3 new genetic links to colorectal cancer

Public release date: 23-Dec-2012
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Contact: Dagny Stuart
dagny.stuart@vanderbilt.edu
615-322-4747
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center investigators have identified three new genetic "hotspots" linked to colorectal cancer.

These variants, reported Dec. 23 in an Advanced Online Publication in Nature Genetics, provide new insight into the biology of colorectal cancer and could represent new therapeutic targets for the disease.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide and rates are particularly high in the United States and other developed countries. Genetics plays an important role in both sporadic and familial (inherited) forms of the disease. However, only about 6 percent of colorectal cancer cases are explained by the rare genetic variants known to confer high risk of colorectal cancer (as seen in familial forms of the disease).

Previous studies on the genetic basis of colorectal cancer have pinpointed several additional variants, but most of the studies were conducted in European/Caucasian populations.

"Looking at different ethnic groups is important because the genetic structures can be different enough that variants identified in one population do not explain risk in other populations," said Wei Zheng, M.D., Ph.D., MPH, an Ingram Professor of Cancer Research and senior author on the study. "Because of the difference in genetic structures and underlying environment exposures, it might be easier to discover some risk variants in studies conducted in non-European populations."

In 2009, Zheng and colleagues in several Asian countries established the "Asia Colorectal Cancer Consortium" to search for novel genetic risk factors for the disease. The consortium included populations in China, Korea and Japan.

Using an approach known as a "genome-wide association study" (or GWAS), Zheng and colleagues began searching for common variants linked to disease risk.

From genomic data obtained from 2,098 colorectal cancer cases and 5,749 controls, the researchers identified 64 variants, or "single nucleotide polymorphisms" (SNPs), that were associated with colorectal cancer.

The investigators then replicated these findings in another set of samples, narrowing down the number of disease-associated variants to four. Three of those four variants were also associated with colorectal cancer risk in a larger European sample.

"The findings from this study are relevant to both Asian and European populations," said Zheng. "Interestingly, these three susceptibility loci were not discovered in previous studies conducted in European-ancestry populations."

This study highlights the importance of conducting genetic studies in non-European populations to fully uncover the genetic basis for common diseases, including colorectal cancer, Zheng noted.

While the specific functions of these newly identified susceptibility loci are not clear yet, several important genes are located in the regions near the risk variants discovered in this study. For example, one risk variant is located near CCND2, the gene encoding cyclin D2, a member of the cyclin family of proteins that regulate the cell cycle. Cyclins have been linked to cancer, but research on the CCND2 gene has been limited. Therefore, the current findings suggest the need for further research on the role of other cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases in carcinogenesis.

"These new discoveries are very exciting," Zheng said. "They will certainly lead to future studies regarding the biology of these regions and the translational potential of these findings in cancer prevention and treatment."

###

The research was supported in part by grants from the National Cancer Institute (CA070878, CA082729, CA124558, CA148667 and CA122364) of the National Institutes of Health.

Zheng is also a professor of Medicine, director of the Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center, and chief of the Division of Epidemiology at Vanderbilt University.

Other Vanderbilt authors on the paper were: Ben Zhang, Ph.D.; Qiuyin Cai, M.D., Ph.D.; Jirong Long, Ph.D.; Jiajun Shi, Ph.D.; Wanqing Wen, M.D., MPH; Gong Yang, M.D., MPH; Ryan Delahanty, Ph.D., and Xiao-Ou Shu, M.D., Ph.D.

This research was conducted in collaboration with investigators from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (China), Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute (Japan), Korean National Cancer Center (South Korea), the Shanghai Cancer Institute (China), Yonsei University (South Korea), Hallym University College of Medicine (South Korea), National Cancer Institute (USA), Kyoto University Center for Genomic Medicine (Japan), and Seoul National University College of Medicine (South Korea).

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 23-Dec-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Dagny Stuart
dagny.stuart@vanderbilt.edu
615-322-4747
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center investigators have identified three new genetic "hotspots" linked to colorectal cancer.

These variants, reported Dec. 23 in an Advanced Online Publication in Nature Genetics, provide new insight into the biology of colorectal cancer and could represent new therapeutic targets for the disease.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide and rates are particularly high in the United States and other developed countries. Genetics plays an important role in both sporadic and familial (inherited) forms of the disease. However, only about 6 percent of colorectal cancer cases are explained by the rare genetic variants known to confer high risk of colorectal cancer (as seen in familial forms of the disease).

Previous studies on the genetic basis of colorectal cancer have pinpointed several additional variants, but most of the studies were conducted in European/Caucasian populations.

"Looking at different ethnic groups is important because the genetic structures can be different enough that variants identified in one population do not explain risk in other populations," said Wei Zheng, M.D., Ph.D., MPH, an Ingram Professor of Cancer Research and senior author on the study. "Because of the difference in genetic structures and underlying environment exposures, it might be easier to discover some risk variants in studies conducted in non-European populations."

In 2009, Zheng and colleagues in several Asian countries established the "Asia Colorectal Cancer Consortium" to search for novel genetic risk factors for the disease. The consortium included populations in China, Korea and Japan.

Using an approach known as a "genome-wide association study" (or GWAS), Zheng and colleagues began searching for common variants linked to disease risk.

From genomic data obtained from 2,098 colorectal cancer cases and 5,749 controls, the researchers identified 64 variants, or "single nucleotide polymorphisms" (SNPs), that were associated with colorectal cancer.

The investigators then replicated these findings in another set of samples, narrowing down the number of disease-associated variants to four. Three of those four variants were also associated with colorectal cancer risk in a larger European sample.

"The findings from this study are relevant to both Asian and European populations," said Zheng. "Interestingly, these three susceptibility loci were not discovered in previous studies conducted in European-ancestry populations."

This study highlights the importance of conducting genetic studies in non-European populations to fully uncover the genetic basis for common diseases, including colorectal cancer, Zheng noted.

While the specific functions of these newly identified susceptibility loci are not clear yet, several important genes are located in the regions near the risk variants discovered in this study. For example, one risk variant is located near CCND2, the gene encoding cyclin D2, a member of the cyclin family of proteins that regulate the cell cycle. Cyclins have been linked to cancer, but research on the CCND2 gene has been limited. Therefore, the current findings suggest the need for further research on the role of other cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases in carcinogenesis.

"These new discoveries are very exciting," Zheng said. "They will certainly lead to future studies regarding the biology of these regions and the translational potential of these findings in cancer prevention and treatment."

###

The research was supported in part by grants from the National Cancer Institute (CA070878, CA082729, CA124558, CA148667 and CA122364) of the National Institutes of Health.

Zheng is also a professor of Medicine, director of the Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center, and chief of the Division of Epidemiology at Vanderbilt University.

Other Vanderbilt authors on the paper were: Ben Zhang, Ph.D.; Qiuyin Cai, M.D., Ph.D.; Jirong Long, Ph.D.; Jiajun Shi, Ph.D.; Wanqing Wen, M.D., MPH; Gong Yang, M.D., MPH; Ryan Delahanty, Ph.D., and Xiao-Ou Shu, M.D., Ph.D.

This research was conducted in collaboration with investigators from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (China), Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute (Japan), Korean National Cancer Center (South Korea), the Shanghai Cancer Institute (China), Yonsei University (South Korea), Hallym University College of Medicine (South Korea), National Cancer Institute (USA), Kyoto University Center for Genomic Medicine (Japan), and Seoul National University College of Medicine (South Korea).

---

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-12/vumc-tng122012.php

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Anti-tax conservatives say no to tax-increase deal

BOSTON (AP) ? In the city where a protest over tax policy sparked a revolution, modern day tea party activists are cheering the recent Republican revolt in Washington that embarrassed House Speaker John Boehner and pushed the country closer to a "fiscal cliff" that forces tax increases and massive spending cuts on virtually every American.

"I want conservatives to stay strong," says Christine Morabito, president of the Greater Boston Tea Party. "Sometimes things have to get a lot worse before they get better."

Anti-tax conservatives from every corner of the nation echo her sentiment.

In more than a dozen interviews with The Associated Press, activists said they would rather fall off the cliff than agree to a compromise that includes tax increases for any Americans, no matter how high their income. They dismiss economists' warnings that the automatic tax increases and deep spending cuts set to take effect Jan. 1 could trigger a fresh recession, and they overlook the fact that most people would see their taxes increase if President Barack Obama and Boehner, R-Ohio, fail to reach a year-end agreement.

The strong opposition among tea party activists and Republican leaders from New Hampshire to Wyoming and South Carolina highlights divisions within the GOP as well as the challenge that Obama and Boehner face in trying to get a deal done.

On Capitol Hill, some Republicans worry about the practical and political implications should the GOP block a compromise designed to avoid tax increases for most Americans and cut the nation's deficit.

"It weakens the entire Republican Party, the Republican majority," Rep. Steven LaTourette, R-Ohio, said Thursday night shortly after rank-and-file Republicans rejected Boehner's "Plan B" ? a measure that would have prevented tax increases on all Americans but million-dollar earners.

"I mean it's the continuing dumbing down of the Republican Party and we are going to be seen more and more as a bunch of extremists that can't even get a majority of our own people to support policies that we're putting forward," LaTourette said. "If you're not a governing majority, you're not going to be a majority very long."

It's a concern that does not seem to resonate with conservatives such as tea party activist Frank Smith of Cheyenne, Wyo. He cheered Boehner's failure as a victory for anti-tax conservatives and a setback for Obama, just six weeks after the president won re-election on a promise to cut the deficit in part by raising taxes on incomes exceeding $250,000.

Smith said his "hat's off" to those Republicans in Congress who rejected their own leader's plan.

"Let's go over the cliff and see what's on the other side," the blacksmith said. "On the other side" are tax increases for most Americans, not just the top earners, though that point seemed lost on Smith, who added: "We have a day of reckoning coming, whether it's next week or next year. Sooner or later the chickens are coming home to roost. Let's let them roost next week."

It's not just tea party activists who want Republicans in Washington to stand firm.

In conservative states such as South Carolina and Louisiana, party leaders are encouraging members of their congressional delegations to oppose any deal that includes tax increases. Elected officials from those states have little political incentive to cooperate with the Democratic president, given that most of their constituents voted for Obama's Republican opponent, Mitt Romney.

"If it takes us going off a cliff to convince people we're in a mess, then so be it," South Carolina GOP Chairman Chad Connelly said. "We have a president who is a whiner. He has done nothing but blame President Bush. It's time to make President Obama own this economy."

In Louisiana, state GOP Chairman Roger Villere said that "people are frustrated with Speaker Boehner. They hear people run as conservatives, run against tax hikes. They want them to keep their word."

Jack Kimball, a former New Hampshire GOP chairman, said he was "elated" that conservatives thwarted Boehner. He called the looming deadline a political creation. "The Republicans really need to stand on their principles. They have to hold firm."

Conservative opposition to compromise with Obama does not reflect the view of most Americans, according to recent public opinion polls.

A CBS News survey conducted this month found that 81 percent of adults wanted Republicans in Congress to compromise in the current budget negotiations to get a deal done rather than "stick to their positions even if it means not coming to an agreement." The vast majority of Republicans and independent voters agreed.

Overall, 47 percent in the poll said they blamed Republicans in Congress more than Obama and Democrats for recent "difficulties in reaching agreements and passing legislation in Congress." About one-quarter placed more blame on the Democrats and 21 percent said both were responsible.

Although negotiations broke down last week, Obama still hopes to broker a larger debt-reduction deal that includes tax increases on high earners and Republican-favored cuts to entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security. If a compromise continues to prove elusive, lawmakers could pass a temporary extension that delays the cliff's most onerous provisions and gives Congress more time to work out a longer-term solution.

That's becoming the favored path by some Republicans leery of going over the cliff.

Mississippi Republican Chairman Joe Nosef shares his Southern colleagues' disdain for tax increases. But he stopped short of taking an absolute position.

"I really, really feel like the only way that Republicans can mess up badly is if they come away with nothing on spending or something that's the same old thing where they hope a Congress in 10 years will have the intestinal fortitude to do it," he said.

Matt Kibbe, president of the national organization and tea party ally, FreedomWorks, says that going over the cliff would be "a fiscal disaster." He says "the only rational thing to do" is approve a temporary extension that prevents widespread tax increases.

But his message doesn't seem to resonate with conservative activists in the states.

"If we have to endure the pain of the cliff then so be it," said Mark Anders, a Republican committeeman for Washington state's Lewis County. "While it may spell the end of the Republican Party ... at least we will force the government to cut and cut deep into actual spending."

Back where the Boston Tea Party protest took place in 1773, Morabito wonders whether Boehner will survive the internal political upheaval and says Republicans need to unite against Obama.

"It looked like from the very beginning they were just going to cave to what President Obama wanted," she said of the GOP. "I didn't want that to happen. Now I'm hopeful that they're standing up for taxpaying Americans."

___

Associated Press writers Bill Barrow in Atlanta, Rachel La Corte and Michael Baker in Washington state, Thomas Beaumont in Iowa, and AP Director of Polling Jennifer Agiesta in Washington contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/anti-tax-conservatives-no-tax-increase-deal-135031595--finance.html

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Italy parliament dissolved; Monti to divulge plans

Italian Premier Mario Monti delivers his speech at the Foreign Ministry on the occasion of the Italian Ambassadors conference in Rome, Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. Monti's speech in Rome was his last official act as premier. He has pledged to step down as soon as Parliament gives final passage to the budget law, which happened just as diplomats were giving Monti a standing ovation. Italian news reports say he is expected to hand in his resignation Friday evening after his last Cabinet meeting. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Italian Premier Mario Monti delivers his speech at the Foreign Ministry on the occasion of the Italian Ambassadors conference in Rome, Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. Monti's speech in Rome was his last official act as premier. He has pledged to step down as soon as Parliament gives final passage to the budget law, which happened just as diplomats were giving Monti a standing ovation. Italian news reports say he is expected to hand in his resignation Friday evening after his last Cabinet meeting. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

In this photo released by the Italian Presidency, the general secretary Donato Marra officially announces the resignation of Mario Monti at the Quirinale presidential palace in Rome Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. Mario Monti handed in his resignation to Italy's president in Rome on Friday, bringing to a close his 13-month technical government and preparing the country for national elections. President Giorgio Napolitano -- who tapped Monti in November 2011 to come up with reforms to shield Italy from the continent's debt crisis -- asked Monti to stay on as head of a caretaker government until the national vote, expected in February. (AP Photo/Antonio Di Gennaro, Italian Presidency ho)

Italian Premier Mario Monti moves his tag name as he delivers his speech at the Foreign Ministry on the occasion of the Italian Ambassadors conference in Rome, Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. Monti pledged to resign as soon as the budget law is passed after Silvio Berlusconi yanked support for his government, accelerating national elections now expected in February. The budget law was approved Friday afternoon. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

ROME (AP) ? Italy's president has dissolved parliament following Premier Mario Monti's resignation, formally setting the stage for general elections in February in which Monti's participation remains unclear.

President Giorgio Napolitano signed the decree Saturday after consulting with political leaders.

Monti, appointed 13 months ago to steer Italy from a Greek-style debt crisis, stepped down Friday after ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi's party withdrew its support for his technical government.

He has scheduled a news conference Sunday during which he is expected to announce whether he will run for office.

Small centrist parties have been courting Monti, but Italian newspapers say he is inclined to refuse. Polls indicate the center-left Democratic Party will win the vote. A Monti-led ticket could deprive the Democrats of votes, but wouldn't be expected to garner anything near a majority.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-12-22-Italy-Politics/id-b5972d4e217a425c977e5f8f5955c54a

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Christmas weather forecast calls for high winds, snow in Mid-Atlantic, New England (Washington Post)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/272681699?client_source=feed&format=rss

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YouTube Player API for Android opens for all, brings seamless app integration (video)

Adding a little dash of YouTube magic to your Android apps should be simple affair right? Well, historically, not entirely. That's all set to change though, now that the long-promised Android YouTube Player API has finally been set loose in the wild. This means developers can access some new tools that should bring the ubiquitous video service snuggly inside any app that wants to use it. This includes high-quality playback for devices running Android 2.2 and above, easier integration there-of due to a change in how to call the videos, full screen and orientation mode support, closed captions display, support for YouTube ads and the ability to program most elements of the playback experience natively within your app. The tools have already been put to use by some partners who got early access, including one of our favourite social feed-readers Flipboard. Full details and tools at the source, or slide past the break for Google developers video showing it in action.

Continue reading YouTube Player API for Android opens for all, brings seamless app integration (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google

Comments

Via: Android Central

Source: YouTube API blog

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/GVt38y48kxc/

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Touch Screen Monitor Technology in Depth

Touch Screen Monitors are all the buzz. With the prevalence of tablets and smartphones, consumers assume every screen is now an interactive station with touch capability.

And we know that when you get someone to participate by touching a screen, the chances of them retaining the message or buying the products increase dramatically.

For integrators not playing in the interactive space, it can be rather confusing to know why or when to specify one product over another. Without further ado, here is a quick look at the types of touchscreen technology available.

Resistive Touch Screen Monitors: This is the oldest of the bunch and the most basic. Layers of conductive material are placed over the screen and electrified. When someone touches the screen, the layers are compressed, getting close to one another and changing the electrical field.

Resistive touch has traditionally had some life cycle issues past 1 million touches (although now, many tout higher cycles). These are also traditionally single-touch devices - think of the ATM you use, as it is most likely resistive. The layers are a little cloudy as well, changing the colors and clarity of the screen somewhat. Resistive touchscreen can work with a stylus and a gloved hand.

Capacitive: These screens also have multiple layers, but instead of relying on compression to facilitate the electrical impulse, they rely on a path to ground, namely, a person. These screens typically have a higher duty cycle. Gloved hands and traditional styli cause issues. You have to have an electric stylus to use these screens that can facilitate a ground point. Again, these are traditionally single- or dual-touch devices as they use electrical devices at the corners to calculate position. They too obscure the screen somewhat but have less layers than do resistive screens.

Surface Wave: This technology goes by quite a few names - APR, SAW, etc. - but the concept is the same. Sensors pick up vibration waves in the surface of the glass. As it is not electric, a stylus or gloved hand works fine. Since it measures the surface of the glass, this technology will not ignore items placed on the screen or palms resting against the glass. This can cause some issues, especially in tabletop installations. Because the sensors are mounted to a single piece of glass, clarity is increased. These are typically single- and dual-touch devices.

DST: This technology echoes the aforementioned with one important distinction: it measures the vibrations on the back side of the glass. This means it can reject static objects, like palms or drinks, setting on the table and still recognize touches. DST is also more durable than the previous three technologies, as damaging the surface of the touchscreen

does not greatly affect function as it does in resistive, capacitive, and surface wave devices. DST will support some Windows 7 multitouch gestures.

Projected Capacitive: Think iPad. These screens create an electric field just like traditional capacitive screens. But since they are not relying on electrical impulses generated at the corners only, projected capacitive devices are much more versatile and support unlimited touches.

Again, this requires a path to ground, so gloved hands and basic styli do not work. They do make capacitive gloves as well as styli.

The next three technologies are really non-touch technologies, as you really don?t have to touch the screen to trigger them. This can be confusing to users if not calibrated closely to the surface, as they can inadvertently interact with things on the screen just by getting their fingers close to the surface.

Infrared/Advanced IR: These screens have an IR bezel that surrounds the screen and an IR sensor inside. It reacts when you interrupt the IR field. These screens are typically very clear and support multitouch.

Advanced IR versions actually modulate the light to prevent occlusion, a phenomenon where one finger blocks the sight line of another, and the screen loses one of the touchpoints. These Touch Screen Monitors come in several versions up to 32 touch points.

Optical Touch Screen Monitors: These screens also use a bezel with integrated 3D sensors in the corners, typically two. These sensors calculate how far away your fingers are. These can support multitouch as well and are also subject to occlusion. These screens come in several versions up to 32 touch points.

Through the Screen: This technology has a few flavors, including MultiTaction to PixelSense like in MS Surface. The sensors see through the LCD panel and can tell where the users fingers are. These technologies can relate which fingers are on each hand as well, creating palm references to differentiate between users.

They can also read optical tags that can be placed on physical objects, causing things to happen on the table, when they are placed on top of it. These technologies support multitouch as well. High ambient light can flood these technologies making them inoperable. These screens come in several versions up to 32 touch points

Mark started his technology career at IBM in 2000 before migrating into AV integration in early 2002. He currently works at Horizon Display , an interactive multitouch hardware and software provider. Mark lives in Orange County with Lesley, his wife of 11 years and his 3 children.

Mark started his technology career at IBM in 2000 before migrating into AV integration in early 2002. He currently works at http://HorizonDisplay.com/, an http://HorizonDisplay.com/touch_screen_monitors hardware and software provider. Mark lives in Orange County with Lesley, his wife of 11 years and his 3 children.

Source: http://www.articlesbd.com/articles/300540/1/Touch-Screen-Monitor-Technology-in-Depth/Page1.html

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Green Blog: On Our Radar: Bigger Marine Sanctuaries

In a move that would permanently ban oil drilling along more than 50 miles of rugged coastline, the Obama administration plans to significantly expand two marine sanctuaries in Northern California. [The Santa Cruz Sentinel]

Underwater inspections at the site of BP?s 2010 Deepwater Horizon rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico have failed to identify the source of a persistent sheen on the surface, officials say. [Associated Press]

Climate change has cut into the production of French and Spanish truffles, causing the price of one popular variety to soar to $1,200 a pound and denting sales at luxury shops in Paris. [The New York Times]

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration looks into reports that a swimmer climbed atop an ill or injured sperm whale off the coast of Pompano Beach, Fla., before it died. [NBC]

A meat-eating sponge, an ?extinct? Galapagos tortoise: 12 interesting species discovered in 2012. [OurAmazingPlanet]

Source: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/21/on-our-radar-bigger-marine-sanctuaries/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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