Measures of birth size in relation to risk of prostate cancer: the Malmo Diet and Cancer Study, Sweden

There is some evidence that perinatal factors, specifically birth weight (BW), may be related to the onset of prostate cancer (PRCA). This case-control study, nested within the Malmo Diet and Cancer Cohort Study, used archived birth record data from 308 incident PRCA cases diagnosed between 1991 and 2005, and 637 age-matched controls among 4781 men born (1923-1945) in Malmo and Lund, Sweden. We applied conditional logistic regression to examine the birth size-PRCA association, including tumour subtypes, adjusting for perinatal and adult factors. Compared with controls, cases had a non-significantly higher mean BW and were more likely to have high (> 4000 g) BW (21% v. 18%), but did not differ in other birth size measures, nor in mean adult body mass index. We observed a non-linear association between BW and PRCA risk. Compared with BWs between 3000 and 3500 g (reference), the fully adjusted odds ratios (OR, 95% CI) were 0.55 (0.33-0.91) for 4000 g. Among men with aggressive tumours, the reduction in risk for those with BWs < 3000 g (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.09-0.72) was stronger than the rate of risk for PRCA overall. Crude risk estimates were minimally attenuated when adjusted for gestational age, maternal age, birth order and adult factors. Birth length, head circumference and placental weight were not associated with prostate cancer. Our results indicate a protective effect of lower BW on risk of total and aggressive prostate cancer, rather than any direct effect of larger birth size

ALMA Compact Array observations of the Fried Egg nebula: Evidence for large-scale asymmetric mass-loss from the yellow hypergiant IRAS 17163-3907

Yellow hypergiants are rare and represent a fast evolutionary stage of massive evolved stars. That evolutionary phase is characterised by a very intense mass loss, the understanding of which is still very limited. Here we report ALMA Compact Array observations of a 50$"$-mosaic toward the Fried Egg nebula, around one of the few Galactic yellow hypergiants IRAS 17163-3907. The emission from the $^{12}$CO J=2-1 line, H30$\alpha$ recombination line, and continuum is imaged at a resolution of $\sim$8$"$, revealing the morphology of the molecular environment around the star. The continuum emission is unresolved and peaks at the position of the star. The radio recombination line H30$\alpha$ shows unresolved emission at the star, with an approximately gaussian spectrum centered on a velocity of 21$\pm$3~km/s with a width of 57$\pm$6~km/s. In contrast, the CO 2-1 emission is complex and decomposes into several components beyond the contamination from interstellar gas in the line of sight. The CO spectrum toward the star is a broad plateau, centered at the systemic velocity of +18 km/s and with an expansion velocity of 100$\pm$10 km/s. Assuming isotropic and constant mass-loss, we estimate a mass-loss rate of 8$\pm$1.5 $\times10^{-5}$~M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$. At a radius of 25$"$ from the star, we detect CO emission associated with the dust ring previously imaged by {\it Herschel}. The kinematics of this ring, however, is not consistent with an expanding shell, but show a velocity gradient of $v_{sys} \pm$20 km/s. In addition, we find a puzzling bright feature radially connecting the star to the CO ring, at a velocity of +40 km/s relative to the star. This spur feature may trace a unidirectional ejection event from the star. Our ACA observations reveal the complex morphology around IRAS 17163 and illustrate the breakthroughs that ALMA will bring to the field of massive stellar evolution

Testing Cost Containment of Future Healthcare with Maintained or Improved Quality—The COSTCARES Project

Increasing healthcare costs need to be contained in order to maintain equality of access to care for all EU citizens. A cross-disciplinary consortium of experts was supported by the EU FP7 research programme, to produce a roadmap on cost containment, while maintaining or improving the quality of healthcare. The roadmap comprises two drivers: person-centred care and health promotion; five critical enablers also need to be addressed: information technology, quality measures, infrastructure, incentive systems, and contracting strategies

The VLT/SPHERE view of the ATOMIUM cool evolved star sample. I. Overview:Sample characterization through polarization analysis

Aims. Through the ATOMIUM project, based on an ALMA large program, we aim to present a consistent view of a sample of 17 nearby cool evolved stars (Aymptotic Giant Branch and red supergiant stars). Methods. Here we present VLT/SPHERE-ZIMPOL polarimetric maps obtained in the visible of 14 out of the 17 ATOMIUM sources. They were obtained contemporaneously with the ALMA high spatial resolution data. To help interpret the polarized signal, we produced synthetic maps of light scattering by dust, through 3D radiative transfer simulations with the RADMC3D code. Results. The degree of linear polarization (DoLP) observed by ZIMPOL spreads across several optical filters. We infer that it primarily probes dust located just outside of the point spread function, and in or near the plane of the sky, with a total optical depth close to unity in the line of sight, representing only a fraction of the total circumstellar dust. The maximum DoLP ranges from 0.03-0.38 depending on the source, fractions that can be reproduced by our 3D pilot models for grains composed of common dust species. The spatial structure of the DoLP shows a diverse set of shapes. Only for three sources do we note a correlation between the ALMA CO and SiO lines, which trace the gas density, and the DoLP, which traces the dust. Conclusion. The clumpiness of the DoLP and the lack of a consistent correlation between the gas and the dust location show that, in the inner circumstellar environment (CSE), dust formation occurs at very specific sites. This has potential consequences for the derived mass-loss rates and dust-to-gas ratio in the inner region of the CSE. Except for $\pi^1$~Gru and perhaps GY Aql, we do not detect interactions between the circumstellar wind and the hypothesized companions that shape the wind at larger scales. This suggests that the orbits of any other companions are tilted out of the plane of the sky.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. 22 pages, 15 figures, 5 table

The VLT/SPHERE view of the ATOMIUM cool evolved star sample. I. Overview: Sample characterization through polarization analysis

Aims. Through the ATOMIUM project, based on an ALMA large program, we aim to present a consistent view of a sample of 17 nearby cool evolved stars (Aymptotic Giant Branch and red supergiant stars). Methods. Here we present VLT/SPHERE-ZIMPOL polarimetric maps obtained in the visible of 14 out of the 17 ATOMIUM sources. They were obtained contemporaneously with the ALMA high spatial resolution data. To help interpret the polarized signal, we produced synthetic maps of light scattering by dust, through 3D radiative transfer simulations with the RADMC3D code. Results. The degree of linear polarization (DoLP) observed by ZIMPOL spreads across several optical filters. We infer that it primarily probes dust located just outside of the point spread function, and in or near the plane of the sky, with a total optical depth close to unity in the line of sight, representing only a fraction of the total circumstellar dust. The maximum DoLP ranges from 0.03-0.38 depending on the source, fractions that can be reproduced by our 3D pilot models for grains composed of common dust species. The spatial structure of the DoLP shows a diverse set of shapes. Only for three sources do we note a correlation between the ALMA CO and SiO lines, which trace the gas density, and the DoLP, which traces the dust. Conclusion. The clumpiness of the DoLP and the lack of a consistent correlation between the gas and the dust location show that, in the inner circumstellar environment (CSE), dust formation occurs at very specific sites. This has potential consequences for the derived mass-loss rates and dust-to-gas ratio in the inner region of the CSE. Except for $\pi^1$~Gru and perhaps GY Aql, we do not detect interactions between the circumstellar wind and the hypothesized companions that shape the wind at larger scales. This suggests that the orbits of any other companions are tilted out of the plane of the sky.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. 22 pages, 15 figures, 5 table

ATOMIUM: ALMA tracing the origins of molecules in dust forming oxygen rich M-type stars: Motivation, sample, calibration, and initial results

This overview paper presents atomium, a Large Programme in Cycle 6 with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The goal of atomium is to understand the dynamics and the gas phase and dust formation chemistry in the winds of evolved asymptotic giant branch (AGB) and red supergiant (RSG) stars. A more general aim is to identify chemical processes applicable to other astrophysical environments. Seventeen oxygen-rich AGB and RSG stars spanning a range in (circum)stellar parameters and evolutionary phases were observed in a homogeneous observing strategy allowing for an unambiguous comparison. Data were obtained between 213.83 and 269.71 GHz at high (0.025-0.050), medium (0.13-0.24), and low (~1) angular resolution. The sensitivity per ~1.3 km s-1 channel was 1.5-5 mJy beam-1, and the line-free channels were used to image the millimetre wave continuum. Our primary molecules for studying the gas dynamics and dust formation are CO, SiO, AlO, AlOH, TiO, TiO2, and HCN; secondary molecules include SO, SO2, SiS, CS, H2O, and NaCl. The scientific motivation, survey design, sample properties, data reduction, and an overview of the data products are described. In addition, we highlight one scientific result - the wind kinematics of the atomium sources. Our analysis suggests that the atomium sources often have a slow wind acceleration, and a fraction of the gas reaches a velocity which can be up to a factor of two times larger than previously reported terminal velocities assuming isotropic expansion. Moreover, the wind kinematic profiles establish that the radial velocity described by the momentum equation for a spherical wind structure cannot capture the complexity of the velocity field. In fifteen sources, some molecular transitions other than 12CO v = 0 J = 2 - 1 reach a higher outflow velocity, with a spatial emission zone that is often greater than 30 stellar radii, but much less than the extent of CO. We propose that a binary interaction with a (sub)stellar companion may (partly) explain the non-monotonic behaviour of the projected velocity field. The atomium data hence provide a crucial benchmark for the wind dynamics of evolved stars in single and binary star models

(Sub)stellar companions shape the winds of evolved stars

Binary interactions dominate the evolution of massive stars, but their role is less clear for low- and intermediate-mass stars. The evolution of a spherical wind from an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star into a nonspherical planetary nebula (PN) could be due to binary interactions. We observed a sample of AGB stars with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and found that their winds exhibit distinct nonspherical geometries with morphological similarities to planetary nebulae (PNe). We infer that the same physics shapes both AGB winds and PNe; additionally, the morphology and AGB mass-loss rate are correlated. These characteristics can be explained by binary interaction. We propose an evolutionary scenario for AGB morphologies that is consistent with observed phenomena in AGB stars and PNe

Dietary intakes and food sources of phenolic acids in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study

Phenolic acids are secondary plant metabolites that may have protective effects against oxidative stress, inflammation and cancer in experimental studies. To date, limited data exist on the quantitative intake of phenolic acids. We estimated the intake of phenolic acids and their food sources and associated lifestyle factors in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Phenolic acid intakes were estimated for 36 037 subjects aged 35-74 years and recruited between 1992 and 2000 in ten European countries using a standardised 24 h recall software (EPIC-Soft), and their food sources were identified. Dietary data were linked to the Phenol-Explorer database, which contains data on forty-five aglycones of phenolic acids in 452 foods. The total phenolic acid intake was highest in Aarhus, Denmark (1265·5 and 980·7 mg/d in men and women, respectively), while the intake was lowest in Greece (213·2 and 158·6 mg/d in men and women, respectively). The hydroxycinnamic acid subclass was the main contributor to the total phenolic acid intake, accounting for 84·6-95·3 % of intake depending on the region. Hydroxybenzoic acids accounted for 4·6-14·4 %, hydroxyphenylacetic acids 0·1-0·8 % and hydroxyphenylpropanoic acids ≤ 0·1 % for all regions. An increasing south-north gradient of consumption was also found. Coffee was the main food source of phenolic acids and accounted for 55·3-80·7 % of the total phenolic acid intake, followed by fruits, vegetables and nuts. A high heterogeneity in phenolic acid intake was observed across the European countries in the EPIC cohort, which will allow further exploration of the associations with the risk of diseases

Determinants of serum levels of vitamin D: a study of life-style, menopausal status, dietary intake, serum calcium, and PTH

Background: Low blood levels of vitamin D (25-hydroxy D3, 25OHD3) in women have been associated with an increased risk of several diseases. A large part of the population may have suboptimal 25OHD3 levels but high-risk groups are not well known. The aim of the present study was to identify determinants for serum levels of 25OHD3 in women, i.e. factors such as lifestyle, menopausal status, diet and selected biochemical variables. Methods: The study was based on women from the Malmo Diet and Cancer Study (MDCS), a prospective, population-based cohort study in Malmo, Sweden. In a previous case-control study on breast cancer, 25OHD3 concentrations had been measured in 727 women. In these, quartiles of serum 25OHD3 were compared with regard to age at baseline, BMI (Body Max Index), menopausal status, use of oral contraceptives or menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), life-style (e. g. smoking and alcohol consumption), socio-demographic factors, season, biochemical variables (i.e. calcium, PTH, albumin, creatinine, and phosphate), and dietary intake of vitamin D and calcium. In order to test differences in mean vitamin D concentrations between different categories of the studied factors, an ANOVA test was used followed by a t-test. The relation between different factors and 25OHD3 was further investigated using multiple linear regression analysis and a logistic regression analysis. Results: We found a positive association between serum levels of 25OHD3 and age, oral contraceptive use, moderate alcohol consumption, blood collection during summer/autumn, creatinine, phosphate, calcium, and a high intake of vitamin D. Low vitamin D levels were associated with obesity, being born outside Sweden and high PTH levels. Conclusions: The present population-based study found a positive association between serum levels of 25OHD3 and to several socio-demographic, life-style and biochemical factors. The study may have implications e. g. for dietary recommendations. However, the analysis is a cross-sectional and it is difficult to suggest Lifestyle changes as cause-effect relationships are difficult to assess