An investigation into the aging mechanism of disposable face masks and the interaction between different influencing factors.

In the natural environment, a symphony of environmental factors including sunlight exposure, current fluctuations, sodium chloride concentrations, and sediment dynamics intertwine, potentially magnifying the impacts on the aging process of disposable face masks (DFMs), thus escalating environmental risks. Employing Regular Two-Level Factorial Design, the study scrutinized interactive impacts of ultraviolet radiation, sand abrasion, acetic acid exposure, sodium chloride levels, and mechanical agitation on mask aging. Aging mechanisms and environmental risks linked with DFMs were elucidated through two-dimensional correlation analyses and risk index method.

Identification and validation of key genes in gastric cancer: insights from analysis, clinical samples, and functional assays.

Introduction: The underlying mechanisms of gastric cancer (GC) remain unknown. Therefore, in this study, we employed a comprehensive approach, combining computational and experimental methods, to identify potential key genes and unveil the underlying pathogenesis and prognosis of GC.

Methods: Gene expression profiles from GEO databases (GSE118916, GSE79973, and GSE29272) were analyzed to identify DEGs between GC and normal tissues.

A pilot study of anlotinib with third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors in untreated -mutant patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: In recent years, osimertinib, a third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI), has been recommended as a first-line treatment for -mutant advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A phase III study (AENEAS) to assess the efficacy and safety of aumolertinib, another third-generation EGFR-TKI, gefitinib as a first-line treatment in patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC harboring mutations has also achieved positive results. Despite the improvements in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of third- first-generation EGFR-TKIs, combined treatment strategies to postpone drug resistance and further prolong survival benefits remain to be explored.

Plastic bottles for chilled carbonated beverages as a source of microplastics and nanoplastics.

Carbonated beverages are characterized by low temperatures, multiple microbubbles, high pressure, and an acidic environment, creating ideal conditions for releasing contaminants from plastic bottles. However, the release patterns of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) are poorly understood. We investigated the effects of plastic type, CO filling volume, temperature, sugar content, and additive on the leakage of MPs/NPs and heavy metals.

Prevalence and clustering of cardiovascular risk factors among resident of coastal areas in Qinzhou, Guangxi, China.

Objective: We aimed to estimate the prevalence of CRFs and investigate its associated social-economic factors among adults in coastal areas of Qinzhou, Guangxi.

Methods: A representative sample of 1836 participants aged 20 to 70 years was included in Qinzhou, Guangxi in 2020. Data were collected by the questionnaire, anthropometric and laboratory measurements.

Comparison of anxiety and depressive symptoms of head and neck cancer patients in a closed-loop management system before and during the 2019 coronavirus pandemic: a comparative study.

Background: The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) poses an unprecedented challenge to health and the financial system, especially the healthcare of patients with cancer. However, the research on the negative effect of the pandemic on the anxiety and depressive symptoms of cancer patients in closed-loop is rarely reported at present. In view of the limitations of previous studies.

Correlation research between fear of disease progression and quality of life in patients with lung cancer.

Background: Lung cancer has the highest incidence rate and mortality rate of all malignancies. In recent years, the therapeutic effect of lung cancer has been greatly improved, but the fear of disease progression still directly affects the quality of life (QOL) of patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors affecting the progression of fear of disease and its impact on the quality of life in patients with lung cancer.

Clinical observation of pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma.

Background: Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) of the lung is a rare type of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and researches of it are still not enough.

Methods: In this study, we retrospectively analyzed 36 patients with LELC diagnosed in the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University and Zhaoqing First People's Hospital from January 2014 to June 2021, to investigate the clinical manifestations, tumor markers, treatment, and prognosis of LELC. Clinical data including age, gender, smoking history, family history of cancers, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) encoding RNA (EBER) status, gene mutations, programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, treatment, and prognosis.

Enhanced electrokinetic remediation for Cd-contaminated clay soil by addition of nitric acid, acetic acid, and EDTA: Effects on soil micro-ecology.

Enhanced electrokinetic remediation (EKR) allows the rapid remediation of heavy metal-contaminated clay, but the impacts of this process on soil micro-ecology have rarely been evaluated. In this study, nitric acid, acetic acid, and EDTA were applied for enhancement of EKR and the effects on Cd removal, soil enzyme activity, and soil bacterial communities (SBCs) were determined. Nitric acid and acetic acid allowed 93.

Removal of thallium in water/wastewater: A review.

The frequent occurrence of thallium (Tl) in surface water has led to the imposition of strict environmental regulations. The need for an overview of effective and feasible technology to remove Tl from water/wastewater has therefore become urgently. This review introduced the current available methods for Tl removal, including adsorption, oxidation-reduction precipitation, solvent extraction and ion exchange processes, and summarized their advantages and disadvantages.

[Effect of temperature on the response characteristics of shortcut nitrification granular sludge].

The experiment was carried out in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR), using granular sludge with 90% shortcut nitrification accumulation ratio, which had been cultivated by the laboratory to seed the reactor. The effects of temperature on characteristics, stability, nitrogen conversion properties and activity of short-cut nitrification granular sludge were investigated. The results show that the temperature has a significant influence on structure and short-cut nitrification performance of short-cut nitrification granular sludge.

Effect of trace amounts of polyacrylamide (PAM) on long-term performance of activated sludge.

This study aims at evaluating the impacts of PAM addition on activated sludge performance. Four lab-scale sequencing batch reactors (SBRs), each with a working volume of 3L, were investigated with different PAM concentrations. Experiments were conducted with varying organic loading rate and the sludge volume index (SVI), particle size, zeta potential, specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR), mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS), COD and ammonium removal efficiency were monitored over a 105-day period.