Prediction of gastrointestinal cancers in the ONCONUT cohort study: comparison between logistic regression and artificial neural network.

Background: Artificial neural networks (ANNs) and logistic regression (LR) are the models of chosen in many medical data classification tasks. Several published articles were based on summarizing the differences and similarities of these models from a technical point of view and critically assessing the quality of the models. The aim of this study was to compare ANN and LR the statistical techniques to predict gastrointestinal cancer in an elderly cohort in Southern Italy (ONCONUT study).

Modified WCRF/AICR Score and All-Cause, Digestive System, Cardiovascular, Cancer and Other-Cause-Related Mortality: A Competing Risk Analysis of Two Cohort Studies Conducted in Southern Italy.

Background: In real life, nutrition goes beyond purely biological domains. Primary prevention is the most efficient approach for reducing the risk of mortality. We aimed to study the association of lifestyle, as measured by a modified World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (mWCRF/AICR) scoring system with all-cause, digestive system disease-related (DSD-related), cardiovascular disease-related (CVD-related), cancer-related and other cause-related mortality using data from two population-based cohort studies conducted in Southern Italy.

Development and validation of a neural network for NAFLD diagnosis.

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) affects about 20-30% of the adult population in developed countries and is an increasingly important cause of hepatocellular carcinoma. Liver ultrasound (US) is widely used as a noninvasive method to diagnose NAFLD. However, the intensive use of US is not cost-effective and increases the burden on the healthcare system.

Effects of weight change on all causes, digestive system and other causes mortality in Southern Italy: a competing risk approach.

Weight change is associated with all causes of death, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality and a heterogeneous group of other causes of death. We aimed to estimate the effect of weight change on all causes and cause-specific mortality in a cohort with a high prevalence of deaths due to diseases of the digestive system.MethodsIn this prospective cohort study, 2230 subjects aged 30 to 50 years were examined.

The effect of the Mediterranean Diet on lifespan: a treatment-effect survival analysis of a population-based prospective cohort study in Southern Italy.

Background: The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is associated with good health. We aimed to estimate the effect of levels of adherence to the MedDiet on lifespan by performing treatment effects survival analysis.

Methods: A sample of 5250 subjects aged ≥18 years were randomly selected from the electoral list of Castellana Grotte and Putignano (Apulian Region, Italy).