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To elucidate the influence of different concentrations of carrageenan (CA, 0.4%, 0.8%, 1.2%, 1.6%, 2.0%, w/w) on the gelation properties and structure of hemp protein isolate (HPI), with the hemp protein isolate without adding CA as the control, the water-holding capacity, texture, rheological properties of the composite gels were determined. Meanwhile, the effect of CA addition on the water distribution, protein structure and intermolecular forces in the composite gels was also investigated. The results showed that the addition of CA significantly (P

Abstract Impaired brain glucose metabolism is an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease (AD); however, the fundamental mechanism is unknown. In this study, we found a substantial decline in isocitrate dehydrogenase 3β (IDH3β) levels, a critical tricarboxylic acid cycle enzyme, in AD patients and AD-transgenic mice’s brains. Further investigations demonstrated that the knockdown of IDH3β induced oxidation-phosphorylation uncoupling, leading to reduced energy metabolism and lactate accumulation. The resulting increased lactate, a source of lactyl, was found to promote histone lactylation, thereby enhancing the expression of paired-box gene 6 (PAX6). As an inhibitory transcription factor of IDH3β, the elevated PAX6 in turn inhibited the expression of IDH3β, leading to tau hyperphosphorylation, synapse impairment, and learning and memory deficits resembling those seen in AD. In AD-transgenic mice, upregulating IDH3β and downregulating PAX6 were found to improve cognitive functioning and reverse AD-like pathologies. Collectively, our data suggest that impaired oxidative phosphorylation accelerates AD progression via a positive feedback inhibition loop of IDH3β-lactate-PAX6-IDH3β. Breaking this loop by upregulating IDH3β or downregulating PAX6 attenuates AD neurodegeneration and cognitive impairments.

Abstract Background Bovine parvovirus (BPV) is an autonomous DNA virus with a smaller molecular size and subtle differences in its structural proteins, unlike other animal parvoviruses. More importantly, this virus has the potential to produce visible to silent economic catastrophes in the livestock business, despite receiving very little attention. Parvoviral virus-like particles (VLPs) as vaccines and as logistical platforms for vaccine deployment are well studied. However, no single experimental report on the role of VP1 in the assembly and stability of BPV-VLPs is available. Furthermore, the self-assembly, integrity and stability of the VLPs of recombinant BPV VP2 in comparison to VP1 VP2 Cap proteins using any expression method has not been studied previously. In this study, we experimentally evaluated the self-assembling ability with which BPV virus-like particles (VLPs) could be synthesized from a single structural protein (VP2) and by integrating both VP2 and VP1 amino acid sequences. Methods In silico and experimental cloning methods were carried out. His-tagged and without-His-tag VP2 and V1VP2-encoding amino acid sequences were cloned and inserted into pFastbacdual, and insect cell-generated recombinant protein was evaluated by SDS‒PAGE and western blot. Period of infectivity and expression level were determined by IFA. The integrity and stability of the BPV VLPs were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy. The secondary structure of the BPV VLPs from both VP2 and V1VP2 was analyzed by circular dichroism. Results Our findings show that VP2 alone was equally expressed and purified into detectable proteins, and the stability at different temperatures and pH values was not appreciably different between the two kinds of VLPs. Furthermore, BPV-VP2 VLPs were praised for their greater purity and integrity than BPV-VP1VP2 VLPs, as indicated by SDS‒PAGE. Therefore, our research demonstrates that the function of VP1 has no bearing on the stability or integrity of BPV-VLPs. Conclusions In summary, incredible physiochemically stable BPV VP2-derived VLPs have been found to be promising candidates for the development of multivalent vaccines and immunodiagnostic kits against enteric viruses and to carry heterogeneous epitopes for various economically important livestock diseases.

Abstract In the quest for efficient tumor diagnosis via liquid biopsy, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have shown promise as a source of potential biomarkers. This study addresses the gap in biomarker efficacy for predicting clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) between the Western and Chinese populations. We developed a urinary extracellular vesicles‐based prostate score (EPS) model, utilizing the EXODUS technique for EV isolation from 598 patients and incorporating gene expressions of FOXA1, PCA3, and KLK3. Our findings reveal that the EPS model surpasses prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) testing in diagnostic accuracy within a training cohort of 234 patients, achieving an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.730 compared to 0.659 for PSA (p = 0.018). Similarly, in a validation cohort of 101 men, the EPS model achieved an AUC of 0.749, which was significantly better than PSA's 0.577 (p

Introduction The existing large prospective study demonstrates the benefits of primary radiotherapy in patients with low-volume oligometastatic prostate cancer (OMPC), and there is additional evidence of the benefits of local metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) for metastatic lesions. However, there are no results from a prospective study to demonstrate the efficacy of radiotherapy for prostate and oligometastases. Therefore, the aim of the protocol is to illustrate the efficacy of radiotherapy for prostate and oligometastatic lesions in patients with low-volume de novo hormone-sensitive OMPC. Methods and analysis This study involves a prospective, single-center, limited-sample, single-arm exploration of radiotherapy for prostate and oligometastatic lesions in patients diagnosed with low-volume hormone-sensitive OMPC. Eligible participants undergo thorough assessments and treatment involving endocrine therapy alongside radiation targeting metastatic lesions and the pelvic region. The primary site is treated with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), while metastatic sites are treated with either VMAT or stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) depending on their location. All patients received radiation therapy for both the primary and metastatic lesions combined with endocrine therapy. Endocrine therapy with an antiandrogen (bicalutamide, for 4 weeks) androgen deprivation therapy combined with novel hormonal agents (acetate abiraterone) will be continued for 2 years. The primary objective is to evaluate progression-free survival-2 (PFS-2), while secondary endpoints include androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)-free survival, quality of life (QoL), overall survival, time to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), radiation-related complications, and endocrine therapy-related adverse events. Ethics and dissemination Approval was obtained from the ethics committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University (CHEC2023-220). This is a single-arm exploration pilot trial evaluating radiotherapy for prostate and oligometastatic lesions in patients with OMPC. It aims to disseminate its findings through peer-reviewed journals and relevant medical conferences, with the intention of publication and presentation at these events. Trial registration numbers Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT06198387.

Tofu is a widely consumed protein gel, which is the denaturation of soybean protein (specifically the 7S and 11S globulin), under heat treatment, and the aggregation by salt ions, hydrogen ions or enzymes, forming a dense and uniform protein gel with a network structure. The formation of tofu gel and quality of tofu are affected by many factors. In this paper, a comprehensive review of the impact factors on tofu gel formation and quality is presented. The types of coagulants including salts, acids, and enzymatic coagulants, together with processing conditions such as the processing raw material, pulping method, pH value, and heat treatment are all discussed. The research progress on the effects of coagulants and processing conditions on the formation and quality of tofu gel is reviewed, to provide a theoretical guidance for industrial tofu production and a scientific basis for research and development of tofu food and quality control.

In today's banking and financial system, using a credit card has become indispensable. The credit card industry has existed due to a shift in consumer preferences and a rise in national economic growth. The number of issuing banks, card issuers, and transaction volumes has increased significantly. Nevertheless, owing to the growth in the number of transactions made with credit cards, both the total amount due and the rate of defaults on credit card loans have become issues that cannot be neglected. This issue must be resolved to ensure the continued and prosperous growth of the banking industry in the years to come. Currently, a few optimization algorithms—Whale optimization algorithm (WOA), Harmony Search (HS), Multi-verse optimization (MVO), and Vortex Search (VS)—have been used to achieve this purpose. However, because credit card default data is volatile and unequal, it is challenging for typical optimization algorithms to offer steady approaches with optimal performance. Studies have indicated that optimizing algorithms with suitable properties can significantly improve performance. To improve performance, some tuning was applied to the ANN. This study will assess twenty-three parameters, and the efficacy of all four approaches will be compared using ROC and AUC evaluations. The suggested model's performance is contrasted with a scenario where the classifiers were trained using original data. In contrast, the AUC values for VS-MLP were 0.7407 and 0.7271, while those for HS-MLP were 0.7074 and 0.6997. In the training and testing phases, AUC values of 0.7469 and 0.7329 from MVO-MLP and 0.72 and 0.7185 from WOA-MLP, respectively. The results show that the training accuracy of HS, VSA, MVO, and WOA are similar; MVO has the highest training accuracy. The credit card industry can benefit significantly from this methodology, which may help resolve default probabilities.

Freezing affects texture and induces the loss of gel quality. This study investigated the effects of methylcellulose (MC) (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%) and sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) (0.15%, 0.3%) on the gel textural and structural properties of SPI gels before and after freezing, and explores the synergistic enhancement of gel texture and the underlying mechanisms resulting from the simultaneous addition of SHMP and MC to SPI gels. It was revealed that MC improved the strength of SPI gels through its thickening properties, but it could not inhibit the reduction of SPI gels after freezing. The 0.4% MC-SPI gel exhibited the best gel strength (193.2 ± 2.4 g). SHMP inhibited gel reduction during freezing through hydrogen bonding and ionic interactions; it enhanced the freezing stability of SPI gels. The addition of 0.15% SHMP made the water-holding capacity in SPI gels reach the highest score after freezing (58.2 ± 0.32%). The synergistic effect of MC and SHMP could improve the strength and the freezing stability of SPI gels. MC facilitated the release of ionizable groups within SPI, causing negatively charged SHMP groups to aggregate on the SPI and inhibit the freezing aggregation of proteins. These results provide a strong basis for the improvement of cryogenic soy protein gel performance by SHMP and MC.

Objective: The aim of these studies was to ascertain if Camelina sativa oil is harmful in both the acute and subchronic states. Methods: Wistar rats of both sexes were used in an acute toxicity test, and the fatal dosage (LD50) of oral Camelina sativa oil was greater than 27.6 g/kg bw. Rats were gavaged with Camelina sativa oil at dosages of 0.00, 0.92, 1.84, and 3.68 g/kg bw per day for 90 days. In addition, satellite groups were established in the control and high-dose groups for a 28-day recovery period. The following factors were assessed: mortality, clinical anomalies, body weight, food intake, hematological, serum biochemistry, urine, gross necropsy, and histology. Results: There were no observable toxicity-related changes in any of the three dosage groups. There is no toxicological relevance to the change in the high-dose hematological indicator PLT at the conclusion of the recovery period because it was within the usual range for this strain in our laboratory. The test material did not result in any pathological alterations, according to a pathological examination. Conclusion: Since the results of the current study, the no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) for Camelina sativa oil in rats has been determined to be greater than 3.68 g/kg bw.

ABSTRACTIncreasing evidence reveals that the interaction between tumor cells and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) facilitates the progression of prostate cancer, but the related mechanisms remained unclear. This study determined how gankyrin, a component of the 19S regulatory complex of the 26S proteasome, regulates the progression and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) resistance of prostate cancer through tumor cell–TAM interactions. In vitro functional experiments and in vivo subcutaneous tumor models were used to explore the biological role and molecular mechanisms of gankyrin in prostate cancer cell–TAM interactions. 234 prostate cancer patients were randomly divided into training and validation cohorts to examine the prognostic value of gankyrin through immunohistochemistry (IHC) and statistical analyses, and high gankyrin expression was correlated with poor prognosis. In addition, gankyrin facilitated the progression and ADT resistance of prostate cancer. Mechanistically, gankyrin recruited and upregulated non–POU-domain–containing octamer-binding protein (NONO) expression, resulting in increased androgen receptor (AR) expression. AR then bound to the high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) promoter to trigger HMGB1 transcription, expression, and secretion. Moreover, HMGB1 was found to promote the recruitment and activation of TAMs, which secrete IL-6 to reciprocally promote prostate cancer progression, ADT resistance and gankyrin expression via STAT3, resulting in formation of a gankyrin/NONO/AR/HMGB1/IL-6/STAT3 positive feedback loop. Furthermore, targeting the interaction between tumor cells and TAMs by blocking this loop inhibited ADT resistance in a tumor xenograft model. Taken together, the data show that gankyrin serves as a reliable prognostic indicator and therapeutic target for prostate cancer patients.

Abstract Background Radical prostatectomy remains the fundamental treatment for prostate cancer, and improving patients’ compliance with postoperative follow-ups is essential for improving patients’ quality of life. This study investigates the effect of education levels on patients’ recovery and follow-up after radical prostatectomy. Methods Data from 1,112 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy between 2011 and 2020 were collected using medical records, and “pc-follow” systems were used to collect patients’ baseline information, education level, pathological information, number of outpatient visits, the time interval between each visit, and PSA test data. Results Regarding postoperative outpatient data, there was no difference in the number of outpatient visits among the different education level groups in Shanghai (P = 0.063). A significant difference was found in the interval between outpatient visits among the groups (P

Abstract Background The two most prevalent mental health conditions are anxiety and depression and they often coexist (comorbidity) in an individual aggravating the person’s psychological or medical conditions. College students suffered from anxiety and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to numerous studies. The lack of information on the comorbidity of anxiety and depression (CAD) among international medical students, however, makes it difficult to develop effective policies or strategies to support these students. Objective The present research seeks to investigate the incidence of CAD among international medical students in China and to identify the variables that may be useful in predicting CAD. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted at China Medical University in Shenyang, China, for international medical students during November 2020. A total of 519 international students provided information on their demographics, stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic, generalized anxiety disorder assessment (GAD-7), patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), simplified coping style questionnaire (SCSQ), perceived stress scale (PSS-10), the multidimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS), revised life orientation test (LOT-R), and resilience scale-14 (RS-14). To investigate the potential predictors of CAD, a chi-square test, a nonparametric test, and multinomial logistic regression analyses were carried out as appropriate. Results The incidence of anxiety, depression, and CAD in the current study was 5.8%, 8.9%, and 22.7%, respectively. The predictors for students having symptoms of anxiety were observed to be the negative coping style (β = 0.662, OR = 1.938, CI:1.07–3.694) and perceived stress (β = 0.167, OR = 1.181, CI:1.076–1.297); the predictors for students having symptoms of depression were observed to be the COVID-19 pandemic-related stress (β = 0.323,OR = 1.382,CI:1.211–1.577), negative coping style (β = 0.693,OR = 2.000, CI:1.21–3.568), and perceived stress (β = 0.135,OR = 1.145,CI:1.050–1.248); whereas the predictors for students with CAD were observed to be staying up late (Yes VS No) (β = 1.028,OR = 2.794,CI:1.227–6.364), current place of residence (Other continents VS China) (β = -1.413, OR = 0.243,CI:0.065–0.910), COVID-19 pandemic-related stress (β = 0.371,OR = 1.450,CI:1.284–1.636), negative coping style (β = 1.092,OR = 2.979,CI:1.706–5.203), and perceived stress (β = 0.339,OR = 1.403,CI:1.289–1.527). Conclusion Single anxiety and depressive symptoms were moderately prevalent among international medical students in China. However, CAD turned out to be the most prevalent mental health issue due to its relatively higher incidence. Negative coping style and perceived stress were the communal predictors of the three categories, whereas stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic was linked to both depression and CAD, and staying up late and in residential places were specific predictors for CAD. Study results suggest that COVID-19 pandemic-related stress was related to students’ CAD and depressive symptoms, and specific intervention measures with stress reduction, proper coping strategy, and a good lifestyle might be useful in improving the international students’ mental health status.

AIM: To investigate the size of functional optical zone (FOZ) after small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) versus femtosecond laser assisted excimer laser keratomileusis (FS-LASIK) for myopia correction and potential associated factors for FOZ. METHODS: A total of 133 patients who received corneal refractive surgery in our hospital between November 2018 and July 2021 were retrospectively enrolled. There were 63 patients (123 eyes) in SMILE group and 70 patients (139 eyes) in FS-LASIK group. The size of FOZ was measured using Pentacam 3-dementional anterior segment analyzer before and 3mo after surgery, so as to analyze postoperative achieved functional optical zone (AFOZ) and its contributing parameters. RESULTS: When planned functional optical zone (PFOZ) was 6.5 mm for both groups, AFOZ was 1.45±0.27 and 1.67±0.25 mm smaller than preoperative FOZ in SMILE group and FS-LASIK group 3mo after surgery. AFOZ in SMILE group was significantly larger than that in FS-LASIK group (P

Purpose: To explore the long-term visual quality of the same subjects after sub-Bowman keratomileusis (SBK) or femtosecond laser in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK). Methods: This prospective study included patients screened for corneal refractive surgery at the Refractive Surgery Center of our Hospital between November 2017 and March 2018. One eye underwent SBK, while the other eye underwent FS-LASIK. Total higher-order aberrations, coma aberrations, and clover aberrations were evaluated before and at 1 month and 3 years after the procedure. The visual satisfaction of both eyes was investigated, respectively. The participants completed a surgical satisfaction questionnaire. Results: Thirty-three patients were included. There were no significant differences in total higher-order aberrations, coma aberrations, and clover aberrations between the two procedures before and 1 month and 3 years after surgery (all P > 0.05), except for the total coma aberrations in FS-LASIK were significantly higher compared with the SBK group at 1 month after surgery [0.51 (0.18, 0.93) vs. 0.77 (0.40, 1.22), P = 0.019]. The surgical satisfaction questionnaire scores of the SBK group and the FS-LASIK group were 9.8 ± 0.8 and 9.8 ± 0.8, respectively, at 1 month, and 9.7 ± 0.9 and 9.7 ± 1.0, respectively, at 3 years (all P > 0.05). Conclusion: There were no differences in corneal aberrations and satisfaction between SBK and FS-LASIK procedures at 1 month and 3 years.

In the family of histone-deacetylases, histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) stands out. The cytoplasmic class IIb histone deacetylase (HDAC) family is essential for many cellular functions. It plays a crucial and debatable regulatory role in innate antiviral immunity. This review summarises the current state of our understanding of HDAC6’s structure and function in light of the three mechanisms by which it controls DNA and RNA virus infection: cytoskeleton regulation, host innate immune response, and autophagy degradation of host or viral proteins. In addition, we summed up how HDAC6 inhibitors are used to treat a wide range of diseases, and how its upstream signaling plays a role in the antiviral mechanism. Together, the findings of this review highlight HDAC6’s importance as a new therapeutic target in antiviral immunity, innate immune response, and some diseases, all of which offer promising new avenues for the development of drugs targeting the immune response.

Due to the possibility of causing eutrophication, excessive phosphate discharged into water bodies always threatens the stabilization of aquatic ecosystem. A promising strategy is to remove phosphate from water by the utilization of biomass waste as adsorbents. In this paper, the corn straw (CS) and pine sawdust (PS) are chosen for adsorption; however, the phosphate removal capacities of them are very limited. Considering the high phosphate uptake of trivalent cerium, Ce (III)-based nanoparticles (CD and CT) are selected to be loaded on the biomass by hydrothermal synthesis to obtain four modified materials. CD is metal organic frameworks (MOFs) with Ce5(BDC)7.5(DMF)4 as its molecular structure, while CT is MOFs derivatives with [Ce (HCOO)]n as its crystal structure. The adsorption capacities of CS-CD, PS-CD, CS-CT and PS-CT reach 181.38, 183.27, 225.55 and 186.23 mg/g. But on account of the different molecular structures, CS-CD and PS-CD achieve great phosphate uptake under wide applicable scope of pH from 2 to 11, whereas CS-CT and PS-CT only under acidic conditions. The analysis of the adsorption mechanism indicates that due to the unsaturated coordination bond of CD, it could remove phosphate through coprecipitation and ion exchange even under alkaline conditions. HIGHLIGHTS The modified biomass wastes by cerium-based nanoparticles were developed to enhance their phosphate removal.; The CD and CT are all dominated by trivalent cerium.; Different from CD, CT is a MOF derivative, with cerium atom nine fold coordinated.; CS-CT showed high adsorption capacity of 225.55 mg/g.; CS-CD and PS-CD exhibited higher phosphate capacities in a wide pH range due to their unsaturated coordination.;

In this work, a review of the theory and application of heat and mass synergy is carried out. Since the field synergy theory was proposed, it has not only been greatly developed in the field of heat transfer but also has been explored and studied in the field of mass transfer and heat and mass synergy. In order to clarify the development and improvement process of field synergy theory and sort out its application and development trend, this paper conducts theoretical research on the proposal and controversy of field synergy theory and the derivation of the field synergy formula under different conditions. The field synergy equations based on different fluid states such as laminar flow and turbulent flow in the case of heat transfer, mass transfer, and heat–mass synergy are summarized. Optimizing the synergy application of heat–mass in engineering practice can significantly improve its heat and mass transfer capabilities. Although the field synergy principle has certain advantages in enhancing mass and heat transfer, it cannot take into account the power consumption in practical engineering applications. Therefore, combining the principle of field synergy with other theories to improve the comprehensive performance of heat and mass transfer has provided a way of thinking for future research.

In order to explore the quality changes of Alaska pollock fillet during salting, the Alaska pollock fillet were selected as raw materials and the drying conditions of Alaska pollock fillet were as follows: The amount of salt added was 100% (w/w), salting time was 15 days, and salting temperature was 10 ℃. The effects of different salting time on the quality of Alaska pollock fillets were studied with TBA, nitrite, fatty acid, free amino acid, tissue structure and volatile flavor compounds as indicators. The results showed that the TBA value of Alaska pollock fillet increased from 0.14 mg/kg to 0.26 mg/kg, the final content of nitrite which showed a trend of first increased and then decreased was 2.91 mg/kg. The total amount of saturated fatty acids in Alaska pollock fillet was slightly increased, the contents of pentacenoic acid and oleic acid in monounsaturated fatty acids significantly increased (P

BackgroundProstate cancer (PCa) is the most common malignant tumor of the male urinary system. Cuproptosis, as a novel regulated cell death, remains unclear in PCa. This study aimed to investigate the role of cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) in molecular stratification, prognostic prediction, and clinical decision-making in PCa. MethodsCuproptosis-related molecular subtypes were identified by consensus clustering analysis. A prognostic signature was constructed with LASSO cox regression analyses with 10-fold cross-validation. It was further validated in the internal validation cohort and eight external validation cohorts. The tumor microenvironment between the two risk groups was compared using the ssGSEA and ESTIMATE algorithms. Finally, qRT-PCR was used to explore the expression and regulation of these model genes at the cellular level. Furthermore, 4D Label-Free LC-MS/MS and RNAseq were used to investigate the changes in CRGs at protein and RNA levels after the knockdown of the key model gene B4GALNT4.ResultsTwo cuproptosis-related molecular subtypes with significant differences in prognoses, clinical features, and the immune microenvironment were identified. Immunosuppressive microenvironments were associated with poor prognosis. A prognostic signature comprised of five genes (B4GALNT4, FAM83D, COL1A, CHRM3, and MYBPC1) was constructed. The performance and generalizability of the signature were validated in eight completely independent datasets from multiple centers. Patients in the high-risk group had a poorer prognosis, more immune cell infiltration, more active immune-related functions, higher expression of human leukocyte antigen and immune checkpoint molecules, and higher immune scores. In addition, anti-PDL-1 immunotherapy prediction, somatic mutation, chemotherapy response prediction, and potential drug prediction were also analyzed based on the risk signature. The validation of five model genes' expression and regulation in qPCR was consistent with the results of bioinformatics analysis. Transcriptomics and proteomics analyses revealed that the key model gene B4GALNT4 might regulate CRGs through protein modification after transcription.ConclusionThe cuproptosis-related molecular subtypes and the prognostic signature identified in this study could be used to predict the prognosis and contribute to the clinical decision-making of PCa. Furthermore, we identified a potential cuproptosis-related oncogene B4GALNT4 in PCa, which could be used as a target to treat PCa in combination with cuproptosis.

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common tumors of the urinary system. Cuproptosis is a novel mode of controlled cell death that is related to the development of various tumor types. However, the functions of cuproptosis-related long noncoding RNAs (CRLs) in PCa have not yet been well studied.Methods: In this study, data of PCa patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and from the Changhai Hospital. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses and LASSO regression analysis were conducted to screen CRLs linked to the prognosis of PCa patients. A risk score model was constructed on the basis of CRLs to predict prognosis. PCa patients were categorized into high- and low-risk cohorts. The predictive value of the risk score was evaluated by Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, receiver operating characteristic curves, and nomograms. In addition, gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were used to explore possible pathways involving CRLs in PCa. Immune function analysis confirmed the correlation between CRLs and immunity in PCa. Finally, we explored the tumor mutational burden and drug response in the high- and low-risk cohorts.Results: First, we identified seven CRLs (C1orf229, C9orf139, LIPE-AS1, MCPH1-AS1, PRR26, SGMS1-AS1, and SNHG1) that were closely related to prognosis in PCa. The risk score model based on the selected CRLs could accurately predict the prognosis of PCa patients. The high-risk cohort was associated with worse disease-free survival (DFS) time in PCa patients (p < 0.001). ROC curve analysis was performed to confirm the validity of the signature (area under the curve (AUC) at 1 year: 0.703). Nomograms were constructed based on the risk score and clinicopathological features and also exhibited great predictive efficiency for PCa. GO and KEGG analyses showed that the CRLs were mainly enriched in metabolism-related biological pathways in PCa. In addition, immune function analysis showed that patients in the high-risk cohort had higher TMB and were more sensitive to conventional chemotherapy and targeted drugs including doxorubicin, epothilone B, etoposide, and mitomycin C.Conclusion: We constructed a novel CRL-related risk score model to accurately predict the prognosis of PCa patients. Our results indicate that CRLs are potential targets for drug therapy in PCa and provide a possible new direction for personalized treatment of PCa patients.

Pre-baked frozen bread is increasingly accepted and loved by consumers because of its convenience, but the quality of frozen bread is easily degraded due to temperature fluctuation during storage and transportation. In this study, the effects of different amount of trehalose added (0, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, 1.0%) and different freezing-thawing cycles (0~5 cycles of freezing-thawing treatment) on texture, thermogravimetric properties, sensory quality, stomatal structure and microstructure of rebaked bread were investigated. The results showed that hardness and chewiness increasing continuously, while elasticity, resilience, cohesion and overall acceptability decreasing continuously during 0~5 freezing-thawing cycles, the addition of trehalose could effectively prevent the deterioration degree, and the addition of 0.6% trehalose had the most significant improvement effect. With the increasing of trehalose content and freeze-thaw cycle, the weight percentage of rebaked bread showed a decreasing trend, and in the range of 40 to 60 ℃, the weight percentage of rebaked bread decreased significantly, with the decreasing rate of 0.6%~1.0%. When the amount of trehalose was 0.6%, the transverse section of bread core was fine, the pore space was uniform, the structure was good, the stomatal air holding rate and stability were improved, the protein network was continuous, and the starch particles were evenly wrapped. With the change of freezing-thawing cycle, the cross section surface of the rebaked bread became dry and uneven, and the stomatal structure became loose. Although the gluten network was gradually reduced and discontinuous, the starch particles were evenly wrapped by the gluten network and seldom incomplete.

Summary: Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is a lethal subtype of prostate cancer, with a 10% five-year survival rate. However, little is known about its origin and the mechanisms governing its emergence. Our study characterized ADPC and NEPC in prostate tumors from 7 patients using scRNA-seq. First, we identified two NEPC gene expression signatures representing different phases of trans-differentiation. New marker genes we identified may be used for clinical diagnosis. Second, integrative analyses combining expression and subclonal architecture revealed different paths by which NEPC diverges from the original ADPC, either directly from treatment-naïve tumor cells or from specific intermediate states of treatment-resistance. Third, we inferred a hierarchical transcription factor (TF) network underlying the progression, which involves constitutive regulation by ASCL1, FOXA2, and selective regulation by NKX2-2, POU3F2, and SOX2. Together, these results defined the complex expression profiles and advanced our understanding of the genetic and transcriptomic mechanisms leading to NEPC differentiation.

The effect and mechanism of soybean insoluble dietary fiber (SIDF) (0~4%) and CaCl2 (0~0.005 M) on the properties of soybean protein isolate (SPI)–wheat gluten (WG) composite gel were studied. It was revealed that the addition of insoluble dietary fiber (1~2%) increased the strength and water-holding capacity (WHC) of the composite gel (p < 0.05) and enhanced the gel network structure compared with the control. WHC and LF-NMR showed that the water-binding ability of the gel system with only 2% SIDF was the strongest. The addition of excessive SIDF increased the distance between protein molecules, impeded the cross-linking of protein, and formed a three-dimensional network with low gel strength. The infrared spectrum and intermolecular force indicated that the interaction between SIDF and SPI were mainly physical, and the hydrophobic interaction and disulfide bond were the main forces in the gel system. The addition of CaCl2 can increase the critical content of gel texture destruction caused by SIDF, and the gel strength attained its peak at 3% SIDF, indicating that appropriate CaCl2 improved gel structure weakening caused by excessive SIDF. This study provides insights in enhancing the production of multi-component composite gel systems.

ObjectiveTo assess the efficacy and safety of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in managing oligometastases of prostate cancer. Moreover, it is the largest-to-date study in China to report the safety and efficacy of SBRT by CyberKnife for oligometastases of prostate cancer.MethodsIn this retrospective study, 75 patients with 108 oligometastases were treated by SBRT from May 2012 to February 2021. Among these patients, 43 patients were treated with the intention to control all known metastatic lesions and 32 were treated for palliative care. Patients received regular follow-up evaluations every 3 months. Efficacy was assessed based on local control (LC) rates, biochemical progression-free survival (bPFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Safety was assessed based on clinical adverse events.ResultsMedian follow-up time was 23.2 months (1.2-106.9 months). The complete response (CR), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), and progressive disease (PD) rates were 63.0%, 10.2%, 21.3% and 5.6%, respectively. The 6-month, 1-, and 2-year LC rates were 100%, 97.5%, and 96.0% respectively while the 6-month, 1-, and 2-year bPFS rates were 74.6%, 53.3%, and 47.9%, respectively. Additionally, 6-month, 1-, and 2-year PFS rates were 77.5%, 50.8%, and 47.2%, respectively. The 6-month, 1-, and 2-year OS rates were 97.0%, 88.8%, and 87.0%, respectively. For the 15 metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients with 23 lesions, the 2-year LC rates were 93.8%, while for 60 metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) patients with 85 lesions, the 2-year LC rates were 96.7%. No predictors of LC were found after univariate analysis. In those not on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT; n = 27), the 2-year freedom from ADT was 44.0%. All of the 24 patients with oligmetastase-induced complications experienced varying degrees of alleviation after SBRT. The treatment was well tolerated. No grade 3 or higher toxicity was observed.ConclusionSBRT is a safe and effective treatment modality in the management of oligometastases of mHSPC and mCRPC with high LC rates and acceptable toxicity. SBRT could provide a treatment choice for mCRPC, as well as an alternative to delay the start of ADT for mHSPC.

Summary: Hepatic lipid accumulation is closely associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Adipose-triglyceride-lipase (ATGL) regulates triglyceride hydrolysis and maintains energy homeostasis in hepatocytes. Identifying key factors in the regulation of ATGL will help tackle hepatic lipid accumulation and related metabolic diseases. Herein, we demonstrate that syntaxin11 (STX11), a member of the SNARE family, generally expressed in immune cells, mediates lipid metabolism by binding to ATGL and inhibiting lipid droplet degradation and lipid autophagy in hepatocytes. Our data show that the C-terminal of STX11 and the patatin domain-containing segment of ATGL have direct physical interactions. Thus, STX11 overexpression prevents spatial translocation of ATGL onto LDs by recruitment of ATGL to the ER. Conversely, STX11 deficiency in hepatocytes promotes lipid hydrolysis, and the ATGL-SIRT1 signaling pathway enhances lipophagy. Overall, this study uncovered that the regulation of lipolysis and lipophagy is achieved by STX11 through the attenuation of ATGL action in hepatocytes.

Objective: To evaluate the safety profile and short-term functional outcome of sustainable functional urethral reconstruction (SFUR) in robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Methods: One hundred and sixty-two consecutive prostate cancer patients who underwent RARP were retrospectively analyzed, in which 53 had undergone SFUR while the other 109 had undergone conventional RARP procedures. Immediate, 2-week, 1-month and 3-month continence recovery and other perioperative data were compared to evaluate short-term surgical and functional outcome. Results: The median age was 68 and 67 years in the experimental group and control group, respectively (p=0.206), with a median prostate-specific antigen (PSA) of 13.6 ng/mL (interquartile range [IQR], 8.46–27.32 ng/mL) in the experimental group and 13.84 ng/mL (IQR, 9.12–26.80 ng/mL) in control group (p=0.846). Immediate, 2-week, 1-month and 3-month continence recovery rates between the groups were 34.0% vs. 3.7%, 50.9% vs. 14.7%, 62.3% vs. 27.5%, and 79.2% vs. 63.3% (all p

Intratumor heterogeneity is a key driver for local relapse and treatment failure. Thus, using multifocal prostate cancer as a model to investigate tumor inter-clonal relationships and tumor evolution could aid in our understanding of drug resistance. Previous studies discovered genomic alterations by comparing hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (HSPC) with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in large cohorts. However, most studies did not sequentially sample tumors from the same patient. In our study, we performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) on 14 specimens from five locally relapsed patients before and after androgen-deprivation therapy. We described the landscape of genomic alterations before and after treatment and identified critical driver events that could have contributed to the evolution of CRPC. In addition to confirming known cancer genes such as TP53 and CDK12, we also identified new candidate genes that may play a role in the progression of prostate cancer, including MYO15A, CHD6 and LZTR1. At copy number alteration (CNA) level, gain of 8q24.13-8q24.3 was observed in 60% of patients and was the most commonly altered locus in both HSPC and CRPC tumors. Finally, utilizing phylogenetic reconstruction, we explored the clonal progression pattern from HSPC to CRPC in each patient. Our findings highlight the complex and heterogeneous mechanisms underlying the development of drug resistance, and underscore the potential value of monitoring tumor clonal architectures during disease progression in a clinical setting.

PurposeTo establish an individualized prostate biopsy model that reduces unnecessary biopsy cores based on multiparameter MRI (mpMRI).Materials and MethodsThis retrospective, non-inferiority dual-center study retrospectively included 609 patients from the Changhai Hospital from June 2017 to November 2020 and 431 patients from the Fujian Union Hospital between 2014 and 2019. Clinical, radiological, and pathological data were analyzed. Data from the Changhai Hospital were used for modeling by calculating the patients’ disease risk scores. Data from the Fujian Union Hospital were used for external verification.ResultsBased on the data of 609 patients from the Changhai Hospital, we divided the patients evenly into five layers according to the disease risk score. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was analyzed. Twelve-core systemic biopsy (12-SBx) was used as the reference standard. The SBx cores from each layer were reduced to 9, 6, 5, 4, and 4. The data of 279 patients with benign pathological results from the Fujian Union Hospital were incorporated into the model. No patients were in the first layer. The accuracies of the models for the other layers were 88, 96.43, 94.87, and 94.59%. The accuracy of each layer would be increased to 96, 100, 100, and 97.30% if the diagnosis of non-clinically significant prostate cancer was excluded.ConclusionsIn this study, we established an individualized biopsy model using data from a dual center. The results showed great accuracy of the model, indicating its future clinical application.

International university students may be at greater risk for developing psychological problems due to the unique stressors in them, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of present study is to propose and test a moderated mediation model that would illuminate the underlying relationships of cross-cultural adaption, perceived stress and psychological health as well as the moderating effect of optimism and resilience among international medical undergraduates in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was conducted via a web-based survey in November 2020. Electronic informed consents were obtained from all participants. A total of 453 students including 233 males and 220 females aged 18 to 28 years with an average age of 22.09 (SD = 2.73) completed the questionnaires. Symptom Checklist 90, the measurement of cross-cultural adaption, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Life Orientation Test-Revised and the Resilience Scale were used for the survey. Results for the moderated mediation model testing revealed that cross-cultural adaption significantly and negatively associated with the Global Severity Index (GSI) of the Symptom Checklist 90 (β = −0.24, P < 0.01), and perceived stress partially mediated the relationship. Optimism (β = −0.29, P < 0.01) and confidence in COVID-19 control (β = −0.19, P < 0.01) had direct negative effects on perceived stress. Furthermore, optimism and resilience negatively moderated the indirect effect of cross-cultural adaption on psychological health through perceived stress. Findings of this study suggest that university educators ought to promote or make use of programs that cope with stress and boost optimism and resilience in order to support students not only adapt well to a new culture, but also keep good psychological health during the period of COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives: To summarize the experience of the first 500 robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) cases by one surgeon and analyze the influencing factors of functional and oncological outcomes. Methods: Between April 2012 and October 2017, 500 patients who underwent RALP were included and divided sequentially into five equal groups. Patients’ preoperative, perioperative and postoperative outcomes were analyzed and evaluated, and the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyze and compare the effect of surgeon experience by case. Results: There is a statistically significant reduction in operative time, intraoperative estimated blood loss and postoperative hospital stay time (all p

Abstract. Background. The role of local treatment in oligometastatic prostate cancer (PCa) is gaining interest with the oligometastases hypothesis proposed and the improvement of various surgical methods and techniques. This study aimed to compare the short-term therapeutic outcomes of robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) for oligometastatic prostate cancer (OPC) vs. localized PCa using propensity score matching. Methods. Totally 508 consecutive patients underwent RALP as a first-line treatment. The patients were divided into two groups according to oligometastatic state: the OPC group (n = 41) or the localized PCa group (n = 467). Oligometastatic disease was defined as the presence of two or fewer suspicious lesions. The association between the oligometastatic state and therapeutic outcomes of RALP was evaluated, including biochemical recurrence (BCR) and overall survival (OS). A Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the possible risk factors for BCR. Results. Totally 41 pairs of patients were matched. The median operative time, the median blood loss, the overall positive surgical margin rate, the median post-operative hospital stays, and the post-operative urinary continence recovery rate between the two groups showed no statistical significance. The 4-year BCR survival rates of the OPC group and localized PCa group were 56.7% and 60.8%, respectively, without a significant difference (P = 0.804). The 5-year OS rates were 96.3% and 100%, respectively (P = 0.326). Additionally, the results of Cox regression showed that oligometastatic state was not an independent risk factor for BCR (P = 0.682). Conclusions. Our findings supported the safety and effectiveness of RALP in OPC. Additionally, oligometastatic state and sites did not have an adverse effect on BCR independently.

A cognitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-targeted prostate biopsy conducted by an experienced clinician enhances the detection rate of (high-grade) prostate cancer; however, this method is less successful in the hands of inexperienced surgeons. Therefore, an alternative method of conducting a cognitive MRI-targeted biopsy that can be successfully performed by the inexperienced clinicians should be developed. Ninety-six males suspected of prostate cancer were analyzed using systematic biopsy and cognitive MRI-targeted biopsy based on our novel three-dimensional matrix positioning method. Typically, the core principle of the latter procedure was to put the MRI and ultrasound images into the same virtual coordinate system. Afterward, the targeted biopsy was transformed to target a coordinate for the suspected lesion in the MRI. Subsequently, patients were assessed for the presence/absence of prostate cancer or high-grade prostate cancer. According to our results, the overall detection rate of prostate cancer was 70.8% (68/96), and the detection rate of high-grade prostate cancer was 56.3% (54/96). Specifically, the detection rate of prostate cancer by systematic biopsy was 54.2% (52/96) and that by targeted biopsy was 59.4% (57/96; P = 0.560). Clearly, the combined application of targeted biopsy could remarkably increase the detection rates of prostate cancer (P = 0.025) and high-grade prostate cancer (P = 0.009). Taken together, the findings of this study suggest that the combination of systematic biopsy with our three-dimensional matrix positioning-driven cognitive-targeted biopsy is superior to systematic biopsy in detecting prostate cancer and high-grade prostate cancer.

Priapism secondary to chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is rarely observed in the clinic. Here, we present an 18-year-old patient with priapism for over 72 h due to hyperleukocytosis. Emergent interventions such as therapeutic aspiration and intracorporal injection of phenylephrine failed before a surgical corpora cavernosa-corpus spongiosum shunt was inserted to relieve symptoms. During hospitalization, bone marrow aspiration confirmed the diagnosis of CML. Keywords: Priapism, Chronic myeloid leukemia, Surgical cavernosa-corpus spongiosum shunt

Cells of all tissues in the human body share almost the exact same DNA sequence, but the epigenomic landscape can be drastically distinct. To improve our understanding of the epigenetic abnormalities in prostate-related diseases, it is important to use the epigenome of normal prostate as a reference. Although previous efforts have provided critical insights into the genetic and transcriptomic features of the normal prostate, a comprehensive epigenome map has been lacking. To address this need, we conducted a Roadmap Epigenomics legacy project integrating six histone marks (H3K4me1, H3K4me3, H3K9me3, H3K36me3, H3K27me3, and H3K27ac) with complete DNA methylome, transcriptome, and chromatin accessibility data to produce a comprehensive epigenome map of normal prostate tissue. Our epigenome map is composed of 18 chromatin states each with unique signatures of DNA methylation, chromatin accessibility, and gene expression. This map provides a high-resolution comprehensive annotation of regulatory regions of the prostate, including 105,593 enhancer and 70,481 promoter elements, which account for 5.3% of the genome. By comparing with other epigenomes, we identified 7,580 prostate-specific active enhancers associated with prostate development. Epigenomic annotation of GWAS SNPs associated with prostate cancers revealed that two out of nine SNPs within prostate enhancer regions destroyed putative androgen receptor (AR) binding motif. A notable SNP rs17694493, might decouple AR’s repressive effect on CDKN2B-AS1 and cell cycle regulation, thereby playing a causal role in predisposing cancer risk. The comprehensive epigenome map of the prostate is valuable for investigating prostate-related diseases.

Objective We reviewed relevant research on rituximab (RTX) treatment for pediatric immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) to elucidate the efficacy and safety of RTX. Methods Prospective clinical trials of RTX for the treatment of pediatric ITP were collected by searching the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and OVID: EMBASE databases and ClinicalTrials.gov. We examined rates of overall response (OR), complete response (CR), partial response (PR), sustained response (SR), relapse (R), and adverse drug reaction (ADR). The Methodological Index for Nonrandomized Studies scale was used, and sensitivity analyses were performed. Results For five studies, including 100 patients, the pooled OR, CR, PR, SR, R, and ADR rates were 52% (95% CI: 0.36–0.77, I 2 = 78%), 52% (95% CI: 0.41–0.67, I 2 = 45%), 18% (95% CI: 0.10–0.33, I 2 = 33%), 43% (95% CI: 0.29–0.63, I 2 = 0%), 25% (95% CI: 0.06–0.96, I 2 = 52%), and 30% (95% CI: 0.15–0.58, I 2 = 64%), respectively. Conclusion There is evidence, albeit low quality, that RTX may be a better second-line therapy than splenectomy for children with ITP; however, its efficacy and safety need to be validated by further high-quality clinical trials, such as randomized controlled trials.

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is the primary limiting factor that affects crop yields in acid soil. However, the genes that contribute to the Al tolerance process in maize are still poorly understood. Previous studies have predicted that ZmAT6 is a novel protein which could be upregulated under Al stress condition. Here, we found that ZmAT6 is expressed in many tissues and organs and can be dramatically induced by Al in both the roots and shoots but particularly in the shoots. The overexpression of ZmAT6 in maize and Arabidopsis plants increased their root growth and reduced the accumulation of Al, suggesting the contribution of ZmAT6 to Al tolerance. Moreover, the ZmAT6 transgenic maize plants had lower contents of malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species (ROS), but much higher proline content and even lower Evans blue absorption in the roots compared with the wild type. Furthermore, the activity of several enzymes of the antioxidant system, such as peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), increased in ZmAT6 transgenic maize plants, particularly SOD. Consistently, the expression of ZmSOD in transgenic maize was predominant upregulated by Al stress. Taken together, these findings revealed that ZmAT6 could at least partially confer enhanced tolerance to Al toxicity by scavenging ROS in maize.

Large-scale epidemiological studies have found that hyperhomocysteinemia is a powerful, independent risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. Trillium tschonoskii maxim is a traditional Chinese medicine that is used to promote memory. However, scientific understanding of its mechanism of action is limited. This report studied the potential neuroprotective effects of Trillium tschonoskii maxim extract against homocysteine-induced cognitive deficits. Rats were intravenously injected with homocysteine (400 μg/kg) for 14 days to induce a model of Alzheimer’s disease. These rats were then intragastrically treated with Trillium tschonoskii maxim extract (0.125 or 0.25 g/kg) for 7 consecutive days. Open field test and Morris water maze test were conducted to measure spontaneous activity and learning and memory abilities. Western blot assay was used to detect the levels of Tau protein and other factors involved in Tau phosphorylation in the hippocampus. Immunohistochemical staining was used to examine Tau protein in the hippocampus. Golgi staining was applied to measure hippocampal dendritic spines. Our results demonstrated that homocysteine produced learning and memory deficits and increased levels of Tau phosphorylation, and diminished the activity of catalytic protein phosphatase 2A. The total number of hippocampal dendritic spines was also decreased. Trillium tschonoskii maxim extract treatment reversed the homocysteine-induced changes. The above results suggest that Trillium tschonoskii maxim extract can lessen homocysteine-induced abnormal Tau phosphorylation and improve cognitive deterioration such as that present in Alzheimer’s disease.

Background: Sit-stand workstations are available for office work purposes but there is a dearth of quantitative evidence to state benefits for lower limb outcomes while using them. And there are no guidelines on what constitutes appropriate sit/stand time duration. The primary aim of this study has been to compare muscle activity and perceived discomfort in the lower extremity during various combinations of sit/stand time duration associated with a sit-stand workstation separately and to evaluate the effects of the sit-stand workstation on the lower extremity during the text entry task. Material and Methods: During the 5 days, all participants completed a 2-h text entry task each day for various sit/stand time duration combinations as follows: 5/25 min, 10/20 min, 15/15 min, 20/10 min, 25/5 min. Lower extremity muscular exposure of 12 male and 13 female participants was collected at 8 sites by surface electromyography and body discomfort was calculated by a questionnaire under those 5 conditions. Results: Results have demonstrated that lower extremity muscle activity has been significantly varied among the 5 sit/stand time duration groups. Perceived level of discomfort (PLD) has not differed significantly for 9 out of 10 body parts. Conclusions: The muscle activity of the thigh region was influenced by sit/stand time duration significantly. Ergonomic exposures of lower extremity when using a sit-stand workstation were increased, particularly during the long time standing posture. Results indicate that body mass index (BMI) and gender were not significant factors in this study. Combination of sit/stand time duration 25/5 min appears to show positive effects on relief of muscle exposure of back of thigh in the shifts of sitting and standing work position. Med Pr 2017;68(3):315–327

Crassostrea gigas polysaccharides (CGP) were obtained by different drying methods: freeze-drying (FD), spray-drying (SD) or rotary evaporation-drying (RED). The physicochemical properties of CGP were evaluated on the basis of polysaccharide content, protein content, color characteristics, FT-IR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Antioxidant activities were researched three different free radicals, including DPPH free radicals, ABTS free radicals and reducing power. The results demonstrated that FDCGP, SDCGP and REDCGP have different physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities. Contrasted with FDCGP and REDCGP, SDCGP exhibited stronger antioxidant abilities. Therefore, considering the polysaccharides appearances and antioxidant activities, the spray drying method is a decent selection for the preparation of such polysaccharides, and it should be selected for application in the food industry.

Prostate cancer (PCa) has become to have the highest incidence and the second mortality rate in western countries, affecting men's health to a large extent. Although prostate-specific antigen (PSA) was discovered to help diagnose the cancer in an early stage for decades, its specificity is relative low, resulting in unnecessary biopsy for healthy people and over-treatment for patients. Thus, it is imperative to identify more and more effective biomarkers for early diagnosis of PCa in order to distinguish patients from healthy populations, which helps guide an early treatment to lower disease-related mortality by noninvasive or minimal invasive approaches. This review generally describes the current early diagnostic biomarkers of PCa in addition to PSA and summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of these biomarkers.

To investigate the effects of surface chemisorbed hydrogen atoms and hydrogen atoms in the subsurface region of diamond on surface conductivity, models of hydrogen atoms chemisorbed on diamond with (100) orientation and various concentrations of hydrogen atoms in the subsurface layer of the diamond were built. By using the first-principles method based on density functional theory, the equilibrium geometries and densities of states of the models were studied. The results showed that the surface chemisorbed hydrogen alone could not induce high surface conductivity. In addition, isolated hydrogen atoms in the subsurface layer of the diamond prefer to exist at the bond centre site of the C-C bond. However, such a structure would induce deep localized states, which could not improve the surface conductivity. When the hydrogen concentration increases, the C-H-C-H structure and C-3Hbc-C structure in the subsurface region are more stable than other configurations. The former is not beneficial to the increase of the surface conductivity. However, the latter would induce strong surface states near the Fermi level, which would give rise to high surface conductivity. Thus, a high concentration of subsurface hydrogen atoms in diamond would make significant contributions to surface conductivity.