A meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of first-line chemotherapeutic agents for osteosarcoma.

BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma is a pleomorphic cancer that frequently affects children and teenagers. Although several chemotherapy regimens have been utilized for many years, the best therapeutic option for the treatment of osteosarcoma has not yet been determined. OBJECTIVES: This meta-analysis was designed to assess the clinical efficacy of a high-dose methotrexate, doxorubicin and cisplatin (MAP) regimen and compare its survival outcomes with those of other chemotherapy strategies in patients diagnosed with osteosarcoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We systematically searched databases, namely Embase, the Cochrane Library and PubMed, up to August 2022, for relevant studies investigating the impact of the MAP chemotherapy protocol on survival among patients with osteosarcoma. The odds ratio (OR) pooled estimates and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated. RESULTS: Twelve studies including 4102 patients were eligible for analysis in this study. The estimated pooled ORs of the 3-year overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) were OR = 1.08 (95% CI: 0.72-1.62, p = 0.70) and OR = 1.04 (95% CI: 0.81-1.32, p = 0.78, respectively). The 5-year OS and EFS were OR = 0.87 (95% CI: 0.62-1.23, p = 0.42) and OR = 1.13 (95% CI: 0.76-1.68, p = 0.54), respectively, with no statistical differences. The subgroup analysis of MAP compared to a 2-drug regimen (doxorubicin and cisplatin) revealed a significant difference between the 2 chemotherapy strategy groups in 3-year OS rates (OR = 0.72 (95% CI: 0.56-0.92, p = 0.009)) and 5-year EFS rates (OR = 0.57 (95% CI: 0.43-0.76, p < 0.001)). CONCLUSION: The MAP chemotherapy strategy for osteosarcoma showed superiority over other regimens, especially over the 2-drug regimen (doxorubicin/cisplatin), in terms of better prognosis and safety.

Spatial localization ability of planarians identified through a light maze paradigm.

Spatial localization ability is crucial for free-living animals to fit the environment. As shown by previous studies, planarians can be conditioned to discriminate directions. However, due to their simplicity and primitiveness, they had never been considered to have true spatial localization ability to retrieve locations of objects and places in the environment. Here, we introduce a light maze training paradigm to demonstrate that a planarian worm can navigate to a former recognized place from the start point, even if the worm is transferred into a newly produced maze. This finding identifies the spatial localization ability of planarians for the first time, which provides clues for the evolution of spatial learning. Since the planarians have a primitive brain with simple structures, this paradigm can also provide a simplified model for a detailed investigation of spatial learning.

[Port-owned Mobile Source Air Pollutant Emission Inventory].

Based on the comprehensive development of the emission inventory of air pollution sources, the emission inventory of self-owned mobile sources of Tianjin coastal ports was researched and formulated. In this study, a gridded emission inventory with a resolution of 3 km×3 km was established for six types of air pollutants from road and non-road mobile sources. The spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of pollutant emissions were analyzed, and the uncertainty of the inventory was analyzed using the Monte Carlo method. The results showed that in 2020, the self-owned mobile sources of coastal ports emitted 148.22 t PM10, 135.34 t PM2.5, 1061.04 t SO2, 4027.16 t NOx, 756.60 t CO, and 237.07 t VOCs, of which the total emissions of road and non-road mobile sources accounted for 6.66% and 93.34% of the mobile source emissions, respectively. The main contributors to motor vehicle pollutant emissions from road mobile sources in the whole port area were small, medium, and large passenger vehicles (gasoline) and heavy trucks (diesel). The main contributors to the pollutants emitted by non-road mobile sources were ships and construction machinery. Uncertainty analysis results showed that the overall uncertainty of mobile sources ranged from -13.3% to 16.53%.

Prediction of the Impact of CYP2C19 Polymorphism on Drug-Drug Interaction between Voriconazole and Tacrolimus Using Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Modelling

Abstract Voriconazole increases tacrolimus blood concentration significantly when coadministrated. The recommendation of reducing tacrolimus to 1/3 in voriconazole package insert seems not to be satisfactory in clinical practice. In vitro studies demonstrated that the magnitude of inhibition depends on the concentration of voriconazole, while voriconazole exposure is determined by the genotype status of CYP2C19. CYP2C19 gene polymorphism challenges the management of drug-drug interactions(DDIs) between voriconazole and tacrolimus. This work aimed to predict the impact of CYP2C19 polymorphism on the DDIs by using physiologically based pharmacokinetics (PBPK) models. The precision of the developed voriconazole and tacrolimus models was reasonable by evaluating the pharmacokinetic parameters fold error, such as AUC0-24, Cmax and tmax. Voriconazole increased tacrolimus concentration immediately in all population. The simulated duration of DDIs disappearance after voriconazole withdrawal were 146h, 90h and 66h in poor metabolizers (PMs), intermediate metabolizers (IMs) and extensive metabolizers(EMs), respectively. The developed and optimized PBPK models in this study can be applied to assit the dose adjustment for tacrolimus with and without voriconazole.

The Relationships among "STAY-GREEN" Trait, Post-Anthesis Assimilate Remobilization, and Grain Yield in Rice (Oryza sativa L.).

The mobilization and translocation of carbohydrates and mineral nutrients from vegetative plant parts to grains are pivotal for grain filling, often involving a whole plant senescence process. Loss of greenness is a hallmark of leaf senescence. However, the relationship between crop yield and senescence has been controversial for many years. Here, in this study, the overexpression and RNA interference lines of gene of OsNYC3 (Non-Yellow Coloring 3), a chlorophyll catabolism gene, were investigated. Furthermore, exogenous phytohormones were applied, and a treatment of alternate wetting and moderate drying (AWMD) was introduced to regulate the processes of leaf senescence. The results indicated that the delayed senescence of the "STAY-GREEN" trait of rice is undesirable for the process of grain filling, and it would cause a lower ratio of grain filling and lower grain weight of inferior grains, because of unused assimilates in the stems and leaves. Through the overexpression of OsNYC3, application of exogenous chemicals of abscisic acid (ABA), and water management of AWMD, leaf photosynthesis was less influenced, a high ratio of carbohydrate assimilates was partitioned to grains other than leaves and stems as labeled by 13C, grain filling was improved, especially for inferior spikelets, and activities of starch-synthesizing enzymes were enhanced. However, application of ethephon not only accelerated leaf senescence, but also caused seed abortion and grain weight reduction. Thus, plant senescence needs to be finely adjusted in order to make a contribution to crop productivity.

Empyema caused by Eikenella halliae diagnosed by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) after pulmonary surgery: A case report.

Background: Empyema is one of the complications of pulmonary surgery for lung cancer, the incidence of which is not very high, but in severe cases, it can even lead to death, and it is always difficult to diagnose the cause by conventional methods. Case presentation: In this study, we report a clinical case of empyema caused by Eikenella halliae after pulmonary surgery in a 55-year-old man. He had a fever, cough, and expectoration for 3 days and was diagnosed with right hydropneumothorax and empyema, pneumonia, postoperative malignant tumor of the right lower lobe (adenocarcinoma), and hypertension. The microbiology laboratory reported Gram-negative bacteria in pleural effusion, which was preliminarily considered as Eikenella based on culture and 16S rRNA sequencing. Furthermore, metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of sputum samples was performed two times and reported negative results and the presence of E. halliae, respectively. The pathogen was finally confirmed as E. halliae by whole genome sequencing, suggesting the high-resolution ability of mNGS in the clinical diagnosis of this case. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first case report of E. halliae infection in China, indicating increased pathogenicity of Eikenella sp. in immunocompromised patients, especially after invasive operations. Our findings emphasize that mNGS allows bacterial diagnosis of empyema and can significantly improve the accuracy of the diagnosis.

Mach-Zehnder interferometer based integrated-photonic acetone sensor approaching the sub-ppm level detection limit.

The detection of acetone in the gaseous form in exhaled breath using an integrated sensor can provide an effective tool for disease diagnostics as acetone is a marker for monitoring human metabolism. An on-chip acetone gas sensor based on the principle of Mach-Zehnder interferometer is proposed and demonstrated. The sensing arm of the device is activated with a composite film of polyethyleneimine and amido-graphene oxide as the gas-sensitive adsorption layer. The composite film demonstrates good selectivity to acetone gas, can be used repeatedly, and is stable in long-term use. Room temperature operation has been demonstrated for the sensor with high sensitivity under a 20 ppm acetone environment. The detection limit can reach 0.76 ppm, making it feasible to be used for the clinical diagnosis of diabetes and the prognosis of heart failure.

The diagnostic challenge of small cell lung cancer with anti-gamma-aminobutyric-acid B receptor encephalitis: a case report.

Background: Anti-gamma-aminobutyric-acid B receptor (anti-GABABR) encephalitis is a rare type of encephalitis, with an incidence of only 5% in all autoimmune encephalitis (AE). A third of patients had pathologically confirmed small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Early identification and treatment of tumors can improve the poor prognosis. Most patients attend hospital for the treatment of neurological disorders and rarely present with any respiratory symptoms, but suffer from an underlying tumor. Thus, early proper diagnosis is very important. In this article, we report a special case of a patient with anti-GABABR encephalitis with delayed SCLC pulmonary behavior, whose diagnosis prosses was tortuous and complicated. Case Description: A 62-year-old man with a history of anti-GABABR encephalitis presented with respiratory symptoms. His chest computed tomography (CT) scan showed significant progression of right superior lobe consolidation. A bronchoscopy was performed with no histopathological result, but the microbiological examination of the bronchial lavage fluid showed Aspergillus niger infection. With antifungal therapy, the patient's respiratory symptoms were significantly relieved. Given the close relationship between SCLC and anti-GABABR encephalitis, we insisted to clarify the pulmonary lesions. The other three biopsies were performed successively, including lung biopsy, endobronchial ultrasonography (EBUS), and transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA). SCLC was finally proven by pathology, and the patient received systemic chemotherapy. Conclusions: SCLC is the most common pulmonary neuroendocrine tumor. It secretes onconeural antibodies and is closely associated with paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes (PNSs). Lung tumors, especially SCLC, should be a concern in patients presenting with AE or neurological symptoms, even if they have not any abnormal sign in respiratory system. The early diagnosis and intervention for underlying tumors will improve the clinical outcomes of patients significantly. Thus, the close follow-up is helpful and it is imperative to select and combine the most appropriate examinations for proper diagnosis.

Angiotensin-(1-7) alleviates acute lung injury by activating the Mas receptor in neutrophil.

Background: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in the clinic. None of the current pharmacological interventions has achieved a detectable benefit. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is a complex humoral system essentially involved in the regulation of ALI. In the RAS family, angiotensin (Ang)-(1-7) was found to provide protection by counteracting the effects of Ang II in various cardiopulmonary disease models. The downstream receptor of Ang-(1-7) is the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) Mas. We hypothesize that the Ang-(1-7)-Mas pathway would protect patients from ALI. Methods: To establish a 2-hit ALI model, the mice underwent intratracheal instillation of hydrochloric acid followed by ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). ALI was evaluated based on lung edema, histology, myeloperoxidase activity, and proinflammatory cytokine production. The effects of the infusion or inhalation of Ang-(1-7) and Mas receptor blocker A779 were examined. The human neutrophils were isolated, and Mas receptor expression was examined. The neutrophil responses to platelet-activating factor (PAF) stimulation were tested by measuring the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), neutrophil adhesion, and chemotaxis. Next, in the mouse model, the neutrophils were depleted using an anti-ly6G antibody. Results: The infusion or inhalation of Ang-(1-7) protected mice from ALI as evidenced by decreases in lung edema, the histological lung injury score, myeloperoxidase activity, and proinflammatory cytokine production. Such effects were largely blocked by the Mas receptor blocker A779. Mas receptor expression in the neutrophils was identified at both the messenger ribonucleic acid and protein levels. Ang-(1-7) prevented neutrophil responses to PAF stimulation, including the formation of ROS, neutrophil adhesion, and chemotaxis, while A779 alleviated these effects. The importance of neutrophils in ALI was further confirmed by neutrophil depletion using the anti-ly6G antibody; however, A779 partially reversed the protective role of neutrophil depletion in ALI, indicating the critical role of Ang-(1-7)-Mas signaling in other pulmonary cells. Conclusions: Ang-(1-7)/Mas receptor attenuates the key features of ALI by regulating neutrophil activation. Our study provides new evidence of their role in the pathogenesis of ALI and may lead to the development of a promising therapeutic strategy.

The carbon components in indoor and outdoor PM2.5 in winter of Tianjin.

To study the carbon components in indoor and outdoor PM2.5, the samples of PM2.5 were collected from Nankai University in December 2015. The contents of eight carbon components were analyzed to use the thermo-optical reflection method. The results indicated that organic carbon (OC) mass concentration was 17.01, 19.48 and 18.92 µg/m3 in outdoor, dormitory and laboratory; elemental carbon (EC) mass concentration was 7.97, 3.56 and 3.53 µg/m3 in outdoor, dormitory and laboratory; and the total carbon aerosol was the proportion of more than 23% of PM2.5 samples. Lower wind speed and higher relative humidity were helpful to the accumulation of PM2.5. The ratio of OC/EC was > 2, and the SOC/OC ratio was > 30%, indicating that SOC was a crucial component indoors and outdoors. About 72% and 85% of the outdoor OC entering dormitory and laboratory environment, and about 59% and 71% of the outdoor EC entering dormitory and laboratory environment. Factor analysis of the eight carbon fractions indicated that the sources of OC and EC in outdoor, dormitory and laboratory is different.

Nitrogen utilization characteristics and early storage root development in nitrogen-tolerant and nitrogen-susceptible sweet potato.

In recent years, sweet potato has been cultivated not only in marginal lands but also in fertile plains in northern China. The fertile nitrogen (N)-rich soil may inhibit storage root formation. Cultivars with different N tolerances and split application of reduced N rates should be considered. To investigate the effects of N on the N utilization, root differentiation, and storage root formation of cultivars with different N tolerances, the cultivars Jishu26 (J26) and Xushu32 (X32) were treated with three N levels supplied by urea: 0 (N0), 200 (N1) and 400 mg kg-1 (N2). With increasing N rates, "X32" absorbed less N in plants and distributed more N to developing storage roots than "J26." The storage root development of "J26" was sensitive to both N1 and N2, while that of "X32" was only sensitive to N2. High N nutrition upregulated the expression of certain genes during storage root formation, such as PAL, CHI, F3H, C4 H, 4CL, CAD, α-amylase, and ß-amylase. Under N1 and N2, "X32" led to an increased sugar supply in sink organs and downregulated the expression of genes related to lignin and flavonoid synthesis, which promoted the C flux toward starch metabolism, thus reducing lignification and promoting starch accumulation during storage root formation. These results provide evidence for the effects of N on the C distribution in different metabolic pathways by regulating the expression of related key genes. N-tolerant cultivars are suitable in fertile plain areas because of the earlier formation of storage roots under high N conditions.

Combined effects of water stress and salinity on growth, physiological, and biochemical traits in two walnut genotypes.

Due to its great economic value, walnut (Juglans regia L.) has received increasing attention during recent years. However, water stress and salinity limit walnut growth, production, and quality. We employed two walnut genotypes, precocious walnut, and late-bearing walnut, to investigate their growth, photosynthetic capacity, non-structural carbohydrate contents, Cl- allocation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and osmotic regulation under water stress, salinity, and their combination. We found that late-bearing walnut showed higher total biomass and net photosynthetic rate, higher activities of antioxidant enzymes, higher osmoregulation, and lower ROS accumulation than precocious walnut under stressful conditions. In addition, late-bearing walnut restricted salt transport and allocated more Cl- into roots, whereas precocious walnut allocated more Cl- into leaves when exposed to salinity stress. These data collectively demonstrated that late-bearing walnut possesses better stress tolerance under water stress, salinity, and especially under their combination. Such knowledge of genotype-specific responses and tolerances to water stress and salinity is important for walnut plantation management under increasing drought and aggravated soil salinization occurring with climate change.

MicroRNA-98-5p regulates the proliferation and apoptosis of A549 cells by targeting MAP4K3.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a primary subtype of lung cancer that is accompanied by a high incidence rate and poor prognosis. The primary treatment for NSCLC is chemotherapy, which has low effectiveness and high toxicity. Thus, novel targeted therapy has drawn much attention in recent years. MicroRNAs (miRs) serve important roles in multiple cancer types. In the current study, a decrease in miR-98-5p and an increase in mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase 3 (MAP4K3) was observed in NSCLC tumor tissues compared with normal tissues. miR-98-5p was predicted to target positions 1,056-1,063 of the MAP4K3 3'-untranslated region (UTR). The binding sites between miR-98-5p and the 3'-UTR of MAP4K3 messenger RNA were supported by the results of a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Compared with the control and miR-negative control (NC) groups, miR-98-5p mimic significantly reduced cell proliferation and increased apoptosis in NSCLC cells. In addition, miR-98-5p mimic reduced the expression of MAP4K3 and mammalian target of rapamycin while increasing the expression of cleaved caspase-3 compared with the control group and miR-NC groups. In conclusion, miR-98-5p may inhibit the progression of NSCLC via targeting of MAP4K3.

Impacts of nitrogen fertilization rate on the root yield, starch yield and starch physicochemical properties of the sweet potato cultivar Jishu 25.

In recent years, the sweet potato cultivar Jishu 25 has exhibited good characteristics for starch processing in northern China. The storage root dry matter yields of this cultivar can exceed one ton per mu (1/15 of a hectare) at nitrogen (N) rates of 60-90 kg ha-1 based on soil nutrient content. However, the effect of N fertilizer on the physicochemical properties of starches isolated from this cultivar has not been reported. In order to evaluate these effects, three different N rates, 0 (control, N0), 75 (N1), and 150 kg ha-1 (N2), were selected for a field experiment in 2017. The results showed that N1 exhibited the highest storage root yield and starch yield. Compared to the control group, N fertilizer significantly increased the total starch content while no significant difference was found in these between the N1 and N2 groups. The amylose (AM) content was highest in the N2 group and lowest in the N0 group. In addition, N fertilizer exhibited no significant effects on the values of [D(v, 0.9)], D [4, 3] and D [3, 2]. Compared to the control group, N1 demonstrated significantly higher setback viscosity (SV), while N2 showed significantly higher peak viscosity (PV), cold paste viscosity (CPV) and SV. However, there were no significant differences in the hot paste viscosity (HPV), peak time and pasting temperature between the N1 and N2 groups. For the thermal properties of starch, there were no significant differences in peak temperature (Tp), conclusion temperature (Tc) or gelatinization enthalpy (ΔH) between the N1 and N2 groups. Overall, for the starch samples of cultivar Jishu 25, N fertilizer exerts significant effects on the starch content, AM content and viscosity properties but little effect on the particle size distribution and ΔH. 75 kg N ha-1 can easily lead to substantial planting benefits from the high storage root yield, dry matter yield and total starch content of this cultivar.

Prevalence and relationship of malnutrition and distress in patients with Cancer using questionnaires.

BACKGROUND: Negative feelings, such as anxiety and depression, are common in patients with cancer. Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of malnutrition and distress in cancer patients and to examine the relationship between them. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We did a cross-sectional study in West China hospital, China, using adapted questionnaires derived from Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA), Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS2002) and Distress Thermometer (DT). We also focused on the factors associated with distress. RESULTS: We found that psychological distress in cancer patients was common, with 39.5% patients suffering from distress. The mean score of PG-SGA was 3.37 (0-6), and 39.1% patients had malnutrition when using 4 as a cut-off value. Meanwhile, the mean score of NRS2002 was 1.91 (0-11), and 25.8% patients presented with malnutrition when using 3 as the cut-off value. Higher scores of nutritional risks confirmed by PG-SGA (r = 0.148, p < 0.001) and NRS2002 (r = 0.142, p < 0.001) were significantly correlated with higher levels of psychological stress. CONCLUSION: Malnutrition was correlated with psychological stress in cancer patients. Early intervention in the mental problems and nutrition was meaningful, which could improve the psychological statuses of cancer patients.

The indoor-outdoor characteristics of water-soluble ion in PM2.5 in Tianjin wintertime.

The indoor and outdoor PM2.5 mass concentration, water-soluble ion by filter sampler was analyzed on December 3-21, 2015 during wintertime in Tianjin, China. The results indicate that high humidity conditions result in the accumulation of atmospheric pollutants and reduce atmosphere visibility. The I/O ratio for PM2.5 concentration in dormitory and lab are less than 1 in haze days. Indoor PM2.5 concentration increases rapidly with outdoor PM2.5 concentration increasing in haze days. The filtration factors of the dormitory and lab indicate nearly half of the outdoor PM2.5 enters indoor environment. The human activities in dormitory could cause more the formation of PM2.5 than those in lab. The concentration of SO42- is the highest ion in water-soluble ion for outdoor PM2.5. The SO42-, NO3-, NH4+, and Cl- are generated mainly by outdoor sources; however, the Na+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ are generated mainly by indoor sources. The NH4NO3, (NH4)2SO4, and NH4Cl accounts for 20.2~41.8%, 32.0~51.4%, and 6.4~10.6% of the total water-soluble ion in different indoor-outdoor environment. The total secondary aerosols including NH4NO3, (NH4)2SO4, and NH4Cl in PM2.5 are 28.3, 42.1, 28.2, 31.0, and 33.9% in outdoor environment for haze days, outdoor environment for non-haze days, dormitory for haze days, dormitory for non-haze days, and lab for haze days, respectively.

Differences between nitrogen-tolerant and nitrogen-susceptible sweetpotato cultivars in photosynthate distribution and transport under different nitrogen conditions.

To characterize the differences in photosynthate distribution and transport between nitrogen(N)-tolerant and N-susceptible sweetpotato cultivars under different N conditions, three N levels, including 0 (N0), 120 (N120), and 240 kg ha-1 (N240), were used in field experiments with the Jishu26 (J26) and Xushu32 (X32) cultivars in 2015 and 2016. The results from both years revealed that high N application reduced the tuberous root yield, the tuber/vine rate of carbon-13 (13C), and top-to-base (three equal segments of stem divided from the fifth opened leaf of the shoot tip to the main stem, defined as the top, middle, and base parts, respectively) gradients such as sucrose, ammonia N and potassium along the stem. 'J26' showed a higher yield than 'X32' under N0 but lower yield than 'X32' under N120 and N240. It also exhibited a higher 13C distribution to tuberous roots compared with that of 'X32' under N0, and the opposite trend was observed under N120 and N240. Under N0, 'J26' showed a steep top-to-base amino acid gradient and a significantly lower top-to-base sucrose increase along the stem in the late growth stage. Under N120 and N240, 'X32' exhibited a greater top-to-base decrease in the ammonia N along the stem during the main growth stages, a steep top-to-base sucrose gradient along the stem in the early growth stage, and a lower top-to-base sucrose increase along the stem in the middle and late growth stages. The formation of a reasonable photosynthate distribution structure attributed to high yield was related to a desirable sucrose, ammonia N or K+ gradient downward along the stem. These results might help provide farmers with sweetpotato cultivars using less or no N fertilizer in soils of different fertility and enhance the knowledge of yield-related physiology.

Impact of energy taxation on economy, environmental and public health quality.

This paper argues computable general equilibrium model and assess impact of energy taxation on economy, environmental and public health quality in Tianjin. In order to investigate different energy taxation based on medical cost and labor loss, the computable general equilibrium model integrating with input-output table and social accounting matrix (SAM) was constructed. The medical expense caused by air pollution of Tianjin in 2007 is 396 million yuan and death for 18104 people, which accounted for the total GDP and population 0.754‰ and 1.6‰, respectively. The results show that the enery taxes levy can improve the GDP, but it is only slightly. The energy taxes have adverse impact on energy sector because that the energy cost is increased. The scale of production is reduced, and the capital and labor resources are transferred to low energy consumption low emissions sector. The energy tax levy can reduce air pollutants concentration and improve air environmental quality. The PM10, SO2 and NO2 concentration in the energy taxes 5%-30% was reduced by 0.24%-0.24%, 0.09-0.52% and 0.29%-0.52% respectively. The medical expense has little impact on GDP, but labor loss has a certain effect on GDP. For higher energy taxes rate, the health effects on GDP can reach 0.06%-0.16%. This simultaneous economic and environmental improvement and health effect would thus have positive implications regarding energy taxes of the country.

Prognostic value of lncRNAs in lung carcinoma: a meta-analysis.

Many different long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to be abnormally expressed in lung carcinoma and may thus serve as prognostic biomarkers for this disease. We conducted this meta-analysis, which included a total of 30 studies identified via searches of PubMed, Embase, Medline, and Web of Science and included 2912 patients from China (28), Germany (1), and Japan (1), to investigate the prognostic value of different lncRNAs in lung carcinoma. The results revealed that lncRNA transcription levels were significantly associated with overall survival in lung cancer patients (HR:1.46, 95% CI: 1.16-1.83, P = 0.000). However, lncRNA transcription levels were not associated with progression-free survival (PFS) (HR: 1.55, 95% CI: 0.50-4.80, P = 0.449). Further analysis showed that high lncRNA transcription levels were significantly associated with tumour-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (III/IV vs I/II: RR = 1.339, 95% CI: 1.046-1.716, P = 0.012), lymph node metastasis (positive vs negative: RR = 1.442, 95% CI: 1.103-1.885, P = 0.007), and distant metastasis (yes vs no: RR = 3.187,95% CI: 1.393-7.294, P = 0.006). Taken together, the results of our present meta-analysis revealed that lncRNAs may be useful prognostic markers for lung carcinoma and may also have value as biomarkers for TNM stage, lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis.