• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.387-393
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• 2016

Background: CYP1A1 is a candidate gene for low-penetrance breast cancer susceptibility, as it plays an important role in the metabolism of carcinogens and estrogens. Purpose: The objective of this study was to assess the association between M2 (A2455G, Ile462Val) and M4 (C2453A, Thr461Asn) polymorphisms in CYP1A1 and breast cancer risk among Jordanian women and in subgroups stratified by menopausal status and smoking history. Materials and Methods: Blood samples were collected from 112 breast cancer female patients and 115 age-matched controls who underwent breast cancer screening with imaging and showed negative results (BI-RADS I or BI-RADS II). Genotyping was performed using the PCR-RFLP technique. Results: No statistically significant overall association was found between breast cancer risk and CYP1A1 M2 genotypes (p= 0.55; OR = 0.77; 95% CI= 0.32 - 1.83) nor with the M4 polymorphism (p= 0.95; OR= 0.95; 95% CI= 0.51 - 1.88). Analysis of subgroups defined by menopausal status or smoking history also revealed no association with these polymorphisms. Furthermore, the four identified haplotypes (AC; AA; GC and GA) were equally distributed among cases and controls, and haplotype analysis showed a strong linkage disequilibrium of both studied loci in either cases or controls (D'=1). Conclusions: Based on the study results, CYP1A1 M2 and M4 polymorphisms do not seem to play a major role in breast cancer risk among Jordanian females.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.295-308
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• 2018

The excavation of twin tunnels is a process that destabilizes the ground. The stability of the tunnel lining, the control of ground displacements around the tunnel resulting from each excavation and the interaction between them must be controlled. This paper provides a new approach for replacing the costly 3D analyses with the equivalent 2D analyses that closely reflects the in-situ measurements when excavating twin tunnels. The modeling was performed in two dimensions using the FLAC2D finite difference code. The three-dimensional effect of excavation is taken into account through the deconfinement rate ${\lambda}$ of the soil surrounding the excavation by applying the convergence-confinement method. A comparison between settlements derived by the proposed 2D analysis and the settlements measured in a real project in Algeria shows an acceptable agreement. Also, this paper reports the investigation into the changes in deformations on tunnel linings and surface settlements which may be expected if the twin tunnels of T4 El-Harouche Skikda were constructed with a tunneling machine. Special attention was paid to the influence of the excavation phase shift distance between the two mechanized tunnel faces. It is revealed that the ground movements and the lining deformations during tunnel excavation depend on the distance between the tunnels' axis and the excavation phase shift.