A genome-wide association study of Hodgkin's lymphoma identifies new susceptibility loci at 2p16.1 (REL), 8q24.21 and 10p14 (GATA3)

To identify susceptibility loci for classical Hodgkin's lymphoma (cHL), we conducted a genome-wide association study of 589 individuals with cHL (cases) and 5,199 controls with validation in four independent samples totaling 2,057 cases and 3,416 controls. We identified three new susceptibility loci at 2p16.1 (rs1432295, REL, odds ratio (OR) = 1.22, combined P = 1.91 × 10(-8)), 8q24.21 (rs2019960, PVT1, OR = 1.33, combined P = 1.26 × 10(-13)) and 10p14 (rs501764, GATA3, OR = 1.25, combined P = 7.05 × 10(-8)). Furthermore, we confirmed the role of the major histocompatibility complex in disease etiology by revealing a strong human leukocyte antigen (HLA) association (rs6903608, OR = 1.70, combined P = 2.84 × 10(-50)). These data provide new insight into the pathogenesis of cHL.     

A common coding variant in CASP8 is associated with breast cancer risk

The Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC) has been established to conduct combined case-control analyses with augmented statistical power to try to confirm putative genetic associations with breast cancer. We genotyped nine SNPs for which there was some prior evidence of an association with breast cancer: CASP8 D302H (rs1045485), IGFBP3 -202 C --> A (rs2854744), SOD2 V16A (rs1799725), TGFB1 L10P (rs1982073), ATM S49C (rs1800054), ADH1B 3' UTR A --> G (rs1042026), CDKN1A S31R (rs1801270), ICAM5 V301I (rs1056538) and NUMA1 A794G (rs3750913). We included data from 9-15 studies, comprising 11,391-18,290 cases and 14,753-22,670 controls. We found evidence of an association with breast cancer for CASP8 D302H (with odds ratios (OR) of 0.89 (95% confidence interval (c.i.): 0.85-0.94) and 0.74 (95% c.i.: 0.62-0.87) for heterozygotes and rare homozygotes, respectively, compared with common homozygotes; P(trend) = 1.1 x 10(-7)) and weaker evidence for TGFB1 L10P (OR = 1.07 (95% c.i.: 1.02-1.13) and 1.16 (95% c.i.: 1.08-1.25), respectively; P(trend) = 2.8 x 10(-5)). These results demonstrate that common breast cancer susceptibility alleles with small effects on risk can be identified, given sufficiently powerful studies.     

Using FlyAtlas to identify better Drosophila melanogaster models of human disease

FlyAtlas, a new online resource, provides the most comprehensive view yet of expression in multiple tissues of Drosophila melanogaster. Meta-analysis of the data shows that a significant fraction of the genome is expressed with great tissue specificity in the adult, demonstrating the need for the functional genomic community to embrace a wide range of functional phenotypes. Well-known developmental genes are often reused in surprising tissues in the adult, suggesting new functions. The homologs of many human genetic disease loci show selective expression in the Drosophila tissues analogous to the affected human tissues, providing a useful filter for potential candidate genes. Additionally, the contributions of each tissue to the whole-fly array signal can be calculated, demonstrating the limitations of whole-organism approaches to functional genomics and allowing modeling of a simple tissue fractionation procedure that should improve detection of weak or tissue-specific signals.     

The 2007 Census Test: a major step towards the 2011 Census

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is planning a major Census field test in 2007. It will form part of the planning and testing programme leading to up the next Census of Population for England and Wales in 2011, which will also include a Rehearsal in 2009. The 2007 Test will be a large-scale test in five local authority (LA) areas selected to reflect a range of field conditions, covering some 100,000 households in total. Within England the Test will cover parts of Bath and North East Somerset, Camden, Liverpool and Stoke-on-Trent. In Wales the Test will take place in Carmarthenshire. The selected LAs have been chosen to provide a varied cross-section of the population and types of housing that would be covered in a full census. This article sets out the main aims for the Test and describes the design and location of the sampled areas and the basis for their selection. It goes on to detail the ways (previously reported in Population Trend 1251) in which the ONS Census team and the LAs involved are working in partnership in planning the census enumeration with the long-term view of improving overall census coverage and user confidence in the results. The article notes that decisions on the topics to be covered in the 2007 Test have only recently been decided, and concludes with an overview of the qustions to be included in the 2007 Test questionnaire.     

Volatile content of lunar volcanic glasses and the presence of water in the Moon's interior

The Moon is generally thought to have formed and evolved through a single or a series of catastrophic heating events, during which most of the highly volatile elements were lost. Hydrogen, being the lightest element, is believed to have been completely lost during this period. Here we make use of considerable advances in secondary ion mass spectrometry to obtain improved limits on the indigenous volatile (CO(2), H(2)O, F, S and Cl) contents of the most primitive basalts in the Moon-the lunar volcanic glasses. Although the pre-eruptive water content of the lunar volcanic glasses cannot be precisely constrained, numerical modelling of diffusive degassing of the very-low-Ti glasses provides a best estimate of 745 p.p.m. water, with a minimum of 260 p.p.m. at the 95 per cent confidence level. Our results indicate that, contrary to prevailing ideas, the bulk Moon might not be entirely depleted in highly volatile elements, including water. Thus, the presence of water must be considered in models constraining the Moon's formation and its thermal and chemical evolution.     

List of Oregon Scolytidae (Coleoptera) and notes on new records

Listed are 121 species of Scolytidae from Oregon. Ten species are reported from Oregon for the first time: Hylastes tenuis Eichhoff, Phloeosinus scopulorum scopulorum Swaine, Phloeosinus hoferi Blackman, Trypodendron betulae Swaine, Xyleborus xylographus (Say), Trypophloeus striatulus (Mannerheim), T. Thatcheri Wood, Procryphalus mucronatus (LeConte), Pityophthorus scalptor Blackman, and Monarthrum dentigerum (LeConte). The second Oregon specimen of an exotic species, Xyleborus californicus Wood, is reported also.     

New records of Scolytidae from Washington state

Eighteen species of Scolytidae are reported from Washington state for the first time or raised from obscurity: Scierus annectens LeConte, Hylesinus californicus (Swaine), Phloeotribus lecontei Schedl, Carphoborus vandykei Bruck, Polygraphus rufipennis (Kirby), Crypturgus borealis Swaine, Pityogenes knechteli Swaine, Ips mexicanus (Hopkins), Ips perturbatus (Eichhoff), Ips plastographus plastographus (LeConte), Ips woodi Thatcher, Trypodendron betulae Swaine, Trypophloeus striatulus (Mannerheim), Procryphalus mucronatus (LeConte), Procryphalus utahensis Hopkins, Pseudopityophthorus pubipennis (LeConte), Pityophthorus alpinensis G. Hopping, and Pityophthorus grandis Blackman. Host tree and collection data are given for these species. A total of 105 scolytid species known from Washington are listed.     

The critical role of disks in the formation of high-mass stars

Although massive stars (commonly defined as those in excess of about eight solar masses, or with initial luminosities of a thousand times the solar luminosity or more) have an enormous impact on the galactic environment, how they form has been a mystery. The solution probably involves the existence of accretion disks. Rotational motions have been found in the gas surrounding young high-mass stars, which suggests that non-spherical accretion could be the fundamental ingredient of the massive-star formation recipe.