Worldwide Variation Research Articles

Assessing global surface water inundation dynamics using combined satellite information from SMAP, AMSR2 and Landsat

A method to assess global land surface water (fw) inundation dynamics was developed by exploiting the enhanced fw sensitivity of L-band (1.4 GHz) passive microwave observations from the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission. The L-band fw (fwLBand) retrievals were derived using SMAP H-polarization brightness temperature (Tb) observations and predefined L-band reference microwave emissivities for water and land endmembers. Potential soil moisture and vegetation contributions to the microwave signal were represented from overlapping higher frequency Tb observations from AMSR2. The resulting fwLBand global record has high temporal sampling (1–3 days) and 36-km spatial resolution. The fwLBand annual averages corresponded favorably (R = 0.85, p-value < 0.001) with a 250-m resolution static global water map (MOD44W) aggregated at the same spatial scale, while capturing significant inundation variations worldwide. The monthly fwLBand averages also showed seasonal inundation changes consistent with river discharge records within six major US river basins. An uncertainty analysis indicated generally reliable fwLBand performance for major land cover areas and under low to moderate vegetation cover, but with lower accuracy for detecting water bodies covered by dense vegetation. Finer resolution (30-m) fwLBand results were obtained for three sub-regions in North America using an empirical downscaling approach and ancillary global Water Occurrence Dataset (WOD) derived from the historical Landsat record. The resulting 30-m fwLBand retrievals showed favorable spatial accuracy for water (commission error 31.46%, omission error 30.20%) and land (commission error 0.87%, omission error 0.96%) classifications and seasonal wet and dry periods when compared to independent water maps derived from Landsat-8 imagery. The new fwLBand algorithms and continuing SMAP and AMSR2 operations provide for near real-time, multi-scale monitoring of global surface water inundation dynamics and potential flood risk.

Mo1742 - Worldwide Variation in Yield of Universal Lynch Syndrome Screening: A Case for Universal Screening in Low Colorectal Cancer Prevalence Regions

Mo1742 - Worldwide Variation in Yield of Universal Lynch Syndrome Screening: A Case for Universal Screening in Low Colorectal Cancer Prevalence Regions

Epigenetic alterations to Polycomb targets precede malignant transition in a mouse model of breast cancer

Malignant breast cancer remains a major health threat to women of all ages worldwide and epigenetic variations on DNA methylation have been widely reported in cancers of different types. We profiled DNA methylation with ERRBS (Enhanced Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing) across four main stages of tumor progression in the MMTV-PyMT mouse model (hyperplasia, adenoma/mammary intraepithelial neoplasia, early carcinoma and late carcinoma), during which malignant transition occurs. We identified a large number of differentially methylated cytosines (DMCs) in tumors relative to age-matched normal mammary glands from FVB mice. Despite similarities, the methylation differences of the premalignant stages were distinct from the malignant ones. Many differentially methylated loci were preserved from the first to the last stage throughout tumor progression. Genes affected by methylation gains were enriched in Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) targets, which may present biomarkers for early diagnosis and targets for treatment.

A study of neoplastic study of gastrointestinal tumors

Background: Gastrointestinal tumors account for a large proportion of all neoplasms. The tumors of the Gastrointestinal tract pose a major problem in oncology and also are a major cause of apprehension in patient with the abdominal complaint in whom the fear of the cancer is the greatest. There is world wide variation in the distribution of these neoplasm, which appear largely due to exogenous factors rather than genetic. Objectives: to determine the relative frequency of various histopathologic types of tumors of eosophagus, stomach and intestines, and knowledge about their prognosis will aid the clinician in effective management of patient. Methodology: It was a prospective observational study carried after permission of the institutional ethics committee. All biopsies and resected specimens of GIT with neoplastic lesions were examined for gross lesions. All specimens studied under light microscopy and tumors were classified according to the WHO International classification of Tumors of the esophagus, stomach and intestines. Results: Gastrointestinal tumor distributed throughout all age group with maximum in 5th and 6th decade of life with male:female ratio was 1.67:1. Out of 18 cases of esophageal tumors, 16 were of squamous cell carcinoma, 1 case of adenosquamous carcinoma and 1 case of basaloidsquamous carcinoma. Majority of cases of gastric tumors occurred in pylorus followed closely by body of the stomach. Out of 18 cases of colorectal carcinoma, 12 cases were adenocarcinoma, 3 were mucinous adenocarcinoma, 2 cases of Signet ring cell carcinoma and 1 case of Malignant melanoma. Conclusion: Tumors of the gastrointestinal tract show a wide variation in the histological type making the histopathological examination a must in the diagnosis of these tumors. Early diagnosis and treatment is beneficial for better management and is imperative in providing better quality of life to the patient.

High Worldwide Variation in Prevalence of

Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with multiple gastrointestinal disorders, including peptic ulcer disease, gastritis, and gastric cancer.

Deep and Ultra-Deep Earthquakes Worldwide, Possible Anomalies in South America

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the worldwide variation of deep and ultra-deep earthquakes (DQ and UDQ) during the period 1996-2017. This project found only three locations around the globe presenting this kind of seismicity. Although there are other global settings showing deep seismicity, they are not periodical and cannot be considered by a statistical view. The three areas with intense activity for DQ and UDQ events are located mostly in subduction areas. The largest variations of DQ and UDQ border the Pacific Ocean and include the North Pacific, South Pacific, and South America. The major difference in this set is that the first two sites are subduction zones and the South American occurrences happened in the interior of the continent. Another anomaly is an internal layer between 300 - 500 km in South America that shows no tremors in the period studied. However, below 500 km activity reappears, even at extreme depths of up to 650 km. We suggested that the reason for those occurrences would be due to an anomaly in the asthenosphere in this region. This anomaly would probably be presenting a breakable material that was pushed by the Nazca platform against the South America plate. Other depths below 100 km in all the regions are discussed as well. We suggested that the reason for those occurrences was an anomaly created in the asthenosphere as part of the process of the South America collision with the Nazca plate. Part of the Nazca plate has subducted below South America, creating a slab as deep as 500 km. The convergent slab is still moving against South America and sinking due to the gravity and rotation of the Earth. The discrepancies in the occurrences we tracked at different locations indicated that this slab had different thicknesses around South America. We found similar results for Vanuatu and Fiji; in these regions UDQ events occur at the subduction zones under the ocean with depths greater than 700 km. Here, a possible explanation is that part of the lithosphere is subducted at these depths and is causing tremors.

Distinctiveness of the Roma population within CYP2B6 worldwide variation.

To determine variation of CYP2B6 gene within the genetically specific Croatian Roma (Gypsy) population originating from India and to examine it in the worldwide perspective. Seven SNP loci (rs12721655, rs2279343, rs28399499, rs34097093, rs3745274, rs7260329 and rs8192709) were genotyped in 439 subjects using Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) method. The Croatian Roma took an outlying position in CYP2B6 variation from the worldwide perspective mainly due to their exceptionally high minor allele frequency (MAF) for rs8192709 (12.8%), and lower for rs2279343 (21.1%) compared with south Asian populations. This study provides the first data of several CYP2B6 polymorphisms in Roma population and indicates the need for systematic investigation of the most important pharmacogenes' variants in this large, transnationally isolated population worldwide.

PopHuman: the human population genomics browser.

The 1000 Genomes Project (1000GP) represents the most comprehensive world-wide nucleotide variation data set so far in humans, providing the sequencing and analysis of 2504 genomes from 26 populations and reporting >84 million variants. The availability of this sequence data provides the human lineage with an invaluable resource for population genomics studies, allowing the testing of molecular population genetics hypotheses and eventually the understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of genetic variation in human populations. Here we present PopHuman, a new population genomics-oriented genome browser based on JBrowse that allows the interactive visualization and retrieval of an extensive inventory of population genetics metrics. Efficient and reliable parameter estimates have been computed using a novel pipeline that faces the unique features and limitations of the 1000GP data, and include a battery of nucleotide variation measures, divergence and linkage disequilibrium parameters, as well as different tests of neutrality, estimated in non-overlapping windows along the chromosomes and in annotated genes for all 26 populations of the 1000GP. PopHuman is open and freely available at http://pophuman.uab.cat.

A proposal of Brazilian Society of Surgical Oncology (BSSO/SBCO) for standardizing cytoreductive surgery (CRS) plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) procedures in Brazil: pseudomixoma peritonei, appendiceal tumors and malignant peritoneal mesothelioma

Cytoreductive surgery plus hypertermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy has emerged as a major comprehensive treatment of peritoneal malignancies and is currently the standard of care for appendiceal epithelial neoplasms and pseudomyxoma peritonei syndrome as well as malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. Unfortunately, there are some worldwide variations of the cytoreductive surgery and hypertermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy techniques since no single technique has so far demonstrated its superiority over the others. Therefore, standardization of practices might enhance better comparisons between outcomes. In these settings, the Brazilian Society of Surgical Oncology considered it important to present a proposal for standardizing cytoreductive surgery plus hypertermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy procedures in Brazil, with a special focus on producing homogeneous data for the developing Brazilian register for peritoneal surface malignancies.

THE GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY: NATURE, HISTORY, AND THE ROLE OF TRADE.

We explore the role of natural characteristics in determining the worldwide spatial distribution of economic activity, as proxied by lights at night, observed across 240,000 grid cells. A parsimonious set of 24 physical geography attributes explains 47% of worldwide variation and 35% of within-country variation in lights. We divide geographic characteristics into two groups, those primarily important for agriculture and those primarily important for trade, and confront a puzzle. In examining within-country variation in lights, among countries that developed early, agricultural variables incrementally explain over 6 times as much variation in lights as do trade variables, while among late developing countries the ratio is only about 1.5, even though the latter group is far more dependent on agriculture. Correspondingly, the marginal effects of agricultural variables as a group on lights are larger in absolute value, and those for trade smaller, for early developers than for late developers. We show that this apparent puzzle is explained by persistence and the differential timing of technological shocks in the two sets of countries. For early developers, structural transformation due to rising agricultural productivity began when transport costs were still high, so cities were localized in agricultural regions. When transport costs fell, these agglomerations persisted. In late-developing countries, transport costs fell before structural transformation. To exploit urban scale economies, manufacturing agglomerated in relatively few, often coastal, locations. Consistent with this explanation, countries that developed earlier are more spatially equal in their distribution of education and economic activity than late developers.

Worldwide Sex Ratio Variations in Cancer Incidence

Worldwide Sex Ratio Variations in Cancer Incidence

World-wide seasonal variation of 7Be related to large-scale atmospheric circulation dynamics

• Analysis of 7 Be activity values measured from 63 IMS stations worldwide from 2001 to 2015.

Worldwide population variation in pelvic sexual dimorphism: A validation and recalibration of the Klales et al. method

Sex estimation is an integral aspect of biological anthropology. Correctly estimating sex is the first step to many subsequent analyses, such as estimating living stature or age-at-death. Klales et al. (2012) [6] provided a revised version of the Phenice (1969) [3] method that expanded the original three traits (ventral arc, subpubic concavity/contour, and medial aspect of the ischio-pubic ramus) into five character states to capture varying degrees of expression within each trait. The Klales et al. (2012) [6] method also provided associated probabilities with each sex classification, which is of particular importance in forensic anthropology. However, the external validity of this method must be tested prior to applying the method to different populations from which the method was developed. A total of 1915 innominates from four diverse geographic populations: (1) U.S. Blacks and Whites; (2) South African Blacks and Whites; (3) Thai; and (4) unidentified Hispanic border crossers were scored in accordance with Klales et al. (2012) [6]. Trait scores for each innominate were entered into the equation provided by Klales et al. (2012) [6] for external validation. Additionally, recalibration equations were calculated with logistic regression for each population and for a pooled global sample. Validation accuracies ranged from 87.5% to 95.6% and recalibration equation accuracies ranged from 89.6% to 98% total correct. Pooling all samples and using Klales’ et al. (2012) [6] equations achieved an overall validation accuracy of 93.5%. The global recalibration model achieved 95.9% classification accuracy and can be employed in diverse worldwide populations for accurate sex estimation without the need for population specific equations.

A genomic audit of newly-adopted autosomal STRs for forensic identification

In preparation for the growing use of massively parallel sequencing (MPS) technology to genotype forensic STRs, a comprehensive genomic audit of 73 STRs was made in 2016 [Parson et al., Forensic Sci. Int. Genet. 22, 54–63]. The loci examined included miniSTRs that were not in widespread use, but had been incorporated into MPS kits or were under consideration for this purpose. The current study expands the genomic analysis of autosomal STRs that are not commonly used, to include the full set of developed miniSTRs and an additional 24 STRs, most of which have been recently included in several supplementary forensic multiplex kits for capillary electrophoresis. The genomic audit of these 47 newly-adopted STRs examined the linkage status of new loci on the same chromosome as established forensic STRs; analyzed world-wide population variation of the newly-adopted STRs using published data; assessed their forensic informativeness; and compiled the sequence characteristics, repeat structures and flanking regions of each STR. A further 44 autosomal STRs developed for forensic analyses but not incorporated into commercial kits, are also briefly described.

Genitourinary Trauma

Injury to the urogenital tract from blunt or penetrating trauma comprises 10% of injuries sustained from trauma with renal injuries comprising the majority of those cases at 1-5 % of all trauma, followed by bladder injuries. Worldwide variations in trauma mechanisms exist, with blunt trauma causing the majority of renal trauma in the United States. Careful attention to the mechanism, anatomic location, and specific physical and radiologic findings can aid in the diagnosis and appropriate management to optimize patient outcomes. Unless trauma is overtly obvious on a physical examination, imaging is required for diagnosis and staging purposes. Owing to the complexity of the urogenital tract, there is a great deal of variation in management, ranging from a conservative approach in most renal injuries to the need for operative intervention with intraperitoneal bladder rupture. This review discusses common practice and provides more recent up-to-date guidelines pertaining to the clinical history, examination findings, and imaging modalities, along with the diagnosis and management of injuries to the genitourinary system. Keywords: Genitourinary Trauma, Renal Trauma, Ureter Trauma, Bladder Trauma, Urethral Trauma, External Genitalia Trauma

Intersection of prognosis and palliation in neurocritical care.

Difficult discussions regarding end-of-life care are common in neurocritical care. Because of a patient's neurological impairment, decisions regarding continuing or limiting aggressive care must often be made by patients' families in conjunction with medical providers. This review provides perspective on three major aspects of this circumstance: prognostication, family-physician discussions, and determination of death (specifically as it impacts on organ donation). Numerous studies have now demonstrated that prediction models developed from populations of brain-injured patients may be misleading when applied to individual patients. Early care limitations may lead to the self-fulfilling prophecy of poor outcomes because of care decisions rather than disease course. A shared decision-making approach that emphasizes transmission of information and trust between families and medical providers is ethically appropriate in severely brain-injured patients and as part of the transition to end-of-life palliative care. Standard definitions of death by neurological criteria exist, although worldwide variation and the relationship to organ donation make this complex. End-of-life care in patients with severe brain injuries is common and represents a complex intersection of prognostication, family communication, and decision-making. Skills to optimize this should be emphasized in neurocritical care providers.

Frequency, presentation, and outcome of Takayasu arteritis in Western Australia

Objectives: Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is large-vessel vasculitis that predominantly affects young women. There is worldwide variation in the frequency of TAK depending on genetic and/or environmental factors. With Australian data lacking, we describe the epidemiology, clinical features and outcomes of TAK in Western Australia (WA).Methods: Retrospective case cohort study of incident TAK cases between 1 January 2000 and 30 June 2015 in WA identified from multiple sources. Data on disease presentation and outcome were extracted from medical records.Results: Eighteen patients received a clinical diagnosis with thirteen cases meeting 1990 ACR criteria for TAK (all female, 77% Caucasian, age at diagnosis 39 years) included in this analysis. Per million inhabitants the annual incidence and prevalence (2015) was 0.3 and 3.2 for Caucasians and 1.1 and 15 for Asians. Limb claudication and bruit were commonest symptoms; ESR or CRP was raised in 61% at diagnosis while aortic involvement Hata type IIb most prevalent (30%). Despite general combination therapy with corticosteroids and immunosuppressant drugs, four patients suffered a stroke, two patients developed myocardial infarction, and five patients required vascular intervention. Three Caucasian patients died during the study period.Conclusion: TAK is much more prevalent in the Asian than Caucasian population of WA and associates with significant long-term morbidity and mortality despite standard therapy.

WORLDWIDE VARIATION IN THE USE OF NUCLEAR CARDIOLOGY CAMERA TECHNOLOGY, RECONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE, AND ACQUISITION PROTOCOLS: FINDINGS FROM THE IAEA NUCLEAR CARDIOLOGY PROTOCOLS STUDY (INCAPS)

Background: Although increasing attention has been drawn to medical radiation exposure, little is reported about worldwide variation in nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) techniques that may result in differences in radiation exposure. The IAEA Nuclear Cardiology Protocols Study (INCAPS) was

Special Section: Worldwide variation in human growth: 40 years later

American Journal of Human BiologyVolume 29, Issue 2 e22984 REVIEW Special Section: Worldwide variation in human growth: 40 years later Robin M. Bernstein, Corresponding Author Robin M. Bernstein robin.bernstein@colorado.edu Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309Correspondence Robin M. Bernstein, Department of Anthropology, 1350 Pleasant Street, Hale Science 350, 233 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309, USA. Email: robin.bernstein@colorado.eduSearch for more papers by this authorDarna L. Dufour, Darna L. Dufour Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309Search for more papers by this author Robin M. Bernstein, Corresponding Author Robin M. Bernstein robin.bernstein@colorado.edu Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309Correspondence Robin M. Bernstein, Department of Anthropology, 1350 Pleasant Street, Hale Science 350, 233 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309, USA. Email: robin.bernstein@colorado.eduSearch for more papers by this authorDarna L. Dufour, Darna L. Dufour Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309Search for more papers by this author First published: 21 February 2017 https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.22984Citations: 2 Funding information: No grant sponsorship Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume29, Issue2Special Issue: Worldwide variation in human growth – 40 years later March/April 2017e22984 RelatedInformation

Worldwide variability in growth and its association with health: Incorporating body composition, developmental plasticity, and intergenerational effects

In their seminal book "Worldwide variation in human growth," published in 1976, Eveleth and Tanner highlighted substantial variability within and between populations in the magnitude and schedule of human growth. In the four decades since then, research has clarified why growth variability is so closely associated with human health. First, growth patterns are strongly associated with body composition, both in the short- and long-term. Poor growth in early life constrains the acquisition of lean tissue, while compensatory "catch-up" growth may elevate body fatness. Second, these data are examples of the fundamental link between growth and developmental plasticity. Growth is highly sensitive to ecological stresses and stimuli during early "critical windows," but loses much of this sensitivity as it undergoes canalization during early childhood. Crucially, the primary source of stimuli during early "critical windows" is not the external environment itself, but rather maternal phenotype, which transduces the impact of ecological conditions. Maternal phenotype, representing many dimensions of "capital," thus generates a powerful impact on the developmental trajectory of the offspring. There is increasing evidence that low levels of maternal capital impact the offspring's size at birth, schedule of maturation, and body composition and physiological function in adulthood. While evidence has accrued of substantial heritability in adult height, it is clear that the pathway through which it is attained has major implications for metabolic phenotype. Integrating these perspectives is important for understanding how developmental plasticity may on the one hand contribute to adaptation, while on the other shape susceptibility to non-communicable disease.