User-Agent Bond in Generalizable Environments: Long-Term Risk-Reduction via Nudged Virtual Choices.

Avatars or agents are digitized self-representations of a player in mediated environments. While using agents to navigate through mediated environments, players form bonds with their self-agents or characters, a process referred to as identification. Identification can involve automatic, but temporary, self-concept "shifts in implicit self-perceptions" (Klimmt et al.

Eye Health Service Uptake among People with Visual Impairment and Other Functional Difficulties in Bangladesh: A Cross-Sectional Study with Short-Term Follow Up.

People with visual impairments are disproportionately likely to also have other impairments. However, little is known about whether these other impairments affect access to eye health services. This study among cataract and refractive error patients in four districts in Bangladesh explores the relationship between self-reported difficulties in hearing, mobility, self-care, communication and cognition domains, eye health service uptake, and location of initial eye health assessment.

Meat consumption and risk of 25 common conditions: outcome-wide analyses in 475,000 men and women in the UK Biobank study.

Background: There is limited prospective evidence on the association between meat consumption and many common, non-cancerous health outcomes. We examined associations of meat intake with risk of 25 common conditions (other than cancer).

Methods: We used data from 474,985 middle-aged adults recruited into the UK Biobank study between 2006 and 2010 and followed up until 2017 (mean follow-up 8.

Plant foods, dietary fibre and risk of ischaemic heart disease in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort.

Background: Epidemiological evidence indicates that diets rich in plant foods are associated with a lower risk of ischaemic heart disease (IHD), but there is sparse information on fruit and vegetable subtypes and sources of dietary fibre. This study examined the associations of major plant foods, their subtypes and dietary fibre with risk of IHD in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).

Methods: We conducted a prospective analysis of 490 311 men and women without a history of myocardial infarction or stroke at recruitment (12.

Vegetarian and vegan diets and risks of total and site-specific fractures: results from the prospective EPIC-Oxford study.

Background: There is limited prospective evidence on possible differences in fracture risks between vegetarians, vegans, and non-vegetarians. We aimed to study this in a prospective cohort with a large proportion of non-meat eaters.

Methods: In EPIC-Oxford, dietary information was collected at baseline (1993-2001) and at follow-up (≈ 2010).

Meat intake and cancer risk: prospective analyses in UK Biobank.

Background: Red and processed meat have been consistently associated with colorectal cancer risk, but evidence for other cancer sites and for poultry intake is limited. We therefore examined associations between total, red and processed meat and poultry intake and incidence for 20 common cancers.

Methods: We analyzed data from 474 996 participants (54% women) in UK Biobank.

The Effect of Fixation Methods on Outcomes in Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair.

Introduction: The ideal fixation methods in laparoscopic ventral hernia repair continue to be debated. Early series touted the importance of suture and tack fixation; however, due to the perceived concern for increased pain, newer tack-only fixation methods have emerged. The purpose of this study was to compare fixation methods in laparoscopic ventral hernia repairs using a large hernia database.

The associations of major foods and fibre with risks of ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke: a prospective study of 418 329 participants in the EPIC cohort across nine European countries.

Aim: To investigate the associations between major foods and dietary fibre with subtypes of stroke in a large prospective cohort.

Methods And Results: We analysed data on 418 329 men and women from nine European countries, with an average of 12.7 years of follow-up.

Risks of ischaemic heart disease and stroke in meat eaters, fish eaters, and vegetarians over 18 years of follow-up: results from the prospective EPIC-Oxford study.

Objective: To examine the associations of vegetarianism with risks of ischaemic heart disease and stroke.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: The EPIC-Oxford study, a cohort in the United Kingdom with a large proportion of non-meat eaters, recruited across the country between 1993 and 2001.

The relationship between social norms and sexual risk-reduction intentions and behavior among men who have sex with men: Findings from an eHealth intervention.

Normative-based research has found that norms are significant predictors of safe sex behavioral intentions and behavior. Research shows that group identity moderates the relationship between norms and intentions/behavior. The present study used the theory of normative social behavior to evaluate whether identification with characters in an HIV-prevention interactive video moderated the relationship between sexual risk-taking norms and risk reduction intentions/behavior.

Consumption of Meat, Fish, Dairy Products, and Eggs and Risk of Ischemic Heart Disease.

Background: There is uncertainty about the relevance of animal foods to the pathogenesis of ischemic heart disease (IHD). We examined meat, fish, dairy products, and eggs and risk for IHD in the pan-European EPIC cohort (European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition).

Methods: In this prospective study of 409 885 men and women in 9 European countries, diet was assessed with validated questionnaires and calibrated with 24-hour recalls.

Comparison of Major Protein-Source Foods and Other Food Groups in Meat-Eaters and Non-Meat-Eaters in the EPIC-Oxford Cohort.

Differences in health outcomes between meat-eaters and non-meat-eaters might relate to differences in dietary intakes between these diet groups. We assessed intakes of major protein-source foods and other food groups in six groups of meat-eaters and non-meat-eaters participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Oxford study. The data were from 30,239 participants who answered questions regarding their consumption of meat, fish, dairy or eggs and completed a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in 2010.

Patterns in metabolite profile are associated with risk of more aggressive prostate cancer: A prospective study of 3,057 matched case-control sets from EPIC.

Metabolomics may reveal novel insights into the etiology of prostate cancer, for which few risk factors are established. We investigated the association between patterns in baseline plasma metabolite profile and subsequent prostate cancer risk, using data from 3,057 matched case-control sets from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). We measured 119 metabolite concentrations in plasma samples, collected on average 9.

The associations of anthropometric, behavioural and sociodemographic factors with circulating concentrations of IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3 in a pooled analysis of 16,024 men from 22 studies.

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) have been implicated in the aetiology of several cancers. To better understand whether anthropometric, behavioural and sociodemographic factors may play a role in cancer risk via IGF signalling, we examined the cross-sectional associations of these exposures with circulating concentrations of IGFs (IGF-I and IGF-II) and IGFBPs (IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3). The Endogenous Hormones, Nutritional Biomarkers and Prostate Cancer Collaborative Group dataset includes individual participant data from 16,024 male controls (i.

Intake of individual fatty acids and risk of prostate cancer in the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition.

The associations of individual dietary fatty acids with prostate cancer risk have not been examined comprehensively. We examined the prospective association of individual dietary fatty acids with prostate cancer risk overall, by tumor subtypes, and prostate cancer death. 142,239 men from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition who were free from cancer at recruitment were included.

Vegetarian diets and risk of hospitalisation or death with diabetes in British adults: results from the EPIC-Oxford study.

Background: The global prevalence of diabetes is high and rapidly increasing. Some previous studies have found that vegetarians might have a lower risk of diabetes than non-vegetarians.

Objective: We examined the association between vegetarianism and risk of hospitalisation or death with diabetes in a large, prospective cohort study of British adults.

Causal Inference in Generalizable Environments: Systematic Representative Design.

Causal inference and generalizability matter. Historically, systematic designs emphasize causal inference, while representative designs focus on generalizability. Here, we suggest a transformative synthesis - - concurrently enhancing both causal inference and "built-in" generalizability by leveraging today's intelligent agent, virtual environments, and other technologies.

A Collaborative Analysis of Individual Participant Data from 19 Prospective Studies Assesses Circulating Vitamin D and Prostate Cancer Risk.

Previous prospective studies assessing the relationship between circulating concentrations of vitamin D and prostate cancer risk have shown inconclusive results, particularly for risk of aggressive disease. In this study, we examine the association between prediagnostic concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)D] and the risk of prostate cancer overall and by tumor characteristics. Principal investigators of 19 prospective studies provided individual participant data on circulating 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)D for up to 13,462 men with incident prostate cancer and 20,261 control participants.

Circulating insulin-like growth factor I in relation to melanoma risk in the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition.

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis, and is thought to play a role in tumour development. Previous prospective studies have shown that higher circulating concentrations of IGF-I are associated with a higher risk of cancers at specific sites, including breast and prostate. No prospective study has examined the association between circulating IGF-I concentrations and melanoma risk.

Low Free Testosterone and Prostate Cancer Risk: A Collaborative Analysis of 20 Prospective Studies.

Background: Experimental and clinical evidence implicates testosterone in the aetiology of prostate cancer. Variation across the normal range of circulating free testosterone concentrations may not lead to changes in prostate biology, unless circulating concentrations are low. This may also apply to prostate cancer risk, but this has not been investigated in an epidemiological setting.

Pre-diagnostic circulating insulin-like growth factor-I and bladder cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.

Previous in vitro and case-control studies have found an association between the insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-axis and bladder cancer risk. Circulating concentrations of IGF-I have also been found to be associated with an increased risk of several cancer types; however, the relationship between pre-diagnostic circulating IGF-I concentrations and bladder cancer has never been studied prospectively. We investigated the association of pre-diagnostic plasma concentrations of IGF-I with risk of overall bladder cancer and urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) in a case-control study nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort.

Circulating isoflavone and lignan concentrations and prostate cancer risk: a meta-analysis of individual participant data from seven prospective studies including 2,828 cases and 5,593 controls.

Phytoestrogens may influence prostate cancer development. This study aimed to examine the association between prediagnostic circulating concentrations of isoflavones (genistein, daidzein, equol) and lignans (enterolactone and enterodiol) and the risk of prostate cancer. Individual participant data were available from seven prospective studies (two studies from Japan with 241 cases and 503 controls and five studies from Europe with 2,828 cases and 5,593 controls).

Umbilical Hernia Repair: Overview of Approaches and Review of Literature.

Umbilical hernias are ubiquitous, and surgery is indicated in symptomatic patients. Umbilical hernia defects can range from small (<1 cm) to very large/complex hernias, and treatment options should be tailored to the clinical situation. Open, laparoscopic, and robotic options exist for repair, with each having its advantages and disadvantages.

Cross-sectional analyses of participation in cancer screening and use of hormone replacement therapy and medications in meat eaters and vegetarians: the EPIC-Oxford study.

Objectives: To examine differences in health-related behaviours such as screening or testing for cancer, use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and use of other medications in different diet groups.

Design: We studied 31 260 participants across four diet groups (18 155 meat eaters, 5012 fish eaters, 7179 vegetarians, 914 vegans) in the UK EPIC-Oxford cohort. Information was collected in 5-year (around 2000-2003) or 10-year (around 2007) follow-up questionnaires regarding participation in breast screening, cervical screening, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, use of HRT and use of medications for the past 4 weeks.