Construction and validation of a novel IGFBP3-related signature to predict prognosis and therapeutic decision making for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: IGFBP3 plays a pivotal role in carcinogenesis by being anomalously expressed in some malignancies. However, the clinical value of IGFBP3 and the role of IGFBP3-related signature in HCC remain unclear. Methods: Multiple bioinformatics methods were used to determine the expression and diagnostic values of IGFBP3. The expression level of IGFBP3 was validated by RT-qPCR and IHC. A IGFBP3-related risk score (IGRS) was built via correlation analysis and LASSO Cox regression analysis. Further analyses, including functional enrichment, immune status of risk groups were analyzed, and the role of IGRS in guiding clinical treatment was also evaluated. Results: IGFBP3 expression was significantly downregulated in HCC. IGFBP3 expression correlated with multiple clinicopathological characteristics and demonstrated a powerful diagnostic capability for HCC. In addition, a novel IGRS signature was developed in TCGA, which exhibited good performance for prognosis prediction and its role was further validated in GSE14520. In TCGA and GSE14520, Cox analysis also confirmed that the IGRS could serve as an independent prognostic factor for HCC. Moreover, a nomogram with good accuracy for predicting the survival of HCC was further formulated. Additionally, enrichment analysis showed that the high-IGRS group was enriched in cancer-related pathways and immune-related pathways. Additionally, patients with high IGRS exhibited an immunosuppressive phenotype. Therefore, patients with low IGRS scores may benefit from immunotherapy. Conclusions: IGFBP3 can act as a new diagnostic factor for HCC. IGRS signature represents a valuable predictive tool in the prognosis prediction and therapeutic decision making for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Pretreatment prediction of tumour spread through air spaces in clinical stage I non-small-cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to construct a nomogram prediction model for tumour spread through air spaces (STAS) in clinical stage I non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and discuss its potential application value. METHODS: A total of 380 patients with clinical stage I NSCLC in Tianjin Chest Hospital were collected as the training cohort and 285 patients in Fujian Provincial Hospital were collected as the validation cohort. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to determine independent factors for STAS in the training cohort. Based on the results of the multivariable analysis, the nomogram prediction model of STAS was constructed by R software. RESULTS: The incidence of STAS in the training cohort was 39.2%. STAS was associated with worse overall survival and recurrence-free survival (P < 0.01). Univariable analysis showed that maximum tumour diameter, consolidation-to-tumour ratio, spiculation, vacuole and carcinoembryonic antigen were associated with STAS (P < 0.05). Multivariable analysis showed that maximum tumour diameter, consolidation-to-tumour ratio, spiculation sign and vacuole were independent risk factors for STAS (P < 0.05). Based on this, the nomogram prediction model of STAS in clinical stage I NSCLC was constructed and internally validated by bootstrap. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed a χ2 value of 7.218 (P = 0.513). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and C-index were 0.724 (95% confidence interval: 0.673-0.775). The external validation conducted on the validation cohort produced an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.759 (95% confidence interval: 0.703-0.816). CONCLUSIONS: The constructed nomogram prediction model of STAS in clinical stage I NSCLC has good calibration and can potentially be applied to guide treatment selection.

Titanium-oxo-clusters with dicarboxylates: single-crystal structure and photochromic effect.

Two titanium-oxo-clusters Ti(6)O(4)(o-BDC)(2)(o-BDC(i)Pr)(2)(O(i)Pr)(10) (1) and Ti(6)O(3)(o-BDC)(2)(O(i)Pr)(14) (2) (BDC = benzene dicarboxylate) were prepared by one-step in situ solvothermal synthesis. The compounds are the rare examples of the dicarboxylate-substituted titanium-oxo-clusters. Their crystal structures are successfully measured by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The Ti(6) oxo-clusters of 1 and 2 are constructed by two dual corner-missing cube subunit, Ti(3)O(3). The two subunits are linked by double µ(3)-O bridges for 1 and single µ(2)-O bridge for 2, respectively, and the latter is a new type of carboxylate substituted titanium-oxo-cluster. A photochromic effect was observed upon irradiation of the crystals in the presence of alcohol. The light irradiation changed the color of the crystals from transparent to purple-gray. The Ti(III) signal was detected after the irradiation, and when the sample was exposured in air, superoxide diatomic O(2)(•-) radical was found. Photodegradation of the methyl orange in aqueous dispersions of microcrystals of the cluster 2 was carried out under UV cut white light with the assistance of H(2)O(2).

Ionic crystals of {[Ni(phen)3]2Ge4S10}·xSol, showing solid-state solvatochromism and rapid solvent-induced recrystallization.

Thiogermanates, {[Ni(phen)(3)](2)Ge(4)S(10)}·xSol (Sol = 4MeOH·12H(2)O (1) and 24H(2)O (2)) were prepared and characterized by single-crystal structure analysis. There are large quantities of the solvent molecules that cocrystallize with the anions and cations and form a strong hydrogen bonding network (O-H···S and O···H-O-H···O). Reversible yellow-pink color change with fast speed was found for these compounds, when the crystals were immersed in alcohol solvents and water alternately. The time of the solvent-induced color change relates to the molecular size and structure of the alcohols. The smaller the molecule is, the faster the color change will be. The fastest color change was found by using the methanol solvent that took only about one second. The color change also relates to the ratio of water/alcohol. The solvatochromism phenomenon is accompanied with a rapid solvent-induced recrystallization that is verified by the XRD patterns.