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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Perrone, Alessio, et al.
(author)
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Non-conventional Cu thin films deposited on Y substrate by sputtering
- 2014
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In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A. - : Elsevier. - 0168-9002 .- 1872-9576. ; 752, s. 27-32
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Copper (Cu) thin films were deposited on yttrium (Y) substrate by sputtering. During the deposition, a small central area of the Y substrate was shielded to avoid the film deposition and was successively used to study its photoemissive properties. This configuration has two advantages: the cathode presents (i) the quantum efficiency and the work function of Y and (ii) high electrical compatibility when inserted into the conventional radio-frequency gun built with Cu bulk. The photocathode was investigated by scanning electron microscopy to determine surface morphology. X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy studies were performed to compare the structure and surface properties of the deposited film. The measured electrical resistivity value of the Cu film was similar to that of high purity Cu bulk. Film to substrate adhesion was also evaluated using the Daimler–Benz Rockwell-C adhesion test method. Finally, the photoelectron performance in terms of quantum efficiency was obtained in a high vacuum photodiode cell before and after laser cleaning procedures. A comparison with the results obtained with a twin sample prepared by pulsed laser deposition is presented and discussed.
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| 4. |
- Steffen, Annika, et al.
(author)
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Meat and Heme Iron Intake and Risk of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Upper Aero-Digestive Tract in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)
- 2012
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In: Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention. - 1538-7755 .- 1055-9965. ; 21:12, s. 2138-2148
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Evidence from prospective studies on intake of meat and fish and risk of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the upper aero-digestive tract (UADT) is scarce. We prospectively investigated the association of meat and fish intake with risk of SCC of the UADT and the possible mechanism via heme iron in the large multicenter European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Methods: Multivariable proportional hazards models were used to estimate relative risks (RR) of SCC of the UADT in relation to intake of total meat, as well as subtypes of meat, fish, and heme iron among 348,738 individuals from 7 European countries. Results: During an average follow-up of 11.8 years, a total of 682 incident cases of UADT SCC were accrued. Intake of processed meat was positively associated with risk of SCC of the UADT in the total cohort (highest vs. lowest quintile: RR = 1.41; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.03-1.941, however, in stratified analyses, this association was confined to the group of current smokers (highest vs. lowest quintile: RR = 1.89; 95% CI = 1.22-2.93). Red meat, poultry, fish, and heme iron were not consistently related to UADT SCC. Conclusion: Higher intake of processed meat was positively associated with KC of the UADT among smokers. Although this finding was stable in various sensitivity analyses, we cannot rule out residual confounding by smoking. Confirmation in future studies and identification of biologic mechanisms is warranted. Impact: Smokers may further increase their risk for SCC of the UADT if they additionally consume large amounts of processed meat. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(12); 2738-48. (C)2012 AACR.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- von der Lieth, Claus-Wilhelm, et al.
(author)
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EUROCarbDB : an open-access platform for glycoinformatics
- 2011
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In: Glycobiology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0959-6658 .- 1460-2423. ; 21:4, s. 493-502
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The EUROCarbDB project is a design study for a technical framework, which provides sophisticated, freely accessible, open-source informatics tools and databases to support glycobiology and glycomic research. EUROCarbDB is a relational database containing glycan structures, their biological context and, when available, primary and interpreted analytical data from high-performance liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance experiments. Database content can be accessed via a web-based user interface. The database is complemented by a suite of glycoinformatics tools, specifically designed to assist the elucidation and submission of glycan structure and experimental data when used in conjunction with contemporary carbohydrate research workflows. All software tools and source code are licensed under the terms of the Lesser General Public License, and publicly contributed structures and data are freely accessible. The public test version of the web interface to the EUROCarbDB can be found at http://www.ebi.ac.uk/eurocarb.
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| 7. |
- Alexiadis, Alessio, et al.
(author)
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Comparison between CFD calculations of the flow in a rotating disk cell and the Cochran/Levich equations
- 2012
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In: Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry. - : Elsevier BV. - 1572-6657. ; 669, s. 55-66
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Three CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) models (single-phase. VOF and Euler-Euler) are employed to simulate the flow in a finite, rotating electrode cell under different operative conditions. The main dimensionless groups are derived and their effect on the flow is investigated. Except very close to the rotating electrode (i.e. in the hydrodynamic layer), the results show a flow pattern considerably different from Cochran's approximate analytical solution often used in electrochemistry. Historically, the Cochran equation was used to derive the Levich equation, which permits the calculation of the limiting current density on a rotating electrode. Despite the general inadequacy of Cochran's analytical solution, however, we show that the Levich equation often retains its validity because, in many practical situations, the concentration boundary layer is considerably smaller than the hydrodynamic boundary layer. When bubbles are generated on the electrode and a certain critical void fraction is exceeded, however, the Levich equation also becomes inaccurate. We propose, therefore, an amended version of this equation, which provides results closer to the CFD calculations.
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| 8. |
- Alexiadis, Alessio, et al.
(author)
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Liquid-gas flow patterns in a narrow electrochemical channel
- 2011
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In: Chemical Engineering Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0009-2509 .- 1873-4405. ; 66:10, s. 2252-2260
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The flow in a narrow (3 mm wide) vertical gap of an electrochemical cell with gas evolution at one electrode is modeled by means of the two-phase Euler-Euler model. The results indicate that at certain conditions an unsteady type of flow with vortices and recirculation regions can occur. Such flow pattern has been observed experimentally, but not reported in previous modeling studies. Further analysis establishes that the presence of a sufficient amount of small (similar to 10 mu m) bubbles is the main factor causing this type of flow at high current densities.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Alexiadis, Alessio, et al.
(author)
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On the stability of the flow in multi-channel electrochemical systems
- 2012
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In: Journal of Applied Electrochemistry. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0021-891X .- 1572-8838. ; 42:9, s. 679-687
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The importance of the fluid dynamics in the modelling of electrochemical systems is often underestimated. The knowledge of the flow velocity pattern in an electrochemical cell, in fact, can allow us to associate certain electrochemical reactions with specific fluid patterns to maximize the yield of some reaction and, conversely, to minimize unwanted or side reactions. The correct evaluation of the convective term in the Nernst-Planck equation, however, requires the solution of the so-called Navier-Stokes equations, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is today the established method to numerically solve these equations. In this work, a CFD model is employed to show that the gas-liquid flow pattern can be remarkably different in a single channel or in a multi-channel gas-evolving electrochemical system. In the single channel, in fact, under certain conditions, vortices and recirculation regions can appear in the flow, which does not appear in the multi-channel case. The reason of this difference is found in the uneven distribution of the small bubbles in the two cases. Additionally, a second, simplified, model of the flow is discussed to show how a higher concentration of small bubbles in the single channel system can destabilize the flow.
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| 11. |
- Alexiadis, Alessio, et al.
(author)
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The flow pattern in single and multiple submerged channels with gas evolution at the electrodes
- 2012
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In: International Journal of Chemical Engineering. - : Hindawi Limited. - 1687-806X .- 1687-8078. ; 2012, s. 392613-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We show that the gas-liquid flow pattern in a single gas-evolving electrochemical channel can be remarkably different from the flow pattern in multiple submerged gas-evolving electrochemical channels. This is due to the fact that in a single channel there is a higher accumulation of small bubbles and these can considerably affect the liquid velocity pattern which in turn may affect the performance of a cell. Since experimental work is often carried out in single channels, while industrial applications almost always involve multiple channels, this study provides insight into the factors that affect the flow pattern in each situation and establishes the basis for relating the behavior of single-and multiple-channel devices.
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| 12. |
- Alexiadis, Alessio, et al.
(author)
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Transition to pseudo-turbulence in a narrow gas-evolving channel
- 2012
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In: Theoretical and Computational Fluid Dynamics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0935-4964 .- 1432-2250. ; 26:6, s. 551-564
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Different flow regimes have been observed, both experimentally and in CFD simulations, in narrow channels with gas evolution. In this manuscript, we examine, using the Euler-Euler model, the flow in a narrow channel, where gas is evolved from a vertical wall. We find some pseudo-turbulent features at conditions described in this manuscript. The transition to this pseudo-turbulent regime is associated with the value of a specific dimensionless group.
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| 13. |
- Amato, Giuseppe, et al.
(author)
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Robotic UBIquitous COgnitive Network
- 2012
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In: Ambient Intelligence. - Berlin, Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag New York. - 9783642287824 - 9783642287831 ; , s. 191-195
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Robotic ecologies are networks of heterogeneous robotic devices pervasively embedded in everyday environments, where they cooperate to perform complex tasks. While their potential makes them increasingly popular, one fundamental problem is how to make them self-adaptive, so as to reduce the amount of preparation, pre-programming and human supervision that they require in real world applications. The EU FP7 project RUBICON develops self-sustaining learning solutions yielding cheaper, adaptive and efficient coordination of robotic ecologies. The approach we pursue builds upon a unique combination of methods from cognitive robotics, agent control systems, wireless sensor networks and machine learning. This paper briefly illustrates how these techniques are being extended, integrated, and applied to AAL applications.
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| 14. |
- Bamia, Christina, et al.
(author)
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Mediterranean diet and colorectal cancer risk: results from a European cohort
- 2013
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In: European Journal of Epidemiology. - Dordrecht : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1573-7284 .- 0393-2990. ; 28:4, s. 317-328
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The authors investigated the association of adherence to Mediterranean diet with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and nutrition study. Adherence to Mediterranean diet was expressed through two 10-unit scales, the Modified Mediterranean diet score (MMDS) and the Centre-Specific MMDS (CSMMDS). Both scales share the same dietary components but differ in the cut-off values that were used for these components in the construction of the scales. Adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for the associations of these scales with CRC incidence were estimated. After 5,296,617 person-years of follow-up, 4,355 incident CRC cases were identified. A decreased risk of CRC, of 8 and 11 % was estimated when comparing the highest (scores 6-9) with the lowest (scores 0-3) adherence to CSMMDS and MMDS respectively. For MMDS the HR was 0.89 (95 % confidence interval (CI): 0.80, 0.99). A 2-unit increment in either Mediterranean scale was associated with a borderline statistically significant 3 to 4 % reduction in CRC risk (HR for MMDS: 0.96; 95 % CI: 0.92, 1.00). These associations were somewhat more evident, among women, were mainly manifested for colon cancer risk and their magnitude was not altered when alcohol was excluded from MMDS. These findings suggest that following a Mediterranean diet may have a modest beneficial effect on CRC risk.
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| 15. |
- Barrdahl, Myrto, et al.
(author)
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Post-G WAS gene-environment interplay in breast cancer : results from the Breast and Prostate Cancer Cohort Consortium and a meta-analysis on 79 000 women
- 2014
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In: Human Molecular Genetics. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0964-6906 .- 1460-2083. ; 23:19, s. 5260-5270
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We studied the interplay between 39 breast cancer (BC) risk SNPs and established BC risk (body mass index, height, age at menarche, parity, age at menopause, smoking, alcohol and family history of BC) and prognostic factors (TNM stage, tumor grade, tumor size, age at diagnosis, estrogen receptor status and progesterone receptor status) as joint determinants of BC risk. We used a nested case-control design within the National Cancer Institute's Breast and Prostate Cancer Cohort Consortium (BPC3), with 16 285 BC cases and 19 376 controls. We performed stratified analyses for both the risk and prognostic factors, testing for heterogeneity for the risk factors, and case-case comparisons for differential associations of polymorphisms by subgroups of the prognostic factors. We analyzed multiplicative interactions between the SNPs and the risk factors. Finally, we also performed a meta-analysis of the interaction ORs from BPC3 and the Breast Cancer Association Consortium. After correction for multiple testing, no significant interaction between the SNPs and the established risk factors in the BPC3 study was found. The meta-analysis showed a suggestive interaction between smoking status and SLC4A7-rs4973768 (P-interaction = 8.84 x 10(-4)) which, although not significant after considering multiple comparison, has a plausible biological explanation. In conclusion, in this study of up to almost 79 000 women we can conclusively exclude any novel major interactions between genome-wide association studies hits and the epidemiologic risk factors taken into consideration, but we propose a suggestive interaction between smoking status and SLC4A7-rs4973768 that if further replicated could help our understanding in the etiology of BC.
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| 16. |
- Campa, Daniele, et al.
(author)
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Leukocyte telomere length in relation to pancreatic cancer risk: a prospective study.
- 2014
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In: Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention. - 1538-7755 .- 1055-9965. ; 23:11, s. 2447-2454
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Several studies have examined leukocyte telomere length (LTL) as a possible predictor for cancer at various organ sites. The hypothesis originally motivating many of these studies was that shorter telomeres would be associated with an increase in cancer risk, the results of epidemiologic studies have been inconsistent, however, and suggested positive, negative, or null associations. Two studies have addressed the association of LTL in relation to pancreatic cancer risk and the results are contrasting. Methods: we measured LTL in a prospective study of 331 pancreatic cancer cases and 331 controls in the context of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Results: We observed that the mean LTL was higher in cases (0.59±0.20) than in controls (0.57±0.17), although this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.07), and a basic logistic regression model showed no association of LTL with pancreas cancer risk. When adjusting for levels of HbA1c and C-Peptide, however, there was a weakly positive association between longer LTL and pancreatic cancer risk , OR=1.13 (1.01-1.27). Additional analyses by cubic spline regression suggested a possible non-linear relationship between RTL and pancreatic cancer risk (P=0.022), with a statistically non-significant increase in risk at very low LTL, as well as a significant increase at high LTL. Conclusion: Taken together, the results from our study do not support LTL as a uniform and strong predictor of pancreatic cancer. Impact: The results of this manuscript can provide insights into telomere dynamics and highlight the complex relationship between LTL and pancreatic cancer risk.
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| 17. |
- Chuang, Shu-Chun, et al.
(author)
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Circulating Biomarkers of Tryptophan and the Kynurenine Pathway and Lung Cancer Risk
- 2014
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In: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. - 1055-9965 .- 1538-7755. ; 23:3, s. 461-468
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Imbalances in tryptophan metabolism have been linked to cancer-related immune escape and implicated in several cancers, including lung cancer. Methods: We conducted a nested case-control study within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer andNutrition (EPIC) that included 893 incident lung cancer cases and 1,748matched controls. Circulating levels of tryptophan and six of its metabolites were measured and evaluated in relation to lung cancer risk. Results: Tryptophan (P-trend = 2 Chi 10(-5)) and the kynurenine/ tryptophan ratio (KTR; P-trend 4 Chi 10(-5)) were associated with lung cancer risk overall after adjusting for established risk factors. The ORs comparing the fifth and first quintiles (OR5th (vs. 1st)) were 0.52 [ 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.37-0.74] for tryptophan and 1.74 (95% CI, 1.24-2.45) for KTR. After adjusting for plasma methionine (available fromprevious work, which was strongly correlated with tryptophan), the associations of tryptophan (adjusted P-trend 0.13) and KTR (P-trend = 0.009) were substantially attenuated. KTR was positively associated with squamous cell carcinoma, the OR5th vs. 1st being 2.83 (95% CI, 1.62-4.94, P-trend -3 Chi 10(-5)) that was only marginally affected by adjusting for methionine. Conclusions: This study indicates that biomarkers of tryptophan metabolism are associated with subsequent lung cancer risk. Although this result would seem consistent with the immune system having a role in lung cancer development, the overall associations were dependent on methionine, and further studies are warranted to further elucidate the importance of these metabolites in lung cancer etiology. Impact: This is the first prospective study investigating the tryptophan pathway in relation to lung cancer risk.
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| 18. |
- Espinosa-Parrilla, Yolanda, et al.
(author)
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Genetic association of gastric cancer with miRNA clusters including the cancer-related genes MIR29, MIR25, MIR93 and MIR106: Results from the EPIC-EURGAST study
- 2014
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In: International Journal of Cancer. - : Wiley. - 0020-7136 .- 1097-0215. ; 135:9, s. 2065-2076
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are post-transcriptional gene regulators involved in a wide range of biological processes including tumorigenesis. Deregulation of miRNA pathways has been associated with cancer but the contribution of their genetic variability to this disorder is poorly known. We analyzed the genetic association of gastric cancer (GC) and its anatomical and histological subtypes, with 133 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) tagging 15 isolated miRNAs and 24 miRNA clusters potentially involved in cancer, in 365 GC cases and 1,284 matched controls within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort. Various SNPs were associated with GC under the log-additive model. Furthermore, several of these miRNAs passed the gene-based permutation test when analyzed according to GC subtypes: three tagSNPs of the miR-29a/miR-29b-1 cluster were associated with diffuse subtype (minimum p-value=1.7 x 10(-4); odds ratio, OR=1.72; 95% confidence interval, CI=1.30-2.28), two tagSNPs of the miR-25/miR-93/miR-106b cluster were associated with cardia GC (minimum p-value=5.38 x 10(-3); OR=0.56, 95% CI=0.37-0.86) and one tagSNP of the miR-363/miR-92a-2/miR-19b-2/miR-20b/miR-18b/miR-106a cluster was associated with noncardia GC (minimum p-value=5.40 x 10(-3); OR=1.41, 95% CI=1.12-1.78). Some functionally validated target genes of these miRNAs are implicated in cancer-related processes such as methylation (DNMT3A, DNMT3B), cell cycle (E2F1, CDKN1A, CDKN1C), apoptosis (BCL2L11, MCL1), angiogenesis (VEGFA) and progression (PIK3R1, MYCN). Furthermore, we identified genetic interactions between variants tagging these miRNAs and variants in their validated target genes. Deregulation of the expression of these miRNAs in GC also supports our findings, altogether suggesting for the fist time that genetic variation in MIR29, MIR25, MIR93 and MIR106b may have a critical role in genetic susceptibility to GC and could contribute to the molecular mechanisms of gastric carcinogenesis.
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| 19. |
- Ludvigsson, Jonas F., et al.
(author)
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The Oslo definitions for coeliac disease and related terms
- 2013
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In: Gut. - : BMJ. - 0017-5749 .- 1468-3288. ; 62:1, s. 43-52
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective The literature suggests a lack of consensus on the use of terms related to coeliac disease (CD) and gluten. Design A multidisciplinary task force of 16 physicians from seven countries used the electronic database PubMed to review the literature for CD-related terms up to January 2011. Teams of physicians then suggested a definition for each term, followed by feedback of these definitions through a web survey on definitions, discussions during a meeting in Oslo and phone conferences. In addition to 'CD', the following descriptors of CD were evaluated (in alphabetical order): asymptomatic, atypical, classical, latent, non-classical, overt, paediatric classical, potential, refractory, silent, subclinical, symptomatic, typical, CD serology, CD autoimmunity, genetically at risk of CD, dermatitis herpetiformis, gluten, gluten ataxia, gluten intolerance, gluten sensitivity and gliadin-specific antibodies. Results CD was defined as 'a chronic small intestinal immune-mediated enteropathy precipitated by exposure to dietary gluten in genetically predisposed individuals'. Classical CD was defined as 'CD presenting with signs and symptoms of malabsorption. Diarrhoea, steatorrhoea, weight loss or growth failure is required.' 'Gluten-related disorders' is the suggested umbrella term for all diseases triggered by gluten and the term gluten intolerance should not to be used. Other definitions are presented in the paper. Conclusion This paper presents the Oslo definitions for CD-related terms.
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