Diagnostic and prognostic nomograms for laryngeal carcinoma patients with lung metastasis: a SEER-based study.

PURPOSE: To establish two nomograms to quantify the risk of lung metastasis (LM) in laryngeal carcinoma (LC) and predict the overall survival of LC patients with LM. METHODS: Totally 9515 LC patients diagnosed histologically from 2000 to 2019 were collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. The independent diagnostic factors for LM in LC patients and prognostic factors for LC patients with LM were identified by logistic and Cox regression analysis, respectively. Nomograms were established based on regression coefficients and evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis. RESULTS: Patients with supraglottis, higher pathological grade, higher N stage, and distant metastasis (bone, brain, or liver) were more likely to have LM (P < 0.05). Chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy were independent factors of the overall survival of LC patients with LM (P < 0.05). The area under curve of diagnostic nomogram were 0.834 and 0.816 in the training and validation cohort respectively. For the prognostic nomogram, the area under curves of 1-, 2-, and 3-years were 0.735, 0.734, and 0.709 in the training cohort and 0.705, 0.803, and 0.809 in the validation cohort. The calibration curves and decision curve analysis indicated good performance of the nomograms. CONCLUSION: Distant metastasis (bone, brain, or liver) and N stage should be considered for prediction of LM in LC patients. Chemotherapy is the most significant influencing prognostic factor improving the survival of LC patients with LM. Two nomograms may benefit for providing better precautionary measures and treatment decision.

Physiological and biochemical responses of tea seedlings (Camellia sinensis) to simulated acid rain conditions.

Tea (Camellia sinensis), widely planted in the south of China, and often exposed to acid rain. However, research concerning the impacts of acid rain on physiology and biochemistry of tea plants is still scarce. In this study, we investigated the influence of simulated acid rain (SAR) on plant height, root length, photosynthetic pigment, Fv/Fm, proline, malondialdehyde, antioxidant enzyme activity, total nitrogen, caffeine, catechins, and free amino acids. Our results showed that SAR at pH 4.5 did not hinder plant development because growth characteristics, photosynthesis, and ascorbate peroxidase and catalase activities did not decrease at this pH compared to those at the other investigated pH values. However, at pH 3.5 and pH 2.5, the activities of antioxidase and concentrations of malondialdehyde and proline increased significantly in response to the decrease of photosynthetic pigments and Fv/Fm. In addition, the increase in acidity increased total nitrogen, certain amino acid content (theanine, cysteine), and decreased catechin and caffeine contents, resulting in an imbalance of the carbon and nitrogen metabolisms. Our results indicated that SAR at pH 3.5 and pH 2.5 could restrict photosynthesis and the antioxidant defense system, causing metabolic disorders and ultimately affecting plant development and growth, but SAR at pH 4.5 had no toxic effects on tea seedlings when no other stress factors are involved.