An empirical algorithm to seamlessly retrieve the concentration of suspended particulate matter from water color across ocean to turbid river mouths

Abstract(#br)We propose a globally applicable algorithm (GAA SPM ) to seamlessly retrieve the concentration of suspended particulate matter (SPM) ( C SPM ) from remote sensing reflectance ( R rs ( λ )) across ocean to turbid river mouths without any hard-switching in its application. GAA SPM is based on a calibrated relationship between C SPM and a generalized index for SPM ( GI SPM ) from water color. The GI SPM is mainly composed of three R rs ( λ ) ratios (671, 745, and 862 nm over 551 nm, respectively), along with weighting factors assigned to each ratio. The weighting factors are introduced to ensure the progressive application of R rs ( λ ) in the longer wavelengths for increasing C SPM . Calibration of GAA SPM employed data collected from multiple estuarine and coastal regions of Europe, China, Argentina, and the USA with the measured C SPM spanning from 0.2 to 2068.8 mg/L. Inter-comparison with several recalibrated well-known C SPM retrieval algorithms demonstrates that GAA SPM has the best retrieval accuracy over the entire C SPM range with a relative mean absolute difference (rMAD) of 41.3% (N = 437). This averaged uncertainty in GAA SPM -derived C SPM is mostly attributed to the retrievals from less turbid waters where C SPM < 50 mg/L (rMAD = 50%, N = 214). GAA SPM was further applied to the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) measurements over prominent coastal areas and produced reliable C SPM maps along with realistic spatial patterns. In contrast, applications of other C SPM algorithms resulted in less reliable C SPM maps with either unjustified numerical discontinuities in the C SPM spatial distribution or unsatisfactory retrieval accuracy. Therefore, we propose GAA SPM as a preferred algorithm to retrieve C SPM over regions with a wide range of C SPM , such as river plume areas

Association of genetic polymorphisms in the interleukin-10 promoter with risk of prostate cancer in Chinese

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Recent studies identified an increased risk of prostate cancer (PCa) in Caucasian men harboring polymorphisms of genes involved in innate immunity and inflammation. This study was designed to assess whether single nucleotide polymorphisms in the IL-10 promoter play a role in predisposing individuals to PCa in a Chinese population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We genotyped three SNPs of the <it>IL-10 </it>promoter (-1082A/G, -819T/C and -592A/C) using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis in 262 subjects with PCa and 270 age-matched healthy controls. Odds ratio and 95% confidence interval were determined by logistic regression for the associations between IL-10 genotypes and haplotypes with the risk of PCa and advanced PCa grade.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No significant differences in allele frequency or genotype distribution were observed for any of the <it>IL-10 </it>SNPs between PCa patients and control subjects. Significantly higher frequencies of -1082G, -819C and -592C allele and GCC haplotype were observed, however, in early stage patients in comparison to advanced PCa patients (for -1082 G, 13.9% vs 6.1%, OR = 2.48, <it>P </it>= 0.005; for -819 C 40.3% vs 30.8%, OR = 1.51, <it>P </it>= 0.043; for -512C, 40.3% vs 30.8%, OR = 1.51, <it>P </it>= 0.043; and for haplotype GCC 11.1%vs 5.1%, OR = 2.66, P = 0.008, respectively).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results identify that <it>IL-10 </it>promoter polymorphisms might not be a risk factor for PCa in Chinese cohorts, but rather incidence of polymorphisms associates with PCa grade, suggesting that IL-10 expression may impact PCa progression.</p

Genome-wide association study of lung adenocarcinoma in East Asia and comparison with a European population

Lung adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer. Known risk variants explain only a small fraction of lung adenocarcinoma heritability. Here, we conducted a two-stage genome-wide association study of lung adenocarcinoma of East Asian ancestry (21,658 cases and 150,676 controls; 54.5% never-smokers) and identified 12 novel susceptibility variants, bringing the total number to 28 at 25 independent loci. Transcriptome-wide association analyses together with colocalization studies using a Taiwanese lung expression quantitative trait loci dataset (n = 115) identified novel candidate genes, including FADS1 at 11q12 and ELF5 at 11p13. In a multi-ancestry meta-analysis of East Asian and European studies, four loci were identified at 2p11, 4q32, 16q23, and 18q12. At the same time, most of our findings in East Asian populations showed no evidence of association in European populations. In our studies drawn from East Asian populations, a polygenic risk score based on the 25 loci had a stronger association in never-smokers vs. individuals with a history of smoking (P interaction  = 0.0058). These findings provide new insights into the etiology of lung adenocarcinoma in individuals from East Asian populations, which could be important in developing translational applications

Genome-wide association study of lung adenocarcinoma in East Asia and comparison with a European population.

Lung adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer. Known risk variants explain only a small fraction of lung adenocarcinoma heritability. Here, we conducted a two-stage genome-wide association study of lung adenocarcinoma of East Asian ancestry (21,658 cases and 150,676 controls; 54.5% never-smokers) and identified 12 novel susceptibility variants, bringing the total number to 28 at 25 independent loci. Transcriptome-wide association analyses together with colocalization studies using a Taiwanese lung expression quantitative trait loci dataset (n = 115) identified novel candidate genes, including FADS1 at 11q12 and ELF5 at 11p13. In a multi-ancestry meta-analysis of East Asian and European studies, four loci were identified at 2p11, 4q32, 16q23, and 18q12. At the same time, most of our findings in East Asian populations showed no evidence of association in European populations. In our studies drawn from East Asian populations, a polygenic risk score based on the 25 loci had a stronger association in never-smokers vs. individuals with a history of smoking (Pinteraction = 0.0058). These findings provide new insights into the etiology of lung adenocarcinoma in individuals from East Asian populations, which could be important in developing translational applications

Antibacterial Superabsorbent Polymers from Tara Gum Grafted Poly(Acrylic acid) Embedded Silver Particles

Tara gum/silver composite superabsorbent polymers were synthesized with tara gum grafted poly(acrylic acid), using K2S2O8 (KPS) as an initiator and N,N&prime;-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a cross-linker. The products were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that the silver ions were partially reduced to Ag0 and the amorphous nanoparticles containing Ag0 and Ag2O were around 10~50 nm in size The tara gum/silver composite superabsorbent polymers exhibited an interconnected porous structure with strong water absorption capacity. The swelling ratio of each product could reach 473 g/g in distilled water and 62 g/g in 0.9% NaCl solution. The antimicrobial activity of the samples against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli increased with the addition of AgNO3 from 0 to 125 mg. This work indicates that the developed tara gum/silver composite superabsorbent polymers can be potentially used for biomedical applications

Tumor Primary Location May Affect Metastasis Pattern for Patients with Stage IV NSCLC: A Population-Based Study

Background. Most patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were initially diagnosed with distant metastasis. At present, there is no study to clarify the correlation between the primary location of the tumor and the metastasis pattern in advanced NSCLC. So we conducted this study to explored the relationship between the tumor primary location and metastasis pattern in stage IV NSCLC. Methods. A total of 19,295 eligible patients were identified from 2010 to 2012 in the SEER database. The main endpoint of our study was overall survival (OS). The survival curves were created by using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared by the usage of the Log Rank test. The clinical variable characteristics were compared by the chi-square test, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the risk factors on metastasis patterns. All statistical P values were two-sided, and it was considered statistically significant when P≤0.05. Results. We found that different proportions of metastatic sites could be found in different tumor primary locations. In addition, the prognosis of lung metastasis was relatively good in patients with tumor location in main bronchus P0.05. Conclusions. Different primary tumor locations might affect the metastasis pattern in patients with stage IV NSCLC

Management of anlotinib‐related adverse events in patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer: Experiences in ALTER‐0303

Background Anlotinib is an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor, fibroblast growth factor receptor, platelet‐derived growth factor receptor, and stem cell factor receptor (c‐Kit). In the phase III ALTER‐0303 trial (Clinical Trial Registry ID: NCT 02388919), anlotinib significantly improved overall survival versus placebo in advanced non‐small cell lung cancer patients who had received at least two previous chemotherapy and epidermal growth factor receptor/anaplastic lymphoma kinase targeted therapy regimens. This study summarized adverse event management in this trial. Methods Patients were randomized (2:1) to anlotinib or placebo up to progression or intolerable toxicity. Adverse events were graded according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Version 4.0 and managed by investigators. Key strategies for preventing and managing the most common adverse events included patient education, supportive care, and dose modification. Results Between February 2015 and August 2016, 294 patients received anlotinib. A total of 170 (57.8%) patients received antihypertensive medications for hypertension, 53 (18.0%) patients received levothyroxine for hypothyroidism, 24 (8.2%) patients received fibrates for hypertriglyceridemia, 11 (3.7%) patients took cortisone cream for hand‐foot syndrome, and 38 (12.9%) patients received anti‐diarrheal medications for diarrhea. Dose reduction and drug discontinuation were required in 24 (8.16%) and 31 (10.54%) patients in the anlotinib group, respectively. Conclusion Anlotinb‐related adverse events could be controlled by patient education, prophylactic measures, early and active intervention, and dose modification

Efficacy and Toxicity of Pemetrexed or Gemcitabine Combined with Cisplatin in the Treatment of Patients with Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Background and objective Due to the various inter-individual differences in the biological characteristics of tumor cells, as well as issues on the efficacy, adverse reactions, and defects of existing drugs, we compared the clinical efficacy and toxicity of pemetrexed and gemcitabine combined with cisplatin for the treatment of previously untreated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods 251 patients were randomly divided into pemetrexed combined with cisplatin group (PP group) with 127 cases and gemcitabine combined with cisplatin group (GP group) with 124 cases. PP group received pemetrexed 500 mg/m2 iv infusion d1 and cisplatin 75 mg/m2 iv infusion d1, whereas GP group received gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 iv infusion d1,8 and cisplatin 75 mg/m2 iv infusion d1. The treatment cycle was once every three weeks. In addition, folic acid, vitamin B12, and dexamethasone were administered in both groups. Results The total clinical effective rates in PP group and GP group were 25.20% and 17.74%, respectively. The total efficiencies of non-squamous cell carcinoma were 27.62% and 16.00%. The tumor progression duration in these two groups was 6.5 and 5.6 months, respectively. The median survival time in the two groups was 16.9 and 17.0 months, respectively, with 59.62% and 65.87% survival rates of 1 year and 27.28% and 27.93% survival rates of 2 years, respectively. The total efficacy of non-squamous cell carcinoma in the PP group was significantly higher than that in GP group. The results were statistically significant. However, there were no significant differences in total response rates, tumor progression duration, and median survival rates of 1 and 2 years. The rate of adverse reactions, including white blood cell reduction, lower platelet count, lower hemoglobin, and hair loss in the PP group was significantly lower than that in the GP group. The results were statistically significant. Conclusion The clinical efficacy of pemetrexed and gemcitabine combined with cisplatin for the treatment of previously untreated advanced NSCLC was roughly the same, but the adverse reactions decreased significantly in the PP group compared with those in the GP group. Therefore, pemetrexed combined with cisplatin can be used as a safe and effective drug for clinical first-line treatment for previously untreated NSCLC