[Distribution Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Organophosphates in Water and Sediment in Dongting Lake].

Organophosphates （OPEs） are widely used as flame retardants and additives and thus are commonly detected in the environment. In order to explore their environmental behavior, the concentrations of 13 OPEs in the surface water and sediment of Dongting Lake were analyzed using UPLC-MS/MS. The results showed that 11 OPEs were detected, with detection frequencies of 5.26%-100% and 58.3%-100%, and the concentrations of OPEs were 2.06-2 028 ng·L-1 and 19.6-2 232 ng·g-1 in water and sediment, respectively. Overall, contamination concentrations were ranked in descending order as follows： inflowing rivers, lake area, and outlet, whereas the spatial distribution of concentrations in sediment was inversely proportional to hydrodynamics. The concentration of OPEs in Dongting Lake was at a high level compared with that of domestic and foreign lakes. Among the detected 11 OPEs, tri-iso-butyl phosphate （TnBP） and （TiBP） were dominant in water, accounting for 52.3% and 22.4% of ∑OPEs, respectively. TPhP was the dominant OPEs in sediment, accounting for 31.2% of ∑OPEs. The correlation and principal component analysis indicated that OPEs pollution in Dongting Lake was mainly affected by industrial production emissions, fishery aquaculture, and atmospheric deposition. The assessment results of the risk entropy showed that most of the detected OPEs in water had relatively low ecological risks, whereas the ecological risk of 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate （EHDPP） at some sampling points requires further attention.

Whole-course management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in primary healthcare: an internet of things-enabled prospective cohort study in China.

BACKGROUND: Despite substantial progress in reducing the global burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), traditional methods to promote understanding and management of COPD are insufficient. We developed an innovative model based on the internet of things (IoT) for screening and management of COPD in primary healthcare (PHC). METHODS: Electronic questionnaire and IoT-based spirometer were used to screen residents. We defined individuals with a questionnaire score of 16 or higher as high-risk population, COPD was diagnosed according to 2021 Global Initiative for COPD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) criteria. High-risk individuals and COPD identified through the screening were included in the COPD PHC cohort study, which is a prospective, longitudinal observational study. We provide an overall description of the study's design framework and baseline data of participants. RESULTS: Between November 2021 and March 2023, 162 263 individuals aged over 18 from 18 cities in China were screened, of those 43 279 high-risk individuals and 6902 patients with COPD were enrolled in the cohort study. In the high-risk population, the proportion of smokers was higher than that in the screened population (57.6% vs 31.4%), the proportion of males was higher than females (71.1% vs 28.9%) and in people underweight than normal weight (57.1% vs 32.0%). The number of high-risk individuals increased with age, particularly after 50 years old (χ2=37 239.9, p<0.001). Female patients are more common exposed to household biofuels (χ2=72.684, p<0.05). The majority of patients have severe respiratory symptoms, indicated by a CAT score of ≥10 (85.8%) or an Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnoea Scale score of ≥2 (65.5%). CONCLUSION: Strategy based on IoT model help improve the detection rate of COPD in PHC. This cohort study has established a large clinical database that encompasses a wide range of demographic and relevant data of COPD and will provide invaluable resources for future research.

Prognostic and onco-immunological value of immune-related eRNAs-driven genes in lung adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to comprehensively analyze the clinical value of immune-related eRNAs-driven genes in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and find the potential biomarkers for prognosis and therapeutic response to improve the survival of this malignant disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to identify the immune-related eRNAs-driven genes. Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analyses were used to construct this prognostic risk signature. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were used to investigate the underlying molecular mechanism. The single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm was conducted to evaluate the immune status based on the signature. The quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis was performed to evaluate the expression value of the signature genes between LUAD tissues and adjacent lung tissues. RESULTS: Five immune-related eRNAs-driven genes (SHC1, GDF10, CCL14, FYN, and NOD1) were identified to construct a prognostic risk signature with favorable predictive capacity. The patients with high-risk scores based on the signature were significantly associated with the malignant clinical features compared with those with low-risk scores. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that the sample in the low-risk group had a prolonged survival compared with those in the high-risk group. This risk signature was validated to have a promising predictive capacity and reliability in diverse clinical situations and independent cohorts. The functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that humoral immune response and intestinal immune network for IgA production pathway might be the underlying molecular mechanism related to the signature. The proportion of the vast majority of immune infiltrating cells in the high-risk group was significantly lower than that in the low-risk group, and the immunotherapy response rate in the low-risk group was significantly higher than that in the high-risk group. Moreover, BI-2536, sepantronium bromide, and ULK1 were the potential drugs for the treatment of patients with higher risk scores. Finally, the experiment in vivo and database analysis indicated that CCL14, FYN, NOD1, and GDF10 are the potential LUAD suppressor and SHC1 is a potential treatment target for LUAD. CONCLUSION: Above all, we constructed a prognostic risk signature with favorable predictive capacity in LUAD, which was significantly associated with malignant features, immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and immunotherapy response and may provide clinical benefit in clinical decisions.

CD146 Promotes EMT-Mediated Migration and Invasion of NSCLC via PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway.

BACKGROUND: Recurrence and metastasis are the main causes of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)-related death. CD146 has been identified as a potential risk factor for poor prognosis, closely related to the distant metastasis and drug resistance in various cancers. However, the clinical significance of CD146 in NSCLC requires further investigation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study explored the correlation between CD146 expression and clinical variables using tumor tissue samples collected from our hospital. CD146 expression levels in NSCLC cell lines and tissues were assessed and compared using immunohistochemistry, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), flow cytometry, and western blot analysis. The invasion and migration capabilities of tumor cells were determined using transwell and wound healing assays. The levels of proteins related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as well as the underlying PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was measured by western blotting. RESULTS: We discovered that CD146 expression is significantly associated with the EMT signaling pathway. High CD146 expression predicted lymph node metastasis, metastasis to distant organs, advanced Tumor, Node, Metastasis (TNM) staging, and poor survival in NSCLC patients. Wound healing and transwell assays showed that knocking down CD146 significantly suppressed cell migration along with cell invasion in NSCLC, whereas overexpressing CD146 notably enhanced these processes. Western blot analysis revealed significantly reduced levels of N-cadherin, vimentin, snail, twist, PI3K, and AKT phosphorylation in shCD146 H460 cells compared to vector control cells. Treatment with PI3K inhibitor PI3K-IN-1 increased E-cadherin expression levels but reduced N-cadherin, Twist, Vimentin, PI3K, and AKT phosphorylation levels in pcDNA3.1-CD146 A549 cells compared with the vector control cells. CONCLUSIONS: CD146 expression acts as a prognostic risk factor for adverse outcomes in NSCLC, promoting invasion and metastasis by activating the EMT through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. These findings underscore the potential therapeutic strategies targeting CD146, offering new treatment options for NSCLC patients, especially those at risk of metastasis.

Advances in the Treatment of Pulmonary Nodules.

BACKGROUND: Early detection and accurate diagnosis of pulmonary nodules are crucial for improving patient outcomes. While surgical resection of malignant nodules is still the preferred treatment option, it may not be feasible for all patients. We aimed to discuss the advances in the treatment of pulmonary nodules, especially stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and interventional pulmonology technologies, and provide a range of recommendations based on our expertise and experience. SUMMARY: Interventional pulmonology is an increasingly important approach for the management of pulmonary nodules. While more studies are needed to fully evaluate its long-term outcomes and benefits, the available evidence suggests that this technique can provide a minimally invasive and effective alternative for treating small malignancies in selected patients. We conducted a systematic literature review in PubMed, designed a framework to include the advances in surgery, SBRT, and interventional pulmonology for the treatment of pulmonary nodules, and provided a range of recommendations based on our expertise and experience. KEY MESSAGES: As such, alternative therapeutic options such as SBRT and ablation are becoming increasingly important and viable. With recent advancements in bronchoscopy techniques, ablation via bronchoscopy has emerged as a promising option for treating pulmonary nodules. This study reviewed the advances of interventional pulmonology in the treatment of peripheral lung cancer patients that are not surgical candidates. We also discussed the challenges and limitations associated with ablation, such as the risk of complications and the potential for incomplete nodule eradication. These advancements hold great promise for improving the efficacy and safety of interventional pulmonology in treating pulmonary nodules.