| 1. |
- Dik, Vincent K., et al.
(författare)
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Coffee and tea consumption, genotype- based CYP1A2 and NAT2 activity and colorectal cancer risk- Results from the EPIC cohort study
- 2014
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Ingår i: International Journal of Cancer. - : Wiley. - 0020-7136 .- 1097-0215. ; 135:2, s. 401-412
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Coffee and tea contain numerous antimutagenic and antioxidant components and high levels of caffeine that may protect against colorectal cancer (CRC). We investigated the association between coffee and tea consumption and CRC risk and studied potential effect modification by CYP1A2 and NAT2 genotypes, enzymes involved in the metabolization of caffeine. Data from 477,071 participants (70.2% female) of the European Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort study were analyzed. At baseline (1992-2000) habitual (total, caffeinated and decaffeinated) coffee and tea consumption was assessed with dietary questionnaires. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratio's (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Potential effect modification by genotype-based CYP1A2 and NAT2 activity was studied in a nested case-control set of 1,252 cases and 2,175 controls. After a median follow-up of 11.6 years, 4,234 participants developed CRC (mean age 64.78.3 years). Total coffee consumption (high vs. non/low) was not associated with CRC risk (HR 1.06, 95% CI 0.95-1.18) or subsite cancers, and no significant associations were found for caffeinated (HR 1.10, 95% CI 0.97-1.26) and decaffeinated coffee (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.84-1.11) and tea (HR 0.97, 95% CI 0.86-1.09). High coffee and tea consuming subjects with slow CYP1A2 or NAT2 activity had a similar CRC risk compared to non/low coffee and tea consuming subjects with a fast CYP1A2 or NAT2 activity, which suggests that caffeine metabolism does not affect the link between coffee and tea consumption and CRC risk. This study shows that coffee and tea consumption is not likely to be associated with overall CRC. What's new? Coffee and tea contain numerous compounds that may protect against colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study of more than 475,000 participants over more than a decade, the authors investigated whether coffee or tea consumption is associated with an altered risk of developing CRC. They also asked whether genetic variations in two enzymes involved in caffeine metabolism (CYP1A2 and NAT2) might affect this risk. They conclude that neither consumption patterns, nor genetic differences in caffeine metabolism, appear to have a significant impact on CRC risk.
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| 2. |
- Oikonomou, Vasileios, et al.
(författare)
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eSoil : A low-power bioelectronic growth scaffold that enhances crop seedling growth
- 2024
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : NATL ACAD SCIENCES. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 121:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Active hydroponic substrates that stimulate on demand the plant growth have not been demonstrated so far. Here, we developed the eSoil, a low-power bioelectronic growth scaffold that can provide electrical stimulation to the plants' root system and growth environment in hydroponics settings. eSoil's active material is an organic mixed ionic electronic conductor while its main structural component is cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer. We demonstrate that barley seedlings that are widely used for fodder grow within the eSoil with the root system integrated within its porous matrix. Simply by polarizing the eSoil, seedling growth is accelerated resulting in increase of dry weight on average by 50% after 15 d of growth. The effect is evident both on root and shoot development and occurs during the growth period after the stimulation. The stimulated plants reduce and assimilate NO-3more efficiently than controls, a finding that may have implications on minimizing fertilizer use. However, more studies are required to provide a mechanistic understanding of the physical and biological processes involved. eSoil opens the pathway for the development of active hydroponic scaffolds that may increase crop yield in a sustainable manner.
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| 3. |
- Bernacka Wojcik, Iwona, et al.
(författare)
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Flexible Organic Electronic Ion Pump for Flow-Free Phytohormone Delivery into Vasculature of Intact Plants
- 2023
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Ingår i: Advanced Science. - : WILEY. - 2198-3844. ; 10:14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plant vasculature transports molecules that play a crucial role in plant signaling including systemic responses and acclimation to diverse environmental conditions. Targeted controlled delivery of molecules to the vascular tissue can be a biomimetic way to induce long distance responses, providing a new tool for the fundamental studies and engineering of stress-tolerant plants. Here, a flexible organic electronic ion pump, an electrophoretic delivery device, for controlled delivery of phytohormones directly in plant vascular tissue is developed. The c-OEIP is based on polyimide-coated glass capillaries that significantly enhance the mechanical robustness of these microscale devices while being minimally disruptive for the plant. The polyelectrolyte channel is based on low-cost and commercially available precursors that can be photocured with blue light, establishing much cheaper and safer system than the state-of-the-art. To trigger OEIP-induced plant response, the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) in the petiole of intact Arabidopsis plants is delivered. ABA is one of the main phytohormones involved in plant stress responses and induces stomata closure under drought conditions to reduce water loss and prevent wilting. The OEIP-mediated ABA delivery triggered fast and long-lasting stomata closure far away from the delivery point demonstrating systemic vascular transport of the delivered ABA, verified delivering deuterium-labeled ABA.
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| 4. |
- Bjerregaard, Bine Kjoller, et al.
(författare)
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Tobacco smoke and bladder cancer-in the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition
- 2006
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Ingår i: International Journal of Cancer. - : Wiley. - 0020-7136. ; 119:10, s. 2412-2416
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association between smoking and the development of bladder cancer. The study population consisted of 429,906 persons participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), 633 of whom developed bladder cancer during the follow-up period. An increased risk of bladder cancer was found for both current- (incidence rate ratio 3.96, 95% confidence interval: 3.07-5.09) and ex- (2.25, 1.74-2.91) smokers, compared to never-smokers. A positive association with intensity (per 5 cigarettes) was found among current-smokers (1.18, 1.09-1.28). Associations (per 5 years) were observed for duration (1.14, 1.08-1.21), later age at start (0.75, 0.66-0.85) and longer time since quitting (0.92, 0.86-0.98). Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) during childhood increased the risk of bladder cancer (1.38, 1.00-1.90), whereas for ETS exposure as adult no effect was detected. The present study confirms the strong association between smoking and bladder cancer. The indication of a higher risk of bladder cancer for those who start smoking at a young age and for those exposed to ETS during childhood adds to the body of evidence suggesting that children are more sensitive to carcinogens than adults. (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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| 5. |
- Freisling, Heinz, et al.
(författare)
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Dietary acrylamide intake of adults in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition differs greatly according to geographical region
- 2013
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Ingår i: European Journal of Nutrition. - : Springer. - 1436-6207 .- 1436-6215. ; 52:4, s. 1369-1380
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Methodological differences in assessing dietary acrylamide (AA) often hamper comparisons of intake across populations. Our aim was to describe the mean dietary AA intake in 27 centers of 10 European countries according to selected lifestyle characteristics and its contributing food sources in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. In this cross-sectional analysis, 36 994 men and women, aged 35-74 years completed a single, standardized 24-hour dietary recall using EPIC-Soft. Food consumption data were matched to a harmonized AA database. Intake was computed by gender and center, and across categories of habitual alcohol consumption, smoking status, physical activity, education, and body mass index (BMI). Adjustment was made for participants' age, height, weight, and energy intake using linear regression models. Adjusted mean AA intake across centers ranged from 13 to 47 mu g/day in men and from 12 to 39 mu g/day in women; intakes were higher in northern European centers. In most centers, intake in women was significantly higher among alcohol drinkers compared with abstainers. There were no associations between AA intake and physical activity, BMI, or education. At least 50 % of AA intake across centers came from two food groups "bread, crisp bread, rusks" and "coffee." The third main contributing food group was "potatoes". Dietary AA intake differs greatly among European adults residing in different geographical regions. This observed heterogeneity in AA intake deserves consideration in the design and interpretation of population-based studies of dietary AA intake and health outcomes.
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| 6. |
- Gladisch, Johannes, et al.
(författare)
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An Electroactive Filter with Tunable Porosity Based on Glycolated Polythiophene
- 2022
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Ingår i: Small Science. - : Wiley. - 2688-4046. ; 2:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The porosity of filters is typically fixed; thus, complex purification processes require application of multiple specialized filters. In contrast, smart filters with controllable and tunable properties enable dynamic separation in a single setup. Herein, an electroactive filter with controllable pore size is demonstrated. The electroactive filter is based on a metal mesh coated with a polythiophene polymer with ethylene glycol sidechains (p(g3T2)) that exhibit unprecedented voltage-driven volume changes. By optimizing the polymer coating on the mesh, controllable porosity during electrochemical addressing is achieved. The pores reversibly open and close, with a dynamic range of more than 95%, corresponding to over 30 mu m change of pores widths. Furthermore, the pores widths could be defined by applied potential with a 10 mu m resolution. From among hundreds of pores from different samples, about 90% of the pores could be closed completely, while only less than 1% are inactive. Finally, the electroactive filter is used to control the flow of a dye, highlighting the potential for flow control and smart filtration applications.
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| 7. |
- Jakszyn, Paula G, et al.
(författare)
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Nitrosamines and Heme Iron and Risk of Prostate Cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. - 1055-9965 .- 1538-7755. ; 21:3, s. 547-551
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The evidence about nitrosamines and heme iron intake and cancer risk is limited, despite the biologic plausibility of the hypothesis that these factors might increase cancer risk. We investigated the association between dietary nitrosamines and heme iron and the risk of prostate cancer among participants of European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).METHODS: Data on food consumption and complete follow-up for cancer occurrence was available for 139,005 men, recruited in 8 European countries. Estimates of HRs were obtained by proportional hazard models, stratified by age at recruitment, and study center, and adjusted for total energy intake, smoking status, marital status, dairy products, educational level, and body mass index.RESULTS: After a mean follow-up of 10 years, 4,606 participants were diagnosed with first incident prostate cancer. There was no overall association between prostate cancer risk and nitrosamines exposure (preformed and endogenous) or heme iron intake (HR for a doubling of intake: 1.00; 95% CI: 0.98-1.03 for N-Nitrosodimethlyamine, 0.95; 95% CI: 0.88-1.03 for endogenous Nitrosocompounds, and 1.00; 95 CI: 0.97-1.03 for heme iron).Conclusions and Impact: Our findings do not support an effect of nitrosamines (endogenous and exogenous) and heme iron intake on prostate cancer risk.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Linseisen, Jakob, et al.
(författare)
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Consumption of meat and fish and risk of lung cancer: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition
- 2011
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Ingår i: Cancer Causes and Control. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1573-7225 .- 0957-5243. ; 22:6, s. 909-918
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Evidence from case-control studies, but less so from cohort studies, suggests a positive association between meat intake and risk of lung cancer. Therefore, this association was evaluated in the frame of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition, EPIC. Data from 478,021 participants, recruited from 10 European countries, who completed a dietary questionnaire in 1992-2000 were evaluated; 1,822 incident primary lung cancer cases were included in the present evaluation. Relative risk estimates were calculated for categories of meat intake using multi-variably adjusted Cox proportional hazard models. In addition, the continuous intake variables were calibrated by means of 24-h diet recall data to account for part of the measurement error. There were no consistent associations between meat consumption and the risk of lung cancer. Neither red meat (RR = 1.06, 95% CI 0.89-1.27 per 50 g intake/day; calibrated model) nor processed meat (RR = 1.13, 95% CI 0.95-1.34 per 50 g/day; calibrated model) was significantly related to an increased risk of lung cancer. Also, consumption of white meat and fish was not associated with the risk of lung cancer. These findings do not support the hypothesis that a high intake of red and processed meat is a risk factor for lung cancer.
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| 12. |
- Oikonomou, Vasileios, 1992-
(författare)
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Cellulose-based Conducting 3D and 2D Composites for Applications in Plant Science and Responsive Systems
- 2023
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Polymers (Greek: poly=many, meros=part) are large molecules made up of many small parts (monomers) in a repetitive way, as a term was introduced for the first time (1833) by the Swedish chemist, Jöns Jakob Berzelius. By the combination of different monomers, the resulting polymer can exhibit various properties, such as biodegradability, photosensitivity and electrical conductivity. The latter is the main characteristic of the polymers included in this thesis. Since their commercialization, in the late 20th century soft and biocompatible conductive polymers have been substituting stiff and bio-tolerable metals in numerous cases, especially in the medical field for in vivo applications. Polymers can also be found in nature, as a product of the life cycles of animals, plants and microorganisms. The variety of natural polymers is vast, and they are categorized mainly into the groups of polysaccharides, polypeptides and polynucleotides. In these categories belong some of the most well known and investigated materials, for instance, DNA, proteins, silk and cellulose. The combination of synthetic materials with natural materials has intrigued the scientific community for many decades, as a way to form functional materials with hybrid properties. In this thesis, synthetic polymers, particularly conjugated polymers were combined with cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer on earth to form 2D and 3D conducting composites that can find application in plant science and stimuli-responsive systems. In the first part of this thesis, the widely used conjugated polymer PEDOT:PSS was combined with cellulose nanofibers to form 3D porous conducting scaffolds. The scaffolds were developed by freeze-drying method and their electrochemical, mechanical and structural properties were characterized. We investigated the effect of the freezing method on the scaffold properties and found a correlation between the mechanical properties and the pore wall thickness. Furthermore, with micro-CT, we could characterize in detail the bulk structure of the scaffolds and investigate how the incorporation of carbon fibers as addressing electrodes influences the porosity (paper 1). Next, we applied the conducting scaffolds for stimulating plant growth. The plant of our choice was barley, a very important crop, which was grown within the scaffold and the roots were integrated within the scaffold’s pores. We demonstrated that plants grow in the scaffolds under sterile conditions, as well as in agar which is the standard medium used in plant sterile culture. Taking a step ahead, we developed a non-sterile hydroponics setup, where the plants could grow without any contamination. Furthermore, we applied different protocols of electric stimulation to the scaffolds for various time periods and polarizations, achieving at the end a 40% increase in the plant biomass for the stimulated plants. We investigated the growth of the plants and concluded that the enhancement of growth was taking place after the stimulation period with growth enhancement both to roots and shoots (paper 2). In the second part of the thesis, we harnessed the unique electroswelling capabilities of the polythiophene-based polymer p(g3T2), with two different approaches. Initially, we demonstrated the ability of the p(g3T2) material to expand reversibly on a 2D mesh when electrochemically addressed. We optimized the coating on the metallic mesh with fixed pore size and developed an electroactive filter with tunable porosity that could modulate the flow of a system on demand (paper 3). Although p(g3T2) has great potential for various applications, it is processed from hazardous organic solvents, such as chloroform. Therefore, we addressed this issue and developed a protocol where p(g3T2) is solubilized in ethanol, which enables the coating of a plethora of substrates that chloroform would dissolve. From a biodegradable 3D printed mesh of cellulose and polylactide to everyday labware we demonstrated that p(g3T2) can change the substrate properties when electrochemically addressed directly on the non-conducting substrate without the need for an underlying supporting electrode. Forming a biocompatible substrate able to facilitate tissue engineering studies(paper 4). Overall, in this thesis, we demonstrated how synthetic materials can be combined with natural materials to form functional composites with hybrid properties. Firstly, by combining the mechanical characteristics of cellulose and the mixed ionic electronic conductivity of PEDOT:PSS we can obtain a 3D phytocompatible aerogel that can have desired pore size, undergo mechanical compression and act as an active hydroponic substrate for stimulating plant growth. Then we demonstrated how polymers with controllable volume change, such as the polythiophene-based conjugated polymer p(g3T2), can be combined with everyday materials paving the way for stimuli responsive systems such as electroactive filters, and when used with a green solvent can modify everyday labware used for in vitro experiments.
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| 13. |
- Oikonomou, Vasileios, et al.
(författare)
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Elucidating the Bulk Morphology of Cellulose-Based Conducting Aerogels with X-Ray Microtomography
- 2023
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Ingår i: Advanced Materials Technologies. - : WILEY. - 2365-709X. ; 8:23
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Conducting cellulose composites are promising sustainable functional materials that have found application in energy devices, sensing and water purification. Herein, conducting aerogels are fabricated based on nanofibrillated cellulose and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate, using the ice templating technique, and their bulk morphology is characterized with X-ray microtomography. The freezing method (−20 °C in a freezer vs liquid nitrogen) does not impact the mean porosity of the aerogels but the liquid-N2 aerogels have smaller pores. The integration of carbon fibers as addressing electrodes prior to freezing results in increased mean porosity and pore size in the liquid-N2 aerogels signifying that the carbon fibers alter the morphology of the aerogels when the freezing is fast. Spatially resolved porosity and pore size distributions also reveal that the liquid-N2 aerogels are more inhomogeneous. Independent of the freezing method, the aerogels have similar electrochemical properties. For aerogels without carbon fibers, freezer-aerogels have higher compression modulus and are less stable under cycling compression fatigue test. This can be explained by higher porosity with larger pores in the center of liquid-N2 aerogels and thinner pore walls. This work demonstrates that micro-CT is a powerful tool for characterizing the morphology of aerogels in a non-destructive and spatially resolved manner.
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
- Roswall, Nina, et al.
(författare)
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Consumption of predefined 'Nordic' dietary items in ten European countries : an investigation in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort
- 2014
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Ingår i: Public Health Nutrition. - : Cambridge University Press. - 1368-9800 .- 1475-2727. ; 17:12, s. 2650-2659
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: Health-beneficial effects of adhering to a healthy Nordic diet index have been suggested. However, it has not been examined to what extent the included dietary components are exclusively related to the Nordic countries or if they are part of other European diets as well, suggesting a broader preventive potential. The present study describes the intake of seven a priori defined healthy food items (apples/pears, berries, cabbages, dark bread, shellfish, fish and root vegetables) across ten countries participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) and examines their consumption across Europe. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. A 24 h dietary recall was administered through a software program containing country-specific recipes. Sex-specific mean food intake was calculated for each centre/country, as well as percentage of overall food groups consumed as healthy Nordic food items. All analyses were weighted by day and season of data collection. SETTING: Multi-centre, European study. SUBJECTS: Persons (n 36 970) aged 35-74 years, constituting a random sample of 519 978 EPIC participants. RESULTS: The highest intakes of the included diet components were: cabbages and berries in Central Europe; apples/pears in Southern Europe; dark bread in Norway, Denmark and Greece; fish in Southern and Northern countries; shellfish in Spain; and root vegetables in Northern and Central Europe. Large inter-centre variation, however, existed in some countries. CONCLUSIONS: Dark bread, root vegetables and fish are strongly related to a Nordic dietary tradition. Apples/pears, berries, cabbages, fish, shellfish and root vegetables are broadly consumed in Europe, and may thus be included in regional public health campaigns.
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