Proton pump inhibitors and histamine-2 receptor antagonists on the risk of pancreatic cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) and histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RA) have been widely used for multiple purposes. Recent studies have suggested an association between these medications and the risk of pancreatic cancer. However, the results have been inconclusive. AIM: We, therefore, conducted a study to assess the risk of developing pancreatic cancer in patients who used PPI and H2RA. DESIGN: A systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: A literature search was performed using MEDLINE and EMBASE databases from inception through February 2019. Studies that reported risk ratio comparing the risk of pancreatic cancer in patients who received PPI or H2RA versus those who did not receive treatments were included. Pooled risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using a random-effect generic inverse variance method. Sensitivity analysis, excluding one study at a time, was performed. RESULTS: After screening abstracts from the searching methods, seven studies (six case-control studies and one cohort study) were included in the analysis with total 546 199 participants. Compared to patients who did not take medications, the pooled RR of developing pancreatic cancer in patients receiving PPI and H2RA were 1.73 (95% CI: 1.16-2.57) and 1.26 (95% CI: 1.02-1.57), respectively. However, the sensitivity analysis of PPI changed the pooled RR to 1.87 (95% CI: 1.00-3.51) after a study was dropped out. Likewise, H2RA sensitivity analysis also resulted in non-significant pooled RR. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis did not find the strong evidence for the associations between the use of PPI and H2RA and pancreatic cancer.

[Promoting competence in a model trial of a complementary course of study in health sciences/public health at the Berlin Technical University in cooperation with the Free University and other science and general practice institutions]. / Kompetenzvermittlung im Modellversuch Ergänzungsstudiengang Gesundheitswissenschaften/Public Health an der Technischen Universität Berlin in Kooperation mit der Freien Universität sowie in Zusammenarbeit mit weiteren Wissenschafts- und Praxiseinrichtungen.

Since October 1992 (winter semester 92/93) graduates are being educated in Public Health at Berlin Technical University in cooperation with the Free University of Berlin as well as with the Humboldt University of Berlin and other institutions of science and practice in Berlin and Brandenburg. For the time being the course of studies is a pilot project for 4 years. The aim of the postgraduate studies is the creation of permanent structures and therefore institutionalisation. It is open to graduates and college graduates of public-health relevant subject areas of specialisation are "Health Promotion in the community and at the workplace" and "Planning and Management in Health Services". The course of studies takes 4 semesters and is divided into basic studies, studies of main points of emphasis and project studies. Social medicine and especially epidemiology are part of the basic disciplines, which are indispensable for finding the way of looking at problems concerning public health. The reason for the peculiarity with regard to establishing public health at other German universities are the main topics representing the interaction between the technical and ecological development of health. The graduate degree is "Magister of Public Health". During the time of the pilot project the course of studies is subjected to external and internal surveillance regarding quality assurance and quality optimisation of teaching and organisation of the studies. On the one hand this is done by an external advisory committee and on the other hand by internal and external evaluation.

Temporal behavior of the intensity-dependent absorption in photorefractive BaTiO(3).

We report measurements of response time for the intensity-dependent absorption in a single BaTiO(3) crystal under conditions in which no photorefractive effect can be observed. The speed of response is found to increase with increasing intensity but in a sublinear fashion similar to that observed for photorefractive decay. This experiment provides unambiguous evidence for the intensity-dependent absorption in BaTiO(3) crystals.

Beam coupling in photorefractive BaTiO(3) crystals.

Beam-coupling experiments are carried out with two BaTiO(3) crystals as a function of the intensity and wavelength. We demonstrate in these experiments that hole-electron competition is not the only mechanism responsible for the anomalous behavior of photorefractive BaTiO(3) crystals. We find that the intensity-dependent absorption coefficient plays a major role in beam-coupling experiments.