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Abstract Cancer is a disease with molecular heterogeneity that is closely related to gene mutations and epigenetic changes. The principal histological subtype of lung cancer is non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is a kind of RNA that is without protein coding function, playing a critical role in the progression of cancer. In this research, the regulatory mechanisms of lncRNA phosphorylase kinase regulatory subunit alpha 1 antisense RNA 1 (PHKA1‐AS1) in the progression of NSCLC were explored. The increased level of N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) modification in NSCLC caused the high expression of PHKA1‐AS1. Subsequently, high‐expressed PHKA1‐AS1 significantly facilitated the proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC cells, and these effects could be reversed upon the inhibition of PHKA1‐AS1 expression, both in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, the target protein of PHKA1‐AS1 was actinin alpha 4 (ACTN4), which is known as an oncogene. Herein, PHKA1‐AS1 could enhance the protein stability of ACTN4 by inhibiting its ubiquitination degradation process, thus exerting the function of ACTN4 in promoting the progress of NSCLC. In conclusion, this research provided a theoretical basis for further exploring the potential mechanism of NSCLC metastasis and searching novel biomarkers related to the pathogenesis and progression of NSCLC.

Abstract Background To explore the altered functional connectivity (FC) of the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) in patients with chronic cough after lung surgery using resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs‐fMRI), and the association between abnormal FC and clinical scale scores. Methods A total of 22 patients with chronic cough after lung surgery and 22 healthy controls were included. Visual analog scale (VAS), Mandarin Chinese version of the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ‐MC), and Hamilton anxiety rating scale (HAMA) scores were assessed, and rs‐fMRI data were collected. The FC analysis was performed using the NTS as the seed point, and FC values with all voxels in the whole brain were calculated. A two‐sample t‐test was used to compare FC differences between the two groups. The FC values of brain regions with differences were extracted and correlated with clinical scale scores. Results In comparison to healthy controls, FC values in the NTS and anterior cingulate cortex(ACC) were reduced in patients with chronic cough after lung surgery (GRF correction, p‐voxel

The synthesis of glycols from the CO2-assisted hydration of epoxides is highly significant in terms of both CO2 utilization and the production of fine chemicals. Significant effort has been devoted to designing effective catalysts. However, the gas–liquid mass transfer of this process, which is critical for the efficiency of the transformation, has received less attention. In this study, propylene glycol (PG) was synthesized with high efficiency through the CO2-assisted hydration of propylene oxide (PO) using a jet loop reactor (JLR). A systemic investigation of the influence of the reaction conditions was carried out with respect to reaction temperature, CO2 pressure, and catalyst concentration. Under optimal reaction conditions, the CO2-assisted hydration of PO proceeded efficiently with a low H2O:PO molar ratio of 1:1, producing PG with a high selectivity of 99% and full conversion of PO. Notably, the JLR exhibited higher efficiency and product selectivity than a stirred-tank reactor, demonstrating its superior advantage in facilitating gas–liquid mass transfer.

Abstract Background To investigate the correlation between the fibrinogen combined with neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (F‐NLR) and the clinicopathologic features of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who underwent radical resection. Methods This study reviewed the medical records of 289 patients with NSCLC who underwent radical resection. The patients were stratified into three groups based on F‐NLR as follows: patients with low NLR and fibrinogen were group A, patients with high NLR or fibrinogen were group B, and patients with high NLR and fibrinogen were group C. Receiver operating characteristic curve and Youden index were used to determine the cutoff value of the NLR and fibrinogen. Survival curves were described by Kaplan–Meier method and compared by log‐rank test. The univariate and multivariate analyses were performed with the Cox proportional hazard model to identify the prognostic factors. Results A value of 3.19 was taken as the optimal cutoff value of NLR in this study. A value of 309 was used as the optimal cutoff value of fibrinogen. Cox multivariate analysis showed that tumor, nodes, metastasis (TNM) stage and F‐NLR were independent prognostic factors affecting the survival rate of patients. The first‐, third‐, and fifth‐year survival rates in group A were 99.2%, 96.6%, and 95.0%, respectively. The first‐, third‐, and fifth‐year survival rates in group B were 98.4%, 76.6%, and 63.2%, respectively. The first‐, third‐, and fifth‐year survival rates in group C were 91.3%, 41.1%, and 22.8%, respectively. F‐NLR was significantly correlated with overall survival in patients with NSCLC (p

ABSTRACTThe polarization reorientation in ferroelectric nanomaterials under high-strength AC electric fields is intrinsically a frequency-dependent process. However, the related study is not widely seen. We report a phase-field investigation regarding the dynamics of polarization switching and the electromechanical characteristics of a polycrystalline BaTiO3 nanofilm under applied frequency from 0.1 to 80 kHz. The grain boundaries and the in-plane strains are considered in the model. The obtained hysteresis and butterfly loops exhibit a remarkable variety of shapes with the changing frequency. The underlying mechanism for the observed frequency-dependent physical properties was discussed via domain structure-based analysis. In addition, we examined the influence of the kinetic coefficient in the Ginzburg-Landau equation as well as the influence of the electric-field amplitude to the frequency dependency. It was found that a higher value of kinetic coefficient or field amplitude tends to enhance the mobility of polarization switching and to transform high-frequency characteristics to low-frequency ones.

AIM: To evaluate the clinical effect of a limbus protection technique during epithelium-on corneal collagen cross-linking(Epi-on CXL)for keratoconus treatment.METHODS: Prospectively clinical study. A total of 15 patients(30 eyes)with diagnosed binocular progressive keratoconus were selected and treated with Epi-on CXL in my hospital from Jan. to Dec. 2019, and divided into 2 groups, Limbus-protecting Group and Control Group. The differences in corrected distance visual acuity, astigmatism, Km, thickness at the thinnest point of cornea, postoperative discomfort score, corneal epithelium healing time, and tear breakup time were compared between the two groups pre- and postoperatively.RESULTS: The corrected distance visual acuity and astigmatism were improved at 3mo postoperatively(P0.05). However, the postoperative corneal epithelium healing time in Limbus-protecting Group was shorter than in Control Group(3.20±0.56d vs 3.73±0.96d, P=0.041).CONCLUSION:This limbal protection technique can reduce the corneal epithelium healing time after Epi-on CXL surgery, which preliminarily shows the feasibility of this technique.

Cancer is a disease with molecular heterogeneity that is closely related to gene mutations and epigenetic changes. The principal histological subtype of lung cancer is non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is a kind of RNA that is without protein coding function, playing a critical role in the progression of cancer. In this research, the regulatory mechanisms of lncRNA phosphorylase kinase regulatory subunit alpha 1 antisense RNA 1 (PHKA1‐AS1) in the progression of NSCLC were explored. The increased level of N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) modification in NSCLC caused the high expression of PHKA1‐AS1. Subsequently, high‐expressed PHKA1‐AS1 significantly facilitated the proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC cells, and these effects could be reversed upon the inhibition of PHKA1‐AS1 expression, both in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, the target protein of PHKA1‐AS1 was actinin alpha 4 (ACTN4), which is known as an oncogene. Herein, PHKA1‐AS1 could enhance the protein stability of ACTN4 by inhibiting its ubiquitination degradation process, thus exerting the function of ACTN4 in promoting the progress of NSCLC. In conclusion, this research provided a theoretical basis for further exploring the potential mechanism of NSCLC metastasis and searching novel biomarkers related to the pathogenesis and progression of NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIM: To evaluate the effect of opaque bubble layer(OBL)on the ocular cylotorsion compensation during FS-LASIK procedures. METHODS: Prospectively clinical study. From July 2019 to September 2019, two-hundred FS-LASIK patients(400 eyes)were randomly included into this study. The total OBL incidence, flap-out OBL incidence, flap-in OBL incidence, incidence of dynamic cyclotorsion component(DCC)and incidence of static cyclotorsion component(SCC)were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: OBL developed in 183 eyes of 400 FS-LASIK eyes, with a total OBL incidence of 45.8%. DCC was successfully performed on 397 eyes, with a total DCC incidence of 99.2%. SCC was successfully performed on 293 eyes, with a total SCC incidence of 73.2%. Neither flap-out OBL nor flap-in OBL could disturb the successful implementation of DCC during the operation(P>0.05). Both flap-out OBL and flap-in OBL could impact the SCC implementation and make it fail(P

Objective Preliminary study on the protective effect of intraoperative direct electrical stimulation motor ⁃ evoked potential (DES ⁃ MEP) on motor function during brainstem tumor surgery. Methods Total 136 patients with brainstem tumor surgery from January 2017 to May 2020 were enrolled, including 68 patients treated with intraoperative routine electrophysiological monitoring combined with neuronavigation and 68 patients with DES ⁃ MEP combined with neuronavigation on the basis of routine electrophysiological monitoring. According to the changes of muscle strength (Lovett Muscle Strength Classification) before and after operation, the patients were judged to have new dyskinesia motor function or not. The true positive, false positive, true negative and false negative were judged by DES ⁃ MEP monitoring and postoperative motor function prognosis. The sensitivity and specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value, and accuracy of DES ⁃ MEP monitoring results in predicting postoperative motor function prognosis were calculated. Results Patients undergoing DES⁃MEP combined with routine electrophysiological monitoring had 16.18% (11/68) of severe new dyskinesia (Lovett Muscle Strength Classification reduction ≥ 2 grade) 2 weeks after surgery, which was lower than patients undergoing routine electrophysiological monitoring [32.35% (22/68); χ2 = 4.841, P = 0.028]. There were 44 true positive cases, 4 false positive cases, 7 true negative cases, and 13 false negative cases detected by DES ⁃ MEP. The sensitivity and specificity of DES ⁃ MEP were 77.19% (44/57) and 7/11, the positive predictive value and negative predictive value of DES ⁃ MEP were 91.67% (44/48) and 35% (7/20), and accuracy of DES ⁃ MEP was 75% (51/68), respectively. Conclusions The application of DES ⁃ MEP in brainstem tumor surgery can effectively protect the brainstem motor function and make up for the deficiency of intraoperative neural monitoring technology in the protection of brainstem corticospinal tract function. DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1672⁃6731.2020.11.004

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of uniportal and three‐portal VATS in lung cancer patients on the postoperative short‐term quality of life (QOL). Methods A single‐center, prospective, nonrandomized study was performed on patients who underwent uniportal or three‐portal video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy and systemic mediastinal lymph node dissection. QOL was measured before surgery at baseline and at one, two, four, and eight weeks after the operation. The measured data of normal distribution were indicated by the mean ± standard deviation, the independent sample t‐test was used among the groups, and the χ2 test was used to compare the counting. Non‐normal distribution of the measurement data was carried out using the Mann‐Whitney test. Results Preoperative functional areas, symptom areas and overall health scores were similar in the two groups. The physical, role, emotional and social functions and overall health status of the uniportal group were significantly higher than those of the three‐portal group in postoperative time. The score of symptom field was higher in one week after operation, the score of two, four and eight weeks decreased gradually, but it was still above the preoperative level, and the fatigue and pain of the uniportal group were significantly lower than that of the three‐portal group. Conclusion The advantages of uniportal VATS include a shorter hospital stay, more rapid recovery and superior cosmetic results compared to three‐portal VATS. Additionally, uniportal VATS is superior to three‐portal thoracoscopic surgery in terms of the immediate postoperative short‐term QOL.

Background To investigate the regulatory mechanism behind miR‐34a‐altered Axl levels in non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with gefitinib‐acquired resistance. Methods The expression of miR‐34a, Axl, Gas6 and related downstream signaling proteins in the EGFR mutant NSCLC cell lines were determined by qRT‐PCR and Western blot; PC9‐Gef‐miR‐34a and HCC827‐Gef‐miR‐34a cells were established by transfecting the parent cells with a miR‐34a overexpressing virus, then the expression of Axl, Gas6 and the downstream channel‐related proteins were also compared in PC9‐Gef‐miR‐34a and HCC827‐Gef‐miR‐34a and drug‐resistant strains. The survival rate of the cells were measured by CCK8 assay. A luciferase reporter detected whether Axl was the target of miR‐34a. Finally, a tumor‐bearing nude mouse model was established to verify the relationship between the expression of miR‐34a, Axl and Gas6 mRNA in vivo. Results The expression levels of Axl mRNA and protein, Gas6 mRNA and protein, and related downstream proteins in PC9‐Gef and HCC827‐Gef cell lines were higher than those in PC9 and HCC827 parental cell lines, while the expression of miR‐34a was lower than it was in the parental cell lines (P

Research has connected Parkinson’s disease (PD) with impaired intestinal barrier. The activation of G-protein-coupled receptor 109A (GPR109A) protects the intestinal barrier by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway. Sodium butyrate (NaB), which is a GPR109A ligand, may have anti-PD effects. The current study’s objective is to demonstrate that NaB or monomethyl fumarate (MMF, an agonist of the GPR109A) can treat PD mice induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) via repairing the intestinal barrier. Male C57BL/6J mice were divided into four groups randomly: control, MPTP + vehicle, MPTP + NaB, and MPTP + MMF. Modeling mice received MPTP (20 mg/kg/day, i.p.) for a week, while control mice received sterile PBS. Then, four groups each received two weeks of sterile PBS (10 mL/kg/day, i.g.), sterile PBS (10 mL/kg/day, i.g.), NaB (600 mg/kg/day, i.g.), or MMF (100 mg/kg/day, i.g.). We assessed the expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins (occludin and claudin-1), GPR109A, and p65 in the colon, performed microscopic examination via HE staining, quantified markers of intestinal permeability and proinflammatory cytokines in serum, and evaluated motor symptoms and pathological changes in the substantia nigra (SN) or striatum. According to our results, MPTP-induced defected motor function, decreased dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine levels in the striatum, decreased tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons and increased activated microglia in the SN, and systemic inflammation were ameliorated by NaB or MMF treatment. Additionally, the ruined intestinal barrier was also rebuilt and NF-κB was suppressed after the treatment, with higher levels of TJ proteins, GPR109A, and decreased intestinal permeability. These results show that NaB or MMF can remedy motor symptoms and pathological alterations in PD mice by restoring the intestinal barrier with activated GPR109A. We demonstrate the potential for repairing the compromised intestinal barrier and activating GPR109A as promising treatments for PD.

Objective To explore the application value of ultra-high-speed spiral CT angiography (CTA) in the assessment and prognosis of hemorrhagic moyamoya disease (MMD) in emergency department. Methods A total of 187 patients with CT scanning suspected hemorrhagic MMD were all from emergency department from June 2014 to January 2019, and were diagnosed in acute stage (< 72 h) by ultra-high-speed spiral CTA examination and post-image treatment. Internal medicine conservative treatment, hematoma removal or extra ventricular drainage (EVD) were used respectively. The level and prognosis of neurofunctional impairment at 1, 3 and 6 months after onset of patients were evaluated with modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). Results One hundred and six cases (56.68%) conformed to the imaging characteristics of MMD, showing intra-cervical artery stenosis or obliteration, Willis ring thickened, partial vascular obviously dilated, significantly increased collateral vessels in basal ganglion region, increasing blood vessels at the base of the junction of frontal-temporal lobe, occurrence of small, dense smoke-like angiogenesis at the brain bottom. Compared with DSA, CTA diagnosis accuracywas 95.27% (155/161), false positive rate was 4.76% (3/63), and false negative rate was 3.06% (3/98). Among them, there were 84 cases of CTA showed "millet sign" were positive, and 103 cases were negative. The "millet sign" positive group after onset of 1, 3 and 6 months the mRS score was higher (P = 0.000) and GOS score was lower than those in "millet sign" negative group (P = 0.000). The mRS score of 2 groups decreased gradually (P = 0.000, for all) and the GOS score gradually increased (P = 0.000, for all). Conclusions Ultra-high-speed spiral CTA assisted in the diagnosis of suspected hemorrhagic MMD patients in emergency apartment is safe and convenient with high diagnostic accuracy, and has a certain guiding significance for prognostic assessment. DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2019.09.008

Background We investigated preoperative and postoperative TRPV1, bradykinin (BK), and prostaglandin e‐2 (PGE2) levels in patients who underwent lung cancer surgery and evaluated the correlations between these levels and the development of acute or chronic cough after surgery. Methods We evaluated 60 patients with non‐small cell lung cancer who underwent lobectomy at our center between August and October 2018. TRPV1, BK, and PGE2 levels were determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and postoperative cough was assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS). Results The postoperative serum TRPV1, BK, and PEG2 levels of the 60 patients were significantly higher than the preoperative levels (P < 0.001). Thirty‐five patients (58.3%) were diagnosed with acute cough (VAS ≥ 60 mm), and 25 were diagnosed with non‐acute cough (41.7%). Three days after surgery, the serum TRPV1, BK, and PGE2 levels were significantly higher in the acute cough group than in the non‐acute cough group (P < 0.001). Twenty‐two patients (36.7%) were diagnosed with chronic cough (VAS ≥ 60 mm), and 25 (62.3%) were diagnosed with non‐chronic cough. Eight weeks after surgery, the serum TRPV1, BK, and PGE2 levels were significantly higher in the chronic cough group than in the non‐chronic cough group (P < 0.05). Conclusions The postoperative TRPV1, BK and PGE2 levels were significantly higher than the preoperative levels. The TRPV1 level was also higher in patients with an acute or chronic cough than in patients without. Postoperative acute or chronic cough symptoms can be improved and alleviated by blocking the TRPV1 pathway.

Background In this study, we investigated the relationship between chronic cough and clinicopathological features in postoperative patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and evaluated the effectiveness of acupuncture therapy for the treatment of postoperative chronic cough in patients with NSCLC. Methods We retrospectively evaluated 171 patients with NSCLC who received lobectomy at our center between September 2017 and February 2018. The Mandarin Chinese version of the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ‐MC) was used to evaluate the degree of cough in patients. Postoperative cough was assessed by a visual analog scale (VAS). Results The total LCQ‐MC score for the whole group was 19.79 ± 0.53 before surgery and 18.40 ± 0.70 after surgery (p

Glioma is the most common intracranial tumor of the central nervous system in adults; however, the diagnosis of glioma, and its grading and histological subtyping, is challenging for pathologists. The present study assessed serine and arginine rich splicing factor 1 (SRSF1) expression in 224 glioma cases in the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) database, and verified its expression by immunohistochemical analysis of specimens from 70 clinical patients. In addition, the prognostic potential of SRSF1 concerning the survival status of patients was evaluated. In vitro, the biological role of SRSF1 was assessed using MTT, colony formation, wound healing and Transwell assays. The results revealed that SRSF1 expression was significantly associated with the grading and the histopathological subtype of glioma. As determined using a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the specificity of SRSF1 for glioblastoma (GBM) and World Health Organization (WHO) grade 3 astrocytoma was 40 and 48%, respectively, whereas the sensitivity was 100 and 85%. By contrast, pilocytic astrocytoma tumors exhibited negative immunoexpression of SRSF1. Additionally, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that high SRSF1 expression predicted a worse prognosis for patients with glioma in both the CGGA and clinical cohorts. In vitro, the results demonstrated that SRSF1 promoted the proliferation, invasion and migration of U87MG and U251 cells. These data suggested that immunohistochemical analysis of SRSF1 expression is highly sensitive and specific in the diagnosis of GBM and WHO grade 3 astrocytoma, and may have an important role in glioma grading. Furthermore, the lack of SRSF1 is a potential diagnostic biomarker for pilocytic astrocytoma. However, neither in oligodendroglioma and astrocytoma, nor in GBM was an association detected between SRSF1 expression and IDH1 mutations or 1p/19q co-deletion. These findings indicated that SRSF1 may serve as a prognostic factor in glioma cases and could have an active role in promoting glioma progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polarization reorientation in ferroelectric nanomaterials under high-strength AC electric fields is intrinsically a frequency-dependent process. However, the related study is not widely seen. We report a phase-field investigation regarding the dynamics of polarization switching and the electromechanical characteristics of a polycrystalline BaTiO3 nanofilm under applied frequency from 0.1 to 80 kHz. The grain boundaries and the in-plane strains are considered in the model. The obtained hysteresis and butterfly loops exhibit a remarkable variety of shapes with the changing frequency. The underlying mechanism for the observed frequency-dependent physical properties was discussed via domain structure-based analysis. In addition, we examined the influence of the kinetic coefficient in the Ginzburg-Landau equation as well as the influence of the electric-field amplitude to the frequency dependency. It was found that a higher value of kinetic coefficient or field amplitude tends to enhance the mobility of polarization switching and to transform high-frequency characteristics to low-frequency ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]