Retinoic acid mitigates the NSC319726-induced spermatogenesis dysfunction through cuproptosis-independent mechanisms.

Copper ionophore NSC319726 has attracted researchers' attention in treating diseases, particularly cancers. However, its potential effects on male reproduction during medication are unclear. This study aimed to determine whether NSC319726 exposure affected the male reproductive system. The reproductive toxicity of NSC319726 was evaluated in male mice following a continuous exposure period of 5 weeks. The result showed that NSC319726 exposure caused testis index reduction, spermatogenesis dysfunction, and architectural damage in the testis and epididymis. The exposure interfered with spermatogonia proliferation, meiosis initiation, sperm count, and sperm morphology. The exposure also disturbed androgen synthesis and blood testis barrier integrity. NSC319726 treatment could elevate the copper ions in the testis to induce cuproptosis in the testis. Copper chelator rescued the elevated copper ions in the testis and partly restored the spermatogenesis dysfunction caused by NSC319726. NSC319726 treatment also decreased the level of retinol dehydrogenase 10 (RDH10), thereby inhibiting the conversion of retinol to retinoic acid, causing the inability to initiate meiosis. Retinoic acid treatment could rescue the meiotic initiation and spermatogenesis while not affecting the intracellular copper ion levels. The study provided an insight into the bio-safety of NSC319726. Retinoic acid could be a potential therapy for spermatogenesis impairment in patients undergoing treatment with NSC319726.

GALNT2 targeted by miR-139-5p promotes proliferation of clear cell renal cell carcinoma via inhibition of LATS2 activation.

Polypeptide N-Acetylgalactosaminyltransferase (GALNTs) are critical enzymes that initiate mucin type-O glycosylation, and are closely associated with the occurrence and development of multiple cancers. However, the significance of GALNT2 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) progression remains largely undetermined. Based on public multi-omics analysis, GALNT2 was strongly elevated in ccRCC versus adjoining nontumor tissues, and it displayed a relationship with poor overall survival (OS) of ccRCC patients. In addition, GALNT2 over-expression accelerated proliferation of renal cancer cell (RCC) lines. In contrast, GALNT2 knockdown using shRNAs suppressed cell proliferation, and this was rescued by LATS2 knockdown. Similarly, GALNT2 deficiency enhanced p-LATS2/LATS2 expression. LATS2 is activated by phosphorylation (p-LATS2) and, in turn, phosphorylate the downstream substrate protein YAP. Phosphorylated YAP (p-YAP) stimulated its degradation and cytoplasmic retention, as it was unable to translocate to the nucleus. This resulted in reduced cell proliferation. Subsequently, we explored the upstream miRNAs of GALNT2. Using dual luciferase reporter assay, we revealed that miR-139-5p interacted with the 3' UTR of GALNT2. Low miR-139-5p expression was associated with worse ccRCC patient outcome. Based on our experiments, miR-139-5p overexpression inhibited RCC proliferation, and this phenotype was rescued by GALNT2 overexpression. Given these evidences, the miR-139-5p-GALNT2-LATS2 axis is critical for RCC proliferation, and it is an excellent candidate for a new therapeutic target in ccRCC.

Plasma Proteomic Signature Predicts Myeloid Neoplasm Risk.

PURPOSE: Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) is thought to be the origin of myeloid neoplasms (MN). Yet our understanding of the mechanisms driving CH progression to MN and clinical risk prediction of MN remains limited. The human proteome reflects complex interactions between genetic and epigenetic regulation of biological systems. We hypothesized that the plasma proteome might predict MN risk and inform our understanding of the mechanisms promoting MN development. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We jointly characterized CH and plasma proteomic profiles of 46,237 individuals in the UK Biobank at baseline study entry. During 500,036 person-years of follow-up, 115 individuals developed MN. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to test for an association between plasma protein levels and MN risk. RESULTS: We identified 115 proteins associated with MN risk of which 30% (N=34) were also associated with CH. These were enriched for known regulators of the innate and adaptive immune system. Plasma proteomics improved the prediction of MN risk (AUC=0.85, p=5×10-9) beyond clinical factors and CH (AUC=0.80). In an independent group (N=381,485), we used inherited polygenic risk scores (PRS) for plasma protein levels to validate the relevance of these proteins to MN development. PRS analyses suggest that most MN-associated proteins we identified are not directly causally linked to MN risk, but rather represent downstream markers of pathways regulating the progression of CH to MN. CONCLUSIONS: These data highlight the role of immune cell regulation in the progression of CH to MN and the promise of leveraging multi-omic characterization of CH to improve MN risk stratification.

Body size and risk of colorectal cancer molecular defined subtypes and pathways: Mendelian randomization analyses.

BACKGROUND: Obesity has been positively associated with most molecular subtypes of colorectal cancer (CRC); however, the magnitude and the causality of these associations is uncertain. METHODS: We used Mendelian randomization (MR) to examine potential causal relationships between body size traits (body mass index [BMI], waist circumference, and body fat percentage) with risks of Jass classification types and individual subtypes of CRC (microsatellite instability [MSI] status, CpG island methylator phenotype [CIMP] status, BRAF and KRAS mutations). Summary data on tumour markers were obtained from two genetic consortia (CCFR, GECCO). FINDINGS: A 1-standard deviation (SD:5.1 kg/m2) increment in BMI levels was found to increase risks of Jass type 1MSI-high,CIMP-high,BRAF-mutated,KRAS-wildtype (odds ratio [OR]: 2.14, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.46, 3.13; p-value = 9 × 10-5) and Jass type 2non-MSI-high,CIMP-high,BRAF-mutated,KRAS-wildtype CRC (OR: 2.20, 95% CI: 1.26, 3.86; p-value = 0.005). The magnitude of these associations was stronger compared with Jass type 4non-MSI-high,CIMP-low/negative,BRAF-wildtype,KRAS-wildtype CRC (p-differences: 0.03 and 0.04, respectively). A 1-SD (SD:13.4 cm) increment in waist circumference increased risk of Jass type 3non-MSI-high,CIMP-low/negative,BRAF-wildtype,KRAS-mutated (OR 1.73, 95% CI: 1.34, 2.25; p-value = 9 × 10-5) that was stronger compared with Jass type 4 CRC (p-difference: 0.03). A higher body fat percentage (SD:8.5%) increased risk of Jass type 1 CRC (OR: 2.59, 95% CI: 1.49, 4.48; p-value = 0.001), which was greater than Jass type 4 CRC (p-difference: 0.03). INTERPRETATION: Body size was more strongly linked to the serrated (Jass types 1 and 2) and alternate (Jass type 3) pathways of colorectal carcinogenesis in comparison to the traditional pathway (Jass type 4). FUNDING: Cancer Research UK, National Institute for Health Research, Medical Research Council, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, American Institute for Cancer Research, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Prevent Cancer Foundation, Victorian Cancer Agency, Swedish Research Council, Swedish Cancer Society, Region Västerbotten, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, Lion's Cancer Research Foundation, Insamlingsstiftelsen, Umeå University. Full funding details are provided in acknowledgements.

Concentration-Driven Evolution of Adaptive Artificial Ion Channels or Nanopores with Specific Anticancer Activities.

In nature, ceramides are a class of sphingolipids possessing a unique ability to self-assemble into protein-permeable channels with intriguing concentration-dependent adaptive channel cavities. However, within the realm of artificial ion channels, this interesting phenomenon is scarcely represented. Herein, we report on a novel class of adaptive artificial channels, Pn-TPPs, based on PEGylated cholic acids bearing triphenylphosphonium (TPP) groups as anion binding motifs. Interestingly, the molecules self-assemble into chloride ion channels at low concentrations while transforming into small molecule-permeable nanopores at high concentrations. Moreover, the TPP groups endow the molecules with mitochondria-targeting properties, enabling them to selectively drill holes on the mitochondrial membrane of cancer cells and subsequently trigger the caspase 9 apoptotic pathway. The anticancer efficacies of Pn-TPPs correlate with their abilities to form nanopores. Significantly, the most active ensembles formed by P5-TPP exhibits impressive anticancer activity against human liver cancer cells, with an IC50 value of 3.8 µM. While demonstrating similar anticancer performance to doxorubicin, P5-TPP exhibits a selectivity index surpassing that of doxorubicin by a factor of 16.8.

Changes in Community Structure of Brain Dynamic Functional Connectivity States in Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Recent researches have noted many changes of short-term dynamic modalities in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients' brain functional networks. In this study, the dynamic functional brain networks of 82 MCI patients and 85 individuals in the normal control (NC) group were constructed using the sliding window method and Pearson correlation. The window size was determined using single-scale time-dependent (SSTD) method. Subsequently, k-means was applied to cluster all window samples, identifying three dynamic functional connectivity (DFC) states. Collective sparse symmetric non-negative matrix factorization (cssNMF) was then used to perform community detection on these states and quantify differences in brain regions. Finally, metrics such as within-community connectivity strength, community strength, and node diversity were calculated for further analysis. The results indicated high similarity between the two groups in state 2, with no significant differences in optimal community quantity and functional segregation (p < 0.05). However, for state 1 and state 3, the optimal community quantity was smaller in MCI patients compared to the NC group. In state 1, MCI patients had lower within-community connectivity strength and overall strength than the NC group, whereas state 3 showed results opposite to state 1. Brain regions with statistical difference included MFG.L, ORBinf.R, STG.R, IFGtriang.L, CUN.L, CUN.R, LING.R, SOG.L, and PCUN.R. This study on DFC states explores changes in the brain functional networks of patients with MCI from the perspective of alterations in the community structures of DFC states. The findings could provide new insights into the pathological changes in the brains of MCI patients.

A risk model based on lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA gene signature for predicting prognosis of patients with bladder cancer.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to analyze lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNA expression profiles of bladder cancer (BC) patients, thereby establishing a gene signature-based risk model for predicting prognosis of patients with BC. METHODS: We downloaded the expression data of lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNA from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) as training cohort including 19 healthy control samples and 401 BC samples. The differentially expressed RNAs (DERs) were screened using limma package, and the competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) regulatory network was constructed and visualized by the cytoscape. Candidate DERs were screened to construct the risk score model and nomogram for predicting the overall survival (OS) time and prognosis of BC patients. The prognostic value was verified using a validation cohort in GSE13507. RESULTS: Based on 13 selected. lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNA screened using L1-penalized algorithm, BC patients were classified into two groups: high-risk group (including 201 patients ) and low risk group (including 200 patients). The high-risk group's OS time ( hazard ratio [HR], 2.160; 95% CI, 1.586 to 2.942; P= 5.678e-07) was poorer than that of low-risk groups' (HR, 1.675; 95% CI, 1.037 to 2.713; P= 3.393 e-02) in the training cohort. The area under curve (AUC) for training and validation datasets were 0.852. Younger patients (age ⩽ 60 years) had an improved OS than the patients with advanced age (age > 60 years) (HR 1.033, 95% CI 1.017 to 1.049; p= 2.544E-05). We built a predictive model based on the TCGA cohort by using nomograms, including clinicopathological factors such as age, recurrence rate, and prognostic score. CONCLUSIONS: The risk model based on 13 DERs patterns could well predict the prognosis for patients with BC.

Serum indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase and tryptophan-2, 3-dioxygenase: potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of major depressive disorder.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to observe the changes in the levels of indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO) and tryptophan-2, 3-dioxygenase (TDO) in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and investigate their potential role as novel biomarkers for diagnosing MDD. METHODS: A total of 55 MDD patients and 55 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled in the study. The severity of MDD was assessed using the 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-24) before and after treatment. The serum concentrations of IDO and TDO were measured at baseline and after treatment. The correlations between the serum levels of IDO and TDO and HAMD-24 scores were evaluated using Pearson's correlation test. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the area under the curve (AUC) of serum levels of IDO and TDO for discriminating MDD patients from HC. RESULTS: The serum IDO and TDO concentrations were significantly higher in patients with MDD at baseline than in healthy controls, and decreased significantly after 2 weeks or 1 month of treatment. The levels of IDO and TDO were significantly positively correlated with HAMD-24 scores. Furthermore, the AUC values for IDO and TDO were 0.999 and 0.966, respectively. CONCLUSION: The study suggests that serum IDO and TDO may serve as novel biomarkers for diagnosing MDD. These findings may lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of MDD and the development of new therapeutic targets.

Epidemiologic Factors in Relation to Colorectal Cancer Risk and Survival by Genotoxic Colibactin Mutational Signature.

BACKGROUND: The genotoxin colibactin causes a tumor single-base substitution (SBS) mutational signature, SBS88. It is unknown whether epidemiologic factors' association with colorectal cancer risk and survival differs by SBS88. METHODS: Within the Genetic Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer Consortium and Colon Cancer Family Registry, we measured SBS88 in 4,308 microsatellite stable/microsatellite instability low tumors. Associations of epidemiologic factors with colorectal cancer risk by SBS88 were assessed using multinomial regression (N = 4,308 cases, 14,192 controls; cohort-only cases N = 1,911), and with colorectal cancer-specific survival using Cox proportional hazards regression (N = 3,465 cases). RESULTS: 392 (9%) tumors were SBS88 positive. Among all cases, the highest quartile of fruit intake was associated with lower risk of SBS88-positive colorectal cancer than SBS88-negative colorectal cancer [odds ratio (OR) = 0.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.37-0.76; OR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.66-0.85, respectively, Pheterogeneity = 0.047]. Among cohort studies, associations of body mass index (BMI), alcohol, and fruit intake with colorectal cancer risk differed by SBS88. BMI ≥30 kg/m2 was associated with worse colorectal cancer-specific survival among those SBS88-positive [hazard ratio (HR) = 3.40, 95% CI 1.47-7.84], but not among those SBS88-negative (HR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.78-1.21, Pheterogeneity = 0.066). CONCLUSIONS: Most epidemiologic factors did not differ by SBS88 for colorectal cancer risk or survival. Higher BMI may be associated with worse colorectal cancer-specific survival among those SBS88-positive; however, validation is needed in samples with whole-genome or whole-exome sequencing available. IMPACT: This study highlights the importance of identification of tumor phenotypes related to colorectal cancer and understanding potential heterogeneity for risk and survival.

Genotoxic colibactin mutational signature in colorectal cancer is associated with clinicopathological features, specific genomic alterations and better survival.

Background and Aims: The microbiome has long been suspected of a role in colorectal cancer (CRC) tumorigenesis. The mutational signature SBS88 mechanistically links CRC development with the strain of Escherichia coli harboring the pks island that produces the genotoxin colibactin, but the genomic, pathological and survival characteristics associated with SBS88-positive tumors are unknown. Methods: SBS88-positive CRCs were identified from targeted sequencing data from 5,292 CRCs from 17 studies and tested for their association with clinico-pathological features, oncogenic pathways, genomic characteristics and survival. Results: In total, 7.5% (398/5,292) of the CRCs were SBS88-positive, of which 98.7% (392/398) were microsatellite stable/microsatellite instability low (MSS/MSI-L), compared with 80% (3916/4894) of SBS88 negative tumors (p=1.5x10-28). Analysis of MSS/MSI-L CRCs demonstrated that SBS88 positive CRCs were associated with the distal colon (OR=1.84, 95% CI=1.40-2.42, p=1x10-5) and rectum (OR=1.90, 95% CI=1.44-2.51, p=6x10-6) tumor sites compared with the proximal colon. The top seven recurrent somatic mutations associated with SBS88-positive CRCs demonstrated mutational contexts associated with colibactin-induced DNA damage, the strongest of which was the APC:c.835-8A>G mutation (OR=65.5, 95%CI=39.0-110.0, p=3x10-80). Large copy number alterations (CNAs) including CNA loss on 14q and gains on 13q, 16q and 20p were significantly enriched in SBS88-positive CRCs. SBS88-positive CRCs were associated with better CRC-specific survival (p=0.007; hazard ratio of 0.69, 95% CI=0.52-0.90) when stratified by age, sex, study, and by stage. Conclusion: SBS88-positivity, a biomarker of colibactin-induced DNA damage, can identify a novel subtype of CRC characterized by recurrent somatic mutations, copy number alterations and better survival. These findings provide new insights for treatment and prevention strategies for this subtype of CRC.

Non-Covalently Stapled H+ /Cl- Ion Channels Activatable by Visible Light for Targeted Anticancer Therapy.

The development of stimuli-responsive artificial H+ /Cl- ion channels, capable of specifically disturbing the intracellular ion homeostasis of cancer cells, presents an intriguing opportunity for achieving high selectivity in cancer therapy. Herein, we describe a novel family of non-covalently stapled self-assembled artificial channels activatable by biocompatible visible light at 442 nm, which enables the co-transport of H+ /Cl- across the membrane with H+ /Cl- transport selectivity of 6.0. Upon photoirradiation of the caged C4F-L for 10 min, 90 % of ion transport efficiency can be restored, giving rise to a 10.5-fold enhancement in cytotoxicity against human colorectal cancer cells (IC50 =8.5 µM). The mechanism underlying cancer cell death mediated by the H+ /Cl- channels involves the activation of the caspase 9 apoptosis pathway as well as the scarcely reported disruption of the autophagic processes. In the absence of photoirradiation, C4F-L exhibits minimal toxicity towards normal intestine cells, even at a concentration of 200 µM.

The novel CDK9 inhibitor, XPW1, alone and in combination with BRD4 inhibitor JQ1, for the treatment of clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a highly lethal malignancy with few therapeutic options. Cyclin­dependent kinase 9 (CDK9), a potential therapeutic target of many cancers, has been recently observed to be upregulated in ccRCC patients. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of CDK9 in ccRCC and develop a novel CDK9 inhibitor with low toxicity for ccRCC treatment. METHODS: The expression of CDK9 in ccRCC was checked using the online database and tissue microarray analysis. shRNA-mediated CDK9 knockdown and CDK inhibitor were applied to evaluate the effect of CDK9 on ccRCC. Medicinal chemistry methods were used to develop a new CDK9 inhibitor with drugability. RNA-seq and ChIP-seq experiments were conducted to explore the mechanism of action. MTS, western blotting, and colony formation assays were performed to evaluate the anti-ccRCC effects of CDK9 knockdown and inhibition in vitro. The in vivo anti-tumour efficacy was evaluated in a xenograft model. RESULTS: CDK9 is overexpressed and associated with poor survival in ccRCC. Knockdown or inhibition of CDK9 significantly suppressed ccRCC cells. XPW1 was identified as a new potent and selective CDK9 inhibitor with excellent anti-ccRCC activity and low toxicity. In mechanism, XPW1 transcriptionally inhibited DNA repair programmes in ccRCC cells, resulting in an excellent anti-tumour effect. CDK9 and BRD4 were two highly correlated transcriptional regulators in ccRCC patients, and the BRD4 inhibitor JQ1 enhanced XPW1's anti-ccRCC effects in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: This work provides valuable insights into the therapeutic potential of CDK9 in ccRCC. The CDK9 inhibitor XPW1 would be a novel therapeutic agent for targeting ccRCC, alone or in rational combinations.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel 4,4'-bipyridine derivatives acting as CDK9-Cyclin T1 protein-protein interaction inhibitors against triple-negative breast cancer.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) is directly related to tumor development in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients. Increased CDK9 is significantly associated with poor patient prognosis, while inhibiting CDK9-Cyclin T1 protein-protein interaction has recently been demonstrated as a new approach to TNBC treatment. Herein, we synthesized a novel class of 4,4'-bipyridine derivatives as potential CDK9-Cyclin T1 PPI inhibitors against TNBC. The represented compound B19 was found to be an excellent and selective CDK9-Cyclin T1 PPI inhibitor with good potency against TNBC cell lines while exhibiting lower toxicity in normal human cell lines than the positive compound I-CDK9. Notably, compound B19 showed good pharmacokinetic properties and excellent antitumor activity against TNBC (4T1) allografts in mice with a therapeutic index of more than 42 (TGI4T1(12.5 mg/kg,i.p.) = 63.1% vs. LD50 = 537 mg/kg). Moreover, the administration of B19 in combination with the PARP inhibitor Olaparib results in a significant increase of the antitumor activity in MDA-MB-231 cells relative to that of either single agent. To our knowledge, B19 is the first reported non-metal organic compound that acts as a selective CDK9-Cyclin T1 PPI inhibitor with in vivo antitumor activity, and it may be alone and in combination with PARP inhibitor Olaparib for TNBC therapy.

Discovery of 4-((3,4-dichlorophenyl)amino)-2-methylquinolin-6-ol derivatives as EGFR and HDAC dual inhibitors.

In patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the standard therapy consists of selective tyrosine kinase inhibitors that target epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR). Nonetheless, their clinical utility is primarily limited by the development of resistance to drugs. HDAC inhibitors have been shown in studies to reduce the level of EGFR that is expressed and downregulate the EGFR-induced phosphorylation of AKT and ERK. Therefore, dual inhibitors of EGFR and HDAC provide a potential approach as combination treatment synergistically inhibited the growth of NSCLC. Herein, we examined the EGFR inhibition effect of twenty compounds which designed and synthesized by us previously. Among them, compounds 12c and 12d exhibited powerful antiproliferative activity against the NCI-H1975 cell line with IC50 values of 0.48 ± 0.07 and 0.35 ± 0.02 µM, correspondingly. In cell-free kinase assays, both 12c and 12d demonstrated target-specific EGFR inhibition against wild type (EGFRwt). Furthermore, the expression of EGFR and phosphorylation of the EGF-induced pathways were significantly suppressed under the treatment of 12c and 12d. Besides, both histones H3 and H4 exhibited increased levels of acetylation following 12c and 12d treatment. The animal experiments shown that 12d could prevent the growth of tumor, inhibited the expression of EGFR and the phosphorylation levels of p70 S6K, AKT and p38 MAPK in vivo, and did not cause organ damage to the mice during the experiment. Overall, the results illustrated that compound 12c and 12d could serve as effective EGFR and HDAC dual inhibitors in NSCLC cells. Our work offers an alternative strategy for NSCLC therapy.

Moderate alcohol consumption, types of beverages and drinking pattern with cardiometabolic biomarkers in three cohorts of US men and women.

Underlying mechanisms of the inverse relationship between moderate alcohol consumption and cardiometabolic disorders are unclear. Modification by types of alcoholic beverages consumed and drinking pattern remains understudied. We aimed to provide insight into the mechanisms by examining 14 insulinemic/glycemic, inflammatory and lipid markers. We used cross-sectional data from 15,436 women in the Nurses' Health Study, 19,318 women in the Nurses' Health Study II, and 6872 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Multivariable linear regression was used to estimate the percentage differences in biomarker concentrations according to alcohol intakes. The average alcohol intake in the combined cohort was 3.3 servings/week. We found a 1 serving/d increment in alcohol intake (14 g ethanol, 44 ml liquor or 355 ml beer or 118 ml wine per day) was associated with a 0.6% lower level of HbA1c, 1.7-3.6% lower proinflammatory markers and 4.2% higher adiponectin, as well as 7.1% higher HDL-cholesterol and 2.1% lower triglyceride with a significant linear trend. Wine, especially red wine, was associated with lower inflammation in particular. Beer had weaker favorable to null associations with blood lipids and adiponectin. Liquor was associated with higher C-peptide and interleukin-6, yet equally associated with lower HbA1c and higher HDL-cholesterol as other beverages. Drinking 3 days or more per week was related to a better biomarker profile than nonregular drinking independent of intake levels. Drinking appeared to have similar associations irrespective whether done with meals or not. Our data indicated moderate alcohol intake, especially if consumed from wine and done regularly, was associated with favorable profiles of insulinemic/glycemic and inflammatory markers and blood lipids.

Investigation on low-loss hollow-core anti-resonant terahertz fiber.

In this work, a hollow-core anti-resonant terahertz (THz) fiber with elliptical cladding and nested tubes is proposed and fabricated. It is an effective way to reduce the loss of THz waves by transmitting them in an air core and breaking the material absorption. After parameter optimization of the initial structure, multiple transmission windows exist in the 0.2-0.8 THz band, where confinement loss is as low as 3.47×10-3cm-1 at 0.8 THz. At 0.2-0.7 THz, confinement losses lie between 10-3 and 10-2cm-1. The 3D printed samples are characterized by a THz time-domain spectroscopy system. Experimental results showed that the designed fiber structure transmits loss coefficients up to 10-2cm-1 in the 0.2-0.8 THz band (the minimum value is located at 0.46 THz, corresponding to a loss coefficient of 0.0284cm-1). The experiments show that the designed THz fiber achieves a good transmission effect.

Being Breastfed in Infancy and Risk of Colorectal Cancer and Precursor Lesions.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Emerging evidence implicates the importance of perinatal and early-life exposures in colorectal cancer (CRC) development. However, it remains unclear whether being breastfed in infancy is associated with CRC risk in adult life, particularly early adulthood. METHODS: We prospectively investigated the association between history of being breastfed and risk of CRC and its precursor lesions among 66,634 women 46-93 years of age from the Nurses' Health Study and 92,062 women 27-68 years of age from the Nurses' Health Study II. Cox regression and logistic regression for clustered data were used to estimate hazard ratios for CRC and odds ratios for CRC precursors, respectively. RESULTS: During 3.5 million person-years of follow-up, we identified 1490 incident cases of CRC in 2 cohorts. Having been breastfed was associated with a 23% (95% confidence interval [CI], 10% to 38%) increased risk of CRC. The risk of CRC increased with duration of being breastfed (Ptrend < .001). These findings were validated using breastfeeding information from the mothers of a subset of participants. Among younger participants from the Nurses' Health Study II, a significant association was observed between being breastfed and increased risk of high-risk adenomas under 50 years of age (odds ratio, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.16 to 1.83). Consistently, having been breastfed was associated with increased risk of CRC among participants ≤55 years of age (hazard ratio, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.80). CONCLUSIONS: Being breastfed in infancy was associated with increased risk of CRC in adulthood, including among younger adults. However, further research is needed to understand the underlying biological mechanisms, as this association does not establish causation.