Variation in incidence of breast, lung and cervical cancer and malignant melanoma of skin by socioeconomic group in England

BACKGROUND: Cancer incidence varies by socioeconomic group and these variations have been linked with environmental and lifestyle factors, differences in access to health care and health seeking behaviour. Socioeconomic variations in cancer incidence by region and age are less clearly understood but they are crucial for targeting prevention measures and health care commissioning. METHODS: Data were obtained from all eight English cancer registries for patients diagnosed between 1998 and 2003, for all invasive cases of female breast cancer (ICD-10 code C50), lung cancer (ICD-10 codes C33-C34), cervical cancer (ICD-10 code C53), and malignant melanoma of the skin (ICD-10 code C43). Socioeconomic status was assigned to each patient based on their postcode of residence at diagnosis, using the income domain of the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004. We analysed the socioeconomic variations in the incidence of breast, lung and cervical cancer and malignant melanoma of the skin for England, and regionally and by age. RESULTS: Incidence was highest for the most deprived patients for lung cancer and cervical cancer, whilst the opposite was observed for malignant melanoma and breast cancer. The difference in incidence between the most and the least deprived groups was higher for lung cancer patients aged under 65 at diagnosis than those over 65 at diagnosis, which may indicate a cohort effect. There were regional differences in the socioeconomic gradients with the gap being widest for lung and cervical cancer in the North (North East, North West and Yorkshire and Humberside) and for malignant melanoma in the East and South West. There were only modest variations in breast cancer incidence by region. If the incidence of lung and cervical cancer were decreased to that of the least deprived group it would prevent 36% of lung cancer cases in men, 38% of lung cancer cases in women and 28% of cervical cancer cases. Incidence of breast cancer and melanoma was highest in the least deprived group, therefore if all socioeconomic groups had incidence rates similar to the least deprived group it is estimated that the number of cases would increase by 7% for breast cancer, 27% for melanoma in men and 29% for melanoma in women. CONCLUSION: National comparison of socioeconomic variations in cancer incidence by region and age can provide an unbiased basis for public health prevention and health commissioning. Decreasing inequalities in incidence requires the integration of information on risk factors, incidence and projected incidence but targeted public health interventions could help to reduce regional inequalities in incidence and reduce the future cancer burden

Time sequence of the damage to the acceptor and donor sides of photosystem II by UV-B radiation as evaluated by chlorophyll a fluorescence

The effects of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation on photosystem II (PS II) were studied in leaves of Chenopodium album. After the treatment with UV-B the damage was estimated using chlorophyll a fluorescence techniques. Measurements of modulated fluorescence using a pulse amplitude modulated fluorometer revealed that the efficiency of photosystem II decreased both with increasing time of UV-B radiation and with increasing intensity of the UV-B. Fluorescence induction rise curves were analyzed using a mechanistic model of energy trapping. It appears that the damage by UV-B radiation occurs first at the acceptor side of photosystem II, and only later at the donor side

Hypoxia-mediated upregulation of MCT1 expression supports the glycolytic phenotype of glioblastomas

Background: Glioblastomas (GBM) present a high cellular heterogeneity with conspicuous necrotic regions associated with hypoxia, which is related to tumor aggressiveness. GBM tumors exhibit high glycolytic metabolism with increased lactate production that is extruded to the tumor microenvironment through monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs). While hypoxia-mediated regulation of MCT4 has been characterized, the role of MCT1 is still controversial. Thus, we aimed to understand the role of hypoxia in the regulation of MCT expression and function in GBM, MCT1 in particular. Methods: Expression of hypoxia-and glycolytic-related markers, as well as MCT1 and MCT4 isoforms was assessed in in vitro and in vivo orthotopic glioma models, and also in human GBM tissues by immunofluorescence/immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Following MCT1 inhibition, either pharmacologically with CHC (a-cyano-4-hydroxynnamic acid) or genetically with siRNAs, we assessed GBM cell viability, proliferation, metabolism, migration and invasion, under normoxia and hypoxia conditions. Results: Hypoxia induced an increase in MCT1 plasma membrane expression in glioma cells, both in in vitro and in vivo models. Additionally, treatment with CHC and downregulation of MCT1 in glioma cells decreased lactate production, cell proliferation and invasion under hypoxia. Moreover, in the in vivo orthotopic model and in human GBM tissues, there was extensive co-expression of MCT1, but not MCT4, with the GBM hypoxia marker CAIX. Conclusion: Hypoxia-induced MCT1 supports GBM glycolytic phenotype, being responsible for lactate efflux and an important mediator of cell survival and aggressiveness. Therefore, MCT1 constitutes a promising therapeutic target in GBM.This study was supported by Projecto Estratégico- LA 26 – 2013-2014 (PEst-C/SAL/LA0026/2013) and ON.2 SR&TD Integrated Program (NORTE-07-0124FEDER-000017)” co-funded by Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2- O Novo Norte), Quadro de Referência Estratégico Nacional (QREN), through Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER), as well as MCTI/CNPq Nº 73/2013 (Brazil). VMG received a fellowship from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) ref. SFRH/BD/51997/2012.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Low-fouling, mixed-charge poly-L-lysine polymers with anionic oligopeptide side-chains

Biosensors and biomedical devices require antifouling surfaces to prevent the non-specific adhesion of proteins or cells, for example, when aiming to detect circulating cancer biomarkers in complex natural media (e.g., in blood plasma or serum). A mixed-charge polymer was prepared by the coupling of a cationic polyelectrolyte and an anionic oligopeptide through a modified 'grafting-to' method. The poly-L-lysine (PLL) backbone was modified with different percentages (y%) of maleimide-NHS ester chains (PLL-mal(y%), from 13% to 26%), to produce cationic polymers with specific grafting densities, obtaining a mixed-charge polymer. The anionic oligopeptide structure (CEEEEE) included one cysteine (C) and five glutamic acid (E) units, which were attached to the PLL-mal(y%) polymers, preadsorbed on gold substrates, through the thiol-maleimide Michael-type addition. Contact angle and PM-IRRAS data confirmed monolayer formation of the modified PLLs. Antifouling properties of peptide-PLL surfaces were assessed in adsorption studies using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) and surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRI) techniques. PLL-mal(26%)-CEEEEE showed the best antifouling performance in single-protein solutions, and the nonspecific adsorption of proteins was 46 ng cm−2 using diluted human plasma samples. The new PLL-mal(26%)-CEEEEE polymer offers a prominent low-fouling activity in complex media, with rapid and simple procedures for the synthesis and functionalization of the surface compared to conventional non-fouling materials

The Collaboratory for the Study of Earthquake Predictability:Achievements and Priorities

The Collaboratory for the Study of Earthquake Predictability (CSEP) is a global cyberinfrastructure for prospective evaluations of earthquake forecast models and prediction algorithms. CSEP’s goals are to improve our understanding of earthquake predictability, advance forecasting model development, test key scientific hypotheses and their predictive power, and improve seismic hazard assessments. Since its inception in California in 2007, the global CSEP collaboration has been conducting forecast experiments in a variety of tectonic settings and at a global scale and now operates four testing centers on four continents to automatically and objectively evaluate models against prospective data. These experiments have provided a multitude of results that are informing operational earthquake forecasting systems and seismic hazard models, and they have provided new and, sometimes, surprising insights into the predictability of earthquakes and spurned model improvements. CSEP has also conducted pilot studies to evaluate ground-motion and hazard models. Here, we report on selected achievements from a decade of CSEP, and we present our priorities for future activities.Published1305-13136T. Studi di pericolosità sismica e da maremotoJCR Journa