Search

Selective breeding of mussels based on nacre color forms the basis for cultivating freshwater pearls with specific colors, as the color of cultured pearls is mainly determined by the nacre color of the donor mussel. In this study, the nacre colors of four selected Hyriopsis cumingii strains (blue, red. golden, and white) were measured and analyzed. The results showed that the three nacre color parameters L*, a*, and b* significantly differed (P < 0.01) between the four H. cumingii strains. Two principal components (PC1 and PC2) were extracted based on a principal component analysis, and their cumulative contribution rate ranged from 92.81% to 93.44%. The color parameters a* and b* had the greatest influences on PC1 and PC2. respectively, indicating that these two color parameters were the main factors contributing to the nacre color differences of the four strains. The nacre color parameters of the four H. cumingii strains were also investigated extensively using discriminant analysis, and the discrimination accuracies of the four strains were 76.7%, 80.0%, 72.5%, and 100.0%. Reflectance spectrum analysis showed that the nacre reflectance spectra of the four H. cumingii strains differed considerably and the spectral reflectance curves of the different nacre colors were clearly separated, indicating that spectral analysis represents an effective method for identifying different H. cumingii strains. KEY WORDS: Hyriopsis cumingii, nacre color, CIELAB color space, principal component analysis, discriminant analysis, INTRODUCTION The most important species used for commercial freshwater pearl production in China is Hyriopsis cumingii, which accounts for approximately 95% of global pearl production. Over the past 10 years, [...]

Background Little is known about the role of vitamin D receptor polymorphisms and their interaction with vitamin D status in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis. Methods We evaluated the association of TaqI , BsmI , Cdx-2, and ApaI polymorphisms, individually and in combination, with liver cancer-specific (LCSS) and overall survival (OS) among 967 patients with newly diagnosed HCC. Subsequently, we examined whether these polymorphisms modified the association between serum bioavailable 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentrations and survival. Cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results During a median follow-up of 1017 days, 393 deaths occurred, with 360 attributed to HCC. Having TaqI G allele (HRper allele = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.08 to 1.57) or BsmI T allele (HRper allele = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.01 to 1.99) was associated with worse LCSS. Carrying increasing numbers of protective alleles was associated with superior LCSS (HR6-8 vs 0-3 = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.34 to 0.80). The inverse association of bioavailable 25OHD with LCSS was statistically significant only in patients with TaqI AA (HRQuartile 4 vs Quartile 1 = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.44 to 0.92), BsmI CC (HRQuartile 4 vs Quartile 1 = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.44 to 0.88), and 6 to 8 protective alleles (HRQuartile 4 vs Quartile 1 = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.23 to 0.87). Similar associations were observed for OS. Conclusions Patients carrying wild-type TaqI , BsmI , or more protective alleles had improved survival and might benefit from optimizing bioavailable 25OHD status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background We examined whether the association between alcohol consumption and colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence was stronger for tumors with higher contributions of defective mismatch repair (dMMR)–related tumor mutational signatures. Methods We used data from 227 916 men and women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study (1980-2016), the Nurses' Health Study II (1991-2017), and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (1986-2016). Dietary data were collected every 4 years through validated food frequency questionnaires. Relative contributions of 2 defective mismatch repair–related tumor mutational signatures with single-based substitutions (c-dMMRa/SBS15 and c-dMMRb/SBS26) were quantified using whole-exome sequencing data in a subset of incident CRC patients. Duplication-method Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess the association between alcohol consumption and the risk of CRC subtypes according to different contributions of the tumor mutational signatures. All statistical tests were 2-sided. Results We documented 825 incident CRC patients with available tumor mutational signature data over 26 to 36 years of follow-up. The association between alcohol consumption and CRC incidence was stronger for tumors with higher contributions of c-dMMRb/SBS26 (P trend = .02 for heterogeneity) compared with tumors with lower contributions of this tumor mutational signature. Compared with nondrinkers, drinkers who imbibed 15 g/d or more of alcohol had a high risk of c-dMMRb/SBS26-high CRC (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio = 2.43, 95% confidence interval = 1.55 to 3.82) but not c-dMMRb/SBS26-low CRC (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio = 0.86, 95% confidence interval = 0.57 to 1.28) or c-dMMRb/SBS26-moderate CRC (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio = 1.14, 95% confidence interval = 0.76 to 1.71). No significant differential associations were observed for c-dMMRa/SBS15 (P trend = .41 for heterogeneity). Conclusions High alcohol consumption was associated with an increased incidence of CRC containing higher contributions of c-dMMRb/SBS26, suggesting that alcohol consumption may be involved in colorectal carcinogenesis through the DNA mismatch repair pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the superior performance of various therapies over sorafenib in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the absence of direct comparisons, it is crucial to explore the efficacy of these treatments in phase III randomized clinical trials. Objectives: The goal is to identify which patients are most likely to benefit significantly from these emerging therapies, contributing to more personalized and informed clinical decision-making. Design: Systematic review and network meta-analysis Data sources and methods: PubMed, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, and international conference databases have been searched from 1 January 2010 to 1 December 2023. Results: After screening, 17 phase III trials encompassing 18 treatments were included. In the whole-population network meta-analysis, the newly first-line tremelimumab plus durvalumab (Tre + Du) was found to be comparable with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atezo + Beva) in providing the best overall survival (OS) benefit [hazard ratio (HR) 1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.93–1.92]. Concerning OS benefits, sintilimab plus bevacizumab biosimilar (Sint + Beva), camrelizumab plus rivoceranib (Camre + Rivo), and lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab (Lenva + Pemb) appear to exhibit similar effects to Tre + Du and Atezo + Beva. In the context of progression-free survival, Atezo + Beva seemed to outperform Tre + Du (HR: 0.66 CI: 0.49–0.87), while the effects are comparable to Sint + Beva, Camre + Rivo, and Lenva + Pemb. Upon comparison between Asia-Pacific and non-Asia-Pacific cohorts, as well as between hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected and non-HBV-infected populations, immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based treatments seemed to exhibit heightened efficacy in the Asia-Pacific group and among individuals with HBV infection. However, combined ICI-based therapies did not show more effectiveness than molecular-targeted drugs in patients without macrovascular invasion and/or extrahepatic spread. As for grades 3–5 adverse events, combined therapies showed comparable safety to sorafenib and lenvatinib. Conclusion: Compared with sorafenib and lenvatinib, combination therapies based on ICIs significantly improved the prognosis of advanced HCC and demonstrated similar safety. At the same time, the optimal treatment approach should be tailored to individual patient characteristics, such as etiology, tumor staging, and serum alpha-fetoprotein levels. With lower incidence rates of treatment-related adverse events and non-inferior efficacy compared to sorafenib, ICI monotherapies should be prioritized as a first-line treatment approach for patients who are not suitable candidates for ICI-combined therapies. Trial registration: PROSPERO, CRD42022288172. Plain language summary: Lay summary/Key points The efficiency of various systemic therapies in advanced HCC patients with specific characteristics remains to be explored. This study revealed that the efficacy of ICI combined therapies is influenced by factors such as tumor staging, etiology, patient demographics, and more. Additionally, ICI monotherapies should be prioritized as a first-line treatment approach for patients who are not suitable candidates for ICI combined therapies. Complementing to recent guidelines, this study indicated that several critical factors needed to be took into consideration for patients with advanced HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Color is an important indicator in evaluating the quality of pearls. Despite the well-developed technology of pearl production, evidence for what determines pearl color is largely absent. In the present study, a 2 x 2 complete double-row implantation experiment was conducted using the purple and white strains of mussels of Hyriopsis cumingii in three different aquaculture environments. The effect of purple and white strains of mussels on seedless pearl color was analyzed using a mixed linear model. The results showed that the effect of the donor mussel, which provides the mantle tissues, on seedless pearl color was significant (P < 0.001), whereas neither the strain of the host mussel nor the aquaculture environment had a significant influence on pearl color. The estimated values for the effect of the donor mussel on pearl color parameters CIE L*, a*, and b* were--9.35, 2.49, and 3.33, respectively. This study provides direct evidence that the color of a seedless pearl is mainly determined by the donor mussel, and both the host mussel and the aquaculture environment have a negligible role in the determination of pearl color. KEY WORDS: seedless pearl, mixed linear model, donor mussel, host mussel, pearl color, INTRODUCTION Color is an important indicator in evaluating the quality of pearls, but evidence for what determines pearl color, the aquaculture environment (the elements in water bodies that may have [...]

ACKR2 is a scavenger for most inflammation-related CC chemokines. This study aimed to assess the pan-cancer prognostic significance of ACKR2 and the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying its dysregulation. Pan-cancer data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) and The Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) were integrated and analyzed. ACKR2 is consistently associated with favorable progression-free interval (PFI) and overall survival (OS) in TCGA-uveal melanoma (UVM) and TCGA-liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC). ACKR2 is negatively correlated with the expression of CCL1, CCL4, CCL5, CXCL8, CCL17, and CCL20 in TCGA-UVM and TCGA-LIHC. The group with gene copy gain had significantly higher ACKR2 expression than those with loss. The lower ACKR2 expression groups were associated with a significantly higher ratio of BAP1 mutations. In addition, ACKR2 was negatively corrected with DNMT1 expression but was positively corrected with ZC3H13, an m6A writer gene and NSUN3, an RNA m5C writer gene. ACKR2 expression was associated with favorable prognosis in patients with uveal melanoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. ACKR2 dysregulation might be an accumulated result of gene copy number alterations, transcriptional disruption, and RNA modifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The nacre color of the pearl mussels is one of the most important traits for the pearl industry. In this study, to evaluate the effectiveness of the nacre color [...]

Purpose: Epidemiologic evidence regarding the role of dietary vitamin A in the development of diabetes is limited and inconsistent. This study was to explore the association between vitamin A intake and diabetes risk in Chinese adults. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted among 17 111 adults (8537 men and 8577 women) who participated in the China Health and Nutrition Survey between 1989 and 2015. Dietary intakes were assessed by 3 consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls combined with a household food inventory. Diabetes was determined by self-reported diagnosis, diabetes medication use, or additional criterion in 2009 of fasting blood glucose or hemoglobin A1c. We analyzed the association of vitamin A intake (total, β-carotene, retinol) with diabetes risk using Cox proportional hazards models. Results: A total of 519 men and 531 women developed diabetes during a median of 11 years of follow-up. Higher dietary total vitamin A intakes were associated with a lower risk of diabetes in both men (quintile 5 [Q5] vs Q1: hazard ratio [HR] = 0.69, 95% CI, 0.49-0.97, P-trend = 0.079) and women (Q5 vs Q1: HR = 0.63; 95% CI, 0.45-0.89; P-trend = 0.039). An inverse relation with diabetes risk was observed for dietary intakes of β-carotene (Q5 vs Q1: HR = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.52-0.97) and retinol (Q5 vs Q1: HR = 0.58; 95% CI, 0.39-0.85) among men, but not women. Dose-response analyses showed the association of dietary intakes of total vitamin A, β-carotene, and retinol with diabetes risk in men was L-shaped (P-nonlinearity = 0.043), reverse J-shaped (P-nonlinearity = 0.001), and linear, respectively. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that adequate intake of vitamin A may help protecting against diabetes, especially for men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]