On the accretion disc properties in eclipsing dwarf nova EM Cyg

In this paper we analyzed the behavior of the unusual dwarf nova EM Cyg using the data obtained in April-October, 2007 in Vyhorlat observatory (Slovak Republic) and in September, 2006 in Crimean Astrophysical Observatory (Ukraine). During our observations EM Cyg has shown outbursts in every 15-40 days. Because on the light curves of EM Cyg the partial eclipse of an accretion disc is observed we applied the eclipse mapping technique to reconstruct the temperature distribution in eclipsed parts of the disc. Calculations of the accretion rate in the system were made for the quiescent and the outburst states of activity for different distances.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, accepted in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

The case-only independence assumption: Associations between genetic polymorphisms and smoking among controls in two population-based studies

The independence assumption for a case-only analysis of statistical interaction, i. e. that genetic (G) and environmental exposures (E) are not associated in the source population, is often checked in surrogate populations. Few studies have examined G-E association in empirical data, particularly in controls from population-based studies, the type of controls expected to provide the most valid surrogate estimates of G-E association. We used controls from two population-based case-control studies to evaluate G-E independence for 43 selected genetic polymorphisms and smoking behavior. The odds ratio (OR z) was used to estimate G-E association and, therefore, the magnitude of bias introduced into the case-only odds ratio (COR). Odds ratios of moderate magnitude [mmORz], defined as ORz≤0.7 or ORz>=1.4, were found at least one of the six smoking measures (ever, former, current, cig/day, years smoked, pack-years) for 45% and 59% of the SNPs examined in the control groups of two independently conducted North Carolina studies, respectively. Consequently, case-only estimates of G-E interaction in the context of a multiplicative benchmark would be biased for these SNPs and smoking measures. MmOR z s were found more often for smoking amount than smoking status. We recommend that a stand-alone case-only study should only be conducted when G-E independence can be verified for each polymorphism and exposure metric with population-specific data. Our results suggest that ORz is specific to each underlying population rather than an estimate of a 'universal' ORz for that SNP and smoking measure. Further, misspecification of smoking is likely to introduce bias into the COR

Extended Human Papillomavirus Genotyping to Predict Progression to High-Grade Cervical Precancer: A Prospective Cohort Study in the Southeastern United States

Background: High-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) testing (HPV16; else HPV18/45; else HPV31/33/35/52/58; else HPV39/ is utilized in primary cervical cancer screening, generally along with 51/56/59/68). cytology, to triage abnormalities to colposcopy. Most screening-Results: At enrollment, median participant age was 30.1 years; based hrHPV testing involves pooled detection of any hrHPV or of most (63%) were hrHPV-positive. Over follow-up, 24 participants HPV16/18. Cervical neoplasia progression risks based on extended progressed to CIN2þ (7.0%). CIN2þ IR among hrHPV-positive hrHPV genotyping—particularly non-16/18 hrHPV types—are not participants was 3.4/1,000 person-months. CIN2þ IRs were highest well characterized. HPV genotype-specific incidence of high-grade for HPV16 (8.3), HPV33 (7.8), and HPV58 (4.9). Five-year CIN2þ cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or more severe (CIN2þ) following risk was higher for HPV16 (0.34) compared with HPV18/45 (0.12), an abnormal screening result was examined. HPV31/33/35/52/58 (0.12), and HPV39/51/56/59/68 (0.16) (P ¼ 0.05). Methods: We assessed a US-based prospective, multiracial, Conclusions: Non-16/18 hrHPV types are associated with difclinical cohort of 343 colposcopy patients with normal histology ferential CIN2þ progression rates. HPV16, 33, and 58 exhibited the (n ¼ 226) or CIN1 (n ¼ 117). Baseline cervical samples underwent highest rates over 5 years. HPV risk groups warrant further invesHPV DNA genotyping, and participants were followed up to 5 years. tigation in diverse US populations. Genotype-specific CIN2þ incidence rates (IR) were estimated with Impact: These novel data assessing extended HPV genotyping in accelerated failure time models. Five-year CIN2þ risks were estia diverse clinical cohort can inform future directions to improve mated nonparametrically for hierarchical hrHPV risk groups screening practices in the general population

Objectively measured physical activity, sedentary behavior, and genetic predisposition to obesity in U.S. Hispanics/Latinos: Results from the hispanic community health study/study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)

Studies using self-reported data suggest a gene-physical activity interaction on obesity, yet the influence of sedentary behavior, distinct from a lack of physical activity, on genetic associations with obesity remains unclear. We analyzed interactions of accelerometer-measured moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and time spent sedentary with genetic variants on obesity among 9,645 U.S. Hispanics/Latinos. An overall genetic risk score (GRS), a central nervous system (CNS)-related GRS, and a non-CNS-related GRS were calculated based on 97 BMIassociated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Genetic association with BMI was stronger in individuals with lower MVPA (first tertile) versus higher MVPA (third tertile) (b = 0.78 kg/m2 [SE, 0.10 kg/m2] vs. 0.39 kg/m2 [0.09 kg/m2] per SD increment of GRS; Pinteraction = 0.005), and in those with more time spent sedentary (third tertile) versus less time spent sedentary (first tertile) (b = 0.73 kg/m2 [SE, 0.10 kg/m2] vs. 0.44 kg/m2 [0.09 kg/m2]; Pinteraction = 0.006). Similar significant interaction patterns were observed for obesity risk, body fat mass, fat percentage, fat mass index, and waist circumference, but not for fat-free mass. The CNS-related GRS, but not the non-CNS-related GRS, showed significant interactions with MVPA and sedentary behavior, with effects on BMI and other adiposity traits. Our data suggest that both increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior may attenuate genetic associations with obesity, although the independence of these interaction effects needs to be investigated further

DNA methylation of imprinted gene control regions in the regression of low-grade cervical lesions

The role of host epigenetic mechanisms in the natural history of low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN1) is not well characterized. We explored differential methylation of imprinted gene regulatory regions as predictors of the risk of CIN1 regression. A total of 164 patients with CIN1 were recruited from 10 Duke University clinics for the CIN Cohort Study. Participants had colposcopies at enrollment and up to five follow-up visits over 3 years. DNA was extracted from exfoliated cervical cells for methylation quantitation at CpG (cytosine-phosphate-guanine) sites and human papillomavirus (HPV) genotyping. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using Cox regression to quantify the effect of methylation on CIN1 regression over two consecutive visits, compared to non-regression (persistent CIN1; progression to CIN2+; or CIN1 regression at a single time-point), adjusting for age, race, high-risk HPV (hrHPV), parity, oral contraceptive and smoking status. Median participant age was 26.6 years (range: 21.0–64.4 years), 39% were African-American, and 11% were current smokers. Most participants were hrHPV-positive at enrollment (80.5%). Over one-third of cases regressed (n = 53, 35.1%). Median time-to-regression was 12.6 months (range: 4.5–24.0 months). Probability of CIN1 regression was negatively correlated with methylation at IGF2AS CpG 5 (HR = 0.41; 95% CI = 0.23–0.77) and PEG10 DMR (HR = 0.80; 95% CI = 0.65–0.98). Altered methylation of imprinted IGF2AS and PEG10 DMRs may play a role in the natural history of CIN1. If confirmed in larger studies, further research on imprinted gene DMR methylation is warranted to determine its efficacy as a biomarker for cervical cancer screening

A Genome-wide Association Study Discovers 46 Loci of the Human Metabolome in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos

Variation in levels of the human metabolome reflect changes in homeostasis, providing a window into health and disease. The genetic impact on circulating metabolites in Hispanics, a population with high cardiometabolic disease burden, is largely unknown. We conducted genome-wide association analyses on 640 circulating metabolites in 3,926 Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos participants. The estimated heritability for 640 metabolites ranged between 0%–54% with a median at 2.5%. We discovered 46 variant-metabolite pairs (p value < 1.2 × 10−10, minor allele frequency ≥ 1%, proportion of variance explained [PEV] mean = 3.4%, PEVrange = 1%–22%) with generalized effects in two population-based studies and confirmed 301 known locus-metabolite associations. Half of the identified variants with generalized effect were located in genes, including five nonsynonymous variants. We identified co-localization with the expression quantitative trait loci at 105 discovered and 151 known loci-metabolites sets. rs5855544, upstream of SLC51A, was associated with higher levels of three steroid sulfates and co-localized with expression levels of SLC51A in several tissues. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis identified several metabolites associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) and type 2 diabetes. For example, two variants located in or near CYP4F2 (rs2108622 and rs79400241, respectively), involved in vitamin E metabolism, were associated with the levels of octadecanedioate and vitamin E metabolites (gamma-CEHC and gamma-CEHC glucuronide); MR analysis showed that genetically high levels of these metabolites were associated with lower odds of CHD. Our findings document the genetic architecture of circulating metabolites in an underrepresented Hispanic/Latino community, shedding light on disease etiology

Accounting for International War: The State of the Discipline

In studies of war it is important to observe that the processes leading to so frequent an event as conflict are not necessarily those that lead to so infrequent an event as war. Also, many models fail to recognize that a phenomenon irregularly distributed in time and space, such as war, cannot be explained on the basis of relatively invariant phenomena. Much research on periodicity in the occurrence of war has yielded little result, suggesting that the direction should now be to focus on such variables as diffusion and contagion. Structural variables, such as bipolarity, show contradictory results with some clear inter-century differences. Bipolarity, some results suggest, might have different effects on different social entities. A considerable number of studies analysing dyadic variables show a clear connection between equal capabilities among contending nations and escalation of conflict into war. Finally, research into national attributes often points to strength and geographical location as important variables. In general, the article concludes, there is room for modest optimism, as research into the question of war is no longer moving in non-cumulative circles. Systematic research is producing results and there is even a discernible tendency of convergence, in spite of a great diversity in theoretical orientations.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69148/2/10.1177_002234338101800101.pd

Genetically Determined Height and Risk of Non-hodgkin Lymphoma

Although the evidence is not consistent, epidemiologic studies have suggested that taller adult height may be associated with an increased risk of some non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) subtypes. Height is largely determined by genetic factors, but how these genetic factors may contribute to NHL risk is unknown. We investigated the relationship between genetic determinants of height and NHL risk using data from eight genome-wide association studies (GWAS) comprising 10,629 NHL cases, including 3,857 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), 2,847 follicular lymphoma (FL), 3,100 chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and 825 marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) cases, and 9,505 controls of European ancestry. We evaluated genetically predicted height by constructing polygenic risk scores using 833 height-associated SNPs. We used logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for association between genetically determined height and the risk of four NHL subtypes in each GWAS and then used fixed-effect meta-analysis to combine subtype results across studies. We found suggestive evidence between taller genetically determined height and increased CLL risk (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.00\u20131.17, p = 0.049), which was slightly stronger among women (OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.01\u20131.31, p = 0.036). No significant associations were observed with DLBCL, FL, or MZL. Our findings suggest that there may be some shared genetic factors between CLL and height, but other endogenous or environmental factors may underlie reported epidemiologic height associations with other subtypes