Enhancing Air Traffic Control Communication Systems with Integrated Automatic Speech Recognition: Models, Applications and Performance Evaluation.

In air traffic control (ATC), speech communication with radio transmission is the primary way to exchange information between the controller and the pilot. As a result, the integration of automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems holds immense potential for reducing controllers' workload and plays a crucial role in various ATC scenarios, which is particularly significant for ATC research. This article provides a comprehensive review of ASR technology's applications in the ATC communication system. Firstly, it offers a comprehensive overview of current research, including ATC corpora, ASR models, evaluation measures and application scenarios. A more comprehensive and accurate evaluation methodology tailored for ATC is proposed, considering advancements in communication sensing systems and deep learning techniques. This methodology helps researchers in enhancing ASR systems and improving the overall performance of ATC systems. Finally, future research recommendations are identified based on the primary challenges and issues. The authors sincerely hope this work will serve as a clear technical roadmap for ASR endeavors within the ATC domain and make a valuable contribution to the research community.

Ring-Contracted Artemisinin Derivatives as Novel CDK 4/6 Inhibitors: Synthesis and Anti-Breast Cancer Evaluation.

The endoperoxide group of artemisinins is universally accepted an essential group for their anti-cancer effects. In this study, a series of D-ring-contracted artemisinin derivatives were constructed by combining ring-contracted artemisinin core with fragments of functional heterocyclic molecules or classical CDK4/6 inhibitors to identify more efficacious breast cancer treatment agents. Twenty-six novel hybridized molecules were synthesized and characterized by HRMS, IR, 1H-NMR and 13C NMR. In antiproliferative activities and kinase inhibitory effects assays, we found that the antiproliferative effects of B01 were close to those of the positive control Palbociclib, with GI50 values of 4.87±0.23 µM and 9.97±1.44 µM towards T47D cells and MDA-MB-436 cells respectively. In addition, the results showed that B01 was the most potent compound against CDK6/cyclin D3 kinase, with an IC50 value of 0.135±0.041 µM, and its activity was approximately 1/3 of the positive control Palbociclib.

Facilely Prepared Carbon Dots as Effective Anode Modifier for Enhanced Performance of Microbial Fuel Cells.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a promising technology for obtaining energy in wastewater. Effective extracellular electron transfer is one of the key factors for its practical application. In this work, carbon dots (CDs) enriched with oxygen-containing groups on the surface were synthesized as an efficient anode modifier using a simple hydrothermal method and common reactants. The experimental findings indicated that anodes modified with CDs exhibited increased electrical conductivity and greater hydrophilicity. These modifications facilitated increased microorganism loading and contributed to enhancing electrochemical processes within the anode biofilm. The CD-modified MFCs exhibited higher maximum power density (661.1 ± 42.6 mW·m-2) and open-circuit voltage (534.50 ± 6.4 mV), which were significantly better than those of the blank group MFCs (484.1 ± 14.1 mW·m-2 and 447.50 ± 12.1 mV). The use of simple carbon materials to improve the microbial loading on the MFCs anode and the electron transfer between the microbial-electrode may provide a new idea for the design of efficient MFCs.

Nonpharmacological Interventions for Management of the Pain-Fatigue-Sleep Disturbance Symptom Cluster in Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: The pain-fatigue-sleep disturbance symptom cluster is commonly experienced by breast cancer patients, and a variety of nonpharmacological interventions are used to treat this symptom cluster. Objective: To compare the efficacy of nonpharmacological interventions in improving the symptoms of the pain-fatigue-sleep disturbance symptom cluster in breast cancer patients. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, CNKI, and Wanfang databases to identify randomized controlled studies from database inception to May 2022. Two reviewers independently performed data retrieval and risk of bias assessments. The consistency model was used to conduct network meta-analyses (NMA) based on the frequentist framework to assess the interventions, which were ranked by the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA). Finally, the CINeMA application was used to evaluate the results of the NMA and the evidence of quality. The results Twenty-three eligible studies assessing 14 interventions were included. According to SUCRA values, among the management effects of the three symptoms, the effect of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) ranked first, followed by mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). The overall evidence quality of our study ranges from very low to moderate. Conclusion: PMR and MBSR were effective interventions for the pain-fatigue-sleep disturbance symptom cluster in breast cancer patients. Clinical recommendations prioritize PMR for symptom management, followed by MBSR. However, this should be interpreted cautiously, as the confidence in the evidence was not high.

Synthesis, Structure Revision, and Anti-inflammatory Activity Investigation of Putative Blumeatin.

Blumeatin, reported herein, bearing two hydroxyl groups at C3' and C5' of ring B, is isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine Blumea balsamifera. But the isolation procedure of blumeatin from plants has limitations of prolonged duration and high cost. A procedure featuring Lewis acid-catalyzed ring closure and chiral resolution via Schiff base intermediates is provided here to prepare optically pure blumeatin and its R-isomer efficiently. Furthermore, the structure revision of putative blumeatin based on a logically synthetic procedure and NMR spectroscopic analysis was conducted. The 1D and 2D NMR data analysis unambiguously confirmed our proposal that the reported blumeatin structure has been misassigned as it corresponds to sterubin, which contains two hydroxyl groups at C3' and C4' of ring B. Finally, the results of the ear-swelling test exhibited that synthetic (±)-blumeatin and (±)-sterubin had moderate anti-inflammatory activity which was less than that of (-)-sterubin.

Antiviral and Antibacterial Sulfated Polysaccharide-Chitosan Nanocomposite Particles as a Drug Carrier.

Drug delivery system (DDS) refers to the method of delivering drugs to the targeted sites with minimal risk. One popular strategy of DDS is using nanoparticles as a drug carrier, which are made from biocompatible and degradable polymers. Here, nanoparticles composed of Arthrospira-derived sulfated polysaccharide (AP) and chitosan were developed and expected to possess the capabilities of antiviral, antibacterial, and pH-sensitive properties. The composite nanoparticles, abbreviated as APC, were optimized for stability of morphology and size (~160 nm) in the physiological environment (pH = 7.4). Potent antibacterial (over 2 µg/mL) and antiviral (over 6.596 µg/mL) properties were verified in vitro. The pH-sensitive release behavior and release kinetics of drug-loaded APC nanoparticles were examined for various categories of drugs, including hydrophilic, hydrophobic, and protein drugs, under different pH values of the surroundings. Effects of APC nanoparticles were also evaluated in lung cancer cells and neural stem cells. The use of APC nanoparticles as a drug delivery system maintained the bioactivity of the drug to inhibit the proliferation of lung cancer cells (with ~40% reduction) and to relieve the growth inhibitory effect on neural stem cells. These findings indicate that the pH-sensitive and biocompatible composite nanoparticles of sulfated polysaccharide and chitosan well keep the antiviral and antibacterial properties and may serve as a promising multifunctional drug carrier for further biomedical applications.

Structural evolution from preorganized mononuclear triazamacrocyclic metalloligands to polynuclear metallocages and heterometallic 2D layers: modular architectures, assembly tracking and magnetic properties.

The reaction of a macrocyclic ligand 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-tripropionic acid (tacntpH3) with Ni(II)/Co(II) sources in the presence or absence of lanthanide cations yielded a series of doubly mononuclear ionic complexes (H3O+)[LnIII(H2O)8][NiII(tacntp)]4 (1-NiLn, Ln = La, Ce, Yb) and a mononuclear Co(III) complex [CoIII(tacntp)]·4H2O (2-Co) incorporating transition metal centers enveloped by both an azamacrocycle ring and pendant carboxylate groups. Either of the two preorganized mononuclear species [MII/III(tacntp)]-/0 was taken as a tripodal 3d metalloligand for the further assembly of modular architectures. Two pentanuclear metallocage-[Ln(NO3)6]3- complexes [NiII5(tacntp)2(H2O)12][LnIII(NO3)6]Cl·2H2O (3-NiLn, Ln = La, Ce), one nonanuclear metallocage [NiII9(tacntp)4(H2O)18](ClO4)6·10H2O (4-Ni), and two types of 2D layered heterometallic 3d-4f coordination networks ((H3O+)[NiII2YbIII(tacntp)2](ClO4)2·3H2O (5-NiYb) and [CoIII2TbIII(tacntp)2(H2O)3](ClO4)·Cl2·5H2O (6-CoLn, Ln = La, Eu, Tb, Dy)) differing largely in their weaving architecture were controllably prepared via the precise regulation of multiple reaction parameters. Furthermore, the time-dependent evolution of metalloligand-derived species was tracked via electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry, to elucidate the modular assembly pathway for the nonanuclear Ni(II) metallocage 4-Ni. Analysis of the structural details and the assembly procedures of the modular architectures revealed that the pH, metalloligand size, and the type of metal bound to the metalloligand considerably influence the structural evolution from mononuclear metalloligands to cage-like and polymeric coordination architectures. Magnetic property studies disclosed that pendant syn-anti carboxylate groups favor a weak ferromagnetic exchange between the adjacent Ni(II) ions within the metallocages of 3-NiLa and 4-Ni but facilitate an antiferromagnetic coupling between the alternating Ni(II) and Yb(III) centers in 5-NiYb.

Chinese primary adrenal lymphoma complicated with adrenal crisis: A case report and literature review.

Primary adrenal lymphoma (PAL) is an extremely rare malignancy, and it accounts for approximately 1% of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). The growth of adrenal lymphoma is characterized by rapid infiltration in the adrenal gland and further involvement and metastasis in other tissues and organs. This report describes the case of a 67-year-old man with fatigue, poor appetite, and weight loss. Positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET-CT) scan showed irregular mass-like soft tissue density shadows were noted in the bilateral adrenal glands and immunohistochemical (IHC) studies confirmed the diagnosis of PAL with multiple metastases throughout the body. This report characterizes the clinical manifestations in patients with PAL. When the disease progresses to bilateral adrenal involvement, it may be accompanied by adrenal insufficiency or even adrenal crisis occurred.

Ectopic Adrenocorticotropic Hormone-Secreting Pituitary Adenoma in the Clivus Region: A Case Report.

Ectopic pituitary adenoma (EPA) is a pituitary adenoma unrelated to the intrasellar component and is an extremely rare disease. EPA resembles typical pituitary adenomas in morphology, immunohistochemistry, and hormonal activity, and it may present with specific or non-specific endocrine manifestations. Here, we report a rare case of ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-secreting pituitary adenoma in the clival region. Only three patients with ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas occurring in the clivus have been previously reported, and the present case was diagnosed as a clivus-ectopic ACTH-secreting pituitary macroadenoma. Thus, in addition to the more common organs, such as the lung, thymus, and pancreas, in the diagnosis of ectopic ACTH syndrome, special attention should be paid to the extremely rare ectopic ACTH-secreting pituitary adenoma of the clivus region.

Fluorescence lifetime imaging of NAD(P)H upon oxidative stress in Kluyveromyces marxianus.

K. marxianus is a promising cell factory for producing heterologous proteins. Oxidative stresses were raised during overexpression of heterologous proteins, leading to the shift of the redox state. How to measure the redox state of live K. marxianus cells without perturbing their growth remains a big challenge. Here, a fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM)-based method was developed in live K. marxianus cells. During the early exponential growth, K. marxianus cells exhibited an increased mean fluorescence lifetime (τ-mean) of NAD(P)H compared with Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells, which was consistent with the preference for respiration in K. marxianus cells and that for fermentation in S. cerevisiae cells. Upon oxidative stresses induced by high temperature or H2O2, K. marxianus cells exhibited an increased τ-mean in company with decreased intracellular NAD(P)H/NAD(P)+, suggesting a correlation between an increased τ-mean and a more oxidized redox state. The relationship between τ-mean and the expression level of a heterologous protein was investigated. There was no difference between the τ-means of K. marxianus strains which were not producing a heterologous protein. The τ-mean of a strain yielding a high level of a heterologous protein was higher than that of a low-yielding strain. The results suggested the potential application of FLIM in the non-invasive screen of high-yielding cells.

Cross-species transmission of an emerging porcine circovirus (PCV4): First molecular detection and retrospective investigation in dairy cows.

Porcine circovirus 4 (PCV4), a novel porcine circovirus identified in pigs, has recently been proved to be pathogenic to piglets. However, little is known about its cross-species transmission, and demonstration of PCV4 in dairy cows is lacking. To explore whether the PCV4 genome exists in dairy cows, 1170 fecal samples were collected from dairy farms in 7 cities in Henan Province of China during 2012-2021, and screened by qPCR for the presence of PCVs (PCV2-PCV4). The detection results showed that the positive rate of PCV4 in dairy cows was 2.22 % (26/1170), but all fecal samples were negative for PCV2 and PCV3. Three full-length and five partial genomes of PCV4 strains were acquired, of which two PCV4 strains (NY2012-DC and XC2013-DC) were achieved from 2012 and 2013, indicating that PCV4 has been circulating in dairy cows in Henan Province of China for at least 10 years. The three PCV4 strains sequenced in this study shared high identity (97.5-99.5 %) with reference strains at the genome level. In phylogenetic analysis, three genotypes (PCV4a, PCV4b and PCV4c) were temporarily confirmed by analyzing 44 strains, and one amino acid variation in Rep (V239L) and three amino acid variations in Cap (N27S, R28G and M212L) were considered as a conserved genotype specific molecular marker. Analyzed from three perspectives (cross-time, cross-species and transboundary), the high nucleotide homology of PCV4 strains indicated the PCV4 evolutionary rate might be slow. Overall, this study was the first to report the detection of PCV4 in dairy cows and conducted a long-term retrospective investigation of PCV4 in Henan Province of China, which has important implications for understanding the genetic diversity and cross-species transmission of the ongoing PCV4 cases.

The Effect of GPX2 on the Prognosis of Lung Adenocarcinoma Diagnosis and Proliferation, Migration, and Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition.

Objective: To investigate the expression of glutathione peroxidase 2 (GPX2) in human lung adenocarcinoma tissues and its effect on the biological function of lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. Methods: The expression of GPX2 in lung adenocarcinoma and its effect on survival were analyzed by the TCGA database and the GEPIA 2 database. A total of 45 cases of primary lung adenocarcinoma tissue specimens and 45 cases of their paracancerous tissue specimens were collected, and the expression of GPX2 in the two types of tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry. Lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells were divided into the GPX2 overexpression group (GPX2), the GPX2 knockdown group (si-GPX2), the empty vector group (Vector), the siRNA negative control group (si-NC), and the WT group; the mRNA level and protein expression of GPX2 in each group of A549 cells were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blotting; the proliferation activity of each group of cells was detected by the CCK-8 assay; the effect of GPX2 on cell migration and invasion ability was detected by the scratch assay and the Transwell invasion assay; the apoptosis of each group of cells was detected by flow cytometry; Western blotting was performed to detect the expression levels of Bax, Bcl-2, E-cadherin, vimentin, and MMP2 and MMP9 proteins in each group of cells. Results: Bioinformatics analysis showed that the expression of GPX2 was strongly correlated with the prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma patients (P < 0.01). The positive expression rates of GPX2 in lung adenocarcinoma and its paracancerous tissues were 66.0% and 15.7%, respectively (P < 0.05). The results of RT-qPCR and Western blotting showed that the expression level of GPX2 mRNA and protein in A549 cells in the GPX2 group increased, which was significantly higher than that in the WT group (P < 0.05); the expression levels of GPX2 mRNA and protein in A549 cells in the si-GPX2 group were the same, that is, significantly lower than the WT group (P < 0.05). GPX2 overexpression promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion of A549 cells and inhibited their apoptosis; the results in the si-GPX2 group were opposite to those in the GPX2 group. Compared with the WT group, the expression of Bcl-2, vimentin, and MMP2 and MMP9 protein in the GPX2 group increased (P < 0.05), while the expression of Bax and E-cadherin protein decreased in the GPX2 group (P < 0.05); the results in the si-GPX2 group were opposite to those in the GPX2 group. Conclusion: The expression of GPX2 in lung adenocarcinoma is related to the prognosis of patients. It is proved that GPX2 can promote the migration and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells and is related to the EMT/ß-catenin pathway. Thus, GPX2 is expected to be an important target for the diagnosis and treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.

Downregulation of ammonium uptake improves the growth and tolerance of Kluyveromyces marxianus at high temperature.

The growth and tolerance of Kluyveromyces marxianus at high temperatures decreased significantly in the synthetic medium (SM), which is commonly used in industrial fermentations. After 100 days of adaptive laboratory evolution, a strain named KM234 exhibited excellent tolerance at a high temperature, without loss of its growth ability at a moderate temperature. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the KM234 strain decreased the expression of the ammonium (NH4+ ) transporter gene MEP3 and increased the synthesis of the amino acid carbon backbone, which may contribute greatly to the high-temperature growth phenotype. High NH4+ content in SM significantly increased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production at high temperatures and thus caused toxicity to yeast cells. Replacing NH4+ with organic nitrogen sources or increasing the concentration of potassium ions (K+ ) in the medium restored the growth of the wild-type K. marxianus at a high temperature in SM. We also showed that the NH4+ toxicity mitigated by K+ might closely depend on the KIN1 gene. Our results provide a practical solution to industrial fermentation under high-temperature conditions.

Inhibitory effect on subretinal fibrosis by anti-placental growth factor treatment in a laser-induced choroidal neovascularization model in mice.

AIM: To investigate whether anti-placental growth factor (PGF) can inhibit subretinal fibrosis and whether this effect is mediated by the inhibitory effect of PGF on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. METHODS: Subretinal fibrosis model was established in laser induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV) mice on day 21 after laser photocoagulation. Immunofluorescence staining (IFS) of cryosections and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to detect the expression of PGF. IFS of whole choroidal flat-mounts was used to detect the degree of subretinal fibrosis. IFS of cryosections and ELISA were used to detect the expression of EMT related indicators in subretinal fibrosis lesions. RESULTS: The expression of PGF protein in subretinal fibrosis lesions was significantly up-regulated (P<0.05), and mainly co-stained with pan-cytokeratin labeled RPE cells. Intravitreal injection of anti-PGF neutralizing antibody reduced the area of subretinal fibrosis and the ratio of fibrotic/angiogenic area significantly at the concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 µg/µL (all P<0.05). The expression of E-cadherin in the local RPE cells decreased, while α-SMA increased significantly in subretinal fibrosis lesions, and the application of anti-PGF neutralizing antibody could reverse these changes (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The expression of PGF is up-regulated in the lesion site of subretinal fibrosis and mainly expressed in RPE cells. Intravitreal injection of anti-PGF neutralizing antibody can significantly inhibit the degree of subretinal fibrosis in CNV mice, and this effect may be mediated by the inhibition of PGF on EMT of RPE cells.

Integrated effects of SCR, velocity, and Air-fuel Ratio on gaseous pollutants and CO2 emissions from China V and VI heavy-duty diesel vehicles.

Vehicle exhaust, an important source of air pollution, is affected by many factors, including driving conditions, combustion efficiencies, and the usage of emission control devices. In this study, the Portable Emission Measurement System (PEMS) was used to test the emissions from China V and China VI heavy-duty diesel vehicles to evaluate the integrated effects of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), velocity, and air-fuel ratio on carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. Our results reveal that the average distance-based CO2 and CO emission factors at high velocities (50-90 km/h) are 25% and 61% lower than those at low velocities (less than 50 km/h). The use of SCR increases CO2 emissions in the range of 70-90 km/h (an average increase of 10.9%). In addition, SCR leads to a 55% NOx emission reduction at low velocities and 89% at high velocities, with an overall average reduction of 84%. We also find that SCR leads to a significant reduction in the correlation between NOx emissions and air-fuel ratio (0.76 vs 0.47 for China V truck; 0.72 vs 0.05 for China VI truck), but it does not cause a drastic reduction in the correlation coefficients between CO2 emissions and air-fuel ratio, which can be used to detect whether SCR is working effectively.

Association Between Obesity and Post-stroke Anxiety in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Post-stroke anxiety (PSA) is serious psychosomatic comorbidity among patients with stroke, but whether obesity could be positively associated with PSA is currently unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential association between obesity and subsequent anxiety risk in patients with stroke. A total of 441 patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) onset were consecutively recruited within 7 days, and PSA and post-stroke depression (PSD) were evaluated by using a 14-item Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) and 17-item Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) at the end of 1-month follow-up. The odds ratio (OR) with 95% CI was estimated for the incidental PSA by using logistic regression analysis. The incidence of PSA was 25.85% at the end of 1-month follow-up, with a significant difference between patients with and without abdominal obesity. Relative fat mass (RFM) and abdominal obesity were significantly associated with an elevated risk of PSA, and the crude ORs were 1.04 (95% CI: 1.01-1.08) and 1.93 (95% CI: 1.11-3.34), respectively. Even after adjustment for obesity-related risk factors and PSA-related clinical measurements, the association remained to be pronounced with abdominal obesity. However, RFM (OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.99-1.06, P = 0.053) and abdominal obesity (OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 0.80-2.15, P = 0.280) were not significantly associated with an elevated risk of PSD. Abdominal obesity was independently associated with the PSA instead of PSD, which may help predict PSA risk in clinical practice. Further prospective clinical studies with a long follow-up duration are warranted to verify this finding.

Pan-Cancer Analyses of the Tumor Microenvironment Reveal That Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzyme E2C Might Be a Potential Immunotherapy Target.

Increasing evidence indicated that the tumor microenvironment (TME) played a crucial role in cancer initiation and progression. Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2C (UBE2C) was differentially expressed in many cancer types. However, the immunological and prognostic roles of UBE2C were unclear. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of 29 cancer types were downloaded from GEPIA2 and 4 cancer types failed to download owing to no DEGs. Furthermore, the gene expression profiles, mutation data, and survival data of 33 cancer types were obtained from UCSC Xena. Clinical stage relevance, tumor mutational burden (TMB), TME relevance analysis, and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) of DEGs in 33 cancer types were performed. And DEGs were identified in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) by biological experiments. Previous studies indicated that UBE2C was related to the prognosis of many cancers. In our study, the higher UBE2C expression level meant a terminal clinical stage in 8 cancer types and the expression level of UBE2C was related to TMB in 20 cancer types. In addition, both immune relevance analysis and GSEA showed that UBE2C might participate in immune response in many cancers. Furthermore, the UBE2C mRNA level and protein level were all identified as upregulated in OSCC cell lines and tissues. UBE2C was differentially expressed in many cancer types and related to the pathogenesis and TME of many cancers, which might be a potential diagnostic and therapeutic biomarker.

The impact of recent chemotherapy on immunity in 2 COVID-19 cases with gastrointestinal tumors: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a rapidly emerging infectious respiratory disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Currently, more than 100 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, with over 2.4 million mortalities. The pandemic affects people of all ages but older individuals and those with severe chronic illnesses, including cancer patients, are at higher risk. PATIENT CONCERNS: The impact of cancer treatment on the progression of COVID-19 is unclear. Therefore, we assessed the effects of chemotherapy on COVID-19 outcomes for 2 cancer patients. On January 24, 2020, a level I response to a major public health emergency was initiated in Hubei Province, China, which includes Enshi Autonomous Prefecture that has a population of 4.026 million people. As of April 30, 2020, 252 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 11 asymptomatic carriers were identified in Enshi. DIAGNOSIS: Among the confirmed cases and asymptomatic carriers, 2 patients were identified who were previously diagnosed with malignant tumors, including one with hepatocellular carcinoma and the other with cardia carcinoma. INTERVENTIONS: These 2 patients were receiving or just completed chemotherapy at the time of their COVID-19 diagnosis. OUTCOMES: Both patients were followed and presented favorable outcomes. The positive outcomes for these 2 patients could be partially explained by their recent chemotherapy that impacted their immune status. Also, their relatively younger ages and lack of comorbidities were likely factors in their successful recovery from COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Anticancer treatment might enhance a patient's ability to respond favorably to COVID-19 infection. However, anticancer treatment is likely to impact immune function differently in different individuals, which can influence disease outcomes.

Bioinformatics Analyses Indicate That Cathepsin G (CTSG) is a Potential Immune-Related Biomarker in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC).

PURPOSE: Plenty of studies showed that the immune system was associated with cancer initiation and progression. This study aimed to explore the prognostic biomarkers from immune-related genes (IRGs) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: RNA-seq data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and IRGs and transcription factors (TFs) were extracted. Then, the co-expression network between IRGs and TFs was constructed using the "WGCNA" package in R software. Furthermore, a gene expression signature according to IRGs was constructed to predict OSCC prognosis and its accuracy was validated by survival analysis. Subsequently, correlation analyses between risk-score and immune cells level and clinical parameters were performed. Finally, immune-related biomarkers were selected and further investigated using gain-of-function assays in vitro. RESULTS: A total of 32 normal cases and 317 OSCC cases were selected in our study. Differentially-expressed analysis indicated that there were 381 differentially-expressed IRGs and 62 TFs in OSCC. Among them, 25 TFs and 21 IRGs were enrolled in the co-expression network. Furthermore, we found that gene expression signature on the basis of 10 IRGs could predict the prognosis accurately and a high-risk score based on gene expression signature meant a high T classification, terminal clinical stage, and low immune cells level in OSCC. Finally, cathepsin G (CTSG) was identified as a potential immune-related biomarker and therapeutic target in OSCC. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, IRGs were directly involved in the development and progression of OSCC. Furthermore, CTSG was identified as a potential independent biomarker and might be an immunotherapeutic target in OSCC treatment.

Energy consumption and pollutant emission of diesel-fired combustion from 2009 to 2018 in Beijing, China.

Diesel-fired combustion is one of the main sources of air pollution in the world. In this study, to better understand the energy consumption and main air pollutant emissions of diesel-fired combustion, a practical investigation and historical data analyses were conducted to determine the variations and driving forces of diesel consumption, the distribution of diesel consumption, and the contribution of emissions among various industries. Based on the results of this study, future control measures can be proposed for diesel-fired combustion. The results show that economic development led to an increase in the total volume of passengers and freight transportation, and the number of diesel vehicles increased from 0.16 million in 2009 to 0.25 million in 2018. However, diesel consumption in Beijing decreased from 2.4 Mt in 2009 to 1.8 Mt in 2018 due to the dominant driving forces, such as structural optimization of the diesel vehicle fleet and stricter limit standards for single-vehicle fuel consumption. The use of diesel vehicles in the logistics and transportation industries and the use of diesel-fired machinery in the construction industry were the two main sources of diesel consumption, accounting for 55% and 23% of the total, respectively. The main air pollutant emissions from diesel-fired combustion from 2009 to 2018 first increased and then decreased, while the NOX emissions peaked at 74,800 tons in 2014, which was affected by the structural optimization of the vehicle fleet and the elimination of old diesel trucks. The emissions finally decreased to 54,000 tons in 2018, which was approximately 89% of the amount in 2009. However, the continuously increasing contribution of diesel combustion to the total emissions requires more attention. The electrification of diesel vehicles and the structural upgrading of diesel vehicles have played important roles in mitigating the emissions of diesel combustion. Our study suggests that consumption control targets should be set, reduction plans for key industries such as the logistics and transportation, construction, and tourism industries should be developed, and low-emission zones should be created to promote the elimination and updating of low-emission diesel vehicles and machinery.