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Abstract Background Sulfur microbial diet (SMD) is a dietary pattern closely related to the intestinal load of sulfur-metabolizing microbes in humans. Diet and microbes may play an important role in the carcinogenesis of esophagus. However, epidemiological studies on SMD and esophageal cancer (EC) risk are scarce. Here, we evaluated this association based on a large American cohort. Methods In the cohort of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial, a SMD score was calculated to evaluate participants’ compliance of SMD pattern, with higher scores presenting greater adherence. Cox hazards regression model was used to explore the association between the SMD score and the incidence of EC, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA). Subgroup analyses were conducted to figure out potential modifiers interacting with SMD on EC. Sensitivity analyses were used to testify the robustness of our main result. Results Among 101,752 participants, 154 EC cases, consisted of 41 ESCC cases and 97 EA cases, were identified with mean follow-up of 8.9 years. In the fully adjusted model, the highest versus the lowest quartiles of the SMD score were found to be associated with an increased risk of EC and ESCC (EC: HRQ4 vs. Q1: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.05, 2.56; P = 0.016 for trend; ESCC: HRQ4 vs. Q1: 2.37; 95% CI: 1.02, 5.47; P = 0.031 for trend), while not significantly associated with increases risk of EA (HRQ4 vs. Q1: 1.41; P = 0.144 for trend). The main result remained through a series of sensitivity analyses. Subgroup analyses showed a stronger association between SMD and EC in participants with no regular consumption of aspirin (HRQ4 vs. Q1: 1.90; 95% CI: 1.04, 3.47) than in those using aspirin regularly (HRQ4 vs. Q1: 1.37; 95% CI: 0.71, 2.66) (P = 0.008 for interaction). Conclusion Adherence to the SMD pattern may be associated with increased risks of EC and ESCC, particularly for EC in individuals who do not regularly consume aspirin.

BackgroundLifelines Diet Score (LLDS) was developed based on the 2015 Dutch Dietary Guidelines and current international scientific evidence. As a dietary quality assessment tool, the LLDS aims to evaluate the association between the Lifeline diet and the risk of chronic diseases. However, the evidence linking LLDS to lung cancer risk is currently limited.ObjectiveOur objective was to explore whether adherence to the LLDS is associated with reduced incidence and mortality of lung cancer, including its major histological subtypes: small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).MethodsData for this research were sourced from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Trial. The LLDS for each participant was calculated based on responses to the dietary history questionnaire (DHQ), and subsequently analyzed after being categorized into quintiles. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was utilized to compute the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for both the incidence and mortality of lung cancer, SCLC and NSCLC. Additionally, stratified analyses were conducted to ascertain possible effect modifiers, and several sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the robustness of the findings.ResultsDuring the mean follow-up periods of 8.8 years for incidence and 15.1 years for mortality, we identified 1,642 new cases and 1,172 related deaths from lung cancer. Participants in the highest quartiles of LLDS compared to those in the lowest exhibited a reduced incidence (HRQ4:Q1 = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.68–0.94, P for trend = 0.003) and mortality (HRQ4:Q1 = 0.81, 95%CI = 0.67–0.98, P for trend = 0.009) of lung cancer. Furthermore, this negative association remained for SCLC incidence (HRQ4:Q1 = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.35–0.87, P for trend = 0.002) and mortality (HRQ4:Q1 = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.25–0.70, P for trend 0.05). The sensitivity analyses substantiated the robustness of the results.ConclusionIn conclusion, our research indicates that among 98,459 U.S. adults aged 55 and older, adherence to the LLDS is linked to a diminished incidence and mortality of lung cancer.

Objectives: There is little evidence on the association between low-fat dietary patterns and lung cancer risk among middle-aged and older adults. To fill this gap, we comprehensively investigated the association of adherence to a low-fat diet (LFD) and intake of different fat components including saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids with incidence of lung cancer and its subtypes [non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC)] among adults aged 55 years and older. Design: A prospective cohort study with a mean follow-up time of 8.8 years. Setting and participants: This study used data from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial. The study population included 98,459 PLCO participants age 55 and over at baseline who completed food frequency questionnaires providing detailed dietary information and had no history of cancer. Methods: Dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire at baseline. A LFD score was calculated based on fat, protein, and carbohydrate intake as a percentage of total calories. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between LFD score and intake of fat components (in quartiles) and incident lung cancer and its subtypes over follow-up. Restricted cubic spline analyses were conducted to examine possible nonlinear relationships. Subgroup analyses were performed to evaluate potential effect modifiers, and several sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the stability of the findings. Results: During a follow-up of 869,807.9 person-years, 1,642 cases of lung cancer were observed, consisting of 1,408 (85.75%) cases of NSCLC and 234 (14.25%) cases of SCLC. The highest versus the lowest quartiles of the LFD score were found to be associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer (HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.66−0.89), NSCLC (HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.67−0.93), and SCLC (HR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.38−0.92). The restricted cubic spline plots demonstrated a linear dose-response relationship between the LFD score and the risk of lung cancer as well as its subtypes. This risk reduction association for overall lung cancer was more pronounced in smokers (HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.60−0.84; P for interaction = 0.003). For fat components, high consumption of saturated fatty acids was associated with an increased lung cancer risk (HR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.10–1.66), especially for SCLC (HR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.20–3.53). No significant association was found between consumption of monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids and incident lung cancer and its subtypes. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that adherence to LFD may reduce the lung cancer risk, particularly in smokers; while high saturated fatty acids consumption may increase lung cancer risk, especially for SCLC, among middle-aged and older adults in the US population.

Abstract Background Carbohydrates have been implicated in colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, but the specific impact of carbohydrate quality and quantity on CRC susceptibility in US populations remains unclear. Methods We followed 101,694 participants from Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. The carbohydrate quality index (CQI) and low-carbohydrate diet score (LCDs) were used to evaluate the daily carbohydrate quality and quantity separately, where higher scores indicated greater adherence. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to compute HRs and 95% CIs for incident CRC and related death. Subgroup analyses were conducted to identify potential effect modifiers. Results During follow-up, we documented 1085 incident cases of CRC, of whom 311 died from CRC. Individuals in the highest compared with the lowest quartiles of CQI had a lower CRC incidence (Q4 vs Q1: HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.67–0.96, P trend = 0.012) and mortality (Q4 vs Q1: HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.44–0.86, P trend = 0.004). The inverse association between CQI and CRC risk was observed for distal colon and rectum but not for proximal colon cancer. Regarding mortality, this association was only significant for rectum cancer. Subgroup analyses indicated this inverse association of CQI with CRC risk was only observed in participants with lower LCDs. No significant associations were found between LCDs and CRC incidence or mortality. Conclusions Our findings suggest focusing on higher quality, rather than restricting the quantity, of carbohydrate consumption may be an effective approach to reduce the risk of CRC in the US population, particularly for distal colon and rectal cancers.

In the field of remote sensing image processing, semantic segmentation has always been a hot research topic. Currently, deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) are the mainstream methods for the semantic segmentation of remote sensing image (RSI). There are two commonly used semantic segmentation methods based on DCNNs: multiscale feature extraction based on deep-level features, and global modeling. The former can better extract object features of different scales in complex scenes. However, this method lacks sufficient spatial information, resulting in poor edge segmentation ability. The latter can effectively solve the problem of limited receptive field in DCNNs obtaining more comprehensive feature extraction results. Unfortunately, this method is prone to misclassification, resulting in incorrect predictions of local pixels. To address these issues, we propose the dual-branch hybrid reinforcement network (DHRNet) for more precise semantic segmentation of RSI. This model is a dual-branch parallel structure with a multiscale feature extraction branch and a global context and detail enhancement branch. This structure decomposes the complex semantic segmentation task, allowing each branch to extract features with different emphases while retaining sufficient spatial information. The results of both branches are fused to obtain a more comprehensive segmentation result. After conducting extensive experiments on three publicly available RSI datasets, ISPRS Potsdam, ISPRS Vaihingen, and LoveDA, DHRNet demonstrates excellent results with the mean intersection over union of 86.97%, 83.53%, and 54.48% on the three datasets, respectively.

Abstract Background As the fetal heart develops, cardiomyocyte proliferation potential decreases while fatty acid oxidative capacity increases in a highly regulated transition known as cardiac maturation. Small noncoding RNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), contribute to the establishment and control of tissue-specific transcriptional programs. However, small RNA expression dynamics and genome-wide miRNA regulatory networks controlling maturation of the human fetal heart remain poorly understood. Results Transcriptome profiling of small RNAs revealed the temporal expression patterns of miRNA, piRNA, circRNA, snoRNA, snRNA and tRNA in the developing human heart between 8 and 19 weeks of gestation. Our analysis demonstrated that miRNAs were the most dynamically expressed small RNA species throughout mid-gestation. Cross-referencing differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs predicted 6200 mRNA targets, 2134 of which were upregulated and 4066 downregulated as gestation progressed. Moreover, we found that downregulated targets of upregulated miRNAs, including hsa-let-7b, miR-1-3p, miR-133a-3p, miR-143-3p, miR-499a-5p, and miR-30a-5p predominantly control cell cycle progression. In contrast, upregulated targets of downregulated miRNAs, including hsa-miR-1276, miR-183-5p, miR-1229-3p, miR-615-3p, miR-421, miR-200b-3p and miR-18a-3p, are linked to energy sensing and oxidative metabolism. Furthermore, integrating miRNA and mRNA profiles with proteomes and reporter metabolites revealed that proteins encoded in mRNA targets and their associated metabolites mediate fatty acid oxidation and are enriched as the heart develops. Conclusions This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of the small RNAome of the maturing human fetal heart. Our findings suggest that coordinated activation and repression of miRNA expression throughout mid-gestation is essential to establish a dynamic miRNA-mRNA-protein network that decreases cardiomyocyte proliferation potential while increasing the oxidative capacity of the maturing human fetal heart. Our results provide novel insights into the molecular control of metabolic maturation of the human fetal heart.

The decision-making method of tunnel boring machine (TBM) operating parameters has a significant guiding significance for TBM safe and efficient construction, and it has been one of the TBM tunneling research hotspots. For this purpose, this paper introduces an intelligent decision-making method of TBM operating parameters based on multiple constraints and objective optimization. First, linear cutting tests and numerical simulations are used to investigate the physical rules between different cutting parameters (penetration, cutter spacing, etc.) and rock compressive strength. Second, a dual-driven mapping of rock parameters and TBM operating parameters based on data mining and physical rules of rock breaking is established with high accuracy by combining rock-breaking rules and deep neural networks (DNNs). The decision-making method is established by dual-driven mapping, using the effective rock-breaking capacity and the rated value of mechanical parameters as constraints and the total excavation cost as the optimization objective. The best operational parameters can be obtained by searching for the revolutions per minute and penetration that correspond to the extremum of the constrained objective function. The practicability and effectiveness of the developed decision-making model is verified in the Second Water Source Channel of Hangzhou, China, resulting in the average penetration rate increasing by 11.3% and the total cost decreasing by 10%.

Abstract Background There is little prospective evidence exists about whether adherence to a diabetes risk reduction diet (DRRD) is related to a significant reduction in renal cancer risk. We sought to clarify whether adherence to DRRD was associated with a reduced risk of renal cancer in a US population. Methods A population-based cohort of 101,755 American adults was identified from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. A DRRD score was calculated to assess adherence to this dietary pattern, where increased scores indicated greater adherence. The relationship between DRRD score and risk of renal cancer was assessed based on the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), which were both calculated using Cox regression. Non-linear association was determined through restricted cubic spline regression. Potential effect modifiers were identified through subgroup analyses. Results Over a mean follow-up of 8.8 years, 446 renal cancers were detected. In this analysis, the fully adjusted model depicted a notable 29% reduction in the risk of renal cancer among individuals in the highest quartile of DRRD score in comparison with the lowest quartile individuals (HRQ4 vs. Q1: 0.71; 95% CI = 0.54, 0.94; P trend = 0.008). This association remained consistent across a series of sensitivity analyses. A non-linear inverse dose–response association between renal cancer risk with DRRD score was observed (P nonlinearity = 0.026). Subgroup analyses showed that this favorable link was more prominent in participants with low Healthy Eating Index-2015 (P interaction = 0.015). Regarding the individual components of DRRD, a decrease in the risk of renal cancer was linked to increased intake of cereal fiber and whole fruit, and lower sugar-sweetened beverage consumption (all P trend

It is important to develop effective strategies for enhancing the removal capacity of aromatic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by modifying conventional porous adsorbents. In this study, a novel HZSM-5 zeolite-supported sulfonic acid (ZSM−OSO3H) was prepared through ClSO3H modification in dichloromethane and employed for the elimination of gaseous o-xylene. The ClSO3H modification enables the bonding of −OSO3H groups onto the HZSM-5 support, achieving a loading of 8.25 mmol·g−1 and leading to a degradation in both crystallinity and textural structure. Within an active temperature range of 110–145 °C, ZSM−OSO3H can efficiently remove o-xylene through a novel reactive adsorption mechanism, exhibiting a removal rate exceeding 98% and reaching a maximum breakthrough adsorption capacity of 264.7 mg. The adsorbed o-xylene derivative is identified as 3,4-dimethylbenzenesulfonic acid. ZSM−OSO3H demonstrates superior adsorption performance for o-xylene along with excellent recyclability. These findings suggest that ClSO3H sulfonation offers a promising approach for modifying various types of zeolites to enhance both the elimination and resource conversion of aromatic VOCs.

Abstract Background Despite the possible contribution of dairy products to the development or prevention of cancers, there is a lack of epidemiological evidence linking low‐fat dairy consumption to the risk of developing lung cancer. This research was conducted to fill this knowledge gap. Methods The data for this research were collected from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial. The Cox proportional risk model was employed to evaluate the link between low‐fat dairy consumption and the risk of developing lung cancer. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were measured in both unadjusted and adjusted models. A series of predefined subgroup analyses were performed to identify potential effect modifiers, and several sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the stability of the findings. Results The study included data from 98,459 individuals. During a total of 869,807.9 follow‐up person‐years, 1642 cases of lung cancer were observed, with an incidence of 0.189 cases for every 100 person‐years. In the fully adjusted model, participants in the highest quartile of low‐fat dairy consumption had a significantly decreased risk of lung cancer compared to the ones in the lowest quartile (HRquartile 4 vs. 1: 0.769, 95% CI: 0.664, 0.891, ptrend = 0.005). The restricted cubic spline plot revealed an inverse nonlinear dose–response relationship between low‐fat dairy consumption and lung cancer risk (pnonlinearity = 0.008). Subgroup analyses demonstrated that the inverse association was stronger among participants with higher daily caloric intake (pinteraction = 0.031). Various sensitivity analyses produced consistent results. Conclusion Consuming more low‐fat dairy products is significantly linked to a reduced risk of developing lung cancer, indicating that an appropriate increase in the use of low‐fat dairy products may help prevent lung cancer.

Abstract Background The plant-based paleolithic diet (PD) and the paleolithic-like lifestyle (PLL) may reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including colorectal adenomas. These dietary and lifestyle approaches are proposed to exert their effects through mechanisms such as reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, and insulin levels. However, whether PD and PLL is associated with the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) has not been determined. Methods A cohort of 74,721 individuals who participated in the PLCO study were included in this analysis. Adherence to the PD and PLL was assessed using PD and PLL scores, where higher scores indicated greater adherence. Multivariable Cox models were utilized to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the risk of CRC and its subsites (proximal colon cancer and distal CRC). Subgroup analyses were conducted to identify potential effect modifiers. Results During a mean follow-up of 9.2 years, a total of 694 CRC cases were identified. Participants in the highest compared with the lowest quartiles of PD score had a lower risk of CRC (Q4 vs Q1: HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.61–0.95, P trend = 0.009) and proximal colon cancer (Q4 vs Q1: HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.55–0.97, P trend = 0.02). A stronger inverse association was observed for PLL score with the risk of CRC (Q4 vs Q1: HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.51–0.81, P trend

Abstract Background Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a serious and preventable postoperative complication. However, the predictive significance of perioperative biochemical parameters for VTE after minimally invasive colorectal cancer surgery remains unclear. Methods A total of 149 patients undergoing minimally invasive colorectal cancer surgery were collected between October 2021 and October 2022. Biochemical parameters related to preoperative and postoperative day 1, day 3, and day 5 were collected, including D-Dimer, mean platelet volume (MPV), and maximum amplitude (MA) of thromboelastography (TEG). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to explore the predictive powers of meaningful biochemical parameters for postoperative VTE, and calibration curves were used to assess predictive accuracy. Results The overall cumulative incidence of VTE was 8.1% (12/149). The preoperative and postoperative day 3 D-Dimer, postoperative day 3, and day 5 MPV, and postoperative day 1, day 3, and day 5 TEG-MA was significantly higher in the VTE group than in the non-VTE group (P

BackgroundThe intricate role of oxidative stress (OS) in colorectal cancer (CRC) initiation is underscored by an imbalance between pro-oxidants and antioxidants. Utilizing the Oxidative Balance Score (OBS) as a metric, this study aims to investigate the association between OS exposure and CRC risk, while also examining potential sex-specific differences in a large U.S. cohort.MethodsThe study included 98,395 adults from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial. To construct the OBS, 14 dietary and lifestyle factors intricately associated with oxidative stress were quantified. A higher OBS value indicated a more favorable oxidative balance pattern or diminished OS exposure. Due to sex-specific differences in OBS, associations were evaluated separately for men and women based on Cox regression analysis. Subgroup analyses were conducted to elucidate potential modifiers.ResultsDuring 867,963.4 person-years of follow-up, 1,054 CRCs occurred. The mean (SD) age and OBS were 65.52 (5.73) years and 14.09 (3.95) points, respectively. In the fully adjusted Cox model, we observed an inverse association between OBS and CRC incidence in women (HRQ5vsQ1: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.99; P for trend = 0.018) but not men. Subgroup analyses revealed the inverse association was more pronounced among women without versus with a family history of CRC (HRQ5vsQ1: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.47–0.93; P for trend = 0.001; P for interaction = 0.001). The results remained robust after several sensitivity analyses.ConclusionHigher OBS was associated with lower CRC risk in women but not men; this inverse association was stronger among women without a family history of CRC. These findings suggest exposure to OS may confer sex-specific CRC risk effects, especially for women without a family history of CRC.

BackgroundThe EAT-Lancet diet (ELD) is a recommended dietary pattern for achieving simultaneous improvements in both individual health and environmental sustainability. While research on the association between ELD and colorectal cancer (CRC) remains scarce, the potential impact of nutrition on CRC prevention and progression is a topic of growing interest. This study aims to investigate the relationship between adherence to the ELD and the risk of CRC, shedding light on the role of nutrition in CRC prevention.MethodsA total of 98,415 participants were included. A Diet History Questionnaire (DHQ) was used to collect dietary information, and an ELD score was used to assess adherence to ELD. Higher scores indicated greater adherence. Cox hazard regression analyses were conducted to examine whether there were associations between the ELD score and CRC risk. The restricted cubic spline (RCS) model was used to further explore the dose-response association between the ELD score and CRC incidence. Subgroup analyses were conducted to identify potential modifiers that interacted with ELD on CRC incidence, and sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the robustness of the established association.ResultsDuring a mean follow-up of 8.82 years, a total of 1,054 CRC cases were documented. We found a statistically significant correlation between the ELD score and CRC risk (Q4 vs. Q1: HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.67–0.98; P for trend = 0.034) after adjusting for potential confounders. No statistically significant associations were discovered between ELD adherence and CRC by anatomical site. Subgroup analyses found no interactional factor, sensitivity analyses, and the RCS model showed a robustness and linearity association (P-linearity >0.05).ConclusionWe concluded that adherence to ELD contributes to the prevention of CRC.

Abstract Liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) is one of the main cancers worldwide and has high morbidity and mortality rates. Although previous studies have shown that ANXA10 is expressed at low levels in LIHC tumor tissues, the biological function of ANXA10 in LIHC is still unclear. Therefore, we utilized TCGA, TIMER, GEPIA2, TISIDB, LinkedOmics, ssGSEA algorithms and CIBERSORT methodology to preliminarily evaluate the potential mechanism of ANXA10 in LIHC. In vitro experiments were used to further verify some functions of ANXA10. Consequently, we found that ANXA10 mRNA/protein expression was downregulated in LIHC tissue compared to normal tissue. ANXA10 was significantly linked with clinicopathological features, immunocytes, multiple cancer-related pathways, m6A modification and a ceRNA network. A three-gene prognostic signature rooted in ANXA10-related immunomodulators was determined and found to be an independent prognostic predictor. A nomogram was constructed to predict survival with good accuracy. Additionally, in vitro trials revealed that ANXA10 upregulation inhibited LIHC cell proliferation and migration. This study reveals that ANXA10 may serve as a prognostic marker and promising therapeutic target in LIHC clinical practice through various biologic functions.

BackgroundAdherence to the diabetes risk reduction diet (DRRD) may potentially reduce the risk of developing head and neck cancer (HNC) as the diet includes fruits and limits red and processed meats, known risk factors for HNC. However, there is currently no epidemiological research to investigate this potential association.MethodsThe present study utilized data on demographics, lifestyles, medications, and diets of participants from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial to explore the potential association between adherence to DRRD and the risk of HNC. We used a DRRD score to evaluate adherence to the dietary pattern and employed Cox regression analysis to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for HNC risk. Several subgroup analyses were carried out to identify potential effect modifiers, and multiple sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the stability of the correlation. The nine components of the DRRD was assessed separately for its association with the risk of HNC.ResultsDuring a mean follow up of 8.84 years, 279 cases of HNC were observed. DDRD score was found to be inversely associated with the risk of HNC (HR Q4 vs. Q1: 0.582; 95% CI: 0.396, 0.856; p = 0.005 for trend) in a linear dose–response manner (p = 0.211 for non-linearity). Subgroup analysis indicated this inverse correlation was more pronounced among participants who had never smoked (HRQ4 vs. Q1: 0.193; 95% CI: 0.073, 0.511; p

BackgroundSulfur microbial diet (SMD), related to the enrichment of sulfur-metabolizing gut bacteria, has been confirmed to be linked to an elevated risk of early-onset colorectal adenoma in young females. However, it remains unclear whether SMD is associated with the risk of colorectal adenoma in older people, who are at greater risk for colorectal cancer.MethodsAll data on participants in this study were retrieved from the intervention arm of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) cancer screening test. Participants’ adherence to this dietary pattern was assessed using SMD score. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were adopted in Cox proportional hazards regression models to assess the link between SMD score and the incidence of colorectal adenoma in participants included in the study. Specific stratified analyses were constructed to assess whether this association changed in different conditions, whereas the robustness of the association was examined through sensitivity analyses.ResultsThe mean baseline age of participants was 62.1 (SD 5.2) years (range 54.0–75.0 years). During 19,468,589 person-years of follow-up, 992 colorectal adenoma cases were documented in a total of 17,627 included participants. In a fully adjusted model, an increased risk of colorectal adenoma was determined in participants in the highest quartile of SMD score in comparison with those in the lowest quartile (HRquartile4 vs. HRquartile1 = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.47; p = 0.017 for trend). This positive association between SMD score and adenoma risk was more evident in participants who were current or former smokers (p = 0.029 for interaction).ConclusionIn this study, our results support a role for the SMD in the carcinogenicity of colorectal cancer precursors among older adults. Nevertheless, these results require validation through more research.

BackgroundDietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) eating pattern is linked to anti-inflammatory responses and antioxidation, which overlap with the pathogenesis of lung cancer. However, there is insufficient epidemiological evidence to link this dietary pattern to lung cancer risk conclusively.AimTo determine if adherence to the DASH diet is linked to a lower risk of developing lung cancer in a large prospective study.MethodologyThe data of participants were retrieved from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial. A DASH score was calculated based on 8 dietary components to reflect adherence to DASH, with greater scores representing higher adherence. Three Cox proportional hazards models were constructed to analyze the association between DASH scores and lung cancer risk, including an unadjusted model and two adjusted models (model 1 for demographics and model 2 for fully confounding factors). A restricted cubic spline plot was utilized to illustrate the likelihood of developing lung cancer across the entire range of DASH scores. The association between each of the 8 DASH components and the risk of lung cancer was assessed separately. Several subgroup analyses were conducted to identify potential modifiers, and several sensitivity analyses were performed to verify the robustness of the findings.ResultsThe study involved 98,459 individuals in total. The mean (standard deviation) DASH score was 24.00 (4.62) points, along with the mean follow-up period of 8.84 (1.94) years. Lung cancer was identified in 1642 cases over 869807.9 person-years of follow-up, and the overall incidence rate was 0.189 cases/100 person-years. Participants in the highest quartile in the fully adjusted model had a relatively decreased risk of developing lung cancer in comparison to those in the lowest quartile (HRquartile 4 versus 1: 0.647; 95% CI: 0.557, 0.752; Ptrend

Abstract Background Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with coronary microvascular dysfunction, which is thought to contribute to compromised diastolic function, ultimately culminating in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The molecular mechanisms remain incompletely understood, and no early diagnostics are available. We sought to gain insight into biomarkers and potential mechanisms of microvascular dysfunction in obese mouse (db/db) and lean rat (Goto-Kakizaki) pre-clinical models of T2D-associated diastolic dysfunction. Methods The microRNA (miRNA) content of circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) was assessed in T2D models to identify biomarkers of coronary microvascular dysfunction/rarefaction. The potential source of circulating EV-encapsulated miRNAs was determined, and the mechanisms of induction and the function of candidate miRNAs were assessed in endothelial cells (ECs). Results We found an increase in miR-30d-5p and miR-30e-5p in circulating EVs that coincided with indices of coronary microvascular EC dysfunction (i.e., markers of oxidative stress, DNA damage/senescence) and rarefaction, and preceded echocardiographic evidence of diastolic dysfunction. These miRNAs may serve as biomarkers of coronary microvascular dysfunction as they are upregulated in ECs of the left ventricle of the heart, but not other organs, in db/db mice. Furthermore, the miR-30 family is secreted in EVs from senescent ECs in culture, and ECs with senescent-like characteristics are present in the db/db heart. Assessment of miR-30 target pathways revealed a network of genes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis and metabolism. Over-expression of miR-30e in cultured ECs increased fatty acid β-oxidation and the production of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation, while inhibiting the miR-30 family decreased fatty acid β-oxidation. Additionally, miR-30e over-expression synergized with fatty acid exposure to down-regulate the expression of eNOS, a key regulator of microvascular and cardiomyocyte function. Finally, knock-down of the miR-30 family in db/db mice decreased markers of oxidative stress and DNA damage/senescence in the microvascular endothelium. Conclusions MiR-30d/e represent early biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets that are indicative of the development of diastolic dysfunction and may reflect altered EC fatty acid metabolism and microvascular dysfunction in the diabetic heart.

BackgroundLow-fat diet reduces the risk of chronic metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes, which exhibit overlapping mechanisms with liver cancer. However, the association between low-fat diet and liver cancer risk remains unclear.AimTo investigate whether adherence to low-fat diet is associated with a reduced risk of liver cancer in a prospective study.Materials and methodsData of participants in this study were collected from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial. A low-fat diet score was calculated to reflect adherence to low-fat dietary pattern, with higher scores indicating greater adherence. Cox regression was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for liver cancer incidence with adjustment for potential covariates. Restricted cubic spline model was used to characterize liver cancer risk across the full range of the low-fat diet score. Prespecified subgroup analyses were used to identify potential impact modifiers. Sensitivity analyses were performed to test the robustness of this association.ResultsA total of 98,455 participants were included in the present analysis. The mean (standard deviation) age, low-fat diet score, and follow-up time were 65.52 (5.73) years, 14.99 (6.27) points, and 8.86 (1.90) years, respectively. During 872639.5 person-years of follow-up, 91 liver cancers occurred, with an overall incidence rate of 0.01 cases per 100 person-years. In the fully adjusted Cox model, the highest versus the lowest quartile of low-fat diet score was found to be associated with a reduced risk of liver cancer (HRQ4 vs. Q1: 0.458; 95% CI: 0.218, 0.964; P = 0.035 for trend), which remained associated through a series of sensitivity analyses. The restricted cubic spline model showed a linear dose–response association between low-fat diet score and liver cancer incidence (p = 0.482 for non-linear). Subgroup analyses did not show significant interaction between low-fat diet score and potential impact modifiers in the incidence of liver cancer.ConclusionIn this study, low-fat diet score is associated with reduced liver cancer risk in the US population, indicating that adherence to low-fat diet may be helpful for liver cancer prevention. Future studies should validate our findings in other populations.

BackgroundSolid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN) is a rare tumor with low malignant potential, which typically occurs in the pancreas. Extrapancreatic SPN is also extremely rare worldwide.Case presentationWe report a case of a 70-year-old woman hospitalized with abdominal pain and bloating. The patient did not have any underlying diseases, such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, or hypertension. More than 30 years ago, the patient underwent surgery for “ectopic pregnancy”. The patient had no family history of hereditary disease, nor did any immediate family members have a history of cancer. Laboratory tests showed that her hemoglobin and albumin levels were low and she had a high level of cancer antigen 125 (CA125). Enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed a large tumor in the abdomen and pelvis. The patient subsequently underwent surgery, and it was found that the tumor was attached to the terminal ileum. Pathological findings suggested that the tumor was an extrapancreatic SPN, with an ectopic pancreas found in the tumor tissue. The patient did not receive chemotherapy or radiotherapy after surgery. After 13 months of follow-up, the patient was admitted again with abdominal pain. CT showed tumor recurrence with extensive systemic metastases. The patient and her family refused reoperation and biopsy, and the patient was discharged after the abdominal pain and anemia resolved.ConclusionWe report a rare case of extrapancreatic SPN of ileal origin, which could be the first report worldwide. It had aggressive biological features, with recurrence and metastasis 13 months after surgery. For extrapancreatic SPN, the risk of recurrence should be assessed, and for tumors suspected of malignant behavior, a longer follow-up after discharge may be needed. Although SPN generally has a good prognosis after surgery, there is no consensus on whether postoperative chemotherapy and other treatments are needed for patients with high recurrence risk.

Abstract Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the leading cause of cancer deaths and most common malignant tumors worldwide. Immune-related genes (IRGs) can predict prognoses of patients and the effects of immunotherapy. A series of colon cancer (CCa) samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were analyzed to provide a new perspective into this field. Methods Differential IRGs and IRGs with significant clinical outcomes (sIRGs) were calculated by the limma algorithm and univariate COX regression analysis. The potential molecular mechanisms of IRGs were detected by PPI, KEGG and GO analysis. Immune-related risk score model (IRRSM) was established based on multivariate COX regression analysis. Based on the median risk score of IRRSM, the high-risk group and low-risk group were distinguished. The expression levels of IHNBA and JAG2 and relationships between IHNBA and clinical features were verified by RT-qPCR. Results 6 differential sIRGs of patients with CCa were selected by univariate COX regression analysis. Based on the sIRGs (INHBA, JAG2 and CCL19), the IRRSM was established to predict survival probability of CCa patients and to explore the potential correlations with clinical features. Furthermore, IRRSM reflected the infiltration status of 22 types of immune cells. The expression levels of IHNBA and JAG2 were higher in CCa tissues than that in adjacent normal tissues. The expression levels of IHNBA and JAG2 were increased in advanced T stages. Conclusion Our results illustrated that some sIRGs showed the latent value of predicting the prognoses of CCa patients and the clinical features. This study could provide a new insight for immune research and treatment strategies in CCa patients.

Background Fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) has been reported to be associated with tumor progress and poor prognosis in various cancers. However, the relationship between FABP4 expression and tumor immunity in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is still poorly understood. Methods FABP4 mRNA expression was analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-COAD data. FABP4 protein staining was performed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining in our 10 paired COAD samples and corresponding adjacent noncancerous tissues. The association between FABP4 and immune cell infiltration was evaluated by Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database. FABP4 coexpressed genes were identified based on Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) database, which were employed for further enrichment analysis. FABP4 related immunomodulators was identified by Tumor and Immune System Interaction Database (TISIDB) database, and a prognostic risk signature was constructed based on FABP4-related immunomodulators using stepwise Cox regression analysis. A nomogram consists of FABP4 related immunomodulators signature and clinical parameters was developed to predict the overall survival (OS). Results In TCGA data, we found that the decreased FABP4 mRNA expression in COAD samples compared with normal samples, and low FABP4 mRNA expression was associated with B cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, myeloid dendritic cells, macrophages, and neutrophils. In our 10 paired samples, the protein levels of COAD were lower in all COAD tissues than in their adjacent noncancerous tissues. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that FABP4 coexpressed genes were mostly enriched in immune-related pathways. Based on 54 FABP4-related immunomodulators, a 2-gene FABP4-related prognostic risk signature was developed, and the signature stratified the patients into the high-risk and low-risk groups with statistically different survival outcomes. The Nomogram consists of the prognostic signature and clinical parameters had a certain predictability for prognosis of COAD patients. Conclusion These findings suggest that FABP4 is associated with 2-gene immune signature which also correlate with the prognosis of COAD patients.

Our previous work revealed that the anabolism of Monascus secondary metabolites is closely related to cofactor metabolism. In this study, we have further investigated the regulation mechanisms of respiratory complex I in response to the cell growth and secondary metabolite biosynthesis of M. purpureus. The results showed that downregulating the mRNA level of gene ndufs8 in M. purpureus sharply increased the secondary metabolites biosynthesis, cell growth and glucose consumption rates at the fermentation metaphase; slightly increased the colony diameter and biomass, and dramatically changed the mycelia morphology; and decreased the tolerances to environmental factors (especially H2O2). It also significantly inhibited the enzymes activities of respiratory complex I, III and superoxide dismutase, but stimulated that of complex II, IV and peroxidase, leading to an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and a decrease in ATP concentration. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis revealed that the mRNA levels of genes involved in respiratory chain, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and fatty acid degradation were downregulated, but those in the citrinin and monascus pigment biosynthesis and related pathways were upregulated. These data revealed that complex I plays a vital role in regulating the cell growth and secondary metabolism of Monascus via changing the intracellular ROS and ATP levels.

Background: Previous studies have suggested anthocyanidins or anthocyanidin-rich foods and extracts exhibit protective effects against various cancers. However, the relationship between dietary anthocyanidins and the risk of biliary cancer remains uncertain. Methods: This study used data from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial to investigate the relationship between total anthocyanidins intake and biliary cancer incidence. Cox regression analysis was conducted to estimate HRs and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the incidence of biliary cancer, with adjustments made for confounding factors. A restricted cubic spline model was employed to examine the dose-response relationship. In addition, subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate potential interactions and test the model's robustness. Results: During 8.9 years and 872,645.3 person-years of follow-up, 95 cases of biliary cancer were observed. The incidence rate of biliary cancer in this study was 11 cases per 100,000 person-years. Using the fully adjusted Cox regression model, the inverse association was observed between total anthocyanidins intake and the risk of biliary cancer (HR Q4 vs. Q1: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.29-0.91; Ptrend = 0.043). This association remained significant in sensitivity analyses. A linear dose-response relationship (Pnonlinearity = 0.118) and potential interaction with drinking status (Pinteraction = 0.033) were identified. Conclusions: This study provides evidence of an inverse association between total anthocyanidins intake and biliary cancer incidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Band selection (BS) work for hyperspectral remote sensing images (HRSIs) has attracted increasing attention from researchers. In the HRSI, the salient features of each band always include the more important discriminative features. However, most existing BS methods always have difficulty in simultaneously performing local-global consistency analysis on salient features in bands of HRSIs. In addition, these methods also ignore the consideration of the diversity of band information to some extent when selecting a band subset. To tackle these problems, a novel unsupervised hyperspectral BS method combining the variation degree of salient features (UBSF) is proposed in this article. UBSF first promotes the singular value decomposition method to analyse the salient features in bands and develops a new low-dimensional local-global salient feature representation (NLR) method for discriminative feature representations of the bands. The NLR method combines the variation degree of the features of the significant representative patches of each band in their corresponding significant feature subspaces to achieve a localglobal consistency analysis of salient features of each band of HRSIs. Next, UBSF proposes a new two-stage strategy (TSS) to preserve the diversity of BS results as much as possible. In TSS, we propose a novel similarity criterion, which can make the highly similar band subsets with near information amount in the overall bands adaptively compressed according to the obtained similarity results of bands further. Then, the band subset with the most information is selected as the final BS results in the obtained reduceddimensional HRSI. Finally, the validity of the UBSF method is verified based on three measured HRSI datasets. The experimental results show that the proposed UBSF is superior to other state-of-the-art BS methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is a ubiquitous and reoccurring hazard that has wide ranging impacts on society, agriculture and the environment. Drought indices are vital for characterizing the nature and severity of drought hazards, and there have been extensive efforts to identify the most suitable drought indices for drought monitoring and risk assessments. However, to date, little effort has been made to explore which index(s) best represents drought impacts for various sectors in China. This is a critical knowledge gap, as impacts provide important ‘ground truth’ information. They can be used to demonstrate whether drought indices (used for monitoring or risk assessment) are relevant for identifying impacts, thus highlighting if an area is vulnerable to drought of a given severity. The aim of this study is to explore the link between drought indices and drought impacts, using Liaoning province (northeast China) as a case study due to its history of drought occurrence. To achieve this we use independent, but complementary, methods (correlation and random forest analysis). Using multiple drought indices – Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), Soil Moisture (SoilM) and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) – and drought impact data (on crop yield, livestock, rural people and the economy) correlation and random forest analysis were used to identify which indices link best to the recorded drought impacts for cities in Liaoning. The results show that the relationship varies between different categories of drought impacts and between cities. SPEI with a 6-month accumulation (SPEI6) had a strong correlation with all categories of drought impacts, while SPI12 had a weak correlation with drought impacts. Of the impact datasets, "drought suffering area" and "drought impact area" had a slightly strong relationship with all drought indices in Liaoning province, while "population and number of livestock with difficulty in accessing drinking water" had weak correlations with the indices. Based on the linkage, drought vulnerability was analyzed using various vulnerability factors. Crop cultivated area was positively correlated to the drought vulnerability for five out of the eight categories of drought impacts, while the total population had a strong negative relationship with drought vulnerability for half the drought impact categories. This study can support drought planning efforts in the region, and provides a methodology for application for other regions of China (and other countries) in the future, as well as providing context for the indices used in drought monitoring applications, so enabling improved preparedness for drought impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteins containing domains homologous to the E6-associated protein (E6-AP) carboxyl terminus (HECT) are an important class of E3 ubiquitin ligases involved in the ubiquitin proteasome pathway. HECT-type E3s play crucial roles in plant growth and development. However, current understanding of plant HECT genes and their evolution is very limited. In this study, we performed a genome-wide analysis of the HECT domain-containing genes in soybean. Using high-quality genome sequences, we identified 19 soybean HECT genes. The predicted HECT genes were distributed unevenly across 15 of 20 chromosomes. Nineteen of these genes were inferred to be segmentally duplicated gene pairs, suggesting that in soybean, segmental duplications have made a significant contribution to the expansion of the HECT gene family. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these HECT genes can be divided into seven groups, among which gene structure and domain architecture was relatively well-conserved. The Ka/Ks ratios show that after the duplication events, duplicated HECT genes underwent purifying selection. Moreover, expression analysis reveals that 15 of the HECT genes in soybean are differentially expressed in 14 tissues, and are often highly expressed in the flowers and roots. In summary, this work provides useful information on which further functional studies of soybean HECT genes can be based. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE--Zinc- α2-glycoprotein (ZAG) has been proposed to play a role in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. Previous studies in humans and in rodents have produced conflicting results regarding the link between ZAG and insulin resistance. The objective of this study was to examine the relationships between ZAG and insulin resistance in cross-sectional and interventional studies. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--Serum ZAG (determined with ELISA) was compared with various parameters related to insulin resistance in subjects with normal glucose tolerance, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and in women with or without polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamps were performed in healthy and PCOS women. Real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to assess mRNA and protein expression of ZAG. The effect of a glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist on ZAG was studied in a 12-week liraglutide treatment trial. RESULTS--Circulating ZAG was lower in patients with IGT and newly diagnosed T2DM than in controls. Circulating ZAG correlated positively with HDL cholesterol and adiponectin, and correlated inversely with BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, body fat percentage, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c, and homeostasismodel assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). On multivariate analysis, ZAG was independently associated with BMI, HOMA-IR, and adiponectin. ZAG mRNA and protein were decreased in adipose tissue of T2DM patients. Moreover, circulating ZAG levels were lower in women with PCOS than in women with high insulin sensitivity. Liraglutide treatment for 12 weeks significantly increased circulating ZAG levels. CONCLUSIONS--We conclude that ZAG may be an adipokine associated with insulin resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]