Socio-demographic variation in adherence to the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF)/American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) Cancer Prevention Recommendations within the UK Biobank prospective cohort study

\ua9 The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. Background: The 2018 (WCRF)/American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) Cancer Prevention Recommendations are evidence-based lifestyle recommendations which aim to reduce the risk of cancer worldwide. Sociodemographic factors modulate lifestyle behaviours, and both cancer incidence and survival are socio-economically patterned. We investigated adherence to these recommendations and examined patterns of adherence across sociodemographic subgroups in the UK Biobank cohort. Methods: We included 158 415 UK Biobank participants (mean age 56 years, 53% female). Total adherence scores were derived from dietary, physical activity and anthropometric data using the 2018 WCRF/AICR standardized scoring system. One-Way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test for differences in total scores and in values for individual score components according to sociodemographic factors and Pearson’s X2 test to investigate associations between sociodemographic factors according to tertiles of adherence score. Results Mean total adherence score was 3.85 points (SD 1.05, range 0–7 points). Higher total scores were observed in females, and older (>57 years), Chinese or South Asian, and more educated participants. We found significant variations in adherence to individual recommendations by sociodemographic factors including education, Townsend deprivation index and ethnicity. Conclusions: Identifying and understanding lifestyle and dietary patterns according to sociodemographic factors could help to guide public health strategies for the prevention of cancers and other non-communicable diseases

Abbreviated Score to Assess Adherence to the 2018 WCRF/AICR Cancer Prevention Recommendations and Risk of Cancer in the UK Biobank

\ua92023 The Authors; Published by the American Association for Cancer Research. BACKGROUND: The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF)/American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) Cancer Prevention Recommendations are lifestyle-based guidelines which aim to reduce cancer risk. This study investigated, in the UK Biobank, associations between an abbreviated score to assess adherence to these Recommendations and the risk of all cancers combined and of 14 cancers for which there is strong evidence for links with diet, adiposity, and physical activity. METHODS: We used data from 288,802 UK Biobank participants (mean age 56.2 years), cancer-free at baseline. An abbreviated version of the 2018 WCRF/AICR Score was calculated to assess adherence to five Recommendations on (i) body weight, (ii) physical activity, (iii) fruits, vegetables, and dietary fiber, (iv) red and processed meat, and (v) alcohol. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyze associations between the abbreviated score (range, 0-5 points) and cancer incidence, adjusting for confounders. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 8.2 years (interquartile range, 7.4-8.9), 23,448 participants were diagnosed with cancer. The abbreviated score was inversely associated with risk of cancer overall [HR: 0.93; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.92-0.95 per 1-point increment], and breast (HR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.87-0.94), colorectal (HR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.83-0.90), lung (HR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.84-0.94), kidney (HR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.76-0.90), pancreatic (HR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.79-0.94), uterine (HR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.73-0.86), esophageal (HR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.75-0.90), stomach (HR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.79-0.99), and liver (HR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.72-0.90) cancers. CONCLUSIONS: Greater adherence to the Cancer Prevention Recommendations, assessed using an abbreviated score, was associated with reduced risk of all cancers combined and of nine site-specific cancers. IMPACT: Our findings support compliance to these Recommendations for cancer prevention

Adherence to the 2018 World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF)/American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) Cancer Prevention Recommendations and risk of 14 lifestyle-related cancers in the UK Biobank prospective cohort study

\ua9 2023, The Author(s).Background: The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF)/American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) Cancer Prevention Recommendations are lifestyle-based recommendations which aim to reduce cancer risk. This study investigated associations between adherence, assessed using a standardised scoring system, and the risk of all cancers combined and of 14 cancers for which there is strong evidence for links with aspects of lifestyle in the UK. Methods: We used data from 94,778 participants (53% female, mean age 56 years) from the UK Biobank. Total adherence scores (range 0–7 points) were derived from dietary, physical activity, and anthropometric data. Associations between total score and cancer risk (all cancers combined; and prostate, breast, colorectal, lung, uterine, liver, pancreatic, stomach, oesophageal, head and neck, ovarian, kidney, bladder, and gallbladder cancer) were investigated using Cox proportional hazard models, adjusting for age, sex, deprivation index, ethnicity, and smoking status. Results: Mean total score was 3.8 (SD 1.0) points. During a median follow-up of 8 years, 7296 individuals developed cancer. Total score was inversely associated with risk of all cancers combined (HR: 0.93; 95%CI: 0.90–0.95 per 1-point increment), as well as breast (HR: 0.90; 95%CI: 0.86–0.95), colorectal (HR: 0.90; 95%CI: 0.84–0.97), kidney (HR: 0.82; 95%CI: 0.72–0.94), oesophageal (HR: 0.84; 95%CI: 0.71–0.98), ovarian (HR: 0.76; 95%CI: 0.65–0.90), liver (HR: 0.78; 95%CI: 0.63–0.97), and gallbladder (HR: 0.70; 95%CI: 0.53–0.93) cancers. Conclusions: Greater adherence to lifestyle-based recommendations was associated with reduced risk of all cancers combined and of breast, colorectal, kidney, oesophageal, ovarian, liver, and gallbladder cancers. Our findings support compliance with the Cancer Prevention Recommendations for cancer prevention in the UK

Association of a dietary inflammatory index with cardiometabolic, endocrine, liver, renal and bones biomarkers: cross-sectional analysis of the UK Biobank study

\ua9 2024 The Author(s)Background and aims: Research into the relationship between an Energy-adjusted Diet-Inflammatory Index (E-DII) and a wider health-related biomarkers profile is limited. Much of the existing evidence centers on traditional metabolic biomarkers in populations with chronic diseases, with scarce data on healthy individuals. Thus, this study aims to investigate the association between an E-DII score and 30 biomarkers spanning metabolic health, endocrine, bone health, liver function, cardiovascular, and renal functions, in healthy individuals. Methods and results: 66,978 healthy UK Biobank participants, the overall mean age was 55.3 (7.9) years were included in this cross-sectional study. E-DII scores, based on 18 food parameters, were categorised as anti-inflammatory (E-DII < -1), neutral (−1 to 1), and pro-inflammatory (>1). Regression analyses, adjusted for confounding factors, were conducted to investigate the association of 30 biomarkers with E-DII. Compared to those with an anti-inflammatory diet, individuals with a pro-inflammatory diet had increased levels of 16 biomarkers, including six cardiometabolic, five liver, and four renal markers. The concentration difference ranged from 0.27 SD for creatinine to 0.03 SD for total cholesterol. Conversely, those on a pro-inflammatory diet had decreased concentrations in six biomarkers, including two for endocrine and cardiometabolic. The association range varied from −0.04 for IGF-1 to −0.23 for SHBG. Conclusion: This study highlighted that a pro-inflammatory diet was associated with an adverse profile of biomarkers linked to cardiometabolic health, endocrine, liver function, and renal health

1920-21: Abilene Christian College Bible Lectures - Full Text

Delivered in the auditorium of Abilene Christian College, Abilene, Texas, February 1920-21 F.L. Rowe, Publisher, Cincinnati, Ohi

Protocol for the saMS trial (supportive adjustment for multiple sclerosis): a randomized controlled trial comparing cognitive behavioral therapy to supportive listening for adjustment to multiple sclerosis

BackgroundMultiple Sclerosis (MS) is an incurable, chronic, potentially progressive and unpredictable disease of the central nervous system. The disease produces a range of unpleasant and debilitating symptoms, which can have a profound impact including disrupting activities of daily living, employment, income, relationships, social and leisure activities, and life goals. Adjusting to the illness is therefore particularly challenging. This trial tests the effectiveness of a cognitive behavioural intervention compared to supportive listening to assist adjustment in the early stages of MS.MethodsThis is a two arm randomized multi-centre parallel group controlled trial. 122 consenting participants who meet eligibility criteria will be randomly allocated to receive either Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Supportive Listening. Eight one hour sessions of therapy (delivered over a period of 10 weeks) will be delivered by general nurses trained in both treatments. Self-report questionnaire data will be collected at baseline (0 weeks), mid-therapy (week 5 of therapy), post-therapy (15 weeks) and at six months (26 weeks) and twelve months (52 weeks) follow-up. Primary outcomes are distress and MS-related social and role impairment at twelve month follow-up. Analysis will also consider predictors and mechanisms of change during therapy. In-depth interviews to examine participants’ experiences of the interventions will be conducted with a purposively sampled sub-set of the trial participants. An economic analysis will also take place. DiscussionThis trial is distinctive in its aims in that it aids adjustment to MS in a broad sense. It is not a treatment specifically for depression. Use of nurses as therapists makes the interventions potentially viable in terms of being rolled out in the NHS. The trial benefits from incorporating patient input in the development and evaluation stages. The trial will provide important information about the efficacy, cost-effectiveness and acceptability of the interventions as well as mechanisms of psychosocial adjustment.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN91377356<br/

Relational Contracts and Organizational Capabilities

A large literature identifies unique organizational capabilities as a potent source of competitive advantage, yet our knowledge of why capabilities fail to diffuse more rapidly—particularly in situations in which competitors apparently have strong incentives to adopt them and a well-developed understanding of how they work—remains incomplete. In this paper we suggest that competitively significant capabilities often rest on managerial practices that in turn rely on relational contracts (i.e., informal agreements sustained by the shadow of the future). We argue that one of the reasons these practices may be difficult to copy is that effective relational contracts must solve the twin problems of credibility and clarity and that although credibility might, in principle, be instantly acquired, clarity may take time to develop and may interact with credibility in complex ways so that relational contracts may often be difficult to build

Establishing a colorectal cancer research database from routinely collected health data: the process and potential from a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Colorectal cancer is a common cause of death and morbidity. A significant amount of data are routinely collected during patient treatment, but they are not generally available for research. The National Institute for Health Research Health Informatics Collaborative in the UK is developing infrastructure to enable routinely collected data to be used for collaborative, cross-centre research. This paper presents an overview of the process for collating colorectal cancer data and explores the potential of using this data source. METHODS: Clinical data were collected from three pilot Trusts, standardised and collated. Not all data were collected in a readily extractable format for research. Natural language processing (NLP) was used to extract relevant information from pseudonymised imaging and histopathology reports. Combining data from many sources allowed reconstruction of longitudinal histories for each patient that could be presented graphically. RESULTS: Three pilot Trusts submitted data, covering 12 903 patients with a diagnosis of colorectal cancer since 2012, with NLP implemented for 4150 patients. Timelines showing individual patient longitudinal history can be grouped into common treatment patterns, visually presenting clusters and outliers for analysis. Difficulties and gaps in data sources have been identified and addressed. DISCUSSION: Algorithms for analysing routinely collected data from a wide range of sites and sources have been developed and refined to provide a rich data set that will be used to better understand the natural history, treatment variation and optimal management of colorectal cancer. CONCLUSION: The data set has great potential to facilitate research into colorectal cancer

Identification and validation of novel biomarkers and therapeutics for pulpitis using connectivity mapping

International audienceAim To create an irreversible pulpitis gene signature from microarray data of healthy and inflamed dental pulps, followed by a bioinformatics approach using connectivity mapping to identify therapeutic compounds that could potentially treat pulpitis. Methodology The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, an international public repositor