnosed in the cohort and in the male population of each country were identified from the respective national cancer registers. The proportional incidence ratio (PIR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to estimate the site-specific cancer risk in the cohort. For comparison and as it was possible, the site-specific standardized incidence ratio (SIR) was calculated for the Estonian sub-cohort, which was not feasible for the other countries. Results Overall, 756 cancer cases were reported during 1986–2007. A higher proportion of thyroid cancers in relation to the male population was found (PIR=2.76; 95%CI 1.63–4.36), especially among those who started their mission shortly after the accident, in April–May 1986 (PIR=6.38; 95% CI 2.34–13.89). Also, an excess of oesophageal cancers was noted (PIR=1.52; 95% CI 1.06–2.11). No increased PIRs for leukaemia or radiation-related cancer sites combined were observed. PIRs and SIRs for the Estonian sub-cohort demonstrated the same site-specific cancer risk pattern. Conclusion Consistent evidence of an increase in radiation-related cancers in the Baltic cohort was not observed with the possible exception of thyroid cancer, where conclusions are hampered by known medical examination including thyroid screening among cleanup workers. PMID:23683549

Sir John Adams - His Legacy to the World of Particle Accelerators

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2009-01-01

John Adams acquired an unrivalled reputation for his leading part in designing and constructing the PS in CERN’s early days. In 1968, and after several years heading a fusion laboratory in the UK, he came back to Geneva to pilot the SPS project to approval and then to direct its construction. At the time of his untimely death in 1984 he had built Europe’s two largest proton accelerators at CERN. He went on, during the second of his terms as DG, to lay the groundwork for the proton-antiproton collider which led to the discovery of the intermediate vector boson. How did someone without any formal academic qualification achieve this? What was the magic behind his leadership? How did he achieve political success with the Member States of CERN in turning the almost hopeless quest for approval of the SPS to CERN’s advantage? How did he view his US counterpart, R. R. Wilson? The speaker, who worked many years alongside Adams, will discuss these questions and speculate on how Sir John Adams might have viewed t...

A Historical Survey of Sir Karl Popper's Contribution to Quantum Mechanics

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William M. Shields

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Sir Karl Popper (1902-1994, though not trained as a physicist and embarrassed early in his career by a physics error pointed out by Einstein and Bohr, ultimately made substantial contributions to the interpretation of quantum mechanics. As was often the case, Popper initially formulated his position by criticizing the views of others - in this case Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg. Underlying Popper's criticism was his belief that, first, the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics abandoned scientific realism and second, the assertion that quantum theory was complete (an assertion rejected by Einstein among others amounted to an unfalsifiable claim. Popper insisted that the most basic predictions of quantum mechanics should continue to be tested, with an eye towards falsification rather than mere adding of decimal places to confirmatory experiments. His persistent attacks on the Copenhagen interpretation were aimed not at the uncertainty principle itself and the formalism from which it was derived, but at the acceptance by physicists of an unclear epistemology and ontology that left critical questions unanswered. Quanta 2012; 1: 1–12.

The SIR model of Zika virus disease outbreak in Brazil at year 2015

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Aik, Lim Eng; Kiang, Lam Chee; Hong, Tan Wei; Abu, Mohd Syafarudy

2017-05-01

This research study demonstrates a numerical model intended for comprehension the spread of the year 2015 Zika virus disease utilizing the standard SIR framework. In modeling virulent disease dynamics, it is important to explore whether the illness spread could accomplish a pandemic level or it could be eradicated. Information from the year 2015 Zika virus disease event is utilized and Brazil where the event began is considered in this research study. A three dimensional nonlinear differential equation is formulated and solved numerically utilizing the Euler's method in MS excel. It is appeared from the research study that, with health intercessions of public, the viable regenerative number can be decreased making it feasible for the event to cease to exist. It is additionally indicated numerically that the pandemic can just cease to exist when there are no new infected people in the populace.

Breast Cancer After Chest Radiation Therapy for Childhood Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Moskowitz, Chaya S.; Chou, Joanne F.; Wolden, Suzanne L.; Bernstein, Jonine L.; Malhotra, Jyoti; Friedman, Danielle Novetsky; Mubdi, Nidha Z.; Leisenring, Wendy M.; Stovall, Marilyn; Hammond, Sue; Smith, Susan A.; Henderson, Tara O.; Boice, John D.; Hudson, Melissa M.; Diller, Lisa R.; Bhatia, Smita; Kenney, Lisa B.; Neglia, Joseph P.; Begg, Colin B.; Robison, Leslie L.; Oeffinger, Kevin C.

2014-01-01

Purpose The risk of breast cancer is high in women treated for a childhood cancer with chest irradiation. We sought to examine variations in risk resulting from irradiation field and radiation dose. Patients and Methods We evaluated cumulative breast cancer risk in 1,230 female childhood cancer survivors treated with chest irradiation who were participants in the CCSS (Childhood Cancer Survivor Study). Results Childhood cancer survivors treated with lower delivered doses of radiation (median, 14 Gy; range, 2 to 20 Gy) to a large volume (whole-lung field) had a high risk of breast cancer (standardized incidence ratio [SIR], 43.6; 95% CI, 27.2 to 70.3), as did survivors treated with high doses of delivered radiation (median, 40 Gy) to the mantle field (SIR, 24.2; 95% CI, 20.7 to 28.3). The cumulative incidence of breast cancer by age 50 years was 30% (95% CI, 25 to 34), with a 35% incidence among Hodgkin lymphoma survivors (95% CI, 29 to 40). Breast cancer–specific mortality at 5 and 10 years was 12% (95% CI, 8 to 18) and 19% (95% CI, 13 to 25), respectively. Conclusion Among women treated for childhood cancer with chest radiation therapy, those treated with whole-lung irradiation have a greater risk of breast cancer than previously recognized, demonstrating the importance of radiation volume. Importantly, mortality associated with breast cancer after childhood cancer is substantial. PMID:24752044

Sir William Burnett (1779-1861), professional head of the Royal Naval Medical Department and entrepreneur.

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Penn, Christopher

2004-08-01

Sir William Burnett (1779-1861) had an active career as a Royal Navy surgeon in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, including service at the battles of St Vincent, the Nile and Trafalgar. From 1822 to 1855 he was professional head of the Royal Naval Medical Department, when he provided effective leadership in a time of great change. Although his official work earned him the reputation of a "hard-working, unimaginative, somewhat harsh man", his correspondence shows a very humane centre under the official carapace. His official performance and reputation were both eroded towards the end of his career by his determined promotion of zinc chloride, for which he held lucrative patents.

Dynamics of a stochastic delayed SIR epidemic model with vaccination and double diseases driven by Lévy jumps

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Liu, Qun; Jiang, Daqing; Shi, Ningzhong; Hayat, Tasawar

2018-02-01

In this paper, we study the dynamics of a stochastic delayed SIR epidemic model with vaccination and double diseases which make the research more complex. The environment variability in this paper is characterized by white noise and Lévy noise. We establish sufficient conditions for extinction and persistence in the mean of the two epidemic diseases. It is shown that: (i) time delay and Lévy noise have important effects on the persistence and extinction of epidemic diseases; (ii) two diseases can coexist under certain conditions.

Meterology-driven Prediction of RSV/RHV Incidence in Rural Nepal

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Scott, Anna; Englund, Janet; Chu, Helen; Tielsch, James; Tielsch, James; Khatry, Subarna; Leclerq, Steven C; Shrestha, Laxman; Kuypers, Jane; Steinhoff, Mark C; Katz, Joanne

2017-01-01

Abstract Background Incidence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and rhinovirus (RHV) varies throughout the year. We aim to quantify the relationship between weather variables (temperature, humidity, precipitation, and aerosol concentration) and disease incidence in order to quantify how outbreaks of RSV and RHV are related to seasonal or sub-seasonal meteorology, and if these relationships can predict viral outbreaks of RSV and RHV. Methods Health data were collected in a community-based, prospective randomized trial of maternal influenza immunization of pregnant women and their infants conducted in rural Nepal from 2011–2014. Adult illness episodes were defined as fever plus cough, sore throat, runny nose, and/or myalgia, with infant illness defined similarly but without fever requirement. Cases were identified through longitudinal household-based weekly surveillance. Temperature, humidity, precipitation, and fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) data come from reanalysis data products NCEP, Era-Interim, and Merra-2, which are produced by assimilating historical in-situ and satellite-based observations into a weather model. Results RSV exhibits a relationship with temperature after removing the seasonal cycle (r = -0.16, N = 208, P = 0.02), and RHV exhibits a strong relationship to daily temperature (r =-0.14, N =208, P = 0.05). When lagging meteorology by up to 15 weeks, correlations with disease count and weather improve (RSV: r_max = 0.45, P < 0.05; RHV: r_max = 0.15, P = 0.05). We use an SIR model forced by lagged meteorological variables to predict RSV and RHV, suggesting that disease burden can be predicted at lead times of weeks to months. Conclusion Meteorological variables are associated with RSV and RHV incidence in rural Nepal and can be used to drive predictive models with a lead time of several months. Disclosures J. Englund, Gilead: Consultant and Investigator, Research support Chimerix: Investigator, Research support Alios: Investigator

Separation of zirconium (Zr) and hafnium (Hf) using solvent mixture of TBP-D_2EHPA and amberlite XAD-16

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dwi Biyantoro; I Made Sukarna; Agus Suyanto

2017-01-01

The aims of this research were to determine the composition (ratio of extractant and resin) of the SIR which is effective for the separation of Zr and Hf, knowing adsorption equilibrium models Zr and Hf using the SIR, and knowing the most effective adsorption results from SIR weight ratio. The research was conducted by using the SIR method that is impregnating the extractant into the resin. Extractant used is a mixture of TBP and D_2EHPA (1 : 3), the resin used is XAD-16, and the feed used is ZOC. This research was conducted by varying the composition of the SIR, after the result of effective SIR variation. Adsorption process is then performed using the ZOC with SIR. Then filtered, the filtrate was analyzed by XRF. While solids SIR adsorption product was desorbed using sulfuric acid. Then the desorption results were analyzed using XRF spectrometer. Based on calculations, the results of the most effective SIR composition for the separation of Zr-Hf are comparison extractant and resin = 5:5 either for the dry method and wet method, the equilibrium equations for Zr approaching Langmuir equilibrium models while the equilibrium equation for Hf approaching Freundlich equilibrium models which the most effective adsorption results that bait comparison with the SIR = 10 mL : 5 g with β = 0.1831; η Zr = 26.39 % and η Hf = 66.19 % for dry method and β = 0.1557; η Zr = 25.17 % and η Hf = 68.36 % for wet method. From result desorption process was 2 M H_2SO_4. (author)

Periodontal Disease, Regular Dental Care Use, and Incident Ischemic Stroke.

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Sen, Souvik; Giamberardino, Lauren D; Moss, Kevin; Morelli, Thiago; Rosamond, Wayne D; Gottesman, Rebecca F; Beck, James; Offenbacher, Steven

2018-02-01

Periodontal disease is independently associated with cardiovascular disease. Identification of periodontal disease as a risk factor for incident ischemic stroke raises the possibility that regular dental care utilization may reduce the stroke risk. In the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study, pattern of dental visits were classified as regular or episodic dental care users. In the ancillary dental ARIC study, selected subjects from ARIC underwent fullmouth periodontal measurements collected at 6 sites per tooth and classified into 7 periodontal profile classes (PPCs). In the ARIC study 10 362 stroke-free participants, 584 participants had incident ischemic strokes over a 15-year period. In the dental ARIC study, 6736 dentate subjects were assessed for periodontal disease status using PPC with a total of 299 incident ischemic strokes over the 15-year period. The 7 levels of PPC showed a trend toward an increased stroke risk (χ 2 trend P periodontal disease). Periodontal disease was significantly associated with cardioembolic (hazard ratio, 2.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-5.6) and thrombotic (hazard ratio, 2.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-3.8) stroke subtypes. Regular dental care utilization was associated with lower adjusted stroke risk (hazard ratio, 0.77; 95% confidence interval, 0.63-0.94). We confirm an independent association between periodontal disease and incident stroke risk, particularly cardioembolic and thrombotic stroke subtype. Further, we report that regular dental care utilization may lower this risk for stroke. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

El Mediterráneo a través de la ficción: el extraño caso de Sir John Mandeville

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Morales Osorio, Susana

2006-06-01

Full Text Available

The Travels of Sir John Mandeville presents the ficticious construction of the Orient through a travels tale which is primarily shaped as a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Over and above the critical controversy about the existence of Sir John Mandeville, this book depicts in a very accurate way several key topics in the literature of the Middle Ages as it is the conception of the travel through the medieval peregrination, the homo viator as a consequence of the religious becoming which steamed the Middle Ages, or the Bible as the geography of the known world and the destination of the medieval curiosity. On the other hand, the tale shows a very special devising of the Other, of the unknown, by means of a mythical perspective, that is, through the recreation of fascinating mirabilia collection that still impress the current reader.