Here, we present an update on the Genome-Wide Repository of Associations between SNPs and Phenotypes (GRASP) database version 2.0 (http://apps.nhlbi.nih.gov/Grasp/Overview.aspx). GRASP is a centralized repository of publically available genome-wide association study (GWAS) results. GRASP v2.0 contains ∼8.87 million SNP associations reported in 2082 studies, an increase of ∼2.59 million SNP associations (41.4% increase) and 693 studies (48.9% increase) from our previous version. Our goal in developing and maintaining GRASP is to provide a user-friendly means for diverse sets of researchers to query reported SNP associations (P ≤ 0.05) with human traits, including methylation and expression quantitative trait loci (QTL) studies. Therefore, in addition to making the full database available for download, we developed a user-friendly web interface that allows for direct querying of GRASP. We provide details on the use of this web interface and what information may be gleaned from using this interactive option. Additionally, we describe potential uses of GRASP and how the scientific community may benefit from the convenient availability of all SNP association results from GWAS (P ≤ 0.05). We plan to continue updating GRASP with newly published GWAS and increased annotation depth.

BackgroundThe current study examines unstaged disease for 18 cancer sites in the United States according to the influence of age, sex, race, marital status, incidence, and lethality.MethodsAnalyses are based on 1,040,381 male and 1,011,355 female incident cancer cases diagnosed during 2000 through 2007. Data were collected by population-based cancer registries in the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.ResultsThe level of unstaged disease was greater in more lethal cancers (e.g., liver, esophagus, and pancreas) compared with less deadly cancers (i.e., colon, urinary bladder, and female breast). Unstaged disease increased with age and is greater among non-married patients. Blacks compared with whites experienced significantly higher levels of unstaged cancers of the stomach, rectum, colon, skin (melanoma), urinary bladder, thyroid, breast, corpus, cervix, and ovaries, but lower levels of unstaged liver, lung and bronchial cancers. Males compared with females experienced significantly lower levels of unstaged cancers of the liver, pancreas, esophagus, and stomach, but significantly higher levels of unstaged lung and bronchial cancer and thyroid cancer. The percent of unstaged cancer significantly decreased over the study period for 15 of the 18 cancer sites.ConclusionTumor staging directly affects treatment options and survival, so it is recommended that further research focus on why a decrease in unstaged disease did not occur for all of the cancer sites considered from 2000 to 2007, and why there are differential levels of staging between whites and blacks, males and females for several of the cancer sites.

Background. This study examines whether the relationship between maternal stress or abuse situations and infant birth weight differs between homeless and non-homeless women. Methods. Analyses are based on data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), [2002][2003][2004][2005][2006][2007]. Results. Homeless women were significantly more likely to experience stressful life events, abusive situations, and poor maternal health than non-homeless women during pregnancy. Birth weight among infants of homeless women was, on average, 17.4 grams lighter than for infants of non-homeless women, after adjusting for maternal age, race, ethnicity, region, education, and marital status. The impact of maternal health, stress, and abuse variables on pregnancy and infant birth weight significantly interacted with homeless status. For example, vaginal bleeding, nausea, kidney/bladder infection, and failure to receive early prenatal care had significantly larger negative impacts on birth weight among homeless women than non-homeless women. Infant birth weight was consistently lower among homeless women, more so when maternal stress and abuse were involved, across all classifications of their prepregnancy weight. Conclusion. Stress and abusive situations among pregnant women have a negative influence on pregnancy-related conditions and infant birth weight. However, this negative influence is even more pronounced among homeless women.

Voice disorders stem from a variety of risk factors and biological mechanisms. Such disorders may lead to poor physical and psychosocial functioning.