Survival Improvement of Stage IV Non-small Cell Lung Cancer in the Immunotherapy Era: A Retrospective Cohort Study in a US Population.

Introduction: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) greatly improved outcomes of stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in randomized clinical trials. Limited data exists regarding the survival improvement of ICI use at the population level.

Methods: Clinical data of patients with pathologically confirmed stage IV NSCLC diagnosed in 2013 and 2017 were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

Study on the performance temporal variation of rainwater harvesting systems based on the dynamic change of rainfall pattern and domestic water demands.

Rainwater harvesting systems (RWHs) in buildings are benefits in alleviating urban water scarcity. However, climate change and changes in building water demand affect the expected performance of RWHs over their life cycle. Previous studies have only focused on the adaptability of RWHs to climate change without considering the changes in building water demand.

Activin A inhibits the migration of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells induced by EGF.

Activin A, a member of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) superfamily, is involved in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. However, it remains unclear whether activin A can affect the migration of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cells. In this study, the results of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identification revealed that lung adenocarcinoma tissues exhibited lower expression of activin βA mRNA, but higher expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and MMP9 mRNA compared to nontumor tissues.

Enzymatic Deacidification and Aroma Characteristics Analysis of Rapeseed Oil Using Self-Made Immobilized Lipase CALB@MCM-41-C.

Rapeseed oil is a widely consumed edible oil that contains varieties of beneficial micronutrients such as tocopherols and phytosterols; however, the high acid value due to increased free fatty acid can imperil the oil quality and safety. This paper proposed the enzymatic deacidification for high-acid rapeseed oil and simultaneous production of functional diacylglycerols (DAGs) catalyzed by self-made immobilized lipase CALB@MCM-41-C. The results indicate that the carrier of molecular sieve MCM-41 exhibited a sufficient surface area of 1439.

Feasibility analysis of using short-term rainfall time series to evaluate rainwater harvesting systems considering climate change.

Employing recent short-term historical rainfall data may enhance the performance of rainwater harvesting systems (RWHs) in response to climate change. However, this assumption lacks extensive research, and the evaluation of RWHs currently relies on long-term historical rainfall time series. This study evaluates the feasibility of this assumption and aims to identify the optimal rainfall time series for evaluating RWH performance under climate change.

Variations and driving factors for concentrations and carbon isotopes of dissolved CO in lake water across different Chinese lakes.

Carbon dioxide (CO) stands as the primary driver of Earth's greenhouse effect, and it's suggested that the global contribution of CO emissions from lakes cannot be ignored. Despite the numerous estimations of CO fluxes from lakes, limited focus has been directed towards the carbon isotopes (δC) of dissolved CO in lake water. Particularly, the potential use of δC values in tracing the CO concentrations in lake water remains as an understudied area, warranting further exploration and investigation.

Effects of physical activity patterns on myopia among children and adolescents: A latent class analysis.

Background: The daily physical activity (PA) patterns of children and adolescents are intricate and ambiguous, with varying effects on myopia resulting from different combinations of PA. This study aims to scrutinize the spectrum of PA patterns among children and adolescents and assess their impact on myopia.

Methods: Data sourced from the 2014 National Student Physical Fitness Survey (Tianjin segment) encompassed PA records and visual acuity measurements of participants.

Microfluidic device reveals new insights into impairment of neutrophil transmigration in patients with sepsis.

Neutrophils need to migrate through tight tissue spaces to eliminate pathogens, but their movement is often hindered by their large and stiff nuclei. Neutrophil migration is impaired in sepsis patients, but it is unclear whether this defect is related to the deformability of their nuclei. Herein, we designed microfluidic devices with micron-scale narrow slits to simulate biological barriers.

Salinity decreases methane concentrations in Chinese lakes.

Lakes are important sources of methane (CH), and understanding the influence of environmental factors on CH concentration in lake water is crucial for accurately assessing CH emission from lakes. In this study, we investigated CH concentration in two connected Tibetan Plateau lakes, Lake Keluke (an open freshwater lake) and Lake Tuosu (a closed saline lake), through in-situ continuous measurements taken in different months from 2021 to 2023. The results show substantial spatial and seasonal variations in CH concentrations in the two lakes, while the CH concentrations in Lake Keluke are consistently higher than those in Lake Tuosu for each month.

Activin A, a Novel Chemokine, Induces Mouse NK Cell Migration via AKT and Calcium Signaling.

Natural killer (NK) cells can migrate quickly to the tumor site to exert cytotoxic effects on tumors, and some chemokines, including CXCL8, CXCL10 or and CXCL12, can regulate the migration of NK cells. Activin A, a member of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) superfamily, is highly expressed in tumor tissues and involved in tumor development and immune cell activation. In this study, we focus on the effects of activin A on NK cell migration.

Cenozoic Indo-Pacific warm pool controlled by both atmospheric CO and paleogeography.

The Indo-Pacific warm pool (IPWP) is crucial for regional and global climates. However, the development of the IPWP and its effect on the regional climate during the Cenozoic remain unclear. Here, using a compilation of sea surface temperature (SST) records (mainly since the middle Miocene) and multimodel paleoclimate simulations, our results indicated that the extent, intensity and warmest temperature position of the IPWP changed markedly during the Cenozoic.

Spatial patterns of Holocene temperature changes over mid-latitude Eurasia.

The Holocene temperature conundrum, the discrepancy between proxy-based Holocene global cooling and simulated global annual warming trends, remains controversial. Meanwhile, reconstructions and simulations show inconsistent spatial patterns of terrestrial temperature changes. Here we report Holocene alkenone records to address spatial patterns over mid-latitude Eurasia.

Activin A induces apoptosis of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells through endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway.

Activin A, a member of the transforming growth factor‑β (TGF‑β) superfamily, has been implicated in the tumorigenesis and progression of various cancers. However, it remains unclear whether activin A induces apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma cells through the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathway. In the present study, BrdU, flow cytometry and western blotting were used to examine cell proliferation, apoptosis and protein expression, respectively.

Unraveling FOXO3a and USP18 Functions in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis through Single-Cell RNA Sequencing of Mouse and Human Lungs.

 Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is identified as a chronic, progressive lung disease, predominantly marked by enhanced fibroblast proliferation and excessive deposition of extracellular matrix. The intricate interactions between diverse molecular pathways in fibroblasts play a crucial role in driving the pathogenesis of IPF.  This research is focused on elucidating the roles of FOXO3a, a transcription factor, and USP18, a ubiquitin-specific protease, in modulating fibroblast functionality in the context of IPF.

Source apportionment of heavy metals in PM samples and effects of heavy metals on hypertension among schoolchildren in Tianjin.

The prevalence of hypertension in children has increased significantly in recent years in China. The aim of this study was to provide scientific support to control ambient heavy metals (HMs) pollution and prevent childhood hypertension. In this study, ambient HMs in PM were collected, and 1339 students from Tianjin were randomly selected.

iEarth: an interdisciplinary framework in the era of big data and AI for sustainable development.

The Intelligent Earth (iEarth) framework, composed of four major themes: iEarth data, science, analytics, and decision, is proposed to define and build an interdisciplinary and synergistic framework for research, practice, and education that simultaneously safeguards the sustainable development of our living planet.

Study on the mesh size determination method of blast wave numerical simulation with strong applicability.

With the rapid development of computer hardware and software technology, numerical simulations have become one of the most important tools for studying propagation law of blast wave. Results of numerical simulations of explosion events greatly depend on the mesh size. The mesh size determination methods in the literature are relatively weak in generality.

NRXN1 depletion in the medial prefrontal cortex induces anxiety-like behaviors and abnormal social phenotypes along with impaired neurite outgrowth in rat.

Background: Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are a group of disorders induced by abnormal brain developmental processes. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays an essential role in executive function, and its role in NDDs has been reported. NDDs are associated with high-risk gene mutations and share partially overlapping genetic abnormalities.

Transgastric Single-Incision Laparoscopic Resection for a Gastric Submucosal Tumor Located at the Cardia.

Introduction: Surgical treatment of gastric submucosal tumors (SMTs) located near the gastroesophageal junction can be technically challenging, especially regarding preservation of the integrity and function of the lower esophageal sphincter. We introduce a novel minimally invasive surgery, successfully performed in a patient with a gastric SMT located at the cardia. A 24-year-old lady presenting with acid reflux for 1 year underwent esophagogastroscopy that showed a gastric SMT located at the cardia.

Exercise is the dominant factor affecting the development of teenagers' eyesight-Based on the Bayesian model averaging.

Objective: The model uncertainty may result in inconsistency about the environmental factors of myopia among students, and the Bayesian model average (BMA) is an effective way to eliminate it. We aimed to explore the influencing factors of myopia in primary and middle school students by BMA.

Methods: The data came from the 2021 National Surveillance of Common Diseases and Health Influencing Factors of students.

Exceptional terrestrial warmth around 4200-2800 years ago in Northwest China.

One of the Holocene abrupt events around 4200 years ago, lasting for ∼ 200 years, is thought to have caused cultural disruptions, yet terrestrial climatic status right after the cold/dry event remains poorly defined and is often presumed that a generally cool condition prevailed during the Bronze Age (∼ 4000-2200 years ago). Here we report an alkenone-based summer temperature record over the past ∼ 12,000 years, in addition to two updated alkenone records, from Northwest China, providing new insights into the climatic status right after the event. Our results indicate that exceptional terrestrial warmth, up to ∼ 6 °C, occurred around 4200-2800 years ago during the Bronze Age, superimposed on the long-term Holocene cooling trend.