Green synthesis of high-value furanone derivatives and C4 organic acids from renewable biomass is a promising yet challenging route. Herein, we report a suitable heterogeneous and recoverable ...bimetallic CuMoO4 catalyst for the selective oxidation of furfural to 2(5H)-furanone and maleic acid (MAc). The resulting CuMoO4 manifested excellent catalytic performance with a high furfural conversion of 99%, giving a 2(5H)-furanone yield of up to 66% or a MAc yield of over 74% by regulating the reaction conditions. The synergy of Cu and Mo species in CuMoO4 boosted the outstanding catalytic efficiency through the Mo6+–Mo5+–Mo4+ redox facilitated by the redox of Cu+/Cu2+. More importantly, the Mo species in CuMoO4 played a key role in activating the aldehyde group in furfural to facilitate hydrogen abstraction from the aldehyde group by CuMoO4 and the active SO4 •– radical, which was from peroxymonosulfate (PMS). This work presents a sustainable process for the fabrication of bio-based polymer precursors and offers a bifunctional catalysis strategy for efficient oxidation.
Succinylation is a newly discovered and multienzyme-regulated post-translational modification (PTM) that is associated with the initiation and progression of cancer. Currently, no systematic analyses ...on the role of succinylation regulators in tumors have been reported. In this study, we performed a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis on four well-known succinylation regulators (CPT1A, KAT2A, SIRT5, and SIRT7). We found that these regulators played specific and critical roles in the prognosis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). We constructed a risk score (RS) based on two independent prognostic prediction factors, CPT1A and KAT2A, and subsequently developed a nomogram model containing the RS, which showed good accuracy in the prediction of overall survival (OS) in ccRCC patients. Furthermore, we used the similar expression pattern of four succinylation regulators according to consensus clustering analysis to divide the patients into three clusters that exhibited prominently different OS as well as clinicopathological characteristics. Differently expressed genes (DEGs) and pathway enrichment analyses of three clusters indicated that succinylation regulators might promote malignant progression of ccRCC by regulating the infiltration of immune cells and RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation. Importantly, our data suggest that CPT1A and SIRT5 might up-regulate and down-regulate the expression of LRPPRC and EIF3B, respectively. Our study systematically analyzed the prognostic predictive values of four succinylation regulators and revealed their potential mechanisms in ccRCC aggressiveness. These data provide new insight into the understanding of succinylation modification and present clinical evidence for its role in ccRCC treatments.
•Comprehensive comparison of multiple therapies in patients with ERBB2-altered NSCLC.•Chemotherapy plus immunotherapy or anti-angiogenesis therapy showed better mPFS than TKIs in the ERBB2-altered ...NSCLC.•In the same therapies, patients with ERBB2 mutation or ERBB2 amplification showed no statistical significance in PFS.
Although the treatment of ERBB2-altered non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been studied for many years, there are no comprehensive studies to evaluate the benefits of various therapies as first-line treatment. Through the development of immunotherapy, more and more different combination treatments were applicated in clinical practice, therefore, we conducted a multicenter retrospective study to evaluate the efficacy of different treatments.
We enrolled patients with ERBB2-altered NSCLC who had undergone at least one-line systemic anticancer treatment to evaluate the efficacy of first-line chemotherapy alone (Chemo), anti-ERBB2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), chemotherapy plus immunotherapy (Chemo + Immuno), chemotherapy plus anti-angiogenesis therapy (Chemo + Antiangio) and chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy and anti-angiogenesis therapy (Chemo + Immuno + Antiangio). The clinical outcomes included objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), median progression-free survival (mPFS), one-year and three-year survival rate.
We enroll 36 patients harboring ERBB2 mutation and 29 with ERBB2 amplification. The overall ORR was 30.8%, DCR was 69.2% and mPFS was 5.7 months. Chemo + Immuno and Chemo + Antiangio both achieved longer mPFS than TKI (7.8 vs 3.6 months, HR: 0.24, 95 %CI: 0.09–0.64, P = 0.002; 5.9 vs 3.6 months, HR: 0.36, 95 %CI: 0.15–0.88, P = 0.019; respectively), while there was no significant difference in mPFS between Chemo + Immuno or Chemo + Antiangio and Chemo (both P > 0.05), the mPFS of the first two was longer. For ERBB2-mutant patients, the mPFS was 5.9 months, and Chemo + Immuno and Chemo + Antiangio both achieved longer mPFS than TKI (12.9 vs 2.9 months, HR: 0.15, 95 %CI: 0.03–0.68, P = 0.005; 7.1 vs 2.9 months, HR: 0.50, 95 %CI: 0.29–0.88, P = 0.009, respectively). In the same therapies, patients with ERBB2 mutation or ERBB2 amplification showed no statistical significance in PFS (both P > 0.05).
In the first-line treatment of ERBB2-altered NSCLC, chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy or anti-angiogenesis therapy may have greater survival benefits than ERBB2-target therapy, but the efficacy may not be better than that of chemotherapy.
Background
It is difficult to distinguish atypical cancerous nodule from cirrhosis nodule.
Purpose
To investigate the value of spectral computed tomography (CT) imaging parameters in differentiating ...hepatic cancerous nodules from cirrhosis nodules.
Material and Methods
Forty-six patients with hepatic nodules underwent contrast-enhanced CT scans in spectral mode. Monochromatic CT images and iodine/water-based material-decomposition images were synthesized. CT values were measured at 70 keV monochromatic images and the difference of CT value in the arterial phase (AP) and delayed phase (DP) (△CT1); AP and portal venous phase (PP) (△CT2) were calculated. Normalized to the iodine concentration in the aorta (NIC), lesion to normal liver parenchyma iodine concentration ratio (LNR) was calculated. Slope of the spectral HU curve (λHU) was obtained. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used for consistency test. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were also generated.
Results
There were 23 hepatic cancerous nodules and 23 cirrhosis nodules. All gemstone spectral imaging (GSI) parameters had significantly larger value in cancerous nodules than in cirrhosis nodules, except NIC in DP. The LNR in AP had the largest area under the curve (AUC) of 0.96, indicating its highest ability to differentiate hepatic cancerous nodules from cirrhosis nodules. Using 1.99 as a threshold value for LNR in AP we could obtain sensitivity of 95.65% and specificity of 91.30%.
Conclusion
We have demonstrated in this feasibility study that spectral CT imaging provides multiple quantitative parameters which may be used to help differentiating hepatic cancerous nodules from cirrhosis nodules.
Ceratocystis fimbriata Ellis & Halsted is the pathogen causing black rot in sweet potatoes that can lead to flavor change and toxin release. This study detected the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) ...of C. fimbriata-infected sweet potatoes in the early stages using headspace gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS). A total of 55 VOCs were identified, including aldehydes, alcohols, esters, ketones, and others. The content of aldehydes and ketones showed a decreasing trend, while alcohols and esters showed an increasing trend. An increase in infection time elevated the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and pyruvate, while the starch content decreased, the content of soluble protein initially increased, then decreased, and the activities of lipoxygenase (LOX), pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC), alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) increased. The changes in VOCs were closely related to the content of MDA, starch, pyruvate, and the activities of LOX, PDC, ADH, and PAL. Sweet potatoes showed a good discrimination effect by principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) from 0 to 72 h. Twenty-five differential VOCs could be used as early-stage characteristic compounds of C. fimbriata-infected sweet potatoes for early disease monitoring.
We report the study correlating the shape, surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of gold nanorods (NRs) in dilute colloids. A series of gold NRs with various ...aspect ratios was prepared via an improved seed-mediated technique. Increasing the aspect ratio finely tunes the position of the longitudinal plasmon mode of the NRs in a wide spectral range. This shape-dependent SPR behavior was simulated by Gans theory and the discrete dipole approximation method. The subtle influence of SPR on SERS was then demonstrated by gradually tuning the SPR wavelength across a fixed excitation line. SERS experiments and theoretically predicted electromagnetic enhancement by the three-dimensional finite-difference time domain method clearly demonstrate that overlapping SPR and the excitation line maximizes the SERS enhancement. This correlation thus enables a quick diagnosis of SERS intensity by looking at the position of the SPR band.
Background. Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), one of the prostate cancers, is a medical conundrum around the world. Some studies have demonstrated that many long noncoding RNAs in exosomes ...are very important in many types of cancer, including prostate cancer. However, until now, the function of exosomes in the occurrence and development of CRPC has not been reported. Methods. In vitro, cell coculture was used in LNCap cells and PC-3 cells, while the isolation and purification of exosomes and the subsequent treatment assays were used in functional studies. In vitro assays were performed to detect the transformation of ADPC cells (androgen-dependent prostate cancer) into AIPC cells (androgen-independent prostate cancer). Subsequently, a lncRNA-sequencing assay was performed to detect different lncRNA expression profiles in ADPC cells cocultured with or without AIPC exosomes. The role of LINC01213 was analysed by a TCGA database after silencing the expression of LINC01213. CCK-8, qRT-PCR, and Western blotting studies were performed to analyse the possible mechanism by which exosomes participate in prostate cancer progression. Results. In the coculture system, ADPC cells acquired androgen deprivation tolerance through exosome-mediated intercellular communication. Exosomes secreted by AIPC cells can promote the transformation of ADPC cells into androgen-independent cells in vitro and in vivo. lncRNA sequencing showed that LINC01213 was upregulated in exosomes derived from AIPC cell lines. The rescue experiments were preformed, and the results revealed that most of the functions of LINC01213 were performed by Wnt/β-catenin. Conclusions. All the findings showed that exosomes play a key role in CRPC progression by upregulating LINC01213 and activating Wnt/β-catenin signalling.
The domestic sewage in rural areas of South China is characterized by a relatively low concentration of organic pollutants; however, the factors causing this have not been carefully examined. This ...study conducted a comprehensive survey on two sewer networks in a small town of Eastern Guangdong, China, via grab water sampling at a frequency of once every 2 weeks lasting for 1 year. The sewage quality showed significant variations across the systems, while a gradual decrease in the concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN) and phosphorus (TP) from the upper to lower reaches of sewers could be observed. Storm events could have a flushing effect on TP in the upper reach of sewers, but a dilution effect on COD and TN in flat terrains. The diurnal pattern of sewage was largely impacted by the position of the manholes and water consumption difference between holidays and normal days. Both COD/TN and TN/TP ratios of the sewage showed a lognormal distribution dominating in the range of 2.0–3.0 and ~10.0, respectively. The low ratio of COD/TN in the morning discharge peak could be attributed to the wide use of septic tanks in the area, while groundwater infiltration played more important roles in the basal flow conditions. This study could serve as a basic reference for designing and managing sewage infrastructure in rural areas of South China and highlights that prevention of groundwater infiltration is crucial to improve the efficiency of sewage infrastructure in high water table areas.
Purpose
In recent decades, diverse nomograms have been proposed to predict extraprostatic extension (EPE) in prostate cancer (PCa). We aimed to systematically evaluate the accuracy of MRI-inclusive ...nomograms and traditional clinical nomograms in predicting EPE in PCa. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to provide baseline summative and comparative estimates for future study designs.
Materials and methods
The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched up to May 17, 2023, to identify studies on prediction nomograms for EPE of PCa. The risk of bias in studies was assessed by using the Prediction model Risk Of Bias ASsessment Tool (PROBAST). Summary estimates of sensitivity and specificity were obtained with bivariate random-effects model. Heterogeneity was investigated through meta-regression and subgroup analysis.
Results
Forty-eight studies with a total of 57 contingency tables and 20,395 patients were included. No significant publication bias was observed for either the MRI-inclusive nomograms or clinical nomograms. For MRI-inclusive nomograms predicting EPE, the pooled AUC of validation cohorts was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.76, 0.83). For traditional clinical nomograms predicting EPE, the pooled AUCs of the Partin table and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) nomogram were 0.72 (95% CI: 0.68, 0.76) and 0.79 (95% CI: 0.75, 0.82), respectively.
Conclusion
Preoperative risk stratification is essential for PCa patients; both MRI-inclusive nomograms and traditional clinical nomograms had moderate diagnostic performance for predicting EPE in PCa. This study provides baseline comparative values for EPE prediction for future studies which is useful for evaluating preoperative risk stratification in PCa patients.
Critical relevance statement
This meta-analysis firstly evaluated the diagnostic performance of preoperative MRI-inclusive nomograms and clinical nomograms for predicting extraprostatic extension (EPE) in prostate cancer (PCa) (moderate AUCs: 0.72–0.80). We provide baseline estimates for EPE prediction, these findings will be useful in assessing preoperative risk stratification of PCa patients.
Key points
• MRI-inclusive nomograms and traditional clinical nomograms had moderate AUCs (0.72–0.80) for predicting EPE.
• MRI combined clinical nomogram may improve diagnostic accuracy of MRI alone for EPE prediction.
• MSKCC nomogram had a higher specificity than Partin table for predicting EPE.
• This meta-analysis provided baseline and comparative estimates of nomograms for EPE prediction for future studies.
Graphical Abstract