Genetic characteristics of lung adenocarcinoma with ground-glass opacity component.

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that ground-glass opacity featured lung adenocarcinoma (GGO-LUAD) and pure solid-LUAD have significantly different tumor biological behaviors; the former is usually indolent. Genetic variations fundamentally contribute to this distinct tumor behaviors. This study aims to investigate and compare the gene mutations using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology in these two subtypes of LUAD. Methods: The clinical data and gene testing results of 46 patients suffering from LUAD with a histologically invasive subtype ≤3 cm and operated in the Thoracic Surgery Department of Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital from May 2019 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed; a case-control study was performed to compare the pathological and genetic differences between LUAD with a GGO component and pure solid-LUAD. Results: Notable differences existed in vascular invasion, tumor spread through air spaces (STAS) and high-risk histological subtypes (micropapillary or solid subtypes) between the two types of LUAD with similar histologically invasive size. No significant difference was found in the mutation frequency of EGFR and KRAS. However, gene mutations were more prevalent in the cell cycle and TP53 signaling pathway for solid-LUAD. A significant difference was found in the mutation frequency of the tumor suppressor genes TP53 and CDKN2A between the two types. Conclusions: The wild-type TP53 and CDKN2A genes could potentially be used as molecular indicators for indolent LUAD characterized by GGO-featured.

Parameter Estimation Algorithm of Frequency-Hopping Signal in Compressed Domain Based on Improved Atomic Dictionary.

This paper considers the problem of estimating the parameters of a frequency-hopping signal under non-cooperative conditions. To make the estimation of different parameters independently of each other, a compressed domain frequency-hopping signal parameter estimation algorithm based on the improved atomic dictionary is proposed. By segmenting and compressive sampling the received signal, the center frequency of each signal segment is estimated using the maximum dot product. The signal segments are processed with central frequency variation using the improved atomic dictionary to accurately estimate the hopping time. We highlight that one superiority of the proposed algorithm is that high-resolution center frequency estimation can be directly obtained without reconstructing the frequency-hopping signal. Additionally, another superiority of the proposed algorithm is that hopping time estimation has nothing to do with center frequency estimation. Numerical results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve superior performance compared with the competing method.

The in vivo and vitro degradation of sulfonamides in wetland plants reducing phytotoxicity and environmental pollution.

Aquatic plants can be used for in situ remediation of water-borne pharmaceutical compounds; however, such information and that of the potential risks of metabolites released into the environment are limited. This study determined the capacity of Canna indica and Acorus calamus used in the remediation of water-borne sulfonamides (SA). The tolerance, removal, accumulation, and biotransformation of various water-borne SAs were investigated in vivo by exposing plants to SA solutions (50 µg/L and 500 µg/L). After 28 days, C. indica removed more SAs (89.3-97.8%) than A. calamus (12.8-84.6%) and non-planted systems (8.0-69.3%). The SA removal results, except from the A. calamus system with 500 µg/L SA, fit the first-order kinetics model. The estimated half-lives of all SAs were 3-40 h and 2-60 h in the C. indica and A. calamus systems, respectively. In vivo biotransformation and rhizosphere degradation were the major phyto-removal mechanisms, constituting 24.9-81.1% and 0.0-37.1% of all SAs in the C. indica and A. calamus systems, respectively. SA acetyl metabolites were detected only in plant tissues supporting evidence for plant metabolic processes without risk into the environment. SA metabolism including oxidation, methylation, and conjugation via acetylation was potentially beneficial to accumulation and tolerate stress of antibiotic. Canna indica was more suitable for cleaning SA. Our findings better clarify the potential and low risks of phytoremediation in antibiotic-contaminated waters.

High expression of HOXB7 is an unfavorable prognostic factor for solid malignancies: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: HOXB7 is abnormally expressed in a variety of tumors, but its prognostic value remains unclear due to sample size limitation and outcome inconsistency in previous studies. This meta-analysis was performed to explore the effect of HOXB7 expression on prognoses and clinicopathological factors in range of the whole solid tumors. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were searched to identify included studies. Hazard ratios (HR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) and clinicopathological factors were extracted. Subgroup analyses were performed according to histopathological type, tumor occurrence systems, and HOXB7 detection methods. RESULTS: A total of 3430 solid tumors patients from 20 studies (21 cohorts) were included in the meta-analysis. The results showed that high HOXB7 expression was significantly associated with worse survival (overall survival: HR = 1.98, 95%CI: 1.74-2.26, P < .001 and disease-free survival: HR = 1.59, 95%CI: 1.21-2.09, P = .001), more advanced tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (odds ratio [OR] = 2.14, 95%CI: 1.68-2.73, P < .001), positive lymph node metastasis (OR = 2.16, 95%CI: 1.74-2.70, P < .001), more distant metastasis (OR = 1.63, 95%CI: 1.01-2.63, P = .048), poorer differentiation (OR = 1.48, 95%CI: 1.14-1.91, P = .003), and higher Ki-67 expression (OR = 2.53, 95%CI: 1.68-3.84, P < .001). Subgroup analysis showed that survival of patients with HOXB7 high expression was worse in either squamous cell carcinomas or non-squamous cell carcinomas, digestive tumors or non-digestive tumors, and protein level or mRNA level. CONCLUSION: High HOXB7 expression might be a valuable biomarker of poor prognosis for solid tumors. HOXB7 promotes tumor proliferation and metastasis, and is associated with poorer differentiation, more advanced stage, even the chemotherapy resistance, suggesting that HOXB7 is a potential therapeutic target for solid tumors.

Pembrolizumab-induced autoimmune Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis with myositis and myocarditis in a patient with esophagogastric junction carcinoma: a case report.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have significantly improved outcomes for cancer patients. With the widespread clinical application of ICIs, their adverse reactions have gradually been recognized. The side effects of ICIs are generally less severe than those of chemotherapy. However, some adverse events with ICIs can be life-threatening. Fatal adverse events require a deep understanding and vigilance. Here, we report the case of a 69-year-old patient with esophagogastric junction carcinoma who experienced multiple immune-related adverse events, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis, myositis, myocarditis, and liver toxicity, after receiving pembrolizumab. The patient experienced skin rash, bilateral ptosis, limb weakness, and shortness of breath. The symptoms progressed rapidly. Following treatment with methylprednisolone, intravenous immunoglobulin, and plasmapheresis, the patient recovered well. No tracheal intubation or tracheotomy was required owing to the timely and effective treatment. From this case, it can be seen that severe skin rash is an important indication of abnormal immune status and an early warning sign of subsequent multiple-organ involvement. As the most dangerous adverse event, myocarditis is closely related to the patient's prognosis. Severe irAEs appear early, progress rapidly, and involve multiple systems and organs, resulting in a high fatality rate. Early recognition and high-dose corticosteroids are key to successful treatment of such patients.

Non-mechanical suture completely anatomic thoracoscopic lobectomy: A case control study / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective To investigate the safety and feasibility of thoracoscopic lobectomy without mechanical suture. Methods The data of 28 consecutive patients (a non-mechanical suture group, 16 males and 12 females at age of 61.23±11.10 years) who underwent non-mechanical suture anatomic thoracoscopic lobectomy performed by the same surgeon from March 2015 to March 2018 were analyzed retrospectively, and 28 patients (18 males and 10 females at age of 59.45±13.39 years) who underwent completely anatomic thoracoscopic lobectomy with endoscopic stapler (a mechanical suture group) in the same period were matched. The clinical effectiveness of the two groups was compared. Results The operation time between the non-mechanical suture group (136.30±53.46 min) and the mechanical suture group (109.63±44.61 min) showed a statistical difference (P<0.05). While in term of intraoperative bleeding volume (65.00 mlvs. 50.00 ml), postoperative thoracic drainage time (3.73 days vs. 3.56 days), thoracic drainage volume (538.60 ml vs. 563.70 ml), postoperative hospital stay (5.58 days vs. 5.35 days) and postoperative complication rate (5/28 vs. 6/28), there was no statistical difference between the two groups. Hospitalization expense was significantly different between the two groups (35 438.30 yuan vs. 51 693.60 yuan). Conclusion Non-mechanical suture thoracoscopic anatomic lobectomy is safe and feasible, and can significantly reduce the medical cost but prolong the operation time.

Vagus nerve schwannoma in the right upper mediastinum.

A 35-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with an abnormal shadow on her chest roentgenogram. Computed tomography showed that a tumor was located in the right upper mediastinum. Resection of the tumor by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery was performed. Operative findings determined that the tumor originated from the right vagus nerve and was diagnosed as schwannoma by pathological examination.

NUT midline carcinoma as a primary lung tumor: a case report.

NUT (nuclear protein in testis) midline carcinoma is a rare malignant tumor arising in midline structures, such as head, neck and mediastinum. In the 2015 WHO classification of lung tumours, it was categorized in "Epithelial tumors". However, because of limited clinical data, its biological features have not been fully recognized. We report a case of NUT midline carcinoma presented as a primary lung tumor. Pneumonectomy was performed without any neoadjuvant therapy and it turned out to be a gross total resection. Even so, the prognosis is poor with a disease-free survival of 2 months and an overall survival of 6 months.