Body size and the risk of biliary tract cancer: a population-based study in China

Though obesity is an established risk factor for gall bladder cancer, its role in cancers of the extrahepatic bile ducts and ampulla of Vater is less clear, as also is the role of abdominal obesity. In a population-based case–control study of biliary tract cancer in Shanghai, China, odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for biliary tract cancer in relation to anthropometric measures, including body mass index (BMI) at various ages and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), adjusting for age, sex, and education. The study included 627 patients with biliary tract cancer (368 gall bladder, 191 bile duct, 68 ampulla of Vater) and 959 healthy subjects randomly selected from the population. A higher BMI at all ages, including early adulthood (ages 20–29 years), and a greater WHR were associated with an increased risk of gall bladder cancer. A high usual adult BMI (⩾25) was associated with a 1.6-fold risk of gall bladder cancer (95% CI 1.2–2.1, P for trend <0.001). Among subjects without gallstones, BMI was also positively associated with gall bladder cancer risk. Regardless of BMI levels, increasing WHR was associated with an excess risk of gall bladder cancer risk, with those having a high BMI (⩾25) and a high WHR (>0.90) having the highest risk of gall bladder cancer (OR=12.6, 95% CI 4.8–33.2), relative to those with a low BMI and WHR. We found no clear risk patterns for cancers of the bile duct and ampulla of Vater. These results suggest that both overall and abdominal obesity, including obesity in early adulthood, are associated with an increased risk of gall bladder cancer. The increasing prevalence of obesity and cholesterol stones in Shanghai seems at least partly responsible for the rising incidence of gall bladder cancer in Shanghai

Capital flows, long term bond yields and fiscal stance : the Eurozone policy trilemma

The paper aims at estimating the existence of a trilemma in the Eurozone, i.e., to assess to what extent the net capital flows, the volatility of bond yields and the fiscal stance are strictly linked to each other constraining countries’ ability to manage the internal policy goals. The existence of constraints on policy alternatives is estimated for 11 Eurozone countries from 2002 till 2012. The sample is then divided into pre- (2002–2008) and post-crisis (2009–2012) periods. A further division between the PIIGS and the non-PIIGS is then applied. The results show the validity of the trilemma for the whole Euro area and for the whole period but with some distinction between the pre- and post-crisis periods and between the PIIGS and the non-PIIGS countries. The existence of the trilemma underlines the presence of national constraints and suggests, for the future of the Eurozone, to push towards centralized fiscal policy instruments.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Investigation of Liquid Crystal Ripple Using Ericksen-Leslie Theory for Displays Subject to Tactile Force

Liquid crystal display panels subjected to tactile force will show ripple propagation on screens. Tactile forces change tilt angles of liquid crystal molecules and alter optical transmission so as to generate ripple on screens. Based on the Ericksen-Leslie theory, this study investigates ripple propagation by dealing with tilt angles of liquid crystal molecules. Tactile force effects are taken into account to derive the molecule equation of motion for liquid crystals. Analytical results show that viscosity, tactile force, the thickness of cell gap, and Leslie viscosity coefficient lead to tilt angle variation. Tilt angle variations of PAA liquid crystal molecules are sensitive to tactile force magnitudes, while those of 5CB and MBBA with larger viscosity are not. Analytical derivation is validated by numerical results

Multi-omics approaches explain the growth-promoting effect of the apocarotenoid growth regulator zaxinone in rice

Wang et al. report zaxinone as a global regulator of the transcriptome and metabolome, as well as of hormonal and cellular composition of rice roots. This study shows that zaxinone promotes rice growth by enhancing root sugar uptake and metabolism and modulation of cytokinin content, indicating the potential application of this compound in increasing rice performance

Coffee consumption and prostate cancer risk: further evidence for inverse relationship

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Higher consumption of coffee intake has recently been linked with reduced risk of aggressive prostate cancer (PC) incidence, although meta-analysis of other studies that examine the association between coffee consumption and overall PC risk remains inconclusive. Only one recent study investigated the association between coffee intake and grade-specific incidence of PC, further evidence is required to understand the aetiology of aggressive PCs. Therefore, we conducted a prospective study to examine the relationship between coffee intake and overall as well as grade-specific PC risk.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted a prospective cohort study of 6017 men who were enrolled in the Collaborative cohort study in the UK between 1970 and 1973 and followed up to 31st December 2007. Cox Proportional Hazards Models were used to evaluate the association between coffee consumption and overall, as well as Gleason grade-specific, PC incidence.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Higher coffee consumption was inversely associated with risk of high grade but not with overall risk of PC. Men consuming 3 or more cups of coffee per day experienced 55% lower risk of high Gleason grade disease compared with non-coffee drinkers in analysis adjusted for age and social class (HR 0.45, 95% CI 0.23-0.90, p value for trend 0.01). This association changed a little after additional adjustment for Body Mass Index, smoking, cholesterol level, systolic blood pressure, tea intake and alcohol consumption.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Coffee consumption reduces the risk of aggressive PC but not the overall risk.</p

Electronic band structure of a Tl/Sn atomic sandwich on Si(111)

A two-dimensional compound made of one monolayer of Tl and one monolayer of Sn on Si(111) has been found to have a sandwichlike structure in which the Sn layer (having the milk-stool arrangement) resides on the bulklike terminated Si(111) surface and the Tl layer (having the honeycomb-chained-trimer arrangement) is located above the Sn layer. The electronic band structure of the compound contains two spin-split surface-state bands, of which one is nonmetallic and the other is metallic. Near the Fermi level the metallic band is split with the momentum splitting Δk∥=0.037 Å−1 and energy splitting ΔEF=167 meV. The steep dispersion of the band when crossing the Fermi level corresponds to an electron velocity of ≈8.5×105 m/s, which is comparable to the value reported for graphene. The 2D Fermi contours have almost circular shape with spin texture typical for hexagonal surfaces

Direct calibration of PICKY-designed microarrays

Abstract Background Few microarrays have been quantitatively calibrated to identify optimal hybridization conditions because it is difficult to precisely determine the hybridization characteristics of a microarray using biologically variable cDNA samples. Results Using synthesized samples with known concentrations of specific oligonucleotides, a series of microarray experiments was conducted to evaluate microarrays designed by PICKY, an oligo microarray design software tool, and to test a direct microarray calibration method based on the PICKY-predicted, thermodynamically closest nontarget information. The complete set of microarray experiment results is archived in the GEO database with series accession number GSE14717. Additional data files and Perl programs described in this paper can be obtained from the website http://www.complex.iastate.edu under the PICKY Download area. Conclusion PICKY-designed microarray probes are highly reliable over a wide range of hybridization temperatures and sample concentrations. The microarray calibration method reported here allows researchers to experimentally optimize their hybridization conditions. Because this method is straightforward, uses existing microarrays and relatively inexpensive synthesized samples, it can be used by any lab that uses microarrays designed by PICKY. In addition, other microarrays can be reanalyzed by PICKY to obtain the thermodynamically closest nontarget information for calibration