Difference in Gastrointestinal Cancer Risk and Mortality by Dietary Pattern Analysis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Published: 17 July 2024CONTEXT: Several studies have demonstrated that dietary patterns identified by a posteriori and hybrid methods are associated with gastrointestinal (GI) cancer risk and mortality. These studies applied different methods for analyzing dietary data and reported inconsistent findings. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review and meta-analysis were aimed to determine the association between dietary patterns, derived using principal component analysis (PCA) and reduced rank regression (RRR), and GI cancer risk and GI cancer-caused mortality. DATA SOURCE: Articles published up to June 2023 in English were eligible for inclusion. The Medline, SCOPUS, Cochrane Library, CINHAL, PsycINFO, ProQuest, and Web of Sciences databases were used to identify prospective studies. The Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocol 2020 was used to report results. DATA EXTRACTION: A total of 28 studies were eligible for inclusion. Varied approaches to deriving dietary patterns were used, including PCA (n = 22), RRR (n = 2), combined PCA and RRR (n = 1), cluster analysis (CA; n = 2) and combined PCA and CA (n = 1). DATA ANALYSIS: Two dietary patterns, "healthy" and "unhealthy," were derived using PCA and RRR. The healthy dietary pattern was characterized by a higher intake of fruits, whole grains, legumes, vegetables, milk, and other dairy products, whereas the unhealthy dietary pattern was characterized by a higher intake of red and processed meat, alcohol, and both refined and sugar-sweetened beverages. The findings indicated that the PCA-derived healthy dietary pattern was associated with an 8% reduced risk (relative risk [RR], 0.92; 95% CI, 0.87-0.98), and the unhealthy dietary pattern was associated with a 14% increased risk (RR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.07-1.22) of GI cancers. Similarly, the RRR-derived healthy dietary pattern (RR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.61-1.12) may be associated with reduced risk of GI cancers. In contrast, the RRR-derived unhealthy dietary pattern (RR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.57-1.52) had no association with a reduced risk of GI cancers. Similarly, evidence suggested that PCA-derived healthy dietary patterns may reduce the risk of death from GI cancers, whereas PCA-derived unhealthy dietary patterns may increase the risk. CONCLUSION: Findings from prospective studies on the association of PCA-derived dietary patterns and the risk of GI cancers support the evidence of healthy and unhealthy dietary patterns as either protective or risk-increasing factors for GI cancers and for survivorship, respectively. The findings also suggest that the RRR-derived healthy dietary pattern reduces the risk of GI cancers (albeit with low precision), but no association was found for the RRR-derived unhealthy dietary pattern. Prospective studies are required to further clarify disparities in the association between PCA- and RRR-derived dietary patterns and the risk of GI cancers. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO registration no. CRD42022321644.Zegeye Abebe, Molla Mesele Wassie, Tefera Chane Mekonnen, Amy C. Reynolds, Yohannes Adama Melak

Intra- and interobserver agreement of proposed objective transvaginal ultrasound image-quality scoring system for use in artificial intelligence algorithm development

Published online 24 January 2025OBJECTIVES: The development of valuable artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist with ultrasound diagnosis depends on algorithms developed using high-quality data. This study aimed to test the intra- and interobserver agreement of a proposed image-quality scoring system to quantify the quality of gynecological transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) images, which could be used in clinical practice and AI tool development. METHODS: A proposed scoring system to quantify TVS image quality was created following a review of the literature. This system involved a score of 1-4 (2 = poor, 3 = suboptimal and 4 = optimal image quality) assigned by a rater for individual ultrasound images. If the image was deemed inaccurate, it was assigned a score of 1, corresponding to 'reject'. Six professionals, including two radiologists, two sonographers and two sonologists, reviewed 150 images (50 images of the uterus and 100 images of the ovaries) obtained from 50 women, assigning each image a score of 1-4. The review of all images was repeated a second time by each rater after a period of at least 1 week. Mean scores were calculated for each rater. Overall interobserver agreement was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and interobserver agreement between paired professionals and intraobserver agreement for all professionals were assessed using weighted Cohen's kappa and ICC. RESULTS: Poor levels of interobserver agreement were obtained between the six raters for all 150 images (ICC, 0.480 (95% CI, 0.363-0.586)), as well as for assessment of the uterine images only (ICC, 0.359 (95% CI, 0.204-0.523)). Moderate agreement was achieved for the ovarian images (ICC, 0.531 (95% CI, 0.417-0.636)). Agreement between the paired sonographers and sonologists was poor for all images (ICC, 0.336 (95% CI, -0.078 to 0.619) and 0.425 (95% CI, 0.014-0.665), respectively), as well as when images were grouped into uterine images (ICC, 0.253 (95% CI, -0.097 to 0.577) and 0.299 (95% CI, -0.094 to 0.606), respectively) and ovarian images (ICC, 0.400 (95% CI, -0.043 to 0.669) and 0.469 (95% CI, 0.088-0.689), respectively). Agreement between the paired radiologists was moderate for all images (ICC, 0.600 (95% CI, 0.487-0.693)) and for their assessment of uterine images (ICC, 0.538 (95% CI, 0.311-0.707)) and ovarian images (ICC, 0.621 (95% CI, 0.483-0.728)). Weak-to-moderate intraobserver agreement was seen for each of the raters with weighted Cohen's kappa ranging from 0.533 to 0.718 for all images and from 0.467 to 0.751 for ovarian images. Similarly, for all raters, the ICC indicated moderate-to-good intraobserver agreement for all images overall (ICC ranged from 0.636 to 0.825) and for ovarian images (ICC ranged from 0.596 to 0.862). Slightly better intraobserver agreement was seen for uterine images, with weighted Cohen's kappa ranging from 0.568 to 0.808 indicating weak-to-strong agreement, and ICC ranging from 0.546 to 0.893 indicating moderate-to-good agreement. All measures were statistically significant (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The proposed image quality scoring system was shown to have poor-to-moderate interobserver agreement and mostly weak-to-moderate levels of intraobserver agreement. More refinement of the scoring system may be needed to improve agreement, although it remains unclear whether quantification of image quality can be achieved, given the highly subjective nature of ultrasound interpretation. Although some AI systems can tolerate labeling noise, most will favor clean (high-quality) data. As such, innovative data-labeling strategies are needed.A. Deslandes, J. C. Avery, H.-T. Chen, M. Leonardi, S. Knox, G. Lo, R. O, hara, G. Condous, M. L. Hull and Collaborator

Electrochemical generation of H*-•OH redox pair for rapid removal of refractory nitro-organic micropollutants

This study developed an innovative reduction-oxidation coupling process for treatment of refractory organic wastewater. We constructed a series of N5-coordinated transition metals (TMs) (TMs = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) singleatom sites supported on nitrogen-rich carbon nitride (SA-TM-C3N5) for electrochemical generation of the surfaceadsorbed hydrogen atom (H*) and hydroxyl radical (•OH). The SA-Co-C3N5 exhibited the highest activity for production of the H*-•OH redox pair, which effectively degraded refractory nitro-organic micropollutants via the parallel reduction-oxidation pathways. The SA-Co-C3N5-mediated electro-Fenton-like system showed high removal efficiency (99 %) and mineralization capacity (78 %) toward metronidazole (MNZ) with low energy consumption (0.019 kWh (g TOC)–1 ). The trifunctional properties of the H* have contributed to the reduction of nitro compounds, the 2e– ORR for H2O2 production and the Fenton-like catalysis for •OH generation. This work sheds lights on the development of advanced reduction-oxidation coupling process for green and sustainable water purification.Yu Li, Minjia Yan, Hongjun Lin, Shaobin Wang, Xiaoguang Duan, Xi-Lin W

Measurement of off-shell Higgs boson production in the H∗ -> ZZ -> 4l decay channel using a neural simulation-based inference technique in 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

Published 15 May 2025A measurement of off-shell Higgs boson production in the H∗ →ZZ→4ℓ decay channel is presented. The measurement uses 140 fb−1 of proton–proton collisions at √ s = 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider and supersedes the previous result in this decay channel using the same dataset. The data analysis is performed using a neural simulation-based inference method, which builds per-event likelihood ratios using neural networks. The observed (expected) off-shell Higgs boson production signal strength in the ZZ→4ℓ decay channel at 68% CL is 0.87+0.75 −0.54 (1.00+1.04 −0.95). The evidence for off-shell Higgs boson production using the ZZ→4ℓ decay channel has an observed (expected) significance of 2.5σ (1.3σ). The expected result represents a significant improvement relative to that of the previous analysis of the same dataset, which obtained an expected significance of 0.5σ. When combined with the most recent ATLAS measurement in the ZZ→2ℓ2ν decay channel, the evidence for off-shell Higgs boson production has an observed (expected) significance of 3.7σ (2.4σ). The off-shell measurements are combined with the measurement of on-shell Higgs boson production to obtain constraints on the Higgs boson total width. The observed (expected) value of the Higgs boson width at 68% CL is 4.3+2.7 −1.9 (4.1+3.5 −3.4) MeV.The ATLAS Collaboratio

Nutrition Interventions in the Treatment of Endometriosis: A Scoping Review

Background: Pain, poor quality of life (QOL) and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are commonly experienced by individuals with endometriosis. Although diet and nutrition supplements are frequently used to manage endometriosis‐related symptoms, there is limited understanding of the breadth and quality of research in this field. Our aim was to undertake a scoping review of diet and nutrition supplement intervention studies in people with endometriosis, diagnosed by ultrasound or surgery. Methods: MEDLINE Complete, Embase, CINAHL and PsycINFO databases were searched for articles published in English from database inception to November 2024. Quality was assessed by two reviewers independently using the Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal tools. In total, 5130 publications were screened and 13 were included. Results: Among these, five evaluated the effect of diet intervention, one evaluated the effect of a combined diet–supplement intervention and seven evaluated the effect of a nutrition supplement in endometriosis. Overall, there were seven randomised controlled trials (RCTs) (n = 1 diet intervention, n = 6 nutrition supplement), two nonrandomised controlled studies (n = 1 diet intervention, n = 1 combined diet–supplement) and four uncontrolled studies (n = 3 diet intervention, n = 1 nutrition supplement). On the basis of evidence from the RCTs, the low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP) diet improved QOL and GI symptoms, whereas garlic supplements and combination trace element supplements may be beneficial for improving reduced pain symptoms related to endometriosis. The quality of most included studies was poor. Adherence to the interventions was only measured in five studies and only one diet study measured baseline diet. Conclusions: High‐quality RCTs of diet and nutrition supplement interventions are needed to progress the understanding of whether they should be integrated into the clinical management of endometriosis.Samantha C. De Araugo, Jane E. Varney, Amelia J. McGuinness, Colette Naude, Subhadra Evans, Antonina Mikocka, Walus, Heidi M. Staudache

High-resolution analysis of sediments from Eighteen Mile Swamp (eastern Australia) records its transition from a fluctuating coastal lagoon to stable freshwater swamp

First published: 26 December 2024. This article also appears in: Southern Hemisphere records of Late Quaternary climate change, people and dust.Abstract unavailable.Jonathan C. Marshall, John Tibby, Patrick Moss, Hailey Martin, Allen Gontz, Annie Lau, Geraldine E. Jacobsen, Haidee Cadd, Patricia S. Gadd, Peter Negus, Glenn B. Mcgregor, Harald Hofmann, Cameron Schulz, Cameron Barr, Sabika Maizma, Mike Hotchkis, And Nicole Cloutie

The Role of Ancestral MicroRNAs in Grass Inflorescence Development

Plant inflorescences are complex, highly diverse structures whose morphology is determined in meristems that form during reproductive development. Inflorescence structure influences flower formation, and consequently grain number, and yield in crops. Correct inflorescence and flower development require tight control of gene expression via complex interplay between regulatory networks. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as fundamental modulators of gene expression at the transcriptional and/or post-transcriptional level in plant inflorescence development. First discovered more than three decades ago, miRNAs have proved to be revolutionary in advancing our mechanistic understanding of gene expression. This review highlights current knowledge of downstream target genes and pathways of some highly conserved miRNAs that regulate the maintenance, identity, and activity of inflorescence and floral meristems in economically and agriculturally important grass species, including rice (Oryza sativa), maize (Zea mays), barley (Hordeum vulgare), and wheat (Triticum aestivum). Furthermore, we summarize emerging regulatory networks of miRNAs and their targets to suggest new avenues and strategies for application of miRNAs as a tool to enhance crop yield and performance.Reyhaneh Ebrahimi Khaksefidi, Weiwei Chen, Chaoqun Shen, Peter Langridge, Matthew R. Tucker, Dabing Zhan

Modernising the Torrens system in South Australia: Reform challenges and opportunities in the Real Property Act 1886 (SA)

Data source: Supporting information, https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.1c06067This article examines potential reforms to South Australia’s Real Property Act 1886 (SA) based on extensive consultations with legal practitioners, academics, representative bodies, and government officials conducted in 2023–2024. While the Act continues to serve its core functions effectively, this article identifies critical areas requiring modernisation to ensure the legislation remains fit for purpose in the twenty-first century. We argue that reform is particularly needed in three key areas: first, the current practice of using the rent-charge as the vehicle to register and so protect restrictive covenants is problematic and artificial.We propose statutory reform similar to that found in the Northern Territory. Second, the legislative framework for electronic conveyancing requires strengthening, particularly regarding verification of identity requirements and vertical integration of Electronic Lodgment Network Operators; and third, the protection of equitable interests as exceptions to indefeasibility would be more effective if consolidated in one part of the Act. This article concludes that reform should proceed in a manner that modernises the legislation while maintaining the fundamental Torrens principles and philosophy of security of title, clarity of interests, and efficiency of transactions. this article identifies critical areas requiring modernisation to ensure the legislation remains fit for purpose in the twenty-first century. We argue that reform is particularly needed in three key areas: first, the current practice of using the rent-charge as the vehicle to register and so protect restrictive covenants is problematic and artificial. We propose statutory reform similar to that found in the Northern Territory. Second, the legislative framework for electronic conveyancing requires strengthening, particularly regarding verification of identity requirements and vertical integration of Electronic Lodgment Network Operators; and third, the protection of equitable interests as exceptions to indefeasibility would be more effective if consolidated in one part of the Act. This article concludes that reform should proceed in a manner that modernises the legislation while maintaining the fundamental Torrens principles and philosophy of security of title, clarity of interests, and efficiency of transactions.P T Babie, Peter D Burdon, and Michail S Ivano

Challenges in the extraction of physics beyond the Standard Model from electron scattering

Precise measurements of electron and positron scattering, including parity violation, offer great promise in the search for physics beyond the Standard Model (SM). In this context it is crucial to understand the corrections which might arise from charge symmetry violation, as well as the less well known strange and charm quark distributions. Our analysis, using state of the art parton distributions, suggests that these contributions lead to corrections in the extraction of the weak couplings gAV eq and gVA eq of the order (1−2)%, while they are as large as 4% for gAA eq, at a typical scale of Q² = 10 GeV². These results underline the importance of carrying out high precision measurements, which will not only provide information on physics beyond the SM but also reduce the current uncertainties on our knowledge of the strange and charm quark distributions in the proton.Xuan-Gong Wang, A W Thoma

Education and Ageing in China

Did historical access to education, or lack thereof, make Chinese seniors' perception of themselves unique as compared to their counterparts across the world? We consider the impacts of idiosyncratic institutional development, particularly in terms of access to formal education, on objective and subjective aging in China. Using as a 2018 survey of 6118 elderly Chinese, we use Instrument variable stragety to endogenously identify and generate three composite latent factors representing objective cognitive ability, subjective self-evaluation of health and wellbeing, and incidence of age-related ailments. We define two linear simultaneous equations representing subjective and objective successful aging to find that Chinese seniors maintain an observable distinction between the two. We further observe the consequences of China's historical lack of access to formal education amongst this age group and its impact on their aging. Our results demonstrate the importance of multidimensional evaluation of aging as well as identifies the potential impact of promoting lifelong learning as a Chinese policy response. We suggest that government recognize the value of cognitive rehabilitation to compensate for the insufficient educational opportunities when young.Wenxuan Zhong, Raul Barret