Rational design of multifunctional hydrogels targeting the microenvironment of diabetic periodontitis.

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease and is the primary contributor to adult tooth loss. Diabetes exacerbates periodontitis, accelerates periodontal bone resorption. Thus, effectively managing periodontitis in individuals with diabetes is a long-standing challenge. This review introduces the etiology and pathogenesis of periodontitis, and analyzes the bidirectional relationship between diabetes and periodontitis. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the four pathological microenvironments influenced by diabetic periodontitis: high glucose microenvironment, bacterial infection microenvironment, inflammatory microenvironment, and bone loss microenvironment. The hydrogel design strategies and latest research development tailored to the four microenvironments of diabetic periodontitis are mainly focused on. Finally, the challenges and potential solutions in the treatment of diabetic periodontitis are discussed. We believe this review will be helpful for researchers seeking novel avenues in the treatment of diabetic periodontitis.

Insights into the Mechanism of Efficient Cr(VI) Removal from Aqueous Solution by Iron-Rich Wheat Straw Hydrochar: Coupling DFT Calculation with Experiments.

Agricultural solid waste has become one of the raw materials for hydrothermal carbon production, promoting resource utilization. This study synthesized two types of ball-milling carbons (Fe-MHBC vs MHBC) with and without FeCl3 modification using wheat straw hydrochars. Cr(VI) adsorption on these two types of ball-milling carbons was investigated. According to Langmuir's maximum adsorption capacity analysis, Fe-MHBC had a capacity of 116.29 mg g-1. The thermodynamic analysis based on isothermal adsorption reveals the spontaneous process of the reaction between the two materials. The adsorption of Cr(VI) on Fe-MHBC exhibited excellent agreement with the pseudo-second-order kinetics model. Furthermore, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed that Fe(II) in the material reduced Cr(VI) when it participated in the reaction. The acidic conditions facilitate the elimination of Cr(VI). The Fe-MHBC has a higher zeta potential, which enhances the electrostatic attraction of Cr(VI) particles. Even with a starting pH of 10, the removal rate can be consistently maintained at over 64%. The adsorption of Cr(VI) was inhibited by various anions and higher ion concentrations. Density functional theory demonstrates that the presence of Fe enhances the adsorption capacity and electron transfer flux of Cr(VI). Fe-MHBC effectively eliminates Cr(VI) by the process of electrostatic adsorption, redox, and complexation reactions. This study demonstrated that hydrochar materials modified by FeCl3 through a ball-milling process show considerable potential as effective adsorbents in the treatment of Cr(VI) pollution, offering a viable and environmentally friendly solution for mitigating this prevalent environmental issue.

Cystatin SN (CST1) Is a Poor Independent Prognostic Biomarker for Gastrointestinal Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (GI-DLBCL) is the most common histological subtype of extra-nodal DLBCL, but the risk factors, prognostic biomarkers, histopathological classifications, and treatment strategies have not had significant progress. Emerging evidence shows that cystatin SN (CST1) is involved in tumor progression in several cancer types, but its role in GI-DLBCL has not been revealed. MATERIAL AND METHODS We established a cohort consisting of 84 patients with GI-DLBCL who underwent surgical resection. The expression of CST1 in the cohort was investigated by immunohistochemistry, which divided the patients into subgroups with low or high expression of CST1. Moreover, the CST1 expression in GI-DLBCL tissues or adjacent GI tissues were compared with RT-qPCR. The correlation between CST1 expression and clinicopathological factors was analyzed with the chi-square test. The prognostic significance of CST1 was estimated by univariate and multivariate analysis, and statistical significance was analyzed with the log-rank test. RESULTS CST1 was aberrantly upregulated in GI-DLBCL tissues compared with in non-tumor GI tissues. High expression of CST1 indicated poor prognosis of GI-DLBCL (P=0.012), and CST1 can be regarded as an independent prognostic biomarker of GI-DLBCL (hazard ratio=3.07). In our study, serum lactate dehydrogenase (P=0.002), performance status (P=0.003), Lugano stage (P=0.002), and International Prognostic Index (P=0.001) were also prognostic factors of GI-DLBCL. CONCLUSIONS CST1 is an independent prognostic biomarker of GI-DLBCL, indicating unfavorable prognosis. Our results suggested that CST1 detection can be a promising method to stratify high-risk patients and guide individual treatment.

Role of acupuncture in improving the outcome of sepsis-induced lung injury.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of serum exosomes of mice after acupuncture (acu-exo) on acute lung injury (ALI) in sepsis in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: Serum exosomes (acu-exo) of normal mice were prepared after acupuncture. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used to establish the model of ALI in vivo and in vitro. Immunohistochemistry, western blot, and immunofluorescence were used to evaluate the mechanism of acu-exo on ALI. P2X7 knockout mice and P2X7 siRNA were used to verify the mechanism. RESULTS: Compared with normal mice, serum exosomes were significantly increased in normal mice after acupuncture. The results showed that P2X7 was increased in the lung of septic mice as compared with the WT group. It was also found that the increase in NLRP3 and NF-κB was accompanied by the activation of P2X7. Increased P2X7 led to activation of the P2X7 receptor causing mitochondrial dysfunctions in lung tissue of septic mice. Knockout of P2X7 or silenced P2X7 markedly decreased NLRP3 and NF-κB and led to mitochondrial function recovery in lung tissue of sepsis. At the same time, acu-exo significantly restored the above changes in the lung tissue of septic mice. CONCLUSIONS: Inhibition of P2X7 led to mitochondrial function recovery of lung tissue by inhibiting NLRP3 and NF-κB. At the same time, acu-exo could improve ALI by decreasing NLRP3 and NF-κB activation.

Five new glycosides from the culms of Phyllostachys nigra var. henonis.

Five new glycosides, namely methyl 3-methoxybenzoate-4,5-di-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (1), (1aS,3aS,3R)-3-(4'-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-3'-methoxyphenyl)-5,6-dioxa-bicyclo[3.3.0]octane-1-one (2), quinolin-4(1H)-one-3-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (3), 3-methoxy-propiophenone 4-O-(6'-ß-D-xylopyranosyl)-ß-D-glucopyranoside (4), methyl 3-methoxybenzoate 4-O-(6'-ß-D-xylopyranosyl)-ß-D-glucopyranoside (5), and one known compound, bambulignan B (6) were isolated from the culms of Phyllostachys nigra var. henonis. Their structures were determined using spectroscopic analysis. All compounds were evaluated for their DPPH radical scavenging activity. Compound 6 exhibited antioxidant activity with IC50 value of 59.5 µM (positive control, L-ascorbic acid, IC50 = 12.4 µM; 2,6-ditertbutyl-4-methyl phenol, IC50 = 11.8 µM).

Multi-omics analysis reveals the impact of gut microbiota on antipsychotic-induced weight gain in schizophrenia.

Emerging evidence indicates that gut microbial dysbiosis is associated with the development of antipsychotic-induced weight gain in schizophrenia (SZ). However, the exact taxonomic composition and functionality that constitute the "obesogenic" microbial profile remain elusive. Our retrospective survey identified two groups of the SZ population separated by BMI, with 1/3 of patients developing overweight/obesity after chronic antipsychotic treatment. Based on multi-omics analysis, we observed altered gut microbiota in SZ patients with overweight/obesity, characterized by a reduction in several beneficial bacteria genera, including Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, Akkermansia, and Clostridium. This microbial dysbiosis was accompanied by disrupted energy expenditure and nutritional metabolism, worsened metabolic indices, and reduced levels of beneficial metabolites, e.g. indole-3-carboxylic acid and propionic acid. Moreover, leveraging data from first-episode drug-naïve schizophrenia (FSZ) patients at one-month and one-year follow-up, both artificial neural network and random forest classifier-based prediction models demonstrated a strong ability of microbial profiles to predict antipsychotic-induced weight gain. Importantly, FSZ patients with higher relative abundance of Parabacteria distasonis were less susceptible to antipsychotic-induced weight gain. Thus, gut microbiota could serve as a noninvasive approach to predict antipsychotic-induced weight gain, guiding clinical antipsychotics administration and developing novel therapeutic strategies for weight management in SZ.

IFIH1 variants are associated with generalised epilepsy preceded by febrile seizures.

BACKGROUND: IFIH1 variants have been reported to be associated with immune-related disorders with/without seizures. It is unknown whether IFIH1 variants are associated with common epilepsy without acquired causes and the mechanism underlying phenotypic variation remains elusive. METHODS: Trio-based whole-exome sequencing was performed on patients with febrile seizures or epilepsy with antecedent febrile seizures. Previously reported variants were systematically reviewed to investigate genotype-phenotype associations. RESULTS: Two de novo heterozygous and three biallelic missense variants were identified in five patients with generalised epilepsy with antecedent febrile seizures. The variants were predicted to be damaging by in silico tools and were associated with hydrogen bonding changes to neighbouring amino acids or decreased protein stability. Patients exhibited an early onset age and became seizure-free with favourable outcome. Further analysis revealed that de novo missense variants located in the Hel region resulted in seizures with multiple neurological abnormalities, while those in the pincer domain or C-terminal domain led to seizures with normal neurodevelopment, suggesting a sub-molecular effect. Biallelic missense variants, which were inherited from unaffected parents and presented low allele frequencies in general populations, were associated with seizures without neurological abnormalities. Truncation variants were related to refractory epilepsy and severe developmental delay, suggesting a genotype-phenotype correlation. IFIH1 is predominantly expressed in the neonatal stage and decreases dramatically in the adulthood, which is consistent with the early onset age and favourable outcome of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: IFIH1 variants are potentially associated with generalised epilepsy with antecedent febrile seizures. The sub-molecular implication and genotype-phenotype association help explain phenotype variations of IFIH1 variants.

Application of CRISPR/Cas12a in miRNA-155 detection: A novel homogeneous electrochemiluminescence biosensor.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important non-coding RNA entities that affect gene expression and function by binding to target mRNAs, leading to degradation of the mRNAs or inhibiting their translation. MiRNAs are widely involved in a variety of biological processes, such as cell differentiation, development, metabolism, and apoptosis. In addition, miRNAs are associated with many diseases, including cancer. However, conventional detection techniques often suffer from shortcomings such as low sensitivity, so we need to develop a rapid and efficient detection strategy for accurate detection of miRNAs. RESULTS: We have developed an innovative homogeneous electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor. This biosensor employs CRISPR/Cas12a gene editing technology for accurate and efficient detection of microRNA (miRNA). Compared to conventional technologies, this biosensor employs a unique homogeneous detection format that eliminates laborious probe fixation steps and greatly simplifies the detection process. By using two amplification techniques - isothermal amplification and T7 RNA polymerase amplification - the biosensor improves the sensitivity and specificity of the assay, providing excellent detection performance in the assay. This makes it possible to evaluate miRNA directly from a variety of biological samples such as cell lysates and diluted human serum. Experimental results convincingly demonstrate the extraordinary performance of this biosensor, including its extremely low detection limit of 1.27 aM, high sensitivity, reproducibility and stability. SIGNIFICANCE: The application of our constructed sensor in distinguishing between cancerous and non-cancerous cell lines highlights its potential for early cancer detection and monitoring. This innovative approach represents a major advancement in the field of miRNA detection, providing a user-friendly, cost-effective, and sensitive solution with broad implications for clinical diagnosis and patient care, especially in point-of-care settings.

Effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound on the microorganisms of expressed prostatic secretion in patients with IIIB prostatitis.

To detect and analyze the changes of microorganisms in expressed prostatic secretion (EPS) of patients with IIIB prostatitis before and after low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) treatment, and to explore the mechanism of LIPUS in the treatment of chronic prostatitis (CP). 25 patients (study power was estimated using a Dirichlet-multinomial approach and reached 96.5% at α = 0.05 using a sample size of 25) with IIIB prostatitis who were effective in LIPUS treatment were divided into two groups before and after LIPUS treatment. High throughput second-generation sequencing technique was used to detect and analyze the relative abundance of bacterial 16 s ribosomal variable regions in EPS before and after treatment. The data were analyzed by bioinformatics software and database, and differences with P < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Beta diversity analysis showed that there was a significant difference between groups (P = 0.046). LEfSe detected four kinds of characteristic microorganisms in the EPS of patients with IIIB prostatitis before and after LIPUS treatment. After multiple comparisons among groups by DESeq2 method, six different microorganisms were found. LIPUS may improve patients' clinical symptoms by changing the flora structure of EPS, stabilizing and affecting resident bacteria or opportunistic pathogens.

Biochar effects on salt-affected soil properties and plant productivity: A global meta-analysis.

Biochar has been recognized as a promising practice for ameliorating degraded soils, yet the consensus on its effects remains largely unknown due to the variability among biochar, soil and plant. This study therefore presents a meta-analysis synthesizing 92 publications containing 987 paired data to scrutinize biochar effects on salt-affected soil properties and plant productivity. Additionally, a random meta-forest approach was employed to identify the key factors of biochar on salt-affected soil and plant productivity. Results showed that biochar led to significant reductions in electrical conductivity (EC), bulk density (BD) and pH by 7.4%, 4.7% and 1.2% compared to the unamended soil, respectively. Soil organic carbon (by 55.1%) and total nitrogen (by 31.3%) increased significantly with biochar addition. Moreover, biochar overall enhanced plant productivity by 31.5%, and more pronounced increases in forage/medicinal with higher salt tolerance than others. The results also identified that the soil salinity and biochar application rate were the most important co-regulators for EC and PP changes. The structural equation model further showed that soil salinity (P < 0.001), biochar pH (P < 0.001) and biochar specific surface area (P < 0.01) had a significant negative effect on soil EC, but it was positively impacted by biochar pyrolysis temperature (P < 0.05). Furthermore, plant productivity was positively affected by biochar pH (P < 0.001) and biochar feedstock (P < 0.01), while negatively influenced by biochar pyrolysis temperature (P < 0.01). This study highlights that woody biochar with 7.6 < pH < 9.0 and pyrolyzed at 400-600 °C under 30-70 t ha-1 application rate in moderately saline coarse soils is a recommendable pattern to enhance forage/medicinal productivity while reducing soil salinity. In conclusion, biochar offers promising avenues for ameliorating degradable soils, but it is imperative to explore largescale applications and field performance across different biochar, soil, and plant types.

Development and External Validation of Nomograms for Predicting Disease-Free Survival and Overall Survival in Patients with cT1-ccRCC After Partial Nephrectomy: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: To develop a novel nomogram for predicting 2-year and 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with cT1-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) undergoing partial nephrectomy (PN). METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted across five urological centers, including 940 patients who underwent PN for cT1N0M0-ccRCC. Four centers were randomly selected to constitute the training group, while the remaining center served as the testing group. We employed the LASSO and multivariate Cox regression to develop new nomograms. The 1,000 bootstrap-corrected c-index, net reclassification improvement (NRI) and receiver operating characteristic curve were employed to compare the predictive abilities of new nomograms with the widely used UUIS and SSIGN models. Finally, the novel nomograms underwent external validation. RESULTS: The training group included 714 patients, while the testing group consisted of 226 patients. The bootstrap-corrected c-indexes for the DFS and OS model were 0.870 and 0.902, respectively. In the training cohort, the AUC for the DFS and OS models at 2 years and 5 years were 0.953, 0.902, 0.988, and 0.911, respectively. These values were also assessed in the testing cohort. The predictive capabilities of the new nomograms surpassed those of the UUIS and SSIGN models (NRI > 0). Decision curve analysis demonstrated that the novel nomograms provide greater net benefits compared to the UUIS and SSIGN models. CONCLUSIONS: Our novel nomograms demonstrated strong predictive ability for forecasting oncological outcomes in cT1-ccRCC patients after PN. These user-friendly nomograms are simple and convenient for clinical application, providing tangible clinical benefits.

Ultrathin Flexible Silica Nanosheets with Surface Chemistry-Modulated Affinity to Mammalian Cells.

Flexibility of nanomaterials is challenging but worthy to tune for biomedical applications. Biocompatible silica nanomaterials are under extensive exploration but are rarely observed to exhibit flexibility despite the polymeric nature. Herein, a facile one-step route is reported to ultrathin flexible silica nanosheets (NSs), whose low thickness and high diameter-to-thickness ratio enables folding. Thickness and diameter can be readily tuned to enable controlled flexibility. Mechanism study reveals that beyond the commonly used surfactant, the "uncommon" one bearing two hydrophobic tails play a guiding role in producing sheeted/layered/shelled structures, while addition of ethanol appropriately relieved the strong interfacial tension of the assembled surfactants, which will otherwise produce large curled sheeted structures. With these ultrathin NSs, it is further shown that the cellular preference for particle shape and rigidity is highly dependent on surface chemistry of nanoparticles: under high particle-cell affinity, NSs, and especially the flexible ones will be preferred by mammalian cells for internalization or attachment, while this preference is basically invalid when the affinity is low. Therefore, properties of the ultrathin silica NSs can be effectively expanded and empowered by surface chemistry to realize improved bio-sensing or drug delivery.

Transcriptome analysis of Candida albicans planktonic cells in response to plasma medicine.

Introduction. Cold plasma is frequently utilized for the purpose of eliminating microbial contaminants. Under optimal conditions, it can function as plasma medicine for treating various diseases, including infections caused by Candida albicans, an opportunistic pathogen that can overgrow in individuals with weakened immune system.Gap Statement. To date, there has been less molecular study on cold plasma-treated C. albicans.Research Aim. The study aims to fill the gap in understanding the molecular response of C. albicans to cold plasma treatment.Methodology. This project involved testing a cold plasma generator to determine its antimicrobial effectiveness on C. albicans' planktonic cells. Additionally, the cells' transcriptomics responses were investigated using RNA sequencing at various treatment durations (1, 3 and 5 min).Results. The results show that our cold plasma effectively eliminates C. albicans. Cold plasma treatment resulted in substantial downregulation of important pathways, such as 'nucleotide metabolism', 'DNA replication and repair', 'cell growth', 'carbohydrate metabolism' and 'amino acid metabolism'. This was an indication of cell cycle arrest of C. albicans to preserve energy consumption under unfavourable conditions. Nevertheless, C. albicans adapted its GSH antioxidant system to cope with the oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species and other free radicals. The treatment likely led to a decrease in cell pathogenicity as many virulence factors were downregulated.Conclusion. The study demonstrated the major affected pathways in cold plasma-treated C. albicans, providing valuable insights into the molecular response of C. albicans to cold plasma treatment. The findings contribute to the understanding of the antimicrobial efficiency of cold plasma and its potential applications in the field of microbiology.

The double mediating effect of stress regulation and life satisfaction on music use as a coping mechanism and happiness in Chinese older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the relationship between music use as a coping mechanism and subjective happiness among Chinese older adults (COAs) during Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); it also focused on the mediating effect of stress regulation by music and life satisfaction in this relationship. METHODS: Participants were 329 male and female Chinese adults aged 60 years or older. Data were collected using the Sojump application for an online survey. The double mediating effect was analyzed using PROCESS Macro 3.5 Model 6. RESULTS: The results revealed that music use as a coping mechanism and stress regulation by music were not significantly correlated with subjective happiness of COAs, whereas these were positively correlated with their life satisfaction. Additionally, life satisfaction of COAs was positively correlated with subjective happiness. Stress regulation by music and life satisfaction completely mediated the relationship between music use as a coping mechanism and subjective happiness of COAs during COVID-19. In the double mediation model, music use as a coping mechanism positively influenced stress regulation by music (ß = 0.704), stress regulation by music positively influenced life satisfaction (ß = 0.162), and life satisfaction positively influenced subjective happiness (ß = 0.498). CONCLUSION: Therefore, music can promote happiness in COAs in stressful situations through stress regulation and life satisfaction.

Phagocytic Plasma Cells in Teleost Fish Provide Insights into the Origin and Evolution of B Cells in Vertebrates.

Teleost IgM+ B cells can phagocytose, like mammalian B1 cells, and secrete Ag-specific IgM, like mammalian B2 cells. Therefore, teleost IgM+ B cells may have the functions of both mammalian B1 and B2 cells. To support this view, we initially found that grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) IgM+ plasma cells (PCs) exhibit robust phagocytic ability, akin to IgM+ naive B cells. Subsequently, we sorted grass carp IgM+ PCs into two subpopulations: nonphagocytic (Pha-IgM+ PCs) and phagocytic IgM+ PCs (Pha+IgM+ PCs), both of which demonstrated the capacity to secrete natural IgM with LPS and peptidoglycan binding capacity. Remarkably, following immunization of grass carp with an Ag, we observed that both Pha-IgM+ PCs and Pha+IgM+ PCs could secrete Ag-specific IgM. Furthermore, in vitro concatenated phagocytosis experiments in which Pha-IgM+ PCs from an initial phagocytosis experiment were sorted and exposed again to beads confirmed that these cells also have phagocytic capabilities, thereby suggesting that all teleost IgM+ B cells have phagocytic potential. Additionally, we found that grass carp IgM+ PCs display classical phenotypic features of macrophages, providing support for the hypothesis that vertebrate B cells evolved from ancient phagocytes. These findings together reveal that teleost B cells are a primitive B cell type with functions reminiscent of both mammalian B1 and B2 cells, providing insights into the origin and evolution of B cells in vertebrates.

Unraveling links between aging, circadian rhythm and cancer: Insights from evidence-based analysis.

Aging and circadian rhythms have been connected for decades, but their molecular interaction has remained unknown, especially for cancers. In this situation, we summarized the current research actuality and problems in this field using the bibliometric analysis. Publications in the PubMed and Web of Science databases were retrieved. Overall, there is a rising trend in the publication volume regarding aging and circadian rhythms in the field of cancer. Researchers from USA, Germany, Italy, China and England have greater studies than others. Top three publication institutions are University of California System, UDICE-French Research Universities and University of Texas System. Current research hotspots include oxidative stress, breast cancer, melatonin, cell cycle, calorie restriction, prostate cancer and NF-KB. In conclusion, results generated by bibliometric analysis indicate that many approaches involve in the complex interactions between aging and circadian rhythm in cancer. These established and emerging research directions guide our exploration of the regulatory mechanisms of aging and circadian rhythms in cancer and provide a reference for developing new research avenues.

The association between ferritin levels and all-cause mortality in stroke patients.

Purpose: The purpose of study was to describe the association between ferritin and all-cause mortality of cases with stroke. Methods: Clinical data derived from Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care were analyzed. The primary endpoint was 30-day mortality. The potential prognostic roles of Ferritin L were analyzed by Cox proportional hazard models. The independent prognostic roles of Ferritin L in the cases were analyzed by smooth curve fitting. Results: Concerning 30-day mortality, the HR (95% CI) for a high Ferritin (≥373) was 1.925 (1.298, 2.854; p = 0.00113), compared to a low ferritin (< 373). After adjusting for multiple confounders, the HR (95% CI) for a high Ferritin (≥373) was 1.782 (1.126, 2.820; p = 0.01367), compared to a low Ferritin (< 373). A non-linear association between Ferritin and 30-day mortality was found. Using recursive algorithm and two-piecewise linear regression model, inflection point (IP) was calculated, which was 2,204. On the left side of the IP, there was a positive relationship between Ferritin and 30-day mortality, and the effect size, 95% CI and p value were 1.0006 (1.0004, 1.0009) p < 0.0001, respectively. On the right of the IP, the effect size, 95% CI and p value were 1.0000 (1.0000, 1.0000) and 0.3107, respectively. Conclusion: Ferritin was associated with increased risk of stroke; it is important to further examine the association if the increased uric acid would increase the outcome of stroke in a longitudinal study. The non-linear relationship between Ferritin and all-cause mortality of stroke was observed. Ferritin was a risk factor for the outcome of stroke when ferritin was <2204.

Benmelstobart, anlotinib and chemotherapy in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer: a randomized phase 3 trial.

Immunochemotherapy is the first-line standard for extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). Combining the regimen with anti-angiogenesis may improve efficacy. ETER701 was a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial that investigated the efficacy and safety of benmelstobart (a novel programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor) with anlotinib (a multi-target anti-angiogenic small molecule) and standard chemotherapy in treatment-naive ES-SCLC. The ETER701 trial assessed two primary endpoints: Independent Review Committee-assessed progression-free survival per RECIST 1.1 and overall survival (OS). Here the prespecified final progression-free survival and interim OS analysis is reported. Patients randomly received benmelstobart and anlotinib plus etoposide/carboplatin (EC; n = 246), placebo and anlotinib plus EC (n = 245) or double placebo plus EC ('EC alone'; n = 247), followed by matching maintenance therapy. Compared with EC alone, median OS was prolonged with benmelstobart and anlotinib plus EC (19.3 versus 11.9 months; hazard ratio 0.61; P = 0.0002), while improvement of OS was not statistically significant with anlotinib plus EC (13.3 versus 11.9 months; hazard ratio 0.86; P = 0.1723). The incidence of grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events was 93.1%, 94.3% and 87.0% in the benmelstobart and anlotinib plus EC, anlotinib plus EC, and EC alone groups, respectively. This study of immunochemotherapy plus multi-target anti-angiogenesis as first-line treatment achieved a median OS greater than recorded in prior randomized studies in patients with ES-SCLC. The safety profile was assessed as tolerable and manageable. Our findings suggest that the addition of anti-angiogenesis therapy to immunochemotherapy may represent an efficacious and safe approach to the management of ES-SCLC. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04234607 .

Harnessing the health benefits of purple and yellow-fleshed sweet potatoes: Phytochemical composition, stabilization methods, and industrial utilization- A review.

Purple-fleshed sweet potato (PFSP) and yellow-fleshed sweet potato (YFSP) are crops highly valued for their nutritional benefits and rich bioactive compounds. These compounds include carotenoids, flavonoids (including anthocyanins), and phenolic acids etc. which are present in both the leaves and roots of these sweet potatoes. PFSP and YFSP offer numerous health benefits, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and neuroprotective properties. The antioxidant activity of these sweet potatoes holds significant potential for various industries, including food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics. However, a challenge in utilizing PFSP and YFSP is their susceptibility to rapid oxidation and color fading during processing and storage. To address this issue and enhance the nutritional value and shelf life of food products, researchers have explored preservation methods such as co-pigmentation and encapsulation. While YFSP has not been extensively studied, this review provides a comprehensive summary of the nutritional value, phytochemical composition, health benefits, stabilization techniques for phytochemical, and industrial applications of both PFSP and YFSP in the food industry. Additionally, the comparison between PFSP and YFSP highlights their similarities and differences, shedding light on their potential uses and benefits in various food products.