Highly boosted trace-amount terahertz vibrational absorption spectroscopy based on defect one-dimensional photonic crystal.

Although terahertz (THz) spectroscopy demonstrates great application prospects in the fields of fingerprint sensing and detection, traditional sensing schemes face unavoidable limitations in the analysis of trace-amount samples. In this Letter, a novel, to the best of our knowledge, absorption spectroscopy enhancement strategy based on a defect one-dimensional photonic crystal (1D-PC) structure is proposed to achieve strong wideband terahertz wave-matter interactions for trace-amount samples. Based on the Fabry-Pérot resonance effect, the local electric field in a thin-film sample can be boosted by changing the length of the photonic crystal defect cavity, so that the wideband signal of the sample fingerprint can be greatly enhanced. This method exhibits a great absorption enhancement factor, of about 55 times, in a wide terahertz frequency range, facilitating the identification of different samples, such as thin α-lactose films. The investigation reported in this Letter provides a new research idea for enhancing the wide terahertz absorption spectroscopy of trace samples.

Enhanced trace-amount terahertz vibrational absorption spectroscopy using surface spoof polarization in metasurface structures.

Terahertz (THz) absorption spectroscopy is a powerful tool for molecular label-free fingerprinting, but it faces a formidable hurdle in enhancing the broadband spectral signals in trace-amount analysis. In this paper, we propose a sensing method based on the geometry scanning of metal metasurfaces with spoof surface polarization sharp resonances by numerical simulation. This scheme shows a significant absorption enhancement factor of about 200 times in an ultra-wide terahertz band to enable the explicit identification of various analytes, such as a trace-amount thin lactose film samples. The proposed method provides a new, to the best of our knowledge, choice for the enhancement of wide terahertz absorption spectra, and paves the way for the detection of trace-amount chemical, organic, or biomedical materials in the terahertz regime.

Enzalutamide-Induced Upregulation of PCAT6 Promotes Prostate Cancer Neuroendocrine Differentiation by Regulating miR-326/HNRNPA2B1 Axis.

Our previous studies have demonstrated that Enzalutamide-induced upregulation of long non-coding RNA p21 (lncRNA-p21) facilitates prostate cancer (PCa) neuroendocrine differentiation (NED). Given the important role of lncRNAs in PCa pathogenesis, and given that lots of lncRNAs are dys-regulated in neuroendocrine PCa (NEPC) patients, we next explored the biological function and underlying mechanism of lncRNA-PCAT6 (PCAT6) in mediating Enzalutamide-induced NED. The level of PCAT6 in Enzalutamide-treated PCa cells and NEPC samples were assessed using quantitative RT-PCR (qPCR). The effect of PCAT6 on PCa cell proliferation, invasion, and NED was evaluated through CCK-8, transwell, qPCR, western blot analysis, Xenograft mouse model, and in vivo lung metastasis model. We found that PCAT6 was highly expressed in NE-like cells (PC3, DU145, and NCI-H660) compared with androgen-sensitive LNCaP cells. PCAT6 was also highly expressed in NEPC tissues. Enzalutamide treatment resulted in a significant increase of PCAT6 level in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. Functionally, PCAT6 overexpression promoted NED of C4-2 cells, as evidenced by an increased expression of NE markers (NSE, ChgA, and SYP), whereas PCAT6 knockdown in NCI-H661 cells repressed NED. Furthermore, PCAT6 overexpression promoted PCa cell proliferation and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, PCAT6 functioned as competing endogenous (ce) RNA via absorbing miR-326, thus resulting in a de-suppression of Hnrnpa2b1 target gene. The current results demonstrate that PCAT6 acted as a tumor activator in PCa progression by sponging miR-326 and increasing Hnrnpa2b1 expression and that the PCAT6/miR-326/Hnrnpa2b1 signaling might be a new therapeutic target for PCa.

Long Non-coding RNA AFAP1-AS1 Facilitates Prostate Cancer Progression by Regulating miR-15b/IGF1R Axis.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) is a commonly diagnosed malignant cancer and is the second- highest cause of cancer death in men worldwide. Enzalutamide is the second-generation inhibitor of androgen receptor signaling and is the fundamental drug for the treatment of advanced PCa. However, the disease will eventually progress to metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and aggressive neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) because of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) resistance. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) AFAP1-AS1 in ADT resistance. METHODS: Quantitative real-time PCR analysis (qPCR) was used to assess the expression of AFAP1-AS1 in PCa cell lines and tissues. Cell proliferation and invasion were assessed after AFAP1-AS1 knockdown using Cell Counting Kit (CCK)-8 and Transwell assay, respectively. A dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was carried out to validate the regulatory relationship among AFAP1-AS1, microRNA (miR)-15b, and insulin-like growth factor1 receptor (IGF1R). RESULTS: AFAP1-AS1 level was markedly increased in castration-resistant C4-2 cells and NE-like cells (PC3, DU145, and NCI-H660), compared with androgen-sensitive LNCaP cells. Enzalutamide treatment increased the expression of AFAP1-AS1 in vitro and in vivo. Functionally, AFAP1-AS1 knockdown repressed tumor cell proliferation and invasion. Mechanistically, AFAP1-AS1 functioned as an oncogene in PCa through binding to miR-15b and destroying its tumor suppressor function. Finally, we identified that AFAP1-AS1 up-regulated IGF1R expression by competitively binding to miR-15b to de-repress IGF1R. CONCLUSION: AFAP1-AS1 facilitates PCa progression by regulating miR-15b/IGF1R axis, indicating that AFAP1-AS1 may serve as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for PCa.

[Effects of Hematocrit on the Parameters of Thromboelastography in Healthy Adults].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of hematocrit (HCT) on the parameters of thromboelastography (TEG) in healthy adults, so as to judge coagulation and fibrinolysis more accurately. METHODS: Three hundred and ninety-three healthy adults examined in Chengdu 363 Hospital Affiliated to Southwest Medical University from May 2018 to May 2019 were selected. HCT and TEG were detected at the same time. The differences of TEG parameters between the high HCT group and the low HCT group were compared. The correlation between HCT and TEG parameters was analyzed. The differences of TEG parameters between the healthy adults in Plateau and plain areas were compared. RESULTS: Among the parameters of TEG, R and K in high HCT group were significantly higher, and Angle, MA and CI were significantly lower than those in low HCT group, which showed statistically significance (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in LY30 and EPL between the two groups (P>0.05). R and K positively correlated with HCT (r=0.112, 0.517, P=0.027, 0.000), and Angle, MA and CI negatively correlated with HCT (r=-0.490, -0.408, -0.414, P=0.000). LY30 and EPL not correlated with HCT (P>0.05). HCT in plateau area was significantly higher than that in plain area (P<0.05). Among the parameters of TEG, K value was significantly higher, and Angle, MA and CI were significantly lower than those in plain area (P<0.05). R, LY30 and EPL were not significantly different from those in plain area (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The difference of HCT may affect the values of R, K, Angle, MA and CI in TEG parameters. R and K positively correlate with HCT, while Angle, MA and CI negatively correlate with HCT. It is suggested that a suitable TEG reference range for the local population should be established, in plateau area especially K, Angle, MA and CI, which will be more conducive to the accurate evaluation of patients' coagulation and fibrinolysis status.

One-dimensional terahertz dielectric gradient metasurface for broadband spoof surface plasmon polaritons couplers: publisher's note.

This publisher's note contains corrections to Opt. Lett.46, 290 (2021)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.412229.

One-dimensional terahertz dielectric gradient metasurface for broadband spoof surface plasmon polaritons couplers.

At present, most of the gradient metasurfaces used to construct surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs)/spoof SPPs (SSPs) couplers are usually compact metal antennas working under reflection and transmission. In reflection mode, meta-couplers link propagating waves and surface waves (SWs), and SWs will undergo significant scattering before coupling to an Eigen SPP in the target system. In transmission mode, metal meta-couplers will encounter complex multilayer designing at the microwave/terahertz region and metal absorption loss at optical frequencies. In this Letter, to the best of our knowledge, a novel design using dielectric gradient metasurfaces instead of metal metasurface couplers is proposed to excite broadband SSPs on the metal groove array. We demonstrate that the well-designed phase dielectric gradient metasurface converts the normal incident terahertz wave to the predetermined angle in the dielectric substrate and then excites the broadband SSPs with the transmission coupling between the dielectric meta-coupler and SSPs surface. This research may open up new avenues in simple and broadband plane dielectric meta-couplers for SSPs in ultra-thin and compact functional devices for versatile applications.

Decoding spectro-temporal representation for motor imagery recognition using ECoG-based brain-computer interfaces.

One of the challenges in brain-computer interface systems is obtaining motor imagery recognition from brain activities. Brain-signal decoding robustness and system performance improvement during the motor imagery process are two of the essential issues in brain-computer interface research. In conventional approaches, ineffective decoding of features and high complexity of algorithms often lead to unsatisfactory performance. A novel method for the recognition of motor imagery tasks is developed based on employing a modified S-transforms for spectro-temporal representation to characterize the behavior of electrocorticogram activities. A classifier is trained by using a support vector machine, and an optimized wrapper approach is applied to guide selection to implement the representation selection obtained. A channel selection algorithm optimizes the wrapper approach by adding a cross-validation step, which effectively improves the classification performance. The modified S-transform can accurately capture event-related desynchronization/event-related synchronization phenomena and can effectively locate sensorimotor rhythm information. The optimized wrapper approach used in this scheme can effectively reduce the feature dimension and improve algorithm efficiency. The method is evaluated on a public electrocorticogram dataset with a recognition accuracy of 98% and an information transfer rate of 0.8586 bit/trial. To verify the effect of the channel selection, both electrocorticogram and electroencephalogram data are experimentally analyzed. Furthermore, the computational efficiency of this scheme demonstrates its potential for online brain-computer interface systems in future cognitive tasks.

High expression of ZEB1 in endometriosis and its role in 17ß-estradiol-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease associated with pain and infertility. The objective of this study was to determine the expression of ZEB1 in endometriosis and its role in 17ß-estradiol (E2)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). 25 patients with endometriosis and 16 endometriosis-free patients were recruited for the study. Tissue expression of EMT makers was investigated by immunohistochemistry, then the expression of ZEB1 was quantified by qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and western blot. The proliferation, DNA replication, and migration and invasion in ZEB1 knockdown Ishikawa cells were further respectively performed by MTS, Edu, wound healing and transwell assays. Luciferase assay was used to measure the ZEB1 promoter activity. Our results show that protein levels of E-cadherin and Keratin 18 decreased in endometriotic tissues. Meanwhile the expressions of ZEB1, Vimentin, and N-cadherin were significantly increased in endometriotic tissues. Down-regulation of ZEB1 inhibited Ishikawa cells proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT. E2 promoted the expression of ZEB1 through the ER genomic pathway, which contributed to the EMT process. The -1401 bp - -1901 bp region in the ZEB1 promoter was the main target of the E2 activity. The present results suggest that a high expression of ZEB1 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis, and it may serve as a potential therapeutic target for endometriosis.

Effect of interleukin-1ß and lipoxin A4 in human endometriotic stromal cells: Proteomic analysis.

AIM: Lipoxin A4 (LXA4 ) can function as an endogenous 'breaking signal' in inflammation and plays an important role in the progression of endometriosis. The proteome responses to interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) or LXA4 in human endometriotic stromal cells (ESC) are not well understood. METHODS: In this study, primary ESC were cultured from ovarian endometriosis tissue. Three groups were established: the control group; the IL-1ß stimulation group; and the IL-1ß and LXA4 incubation group. Proteins were assessed on 2-D polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE), and differentially expressed protein spots were further identified on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Wound healing and transwell assays were performed to assess the migration and invasion of ESC after treatment. RESULTS: In total, 40 differentially expressed protein spots were identified successfully on MALDI-TOF-MS. The proteins identified were related to cell structure, metabolism, signal transduction, protein synthesis and membrane structure, processes that may be involved in the development of endometriosis. Vinculin and IL-4 were further analyzed on western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Moreover, LXA4 could suppress the migration and invasion of ESC induced by IL-1ß. CONCLUSION: LXA4 may inhibit the progression of endometriosis partly by lowering or raising the effect of IL-1ß, mediated via some inflammation-related proteins (e.g. vinculin) and immune response-related protein (e.g. IL-4) in vitro.

Cyclopropanyldehydrocostunolide LJ attenuates high glucose-induced podocyte injury by suppressing RANKL/RANK-mediated NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways.

AIMS: The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of cyclopropanyldehydrocostunolide (also named LJ), a derivative of sesquiterpene lactones (SLs), on high glucose (HG)-induced podocyte injury and the associated molecular mechanisms. METHODS: Differentiated mouse podocytes were incubated in different treatments. The migration and albumin filtration of podocytes were examined by Transwell filters. The protein and mRNA levels of MCP-1 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and quantitative real-time PCR (q-PCR). Protein expression and phosphorylation were detected by western blot, and the nuclear translocation of NF-κB was performed with a confocal microscope. The gene expression of the receptor activator for NF-κB (RANK) was silenced by small interfering RNA (siRNA). RESULTS: Our results showed that HG enhanced migration, albumin filtration and MCP-1 expression in podocytes. At the molecular level, HG promoted the phosphorylation of NF-κB/p65, IKKß, IκBα, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and the nuclear translocation of p65. LJ reversed the effects of HG in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, our data provided the first demonstration that the receptor activator for NF-κB ligand (RANKL) and its cognate receptor RANK were overexpressed in HG-induced podocytes and were downregulated by LJ. RANK siRNA also attenuated HG-induced podocyte injury and markedly inhibited the activation of NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS: LJ attenuates HG-induced podocyte injury by suppressing RANKL/RANK-mediated NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways.

Time-averaged serum potassium levels and its fluctuation associate with 5-year survival of peritoneal dialysis patients: two-center based study.

The time-averaged serum potassium was more comprehensive to reflect the all-time changes of serum potassium levels during peritoneal dialysis (PD). However, the association of fluctuation of time-averaged serum potassium level with long-time survival of PD patients remains unknown. In this retrospective study, we included 357 incident PD patients in 2 centers from January 1, 2007 to October 31, 2012 with follow-up through October 31, 2014. Our data demonstrated that it was the lower time-averaged serum potassium level rather than baseline of serum potassium level that was associated with high risk of death. Patients with higher standard deviation (SD) had significantly poorer all-cause (p = 0.016) and cardiovascular mortality (p = 0.041). Among the patients with time-averaged serum potassium levels below 4.0 mEq/L, a lower mean value was more important than its SD to predict death risk. In contrast, the patients with time-averaged serum potassium levels above 4.0 mEq/L, those with serum potassium SD < 0.54 mEq/L, exhibited a higher 3-year and 5-year survival rate for both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality compared to the control groups. Our data clearly suggested both time-averaged serum potassium and its fluctuation contributed disproportionately to the high death risk in PD patients.

Quantitative hepatitis B core antibody level is a new predictor for treatment response in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients receiving peginterferon.

A recent study revealed that quantitative hepatitis B core antibody (qAnti-HBc) level could serve as a novel marker for predicting treatment response. In the present study, we further investigated the predictive value of qAnti-HBc level in HBeAg-positive patients undergoing PEG-IFN therapy. A total of 140 HBeAg-positive patients who underwent PEG-IFN therapy for 48 weeks and follow-up for 24 weeks were enrolled in this study. Serum samples were taken every 12 weeks post-treatment. The predictive value of the baseline qAnti-HBc level for treatment response was evaluated. Patients were further divided into 2 groups according to the baseline qAnti-HBc level, and the response rate was compared. Additionally, the kinetics of the virological and biochemical parameters were analyzed. Patients who achieved response had a significantly higher baseline qAnti-HBc level (serological response [SR], 4.52±0.36 vs. 4.19±0.58, p=0.001; virological response [VR], 4.53±0.35 vs. 4.22±0.57, p=0.005; combined response [CR], 4.50±0.36 vs. 4.22±0.58, p=0.009)). Baseline qAnti-HBc was the only parameter that was independently correlated with SR (p=0.008), VR (p=0.010) and CR(p=0.019). Patients with baseline qAnti-HBc levels ≥30,000 IU/mL had significantly higher response rates, more HBV DNA suppression, and better hepatitis control in PEG-IFN treatment. In conclusion, qAnti-HBc level may be a novel biomarker for predicting treatment response in HBeAg-positive patients receiving PEG-IFN therapy.

[Near infrared Cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy study of NO2O].

Using a tunable near infrared external cavity diode laser and a 650 mm long high finesse optical cavity consisting of two highly reflective (R=99.97% at 6561.39 cm(-1)) plan-concave mirrors of curvature radius approximately 1000 mm, a cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy (CEAS) system was made. The absorption spectra centered at 6561.39 cm(-1) of pure N2O gas and gas mixtures of N2O and N2 were recorded. According to the absorption of N2O at 6561.39 cm(-1) in the cavity, the measured effective absorption path was about 1460 km. The spectra line intensity and line-width of N2O centered at 6561.39 cm(-1) were carefully studied. The relationship between the line-width of absorption spectra and the gas pressure was derived. The pressure broadening parameter of N2 gas for NO2O line centered at 6 561. 39 cm(-1) was deduced and given a value of approximately (0.114 +/- 0.004) cm(-1) x atm(-1). The possibility to detect trace N2O gas in mixture using this CEAS system was investigated. By recording the ab- sorption spectra of N2O gas mixtures at different concentration, the relationship between the line intensity and gas concentration was derived. The minimum detectable absorption was found to be 2.34 x 10(-7) cm(-1) using this cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy system. And te measurement precision in terms of relative standard deviation (RSD) for N2O is approximately 1.73%, indicating the possibility of using the cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy system for micro gas N2O analysis in the future.

Lipoxin A4 regulates expression of the estrogen receptor and inhibits 17ß-estradiol induced p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation in human endometriotic stromal cells.

OBJECTIVE: To study the role of lipoxin A4 (LXA4) in endometriosis. DESIGN: Molecular analysis in human samples and primary human endometriotic stromal cells (ESCs). SETTING: University hospital. PATIENT(S): Forty-nine premenopausal women (30 patients with endometriosis and 19 controls). INTERVENTION(S): Normal and ectopic endometrial biopsies obtained during surgery performed during the proliferative phase of the menstrual cycle; ESCs used for in vitro studies. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Levels of LXA4 measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); mRNA levels of the estrogen receptor (ER), progestogen receptor (PR), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) quantified by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR); and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) phosphorylation evaluated by Western blotting. RESULT(S): The LXA4 expression level decreased in ectopic tissue as well as ERα and PR, although the expression of ERß increased in ectopic endometrium compared with the controls. Investigations with correlation analysis revealed the expression of LXA4 was positively correlated with ERα and negatively correlated with ERß in vivo. Moreover, administering LXA4 could augment ERß expression in ESCs and inhibit the 17ß-estradiol-induced phosphorylation of p38 MAPK very likely through ERß. CONCLUSION(S): Our findings indicate that LXA4 regulates ERß expression and inhibits 17ß-estradiol-induced phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, very likely through ERß in ESCs.

[Effect of nitrotyrosine on renal expressions of NF-κB, MCP-1 and TGF-ß1 in rats with diabetic nephropathy].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of nitrotyrosine on renal expressions of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) in rats with diabetic nephropathy (DN). METHODS: Rat DN models established by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) were randomly allocated into model group, nitrotyrosine group and ebselen group, with untreated rats as the normal control group. The rats were given the corresponding drugs for 8 weeks, and after the last administration, the 24-h urinary protein level was measured and the kidneys of the rats were harvested for detecting the protein and mRNA expressions of NF-κB, MCP-1 and TGF-ß1 with immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR, respectively. The pathological changes of the kidneys were assessed microscopically. RESULTS: Compared with those in the model group, the 24-h urinary protein level and expressions of NF-κB, MCP-1 and TGF-ß1 mRNA and protein in the renal tissues were significantly increased by nitrotyrosine treatment, which also caused worsened renal pathology, while treatment with ebselen significantly ameliorated these changes. CONCLUSION: Nitrotyrosine can up-regulate the mRNA and protein expressions of NF-κB, MCP-1 and TGF-ß1 and aggravate the inflammatory reaction in the renal tissue of DN rats to promote the progression of DN.

[Determination of trace Cu in water by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy].

In the present article, the ordinary printing paper was immerged in the aqueous solution of CuCl2, and used as an absorber for the enrichment of heavy metal copper in liquid. After being taken from the solution and dried, the paper was then analyzed using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. This method overcomes the drawbacks of splashing and low sensitivity in the process of direct analysis of heavy metal in water sample with LIBS. The Cu 324.7 nm spectral line was used as the analysis line in experiment. The variation in the line intensity at different enrichment time was studied. The calibration curve for the quantitative measurement of Cu in water was established, the detection limit was 0.023 mg x L(-1), which is about three orders of magnitude improvement compared with that in ordinary LIBS analysis of heavy metal in solution. It is likely that this technique will be practically helpful in the sensitive analysis of the heavy metal in water.

[Laser ablation and fast pulse discharge plasma spectroscopy analysis of Sn in soil].

A developing technique, laser ablation and fast pulse discharge plasma spectroscopy technique (LA-FPDPS), was used for the first time to analyze the Sn concentration in soil. The peak intensity of Sn (284.0 nm) line from soil plasma emission was greatly enhanced in comparison with using the traditional single pulse (SP) LIBS system. Using the technique, calibration curve of Sn in soil was derived. The limit of detection (LOD) for Sn in soil was reduced to be 0.16 microg x g(-1). The value is significantly improved compared with the results reported in literature when using LIBS technique, which usually was between 8.2 to 54 microg x g(-1) depending on the experimental condition, indicating that this technique possibly will be useful for rapid quantitative elemental analysis in soil.

Treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer with Chinese herbal medicine by stages combined with chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: To observe the effect of Chinese herbal medicine by stages combined with chemotherapy in treating patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) of stage III or IV. METHODS: Adopting prospective, randomized, controlled, multi-centered trial design, 121 patients enrolled were assigned to the treatment group (n = 65) and the control group (n = 56). All the patients were randomized to receive chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy and Chinese herbal medicine combined (Kangliuzengxiao decoction during chemotherapy and Feiyanning decoction after chemotherapy). The main outcome measures were survival time, Karnofsky score, main clinical symptoms, and adverse reactions. RESULTS: Five patients discontinued from the trial due to oral administration of Iressa after disease progression or other reasons, and 116 patients were evaluable for clinical efficacy with 63 in the treatment group and 53 in the control group. The overall response rate were 15.87% vs. 7.55% (P = 0.170), and the disease control rate were 85.71% vs. 71.70% in the treatment and control group (P = 0.063), respectively. The median survival time was 16.17 months vs. 12.00 months in the treatment and control group (P = 0.165), respectively. In addition, adverse reactions such as leucopenia in the treatment group were less than those in the control group (P = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Chinese herbal medicine combined with chemotherapy showed favorable effect in improving quality of life and prolonging survival time on patients with advanced NSCLC.