The consumption of coffee and black tea and the risk of lung cancer

Purpose Coffee and black tea are among the most consumed beverages worldwide. While their potential role in lung cancer occurrence has been investigated in several studies, results have been inconclusive. We investigated the associations between intake of coffee and black tea with lung cancer in a population-based case-control study in Montreal, Canada. Methods These analyses included 1,130 cases and 1,483 controls. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) were estimated between four metrics of coffee and black tea consumption (frequency, average daily amount, duration, and cumulative amount) and lung cancer, using unconditional logistic regression. Results The adjusted ORs (95% confidence intervals) for lung cancer comparing daily to never consumers were 0.73 (0.49-1.10) for coffee and 1.05 (0.85-1.31) for black tea. Analyses of other metrics did not reveal any clear patterns of increasing or decreasing risk with increasing amounts or duration of consumption. There was no strong evidence of OR modification by sex or smoking level. The OR estimates did not materially differ by histological subtype for either of the beverages. Conclusion Our results do not provide strong support for associations between consumption of coffee and black tea and lung cancer

Multiple novel prostate cancer susceptibility signals identified by fine-mapping of known risk loci among Europeans

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous common prostate cancer (PrCa) susceptibility loci. We have fine-mapped 64 GWAS regions known at the conclusion of the iCOGS study using large-scale genotyping and imputation in 25 723 PrCa cases and 26 274 controls of European ancestry. We detected evidence for multiple independent signals at 16 regions, 12 of which contained additional newly identified significant associations. A single signal comprising a spectrum of correlated variation was observed at 39 regions; 35 of which are now described by a novel more significantly associated lead SNP, while the originally reported variant remained as the lead SNP only in 4 regions. We also confirmed two association signals in Europeans that had been previously reported only in East-Asian GWAS. Based on statistical evidence and linkage disequilibrium (LD) structure, we have curated and narrowed down the list of the most likely candidate causal variants for each region. Functional annotation using data from ENCODE filtered for PrCa cell lines and eQTL analysis demonstrated significant enrichment for overlap with bio-features within this set. By incorporating the novel risk variants identified here alongside the refined data for existing association signals, we estimate that these loci now explain ∼38.9% of the familial relative risk of PrCa, an 8.9% improvement over the previously reported GWAS tag SNPs. This suggests that a significant fraction of the heritability of PrCa may have been hidden during the discovery phase of GWAS, in particular due to the presence of multiple independent signals within the same regio

Psychosocial factors in relation to development of dementia in late-life : A life course approach within the Kungsholmen project

This thesis explored social and psychosocial factors from different phases in the lifespan and their relation to the occurrence of dementia and Alzheimer s Disease (AD) in late-life. Early life circumstances, such as education, midlife factors such as occupation, and an active and socially integrated late-life were investigated in relation to dementia and AD risk. All five studies are based on the Kungsholmen Project, a longitudinal population-based study of aging and dementia. The initial population consisted of all registered inhabitants who were 75 years and older and living in the Kungsholmen Parish in 1987. The major findings from the five research papers included in this thesis are summarized below. Study I. We found that frequent (daily-weekly) engagement in mental, social, or productive activities was inversely related to dementia incidence. Relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were 0.54 (95% CI: 0.34-0.87), 0.58 (95% CI: 0.37-0.91), and 0.58 (95% CI: 0.38-0.91), respectively. Similar results were found when these three factors were analyzed together in the same model. Study II. Less-educated subjects had a RR of 3.4 (95% CI: 2.0-6.0), and subjects with lower socioeconomic status (SES) had a RR of 1.6 (95% CI: 1.0-2.5) of developing AD. Low SES at 20 years of age, even when high at 40 or 60 years, was associated with increased risk. When both education and SES were introduced into the same model, only education remained significantly associated with AD. Study III. A mental, social, and physical component score was estimated for each leisure activity. RR of dementia for subjects with higher mental, physical, and social component score sums were 0.71 (95% CI: 0.49-1.03), 0.61 (95% CI: 0.42-0.87), and 0.68 (95% CI: 0.47-0.99), respectively. The most beneficial effect was present for subjects with high scores in all or in two of the components. Study IV. We found that inactivity, depressive symptoms, but not social network, were independently associated with increased risk of dementia. However, to be inactive, have depressive symptoms, and simultaneously have a limited/poor social network compared to having none of these factors showed the strongest association to dementia (RR=5.4, 95% CI: 2.1-13.9). Study V. Complex work with data and people was associated with reduced risk of dementia (RR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.75-0.96, RR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.80-0.97 respectively). When education was included in the model these associations were no longer significant. The association between education and AD/dementia, however, was modified by the highest levels of complexity which had a protective effect even among lower-educated subjects (RR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.29-0.95). Summary. The five studies in the thesis identified several sources of cognitive stimulation throughout the lifespan and indicated that education above elementary level, higher levels of work complexity, and a broad spectrum of activities in old age are all related to decreased risk of dementia. The cognitive reserve model can be applied throughout the life course, from childhood to adulthood and late-life, and cognitive ability is modifiable at all stages of life. Conversely, dementia risk is increased by inactivity, loneliness, and low mood; and social isolation intensified the effect of these factors

Prevalence of Chronic Diseases and Multimorbidity Among the Elderly Population in Sweden

We explored the role of age, gender, and socioeconomic status in the occurrence of chronic diseases and multimorbidity in 1099 elderly participants in the Kungsholmen Project. Cardiovascular and mental diseases were the most common chronic disorders. Of the participants, 55% had multimorbidity. Advanced age, female gender, and lower education were independently associated with a more than 50% increased risk for multimorbidity. Multimorbidity is the most common clinical picture of the elderly and may be increased by unhealthy behaviors linked to education

The differences between the antioxidant activity of vitamin products

Antioxidants are compounds naturally found in many products i.e. fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Antioxidants naturally occurring in plants include vitamins A, C, and E, polyphenols, and mineral compounds. These compounds are also found in many dietary supplements. This study aimed to determine the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total polyphenol content (TPC) of selected juices and dietary supplements. 1.1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay is a research method that allows antioxidant activity analysis. The TPC in test samples was measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The study showed that all selected for the analysis products have antioxidant properties. The values of TAC corresponded to TPC with 0.94 (juices) and 0.98 (diet supplements) correlation coefficients. The highest value of TAC was obtained for juice consisting of apples, beets, cherries, and the lowest for juice containing only carrots and products containing vitamin C composition. The tested juices have higher values of TAC compared to dietary supplements, and therefore juices should be the basic prevention of civilization diseases

Conjunctival Intraepithelial Neoplasia with Mucoepidermoid Differentiation: A Case Report of a Subtle Lesion

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical presentation, diagnostic imaging, and treatment options of conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) with mucoepidermoid differentiation, an in situ stage of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the conjunctiva (MCC). RESULTS: We report the case of an 86-year-old man presenting with a subtle limbal lesion that had only mild erythema and elevation. Based on a few atypical clinical features and an abnormal ultrahigh-resolution optical coherence tomography (UHR OCT), an incisional biopsy was performed revealing CIN with mucoepidermoid differentiation. Treatment involved aggressive surgical excision. No evidence of recurrence was noted in the 5 years of follow-up. CONCLUSION: MCC is an aggressive tumor that has a tendency to be invasive and recur after treatment. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment is critical. CIN with mucoepidermoid differentiation may represent the earliest stage of MCC. It can present subtly, with a clinical resemblance to benign and less aggressive ocular surface lesions. Imaging with UHR OCT may be helpful to detect early neoplasia. A high level of suspicion must be maintained when evaluating potential ocular surface tumors

A problemática da identidade cultural nos museus: de objetivo (de ação) a objeto (de conhecimento)

Museums are usually seen as valuable means to attain and reinforce cultural identities. The author argues tfiat, instead of such ideological goals, the'):' should consider identity as an object of critica I analysis and historical understanding. Several problematic features are pointed out, mainly identity's nature as a socio-cultural process and its contrastive functions. Current answers of museums to identity claims are then critically analyzed (particularly the alleged preeminence of inner or ethnic knowledge over academic knowledge). In any case, critica I approach is required as the only way to deal with alterity, regardless of struggles for monopolizing truth. A final parallel is established between museum displays and the concept of "discursive text" as developed in History and Anthropology: exhibits should be taken neither as an absolute representation nor as a subjective expression, but as a contingent and contestable - and 011 the way fertile - dialectical construction.Os museus são comumente tidos como poderosos meios de definir e reforçar identidades. O autor propõe que ao invés de tais fins ideológicos, eles considerem a identidade como objeto ae análise crítica e compreensão histórica. Aponta vários traços problemáticos da identidade, sobretudo na sua estrutura de processo sócio-cultural e nas suas funções contrastivas. A seguir, examina criticamente respostas usuais dos museus a reivindicações de identidade (em especial as que pressupõem a superioridade do conhecimento interior ou étnico sobre o acadêmico). Postula-se a necessidade da abordagem crítica, sempre, como única forma de afrontar o tema da alteridade, independentemente das lutas pelo monopólio da verdade. Traça-se, por fim um paralelo entre a mostra museológica e o conceito de "texto discursivo", formulado pela História e pela Antropologia: as exposições não devem ser nem uma representação absoluta, nem uma expressão subjetiva, mas uma construção dialética, contigente e contestável- capaz de tertilizar