The genetic predisposition to addiction to opioids and other substances is transmitted as a complex genetic trait, which investigators are attempting to characterize using genetic linkage and association. We now report a high-density genome-wide linkage study of opioid dependence. We ascertained 305 DSM-IV opioid dependent affected sibling pairs from an ethnically mixed population of methadone ...

This briefing presents the state of play of non-performing loans (NPL) in the euro area, and provides an overview of the various measures implemented across Member States to facilitate their resolution. The first section briefly presents the various levels of NPL ratios and coverage ratios in the euro area, across Member States, sectors, and groups of banks. The second section explains the detr...

In this article we deal with two-locus nonparametric linkage (NPL) analysis, mainly in the context of conditional analysis. This means that one incorporates single-locus analysis information through conditioning when performing a two-locus analysis. Here we describe different strategies for using this approach. Cox et al. [Nat Genet 1999;21:213-215] implemented this as follows: (i) Calculate th...

Although various therapies are available to treat cancers, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, cancer has been the leading cause of death in Japan for the last 30 years, and new therapeutic modalities are urgently needed. As a new modality, there has recently been great interest in oncolytic virotherapy, with measles virus being a candidate virus expected to show strong antitumor...

Measurements, performed at NBS, NPL, and PTB, on helium-neon lasers stabilized on the Lamb dip, have shown that the wavelengths of these lasers fell within approximately 1 part in 10(7). Beyond this limit, different lasers were found to emit different wavelengths. In addition, the wavelength of a given laser may vary during the life of its discharge tube. Pressure shifts appear to be a major ca...

BACKGROUND Over the last two decades, various spatial techniques have been demonstrated using geographical information systems (GIS) to adequately estimate and characterize inequities of minority populations living near environmentally hazardous facilities. However, these methods have produced mixed results. In this study, we use recently developed variations of the "distance based" approach to...

Analogous to the epidemiology of different types of human papillomaviruses (HPVs), variants of a single type such as HPV16 may differ in the natural course of infection. A prospective study was conducted in a cohort of female university students who did not have HPV16 DNA or antibody at enrollment. Subjects were followed every 4 months with Pap smear and colposcopic examinations and tests for H...

On March 4-5, 2008, the CODATA Task Group for Exchangeable Material Data Representation to Support Research and Education held a two day seminar cum meeting at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), New Delhi, India, with NPL materials researchers and task group members representing material activities and databases from seven countries: European Union (The Czech Republic, France, and the Neth...

Several genetic epidemiological studies have provided data to support the hypothesis that there are genes on the X chromosome that may contribute to prostate cancer susceptibility. A recent linkage study of 360 prostate cancer families described evidence for a prostate cancer predisposition gene, termed HPCX, which maps to Xq27-28. To confirm the potential contribution of this locus to prostate...