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Background. Insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 3 (IGF2BP3) plays a key role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in men and women all over the world. However, the relationship between IGF2BP3 and small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) has not been reported yet. Methods. SCLC and normal samples (GSE19945 and GSE149507) were obtained in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset. Differential genes were screened by R software, and functional analysis and signal pathway enrichment analysis were carried out. In addition, we used the survival analysis database to analyze the relationship between prognosis and gene expression. Besides, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) were used for further research. Results. Five differentially expressed miRNAs and 9 differentially expressed mRNAs were selected by using R software. Survival analysis database results show that C7, CLIC5, PRDX1, IGF2BP3, and LDB2 were related the overall survival of patients with SCLC. Furthermore, multivariate analysis included that IGF2BP3 was independent risk factors for SCLC patients. Besides, gene function and signal pathway enrichment analysis showed that differentially expressed miRNAs were involved in the process of tumorigenesis and development. Furthermore, IHC and qPCR outcomes showed that the expression level of hsa-miR-182, hsa-miR-183, and IGF2BP3 was differentially expressed in normal lung tissues (NLTs) and SCLC tissues (SCLCTs). Conclusions. Our results concluded that hsa-miR-182, hsa-miR-183, and IGF2BP3 may take part in the development of SCLC.

Objective. Asthma is a common problem among elite athletes and represents a health risk interfering with the athlete’s performance status. This study aimed to evaluate the asthma prevalence among Norwegian summer and winter elite athletes and asthma prevalence across sport categories. We also aimed to examine whether bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), lung function, fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FENO), and allergy status differed between asthmatic and non-asthmatic elite athletes. Methods. Norwegian athletes qualifying for the Beijing Olympic Summer Games 2008 (n = 80) and the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games 2010 (n = 55) were included. The athletes underwent clinical respiratory examination including lung function measurement, methacholine bronchial challenge for assessment of BHR, FENO, and skin prick testing. Asthma was diagnosed based on respiratory symptoms and clinical examination including objective measurements. Results. Asthma was more prevalent among winter athletes (50%) than summer athletes (20%). Thirty-three (52%) endurance athletes, 3 (6%) team sport athletes, and 7 (33%) technical sport athletes had medically diagnosed asthma. Significantly lower lung function ( p < 0.001 ) and higher prevalence of severe BHR ( p < 0.001 ) were found in asthmatic athletes compared with non-asthmatic athletes. Conclusion. Asthma is common among Norwegian elite athletes, with winter and endurance athletes showing the highest prevalence. Asthmatic athletes were characterized by lower lung function and more severe BHR compared with non-asthmatic counterparts. The high prevalence among winter and endurance athletes demonstrates a need for increased attention to prevent and reduce the prevalence of asthma among those athletes.

Objective. To analyze the clinical effect of compound ipratropium bromide combined with budesonide atomization inhalation on acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) and its effect on the heparin-binding protein. Methods. A total of 110 patients with AECOPD who were admitted to our hospital between January 2020 and January 2021 were enrolled and assigned into control group (conventional treatment + compound ipratropium bromide) and combined group (conventional treatment + compound ipratropium bromide + budesonide) in a 1 : 1 ratio according to different treatment methods. The clinical effects, pulmonary function indexes, and heparin-binding protein levels before and after treatment were compared between the two groups. Results. The treatment with oxygen-driven nebulization of ipratropium bromide combined with budesonide led to a significantly higher total effective rate versus the treatment with ipratropium bromide alone ( P < 0.001 ). After treatment, remarkably higher arterial oxygen partial pressure (PaO2), arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and FEV1/FVC in the combined group vs. the control group were observed ( P < 0.001 ). The carbon dioxide partial pressure (PaCO2) levels in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment, and the decrease in the combined group was greater ( P < 0.001 ). A significantl reduction was observed in heparin-binding protein in both groups after treatment, and the decrease in the combined group was greater versus the control group ( P < 0.001 ). Conclusion. Compound ipratropium bromide plus budesonide via aerosol inhalation therapy might be a preferable approach for AECOPD patients. It exhibits a synergistic effect on inhibiting inflammatory mediators and cytokine networks, significantly reduces airway hyperresponsiveness, and improves blood gas indicators and lung function.

Aiming at the problem of permeability enhancement in deep coal roadway strip, it proposed a pressure relief roadway permeability enhancement model, and the model was verified through experiments, theoretical calculations, and field tests. The experiment reveals that the unloading of gas-containing coal can achieve the effect of permeability enhancement. Theoretical calculation shows that with the increase of the distance from the coal seam, the overlying coal seam’s permeability enhancement multiple and the width of the significant permeability enhancement zone gradually decrease, and the width of the general permeability enhancement zone gradually increases and then stabilizes. Field tests show that the pressure relief roadway is arranged 9 m directly below the coal seam; the overlying coal strata has a significant pressure relief and permeability enhancement effect. This research can provide reference value for the high-efficiency permeability enhancement in the deep coal roadway strip.

Rev-Erbα is a nuclear heme receptor, transcriptional repressor, and critical component of the molecular clock that drives daily rhythms of metabolism. However, the roles of Rev-Erbα in acute lung injury (ALI) remain unclarified. Hence, the effect of Rev-Erbα on lung injury of sepsis mice is investigated here. The mice sepsis model is established using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection, and the expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in both RAW246.7 cells and lung tissues, are tested. The inflammatory response is obviously enhanced in LPS-constructed sepsis mice and alleviated by SR9009 agonist treatment. Cell-based experiments reveal that pharmacological activation of Rev-Erbα via SR9009 attenuates the LPS-induced inflammatory response by suppressing TLR4-regulated NF-κB activation. Sepsis induces the increase in W/D ratio; promotes the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), lactic acid (LA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD); and inhibits the levels of glutathione (GSH), whereas SR9009 treatment could effectively yield beneficial effects on metabolism. In addition, SR9009 treatment ameliorates acidosis and hypoxemia by efficiently decreasing arterial PaCO2 and increasing arterial PaO2, SO2, HCO3–, lactic acid concentration, and blood PH. These findings confirm that SR9009 treatment can alleviate the sepsis-induced lung injury and targeting Rev-Erbα may represent a promising approach for the prevention and management of ALI.

As one of the most common cause of cancer death in the world, lung cancer causes approximately 1.6 million deaths annually. Among them, NSCLC accounts for approximately 85% of patients in whole lung cancer patients. Ginsenoside Rg1 has been confirmed to play an important role in various diseases including cancer. As one of miRNAs, miR-126 closely involves in pathogenesis of the several types of cancers including colorectal, prostate, bladder and gastric cancer, and so on. Thus, the present study aims to investigate effects of the Ginsenoside Rg1 on NSCLC and underlying mechanism. In the study, two lung cancer cell lines including A549 and H1650 were used. It was found that expression of miR-126 was decreased in PBMC of NSCLC patients compared to healthy control. Expression of miR-126 was decreased in cancer tissue compared to paracancerous tissues in NSCLC patients. Importantly, it was found Ginsenoside Rg1 could inhibit growth of lung cancer cells. miR-126 KD remarkably increased the expression of apoptosis genes including caspase 3 and caspase 9 and decreased cell viability in lung cancer cells including A549 and H1650 cells. Interesting, in silico analysis indicated that miR-126 could target PI3K signaling pathway, which was confirmed by WB assay. KD of PI3KR2 compromised promotion of miR-126 on cell apoptosis. Similarly, it was found that KD of mTOR compromised promotion of miR-126 on cell apoptosis. Inhibition of Ginsenoside Rg1 on growth of lung cancer cells was through miR-126 and mTOR. Thus, the present study confirmed that Ginsenoside Rg1 remarkably inhibit lung cancer, which is through microRNA-126-PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a severe form of sepsis that is associated with a high rate of morbidity and death in critically ill individuals. The emergence of ALI is the result of several factors at work. Case mortality rates might range from 40% to 70%. Researchers have discovered that epigenetic alterations are important in the pathophysiology of ALI and that using epigenetic inhibitors may help reduce symptoms. In embryonic development, circadian rhythm, the cell cycle, and cancer, methylation of m6A seems to be relevant all along the way. According to recent research, posttranscriptional methylation is a key player in the development of alveolar lymphoma. In this study, we clustered ALI based on m6A-related factors, analyzed different classes of immune cell enrichment and inflammatory cytokine expression, screened clustered differential genes for ALI to construct coexpression networks, screened key ALI genes potentially regulated by m6A modifications, and then typed the disease based on key genes to compare the consistency of different clustering results. Our findings have revealed a hitherto undiscovered prognostic sign and a therapeutic target for ALI therapy in m6A and immune invading cells, respectively.

In order to solve the problem of the effect of CT images on the diagnosis of lungs, the authors proposed a method for the diagnosis of invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma of the lungs based on CT radiomic features, and the modified method is found by reviewing past cases: among the 34 cases of primary pulmonary lymphoma, 12 cases were nodular mass type, 19 cases were nonnodular mass type, and 3 cases were mixed type; 13 cases involved bilateral lung lobes, 7 cases involved right lung, and 4 cases involved left lung example. There were 17 cases of tumor consolidation density shadow, 17 cases of mixed density shadow, the average CT value was about 32HU, 15 cases of cavitation sign, 6 cases of cavity, 9 cases of angiography sign, 30 cases of air bronchus sign, 22 cases of bronchiectasis, bronchial stenosis or amputation in 8 cases, pleural effusion in 12 cases, lymph node enlargement in 15 cases, and pleural metastasis in 2 cases. The final pathological results included 24 cases of membrane-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, 9 cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and 1 case of T-cell lymphoma. The CT manifestations of primary pulmonary lymphoma (PPL) are diverse and do not have obvious specificity, the imaging manifestations are correlated with pathological types, and air bronchial signs, bronchiectasis, angiography signs, and other signs are used for the diagnosis of PPL. This is of great significance for the diagnosis of PPL.

Objective. To study the effect of Hanchuan Zupa granule combined with conventional western medicine in the treatment of children with bronchial asthma. Methods. 98 cases in Fengrun District People’s Hospital of Tangshan City from June 2018 to February 2021 were selected. The control group was given oxygen therapy, antibiotics, and aerosol inhalation of quick acting β 2 receptor agonist, glucocorticoid, and other conventional western medicine treatment, while the observation group was treated with Bairui granule on the basis of the control group. The course of treatment of the two groups was 1 week. Results. After treatment, the levels of sputum IL-4, IL-17, neu, and ECP in the two groups decreased, and the observation group was lower than the control group ( P < 0.05 ). The levels of EOS, CXCR4, LTB4, and SDF-1 in peripheral blood of the two groups were lower than those in the control group ( P < 0.05 ). The daytime cough, night cough, and TCM syndrome scores of the two groups were decreased, and the observation group was lower than the control group ( P < 0.05 ). Conclusion. Bairui granule combined with conventional western medicine in the treatment of children with bronchial asthma, the curative effect is worthy of affirmation, can effectively improve cough symptoms, reduce EOS, CXCR, LTB4, SDF-1 levels, inhibit airway inflammation, and has good clinical application value.

The difficulty in enhancing the low permeability of deep coal seams is the key problem restricting gas extraction. The technology of coal rock resonance and permeability enhancement excited by vibration wave is hailed as a new technology to enhance coal seam permeability. In particular, the effect of resonance and permeability enhancement is remarkable when the excitation frequency is exactly the same as the natural frequency of coal. In order to promote the application of the technology, the first step is to explore the variation characteristics of coal natural frequency and its influencing factors. In this study, two mathematical models of coal natural frequency were established, and the variations and influencing factors of coal natural frequency were discussed through an experiment on the natural frequency of coal. The results show that coal vibration has multiorder natural frequency which grows with the increase of the order. In addition, the natural frequency of coal is closely related to its elastic modulus, density, size, mass, stiffness, and other physical and mechanical parameters. The larger the coal size and mass are, the lower the natural frequency would be. The natural frequency parallel to the bedding plane is higher than that perpendicular to the bedding plane. For the saturated coal sample, moisture changes its density and reduces its elastic modulus. Consequently, its natural frequency is lower than that of the dried coal sample. The difference of organic matter and mineral content coal of different rank affects the physical and mechanical properties of coal, which leads to the difference in natural frequency of different-rank coals. The natural frequencies of different-rank coal show bituminous > anthracite > lignite. The natural frequencies of coal samples under different influencing factors are all tens of Hz. Thus, the vibration excitation of coal under the low-frequency condition is the focus of future research. The study can provide a theoretical basis for the technology of coal resonance and permeability enhancement excited by vibration wave.

In order to analysis the mechanism of coal bursting pressures of deep coal seams and take effective methods to identify, monitor, and control coal bursting pressure, this paper takes 21101 working face of No. 2 coal seam in Dongpang Coal Mine as an example. Risk identification is carried out for the hazardous and harmful factors of coal bursting pressure in coal seam 21101 in Dongpang Coal Mine, and each influencing factor is classified. The hierarchical structure model of the influencing factors of coal bursting pressure in coal seam protruding deep in Dongpang Coal Mine is established in combination with expert opinions, and the weight of each level index is calculated by MATLAB software. The results show that the 21101 working face of No. 2 coal seam in Dongpang Coal Mine has strong impact risk, and the main risk factors include geological structure, impact resistance of coal and rock, mining stress, inducing factors, and emphasis degree of impact risk. According to the results, the corresponding safety measures are put forward to prevent the damage caused by coal bursting pressure in advance and ensure the high quality and safe production in the mine. The qualitative and quantitative methods are used to make the evaluation process more reasonable and scientific. The method could effectively analyze the main factors affecting coal bursting pressure and put forward corresponding safety measures for the main risk factors.

Asthma is a heterogeneous inflammatory disorder of the airways, and multiple studies have addressed the vital role of the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3)/caspase-1/interleukin-1β (IL-1β) pathway in asthma, but its impact on ovalbumin- (OVA-) induced neutrophilic asthma remains unclear. Here, we explored this pathway’s effect on airway inflammation in neutrophilic asthma to clarify whether blocking this signaling could alleviate asthmatic airway inflammation. Using an established OVA-induced neutrophilic asthma mouse model, we provided asthmatic mice with a highly selective NLRP3 inhibitor, MCC950, and a specific caspase-1 inhibitor, Ac-YVAD-cmk. Our results indicated that asthmatic mice exhibited increased airway hyperresponsiveness, neutrophil infiltration, and airway mucus hypersecretion, upregulated retinoid-related orphan receptor-γt (RORγt) mRNA expression, and downregulated fork head box p3 (Foxp3) mRNA expression, which was concurrent with NLRP3 inflammasome activation and upregulation of caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18 expression in lung. Treatment of NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors significantly attenuated airway hyperresponsiveness, airway inflammation, and reversed T helper 17 (Th17)/regulatory T (Treg) cell imbalance in asthmatic mice. We propose that the NLRP3/caspase-1/IL-1β pathway plays an important role in the pathological process of neutrophilic asthma and provides evidence that blocking this pathway could potentially be a treatment strategy to ameliorate airway inflammation in asthma after validation with future experimental and clinical studies.

Pulmonary hypertension (PAH) is a proliferative disease of pulmonary blood vessels, but the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension is still unclear. This article explores the role of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), tissue factor (TF), and coagulation function (CF) in the pathogenesis of PAH. PAH is often accompanied by vascular intima injury and muscular arterial media thickening. Coupled with the wide application of nanotargeted drugs in recent years, a targeted nanocarrier encapsulating sildenafil was prepared in this study. The particle size, PDI, zeta potential, drug loading, and encapsulation efficiency were 194.32 ± 17.31 nm , 0.28 ± 0.02 , − 6.34 ± 0.33 , 24.61%, and 70.52%. The monocrotaline PAH rat model was constructed, and it was found that the levels of TNF-α, TF, and CF in the peripheral blood of PAH rats were abnormally increased. 30 PAH rats were randomly divided into 5 groups and injected with saline (NS group), sildenafil (sildenafil group), target the nanoempty carrier (TNC-E group), ordinary nanocarrier encapsulated sildenafil (CNC-sildenafil group), and targeted nanocarrier encapsulate sildenafil (TNC-sildenafil group). Compared with the NS group, the mean pulmonary artery pressure in the TNC-sildenafil group was lower ( P < 0.05 ). Compared with the normal rat group, the pulmonary small blood vessel media thickness, TNF-α level, TF level, and the area of myocardial cells were increased in the NS group, sildenafil group, TNC-E group, and CNC-sildenafil group ( P < 0.05 ). Compared with the NS group, the pulmonary small blood vessel media thickness, myocardial cell area, and the levels of TNF-α and TF in the TNC-sildenafil group were reduced ( P < 0.05 ). Targeting nanocarrier encapsulation of sildenafil can obviously reduce the average pulmonary artery pressure in rats with pulmonary hypertension, improve pulmonary vascular media proliferation and myocardial hypertrophy, and restore the levels of TNF-α, TF, and CF to a normal state.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic disease with a long course which is often induced by an acute exacerbation of the disease by a respiratory tract infection. We aimed to explore the effect of Zhuye Shigao Decoction combined with Qingqi Huatan Pills on the regulation of the interleukin (IL)-6-mediated JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway in rats with an acute exacerbation of COPD (phlegm-heat stagnating in the lungs). A model of COPD rats with lung phlegm-heat stagnation was established by smoking and intratracheal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The rats were randomly divided into eight groups: normal control, model control, three doses of herbs group, and three doses of herbs + itacitinib groups. The lung function indexes were measured by using a lung function tester, and changes in pathological features of all groups were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The mRNA expression and protein expression levels in lung tissues were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), western blot, and immunohistochemical assay, respectively. Following treatment, IL-6 expression in lung tissues was significantly reduced compared with the model group. The results demonstrated that the medication was effective in alleviating the persistent airflow limitation and pathological features in COPD rats. Expression of JAK1/STAT3 in lung tissues was remarkably decreased. The JAK1/STAT3 pathway was inhibited, while SOCS3 expression was upregulated in the drug-treated groups compared with model control. However, after the addition of itacitinib (JAK1 inhibitor), the efficacy in each group was evidently impaired compared with herbs alone. Taken together, Zhuye Shigao Decoction combined with Qingqi Huatan Pills could improve the persistent airflow limitation and reduce lung inflammation and pathological changes of COPD possibly by regulating the expression of the IL-6-mediated JAK1/STAT3 pathway.

Background. Two questionnaires (Berlin Questionnaire (BQ) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS)) are the widely used screening instruments for subjects suffering from sleep disorders. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common form of sleep-disordered breathing. The biomimetic oral appliance therapy (BOAT) offers an alternative nonsurgical method, which can improve symptoms and indices of OSA on objective sleep testing. Aim. To describe testing the ability of BQ and EES for prediction of BOAT outcomes during OSA. Methods. Seventeen adults (9 males, 8 females; age, mean (SD): 45.76 (10.31), BMI mean (SD): 33.5(13.43)) who underwent an overnight sleep study were diagnosed by a sleep specialist physician. The BQ and EES were recorded before and after BOAT treatment. Subjects with mild-to-moderate OSA had 2 months of follow-up visits and underwent a final overnight sleep study to measure apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). The subjects were asked to wear the appliance for 10–12 hours/day and at night. Findings were analyzed statistically using paired t-tests. Result. As per sleep test results, pre-BOAT AHI measures versus post-BOAT AHI measures showed significant improvement. Comparing the BQ before versus after treatment showed that at the pretreatment stage, 66.0% of patients had high-risk score, whereas 34% had low-risk score. After treatment, 66.0% of patient had low-risk scores, whereas 34% had high-risk scores. As for the ESS, treatment resulted in significant reduction of total score from 10.43 ± 6.32 to 5.00 ± 5.20 ( P < 0.01 , paired t-test). Finally, there was a mild negative correlation between AHI and each of the BQ and ESS scores that was not statistically significant (r = −0.420, N = 26, P > 0.05 , and r = −0.41, N = 26, P > 0.05 , respectively). Conclusion. The BOAT device may provide a useful form of therapy to improve OSA-related PSG parameters such as AHI. Both BQ and ESS were predictive to improvements detected by the sleep study during BOAT device use.

The BSL k-ω turbulence model was used to numerically simulate the inspiratory airflow of the airway with foreign bodies using a real CT scan human airway model. The paper selects three foreign bodies with different diameters, three different foreign body positions, and three different breathing intensities, and the FLUENT software is used to perform numerical simulation. This study has found that the increase in the diameter of the foreign body and flow velocity will make the flow structure in the airway more complicated. The airway pressure will increase so that the resistance of breathing will increase, and the shear force will also increase, which hurt the airway. The impact of the foreign body on the left side on the flow structure in the airway is less than that of the foreign body on the right side. The foreign body on the left side causes the pressure drop in the airway to be higher than that on the right side. Moreover, sharp changes in pressure driving force and airway curvature will affect the airflow pattern of the central airway. We concluded that foreign matter has a great influence on the characteristics of the airflow structure, and more research is needed to increase the understanding of the airflow pattern under the condition of foreign matter in the airway, and the research helps doctors avoid the influence of airflow when removing foreign bodies in the airway.

In the three-dimensional micro-CT experiment system, the room temperature is set to 300°C when different coal samples (lignite, anthracite, lean coal and gas coal) are observed for mesoscopic observation. The evolution regularity of mesoscopic structure is analyzed according to the CT scan of coal samples under different temperatures and three sections of scanning images, and by ImageJ image processing software, image processing, and analysis of the characteristics of the profile, the following conclusions are obtained: (1) Coal specimen will have an overall expansion deformation along with the rise of temperature. The sample expansion can be divided into two types: outward expansion and inward expansion. Outward expansion means that the expansion of the skeleton extends outward from the adjacent pores, while inward expansion means that the solid skeleton intrudes into the adjacent pores. When the temperature rises, the outward expansion and inward expansion occur simultaneously. The dominant expansion mode is influenced by the type of coal sample and the temperature value. (2) With the increase of temperature, coal and anthracite coal specimen pore fissure structure shows an expansion tendency before contraction, while gas coal and lean coal show reverse patterns; in addition to the above the reason of the difference vitrinite differences, one must also consider selected specimen original porosity and mechanical physical properties, such as a combination of other factors. (3) In the temperature range of 100–200°C, when the temperature increases at the same rate, lignite porosity increases the most, followed by gas coal, lean coal, and anthracite. (4) There are certain differences in the variation trends of the pixel proportions of the three sections of the coal specimen, and the temperature values of the three curves at the maximum pixel point are also different, which indicates that the expansion of each point in the coal specimen with the change of temperature is not completely synchronous, and the physical and mechanical properties of the sample are heterogeneous.

Shadow detection and removal play an important role in the field of computer vision and pattern recognition. Shadow will cause some loss and interference to the information of moving objects, resulting in the performance degradation of subsequent computer vision tasks such as moving object detection or image segmentation. In this paper, each image is regarded as a small sample, and then a method based on material matching of intelligent computing between image regions is proposed to detect and remove image shadows. In shadow detection, the proposed method can be directly used for detection without training and ensures the consistency of similar regions to a certain extent. In shadow removal, the proposed method can minimize the influence of shadow removal operation on other features in the shadow region. The experiments on the benchmark dataset demonstrate that the proposed approach achieves a promising performance, and its improvement is more than 6% in comparison with several advanced shadow detection methods.

To study the mechanism of circular ribonucleic acid (RNA) circHIPK3 involved in the resistance of lung cancer cells to gefitinib, 110 patients with lung cancer were recruited as the research objects, and the tumor tissue and para-cancerous tissue of each patient’s surgical specimens were collected and paraffinized to detect the expression of circHIPK3 in different tissues. Gefitinib drug-resistant cell line of lung cancer was constructed with gefitinib to detect cell apoptosis under different conditions. As a result, the relative expression of circHIPK3 in patients with tumor diameter no less than 3 cm was dramatically inferior to that in patients with tumor diameter less than 3 cm ( P < 0.05 ). The relative expression of circHIPK3 in patients with TNM stage II/III was dramatically inferior to that in patients with tumor, node, and metastasis (TNM) stage I ( P < 0.05 ). Expression of circHIPK3 in patients with lymph node metastasis was dramatically inferior to that in patients without lymph node metastasis ( P < 0.05 ). Of the lung cancer tissues of patients with different TNM stages, only six patients had high expression, and the remaining 104 patients had low expression. Moreover, electrophoresis revealed that circHIPK3 can only be amplified in cDNA, but not in gDNA. Gefitinib-mediated apoptosis rate of lung cancer drug-resistant cell lines decreased notably. In summary, the circular RNA circHIPK3 may have a notably low expression in lung cancer tissues, whose low expression had a certain enhancement effect on the drug resistance of lung adenocarcinoma cells to gefitinib.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of arbutin (AR) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis pneumonia. LPS-induced mice and A549 cells were used to establish septic pneumonia model. AR significantly decreased lung wet-to-dry weight (W/D) ratio, lung myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and ameliorated lung histopathological changes. In addition, AR increased super oxide dismutase (SOD) activity, decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) content and levels of cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in mice. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that AR inhibited the JAK2/STAT3/NF-κB pathway in LPS-induced A549 cells which was further confirmed by siRNA JAK2 experiment. The experimental results indicated that the protective mechanism of AR on sepsis pneumonia might be attributed partly to the inhibition of cytokine production and JAK2/STAT3/NF-κB pathway.

Objective Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare autoimmune connective tissue disease, and interstitial lung disease (ILD) is an important complication of SSc. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of polypeptide extract of scorpion venom (PESV) on alleviating pulmonary epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in SSc-ILD mice and its possible mechanism. Methods C57/BL6 mice were injected with bleomycin to establish a SSc-ILD model. Different concentrations of PESV solution were administered, and dexamethasone was used as a positive control. Then the lung tissues of mice in each group were removed, and the pathological changes of mice in each group were observed using HE staining and Masson staining. TGF-β1 expression levels were detected by immunohistochemical. The expression of EMT-related proteins E-cadherin, collagenI, vimentin, N-cadherin, and α-SMA was detected by Western blot, and the expression of TGF-β1/Smad pathway-related proteins was also detected. The contents of inflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-α and TGF-β1 in serum and BALF were also measured by ELISA. Results Pathological analysis showed that PESV alleviated the SSc-ILD induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis. The results showed that after PESV treatment, the contents of inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly lower than those in the model group. PESV could increase the expression of epithelial marker E-cadherin and reduce the expression of interstitial markers collagenI, vimentin, N-cadherin, and α-SMA. PESV can reduce the expression level of TGF-β1/Smad pathway-related proteins . Conclusion PESV can inhibit the EMT and relevant TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway, to alleviate pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis, thus to play a protective effect against SSc-ILD.

Background. Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) SET-binding factor 2 (SBF2) antisense RNA1 (SBF2-AS1), which acts as an oncogene in various cancers, can promote tumors progression. The study aimed to explore the role and molecular mechanism of SBF2-AS1 in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods. qRT-PCR was introduced to detect SBF2-AS1 and miR-520a-3p expression in NSCLC. The effects of SBF2-AS1 and miR-520a-3p on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells were assessed through cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and transwell assay. Furthermore, the relationship of SBF2-AS1 and miR-520a-3p was verified by the RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay, dual-luciferase assay, and Spearman correlation analysis. Results. In NSCLC tissues, SBF2-AS1 was highly expressed, while miR-520a-3p expression has decreased. The overall survival of NSCLC patients with high SBF2-AS1 expression was lower. SBF2-AS1 silencing repressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells. SBF2-AS1 directly interacted with miR-520a-3p, and a negative relationship was observed between their expression levels in NSCLC tissues. More importantly, the suppression of SBF2-AS1 silencing on the proliferation, migration, and invasion in NSCLC cells was counteracted by miR-520a-3p inhibition. Conclusion. SBF2-AS1 accelerated the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells via mediating miR-520a-3p, thus promoting NSCLC progression.

Objective. This study investigated the potential effects of Baicalein on proliferation, migration, and invasion of human lung cancer A549 and NCI-H1299 cells and its possible mechanisms. Methods. The effects of Baicalein on proliferation and invasion of A549 and NCI-H1299 cells were detected by MTT assay, clonogenesis assay, and Transwell assay. A subcutaneous transplanted tumor model was used to evaluate the effects of SMYD2 and Baicalein on the proliferation of lung cancer. Baicalein inhibited in SMYD2/RPS7 signaling pathway in tumor cells was also detected by qRT-PCR. Results. Baicalein significantly inhibited the growth of lung cancer cells. In addition, Baicalein significantly reduced the rate of A549 and NCI-H1299 cell invasion and clone formation in a dose-dependent manner. Animal experiments showed that both SMYD2 and Baicalein treatments could inhibit lung cancer tumor proliferation. Mechanism studies suggest that Baicalein inhibits the SMYD2/RPS7 signaling pathway. Conclusion. These results indicated that Baicalein could inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of LUNG cancer A549 and NCI-H1299 cells. Baicalein inhibits cell proliferation by downregulating the SMYD2/RPS7 signaling pathway.

Oxidative stress is defined as the imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the endogenous antioxidant defense system, leading to cellular damage. Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory airway disease. The presence of asthma tends to increase the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the antioxidant system in the lungs is insufficient to mitigate it. Therefore, asthma can lead to an exacerbation of airway hyperresponsiveness and airway inflammation. PM2.5 exposure increases ROS levels. Meanwhile, the accumulation of ROS will further enhance the oxidative stress response, resulting in DNA, protein, lipid, and other cellular and molecular damage, leading to respiratory diseases. An in-depth study on the relationship between oxidative stress and PM2.5-related asthma is helpful to understand the pathogenesis and progression of the disease and provides a new direction for the treatment of the disease. This paper reviews the research progress of oxidative stress in PM2.5-induced asthma as well as highlights the therapeutic potentials of antioxidant approaches in treatment of asthma.

Accurate determination of coalbed methane (CBM) content is of great significance to coalmine methane prediction, methane extraction, and gas outburst prevention. The adsorption time affects the CBM content by affecting the Langmuir adsorption constants when using the indirect method to determine the CBM content. To determine the reasonable adsorption time, representative coal samples (anthracite, lean coal, and gas-fat coal) and different destruction types (soft coal and hard coal) were selected. The experimental methods used are mercury intrusion porosimetry test, N2 adsorption/desorption test, and methane isothermal adsorption test. The results show that the pore volume and the specific surface area obtained by the BJH method and BET model increase with increasing coal rank and destruction type. For anthracite soft and hard coal, lean soft coal, and gas-fat soft coal, the N2 adsorption/desorption hysteresis loop is not closed when the relative pressure is low, indicating the existence of ink-bottle pores in these coal samples. For all tested coal samples, the longer the adsorption time is, the larger of coal methane adsorption capacity, Langmuir constant a , and CBM content are. The Langmuir constant b decreased with increasing the adsorption time. Under the condition that the reliability of the measured value is 85%, the reasonable adsorption times of coal samples are 28 h for anthracite, 18 h for lean coal, and 9 h for gas-fat coal. This study has practical help to improve the determination of CBM content, the prediction of coal seam gas outburst, and the development of CBM.

Coal mine underground reservoir water storage technology is an effective technical way to achieve high efficiency of coal mining and protection of water resources. The stability of coal pillar dam plays a decisive role in the safe and stable operation of underground reservoirs. Mining of adjacent working faces and long-term water erosion are the main influencing factors of stability of coal pillar dam. In this paper, a fluid-solid coupling calculation model for the deformation and evolution of coal pillar dam was established by FLAC3D numerical simulation software and the underground brine reservoir of Lingxin Coal Mine of Shenning group as an engineering background. The paper studied systematically the deformation, failure, and stress evolution of the dam with coal pillars soaked in water for a long time under different working face inclining length, coal pillar width, mining height, and water pressure. The simulation results showed that the degree of deformation and failure of the coal pillar dam continued to increase with the continuous advancement of the working face. The plastic zone of the coal pillar dam was increased by approximately 23.53%, the maximum vertical stress was increased by approximately 95.78%, and the maximum vertical deformation was increased by approximately 68.18%. The influence of each factor on the deformation and failure of overburden strata is quite different. The development range of plastic zone, the maximum vertical stress, and the maximum vertical deformation were increasing with the increased of working face inclined length and mining height. The increasing width of coal pillar would lead to the decrease of maximum vertical stress. The increase of water pressure would lead to the decrease of maximum vertical deformation. It can be seen that the inclined length of the working face is the main factor affecting the deformation and failure of the coal pillar dam. Coal pillar width and mining height are the main factors affecting the development of plastic zone. This study reveals the law of deformation and fracture evolution of coal pillar dam under different mining conditions, which can provide a reference for the design of coal pillar dam of coal mine underground reservoir.

Objective. This study aims to investigate the expression of neuronal transcription factor SOX11 in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and compare it with the expression of CD56 (nerve cell adhesion molecule), synaptophysin (Syn), chromogranin A (CgA), and thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) to explore the application value of SOX11 in the pathological diagnosis of SCLC. Methods. Immunohistochemical methods were used to detect the expression of SOX11, TTF-1, CD56, Syn, and CgA in 120 lung tumor tissues, and experimental results were analyzed using SPSS23.0 statistical software. Results. Immunohistochemical results showed that in the 120 lung tumor samples, SOX11 was highly expressed in SCLC and localized to the nucleus, with low or no expression in control carcinoid/lung neuroendocrine tumors, lung adenocarcinomas, and lung squamous cell carcinomas. Statistical analysis results revealed the following points. First, the expression of SOX11 was closely related to the tumor histological type. The expression of SOX11 in SCLC (positive rate of 63.33%) was significantly higher than that in carcinoid/neuroendocrine tumors (positive rate of 12.50%), lung adenocarcinoma (positive rate of 0%), and lung squamous cell carcinoma (positive rate of 0%). Second, immunohistochemical investigation of 60 SCLC cases revealed that the highest positive rates of CD56, TTF-1, and Syn, respectively, were 93.33 percent, 95 percent, and 86.67 percent. SOX11 also exhibited high sensitivity (0.633) and specificity (0.875) in SCLC. The positive rates of SOX11 and CgA were 63.33% and 50.00%, respectively. Statistical results revealed that the positive rate of CgA had no significant difference ( P > 0.05 ). Lastly, the combined use of antibodies SOX11, CgA, CD56, Syn, and TTF-1 was more beneficial to improving the diagnosis rate of SCLC than the single use of one or two antibodies. Conclusion. The expression of SOX11 in different histological types of lung tumors differs considerably. SOX11 is highly expressed in SCLC. SOX11 can be used as a beneficial supplement to the combination of classical neuroendocrine markers and in combination with CgA, CD56, Syn, and TTF-1 to assist in the diagnosis of SCLC.

To investigate the effect of AutoFlow on airway pressure and hemodynamics in mechanical ventilation constant volume-control ventilation mode, 100 patients receiving mechanical ventilation were randomly divided into observation group (SIMV-PSV-PEEP + AutoFlow) and control group (SIMV-PSV-PEEP). The results showed that the peak airway pressure and average airway pressure decreased with different flow rate settings and automatic flow conversion ( P < 0.05 ). The peak airway pressure and mean airway pressure decreased with different resistance settings ( P < 0.05 ). With different compliance settings, the peak airway pressure and average airway pressure decreased after being assisted with an automatic converter ( P < 0.05 ). Adding AutoFlow on the basis of SIMV-PSV mode can significantly reduce peak inspiratory pressure (PIP), mean airway pressure (Pmean), and airway resistance (R). There was no significant difference in hemodynamic monitoring results between the observation group and the control group. It is proved that the SIMV constant volume-controlled ventilation mode combined with AutoFlow can not only ensure tidal volume but also avoid excessive airway pressure, which has little effect on hemodynamics.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a common respiratory disease. This paper observes the effects of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation promotion mode intervention combined with oxygen therapy on cardiopulmonary function and blood gas analysis indexes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) complicated with cor pulmonale. A total of 136 COPD patients with cor pulmonale admitted to our hospital from July 2018 to October 2020 were selected as the research objects and divided into two groups by a simple random method. 136 patients are given oxygen therapy while the traditional group and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation group are given traditional mode and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation promotion mode intervention. Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation promotion mode intervention combined with oxygen therapy can improve the cardiopulmonary function of COPD patients with cor pulmonale, regulate the expression of related serum factors, improve self-care ability, and reduce the number of hospitalizations.

Background and Objective. Adenovirus pneumonia is a severe disease in children. Constructing a prognostic model contributes to individualized treatment of children with adenovirus pneumonia. Thus, a machine learning model was constructed in this study to explore the clinical and baseline characteristics of pneumonia and predict the type of pneumonia. Methods. Children with bacterial pneumonia (41 cases) and adenovirus pneumonia (179 cases) hospitalized in Tianjin Children’s Hospital from January to October 2020 were selected. The differences in baseline and clinical characteristics between children with two pneumonias, respectively, were compared via the chi-square test and Wilcox test. The Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) model was applied to screen the pneumonia type-related characteristics. Patients were randomly divided into the training set (n = 154) and test set (n = 66). The logistic model was constructed using the screened characteristics in the training set to predict whether the cases are bacterial pneumonia or adenovirus pneumonia. Finally, the model was validated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under curve (AUC) in the test set. Results. The age ( p < 0.001 ), hospital stay ( p < 0.001 ), tonsil condition ( p < 0.001 ), interleukin-6 (IL-6; p = 0.033 ), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH; p < 0.001 ) between children with bacterial pneumonia and adenovirus pneumonia were significantly different. Sex, tonsil condition, age, hospital stay, r-glutamyltransferase (r-GT), and LDH levels were the factors associated with the types of pneumonia. Compared with bacterial pneumonia, children with adenovirus pneumonia were younger (OR = 0.207, 95% CI: 0.041–0.475), with longer hospital stay (OR = 7.974, 95% CI: 2.626–74.354) and higher LDH expression level (OR = 1.025, 95% CI: 1.006–1.060). 92.4% types of pneumonia were correctly predicted, and the AUC value of the model was 0.981. Conclusion. The LDH level was the associated factor to predict the types of pneumonia. Adenovirus pneumonia was associated with earlier age and longer hospital stay than bacterial pneumonia. The established model can well predict the types of pneumonia in children and provide clinical basis for guiding the individualized treatment of children.

Lung nodules are the main lesions of the lung, and conditions of the lung can be directly displayed through CT images. Due to the limited pixel number of lung nodules in the lung, doctors have the risk of missed detection and false detection in the detection process. In order to reduce doctors’ work intensity and assist doctors to make accurate diagnosis, a lung nodule segmentation and recognition algorithm is proposed by simulating doctors’ diagnosis process with computer intelligent methods. Firstly, the attention mechanism model is established to focus on the region of lung parenchyma. Then, a pyramid network of bidirectional enhancement features is established from multiple body positions to extract lung nodules. Finally, the morphological and imaging features of lung nodules are calculated, and then, the signs of lung nodules can be identified. The experiments show that the algorithm conforms to the doctor’s diagnosis process, focuses the region of interest step by step, and achieves good results in lung nodule segmentation and recognition.

We aimed to explore the epidemiological characteristics and changes of lung cancer and the clinical medication in England from 2001 to 2019. We searched related research using search engine systems such as MEDLINE, PubMed, and PsychINFO. Lung cancer is a serious disease and the prognosis is usually very poor. The overall mortality rate of lung cancer decreased year by year in England from 2001 to 2019, but men, the elderly, and people exposed to polluted air are still more likely to be infected with lung cancer or die as a result, the prevalence and mortality rate of lung cancer in the north of England is significantly higher than that in the south, and the gap is increasing year by year. Lung cancer has changeable risk factors such as quitting smoking and improving air quality, which can effectively reduce the related risk. Paclitaxel, docetaxel, gemcitabine, and vinorelbine are the main drugs for the treatment of lung cancer in England and the treatment of these drugs is beneficial to the survival and quality of life of patients. Men and the elderly are at high risk of lung cancer, which means that lung cancer has obvious gender inequality and age inequality. At the same time, based on the statistical data of lung cancer risk in different regions, it can be concluded that lung cancer also has strong geographical and economic inequality. Changing risk factors and using drugs can effectively reduce the risk of lung cancer and provide effective treatment.

Background. Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) refers to the positive pressure in the respiratory tract at the end of the exhalation when we use a ventilator. The differences of higher PEEP and lower PEEP on clinical outcomes in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients are less well known. Methods. A comprehensive literature search of all randomized control trials (RCTs) was conducted using PubMed, Embase, World Health Organization (WHO) Global Index Medicus, WHO clinical trial registry, and Clinicaltrials.gov. Inclusion criteria included RCTs comparing the clinical outcomes of higher and lower PEEP in ARDS patients. Results. Eleven studies were included in the final analysis. In the higher PEEP group, the hospital mortality, 28-day mortality, and ICU mortality showed no significantly lower risk compared to the lower PEEP group (RR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.80–1.05, p = 0.22; RR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.73–1.05, p = 0.15; RR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.67–1.05, p = 0.12; respectively). High certainty could be obtained that there is no significant difference between the clinical outcomes of higher PEEP and lower PEEP in ARDS patients. Conclusions. There is no significant difference of the hospital mortality, 28-day mortality, and ICU mortality between higher and lower PEEP in ARDS patients.

Objective. Asthma is defined as a heterogeneous disease that is usually characterized by chronic airway inflammation. Long noncoding RNAs play important roles in various biological processes including inflammation. To know more about the relationships between lncRNAs and asthma, we sought to the role of LINC00847 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of children with asthma exacerbation or asthma remission. Methods. Microarray analysis was performed on GSE143192 and GSE165934 datasets to screen differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) in human PBMCs between asthma patients and normal controls. LINC00847 was selected from DElncRNAs in human PBMCs between asthma patients and normal controls for further investigation. The expression levels of LINC00847 were quantified in PBMCs collected from 54 children with asthma exacerbation, 54 children with asthma remission, and 54 healthy children by real-time qPCR. The forced expiratory volume in the first second in percent predicted values (FEV1%), ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second to forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC), and peak expiratory flow rate (PEF%) were tested for evaluation of lung function. The concentration of immunoglobulin E (IgE) and eosinophil count was examined. The serum levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and IL-17A were determined by the ELISA method. Results. The expression level of LINC00847 in PBMCs of asthma exacerbation children was remarkably higher than that in PBMCs of asthma remission children and healthy children ( p < 0.001 ); the expression level of LINC00847 in PBMCs of asthma remission children was notably higher than that in PBMCs of healthy children ( p < 0.001 ). Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the expression levels of LINC00847 in PBMCs of asthma children were negatively correlated with FEV1% (r = −0.489), FEV1/FVC (r = −0.436), PEF% (r = −0.626), and IFN-γ level (r = −0.614) of asthma children, but positively correlated with IgE concentration (r = 0.680), eosinophil count (r = 0.780), IL-4 (r = 0.524), and IL-17A (r = 0.622) levels. When LINC00847 expression was used to distinguish asthma exacerbation from asthma remission, a 0.871 AUC (95% CI: 0.805–0.936) was yielded with sensitivity of 79.63% and specificity of 77.78%. Conclusion. The study demonstrates that increased LINC00847 expression may be associated with the development and progression of asthma, possibly serving as a novel biomarker for predicting asthma exacerbation from asthma remission.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a type of interstitial lung disease (ILD) characterized by the proliferation of fibroblasts and aberrant accumulation of extracellular matrix. These changes are accompanied by structural destruction of the lung tissue and the progressive decline of pulmonary function. In the past few decades, researchers have investigated the pathogenesis of IPF and sought a therapeutic approach for its treatment. Some studies have shown that the occurrence of IPF is related to pulmonary inflammatory injury; however, its specific etiology and pathogenesis remain unknown, and no effective treatment, with the exception of lung transplantation, has been identified yet. Several basic science and clinical studies in recent years have shown that statins, the traditional lipid-lowering drugs, exert significant antifibrotic effects, which can delay the progression of IPF and impairment of pulmonary function. This article is aimed at summarizing the current understanding of the pathogenesis of IPF, the progress of research on the use of statins in IPF models and clinical trials, and its main molecular targets.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of death worldwide, which is usually caused by exposure to noxious particles or gases. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), as an endogenous gasotransmitter, is involved in the pathogenesis of COPD, but its role in COPD is little known. To investigate the role of H2S in COPD, a rat model of COPD was established by cigarette smoking (CS) and intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control, CS + LPS , CS + LPS + sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS, H2S donor), and CS + LPS + propargylglycine (PPG, inhibitor of cystathionine-γ-lyase, and CTH). Lung function in vivo, histology analysis of lung sections, malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, CTH protein, total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), and catalase (CAT) activity in lung tissues were assessed. Gene expression profiling of lung was assessed by microarray analysis. The results showed that rats in the CS + LPS group had lower body weight and lung function but higher lung pathological scores, MDA concentration, CTH protein, T-SOD, and CAT activity compared with the control. Compared with CS + LPS group, NaHS treatment decreased lung pathological scores and MDA concentration, while PPG treatment decreased body weight of rats and T-SOD activity, and no significant differences were detected in pathological scores by PPG treatment. Microarray analysis identified multiple differentially expressed genes, and some genes regulated by H2S were involved in oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation pathways. It indicates that H2S may play a protective role in COPD via antioxidative stress and antiapoptosis pathway.

The stability of the coal-rock composite structure is of great significance to the safety production of deep mines, and the different interface connection modes of coal and rock have an important influence on its stability. Therefore, the following work was done in this article: Firstly, the mechanical structure model of coal-rock was established, and the influence of different interface connection modes on coal rock was analyzed. Secondly, the mechanical characteristics (plastic zone, stress, and displacement) of coal-rock composite structure under different interface connection modes were studied by numerical simulation, and the energy was quantitatively analyzed by FISH language in FLAC3D. The results were as follows: (1) The interface reduces the strength of rock and increases the strength of coal in the coal-rock composite structure. (2) In the loading process, the coal body is destroyed first and the destruction range increases gradually with the increase of stress. The failure mode is mainly a plastic shear failure, and the deformation of coal is much larger than that of rock in the composite structure. (3) The interface contact mode affects the mechanical behavior of coal and rock structure. The strong contact interface influences the strength, displacement, and energy accumulation of coal and rock structure, among which the influence on energy and displacement is greater, which is helpful to the improvement of strength. Therefore, it is suggested to adopt the strong contact interface in the study of coal and rock structure.

SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus and the cause of the recent pandemic; it is an enveloped β-coronavirus. SARS-CoV-2 appear in the Wuhan City of China for the first time and outspread worldwide quickly. Due to its person-to-person fast transmission, COVID-19 is becoming a global problem. SARS-CoV-2 enter into cells by using ACE2 receptors that are numerous in the lungs and finally can cause acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Dry cough, sore throat, fever, body pain, headache, GIT discomfort, diarrhoea, and fatigue are some of the COVID-19 symptoms. There is no definite and certain treatment for disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 till now. Some pharmacological effects of toxins, toxoids, and venoms have been proven, and their effects on some diseases have been evaluated. This study aimed to investigate the role of toxins, toxoids, and venom in the pathophysiology of COVID-19 disease.

Allergic asthma is associated with T helper (Th) 2 cell-biased immune responses and characterized by the airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). Studies have shown that the acupoint catgut-embedding therapy (ACE) has a therapeutic effect on allergic asthma. However, the relevant mechanism is poorly understood. In present study, female BALB/c mice were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA) to establish a model of allergic asthma. AHR was evaluated by using airway resistance ( R L ) and lung dynamic compliance (Cdyn). Airway inflammation and mucus hypersecretion were observed by HE and PAS staining. Inflammatory cells were counted, and related cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Pulmonary group 2 innate lymphoid cell (ILC2s) proportions were analyzed by flow cytometry. The expression of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was detected by immunostaining. Our results showed that OVA induction resulted in a significant increase in R L , accompanied by a significant decrease in Cdyn. The levels of interleukin- (IL-) 4, IL-13, OVA-specific IgE in BALF, and the percentage of ILC2 in the lungs were markedly increased accompanied by a significant decreased in interferon-γ (IFN-γ). Furthermore, the expressions of p-NF-κB p65 and COX-2 in airways were significantly upregulated. After ACE treatment, the indicators above were significantly reversed. In conclusion, ACE treatment inhibited the secretion of Th2 cytokines and the proliferation of ILC2s in the lungs, thereby dampening the inflammatory activity in allergic asthma. The underlying mechanism might be related to the inhibition of NF-κB/COX-2 pathway.

Fully mechanized caving mining in extrathick coal seams is currently the most efficient mining method. To figure out the mining-induced stress in extrathick coal seams which is significantly different from the normal ones is essential for mining safety. This research is based on the No. 3106 working face of Lu-Zi-Gou coal mine in China, which extracts extrathick coal seams by using the comprehensive mechanized top-coal caving method. According to the elastoplastic theory, a multiforce superposition mining-induced stress model is constructed in this research. In this model, the mining-induced stress is generated by the side coal seam of the stope, including the load formed by the broken roof blocks in the caving zone, the unbroken rock layers in the side of the goaf, and the rock layers in the bending zone. To verify the model, electromagnetic wave CT detection and borehole endoscopy are used to test the coal’s electromagnetic wave attenuation and internal joints. The results indicate that the mining of extrathick coal seams forms internal and external stress fields in the side coal seams of the stope. As the depth increases, the mining-induced stress first increases and then decreases within the two areas. According to the above conclusions, the width of coal pillars and the location of roadways between adjacent working faces can be reasonably determined.

Objective. This study discussed and analyzed the risk factors and nursing countermeasures of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in the children intensive care unit (ICU). Methods. In this study, 155 children with mechanical ventilation in the pediatric intensive care unit from Oct. 2018 to Oct. 2020 were chosen as research objects. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of children and divided them into VAP groups and non-VAP groups according to the occurrence of VAP. Subsequently, we adopted a univariate and multivariate logistic regression model to analyze and clarify the risk factors of VAP and formulated the corresponding nursing countermeasures. Results. 49 cases of total research objects had occurred VAP, with an infection rate of 31.62%. The primary pathogenic bacteria were Gram-negative bacteria (43/70, 61.43%). According to multivariate logistic regression analysis, the duration of mechanical ventilation, invasive procedures, and application of hormones and antacids are all independent risk factors for VAP in pediatric ICU. The VPA group had longer hospital stay than the non-VAP group, and the difference was statistically significant ((20.92 ± 4.16)d, (15.24 ± 3.77)d, t = 8.4383, P ≤ 0.001). The hospitalization cost of the VPA group was substantially higher than that of the non-VAP Group ((45.8 ± 10.4) thousand Yuan, (33.2 ± 4.3) thousand Yuan, t = 10.6822, P ≤ 0.001). Conclusion. Children admitted to the pediatric ICU have a high VAP incidence. The primary pathogenic bacteria are Gram-negative bacteria. As the occurrence of VAP is closely related to a variety of factors, we should take targeted nursing countermeasures to reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation and the frequency of invasive operations and use the hormone and antacids rationally to reduce the risk of VAP and improve the prognosis.

With the development of society, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a common respiratory disease, suffers an increasing incidence. To explore the correlation between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), endothelin-1 (ET-1), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease combined with pulmonary hypertension (COPD-PH), a total of 112 COPD patients admitted to our hospital from July 2017 to December 2020 were analyzed prospectively, of which 57 patients combined with PH were enrolled in the research group and the other 55 patients without PH were enrolled in the control group. Serum hs-CRP, IL-6, IL-10, ET-1, blood gas indexes, and related indexes of lung function of the two groups were detected and their correlations were analyzed. The research group was divided into the mild group, moderate group, and heavy group according to pulmonary average arterial pressure, and serum hs-CRP, IL-6, IL-10, ET-1, and disease severity were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was performed to serum hs-CRP, IL-6, IL-10, and ET-1 of COPD-PH patients, and independent risk factors for COPD-PH were analyzed. The research group showed significantly higher serum hs-CRP, IL-6, and ET-1 and significantly lower IL-10 expression than the control group (all P < 0.05 ); serum hs-CRP, IL-6, and ET-1 were negatively correlated with PaO2, FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC and positively correlated with PaCO2; IL-10 was positively correlated with PaO2, FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC and negatively correlated with PaCO2; hs-CRP, IL-6, and ET-1 were positively correlated with COPD-PH severity, and IL-10 was negatively correlated with it. hs-CRP, IL-6, IL-10, and ET-1 were closely and significantly related to the pathological process of COPD-PH, including onset and development, and the elevation of hs-CRP, IL-6, and ET-1 and decrease of IL-10 are independent risk factors for the onset of COPD-PH. With relatively high predictive value for COPD-PH, hs-CRP, IL-6, IL-10, and ET-1 can be promoted as predictors for it.

The reserves of high-quality coal seams have been greatly reduced in recent years, and the low efficiency of traditional cutting methods in hard coal seams has become a problem for the coal production industry. In order to improve the mining efficiency, an impacting-cutting technique was proposed in this study. A drum modification model with picks impact function was established, and crushing properties of the impacting-cutting drum at f4, f5, and f6 coal hardness were simulated using the discrete element method. The simulation results show that the impacting-cutting drum has higher coal crushing efficiency, lower drum force, and more stable cutting processes than the traditional drum. It shows that hard coal might be effectively reduced by the impacting-cutting technique to reduce the difficulty of mining, and reflected the applicability in hard coal seams. Meanwhile, a simplified test device for the impacting-cutting technique was designed. And the actual coal crushing performance was tested. The test results show that the force of the cutting mechanism in the impact mode is lower than that of the nonimpact mode, and the force is more stable. It proves that the impacting-cutting technique has a higher applicability of hard coal seams than the traditional technique.

Ferroptosis was reported to be involved in the occurrence and development of asthma. However, the potential mechanism underlying the role of ferroptosis in asthma remains unclear. In this study, we established the mouse asthma model following the ovalbumin (OVA) method in C57BL/6 mice and the cell model with IL-13 induction in bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B cells). Treatment of ferrostatin-1 (Ferr-1) and 3-methyladenine (3-MA) decreased iron deposition in IL-13-induced BEAS-2B cells and lung tissues of asthma mice, opposite to that in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Meanwhile, excessive lipid peroxidation asthma model in vivo and in vitro was alleviated by Ferr-1 or 3-MA treatment. In addition, Ferr-1 and 3-MA inhibited the expression of LC-3 in these cells and lung tissues of mice. Moreover, Ferr-1 and 3-MA also suppressed the production of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) and oxidative stress factors (ROS and MDA), while promoting the level of SOD, in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, application of Ferr-1 exhibited a greater inhibitory effect on iron release and lipid peroxidation in IL-13-induced BEAS-2B cells and asthma mice than 3-MA, accompanied with a weaker effect on ferritinophagy than 3-MA. Collectively, Ferr-1 and 3-MA ameliorated asthma in vivo and in vitro through inhibiting ferroptosis, providing a new strategy for the clinical treatment of asthma.

Background. S100A4 is a member of the S100 calcium-binding protein family and is increased in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a naturally occurring bioactive sphingolipid, which regulates the adhesion between the cells and the extracellular matrix and affects cell migration and differentiation. The goal of this study was to analyze the correlations among S100A4, S1P, and pulmonary function among COPD patients. Methods. All 139 serum samples and 15 lung specimens were collected in COPD patients and control subjects. S100A4 and S1P were detected in two groups. The markers of fibrosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were measured in the lungs of COPD patients and control subjects. Results. The protein expression of S100A4 was higher in the lungs and serum of COPD patients than control cases. Additionally, serum S100A4 was inversely associated with pulmonary function among COPD patients. Meanwhile, collagen deposition and EMT nuclear transcription factors were elevated in the lungs of COPD patients. Moreover, the protein expression of S1P was increased in the serum of COPD patients. Serum S1P was gradually increased along with pulmonary function decline in COPD patients. Further correlation analysis revealed that serum S1P was negatively associated with pulmonary function in COPD patients. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between S1P and S100A4 in COPD patients. Conclusions. These results provide evidence that the elevation of S100A4 and S1P may be involved in the onset and progression of COPD.

In the process of top coal caving mining, the caving time and the tail beam swing angle have an important impact on the evolution of the coal gangue boundary, which determines the top coal recovery rate and gangue content rate. Therefore, it is necessary to study the influence of the caving time and the tail beam swing angle on the top coal caving effect. For this purpose, based on Hertz–Mindlin contact theory, this paper established a simulation model of top coal caving and carried out a coal caving simulation with different caving times and tail beam swing angles. In the process of coal caving, under a specific tail beam swing angle and different caving times, this work studied the evolution characteristics of the coal gangue boundary. A simulation model of coal caving with variable time is established, and the influence mechanism of time on the coal caving effect is analyzed. Then, the evolution characteristics of the boundary are studied under different tail beam swing angles and the same caving time. A simulation model of coal caving with variable angles is established, and the influence mechanism of the tail beam swing angle on the coal caving effect is analyzed. Finally, the effects of caving time and tail beam swing angle on coal gangue discharge are studied, and the effect of coal gangue release under different working conditions is analyzed. The boundary data and the discharge data are extracted through the simulation, and contrast curves are drawn. The results show a limit position of the coal gangue boundary under the fixed working condition, which is the middle line position of the coal caving outlet. When the coal gangue boundary does not reach the limit position, there are two characteristics. First, the greater the tail beam swing angle is, the faster the deformation speed of the coal gangue boundary is. At the same caving time, the position of the coal gangue boundary will be closer to the coal caving outlet, which leads to excessive mixing of coal and gangue. Second, the longer the drawing time, the greater the deformation of the coal gangue boundary, and the easier the coal gangue is mixed, resulting in an increase in the gangue content of the discharged coal. When the coal gangue boundary reaches the limit position, the boundary will be basically stable near the top of the coal caving outlet. The limit position and shape of the coal gangue boundary are mainly affected by the density difference of coal gangue particles but not by the coal caving time and the tail beam swing angle. After the end of coal caving, the coal gangue boundary finally presents a double arch structure. The research in this paper has important reference significance for the selection of caving time and tail beam swing angle and further research.

Fracture structure characteristics are crucial for determining the fracture mechanism of coal mass and the migration law of oil and gas disasters. In this study, computed tomography (CT) scanning technology and fractal theory were used to investigate the damage process of coal mass in the common storage area of coal and oil resources under uniaxial compression as well as the degree of damage of high-pressure oil and gas diffusion to the surrounding coal and rock mass. Uniaxial compression and acoustic emission signal acquisition tests of coal mass were conducted. The relationship among the load evolution law of coal samples at different positions around the oil well and the failure mode of key failure positions were further analyzed. Finally, the formation mechanism of coal load fracture and oil and gas disaster channel in coal and oil resource costorage area was investigated. The test results showed the following: (1) High-pressure oil and gas diffusion degrades the mechanical properties of coal mass in varying degrees. The closer the coal sample to the oil well, the greater the fracture development degree, the fracture density, the fracture fractal dimension of coal sample, and the severity of the coal mass damage and the lower the compressive strength, the acoustic emission event number, and the cumulative energy. (2) The lateral diffusion of high-pressure oil and gas changes the failure mode of coal samples in the common storage area of coal and oil resources. The failure modes when the sampling location is away from the oil well are step failure, conjugate shrinkage failure, and high-frequency vibration intermittent microcrack fracture. (3) Coal mass instability and coal mine oil and gas disaster in the common storage area of coal and oil resources can easily be induced by the formation of microfracture expansion, extension, and coalescence caused by coal failure, the formation of network and macrochannels of main fracture, and the instantaneous release of accumulated stress during failure.

The infection of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) seriously threatens human life. It is urgent to generate effective and safe specific antibodies (Abs) against the pathogenic elements of COVID-19. Mice were immunized with SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antigens: S ectodomain-1 (CoV, in short) mixed in Alum adjuvant for 2 times and boosted with CoV weekly for 6 times. A portion of mice were treated with Maotai liquor (MTL, in short) or/and heat stress (HS) together with CoV boosting. We observed that the anti-CoV Ab was successfully induced in mice that received the CoV/Alum immunization for 2 times. However, upon boosting with CoV, the CoV Ab production diminished progressively; spleen CoV Ab-producing plasma cell counts reduced, in which substantial CoV-specific Ab-producing plasma cells (sPC) were apoptotic. Apparent oxidative stress signs were observed in sPCs; the results were reproduced by exposing sPCs to CoV in the culture. The presence of MTL or/and HS prevented the CoV-induced oxidative stress in sPCs and promoted and stabilized the CoV Ab production in mice in re-exposure to CoV. In summary, CoV/Alum immunization can successfully induce CoV Ab production in mice that declines upon reexposure to CoV. Concurrent administration of MTL/HS stabilizes and promotes the CoV Ab production in mice.

To solve the problem of strong ground pressure behaviour under a residual coal pillar in the overlying goaf of a close-distance coal seam, this paper proposes the technology of weakening and relieving the residual coal pillar in the overlying goaf by a high-pressure water jet. Based on the geological occurrence of the No. 3 coal seam and mountain No. 4 coal seam in the Yanzishan coal mine, the high-pressure water jet pressure relief technology of residual coal pillars in the overlying goaf of close-distance coal seams was studied by theoretical analysis and field industrial tests. First, the elastic-plastic zone of the residual coal pillar and the stress distribution law of the floor are obtained by theoretical analysis, and the influence degree of the residual coal pillar on the support of the lower coal seam working face is revealed. Then, a high-pressure water jet combined with mine pressure is proposed to weaken the residual coal pillar. Finally, through the residual coal pillar hydraulic cutting mechanical model and “double-drilling double-slot” model, the high-pressure water jet drilling layout parameters are determined, and an industrial field test is carried out. The single knife cutting coal output and 38216 working face hydraulic support monitoring data show that high-pressure hydraulic slotting can weaken the strength of the coal body to a certain extent, destroy the integrity of the residual coal pillar, cut off the load transmission path of the overlying strata, and reduce the working resistance of the hydraulic support under the residual coal pillar to a certain extent, which is beneficial to the safe mining of the working face.

Extensive inflammation and apoptosis in structural cells of the lung are responsible for the progression and pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Myotubularin-related protein 14 (MTMR14) has been shown to participate in various biological processes, including apoptosis, inflammation, and autophagy. Nonetheless, the role of MTMR14 in COPD remains elusive. In the present study, we explored the expression of MTMR14 in human lung tissues and investigated the effects of overexpressed MTMR14 on in vitro and in vivo COPD models. Moreover, one of the possible mechanisms of MTMR14 alleviating COPD was explored based on mitochondrial function and mitophagy homeostasis. The results showed that MTMR14 expression was reduced in COPD patients’ lungs in comparison to control subjects. MTMR14 overexpression inhibited cigarette smoke extract-induced inflammation and apoptosis and improved mitochondrial function and mitophagy in vitro. Further verification was carried out in COPD model mice. MTMR14 overexpression inhibited lung inflammation and reduced levels of IL-6 and KC in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, as well as prevented emphysema and a decline in lung function. Furthermore, MTMR14 overexpression improved mitochondrial function and mitophagy to a certain extent. Collectively, our data support the hypothesis that MTMR14 participates in the pathogenesis of COPD. Improving mitochondrial function and mitophagy homeostasis may be one of the mechanisms by which MTMR14 alleviates COPD and may potentially be a novel therapeutic target for COPD.