1,499 research outputs found
Migraine in postmenopausal women and the risk of invasive breast cancer.
BACKGROUND: The frequency of migraine headache changes at various times of a woman's reproductive cycle. Menarche, menses, pregnancy, and perimenopause may carry a different migraine risk conceivably because of fluctuating estrogen levels, and in general, migraine frequency is associated with falling estrogen levels. Given the strong relationship between endogenous estrogen levels and breast cancer risk, migraine sufferers may experience a reduced risk of breast cancer. METHODS: We combined data from two population-based case-control studies to examine the relationship between migraine and risk of postmenopausal invasive breast cancer among 1,199 ductal carcinoma cases, 739 lobular carcinoma cases, and 1,474 controls 55 to 79 years of age. Polytomous logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS: Women who reported a clinical diagnosis of migraine had reduced risks of ductal carcinoma (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.54-0.82) and lobular carcinoma (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.52-0.90). These associations were primarily limited to hormone receptor-positive tumors as migraine was associated with a 0.65-fold (95% CI, 0.51-0.83) reduced risk of estrogen receptor-positive (ER+)/progesterone receptor-positive (PR+) ductal carcinoma. The reductions in risk observed were seen among migraine sufferers who did and did not use prescription medications for their migraines. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that a history of migraine is associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer, particularly among ER+/PR+ ductal and lobular carcinomas. Because this is the first study to address an association between migraine history and breast cancer risk, additional studies are needed to confirm this finding
3D human skin bioprinting: a view from the bio side
Based on the 3D printing technologies and the concepts developed in tissue engineering during the last decades, 3D bioprinting is emerging as the most innovative and promising technology for the generation of human tissues and organs. In the case of skin bioprinting, thanks to the research process carried out during the last years, interfollicular skin has been printed with a structural and functional quality that paves the way for clinical and industrial applications. This review analyzes the present achievements and the future improvements that this area must bring about if bioprinted skin is to become widely used. We have made an effort to integrate the technological and the biological/biomedical sides of the subject.We thank the Spanish FundaciĂłn RamĂłn Areces for its continuous support.
This work was partially supported by grant DPI2014-61887-EXP from the Spanish Ministerio de EconomĂa y Competitividad
BLUF Domain Function Does Not Require a Metastable Radical Intermediate State
BLUF
(blue light using flavin) domain proteins are an important
family of blue light-sensing proteins which control a wide variety
of functions in cells. The primary light-activated step in the BLUF
domain is not yet established. A number of experimental and theoretical
studies points to a role for photoinduced electron transfer (PET)
between a highly conserved tyrosine and the flavin chromophore to
form a radical intermediate state. Here we investigate the role of
PET in three different BLUF proteins, using ultrafast broadband transient
infrared spectroscopy. We characterize and identify infrared active
marker modes for excited and ground state species and use them to
record photochemical dynamics in the proteins. We also generate mutants
which unambiguously show PET and, through isotope labeling of the
protein and the chromophore, are able to assign modes characteristic
of both flavin and protein radical states. We find that these radical
intermediates are not observed in two of the three BLUF domains studied,
casting doubt on the importance of the formation of a population of
radical intermediates in the BLUF photocycle. Further, unnatural amino
acid mutagenesis is used to replace the conserved tyrosine with fluorotyrosines,
thus modifying the driving force for the proposed electron transfer
reaction; the rate changes observed are also not consistent with a
PET mechanism. Thus, while intermediates of PET reactions can be observed
in BLUF proteins they are not correlated with photoactivity, suggesting
that radical intermediates are not central to their operation. Alternative
nonradical pathways including a ketoâenol tautomerization induced
by electronic excitation of the flavin ring are considered
Recommended from our members
Cavity structures for low loss oxide-confined VCSELs
The authors examine the threshold characteristics of selectively oxidized VCSELs as a function of the number, thickness, and placement of the buried oxide apertures. The threshold current density for small area VCSELs is shown to increase with the number of oxide apertures in the cavity due to increased optical loss, while the threshold current density for broad area VCSELs decreases with increasing number of apertures due to more uniform current injection. Reductions of the threshold gain and optical loss are achieved for small area VCSELs using thin oxide apertures which are displaced longitudinally away from te optical cavity. They show that the optical loss can be sufficiently reduced to allow lasing in VCSELs with aperture area as small as 0.25 {micro}m{sup 2}
The Association of Tree Pollen Concentration Peaks and Allergy Medication Sales in New York City: 2003â2008
The impact of pollen exposure on population allergic illness is poorly characterized. We explore the association of tree pollen and over-the-counter daily allergy medication sales in the New York City metropolitan area. Dates of peak tree pollen (maple, oak, and birch) concentrations were identified from 2003 to 2008. Daily allergy medication sales reported to the city health department were analyzed as a function of the same-day and lagged tree pollen peak indicators, adjusting for season, year, temperature, and day of week. Significant associations were found between tree pollen peaks and allergy medication sales, with the strongest association at 2-day lag (excess sales of 28.7% (95% CI: 17.4â41.2) over the average sales during the study period). The cumulative effect over the 7-day period on and after the tree pollen peak dates was estimated to be 141.1% (95% CI: 79.4â224.1). In conclusion, tree pollen concentration peaks were followed by large increases in over-the-counter allergy medication sales
Relationship between migraine history and breast cancer risk among premenopausal and postmenopausal women.
Both migraine and breast cancer are hormonally mediated diseases, and it is biologically plausible that women with a history of migraine may have a reduced breast cancer risk. However, this relationship has only been assessed in a single relatively small study that was unable to assess the effect of migraine triggers, which are also well-established breast cancer risk factors (e.g., use of alcohol and exogenous hormones), on the inverse association observed. Utilizing data on 4,568 breast cancer cases and 4,678 controls who participated in a multicenter population-based case-control study in the United States, we evaluated the association between migraine history and breast cancer risk using unconditional logistic regression. Migraine history data were obtained from structured in-person interviews. Women with a history of migraine had a reduced risk of breast cancer [odds ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.66-0.82]. This risk did not differ by menopausal status, age at migraine diagnosis, use of prescription migraine medications, or when analyses were restricted to women who avoided various migraine triggers (including alcohol, exogenous hormones, and smoking). These data support a previous finding that a history of migraine may be associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. It extends the prior report in observing that this relationship holds for both premenopausal and postmenopausal women and is independent of exposure to common migraine triggers
First results of the air shower experiment KASCADE
The main goals of the KASCADE (KArlsruhe Shower Core and Array DEtector)
experiment are the determination of the energy spectrum and elemental
composition of the charged cosmic rays in the energy range around the knee at
ca. 5 PeV. Due to the large number of measured observables per single shower a
variety of different approaches are applied to the data, preferably on an
event-by-event basis. First results are presented and the influence of the
high-energy interaction models underlying the analyses is discussed.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures included, to appear in the TAUP 99 Proceedings,
Nucl. Phys. B (Proc. Suppl.), ed. by M. Froissart, J. Dumarchez and D.
Vignau
Primary Proton Spectrum of Cosmic Rays measured with Single Hadrons
The flux of cosmic-ray induced single hadrons near sea level has been
measured with the large hadron calorimeter of the KASCADE experiment. The
measurement corroborates former results obtained with detectors of smaller size
if the enlarged veto of the 304 m^2 calorimeter surface is encounted for. The
program CORSIKA/QGSJET is used to compute the cosmic-ray flux above the
atmosphere. Between E_0=300 GeV and 1 PeV the primary proton spectrum can be
described with a power law parametrized as
dJ/dE_0=(0.15+-0.03)*E_0^{-2.78+-0.03} m^-2 s^-1 sr^-1 TeV^-1. In the TeV
region the proton flux compares well with the results from recent measurements
of direct experiments.Comment: 13 pages, accepted by Astrophysical Journa
Electron, Muon, and Hadron Lateral Distributions Measured in Air-Showers by the KASCADE Experiment
Measurements of electron, muon, and hadron lateral distributions of extensive
air showers as recorded by the KASCADE experiment are presented. The data cover
the energy range from about 5x10^14 eV up to almost 10^17 eV and extend from
the inner core region to distances of 200 m. The electron and muon
distributions are corrected for mutual contaminations by taking into account
the detector properties in the experiment. All distributions are well described
by NKG-functions. The scale radii describing the electron and hadron data best
are approx. 30 m and 10 m, respectively. We discuss the correlation between
scale radii and `age' parameter as well as their dependence on shower size,
zenith angle, and particle energy threshold.Comment: 28 pages, 14 figures, Accepted for publication in Astroparticle
Physic
- âŠ