University of Queensland

About: University of Queensland is a education organization based out in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 51138 authors who have published 155721 publications receiving 5717659 citations. The organization is also known as: UQ & The University of Queensland.

Ambient Air Pollution Exposure Estimation for the Global Burden of Disease 2013

Abstract: Exposure to ambient air pollution is a major risk factor for global disease. Assessment of the impacts of air pollution on population health and evaluation of trends relative to other major risk factors requires regularly updated, accurate, spatially resolved exposure estimates. We combined satellite-based estimates, chemical transport model simulations, and ground measurements from 79 different countries to produce global estimates of annual average fine particle (PM2.5) and ozone concentrations at 0.1° × 0.1° spatial resolution for five-year intervals from 1990 to 2010 and the year 2013. These estimates were applied to assess population-weighted mean concentrations for 1990-2013 for each of 188 countries. In 2013, 87% of the world's population lived in areas exceeding the World Health Organization Air Quality Guideline of 10 μg/m(3) PM2.5 (annual average). Between 1990 and 2013, global population-weighted PM2.5 increased by 20.4% driven by trends in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and China. Decreases in population-weighted mean concentrations of PM2.5 were evident in most high income countries. Population-weighted mean concentrations of ozone increased globally by 8.9% from 1990-2013 with increases in most countries-except for modest decreases in North America, parts of Europe, and several countries in Southeast Asia.

LD Hub: a centralized database and web interface to perform LD score regression that maximizes the potential of summary level GWAS data for SNP heritability and genetic correlation analysis

Abstract: Motivation: LD score regression is a reliable and efficient method of using genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary-level results data to estimate the SNP heritability of complex traits and diseases, partition this heritability into functional categories, and estimate the genetic correlation between different phenotypes. Because the method relies on summary level results data, LD score regression is computationally tractable even for very large sample sizes. However, publicly available GWAS summary-level data are typically stored in different databases and have different formats, making it difficult to apply LD score regression to estimate genetic correlations across many different traits simultaneously. Results: In this manuscript, we describe LD Hub - a centralized database of summary-level GWAS results for 173 diseases/traits from different publicly available resources/consortia and a web interface that automates the LD score regression analysis pipeline. To demonstrate functionality and validate our software, we replicated previously reported LD score regression analyses of 49 traits/diseases using LD Hub; and estimated SNP heritability and the genetic correlation across the different phenotypes. We also present new results obtained by uploading a recent atopic dermatitis GWAS meta-analysis to examine the genetic correlation between the condition and other potentially related traits. In response to the growing availability of publicly accessible GWAS summary-level results data, our database and the accompanying web interface will ensure maximal uptake of the LD score regression methodology, provide a useful database for the public dissemination of GWAS results, and provide a method for easily screening hundreds of traits for overlapping genetic aetiologies

Method for generation of homogeneous multicellular tumor spheroids applicable to a wide variety of cell types.

Abstract: Multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS) are used as organotypic models of normal and solid tumor tissue. Traditional techniques for generating MCTS, such as growth on nonadherent surfaces, in suspension, or on scaffolds, have a number of drawbacks, including the need for manual selection to achieve a homogeneous population and the use of nonphysiological matrix compounds. In this study we describe a mild method for the generation of MCTS, in which individual spheroids form in hanging drops suspended from a microtiter plate. The method has been successfully applied to a broad range of cell lines and shows nearly 100% efficiency (i.e., one spheroid per drop). Using the hepatoma cell line, HepG2, the hanging drop method generated well-rounded MCTS with a narrow size distribution (coefficient of variation [CV] 10% to 15%, compared with 40% to 60% for growth on nonadherent surfaces). Structural analysis of HepG2 and a mammary gland adenocarcinoma cell line, MCF-7, composed spheroids, revealed highly organized, three-dimensional, tissue-like structures with an extensive extracellular matrix. The hanging drop method represents an attractive alternative for MCTS production, because it is mild, can be applied to a wide variety of cell lines, and can produce spheroids of a homogeneous size without the need for sieving or manual selection. The method has applications for basic studies of physiology and metabolism, tumor biology, toxicology, cellular organization, and the development of bioartificial tissue.