Knowledge, attitude, and practice of lung cancer screening and associated factors among high-risk population in Lanzhou, China: A cross-sectional study.

This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of high-risk populations toward lung cancer screening in Lanzhou, China. Using convenience sampling, this cross-sectional study enrolled outpatients at high-risk for lung cancer at Lanzhou University Second Hospital between November 2022 and March 2023. An anonymous, self-administered online questionnaire was distributed to each participant via the Sojump website (https://www.wjx.cn/), comprising 40 items to collect demographic information and evaluate KAP toward lung cancer screening. The analyses were descriptive. A total of 577 participants (average age of 61.8 ±â€…7.1 years; 306 males) were included in the study. The participants' scores for KAP were 4.9 ±â€…2.2, 27.4 ±â€…3.0, and 7.0 ±â€…2.1, respectively. Participants with occupational exposure had significantly lower knowledge score (3.3 ±â€…2.4 vs 5.2 ±â€…2.1, P < .001), and practice score (5.6 ±â€…2.4 vs 7.3 ±â€…1.9, P < .001) than those without occupational exposure. Participants with smoking or passive smoking history had significantly higher attitude scores (27.6 ±â€…2.9 vs 25.8 ±â€…3.2, P < .001) and practice scores (7.1 ±â€…2.0 vs 6.5 ±â€…2.5, P = .014) than those without smoking history. A total of 360 (62.4%) participants endorsed the doctors' counseling on lung cancer screening, and 355 (61.5%) participants were willing to have screening for lung cancer as doctors advised. The study revealed that 390 (67.6%) participants identified low-dose computed tomography as the appropriate method for lung cancer screening, while 356 (61.7%) participants believed that X-rays were a reliable screening method for lung cancer. However, 365 (63.3%) participants thought that the treatment outcomes for early and late-diagnosed lung cancer were the same. Additionally, 416 (72.10%) participants believed that annual lung cancer CT scanning is unnecessary. On the other hand, 339 (58.8%) participants expressed concerns about exposure to radiation from CT scans, while 349 (60.5%) participants were worried about the cost of lung cancer screening. Only 142 (24.6%) participants reported having undergone annual lung cancer screening. The high-risk population had limited knowledge and insufficient attitude and practice toward lung cancer screening in Lanzhou, China.

Discovery and Development of Luvangetin from Zanthoxylum avicennae as a New Fungicide Candidate for Fusarium verticillioides.

Pathogenic fungi pose a significant threat to crop yields and human healthy, and the subsequent fungicide resistance has greatly aggravated these agricultural and medical challenges. Hence, the development of new fungicides with higher efficiency and greater environmental friendliness is urgently required. In this study, luvangetin, isolated and identified from the root of Zanthoxylum avicennae, exhibited wide-spectrum antifungal activity in vivo and in vitro. Integrated omics and in vitro and in vivo transcriptional analyses revealed that luvangetin inhibited GAL4-like Zn(II)2Cys6 transcriptional factor-mediated transcription, particularly the FvFUM21-mediated FUM cluster gene expression, and decreased the biosynthesis of fumonisins inFusarium verticillioides. Moreover, luvangetin binds to the double-stranded DNA helix in vitro in the groove mode. We isolated and identified luvangetin, a natural metabolite from a traditional Chinese edible medicinal plant and uncovered its multipathogen resistance mechanism. This study is the first to reveal the mechanism underlying the antifungal activity of luvangetin and provides a promising direction for the future use of plant-derived natural products to prevent and control plant and animal pathogenic fungi.

A prognostic nomogram based on least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression in patients with pulmonary large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma.

Background: Pulmonary large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) is a rare subtype of breast cancer with a poor prognosis. Despite its rarity, it is important to gain a better understanding of the epidemiological, clinical, and prognostic features of pulmonary LCNEC. The purpose of this study was to design, construct, and validate a new nomogram for predicting overall survival (OS) in patients with pulmonary LCNEC. Methods: In total, the data of 1,864 LCNEC patients were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, which is maintained by the National Cancer Institute in the United States and serves as a comprehensive source of cancer-related information. Of these patients, 556 served as the validation group and 1,308 served as the training cohort. We constructed a new nomogram with the training cohort that included the independent factors for OS as identified by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression. Five independent factors were ultimately selected by the stepwise regression. Every factor of the Cox regression was included in the nomogram. Analyses of the calibration curve, decision curve, area under the curve, and concordance index (C-index) values were performed to assess the effectiveness and discriminative ability of the nomogram. Results: Five optimal predictive factors for OS were selected and merged to construct a 3- and 5-year OS nomogram. The nomogram had C-index values of 0.716 and 0.708 in the training cohort and validation cohort, respectively. The actual OS rates and the calibration curves showing the predictions of the nomogram were in good agreement. Conclusions: The prognostic nomogram may be very helpful in estimating the OS of patients with pulmonary LCNEC.

Colorimetric theophylline aggregation assay using an RNA aptamer and non-crosslinking gold nanoparticles.

The authors are presenting a rapid method for the determination of theophylline using unique non-crosslinking gold nanoparticle (AuNP) aggregation. An RNA aptamer against theophylline is firstly split into two RNA fragments which then interact with bare AuNPs. The two RNA probes cause an enhancement of the salt tolerance of AuNPs. However, in the presence of theophylline, the RNA probes form a complex with theophylline so that less RNA probes are available to protect the AuNPs from salt-induced aggregation. Theophylline induced aggregation of AuNPs is accompanied by a color change from red to blue. The color change can be detected visually and via UV-vis absorptiometry by ratioing the absorbances at 650 and 520 nm. The ratio increases linearly in the 0.1 to 20 µM theophylline concentration range, with a 67 nM limit of detection. The method is highly sensitive and selective. Graphical abstract Single-stranded split RNA aptamers (R1 and R2) protect gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) from salt-induced non-crosslinking aggregation. After recognition of theophylline by the RNA probe, the unprotected AuNPs aggregate and undergo a color change from red to blue, and this is used to quantify the theophylline concentration.

Effect of hydrophilically functionalized carbon nanotubes on the reinforcement of water-borne epoxy resin.

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were modified covalently with hydrophilic polyacrylic acid (PAA) oligomer. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the modified MWNTs. The solubility of the modified MWNTs in water was determined to be 55.6 mg/mL by UV/vis spectroscopy. They could be dispersed homogeneously in water-borne epoxy resin and improve the mechanical properties of the resin significantly. The reinforcing ability of the modified MWNTs should be contributed by the fine dispersion of the MWNTs in resin matrix and the robust covalent binding formed by the carbon nanotube-bound carboxylic acid and epoxy groups in the resin.

Hollow core-porous shell structure poly(acrylic acid) nanogels with a superhigh capacity of drug loading.

Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) nanogels with a hollow core-porous shell structure were prepared by the direct polymerization of an acrylic acid monomer in the presence of hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) and a cross-linking agent, N,N-methylenebisacrylamide, followed by removal of HPC from the generated HPC-PAA nanoparticles in a basic environment. The properties of PAA nanogel were characterized by dynamic light scattering, FT-IR, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. It is found that the nanogels have a hollow core-porous shell structure. Protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and an antitumor agent, doxorubicin hydrochloride, were used as model drugs to investigate their loading abilities as versatile drug-delivery vehicles. The nanogel exhibits surprisingly high loading ability to both protein and small molecular drugs. For example, the maximum BSA loading capacity of PAA nanogel can reach as high as 800% (i.e., 1 mg of nanogel can load about 8.0 mg of BSA). This high loading capacity may be related with the hollow core-porous shell structure of PAA nanogels. PAA nanogels have also shown sustained drug release properties and can cross biological barriers to deliver loaded cargo inside cells. Considering the high stability of the materials, simple and mild preparation procedure, high loading capacity, sustained-release property, and ability to protect biological agents from denaturation, PAA nanogels should be promising drug-delivery carriers for drug-delivery systems.

Synthesis of hydroxypropylcellulose-poly(acrylic acid) particles with semi-interpenetrating polymer network structure.

To develop a novel type of semi-IPN particles using biocompatible materials, hydroxypropylcellulose-poly(acrylic acid) (HPC-PAA) particles with semi-interpenetrating polymer network structure and a porosity-structural surface were prepared by direct polymerization of acrylic acid monomer in the reaction system comprised of HPC and AA monomer and N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (MBAAm). The properties of HPC-PAA gel particles were characterized by dynamic light scattering, FT-IR, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscope. It is found that the formation of HPC-PAA gel particles is driven by the hydrogen bonding interaction between proton-donating PAA and proton-accepting HPC. These HPC-PAA gel particles exhibit thermo and pH dual-responsive behaviors. Depending on the chemical composition and the degree of cross-linking, the thermo-responsive property of HPC-PAA gel particles can be shifted from the UCST to the LCST property, and particle sizes can be changed from 100 to 1 microm in a controllable way. Successful loading of the gel particles with oxaliplatin, a hydrophilic antitumor drug, was achieved by take advantage of the complex interaction between the platinum atom of oxaliplatin and the carboxylic group of PAA in the gel particles. In vitro cytotoxicity assay indicates that the oxalipatin-loaded HPC-PAA gel particles have high anticancer activity. Considering the good biosafety, simple and mild preparation strategy and tunable size as well as the stimuli-responsive properties, the HPC-PAA gel particles should be a promising candidate for the drug delivery system.