Nomogram for predicting the overall survival of the patients with oesophageal signet ring cell carcinoma

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to explore the prognostic factors of oesophageal signet ring cell (SRC) carcinoma and to construct a nomogram for predicting the outcome of SRC carcinoma of oesophagus.MethodsA total of 968 cases of oesophageal SRC carcinoma were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 2004 and 2016. Cases were divided into training cohort and validation cohort. Univariate and multivariable Cox analyses was performed to select the predictors of overall survival (OS for the nomogram. The performance of nomogram was validated with Harrell’s concordance index (C-index), calibration curves and decision curve analysis (DCA).ResultsThe 1- and 5-year OS in the training cohort were 0.446 and 0.146, respectively, and the 1- and 5-year OS in the validation cohort were 0.459 and 0.138. The independent prognostic factors for establishing the nomogram were marital status, invasion of the surrounding tissue, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, surgery and chemotherapy. The Harrell’s c-index value of the training cohort and validation cohort were 0.723 and 0.708. In the calibration curves, the predicted survival probability and the actual survival probability have a considerable consistency. DCA indicated the favourable potential clinical utility of the nomogram.ConclusionsA nomogram to predict the OS of patients with oesophageal SRC carcinoma was established. The validation of the nomogram fully demonstrates its great performance.     

Novel oligopeptide nanoprobe for targeted cancer cell imaging

Here we designed and constructed a tryptophan-phenylalanine-phenylalanine-tryptophan (WFFW) tetrapeptide, which generated photostable and tunable fluorescence emission signals from 340 nm to 500 nm. The WFFW tetrapeptide could self-assemble into a spherical nanostructure with enhanced fluorescence intensity. Driven by π–π stacking and hydrogen bond interaction, WFFW co-assembled with arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) modified WFFW to form a cancer-targeted fluorescent nanoprobe, which could selectively image the cancer cells.

Co-assembly of WFFW tetrapeptide and RGDWFFW heptapeptide generated the photostable and fluorescence-tunable nanoprobe, which could selectively image the cancer cells.     

Synthesis and characterization of TiO2/graphene oxide nanocomposites for photoreduction of heavy metal ions in reverse osmosis concentrate

In this study, graphene oxide (GO), titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and TiO₂/GO nanocomposites were synthesized as the catalysts for photoreduction of endocrine disrupting heavy metal ions in reverse osmosis concentrates (ROC). The morphology, structure and chemical composition of these catalysts were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, Barrett–Joyner–Halenda, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The photocatalytic experiments showed that TiO₂/GO nanocomposites exhibit a higher photoreduction performance than pure TiO₂ and GO. Under the optimal conditions, the removal rates of Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ can reach 66.32 and 88.96%, respectively, confirming the effectiveness of photoreduction to reduce the endocrine disrupting heavy metal ions in ROC resulted from the combined adsorption–reduction with TiO₂/GO nanocomposites.

TiO₂/GO nanocomposites were synthesized successfully and exhibited an excellent ability to reduce heavy metal ions in reverse osmosis concentrate.     

Defining a minimum number of examined lymph nodes improves the prognostic value of lymphadenectomy in pancreas ductal adenocarcinoma

BackgroundLymph node (LN) metastasis is associated with decreased survival following resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). In N0 disease, increasing total evaluated LN (ELN) correlates with improved outcomes suggesting patients may be understaged when LNs are undersampled. We aim to assess the optimal number of examined lymph nodes (ELN) following pancreatectomy.MethodsData from 1837 patients undergoing surgery were prospectively collected. The binomial probability law was utilized to analyze the minimum number of examined LNs (minELN) and accurately characterize each histopathologic stage. LN ratio (LNR) was compared to American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) guidelines.ResultsAs ELN total increased, the likelihood of finding node positive disease increased. An evaluation based upon the binomial probability law suggested an optimal minELN of 12 for accurate AJCC N staging. As the number of ELNs increased, the discriminatory capacity of alternative strategies to characterize LN disease exceeded that offered by AJCC N stage.ConclusionThis is the first study dedicated to optimizing histopathologic staging in PDAC using models of minELN informed by the binomial probability law. This study highlights two separate cutoffs for ELNs depending upon prognostic goal and validates that 12 LNs are adequate to determine AJCC N stage for the majority of patients.     

硫氧还蛋白还原酶联合肺癌标志物对肺结节良恶性的诊断意义

目的分析硫氧还蛋白还原酶(TrxR)联合肺癌标志物对肺结节良恶性的诊断意义。 方法收集2020年2月至2021年9月我院收治的117例肺结节患者为对象,根据肺结节良恶性分为对照组(良性肺结节)42例与观察组(肺癌)75例。比较两组血浆TrxR活性水平与血清肿瘤相关抗原基因(CAGE)、性别决定相关基因簇2(SOX2)、ATP结合RNA解旋酶(GBU4-5)、肿瘤相关抗原基因7(GAGE7)、黑色素瘤抗原A1(MACEA1)、抑癌基因53(p53)、蛋白基因产物9.5(PGP9.5)水平。 结果观察组血浆TrxR水平与血清CAGE、SOX2、GBU4-5、GAGE7、MACEA1、p53、PGP9.5水平高于对照组(P<0.05);不同临床分期患者CAGE、SOX2、GAGE7、MACEA1、p53、PGP9.5阳性率比较(P<0.05)。不同肺癌类型患者GAGE7、MACEA1、p53、PGP9.5阳性比较(P<0.05);血浆TrxR活性水平、CAGE、MACEA1、p53四者联合诊断肺癌的AUC值(95%CI)为0.854(0.712~0.927),(P<0.05),血浆TrxR活性水平联合肺癌7项的肺癌的AUC值(95%CI)为0.829(0.703~0.918),(P<0.05),二者诊断效能比较(P>0.05)。 结论TrxR、CAGE、MACEA1、p53在诊断肺结节良恶性中具有临床意义。     

免疫性血小板减少症并发奴卡菌血症及肺曲霉菌病后继发肺腺癌一例

奴卡菌属放线菌类,携带菌的灰尘、土壤或事物通过呼吸道或消化道进入人体,或经血行播散至靶器官,能够引起局限性或播散性化脓性疾病[1]。免疫缺陷患者更易感染诺卡菌,病死率高[2]。我们报告1例播散性奴卡菌病、肺曲霉菌病混合感染的免疫性血小板减少症(immunologic thrombocytopenia,ITP)的患者,是肺恶性肿瘤继发于少见感染的病例。     

The importance of autophagy regulation in obstructive sleep apnea

Purpose

Autophagy, the self-renewal process of cells, is dependent on lysosomes to degrade damaged organelles and proteins. The increased or damaged level of autophagy is proven to relate to a number of disorders, including metabolic disorders, malignant tumors, pulmonary diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders. This review aims to examine the effects of autophagy on the pathogenic mechanism of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in order to guide relevant disease treatment.

Methods

We conducted a search of the literature using the electronic database, focusing on articles that explored the association between OSA and autophagy.

Conclusion

OSA can induced autophagy through hypoxia, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, endothelial dysfunction, miRNA, etc. We propose that the mechanism of the autophagy in patients with OSA should be eclucidated in further studies.

     

Severity evaluation of obstructive sleep apnea based on speech features

Sleep and Breathing - There are upper airway abnormalities in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and their speech signal characteristics are different from those of unaffected people. In...