Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth common cancer. The differential expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been associated with the prognosis of various cancers. However, limited information is available regarding genome-wide miRNA expression profiles in HCC to generate a tumor-specific miRNA signature of prognostic values. In this study, the miRNA profiles in 327 HCC patients, including ...

BACKGROUND Plasma concentrations of several trace elements and vitamins decrease because of the systemic inflammatory response. Thus, low values do not necessarily indicate deficiency. OBJECTIVE The magnitude of this effect on plasma micronutrient concentrations was investigated to provide guidance on the interpretation of routine clinical results. DESIGN Between 2001 and 2011, the results ...

BACKGROUND Many public health and epidemiological studies have found differences between populations (e.g. maternal countries of birth) in average values of a health indicator (e.g. mean offspring birthweight). However, the approach based solely on population-level averages compromises our understanding of variability in individuals' health around the averages. If this variability is high, the ...

CONTEXT The use of systemic corticosteroids is a known risk factor for the development of cataracts. OBJECTIVE To determine whether treatment with inhaled corticosteroids is associated with cataract extraction in the elderly. DESIGN Case-control study. SETTING Quebec universal health insurance program for all elderly (provincial health insurance plan database [RAMQ database]). PATIENTS ...

BACKGROUND Whether local exposure to major roadways adversely affects lung-function growth during the period of rapid lung development that takes place between 10 and 18 years of age is unknown. This study investigated the association between residential exposure to traffic and 8-year lung-function growth. METHODS In this prospective study, 3677 children (mean age 10 years [SD 0.44]) particip...

PURPOSE More time outdoors is associated with a lesser risk of myopia, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. We tested the hypothesis that 25-hydroxyvitamin D (vitamin D) mediates the protective effects of time outdoors against myopia. METHODS We analyzed data for children participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) population-based birth cohort: noncyclop...

OBJECTIVES Childhood adversities may be important determinants of later illnesses and poor health behaviour. However, large-scale prospective studies on the associations between childhood adversities and the onset of asthma in adulthood are lacking. DESIGN Prospective cohort study with 7-year follow-up. SETTING Nationally representative study. Data were collected from the Health and Social ...

Although the intensive production system of Lacaune dairy sheep is the only profitable method for producers outside of the French Roquefort area, little is known about this type of systems. This study evaluated yield records of 3677 Lacaune sheep under intensive management between 2005 and 2010 in order to describe the lactation curve of this breed and to investigate the suitability of differen...