Relationship between the microRNAs and PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis: Focus on non-small cell lung cancer.

Lung cancer (LC) is one of the significant causes of mortality worldwide. It has been reported that several factors, including late diagnosis, cancer recurrence, lack of access to effective treatments, and especially chemo-resistance, negatively impact the clinical outcome of the available therapeutic regimens. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous non-coding small RNAs, which have been demonstrated to be involved in different aspects of cancer pathogenesis, some of which are known as tumor suppressors, and others may have a role in cancer development or progression. One of the most prominent targets of miRNAs in cancer is the phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks)/AKT serine/threonine kinase pathway, which is well-known for regulating the cell cycle and several biological phenomena such as cell proliferation, locomotion, survival, metabolism, and protein synthesis. One group activates the PI3K/AKT pathway axis targeting miRNAs, and the other inhibits this axis. Evidence demonstrated that miRNAs could be employed for diagnosis, treatment monitoring and survival evaluation. Moreover, miRNA-based therapeutic approaches can be helpful in clinical settings of cancer therapy. Therefore, this review summarized the functions of different miRNAs associated with the PI3K/AKT pathway, focusing on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) according to their anti-tumor or oncogenic roles, as well as available and possible therapeutic approaches.

Data-Driven Platform Framework for Digital Whole-Process Expressway Construction Management.

To increase the speed and efficiency of expressways construction, information management is being gradually introduced into the construction process. However, progress is limited due to the complexity of expressway engineering and application limitations of information technology. Design and delivery are still dominated by paper files, and the management of test and inspection data is still relatively extensive. Research to date into digital expressway construction has been piecemeal and fragmented with a lack of research related to the whole construction process and a data-centric information management system yet to be realized. In response, through literature research and semi-structured interviews, the framework of a data-driven digital whole-process highway construction management platform was determined. A whole process management platform was established according to the framework, and the functional application of the proposed platform was explained through a case. The framework is proposed from the perspective of the whole process of collaborative sharing., which provides a new way of thinking to solve the problems existing in the current field of expressway construction whole-process management. It also provides data-centric management, electronic design and delivery, a refined workflow, and an efficient management process.

Exploring the effects of spatial distance on public perception of waste-to-energy incineration projects.

The spatial distance of residents from potentially harmful facilities plays a vital role in shaping their perceptions of the facilities. Based on environmental psychology theories, such as the ripple effect, psychological typhoon eye effect, and marginal zone effect, two waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration plants in China's Zhejiang province are used as case studies to understand peoples' perceptions. Following a questionnaire survey of local residents, the results of a one-way ANOVA indicate a low acceptance of incinerators and a high level of perceived risk; the impact of spatial distance on the local residents' level of perceived risk correspond to the marginal zone effect; and the perception of economic benefits, trust, fairness, and acceptance of WTE incinerators have a ripple effect. Furthermore, the impact of spatial distance is effectively eliminated or alleviated by a range of community engagement approvals and various forms of economic compensation. These findings enrich the knowledge system related to environmental psychology research on NIMBY infrastructure projects and contribute toward better understanding of public psychology in order to provide a future reference for more efficient decision-making models.

Problems in the home and community-based long-term care for the elderly in China: A content analysis of news coverage.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to identify the issues that limited the supply of home and community-based Long-Term-Care (LTC) for the elderly, offer essential insights into the sustainable development of China's LTC. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A content analysis of news coverage on 12 major portals in China has been conducted to identify the issues. FINDINGS: The results demonstrate that there are 12 significant problems in the supply of home and community-based LTC for the elderly. For the service providers, the lack of qualified LTC professionals, limited service types/low service quality and unrealised integrated care, lack of steady profit patterns are the three major problems. The deficiencies of the LTC system and the lack of incentive policies and legislation for private investors' participation are the two major problems faced by the government. The public is confronted with a shortage of home and community support resources and unable to adapt to a change due to their mindsets. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The issues identified in this paper can not only provide some opportunities to various stakeholders in this area but also offer insights into the sustainable development of China's LTC. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The findings presented in this paper provide the means to understand the home and community-based LTC market in China for private investors and government, which will help to promote the cooperation between the two.

Public-private partnerships in non-profit hospitals: Case study of China.

The gap between supply and demand for health care services is expanding rapidly in China. In order to resolve this problem, the government has implemented supply-side reforms in the health care sector by inviting private capital to increase supply quantity and improve quality. However, health care institutions have high complexity and particular needs, while non-profit hospitals have very strong public interests. This gives rise to complications in the implementation of public-private partnerships (PPPs) for health care services. In this paper, the authors have selected one case each from three different models of non-profit hospital PPP projects in the national PPP project database, operated by the Ministry of Finance, and compared how these projects were operated to identify the differences among them. A content analysis of the vital project documents is the primary analysis technique used for this comparison. Key issues investigated include reasons for model selection, requirements for private sectors and market competition level in different models, risk identification and sharing, design of payment mechanism, operation supervision, and performance appraisal of the project. Based on the comparison, some key lessons and recommendations are discussed to act as a useful reference for future non-profit hospital PPP projects in China.