Association between diabetes at different diagnostic ages and risk of cancer incidence and mortality: a cohort study

BackgroundDifferent ages for diagnosis of diabetes have diverse effects on risks of cardiovascular disease, dementia, and mortality, but there is little evidence of cancer. This study investigated the relationship between diabetes at different diagnostic ages and risks of cancer incidence and mortality in people aged 37–73 years.MethodsParticipants with diabetes in the UK Biobank prospective cohort were divided into four groups: ≤40, 41–50, 51–60, and >60 years according to age at diagnosis. A total of 26,318 diabetics and 105,272 controls (1:4 randomly selected for each diabetic matched by the same baseline age) were included. We calculated the incidence density, standardized incidence, and mortality rates of cancer. Cox proportional hazard model was used to examine the associations of diabetes at different diagnostic ages with cancer incidence and mortality, followed by subgroup analyses.ResultsCompared to corresponding controls, standardized incidence and mortality rates of overall and digestive system cancers were higher in diabetes diagnosed at age 41–50, 51–60, and >60 years, especially at 51–60 years. Individuals diagnosed with diabetes at different ages were at higher risk to develop site-specific cancers, with a prominently increased risk of liver cancer since the diagnosis age of >40 years. Significantly, participants with diabetes diagnosed at 51–60 years were correlated with various site-specific cancer risks [hazard ratio (HR) for incidence: 1.088–2.416, HR for mortality: 1.276–3.269]. Moreover, for mortality of digestive system cancers, we observed an interaction effect between smoking and diabetes diagnosed at 51–60 years.ConclusionOur findings highlighted that the age at diagnosis of diabetes, especially 51–60 years, was critical risks of cancer incidence and mortality and may represent a potential preventative window for cancer

A Metabolic Gene Prognostic Risk Model for Cervical Cancer

Background: Previous studies have identified hundreds of constantly changing metabolic genes in cervical cancer, however, their prognostic effect remains to be explored. Methods: In this paper, Cox univariate regression and Lasso regression models were used to identify metabolic genes associated with squamous cervical cancer prognosis, and developed a prognostic risk score. Next, on the basis of the median risk score, cervical squamous cancer patients were divided into two groups: high- and low-risk patients. Kaplan-Meier analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the predictive efficacy of the metabolic gene prognostic risk model. In addition, we analysed the correlation between drug sensitivity, immune cell infiltration, and Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) and the metabolic gene prognostic risk model. Results: The results showed that the prognosis of patients in the high-risk group was worse. The metabolic gene prognostic model was correlated with immune cell infiltration. It is also correlated with sensitivity to common chemotherapeutic drugs. In addition, gene set enrichment analysis results revealed several significantly enriched pathways, which may help to explain the underlying mechanisms of cervical carcinogenesis. Conclusions: The proposed prediction model can be potentially used for prognosis prediction of cervical cancer

The Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown on Air Pollutant Concentrations across China: A Google Earth Engine-Based Analysis

To overcome the spread of the severe COVID-19 outbreak, various lockdown measures have been taken worldwide. China imposed the strictest home-quarantine measures during the COVID-19 outbreak in the year 2020. This provides a valuable opportunity to study the impact of anthropogenic emission reductions on air quality. Based on the GEE platform and satellite imagery, this study analyzed the changes in the concentrations of NO2, O3, CO, and SO2 in the same season (1 February–1 May) before and after the epidemic control (2019–2021) for 16 typical representative cities of China. The results showed that NO2 concentrations significantly decreased by around 20–24% for different types of metropolises, whereas O3 increased for most of the studied metropolises, including approximately 7% in megacities and other major cities. Additionally, the concentrations of CO and SO2 showed no statistically significant changes during the study intervals. The study also indicated strong variations in air pollutants among different geographic regions. In addition to the methods in this study, it is essential to include the differences in meteorological impact factors in the study to identify future references for air pollution reduction measures

Potential of Tamarind Shell Extract against Oxidative Stress In Vivo and In Vitro

Tamarind shell is rich in flavonoids and exhibits good biological activities. In this study, we aimed to analyze the chemical composition of tamarind shell extract (TSE), and to investigate antioxidant capacity of TSE in vitro and in vivo. The tamarind shells were extracted with 95% ethanol refluxing extraction, and chemical constituents were determined by ultra-performance chromatography–electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The free radical scavenging activity of TSE in vitro was evaluated using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) method. The antioxidative effects of TSE were further assessed in 2,2-azobis (2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH)-stimulated ADTC5 cells and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-exposed zebrafish. A total of eight flavonoids were detected in TSE, including (+)-catechin, taxifolin, myricetin, eriodictyol, luteolin, morin, apigenin, and naringenin, with the contents of 5.287, 8.419, 4.042, 6.583, 3.421, 4.651, 0.2027, and 0.6234 mg/g, respectively. The ORAC assay revealed TSE and these flavonoids had strong free radical scavenging activity in vitro. In addition, TSE significantly decreased the ROS and MDA levels but restored the SOD activity in AAPH-treated ATDC5 cells and t-BHP-exposed zebrafish. The flavonoids also showed excellent antioxidative activities against oxidative damage in ATDC5 cells and zebrafish. Overall, the study suggests the free radical scavenging capacity and antioxidant potential of TSE and its primary flavonoids in vitro and in vivo and will provide a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of tamarind shell

Conserved Function of ACYL–ACYL CARRIER PROTEIN DESATURASE 5 on Seed Oil and Oleic Acid Biosynthesis between Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica napus

Previous studies have shown that several ACYL–ACYL CARRIER PROTEIN DESATURASE (AtAAD) members in Arabidopsis thaliana are responsible for oleic acid (C18:1) biosynthesis. Limited research has been conducted on another member, AtAAD5, and its paralog BnAAD5 in the closely related and commercially important plant, Brassica napus. Here, we found that AtAAD5 was predominantly and exclusively expressed in developing embryos at the whole seed developmental stages. The aad5 mutation caused a significant decrease in the amounts of oil and C18:1, and a considerable increase in the content of stearic acid (C18:0) in mature seeds, suggesting that AtAAD5 functioned as an important facilitator of seed oil biosynthesis. We also cloned the full-length coding sequence of BnAAD5-1 from the A3 subgenome of the B. napus inbred line L111. We showed that ectopic expression of BnAAD5-1 in the A. thaliana aad5-2 mutant fully complemented the phenotypes of the mutant, such as lower oil content and altered contents of C18:0 and C18:1. These results help us to better understand the functions of AAD members in A. thaliana and B. napus and provide a promising target for genetic manipulation of B. napus

Effects of Combined Sorbitan Monolaurate Anti-Agglomerants on Viscosity of Water-in-Oil Emulsion and Natural Gas Hydrate Slurry

Hydrate plugging is the major challenge in the flow assurance of deep-sea pipelines. For water-in-oil emulsions, this risk could be significantly reduced with the addition of anti-agglomerants (AAs). Hydrates often form from water-in-oil emulsions and the measurement of emulsion and slurry viscosity constitutes the basis for the application of hydrate slurry flow technology. In this work, using a novel high-pressure viscometer, emulsion and slurry viscosity with different AAs for water content ranging from 5% to 30% was obtained. The viscosity-temperature curves of emulsions were determined and correlated. The variation of system viscosity during hydrate formation from water-in-oil emulsions was examined, the sensitivity of stable slurry viscosity to water cut and the effects of temperature on annealed slurry viscosity were investigated. The results indicated that the variation of viscosity during hydrate formation relies on the conversion ratio. It also implied that the sensitivity of slurry viscosity to change in its water cut or temperature was reduced with AA addition

Plant-based dietary patterns, genetic predisposition and risk of colorectal cancer: a prospective study from the UK Biobank

Abstract Background Plant-based dietary patterns may affect colorectal cancer (CRC) related outcomes, while risks differ in the quality of plant foods. We aimed to examine the association of plant-based diet quality with risks of CRC incidence and mortality and whether this association was modified by genetic risk. Methods This prospective cohort study included 186,675 participants free of cancer when the last dietary recall was completed. We calculated three plant-based diet indices (PDIs), i.e., the overall plant-based diet index (PDI), the healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI), and the unhealthful plant-based diet index (uPDI) representing adherence to plant-based diets with diverse quality. Genetic risk was characterized using a weighted polygenic risk score (PRS), capturing overall risk variants associated with CRC. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidential intervals (CI) were estimated by the cause-specific Cox proportional hazards model. Results Over a follow-up of 9.5 years, 2163 cases and 466 deaths from CRC were documented. The HR of CRC incidence was 0.88 (95% CI, 0.81–0.96) and 0.91 (95% CI, 0.84–0.99) per 10-score increase in PDI and hPDI, respectively. Compared to the lowest quartile, PDI, hPDI, and uPDI in the highest quartile were associated with a 13% decrease, a 15% decrease, and a 14% increase in risk of incident CRC, respectively. We found a joint association of genetic risk and PDIs with incident CRC, with the highest hazard observed in those carrying higher PRS and adhering to lower-quality PDIs. The inverse association of PDI and hPDI with CRC mortality was pronounced in males. Conclusions Our results suggested that better adherence to overall and healthful plant-based diets was associated with a lower risk of CRC, whereas an unhealthful plant-based diet was associated with a higher CRC risk. Consumption of a higher-quality plant-based diet combined with decreased genetic risk conferred less susceptibility to CRC. Our findings highlighted the importance of food quality when adhering to a plant-based dietary pattern for CRC prevention in the general population