Dietary Mn intake may have a beneficial effect in reducing cancer risk; however, its association with thyroid cancer (TC) risk remains inadequately understood. Additionally, Mn was associated with inflammation markers. Thus, we examined whether dietary Mn intake emerges a protective role against TC and whether this preventative effect has an interaction with IL1 receptor type 1 (IL1R1) rs3917225. The prospective study was designed at National Cancer Center in Korea between October 2007 and December 2020 including 17 754 participants. We identified TC cases by following participants until December 2020. Mn intake was collected using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (SQFFQ). Genotyping was performed to determine IL1R1 rs3917225. The hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) were calculated with a Cox proportional hazards model. We ascertained 108 incident TC cases throughout follow-up duration. Dietary Mn intake was found to be inversely associated with TC risk (HR (95 % CI)=0·64 (0·44, 0·95)). However, IL1R1 rs3917225 seemed to modify this association; the protective effect was limited to G-allele carriers (HR = 0·30 (0·11, 0·86), P interaction=0·028). A higher dietary Mn was suggested to be a protective factor against TC. Additionally, we drew a potential biological interaction between Mn intake and IL1R1 rs3917225 with a greater effect among individuals with a minor allele. This implies that when considering the cancer-preventive role of Mn, it is important to account for the influence of inflammatory gene participation.

Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) and antidepressant medications are both first-line interventions for adult depression, but their relative efficacy in the long term and on outcome measures other than depressive symptomatology is unknown. Individual participant data (IPD) meta-analyses can provide more precise effect estimates than conventional meta-analyses. This IPD meta-analysis compared the efficacy of IPT and antidepressants on various outcomes at post-treatment and follow-up (PROSPERO: CRD42020219891). A systematic literature search conducted May 1st, 2023 identified randomized trials comparing IPT and antidepressants in acute-phase treatment of adults with depression. Anonymized IPD were requested and analyzed using mixed-effects models. The prespecified primary outcome was post-treatment depression symptom severity. Secondary outcomes were all post-treatment and follow-up measures assessed in at least two studies. IPD were obtained from 9 of 15 studies identified (N = 1536/1948, 78.9%). No significant comparative treatment effects were found on post-treatment measures of depression (d = 0.088, p = 0.103, N = 1530) and social functioning (d = 0.026, p = 0.624, N = 1213). In smaller samples, antidepressants performed slightly better than IPT on post-treatment measures of general psychopathology (d = 0.276, p = 0.023, N = 307) and dysfunctional attitudes (d = 0.249, p = 0.029, N = 231), but not on any other secondary outcomes, nor at follow-up. This IPD meta-analysis is the first to examine the acute and longer-term efficacy of IPT v. antidepressants on a broad range of outcomes. Depression treatment trials should routinely include multiple outcome measures and follow-up assessments.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most serious and incapacitating mental diseases that can result from trauma exposure. The exact prevalence of this disorder is not known as the literature provides very different results, ranging from 2.5% to 74%. The aim of this umbrella review is to provide an estimation of PTSD prevalence and to clarify whether the prevalence depends on the assessment methods applied (structured interview v. self-report questionnaire) and on the nature of the traumatic event (interpersonal v. not-interpersonal). A systematic search of major databases and additional sources (Google Scholar, EBSCO, Web of Science, PubMed, Galileo Discovery) was conducted. Fifty-nine reviews met the criteria of this umbrella review. Overall PTSD prevalence was 23.95% (95% confidence interval 95% CI 20.74–27.15), with no publication bias or significant small-study effects, but a high level of heterogeneity between meta-analyses. Sensitivities analyses revealed that these results do not change after removing meta-analysis also including data from underage participants (23.03%, 95% CI 18.58–27.48), nor after excluding meta-analysis of low quality (24.26%, 95% CI 20.46–28.06). Regarding the impact of diagnostic instruments on PTSD prevalence, the results revealed a lack of significant differences in PTSD prevalence when structured v. self-report instruments were applied (p = 0.0835). Finally, PTSD prevalence did not differ following event of intentional (25.42%, 95% CI 19.76–31.09) or not intentional (22.48%, 95% CI 17.22–27.73) nature (p = 0.4598). The present umbrella review establishes a robust foundation for future research and provides valuable insights on PTSD prevalence.

The social defeat hypothesis posits that low status and repeated humiliation increase the risk for psychotic disorders (PDs) and psychotic experiences (PEs). The purpose of this paper was to provide a systematic review of studies on risk of PDs and PEs among lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) people and a quantitative synthesis of any difference in risk. PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, and Web of Science were searched from database inception until January 30, 2024. Two independent reviewers assessed the eligibility and quality of studies, extracted effect sizes, and noted the results of mediation analyses. Using a random effects model we computed pooled odds ratios (ORs). Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. The search identified seven studies of PDs and six of PEs. As for PDs, the unadjusted (2.13; 95% confidence interval 0.72–6.34) and covariate-adjusted pooled OR (2.24; 1.72–3.53) were not significantly increased for LGB individuals. After exclusion of a study of limited quality, both the unadjusted pooled OR (2.77; 1.21–6.32) and the covariate-adjusted pooled OR (2.67; 1.53–4.66) were significantly increased. The pooled ORs were increased for PEs: unadjusted, pooled OR = 1.97 (1.47–2.63), covariate-adjusted, pooled OR = 1.85 (1.50–2.28). Studies of PE that examined the mediating role of several variables reported that the contribution of drug abuse was small compared to that of psychosocial stressors. The results of a study in adolescents suggested a protective effect of parental support. These findings suggest an increased psychosis risk for LGB people and support the social defeat hypothesis.

We consider the estimation of rare-event probabilities using sample proportions output by naive Monte Carlo or collected data. Unlike using variance reduction techniques, this naive estimator does not have an a priori relative efficiency guarantee. On the other hand, due to the recent surge of sophisticated rare-event problems arising in safety evaluations of intelligent systems, efficiency-guaranteed variance reduction may face implementation challenges which, coupled with the availability of computation or data collection power, motivate the use of such a naive estimator. In this paper we study the uncertainty quantification, namely the construction, coverage validity, and tightness of confidence intervals, for rare-event probabilities using only sample proportions. In addition to the known normality, Wilson, and exact intervals, we investigate and compare them with two new intervals derived from Chernoff’s inequality and the Berry–Esseen theorem. Moreover, we generalize our results to the natural situation where sampling stops by reaching a target number of rare-event hits. Our findings show that the normality and Wilson intervals are not always valid, but they are close to the newly developed valid intervals in terms of half-width. In contrast, the exact interval is conservative, but safely guarantees the attainment of the nominal confidence level. Our new intervals, while being more conservative than the exact interval, provide useful insights into understanding the tightness of the considered intervals.

The aim of this study is to investigate whether 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) is associated with periodontitis and tooth loss in older adults. A total of 2346 adults underwent a detailed dental examination as part of the health assessment of a national population study – The Irish Longitudinal Study of Ageing. 25(OH)D analysis was performed on frozen non-fasting total plasma using LC-MS. The analysis included both multiple logistic regression and multinominal logistic regression to investigate associations between 25(OH)D concentration, periodontitis and tooth loss, adjusting for a range of potential confounders. Results of the analysis found the mean age of participants was 65·3 years (sd 8·2) and 55·3 % of the group were female. Based on the quintile of 25(OH)D concentration, participants in the lowest v. highest quintile had an OR of 1·57 (95 % CI 1·16, 2·13; P < 0·01) of having periodontitis in the fully adjusted model. For tooth loss, participants in the lowest v. highest quintile of 25(OH)D had a RRR of 1·55 (95 % CI 1·12, 2·13; P < 0·01) to have 1–19 teeth and a RRR of 1·96 (95 % CI 1·20, 3·21; P < 0·01) to be edentulous, relative to those with ≥ 20 teeth in the fully adjusted models. These findings demonstrate that in this cross-sectional study of older men and women from Ireland, 25(OH)D concentration was associated with both periodontitis and tooth loss, independent of other risk factors.

Neoadjuvant radiotherapy (RT) is commonly used as standard treatment for rectal cancer. However, response rates are variable and survival outcomes remain poor, highlighting the need to develop new therapeutic strategies. Research is focused on identifying novel methods for sensitising rectal tumours to RT to enhance responses and improve patient outcomes. This can be achieved through harnessing tumour promoting effects of radiation or preventing development of radio-resistance in cancer cells. Many of the approaches being investigated involve targeting the recently published new dimensions of cancer hallmarks. This review article will discuss key radiation and targeted therapy combination strategies being investigated in the rectal cancer setting, with a focus on exploitation of mechanisms which target the hallmarks of cancer.

The literature on green tea consumption and glucose metabolism has reported conflicting findings. This cross-sectional study examined the association of green tea consumption with abnormal glucose metabolism among 3000 rural residents aged 40–60 years in Khánh Hòa province in Vietnam. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association of green tea consumption (0, < 200, 200–< 400, 400–< 600 or ≥ 600 ml/d) with prediabetes and diabetes (based on the American Diabetes Association criteria). Linear regression analysis was performed to examine the association between green tea consumption and the log-transformed homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (a marker of insulin resistance) and the log-transformed homeostatic model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β) (a marker of insulin secretion). The OR for prediabetes and diabetes among participants who consumed ≥ 600 ml/d v. those who did not consume green tea were 1·61 (95 % CI = 1·07, 2·42) and 2·04 (95 % CI = 1·07, 3·89), respectively. Higher green tea consumption was associated with a higher level of log-transformed HOMA-IR (Pfor trend = 0·04) but not with a lower level of log-transformed HOMA-β (Pfor trend = 0·75). Higher green tea consumption was positively associated with the prevalence of prediabetes, diabetes and insulin resistance in rural Vietnam. The findings of this study indicated prompting the need for further research considering context in understanding the link between green tea consumption and glucose metabolism, especially in rural settings in low- and middle-income countries.

It is uncertain whether dietary intake of mushrooms rich in dietary fibre and several antioxidants is associated with a lower risk of dementia. We sought to examine prospectively the association between mushroom intake and the risk of disabling dementia. We performed a prospective study involving 3750 people aged 40 to 64 years residing in three communities who participated in an annual cardiovascular risk survey from 1985 to 1999. Cases of incident disabling dementia were surveyed from 1999 to 2020. We calculated the hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI for incident total dementia according to mushroom intake among participants with or without a history of stroke. During a mean 16·0 years’ follow-up in 3739 eligible participants, 670 people developed disabling dementia. For women, mushroom intake was inversely associated with the risk of total dementia and the association was confined to dementia without a history of stroke. The multivariable HR (95 % CI) for total dementia in women were 0·81 (0·62, 1·06) for mushroom intake of 0·1–14·9 g/d and 0·56 (0·42, 0·75) for mushroom intake above 15·0 g/d (Pfor trend = 0·003) compared with no intake. The corresponding HR (95 % CI) for dementia without a history of stroke were 0·66 (0·47, 0·93) and 0·55 (0·38, 0·79) (Pfor trend = 0·01). In men, no associations were observed between mushroom intake and the risk of disabling dementia. Among Japanese women, dietary mushroom intake was associated with a lower risk of disabling dementia.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) have allowed millions of infertile couples to achieve pregnancy. As an essential part of IVF/ICSI enabling the retrieval of a high number of oocytes in one cycle, controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) treatment mainly composes of the standard long gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) protocol and the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone antagonist (GnRH-ant) protocol. However, the effectiveness of GnRH-ant protocol is still debated because of inconsistent conclusions and insufficient subgroup analyses. This systematic review and meta-analysis included a total of 52 studies, encompassing 5193 participants in the GnRH-ant group and 4757 in the GnRH-a group. The findings of this study revealed that the GnRH-ant protocol is comparable with the long GnRH-a protocol when considering live birth as the primary outcome, and it is a favourable protocol with evidence reducing the incidence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in women undergoing IVF/ICSI, especially in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Further research is needed to compare the subsequent cumulative live birth rate between the two protocols among the general and poor ovarian response patients since those patients have a lower clinical pregnancy rate, fewer oocytes retrieved or fewer high-grade embryos in the GnRH-ant protocol.

Undernutrition in elders remains under-detected, under-treated, and under-resourced and leads to further weight loss, increased infections, and delay in recovery from illness as well as increased hospital admissions and length of stay. The reports of the findings were fragmented and inconsistent in Ethiopia. Therefore, the main objective of this meta-analysis was to estimate the pooled prevalence of undernutrition and its association with dietary diversity among older persons in Ethiopia. Online databases (Medline, PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct), Google, Google Scholar, and other grey literature were used to search articles until the date of publication. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline was followed. The random effect model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence; whereas subgroup analysis and meta-regression were performed to identify the probable source of heterogeneity using Stata version 14.0 software. Out of 522 studies accessed, 14 met our criteria and were included in the study. A total of 7218 older people (aged above 60 years old) were included in the study. The pooled proportion of undernutrition among older persons in Ethiopia was 20⋅6 % (95 % CI 17⋅3, 23⋅8). Elders who consumed low dietary diversity scores were strongly associated with undernutrition among older persons. Therefore, promoting appropriate intervention strategies for elders to improve dietary diversity practices and nutritional status is crucial.

The present study assessed dietary diversity and anthropometric status of children attending early development centres in South Africa. In the Vhembe District of Limpopo province, South Africa, 273 children were conveniently chosen from 8 randomly selected early childhood development centres for a cross-sectional study. Data were gathered via a questionnaire administered by the interviewer in June 2021. Height, body weight and mid-upper arm circumference were measured to assess anthropometric status. A 24-h dietary recall was obtained to provide information on dietary diversity. The prevalence of underweight, wasting and stunting was 9, 4 and 26 %, respectively. More than half of the children had a low dietary diversity score, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization scoring system for children. Grains, roots, tubers, dairy products, other fruits and vegetables, and flesh-based foods were the highest consumed food groups. The lowest consumption was for eggs, vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables, legumes and nuts. Height for age and weight for age were significantly associated with dietary diversity score, but not weight for height. Children who did not meet the reference value of greater than 4 for dietary diversity had a significant risk of being underweight (AOR 0⋅25, 95 % CI 0⋅08, 0⋅75) and stunted (AOR 0⋅32, 95 % CI 0⋅14, 0⋅74). The nutritional status of the children was impacted by a lack of adequate dietary diversity. Young children in rural areas need to receive a wide range of food to promote greater diversification of diets in order to diminish the risk of undernutrition.