Dietary Patterns in Italy and the Risk of Renal Cell Carcinoma

Background: Conclusive evidence on foods, nutrients, or dietary patterns and the risk of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is lacking in the literature. Methods: We considered data from an Italian hospital-based case\u2013control study (1992\u20132004) on 767 incident RCC cases and 1534 controls. A posteriori dietary patterns were identified by applying principal component factor analysis on 28 nutrients derived from a 78-item food-frequency questionnaire. We estimated the odds ratios (ORs) of RCC and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each quartile category (compared to the lowest one) using conditional multiple logistic regression models providing adjustment for major confounding factors. Results: We identified four dietary patterns, named \u201cAnimal products\u201d, \u201cStarch-rich\u201d, \u201cVitamins and fiber\u201d, and \u201cCooking oils and dressings\u201d. Higher intakes of the \u201cStarch-rich\u201d pattern were positively associated with RCC risk (OR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.04\u20131.82 for the highest quartile, p = 0.018). The association was inverse with the \u201cCooking oils and dressings\u201d pattern (OR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.47\u20130.80, p < 0.001), whereas no association was found with \u201cAnimal products\u201d and \u201cVitamins and fiber\u201d patterns. Conclusions: Higher intakes of starch-related foods may increase RCC risk, whereas consumption of olive and seed oils may favorably influence RCC risk

An elementary proof of uniqueness of the particle trajectories for solutions of a class of shear-thinning non-Newtonian 2D fluids

We prove some regularity results for a class of two dimensional non-Newtonian fluids. By applying results from [Dashti and Robinson, Nonlinearity, 22 (2009), 735-746] we can then show uniqueness of particle trajectories

Dietary intake of branched-chain amino acids and colorectal cancer risk

ABSTACTAn adequate intake of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) is required for protein synthesis and metabolic functions, including insulin metabolism. Emerging studies found positive associations between BCAAs and the risk of various diseases sharing etiological aspects with colorectal cancer (CRC), including type 2 diabetes, obesity, and pancreatic cancer.We investigated the relation between dietary BCAAs and CRC using data from a multicentric Italian case-control study, including 1953 cases of CRC (of these, 442 of sigmoid colon) and 4154 hospital controls with acute, non-neoplastic diseases. A validated food-frequency questionnaire was used to estimate the participants' usual diet and to assess dietary intakes of various nutrients, including energy, BCAAs and calcium. Odds ratio (ORs) and corresponding confidence intervals (CI) were computed by multiple logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex and other confounding factors, including total energy intake.BCAA intake was inversely related to CRC risk (OR for the highest versus the lowest quintile, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.55-0.97), but the association was attenuated after adjustment for calcium intake (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.65-1.25). A linear inverse association with sigmoid colon cancer risk remained also after adjustment for other dietary factors, including calcium intake (OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.27-0.87).This study provides supporting evidence that higher levels of dietary BCAA intake are not associated with an increase of CRC risk, but confirms that they may be related to a reduced risk of sigmoid colon cancer

Tel-eVax: a genetic vaccine targeting telomerase for treatment of canine lymphoma

Background: we have recently shown that Tel-eVax, a genetic vaccine targeting dog telomerase (dTERT) and based on Adenovirus (Ad)/DNA Electro-Gene-Transfer (DNA–EGT) technology can induce strong immune response and increase overall survival (OS) of dogs affected by multicentric Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) when combined to COP therapy in a double-arm study. Here, we have utilized a clinically validated device for veterinary electroporation called Vet-ePorator , based on Cliniporator technology currently utilized and approved in Europe for electro- chemotherapy applications and adapted to electrogenetransfer (EGT). Methods: 17 dogs affected by DLBCL were vaccinated using two Ad vector injections (Prime phase) followed by TM DNA–EGT (Boost phase) by means of a Vet-ePorator device and treated in the same time with a 27-week Madison Wisconsin CHOP protocol. The immune response was measured by ELISA assays using pool of peptides. Results: No significant adverse effects were observed. The OS of vaccine/CHOP animals was 64.5 weeks, in line with the previous study. Dogs developed antibodies against the immunizing antigen. Conclusions: Tel-eVax in combination with CHOP is safe and immunogenic in lymphoma canine patients. These data confirm the therapeutic efficacy of dTERT vaccine and hold promise for the treatment of dogs affected by other cancer types. More importantly, our findings may translate to human clinical trials and represent new strategies for cancer treatment

Association between Nutrient-Based Dietary Patterns and Bladder Cancer in Italy

Limited knowledge is available on dietary patterns and bladder cancer risk. We analyzed data from an Italian case-control study carried out between 2003 and 2014, including 690 incident bladder cancer cases and 665 hospital-controls. We derived nutrient-based dietary patterns applying principal component factor analysis on 28 selected nutrients. We categorized factor scores according to quartiles, and estimated the odds ratios (ORs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) through logistic regression models, adjusted for major confounding factors. We identified four dietary patterns named "Animal products", "Vitamins and fiber", "Starch-rich", and "Animal unsaturated fatty acids". We found an inverse association between the "Vitamins and fiber" pattern and bladder cancer (OR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.48-0.99, IV versus I quartile category). Inverse relationships of borderline significance were also found for the "Animal products" and the "Animal unsaturated fatty acids" dietary patterns. No significant association was evident for the "Starch-rich" pattern. The current study allowed us to identify major dietary patterns in this Italian population. Our study confirms available evidence and shows that scoring high on a fruit-and-vegetables pattern provides beneficial effects on bladder cancer risk

Transgenic mouse model harboring the transcriptional fusion Ccl20-luciferase as a novel reporter of pro-inflammatory response

The chemokine CCL20, the unique ligand of CCR6 functions as an attractant of immune cells. Expression of CCL20 is induced by Toll-like Receptor (TLR) signaling or proinflammatory cytokine stimulation. However CCL20 is also constitutively produced at specific epithelial sites of mucosa. This expression profile is achieved by transcriptional regulation. In the present work we characterized regulatory features of mouse Ccl20 gene. Transcriptional fusions between the mouse Ccl20 promoter and the firefly luciferase (luc) encoding gene were constructed and assessed in in vitro and in vivo assays. We found that liver CCL20 expression and luciferase activity were upregulated by systemic administration of the TLR5 agonist flagellin. Using shRNA and dominant negative form specific for mouse TLR5, we showed that this expression was controlled by TLR5. To address in situ the regulation of gene activity, a transgenic mouse line harboring a functional Ccl20-luc fusion was generated. The luciferase expression was highly concordant with Ccl20 expression in different tissues. Our data indicate that the transgenic mouse model can be used to monitor activation of innate response in vivo.Laboratorio de Investigaciones del Sistema InmuneFacultad de Ciencias Exacta

Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in cancer patients. An italian multicenter survey

INTRODUCTION: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) include a wide range of products (herbs, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics) and medical practices, developed outside of the mainstream Western medicine. Patients with cancer are more likely to resort to CAM first or then in their disease history; the potential side effects as well as the costs of such practices are largely underestimated. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We conducted a descriptive survey in five Italian hospitals involving 468 patients with different malignancies. The survey consisted of a forty-two question questionnaire, patients were eligible if they were Italian-speaking and receiving an anticancer treatment at the time of the survey or had received an anticancer treatment no more than three years before participating in the survey. RESULTS: Of our patients, 48.9% said they use or have recently used CAM. The univariate analysis showed that female gender, high education, receiving treatment in a highly specialized institute and receiving chemotherapy are associated with CAM use; at the multivariate analysis high education (Odds Ratio, (OR): 1.96 95% Confidence Interval, CI, 1.27-3.05) and receiving treatment in a specialized cancer center (OR: 2.75 95% CI, 1.53-4.94) were confirmed as risk factors for CAM use. CONCLUSION: Roughly half of our patients receiving treatment for cancer use CAM. It is necessary that health professional explore the use of CAM with their cancer patients, educate them about potentially beneficial therapies in light of the limited available evidence of effectiveness, and work towards an integrated model of health-care provision

Delegation of Obligations and Responsibility

Part 6: Policy Compliance and ObligationsInternational audienceIn this paper, we discuss the issue of responsibilities related to the fulfillment and the violation of obligations. We propose to formally define the different aspects of responsibility, namely causal responsibility, functional responsibility, liability as well as sanctions, and to examine how delegation influences these concepts. Our main aim is to identify the responsibility of each agent that is involved in the delegation of obligations. More precisely, we try to answer to the following questions: who is responsible for the obligation fulfillment? When a violation occurs, which agents are causally responsible for this violation? Who is liable for this violation and to whom? And finally, who must be sanctioned