Associations between liver function and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease pathology in non-demented adults: The CABLE study.

Liver function has been suggested as a possible factor in the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) development. However, the association between liver function and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of AD biomarkers remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed the data from 1687 adults without dementia from the Chinese Alzheimer's Biomarker and LifestylE study to investigate differences in liver function between pathological and clinical AD groups, as defined by the 2018 National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer's Association Research Framework. We also examined the linear relationship between liver function, CSF AD biomarkers, and cognition using linear regression models. Furthermore, mediation analyses were applied to explore the potential mediation effects of AD pathological biomarkers on cognition. Our findings indicated that, with AD pathological and clinical progression, the concentrations of total protein (TP), globulin (GLO), and aspartate aminotransferase/alanine transaminase (ALT) increased, while albumin/globulin (A/G), adenosine deaminase, alpha-L-fucosidase, albumin, prealbumin, ALT, and glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) concentrations decreased. Furthermore, we also identified significant relationships between TP (ß = -0.115, pFDR < 0.001), GLO (ß = -0.184, pFDR < 0.001), and A/G (ß = 0.182, pFDR < 0.001) and CSF ß-amyloid1-42 (Aß1-42 ) (and its related CSF AD biomarkers). Moreover, after 10 000 bootstrapped iterations, we identified a potential mechanism by which TP and GLDH may affect cognition by mediating CSF AD biomarkers, with mediation effect sizes ranging from 3.91% to 16.44%. Overall, our results suggested that abnormal liver function might be involved in the clinical and pathological progression of AD. Amyloid and tau pathologies also might partially mediate the relationship between liver function and cognition. Future research is needed to fully understand the underlying mechanisms and causality to develop an approach to AD prevention and treatment approach.

Amyloid pathology mediates the associations between plasma fibrinogen and cognition in non-demented adults.

Though previous studies revealed the potential associations of elevated levels of plasma fibrinogen with dementia, there is still limited understanding regarding the influence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers on these associations. We sought to investigate the interrelationships among fibrinogen, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) AD biomarkers, and cognition in non-demented adults. We included 1996 non-demented adults from the Chinese Alzheimer's Biomarker and LifestylE (CABLE) study and 337 from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database. The associations of fibrinogen with AD biomarkers and cognition were explored using multiple linear regression models. The mediation analyses with 10 000 bootstrapped iterations were conducted to explore the mediating effects of AD biomarkers on cognition. In addition, interaction analyses and subgroup analyses were conducted to assess the influence of covariates on the relationships between fibrinogen and AD biomarkers. Participants exhibiting low Aß42 were designated as A+, while those demonstrating high phosphorylated tau (P-tau) and total tau (Tau) were labeled as T+ and N+, respectively. Individuals with normal measures of Aß42 and P-tau were categorized as the A-T- group, and those with abnormal levels of both Aß42 and P-tau were grouped under A+T+. Fibrinogen was higher in the A+ subgroup compared to that in the A- subgroup (p = 0.026). Fibrinogen was higher in the A+T+ subgroup compared to that in the A-T- subgroup (p = 0.011). Higher fibrinogen was associated with worse cognition and Aß pathology (all p < 0.05). Additionally, the associations between fibrinogen and cognition were partially mediated by Aß pathology (mediation proportion range 8%-28%). Interaction analyses and subgroup analyses showed that age and ApoE ε4 affect the relationships between fibrinogen and Aß pathology. Fibrinogen was associated with both cognition and Aß pathology. Aß pathology may be a critical mediator for impacts of fibrinogen on cognition.

Gastric Peroral Endoscopic Pyloromyotomy for Infants With Congenital Hypertrophic Pyloric Stenosis.

INTRODUCTION: Congenital hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (CHPS), the most common infantile disease requiring surgical intervention, is routinely treated with open or laparoscopic pyloromyotomy. Recently, gastric peroral endoscopic pyloromyotomy (G-POEM) has been used for adult gastroparesis. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of G-POEM in treating infantile CHPS. METHODS: We reviewed data from 21 G-POEM-treated patients at 3 tertiary children's endoscopic centers in China between January 2019 and December 2020. Clinical characteristics, procedure-related parameters, perioperative management, and follow-up outcomes were summarized. RESULTS: G-POEM was performed successfully in all patients. The median operative duration was 49 (14-150) minutes. The submucosal tunnels were successfully established along the greater curvature of the stomach in 19 cases, and 2 cases were switched to the lesser curvature because of difficulty. No perioperative major adverse events occurred. Minor adverse events included inconsequential mucosal injury in 5 cases and unsatisfactory closure of the mucosal incision in 1 case. Upper gastrointestinal contrast radiography in all patients showed smooth passage of the contrast agent through the pylorus on postoperative day 3. The growth curves of the patients reached normal levels 3 months after the procedure. No recurrent clinical symptoms occurred in any patient during the median follow-up period of 25.5 (14-36) months. DISCUSSION: G-POEM is feasible, safe, and effective for infants with CHPS, with satisfactory clinical responses over a short-term follow-up. Further multicenter studies should be performed to compare the long-term outcomes of this minimally invasive technique with open or laparoscopic pyloromyotomy.

Maintenance of glutamine synthetase expression alleviates endotoxin-induced sepsis via alpha-ketoglutarate-mediated demethylation.

Glutamine synthetase (Glul) is the enzyme that synthesizes endogenous glutamine, which is responsible for critical metabolic pathways and the immune system. However, the role of Glul in regulating endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS)-induced sepsis remains unclear. Here, we found that Glul expression in macrophages was significantly inhibited in endotoxemia, and that Glul deletion induced macrophages to differentiate into the pro-inflammatory type and aggravated sepsis in mice. Mechanistically, TLR4/NF-κB-induced alpha-ketoglutarate (α-KG) depletion inhibits Glul expression through H3K27me3-mediated methylation in septic mice. Both Glul overexpression with adeno-associated virus (AAV) and restoration by replenishing α-KG can alleviate the severity of sepsis. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that Glul can regulate LPS-induced sepsis and provides a novel strategy for the treatment of this disease.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection for anastomotic lesions after colorectal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for anastomotic lesions is technically challenging. We aimed to characterize the clinicopathologic characteristics, feasibility, and effectiveness of ESD for anastomotic lesions of the lower gastrointestinal tract. METHOD: We retrospectively investigated 55 patients with anastomotic lesions of the lower gastrointestinal tract who underwent ESD from February 2008 to January 2021. The lesions involving one or both sides of anastomoses were classified into the unilaterally involving anastomosis (UIA) or straddling anastomosis (SA) group, respectively. We collected clinicopathological characteristics, procedure-related parameters and outcomes, and follow-up data and analyzed the impact of anastomotic involvement. RESULTS: The mean age was 62.5 years, and the median procedure duration was 30 min. The rates of en bloc resection and R0 resection were 90.9% and 85.5%, respectively. Four patients (7.3%) experienced major adverse events (AEs). During a median follow-up of 66 months (range 14-169), seven patients had local recurrence, and six patients had metastases. The 5-year disease-free survival and overall survival rates were 82.4% and 90.7%, respectively. The 5-year disease -specific survival (DSS) rate was 93.3%. Compared with the UIA group, the SA group had significantly longer procedure duration, larger specimen, lower rates of en bloc resection and R0 resection, and shorter disease-free survival (all P < 0.05). However, rates of AEs did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The short-term and long-term outcomes of ESD for colorectal anastomotic lesions were favorable. Although with technically challenging, ESD could be performed safely and effectively for lesions at the anastomoses.

A cross-sectional study reveals a chronic low-grade inflammation in achalasia.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Immune-mediated neuroinflammation has been proposed to underlie the loss of lower esophageal sphincter (LES) myenteric neurons in achalasia. However, the immune status and key pathogenic immune subpopulations remain unclear. This study aims to evaluate the inflammatory status of patients with achalasia and their correlation with clinical characteristics, and further explore the key pathogenic subpopulations. METHODS: We investigated the complete blood cell count and inflammatory markers in a large population of patients with achalasia (n = 341) and healthy controls (n = 80). The subpopulations of lymphocytes were analyzed by flow cytometry. Immunofluorescence was used to determine immune cell infiltration in the LES. Transcriptome changes of the key subpopulation were determined by RNA sequencing analysis. RESULTS: NLR, MLR, CRP, globulin, IL-6 and IL-10 were significantly elevated in patients with achalasia. MLR and globulin were positively correlated with disease duration. The absolute count and percentage of CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood and its infiltration around ganglion in the LES were significantly increased in achalasia. Transcriptome analysis indicated that CD8+ T cells were activated and proliferative. In addition to multiple inflammatory pathways, regulation of neuroinflammatory response pathway was also significantly up-regulated in achalasia. GSEA analysis revealed a close association with autoimmune diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with achalasia suffered from chronic low-grade inflammation with dysregulated immune cells and mediators associated with disease duration. CD8+ T cells might be the key pathogenic subpopulation of achalasia. Our results provide an important immune cell signature of the pathogenesis of achalasia.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection for lesions involving the anastomosis after upper gastrointestinal surgery.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for anastomotic lesions is technically challenging due to severe fibrosis, deformity, staples, and limited space for procedure. We aimed to characterize the clinicopathological characteristics, feasibility, and effectiveness of ESD for anastomotic lesions of the upper gastrointestinal tract. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated 43 patients with lesions involving the anastomoses of the upper GI tract who underwent ESD from April 2007 to February 2021. We collected clinicopathological characteristics, procedure­related parameters and outcomes, and follow­up data and analyzed the impact of anastomotic involvement. RESULTS: The median duration from previous upper GI surgery was 60 months and the median procedure duration was 30 min. The rate of en bloc resection and en bloc with R0 resection was 90.7% and 81.4%, respectively. Two patients (4.7%) experienced major adverse events, including delayed bleeding and febrile episode. During a median follow-up of 80 months, 3 patients had local recurrence and 4 patients had metastases. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 89.6% and 95.1%, respectively. Compared with the unilaterally involving group, the straddling anastomosis group had significantly longer procedure duration, larger specimen, lower rates of en bloc resection and en bloc with R0 resection, and shorter DFS and OS (all P < 0.05). However, rates of adverse events did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The short­ and long-term outcomes of ESD for upper GI anastomotic lesions were favorable. Although with technically challenging, ESD could be performed safely and effectively for anastomotic lesions.

Endoscopic resection of upper GI extraluminal tumors (with videos).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Endoscopic resection is a feasible treatment for GI extraluminal tumors but remains a challenging procedure with limited data. In this study, we assessed the safety and efficacy of endoscopic resection for extraluminal tumors in the upper GI tract. METHODS: From May 2016 to December 2021, 109 patients undergoing endoscopic resection for extraluminal tumors in the upper GI tract were retrospectively included. Clinicopathologic characteristics, procedure-related parameters, adverse events (AEs), and follow-up outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: The en-bloc tumor resection rate was 94.5% and en-bloc retrieval rate 86.2%. Statistical analysis revealed tumor size ≥3.0 cm and irregular shape as significant risk factors for piecemeal extraction. Resection time and suture time were 46.8 ± 33.6 minutes and 20.6 ± 20.1 minutes, respectively. Large tumor size was significantly associated with a longer procedure duration. Five patients (4.6%) experienced major AEs, including recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, hydrothorax, major bleeding, local peritonitis, duodenal leakage, and repeat endoscopic surgery for tumor extraction. Minor AEs occurred in 13 patients (11.9%). Irregular tumor shape and tumor location (duodenum) were significantly associated with AE occurrence. Mean postoperative hospital stay was 4.7 ± 3.3 days. No recurrence or metastasis was observed during the mean follow-up period of 31.8 ± 15.2 months. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic resection is a safe and feasible therapeutic approach for upper GI extraluminal tumors. Tumor size, shape, and location impact the difficulty and safety of the procedure. Endoscopic resection of duodenal tumors is also feasible but associated with an increased risk of AEs compared with tumors in other locations.

Transesophageal endoscopic resection of mediastinal cysts (with video).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Primary mediastinal cysts are infrequent lesions derived from a variety of mediastinal organs or structures. Complete surgical resection is the treatment of choice even in asymptomatic patients to prevent severe adverse events (AEs) and to establish the diagnosis. Transesophageal endoscopic resection of benign mediastinal tumors has been proven feasible. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of transesophageal endoscopic surgery for mediastinal cysts. METHODS: From January 2016 to May 2021, patients with mediastinal cysts who underwent transesophageal endoscopic resection were retrospectively included. Clinicopathologic characteristics, procedure-related parameters, AEs, and follow-up outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Ten patients with mediastinal cysts were included in this study. The mean cyst size was 3.3 ± 1.3 cm. Histopathology revealed 3 bronchogenic cysts (30.0%), 4 esophageal duplication cysts (40.0%), 2 gastroenteric cysts (20.0%), and 1 lymphatic cyst (10.0%). All procedures were performed uneventfully without conversion to traditional surgery. En-bloc resection was achieved in 6 patients (60.0%). Aggressive resection was avoided to prevent damage to the surrounding vital organs. Mean resection time and suture time were 58.0 ± 36.4 minutes and 5.4 ± 1.0 minutes, respectively. No major pneumothorax, bleeding, mucosal injury, or fistula occurred. One patient had a transient febrile episode (>38.5°C). Mean postoperative hospital stay was 2.7 ± .9 days. No residual or recurrent lesions were observed in any patient during a mean follow-up period of 29.8 ± 19.5 months. CONCLUSIONS: Transesophageal endoscopic surgery appears to be a feasible, safe, effective, and much less invasive approach for mediastinal cyst resection. Larger prospective studies are required to fully assess the efficacy and safety of this novel technique.

Effect of facemask oxygenation with and without positive pressure ventilation on gastric volume during anesthesia induction in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy or partial hepatectomy: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Studies focusing on the relationship between gastric volume and facemask oxygenation without ventilation during apnea in anesthesia induction are scarce. This study compared the change in gastric volume during apnea in anesthesia induction using facemask ventilation and facemask oxygenation without ventilation in adults undergoing laparoscopic surgery. METHODS: In this prospective, randomized, double-blinded trial, 70 adults undergoing laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia were divided into two groups to receive facemask oxygenation with and without ventilation for 60 seconds after loss of consciousness. Before anesthesia induction and after endotracheal intubation, the gastric antral cross-sectional area was measured with ultrasound imaging. Arterial blood gases were tested at baseline (T1), after preoxygenation (T2), after loss of consciousness (T3), and before and after endotracheal intubation (T4 and T5, respectively). RESULTS: Sixty patients were included (ventilation n = 30; non ventilation n = 30, 10 patients were excluded). The median [IQR] change of gastric antral cross-sectional area in ventilation group was significantly higher than in non ventilation group (0.83 [0.20 to 1.54] vs. 0.10 [- 0.11 to 0.56] cm2, P = 0.001). At T4 and T5, the PaO2 in ventilation group was significantly higher than in non ventilation group (T4: 391.83 ± 61.53 vs. 336.23 ± 74.99 mmHg, P < 0.01; T5: 364.00 ± 58.65 vs. 297.13 ± 86.95 mmHg, P < 0.01), while the PaCO2 in non ventilation group was significantly higher (T4: 46.57 ± 5.78 vs. 37.27 ± 6.10 mmHg, P < 0.01; T5: 48.77 ± 6.59 vs. 42.63 ± 6.03 mmHg, P < 0.01) and the pH value in non ventilation group was significantly lower (T4: 7.35 ± 0.029 vs 7.42 ± 0.047, P < 0.01; T5: 7.34 ± 0.033 vs 7.39 ± 0.044, P < 0.01). At T4, the HCO3- in non ventilation group was significantly higher (25.79 ± 2.36 vs. 23.98 ± 2.18 mmol l- 1, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: During apnoea, the increase in gastric volume was milder in patients undergoing facemask oxygenation without ventilation than with positive pressure ventilation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR2100054193, 10/12/2021, Title: "Effect of positive pressure and non-positive pressure ventilation on gastric volume during induction of general anesthesia in laparoscopic surgery: a randomized controlled trial". Website: https://www.chictr.ogr.cn .

A capacitive humidity sensor based on all-protein embedded with gold nanoparticles @ carbon composite for human respiration detection.

Wool and silk fiber are the most extensive resources of protein fibers and have been used in the textile field for many years. The extracted biocompatible proteins are more and more widely used in flexible devices, sensors, tissue engineering, etc. Here, a fully biomaterial based flexible humidity sensor has been successfully fabricated for the first time. Interdigital electrodes of humidity sensor are printed on a transparent sensor substrate made of silk protein by inkjet printing. The humidity sensitive material is gold nanoparticles hosted nitrogen doped carbon (AuNPs@NC), which is fabricated by in situ dispersion of gold nanoparticles in a wool keratin assisted porous carbon precursor. The best treatment condition of the sensitive materials is obtained by comparing the sensitivity of humidity response. Moreover, the as-prepared biocompatible flexible sensor was successfully used to detect human respiration.

Flexible and disposable gold nanoparticles-N-doped carbon-modified electrochemical sensor for simultaneous detection of dopamine and uric acid.

Catalytic and electrocatalytic applications of supported metal nanoparticles are hindered due to an aggregation of metal nanoparticles and catalytic leaching under harsh operations. Hence, stable and leaching free catalysts with high surface area are extremely desirable but also challenging. Here we report a gold nanoparticles-hosted mesoporous nitrogen doped carbon matrix, which is prepared using bovine serum albumin (BSA) through calcination. BSA plays three roles in this process as a reducing agent, capping agent and carbon precursor, hence the protocol exhibits economic and sustainable. Gold nanoparticles at N-doped BSA carbon (AuNPs@NBSAC)-modified three-electrode strip-based flexible sensor system has been developed, which displayed effective, sensitive and selective for simultaneous detection of uric acid (UA) and dopamine (DA). The AuNPs@NBSAC-modified sensor showed an excellent response toward DA with a linear response throughout the concentration range from 1 to 50 µM and a detection limit of 0.05 µM. It also exhibited an excellent response toward UA, with a wide detection range from 5 to 200 µM as well as a detection limit of 0.1 µM. The findings suggest that the AuNPs@NBSAC nanohybrid reveals promising applications and can be considered as potential electrode materials for development of electrochemical biosensors.

From Molecular Reconstruction of Mesoscopic Functional Conductive Silk Fibrous Materials to Remote Respiration Monitoring.

Turning insulating silk fibroin materials into conductive ones turns out to be the essential step toward achieving active silk flexible electronics. This work aims to acquire electrically conductive biocompatible fibers of regenerated Bombyx mori silk fibroin (SF) materials based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) templated nucleation reconstruction of silk fibroin networks. The electronical conductivity of the reconstructed mesoscopic functional fibers can be tuned by the density of the incorporated CNTs. It follows that the hybrid fibers experience an abrupt increase in conductivity when exceeding the percolation threshold of CNTs >35 wt%, which leads to the highest conductivity of 638.9 S m-1 among organic-carbon-based hybrid fibers, and 8 times higher than the best available materials of the similar types. In addition, the silk-CNT mesoscopic hybrid materials achieve some new functionalities, i.e., humidity-responsive conductivity, which is attributed to the coupling of the humidity inducing cyclic contraction of SFs and the conductivity of CNTs. The silk-CNT materials, as a type of biocompatible electronic functional fibrous material for pressure and electric response humidity sensing, are further fabricated into a smart facial mask to implement respiration condition monitoring for remote diagnosis and medication.

Programing Performance of Silk Fibroin Superstrong Scaffolds by Mesoscopic Regulation among Hierarchical Structures.

To design higher-strength natural scaffold materials, wool keratin (WK) rich in α-helix structures is used as a well-defined foreign substrate, which induces the formation of ß-crystallites in silk fibroin (SF). Consequently, the macroscopic properties of silk materials (such as the rheological properties of SF hydrogels and the mechanical properties of stents) can be manipulated by governing the change in the hierarchical mesoscopic structure of silk materials. In this work, by monitoring the structure and morphology in the SF gel process, the mechanism of the effect of keratin on SF network formation was speculated, which was further used to design ultra-high-strength protein scaffolds. It has been confirmed that WK accelerates the gelation of SF by reducing the multistep nucleation barrier and increasing the primary nucleation sites, and then establishing a high-density SF domain network. The modulus of the protein composite scaffold prepared by this facile strategy can reach 11.55 MPa, and the MC-3T3 cells can grow well on the scaffold surface. The results suggest that freeze-dried biocompatible SF-based scaffolds are potential candidates for bone tissue engineering.

Silk Composite Electronic Textile Sensor for High Space Precision 2D Combo Temperature-Pressure Sensing.

Wearable electronic textiles based on natural biocompatible/biodegradable materials have attracted great attention due to applications in health care and smart clothes. Silkworm fibers are durable, good heat conductors, insulating, and biocompatible, and are therefore regarded as excellent mediating materials for flexible electronics. In this paper, a strategy on the design and fabrication of highly flexible multimode electronic textiles (E-textile) based on functionalized silkworm fiber coiled yarns and weaving technology is presented. To achieve enhanced temperature sensing performance, a mixture of carbon nanotubes and an ionic liquid ([EMIM]Tf2 N) is embedded, which displays top sensitivity of 1.23% °C-1 and stability compared with others. Furthermore, fibrous pressure sensing based on the capacitance change of each cross-point of two yarns gives rise to highly position dependent and sensitivity sensing of 0.136 kPa-1 . Based on weaving technologies, a unique combo textile sensor, which can sense temperature and pressure independently with a position precision of 1 mm2 , is obtained. The application to intelligent gloves endows the position dependent sensing of the weight, and temperature distribution sensing of the temperature.

Fast reversed-phase liquid chromatographic separation of proteins by flow-through poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) microspheres.

With the explosive growth of the bioscience and biopharmaceuticals, the demand for high efficient analysis and separation of proteins is urgent. High-performance liquid chromatography is an appropriate technology for this purpose, and the stationary phase is the kernel to the separation efficiency. In this study, flow-through poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) microspheres characteristic of the binary pores, i.e. flow-through pores and mesopores, were synthesized; this special porous structure would benefit the convective mass transfer while guarantee the high specific surface area. Owing to the hydrophobic nature, poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) microspheres were suitable as the reversed-phase stationary phase for separation of proteins. For the high permeability of the poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) microspheres packed column, fast separation of the studied six proteins in ∼2 min was achieved. The recoveries of studied proteins were acceptable in the range of 79.0-99.4%. The proposed column had good pH stability of 1-13 and repeatability. Moreover, the column was applied for egg white fast separation, further demonstrating its applicability for complex bio-sample separation. The flow-through poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) microspheres were promising for fast separation of large molecules.

STAT3 rs4796793 contributes to lung cancer risk and clinical outcomes of platinum-based chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3 plays a vital role in carcinogenesis and drug response. Platinum-based chemotherapy is the first-line treatment for lung cancer patients, especially those in advanced stages. In the present study, we investigated the association of STAT3 polymorphism rs4796793 with lung cancer susceptibility, platinum-based chemotherapy response, and toxicity. METHODS: A total of 498 lung cancer patients and 213 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. 467 of them received at least 2-cycle platinum-based chemotherapy. Unconditional logistical regression analysis was used to assess the associations. RESULTS: STAT3 rs4769793 G allele carriers had an increased susceptibility of lung cancer [additive model: adjusted OR (95% CI) 1.376 (1.058-1.789), P = 0.017; recessive model: adjusted OR (95% CI) 1.734 (1.007-2.985), P = 0.047]. Rs4769793 was not significantly associated with platinum-based chemotherapy response in lung cancer patients. STAT3 rs4796793 was associated with an increased risk of severe overall toxicity [additive model: adjusted OR (95% CI) 1.410 (1.076-1.850), P = 0.013; dominant model: adjusted OR (95% CI) 1.638 (1.091-2.459), P = 0.017], especially hematological toxicity [additive model: adjusted OR (95% CI) 1.352 (1.001-1.826), P = 0.049]. CONCLUSIONS: STAT3 rs4796793 may be considered as a potential candidate biomarker for the prediction of susceptibility and prognosis in Chinese lung cancer patients. However, well-designed studies with larger sample sizes are required to verify the results.

Preparation of highly hydrophilic magnetic nanoparticles with anion-exchange ability and their application for the extraction of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in environmental samples.

Diallyldimethylammonium chloride modified magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized by the "thiol-ene" click chemistry reaction. Diallyldimethylammonium chloride rendered the material plenty of quaternary ammonium groups, and thus the excellent aqueous dispersibility and anion-exchange capability. The novel material was then used as the magnetic solid-phase extraction sorbent to extract eight non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs from water samples. Combined with high-performance liquid chromatography and ultraviolet detection, under the optimal conditions, the developed method exhibited wide linearity ranges (1-1000, 2-1000, and 5-1000 ng/mL) with recoveries of 88.0-108.6% and low limits of detection (0.3-1.5 ng/mL). Acceptable precision was obtained with satisfactory intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations of 0.4-4.4% (n = 3) and 1.1-5.5% (n = 3), respectively. Batch-to-batch reproducibility was acceptable with relative standard deviations <9.7%. The hydrophilic magnetic nanoparticle featured with quaternary ammonium groups showed high analytical potential for acidic analytes in environmental water samples.