Station layouts in the presence of location constraints

In wireless communication, the signal of a typical broadcast station is transmited from a broadcast center p and reaches objects at a distance, say, R from it. In addition there is a radius r, r < R, such that the signal originating from the center of the station is so strong that human habitation within distance r from the center p should be avoided. Thus every station determines a region which is an “annulus of permissible habitation". We consider the following station layout (SL) problem: Cover a given (say, rectangular) planar region which includes a collection of orthogonal buildings with a minimum number of stations so that every point in the region is within the reach of a station, while at the same time no building is within the dangerous range of a station. We give algorithms for computing such station layouts in both the one-and two-dimensional cases

Genome-wide association study identifies variants in the MHC class I, IL10, and IL23R-IL12RB2 regions associated with Behcet's disease

Behcet's disease is a genetically complex disease of unknown etiology characterized by recurrent inflammatory attacks affecting the orogenital mucosa, eyes and skin. We performed a genome-wide association study with 311,459 SNPs in 1,215 individuals with Behcet's disease (cases) and 1,278 healthy controls from Turkey. We confirmed the known association of Behcet's disease with HLA-B*51 and identified a second, independent association within the MHC Class I region. We also identified an association at IL10 (rs1518111, P = 1.88 x 10(-8)). Using a meta-analysis with an additional five cohorts from Turkey, the Middle East, Europe and Asia, comprising a total of 2,430 cases and 2,660 controls, we identified associations at IL10 (rs1518111, P = 3.54 x 10(-18), odds ratio = 1.45, 95% CI 1.34-1.58) and the IL23R-IL12RB2 locus (rs924080, P = 6.69 x 10(-9), OR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.18-1.39). The disease-associated IL10 variant (the rs1518111 A allele) was associated with diminished mRNA expression and low protein production

High-resolution analysis of HLA class I alterations in colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND: Previous studies indicate that alterations in Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) class I expression are frequent in colorectal tumors. This would suggest serious limitations for immunotherapy-based strategies involving T-cell recognition. Distinct patterns of HLA surface expression might conceal different immune escape mechanisms employed by the tumors and are worth further study. METHOD: We applied four-color multiparameter flow cytometry (FCM), using a large panel of alloantigen-specific anti-HLA-A and -B monoclonal antibodies, to study membranous expression of individual HLA alleles in freshly isolated colorectal cancer cell suspensions from 21 patients. RESULTS: Alterations in HLA class I phenotype were observed in 8 (38%) of the 21 tumors and comprised loss of a single A or B alleles in 4 cases, and loss of all four A and B alleles in the other 4 cases. Seven of these 8 tumors were located on the right side of the colon, and those showing loss of both HLA-A and -B membranous expression were all of the MSI-H phenotype. CONCLUSION: FCM allows the discrimination of complex phenotypes related to the expression of HLA class I. The different patterns of HLA class I expression might underlie different tumor behavior and influence the success rate of immunotherapy

THE EFFECT OF OLIVE OIL AND FISH CONSUMPTION ON RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS - A CASE CONTROL STUDY

In an interview based, case control study of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) 168 cases and 137 controls were included. Patients and controls were interviewed with regard to a variety of socioeconomic, medical and dietary factors. During univariate analysis it was found that RA cases consumed significantly less olive oil and fish and adhered more rarely to the dietary restrictions traditional in Orthodox lent than controls. Applying multiple logistic analysis though (by which several variables were controlled for), only the association with olive oil consumption and lent adherence remained significant. More specifically; an increase in olive oil consumption by two times per week, resulted in a Relative Risk (RR) for development of RA of 0.49, whereas adherence to lent during the 27 weeks per year prescribed by the Orthodox Church, resulted in a RR of 0.33. We conclude that olive oil consumption and adherence to Orthodox lent may have a protective effect on the development and/or the severity of RA. This is a hypothesis generated by the present study that needs verification

Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR study of the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) splice variants and VEGF receptors (VEGFR-I and VEGFR-2) in non-small cell lung cancer

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a major regulator of angiogenesis and its expression is increased in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to determine the expression pattern of VEGF splice variants in NSCLC and its correlation with the clinicopathological characteristics of tumors. Methods: We used real-time reverse transcription PCR to quantify the mRNA expression of total VEGF, 4 VEGF splice variants (VEGF121, VEGF165, VEGF183, and VEGF189), and 2 VEGF receptors (VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2) in 27 pairs of cancerous and adjacent noncancerous tissues originating from patients with NSCLC. Results: Total VEGF, VEGF121, and VEGF165 were expressed in all specimens, whereas VEGF183 and VEGF189 were present in small amounts in certain samples. Total VEGF, VEGF121, and VEGF165 mRNA was upregulated in cancerous compared with healthy tissues, whereas VEGF 183 and VEGF189 expression tended to be higher in healthy tissues. The expression of VEGFRs was similar between matched specimens. No correlation was found between the expression of total VEGF or VEGF splice variants and the clinicopathological characteristics of tumors. The expression patterns of VEGF splice variants differed between tissue pairs. VEGF 121 was the major variant expressed in all samples; however, its relative expression was higher in cancerous tissues. The relative expression of VEGF183 and VEGF189 was upregulated in healthy lung tissues, whereas the ratio of VEGF165 to total VEGF was similar between matched specimens. Conclusions: The expression pattern of certain VEGF splice variants is altered during tumorigenesis. Our data support the hypothesis that during malignant progression an angiogenic switch favoring the shorter diffusible isoforms occurs. © 2007 American Association for Clinical Chemistry