Identification and Validation of Two Novel Prognostic lncRNAs in Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma

Background/Aims: Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) is one of the most fatal malignancies due to late diagnosis and poor treatment. To improve its prognosis, a screening for molecular biomarkers of KIRC is urgently needed. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in tumorigenesis and prognosis of cancers. However, it is not clear whether lncRNAs can be used as molecular biomarkers in predicting the survival of KIRC patients. Methods: In this study, our aim was to identify lncRNAs/mRNAs signatures and their prognostic values in KIRC. The aberrant expression profile of mRNAs and lncRNAs in 529 KIRC tissues and 72 adjacent non-tumor pancreatic tissues were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). A weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) of two key lncRNAs was constructed. We constructed an aberrant lncRNA-mRNA-miRNA ceRNA network in CESC. In addition, Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway analysis were performed. Results: Using lncRNA/mRNA expression profiling data, the overall analysis revealed that two novel lncRNA signatures (DNM1P35 and MIR155HG) and several mRNAs were found to be significantly correlated with KIRC patient’s overall analysis. Based on the target gene of the two lncRNA in co-expression network, the GO and KEGG analysis were also performed. A dysregulated lncRNA-related ceRNA network was also observed. Conclusion: These results suggested that the two novel lncRNAs signatures may act as independent prognostic biomarkers for predicting the survival of KIRC patient

The association between sedentary behavior and obstructive sleep apnea: a cross-sectional study from the NHANES (2007–2008 to 2015–2020)

Abstract Background Sedentary behavior (SB) may contribute to obesity and lower extremity fluid retention, which may favor the development of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, linking sedentary behavior to OSA is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is an association between SB and OSA. Methods Three typical questions in the NHANES questionnaire(①The frequency of feeling excessively sleepy per month. ②The frequency of gasping, snorting or stopping breathing per week. ③The frequency of snoring per week.) have been used for the assessment of OSA. A physical activity questionnaire(On a typical day, the amount of time you spend sitting or reclining.) was used to assess SB. This secondary analysis included National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) participants (unweighted = 20,115). Weighted sample and multiple logistic regression complex sample analysis techniques were used in this study. Results After adjustment for confounders, participants with SB(> 8 h/d) had a higher risk of OSA compared to SB(< 4 h/d). Stratified analysis by gender showed that there was no significant association of SB and OSA in men. However, in women, with SB(< 4 h/d) as the reference, participants with(≥ 4 h/d) had an increased risk of OSA. By age-stratified analysis, the association of SB with OSA was stronger among older participants. Conclusion Analysis in this study showed a positive association between SB and OSA, more pronounced in women and participants older than 60 years old

Failure Mechanism of the Qianjiangping Slope in Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China

The Qianjiangping landslide is the first large-scale rock slide in Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) Area, China, after the impoundment of the TGR. Previous studies on the slope showed that most researchers agreed that reservoir impoundment and rainfall were the two main triggering factors of the slope failure. However, there were different views about the influence degrees of the two factors on the slope failure. In order to clarify the influence degrees of each of three conditions (reservoir impoundment, rainfall, and combined effect of reservoir impoundment and rainfall) on the failure of the Qianjiangping slope and reveal the failure mechanism of the slope, underground water tables and stresses in the slope were calculated under the three conditions, respectively, based on fluid-solid coupling theory using the Abaqus software in this paper; then, the failure approach index (FAI) was adopted to analyze the failure characteristics of the slope under each of the three conditions. Research results show that the influence degree of rainfall is greater than that of reservoir impoundment on the slope failure, and the influence degree of the combined effect of reservoir impoundment and rainfall is greater than that of rainfall; the sliding surface runs through only in the condition of the combined effect of reservoir impoundment and rainfall. Study results suggest that with the reservoir water level rising, the toe of the slope was gradually submerged in reservoir water and the strength of rock mass submerged by reservoir water decreased due to water-rock interaction; furthermore, the heavy rainfall was rapidly injected into the slope through the interlayer staggered zone and slope surface, the groundwater table in the middle part of the slope rose rapidly, the sliding force of the slope increased, and the stress concentration appeared at the lower part of the slope; finally, the rock bridges submerged by reservoir water in the front of the slope fractured, and the failure of the slope occurred

Pyroptosis‐related gene signatures are associated with prognosis and tumor microenvironment infiltration in head and neck cancer

Abstract Background and Aims Recent studies have highlighted the biological significance of pyroptosis in cancer development. Nevertheless, it is still uncertain if pyroptosis also plays a part in immune modulation and the creation of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Methods The pyroptosis regulatory genes (PRGs) were comprehensively assessed in 1938 head and neck cancer samples, and systematically correlated these modification patterns with the infiltration characteristics of TME cells. The unsupervised consensus analysis method was used to identify specific pyroptosis clusters. The single‐sample gene set enrichment analysis and CIBERSOFT algorithms were used to evaluate the infiltration levels of various immune cell subsets. A principal component analysis algorithm was used to construct the pyrolysis potential index (PPI) to quantify the pyrolysis regulation patterns in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC). Results Pyrophosphate regulatory genes (PRGs) are often upregulated in tumors due to mutations. PRGs relate to various clinical outcomes and pathways. Molecular subtyping identified pyroptosis patterns, which align with three tumor immunophenotypes: immune‐inflamed, immune‐excluded, and immune‐desert. The PPI measures pyrolysis roles, showing higher PPI in tumor samples linked to subtypes and clinical characteristics. Lower PPI correlates with longer survival, increased immune activity, more tumor mutations, high PD‐L1 expression, and mutations in significant genes like PIK3CA. Such patients also experience enhanced immune responses in immunotherapy trials. Conclusion We conducted a comprehensive examination of pyroptosis in HNSC and developed a PPI indicator that shows a strong correlation with the variety and intricacy of the TME

Additional file 1 of The association between sedentary behavior and obstructive sleep apnea: a cross-sectional study from the NHANES (2007–2008 to 2015–2020)

Supplementary Material

Gene signature for prognosis in comparison of pancreatic cancer patients with diabetes and non-diabetes

Background Pancreatic cancer (PC) has much weaker prognosis, which can be divided into diabetes and non-diabetes. PC patients with diabetes mellitus will have more opportunities for physical examination due to diabetes, while pancreatic cancer patients without diabetes tend to have higher risk. Identification of prognostic markers for diabetic and non-diabetic pancreatic cancer can improve the prognosis of patients with both types of pancreatic cancer. Methods Both types of PC patients perform differently at the clinical and molecular levels. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) is employed in this study. The gene expression of the PC with diabetes and non-diabetes is used for predicting their prognosis by LASSO (Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator) Cox regression. Furthermore, the results are validated by exchanging gene biomarker with each other and verified by the independent Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC). The prognostic index (PI) is generated by a combination of genetic biomarkers that are used to rank the patient’s risk ratio. Survival analysis is applied to test significant difference between high-risk group and low-risk group. Results An integrated gene prognostic biomarker consisted by 14 low-risk genes and six high-risk genes in PC with non-diabetes. Meanwhile, and another integrated gene prognostic biomarker consisted by five low-risk genes and three high-risk genes in PC with diabetes. Therefore, the prognostic value of gene biomarker in PC with non-diabetes and diabetes are all greater than clinical traits (HR = 1.102, P-value < 0.0001; HR = 1.212, P-value < 0.0001). Gene signature in PC with non-diabetes was validated in two independent datasets. Conclusions The conclusion of this study indicated that the prognostic value of genetic biomarkers in PCs with non-diabetes and diabetes. The gene signature was validated in two independent databases. Therefore, this study is expected to provide a novel gene biomarker for predicting prognosis of PC with non-diabetes and diabetes and improving clinical decision

Comprehensive Evaluation System of Occupational Hazard Prevention and Control in Iron and Steel Enterprises Based on A Modified Delphi Technique

The study designs a comprehensive evaluation system for the prevention and control of occupational hazards, calculates its weight coefficient, and provides a potential strategic and effective tool for the scientific evaluation of occupational hazards in the iron and steel enterprises. The system was established through induction and analysis of relevant literature, personal interview, theoretical analysis, Delphi expert consultation, and special group discussions. Using an improved analytical hierarchy process fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model and on the basis of the improved Delphi expert investigation, the weight of the operability comprehensive evaluation index system is constructed. A three-level index system is established on the basis of harmful factors of occupational activities, health status of employees, protection facilities of occupational hazards, occupational health management, and so on. The index system structure is 4-20-95, and the weight coefficients of the four dimensions are 0.2516, 0.2428, 0.2550, and 0.2506. The recovery rate of the questionnaire was 82.5%, 100.0%, and 100.0%. The effective rates were 75.0%, 100.0%, and 100.0%. Conversely, the expert authority coefficients of the four dimensions are 0.875, 0.769, 0.832 and 0.800. Results show that the consistency factors of the four dimensions are statistically significant. Cronbach&rsquo;s &alpha; coefficient, standardized Cronbach&rsquo;s &alpha; coefficient, and split-half reliability of the comprehensive evaluation index system are 0.959, 0.950, and 0.810, respectively. After factor analysis, four common factors were extracted on the basis of expert opinions, and the cumulative variance was 63.1%. The comprehensive evaluation system for the prevention and control of occupational hazards in the iron and steel enterprises proposed by the study is relatively complete and reasonable

An association between cumulative exposure to light at night and the prevalence of hyperuricemia in steel workers

ObjectivesExposure to light at night (LAN) can disturb circadian endocrine and metabolic rhythms. Hyperuricemia (HUA) is an early-onset metabolic disorder. However, it is still not clear whether LAN exposure increases the prevalence of HUA.Material and MethodsThe authors used crosssectional data on the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei occupational populations cohort from March–July 2017. A total of 7664 steel workers were finally selected to investigate the relationship between LAN exposure and the prevalence of HUA among steel workers. The authors collected demographic and socio-economic data, as well as information on lifestyle factors, anthropometric measures, and laboratory tests. The restricted cubic spline method was used to analyze the dose-response relationship between cumulative LAN exposure and the prevalence of HUA. Logistic regression analyses were used to fit the relationship between them.ResultsThe average age of the participants was 43.5±8.6 years; 7051 (91.7%) of them were males, 2749 (35.9%) reported to suffer from HUA, and 1241 (16.2%) were not exposed to LAN. There was a significant non-linear dose-response relationship between them. After adjustment for the confounding factors, including demographic data, lifestyle factors, etc., the lower LAN exposure was significantly associated with HUA (0–1931.7 days, OR = 1.180, and the 95% CI: 1.000–1.394; 1931.7–4343 days, OR = 1.215, 95% CI: 1.035–1.426).ConclusionsThis study revealed that a certain amount of exposure to LAN is independently related to the prevalence of HUA in steel workers in China