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PURPOSE: Microsatellite instability (MSI) and DNA mismatch repair (MMR) status is an indispensable biomarker in the management of colorectal cancers. We therefore examined the epidemiology of MSI-high/MMR-deficient colorectal cancers in the United States. METHODS: Adults presenting with colorectal adenocarcinoma in 2018-2019 were identified from the US National Cancer Database. Attributes associated with MSI-high/MMR-deficiency were identified using multivariable logistic regression and reported using average adjusted probabilities (%AAP) and 99.9% CIs. As a secondary aim, the survival associated with MSI/MMR status was assessed. RESULTS: Among 101,259 colorectal adenocarcinomas in 2018-2019, 82.0% were microsatellite stable/MMR-proficient, 3.8% MSI-low, and 14.2% MSI-high/MMR-deficient—including 16.6%, 19.9%, 12.4%, and 7.3% of stage I, II, III, and IV cancers, respectively. In locoregional cancers, MSI-high/MMR-deficiency was associated with a bimodal age distribution, female sex, right-sided colonic origin, wild-type KRAS , and a prior diagnosis of cancer (all P <.001). By race/ethnicity, colorectal adenocarcinomas were MSI-high/MMR-deficient in 16.9%AAP of non-Hispanic White (99.9% CI, 16.5 to 17.4) patients, compared with 11.3%AAP of non-Hispanic Black (99.9% CI, 10.3 to 12.4), 12.4%AAP of Asian/Pacific Islander (99.9% CI, 10.5 to 14.3), and 15.1%AAP of Hispanic (99.9% CI, 13.4 to 16.7) patients (all P <.001). Histologically, MSI-high/MMR-deficiency was associated with increasing grade, from 11.3%AAP of well-differentiated tumors (99.9% CI, 10.2 to 12.4) to 28.4%AAP of poorly differentiated cases (99.9% CI, 27.1 to 29.8; P <.001). Compared with conventional histology (15.2%AAP, 99.9% CI, 14.8 to 15.6), medullary (41.1%AAP, 99.9% CI, 33.0 to 49.3; P <.001) and mucinous (24.6%AAP, 99.9% CI, 22.8 to 26.3; P <.001) subtypes—but not signet-ring cell histology (15.5%AAP, 99.9% CI, 11.6 to 19.4; P =.79)—were more frequently MSI-high/MMR-deficient when adjusting for clinicopathologic features including grade. CONCLUSION: Our findings establish the epidemiology, features, and prognostic implications of MSI-high/MMR-deficiency among colorectal adenocarcinoma patients in the United States. Gutierrez et al from BWH/DFCI define the epidemiology of CRCs in the United States by MSI/MMR status [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Recent preclinical research strongly suggests that dietary sugars can enhance colorectal tumorigenesis by direct action, particularly in the proximal colon that unabsorbed fructose reaches. Objectives We aimed to examine long-term consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and total fructose in relation to incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer (CRC) by anatomic subsite. Methods We followed 121,111 participants from 2 prospective US cohort studies, the Nurses' Health Study (1984–2014) and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (1986–2014), for incident CRC and related death. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to compute HRs and 95% CIs. Results During follow-up, we documented 2733 incident cases of CRC with a known anatomic location, of whom 901 died from CRC. Positive associations of SSB and total fructose intakes with cancer incidence and mortality were observed in the proximal colon but not in the distal colon or rectum (P heterogeneity ≤ 0.03). SSB consumption was associated with a statistically significant increase in the incidence of proximal colon cancer (HR per 1-serving/d increment: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.34; P trend = 0.02) and a more pronounced elevation in the mortality of proximal colon cancer (HR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.72; P trend = 0.002). Similarly, total fructose intake was associated with increased incidence and mortality of proximal colon cancer (HRs per 25-g/d increment: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.35; and 1.42; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.79, respectively). Moreover, SSB and total fructose intakes during the most recent 10 y, rather than those from a more distant period, were associated with increased incidence of proximal colon cancer. Conclusions SSB and total fructose consumption were associated with increased incidence and mortality of proximal colon cancer, particularly during later stages of tumorigenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess for an association between higher body mass index and disease severity, morbidity and mortality in children admitted for an acute respiratory distress and failure. Methods: A single‐institution retrospective cross‐sectional study performed in the United States evaluating paediatric patients, 2–20 years of age, admitted for diagnoses related to acute respiratory distress and acute respiratory failure. Main outcomes include disease severity as assessed using the respiratory component of the Paediatric Early Warning Score (PEWS) with adjustment for altered mental status (Resp‐PEWS + AMS), hospital or intensive care length of stay (LOS) and death. Results: Children with obesity made up 42/334 (13%) of the cohort. There was no significant difference in Resp‐PEWS + AMS between obese and non‐obese cohorts (mean of 0.93, {standard deviation 1.11} vs. 1.13 {1.35}, range 0–6, rank sum p = 0.46). There was no significant difference in overall hospital LOS or intensive care LOS. Multivariate analysis including diagnosis as a control variable did not change the results. Conclusion: We found that body habitus was not an independent factor for illness severity or clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background To evaluate the association between postdiagnostic dairy intake and survival among patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods This study analyzed data from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS). Postdiagnostic dairy intake and other dietary and lifestyle factors were obtained from validated questionnaires. Individual dairy items including milk, cheese, yogurt, and so on were reported, and total, high-fat, and low-fat dairy intakes were derived. Results A total of 1753 eligible CRC cases were identified until 2012, from which 703 deaths were documented after a median follow-up time of 8.2 y, and 242 were due to CRC. Overall, when comparing those who consumed 21+ servings/wk with <7 servings/wk, postdiagnostic total dairy intake did not show significant associations with CRC-specific mortality (HR: 1.35; 95% CI: 0.85, 2.13) or overall mortality (HR: 1.28; 95% CI: 0.98, 1.67). However, high-fat dairy, including whole milk and cream cheese, was positively associated with overall mortality (HR: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.08, 1.65) but not significantly with CRC-specific mortality (HR: 1.31; 95% CI: 0.91, 1.90) when comparing those who consumed 10.5+ servings/wk with <3.5 servings/wk. For the same comparison, low-fat dairy, including skim or nonfat milk and cottage cheese, was inversely associated with overall mortality (HR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.59, 0.92) but not CRC-specific mortality (HR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.63, 1.29). Conclusions Total dairy products intake did not show significant association with CRC-specific or overall mortality. However, high intake of high-fat dairy products was associated with increased mortality, whereas low-fat dairy was associated with lower risk of overall mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Higher dairy intake during adulthood has been associated with lower colorectal cancer risk. As colorectal carcinogenesis spans several decades, we hypothesised that higher dairy intake during adolescence is associated with lower risk of colorectal adenoma, a colorectal cancer precursor.Methods: In 27,196 females from the Nurses' Health Study 2, aged 25-42 years at recruitment (1989), who had completed a validated high school diet questionnaire in 1998 and undergone at least one lower bowel endoscopy between 1998 and 2011, logistic regression for clustered data was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).Results: Colorectal adenomas were diagnosed in 2239 women. Dairy consumption during adolescence was not associated with colorectal adenoma risk (OR highest vs. lowest [≥4 vs. ≤1.42 servings/day] quintile [95% CI] 0.94 [0.80, 1.11]). By anatomical site, higher adolescent dairy intake was associated with lower rectal (0.63 [0.42, 0.95]), but not proximal (1.01 [0.80, 1.28]) or distal (0.97 [0.76, 1.24]) colon adenoma risk. An inverse association was observed with histologically advanced (0.72 [0.51, 1.00]) but not non-advanced (1.07 [0.86, 1.33]) adenoma.Conclusions: In this large cohort of younger women, higher adolescent dairy intake was associated with lower rectal and advanced adenoma risk later in life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Although evidence suggests an inverse association between yogurt consumption and the risk of disorders, such as type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, the mechanisms remain poorly understood. We aimed to examine the association between yogurt consumption and concentrations of plasma soluble CD14, a marker of gut barrier dysfunction. Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from 632 women in the Nurses' Health Study (1989–1990) and 444 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1993–1994) with soluble CD14 concentrations. We estimated yogurt consumption from food frequency questionnaires. We used multivariable-adjusted linear regression models to estimate the percentage difference (95% CI) of soluble CD14 concentrations by yogurt consumption. Results: Among men, higher consumption was associated with a lower soluble CD14 concentration (at least 2 cups/week vs. non-consumers; unadjusted % difference: − 7.6%; 95% CI − 13.0%, − 2.1%; Ptrend = 0.003). The inverse association was slightly attenuated following multivariable adjustment (% difference: − 5.8%; 95% CI − 11.0%, − 0.1%; Ptrend = 0.01). For the same comparison, yogurt consumption was inverse, but not statistically significant associated with soluble CD14 concentration in women (% difference: − 1.2%; 95% CI − 5.6%, 3.5%; Ptrend = 0.64). In stratified analyses, the inverse association between yogurt consumption and the concentrations of soluble CD14 was slightly stronger in men who consumed alcohol at least 20 g/day. Conclusions: Higher yogurt consumption was associated with lower soluble CD14 concentrations, especially in men. Our findings suggest the strengthening of gut barrier function as a plausible mechanism for the observed inverse associations of yogurt consumption with gastrointestinal diseases and disorders involving other systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Healthy lifestyle and screening represent 2 major approaches to colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention. It remains unknown whether the CRC-preventive benefit of healthy lifestyle differs by endoscopic screening status, and how the combination of healthy lifestyle with endoscopic screening can improve CRC prevention.Methods and Findings: We assessed lifestyle and endoscopic screening biennially among 75,873 women (Nurses' Health Study, 1988 to 2014) and 42,875 men (Health Professionals Follow-up Study, 1988 to 2014). We defined a healthy lifestyle score based on body mass index, smoking, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and diet. We calculated hazard ratios (HRs) and population-attributable risks (PARs) for CRC incidence and mortality in relation to healthy lifestyle score according to endoscopic screening. Participants' mean age (standard deviation) at baseline was 54 (8) years. During a median of 26 years (2,827,088 person-years) follow-up, we documented 2,836 incident CRC cases and 1,013 CRC deaths. We found a similar association between healthy lifestyle score and lower CRC incidence among individuals with and without endoscopic screening, with the multivariable HR per one-unit increment of 0.85 (95% CI, 0.80 to 0.90) and 0.85 (95% CI, 0.81 to 0.88), respectively (P-interaction = 0.99). The fraction of CRC cases that might be prevented (PAR) by endoscopic screening alone was 32% (95% CI, 31% to 33%) and increased to 61% (95% CI, 42% to 75%) when combined with healthy lifestyle (score = 5). The corresponding PAR (95% CI) increased from 15% (13% to 16%) to 51% (17% to 74%) for proximal colon cancer and from 47% (45% to 50%) to 75% (61% to 84%) for distal CRC. Results were similar for CRC mortality. A limitation of our study is that our study participants are all health professionals and predominantly whites, which may not be representative of the general population.Conclusions: Our study suggests that healthy lifestyle is associated with lower CRC incidence and mortality independent of endoscopic screening. An integration of healthy lifestyle with endoscopic screening may substantially enhance prevention for CRC, particularly for proximal colon cancer, compared to endoscopic screening alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on risk of colorectal cancer precursors remains largely unknown. We examined the associations of erythrocyte PUFAs, including n−3 and n−6 PUFAs, with risk of colorectal conventional adenomas and serrated polyps in 4517 participants from three US prospective cohorts who had provided a blood sample and undergone at least one endoscopic examination. We calculated the multivariable odds ratios (ORs) per 1 SD increment in individual PUFAs and the ratio of n−6/n−3 PUFAs. We considered P <.005 statistically significant to account for multiple testing. During a median of 20 years of follow‐up, we documented 493 conventional adenomas and 316 serrated polyps. After adjusting for various CRC risk factors, no associations for PUFAs achieved the stringent statistical significance for either conventional adenomas or serrated polyps (ORs per 1 SD ranged from 0.90 to 1.14). Some associations achieved nominal significance (P <.05), including the association of dihomogammalinolenic acid (DGLA) (20:3, n−6) with lower risk of conventional adenomas (OR = 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.83‐1.00), total n−6 PUFAs with higher risk of proximal serrated polyps (OR = 1.32; 95% CI = 1.01‐1.74) and eicosadienoic acid (20:2, n−6) and DGLA with lower risk of advanced adenomas (OR = 0.83; 95% CI = 0.71‐0.97 and OR = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.72‐0.98, respectively). Our findings indicate that erythrocyte PUFAs in a typical American diet are unlikely to have a substantial influence on risk of colorectal cancer precursors. The subgroup associations require further confirmation. What's new? The influence of polyunsaturated fatty acids on risk of colorectal cancer precursors remains largely unknown. Over a median follow‐up duration of 20 years, this prospective study examined the associations of erythrocyte n‐3 and n‐6 polyunsaturated fatty acids with risk of colorectal cancer precursors in three large prospective cohorts in the United States. No statistically significant association was found at α=0.005 level for any of the fatty acids with either conventional adenomas or serrated polyps. The findings indicate that n‐3 and n‐6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in a typical American diet are unlikely to have a substantial impact on colorectal cancer precursors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation relies heavily on didactic teaching, emphasizing on essential cognitive skills, but overlooking core behavioral skills such as leadership and communication. Therefore, simulation-based training has been adopted to instill clinical knowledge through immersive experiences. Despite simulation-based training's effectiveness, training opportunities are lessened due to high costs. This is where screen-based simulators come into the scene as affordable and realistic alternatives. Aim: This article evaluates the educational efficacy of ECMOjo, an open-source screen-based extracorporeal membrane oxygenation simulator that aims to replace extracorporeal membrane oxygenation didactic instruction in an interactive and cost-effective manner. Method: A prospective cohort skills acquisition study was carried out. A total of 44 participants were pre-assessed, divided into two groups, where the first group received traditional didactic teaching, and the second used ECMOjo. Participants were then evaluated through a wet lab assessment and two questionnaires. Results: The obtained results indicate that the two assessed groups show no statistically significant differences in knowledge and efficacy. Hence, ECMOjo is considered an alternative to didactic teaching as per the learning outcomes. Conclusion: The present findings show no significant dissimilarities between ECMOjo and didactic classroom-based teaching. Both methods are very comparable in terms of the learner's reported self-efficacy and complementary to mannequin-based simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although obesity has been linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), the risk associated with long-term status or change of body fat distribution has not been fully elucidated.Methods: Using repeated anthropometric assessments in the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, we prospectively investigated cumulative average waist circumference, hip circumference and waist-to-hip ratio, as well as their 10-year changes over adulthood, in relation to CRC risk over 23-24 years of follow-up. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).Results: High waist circumference, hip circumference and waist-to-hip ratio were all associated with a higher CRC risk in men, even after adjusting for body mass index. The association was attenuated to null in women after adjusting for body mass index. Ten-year gain of waist circumference was positively associated with CRC risk in men (P for trend = 0.03), but not in women (P for trend = 0.34).Compared with men maintaining their waist circumference, those gaining waist circumference by ≥ 10 cm were at a higher risk of CRC, with a multivariable-adjusted HR of 1.59 (95% CI, 1.01-2.49). This association appeared to be independent of weight change.Conclusions: Abdominal adiposity, independent of overall obesity, is associated with an increased CRC risk in men but not in women. Our findings also provide the first prospective evidence that waist circumference gain during adulthood may be associated with higher CRC risk in men, thus highlighting the importance of maintaining a healthy waist for CRC prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Statins, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, are common lipid-lowering agents and may reduce the risk of several cancer types including pancreatic cancer. However, the association between statin use and pancreatic cancer risk has not been fully evaluated in prospective studies.Methods: We studied the association between statin use and incident pancreatic cancer in 113,059 participants from the prospective Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Statin use was self-reported via study questionnaires and updated biennially. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incidence of pancreatic cancer were estimated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models with adjustment for potential confounders.Results: In total, 583 participants developed incident pancreatic cancer during 1.4 million person-years of follow-up. No difference was identified in pancreatic cancer risk for regular versus non-regular statin users (multivariable-adjusted HR 0.98; 95% CI 0.82-1.16). There was no significant heterogeneity in the association of statin use with pancreatic cancer risk between the cohorts. Similarly, longer duration of regular statin use was not associated with decreased risk of pancreatic cancer (Ptrend = 0.65). The results remained similar when we examined statin use status at baseline or accounting for 4-year latency period. We observed no statistically significant effect modification for the association of statin use with pancreatic cancer risk by body mass index, smoking status, or diabetes mellitus status (all Pinteraction > 0.21).Conclusions: Regular statin use was not associated with pancreatic cancer risk in two large prospective cohort studies in the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Durability and wear properties of traffic marking paints are one of the most important challenges in traffic management. This provides high-value cost-benefit, crowd reducing, improving journey times and decreasing environmental targets which are made by standing or slow-moving traffic. Because of the volume of traffic passing, climatic conditions, type of road surface, and drivers’ behavior, a traffic marking paint gradually loses its basic properties such as durability and night visibility (RL) that may potentially lead to accidents because of a loss of cognitive perception for drivers. Therefore, an effective wear resistance traffic marking paint is desirable to reduce wear, extending the lifetime and durability of paints. Analyzing this effect via microgranules, nanoclay application is the aim of this study. Clay/acrylic resin nanocomposite is synthesized using Cloisite® 30B with different percentages. Finally, production of traffic marking paint nanocomposites with this nanocomposite acrylic resins can offer the promising prospect for these aims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pancreatic tumors cause changes in whole-body metabolism, but whether prediagnostic circulating metabolites predict survival is unknown.Methods: We measured 82 metabolites by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in prediagnostic plasma from 484 pancreatic cancer case patients enrolled in four prospective cohort studies. Association of metabolites with survival was evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, cohort, race/ethnicity, cancer stage, fasting time, and diagnosis year. After multiple-hypothesis testing correction, a P value of .0006 or less (.05/82) was considered statistically significant. Based on the results, we evaluated 33 tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ACO1 gene, requiring a P value of less than .002 (.05/33) for statistical significance. All statistical tests were two-sided.Results: Two metabolites in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle--isocitrate and aconitate--were statistically significantly associated with survival. Participants in the highest vs lowest quintile had hazard ratios (HRs) for death of 1.89 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06 to 3.35, Ptrend < .001) for isocitrate and 2.54 (95% CI = 1.42 to 4.54, Ptrend < .001) for aconitate. Isocitrate is interconverted with citrate via the intermediate aconitate in a reaction catalyzed by the enzyme aconitase 1 (ACO1). Therefore, we investigated the citrate to aconitate plus isocitrate ratio and SNPs in the ACO1 gene. The ratio was strongly associated with survival (P trend < .001) as was the SNP rs7874815 in the ACO1 gene (hazard ratio for death per minor allele = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.16 to 1.61, P < .001). Patients had an approximately three-fold hazard for death when possessing one or more minor alleles at rs7874851 and high aconitate or isocitrate.Conclusions: Prediagnostic circulating levels of TCA cycle intermediates and inherited ACO1 genotypes were associated with survival among patients with pancreatic cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Observational data have suggested that intakes of nutrients involved in one-carbon metabolism are inversely associated with risk of colorectal carcinoma and adenomas. In contrast, results from some preclinical studies and cardiovascular and chemoprevention trials have raised concerns that high folate intake may promote carcinogenesis by facilitating the progression of established neoplasia. Objective: We tested the hypothesis that higher total folate intake (including food folate and folic acid from fortified foods and supplements) or other one-carbon nutrient intakes might be associated with poorer survival after a diagnosis of colorectal cancer. Design: We used rectal and colon cancer cases within the following 2 US prospective cohort studies: the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Biennial questionnaires were used to gather information on medical history and lifestyle factors, including smoking and alcohol consumption. B-vitamin and methionine intakes were derived from food-frequency questionnaires. Data on tumor molecular characteristics (including microsatellite instability, CpG island methylator phenotype, KRAS, BRAF, and PIK3CA mutations, and long interspersed nucleotide element 1 methylation level) were available for a subset of cases. We assessed colorectal cancer-specific mortality according to postdiagnostic intakes of one-carbon nutrients with the use of multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results: In 1550 stage I--III colorectal cancer cases with a median follow-up of 14.9 y, we documented 641 deaths including 176 colorectal cancer-specific deaths. No statistically significant associations were observed between postdiagnostic intakes of folate or other one-carbon nutrients and colorectal cancer-specific mortality (multivariate P-trend ≥ 0.21). In an exploratory molecular pathologic epidemiology survival analysis, there was no significant interaction between one-carbon nutrients or alcohol and any of the tumor molecular biomarkers examined. Conclusions: Higher postdiagnostic intakes of one-carbon nutrients are not associated with the prognosis in stage I--III colorectal cancer. Our findings do not support the hypothesis that higher folate intake after colorectal cancer diagnosis might increase risk of cancer-related death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substantial disparities in TIV utilization rates among ALS patients have been observed, with rates in Japan far exceeding rates in the United States. Our objective was to elicit national preferences and their determinants. We predicted more Japanese than American patients would desire TIV, as would sicker patients, those already using non-invasive interventions, and those with more positive mood and outlook. Patients were enrolled in five U.S. states and six Japanese regions. Eligible patients completed surveys during clinic visits (U.S.) or at home (Japan). Survey responses were in multiple-choice format and took about 15 min to complete. One hundred and fifty-six Americans and 66 Japanese patients participated. Contrary to expectations, Japanese patients were more likely to oppose TIV, as were those on 24-h NIV and patients who knew someone using TIV. Most Japanese and American patients with advanced respiratory impairment were undecided or opposed to TIV, while nearly 20% in both countries were in favor. Finally, patients who favored TIV or who were undecided had more energy, greater wish to live, and more sense of control over ALS management. In conclusion, factors other than patient preferences, such as neurologist preferences, caregiver attitudes and perhaps lack of advance planning, may influence probability of TIV utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of duration of cigarette smoking cessation on colorectal cancer risk by molecular subtypes remains unclear. Using duplication-method Cox proportional-hazards regression analyses, we examined associations between duration of smoking cessation and colorectal cancer risk according to status of CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP), microsatellite instability, v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 (BRAF) mutation, or DNA methyltransferase-3B (DNMT3B) expression. Follow-up of 134,204 individuals in 2 US nationwide prospective cohorts (Nurses' Health Study (1980–2008) and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986–2008)) resulted in 1,260 incident rectal and colon cancers with available molecular data. Compared with current smoking, 10–19, 20–39, and ≥40 years of smoking cessation were associated with a lower risk of CIMP-high colorectal cancer, with multivariate hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 0.53 (0.29, 0.95), 0.52 (0.32, 0.85), and 0.50 (0.27, 0.94), respectively (Ptrend = 0.001), but not with the risk of CIMP-low/CIMP-negative cancer (Ptrend = 0.25) (Pheterogeneity = 0.02, between CIMP-high and CIMP-low/CIMP-negative cancer risks). Differential associations between smoking cessation and cancer risks by microsatellite instability (Pheterogeneity = 0.02), DNMT3B expression (Pheterogeneity = 0.03), and BRAF (Pheterogeneity = 0.10) status appeared to be driven by the associations of CIMP-high cancer with microsatellite instability–high, DNMT3B-positive, and BRAF-mutated cancers. These molecular pathological epidemiology data suggest a protective effect of smoking cessation on a DNA methylation–related carcinogenesis pathway leading to CIMP-high colorectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses a study which investigated the association between aspirin use after colorectal cancer diagnosis on colorectal cancer-specific and overall survival. The study involved 1,279 men and women diagnosed with stage I, stage II, or III colorectal cancer, who were enrolled in two nationwide health professional cohorts in the U.S. in 1980 and 1986. The researchers found that there has been an association between regular aspirin use after the diagnosis of colorectal cancer and lower risk of colorectal cancer-specific and overall mortality.

Abstract: In adults, the Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) can be used for the assessment of not only visuoconstructional ability and visual memory, but also executive function in adults. We studied whether ROCF scores also correlated with executive function in childhood. The subjects consisted of 56 patients with various neurological diseases (5 years 7 months–14 years 11 months; mean: 8 years 8 months; M 42, F 14) whose full-scale IQs were 70 or higher (mean: 93.3). All subjects underwent the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for children third edition (WISC-III) and various psychological tests focusing on executive function. We evaluated the ROCF with the Boston Qualitative Scoring System (BQSS). We calculated the partial correlation coefficients between the BQSS Summary Scores and representative scores of other executive function tests, using age as the control variable. Among the scores of the various examinations, the Perseverative Errors of Nelson of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, the raw scores of the Mazes (WISC-III), the Digit Span (WISC-III), and the Block Design (WISC-III) were correlated significantly with two to four BQSS Summary Scores (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In contrast, the scores of the Trail Making Test, the Stroop Test, and the Commission Error of Continuous Performance Test-II did not show a significant correlation with any of the BQSS Summary Scores. The ROCF evaluated with the BQSS reflects not only visuoperceptual ability and visuoconstructional ability, but also executive function, especially planning and organization. However, a new BQSS Summary Score should be devised since no existing BQSS index specifically reflects executive functions with an outstandingly strong correlation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article focuses on the significance of subtyping obesity. An estimated 70 percent of adults and 33 percent of children and adolescents are considered overweight or obese in the U.S. Due to standard grouping of all types of overweight and obesity, there is a lack of stronger associations with risk factors or treatments. Example of possible subtypes that may be used for obesity include high insulin secretion and learned patterns and preference for foods high in calories, fat, sugar and salt.