Original Article Phase II clinical trial of palonosetron combined with tropisetron in preventing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting

Abstract: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of palonosetron combined with tropisetron in preventing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. A total of 82 non-small cell lung cancer patients undergoing Docetaxel combined with Cisplatin were randomly divided into group A and group B. The patients were received palonosetron combined with tropisetron (group A, n = 42) or tropisetron alone (group B, n = 40) before initiation of chemotherapy. The nausea degree, antiemetic efficacy and safety after chemotherapy were evaluated. Patients were administered for rescue therapy if needed. Results showed no significant difference in complete remission rate (CRR) during acute phase (0-24 h post chemotherapy) between group A and group B (90.48% versus 75%, P > 0.05). The CRR of group A during delayed (24-120 h post chemotherapy) and overall phases (0-120 h post chemotherapy) were 83.33% and 78.57%, higher than group B (50% and 42.50%, P < 0.05). AS for the improvement rate of nausea during delayed phase, group A is better than group B (57.14% versus 35%, P < 0.05). The adverse drug reactions of two groups were mild and generally well tolerated, including headache, constipation and abdominal distension, and no statistically significant differences were observed. In conclusions, compared to tropisetron alone, the therapy of palonosetron plus tropisetron is more effective and safer in controlling of nausea and vomiting induced by high emetic risk chemotherapy

Advances in application of single-cell RNA sequencing in cardiovascular research

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) provides high-resolution information on transcriptomic changes at the single-cell level, which is of great significance for distinguishing cell subtypes, identifying stem cell differentiation processes, and identifying targets for disease treatment. In recent years, emerging single-cell RNA sequencing technologies have been used to make breakthroughs regarding decoding developmental trajectories, phenotypic transitions, and cellular interactions in the cardiovascular system, providing new insights into cardiovascular disease. This paper reviews the technical processes of single-cell RNA sequencing and the latest progress based on single-cell RNA sequencing in the field of cardiovascular system research, compares single-cell RNA sequencing with other single-cell technologies, and summarizes the extended applications and advantages and disadvantages of single-cell RNA sequencing. Finally, the prospects for applying single-cell RNA sequencing in the field of cardiovascular research are discussed

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

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

Study on Construction Mechanical Effect and Optimization of Large-Span Variable Cross-Section of Railway Tunnel

During the excavation process of a large-span variable cross-section of a tunnel, the deformation and stress characteristics of the surrounding rock supporting the structure are complex, and construction control is difficult. Based on an actual tunnel project, the mechanical effect and deformation characteristics of the surrounding rock and support structure of a large-span variable cross-section tunnel during its excavation and support process were studied via numerical simulation. The construction method, using the bench method to excavate and set up the transition section in the variable cross-section, was proposed. Based on the numerical simulation results, two optimized excavation schemes were proposed and analyzed to address the construction method conversion problems in constructing large-span variable cross-section tunnels. The rationality of the optimized construction scheme was verified through a comparison with field monitoring data. The research results show that the three-bench temporary inverted arch method supported by the temporary vertical portal frame has good applicability in constructing the large-span variable cross-section tunnel. This scheme can effectively control the stress concentration and excessive deformation of the surrounding rock in the large-span variable cross-section tunnel. The numerical simulation results agree with the field monitoring data, which verifies the rationality of analyzing the construction mechanical effects of variable cross-section tunnels and selecting construction schemes through numerical simulation. The research results can provide reference for the construction of similar tunnel projects

Reducing craving and consumption in individuals with drug addiction, obesity or overeating through neuromodulation intervention: a systematic review and meta-analysis of its follow-up effects

Background and aims Non-invasive brain stimulation has shown potential in clinical applications aiming at reducing craving and consumption levels in individuals with drug addiction or overeating behaviour. However, it is unclear whether these intervention effects are maintained over time. This study aimed to measure the immediate, short- and long-term effects of excitatory transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) targeting at dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) in people with drug addiction or overeating. Methods A systematic review and random effects meta-analysis. We included 20 articles (total of 22 studies using randomized controlled trials: 3 alcohol dependence, 3 drug dependence, 12 smoking, 4 overeating; total: 720 participants) from January 2000 to June 2020, which reported at least one follow-up assessment of craving, consumption or abstinence levels after the intervention. We compared effects of active versus sham stimulation immediately after the intervention and at the last follow-up assessment, as compared with baseline. Results Excitatory neuromodulation of dlPFC activity reduced craving and consumption immediately after the intervention (craving: g = 0.734, CI = 0.447-1.021, P < 0.001; consumption: g = 0.527, CI = 0.309-0.745; P < 0.001), as well as during short-, mid- and long-term abstinence (craving: g = 0.677, CI = 0.440-0.914, P < 0.001; consumption: g = 0.445, CI = 0.245-0.645, P < 0.001; abstinence levels: g = 0.698, CI = 0.433-0.963, P < 0.001; average time of follow-up: 84 +/- 83 days after last stimulation). Additional analysis demonstrated that the intervention effects were sustained in all populations studied (food, nicotine, alcohol or drug abuse) and with both stimulation techniques used (rTMS, tDCS). Interventions targeting at the left (vs right) hemisphere may be more effective. Conclusions Excitatory neuromodulation targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex appears to lead to a sustained reduction of craving and consumption in individuals with addiction or overeating behaviour

Sand Dust Images Enhancement Based on Red and Blue Channels

The scattering and absorption of light results in the degradation of image in sandstorm scenes, it is vulnerable to issues such as color casting, low contrast and lost details, resulting in poor visual quality. In such circumstances, traditional image restoration methods cannot fully restore images owing to the persistence of color casting problems and the poor estimation of scene transmission maps and atmospheric light. To effectively correct color casting and enhance visibility for such sand dust images, we proposed a sand dust image enhancement algorithm using the red and blue channels, which consists of two modules: the red channel-based correction function (RCC) and blue channel-based dust particle removal (BDPR), the RCC module is used to correct color casting errors, and the BDPR module removes sand dust particles. After the dust image is processed by these two modules, a clear and visible image can be produced. The experimental results were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively, and the results show that this method can significantly improve the image quality under sandstorm weather and outperform the state-of-the-art restoration algorithms