| 1. |
- Genkinger, Jeanine M., et al.
(author)
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Alcohol Intake and Pancreatic Cancer Risk : A Pooled Analysis of Fourteen Cohort Studies
- 2009
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In: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. - 1055-9965 .- 1538-7755. ; 18:3, s. 765-776
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Few risk factors have been implicated in pancreatic cancer etiology. Alcohol has been theorized to promote carcinogenesis. However, epidemiologic studies have reported inconsistent results relating alcohol intake to pancreatic cancer risk. Methods: We conducted a pooled analysis of the primary data from 14 prospective cohort studies. The study sample consisted of 862,664 individuals among whom 2,187 incident pancreatic cancer cases were identified. Study-specific relative risks and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models and then pooled using a random effects model. Results: A slight positive association with pancreatic cancer risk was observed for alcohol intake (pooled multivariate relative risk, 1.22; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.45 comparing >= 30 to 0 grams/day of alcohol; P value, test for between-studies heterogeneity = 0.80). For this comparison, the positive association was only statistically significant among women although the difference in the results by gender was not statistically significant (P value, test for interaction = 0.19). Slightly stronger results for alcohol intake were observed when we limited the analysis to cases with adenocarcinomas of the pancreas. No statistically significant associations were observed for alcohol from wine, beer, and spirits comparing intakes of >= 5 to 0 grams/day. A stronger positive association between alcohol consumption and pancreatic cancer risk was observed among normal weight individuals compared with overweight and obese individuals (P value, test for interaction = 0.01). Discussion: Our findings are consistent with a modest increase in risk of pancreatic cancer with consumption of 30 or more grams of alcohol per day. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(3):765-76)
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| 2. |
- Agardh, Carl-David, et al.
(author)
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Clinical evidence for the safety of GAD65 immunomodulation in adult-onset autoimmune diabetes.
- 2005
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In: Journal of Diabetes and its Complications. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-460X .- 1056-8727. ; 19:4, s. 238-246
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The purpose of this Phase II study was to evaluate if alum-formulated human recombinant GAD65 is safe and does not compromise beta cell function. The study was conducted as a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation clinical trial in a total of 47 Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA) patients who received either placebo or 4, 20, 100, or 500 μg Diamyd subcutaneously at Weeks 1 and 4. Safety evaluations, including neurology, beta cell function tests, diabetes status assessment, hematology, biochemistry, and cellular and humoral immunological markers, were repeatedly assessed over 24 weeks. None of the patients had significant study-related adverse events (AE). Fasting c-peptide levels at 24 weeks were increased compared with placebo (P=.0015) in the 20 μg but not in the other dose groups. In addition, both fasting (P=.0081) and stimulated (P=.0236) c-peptide levels increased from baseline to 24 weeks in the 20 μg dose group. GADA log levels clearly increased (P=.0002) in response to 500 μg Diamyd. The CD4+CD25+/CD4+CD25− cell ratio increased (P=.0128) at 24 weeks in the 20 μg group. No sudden increase in HbA1c or plasma glucose or decrease in beta cell function was observed in any of the dose groups. These positive findings for clinical safety further support the clinical development of Diamyd as a therapeutic to prevent autoimmune diabetes.
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| 3. |
- Armstrong, R., et al.
(author)
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Snow
- 2009
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In: Melting snow and ice – a call for action. - 9788276662641 ; , s. 24-31
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)
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| 4. |
- Cummings, Greta G, et al.
(author)
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Influence of organizational characteristics and context on research utilization
- 2007
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In: Nursing Research. - 0029-6562 .- 1538-9847. ; 56:4 Suppl, s. 24-39
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Despite three decades of empirical investigation into research utilization and a renewed emphasis on evidence-based medicine and evidence-based practice in the past decade, understanding of factors influencing research uptake in nursing remains limited. There is, however, increased awareness that organizational influences are important.OBJECTIVES: To develop and test a theoretical model of organizational influences that predict research utilization by nurses and to assess the influence of varying degrees of context, based on the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARIHS) framework, on research utilization and other variables.METHODS: The study sample was drawn from a census of registered nurses working in acute care hospitals in Alberta, Canada, accessed through their professional licensing body (n = 6,526 nurses; 52.8% response rate). Three variables that measured PARIHS dimensions of context (culture, leadership, and evaluation) were used to sort cases into one of four mutually exclusive data sets that reflected less positive to more positive context. Then, a theoretical model of hospital- and unit-level influences on research utilization was developed and tested, using structural equation modeling, and 300 cases were randomly selected from each of the four data sets.RESULTS: Model test results were as follows--low context: chi2= 124.5, df = 80, p <. 001; partially low: chi2= 144.2, p <. 001, df = 80; partially high: chi2= 157.3, df = 80, p <. 001; and partially low: chi2= 146.0, df = 80, p <. 001. Hospital characteristics that positively influenced research utilization by nurses were staff development, opportunity for nurse-to-nurse collaboration, and staffing and support services. Increased emotional exhaustion led to less reported research utilization and higher rates of patient and nurse adverse events. Nurses working in contexts with more positive culture, leadership, and evaluation also reported significantly more research utilization, staff development, and lower rates of patient and staff adverse events than did nurses working in less positive contexts (i.e., those that lacked positive culture, leadership, or evaluation).CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the combined importance of culture, leadership, and evaluation to increase research utilization and improve patient safety. The findings may serve to strengthen the PARIHS framework and to suggest that, although it is not fully developed, the framework is an appropriate guide to implement research into practice.
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| 5. |
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Hanging by a thread : cotton, globalization, and poverty in Africa
- 2008
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Editorial collection (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The textile industry was one of the first manufacturing activities to become organized globally, as mechanized production in Europe used cotton from the colonies. Africa, the least developed of the world’s major regions, is now increasingly engaged in the production of this crop for the global market, and debates about the pros and cons of this trend have intensified. This book illuminates the connectioins between Africa and the global economy. The editors offer a compelling set of linked studies that detail one aspect of the globalization process in Africa, the cotton commodity chain.
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| 6. |
- Hilton, Emma N, et al.
(author)
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Left-sided embryonic expression of the BCL-6 corepressor, BCOR, is required for vertebrate laterality determination.
- 2007
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In: Human Molecular Genetics. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0964-6906 .- 1460-2083. ; 16:14, s. 1773-1782
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Oculofaciocardiodental (OFCD) syndrome is an X-linked male lethal condition encompassing cardiac septal defects, as well as ocular and dental anomalies. The gene mutated in OFCD syndrome, the BCL-6 corepressor (BCOR), is part of a transcriptional repression complex whose transcriptional targets remain largely unknown. We reviewed cases of OFCD syndrome and identified patients exhibiting defective lateralization including dextrocardia, asplenia and intestinal malrotation, suggesting that BCOR is required in normal laterality determination. To study the function of BCOR, we used morpholino oligonucleotides (MOs) to knockdown expression of xtBcor in Xenopus tropicalis, thus creating an animal model for OFCD syndrome. The resulting tadpoles had cardiac and ocular features characteristic of OFCD syndrome. Reversed cardiac orientation and disorganized gut patterning were seen when MOs were injected into the left side of embryos, demonstrating a left-sided requirement for xtBcor in lateral determination in Xenopus. Ocular defects displayed no left-right bias and included anterior and posterior segment disorders such as microphthalmia and coloboma. Expression of xtPitx2c was shown to be downregulated when xtBcor was depleted. This identifies a pathway in which xtBcor is required for lateral specification, a process intrinsically linked to correct cardiac septal development.
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| 7. |
- Lee, Jung Eun, et al.
(author)
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Fat, Protein, and Meat Consumption and Renal Cell Cancer Risk : A Pooled Analysis of 13 Prospective Studies
- 2008
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In: Journal of the National Cancer Institute. - : OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. - 0027-8874 .- 1460-2105. ; 100:23, s. 1695-1706
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Results of several case-control studies suggest that high consumption of meat (all meat, red meat, or processed meat) is associated with an increased risk of renal cell cancer, but only a few prospective studies have examined the associations of intakes of meat, fat, and protein with renal cell cancer. We conducted a pooled analysis of 13 prospective studies that included 530 469 women and 244 483 men and had follow-up times of up to 7-20 years to examine associations between meat, fat, and protein intakes and the risk of renal cell cancer. All participants had completed a validated food frequency questionnaire at study entry. Using the primary data from each study, we calculated the study-specific relative risks (RRs) for renal cell cancer by using Cox proportional hazards models and then pooled these RRs by using a random-effects model. All statistical tests were two-sided. A total of 1478 incident cases of renal cell cancer were identified (709 in women and 769 in men). We observed statistically significant positive associations or trends in pooled age-adjusted models for intakes of total fat, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, cholesterol, total protein, and animal protein. However, these associations were attenuated and no longer statistically significant after adjusting for body mass index, fruit and vegetable intake, and alcohol intake. For example, the pooled age-adjusted RR of renal cell cancer for the highest vs the lowest quintile of intake for total fat was 1.30 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.08 to 1.56; P-trend = .001) and for total protein was 1.17 (95% CI = 0.99 to 1.38; P-trend = .02). By comparison, the pooled multivariable RR for the highest vs the lowest quintile of total fat intake was 1.10 (95% CI = 0.92 to 1.32; P-trend = .31) and of total protein intake was 1.06 (95% CI = 0.89 to 1.26; P-trend = .37). Intakes of red meat, processed meat, poultry, or seafood were not associated with the risk of renal cell cancer. Intakes of fat and protein or their subtypes, red meat, processed meat, poultry, and seafood are not associated with risk of renal cell cancer.
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| 8. |
- Lee, Jung Eun, et al.
(author)
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Intakes of coffee, tea, milk, soda and juice and renal cell cancer in a pooled analysis of 13 prospective studies.
- 2007
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In: International Journal of Cancer. - : Wiley. - 0020-7136 .- 1097-0215. ; 121:10, s. 2246-53
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Specific beverage intake may be associated with the risk of renal cell cancer through a diluting effect of carcinogens, alterations of hormone levels, or other changes in the renal tubular environment, but few prospective studies have examined these associations. We evaluated the associations between coffee, tea, milk, soda and fruit and vegetable juice intakes and renal cell cancer risk in a pooled analysis of 13 prospective studies (530,469 women and 244,483 men). Participants completed a validated food-frequency questionnaire at baseline. Using the primary data, the study-specific relative risks (RRs) were calculated and then pooled using a random effects model. A total of 1,478 incident renal cell cancer cases were identified during a follow-up of 7-20 years across studies. Coffee consumption was associated with a modestly lower risk of renal cell cancer (pooled multivariate RR for 3 or more 8 oz (237 ml) cups/day versus less than one 8 oz (237 ml) cup/day = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.67-1.05; p value, test for trend = 0.22). Tea consumption was also inversely associated with renal cell cancer risk (pooled multivariate RR for 1 or more 8 oz (237 ml) cups/day versus nondrinkers = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.71-1.02; pvalue, test for trend = 0.04). No clear associations were observed for milk, soda or juice. Our findings provide strong evidence that neither coffee nor tea consumption increases renal cell cancer risk. Instead, greater consumption of coffee and tea may be associated with a lower risk of renal cell cancer. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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| 9. |
- Lee, Jung Eun, et al.
(author)
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Intakes of Fruit, Vegetables, and Carotenoids and Renal Cell Cancer Risk : A Pooled Analysis of 13 Prospective Studies
- 2009
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In: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. - : AMER ASSOC CANCER RESEARCH. - 1055-9965 .- 1538-7755. ; 18:6, s. 1730-1739
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Fruit and vegetable consumption has been hypothesized to reduce the risk of renal cell cancer. We conducted a pooled analysis of 13 prospective studies, including 1,478 incident cases of renal cell cancer (709 women and 769 men) among 530,469 women and 244,483 men followed for up to 7 to 20 years. Participants completed a validated food-frequency questionnaire at baseline. Using the primary data from each study, the study-specific relative risks (RR) were calculated using the Cox proportional hazards model and then pooled using a random effects model. We found that fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with a reduced risk of renal cell cancer. Compared with <200 g/d of fruit and vegetable intake, the pooled multivariate RR for >= 600 g/d was 0.68 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 0.54-0.87; P for between-studies heterogeneity = 0.86; P for trend = 0.001]. Compared with <100 g/d, the pooled multivariate RRs (95% CI) for 400 g/d were 0.79 (0.63-0.99; P for trend = 0.03) for total fruit and 0.72 (0.48-1.08; P for trend = 0.07) for total vegetables. For specific carotenoids, the pooled multivariate RRs (95% CIs) comparing the highest and lowest quintiles were 0.87 (0.73-1.03) for alpha-carotene, 0.82 (0.69-0.98) for beta-carotene, 0.86 (0.73-1.01) for beta-cryptoxanthin, 0.82 (0.64-1.06) for lutein/zeaxanthin, and 1.13 (0.95-1.34) for lycopene. In conclusion, increasing fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with decreasing risk of renal cell cancer; carotenoids present in fruit and vegetables may partly contribute to this protection. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(6):1730-9)
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| 10. |
- Midodzi, William K, et al.
(author)
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An alternative approach to addressing missing indicators in parallel datasets : research utilization as a phantom latent variable
- 2007
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In: Nursing Research. - 0029-6562 .- 1538-9847. ; 56:4 Suppl, s. 47-52
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- When doing secondary data analysis, it is not uncommon to find that a key variable was not measured. Often the researcher has no option but to do without the missing indicator, but when nearly parallel datasets exist, the researcher may have other options. In an earlier article leading up to this special issue, this research team was confronted with the problem that research utilization had been measured in only one of two similar datasets, namely, in the 1996 but not the 1998 Alberta Registered Nurse survey. The 1998 dataset had a larger sample size (6,526 compared to 600 nurse respondents in 1996) and a stronger set of measured variables, but was missing the key variable of interest--research utilization. To overcome this, a regression-based strategy was used to create a research utilization score for each nurse in the 1998 survey by exploiting the availability of several anticipated causes of research utilization in both datasets. Presented here is an alternative and more complicated procedure that might be applied in future investigations. The article presents a methodological understanding of how to use a phantom variable to account for the unmeasured research utilization variable in a two-group structural equation model. This approach could be used to overcome several of the limitations connected to using a regression-based approach to creating a key missing variable when nearly parallel datasets are available.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
- Rioux, JD, et al.
(author)
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Mapping of multiple susceptibility variants within the MHC region for 7 immune-mediated diseases
- 2009
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In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 1091-6490. ; 106:44, s. 18680-18685
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The human MHC represents the strongest susceptibility locus for autoimmune diseases. However, the identification of the true predisposing gene(s) has been handicapped by the strong linkage disequilibrium across the region. Furthermore, most studies to date have been limited to the examination of a subset of the HLA and non-HLA genes with a marker density and sample size insufficient for mapping all independent association signals. We genotyped a panel of 1,472 SNPs to capture the common genomic variation across the 3.44 megabase (Mb) classic MHC region in 10,576 DNA samples derived from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, myasthenia gravis, selective IgA deficiency, multiple sclerosis, and appropriate control samples. We identified the primary association signals for each disease and performed conditional regression to identify independent secondary signals. The data demonstrate that MHC associations with autoimmune diseases result from complex, multilocus effects that span the entire region.
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| 14. |
- Sukuru, Sai Chetan K, et al.
(author)
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Discovering new classes of Brugia malayi asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase inhibitors and relating specificity to conformational change.
- 2006
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In: Journal of computer-aided molecular design. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0920-654X .- 1573-4951. ; 20:3, s. 159-78
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- SLIDE software, which models the flexibility of protein and ligand side chains while docking, was used to screen several large databases to identify inhibitors of Brugia malayi asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase (AsnRS), a target for anti-parasitic drug design. Seven classes of compounds identified by SLIDE were confirmed as micromolar inhibitors of the enzyme. Analogs of one of these classes of inhibitors, the long side-chain variolins, cannot bind to the adenosyl pocket of the closed conformation of AsnRS due to steric clashes, though the short side-chain variolins identified by SLIDE apparently bind isosterically with adenosine. We hypothesized that an open conformation of the motif 2 loop also permits the long side-chain variolins to bind in the adenosine pocket and that their selectivity for Brugia relative to human AsnRS can be explained by differences in the sequence and conformation of this loop. Loop flexibility sampling using Rigidity Optimized Conformational Kinetics (ROCK) confirms this possibility, while scoring of the relative affinities of the different ligands by SLIDE correlates well with the compounds' ranks in inhibition assays. Combining ROCK and SLIDE provides a promising approach for exploiting conformational flexibility in structure-based screening and design of species selective inhibitors.
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