University of Oxford

About: University of Oxford is a education organization based out in Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 99713 authors who have published 258108 publications receiving 12972806 citations. The organization is also known as: Oxford University & Oxon..

Genome-wide association study meta-analysis identifies seven new rheumatoid arthritis risk loci

Abstract: To identify new genetic risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis, we conducted a genome-wide association study meta-analysis of 5,539 autoantibody-positive individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (cases) and 20,169 controls of European descent, followed by replication in an independent set of 6,768 rheumatoid arthritis cases and 8,806 controls. Of 34 SNPs selected for replication, 7 new rheumatoid arthritis risk alleles were identified at genome-wide significance (P < 5 x 10(-8)) in an analysis of all 41,282 samples. The associated SNPs are near genes of known immune function, including IL6ST, SPRED2, RBPJ, CCR6, IRF5 and PXK. We also refined associations at two established rheumatoid arthritis risk loci (IL2RA and CCL21) and confirmed the association at AFF3. These new associations bring the total number of confirmed rheumatoid arthritis risk loci to 31 among individuals of European ancestry. An additional 11 SNPs replicated at P < 0.05, many of which are validated autoimmune risk alleles, suggesting that most represent genuine rheumatoid arthritis risk alleles.

Regulation of an ATG7-beclin 1 Program of Autophagic Cell Death by Caspase-8

Abstract: Caspases play a central role in apoptosis, a well-studied pathway of programmed cell death. Other programs of death potentially involving necrosis and autophagy may exist, but their relation to apoptosis and mechanisms of regulation remains unclear. We define a new molecular pathway in which activation of the receptor-interacting protein (a serine-threonine kinase) and Jun amino-terminal kinase induced cell death with the morphology of autophagy. Autophagic death required the genes ATG7 and beclin 1 and was induced by caspase-8 inhibition. Clinical therapies involving caspase inhibitors may arrest apoptosis but also have the unanticipated effect of promoting autophagic cell death.

Synthesis without meta-analysis (SWiM) in systematic reviews: reporting guideline.

Abstract: In systematic reviews that lack data amenable to meta-analysis, alternative synthesis methods are commonly used, but these methods are rarely reported. This lack of transparency in the methods can cast doubt on the validity of the review findings. The Synthesis Without Meta-analysis (SWiM) guideline has been developed to guide clear reporting in reviews of interventions in which alternative synthesis methods to meta-analysis of effect estimates are used. This article describes the development of the SWiM guideline for the synthesis of quantitative data of intervention effects and presents the nine SWiM reporting items with accompanying explanations and examples.

Games and Information: An Introduction to Game Theory

Abstract: List of Figures List of Tables List of Games Preface Contents and Purpose Changes in the Second Edition (1994) Changes in the Third Edition (2001) Changes in the Fourth Edition (2006) Using the Book The Level of Mathematics Other Books Contact Information Acknowledgements Introduction History Game Theory's Method Exemplifying Theory This Book's Style Notes PART 1: GAME THEORY 1 The Rules of the Game Definitions Dominated and Dominant Strategies: The Prisoner's Dilemma Iterated Dominance: The Battle of the Bismarck Sea Nash Equilibrium: Boxed Pigs, The Battle of the Sexes and Ranked Coordination Focal Points Notes Problems Classroom Game 2 Information The Strategic and Extensive Forms of a Game Information Sets Perfect, Certain, Symmetric, and Complete Information The Harsanyi Transformation and Bayesian Games Example: The Png Settlement Game Notes Problems Classroom Game 3 Mixed and Continuous Strategies Mixed Strategies: The Welfare Game The Payoff-equating Method and Games of Timing Mixed Strategies with General Parameters and N Players: The Civic Duty Game Randomizing is not Always Mixing: The Auditing Game Continuous Strategies: The Cournot Game Continuous Strategies: The Bertrand Game, Strategic Complements, and Strategic Substitutes Existence of Equilibrium Notes Problems Classroom Game 4 Dynamic Games with Symmetric Information Subgame Perfectness An Example of Perfectness: Entry Deterrence I Credible Threats, Sunk Costs, and the Open-Set Problem in the Game of Nuisance Suits Recoordination to Pareto-dominant Equilibria in Subgames: Pareto Perfection Notes Problems Classroom Game 5 Reputation and Repeated Games with Symmetric Information Finitely Repeated Games and the Chainstore Paradox Infinitely Repeated Games, Minimax Punishments, and the Folk Theorem Reputation: The One-sided Prisoner's Dilemma Product Quality in an Infinitely Repeated Game Markov Equilibria and Overlapping Generations: Customer Switching Costs Evolutionary Equilibrium: The Hawk-Dove Game Notes Problems Classroom Game 6 Dynamic Games with Incomplete Information Perfect Bayesian Equilibrium: Entry Deterrence II and III Refining Perfect Bayesian Equilibrium in the Entry Deterrence and PhD Admissions Games The Importance of Common Knowledge: Entry Deterrence IV and V Incomplete Information in the Repeated Prisoner's Dilemma: The Gang of Four Model The Axelrod Tournament Credit and the Age of the Firm: The Diamond Model Notes Problems Classroom Game PART 2: ASYMMETRIC INFORMATION 7 Moral Hazard: Hidden Actions Categories of Asymmetric Information Models A Principal-agent Model: The Production Game The Incentive Compatibility and Participation Constraints Optimal Contracts: The Broadway Game Notes Problems Classroom Game 8 Further Topics in Moral Hazard Efficiency Wages Tournaments Institutions and Agency Problems Renegotiation: The Repossession Game State-space Diagrams: Insurance Games I and II Joint Production by Many Agents: The Holmstrom Teams Model The Multitask Agency Problem Notes Problems Classroom Game 9 Adverse Selection Introduction: Production Game VI Adverse Selection under Certainty: Lemons I and II Heterogeneous Tastes: Lemons III and IV Adverse Selection under Uncertainty: Insurance Game III Market Microstructure A Variety of Applications Adverse Selection and Moral Hazard Combined: Production Game VII Notes Problems Classroom Game 10 Mechanism Design and Postcontractual Hidden Knowledge Mechanisms, Unravelling, Cross Checking, and the Revelation Principle Myerson Mechanism Design An Example of Postcontractual Hidden Knowledge: The Salesman Game The Groves Mechanism Price Discrimination Rate-of-return Regulation and Government Procurement Notes Problems Classroom Game 11 Signalling The Informed Player Moves First: Signalling Variants on the Signalling Model of Education General Comments on Signalling in Education The Informed Player Moves Second: Screening Two Signals: The Game of Underpricing New Stock Issues Signal Jamming and Limit Pricing Countersignalling Notes Problems Classroom Game PART 3: APPLICATIONS 12 Bargaining The Basic Bargaining Problem: Splitting a Pie The Nash Bargaining Solution Alternating Offers over Finite Time Alternating Offers over Infinite Time Incomplete Information Setting Up a Way to Bargain: The Myerson-Satterthwaite Mechanism Notes Problems Classroom Game 13 Auctions Values Private and Common, Continuous and Discrete Optimal Strategies under Different Rules in Private-value Auctions Revenue Equivalence, Risk Aversion, and Uncertainty Reserve Prices and the Marginal Revenue Approach Common-value Auctions and the Winner's Curse Asymmetric Equilibria, Affiliation, and Linkage: The Wallet Game Notes Problems Classroom Game 14 Pricing Quantities as Strategies: Cournot Equilibrium Revisited Capacity Constraints: The Edgeworth Paradox Location Models Comparative Statics and Supermodular Games Vertical Differentiation Durable Monopoly Notes Problems Classroom Game Mathematical Appendix Notation The Greek Alphabet Glossary Formulas and Functions Probability Distributions Supermodularity Fixed Point Theorems Genericity Discounting Risk References and Name Index Subject Index

Genetic Variants Associated with Lp(a) Lipoprotein Level and Coronary Disease

Abstract: BACKGROUND: An increased level of Lp(a) lipoprotein has been identified as a risk factor for coronary artery disease that is highly heritable. The genetic determinants of the Lp(a) lipoprotein level and their relevance for the risk of coronary disease are incompletely understood. METHODS: We used a novel gene chip containing 48,742 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 2100 candidate genes to test for associations in 3145 case subjects with coronary disease and 3352 control subjects. Replication was tested in three independent populations involving 4846 additional case subjects with coronary disease and 4594 control subjects. RESULTS: Three chromosomal regions (6q26-27, 9p21, and 1p13) were strongly associated with the risk of coronary disease. The LPA locus on 6q26-27 encoding Lp(a) lipoprotein had the strongest association. We identified a common variant (rs10455872) at the LPA locus with an odds ratio for coronary disease of 1.70 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.49 to 1.95) and another independent variant (rs3798220) with an odds ratio of 1.92 (95% CI, 1.48 to 2.49). Both variants were strongly associated with an increased level of Lp(a) lipoprotein, a reduced copy number in LPA (which determines the number of kringle IV-type 2 repeats), and a small Lp(a) lipoprotein size. Replication studies confirmed the effects of both variants on the Lp(a) lipoprotein level and the risk of coronary disease. A meta-analysis showed that with a genotype score involving both LPA SNPs, the odds ratios for coronary disease were 1.51 (95% CI, 1.38 to 1.66) for one variant and 2.57 (95% CI, 1.80 to 3.67) for two or more variants. After adjustment for the Lp(a) lipoprotein level, the association between the LPA genotype score and the risk of coronary disease was abolished. CONCLUSIONS: We identified two LPA variants that were strongly associated with both an increased level of Lp(a) lipoprotein and an increased risk of coronary disease. Our findings provide support for a causal role of Lp(a) lipoprotein in coronary disease.