Total nut, tree nut, and peanut consumption and metabolic status in southern Italian adults

Background: Nut consumption has been associated with cardio-metabolic health benefits. However, studies conducted in the Southern Italian population, where adherence to the Mediterranean diet has been reported being relatively high, are rather scarce. The aim of this study was to test the association between consumption of total and specific types of nuts and metabolic status among adults living in Sicily, Southern Italy. Methods: Demographic and dietary characteristics of 2044 adults living in Southern Italy were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the association between nut consumption and metabolic status adjusting for potential confounding factors. Results: The energy-adjusted model revealed that higher nut intake was inversely associated with occurrence of hypertension, type-2 diabetes, and dyslipidemia. However, the association did not remain significant for the latter after adjusting for the main background characteristics, while an inverse association was stably confirmed for hypertension (OR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.46–0.80 and OR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.26–0.74, respectively) even after adjusting for adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Among individual nut types, most of the associations were null except for higher almond intake, which was inversely associated with occurrence of hypertension (OR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.49–0.99). Conclusions: Higher nut consumption is associated with overall better metabolic status in individuals living in the Mediterranean area

Potential for Geologic Sequestration of CO2 in Iowa

https://ir.uiowa.edu/igs_tis/1056/thumbnail.jp

Modeling the water demand on farms

The decreasing availability of water caused by depletion and climate change combined with a growing world population requires the productive use of water now and in the future. The young researcher group "AgroHyd" at the Leibniz-Institute for Agricultural Engineering Potsdam-Bornim (ATB) is currently modeling the water demand for agricultural processes at the farm scale and developing indicators to link the hydrological and agricultural perspectives. The aim of the group is to increase productivity in agriculture by raising water productivity in plant production and livestock farming. The effects of various agronomic measures, individual and in combination, on water productivity are assessed using several indicators. Scenarios of agricultural measures, climate and diets are used to test to what extent the water demand for food production will increase due to growing global change in different regions of the world

Production of ethanol from livestock, agricultural, and forest residuals: An economic feasibility study

In this study, the economic feasibility of producing ethanol from gasification followed by syngas fermentation via commercially available technologies was theoretically evaluated using a set of selected livestock and agricultural and forest residuals ranging from low valued feedstocks (i.e., wood, wheat straw, wheat straws blended with dewatered swine manure, and corn stover) to high valued oilseed rape meal. A preliminary cost analysis of an integrated commercial system was made for two cases, a regional scale 50 million gallon (189,271 m3) per year facility (MGY) and a co-op scale 1–2 MGY facility. The estimates for the minimum ethanol selling prices (MESP) depend heavily on the facility size and feedstock costs. For the 1–2 MGY (3785–7571 m3/y) facility, the MESP ranged from $5.61–$7.39 per gallon ($1.48–$1.95 per liter) for the four low-value feedstocks. These high costs suggest that the co-op scale even for the low-value feedstocks may not be economically sustainable. However, the MESP for the 50 MGY facility were significantly lower and comparable to gasoline prices ($2.24–$2.96 per gallon or $0.59–$0.78 per liter) for these low-value feedstocks, clearly showing the benefits of scale-up on construction costs and MESP. © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

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

Red meat and cancer risk in a network of case-control studies focusing on cooking practices

Background Consumption of red meat has been related to increased risk of several cancers. Cooking methods could modify the magnitude of this association, as production of chemicals depends on the temperature and duration of cooking. Methods We analyzed data from a network of case-control studies conducted in Italy and Switzerland between 1991 and 2009. The studies included 1465 oral and pharyngeal, 198 nasopharyngeal, 851 laryngeal, 505 esophageal, 230 stomach, 1463 colon, 927 rectal, 326 pancreatic, 3034 breast, 454 endometrial, 1031 ovarian, 1294 prostate and 767 renal cancer cases. Controls included 11 656 patients admitted for acute, non-neoplastic conditions. Odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by multiple logistic regression models, adjusted for known confounding factors. Results Daily intake of red meat was significantly associated with the risk of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx (OR for increase of 50 g/day = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.26-1.52), nasopharynx (OR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.04-1.60), larynx (OR = 1.46; 95% CI: 1.30-1.64), esophagus (OR = 1.46; 95% CI: 1.23-1.72), colon (OR = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.08-1.26), rectum (OR = 1.22; 95% CI:1.11-1.33), pancreas (OR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.25-1.82), breast (OR = 1.12; 95% CI: 1.04-1.19), endometrium (OR = 1.30; 95% CI: 1.10-1.55) and ovary (OR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.16-1.43). Fried meat was associated with a higher risk of cancer of oral cavity and pharynx (OR = 2.80; 95% CI: 2.02-3.89) and esophagus (OR = 4.52; 95% CI: 2.50-8.18). Risk of prostate cancer increased for meat cooked by roasting/grilling (OR = 1.31; 95% CI: 1.12-1.54). No heterogeneity according to cooking methods emerged for other cancers. Nonetheless, significant associations with boiled/stewed meat also emerged for cancer of the nasopharynx (OR = 1.97; 95% CI: 1.30-3.00) and stomach (OR = 1.86; 95% CI: 1.20-2.87). Conclusions Our analysis confirmed red meat consumption as a risk factor for several cancer sites, with a limited impact of cooking methods. These findings, thus, call for a limitation of its consumption in populations of Western countrie

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet and nasopharyngeal cancer risk in Italy

Purpose: Few studies investigated the role of diet on nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) risk in non-endemic areas. The aim of this study was to assess the association between adherence to the traditional Mediterranean diet and NPC risk in a southern European low-risk population. Methods: We conducted a hospital-based case-control study in Italy, including 198 histologically confirmed NPC cases and 594 matched controls. Dietary habits were collected by means of a validated food-frequency questionnaire, including 83 foods, food groups, or beverages. Adherence to the traditional Mediterranean diet was assessed through a Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS), based on nine dietary components characterizing this dietary profile, i.e., high intake of vegetables, fruits and nuts, cereals, legumes, and fish; low intake of dairy products and meat; high monounsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio; and moderate alcohol intake. We estimated odds ratios (ORs) of NPC, and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs), for increasing MDS (i.e., increasing adherence) using multiple logistic regression models, adjusted for major confounding factors. Results: As compared to MDS 64 4, the ORs of NPC were 0.83 (95% CI: 0.54\u20131.25) for MDS of 5 and 0.66 (95% CI: 0.44\u20130.99) for MDS 65 6, with a significant trend of decreasing risk (p 0.043). The corresponding population attributable fraction was 22%, indicating that 22% of NPC cases in this population would be avoided by shifting all subjects to a score 656. Conclusions: Our study supports a favorable role of the Mediterranean diet on NPC risk

Bladder cancer risk in users of selected drugs for cardiovascular disease prevention

The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between bladder cancer risk and the use of selected drugs for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention, such as aspirin, statins, and calcium channel blockers (CCBs). We analyzed data from a multicentric case-control study carried out in Italy between 2003 and 2014, including 690 bladder cancer cases and 665 hospital controls. Odds ratios (ORs) of bladder cancer and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using unconditional multiple logistic regression models. The ORs for bladder cancer were 1.21 (95% CI: 0.87-1.68) for regular use of aspirin, 0.72 (95% CI: 0.54-0.97) for use of any CCBs, and 1.32 (95% CI: 0.87-1.99) for use of any statins. A slight inverse association was found with duration of use of CCBs, whereas no consistent association was found with duration of use, age at first use, and frequency for aspirin and statin use, or with indication of use for aspirin (as an analgesic or, for CVD prevention). No significant association was found for various combinations of drugs or for all drugs combined (OR=1.23, 95% CI: 0.31-4.85). Our data indicate the lack of a relevant association between the use of selected drugs for CVD prevention and bladder cancer risk, although suggest a potential favorable role for CCBs

Diabetes mellitus and the risk of bladder cancer : an Italian case-control study

Diabetes mellitus has been associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer, although the evidence is still open to discussion.Methods:We examined this association using data from a multicentre Italian case-control study, conducted between 2003 and 2014 on 690 bladder cancer cases and 665 frequency-matched hospital controls. Odds ratios (ORs) for diabetes were estimated by unconditional multiple logistic regression models, after allowance for major known risk factors for bladder cancer.Results:One hundred and twelve (16.2%) cases and 57 (8.6%) controls reported a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, corresponding to a multivariate OR of 2.09 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.46-3.01). Bladder cancer risk increased with duration of diabetes (OR 1.92 for 1-<5 years, 1.63 for 5-<10 years, 2.39 for 10-<15 years, and 2.58 for 6515 years). The increased risk of bladder cancer was consistent in strata of age and education, whereas it was somewhat lower (although not significantly) in women (OR 1.18), in never (OR 1.31) and current (OR 1.42) smokers, and in subjects with a body mass index <25 kg m-2 (OR 1.48).Conclusion:The present study provides further support of a role of diabetes in bladder cancer aetiology, although some residual confounding by tobacco, body mass index, or other unmeasured covariates may partly explain the association observed

Roles of GSK-3 and microRNAs on epithelial mesenchymal transition and cancer stem cells

Various signaling pathways exert critical roles in the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stem cells (CSCs). The Wnt/beta-catenin, PI3K/PTEN/ Akt/mTORC, Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK, hedgehog (Hh), Notch and TP53 pathways elicit essential regulatory influences on cancer initiation, EMT and progression. A common kinase involved in all these pathways is moon-lighting kinase glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3). These pathways are also regulated by micro-RNAs (miRs). TP53 and components of these pathways can regulate the expression of miRs. Targeting members of these pathways may improve cancer therapy in those malignancies that display their abnormal regulation. This review will discuss the interactions of the multi-functional GSK-3 enzyme in the Wnt/beta-catenin, PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTORC, Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK, Hh, Notch and TP53 pathways. The regulation of these pathways by miRs and their effects on CSC generation, EMT, invasion and metastasis will be discussed