EIF4A3-negatively driven circular RNA ß-catenin (circß-catenin) promotes colorectal cancer progression via miR-197-3p/CTNND1 regulatory axis.

BACKGROUND: Circß-catenin, our first reported circRNA, has been reported to mediate tumorigenesis in various cancers. However, its biological functions and underlying mechanisms in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unknown. METHODS: The qRT-PCR examination was used to detect the expression of circß-catenin, miR-197-3p, and CTNND1 in cells and human tissues. Western blot was conducted to detect the protein expression levels. The biological function of circß-catenin was verified by MTT, colony formation, wound healing, and transwell assays. The in vivo effects of circß-catenin were verified by nude mice xenograft and metastasis models. The regulatory network of circß-catenin/miR-197-3p/CTNND1 was confirmed via dual-luciferase reporter and RIP assays. RESULTS: In the present study, circß-catenin was found to promote CRC cell proliferation and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, circß-catenin served as miRNA decoy to directly bind to miR-197-3p, then antagonized the repression of the target gene CTNND1, and eventually promoted the malignant phenotype of CRC. More interestingly, the inverted repeated Alu pairs termed AluJb1/2 and AluY facilitated the biogenesis of circß-catenin, which could be partially reversed by EIF4A3 binding to Alu element AluJb2. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings illustrated a novel mechanism of circß-catenin in modulating CRC tumorigenesis and metastasis, which provides a potential therapeutic target for CRC patients.

[Determination of nine components of fried Ziziphi Spinosae Semen extract in beagle dog plasma by UPLC-MS/MS and its application in pharmacokinetic research].

This study established a convenient, rapid, and sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS) method for simultaneous determination of magnoflorine,(R)-coclaurine, vicenin Ⅱ, isospinosin, spinosin, swertisin, N-nornuciferine, 6-feruloylspinosin, and jujuboside B in beagle dog plasma after oral administration of fried Ziziphi Spinosae Semen(FZSS) extract. The Waters HSS-T3 C_(18) column(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.8 µm) was used. The methanol-aqueous solution(containing 0.01% formic acid) was adopted as the mobile phase for gradient elution. The nine components and two internal standards were completely separated within 8 min. The mass spectrometry detection was performed in multiple reaction monitoring(MRM) mode by positive and negative ion switching of electrospray ionization. The analytical method was validated in terms of specificity, selectivity, linear range, accuracy, precision, recovery, matrix effect, and stability. It could meet the requirement of pharmacokinetic research after oral administration of FZSS extract to beagle dogs. The results showed that the time to reach the peak concentration(T_(max)) of magnoflorine,(R)-coclaurine, vicenin Ⅱ, isospinosin, spinosin, 6-feruloylspinosin, and jujuboside B was 2.40-3.20 h, and the elimination halflife(t_(1/2)) was 2.08-6.79 h after a single-dose oral administration of FZSS to beagle dogs. The exposure of magnoflorine and spinosin was high, with a peak concentration(C_(max)) of 76.7 and 31.5 ng·mL~(-1) and an area under the curve(AUC_(0-∞)) of 581 and 315 ng·h·mL~(-1), respectively. The exposure of the remaining five compounds was lower, with a C_(max) of 0.81-13.0 ng·mL~(-1) and an AUC_(0-∞) of 6.00-106 ng·h·mL~(-1). This study provides a reference for the follow-up research of FZSS.

Survival of SARS-CoV-2 in artificial seawater and on the surface of inanimate materials.

There is a potential risk for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spread through human contact with seafood and the inanimate materials contaminated by the virus. In this study, we examined the stability of the virus in artificial seawater (ASW) and on the surface of selected materials. SARS-CoV-2 (3.75 log10 TCID50 ) in ASW at 22℃ maintained infectious about 3 days and at 4℃ the virus survived more than 7 days. It should be noticed that viable virus at high titer (5.50 log10 TCID50 ) may survive more than 20 days in ASW at 4℃ and for 7 days at 22℃. SARS-CoV-2 on stainless steel and plastic bag maintained infectious for 3 days, and on nonwoven fabric for 1 day at 22℃. In addition, the virus remained infectious for 9 days on stainless steel and non-woven fabric, and on plastic bag for 12 days at 4℃. It is important to highlight the role of inanimate material surfaces as a source of infection and the necessity for surface decontamination and disinfection.

Two New C21 Steroidal Glycosides from Selaginella Braunii Baker.

Two new C21 steroidal glycosides, brapreguanes A and B (1-2) were isolated from 75 % aqueous ethanol extract of Selaginella braunii Baker. Their structures were established by spectroscopic analyses (1D/2D NMR spectra and HR-ESI-MS). The absolute configurations of sugar were elucidated by enzymatic hydrolysis and GCMS analysis. In addition, all compounds were evaluated for the anti-proliferative activities against various human cancer cells in vitro. Compounds exhibited no inhibition to various human cancer cells.

Neuroprotective Effects of Dammarane-Type Saponins from Panax notoginseng on Glutamate-Induced Cell Damage in PC12 Cells.

Dammarane-type saponins, the main active ingredients of Panax notoginseng, have substantial neuroprotective effects in different animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. However, because these compounds have different structures, the level of protection provided by individual compounds varies, and highly active compounds can be selected based on structure-activity relationships. Glutamate is a major excitatory neurotransmitter that plays an important role in synaptic response development. However, excessive extracellular glutamate levels lead to neuronal dysfunctions in the central nervous system. Herein, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of nine saponins (compounds 1:  - 9: ) on glutamate-treated PC12 cells in the concentration range of 0.1 - 10 µM. The MTT assay revealed that these compounds increased cell viability to 65.6, 69.8, 76.9, 91.7, 74.4, 63.3, 59.9, 64.7, and 59.9%, respectively, compared with the glutamate-treated cells (44.6%). Protopanaxatriol (compound 4: ) was the most neuroprotective compound, and subsequent experiments revealed that pretreatment with compound 4: significantly reverses mitochondrial membrane potential collapse, increases superoxide dismutase activity, and decreases lactate dehydrogenase leakage, malondiadehyde levels, reactive oxygen species generation, and cell apoptosis. Compound 4: also decreased the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, cleaved caspase-3, N-methyl-D-aspartic receptor 1, and Ca2+-/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II expression, and inhibited glutamate-induced cytochrome C release and phosphorylation of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and p38. Overall, the results indicate that protopanaxatriol has significant neuroprotective effects, and might be a promising neuroprotective agent for preventing and treating neurodegenerative diseases.

Current status of pathway analysis in genome-wide association study.

Since the first publication in 2005, the genome-wide association study (GWAS) strategy has contributed significantly to the understanding of the mechanisms of human genetic diseases. Integrations of statistical methods and systematic biology are important means to explore the GWAS data. Pathway analysis establishes the importance of genetic variants from GWAS and provides insights into their biological significance. It is conducive in correlating the genetic variants, which have only small but interactive changes, to their importance in the biological pathways. At present, pathway analysis has been widely applied to studies of GWAS data, with relatively good results. In the meantime, various analytical methods are being developed and adapted for research on more types of complex data. In this review, we summarize the statistical methods of pathway analysis on GWAS data, and divide them into non-kernel methods and kernel methods. The non-kernel methods include gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and hierarchical Bayes prioritization (HBP) analysis, while kernel methods include linear kernel (LIN), identity-by-status kernel (IBS) and powered exponential kernel. We have summarized the calculation principles and features of these statistical methods to provide insights for further developments of new algorithms in GWAS research.

[Real-Time Monitoring Method for Pedicle Screw Fixation Surgery Based on Near-Infrared Spectrum and Computer Tomography Images].

Spine is one of the most important organs in the human body. One of the most commonly used method for the treatment of spinal diseases is the internal fixation and accurate placement of pedicle screw, which is a key factor of spinal surgery. However, due to the large differences as to the appearance of pedicles, it is hard to place the pedicle screw precisely, which will cause complication. Therefore, to find a new real-time intra-operative monitoring method with navigation is the direction of clinical application research. In this paper, a new method was firstly proposed. This method combined computer tomography (CT) values and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRs) measurement data to guide the PS placement, and the relationship between NIRs parameters and CT values along the PS trajectory in vertebrae was investigated. First, we took pig vertebrae as samples and different puncture paths were planned. Second, a near-infrared monitoring device was utilized in experiments of fresh pig vertebrae to acquire the best NIRs monitoring pattern factors. Finally, the correlation function between NIRs data and CT values pattern factors was obtained. The results showed that CT values have a linear relationship with NIRs monitoring pattern factors, which provide references for real-time monitoring method in pedicle screw fixation surgery. This model can be applied in monitoring the pedicle screw implantation and alarming. The proposed method will be potential in improving the accuracy of PS placement and reduce the risk caused by the misplacement of pedicle screw.

M6A modification regulates tumor suppressor DIRAS1 expression in cervical cancer cells.

DIRAS family GTPase 1 (DIRAS1) has been reported as a potential tumor suppressor in other human cancer. However, its expression pattern and role in cervical cancer remain unknown. Knockdown of DIRAS1 significantly promoted the proliferation, growth, migration, and invasion of C33A and SiHa cells cultured in vitro. Overexpression of DIRAS1 significantly inhibited the viability and motility of C33A and SiHa cells. Compared with normal cervical tissues, DIRAS1 mRNA levels were significantly lower in cervical cancer tissues. DIRAS1 protein expression was also significantly reduced in cervical cancer tissues compared with para-cancerous tissues. In addition, DIRAS1 expression level in tumor tissues was significantly negatively correlated with the pathological grades of cervical cancer patients. DNA methylation inhibitor (5-Azacytidine) and histone deacetylation inhibitor (SAHA) resulted in a significant increase in DIRAS1 mRNA levels in C33A and SiHa cells, but did not affect DIRAS1 protein levels. FTO inhibitor (FB23-2) significantly down-regulated intracellular DIRAS1 mRNA levels, but significantly up-regulated DIRAS1 protein levels. Moreover, the down-regulation of METTL3 and METTL14 expression significantly inhibited DIRAS1 protein expression, whereas the down-regulation of FTO and ALKBH5 expression significantly increased DIRAS1 protein expression. In conclusion, DIRAS1 exerts a significant anti-oncogenic function and its expression is significantly downregulated in cervical cancer cells. The m6A modification may be a key mechanism to regulate DIRAS1 mRNA stability and protein translation efficiency in cervical cancer.

Beneficial effects of oxymatrine from Sophora flavescens on alleviating Ulcerative colitis by improving inflammation and ferroptosis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Sophora flavescens is often used in traditional Chinese medicine for skin issues, diarrhea, and vaginal itching (Plant names have been checked with http://www.the/plant/list.org on Feb 22nd, 2024). Oxymatrine (OY), a major bioactive compound from Sophora flavescens, is commonly used in China to treat ulcerative colitis, but its mechanisms are still unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: Recent studies have found that the crosstalk between ferroptosis and inflammation is an important mechanism in the pathogenesis of UC. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential underlying mechanisms of OY treatment on DSS-induced ulcerative colitis, specifically focusing on the processes of ferroptosis and inflammation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bioinformatics methods were used to identify key targets of OY for ferroptosis and inflammation in ulcerative colitis, based on GEO data and FerrDb database. Then, 4% DSS solution was used to induce UC model. OY's impact on morphological changes was assessed using colon views, Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Ferroptosis phenotype index and inflammations factors were detected by ELISA or chem-bio detection kits. The screen out hub related genes about ferroptosis and inflammation were verified by RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and western blotting (WB) respectively. RESULTS: Bioinformatics results show that there are 16 key target genes involved in ferroptosis and inflammation interaction of OY treatment for UC, such as IL6, NOS2, IDO1, SOCS1, and DUOX. The results of animal experiments show that OY could depress inflammatory factors (IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, HMGB1, and NLRP3) and reduce iron deposition (Fe2+, GSH). Additionally, OY suppressed the hub genes or proteins expression involved in ferroptosis and inflammation, including IL-1ß, IL-6, NOS2, HIF1A, IDO1, TIMP1, and DUOX2. CONCLUSION: This present study combines bioinformatics, molecular biology, and animal experimental research evidently demonstrated that OY attenuates UC by improving ferroptosis and inflammation, mainly target to the expression of IL-1ß, IL-6, NOS2, HIF1A, IDO1, TIMP1, and DUOX2.

Aucubin Promotes Osteogenic Differentiation and Facilitates Bone Formation through the lncRNA-H19 Driven Wnt/ß-Catenin Signaling Regulatory Axis.

Objectives: Traditional Chinese medicine Cortex Eucommiae has been used to treat bone fracture for hundreds of years, which exerts a significant improvement in fracture healing. Aucubin, a derivative isolated from Cortex Eucommiae, has been demonstrated to possess anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, and antioxidative potential. In the present study, our aim was to explore its function in bone regeneration and elucidate the underlying mechanism. Materials and Methods: The effects of Aucubin on osteoblast and osteoclast were examined in mouse bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) and RAW 264.7 cells, respectively. Moreover, the lncRNA H19 and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling were detected by qPCR examination, western blotting, and luciferase activity assays. Using the femur fracture mice model, the in vivo effect of Aucubin on bone formation was monitored by X-ray, micro-CT, histomorphometry, and immunohistochemistry staining. Results: In the present study, Aucubin was found to significantly promote osteogenic differentiation in vitro and stimulated bone formation in vivo. Regarding to the underlying mechanism, H19 was found to be obviously upregulated by Aucubin in MSCs and thus induced the activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling. Moreover, H19 knockdown partially reversed the Aucubin-induced osteogenic differentiation and successfully suppressed the activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling. We therefore suggested that Aucubin induced the activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling through promoting H19 expression. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that Aucubin promoted osteogenesis in vitro and facilitated fracture healing in vivo through the H19-Wnt/ß-catenin regulatory axis.

Effect of Traditional Chinese Non-Pharmacological Therapies on Knee Osteoarthritis: A Narrative Review of Clinical Application and Mechanism.

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) stands as a degenerative ailment with a substantial and escalating prevalence. The practice of traditional Chinese non-pharmacological therapy has become a prevalent complementary and adjunctive approach. A mounting body of evidence suggests its efficacy in addressing KOA. Recent investigations have delved into its underlying mechanism, yielding some headway. Consequently, this comprehensive analysis seeks to encapsulate the clinical application and molecular mechanism of traditional Chinese non-pharmacological therapy in KOA treatment. The review reveals that various therapies, such as acupuncture, electroacupuncture, warm needle acupuncture, tuina, and acupotomy, primarily target localized knee components like cartilage, subchondral bone, and synovium. Moreover, their impact extends to the central nervous system and intestinal flora. More perfect experimental design and more comprehensive research remain a promising avenue in the future.

[Prognosis related clinical and molecular factors in malignant pleural mesothelioma].

OBJECTIVE: To identify potential prognosis related clinical and molecular factors in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). METHODS: Seventy-nine patients with MPM treated in Beijing Cancer Hospital from June 1996 to May 2012 were enrolled in this study. Clinical and pathological data were collected, including age, gender, smoking status, treatment, response, and molecular biomarkers such as thymidylate synthetase (TS) expression, echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (EML4-ALK) gene rearrangement. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). SPSS 16.0 statistical analysis software was used for univariate analysis. The expression of TS was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was performed to detect EML4-ALK gene rearrangement. Efficacy of the chemotherapy regimen including pemetrexed was analyzed with these molecular biomarkers. RESULTS: The median survival time (MST) of all patients was 15.5 months (95% CI: 10.6 - 20.4). Univariate survival analysis revealed that treatment factors including receiving operation, systemic chemotherapy, pemetrexed-based chemotherapy and capability of receiving second (or above) line chemotherapy were significantly related with OS. The MST of patients receiving operation was 5.4 months (95% CI: 3.6 - 7.3), significantly shorter than the 17.7months (95% CI: 11.8 - 23.5) in those who didn't receive operation (P = 0.030). Patients receiving systemic chemotherapy had a longer MST of 18.0 months (95% CI: 12.3 - 23.8) as compared to the 7.9 months (95% CI: 1.1 - 14.7) in those who didn't (P = 0.001). The MST of pemetrexed-based chemotherapy was 21.9 months (95% CI: 14.1-29.7) compared with 8.8 months (95% CI: 4.2 - 13.4) of regimens without pemetrexed (P = 0.000). For patients capable of receiving second (or above) line chemotherapy the MST was longer (21.0 months, 95% CI: 12.7 - 29.3) than those who could not (12.1 month, 95% CI: 6.4 - 17.8 month), P = 0.022. For the 42 patients treated with pemetrexed-based chemotherapy, the objective response rate (ORR) was 33.3% (14/42), the disease control rate (DCR) was 78.6% (33/42), the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 4.8 months (95% CI: 3.6 - 6.0) and MST was 21.9 months (95% CI: 14.1 - 29.7). Twenty-nine patients provided adequate specimens for detection of TS expression and 6 cases (20.7%) were positive. EML4-ALK gene rearrangement was studied in 32 patients and 6 (18.8%) were positive. TS expression was found to be inversely related to PFS of pemetrexed-based chemotherapy (P = 0.041). The MST was 19.6 months (95% CI: 6.0 - 7.9) in EML4-ALK-positive patients and 9.57 months (95% CI: 2.7 - 4.3) in negative ones (P = 0.159). CONCLUSIONS: Systemic chemotherapy especially pemetrexed-based regimen was proved to be a superior option for MPM with a significantly prolonged OS. Correlation between TS expression or EML4-ALK rearrangement and outcome of pemetrexed-based chemotherapy for MPM may contribute to future individualized treatment, which needs further validation from large-scale prospective studies.

[VOCs Emission Level and Emission Reduction Potential of Coating Industry in Zibo].

To evaluate the emission level and emission reduction potential of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the coating industry in Zibo, we conducted field research on eight typical enterprises in three representative coating industries:the automobile manufacturing coating industry, wooden furniture coating industry, and metal surface coating industry. The actual measurement method, material balance algorithm, and emission factor method were used to calculate the VOC emissions of enterprises, and the localized emission factors were established. The emission levels of enterprises were evaluated by comparing with other domestic and foreign studies including AP-42, and the emission reduction potential was calculated based on the material balance algorithm. The significance difference analysis method was used to study the influence degree of each link management and control. The results showed that the VOC emission factor in Zibo was 4.38 kg·car-1 for the automobile manufacturing coating industry, 212.52 g·kg-1 paint for the wooden furniture industry, and 42.79 g·kg-1 paint for the metal surface painting industry. The source emission reduction potential of furniture enterprise C and the process emission reduction potential of metal enterprises G and F could reach more than 50%. The degree of influence of each link management and control from high to low was source>process>end.

[Characteristics, Sources, and Contributions to Ozone Formation of Ambient Volatile Organic Compounds in Huanggang, China].

Based on the offline sampling data of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the simultaneous online measurements of conventional gaseous air pollutants and meteorological parameters in urban Huanggang, the volume fractions and component characteristics of VOCs were analyzed. The sources and ozone (O3) formation sensitivity of VOCs during severe ozone pollution episodes were analyzed using the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model and the photochemical box model coupled with master chemical mechanism (PBM-MCM), respectively. The results revealed that the average volume fractions of total volatile organic compounds were (21.57±3.13)×10-9, with higher volume fractions in winter and spring compared to those in summer and autumn. Among these, alkanes (49.9%) and alkenes (16.4%) accounted for the highest proportion. The PMF analysis results showed that fuel combustion (27.8%), vehicle emission (19.9%), solvent use (15.7%), industrial halogenated hydrocarbon emission (12.1%), chemical enterprise emission (10.5%), natural sources (7.8%), and diesel vehicle emission (6.2%) were the main sources of VOC emissions. Anthropogenic VOCs emitted by solvent use, fuel combustion, and chemical enterprises contributed significantly (60.9% in total) to generating O3, which indicates that these three types of anthropogenic sources should be controlled first when it comes to preventing and controlling ozone pollution. Further, the relative incremental reactivity (RIR) and empirical kinetic method approach (EKMA) revealed that O3 formation was in a VOCs-limited regime during the observation period in Huanggang, China. Furthermore, O3 formation was more sensitive to m-xylene, p-xylene, ethylene, 1-butene, and toluene; therefore, reducing these VOCs should be prioritized.

A segmentation model to detect cevical lesions based on machine learning of colposcopic images.

Background: Semantic segmentation is crucial in medical image diagnosis. Traditional deep convolutional neural networks excel in image classification and object detection but fall short in segmentation tasks. Enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of detecting high-level cervical lesions and invasive cancer poses a primary challenge in segmentation model development. Methods: Between 2018 and 2022, we retrospectively studied a total of 777 patients, comprising 339 patients with high-level cervical lesions and 313 patients with microinvasive or invasive cervical cancer. Overall, 1554 colposcopic images were put into the DeepLabv3+ model for learning. Accuracy, Precision, Specificity, and mIoU were employed to evaluate the performance of the model in the prediction of cervical high-level lesions and cancer. Results: Experiments showed that our segmentation model had better diagnosis efficiency than colposcopic experts and other artificial intelligence models, and reached Accuracy of 93.29 %, Precision of 87.2 %, Specificity of 90.1 %, and mIoU of 80.27 %, respectively. Conclution: The DeepLabv3+ model had good performance in the segmentation of cervical lesions in colposcopic post-acetic-acid images and can better assist colposcopists in improving the diagnosis.

[Correlation between the efficacy of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors and EGFR mutations in advanced squamous cell lung cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the frequency of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations and their correlation with the efficacy of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKI) in advanced squamous cell lung cancer. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled 79 patients with advanced squamous cell lung cancer who received EGFR-TKI at Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology in Peking University Cancer Hospital from June 2004 to June 2011. Among them, 67 patients had tissue and/or plasma EGFR exon 19 and 21 mutation detection in order to make an analysis on the relationship between EGFR mutation and the TKI's effect. RESULTS: The disease control rate (DCR) was 56% in all the patients. The median progression free survival (mPFS) and median overall survival (mOS) was 3.7 months (95%CI: 2.0 - 5.0) and 11.5 months (95%CI: 6.6 - 14.2), respectively. Of the 67 patients who received EGFR mutation detection, there were 31 patients harboring EGFR-mutation, for whom the DCR was 71% (22/31), and mPFS and mOS was 6.3 months (95%CI: 2.2 - 10.0) and 13.5 months (95%CI: 7.3 - 18.6) respectively. 36 patients' EGFR status were wild type, for whom the DCR was 44% (16/36), mPFS and mOS was 2.2 months (95%CI: 1.1 - 4.0) and 6.4 months (95%CI: 4.0 - 12.0). There were 17 patients who received erlotinib and 7 patients who received gefitinib as second or more line treatment. mPFS and mOS were 7.9 months and 15.8 months in the erlotinib group, respectively; and the mPFS and mOS were both 6.3 months in gefitinib group; the difference between the 2 groups did not reach statistical significance. Cox-regression analysis showed that EGFR mutation was significantly correlated with PFS and OS (P < 0.05, respectively). EGFR mutation was significantly correlated with DCR by Chi-square test, P < 0.05. CONCLUSIONS: EGFR mutation was a predictor for advanced squamous cell lung cancer to EGFR-TKI. However, the effect was inferior in advanced squamous cell lung cancer as compared to lung adenocarcinoma. Erlotinib tended to be superior to gefitinib.

[Effect of pemetrexed plus platinum for chemotherapy-naive advanced non-small cell lung cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of pemetrexed plus platinum for chemotherapy-naive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and to explore thymidylate synthetase (TS) expression as the predictive and prognostic factor for this treatment. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled 51 patients with chemotherapy-naive advanced NSCLC (non-squamous) treated at Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology in Beijing Cancer Hospital from Jan 2008 to Oct 2009. All patients received pemetrexed plus platinum as first-line treatment. TS expression was detected in 30 patients who had enough tissue samples by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The objective response rate (ORR) was 37.3%. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.3 months (95%CI: 3.9 - 6.7), and median overall survival (OS) was 19.0 months (95%CI: 11.6 - 26.4). Univariate analysis showed that gender, pathology, smoking status and response were significantly correlated with OS. Cox-regression analysis showed that pathology was an independent prognostic factor. Rate of Grade 3/4 adverse events was low. In 30 patients with enough tissue samples were available, TS expression positive rate was 33.3% (10/30). Chi-square test showed that TS expression was not associated with ORR. Multivariate analysis showed that pathology, response and TS expression (P = 0.003, 0.005 and 0.001, respectively) were the prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: The therapeutic effect and tolerance of pemetrexed plus platinum regiment were definite as first-line treatment for chemotherapy-naive advanced NSCLC, and TS expression was an independent prognostic factor.

[Characteristics of Ozone Pollution and Influencing Factors in Urban and Suburban Areas in Zibo].

In this study, we obtained monitoring data of O3 and its precursors (NOx, VOCs, and CO), as well as meteorological data (temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and visibility), in 2019 to analyze the characteristics of O3 pollution and the influencing factors in urban and suburban areas. The results showed that the O3 episodes accounted for 25.8% of the whole observation period, mostly occurring from May to September. The concentration of NOx in urban areas was higher than that in suburban areas, whereas the concentrations of O3 and VOCs were lower. The hourly rate of variation in each pollutant had obvious seasonal characteristics; for example, the time of O3 rise and precursor decline in autumn and winter was approximately 1 h later than that in summer, and the peak period of O3 generation and accumulation was shortened. The increase rate in O3 in urban areas was higher than that in suburban areas. Correlation analysis and partial correlation analysis were used to study the relationship between O3 and its influencing factors. The results showed that O3 was negatively correlated with precursors and relative humidity and positively correlated with visibility, temperature, and wind speed, and these factors interacted with each other. According to the multivariate linear regression analysis, the main controlling factors in urban areas were relative humidity, NOx, visibility, and VOCs, whereas in suburban areas they were relative humidity, temperature, NOx, and VOCs.

[Characteristics and Source Analysis of VOCs Pollution During the Period of Ozone Exceeding the Standard in Zibo City].

In recent years, ozone pollution has been growing increasingly serious in the urban areas of China. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are important precursors of O3 formation, which is of great significance to studying the main characteristics and sources of VOCs for controlling O3 pollution. In this study, we conducted online VOCs observation in Zibo City from May to September in 2019, monitoring 56 species in total. During the observation, the over-standard rate of ozone was up to 67.8%, the average of ρ(VOCs) was 140.71 µg·m-3, and the concentration of VOCs in the ozone over standard days was 1.04 times that on the non-standard days. The rank of VOC classes was aromatic hydrocarbons>alkanes>alkenes>alkynes. Among them, 1,3,5-tritoluene, o-ethyltoluene, 1-butene, and n-hexane achieved high emission in the exceeding O3 and non-exceeding days. Aromatic hydrocarbon and alkenes contributed more to the potential of ozone formation. According to the PMF source analysis results, VOCs sources in the urban area mainly included motor vehicle sources, fixed combustion sources, solvent sources, process sources, and natural plant sources, among which motor vehicle sources were the most important source of VOCs in the urban area. In addition, motor vehicle sources accounted for 32.3%, and fixed combustion sources accounted for 24.2% on days when ozone exceeded the standard, which increased by 3.3% and 6.9%, respectively, compared with those on days when ozone did not exceed the standard. However, the proportion of solvent sources and process sources decreased by 5.1% when ozone exceeded the standard compared with that on a non-standard day.