Differential effects of adjuvant EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with different stages of non-small-cell lung cancer after radical resection: an updated meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: A survival improvement was achieved with adjuvant chemotherapy in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, but its differential effects among patients with different stages remained controversial. This study aimed to compare the beneficial effects of adjuvant tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy with those of traditional therapy on NSCLC patients, specifically on EGFR-mutant and stage II-IIIA patients, who might benefit most from such treatment. METHODS: MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched, and the results were screened independently according to certain criteria by two authors. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) with HRs were used as the summary statistics. RESULTS: A total of 2,915 publications were identified and screened. Six randomized control trials and three retrospective cohort studies of 2,467 patients with acceptable quality were included. The overall EGFR mutation rate was 48.62%. DFS was significantly improved in all the patients (HR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.68-0.88) and in the subgroup of EGFR-mutant patients (HR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.40-0.61). The difference of 5-year OS in the subgroup of EGFR-mutant patients (HR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.31-0.72) was statistically significant, while in all the patients (HR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.85-1.19), the difference was not significant. In the subgroups of studies in which <50% of patients were in stage I (HR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.35-0.60) and >30% of patients were in stage IIIA (HR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.35-0.60), DFS was significantly improved, while in the subgroups of studies in which <30% of patients were in stage IIIA (HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.77-1.04) and >50% of patients were in stage I (HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.77-1.04), DFS was not significantly improved. CONCLUSION: Stage IIIA NSCLC patients might benefit more from adjuvant TKIs than stage I NSCLC patients after radical resection.

Uptake of gold (III) from waste gold solution onto biomass-based adsorbents organophosphonic acid functionalized spent buckwheat hulls.

Novel biomass-based adsorbents organophosphonic acid functionalized spent buckwheat hulls (OPA-BH) with 60 mesh were successfully employed to adsorb Au(III) ions from simulated wastewater. The adsorption kinetics and isotherms both in unary ion system and in ternary ions system were investigated, and the applicability of the Langmuir, Freundlich and extended Langmuir isotherm models has been tested for the equilibrium. The process optimization was also conducted by using response surface methodology (RSM), and the maximum adsorption capacities reached 2.84 ± 0.01 mmol/g under the optimum process conditions. Furthermore, the regeneration capacities of OPA-BH were investigated by using the eluent solutions of 0.0-5.0% thiourea in 0.1 mmol/L HCl, and the results showed that the adsorption capabilities for OPA-BH were ranged between 0.77 mmol/g and 0.85 mmol/g after three cycles of adsorption-desorption processes. The research results showed that OPA-BH was favorable and useful for gold adsorption, and the high adsorption capacity and good reproducibility make it a good promising material for the precious metal uptake.

Biosorption of heavy metal ions onto agricultural residues buckwheat hulls functionalized with 1-hydroxylethylidenediphosphonic acid.

Novel biosorbent materials obtained from agricultural residues buckwheat hulls (BH) were successfully developed through functionalization with 1-hydroxylethylidenediphosphonic acid (HEDP), and they were characterized. This paper reports the feasibility of using HEDP-BH for removal of heavy metals from stimulated wastewater, the experimental results revealed that the adsorption property of functionalized buckwheat hulls with 120 mesh 120-HEDP-BH for Au(III) was very excellent, and the monolayer maximum adsorption capacity for Au(III) calculated from the Langmuir isotherm models was up to 450.45 mg/g at 35 °C. The combined effect of initial solution pH, 120-HEDP-BH dosage, and initial Au(III) concentration was investigated using response surface methodology (RSM), and the result showed that biomass dosage exerted a stronger influence on Au(III) uptake than those of initial pH and initial Au(III) concentration. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the quadratic model demonstrated that the model was highly significant. Moreover, investigation on the adsorption selectivity showed that 120-HEDP-BH displayed strong affinity for gold in aqueous solutions and even exhibited 100% selectivity for Au(III) ions in the presence of Zn(II) and Co(II). Regeneration capacities of 120-HEDP-BH were studied using the eluent solutions of 0.0-5.0% thiourea in 0.1 mmol/L HCl, and it was found that the adsorption capability remains high after several cycles of adsorption-desorption process.

[Determination of trace arsenic and selenium in jellyfish by microwave digestion-hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry].

A method of hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry was proposed in the present paper for the determination of trace arsenic and selenium in jellyfish. The samples were treated by the combination of microwave digestion and lyophilization. The optimal conditions for treating and analyzing samples were established. The problem of the effect of the superfluous acid in the digesting solution on the results was solved, and the influence of coexisting foreign ions on the determination of arsenic and selenium was investigated. The accuracy of the method was confirmed by the method of standard additions. This method proved to be simple, rapid and repeatable, and is suitable for the analysis of biologic samples containing water.

Insecticidal activity of proteinous venom from tentacle of jellyfish Rhopilema esculentum Kishinouye.

Insecticidal activity of proteinous venom from tentacle of jellyfish Rhopilema esculentum Kishinouye was determined against three pest species, Stephanitis pyri Fabriciusa, Aphis medicaginis Koch, and Myzus persicae Sulzer. R. esculentum full proteinous venom had different insecticidal activity against S. pyri Fabriciusa, A. medicaginis Koch, and M. persicae Sulzer. The 48 h LC50 values were 123.1, 581.6, and 716.3 microg/mL, respectively. Of the three pests, R. esculentum full proteinous venom had the most potent toxicity against S. pyri Fabriciusa, and the corrected mortality recorded at 48 h was 97.86%. So, S. pyri Fabriciusa could be a potential target pest of R. esculentum full proteinous venom.

Radical scavenging activity of protein from tentacles of jellyfish Rhopilema esculentum.

In this study, radical scavenging activity of protein from tentacles of jellyfish Rhopilema esculentum (R. esculentum) was assayed including superoxide anion radical and hydroxyl radical scavenging. The protein samples showed strong scavenging activity on superoxide anion radical and values EC50 of full protein (FP), first fraction (FF), second fraction (SF), and 30% (NH4)2 SO4 precipitate (Fr-1) were 2.65, 7.28, 1.10, and 22.51 microg/mL, respectively, while values EC50 of BHA, BHT, and alpha-tocopherol were 31, 61, and 88 microg/mL, respectively. Also, the protein samples had strong scavenging effect on hydroxyl radical and the values EC50 of FP, FF, SF, Fr-1, and Fr-2 were 48.91, 27.72, 1.82, 16.36, and 160.93 microg/mL, but values EC50 of Vc and mannitol were 1907 and 4536 microg/mL, respectively. Of the five protein samples, SF had the strongest radical scavenging activity and may have a use as a possible supplement in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The radical scavenging activity was stable at high temperature so that R. esculentum may be used as a kind of natural functional food.