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Concerns over the health risks associated with airborne exposure to ultrafine particles [PM0.1, or nanoparticles (NPs)] call for a comprehensive understanding in the interactions of inhaled NPs along their respiratory journey. We prepare a collection of polyethylene glycol-coated gold nanoparticles that bear defined functional groups commonly identified in atmospheric particulates (Au@PEG-X NPs, where X = OCH 3 , COOH, NH 2 , OH, or C 12 H 25 ). Regardless of the functional group, these ∼50 nm NPs remain colloidally stable following aerosolization and incubation in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), without pronouncedly crossing the air−blood barrier. The type of BALF proteins adhered onto the NPs is similar, but the composition of protein corona depends on functional group. By subjecting Balb/c mice to inhalation of Au@PEG-X NPs for 6 h, we demonstrate that the intrapulmonary distribution of NPs among the various types of cells (both found in BALF and isolated from the lavaged lung) and the acute inflammatory responses induced by inhalation are sensitive to the functional group of NPs and postinhalation period (0, 24, or 48 h). By evaluating the pairwise correlations between the three variables of "lung−nano" interactions (protein corona, intrapulmonary cellularlevel distribution, and inflammatory response), we reveal strong statistical correlations between the (1) fractions of albumin or carbonyl reductase bound to NPs, (2) associations of inhaled NPs to neutrophils in BALF or macrophages in the lavaged lung, and (3) level of total protein in BALF. Our results provide insights into the effect of functional group on lung−nano interactions and health risks associated with inhalation of PM0.1.

Objectives: Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are the standard treatments for patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, recent studies suggest that patients with limited stage (I-III) SCLC may benefit from surgical treatment. This study was performed to evaluate the survival outcomes of surgery for stage I-III SCLC.Methods: This analysis used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. All stage I-III (excluding N3 and Nx) SCLC patients received a diagnosis between 2004 and 2014. Overall survival (OS) and lung cancer-specific survival (LCSS) were determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis and compared using the log-rank test. A Cox proportional hazard model identified relevant survival variables.Results: A total of 4,780 histologically confirmed patients were identified from the SEER database, comprising 1,018 patients (21.3%) with stage I disease; 295 (6.2%) with stage II; and 3,467 (72.5%) with stage III disease. Among all of the patients, 520 had been treated with surgery, the majority (n = 344; 66.2%) of whom had stage I disease. The hazard ratio (HR) for OS and LCSS, in patients who underwent surgery, according to stage were as follows: OS, 0.369 and LCSS, 0.335 in stage I; OS, 0.549 and LCSS, 0.506 in stage II; and OS, 0.477 and LCSS, 0.456 in stage III (all p < 0.001). Patients who underwent surgery had significantly better OS, and lobectomy was associated with the best outcome.Conclusions: Surgical resection was associated with significantly improved OS outcomes and should be considered in the management of stage I-III SCLC.

Our results provide evidence that FBXO45 and FBXO5 may play a key role in tumorigenesis and prognosis of SqCLC.