Blood polyphenol concentrations and differentiated thyroid carcinoma in women from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study

Background: Polyphenols are natural compounds with anticarcinogenic properties in cellular and animal models, but epidemiological evidence determining the associations of these compounds with thyroid cancer (TC) is lacking. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relations between blood concentrations of 36 polyphenols and TC risk in EPIC (the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition). Methods: A nested case-control study was conducted on 273 female cases (210 papillary, 45 follicular, and 18 not otherwise specified TC tumors) and 512 strictly matched controls. Blood polyphenol concentrations were analyzed by HPLC coupled to tandem MS after enzymatic hydrolysis. Results: Using multivariable-adjusted conditional logistic regression models, caffeic acid (ORlog2: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.33, 0.93) and its dehydrogenated metabolite, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylpropionic acid (ORlog2: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.71, 0.99), were inversely associated with differentiated TC risk. Similar results were observed for papillary TC, but not for follicular TC. Ferulic acid was also inversely associated only with papillary TC (ORlog2: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.51, 0.91). However, none of these relations was significant after Bonferroni correction for multiple testing. No association was observed for any of the remaining polyphenols with total differentiated, papillary, or follicular TC. Conclusions: Blood polyphenol concentrations were mostly not associated with differentiated TC risk in women, although our study raises the possibility that high blood concentrations of caffeic, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylpropionic, and ferulic acids may be related to a lower papillary TC risk.UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) Medical Research Council UK (MRC) MC_UU_12015/1 MC_UU_00006/

Adherence to the Western, Prudent and Mediterranean Dietary Patterns and Colorectal Cancer Risk: Findings from the Spanish Cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Spain)

The aim of this study was to explore the association between three previously identified dietary patterns (Western, Prudent, and Mediterranean) and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk by sex and cancer subtype. The Spanish cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study provided dietary and epidemiological information from 15,629 men and 25,808 women recruited between 1992 and 1996. Among them, 568 CRC cases and 3289 deaths were identified during a median follow-up of 16.98 years. The associations between adherence to the three dietary patterns and CRC risk (overall, by sex, and by tumour location: proximal and distal colon and rectum) were investigated by fitting multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models stratified by study centre and age. Possible heterogeneity of the effects by sex and follow-up time (1–10 vs. 10 years) was also explored. While no clear effect of the Prudent dietary pattern on CRC risk was found, a suggestive detrimental effect of the Western dietary pattern was observed, especially during the first 10 years of follow-up (HR1SD-increase (95% CI): 1.17 (0.99–1.37)), among females (HR1SD-increase (95% CI): 1.31 (1.06–1.61)), and for rectal cancer (HR1SD-increase (95% CI): 1.38 (1.03–1.84)). In addition, high adherence to the Mediterranean pattern seemed to protect against CRC, especially when restricting the analyses to the first 10 years of follow-up (HR1SD-increase (95% CI): 0.84 (0.73–0.98)), among males (HR1SD-increase (95% CI): 0.80 (0.65–0.98)), and specifically against distal colon cancer (HR1SD-increase (95% CI): 0.81 (0.63–1.03)). In conclusion, low adherence to theWestern diet and high adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern could prevent CRC, especially distal colon and rectal cancer.Autonomous community of Madrid CM/JIN/2019-042World Health OrganizationDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College LondonNIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)Health Research Fund (FIS)-Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)Junta de AndaluciaPrincipality of AsturiasBasque GovernmentRegional Government of MurciaRegional Government of NavarraCatalan Institute of Oncology-ICO (Spain)Alcala de Henare

Socio-economic factors linked with mental health during the recession: a multilevel analysis

Background Periods of financial crisis are associated with higher psychological stress among the population and greater use of mental health services. The objective is to analyse contextual factors associated with mental health among the Spanish population during the recession. Methodology Cross-sectional, descriptive study of two periods: before the recession (2006) and after therecession (2011-2012). The study population comprised individuals aged 16+ years old, polled for the National Health Survey. There were 25,234 subjects (2006) and 20,754 subjects (2012). The dependent variable was psychic morbidity. Independent variables: 1) socio-demographic (age, socio-professional class, level of education, nationality, employment situation, marital status), 2) psycho-social (social support) and 3) financial (GDP per capita, risk of poverty, income per capita per household), public welfare services (health spending per capita), labour market (employment and unemployment rates, percentage of temporary workers). Multilevel logistic regression models with mixed effects were constructed to determine change in psychic morbidity according to the variables studied. Results The macroeconomic variables associated with worse mental health for both males and females were lower health spending per capita and percentage of temporary workers. Among women, the risk of poor mental health increased 6% for each 100€ decrease in healthcare spending per capita. Among men, the risk of poor mental health decreased 8% for each 5-percentage point increase in temporary workers. Conclusions Higher rates of precarious employment in a region have a negative effect on people’s mental health; likewise lower health spending per capita. Policies during periods of recession should focus on support and improved conditions for vulnerable groups such as temporary workers. Healthcare cutbacks should be avoided in order to prevent increased prevalence of poor mental health.This study was partially funded by the Regional Government of Andalusia Ministry of Health PI 0360-2012 and CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública.Ye

Test Infrastructure for Address-Event-Representation Communications

Address-Event-Representation (AER) is a communication protocol for transferring spikes between bio-inspired chips. Such systems may consist of a hierarchical structure with several chips that transmit spikes among them in real time, while performing some processing. To develop and test AER based systems it is convenient to have a set of instruments that would allow to: generate AER streams, monitor the output produced by neural chips and modify the spike stream produced by an emitting chip to adapt it to the requirements of the receiving elements. In this paper we present a set of tools that implement these functions developed in the CAVIAR EU project.Unión Europea IST-2001-34124 (CAVIAR)Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología TIC-2003-08164-C03-0

The duration of intervals on the oral cancer care pathway and implications for survival: a systematic review and meta-analysis

This work was supported by the Spanish Association Against Cancer [Asociación Española contra el Cáncer, PROYE20023SANC “High resolution study of social inequalities in cancer (HiReSIC)”], the Cancer Epidemiological Surveillance Subprogram of the CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health and the Health Institute Carlos III (VICA), and the Health Institute Carlos III (PI18/01593 “Multilevel population-based study of socioeconomic inequalities in the geographical distribution of cancer incidence, mortality and net survival”). DP was supported by a Juan de la Cierva Fellowship from the Ministry of Science and the National Research Agency of Spain (MCIN/AEI, JC2019- 039691-I, http://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033, Accessed October 4, 2021). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, the decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.The Supplementary material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1183244/full#supplementary-materialIntroduction: Previous studies measuring intervals on the oral cancer care pathway have been heterogenous, showing mixed results with regard to patient outcomes. The aims of this research were (1) to calculate pooled meta-analytic estimates for the duration of the patient, diagnostic and treatment intervals in oral cancer, considering the income level of the country, and (2) to review the evidence on the relationship of these three intervals with tumor stage at diagnosis and survival. Materials and methods: We conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis following PRISMA 2020 guidelines (pre-registered protocol CRD42020200752). Following the Aarhus statement, studies were eligible if they reported data on the length of the patient (first symptom to first presentation to a healthcare professional), diagnostic (first presentation to diagnosis), or treatment (diagnosis to start of treatment) intervals in adult patients diagnosed with primary oral cancer. The risk of bias was assessed with the Aarhus checklist. Results: Twenty-eight studies reporting on 30,845 patients met the inclusion criteria. The pooled median duration of the patient interval was 47 days (95% CI = 31–73), k = 18, of the diagnosis interval 35 days (95% CI = 21–38),k = 11, and of the treatment interval 30 days (95% CI = 23–53), k = 19. In lower-income countries, the patient and treatment intervals were significantly longer, and longer patient intervals were related to later stage at diagnosis. In studies with a lower risk of bias from high-income countries, longer treatment intervals were associated with lower survival rates. Conclusion: Interval duration on the oral cancer care pathway is influenced by the socio-economic context and may have implications for patient outcomes.Asociación Española contra el Cáncer, PROYE20023SANCCancer Epidemiological Surveillance Subprogram of the CIBER of Epidemiology and Public HealthHealth Institute Carlos III (VICA)Health Institute Carlos III: PI18/01593MCIN/AEI, JC2019-039691-

Ejaculation Frequency and Prostate Cancer: CAPLIFE Study

Purpose To evaluate the association between ejaculation frequency (EF) during four stages of life and prostate cancer (PCa) according to tumor aggressiveness, PCa stage, and urinary symptomatology. Materials and Methods A total of 456 incident PCa cases histologically confirmed, and 427 controls aged 40–80 years from the CAPLIFE study were analyzed. This study is a population-based case-control study carried out in the south of Spain. Average EF was measured for: (1) 20s, (2) 30s, (3) 40s, and (4) one year before the interview. EF was categorized into: (1) 0–3, (2) 4, and (3) >4 ejaculations/month. Sociodemographic, lifestyle, and medical information were also collected. To estimate the association between EF and PCa, adjusted ORs (aORs) and 95% CIs were calculated by logistic regression models. Results A year before the interview, PCa cases ejaculated less frequently than the controls. An inverse association was observed between the EF a year before and PCa, aOR=1.64 (95% CI 1.03–2.61) for men with 4 ejaculations/month, and aOR=2.38 (95% CI 1.57–3.60) for men with 0–3 ejaculations/month, compared to men with >4. The association was higher for cases with ISUP 3–5 (aOR=2.76 [95% CI 1.34–5.67] for men with 0–3 ejaculations/month) or with a locally advanced-metastatic tumor (aOR=4.70 [95% CI 1.55–14.29]). Moreover, men with moderate urinary symptoms and 0–3 ejaculations/month had the highest risk, aOR=3.83 (95% CI 1.84–7.95). Conclusions A low EF could be associated with a higher risk of PCa, especially for cases with ISUP 3–5 or with a locally advanced-metastatic tumor.Regional Ministry of Health and Families of Andalusia/Consejería de Salud y Familias, Junta de Andalucía (PI-0514-2016)

Influencia de la temperatura ambiental y la contaminación en la transmisión del SARS-COV-2

La transmisión del SARS-CoV-2 es un problema de Salud Pública de máxima importancia que está influido por diversos factores. Recientemente se ha planteado la hipótesis de que esta transmisión puede reducirse durante el verano debido a la temperatura cálida. Por otro lado, se está estudiando la posible relación entre el elevado número de contagios de SARS-CoV-2 y la contaminación atmosférica. Dicha relación ya fue probada durante el brote de SARS en 2002. En este artículo se revisó la evidencia científica hasta la fecha en relación con la posible influencia de la temperatura ambiental y la contaminación en la transmisión del SARS-CoV-2. Se concluye que las estaciones anuales y, por tanto, la temperatura parecen no influir en la propagación del virus. Además, los contaminantes del aire facilitan el contagio y la mortalidad por el virus.The transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is a major Public Health problem that is influenced by a number of factors. Recently it has been hypothesized that this transmission may be reduced during the summer due to the warm temperatures. On the other hand, the potential association between the high number of SARS-CoV-2 infections and air pollution is being studied. This relationship was already proven during the SARS outbreak in 2002. This article reviewed the scientific evidence to date regarding the possible influence of environmental temperature and air pollution on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. It is concluded that the annual seasons and, therefore, the temperature do not seem to influence the spread of the virus. In addition, air pollutants facilitate infection and mortality from the virus

PROPUESTA ARQUITECTÓNICA PARA EL DESARROLLO DE APLICACIONES COLABORATIVAS DE CALIDAD

RESUMEN  Este artículo describe una propuesta arquitectónica basada en servicios web orientada al desarrollo de aplicaciones colaborativas de calidad. La arquitectura ha sido diseñada para abordar las carencias que presentan los modelos arquitectónicos y entornos existentes para el desarrollo de este tipo de aplicaciones. Estas limitaciones incluyen dependencias de plataformas, lenguajes y sistemas operativos, así como el hecho de que su funcionalidad, a menudo, está pensada para aplicaciones muy concretas. Nuestra propuesta, gracias a su diseño y a que está basada en servicios web, es capaz de proporcionar aplicaciones con atributos no funcionales (específicamente, atributos de calidad) como reusabilidad, portabilidad, interoperabilidad, ubicuidad y adaptabilidad, permitiendo reorganizar dinámicamente los componentes para adaptar la arquitectura a la forma en que se organiza el trabajo en grupo en cada momento. Dicha adaptación puede lograse, si es necesario, extendiendo la propuesta con nuevos servicios (que pueden ser aplicaciones, componentes o herramientas) cuando éstos se requieran, de manera consistente y sin necesidad de realizar modificaciones en los servicios existentes. Además, el grupo puede adaptarse a nuevas necesidades o estilos de trabajo,gracias a que nuestra arquitectura permite modificar las políticas de manejo de sesión en tiempo de ejecución. Nuestra propuesta también resuelve problemas significativos encontrados en los modelos y entornos existentes para el desarrollo de aplicaciones colaborativas, como el hecho de que no proporcionan sesiones flexibles y/o no suministran un modelo consistente para integrar componentes de terceros. PALABRAS CLAVE Arquitectura SoftwareAtributos de CalidadAplicaciones ColaborativasServiciosWebArquitectura Orientada a Servicios ABSTRACT This article describes a web service-based architectural proposal oriented to the development of quality collaborative applications. The architecture has been designed to overcome the lacks that existing architectural models and environments for developing this type of applications present. These limitations include platform, language and operative system dependencies, and also the fact that their functionality is often intended for very specific applications. Our proposal, thanks to its design and since it is based on web services, is able to provide applications with non functional attributes (specifically, quality attributes) such as reusability, portability, interoperability, ubiquity and adaptability, which allow to dynamically reorganize the components in order to adapt the architecture to the form in which groupwork is organized at each moment. This adaptation can be achieved, if necessary, extending the proposal with new services (which can be applications, components or tools) when these are required, in a consistent way and without necessity to modify existing services. Moreover, the group can adapt to different needsand work styles, thanks to our architecture allows to modify the session management policies in run time. Our proposal also solves significant problems found in the existing models and environments for the development of collaborative applications, as the fact that they do not provide flexible sessions and/or they do not provide a consistent model to integrate third-party components. KEYWORDSSoftware ArchitectureQuality AttributesCollaborative ApplicationsWeb ServicesService-Oriented Architecture (SOA)

PROPUESTA ARQUITECTÓNICA PARA EL DESARROLLO DE APLICACIONES COLABORATIVAS DE CALIDAD

RESUMEN  Este artículo describe una propuesta arquitectónica basada en servicios web orientada al desarrollo de aplicaciones colaborativas de calidad. La arquitectura ha sido diseñada para abordar las carencias que presentan los modelos arquitectónicos y entornos existentes para el desarrollo de este tipo de aplicaciones. Estas limitaciones incluyen dependencias de plataformas, lenguajes y sistemas operativos, así como el hecho de que su funcionalidad, a menudo, está pensada para aplicaciones muy concretas. Nuestra propuesta, gracias a su diseño y a que está basada en servicios web, es capaz de proporcionar aplicaciones con atributos no funcionales (específicamente, atributos de calidad) como reusabilidad, portabilidad, interoperabilidad, ubicuidad y adaptabilidad, permitiendo reorganizar dinámicamente los componentes para adaptar la arquitectura a la forma en que se organiza el trabajo en grupo en cada momento. Dicha adaptación puede lograse, si es necesario, extendiendo la propuesta con nuevos servicios (que pueden ser aplicaciones, componentes o herramientas) cuando éstos se requieran, de manera consistente y sin necesidad de realizar modificaciones en los servicios existentes. Además, el grupo puede adaptarse a nuevas necesidades o estilos de trabajo,gracias a que nuestra arquitectura permite modificar las políticas de manejo de sesión en tiempo de ejecución. Nuestra propuesta también resuelve problemas significativos encontrados en los modelos y entornos existentes para el desarrollo de aplicaciones colaborativas, como el hecho de que no proporcionan sesiones flexibles y/o no suministran un modelo consistente para integrar componentes de terceros. PALABRAS CLAVE Arquitectura SoftwareAtributos de CalidadAplicaciones ColaborativasServiciosWebArquitectura Orientada a Servicios ABSTRACT This article describes a web service-based architectural proposal oriented to the development of quality collaborative applications. The architecture has been designed to overcome the lacks that existing architectural models and environments for developing this type of applications present. These limitations include platform, language and operative system dependencies, and also the fact that their functionality is often intended for very specific applications. Our proposal, thanks to its design and since it is based on web services, is able to provide applications with non functional attributes (specifically, quality attributes) such as reusability, portability, interoperability, ubiquity and adaptability, which allow to dynamically reorganize the components in order to adapt the architecture to the form in which groupwork is organized at each moment. This adaptation can be achieved, if necessary, extending the proposal with new services (which can be applications, components or tools) when these are required, in a consistent way and without necessity to modify existing services. Moreover, the group can adapt to different needsand work styles, thanks to our architecture allows to modify the session management policies in run time. Our proposal also solves significant problems found in the existing models and environments for the development of collaborative applications, as the fact that they do not provide flexible sessions and/or they do not provide a consistent model to integrate third-party components. KEYWORDSSoftware ArchitectureQuality AttributesCollaborative ApplicationsWeb ServicesService-Oriented Architecture (SOA)