text:
26 Mei 1973 S.-A. MEDIESE TYDSKRIF 55 Mortality Tables H. C. RUTISHAUSER, F.F.A., A.S.A., A.LA., Actuary Swiss Re-insurance Co., Zurich, Switzerland SUMMARY assured population, the effect of selection exercised by the life insurance company, and its own mortality ex- The mortality table as used in life insurance medicine Is perience. defined and the meaning of the various columns of figures explained. Different mortality tables like period and genera- S. Afr. Med. J., 47, 855 (1973). tion tables are discussed. The problems of the actuary (If a life insurance company in deciding upon the mortality A mortality table (Table I) can be described as a con- basis on which premiums must be calculated, are briefly ventional way of presenting faciS about mortality rates reviewed, taking into account such factors as the difference according to age. A mortality table consists of a number in mortality between the general population and the of columns of figures, as shown in Table I. TABLE I. EXTRACT FROM A MORTALITY TABLE FOR WHITE MALES Proportion Average dying remaining (proportion lifetime of persons Of 100 000 born alive Stationary population (average Year of age alive at number of (period of beginning of Number In this year years of life life between year of age living at Number of age and remaining at two exact dying during beginning of dying during In year of all subsequent beginning of ages stated) year) year of age year of age age years year of age) (1 ) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) x to x TI qx Ix dx Lx Tx °ex 0- 1 0,03069 100000 3069 97301 6631405 66,31 1- 2 0,00212 96931 205 96828 6534104 67,41 2- 3 0,00138 96 726 134 96659 6437276 66,55 3- 4 0,00106 96592 102 96541 6340617 65,64 4- 5 0,00090 96490 87 96447 6244 076 '64,71 5- 6 0,00082 96403 78 96364 6147629 63,77 6- 7 0,00074 96325 72 96289 6051265 62,82 7- 8 0,00068 96253 65 96 220 5954 976 61,87 8- 9 0,00063 96188 61 96157 5858756 60,91 9 - 10 0,00061 96127 58 96098 5762599 59,95 40 - 41 0,00391 91 173 357 90994 2842040 31,17 41 - 42 0,00431 90816 392 90620 2751046 30,29 42 - 43 0,00477 90424 431 90 209 2660426 29,42 43 -44 0,00526 89993 473 89757 2570217 28,56 44-45 0,00579 89520 518 89260 2480460 27,71 45 - 46 0,00637 89002 568 88 718 2391 200 26,87 46-47 0,00701 88434 619 E'J.125 2302482 26,04 47 - 48 0,00771 87815 677 87476 2214357 25,22 48 - 49 0,00846 87138 738 86 769 2126881 24,41 49 - 50 0,00926 86400 799 86001 2040112 23,61 100-101 0,39112 118 46 96 227 1,92 101 - 102 0,401366 72 29 57 131 1,83 102 - 103 0,42600 43 19 33 74 1,74 103 - 104 0,44312 24 10 19 41 1,67 104-105 0,46014 14 7 11 22 1,59 105 - 106 0,47709 7 3 5 11 1,53 106 - 107 0,49403 4 2 3 6 1,46 107 - 108 0,51100 2 1 2 3 1,40 108 - 109 0,52810 1 1 1 1 1,34 6 856 S.A. MEDICAL JOURNAL 26 May 1973 The first column invariably gives the year oj age, the lived beyond that age if mortality rates follow the symbol for the age being x. specified table. We then have the annual rate oj mortality at age x The expectation of life as an index is sometimes also which is denoted by Ch. This may also be called the pro- used to compare different mortality tables. Care must bability that a life aged x exactly will die before reaching however be taken when drawing conclusions from such exact age x + 1. Ch is the fundamental column of the comparisons since the expectation of life as an average mortality table, all other columns can be derived from may not show up significant differences in the progression this column. of mortality rates. Thus, two tables with otherwise en- The corollary to q" is p", the annual rate oj survival tirely different characteristics might yield the same expec- or the probability that a life aged x exactly will survive ation of life for a particular given age. to exact age x + 1. q" and p" are connected by the relation q" + p" = I. Period Tables and Generation Tables The next column, 1", shows the number of lives sur- viving to the beginning of each year of age x out of the It is now usual to make an investigation into the large hypothetical number assumed to be alive at the mortality of a population over a comparatively short youngest age of the table. It is customary for this column time, a decade or less. If, say, an investigation is made of the mortality table to begin with an arbitrary large for the period 1960 to 1964, all lives will enter the in- round number of lives, which is called the radix of the vestigation who have been members of the population at table. The column 1" is sometimes also called the lije any time during that period. A person of exact age 40 on table. 1 January 1960 and surviving to 31 December 1964 will It is interesting to note that a population subject for a appear five times in the statistics and contribute to the very long period to mortality corresponding exactly to a mortality data for ages 40, 41, 42, 43 and 44. certain mortality table and giving rise to a constant A mortality table constructed in this way is called a number of 1 births every year will, if there is no 0 period table since the statistics have been obtained from emigration, eventually reach a state in which the number an entire population over a given period of time. It is of lives at each age x in the population is 1" and the important that the period of observation chosen should total population remains constant at J W 1 dt. The total not be too long in order to minimize the effects of secular o x+t changes in mortality. number of deaths in anyone year will be equal to the number of births in the same year. Such a hypothetical We all know that, in 1940, the mortality of a life aged population is called a stationary population. 40 was different from the mortality of a life aged 40 in The next column, d", shows the number of lives dying 1960, and that, in 1980, the lives aged 40 in 1960 will each year between exact ages x and x + lout of the experience different mortality at age 60 from that shown number I" having reached exact age x. by sexagenarians in 1960. It is therefore obvious that a period table is in fact a cross-section through the different The main relations between the columns mentioned are mortality tables of the many groups of lives of different as follows: ages forming the population during the period of in- d 1 - I vestigation. In reality, none of these many groups will x x x+1 q" 1 - p" follow the mortality as shown by the period table. 1" I" If we therefore wish to construct a mortality table re- 1x+} 1x d x presenting the actual mortality experienced by a popu- p" --- = 1 - q" lation, we have to follow a generation, e.g. a group of Ix Ix lives born in 1850 throughout their life until the com- 1x = Px-I 1x-I (l - qX-I) 1 x-I = 1 x-I d x-I plete extinction of the group. This type of table is called a generation table. d =1 - I q·l =(l-p)I While a generation table is the only table reflecting the x x x+} x x x x Sometimes, other columns may be found in a mortality true mortality of a body of persons throughout their table: Lx denotes the average number of persons between life, it is obviously of little use to us from the life ages x and x + 1, which is the same as the total number assurance as well as from the demographic point of view. of years lived by 1" persons between exact ages x and By the time we are able to construct a generation table it x + 1 in a stationary population. T x is the total number is hopelessly out of date, the main part of the experience of years lived by Ix lives from exact age x on to their dating more than 50 years back. We must therefore rule dates of death in a stationary population. T, is calculated out generation tables as useful tools in our work. by cumulating column L, beginning with the oldest age. It has been recognized that, for many purposes, a period °e x is the complete expectation of life at exact age x or table is not sufficient as a measure of future mortality, the average number of years lived by 1, lives from age x . nd attempts have been made to forecast future mortality on to their dates of death. It is calculated by dividing and to construct hypothetical generation tables for the T x by IX" generations now living and period tables for periods 10, The expectation of life is a useful index of longevity. 20 and more years ahead. As calculated from some specified mortality table, it It is well known that in most countries the general shows for each age the average number of years of life trend of mortality rates is still well downwards. Any 26 Mei 1973 S.-A. MEDIESE TYDSKRIF 857 forecast of future mortality rates will therefore usually lives than among the general population, suggesting that assume a further reduction in mortality. These forecasts assured lives are more careful in their way of life. A are most valuable for demographic purposes in estimating proof of this is, of course, the very fact that they have the future development of the population of a country. bought insurance. They are also sometimes used in social insurance. In addition to this class selection we have the selection In life assurance, where the assurance company will exercised by the assurance company in order to eliminate generally be involved in a financial loss if the mortality lives that are not first class from the body of its assured assumptions used have been too optimistic, the forecasting lives accepted at standard conditions. We should there- of mortality is considered too dangerous and is therefore fore expect that the mortality of assured lives is well not practised. An exception is sometimes made in esti- below the population mortality; the investigations made mates of annuitants' mortality where, of course, the posi- confirm this assumption, and I shall come back to this tion is exactly the opposite and too high mortality assump- point later. tions lead to a loss for the office. For the reasons given above, investigations into the It mav be interesting to note in this connection that mortality of assured lives have been made already in the the dow~ward trend of mortality has been found to be early stages of life assurance. In countries where life reversed already on some occasions: the latest German assurances is highly developed, the assurance companies population mortality tables show higher rates of mortality have combined their experience and have published well- at some ages than the previous one. known tables that are widely used, also outside the coun- tries in which the data were collected. I have referred to the effect of the selection exercised Population Tables, Assured Lives Tables, Select by the life assurance office when scrutinizing the propo- Tables sals it receives from its applicants. The result of this mainly medical selection is that for a group of lives In most countries of the world, the mortality of the entering assurance at, say, age 30, the rates of mortality population is ascertained at regular intervals, separately experienced are lower than for a different group of for ,Dale and female lives. These tables of population assured lives also aged 30 who took out their policies mortality are, of course, period tables. They give useful 5 years earlier at the age of 25. The time for which such information on the general standard of health in a country selection is felt is not known exactly; in the USA it is and particularly on the progress made in the period usually assumed that it lasts for some 15 years, while in elapsed since the last investigations. The number of Europe actuaries tend to believe that the selection period persons exposed to risk at each age x is usually obtained is rather shorter. from census figures, the corresponding number of deaths Mortality tables of assured lives which give mortality at each age from the registration of deaths during a rates not only according to the attained age but also suitable interval around the date of census. These popu- according to the time elapsed since entry, are called select lation tables are fairly accurate in some countries; there tables, since they reflect the effect of initiai selection. are regions, however, for which the mortality rates pub- After the end of the selection period, i.e. the time since lished would not seem trustworthy, particularly in areas entry into assurance by which the effect of selection is where there is no registration of births or where this assumed to have become negligible, the rates of mortality registration has been introduced only comparatively re- are shown for attained ages only; this part of the mor- cently. It is often found there that many people are not tality table is called the ultimate table. If the data for aware of their true age and that consequently the ages select and ultimate mortality are not distinguished and returned for the census are inaccurate. The same applies, the mortality table of assured lives is constructed without of course. to the age recorded on the death certificate. regard to the time elapsed since entry, an aggregate table Although actuarial methods have been developed to over- of mortality is obtained. come the effect of such inaccuracies and to smooth out If a life assurance company makes an investigation into irregularities, quite a number of population mortality the mortality of its own portfolio, for instance by com- tables must be regarded as inaccurate, particularly in paring it with the mortality expected according to some respect of the rates for higher ages. specified standard mortality table, it must be very careful It is easy to understand that for purposes of life assu- to take account of the effects of initial selection. Such rance, we wish to have a mortality table representing as investigations are often done with reference to ultimate closely as possible the mortality we expect to be ex- rates of mortality only, the results may then easily he perienced among the body of assured lives under con- distorted, particularly if the office in question experience sideration. It is obvious that a mortality table of the a high lapse ratio and if there is a steep increase in new whole population of a country cannot be representative business. In such a case, the average age of the portfolio for the mortality of assured lives. Persons acquiring life investigated may be very short and even if the investi- assurance are generally a select class of lives, they very gation shows that the actual mortality experienced is only often belong to the middle and higher social classes and 40% or 50% of the mortality expected according to the thus enjoy a higher standard of living and better condi- ultimate rates of mortality of the standard table of com- tions of health than the general population. It may be parison, the office may in fact have experienced higher mentioned here that in the USA even the rates of death mortality than anticipated in planning operations. It is, of by accident are considerably lower among the assured course, not permissible to compare two things of different 7 858 S.A. MEDICAL JOURNAL 26 May 1973 kind, in this case an aggregate experience with an ultimate tend to increase with age, it is questionable Whether the table. difference between assured lives' and population mortality is not too great already in the European countries and in Australia to justify the use of the population table; to use THE MORTALITY BASES OF A LIFE the population table for assurance purposes in a country ASSURANCE COMPANY like India is quite obviously out of question. From the above it appears that it is one of the most The question now arises what tables of mortality a life important problems for the actuary of a life office to office should use when calculating its premium rates, decide on the mortality basis to be used, and that he actuarial reserves and non-forfeiture values. If a recent will have to reconsider such decision at regular intervals mortality table of assured lives exists for the country in in order to make sure that the basis is still in line with which the office operates, it will usually use that table, at the experience of his office. It follows further that, when- least for the calculation of its office premiums. If the ever we make comparisons between mortality tables, office has found in the past that its own experience differs comparisons between an actual experience and a published significantly from the combined experience of the offices mortality table or reference in any other way to such who have contributed statistics to the standard assured table, we must be careful to consider all circumstances lives' mortality table in question, modifications might involved in the construction of that table, such as the become necessary; such modifications will, however, most group of lives the experience was taken from, the period probably not be made to the mortality table but effected of the experience, etc. If any comparison is made, due through adjustments to the premium rates. consideration has to be given to the differences of this While it is recognized that, in theory, a life assurance kind that may exist between the tables or experiences office should base its calculations on mortality tables compared. of its own assured lives, it is often found that such tables are simply not available for the area of operation. The office will then be forced to use some other table, if it has SHORT mSTORY OF MORTALITY TABLES been in life assurance for some time already, its experience will give it some guidance in this respect. The question The first mortality tables known were constructed from then arises whether a population table, probably the table registers of deaths and births. They were thus popu- for the country of operation, should be used or an assured lation tables but they were suffering from the fact that lives' table based on the experience in another country the numbers of those exposed to risk could not be cor- or of another company. It may be argued that, since rectly ascertained. Examples are the table constructed population mortality is known to be higher than assured by Halley form the registers of Breslau in 1693 and the lives' mortality, the use of population tables provides the one computed by Dr Price from the deaths in a parish of life assurance office with a safety margin. This is, of Northampton, England, in the years 1735 to 1780. This course, correct and in fact there are countries where latter table, published in 1783, was the first to be ex- population tables are generally used by life assurance tensively used for life assurance purposes. offices. One example is France, and in Switzerland also, Swiss population mortality formed the basis of premium Morgan's Equitable Table, published in 1834 and based on the experience of the Equitable Life Assurance rates for most companies until a few years ago. It has to Society, was the first to be constructed entirely from be pointed out, however, that in these countries the assurance density is fairly high and that, therefore, the life assurance records. difference between population and assured lives' mortality Since then, particularly from the middle of the 19th is not extremely big. As an example, I may give the century onwards, many well-known tables of assured lives' assured lives' mortality as a percentage of population mortality have been published, e.g. in Britain the JP< mortality at age 40 for some countries: in Great Britain, Table. the British Offices' Life Tables (1863 - 93). the assured lives' mortality was 65% of population mortality A 1924 - 29 and the A 1949 - 52 Tables; in the USA in 1950, in Switzerland, the corresponding ratio was American Experience (1868), American Men (1918) and 62% in 1942 to 1950. in Australia 58% around 1955 and the CSO Table of 1941 and 1958; in France the AF ex- in India 27% in 1941/50. Although these percentages perience; in India the Oriental 1925 - 35 Table, etc.
Pages to are hidden for
"Mortality Tables"Please download to view full document


text:
Page 1
www.landesbioscience.com Epigenetics 703
Epigenetics 6:6, 703-709; June 2011; © 2011 Landes Bioscience
Polycomb group genes are targets of aberrant
DNA methylation in renal cell carcinoma
*Correspondence to: Carmen J. Marsit; Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Submitted: 03/01/11; Accepted: 04/27/11
DOI: 10.4161/epi.6.6.16158
There are approximately 58,000 new cases and 13,000 deaths
from kidney cancers each year in the US and incidence has risen
steadily over the last three decades.1,2 Arising from the epithe-
lium of the renal tubule, renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts
for greater than 85% of all malignancies of the kidney, with clear
cell (conventional) RCC being the most common histological
subtype. With an overall 5-year survival rate of around 60%, the
prognosis associated with metastatic disease is less than 10%.3
While classical pathological methods based on histological assess-
ment are still used predominantly for the diagnosis and prognos-
tication of RCC, an understanding of the molecular pathology of
the disease holds great promise for enhanced detection as well as
more refined and targeted treatment approaches.
Appreciation of the molecular character of RCC was initiated
by the recognition of the association with von Hippel-Lindau
(VHL) tumor suppressor, the somatic inactivation of which is
the most frequent genetic event leading to the development of
sporadic conventional RCC.4,5 Since then, other genetic biomark-
ers, many of which are directly related to the VHL defect, have
been identified.6
The combined effects of genetic and epigenetic aberrations are well recognized as causal in tumorigenesis. Here,
we defined profiles of DNA methylation in primary renal cell carcinomas (RCC) and assessed the association of these
profiles with the expression of genes required for the establishment and maintenance of epigenetic marks. A bead-
based methylation array platform was used to measure methylation of 1,413 CpG loci in ~800 cancer-associated genes
and three methylation classes were derived by unsupervised clustering of tumors using recursively partitioned mixture
modeling (RPMM). Quantitative RT-PCR was performed on all tumor samples to determine the expression of DNMT1,
DNMT3B, VEZF1 and EZH2. Additionally, methylation at LINE-1 and AluYb8 repetitive elements was measured using
bisulfite pyrosequencing. Associations between methylation class and tumor stage (p = 0.05), LINE-1 (p < 0.0001) and
AluYb8 (p < 0.0001) methylation, as well as EZH2 expression (p < 0.0001) were noted following univariate analyses.
A multinomial logistic regression model controlling for potential confounders revealed that AluYb8 (p < 0.003)
methylation and EZH2 expression (p < 0.008) were significantly associated with methylation class membership. Because
EZH2 is a member of the Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), we next analyzed the distribution of Polycomb group
(PcG) targets among methylation classes derived by clustering the 1,413 array CpG loci using RPMM. PcG target genes
were significantly enriched (p < 0.0001) in methylation classes with greater differential methylation between RCC and
non-diseased kidney tissue. This work contributes to our understanding of how repressive marks on DNA and chromatin
are dysregulated in carcinogenesis, knowledge that might aid the development of therapies or preventive strategies for
human malignancies.
Michele Avissar-Whiting,1 Devin C. Koestler,3 E. Andres Houseman,2,3 Brock C. Christensen,1,2 Karl T. Kelsey1,2
and Carmen J. Marsit1,2,*
1Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; 2Community Health Center for Environmental Health and Technology; 3Center for Statistical Sciences;
Division of Biology and Medicine; Brown University; Providence, RI USA
Key words: EZH2, DNA methylation, renal cell carcinoma, polycomb, microarray
Stable control of transcription by promoter hypermethylation
is now recognized as playing an important role in carcinogenesis
in a wide variety of malignancies, including RCC. Several groups
have demonstrated frequent inactivation of VHL and other
tumor suppressor genes by promoter methylation in RCC, some
of which have been associated with poorer patient prognosis.7-9 It
has also been suggested that subsets of RCCs may display a CpG
Island Methylator Phenotype (CIMP); though, as yet, this does
not associate with a known RCC subtype or other clinicopatho-
logic characteristics.10
Several proteins are known to coordinate the process of pro-
moter methylation. While DNA methyltransferases DNMT3A
and DNMT3B are responsible for establishing de novo patterns
of methylation, DNMT1 is the major maintenance methyltrans-
ferase, maintaining these patterns in adult cells. DNMTs are
modestly overexpressed in many cancers11 and recent studies have
shown a mechanistic link between the DNMTs and enhancer
of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2). EZH2, the catalytic subunit of
Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), is a histone methyl-
transferase that can direct DNA methylation via recruitment
of DNMTs.12 Increased EZH2 expression has been observed
in many cancers including RCC and has been seen to promote
Page 2
704 Epigenetics Volume 6 Issue 6
that normal kidney samples had similar methylation profiles and
were generally distinct from the majority of tumors (Chi-squared
p = 0.002).
EZH2 expression is associated with methylation class in
RCC tumors. When analyzing only RCC samples, RPMM
resulted in separation of tumors into three distinct methyla-
tion classes (1–3) (Fig. 1B). Overall methylation extent pro-
gressively decreases from Class 1 to Class 3 (Fig. 1C). After
Bonferroni correction, methylation of 87 genes was found to
vary significantly across the three RPMM classes (Sup. Table 1).
RPMM classes were analyzed for associations with expres-
sion of four genes whose altered expression has been associated
with changes to DNA methylation, specifically EZH2, VEZF,
DNMT1 and DNMT3B. In a univariate analysis, EZH2 was
found to have significantly higher expression in tumors in meth-
ylation Class 3 compared with the other two classes (Kruskal
Wallis, p < 0.0001; Fig. 2A). A multinomial logistic regression
was used to model the association between the RPMM classes
and the expression of the aforementioned genes while control-
ling for potential confounders. Adjusting for age, gender, tumor
stage and methylation of both LINE-1 and AluYb8, EZH2
expression was significantly associated with methylation class
membership (Wald p = 0.008; Sup. Table 2). Figure 2D illus-
trates the results of the model: as expression of EZH2 increases
for any given sample, the probability of being a member of
Class 1 or 2 decreases while, simultaneously, the probability of
being in Class 3 increases.
Classes of promoter methylation are associated with global
methylation extent and histological stage. Univariate analyses
were performed on RPMM classes to examine if the resulting
methylation classes were associated with tumor characteristics.
A significant association among RPMM classes was found with
tumor stage Chi-squared, p = 0.05). While Class 3 was com-
prised exclusively of tumors with low stage, Class 2 was com-
prised of stage I, II and III tumors and Class 3 was comprised of
tumors of all stages (Table 2).
Pyrosequencing was used to determine methylation at repeti-
tive elements LINE-1 and AluYb8, two common markers of
global methylation. Samples belonging to Class 1 (the class with
the highest average extent of gene-associated methylation) had
significantly lower methylation of both AluYb8 and LINE-1
(Kruskal Wallis, p < 0.0001; Fig. 2B and C, respectively) when
compared to Classes 2 and 3. The association between class
membership and AluYb8 remained significant in a multinomial
logistic regression model controlling for potential confound-
ers (Wald, p = 0.003; Sup. Table 1) and probabilities of class
membership with increasing AluYb8 methylation were plotted
(Fig. 2E).
Classes of CpG loci with least correlation of methylation
between tumor and normal are enriched for polycomb group
targets. Given the association between DNA methylation in
these tumors and the expression of EZH2, a PRC2 component,
we investigated the distribution of PcG target genes among loci
with similar methylation extents in RCC tumors. All 1,413
CpG loci (as opposed to samples) were subjected to clustering
using RPMM to arrive at eight individual classes of methylation.
cell proliferation and inhibit apoptosis in RCC cell lines.13
Additionally, a prospective study of RCC found that high tumor
EZH2 expression was associated with significantly lower disease
recurrence.14 Lastly, recent work on the vascular endothelial zinc
finger 1 (VEZF1) protein has suggested that its abundance is
linked with the expression of DNMT3B, and its loss is associated
with widespread loss of methylation both globally and in distinct
CpG islands.15
Utilizing high throughput measurement of CpG methylation
in 1,413 autosomal loci contained in 773 cancer-associated genes,
this study aimed to test the hypothesis that the expression of criti-
cal DNA methylation-associated genes is associated with patterns
of genomic methylation in these tumors.
Non-diseased kidney tissues cluster together based on meth-
ylation profiles. The extent of methylation of 1,413 CpG loci
in ~800 cancer-related genes was determined for 67 RCC sam-
ples and six non-diseased kidney samples using the Illumina
GoldenGate Methylation BeadArray. Demographic and tumor
stage and grade data for cases are shown in Table 1. A recur-
sively partitioned mixture model (RPMM) was used to cluster
samples into classes according to similarities in their methylation
profiles. When applied to methylation data from all autosomal
loci in tumors and normal samples, RPMM yielded six distinct
methylation classes (a–f). Figure 1A shows a heat map result-
ing from the RPMM analysis, depicting the average methylation
beta values across samples in each class (columns) at each locus
(rows). Five out of six normal samples fell into one class (Class
c), while the sixth sample fell into a neighboring class (Class b),
which originated from the same node in the hierarchy, indicating
Table 1. Patient demographics and clinicopathologic characteristics
All cases
n = 67 Covariate
Mean (SD)63.1 (13.6)
Gender n (%)*
Male36 (55.4)
Female 29 (44.6)
Stage n (%)*
Grade n (%)**
*Missing data on two samples. **Missing data on four samples.
Page 3
www.landesbioscience.com Epigenetics 705
for each individual class. Methylation classes 2–4, which con-
tained the most PcG target gene loci, also showed the lowest
correlation in methylation between tumor and normal tissue
(Fig. 3).
The utility of genome-wide methylation profiles in defining bio-
logically and clinically relevant sub-classes of cancer has been
established for multiple cancer types and is attributed to high
correlation between epigenetic alterations across CpG loci.16 The
definition of methylation-based classes has revealed associations
Presence or absence of PcG targets was plotted coordinately for
each locus. A logistic regression was used to calculate the odds
of containing a PcG-target locus for each methylation class as
compared to the referent class, Class 8, which demonstrated the
highest extent of CpG methylation. The classes with lower extent
of methylation (Classes 1–5) all showed significantly higher odds
of containing PcG loci compared to the referent class (p < 0.0001
in all comparisons; Table 3).
We next sought to investigate how the particular groups
of CpG loci in each class differed between RCC tumor and
non-diseased kidney epithelia. Correlation plots were gener-
ated and Spearman's rank correlation coefficients calculated
Figure 1. Results of a recursively partitioned mixture model. In heat maps, columns represent samples, with column widths proportional to the
number of samples in each class, and rows represent individual CpG loci. The color of rows in each class represents the mean methylation for that
class ranging from β = 0 (yellow, unmethylated) to β = 1 (blue, methylated). (A) Heat map illustrating clusters of 67 renal cell carcinoma tumors and
6 histologically normal kidney samples on the basis of their methylation profiles. Pie charts indicate proportion of tumor vs. normal samples in each
methylation class (Chi Squared p = 0.002). (B) Heat map illustrating clusters of only the 67 renal cell carcinoma tumors on the basis of their methylation
profiles. (C) Bar plot depicts mean methylation (β) across all 1,413 CpG loci for samples in each class from (B).
Page 4
706 Epigenetics Volume 6 Issue 6
profiles are associated with expression of the genes responsible for
establishing and maintaining methylation marks in the context
of RCC. The use of an array for identifying methylation profiles
provides a broad genomic assessment of epigenetic alterations,
reducing the bias of a candidate gene approach and allowing for a
robust statistical assessment for finding correlations with a range
of covariates. Our method for clustering samples, RPMM, allows
for data-driven clustering based on methylation, and subsequent
examination of the biological or clinical meaning of these clusters.
While much is known about the genetics of RCC, only lim-
ited work has been done toward understanding the contributions
of epigenetics to the disease. For example, the von Hippel Lindau
(VHL) tumor suppressor, which had long been recognized as
playing a central role in development of sporadic clear cell RCC
due to decreased expression by mutational inactivation or loss of
heterozygosity, has also been shown to be silenced by DNA meth-
ylation in a significant proportion of tumors.7 As appreciation for
the role of epigenetics in renal carcinogenesis has grown, several
other epigenetically altered genes have been identified in RCC
including SFRP1 and Wnt-antagonist DKK2.9,22-25
Initially, RPMM was applied to methylation data from both
tumor and normal samples, and demonstrated that the pattern
of methylation in cancer-related genes varies between tumor and
normal samples. This analysis resulted in six classes, two of which
Figure 2. Univariate and multivariable associations with methylation class. Plots depicting variation in samples across RPMM classes of (A) EZH2 ex-
pression, (B) AluYb8 methylation and (C) LINE-1 methylation (Kruskal Wallis p < 0.0001, for each case). Plots depicting probability of methylation class
membership for (D) EZH2 and (E) AluYb8, upon controlling for potential confounders in a multinomial logistic regression model (Wald p < 0.008 and
Wald p < 0.003, respectively).
Table 2. Chi-Squared analysis of stage by RPMM class
Class 1
Class 2
Class 3
38 (59.2)24 (36.4) 52 (80.0) p = 0.05
3 (4.1)24 (36.4) 13 (20.0)
19 (28.6) 17 (27.3)0.0 (0.0)
5 (8.2) 0 (0.0)0.0 (0.0)
Table 3. Logistic regression: Odds of containing PcG-target locus
by methylation class
Odds of PcG locus presence (95% CI)p
Class 8 Referent
Class 7 0.84 (0.40–1.77)0.643
Class 6 1.66 (0.84–3.30)0.147
Class 5 3.31 (1.75–6.26) 2.38E-04
Class 4 4.37 (2.37–8.04)2.20E-06
Class 3 5.01 (2.67–9.11) 1.23E-07
Class 2 4.14 (2.26–7.56)3.98E-06
Class 1 3.76 (2.00–7.09)4.02E-05
between these distinct classes and clinicopathologic tumor char-
acteristics17-20 as well as environmental exposures.17,20,21 The goal
of the present study was to understand how methylation-based
Page 5
www.landesbioscience.com Epigenetics 707
pattern consistent with the gene-specific regional hypermethyl-
ation and concomitant global genomic hypomethylation that is
a hallmark of neoplasia.26 Our study is limited in its sample size
to more precisely quantify this relationship, and further stud-
ies focused on the relationship between LINE-1 and AluYb8
methylation and gene-specific methylation in low-grade tumors
is warranted.
Considering that methylation profiles of samples were associ-
ated with EZH2 expression, and EZH2 is the major catalytic
subunit of the histone methyltransferase complex PRC2, the
distribution of PcG target genes across loci with differential
methylation was of great interest. The significant contribution of
aberrant chromatin structure in RCC was highlighted in a recent
finding, demonstrating that mutations of the SWI/SNF chro-
matin remodeling complex gene PBRM1 existed in 41% of RCC
tumors in the study.27 Our classification of CpGs based on meth-
ylation state revealed that classes of CpG loci with relatively low
methylation extent in tumors were significantly enriched for
loci associated with PcG target genes. Expanding this examina-
tion to include a comparison with non-diseased kidney tissue
led to the observation that these same classes were relatively less
correlated between tumor and normal tissue, and likely include
genes targeted for alteration in carcinogenesis. Interestingly,
this suggests that while there is a broad range of methylation
degree among cancer-related genes in RCC, the genes that
are most highly methylated among tumors are not necessarily
those that drive the cancer phenotype, which is characterized
by gene-specific hypermethylation in tumors compared to nor-
mal tissue. In addition, PcG target genes associate with a large
proportion of the loci that are differentially methylated (specifi-
cally hypermethylated) in tumors compared to normal tissue.
This phenomenon may be explained by a new body of literature
describing the epigenetic landscape of cancer stem cells. These
studies present a model whereby PcG target genes, specifically
regulatory targets of EZH2, which in normal cells carry the dis-
tinctive mark of trimethylated lysine 27 of histone 3, are coor-
dinately regulated with multiple genes that become aberrantly
contained all the normal samples, suggesting that normal tissues
have similar methylation profiles to one another and are distinct
from the majority of tumors. The observation that normal tis-
sues fell into classes along with some tumor samples suggests
an increased presence of non-malignant cells, a less aggressive
phenotype, or both for those tumors. RPMM on RCCs alone
resulted in only three classes, suggesting a decrease in hetero-
geneity of methylation profiles upon removal of normal kidney
tissues. Mean methylation extent across all loci decreased pro-
gressively from Classes 1–3.
An altered epigenetic landscape can originate from dysregula-
tion in the expression of genes that control DNA methylation or
regulate epigenetic processes by direct or indirect mechanisms.
Therefore, we evaluated the expression of key epigenetic regula-
tory genes DNMT3B, DNMT1, VEZF1 and EZH2 in tumors.
An association was noted between class membership and EZH2
expression, where methylation Class 3 tumors demonstrated
higher expression of EZH2 than tumors in the other two
classes. Class 3 was also comprised of only tumors of low stage
(I and II), whereas the prevalence of higher stage tumors (III
and IV) was seen to increase progressively from Class 2 to Class
1. With the lower extent of aberrant promoter hypermethyl-
ation observed in Class 3 tumors, our data suggest that tumors
overexpressing EZH2 are less advanced and demonstrate fewer
epigenetic abnormalities. In fact, this finding is consistent with
recent work showing that while EZH2 expression is significantly
elevated in primary RCC tumors compared with histologically
normal kidney samples, higher EZH2 expression among tumors
was characteristic of less aggressive tumors and a more favor-
able disease prognosis.14 Taken together, these data suggest that
EZH2 may be more important in tumor initiation than in pro-
gression of RCC.
Our analysis of global methylation markers revealed that the
extent of methylation at both LINE-1 and AluYb8 was signifi-
cantly higher in Classes 2 and 3 as compared to Class 1. Thus,
methylation of these repetitive elements was inversely related
to the extent of gene-associated methylation across classes, a
Figure 3. Classes with poor correlation in methylation status of tumor and normal tissue are enriched for PcG target-associated loci. Top strip shows
methylation status of all CpG loci separated into 8 classes derived by using RPMM to cluster the CpG loci based on their mean methylation across all
tumors. Lower strip shows PcG status plotted coordinately for each locus. Scatter plots show correlation between methylation in non-diseased tissue
(Y-axis) and RCC tumors (X-axis) for the loci in each corresponding class with ρ representing the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient for each plot.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Steam Cleaning
It's time to trade in your mop and bucket. That stubborn grease and grime will be history when you bring home a steam cleaning system. The power of steam is renowned for its cleaning benefits and the choices of steam cleaners are many. From handheld, mop, cylinder – the types of steam cleaning systems are many. They come with a 900 - 1500 watt range and operate on a simple principle, ordinary tap water is heated to a germ-blasting vapor of close to 100ºC (212ºF). The resultant steam loosens and lifts dirt and residue from surfaces revealing a clean surface. You'll need to find a cleaner which delivers a perfect amount of steam at a precise temperature. It also has the ability to sanitize and deodorize carpets and might even loosen some stains.
Looking for a steam cleaner for your home or commercial space? At GoVacuum, we stock a range of cleaning systems that meet your steam cleaning and sanitizing needs. From Gruene Steamer Mop & Handheld Cleaner to the Bissell Lift-Off Steam Mop, you can choose from a number of leading brands that lets you sanitize your home or office and remove difficult dirt without the usage of harsh chemicals. Why don't you opt for this effective, chemical-free way to clean floors and other surfaces?
Jiffy Heavy Duty Model J-4000m Garment Steamer$329.00Jiffy Heavy Duty Model J-4000m Garment Steamer Learn More
Bissell Lift-Off Floors & More, Titanium, 53Y8$149.81The Lift-Off Floors & More provides powerful cordless cleaning and is ready to go for quick clean up. Features: Bissell Lift-Off Floors and More . Learn More
Bissell 1867-7 Steam Mop Hard-Floor Cleaner$119.95Bissell 1867-7 Steam Mop is a hot steam based electric hard-Floor cleaner that contains no harsh chemicals or formulas. The Bissell 18767- SteamMop ships for free. Learn More
Jiffy 0601 NEMA Powerful Esteam Travel Steamer$99.00Jiffy® Steamer's ESTEAM® is the most powerful hand-held steamer on the market. Made of the finest materials available, many years of research and testing were spent developing the ESTEAM®. This simple-to-operate steamer is ideal for use at hom Learn More
Jiffy Heavy Duty Model J-4000m Garment Steamer$399.99The J-4000 Pro-Line Series is Jiffy Learn More
Jiffy J-2000i Garment Steamer & Steam Cleaner with 4 Interchangeable Steam Heads$310.00Jiffy J-2000i Garmet Steamer / Steam Cleaner That Is The Best Way To Get Rid OF Wrinkles From Your Clothes. The Jiffy J-2000i Ships For Free From GoVacuum. Learn More
Jiffy J-2000 New Style Residential Garment/Clothes/Fabric Steamer 1300 Watts 3/4 Gallon Capacity$289.99As your drycleaner knows, steam is the gentlest, safest, most efficient method to remove wrinkles from fabrics. The powerful action of garment steamers penetrate the fibers, relaxes them and causes the wrinkles to release. Unlike ironing Learn More
Jiffy J-4000 Proline Commercial Garment, Clothes, Fabric & Upholstery Steamer$299.00The J-4000 Pro-Line Series is Jiffy Steamers Most Powerful Commercial Grade Steamer & Great For Garments & Clothes. The Jiffy J-4000 Reviews At GoVacuum Learn More
Jiffy Steamers J-2 Original Garment, Clothes & Fabric Steamer$169.99Do you have to attend a formal dinner at your boss's house? Worried that your formals have not been taken to the laundry for removing wrinkles and there is absolutely no time now to get it ironed? Have you thought about investing in a good cloth steamer? A steamer is not only faster than an iron box but also safer. Steaming is an efficient way to remove wrinkles from any kind of materials and fabrics. You can remove the wrinkles from your tablecloths, bedcovers, clothes, virtually any fabrics using steamers. Jiffy steamers are one of the prominent steamers in the market. They have a wide range of products including travel steamer, personal steamers, professional steamers, hat steamers and many more. If you're interested in buying a Jiffy steamer or its accessories, visit Govacuum.com. This is right place where you can shop for your steamers, air purifiers and vacuum cleaners of top brands and models. Product Features •Jiffy Steamers J-2 Original Garment, Clothes & Fabric Steamer •Recommended for home or light commercial use. •Quick 2-minute heat up time. •1300 Watts. •1 Gallon water supply steams for 1.5 hours. •Steams away wrinkles faster without ironing. •5 Times faster than ironing for removing wrinkles. •No scorching or shining. •J-2 Steamer on casters with garment & hose hanger. •Cast aluminum housing unit for durability. •360 degrees swivel casters allow freedom of movement. Learn More
Jiffy Steamer J-4000I-1401 Pro-Line Multi-Purpose Steamer with 5.5 foot hose$429.95Jiffy Steamer J-4000I is a heavy duty (1500 watts) Multi-Purpose Steamer with 5.5 foot hose and 4 interchangeable steam heads. Learn More
Jiffy Steamer Proline Heavy Duty Steamer J4000D$385.99Jiffy Steamer Proline Heavy Duty Steamer J4000D Learn More
Jiffy Heavy Duty Commercial Drapery Steamer J4000DM$395.99Jiffy Heavy Duty Commercial Drapery Steamer J4000DM Learn More
Bissell Steam Mop Deluxe 31N1 Upright Vacuum Cleaner by Bissell Homecare, Inc$88.75Overview Steam Mop Deluxe. Bring hardwood, tile, laminate, marble, and other hard-surface floors to a beautiful shine with this deluxe steam mop. Its innovative design harnesses the power of steam to thoroughly clean and sanitize floors, eradicating even microscopic germs and bacteria. Simply pull the steam-on-demand trigger and run the upright cleaner back and forth across floors--no toxic chemicals or cumbersome rinsing, wringing, or carrying heavy buckets of water required. The mop's high-capacity removable water tank fills easily, while its built-in water-purification system offers superior cleaning by preventing hard-water deposits from accumulating and causing dingy, lifeless flooring over time. SKU:BN011120015256 Learn More
Jiffy Steamer J-2M Garment Steamer$229.00Jiffy Steamer J-2M Garment Steamer Learn More
Jiffy Steamer J-4000A Upholstery & Auto Trim Steamer$249.00Jiffy Steamer J-4000A Upholstery & Auto Trim Steamer Learn More
Jiffy Steamer J-2000M Garment Steamer$229.00Jiffy Steamer J-2000M Garment Steamer Learn More
Jiffy Steamer J-4000M Pro-Line Garment Steamer$299.99Jiffy Steamer J-4000M Pro-Line Garment Steamer Learn More
Bissell Deluxe Home Steam Cleaner Package, Includes 18677 Uprights & Steam Shot 39N7A Handheld.$169.00Bissell Deluxe Home Steam Cleaner Package, Includes 18677 Uprights & Steam Shot 39N7A Handheld. Learn More
Bissell 39N7A SteamShot Handheld Steam Cleaner, With Bonus Attachment & Supplies.$110.00Bissell 39N7A SteamShot Handheld Steam Cleaner, With Bonus Attachment & Supplies. Learn More
Jiffy Steamer J-4000I-1330 Pro-Line Multi-Purpose Steamer with 7.5 ft Hose$329.99Jiffy Steamer J-4000I-1330 Pro-Line Multi-Purpose Steamer with 7.5 ft Hose Learn More
Bissell Steam Mop Microfiber Pad Replacement, 2-Pack, 3255$8.87Bissell Steam Mop Microfiber Pad Replacement, 2-Pack, 3255 Learn More
Bissell Steam Mop Max 21H6$32.99Bissell Steam Mop Max 21H6 Learn More
Bissell Model 9200 Steam Cleaner Solenoid Valve Part 2036761$9.63Bissell Model 9200 Steam Cleaner Solenoid Valve Part 2036761 Learn More
Jiffy Steamers J-2 Original Garment, Clothes and Fabric Steamer$219.00Jiffy Steamers J-2 Original Garment, Clothes and Fabric Steamer Learn More
Bissell 1867-7 Steam Mop Hard-Floor Cleaner$119.95Bissell 1867-7 Steam Mop Hard-Floor Cleaner Learn More
BISSELL Powerfresh Steam Mop Blue 1940
Special Price: $88.00
Original: $99.99Give your hard floors a shiny, sanitized clean* with the variable, digital steam control. Armed with the handy, flip-down Easy Scrubber, you can thoroughly clean tough messes. Clean sticky, dried on spots 2X faster than the leading steam mop with a built-in Easy Scrubber, while experiencing whole-room freshness from the optional scent discs. Now clean, sanitized floors are a simple steam away. Learn More
BISSELL PROHEAT 2X Steam Cleaner END CAPS WITH EDGE BRUSHES & SCREWS$7.51BISSELL PROHEAT 2X Steam Cleaner END CAPS WITH EDGE BRUSHES & SCREWS Learn More
Results 1 - 27 of 28
- 1
- 2


text:
I am an Ayurvedic consultant, herbalist and Yoga therapist with a passion for cooking, Ayurvedic nutrition and AyurYoga.
Member since February 26, 2013
Thanks for signing up!
Connect with us to get more Food52!
Sign up for our useful, inspired emails and we'll give you everything you need to eat and live better—including recipes, how-tos, and exclusives and great gift ideas from our kitchen and home shop.
|Please enter a quantity larger than 0.
Sorry, this item is currently out of stock.
Expected back in stock .
Notify me when it's back. Submit Thanks! We'll email you when it's available again.


text:
With Instructables you can share what you make with the world and tap into an ever-growing community of creative experts.
share what you made with text, photos, video, and files
Create »
gather your favorite instructables together
We have a be nice comment policy. Please be positive and constructive.
675 views
4 favorites
Analog Photography Tips For Beginnersby ProfessorThinkzles
HOW TO: STEEL WOOL PHOTOGRAPHY (VIDEO)by rachelsherman
Long exposure photographyby mtesta
How to Green Screen (ChromaKey ) with Photography !by markapsolon
How to use Grad ND in filmmaking and photographyby ritwika
How to: Steel Wool Photographyby comm444fall14
Photography Tips, Tricks, and In-Betweens for the Amateur Picture-Takerby thomasthetankengine
arduino module for time-lapse photographyby intructable
Photographing flowers and plantsby thorswolf
How to Get Started in Trick Photographyby Paul Johnston
See More
Download our new apps for iOS, Android and Windows 8!
© 2015 Autodesk, Inc.
By clicking "Create Account" you are indicating that you have read and agree to the Terms of service.
Already a member? Login »
Enter the email associated with your account and we will send you your username and a temporary password.
Not a member? Sign Up »


text:
Forgot Password? | Not a User? Sign up
Your browser does not support iframes.
15 Years Ago
1995 – The attorney for Stuart Heaton, a Bluff City man convicted of murder in 1992, was asking the court for the permission to obtain fingerprints for two local men who he believed committed the murder.
Vandalia's wrestlers took first place at the Mascoutah Invitational. Mike Mabry, Nathan Graumenz and David Graumenz won their weight classes.
Fayette County Caring & Sharing distributed Christmas baskets to 523 people in the county.
This week's Mystery Banks Photo: This young man, pictured as a Christmas gift 24 years ago, went to school in Vandalia. He is now married and lives in Brownstown. He loves to hunt and fish.
Do you know him? If so, call The Leader-Union, 283-3374.
In last week's Mystery Banks Photo were: No picture last week.
This week's Scrambler: i veern idd tagnyhin horwt gindo yb tidnecac, ron idd nya fo ym stinovnine moec yb nidtacec; hyte meca yb rowk.
The city of Vandalia has done it again. Made another mistake, that is, by turning down the move of First Assembly of God Church to the old Rural King building.
With the present job growth (none), the present business growth (very little) and at a time when we need God more than ever, they have stopped the church from moving.
What really says it all is that if it had been a place of hard spirits instead of the Holy Spirit, they wouldn't have had to even take a vote. Does anyone see any humor in this?
This past Saturday evening, the Old State Capitol historic site was ablaze with candles and decorated with greenery in celebration of the annual holiday open house.
It is one of three main annual events in which the stately building is featured, the other two being Abraham Lincoln's birthday celebration and the Grande Leveé. The annual open house brings history to life.
If there's one thing the people of Fayette County are known for, it's their generosity.
Year after year, we witness that compassion in the way people respond to needs. We see it in events like Relay for Life. We see it in the outpouring of help to a family that has lost everything in a fire. We see it in projects undertaken by service organizations to improve the quality of life here.
And – especially at this time of year – we see it in the generous response to those who are having trouble putting food on the table for their family.
I wanted to tell those who have decorated the downtown area with Christmas decorations that it's simply charming.
It's elegant; it's warm and it's inviting.
Thank you so much for your vision and the impetus to "make that vision come to life." I love it and really appreciate your efforts.
Everyone have a very Merry Christmas.
Sharon LaDage
This week's Mystery Banks Photo: No photo this week.
In last week's Mystery Banks Photo were: Cheryl Koehler Carpenter and Janet Cothern Eckhardt.
Identifying them were: Danny and Patty Donaldson, Linda Schulte and the Betty Ruth Club.
This week's Scrambler: eht den fo modswi si ot mader gihh gunhoe ot sole het merda ni teh giesnek fo ti.
Can you unscramble it? If so, call The Leader-Union, 283-3374, by 5 p.m. next Monday.
1995 – The Fayette County Board approved a five-year contract with Dr. Joe Ertel of Ramsey for animal control services for the county.
Michelle Lach of Vandalia was a member of the Lake Land College girls basketball team.
Local Girl Scouts Elizabeth Zeman, Tiffany Roberts, Jamie Davison and Aaron Williams were selected to represent the Shagbark Girl Scout Council at the Girl Scout World Center in Mexico.
20 Years Ago
Copyright © 2015
The Leader Union is your source for local news, sports, events and information in Vandalia, Il, and the surrounding area.


text:
Sandy Task Force issues sixty-nine rebuilding recommendations
The Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, appointed by President Obama and chaired by Housing and Urban Development secretary Shaun Donovan, last week release its much-anticipated report, in which it lays out sixty-nine policy recommendations for improving areas affected by Hurricane Sandy last October. The report stressed the importance of investment in new and better construction to withstand increasingly dangerous storms and surges caused by climate change.
Jersey shore towns build protection against future storms
Mantoloking and Brick townships in New Jersey were among the hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy. The storm also destroyed the natural dune barriers which offered a measure of protection. The two cities have decided to take action to minimize the damage of inflicted by a future storm: a $40 million project will see a steel wall —extending sixteen feet above the beach with a depth of thirty-two feet below the ground, and covered in sand to form an artificial dune — will run along the length of the two towns.
Fukushima radioactive plume to reach U.S. next year
The radioactive ocean plume from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear plant disaster will reach the shores of the United States within three years from the date of the incident, but is likely to be harmless, according to a new study. While atmospheric radiation was detected on the U.S. west coast within days of the incident, the radioactive particles in the ocean plume take considerably longer to travel the same distance.
Understanding the effects of wildfire smoke improves climate change models
Where there is wildfire, there is smoke — a lot of it. Those vast, carbon-laden clouds released by burning biomass can play a significant role in climate change. Not much is known, however, about the different types of particles in wildfire smoke and how they affect climate. Now researchers have uncovered some of their secrets. In particular, they studied an important component of smoke that has so far been absent from most models of climate change.
Beach erosion by Hurricane Sandy leaves coastal communities more exposed to future storms
Barrier islands provide natural protection against storms, shielding coastlines from rising waves and tides. Beaches and dunes on Fire Island, New York, lost more than half of their pre-storm volume during Hurricane Sandy, and the loss of so much sand increases the vulnerability of this area of coastline to future storms.
Remapping coastal areas damaged by Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Sandy caused wide-scale landscape-altering destruction, resulting in an estimated damage of $50 billion, making Sandy the second-costliest cyclone to hit the United States since 1900. "Sandy's most fundamental lesson is that storm vulnerability is a direct consequence of the elevation of coastal communities in relation to storm waves," says USGS Kevin Gallagher. Three federal agencies are using ships, aircraft, and satellites to measure water depth, look for submerged debris, and record altered shorelines in high priority areas from South Carolina to Maine.
Aquifer supplying a third of U.S. irrigated groundwater depleting quickly: study
The High Plains Aquifer of Kansas — also called the Ogallala Aquifer — supplies 30 percent of the U.S. irrigated groundwater. New study finds that if current irrigation trends continue, 69 percent of the groundwater stored in the High Plains Aquifer will be depleted in fifty years.
Post-Sandy infrastructure must be more resilient: Sandy Task Force
The task force appointed by President Barack Obama, charged with developing a strategy for rebuilding areas damaged by Superstorm Sandy, has urged coastal communities to recognize that owing to climate change, storms are going to be more frequent and more destructive, and that floods are going to occur more frequently. The best way to prepare for the more extreme weather ahead is to build a more robust and resilient infrastructure that can withstand the more demanding challenges.
Long-term radiation effects: Chernobyl's lessons for Fukushima
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster spread significant radioactive contamination over more than 3,500 square miles of the Japanese mainland in the spring of 2011. Now several recently published studies of Chernobyl are bringing a new focus on just how extensive the long-term effects on Japanese wildlife might be.
Predicting when lightning will strike
When something is unlikely to happen, people often say that there is a greater chance of being struck by lightning. The fact is, however, that lightning does strike, and is one of the leading weather-related causes of death and injury. Furthermore, important infrastructure including airports, hospitals, sports stadiums, and power lines can often be affected by lighting. Electronic components are particularly vulnerable to lightning-induced transient voltages. Lightning is estimated to cause up to 16 percent of forest fires in the EU, costing 70 million euros in mitigation efforts a year. The EU-funded LOLIGHT (Lightning Mapping and Supercell Tracking System) project sought to address this by developing a low-cost system capable of detecting lightning to an accuracy of 100 meters.
New levee system offers New Orleans better protection
With the busiest period of the 2013 hurricane season approaching metro New Orleans, the area is ready to face the challenge with a flood control system worth about $14.5 billion. The network of levees, floodwalls, and pumps, its designers say, should nearly eliminate the risk of flooding from most hurricanes, and substantially reduces flooding from hurricanes the size of 2005 Hurricane Katrina.
Old concrete helps keep water clean
Lakes and streams are often receiving so much phosphorous that it could pose a threat to the local aquatic environment. Now, researchers show that there is an easy and inexpensive way to prevent phosphorus from being discharged to aquatic environments. The solution is crushed concrete from demolition sites.
Catastrophes cost global insurance industry more than $20 billion in first half of 2013
Total economic losses from disasters in the first half of 2013 reached $56 billion. Insured losses from natural catastrophes totaled $17 billion, with flooding a main driver. Around 7,000 lives were lost as a result of natural catastrophes and man-made disasters.
Cost of flood losses in major coastal cities to exceed $50 billion by 2050
A new study estimate present and future flood losses — or the global cost of flooding — in 136 of the world's largest coastal cities, taking into account existing coastal protections. Average global flood losses in 2005, estimated at about $6 billion per year, could increase to $52 billion by 2050 with projected socio-economic change alone. Due to their high wealth and low protection level, three American cities — Miami, New York City, and New Orleans — are responsible for 31 percent of the losses across the 136 cities.
Louisiana energy companies sued over destruction of New Orleans' wetlands
The Louisiana oil and gas industry has dredged more than 10,000 miles of canals through the state's wetlands, causing the destruction of natural buffers and barriers which, in the past, had moderated the impact of hurricanes and protected New Orleans from severe storms. The Army Corps of Engineers has embarked on a $14.6 billion plan to undo some of the damage caused by the energy companies. The plan consists of levee improvement, wetland restoration, and land reclamation to make New Orleans better protected in the face of rising seas and more frequent and severe extreme weather events. The Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East (SLFPAE) has filed suit against 94energy companies,asking the court to order the companies to do their part to correct the problem they have caused.


text:
Book your room at La Quinta Inn & Suites Baton Rouge Siegen Lane
Standard Room, 1 King BedMax Occupancy: 3 guests (up to 2 children, 1 infant)
Standard Room, 2 Double BedsMax Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 3 children, 3 infants)
Executive Room, 1 King Bed with Sofabed, Refrigerator & MicrowaveMax Occupancy: 3 guests (up to 2 children, 2 infants)
Get an overview of this hotelHotel in Baton Rouge with free breakfast and fitness center
Situated in the business district, this hotel is within 3 mi (5 km) of Rockstar Racing, Mall of Louisiana, and Perkins Rowe. Rural Life Museum and Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center are also within 6 mi (10 km).
Hotel Features
A fitness center, coffee/tea in the lobby, and a seasonal outdoor pool are available at this hotel. Free continental breakfast, free WiFi in public areas, and free self parking are also provided. Additionally, dry cleaning, laundry facilities, and a 24-hour front desk are onsite.
Room Amenities
All 100 rooms provide conveniences like refrigerators and microwaves, plus free WiFi and cable TV. Other amenities available to guests include coffee makers, free local calls, and video-game consoles.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
La Quinta Inn & Suites Baton Rouge Siegen Lane features a fitness center and a seasonal outdoor pool. High-speed wired and wireless Internet access is complimentary. Guests can enjoy a complimentary breakfast. This Baton Rouge hotel also offers multilingual staff, coffee/tea in the lobby, and complimentary newspapers in the lobby. Complimentary self parking is available on site.
- Free breakfast
- Free self parking
- Free WiFi
- Free wired high-speed Internet
- Outdoor seasonal pool
- Fitness facilities
- RV, bus, truck parking
- Coffee/tea in lobby
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Laundry facilities
- 24-hour front desk
- Express check-out
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Multilingual staff
- Number of floors - 3
- Total number of rooms - 100
Family Friendly Amenities
- Free Wi-Fi
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Laundry facilities
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi , Free wired high-speed Internet
Free self parking, RV, bus, truck parking
Room Amenities
- Free WiFi
- Cable TV service
- Premium TV channels
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Coffee/tea maker
- Cribs/infant beds available
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Daily housekeeping
- Free local calls
- Video-game console
- Hair dryer
- Iron/ironing board
- Air conditioning
Where to Eat
Guests are offered a complimentary continental breakfast.
Nearby Things to Do
Recreational amenities at the hotel include a fitness center and a seasonal outdoor pool.
- Golfing nearby
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- Accessible bathroom
- Accessible parking
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Rollaway/extra beds are available.
- Cribs (infant beds) are available.
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.


text:
Book reviews
Reviews By Natalie Negre
Showing 1 to 2 of 2 results
Filter reviews by:RatingSort byReset filters
The Help
USD$10.45 - Save $2.00 16% off - RRP $12.45
- Published: 05 Jun 2010
- Format: Paperback
My favourite
written: 11 Nov 2011
I think I have never written a review but this book deserves to be recommended! This is one of the best books I have ever read! Touching, suspenseful, the characters are interesting and real - I could not put it down! See full review
Top review
written: 11 Feb 2012
I did not enjoy this book very much. I thought it was boring: I could not warm to the characters, the plot was not interesting and the exchanges between the characters superficial. I wonder why it was so highly ranked in the bestsellers list. See full review
- Top review Disappointing
Showing 1 to 2 of 2 results


text:
11 years of experience
11 years of experience
295 Varnum Ave
Lowell, MA 01854 Phone number & directions
295 Varnum Ave
Lowell, MA 01854 Phone number & directions
License & Identifications
A medical license is required for a doctor to practice medicine in a particular state. Requirements vary by state but most require, at a minimum, post-graduate training in the doctor's specific specialty. An NPI number is a national identifier unique to an individual health care provider and is managed by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Learn more about Dr. Basavaraj Kerur:
View the full profile to get information on:
- Qualifications
- What's important to you
View full profile
Patient Reviews
Have you visited Dr. Kerur? Share your experience.
Write a Review
Write a Review
Specialties & Research
Dr. Basavaraj Kerur, BS, MBBS, MD is board certified in Pediatrics.
Education & Awards
Dr. Kerur graduated from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Belgaum.
Dr. Kerur has 3 hospital affiliations:
- Tufts Medical Center
- Saints Memorial Medical Center Inc
- Lawrence General Hospital
- English
Home > Find a Pediatrician > MA > Lowell Pediatricians > Dr. Basavaraj Kerur, BS, MBBS, MD
Similar doctors nearby
Dr. Rebecca Hoban
5 years experience
Lowell, MA
Dr. Tina Isaac
4 years experience
Lowell, MA
Dr. Sarbattema Sen
9 years experience
Lowell, MA
Dr. George Atkinson
Lowell, MA
Dr. Megan Cardoso
3 years experience
Lowell, MA
Dr. Pamela Harges
26 years experience
Lowell, MA
- Additional Information
- Dr. Basavaraj Mallappa Kerur BS, MBBS, and MD is a male Pediatrician, has 11 years of experience and practices in Pediatrics.
- Where does Dr. Basavaraj M. Kerur practice?
- Dr. Basavaraj Kerur has 2 office locations.
Dr. Basavaraj Kerur practices Pediatrics near Lowell, MA.
Additional practice locations include: Lawrence, MA.
See Lowell Pediatricians.


text:
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Dec. 3 that President Barack Obama accepted his recommendation to appoint Christine Fox as acting deputy Defense secretary, effective Dec. 5.
Fox will serve on an interim basis in place of Ashton Carter, who steps down as the Pentagon's second in command Dec. 4, while the search for Carter's permanent replacement continues.
Fox spent nearly four years serving as DOD's director of cost assessment and program evaluation before stepping down in spring 2013. She reportedly returned in September as an unpaid consultant to Carter. Fox also helped lead Hagel's sweeping review of the Pentagon budget.
"As a key leader of the Strategic Choices and Management Review, she helped identify the challenges, choices and opportunities for reform facing the department during this period of unprecedented budget uncertainty," Hagel said in a news release. "She will be able to help me shape our priorities from day one because she knows the intricacies of the department's budget, programs and global operations better than anyone."
Fox, a former analyst at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar -- also known as the Top Gun school -- was the real-life inspiration for Kelly McGillis' character, Charlie, in the 1986 Tom Cruise movie.
Posted by Amber Corrin on Dec 03, 2013 at 9:06 AM
E-Mail this page
Printable Format
Advanced Search
Meet 100 women and men who are doing great things in federal IT.
Click here for the full list
Three-time Federal 100 winner is leaving government in July.
Members of Congress heaped hard questions on federal IT leaders at a June 16 hearing and suggested strongly that somebody needs to be fired.
Senate bill carves out exemption for supercomputing and other lab IT; an earlier version of the measure would have exempted the entire Department of Energy.
OPM is partnering with CSID to try to manage the fallout from a massive breach of some 4 million federal personnel records.
Steve Kelman applauds the OMB's move to make career employees "goal leaders" for performance management initiatives -- but wishes it had come far earlier in the administration.
In an exclusive interview, Jimaye Sones, who was Defense Information Systems Agency comptroller from 2005 to 2013, says he was reassigned after revealing questionable accounting practices at the agency.
Through computer forensics training and internships, veterans are helping Immigration and Customs Enforcement tackle a backlog in child exploitation cases.
After two months on the job studying DOD's cybersecurity and IT needs, Secretary Ashton Carter is set to unveil a new Pentagon cyber strategy in Silicon Valley.
The failure of massive federal IT projects can usually be traced to poor management. The solution is as multilayered as the projects themselves.
8609 Westwood Center Drive, Suite 500Vienna, VA 22182-2215 703-876-5100
© 1996-2013 1105 Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only.To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, visit: www.1105Reprints.com