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Background: We aimed to prospectively evaluate the association between a diabetes risk reduction diet (DRRD) score and the risk of liver cancer development and chronic liver disease‐specific mortality. Methods: We included 98,786 postmenopausal women from the Women's Health Initiative‐Observational Study and the usual diet arm of the Diet Modification trial. The DRRD score was derived from eight factors: high intakes of dietary fiber, coffee, nuts, polyunsaturated fatty acids, low intakes of red and processed meat, foods with high glycemic index, sugar‐sweetened beverages (SSBs), and trans fat based on a validated Food‐Frequency Questionnaire administered at baseline (1993–1998). Multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for liver cancer incidence and chronic liver disease mortality were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results and conclusion: After a median follow‐up of 22.0 years, 216 incident liver cancer cases and 153 chronic liver disease deaths were confirmed. A higher DRRD score was significantly associated with a reduced risk of developing liver cancer (HRTertile 3 vs. Tertile 1 = 0.69; 95% CI: 0.49–0.97; Ptrend = 0.03) and chronic liver disease mortality (HRT3 vs. T1 = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.35–0.82; Ptrend = 0.003). We further found inverse associations with dietary fiber and coffee, and positive associations with dietary glycemic index, SSBs, and trans fat. A higher DRRD score was associated with reduced risk of developing liver cancer and chronic liver disease mortality among postmenopausal women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global pandemics caused by pathogenic viruses have highlighted the need to develop effective and sustainable materials to defend against these viruses. However, most commercial viral disinfection materials rely on precious metals, which are toxic. In this study, an engineered living material based on Bacillus subtilis biofilms is presented that can effectively remove Influenza A virus and SARS‐CoV‐2 from water. First, B. subtilis biofilm is used to display the H1N1 and H5N1 specific binding peptide C40 and SARS‐CoV‐2 specific binding peptide SBP1; thus, the biofilm materials has outstanding efficacy against H1N1, H5N1, and SARS‐CoV‐2 pseudovirus from water. In addition to capturing the virus, these biofilm materials can also inactivate the virus by secreting alkaline protease AprE, which effectively degrades the viral proteins at temperatures of 4, 16, 25, and 37 °C. Furthermore, to constrain bacterial growth and prevent the leakage of genetically modified organisms, a suicide genetic circuit using the quorum‐sensing system ComQXPA to control Lytc expression is constructed, leading to bacterial lysis. Overall, this study demonstrates a novel, effective, and sustainably engineered living material for preventing viral transmission. This material provides a safeguard for public health and promotes environmentally friendly governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It remains unclear if pre‐diagnostic factors influence the developmental pathways of colorectal cancer (CRC) that could enhance tumor aggressiveness. This study used prospective data from 205,489 cancer‐free US health professionals to investigate the associations of 31 known or putative risk factors with the risk of aggressive CRC. Tumor aggressiveness was characterized by three endpoints: aggressive CRC (cancer that causes death within 5 years of diagnosis), fatal CRC, and tumor stage at diagnosis. The data augmentation method was used to assess the difference in the associations between risk factors and endpoints. We documented 3201 CRC cases, of which 899 were aggressive. The protective associations of undergoing lower endoscopy (hazard ratios [HR] 0.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.37, 0.49 for aggressive versus HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.56, 0.67 for non‐aggressive) and regular use of aspirin (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.61, 0.81 versus HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.77, 0.92) were stronger for aggressive than non‐aggressive CRC (pHeterogeneity <0.05). Lower intake of whole grains or cereal fiber and greater dietary inflammatory potential were associated with a higher risk of aggressive but not non‐aggressive CRC. The remaining risk factors showed comparable associations with aggressive CRC and non‐aggressive CRC. Aggressive cases were more likely to have KRAS‐mutated tumors but less likely to have distal or MSI‐high tumors (p <.007). Similar results were observed for fatal CRC and advanced tumor stages at diagnosis. These findings provide initial evidence for the role of pre‐diagnostic risk factors in the pathogenesis of aggressive CRC and suggest research priorities for preventive interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Emerging evidence suggests a detrimental impact of high red meat intake on hepatic steatosis. We investigated the potential interplay between red meat intake and gut microbiome on circulating levels of trimethylamine N‐oxide (TMAO) and hepatic steatosis risk. Methods: This cross‐sectional study was conducted in a representative sample of 754 community‐dwelling adults in Huoshan, China. Diet was collected using 4 quarterly 3 consecutive 24‐h dietary (12‐day) recalls. We profiled faecal microbiome using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing and quantified serum TMAO and its precursors using LC‐tandem MS (n = 333). We detected hepatic steatosis by FibroScan. The adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using logistic regression. Results: TMAO levels but not its precursors were positively associated with the likelihood of hepatic steatosis (aOR per 1‐SD increment 1.86, 95% CI 1.04–3.32). We identified 14 bacterial genera whose abundance was associated with TMAO concentration (pFDR <.05) belonging to the phyla Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria families. Per 10 g/day increase in red meat intake was positively associated with TMAO levels among participants who had higher red meat intake (>70 g/day) and higher TMAO‐predicting microbial scores (TMS, β =.045, p =.034), but not among others (pinteraction =.030). TMS significantly modified the positive association between red meat and steatosis (pinteraction =.032), with a stronger association being observed among participants with higher TMS (aOR 1.30, 95% CI 1.07–1.57). Conclusions: The bacterial genera that predicted TMAO levels may jointly modify the association between red meat intake and TMAO levels and the subsequent risk of hepatic steatosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has dramatically increased in patients with non‐male factor infertility during the last decades. However, whether ICSI provides a significant benefit over in vitro fertilization (IVF) in these patients is still controversial. In this study, we aimed to investigate the efficacy of ICSI on reproductive outcomes with non‐male factor infertility and to provide updated evidence for clinical practice. Material and methods: We searched Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception to March 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the efficacy between ICSI and IVF in patients with non‐male factor infertility were included. The main outcomes were the live birth rate (LBR), fertilization rate (FR), and total fertilization failure (TFF). The pooled estimates were calculated using the random‐effects models as relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). This systematic review and meta‐analysis was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023427004). Results: We included 18 RCTs with 3249 cycles and 30 994 oocytes. The results demonstrated that ICSI reduced the risk of TFF (RR = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.13–0.50, I2 = 58%) and increased FR per oocyte inseminated/injected (RR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.08–1.20, I2 = 69%), but it did not improve LBR (RR = 1.11, 95% CI: 0.94–1.30, I2 = 0%) or other outcomes compared with IVF. However, the difference in fertilization failure reduction between ICSI and IVF may be explained by different randomization methods (randomization based on patients vs. sibling oocytes). When considering only studies with randomization based on patients, we found no evidence of the difference between the groups (RR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.48–1.06, I2 = 0%). Furthermore, no differences were observed in subgroup analyses based on other factors, including female age, study period, and controlled ovarian stimulation protocols. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that ICSI leads to no difference in reproductive outcomes compared to IVF in patients with non‐male factor infertility. Considering the cost and safety of ICSI, we have no evidence to support the routine use of ICSI in these populations. High‐quality RCTs with large sample sizes will be needed to confirm our results and explore clinical and neonatal outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore the effect of embryo selection using the time‐lapse monitoring (TLM) system compared with conventional morphological selection (CMS) on in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) outcomes. Methods: We searched PubMed, Ovid‐Embase, and The Cochrane Library for the following studies: At Comparison 1, embryo selection using TLM images in a TLM incubator based on morphology versus embryo selection using CMS in a conventional incubator based on morphology; at Comparison 2, embryo selection using TLM based on morphokinetics versus embryo selection using CMS based on morphology. The primary outcomes were the live birth rate (LBR), ongoing pregnancy rate (OPR), clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), and implantation rate (IR), and the secondary outcome was the miscarriage rate (MR). Results: A total of 14 randomized control trials (RCTs) were included. Both based on morphology, TLM incubators increased the IR (risk ratio [RR]: 1.10; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01, 1.18; I2 = 0%, moderate‐quality evidence) compared to conventional incubators. Low‐ to moderate‐quality evidence suggests that TLM incubators did not improve LBR, OPR, CPR, and MR compared to conventional incubators. In addition, low‐ to moderate‐quality evidence indicates that embryo selection using TLM based on morphokinetics did not improve LBR, OPR, CPR, IR, or MR compared to CMS based on morphology. Conclusions: Low‐ to moderate‐quality evidence suggests that neither TLM incubators nor embryo selection using TLM based on morphokinetics improved clinical outcomes (LBR, OPR, CPR, and MR) compared with CMS based on morphology. TLM is still an investigational procedure for IVF/ICSI practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic dysfunction‐associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) can coexist with chronic viral hepatitis. MAFLD is a heterogeneous disease because the diagnostic criteria include various metabolic traits. We aimed to identify patients at high risk of poor long‐term outcomes based on MAFLD subgroups in chronic viral hepatitis patients. We evaluated 63 273 chronic hepatitis B and C patients. Patient with a fatty liver index ≥30 was defined to have hepatic steatosis. MAFLD was defined as the presence of hepatic steatosis with any one of the following three conditions, overweight/obesity, type 2 diabetes or ≥2 metabolic risk factors. The prevalence of MAFLD was 38.4% (n = 24 290). During a median 8.8‐year follow‐up, 1839 HCCs and 2258 deaths were documented in MAFLD patients. Among MAFLD patients, diabetes could identify patients at high risk of HCC and mortality, whereas overweight/obesity and metabolic risk factors did not. Compared with non‐MAFLD patients, risk of HCC and mortality was significantly higher in diabetic MAFLD patients (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.26‐1.43 for HCC; aHR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.08‐1.22 for mortality). Risk of HCC and mortality was significantly higher in diabetic MAFLD patients (aHR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.26‐1.55 for HCC; aHR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.63‐1.93 for mortality) compared with non‐diabetic MAFLD patients. Diabetic MAFLD is associated with increased risk of HCC and mortality among chronic viral hepatitis patients. Our findings highlight the need for close surveillance and effective treatment for these high‐risk patients to reduce HCC and mortality in patients with chronic viral hepatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous publication found an increased risk of higher‐grade (Gleason sum ≥7) prostate cancer for men with high total cholesterol concentration (≥200 mg/dl) in the Health Professionals Follow‐up Study (HPFS). With additional 568 prostate cancer cases, we are now able to investigate this association in more detail. For the nested case‐control study, we included 1260 men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1993 and 2004, and 1328 controls. For the meta‐analyses, 23 articles studied the relationship between total cholesterol level and prostate cancer incidence were included. Logistic regression models and dose‐response meta‐analysis were performed. An increased risk of higher‐grade (Gleason sum ≥4 + 3) prostate cancer for high vs low quartile of total cholesterol level was observed in the HPFS (ORmultivariable = 1.56; 95% CI = 1.01‐2.40). This finding was compatible with the association noted in the meta‐analysis of highest vs lowest group of total cholesterol level, which suggested a moderately increased risk of higher‐grade prostate cancer (Pooled RR =1.21; 95%CI: 1.11‐1.32). Moreover, the dose‐response meta‐analysis indicated that an increased risk of higher‐grade prostate cancer occurred primarily at total cholesterol levels ≥200 mg/dl, where the RR was 1.04 (95%CI: 1.01‐1.08) per 20 mg/dl increase in total cholesterol level. However, total cholesterol concentration was not associated with the risk of prostate cancer overall either in the HPFS or in the meta‐analysis. Our primary finding, as well as the result of the meta‐analysis suggested a modest increased risk of higher‐grade prostate cancer, at total cholesterol concentrations exceeding 200 mg/dl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The CD274 (programmed cell death 1 ligand 1, PD‐L1)/PDCD1 (programmed cell death 1, PD‐1) immune checkpoint axis is known to regulate the antitumor immune response. Evidence also supports an immunosuppressive effect of Fusobacterium nucleatum. We hypothesised that tumor CD274 overexpression might be inversely associated with abundance of F. nucleatum in colorectal carcinoma. Methods: We assessed tumor CD274 expression by immunohistochemistry and F. nucleatum DNA within tumor tissue by quantitative PCR in 812 cases among 4465 incident rectal and colon cancer cases that had occurred in two prospective cohort studies. Multivariable logistic regression analyses with inverse probability weighting were used to adjust for selection bias because of tissue data availability and potential confounders including microsatellite instability status, CpG island methylator phenotype, LINE‐1 methylation level and KRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA mutations. Results: Fusobacterium nucleatum DNA was detected in tumor tissue in 109 (13%) cases. Tumor CD274 expression level was inversely associated with the amount of F. nucleatum in colorectal cancer tissue (P = 0.0077). For one category‐unit increase in three ordinal F. nucleatum categories (negative vs. low vs. high), multivariable‐adjusted odds ratios (with 95% confidence interval) of the low, intermediate and high CD274 categories (vs. negative) were 0.78 (0.41–1.51), 0.64 (0.32–1.28) and 0.50 (0.25–0.99), respectively (Ptrend = 0.032). Conclusions: Tumor CD274 expression level was inversely associated with the amount of F. nucleatum in colorectal cancer tissue, suggesting that different immunosuppressive mechanisms (i.e. PDCD1 immune checkpoint activation and tumor F. nucleatum enrichment) tend to be used by different tumor subgroups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Previous studies have reported inconsistent findings on the efficacy of platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) therapy in women with implantation failure. The objective of this review was to evaluate whether PRP administration could improve pregnancy outcomes in women with implantation failure undergoing in vitro fertilization. Methods: Electronic databases were searched for studies that explored the effects of PRP for patients with implantation failure. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Based on the available data, we performed subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses. Results: Eight studies were included. PRP treatment improved pregnancy outcomes for all women compared with no treatment or placebo (clinical pregnancy rate: OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.41–3.54; live birth rate: OR 5.76, 95% CI 1.55–21.44; miscarriage rate: OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.05–0.63), especially in randomized controlled trials. No significant differences were detected in multiple pregnancy rates (OR 2.54, 95% CI 0.67–9.67). Furthermore, subgroup analysis based on the number of previous implantation failures showed that PRP treatment improved pregnancy outcomes in women with recurrent implantation failure (clinical pregnancy rate: OR 2.55, 95% CI 1.49–4.38; live birth rate: OR 5.07, 95% CI 1.15–22.34; miscarriage rate: OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.05–0.78). Conclusion: PRP administration could improve pregnancy outcomes in women with recurrent implantation failure. Due to the limited evidence available, the efficacy of PRP in women with recurrent implantation failure needs to be further verified in high‐quality studies with larger sample sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Certain dietary patterns can elicit systemic and intestinal inflammatory responses, which may influence adaptive anti‐tumor immune responses and tumor behavior. We hypothesized that pro‐inflammatory diets might be associated with higher colorectal cancer mortality and that the association might be stronger for tumors with lower immune responses. Methods: We calculated an empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP) score in 2829 patients among 3988 incident rectal and colon carcinoma cases in the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow‐up Study. Using Cox proportional hazards regression analyses, we examined the prognostic association of EDIP scores and whether it might be modified by histopathologic immune reaction (in 1192 patients with available data). Results: Higher EDIP scores after colorectal cancer diagnosis were associated with worse survival, with multivariable‐adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for the highest versus lowest tertile of 1.41 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13–1.77; Ptrend = 0.003) for 5‐year colorectal cancer‐specific mortality and 1.44 (95% CI, 1.19‐1.74; Ptrend = 0.0004) for 5‐year all‐cause mortality. The association of post‐diagnosis EDIP scores with 5‐year colorectal cancer‐specific mortality differed by degrees of tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL; Pinteraction =.002) but not by three other lymphocytic reaction patterns. The multivariable‐adjusted, 5‐year colorectal cancer‐specific mortality HRs for the highest versus lowest EDIP tertile were 1.59 (95% CI: 1.01–2.53) in TIL‐absent/low cases and 0.48 (95% CI: 0.16–1.48) in TIL‐intermediate/high cases. Conclusions: Pro‐inflammatory diets after colorectal cancer diagnosis were associated with increased mortality, particularly in patients with absent or low TIL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a reply to comments made on an article titled "Diabetic MAFLD is associated with increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma and mortality in chronic viral hepatitis patients." The authors address the comments and provide additional insights. They discuss the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and mortality, noting that individuals with overweight/obesity may have a lower mortality rate compared to those without. They also mention the importance of glycemic control in relation to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk. The authors acknowledge the limitations of their study and suggest further research to validate their findings. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Plant‐based foods have been recommended for health. However, not all plant foods are healthy, and little is known about the association between plant‐based diets and specific molecular subtypes of colorectal cancer (CRC). We examined the associations of healthy and unhealthy plant‐based diets with the incidence of CRC and its molecular subtypes. Methods: While 123 773 participants of the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow‐up Study had been followed up (3 143 158 person‐years), 3077 of them had developed CRC. Healthy and unhealthy plant‐based diet indices (hPDI and uPDI, respectively) were calculated using repeated food frequency questionnaire data. We determined the tumoural status of microsatellite instability (MSI), CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP), and BRAF and KRAS mutations. Results: Higher hPDI was associated with lower CRC incidence (multivariable hazard ratio [HR] comparing extreme quartiles, 0.86, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.77, 0.96; P‐trend =.04), whereas higher uPDI was associated with higher CRC incidence (multivariable HR comparing extreme quartiles, 1.16, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.29; P‐trend =.005). The association of hPDI significantly differed by KRAS status (P‐heterogeneity =.003) but not by other tumour markers. The hPDI was associated with lower incidence of KRAS‐wildtype CRC (multivariable HR comparing extreme quartiles, 0.74, 95% CI: 0.57, 0.96; P‐trend =.004) but not KRAS‐mutant CRC (P‐trend =.22). Conclusions: While unhealthy plant‐based diet enriched with refined grains and sugar is associated with higher CRC incidence, healthy plant‐based diet rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables is associated with lower incidence of CRC, especially KRAS‐wildtype CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Pyoluteorin (Plt) is a broad‐spectrum antibiotic with antibacterial and antifungal activities. In Pseudomonas protegens H78, the Plt biosynthetic operon pltLABCDEFG is transcriptionally activated by the LysR‐type regulator PltR and is positively regulated by the Gac/Rsm signal transduction cascade (GacS/A‐RsmXYZ‐RsmE‐pltR/pltAB). Additionally, Plt biosynthesis has been shown to be significantly enhanced by mutation of the Lon protease‐encoding gene. This study aims to understand the negative regulation pathway and molecular mechanism by which Lon functions in Plt biosynthesis. lon deletion was first found to improve the antimicrobial ability of strain H78 due to its increased Plt production, while partially inhibiting the growth of H78 strain. Lon protease decreases the abundance and stability of the two‐component system response regulator GacA and thus participates in the abovementioned Gac/Rsm cascade and negatively regulates Plt biosynthesis. Similarly, Lon protease also decreases the abundance and stability of transcriptional activator PltR. PltR protein can be directly degraded by the Lon protease but not by a mutated form of Lon protease with an amino acid replacement of S674‐A. In summary, Lon protease negatively regulates Plt biosynthesis via both the Gac/Rsm‐mediated global regulatory pathway and the direct degradation of the transcriptional activator PltR in P. protegens H78. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low‐dimensional perovskite structures are ideal materials for nano/microlasers owing to their excellent optical gain properties and high emission efficiency. But it is still a challenge to achieve single‐mode and tunable lasing behaviors in micro‐scale perovskite, especially showing ultralow thresholds in tens of µJ cm−2. In this work, CsPbBr3/Ag hemispheroids have been synthesized in a designed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. Benefiting from the whispering gallery resonance mode and plasmon‐enhanced light–matter interactions in well‐confined hybrid cavities, the CsPbBr3/Ag plasmonic microlasers exhibit low pump thresholds down to 35–51 µJ cm−2. Interestingly, single‐mode and two‐mode lasing behaviors are determined by the morphology of plasmonic Ag nanostructures, and lasing modes could be selectively tuned by increasing the pump fluence accompanying with dynamic competitions of photonic and plasmonic modes. Simulations of electromagnetic field have been plotted to show near‐field resonant modes for a comprehensive understanding of plasmon‐assisted lasing. These results not only provide a solution to fabricate low‐threshold plasmonic microlasers, but also advocate the prospect of all‐inorganic perovskite nanostructures as promising candidates for on‐chip integrated light sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abnormal bowel movements have been related to a variety of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk factors such as dyslipidemia, diabetes and altered metabolism of bile acids and gut microbiota. However, little is known about whether bowel movement frequency affects the risk of developing HCC. We followed 88 123 women in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and 28 824 men in the Health Professionals Follow‐up Study (HPFS) for up to 24 years. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to calculate multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and confidence intervals (95%CI). We documented 101 incident HCC cases. Compared to those with daily bowel movements, participants with bowel movement more than once per day had a multivariable HR of 1.93 (95%CI: 1.18 to 3.16) in the pooled cohorts. For the same comparison, the positive association appeared stronger for men (2.72, 95% CI: 1.14 to 6.44) than for women (1.63, 95% CI: 0.87 to 3.06) but there was no statistically significant heterogeneity by sex (P‐value =.31). We found null associations between bowel movement every 2 days or less and the risk of HCC (HR = 1.05, 95%CI: 0.62 to 1.79). The HR (95%CI) for participants who used laxatives regularly relative to those who never used laxatives was 1.00 (0.64 to 1.55). Our results suggest participants with bowel movement more than once daily is associated with a higher risk of developing HCC compared to those with daily bowel movements. These findings need to be confirmed and potential mechanisms underlying this association need to be elucidated. What's new? Bowel movement frequency has been suggested to play a role in cancer development. However, limited epidemiology studies have yielded mixed results, further complicated by the widespread use of laxative. Using data from two large prospective U.S. cohort studies, here the authors show for the first time that bowel movement more than once daily is associated with a higher risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma. No association was observed between laxative use and hepatocellular carcinoma risk. The results suggest that intestinal functioning may influence hepatocellular carcinoma development, and future studies are warranted in more diverse racial/ethnic populations and to elucidate potential mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biocontrol rhizobacterium Pseudomonas protegens H78 can produce a large array of antimicrobial secondary metabolites, including pyoluteorin (Plt), 2,4‐diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG), and pyrrolnitrin (Prn). Our preliminary study showed that the biosynthesis of antibiotics including Plt is activated by the RNA chaperone Hfq in P. protegens H78. This prompted us to explore the global regulatory mechanism of Hfq, as well as the catabolite repression control (Crc) protein in H78. The antimicrobial capacity of H78 was positively controlled by Hfq while slightly down‐regulated by knockout of crc. Similarly, cell growth of H78 was significantly impaired by deletion of hfq and slightly inhibited by knockout of crc. Transcriptomic profiling revealed that hfq mutation resulted in significant down‐regulation of 688 genes and up‐regulation of 683 genes. However, only 113 genes were significantly down‐regulated and 105 genes up‐regulated by the crc mutation in H78. Hfq positively regulated the expression of gene clusters involved in secondary metabolism (plt, prn, phl, hcn, and pvd), the type VI secretion system, and aromatic compound degradation. However, Crc only positively regulated the biosynthesis of Plt but not other antibiotics. Hfq also regulated expression of genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation and flagellar biogenesis. In addition, Hfq and Crc activated transcription of crcY/Z sRNAs by feedback. In summary, Hfq processes far more extensive and intensive regulatory capacity than Crc and shows small cross‐regulation with Crc in H78. This study lays the foundation for clarifying the Hfq and/or Crc‐dependent global regulatory network and improving antibiotic production by genetic engineering in P. protegens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudomonas chlororaphis HT66 exhibits strong antagonistic activity against various phytopathogenic fungi due to its main antibiotic phenazine‐1‐carboxamide (PCN). PCN gene cluster consists of phzABCDEFG, phzH, phzI, and phzR operons. phzABCDEFG transcription is activated by the PhzI/R quorum sensing system. Deletion of the lon gene encoding an ATP‐dependent protease resulted in significant enhancement of PCN production in strain HT66. However, the regulatory pathway and mechanism of Lon on PCN biosynthesis remain unknown. Here, lon mutation was shown to significantly improve antimicrobial activity of strain HT66. The N‐acyl‐homoserine lactone synthase PhzI mediates the negative regulation of PCN biosynthesis and phzABCDEFG transcription by Lon. Western blot showed that PhzI protein abundance and stability were significantly enhanced by lon deletion. The in vitro degradation assay suggested that Lon could directly degrade PhzI protein. However, Lon with an amino acid replacement (S674‐A) could not degrade PhzI protein. Lon‐recognized region was located within the first 50 amino acids of PhzI. In addition, Lon formed a new autoregulatory feedback circuit to modulate its own degradation by other potential proteases. In summary, we elucidated the Lon‐regulated pathway mediated by PhzI during PCN biosynthesis and the molecular mechanism underlying the degradation of PhzI by Lon in P. chlororaphis HT66. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although previous studies have suggested a potential role of sex hormones in the etiology of colorectal cancer (CRC), no study has yet examined the associations between circulating sex hormones and survival among CRC patients. We prospectively assessed the associations of prediagnostic plasma concentrations of estrone, estradiol, free estradiol, testosterone, free testosterone and sex hormone‐binding globulin (SHBG) with CRC‐specific and overall mortality among 609 CRC patients (370 men and 239 postmenopausal women not taking hormone therapy at blood collection) from four U.S. cohorts. Multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard regression. We identified 174 deaths (83 CRC‐specific deaths) in men and 106 deaths (70 CRC‐specific deaths) in women. In men, higher circulating level of free testosterone was associated with lower risk of overall (the highest vs. lowest tertiles, HR = 0.66, 95% CI, 0.45–0.99, ptrend = 0.04) and possibly CRC‐specific mortality (HR = 0.73, 95% CI, 0.41–1.29, ptrend = 0.27). We generally observed nonsignificant inverse associations for other sex steroids, and a positive association for SHBG with CRC‐specific mortality among male patients. In women, however, we found a suggestive positive association of estrone with overall (HR = 1.54, 95% CI, 0.92–2.60, ptrend = 0.11) and CRC‐specific mortality (HR = 1.96, 95% CI, 1.01–3.84, ptrend = 0.06). Total estradiol, free estradiol and free testosterone were generally suggestively associated with higher risk of mortality among female patients, although not statistically significant. These findings implicated a potential role of endogenous sex hormones in CRC prognosis, which warrant further investigation. What's new? Premenopausal women with colorectal cancer have a higher 5‐year survival rate than men of the same age, suggesting that female hormones may boost survival. In this prospective study, the authors compared the levels of various sex hormones to mortality rates among 609 CRC patients. In men, they found a beneficial relationship between higher levels of circulating testosterone and lower mortality. In women, though it was not statistically significant, they found a suggestive positive association between higher levels of circulating estrogens and mortality. This is the first study to investigate prediagnostic sex hormone levels as they correlate with CRC mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is known to be associated with primary liver cancer (PLC), but the separate effects of excess abdominal and gluteofemoral size are unclear. Thus, we examined the association between waist and hip circumference with risk of PLC overall and by histologic type—hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). The Liver Cancer Pooling Project is a consortium of prospective cohort studies that include data from 1,167,244 individuals (PLC n = 2,208, HCC n = 1,154, ICC n = 335). Multivariable‐adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using proportional hazards regression. Waist circumference, per 5 cm increase, was associated with an 11% increased PLC risk (HR = 1.11, 95%CI: 1.09–1.14), including when adjusted for hip circumference (HR = 1.12, 95%CI: 1.08–1.17) and also when restricted to individuals in a normal body mass index (BMI) range (18.5 to <25 kg/m2; HR = 1.14, 95%CI: 1.07–1.21). Hip circumference, per 5 cm increase, was associated with a 9% increased PLC risk (HR = 1.09, 95%CI: 1.06–1.12), but no association remained after adjustment for waist circumference (HR = 0.99, 95%CI: 0.94–1.03). HCC and ICC results were similar. These findings suggest that excess abdominal size is associated with an increased risk of liver cancer, even among individuals considered to have a normal BMI. However, excess gluteofemoral size alone confers no increased risk. Our findings extend prior analyses, which found an association between excess adiposity and risk of liver cancer, by disentangling the separate effects of excess abdominal and gluteofemoral size through utilization of both waist and hip circumference measurements. What's new? Obesity is known to be associated with primary liver cancer (PLC), but the separate effects of excess abdominal and gluteofemoral size are unclear. In this large, prospective study of PLC overall and by histologic type, the authors found that excess abdominal size is indeed associated with an increased risk of liver cancer, even among individuals considered to have a normal body mass index (BMI). However, people with excess gluteofemoral size alone don't appear to be at increased risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: Sedentariness and physical inactiveness are associated with deleterious health outcomes, but their associations with liver enzyme elevations remain uncertain. Methods: In 10 385 US Hispanics/Latinos from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, we examined associations of sedentary time and moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA) measured by accelerometers with liver enzyme elevations. Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase and γ‐glutamyltransferase (GGT) were defined as the highest gender‐specific deciles. Prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using weighted Poisson regressions. Results: After adjusting for demographical/socioeconomic factors and MVPA, increasing quartiles of sedentary time were associated with a higher prevalence of elevated ALT (PRs [95% CI] = 1.0, 1.17 [0.92‐1.47], 1.21 [0.96, 1.53] and 1.51 [1.13‐2.02]; P‐trend =.007) and elevated GGT (PRs [95% CI] = 1.0, 1.06 [0.82‐1.36], 1.35 [1.06‐1.73] and 1.66 [1.27‐2.16]; P‐trend =.0001). These associations were attenuated but remained significant after further adjustment for cardiometabolic traits including body‐mass index, waist‐hip‐ratio, lipids and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance. In contrast, increasing quartiles of MVPA were associated with a lower prevalence of elevated ALT (PRs [95% CI] =1.0, 0.97 [0.77‐1.23], 0.84 [0.66‐1.06] and 0.72 [0.54‐0.96]; P‐trend =.01) after adjusting for demographical/socioeconomic factors and sedentary time, but this association became non‐significant after further adjustment for cardiometabolic traits. Notably, the association of sedentary time with GGT elevation was significant both in individuals meeting the US Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (MVPA ≥150 minutes/week) and in those who did not (both P‐trend ≤.003). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that objectively measured sedentary time is independently associated with elevated ALT and GGT in US Hispanics/Latinos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered semiconductor heterostructures are essential elements in modern electronic and optoelectronic devices. Dynamically engineering the composition of these heterostructures may enable the flexible design of the properties of heterostructure‐based electronics and optoelectronics as well as their optimization. Here, we report for the first time a two‐step chemical vapor deposition approach for a series of WS2(1 − x)Se2x/SnS2 vertical heterostructures with high‐quality and large areas. The steady‐state photoluminescence results exhibit an obvious composition‐related quenching ratio, revealing a strong coherence between the band offset and the charge transfer efficiency at the junction interface. Based on the achieved heterostructures, dual‐channel back‐gate field‐effect transistors were successfully designed and exhibited typical composition‐dependent transport behaviors, and pure n‐type unipolar transistors to ambipolar transistors were realized in such systems. The direct vapor growth of these novel vertical WS2(1 − x)Se2x/SnS2 heterostructures could offer an interesting system for probing new physical properties and provide a series of layered heterostructures for high‐quality devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although increasing dairy product intake has been associated with risk of several cancers, epidemiological studies on hepatocellular carcinoma are sparse and have yielded inconsistent results. We prospectively assessed the associations of dairy products (total, milk, butter, cheese and yogurt) and their major components (calcium, vitamin D, fats and protein) with the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma development among 51,418 men and 93,427 women in the Health Professionals Follow‐Up Study and the Nurses' Health Study. Diets were collected at baseline and updated every 4 years using validated food frequency questionnaires. Multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards regression model. During up to 32 years of follow‐up, a total of 164 hepatocellular carcinoma cases were documented. After adjustment for most known hepatocellular carcinoma risk factors, higher total dairy product intake was associated with an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (highest vs. lowest tertile, HR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.19–2.88; ptrend = 0.009). For the same comparison, we observed significant positive associations of high‐fat dairy (HR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.19–2.76; ptrend = 0.008) and butter (HR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.06–2.36; ptrend = 0.04) with hepatocellular carcinoma risk. There was a nonsignificant inverse association between yogurt intake and hepatocellular carcinoma risk (HR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.49–1.05; ptrend = 0.26). Our data suggest that higher intake of high‐fat dairy foods was associated with higher, whereas higher yogurt consumption might be associated with lower risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma among U.S. men and women. What's new? In the US, liver cancer incidence has increased considerably in the last 30 years. Meanwhile, Americans are also eating more dairy products. These authors investigated the association between dairy consumption and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). From participants in the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow‐Up Study, they collected diet information at baseline and again every 4 years. Although they considered individual components of dairy food, including calcium, fat, protein, and vitamin D, they found no association between HCC risk and any individual nutrient. They did find higher total dairy intake associated with higher risk of HCC, particularly for high‐fat products. Higher yogurt intake appears to be associated with a suggestive lower risk, which deserves further investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation chlorophyll content is very important for monitoring the growth and health status of vegetation. Remote sensing of chlorophyll content holds an important potential for evaluating crop growth status and diseases and insects. The both units can represent the chlorophyll content of leaves, but there are some differences between them. The former reflects the proportion of chlorophyll in the leaf components, while the latter displays the weight of chlorophyll in the unit leaf area. Combining ten representative hyperspectral vegetation indices, the effect of measurement units on estimating crop leaf chlorophyll content was studied with winter wheat and summer corn leaf chlorophyll content data and leaf reflectance data. First, the relationships between leaf chlorophyll content and the ten selected hyperspectral vegetation indices were analyzed. Second, the estimating models of leaf chlorophyll were built. Finally, the accuracies of estimating models were also assessed based on the validating data. The results show that: (i) due to chlorophyll absorption effect at visible bands, vegetation indices were highly correlated with chlorophyll content of crop leaves and it is feasible to estimate chlorophyll with vegetation index, for example, the relative errors for the estimating model based on MERIS Terrestrial Chlorophyll Index <14%; (ii) The different measurement units of leaf chlorophyll content can give rise to differences in estimating accuracy. Measurement units of mg g−1 and μg cm−2 can both effectively describe chlorophyll content of vegetation leaves. However, the leaf chlorophyll models based on the former were generally superior to the latter. For instance, the relative errors of summer corn for measurement units of mg g−1 and μg cm−2 are 7.6 and 13.6%, respectively. The reflectance signals of leaves at visible and near infrared regions contain various absorption information on leaf components, especially for pigments. Moreover, the measurement unit of mg g−1 reflects the relative content of chlorophyll in the leaf components. Therefore, the unit of mg g−1 is in agreement with the reflectance signals of leaves. However, the unit of μg cm−2 only represents the absolute weight of chlorophyll in the unit leaf area. Therefore, it is recommended that the measurement unit of mg g−1 should be used as far as possible when estimating chlorophyll of crop leaves or other vegetation leaves with remote sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiologic evidence relating fiber intake to colorectal cancer (CRC) remains inconclusive and data are limited on different food sources of fiber and heterogeneity by tumor subsite and molecular profile. We prospectively followed for CRC incidence 90,869 women from the Nurses' Health Study (1980–2012) and 47,924 men from the Health Professionals Follow‐up Study (1986–2012), who completed a validated food frequency questionnaire every 4 years. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine the associations with CRC risk for total, cereal, fruit and vegetable fiber and whole grains. We also assessed the associations according to tumor subsites (proximal colon, distal colon and rectum) and molecular markers (microsatellite instability, BRAF mutation, CpG island methylator phenotype and KRAS mutation). We documented 3,178 CRC cases during 3,685,903 person‐years of follow‐up in the NHS and HPFS. Intake of total dietary fiber was not associated with CRC risk after multivariable adjustment in either women (hazard ratio [HR] comparing extreme deciles, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.92–1.48, ptrend = 0.55) or men (HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.67–1.21, ptrend = 0.47). Higher intake of cereal fiber and whole grains was associated with lower CRC risk in men with an HR of 0.75 (95% CI, 0.57–1.00) and 0.72 (95% CI, 0.54–0.96), respectively. No heterogeneity was detected by tumor subsite or molecular markers (pheterogeneity > 0.05). Higher intake of total dietary fiber within the range of a typical American diet is unlikely to substantially reduce CRC risk. The potential benefit of cereal fiber and whole grains in men warrants further confirmation. What's new? Epidemiologic evidence relating fiber intake to colorectal cancer (CRC) remains inconclusive and data are still limited on different food sources and heterogeneity by tumor subsite and molecular profile. Here, total dietary fiber intake within the range of a typical American diet was not found to be associated with CRC risk after adjusting for other dietary and lifestyle factors. Higher intake of cereal fiber and whole grains was associated with lower CRC risk in men. Associations of dietary fiber and CRC did not vary by tumor subsites and molecular markers (microsatellite instability, BRAF mutation, CpG island methylator phenotype, and KRAS mutation). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin B supplementation can have side effects for human health, including cancer risk. We aimed to elucidate the role of vitamin B12 in lung cancer etiology via direct measurements of pre‐diagnostic circulating vitamin B12 concentrations in a nested case–control study, complemented with a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach in an independent case–control sample. We used pre‐diagnostic biomarker data from 5183 case–control pairs nested within 20 prospective cohorts, and genetic data from 29,266 cases and 56,450 controls. Exposures included directly measured circulating vitamin B12 in pre‐diagnostic blood samples from the nested case–control study, and 8 single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with vitamin B12 concentrations in the MR study. Our main outcome of interest was increased risk for lung cancer, overall and by histological subtype, per increase in circulating vitamin B12 concentrations. We found circulating vitamin B12 to be positively associated with overall lung cancer risk in a dose response fashion (odds ratio for a doubling in B12 [ORlog2B12] = 1.15, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 1.06–1.25). The MR analysis based on 8 genetic variants also indicated that genetically determined higher vitamin B12 concentrations were positively associated with overall lung cancer risk (OR per 150 pmol/L standard deviation increase in B12 [ORSD] = 1.08, 95%CI = 1.00–1.16). Considering the consistency of these two independent and complementary analyses, these findings support the hypothesis that high vitamin B12 status increases the risk of lung cancer. What's new? Several B‐complex vitamins have been linked to cancer risk. In this study, high serum levels of vitamin B12 were associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. The authors first ran a nested case‐control study, then confirmed their findings using a Mendelian randomization approach based on genetic data from a much larger database including both lung‐cancer patients and controls. The authors conclude that these findings support the hypothesis that high circulating vitamin B12 concentrations increase the risk of lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The commercial fluorocarbon surfactant (FCS) DuPont™ Zonyl 321 fluorinated cationic surfactants, was employed to modify both flat‐sheet and hollow‐fiber poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) porous membranes. The variation of morphology, wettability, and hydrophilicity durability to acid and alkali as well as the filtration performance of both membranes were investigated. Such superhydrophilic membranes showed better wetting stability and higher resistance to acid and alkali solutions. Moreover, both membranes exhibited good filtration performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The matched case-control design is frequently used in the study of complex disorders and can result in significant gains in efficiency, especially in the context of measuring biomarkers; however, risk prediction in this setting is not straightforward. We propose an inverse-probability weighting approach to estimate the predictive ability associated with a set of covariates. In particular, we propose an algorithm for estimating the summary index, area under the curve corresponding to the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve associated with a set of pre-defined covariates for predicting a binary outcome. By combining data from the parent cohort with that generated in a matched case control study, we describe methods for estimation of the population parameters of interest and the corresponding area under the curve. We evaluate the bias associated with the proposed methods in simulations by considering a range of parameter settings. We illustrate the methods in two data applications: (1) a prospective cohort study of cardiovascular disease in women, the Women's Health Study, and (2) a matched case-control study nested within the Nurses' Health Study aimed at risk prediction of invasive breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nanoscale wavelength sensitive photodetectors based on single nanostructures are of significance for realizing future integrated optoelectronic devices. In this work, wavelength selective photodetectors integrated on a single composition‐graded CdSxSe1−x nanowire are realized. The photodetectors show an obvious illumination wavelength related rectifying effect, which can be ascribed to the graded composition along the wire. By spatially resolved photocurrent imaging, it is shown that the photoresponse of composition‐graded photodetectors is not restricted to the near contact regions, but can be extended to the whole nanowire due to the active optical waveguide to the narrow bandgap contact. Furthermore, by fabricating multielectrodes at different sections of the composition‐graded nanowire, multi‐photodetectors with tunable wavelength response ranges and selective rectified ratio at different wavelengths are realized. This work provides a deeper understanding of the dynamics of photogenerated carriers in bandgap‐engineered nanostructure photodetectors and opens the path to promising potential applications in integrated photonic and optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gac/Rsm regulatory pathway in Pseudomonas spp. activates the production of various secondary metabolites, such as antibiotics, siderophores and exoenzymes. However, the biosynthesis of antifungal compound pyoluteorin (Plt) in Pseudomonas protegens H78 is almost entirely inhibited by double deletion of two csrA/rsmA family genes, namely, rsmA and rsmE. Here, we investigated the complicated regulatory mechanism of RsmA and RsmE in Plt biosynthesis in P. protegens H78. RsmE negatively regulated Plt biosynthesis and pltLABCDEFG expression by directly interacting with the mRNA leaders of pltR and pltAB. Conversely, the transcription of pltL-G and pltR was positively influenced by RsmA through an uncharacterized mechanism. Further analyses demonstrated that pltL-G expression was diminished in the rsmA/E mutant. The deficiency of pltL-G expression in the gacA mutant was not reversed by any of the rsmA/E single or double mutations. The double deletion of rsmA/E reduced gacA expression by approximately 50% and almost completely inhibited the promoter activities of rsmXYZ sRNAs. The rsmY mutation significantly inhibited Plt biosynthesis. Taken together, GacS/GacA modulates Plt biosynthesis through two distinct pathways: Gac/Rsm-RsmE traditional positive regulatory cascade and RsmA-mediated positive transcriptional regulation. Moreover, a new positive feedback loop between RsmA/E and GacS/A-RsmXYZ is essential for activating Plt biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple microwave-assisted solvothermal method was used to prepare fluorescent nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) with high fluorescence quantum yield (79.63%) using citric acid and N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine as starting materials. The PVAm-g-N-CDs grafted products were synthesized by amide bond formation between the carboxylic groups of N-CDs and amine groups of polyvinylamine (PVAm). Fluorescent hydrogel films (PVAm-g-N-CDs/PAM) were synthesized by interpenetration polymer network polymerization of PVAm-g-N-CDs and acrylamide (AM). When used for ion detection, we found that the fluorescence of the hydrogel films was clearly quenched by addition of Hg2+. Repeatability tests on using the hydrogel films for Hg2+ detection showed that they could be applied at least three times. The PVAm-g-N-CDs/PAM could serve as an effective fluorescent sensing platform for sensitive detection of Hg2+ ions with a detection limit of 0.089 μmol/L. This work may offer a new approach for developing recoverable and sensitive N-CDs-based sensors for biological and environmental applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence suggests that post-diagnostic insulin levels may influence colorectal cancer (CRC) survival. Yet, no previous study has examined CRC survival in relation to a post-diagnostic diet rich in foods that increase post-prandial insulin levels. We hypothesized that glycemic and insulin scores (index or load; derived from food frequency questionnaire data) may be associated with survival from specific CRC subtypes sensitive to the insulin signaling pathway. We prospectively followed 1,160 CRC patients from the Nurses' Health Study (1980-2012) and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (1986-2012), resulting in 266 CRC deaths in 10,235 person-years. CRC subtypes were defined by seven tumor biomarkers ( KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA mutations, and IRS1, IRS2, FASN and CTNNB1 expression) implicated in the insulin signaling pathway. For overall CRC and each subtype, hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for an increase of one standard deviation in each of glycemic and insulin scores were estimated using time-dependent Cox proportional hazards model. We found that insulin scores, but not glycemic scores, were positively associated with CRC mortality (HR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.02-1.38 for index; HR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.04-1.47 for load). The significant positive associations appeared more pronounced among PIK3CA wild-type cases and FASN-negative cases, with HR ranging from 1.36 to 1.60 across insulin scores. However, we did not observe statistically significant interactions of insulin scores with PIK3CA, FASN, or any other tumor marker ( p interaction > 0.12). While additional studies are needed for definitive evidence, a high-insulinogenic diet after CRC diagnosis may contribute to worse CRC survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodontal diseases including tooth loss might increase systemic inflammation, lead to immune dysregulation and alter gut microbiota, thereby possibly influencing colorectal carcinogenesis. Few epidemiological studies have examined the association between periodontal diseases and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. We collected information on the periodontal disease (defined as history of periodontal bone loss) and number of natural teeth in the Nurses' Health Study. A total of 77,443 women were followed since 1992. We used Cox proportional hazard models to calculate multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) after adjustment for smoking and other known risk factors for CRC. We documented 1,165 incident CRC through 2010. Compared to women with 25-32 teeth, the multivariable HR (95% CI) for CRC for women with <17 teeth was 1.20 (1.04-1.39). With regard to tumor site, the HRs (95% CIs) for the same comparison were 1.23 (1.01-1.51) for proximal colon cancer, 1.03 (0.76-1.38) for distal colon cancer and 1.48 (1.07-2.05) for rectal cancer. In addition, compared to those without periodontal disease, HRs for CRC were 0.91 (95% CI 0.74-1.12) for periodontal disease, and 1.22 (95% CI 0.91-1.63) when limited to moderate to severe periodontal disease. The results were not modified by smoking status, body mass index or alcohol consumption. Women with fewer teeth, possibly moderate or severe periodontal disease, might be at a modest increased risk of developing CRC, suggesting a potential role of oral health in colorectal carcinogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between calcium intake and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk remains inconclusive. We conducted this study to evaluate whether the association between calcium intake and CRC risk differs by anatomic subsite and determine the dose-response relationship for this association, as well as assess when in carcinogenesis calcium may play a role. We assessed calcium intake every 4 years and followed 88,509 women (1980-2012) in the Nurses' Health Study and 47,740 men (1986-2012) in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. We documented 3,078 incident CRC cases. Total calcium intake (≥1,400 vs. <600 mg/d) was associated with a statistically significant lower risk of colon cancer (multivariable relative risk: 0.78, 95%CI: 0.65-0.95). Similar results were observed by different sources of calcium (from all foods or dairy products only). The inverse association was linear and suggestively stronger for distal colon cancer (0.65, 0.43-0.99) than for proximal colon cancer (0.94, 0.72-1.22, p-common effects = 0.14). Additionally, when comparing different latencies, the overall pattern suggested that the inverse association appeared to be stronger with increasing latency and was strongest for intakes 12-16 years before diagnosis. Comparing total calcium intakes of ≥1,400 vs. <600 mg/d for intake 12-16 y before diagnosis, the pooled RR (95% CIs) of CRC was 0.76 (0.64-0.91). Higher calcium intake was associated with a lower risk of developing colon cancer, especially for distal colon cancer. Overall inverse association was linear and did not differ by intake source. Additionally, calcium intake approximately 10 years before diagnosis appeared to be associated with a lower risk of CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent epidemiologic evidence has emerged to suggest that use of glucosamine and chondroitin supplements may be associated with reduced risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). We therefore evaluated the association between use of these non-vitamin, non-mineral supplements and risk of CRC in two prospective cohorts, the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Regular use of glucosamine and chondroitin was first assessed in 2002 and participants were followed until 2010, over which time 672 CRC cases occurred. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate relative risks (RRs) within each cohort, and results were pooled using a random effects meta-analysis. Associations were comparable across cohorts, with a RR of 0.79 (95% CI: 0.63-1.00) observed for any use of glucosamine and a RR of 0.77 (95% CI: 0.59-1.01) observed for any use of chondroitin. Use of glucosamine in the absence of chondroitin was not associated with risk of CRC, whereas use of glucosamine + chondroitin was significantly associated with risk (RR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.58-0.999). The association between use of glucosamine + chondroitin and risk of CRC did not change markedly when accounting for change in exposure status over follow-up (RR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.58-0.96), nor did the association significantly vary by sex, aspirin use, body mass index, or physical activity. The association was comparable for cancers of the colon and rectum. Results support a protective association between use of glucosamine and chondroitin and risk of CRC. Further study is needed to better understand the chemopreventive potential of these supplements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin B2 serves as a cofactor to enhance one-carbon metabolism, maintain mucous membranes, and has been implicated in lowering colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. However, few prospective studies have examined the association between vitamin B2 intake and CRC. In this study, we estimated the associations between vitamin B2 intake and CRC risk using the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS) cohorts. Vitamin B2 intake was measured by a validated food frequency questionnaire every 4 years. Among 100,033 women in the NHS and 44,007 men in the HPFS we documented a total of 3,037 incident CRC cases (2,093 women and 944 men) during 24-26 years of follow-up until 2010. Intakes of total (from food and supplements), dietary (from food only), and supplemental vitamin B2 were inversely related to CRC risk in age-adjusted analysis in NHS. However, the association was attenuated and no longer statistically significant in multivariate analysis ( p-trend ≥0.08). The pooled multivariate relative risks (95% confidence interval) comparing individuals in the extreme quintiles of intakes were 0.93 (0.81-1.06) for total vitamin B2, 0.89 (0.61-1.28) for dietary vitamin B2 and 0.94 (0.81-1.08) for supplemental vitamin B2. These associations of total vitamin B2 intake were similar for risk of CRC with varying lag-time periods (0-4, 4-8, 8-12 or 12-16 years), for risk of CRC subtypes by tumor location, and across strata of intake of folate or alcohol. Our prospective data do not support a beneficial role of vitamin B2 intake in lowering incidence of CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While both the 2012 and 2014 Consumer Reports concerned arsenic levels in US rice, no previous study has evaluated longterm consumption of total rice, white rice and brown rice in relation to risk of developing cancers. We investigated this in the female Nurses' Health Study (1984-2010), and Nurses' Health Study II (1989-2009), and the male Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2008), which included a total of 45,231 men and 160,408 women, free of cancer at baseline. Validated food frequency questionnaires were used to measure rice consumption at baseline and repeated almost every 4 years thereafter. We employed Cox proportional hazards regression model to estimate multivariable relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). During up to 26 years of follow-up, we documented 31,655 incident cancer cases (10,833 in men and 20,822 in women). Age-adjusted results were similar to multivariable-adjusted results. Compared to participants with less than one serving per week, the multivariable RRs of overall cancer for individuals who ate at least five servings per week were 0.97 for total rice (95% CI: 0.85-1.07), 0.87 for white rice (95% CI: 0.75-1.01), and 1.17 for brown rice (95% CI: 0.90-1.26). Similar non-significant associations were observed for specific sites of cancers including prostate, breast, colon and rectum, melanoma, bladder, kidney, and lung. Additionally, the null associations were observed among European Americans and non-smokers, and were not modified by BMI. Long-term consumption of total rice, white rice or brown rice was not associated with risk of developing cancer in US men and women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three sulfonamide derivatives (SAD) were first synthesized from p-hydroxybenzoic acid and sulfonamides (sulfadimidine, sulfamethoxazole and sulfachloropyridazine sodium) and were characterized by elemental analysis, 1H NMR and MS. The interaction between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and SAD was studied using UV/vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism spectra under imitated physiological conditions. The experimental results indicated that SAD effectively quenched the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA via a static quenching process. The thermodynamic parameters showed that hydrogen bonding and van der Waal's forces were the predominant intermolecular forces between BSA and two SADs [4-((4-( N-(4,6-dimethylpyrimidin-2-yl)sulfamoyl)phenyl)carbamoyl)phenyl acetate and 4-((4-( N-(5-methylisoxazol-3-yl)sulfamoyl)phenyl)carbamoyl)phenyl acetate], but hydrophobic forces played a major role in the binding process of BSA and 4-((4-( N-(6-chloropyridazin-3-yl)sulfamoyl)phenyl) carbamoyl)phenyl acetate. In addition, the effect of SAD on the conformation of BSA was investigated using synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism spectra. Molecular modeling results showed that SAD was situated in subdomain IIA of BSA. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence from randomized controlled trials suggests that calcium may protect against recurrence of colorectal adenomas, which could lead to the subsequent prevention of cancer. Yet the trials used only a large single dose and were of small sizes, and thus, knowledge of the dose-response relationship and influence on high-risk adenomas is limited. To address these issues, we conducted linear and nonlinear dose-response meta-analyses primarily based on prospective observational studies published up to July 2014 identified from PubMed and Embase. Summary relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for total and supplemental calcium intake, respectively, using a random-effects model. For total calcium intake, summary RR for each 300 mg/day increase was 0.95 (95% CI = 0.92-0.98; I2 = 45%; eight studies with 11,005 cases; range of intake = 333-2,229 mg/day). Evidence of nonlinearity was indicated: approximately, compared to 550 mg/day of total calcium intake, the summary RR was 0.92 (95% CI = 0.89-0.94) at 1,000 mg/day and 0.87 (95% CI = 0.84-0.90) at 1,450 mg/day ( pnonlinearity < 0.01). Associations were stronger for high-risk adenomas (≥1 cm in diameter, (tubulo)villous histology, dysplasia, or multiplicity): approximately, compared to 550 mg/day of total calcium intake, the summary RR was 0.77 (95% CI = 0.74-0.81) at 1,000 mg/day and reduced to 0.69 (95% CI = 0.66-0.73) at 1,450 mg/da ( pnonlinearity < 0.01). For supplemental calcium intake, summary RR of total adenoma risk for each 300 mg/day increase was 0.96 (95% CI = 0.93-0.99; I2 = 0%; three studies with 4,548 cases; range of supplementation = 0-1,366 mg/day). In conclusion, calcium intake may continue to decrease the risk of adenomas, particularly high-risk adenomas, over a wide range of calcium intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is an important issue to address because most large-scale epidemiological studies do not have complete HBV/HCV data either for the HCC cases or in the entire cohort, which precludes adjustment for this important risk factor when studying exposure-liver cancer associations. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the extent to which the lack of HBV/HCV infection status might have impacted the scientific validity of the research on diet, lifestyle factors and liver cancer risk. The results could have been confounded by HBV infection status if the RR SB UD sb were to be 100 (based on the literature review on HBV infection and HCC risk) and the RR SB EU sb (ie, the association between HBV infection status and vitamin B SB 3 sb intake) >3.19. [Extracted from the article]

In this study, perstractive fermentation of intracellular Monascus pigments in nonionic surfactant micelle aqueous solution had been studied. The permeability of cell membrane modified by nonionic surfactant might have influence on the rate of export of intracellular pigments into its extracellular broth while nearly no effect on the final extracellular pigment concentration. However, the solubilization of pigments in nonionic surfactant micelles strongly affected the final extracellular pigment concentration. The solubilization capacity of micelles depended on the kind of nonionic surfactant, the super-molecule assembly structure of nonionic surfactant in an aqueous solution, and the nonionic surfactant concentration. Elimination of pigment degradation by export of intracellular Monascus pigments and solubilizing them into nonionic surfactant micelles was also confirmed experimentally. Thus, nonionic surfactant micelle aqueous solution is potential for replacement of organic solvent for perstractive fermentation of intracellular product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

l‐carnitine is a natural compound that is indispensable for energy metabolism in mammals. The efficiency and safety of l‐carnitine in improving sperm activity, enhancing epididymal function and treating male infertility has been widely acknowledged by clinicians. CircRNAs can regulate gene expression at the transcriptional or post‐transcriptional level by serving as a molecular sponge of miRNAs with miRNA response elements. However, the detailed mechanism linking miRNA, circRNA and asthenospermia remains unclear. The present study demonstrated that hsa‐miR‐27b‐3p, hsa‐miR‐151a‐5p and hsa‐miR‐206 play an important role in the effects of l‐carnitine treatment of the spermatozoa in asthenospermia patients. Furthermore, the target mRNAs of hsa‐miR‐206 were analysed by GO and KEGG. The results show that the target mRNAs of hsa‐miR‐206 may change the activity of ATP synthase and participate in the cAMP signalling pathway and the calcium signalling pathway, which may play an important role in sperm motility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]