LMO family gene polymorphisms and Wilms tumor susceptibility in Chinese children: a five-center case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Wilms tumor is the most prevalent embryonal kidney malignancy in children worldwide. Previous genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified that LIM domain only 1 (LMO1) gene polymorphisms affected the susceptibility to develop certain tumor types. Apart from LMO1, the LMO gene family members also include LMO2-4, each of which has oncogenic potential. METHODS: We conducted this five-center case‒control study to assess the correlations between single nucleotide polymorphisms in LMO family genes and Wilms tumor susceptibility. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to evaluate the strength of the association. RESULTS: We found LMO1 rs2168101 G > T and rs11603024 C > T as well as LMO2 rs7933499 G > A were significantly associated with Wilms tumor risk. Stratified analysis demonstrated a protective role of rs2168101 GT/TT genotypes against Wilms tumor in the subgroups of age ≤ 18 months, males and clinical stages I/II compared to the rs2168101 GG genotype. Nevertheless, carriers with the rs11603024 TT genotype were more likely to have an increased risk of Wilms tumor than those with rs11603024 CC/CT genotypes in age > 18 months. And the rs11603024 was identified as a protective polymorphism for reducing the risk of Wilms tumor in the sex- and gender- subgroup. Likewise, carriers with the rs7933499 GA/AA genotypes were at significantly elevated risk of Wilms tumor in age ≤ 18 months and clinical stages I/II. CONCLUSION: Overall, our study identified the importance of LMO family gene polymorphisms on Wilms tumor susceptibility in Chinese children. Further investigations are needed to validate our conclusions.

Visible-Light-Driven Reduction of CO2 to CO with Highly Active and Selective Earth-Abundant Metal Porphyrin-Conjugated Organic Polymers.

The field of artificial photosynthesis, which focuses on harnessing solar light for the conversion of CO2 to economically valuable chemical products, remains a captivating area of research. In this study, we developed a series of photocatalysts based on Earth abundant elements (Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) incorporated into 2D metalloporphyrin-conjugated organic polymers known as MTBPP-BEPA-COPs. These photocatalysts were utilized for the photoreduction of CO2 employing only H2O as the electron donor, without the need for any sacrificial agents or precious-metal cocatalysts. Remarkably, all of the synthesized MTBPP-BEPA-COPs exhibited an exceptional CO2 photoreduction performance only irradiated by visible light. Particularly, upon optimizing the metal ion coordinated with porphyrin units, ZnTBPP-BEPA-COP outperformed the other MTBPP-BEPA-COPs in terms of photocatalytic activity, achieving an impressive CO reduction yield of 152.18 µmol g-1 after just 4 h of irradiation. The electrostatic potential surfaces calculated by density functional theory suggest the potential involvement of metal centers as binding and catalytic sites for the binding of CO2. The calculated adsorption energy of CO2 with ZnTBPP-BEPA-COP exhibited one of the two smallest values. This may be the reason for the excellent catalytic effect of ZnTBPP-BEPA-COP. Thus, the present study not only demonstrates the potential of porphyrin-based conjugated polymers as highly efficient photocatalysts for CO2 reduction but also offers valuable insights into the rational design of such materials in the future.

Neuroblastoma susceptibility and association of N7-methylguanosine modification gene polymorphisms: multi-center case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Neuroblastoma (NB) is a common extracranial solid malignancy in children. The N7-methylguanosine (m7G) modification gene METTL1/WDR4 polymorphisms may serve as promising molecular markers for identifying populations susceptible to NB. METHODS: TaqMan probes was usded to genotype METTL1/WDR4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 898 NB patients and 1734 healthy controls. A logistic regression model was utilized to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI), evaluating the association between genotype polymorphisms and NB susceptibility. The analysis was also stratified by age, sex, tumor origin site, and clinical stage. RESULTS: Individual polymorphism of the METTL1/WDR4 gene investigated in this study did not show significant associations with NB susceptibility. However, combined genotype analysis revealed that carrying all 5 WDR4 protective genotypes was associated with a significantly lower NB risk compared to having 0-4 protective genotypes (AOR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.69-0.96, P = 0.014). Further stratified analyses revealed that carrying 1-3 METTL1 risk genotypes, the WDR4 rs2156316 CG/GG genotype, the WDR4 rs2248490 CG/GG genotype, and having all five WDR4 protective genotypes were all significantly correlated with NB susceptibility in distinct subpopulations. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our findings suggest significant associations between m7G modification gene METTL1/WDR4 SNPs and NB susceptibility in specific populations. IMPACT: Genetic variation in m7G modification gene is associated with susceptibility to NB. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in METTL1/WDR4 are associated with susceptibility to NB. Single nucleotide polymorphisms of METTL1/WDR4 can be used as a biomarker for screening NB susceptible populations.

Vitexin-rhamnoside encapsulated with zein-pectin nanoparticles relieved high-fat diet induced lipid metabolism disorders in mice by altering the gut microbiota.

This study aimed to investigate the modulatory effects of Vitexin-rhamnoside (VR) and Zein-VR-pectin nanoparticles (VRN) on lipid metabolism disorders induced by high-fat diet (HFD). The ingestion of VR or VRN attenuated dyslipidemia and fat accumulation in HFD mice, and improved intestinal dysbiosis by regulating the relative abundance of dominant bacteria, alleviating chronic inflammation and hepatic injury in HFD mice. The intervention effect of VRN was significantly higher than that of VR. After fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) treatment, the fecal microbiota of VRN-treated donor mice significantly attenuated the symptoms associated with hyperlipidemia, confirming that VRN ameliorates HFD-induced disorders of lipid metabolism by modulating the gut microbiota, especially increasing the abundance of Rombousia and Faecalibaculum. Overall, VRN can regulate the gut microbiota and thus improve lipid metabolism. The present study provided new evidence that nanoparticles enhance the bioavailability of food bioactive ingredients.

Identification of a Novel Aflatoxin B1-Degrading Strain, Bacillus halotolerans DDC-4, and Its Response Mechanisms to Aflatoxin B1.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination is a food safety issue threatening human health globally. Biodegradation is an effective method for overcoming this problem, and many microorganisms have been identified as AFB1-degrading strains. However, the response mechanisms of these microbes to AFB1 remain unclear. More degrading enzymes, especially of new types, need to be discovered. In this study, a novel AFB1-degrading strain, DDC-4, was isolated using coumarin as the sole carbon source. This strain was identified as Bacillus halotolerans through physiological, biochemical, and molecular methods. The strain's degradation activity was predominantly attributable to thermostable extracellular proteins (degradation rate remained approximately 80% at 90 °C) and was augmented by Cu2+ (95.45% AFB1 was degraded at 48 h). Alpha/beta hydrolase (arylesterase) was selected as candidate AFB1-degrading enzymes for the first time as a gene encoding this enzyme was highly expressed in the presence of AFB1. Moreover, AFB1 inhibited many genes involved in the nucleotide synthesis of strain DDC-4, which is possibly the partial molecular mechanism of AFB1's toxicity to microorganisms. To survive under this stress, sporulation-related genes were induced in the strain. Altogether, our study identified a novel AFB1-degrading strain and explained its response mechanisms to AFB1, thereby providing new insights for AFB1 biodegradation.

Analysis of the current state of cervical cancer prevention awareness and its influencing factors among rural women in Luohe City.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to identify the current awareness about cervical cancer prevention among rural women in Luohe City as well as its potential influencing factors. Meanwhile, these data were expected to provide a theoretical basis for Luohe future cervical cancer prevention and therapy. Based on geographical distribution, 40 villages in Luohe City were randomly selected, and questionnaires were given to women in each village. In this study, a total of 4665 questionnaires were distributed, and 4561 valid questionnaires were returned, with a recovery rate of 97.98%. The average score was 4.06 ±â€…2.46 out of 10. It was found that women had a high awareness rate of cervical cancer screening (55.25%) but a low awareness rate of human papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV vaccine (10.17%). Moreover, univariate and multivariable analyses showed that age > 45 years, low household income, low education level, being a farmer, spouse unemployment, no pregnancy or birth delivery history, no family or personal history of cervical disease, and no previous complimentary 2-cancer screening (i.e., breast cancer and cervical cancer) were all factors influencing the cognitive level of rural women in Luohe City (P < .05). However, ethnicity, marital status, and spouse education level were not correlated with cognitive level (P > .05). In conclusion, low awareness of cervical cancer prevention among rural women in Luohe was correlated with individual, family, and social factors. So it was recommended to cultivate the rural population knowledge, optimize screening strategies, and conduct targeted cervical cancer prevention and treatment in rural regions.