Explore on the Mechanism of miRNA-146a/TAB1 in the Regulation of Cellular Apoptosis and Inflammation in Ulcerative Colitis Based on NF-κB Pathway.

OBJECTIVE: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic non-specific inflammatory disease of the rectum and colon with unknown etiology. A growing number of evidence suggest that the pathogenesis of UC is related to excessive apoptosis and production of inflammatory cytokines. However, the functions and molecular mechanisms associated with UC remain unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The in vivo and in vitro models of UC were established in this study. MiRNA or gene expression was measured by qRT-PCR assay. ELISA, CCK-8, TUNEL, and flow cytometry assays were applied for analyzing cellular functions. The interactions between miR-146a and TAB1 were verified by luciferase reporter and miRNA pull-down assays. RESULTS: MiR-146a was obviously increased in UC patients, DSS-induced colitis mice, and TNF-ɑ-induced YAMC cells, when compared to the corresponding controls. MiR- 146a knockdown inhibited the inflammatory response and apoptosis in DSS-induced colitis mice and TNF-ɑ-induced YAMC cells. Mechanistically, we found that TAB1 was the target of miR-146a and miR-146a knockdown suppressed the activation of NF-κB pathway in UC. More importantly, TAB1 could overturn the inhibitory effect of antagomiR-146a on cell apoptosis and inflammation in UC. CONCLUSION: MiR-146a knockdown inhibited cell apoptosis and inflammation via targeting TAB1 and suppressing NF-κB pathway, suggesting that miR-146a may be a new therapeutic target for UC treatment.

Maternal COVID-19 Distress and Chinese Preschool Children's Problematic Media Use: A Moderated Serial Mediation Model.

Introduction: Maternal distress increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, significantly impacting children's media use. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence mechanism of maternal COVID-19 distress on preschoolers' problematic media us through a moderated mediation model; specifically, we examined the possible mediating roles of parenting stress and negative instrumental use of media in parenting and the moderating role of supportive co-parenting. Methods: An online survey was conducted in a sample of 1357 children (Mage = 4.01, SD = 1.06; 47.4% boys) and their parents from six public kindergartens in Shanghai, China. The mothers provided information by completing measures on their levels of distress related to COVID-19, parenting stress levels, digital parenting practices, and perception of supportive co-parenting from their partners. Additionally, both parents rated their children's problematic media use. Results: (1) maternal COVID-19 distress was significantly and positively related to children's problematic media use; (2) this relationship was sequentially mediated by parenting stress and parents' negative instrumental use of media in parenting; and (3) supportive co-parenting moderated the serial mediation path by reducing the effect of maternal COVID-19 distress on parenting stress. Conclusion: The findings provide some support and guidance for preventing children's problematic media use and enhancing parental adaptation during the COVID-19 pandemic or in potentially adverse situations.

SiC3N3 monolayer as a universal anode for alkali metal-ion batteries.

Our density functional theory calculations show that silicon doping in g-CN (SiC3N3) can improve the electrochemical performance of g-CN as an anode of alkali metal-ion batteries and solve the problems of too high adsorption ability and migration energy barrier commonly found in porous carbon nitride. The stability of SiC3N3 was verified by molecular dynamics simulations and phonon spectroscopy. Elastic constant calculations revealed that the Si doping in g-CN can improve its mechanical properties. Specifically, Li/Na/K has a suitable adsorption capability (-0.71/-0.52/-0.98 eV) and a lower migration barrier (0.73/0.43/0.21 eV) on SiC3N3, where the barrier of a single Li-ion is the lowest among the doped porous carbon nitride materials studied so far. Moreover, SiC3N3 exhibits a high theoretical capacity (253/1512/1512 mA h g-1) and a low open-circuit voltage (0.48/0.18/0.31 V) for Li/Na/K ion batteries. Compared with B-doped g-CN previously studied, Si doping can more effectively improve the electronic conductivity of g-CN owing to greater charge transfer between Si and g-CN; the migration energy barrier of alkali metal ions on SiC3N3 is reduced more significantly due to its puckered structure instead of a planar structure; and the capacity of SiC3N3 is nearly doubled for alkali metal ion batteries because it has more feasible adsorption sites for alkali metals. These results suggest that Si-doped g-CN can be a universal anode material for alkali metal ion batteries.

Diagnostic performance of diffusion-weighted imaging versus 18F-FDG PET/CT in differentiating pulmonary lesions: an updated meta-analysis of comparative studies.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) for differentiating pulmonary nodules and masses. METHODS: We systematically searched six databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and three Chinese databases, to identify studies that used both DWI and PET/CT to differentiate pulmonary nodules. The diagnostic performance of DWI and PET/CT was compared and pooled sensitivity and specificity were calculated along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 was used to assess the quality of the included studies, and STATA 16.0 software was utilized to perform statistical analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 10 studies that enrolled a total of 871 patients with 948 pulmonary nodules were included in this meta-analysis. DWI had greater pooled sensitivity (0.85 [95% CI 0.77-0.90]) and specificity (0.91 [95% CI 0.82-0.96]) than PET/CT (sensitivity, 0.82 [95% CI 0.70-0.90]); specificity, (0.81, [95% CI 0.72-0.87]). The area under the curve of DWI and PET/CT were 0.94 (95% CI 0.91-0.96) and 0.87 (95% CI 0.84-0.90) (Z = 1.58, P > 0.05), respectively. The diagnostic odds ratio of DWI (54.46, [95% CI 17.98-164.99]) was superior to that of PET/CT (15.77, [95% CI 8.19-30.37]). The Deeks' funnel plot asymmetry test showed no publication bias. The Spearman correlation coefficient test revealed no significant threshold effect. Lesion diameter and reference standard could be potential causes for the heterogeneity of both DWI and PET/CT studies, and quantitative or semi-quantitative parameters used would be a potential source of bias for PET/CT studies. CONCLUSION: As a radiation-free technique, DWI may have similar performance compare with PET/CT in differentiating malignant pulmonary nodules or masses from benign ones.

Parenting style and Chinese preschool children's pre-academic skills: A moderated mediation model of approaches to learning and family socioeconomic status.

This study examined the mediating role of children's approaches to learning (ATL) in parenting style and Chinese preschoolers' pre-academic skills (i.e., literacy and numeracy) as well as the moderating role of family socioeconomic status (SES) in the mediating process. Participants were 307 children aged five to six years old from four public kindergartens in Shanghai, China. Parents provided demographic information and reported their parenting style (i.e., authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive) and teachers rated each child's ATL and pre-academic skills. Results indicated that: (1) authoritative parenting positively related to children's pre-academic skills while no significant relationships were identified either for authoritarian or permissive parenting with pre-academic skills; (2) children's ATL partially mediated the relationship between authoritative parenting and children's pre-academic skills; (3) family SES moderated the relationship between children's ATL and pre-academic skills. Specifically, children's ATL was more strongly related to pre-academic skills for children from low SES families as compared to their high-SES peers. These findings contribute to the understanding of the effects of parenting styles on Chinese children's early academic achievement and underscore the importance of ATL to children's pre-academic skills, especially for low-SES children.

Callous-Unemotional Traits and Social Adjustment among Chinese Preschoolers: The Moderating Role of Teacher-Child Relationship.

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are associated with social adjustment difficulties, but few studies have examined the underlying mechanisms in Chinese preschoolers. This study examined the relationship between CU traits and social adjustment among Chinese preschoolers as well as the moderating role of the teacher-child relationship in the association. Participants were 484 preschool children aged 3-6 years old from Shanghai, China (Mage = 5.56 years, SD = 0.96 years). Parents reported children's CU traits and teachers reported their relationship with children and rated children's social adjustment as well. The results revealed that (1) children with higher CU traits positively related to aggressive and asocial behavior with peers, but negatively related to prosocial behavior; (2) the teacher-child relationship moderated the relationship between CU traits and social adjustment in children. Specifically, teacher-child conflict exacerbated the aggressive and asocial behavior of children with CU traits and reduced the prosocial behavior of children with CU traits. These findings extended the current research on CU traits and had important implications for early interventions targeted at children with CU traits.

Predicting Kirsten Rat Sarcoma Virus Gene Mutation Status in Patients With Colorectal Cancer by Radiomics Models Based on Multiphasic CT.

Objective: To develop and validate radiomics models based on multiphasic CT in predicting Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (KRAS) gene mutation status in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Materials and Methods: A total of 231 patients with pathologically confirmed CRC were retrospectively enrolled and randomly divided into training(n=184) and test groups(n=47) in a ratio of 4:1. A total of 1316 quantitative radiomics features were extracted from non-contrast phase (NCP), arterial-phase (AP) and venous-phase (VP) CT for each patient. Four steps were applied for feature selection including Spearman correlation analysis, variance threshold, least absolute contraction and selection operator, and multivariate stepwise regression analysis. Clinical and pathological characteristics were also assessed. Subsequently, three classification methods, logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM) and random tree (RT) algorithm, were applied to develop seven groups of prediction models (NCP, AP, VP, AP+VP, AP+VP+NCP, AP&VP, AP&VP&NCP) for KRAS mutation prediction. The performance of these models was evaluated by receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC) analysis. Results: Among the three groups of single-phase models, the AP model, developed by LR algorithm, showed the best prediction performance with an AUC value of 0.811 (95% CI:0.685-0.938) in the test cohort. Compared with the single-phase models, the dual-phase (AP+VP) model with the LR algorithm showed better prediction performance (AUC=0.826, 95% CI:0.700-0.952). The performance of multiphasic (AP+VP+NCP) model with the LR algorithm (AUC=0.811, 95%CI: 0.679-0.944) is comparable to the model with the SVM algorithm (AUC=0.811, 95%CI: 0.695-0.918) in the test cohort, but the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the multiphasic (AP+VP+NCP) model with the LR algorithm were 0.810, 0.808, 0.809 respectively, which were highest among these seven groups of prediction models in the test cohort. Conclusion: The CT radiomics models have the potential to predict KRAS mutation in patients with CRC; different phases may affect the predictive efficacy of radiomics model, of which arterial-phase CT is more informative. The combination of multiphasic CT images can further improve the performance of radiomics model.

Family Income, Parental Education and Chinese Preschoolers' Cognitive School Readiness: Authoritative Parenting and Parental Involvement as Chain Mediators.

This study examined the associations of family income and parental education with Chinese preschool children's cognitive school readiness and the sequential mediating role of parenting style (i.e., authoritative parenting) and parental involvement in these relations. A total of 307 5-6 years old kindergarten children from Shanghai, China and their parents participated in the study. Using structural equation modeling method, the results indicated that parental education was directly related to children's cognitive school readiness, while no direct relationship was found for family income. The link of parents' education with children's cognitive school readiness was sequentially mediated by authoritative parenting and home-based parental involvement. Authoritative parenting and parental involvement at home can be targeted by government administrators to effectively improve children's cognitive school readiness skills. The theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Diffusion-Weighted Imaging for Predicting and Monitoring the Response of Anti-Angiogenic Treatment in the Orthotopic Nude Mouse Model of Lung Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The treatment efficacy of angiogenesis inhibitor could be underestimated at an early stage based on tumor volume changes. Intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI) can quantitatively assess tumors at the cellular level, but it is unclear whether it can provide useful information for assessing treatment response of anti-angiogenic treatment for lung adenocarcinoma. PURPOSE: To determine the use of IVIM-DWI for non-invasive monitoring of the early response to anti-angiogenic treatment in the orthotopic transplantation of lung adenocarcinoma model. STUDY TYPE: Prospective. POPULATION: Thirty-seven nude mice were randomized into two groups: treatment group (received bevacizumab + cisplatin, N = 20) and control group (received saline, N = 17). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: Single-shot turbo spin-echo (TSE) IVIM-DWI, TSE T2-weighted imaging at 3.0 T. ASSESSMENT: Tumor volume, IVIM parameters (apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC], diffusivity [D], perfusion fraction [f], and pseudo-diffusion coefficient [D*]) were measured before and 2 hours, 3, 7, 10 and 14 days after treatment. Regions of interest were manually drawn along the inner edge of the tumor by two radiologists with 5 and 10-year experience in magnetic resonance imaging. Pathological examinations (hematoxylin and eosin stain, cluster of differentiation 34) were performed. STATISTICAL TESTS: Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, repeated-measure two-way analysis of variance test, Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson correlation analysis, receiver operating characteristic curve. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The tumor volume of the two groups was significantly different only on day 14 (control group vs. treatment group, 43.15 ± 18.28 mm3 vs. 28.41 ± 1.71 mm3 ). ADC2h , ADC10d , D2h , D7d , D10d , and D14d were significantly higher, while f10d and f14d were significantly lower in the treatment group compared to those of the control group. Both the △ADC2h (r = -0.631) and △D2h (r = -0.700) showed moderate correlations with the relative tumor volume on day 14. DATA CONCLUSION: IVIM has the potential to predict and monitor the early response to anti-angiogenic treatment, earlier than size changes, for lung adenocarcinoma. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 4.

Evaluation of peripheral nerve acute crush injury in rabbits: comparison among diffusion kurtosis imaging, diffusion tensor imaging and electromyography.

OBJECTIVE: Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) has been proven to provide additional value for assessing many central nervous system diseases compared with conventional diffusion tensor imaging (DTI); however, whether it has the same value in peripheral nerve injury is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the performance of DKI, DTI, and electromyography (EMG) in evaluating peripheral nerve crush injury (PNCI) in rabbits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 27 New Zealand white rabbits were selected to establish a PNCI model. Longitudinal DTI, DKI, and EMG were evaluated before surgery and 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, and 8 weeks after surgery. At each time point, two rabbits were randomly selected for pathological examination. RESULTS: The results showed that fractional anisotropy (FA) derived from both DKI and DTI demonstrated a significant difference between injured and control nerves at all time points (all P < 0.005) mean kurtosis of the injured nerve was lower than that on the control side after 2-8 weeks (all P < 0.05). No statistically significant difference was found in radial kurtosis, axial kurtosis, and apparent diffusion coefficient at almost every time point. The difference in compound muscle action potential (CMAP) of the bilateral gastrocnemius at each time point was statistically significant (all P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: CMAP was a sensitive and reliable method to assess acute PNCI without being affected by perineural edema. DKI may not be superior to DTI in evaluating peripheral nerves, DTI with a shorter scanning time was preferred as an effective choice for evaluating acute peripheral nerve traumatic injury.

Diagnostic Performance of 2D and 3D T2WI-Based Radiomics Features With Machine Learning Algorithms to Distinguish Solid Solitary Pulmonary Lesion.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of 2D and 3D radiomics features with different machine learning approaches to classify SPLs based on magnetic resonance(MR) T2 weighted imaging (T2WI). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 132 patients with pathologically confirmed SPLs were examined and randomly divided into training (n = 92) and test datasets (n = 40). A total of 1692 3D and 1231 2D radiomics features per patient were extracted. Both radiomics features and clinical data were evaluated. A total of 1260 classification models, comprising 3 normalization methods, 2 dimension reduction algorithms, 3 feature selection methods, and 10 classifiers with 7 different feature numbers (confined to 3-9), were compared. The ten-fold cross-validation on the training dataset was applied to choose the candidate final model. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), precision-recall plot, and Matthews Correlation Coefficient were used to evaluate the performance of machine learning approaches. RESULTS: The 3D features were significantly superior to 2D features, showing much more machine learning combinations with AUC greater than 0.7 in both validation and test groups (129 vs. 11). The feature selection method Analysis of Variance(ANOVA), Recursive Feature Elimination(RFE) and the classifier Logistic Regression(LR), Linear Discriminant Analysis(LDA), Support Vector Machine(SVM), Gaussian Process(GP) had relatively better performance. The best performance of 3D radiomics features in the test dataset (AUC = 0.824, AUC-PR = 0.927, MCC = 0.514) was higher than that of 2D features (AUC = 0.740, AUC-PR = 0.846, MCC = 0.404). The joint 3D and 2D features (AUC=0.813, AUC-PR = 0.926, MCC = 0.563) showed similar results as 3D features. Incorporating clinical features with 3D and 2D radiomics features slightly improved the AUC to 0.836 (AUC-PR = 0.918, MCC = 0.620) and 0.780 (AUC-PR = 0.900, MCC = 0.574), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: After algorithm optimization, 2D feature-based radiomics models yield favorable results in differentiating malignant and benign SPLs, but 3D features are still preferred because of the availability of more machine learning algorithmic combinations with better performance. Feature selection methods ANOVA and RFE, and classifier LR, LDA, SVM and GP are more likely to demonstrate better diagnostic performance for 3D features in the current study.

Value of radiomics model based on multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging in predicting epidermal growth factor receptor mutation status in patients with lung adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an important therapeutic target for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Radiomics and radiogenomics have emerged as attractive research topics aiming to extract mineable high-dimensional features from medical images and show potential to correlate with the gene mutation. Herein, we aim to develop a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based radiomics model for pretreatment prediction of the EGFR status in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. METHODS: A total of 92 patients with pathologically confirmed lung adenocarcinoma were retrospectively enrolled in this study. EGFR genotype was analyzed by sequence testing. All patients were randomized into training and test group in a 7:3 ratio using the R software. Radiomics features were extracted from T2 weighted imaging (T2WI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC); radiomics signatures were built using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and logistic regression. Preoperative clinical factors and image features associated with EGFR were also evaluated. A nomogram including sex, smoking status, and radiomics signatures was constructed. A total of five radiomics models were built, and the area under the curve (AUC) was used to evaluate their performance of EGFR mutation prediction. RESULTS: Among the three single-sequence models, the ADC model showed the best prediction performance. The AUCs of the ADC, DWI, T2WI prediction model in the test cohort were 0.805 (95% CI: 0.610 to 1.000), 0.722 (95% CI: 0.519 to 0.924), and 0.655 (95% CI: 0.438 to 0.872), respectively. Compared with the single-sequence model, the multi-sequence prediction model showed better performed [AUCtest =0.838 (95% CI: 0.685 to 0.992)]. The AUC of the nomogram in the training group was 0.925 (95% CI: 0.855 to 0.994) and 0.727 (95% CI: 0.531 to 0.924) in the test group, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The radiomics model based on MRI might have the potential to predict EGFR mutation in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. The multi-sequence model had better performance than other models.

Free Triiodothyronine Is Independently Associated with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Hospitalized Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Free triiodothyronine (FT3) is an independent risk factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients with euthyroid. However, whether FT3 has an independent effect on NAFLD in a population of type 2 diabetes remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to identify the potential role of FT3 in NAFLD with T2DM. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. Patient. A total of 859 T2DM patients who met the inclusion criteria were included. There were 506 T2DM patients without NAFLD and 353 T2DM patients with NAFLD. METHODS: The independent samples t-test or Wilcoxon rank sum test were used for continuous variables of different distribution types, while the chi-square test was used for categorical variables. Pearson correlation analysis and linear regression were used to analyze the correlation between FT3 and clinical measurements and biochemical indicators. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine independent predictors. RESULTS: Patients with NAFLD had higher BMI, SBP, and DBP, longer duration of T2DM, and higher islet function index, blood glucose index, liver function index, renal function index, blood lipid index, and FT3. We also found that FT3 was affected by other five indicators, including ALT, CR, GGT, TC, and LDL-C only in the NAFLD group but not in the non-NAFLD group. FT3 was significantly associated with NAFLD in T2DM patients, and the prevalence of NAFLD increased gradually from the lowest FT3 tertile to the highest FT3 tertile (P for trend < 0.001). CONCLUSION: FT3 is independently associated with NAFLD in hospitalized T2DM patients after rigorous adjustment for various metabolic parameters.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of discharged COVID-19 patients with reoccurrence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA.

AIM: Data are limited on clinical characteristics and outcomes of recovered the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients with the reoccurrence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. PATIENTS & METHODS: Discharged patients in our hospital were included, who had recovered from COVID-19 with the reoccurrence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. RESULTS: Six patients were redetectable and positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA after discharge from 3 to 15 days. The main symptoms, although no fever, included fatigue, dry cough and pharyngeal or chest discomfort, which were generally milder in the repositive period compared with the period of initial infection. Their laboratory indexes were significantly improved compared with the initial infection, and the pulmonary lesions were continuously improving. All close contacts were SARS-CoV-2 RNA-negative. CONCLUSION: No worsening outcomes or active transmission to close contacts were found for the repositive COVID-19 patients.

Epidemiological and initial clinical characteristics of patients with family aggregation of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Since December 2019, a new outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Wuhan (Hubei, China) and rapidly spread throughout China, however, confirmed cases are still increasing worldwide. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the epidemiological history and initial clinical characteristics of 10 patients with family aggregation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in Western Chongqing, China. STUDY DESIGN: Ten patients positive for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid detection by real time Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), were collected from The People's Hospital of Dazu District, Chongqing. Epidemiological data and laboratory and imaging results were collected on the first day of admission, and analyzed based on the Diagnosis and Treatment Guideline for COVID-19 (5th edition, China). RESULTS: Of the 10 cases, case A had a history of a temporary stay in Wuhan and transmitted the virus to the others through family gathering, living together, and sharing vehicles. The average age was 56.5 years (± 11.16), six patients were males, and the incubation period was 2-14 days. Dry cough was the main symptom, followed by fever and fatigue. Most patients were clinically classified as ordinary-type, with three cases being severe-type. Chest computed tomography results were nonspecific, mainly with ground-glass attenuation and/or shadow images. Extensive lesion distribution was seen in severe cases. CD4+ lymphocyte counts were 61, 180, and 348 cells/uL in severe-type patients, respectively. Notably, viral nucleic acid values in nasopharyngeal swabs were lower (19, 25, and 26) than those of ordinary-type patients, suggesting a higher viral load. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was also higher in severe-type patients CONCLUSIONS: Initial examination results of lower CD4+ lymphocyte counts and RT-PCR-CT values coupled with higher NLR may indicate the severity of COVID-19 infection for these family clusters.

miR­30a­3p suppresses the proliferation and migration of lung adenocarcinoma cells by downregulating CNPY2.

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer­related morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although there are currently various therapeutic strategies including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, lung cancer still results in high mortality with a 5­year survival rate of less than 20%. The increasing need for new therapeutic targets and diagnostic/prognostic tools for lung cancer has promoted the demand for a better molecular and mechanistic understanding of its pathobiology. microRNA­30a­3p (miR­30a­3p) was recently recognized to be closely involved in the regulation of cancer cell invasion, migration and proliferation. However, the mechanistic role of miR­30a­3p in regulating the biological behavior of lung cancer, especially lung adenocarcinoma (LADC), is unknown. In the present study, we aimed to confirm the downregulation of miR­30a­3p in LADC tissues, and validate its functional impact on the pathogenesis of LADC via its molecular target, canopy fibroblast growth factor signaling regulator 2 (CNPY2), a known oncogene. Our data confirmed that CNPY2 was upregulated in LADC tissues, and the expression level of CNPY2 was correlated with the clinical outcomes of lung cancer patients. miR­30a­3p was confirmed as a key negative regulator of CNPY2 and reduced miR­30a­3p expression resulted in CNPY2 upregulation in LADC tissues. We then validated the functional outcome of miR­30a­3p in cancer pathobiology by the overexpression of miR­30a­3p in the LADC EKVX cell line. miR­30a­3p overexpression inhibited cancer cell proliferation, invasion and migration, by suppressing CNPY2 expression. In addition, miR­30a­3p inhibited epithelial­mesenchymal transition, a key feature of LADC, via CNPY2 suppression. Taken together, these findings suggest that miR­30a­3p exerts a novel inhibitory role in the pathogenesis of LADC via CNPY2 downregulation, and the miR­30a­3p/CNPY2 pathway is a potential therapeutic target for human LADC.

[Changes and clinical significance of innate-like lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the percentages and correlations of innate-like lymphocyte subsets, αßT cells and B2 cells in peripheral blood of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and normal individuals. METHODS: A total of 16 healthy controls, 5 NSCLC first-visit patients and 15 NSCLC stable-state patients were included to take the peripheral blood samples. Flow cytometry was performed to detect the percentages of invariant natural killer T (iNKT), γδT, B1, αßT and B2 cell subsets in peripheral blood lymphocytes. RESULTS: The percentage of iNKT cells in the stable-state patients was significantly lower than that of the healthy people and first-visit patients. In addition, the percentage of αßT cells in the stable-state patients was significantly higher than that of the healthy people. The fist-visit patients had a markedly higher percentage of γδT cells than the stable-state patients, but a significantly lower percentage of B1 cells than the healthy people. There was an obviously positive correlation between iNKT cells and γδT cells in the stable-state patients. We also found a significantly positive correlation between B1 cells and B2 cells in both stable-state patients and healthy people. CONCLUSION: The percentages of innate-like lymphocyte subsets in patients with NSCLC are in disequilibrium.

A multicentre clinical study on the injection of ceftriaxone/sulbactam compared with cefoperazone/sulbactam in the treatment of respiratory and urinary tract infections.

OBJECTIVE: This clinical study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this therapy in the treatment of respiratory and urinary infections caused by ceftriaxone-resistant bacteria in comparison with the effect of cefoperazone/sulbactam on cefoperazone-resistant bacteria. METHODS: A total of 285 patients aged from 18 to 65 years old, with a respiratory or urinary tract bacterial infection, were enrolled into this multicentre, open-label, controlled clinical study, and bacteria that were either ceftriaxone-resistant or cefoperazone-resistant were isolated from the patients, whose condition had not improved after three days of treatment with ceftriaxone or cefoperazone. To be selected for the study, bacterial cultures obtained from the patients had to be positive before enrolment, and all of the isolates were required to be ß-lactamase-positive. Of these patients, 253 completed the trial, and 263 were enrolled into the intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis. All of the 285 patients were included in the safety analysis. RESULTS: The cure and effective rates were 39.55% and 85.07% in the ceftriaxone/sulbactam group and 36.43% and 79.84% in the cefoperazone/sulbactam group; the bacterial eradication rates were 83.58% and 83.72%; and the adverse-event rates were 7.48% and 7.80%, respectively. There were no significant differences between the two groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Ceftriaxone/sulbactam is as effective and well-tolerated as cefoperazone/sulbactam for the treatment of intermediate and severe bacterial infections caused by resistant strains.