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Supplemental Figure 2 legend: Shown are age-specific cumulative incidences of tonsillectomies during 1970-2009 in Sweden across the year of birth (i.e. birth cohort).

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Supplemental Figure 1. Kaplan-Meier survival curves comparing non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with and without pre-existing mental health disorders. NSCLC was diagnosed between 1998 and 2007.

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Background: Rising incidence of oropharyngeal cancers in numerous countries since the 1970s has been attributed to increased oral human papillomavirus (HPV) exposure. However, the contribution of coincidental declines in the surgical removal of the tonsils (tonsillectomy) is unknown. We quantified the association of tonsillectomy with risk of tonsillar, other oropharyngeal, and other head and neck cancers and the contribution of declines in tonsillectomies to cancer incidence trends.Methods: We conducted a nation-wide cohort study in Sweden (1970–2009). Tonsillectomies (N = 225,718) were identified through national patient registers, which were linked with the cancer register. Cancer incidence in the tonsillectomy cohort was compared with Sweden's general population through standardized incidence ratios (SIR).Results: Tonsillectomies were associated with reduced risk of tonsil cancers [SIRs 1+ years post-tonsillectomy = 0.31; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.08–0.79 and 5+ years post-tonsillectomy = 0.17; 95% CI, 0.02–0.62], but unrelated to other oropharyngeal or other head and neck cancers (SIRs 1+ years post-tonsillectomy = 1.61; 95% CI, 0.77–2.95 and 0.92; 95% CI, 0.64–1.27, respectively). The cumulative incidence of tonsillectomy declined significantly (40%–50%) during 1970–2009. However, tonsil cancer incidence significantly increased during 1970–2009 both without and with corrections for declines in tonsillectomies (relative risks per 5-year periods = 1.23, P < 0.001 and 1.20, P < 0.001, respectively).Conclusions: The reduced tonsil cancer risk with tonsillectomy reflects the removal of most of the relevant tissue. The absence of associations with other head and neck cancers indicates that tonsillectomy may not impact carcinogenesis at other sites.Impact: The significant increases in oropharyngeal cancer incidence since the 1970s in Sweden appear independent of declines in tonsillectomies, reinforcing increased oral HPV exposure as the likely cause. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(6); 944–50. ©2016 AACR.

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Background: Previous research has noted higher cancer mortality rates and lower survival among males than females. However, systematic comparisons of these two metrics by sex have been limited.Methods: We extracted U.S. vital rates and survival data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Database for 36 cancers by sex and age for the period 1977 to 2006. We compared sex-specific mortality rates and examined male-to-female mortality rate ratios (MRR). We also extracted case data which included age and date of diagnosis, sex, primary cancer site, tumor stage and grade, survival time, vital status, and cause of death. Relative cancer-specific HRs for death in the 5-year period following diagnosis were estimated with Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for covariates.Results: For the vast majority of cancers, age-adjusted mortality rates were higher among males than females with the highest male-to-female MRR for lip (5.51), larynx (5.37), hypopharynx (4.47), esophagus (4.08), and urinary bladder (3.36). Cancer-specific survival was, for most cancers, worse for males than females, but such disparities were drastically less than corresponding MRRs [e.g., lip (HR = 0.93), larynx (HR = 1.09), hypopharynx (HR = 0.98), esophagus (HR = 1.05), and urinary bladder (HR = 0.83)].Conclusions: Male-to-female MRRs differed markedly while cancer survival disparities were much less pronounced. This suggests that sex-related cancer disparities are more strongly related to etiology than prognosis.Impact: Future analytic studies should attempt to understand causes of observed sex disparities in cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(8); 1629–37. ©2011 AACR.

Supplementary Table 7

Supplemental Figures and tables

Purpose:Ovarian cancer is a heterogeneous disease that can be divided into multiple subtypes with variable etiology, pathogenesis, and prognosis. We analyzed DNA methylation profiling data to identify biologic subgroups of ovarian cancer and study their relationship with histologic subtypes, copy number variation, RNA expression data, and outcomes.Experimental Design:A total of 162 paraffin-embedded ovarian epithelial tumor tissues, including the five major epithelial ovarian tumor subtypes (high- and low-grade serous, endometrioid, mucinous, and clear cell) and tumors of low malignant potential were selected from two different sources: The Polish Ovarian Cancer study, and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Residual Tissue Repository (SEER RTR). Analyses were restricted to Caucasian women. Methylation profiling was conducted using the Illumina 450K methylation array. For 45 tumors array copy number data were available. NanoString gene expression data for 39 genes were available for 61 high-grade serous carcinomas (HGSC).Results:Consensus nonnegative matrix factorization clustering of the 1,000 most variable CpG sites showed four major clusters among all epithelial ovarian cancers. We observed statistically significant differences in survival (log-rank test, P = 9.1 × 10−7) and genomic instability across these clusters. Within HGSC, clustering showed three subgroups with survival differences (log-rank test, P = 0.002). Comparing models with and without methylation subgroups in addition to previously identified gene expression subtypes suggested that the methylation subgroups added significant survival information (P = 0.007).Conclusions:DNA methylation profiling of ovarian cancer identified novel molecular subgroups that had significant survival difference and provided insights into the molecular underpinnings of ovarian cancer.See related commentary by Ishak et al., p. 5729

Supplemental Figure 1: Description of tonsillectomy cohort for the Swedish nation-wide study (1970-2009.)Supplemental Table 1: Clinical indications for tonsillectomy, stratified by calendar period and age at tonsillectomy. Supplemental Table 2: Clinical indications for tonsillectomies conducted as in-patient versus out-patient procedures (2006-2009.) Supplemental Table 3: Association of tonsillectomy with risk of head and neck cancers, stratified by age at tonsillectomy, gender, and calendar era of tonsillectomy.Supplemental Table 4: Sensitivity analyses of the association of tonsillectomy with risk of head and neck cancers.

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Background: Higher cancer-related mortality has been observed among people with mental health disorders than in the general population. Both delay in diagnosis and inadequate treatment due to health care access have been found to explain the higher mortality. The U.S. Military Health System (MHS), in which all beneficiaries have equal access to health care, provides an ideal system to study this disparity where there are no or minimal barriers to health care access. This study assessed preexisting mental health disorders and stage at diagnosis, receipt of cancer treatment, and overall survival among patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the U.S. MHS.Methods: The study used data from the linked database from the Department of Defense's Central Cancer Registry and the MHS Data Repository (MDR). The study subjects included 5,054 patients with histologically confirmed primary NSCLC diagnosed between 1998 and 2007.Results: Patients with a preexisting mental disorder did not present with more advanced disease at diagnosis than those without. There were no significant differences in receiving cancer treatments between the two groups. However, patients with a mental health disorder had a higher mortality than those without [adjusted HR, 1.11; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.03–1.20].Conclusions: Poor survival in NSCLC in patients with a preexisting mental health disorder is not necessarily associated with delay in diagnosis and/or inadequate cancer treatment.Impact: This study contributes to the current understanding that health care access may not be sufficient to explain the poor survival among patients with NSCLC with preexisting mental health disorders. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(12); 1564–71. ©2016 AACR.

Supplemental Table 3

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Endophytes can have positive effects on plant health and growth, but endophytes of warm-season grasses are largely understudied and inocula are rarely applied to cultivated grasses. To identify endophytes in warm-season grasses, 35 endophytic bacterial isolates were cultured from root, rhizomes, and shoots of bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), energy cane (Saccharum spp.), Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense), napiergrass (Cenchrus purpureus), perennial sorghum (Sorghum bicolor x S. halepense), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), sorghum x sudangrass (Sorghum x drummondii), and peanut (outgroup). Sequencing of the 16S rRNA fragment from the endophytes revealed that the bacterial sequences were similar to Bacillus spp. (19 isolates), Burkholderia spp. (4), Pantoea spp. (4), Pseudomonas spp. (3), Enterobacter spp. (2), Kosakonia spp. (2), and Sphingomonas sp. (1). To identify diazotrophic endophytes, DNA isolated from surface disinfected tissue from warm- season grasses was used to amplify NifH. Bacteria containing NifH were similar to 13 genera and sequences similar to Pseudolabrys sp. was present in the greatest number of warm- season grasses. Bacteria similar to Bradyrhizobium frederickii strain CNPSo 3447 were identified frequently from leaves and roots of sorghum x sudangrass (and peanut roots). Using similarity to known NifH fragments, six genera were identified that had not been previously identified in grasses. Thus, a large number of endophytes were found in warm-season grasses and may enhance plant growth or enhance grass nitrogen levels by using nitrogen fixation.

Currently, there are 13.9 million hectares of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) in the Southern United States. Reforested hectares could be used for intercropping oilseed crops such as carinata (Brassica carinata) and white lupin (Lupinus albus L.). The oil obtained from these crops could be used for bio-jet fuel production to reduce the carbon footprint of the aviation sector. This study determines the profitability for three scenarios: loblolly pine with no intercropping (baseline), loblolly pine with carinata (once every three years), and loblolly pine with carinata and white lupin rotated annually. We ascertained the land expectation value (LEV) for three site indices of 15.3 m, 18.3 m, and 21.3 m. Carinata and white lupin were planted during the initial eight, seven, and six years for site indices 15.3 m, 18.3 m, and 21.3 m, respectively. Sensitivity and risk analyses were undertaken for determining the influence of input variables on LEVs and the probability of loss for intercropping production systems relative to a baseline production system, respectively. For site index 21.3 m, the LEV of loblolly pine with no intercropping was $2816/ha at a 21-years rotation period. Intercropping with carinata only and both carinata and white lupin yielded LEVs of $3346/ha and $3607/ha at a 21-years rotation period, respectively. The LEVs of production systems were sensitive to interest rate, price, and yield of carinata seeds. The intercropping approach had > 50% probability of being less profitable than loblolly pine alone in over half of the scenarios considered. Future research should focus on the impacts of intercropping on loblolly pine yield and adoption behavior of forest landowners.

Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum (L) Schum) is being developed as a bioenergy crop for production in the southeastern United States. Important criteria for selecting a feedstock are cost, consist...

The objectives of this research were to evaluate grain yield, related traits and some agronomic performances of 15 sesame cultivars under rain-fed conditions on marginal land of Northeast in Thailand. The experiments were conducted at two locations; Maha Sarakham and Buriram provinces in Northeast Thailand during the summer of 2018. The fields were arranged in a RCBD with 4 replications and 15 sesame cultivars. Significant differences were observed for all traits at both locations except SPAD chlorophyll meter reading (SCMR) at 90 DAP in Maha Sarakham. Significant differences were found between locations for yield and some of the yield components. It appeared that pod/plant, plant height, number of branches, and plant biomass were the most important components attributing to yield. Harvest index was negatively correlated with yield. Heritability estimates were the highest for plant height (0.88), branches per plant (0.92), pod width (0.95), and pod length (0.89). At Maha Sarakahm, cv. UB3 had the greatest grain yield (1058.03 kg ha-1), and was among the highest for number of branches/plant, plant height, and number of pods/plant, whereas KKU1 had the highest harvest index (43.62%). Mahasarakham60 had the highest SCMR value at 60 and 75 DAP and also total chlorophyll content at 60, 75 and 90 DAP. At Buriram cv. Buriram had the highest number of branches/plant, plant height, SCMR, total chlorophyll content, and number of capsules/plant, but did not have a high grain yield (334.44 kg ha-1). UB1 had the highest grain yield (545.63 kg ha-1) at Buriram. Environmental factors affected agronomic performances and grain yield in sesame grown under the rain-fed condition and marginal land in Thailand. If breeding under various environmental conditions, traits such as plant height and number of branches per plant would achieve the highest gains.

Second generation biofuels, such as perennial grasses, have potential to provide biofuel feedstock while growing on degraded land with minimal inputs. Perennial grasses have been reported to sequester large amounts of soil organic carbon (SOC) in the Midwestern United States (USA). However, there has been little work on biofuel and carbon sequestration potential of perennial grasses in the Southeastern US. Biofuel productivity for dryland Miscanthus × gigantus and irrigated maize in Georgia, USA were quantified using eddy covariance observations of evapotranspiration (ET) and net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of carbon. Miscanthus biomass yield was 15.54 Mg ha−1 in 2015 and 11.80 Mg ha−1 in 2016, while maize produced 30.20 Mg ha−1 of biomass in 2016. Carbon budgets indicated that both miscanthus and maize fields lost carbon over the experiment. The miscanthus field lost 5 Mg C ha−1 in both 2015 and 2016 while the maize field lost 1.37 Mg C ha−1 for the single year of study. Eddy covariance measurement indicated that for 2016 the miscanthus crop evapotranspired 598 mm and harvest water use efficiencies ranged from 6.95 to 13.84 kg C ha−1 mm−1. Maize evapotranspired 659 mm with a harvest water use efficiency of 19.12 kg C ha−1 mm−1. While biomass yields and gross primary production were relatively high, high ecosystem respiration rates resulted in a loss of ecosystem carbon. Relatively low biomass production, low water use efficiency and high respiration for Miscanthus × gigantus in this experiment suggest that this strain of miscanthus may not be well-suited for dryland production under the environmental conditions found in South Georgia USA.

Since its 2010 discovery in southern Georgia, the bermudagrass stem maggot (BSM, Atherigona reversura Villenueve) has spread throughout the southeastern United States, damaging bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] hayfields and pastures. The objective of this research was to quantify the damage potential of the BSM in terms of forage accumulation, nutritive value, and economic returns from five bermudagrass varieties grown in Tifton, GA. The BSM significantly reduced accumulated forage only from late July to September in each year of this study. This would generally correspond to the third, fourth, and/or fifth harvest of the year for bermudagrass hay producers in the states of the Deep South. When BSM damage affected accumulated forage, crude protein increased while other nutritive value parameters decreased in plots not treated with insecticide. The results indicate that spraying prior to every harvest is not an economical management strategy. Instead, insecticide applications should only be made when significant forage loss is expected (generally from late July to September). Producers should create and implement a strategic integrated pest management plan to manage BSM populations on their farms to ensure positive economic returns and slow the potential resistance of the BSM to pyrethroids by preventing their overuse.

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) is one of the most important root crops in the world. It is primarily grown as a second crop during the dry season in Thailand. Several cultivars are produced with some being imported from Japan, especially cv. Japanese Orange, Yellow and Purple which are popular because they have high value and are rich in phytochemicals. Thai farmers use only one planting pattern for production although there are five recommended patterns available. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of different planting patterns on yield, agronomic traits, and determine associations among agronomic traits of sweet potato cv. Japanese Orange. The experiments were conducted during the rainy and dry seasons of 2017. An RCBD with 5 planting patterns and 3 replications were used. Tuber yield, no. of tuber/plant, no. of tuber/ha, no. branch/plant, tuber diameter and tuber fresh weight were measured. The results revealed that during the rainy season, pattern 5 (three vines per hole) had highest tuber yield (11.2 ton/ha), no. of tubers/plant (7.7) and number of tubers/ha (408.9×103) whereas pattern 3 (one vine) had highest no of branches/plant (4.7) and tuber diameter (36.9 mm). In the dry season, patterns 1, 5 and 3 had the highest yields (7.13, 6.71 and 6.48 ton/ha, respectively) pattern 1 had significantly higher tuber fresh weight (84.17 g) than the other four patterns. Pattern 5 had the highest number of tubers/plant and number of tubers/ha during the dry season. We found positive correlations between tuber yield and number of tuber per plant, number of tuber per ha, vine length, vine girth, number of nodes per plant at 60 and 75 DAP.

Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) is one of the highest-yielding feedstocks for bio-based products and biofuel in semi-tropical areas of the USA and the world. Thirty genetically diverse Napier grass accessions were selected from a germplasm nursery in Tifton, GA and analyzed for fiber, ash, nitrogen (N) concentration, and biochemical conversion to ethanol. A near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) calibration was developed from this material to predict ethanol production, xylans, N concentration, and ash by separating leaves and stems and correlating with wet chemistry analyses. The high diversity of material from dwarf material with high leaf and stem digestibility to taller and more productive Napier grass cultivars resulted in high correlations with predicted results for in vitro dry matter digestibility (2 = 0.93), neutral detergent fiber (r2 = 0.83), acid detergent fiber (r2 = 0.95), ethanol (r2 = 0.90), nitrogen (r2 = 0.99), and ash (r2 = 0.98). This information will allow faster evaluation of Napier grass biomass for use by industry or geneticists.

Interest and focus on development of renewable biofuels has been increasing over the past decade leading to the introduction of a wide cadre of renewable feedstocks. As a result, numerous perennial warm-season grasses have been introduced and management practices evaluated to determine their suitability as biofuel feedstocks. “Merkeron” napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) plots were established in 2010 and harvested during crop years 2011 through 2015 adjacent to an on-going peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), corn (Zea mays L.), and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cropping systems study conducted at the USDA/ARS Multi-crop Irrigation Research Farm in Shellman, GA (84 36 W, 30 44 N) on a Greenville fine sandy loam (fine, kaolinitic, thermic Rhodic Kandiudults). Napier grass was produced in both non-irrigated and two irrigated levels with different levels of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers. Peanut, corn, and cotton were produced in non-irrigated and full irrigation regimes. Breakeven prices for napier grass ranged from $65 to $84 Mg−1 at variable and total costs. The breakeven napier grass price was estimated such that the net returns were equal between napier grass and peanut, cotton, corn cropping systems. At variable production cost, comparative breakeven napier grass prices for non-irrigated, 50% irrigated, and full irrigated regimes were $77, $117, and $112 Mg−1, respectively. Napier grass did not compete economically against traditional irrigated cropping systems. Depending on traditional crop prices and bioenergy feed stock prices, napier grass could offer economic opportunities in non-irrigated production environments, riparian buffer zone edges, or non-cropped marginal production areas.

Sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] has potential as a biofuel feedstock, but hybrid cultivars are needed to support an industry based on this crop. The purpose of this study was to compare five inbred sweet sorghum lines and 15 hybrids derived from them and to determine the extent of environmental effects on estimates of hybrid vigor (heterosis) and heritability for various agronomic traits. The test was repeated across 2 years (2013 and 2015) and three planting dates each year (April, May, and June) at Tifton, GA, USA. Environmental conditions were highly variable, and thus, estimates of heterosis for various traits, as well as correlations between hybrids and midparents (average of the inbred parents), were also variable. In the 2015 season, a new insect pest, sugarcane aphid (Melanaphis sacchari Zehntner), appeared to cause reduced juice Brix in the April planting. Hybrids generally flowered earlier than their inbred male-parent lines, and flowering time was highly correlated between midparents and hybrids. Hybrids frequently had greater lodging percentage than inbreds, but lodging was also correlated between midparents and hybrids in four environments. Heterosis for juice Brix and sugar yield was uncommon, while heterosis for panicle (grain) yield was frequently observed. Based on this study, it will be difficult to predict hybrid performance for juice Brix, sugar yield, and panicle yield based on inbred performance. Testing in multiple environments will be essential for the development of sweet sorghum hybrids, and there is a critical need for sweet sorghum cultivars with resistance to sugarcane aphids.

Background The initial step for noncardia gastric carcinogenesis is atrophic gastritis, driven by either Helicobacter pylori infection or autoimmunity. In recent decades, the prevalence rates of these two major causes declined and increased, respectively, with changes in Western lifestyles. We therefore assessed gastric cancer incidence trends for US race/ethnic groups, 1995-2013. Methods Age-standardized rates (ASRs) from 45 North American Association of Central Cancer Tumor Registries were summarized by estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Age period cohort models supplemented standard descriptive techniques and projected future trends. Results There were 137 447 noncardia cancers in 4.4 billion person-years of observation. Among non-Hispanic whites, the ASR was 2.2 per 100 000 person-years, with an EAPC of -2.3% (95% CI = -2.0% to -2.6%). Notwithstanding this overall decline, EAPCs rose 1.3% (95% CI = 0.6% to 2.1%) for persons younger than age 50 years and fell -2.6% (95% CI = -2.4% to -2.9%) for older individuals. These converging trends manifested a birth cohort effect more pronounced among women than men, with incidence among women born in 1983 twofold (95% CI = 1.1-fold to 3.6-fold) greater than those born in 1951. Age interaction was also statistically significant among Hispanic whites, with slightly increasing vs decreasing EAPCs for younger and older individuals, respectively. Incidence declined regardless of age for other races. Current trends foreshadow expected reversals in both falling incidence and male predominance among non-Hispanic whites. Conclusions Dysbiosis of the gastric microbiome associated with modern living conditions may be increasing risk of autoimmune gastritis and consequent noncardia cancer. The changing face by age and sex of gastric cancer warrants analytical studies to identify potential causal mechanisms.

Background Metastatic prostate cancer (PCA) remains a highly lethal malignancy in the USA. As prostate-specific antigen testing declines nationally, detailed assessment of current age- and race-specific incidence trends and quantitative forecasts are needed. Objective To evaluate the current trends of metastatic PCA by age and race, and forecast the number of new cases (annual burden) and future trends. Design, setting, and participants We derived incidence data for men aged ≥45 yr who were diagnosed with metastatic PCA from the population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registries. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis We examined the current trends of metastatic PCA from 2004 to 2014, and forecast the annual burden and incidence rates by age and race for 2015–2025, using age–period–cohort models and population projections. We also examined alternative forecasts (2012–2025) using trends prior to the revised screening guidelines issued in 2012. Results and limitations Metastatic PCA, steadily declining from 2004 to 2007 by 1.45%/yr, began to increase by 0.58%/yr after 2008, which accelerated to 2.74%/yr following the 2012 United States Preventive Services Task Force recommendations—a pattern that was magnified among men aged ≤69 yr and white men. Forecasts project the incidence to increase by 1.03%/yr through 2025, with men aged 45–54 yr (2.29%/yr) and 55–69 yr (1.53%/yr) increasing more rapidly. Meanwhile, the annual burden is expected to increase 42% by 2025. Our forecasts estimated an additional 15 891 metastatic cases from 2015 to 2025 compared with alternative forecasts using trends prior to 2012. Conclusions The recent uptick in metastatic PCA rates has resulted in forecasts that project increasing rates through 2025, particularly among men aged ≤69 yr. Moreover, racial disparities are expected to persist and the annual burden will increase considerably. The impact of the prior and current PCA screening recommendations on metastatic PCA rates requires continued examination. Patient summary In this report, we assessed how the incidence of metastatic prostate cancer has changed over recent years, and forecast future incidence trends and the number of new cases expected each year. We found that the incidence of metastatic prostate cancer has been increasing more rapidly since 2012, resulting in a rise in both future incidence and the number of new cases by 2025. Future incidence rates and the number of new cases were reduced in alternative forecasts using data prior to the 2012 United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations against prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing for prostate cancer. There is a need for additional research that examines whether national declines in PSA testing contributed to increases in rates of metastatic disease. The incidence of metastatic disease in black men is still expected to occur at considerably higher rates compared with that in white men.

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is a heat- and drought-tolerant crop that has promise to supplement corn (Zea mays L.) for biofuel production from fermentable sugars (for sweet cultivars) and lignocellulosic biomass. Quantitative relationships are lacking to predict the accumulation of primary (stem sugars) and secondary (organic acids, phenolics, and inorganic species) products that could either expand (as the value-added product) or limit (as the fermentation inhibitor) the market value of a cultivar. Five male (Atlas, Chinese, Dale, Isidomba, N98) and three female (N109B, N110B, and N111B) inbred lines and their hybrids (23 cultivars total) were planted on a Tifton loamy sand in April, May, and June of 2015 in a triplicate split-plot design and were harvested at the hard-dough maturity stage. Stalk juices were analyzed for sugar (glucose, fructose, and sucrose) and organic acid (citrate, oxalate, and cis- and trans-aconitic acid) concentrations, Brix, pH, electric conductivity (EC), total organic carbon (TOC), and total nitrogen (TN), and by fluorescence excitation emission spectrophotometry with parallel factor analysis (EEM/PARAFAC). Later plantings consistently (p0.05) (1) increased sucrose, total sugar, and trans-aconitic acid concentrations, Brix, and TOC and (2) decreased EC. Sucrose, total sugar, pH, EC, and Brix showed significant cultivar × planting date interactions. Observed linear relationships (Pearson's) could be used to deploy simple and inexpensive electrode (EC) and fluorescence-based field methods to predict the primary products from secondary products, and vise versa.

Research suggests that metformin may be associated with improved survival in cancer patients with type II diabetes. This study assessed whether metformin use after non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) diagnosis is associated with overall survival among type II diabetic patients with NSCLC in the U.S. military health system (MHS). The study included 636 diabetic patients with histologically confirmed NSCLC diagnosed between 2002 and 2007, identified from the linked database from the Department of Defense's Central Cancer Registry (CCR) and the Military Health System Data Repository (MDR). Time-dependent multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association between metformin use and overall survival during follow-up. Among the 636 patients, 411 died during the follow-up. The median follow-up time was 14.6 months. Increased post-diagnosis cumulative use (per 1 year of use) conferred a significant reduction in mortality (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 0.76; 95% CI = 0.65-0.88). Further analysis by duration of use revealed that compared to non-users, the lowest risk reduction occurred among patients with the longest duration of use (i.e. use for more than 2 years) (HR = 0.19; 95% CI = 0.09-0.40). Finally, the reduced mortality was particularly observed only among patients who also used metformin before lung cancer diagnosis and among patients at early stage of diagnosis. Prolonged duration of metformin use in the study population was associated with improved survival, especially among early stage patients. Future research with a larger number of patients is warranted.

Despite significant reductions in tobacco use in the US, oral tongue cancer incidence has reportedly increased in recent years, particularly in young white women. We conducted age-period-cohort analyses to identify birth cohorts that have experienced increased oral tongue cancer incidence, and compared these with trends for oropharyngeal cancer, a cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) that has also recently increased.We utilized cancer incidence data (1973-2012) from 18 registries maintained by the NCI SEER Program. Incidence trends were evaluated using log-linear joinpoint regression and age-period-cohort modeling was utilized to simultaneously evaluate effects of age, calendar year, and birth year on incidence trends.Incidence of oral tongue cancer increased significantly among white women during 1973-2012 (0.6% annual increase, p0.001) and white men during 2008-2012 (5.1% annual increase, p=0.004). The increase was most apparent among younger white individuals (50years; annual increase of 0.7% for men [p=0.02] and 1.7% for women [p0.001] during 1973-2012). Furthermore, the magnitude of the increase during 1973-2012 was similar between young white men and women (2.3 vs. 1.8 cases per million, respectively). Incidence trends for oropharyngeal cancer were similar to trends for oral tongue cancer and similar birth cohorts (born after the 1940s) experienced rising incidence of these cancers (p-value: white men=0.12, white women=0.42), although the magnitude of increase was greater for oropharyngeal cancer.The incidence of oral tongue and oropharyngeal cancer has significantly increased among young white men and women within the same birth cohorts in the US.

Recent reports of converging black and white breast cancer incidence rates have gained much attention, potentially foreshadowing a worsening of the black–white breast cancer mortality disparity. However, these incidence rates also reflect the sum of non-Hispanics and Hispanics that may mask important ethnicity-specific trends. We therefore assessed race- and ethnicity-specific breast cancer trends using the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) 13 Registries Database (1992–2014). Age-period-cohort models projected rates for 2015–2030. Results confirmed merging of age-standardized incidence rates for blacks and whites circa 2012, but not for non-Hispanic black (NHB) and non-Hispanic white (NHW) women. Incidence rates were highest for NHW women (n = 382 290), followed by NHB women (n = 51 074), and then Hispanic white women (n = 48 651). The sample size for Hispanic blacks was too small for analysis (n = 693). Notably, future incidence rates are expected to slowly increase (2015 through 2030) among NHW women (0.24% per year, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.17 to 0.32) and slowly decrease for NHB women (–0.14% per year, 95% CI = –0.15 to –0.13). A putative worsening of the black–white mortality disparity, therefore, seems unlikely. Ethnicity matters when assessing race-specific breast cancer incidence rates.

Recent studies from high-risk countries such as the US, Denmark and Ireland have shown rising incidence rates of hormone receptor (HR)-positive and falling rates of HR-negative breast cancers (BC). However, it remains unclear whether a similar pattern occurs in low-risk countries. Detailed clinical and risk factor data were collected from 2,977 female invasive BC patients (≥20 years) in Sarawak General Hospital, Malaysia, representing 93% of the population. The population-at-risk was obtained from the Department of Statistics Malaysia. Secular trends in age-standardized incidence rates were assessed using estimated average annual percent changes. Associations between established BC risk factors and tumor subtypes defined by HR or joint human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HR/HER2) status were examined by case-case comparisons using logistic regression. From 2006 to 2015, incidence rates increased for HR-positive cancers by 4.46%/year (95% CI = 2.19-6.78) and decreased for HR-negative cancers by 2.29%/year (95% CI = -4.31 to -0.24). When further stratified by HER2, the most contrasting difference in linear trends was observed between HR+/HER2- and HR-/HER2- subtypes. After controlling for potential confounders, cases with excess body weight (ORoverweight vs. normal = 0.82; 95% CI = 0.69-0.98; ORobese vs. normal = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.48-0.80), later age at first birth (OR≥26 years vs.

Indirect selection tools would be valuable in the development of peanut (Arachis hypogaea) cultivars with resistance to aflatoxin contamination. The objective of this study was to determine whether resistance to other fungi could be used as an indirect selection tool for resistance to colonization of peanut by Aspergillus flavus group fungi or aflatoxin contamination. Nine peanut genotypes with resistance to late leaf spot (Cercosporidium personatum) or white mold (Sclerotium rolfsii) were evaluated for 2 years at Tifton, GA, and Yuma, AZ. Plots were subjected to late-season heat and drought stress. None of the genotypes exhibited less colonization of shells or kernels by A. flavus group fungi than cv. Florunner when tested in Georgia or Arizona. None of the genotypes showed a reduced level of aflatoxin contamination in comparison to Florunner at either location. These results indicate that the mechanisms of resistance to other fungi operating in these genotypes are not effective in providing resistance to colonization by A. flavus group fungi or reducing aflatoxin contamination. Therefore, resistance to these fungi cannot be used as an indirect selection tool for resistance to aflatoxin contamination.

Quantitative spectral reflectance data have the potential to improve the evaluation of turfgrasses in variety trials when management practices are factors in the testing of turf aesthetics and functionality. However, the practical application of this methodology has not been well developed. The objectives of this research were 1) to establish a relationship between spectral reflectance and turfgrass quality (TQ) and percent green cover (PGC) using selected reference plots; 2) to compare aesthetic performance (TQ, PGC, and vegetation indices) and functional performance (surface firmness); and 3) to evaluate lignin content as an alternate means to predict surface firmness in turfgrass variety trials of hybrid bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon × C. transvaalensis]. A field study was conducted on mature stands of three varieties (‘TifTuf’, ‘TifSport’, and ‘Tifway’) and two experimental lines (04-47 and 04-76) at two mowing heights (0.5 and 1.5 inch) and trinexapac-ethyl application (0.15 kg·ha−1 and nontreated control) treatments. Aesthetic performance was estimated by vegetation indices, spectral reflectance, visual TQ, and PGC. The functional performance of each variety/line was measured through surface firmness and fiber analysis. Regression analyses were similar when using only reference plots or all the plots to determine the relationship between individual aesthetic characteristics. Experimental line 04-47 had lower density in Apr. 2010, whereas varieties ‘TifTuf’, ‘TifSport’, and ‘Tifway’ were in the top statistical group for aesthetic performance when differences were found. ‘TifSport’ and ‘Tifway’ produced the firmest surfaces, followed by ‘TifTuf’, and finally 04-76 and 04-47, which provided the least firm surface. Results of leaf fiber analysis were not correlated with turf surface firmness. This study indicates that incorporating quantitative measures of spectral reflectance could reduce time and improve precision of data collection as long as reference plots with adequate range of green cover are present in the trials.

Bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] is widely grown throughout the southeastern United States and many other countries for forage. Tifton 85, a hybrid between C. dactylon and C. nlemfuensis, is currently the recommended cultivar for grazing and hay. This study was conducted to determine the response of Tifton 85 to six rates of N fertilization (224, 336, 448, 560, 672, and 784 kg ha–¹) and three rates of PK fertilization (50, 100, and 150% replacement of P and K removal) on two different soils, Carnegie (fine, kaolinitic, thermic Plinthic Kandiudult) and Fuquay (loamy, kaolinitic, thermic Arenic Plinthic Kandiudult), for 4 yr. In a randomized split-plot design, whole plots were N rates with PK rates randomized within whole plots. The optimal fertilization rate to provide maximum profits was determined. Though yields began to level off only at the 560 kg ha–¹ N application rate, rates from 224 to 448 kg ha–¹ N with 100% replacement of P and K uptake resulted in maximum economic return. At these N rates, based on actual nutrient uptake, the N–P₂O₅–K₂O ratio for fertilization of Tifton 85 should be approximately 4–1–5. At 336 to 448 kg ha–¹ N, a grower could expect approximately 19.6 to 23.0 Mg ha–¹ yr–¹ hay at 150 g kg–¹ moisture. Crude protein (CP) concentration and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of the harvested forage both responded positively to increasing rates of N application beyond the economically optimum rates.

Biofuels and bio-based products can be produced from a wide variety of herbaceous feedstocks. To supply enough biomass to meet the needs of a new bio-based economy, a suite of dedicated biomass species must be developed to accommodate a range of growing environments throughout the USA. Researchers from the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) and collaborators associated with the USDA Regional Biomass Research Centers have made major progress in understanding the genetics of switchgrass, sorghum, and other grass species and have begun to use this knowledge to develop new cultivars with high yields and appropriate traits for efficient conversion to bio-based products. Plant geneticists and breeders have discovered genes that reduce recalcitrance for biochemical conversion to ethanol and drop-in fuels. Progress has also been made in finding genes that improve production under biotic and abiotic stress from diseases, pests, and climatic variations.

With global increases in the production of cellulosic biomass for fuel, or “biofuel,” concerns over potential negative effects of using land for biofuel production have promoted attention to concepts of agricultural landscape design that sustainably balance tradeoffs between food, fuel, fiber, and conservation. The Energy Independence Security Act (EISA) of 2007 mandates an increase in advanced biofuels to 21 billion gallons in 2022. The southeastern region of the USA has been identified as a contributor to meeting half of this goal. We used a GIS-based approach to estimate the production and N-removal potential of three perennial biofeedstocks planted as conservation buffers (field borders associated with riparian buffers, and grassed waterways) on the Coastal Plain of Georgia, USA. Land cover, hydrology, elevation, and soils data were used to identify locations within agricultural landscapes that are most susceptible to runoff, erosion, and nutrient loss. We estimated potential annual biomass production from these areas to be: 2.5–3.5 Tg for giant miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus), 2–8.6 Tg for “Merkeron” napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum), and 1.9–7.5 Tg for “Alamo” switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). When production strategies were taken into consideration, we estimated total biomass yield of perennial grasses for the Georgia Coastal Plain at 2.2–9.4 Tg year−1. Using published rates of N removal and ethanol conversion, we calculated the amount of potential N removal by these systems as 8100–51,000 Mg year−1 and ethanol fuel production as 778–3296 Ml year−1 (206 to 871 million gal. US).