| 26. |
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| 27. |
- Berglund, Björn, et al.
(author)
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Early Holocene history of the Baltic Sea, as reflected in coastal sediments in Blekinge, southeastern Sweden
- 2005
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In: Quaternary International. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-4553 .- 1040-6182. ; 130:1, s. 111-139
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Integrated palaeoecological studies of two fiord sediment sequences in the province of Blekinge, SE Sweden, covering the time span 11,000-5000 cal BP, reveal the timing and the environment for the Ancylus Lake/Littorina Sea transition 9800-8500 cal BP. The first ingression of saline water into the Baltic Sea through the Danish Straits occurred earlier than formerly assumed. New evidence, particularly mineral magnetic and palaeobotanical analyses, demonstrate that on the general trend of the eustatically caused Littorina transgression several minor fluctuations of the water level can be identified between 8500 and 5000 cal years BP. A distinct regression phase around 8 100 cal BP is correlated with the Greenland ice-core cold event dated to 8200 ice-core years BP. This is described as a regional climatic catastrophe for the Baltic Sea region. The coastal stratigraphy is compared with the offshore stratigraphy earlier studied. A tentative shore displacement curve for Early and Middle Holocene is presented.
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| 28. |
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| 29. |
- Berglund, Eva C., et al.
(author)
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Run-off replication of host-adaptability genes is associated with gene transfer agents in the genome of mouse-infecting Bartonella grahamii
- 2009
-
In: PLoS genetics. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-7404. ; 5:7, s. e1000546-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The genus Bartonella comprises facultative intracellular bacteria adapted to mammals, including previously recognized and emerging human pathogens. We report the 2,341,328 bp genome sequence of Bartonella grahamii, one of the most prevalent Bartonella species in wild rodents. Comparative genomics revealed that rodent-associated Bartonella species have higher copy numbers of genes for putative host-adaptability factors than the related human-specific pathogens. Many of these gene clusters are located in a highly dynamic region of 461 kb. Using hybridization to a microarray designed for the B. grahamii genome, we observed a massive, putatively phage-derived run-off replication of this region. We also identified a novel gene transfer agent, which packages the bacterial genome, with an over-representation of the amplified DNA, in 14 kb pieces. This is the first observation associating the products of run-off replication with a gene transfer agent. Because of the high concentration of gene clusters for host-adaptation proteins in the amplified region, and since the genes encoding the gene transfer agent and the phage origin are well conserved in Bartonella, we hypothesize that these systems are driven by selection. We propose that the coupling of run-off replication with gene transfer agents promotes diversification and rapid spread of host-adaptability factors, facilitating host shifts in Bartonella.
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| 30. |
- Berglund, H., et al.
(author)
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Verifying an Extinction Debt among Lichens and Fungi in Northern Swedish Boreal Forests
- 2005
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In: Conservation Biology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0888-8892 .- 1523-1739. ; 19:2, s. 338-348
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Destruction and fragmentation of natural habitats results in small species populations that face increased risk of extinction. A time delay may be involved in the regional extinction of species, and the number of species that eventually may go extinct in the future is called the “extinction debt.” In boreal Sweden, we examined whether the number of epiphytic crustose lichens and wood-inhabiting fungi in old-growth forest remnants diverges from species richness levels in forest patches that have been naturally isolated for millennia. An excess of species in forest remnants could indicate the presence of an extinction debt. Observed species richness in 32 old-growth forest remnants (also called woodland key habitats [WKHs]) was compared with predicted species richness. To predict species richness we used regression models based on data from 46 isolated old-growth forest patches in a forest-wetland matrix. The reference landscape is ancient and assumed to reflect the conditions of insular floras in dynamic equilibrium. Stand factors constituted predictive variables in the models. The observed number of lichen species was higher than expected (i.e., an extinction debt among lichens may exist). By contrast, there was no significant difference between observed and expected species richness among wood-inhabiting fungi. The species richness of wood-inhabiting fungi has adjusted to the changes in forest and landscape structure more rapidly than the species richness of lichens. Differences in substrate dynamics between epiphytes on living trees and species growing on decaying logs might explain the difference between species groups. The results also indicate that population densities of red-listed species were low, which may result in continuing extinctions of red-listed species. The importance of WKHs might be overvalued because species may be lost if conservation efforts consider only protection and preservation of WKHs.
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| 31. |
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| 32. |
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| 33. |
- Byberg, Liisa, et al.
(author)
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Total mortality after changes in leisure time physical activity in 50 year old men : 35 year follow-up of population based cohort
- 2009
-
In: The BMJ. - : BMJ. - 1756-1833 .- 0959-8138 .- 1468-5833. ; 43:7, s. 482-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To examine how change in level of physical activity after middle age influences mortality and to compare it with the effect of smoking cessation. DESIGN: Population based cohort study with follow-up over 35 years. SETTING: Municipality of Uppsala, Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: 2205 men aged 50 in 1970-3 who were re-examined at ages 60, 70, 77, and 82 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Total (all cause) mortality. RESULTS: The absolute mortality rate was 27.1, 23.6, and 18.4 per 1000 person years in the groups with low, medium, and high physical activity, respectively. The relative rate reduction attributable to high physical activity was 32% for low and 22% for medium physical activity. Men who increased their physical activity level between the ages of 50 and 60 continued to have a higher mortality rate during the first five years of follow-up (adjusted hazard ratio 2.64, 95% confidence interval 1.32 to 5.27, compared with unchanged high physical activity). After 10 years of follow-up their increased physical activity was associated with reduced mortality to the level of men with unchanged high physical activity (1.10, 0.87 to 1.38). The reduction in mortality associated with increased physical activity (0.51, 0.26 to 0.97, compared with unchanged low physical activity) was similar to that associated with smoking cessation (0.64, 0.53 to 0.78, compared with continued smoking). CONCLUSIONS: Increased physical activity in middle age is eventually followed by a reduction in mortality to the same level as seen among men with constantly high physical activity. This reduction is comparable with that associated with smoking cessation.
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| 34. |
- Cox, David G., et al.
(author)
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A comprehensive analysis of the androgen receptor gene and risk of breast cancer: results from the National Cancer Institute Breast and Prostate Cancer Cohort Consortium (BPC3)
- 2006
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In: Breast Cancer Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1465-5411 .- 1465-542X. ; 8:5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction Androgens have been hypothesised to influence risk of breast cancer through several possible mechanisms, including their conversion to estradiol or their binding to the oestrogen receptor and/ or androgen receptor ( AR) in the breast. Here, we report on the results of a large and comprehensive study of the association between genetic variation in the AR gene and risk of breast cancer in the National Cancer Institute Breast and Prostate Cancer Cohort Consortium ( BPC3). Methods The underlying genetic variation was determined by first sequencing the coding regions of the AR gene in a panel of 95 advanced breast cancer cases. Second, a dense set of markers from the public database was genotyped in a panel of 349 healthy women. The linkage disequilibrium relationships ( blocks) across the gene were then identified, and haplotypetagging single nucleotide polymorphisms ( htSNPs) were selected to capture the common genetic variation across the locus. The htSNPs were then genotyped in the nested breast cancer cases and controls from the Cancer Prevention Study II, European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition, Multiethnic Cohort, Nurses' Health Study, and Women's Health Study cohorts ( 5,603 breast cancer cases and 7,480 controls). Results We found no association between any genetic variation ( SNP, haplotype, or the exon 1 CAG repeat) in the AR gene and risk of breast cancer, nor were any statistical interactions with known breast cancer risk factors observed. Conclusion Among postmenopausal Caucasian women, common variants of the AR gene are not associated with risk of breast cancer.
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| 35. |
- Cox, David G, et al.
(author)
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Haplotypes of the estrogen receptor beta gene and breast cancer risk
- 2008
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In: International Journal of Cancer. - : Wiley. - 0020-7136. ; 122:2, s. 387-392
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Exposure to exogenous (oral contraceptives, postmenopausal hormone therapy) and endogenous (number of ovulatory cycles, adiposity) steroid hormones is associated with breast cancer risk. Breast cancer risk associated with these exposures could hypothetically be modified by genes in the steroid hormone synthesis, metabolism and signaling pathways. Estrogen receptors are the first step along the path of signaling cell growth and development upon stimulation with estrogens. The National Cancer Institute Breast and Prostate Cancer Cohort Consortium has systematically selected haplotype tagging SNPs in genes along the steroid hormone synthesis, metabolism and binding pathways, including the estrogen receptor beta (ESR2) gene. Four htSNPs tag the 6 major (>5% frequency) haplotypes of the ESR2 gene. These polymorphisms have been genotyped in 5,789 breast cancer cases and 7,761 controls nested within the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study II, European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition, Multiethnic Cohort, Nurses' Health Study and Women's Health Study cohorts. None of the SNPs were independently associated with breast cancer risk. One haplotype of the ESR2 gene was associated with breast cancer risk before correction for multiple testing (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.07-1.28, p = 0.0007). This haplotype remained associated with breast cancer risk after adjustment for multiple testing using a permutation procedure. There was no statistically significant heterogeneity in SNP or haplotype odds ratios across cohorts. These data suggest that inherited variants in ESR2 (while possibly conferring a small increased risk of breast cancer) are not associated with appreciable (OR > 1.2) changes in breast cancer risk among Caucasian women.
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| 36. |
- Duvold, Kjetil, 1971-
(author)
-
Making sense of Baltic democracy : public support and political representation in nationalising states
- 2006
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- A chief topic of this book is the advance of democracy in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The three countries belong to the most ‘successful’ cases of transition from communist rule to democracy, demonstrated by the fact that they joined the European Union in 2004. In contrast to other new EU members, the Baltic countries were constituents of the Soviet Union and, thus, had to embark upon state- and nation-building in tandem with democratisation and marketisation. Estonia and Latvia (but to a smaller extent Lithuania) were left with considerable numbers of immigrants from the Soviet period, which prompted the authorities to impose fairly restrictive citizenship laws. One in five Estonian and Latvian remain excluded even after 15 years of independence. This situation has created a great deal of tension, but at least thus far, no political meltdown. The case for imposing strict citizenship requirements centred on the fact that the countries were forced into the Soviet Union, but it was clearly also related to nation-building and fear of Russian influence in determining the path from communist rule. Arguably, democratisation and nation-building are based on different, sometimes even conflicting, logics. Thus, a key question in this book is to what extent – and how – diverging understanding of the political community affects democratic legitimacy. Another central task is to determine the strength of the ties between Baltic citizens and the respective political systems – in terms of support for the regimes and the degree of representation of societal interests through political parties. Applying the New Baltic Barometer 1993-2004, the book explores levels of political support among native Baltic citizens and the Russian-speaking minority groups. It reveals that democracy as an ideal enjoys increasing support, but that many Baltic citizens remain unconvinced about the performance of democracy. Corruption and the rule of law are particularly thorny issues in Latvia and Lithuania, while political parties and MPs are widely held in contempt in all three countries. The Russian-speakers appear somewhat more reluctant to embrace the current system, expressing greater enthusiasm for the Soviet system of the past. Yet another section explores the nature of political representation and the expression of demands and interests from below, offering a comprehensive examination of the Baltic party systems, including types of parties, issue dimensions, public attitudes to distributional questions, and to what extent parties channel or mirror social interests. An underlying theme is the extent to which the party systems are based on some degree of cleavage structures, or if questions of identity and nationality eclipse social interests or, alternatively, if Baltic politics at heart is driven by strong personalities rather than interest politics. Finally, the book presents the case for a specific pattern of ‘Baltic democracy’, marked by divided political communities, ambiguous mass-elite relations, and weak political representation. Conceivably, many Baltic citizens would prefer reduced political competition and stronger, more assertive leaders. Moreover, the strong emphasis on nation-building turns the Baltic countries into a potential playground for identity politics. For the time being, at least, this makes the ideological space open-ended and malleable, leaving fertile ground for fleeting populism.
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| 37. |
- Florez, J. C., et al.
(author)
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Association testing of common variants in the insulin receptor substrate-1 gene (IRS1) with type 2 diabetes
- 2007
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In: Diabetologia. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-0428 .- 0012-186X. ; 50:6, s. 1209-1217
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aims/hypothesis Activation of the insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS1) is a key initial step in the insulin signalling pathway. Despite several reports of association of the G972R polymorphism in its gene IRS1 with type 2 diabetes, we and others have not observed this association in well-powered samples. However, other nearby variants might account for the putative association signal. Subjects and methods We characterised the haplotype map of IRS1 and selected 20 markers designed to capture common variations in the region. We genotyped this comprehensive set of markers in several family-based and case-control samples of European descent totalling 12,129 subjects. Results In an initial sample of 2,235 North American and Polish case-control pairs, the minor allele of the rs934167 polymorphism showed nominal evidence of association with type 2 diabetes (odds ratio [OR] 1.25, 95% CI 1.03-1.51, p=0.03). This association showed a trend in the same direction in 7,659 Scandinavian samples (OR 1.16, 95% CI 0.96-1.39, p=0.059). The combined OR was 1.20 (p=0.008), but statistical correction for the number of variants examined yielded a p value of 0.086. We detected no differences across rs934167 genotypes in insulin-related quantitative traits. Conclusion/interpretation Our data do not support an association of common variants in IRS1 with type 2 diabetes in populations of European descent.
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| 38. |
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| 39. |
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| 40. |
- Hoffman, Eric A., et al.
(author)
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Genetic structure in the coral-reef-associated Banggai cardinalfish, Pterapogon kauderni
- 2005
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In: Molecular Ecology. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 14:5, s. 1367-1375
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this study, we used 11 polymorphic microsatellite loci to show that oceanic distances as small as 2–5 km are sufficient to produce high levels of population genetic structure (multilocus FST as high as 0.22) in the Banggai cardinalfish(Pterapogon kauderni), a heavily exploited reef fish lacking a pelagic larval dispersal phase. Global FST among all populations, separated by a maximum distance of 203 km, was 0.18 (RST = 0.35). Moreover, two lines of evidence suggest that estimates of FST may actually underestimate the true level of genetic structure. First, within-locus FST values were consistently close to the theoretical maximum set by the average within-population heterozygosity. Second, the allele size permutation test showed that RST values were significantly larger than FST values, indicating that populations have been isolated long enough for mutation to have played a role in generating allelic variation among populations. The high level of microspatial structure observed in this marine fish indicates that life history traits such as lack of pelagic larval phase and a good homing ability do indeed play a role in shaping population genetic structure in the marine realm.
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| 41. |
- Holte, Jan, et al.
(author)
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Construction of an evidence-based integrated morphology cleavage embryo score for implantation potential of embryos scored and transferred on day 2 after oocyte retrieval
- 2007
-
In: Human Reproduction. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0268-1161 .- 1460-2350. ; 22:2, s. 548-557
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Evidence-based morphological embryo scoring models for ranking of implantation potential are still scarce, and the need for a precise model increases when aiming for singleton pregnancies. METHODS: Prospectively, 2266 IVF/ICSI double-embryo, day 2 transfers were studied. The five variables scored in 3- to 5-step scales for the embryos transferred are blastomere number (BL), fragmentation, blastomere size variation ('equality', EQ), symmetry of the cleavage and mononuclearity in the blastomeres (NU). The scoring results of embryos with an individual traceability from scoring to implantation, i.e. treatments resulting in either no implantation (n = 1385) or twin implantation (n = 228), were studied for prognostic potential. RESULTS: Although all five variables correlated highly with implantation potential, only BL, NU and EQ remained independently significant after regression analysis. The equation thus derived formed the basis for a 10-point integrated morphology cleavage (IMC) embryo score. A table with the scoring point for each possible combination of the embryo variables is presented. The scoring model was statistically validated on the singleton pregnancy group (n = 653). CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that this IMC embryo scoring, incorporating cleavage stage and information on the variation in blastomere size and the number of mononucleated blastomeres, may optimize embryo ranking and selection for day 2 transfers.
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| 42. |
- Ikkala, O., et al.
(author)
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Solid state nanofibers based on self-assemblies : From cleaving from self-assemblies to multilevel hierarchical constructs
- 2009
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In: Faraday discussions. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1359-6640 .- 1364-5498. ; 143, s. 95-107
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Self-assemblies and their hierarchies are useful to construct soft materials with structures at different length scales and to tune the materials properties for various functions. Here we address routes for solid nanofibers based on different forms of self-assemblies. On the other hand, we discuss rational "bottom-up" routes for multi-level hierarchical self-assembled constructs, with the aim of learning more about design principles for competing interactions and packing frustrations. Here we use the triblock copolypeptide poly(l-lysine)-b-poly(γ-benzyl-l-glutamate)-b-poly(l-lysine) complexed with 2′-deoxyguanosine 5′-monophosphate. Supramolecular disks (G-quartets) stabilized by metal cations are formed and their columnar assembly leads to a packing frustration with the cylindrical packing of helical poly(γ-benzyl-l-glutamate), which we suggest is important in controlling the lateral dimensions of the nanofibers. We foresee routes for functionalities by selecting different metal cations within the G-quartets. On the other hand, we discuss nanofibers that are cleaved from bulk self-assemblies in a "top-down" manner. After a short introduction based on cleaving nanofibers from diblock copolymeric self-assemblies, we focus on native cellulose nanofibers, as cleaved from plant cell wall fibers, which are expected to have feasible mechanical properties and to be templates for functional nanomaterials. Long nanofibers with 5-20 nm lateral dimensions can be cleaved within an aqueous medium to allow hydrogels and water can be removed to allow highly porous, lightweight, and flexible aerogels. We further describe inorganic/organic hybrids as prepared by chemical vapour deposition and atomic layer deposition of the different nanofibers. We foresee functional materials by selecting inorganic coatings. Finally we briefly discuss how the organic template can be removed e.g., by thermal treatments to allow completely inorganic hollow nanofibrillar structures.
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| 43. |
- Janson, Staffan, 1945-, et al.
(author)
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Äldre i Värmland : Om hälsa, levnadsvanor och livssituation 2006
- 2007
-
Book (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Landstinget har i samarbete med Karlstads universitet gjort flera befolkningsundersökningar i Värmland och publicerat rapporter om både den vuxna befolkningens och barns hälsa, senast med rapporten Värmlänningarnas Liv och Hälsa 2004. Någon befolkningsstudie av de äldres hälsa och livsvillkor har dock inte gjorts tidigare.Efter tre års förarbeten och samråd mellan landstinget, Värmlands kommuner och flera institutioner vid Karlstads universitet genomfördes den föreliggande studien av de äldres hälsa under senhösten 2006, i form av en omfattande postenkät. Urvalet utgjordes av 2500 slumpmässigt uttagna kvinnor och män som var 80 år eller äldre. Svarsfrekvensen var 60 procent, vilket får betraktas som mycket bra med tanke på att cirka 15 procent i denna åldersgrupp lever i särskilda boenden.Studien avspeglar således hälsan och livsvillkoren för de äldre. Överlag visar det sig att de äldre mår bra och har stor kapacitet att fungera som aktiva samhällsmedborgare. Samtidigt är det många som har kroniska besvär, med värk, syn- och hörselnedsättning, inkontinensbesvär etc. Det föreligger också en klar social gradient, där särskilt äldre kvinnor med arbetarbakgrund har både mer sjukdom och större ekonomiska problem än de övriga.
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| 44. |
- Johansson, Björn G., 1968-
(author)
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Chemical Communication and Mate Choice : Investigations into the Meaning of a Fruit Fly Pheromone
- 2005
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Chemical signals are the most widely used form of sexual communication throughout the living world. However, there is in general little knowledge about what these signals actually communicate. The role of chemical signals, i.e. pheromones, in sexual behaviour has traditionally been seen as restricted to mate attraction and species recognition. This thesis reviews the evidence for pheromones as indicators of mate quality, and then investigates three important factors for mate quality signals – individual variation, heritability and cost – by using the male pheromone of the lekking fruit fly Drosophila grimshawi as a model.The experiments presented indicate that the pheromone of D. grimshawi has multiple functions, and that these functions vary with social context. Thus, with regard to females, the pheromone seems to act mainly as a species/mate recognition signal, since females show little preference for the amount of pheromone deposited by a male. Moreover, males invest less in pheromone production when subjected to females as compared to when subjected to rival males. However, the pheromone seems to be costly in production since males that invest much in pheromone deposition has a shorter lifespan. This suggests a function for the pheromone in male-male interactions. Males can distinguish their own pheromone depositions from those of a strange male, and also discriminate between pheromone depositions from one and two strange males. This might give them the ability to assess the size of a lek and the competitive capacities of rivals, information that should be useful when optimizing sexual behaviour.In conclusion, the pheromone seems to act as an honest mate/competitor quality signal in some social contexts, and as a non-costly species/mate recognition signal in other. In addition, I show for the first time that a chemical signal has differential fitness costs, and that an insect is able to distinguish between individual odour signatures.
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| 45. |
- Jones, Adam G., et al.
(author)
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The measurement of sexual selection using Bateman's principles : An experimental test in the sex-role-reversed pipefish Syngnathus typhle
- 2005
-
In: Integrative and Comparative Biology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1540-7063 .- 1557-7023. ; 45:5, s. 874-884
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Angus J. Bateman's classic study of sexual selection in Drosophila melanogaster has had a major influence on the development of sexual selection theory. In some ways, Bateman's study has served a catalytic role by stimulating debate on sex roles, sexual conflict and other topics in sexual selection. However, there is still considerable disagreement regarding whether or not "Bateman's principles" are helpful in the study of sexual selection. Here, we test the idea that Bateman's principles provide the basis for a useful method to quantify and compare mating systems. In this study, we focus on the sex-role-reversed pipefish Syngnathus typhle as a model system to study the measurement of sexual selection. We set up artificial breeding assemblages of pipefish in the laboratory and used microsatellite markers to resolve parentage. Three different sex-ratio treatments (female-biased, even and male-biased) were used to manipulate the expected intensity of sexual selection. Measures of the mating system based on Bateman's principles were calculated and compared to the expected changes in the intensity of sexual selection. We also compare the results of this study to the results of a similar study of Bateman's principles in the rough-skinned newt, a species with conventional sex roles. The results of this experiment show that measures of the mating system based on Bateman's principles do accurately capture the relative intensities of sexual selection in the different treatments and species. Thus, widespread use of Bateman's principles to quantify mating systems in nature would facilitate comparative studies of sexual selection and mating system evolution.
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| 46. |
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| 47. |
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| 48. |
- Lumbreras, B., et al.
(author)
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Meat intake and bladder cancer in a prospective study: a role for heterocyclic aromatic amines?
- 2008
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In: Cancer Causes and Control. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1573-7225 .- 0957-5243. ; 19:6, s. 649-656
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective The suspect carcinogens, heterocyclic amines (HAAs), found in well-done meat require host-mediated metabolic activation before inducing DNA mutations. The role of SULT1A1 and of NAT2 on the activation of HAAs suggests that NAT2 rapid acetylator genotype and SULT1A1 allele variants can have an effect on HAA carcinogenicity. Methods Data were collected as part of a case-control study nested within the EPIC cohort, the Gen Air investigation. EPIC is a prospective study designed to investigate the relationship between nutrition and cancer. Information was collected through a non-dietary questionnaire on lifestyle variables and through a dietary questionnaire. The subjects were restricted to non-smokers. We calculated the matched odds ratio for bladder cancer risk using logistic regression, controlling for potential confounders. Results There were 227 bladder cases and 612 controls matched 1:3. Meat intake and NAT2 genotype were not independently associated with bladder cancer risk. A significant relationship was observed between bladder cancer risk and consumption of meat only among subjects with the rapid NAT2 genotype (odds ratios [OR] 2.9, 95% CI 1.0-7.9 for the 2nd quartile of meat intake; 3.6, 95% CI 1.3-9.7 for the 3rd quartile; and 3.5, 95% CI 1.2-9.7 for the 4th quartile), and was not present among subjects with the slow genotype. An interaction between NAT2 and meat intake was found in logistic regression (P = 0.034). No association was observed for SULT1A *1/2 genotype (1.0; 95% CI 0.7-1.5) and for SULT1A1 *2/2 genotype (0.9; 95% CI 0.5-1.7). Conclusions These results are suggestive of a role of meat intake and NAT2 on bladder cancer risk. They support the hypothesis that among subjects with the rapid NAT2 acetylation genotype higher levels of HAAs exposure are a bladder cancer risk factor. We did not observe an effect of SULT1A1 allele variants on this cancer. The present study adds new information on the possible long-term adverse effects of diets with high meat intake.
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| 49. |
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| 50. |
- Melander, Olle, et al.
(author)
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Novel and conventional biomarkers for prediction of incident cardiovascular events in the community.
- 2009
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In: JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. - : American Medical Association (AMA). - 1538-3598. ; 302:1, s. 49-57
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- CONTEXT: Prior studies have demonstrated conflicting results regarding how much information novel biomarkers add to cardiovascular risk assessment. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility of contemporary biomarkers for predicting cardiovascular risk when added to conventional risk factors. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Cohort study of 5067 participants (mean age, 58 years; 60% women) without cardiovascular disease from Malmö, Sweden, who attended a baseline examination between 1991 and 1994. Participants underwent measurement of C-reactive protein (CRP), cystatin C, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase 2, midregional proadrenomedullin (MR-proADM), midregional proatrial natriuretic peptide, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (N-BNP) and underwent follow-up until 2006 using the Swedish national hospital discharge and cause-of-death registers and the Stroke in Malmö register for first cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary death). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incident cardiovascular and coronary events. RESULTS: During median follow-up of 12.8 years, there were 418 cardiovascular and 230 coronary events. Models with conventional risk factors had C statistics of 0.758 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.734 to 0.781) and 0.760 (0.730 to 0.789) for cardiovascular and coronary events, respectively. Biomarkers retained in backward-elimination models were CRP and N-BNP for cardiovascular events and MR-proADM and N-BNP for coronary events, which increased the C statistic by 0.007 (P = .04) and 0.009 (P = .08), respectively. The proportion of participants reclassified was modest (8% for cardiovascular risk, 5% for coronary risk). Net reclassification improvement was nonsignificant for cardiovascular events (0.0%; 95% CI, -4.3% to 4.3%) and coronary events (4.7%; 95% CI, -0.76% to 10.1%). Greater improvements were observed in analyses restricted to intermediate-risk individuals (cardiovascular events: 7.4%; 95% CI, 0.7% to 14.1%; P = .03; coronary events: 14.6%; 95% CI, 5.0% to 24.2%; P = .003). However, correct reclassification was almost entirely confined to down-classification of individuals without events rather than up-classification of those with events. CONCLUSIONS: Selected biomarkers may be used to predict future cardiovascular events, but the gains over conventional risk factors are minimal. Risk classification improved in intermediate-risk individuals, mainly through the identification of those unlikely to develop events.
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