Geochemical characteristics and socioeconomic associations of carbonaceous aerosols in coal-fueled cities with significant seasonal pollution pattern.

Carbonaceous aerosols, comprising organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC), are critical component of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), with diverse impacts on air quality and human health. This study investigated the concentrations and seasonal patterns of carbonaceous species in PM2.5 during both the heating season (January 2021) and non-heating season (July 2021) in three coal-fueled cities in northern China, as well as the differences in carbonaceous aerosols and their associations with socioeconomic parameters in cities situated on either side of the "Hu Line" in China. The results showed that, owing to intensified coal combustion and unfavorable meteorological conditions, levels of OC, EC, and OC/EC ratios were higher in winter compared to summer. Moreover, the presence of dust (DU) and light pollution (LP) days resulted in elevated OC levels but decreased EC levels. The Char-EC/Soot-EC ratios were highest during LP, followed by CL and DU. A source apportionment analysis demonstrated that coal burning, vehicle exhaust, road dust, and biomass burning were the primary contributors to carbonaceous aerosols, as confirmed by diagnostic ratios, Char-EC/Soot-EC ratios, and PCA analysis. Furthermore, our study found that carbonaceous aerosols concentrations and source apportionment primarily varied with diurnal and seasonal trends and different pollution types. Additionally, at the national scale, population density and urban green space exhibited a positive correlation with OC/EC ratios (p < 0.05), while energy consumption per unit of GDP showed a negative correlation (p < 0.05). The observation that OC/EC ratios were lower in coal-fueled cities than in economy-based cities suggests a more severe pollution scenario. These findings highlight the importance of comprehending of the seasonal variation and chemical characteristics of carbonaceous aerosol for understanding air pollution sources and characteristics, which is essential for both air quality management and human health.

Short-term outcomes of neoadjuvant sintilimab with chemotherapy in stage III non-small cell lung cancer: a case series.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy seems to be a promising treatment option for stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Sintilimab, as a programmed death receptor-1 inhibitor, has exhibited a fine performance in treating NSCLC. However, the efficiency of sintilimab combined with chemotherapy for stage IIIA/IIIB NSCLC remains inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to share our experience on sintilimab in neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy for stage III NSCLC. Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed patients who received surgical resection following 1-3 cycles of neoadjuvant sintilimab (200 mg) with chemotherapy for stage III NSCLC between June 2020 and March 2022 in our center. Patients characteristics, surgical factors, surgery-related complications 30 days postoperatively, and treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) before surgery were recorded through reviewing medical record data and telephone follow-up. Results: A total of eight patients were enrolled, including six cases of squamous cell carcinoma and two cases of adenocarcinoma. All of the patients received 1-3 cycles of neoadjuvant therapy. There were no treatment-related surgical delays. All patients underwent lobectomy, among which two underwent sleeve lobectomy and one received bronchoplasty. Five patients underwent open thoracotomy. Fibrosis of the primary tumor and lymph nodes was observed in all the cases. There were no surgery-related complications > grade 2 at 30 days postoperatively. According to the radiographic findings, one patient had stable disease and all of the others achieved a partial response. The median of maximum standardized uptake value change from baseline was a 52.75% reduction (range, 37.2-68.8%). Five patients achieved a major pathological response. R0 resection was achieved in all eight cases. One grade 4 event was observed. Neutropenia was the most common TRAE > grade 2 (3/8). There were no cases of treatment discontinuation or dose reduction due to TRAEs. Conclusions: The current study found that neoadjuvant sintilimab plus chemotherapy bring a high rate of major pathological response and acceptable TRAEs. Even though it increased the difficulties of surgery, there is still no evidence suggesting that it will brings additional surgical death. We believe that neoadjuvant sintilimab plus chemotherapy might be feasible for stage III NSCLC.

Three-Field Lymphadenectomy in Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy for Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) has been used widely for the treatment of esophageal cancer. However, there is still a lack of consensus on the extent of lymphadenectomy in MIE. The objective of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of three-field lymphadenectomy (3-FL) in MIE, compared with the standard two-field lymphadenectomy (2-FL). METHODS: A single-center randomized controlled trial was conducted, enrolling patients with resectable thoracic esophageal cancer (cT1-3,N0-3,M0) between June 2016 and May 2019. Eligible patients were randomized into two groups to receive either 3-FL or 2-FL during MIE procedures. Perioperative outcomes of the two groups were compared. The trial was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-INR-16007957). RESULTS: Seventy-six eligible patients were randomly assigned to the 3-FL group (n = 38) and the 2-FL group (n = 38). Compared with patients in the 2-FL group, patients in the 3-FL group had more lymph nodes harvested (54.7 ± 16.5vs 30.9 ± 9.6, P < .001) and more metastatic lymph nodes identified (3.5 ± 4.5 vs 1.7 ± 2.0, P = .027). Patients in the 3-FL group were diagnosed with a more advanced final pathologic TNM stage than patients in the 2-FL group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in blood loss, major postoperative complications, or duration of hospital stay, except that the operation time was longer in the 3-FL group than in the 2-FL group (270.5 ± 45.4 minutes vs 236.7 ± 47.0 minutes, P = .002). CONCLUSIONS: Three-field lymphadenectomy allowed harvesting of more lymph nodes and more accurate staging without increased surgical risks compared with 2-FL MIE for esophageal cancer.

Salvage surgery for advanced non-small cell lung cancer after targeted therapy: A case series.

BACKGROUND: Tumor recurrence or residual tumor after targeted therapy is common in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). There is a lack of high-level evidence on which type of treatment should be employed for these patients and the role of salvage surgery has not been well reported in the literature. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent salvage surgery in our center between January 2016 and June 2019 for advanced NSCLC after targeted therapy was performed. RESULTS: A total number of nine patients were identified, including five males and four females, with a median age of 56 years (range, 40-65 years), all diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma stage IIIa-IVb. All patients had received targeted therapy according to individual positive mutation of driver gene(s). Salvage surgery was performed for tumor recurrence or residual tumor after a duration of 2-46 months of targeted therapy. A negative surgical margin was achieved in all cases. Postoperative complication rate was 11.1% (1/9). All patients were alive at the time of this analysis and two patients had disease progression. After a median follow-up of 17 months (range: 5-44 months), the median event-free survival and postoperative survival was 14 months (range: 2-44 months) and 17 months (range: 5-44 months) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Salvage surgery may be a feasible and promising therapeutic option for tumor recurrence or residual tumor in advanced NSCLC in selective patients after targeted therapy. KEY POINTS: Salvage surgery is feasible in selected patients with advanced NSCLC and provides promising survival outcomes after targeted therapy failure. Salvage surgery provides precise molecular and pathological information which is most important for subsequent therapy.

An Atypically Large, Free-Floating Thrombus Extending From the Lung to the Left Atrium via a Pulmonary Vein: A Case Report.

An atypically large, free-floating thrombus extending from primary pulmonary malignancy into the left atrium (LA) is a rare phenomenon. Here, we report a 61-year-old man presenting with a large mass in the lower lobe of the left lung, extending to LA via the left inferior pulmonary vein.The thrombus remained clinically silent and was detected by computed tomography (CT) and transthoracic echocardiography. To prevent life-threatening complications including systemic embolism and sudden death, the patient underwent surgical excision of the mass under cardiopulmonary bypass. Pathology of the tumor and the embolus was confirmed as moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Furthermore, immunohistochemical studies demonstrated consistency of the tumor cells in this pathological category.The patient tolerated the surgery well and his condition began to improve gradually after the operation.

[Inhibitory effect of endostar on lymphangiogenesis in non-small cell lung cancer and its effect on circulating tumor cells].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: It is unclear how could endostatin effect tumor lymphangiogenesis? The aim of this study is to explore inhibitory effect of recombinant human endostatin injection (endostar) on lymphangiogenesis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissue and its effect on circulating tumor cells (CTC) in peripheral blood. METHODS: Tumor-bearing model nude mice were divided into eight groups randomly (n=7), including control group, cisplatin group, several concentration endostar groups and endostar plus cisplatin groups. Continuous administration of Endostar for two weeks, observed one week after the end of administration. Using HE staining and immunohistochemical staining to diagnose the tumor tissue and suspect metastasis lymph nodes, detected vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C, VEGF-D, VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-3 expression level and microlymphatic vessel density (MLVD) of tumor tissue. Enrichment of circulating tumor cells in peripheral blood used immunomagnetic negative selection strategy, used immunofluorescence staining to diagnose and count CTCs. RESULTS: Microlymphatic vessel density and the positive expression rate of VEGF-C, VEGF-D, VEGFR-3 in three endostar groups and three endostar plus cisplatin groups were significantly less than those in control group and cisplatin group. Microlymphatic vessel density and the positive expression rate of VEGF-C, VEGF-D, VEGFR-3 in endostar plus cisplatin group and endostar group with high endostar concentration were significantly less than those with low endostar concentration; There was a significant positive correlation between microlymphatic vessel density and the positive expression rate of VEGF-C, VEGF-D, VEGFR-3. The number of circulating tumor cells in endostar plus cisplatin groups were significantly less than that of endostar or cisplatin alone. CONCLUSIONS: Endostar could inhibit tumor lymphangiogenesis and reduce tumor cells into the bloodstream through the lymphatic. Inhibitory effect concerned with drug concentrationwith a dose-dependant.