A plea for more careful scholarship in reviewing evidence: the case of mammographic screening.

Objectives: To identify issues of principle and practice giving rise to misunderstandings in reviewing evidence, to illustrate these by reference to the Nordic Cochrane Review (NCR) and its interpretation of two trials of mammographic screening, and to draw lessons for future reviewing of published results.

Methods: A narrative review of the publications of the Nordic Cochrane Review of mammographic screening (NCR), the Swedish Two-County Trial (S2C) and the Canadian National Breast Screening Study 1 and 2 (CNBSS-1 and CNBSS-2).

Results: The NCR concluded that the S2C was unreliable, despite the review's complaints being shown to be mistaken, by direct reference to the original primary publications of the S2C.

Glycinebetaine mitigates tomato chilling stress by maintaining high-cyclic electron flow rate of photosystem I and stability of photosystem II.

Glycinebetaine alleviates chilling stress by protecting photosystems I and II in BADH-transgenic and GB-treated tomato plants, which can be an effective strategy for improving crop chilling tolerance. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the most cultivated vegetables in the world, but is highly susceptible to chilling stress and does not naturally accumulate glycinebetaine (GB), one of the most effective stress protectants. The protective mechanisms of GB on photosystem I (PSI) and photosystem II (PSII) against chilling stress, however, remain poorly understood.

Quantifying the duration of the preclinical detectable phase in cancer screening: a systematic review.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to provide an overview of published mathematical estimation approaches to quantify the duration of the preclinical detectable phase (PCDP) using data from cancer screening programs.

Methods: A systematic search of PubMed and Embase was conducted for original studies presenting mathematical approaches using screening data. The studies were categorized by mathematical approach, data source, and assumptions made.

Glycinebetaine mitigated the photoinhibition of photosystem II at high temperature in transgenic tomato plants.

Photosystem II (PSII), especially the D1 protein, is highly sensitive to the detrimental impact of heat stress. Photoinhibition always occurs when the rate of photodamage exceeds the rate of D1 protein repair. Here, genetically engineered codA-tomato with the capability to accumulate glycinebetaine (GB) was established.

Comparative effects of glycinebetaine on the thermotolerance in codA- and BADH-transgenic tomato plants under high temperature stress.

We propose that codA tomato plants exhibited higher degrees of enhanced thermotolerance than BADH tomato plants, and HO as a signaling molecule also plays an important role in heat resistance. Betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH) and choline oxidase (COD) are key enzymes in glycinebetaine (GB) synthesis. In this study, two kinds of transgenic tomato plants, which were transformed with BADH gene and codA gene, respectively, were used to explore their thermotolerance.

Genetic engineering of the biosynthesis of glycinebetaine enhances the fruit development and size of tomato.

Glycinebetaine has been widely considered as an effective protectant against abiotic stress in plants, and also found to promote plant growth under normal growing conditions, especially during the reproductive stage. Betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH) and choline oxidase (COD) are two key enzymes which have been used to confer glycinebetaine synthesis in plant which normally does not synthesis glycinebetaine. In this study, we used the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum, cv 'Moneymaker') plants of wild-type and the transgenic lines codA (L1, L2) and BADH (2, 46), which were transformed with codA and BADH, respectively, to study the impact of glycinebetaine on tomato fruit development.

Genetic Engineering of the Biosynthesis of Glycine Betaine Modulates Phosphate Homeostasis by Regulating Phosphate Acquisition in Tomato.

Glycine betaine (GB), as a putative compatible substance, protects plants against the damaging effects of abiotic stresses. Phosphorus deficiency is one type of abiotic stress that is detrimental to plant growth. Maintenance of phosphate (Pi) homeostasis is crucial.

Ectopic expression of StCBF1and ScCBF1 have different functions in response to freezing and drought stresses in Arabidopsis.

Solanum tuberosum potato species constitute the bulk of economically and agronomically important potato production. However, S. tuberosum is a drought- and frost-sensitive species that is incapable of acclimating to the cold.

Genetic engineering of the biosynthesis of glycinebetaine leads to alleviate salt-induced potassium efflux and enhances salt tolerance in tomato plants.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv. 'Moneymaker') was transformed with the choline oxidase gene codA from Arthrobacter globiformis, which was modified to allow for targeting to both chloroplasts and the cytosol. Glycine betaine (GB) was accumulated in transformed plants, while no detectable GB was found in wild-type (WT) plants.

Alteration of flower color in Iris germanica L. 'Fire Bride' through ectopic expression of phytoene synthase gene (crtB) from Pantoea agglomerans.

Genetic modulation of the carotenogenesis in I. germanica 'Fire Bride' by ectopic expression of a crtB gene causes several flower parts to develop novel orange and pink colors. Flower color in tall bearded irises (Iris germanica L.

A Proposal to Unify the Classification of Breast and Prostate Cancers Based on the Anatomic Site of Cancer Origin and on Long-term Patient Outcome.

The similarity between the structure and function of the breast and prostate has been known for a long time, but there are serious discrepancies in the terminology describing breast and prostate cancers. The use of the large, thick-section (3D) histology technique for both organs exposes the irrationality of the breast cancer terminology. Pathologists with expertise in diagnosing prostate cancer take the anatomic site of cancer origin into account when using the terms AAP (acinar adenocarcinoma of the prostate) and DAP (ductal adenocarcinoma of the prostate) to distinguish between the prostate cancers originating primarily from the fluid-producing acinar portion of the organ (AAP) and the tumors originating either purely from the larger ducts (DAP) or from both the acini and the main ducts combined (DAP and AAP).

Hv-CBF2A overexpression in barley accelerates COR gene transcript accumulation and acquisition of freezing tolerance during cold acclimation.

C-Repeat Binding Factors (CBFs) are DNA-binding transcriptional activators of gene pathways imparting freezing tolerance. Poaceae contain three CBF subfamilies, two of which, HvCBF3/CBFIII and HvCBF4/CBFIV, are unique to this taxon. To gain mechanistic insight into HvCBF4/CBFIV CBFs we overexpressed Hv-CBF2A in spring barley (Hordeum vulgare) cultivar 'Golden Promise'.

Cloning and functional characterization of a gene for capsanthin-capsorubin synthase from tiger lily (Lilium lancifolium Thunb. 'Splendens').

The orange color of tiger lily (Lolium lancifolium 'Splendens') flowers is due, primarily, to the accumulation of two κ-xanthophylls, capsanthin and capsorubin. An enzyme, known as capsanthin-capsorubin synthase (CCS), catalyzes the conversion of antheraxanthin and violaxanthin into capsanthin and capsorubin, respectively. We cloned the gene for capsanthin-capsorubin synthase (Llccs) from flower tepals of L.

Glycinebetaine enhances the tolerance of tomato plants to high temperature during germination of seeds and growth of seedlings.

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum cv. 'Moneymaker') was transformed with a codA gene, from Arthrobacter globiformis, for choline oxidase that had been modified to allow targeting to both chloroplasts and the cytosol. Glycinebetaine (GB) accumulated in seeds of transformed plants up to 1 µmol g(-1) dry weight (DW), while no detectable GB was found in wild-type (WT) seeds.

A comparison of the low temperature transcriptomes and CBF regulons of three plant species that differ in freezing tolerance: Solanum commersonii, Solanum tuberosum, and Arabidopsis thaliana.

Solanum commersonii and Solanum tuberosum are closely related plant species that differ in their abilities to cold acclimate; whereas S. commersonii increases in freezing tolerance in response to low temperature, S. tuberosum does not.

Glycinebetaine protects plants against abiotic stress: mechanisms and biotechnological applications.

Various compatible solutes enable plants to tolerate abiotic stress, and glycinebetaine (GB) is one of the most-studied among such solutes. Early research on GB focused on the maintenance of cellular osmotic potential in plant cells. Subsequent genetically engineered synthesis of GB-biosynthetic enzymes and studies of transgenic plants demonstrated that accumulation of GB increases tolerance of plants to various abiotic stresses at all stages of their life cycle.

Kinetic epidemiological model for elucidating sexual difference of hypertension (KCIS no.20).

Background: Woman have lower rate of hypertension than man but it is still elusive how such gender difference can be explained by kinetic epidemiological curves.

Objective: The aim of this paper was to develop a multi-state model for delineating the kinetic epidemiology of hypertension according to the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee (JNC 7) classification criteria by gender, and to derive gender-specific kinetic curves.

Methods: We used data from a population-based screening programme with 42,027 participants to fit a four-state Markov model corresponding to the classification of hypertension from the JNC 7.

Decision modelling of economic evaluation of intervention programme of breast cancer.

Objectives: Economic appraisal of an intervention is a complex and multivariable problem, with probabilistic issues related not only to clinical outcomes but also to costs and willingness to pay.

Methods: We provide a comprehensive framework for economic appraisal of a health intervention to prevent beast cancer mortality, involving probabilistic model of costs as well as of aspects of the disease process. The economic appraisal can give a range of probabilities of cost-effectiveness depending on willingness or ability to pay.

Incorporating frailty in a multi-state model: application to disease natural history modelling of adenoma-carcinoma in the large bowel.

Homogeneous multi-state models of disease progression have been widely used for designing and evaluating cancer screening programs. However, in screening for premalignant conditions of the cervix or large bowel, it is unlikely that all premalignant lesions have the same underlying propensity for progression. Incorporating frailty into multi-state models raises practical difficulties as it precludes the derivation of finite transition probabilities by matrix solution of the Kolmogorov equations.

Absolute numbers of lives saved and overdiagnosis in breast cancer screening, from a randomized trial and from the Breast Screening Programme in England.

Objectives: To estimate the absolute numbers of breast cancer deaths prevented and the absolute numbers of tumours overdiagnosed in mammographic screening for breast cancer at ages 50-69 years.

Setting: The Swedish Two-County randomized trial of mammographic screening for breast cancer, and the UK Breast Screening Programme in England, ages 50-69 years.

Methods: We estimated the absolute numbers of deaths avoided and additional cases diagnosed in the study group (active study population) of the Swedish Two-County Trial, by comparison with the control group (passive study population).

Different prevalence rates of Parkinson's disease in urban and rural areas: a population-based study in Taiwan.

Background: Rural living has long been debated as a risk factor for idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD). But few community-based studies compared this difference between urban and rural areas.

Methods: Population-based surveys by neurologists using a standardized diagnostic protocol were conducted in the urban areas of Keelung City and compared the prevalence rates of IPD with those we had previously determined in the rural area of Ilan County, Taiwan.