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Despite the development of antibody-drug conjugates, the fragment Fab-based drug conjugates offer some unique capabilities in terms of safety, clearance, penetration and others. Current methods for preparing Fab drug conjugates are limited by the availability and stability of Fab proteins, leaving reports on this rare. Here, we found that a single-chain scaffold of Fab enables stabilization of the paired structure and supports high-yield expression in bacteria cytoplasm. Furthermore, we conjugated anti-neoplastic agent SN38 to the C-terminus by sortase A ligation and generated a homogenous Fab conjugate with the drug-to-Fab ratio of 1. The resulting anti-HER2 Fab-SN38 conjugate demonstrated potent and antigen-dependent cell-killing ability with the aid of its special cathepsin-triggered cyclization-promoted release mechanism. In vivo, Fab-SN38 can prevent growths of HER2-positive tumors in athymic mice and be well tolerated to the treatment at 7 mg/kg per dose. Anti-tumor activity, high dose tolerance and penetration advantage observed in this study would merit Fab conjugate investigation in target chemotherapy.

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This paper presents the design of an ultra-wide-angle multispectral narrow-band absorber for reconstructing infrared spectra. The absorber offers several advantages, including polarization sensitivity, robustness against structural wear, wide azimuthal angle coverage, high narrow-band absorption, and adjustable working wavelength. To accomplish infrared spectrum reconstruction, an absorber is employed as a spectral sampling channel, eliminating the influence of slits or complex optical splitting elements in spectral imaging technology. Additionally, we propose using a truncation regularization algorithm based on the design matrix singular value ratio, namely IReg, which can enable high-precision spectral reconstruction under largely disturbed environments. The results demonstrate that, even when the number of absorption spectrum curve is reduced to a range of 1/2 to 1/3, high-precision spectral reconstruction is achievable for both flat and high-energy steep mid- and long-infrared spectral targets, while effectively accomplishing data dimension reduction.

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According to the World Health Organization (WHO) manual, sperm concentration should be measured using an improved Neubauer hemocytometer, while sperm motility should be measured by manual assessment. However, in China, thousands of laboratories do not use the improved Neubauer hemocytometer or method; instead, the Makler counting chamber is one of the most widely used chambers. To study sources of error that could impact the measurement of the apparent concentration and motility of sperm using the Makler counting chamber and to verify its accuracy for clinical application, 67 semen samples from patients attending the Department of Andrology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University (Chengdu, China) between 13 September 2023 and 27 September 2023, were included. Compared with applying the cover glass immediately, delaying the application of the cover glass for 5 s, 10 s, and 30 s resulted in average increases in the sperm concentration of 30.3%, 74.1%, and 107.5%, respectively (all P < 0.0001) and in the progressive motility (PR) of 17.7%, 30.8%, and 39.6%, respectively (all P < 0.0001). However, when the semen specimens were fixed with formaldehyde, a delay in the application of the cover glass for 5 s, 10 s, and 30 s resulted in an average increase in the sperm concentration of 6.7%, 10.8%, and 14.6%, respectively, compared with immediate application of the cover glass. The accumulation of motile sperm due to delays in the application of the cover glass is a significant source of error with the Makler counting chamber and should be avoided.

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KEY MESSAGE: A critical gene for leaf prickle development (LPD) in eggplant was mapped on chromosome E06 and was confirmed to be SmARF10B through RNA interference using a new genetic transformation technique called SACI developed in this study Prickles on eggplant pose challenges for agriculture and are undesirable in cultivated varieties. This study aimed to uncover the genetic mechanisms behind prickle formation in eggplant. Using the F2 and F2:3 populations derived from a cross between the prickly wild eggplant, YQ, and the prickle-free cultivated variety, YZQ, we identified a key genetic locus (LPD, leaf prickle development) on chromosome E06 associated with leaf prickle development through BSA-seq and QTL mapping. An auxin response factor gene, SmARF10B, was predicted as the candidate gene as it exhibited high expression in YQ's mature leaves, while being significantly low in YZQ. Downregulating SmARF10B in YQ through RNAi using a simple and efficient Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation method named Seedling Apical Cut Infection (SACI) developed in this study substantially reduced the size and density of leaf prickles, confirming the role of this gene in prickle development. Besides, an effective SNP was identified in SmARF10B, resulting in an amino acid change between YQ and YZQ. However, this SNP did not consistently correlate with prickle formation in eight other eggplant materials examined. This study sheds light on the pivotal role of SmARF10B in eggplant prickle development and introduces a new genetic transformation method for eggplant, paving the way for future research in this field.

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Compound 5p is a 4ß-N-substituted podophyllotoxin derivative, which exhibited potent activity toward drug-resistant K562/A02 cells and decreased MDR-1 mRNA expression. Here, we further investigated its detail mechanism and tested its antitumor activity. 5p exerted catalytic inhibition of topoisomerase IIα, and didn't show the inhibitor of topoisomerase I. 5p exhibited the inhibitory effect on microtubule polymerization. 5p showed potent anti-proliferation against breast cancer, oral squamous carcinoma, and their drug-resistant cell lines, with resistance index of 0.61 and 0.86, respectively. 5p downregulated the expression levels of P-gp in KBV200 cells and BCRP in MCF7/ADR cells in dose-dependent manner. Moreover, 5p induced KB and KBV200 cells arrest at G2/M phase by up-regulating the expression of γ-H2AX, p-Histone H3 and cyclin B1. 5p induced apoptosis and pyroptosis by increased the expression levels of cleaved-PARP, cleaved-caspase3, N-GSDME as well as LDH release in KB and KBV200 cells. In addition, 5p efficiently impaired tumor growth in KB and KBV200 xenograft mice. Conclusively, this work elucidated the dual inhibitor of topoisomerase II and microtubule of 5p and its mechanism of overcoming the multidrug resistance, indicating that 5p exerts the antitumor potentiality.

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BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) virulence factors, particularly the cagA and vacA genotypes, play important roles in the pathogenic process of gastrointestinal disease. METHODS: The cagA and vacA genotypes of 87 H. pylori strains were determined by PCR and sequencing. The EPIYA and CM motif patterns were analyzed and related to clinical outcomes. We examined the associations between the virulence genes of H. pylori and gastrointestinal diseases in Shandong, and the results were analyzed via the chi-square test and logistic regression model. RESULTS: Overall, 76 (87.36%) of the strains carried the East Asian-type CagA, with the ABD types being the most prevalent (90.79%). However, no significant differences were observed among the different clinical outcomes. The analysis of CagA sequence types revealed 8 distinct types, encompassing 250 EPIYA motifs, including 4 types of EPIYA or EPIYA-like sequences. Additionally, 28 CM motifs were identified, with the most prevalent patterns being E (66.67%), D (16.09%), and W-W (5.75%). Notably, a significant association was discovered between strains with GC and the CM motif pattern D (P < 0.01). With respect to the vacA genotypes, the strains were identified as s1, s2, m1, m2, i1, i2, d1, d2, c1, and c2 in 87 (100%), 0 (0), 26 (29.89%), 61 (70.11%), 73 (83.91%), 14 (16.09%), 76 (87.36%), 11 (12.64%), 18 (20.69%), and 69 (79.31%), respectively. Specifically, the vacA m1 and c1 genotypes presented a significantly greater prevalence in strains from GC compared to CG (P < 0.05). Following adjustment for age and sex, the vacA c1 genotype demonstrated a notable association with GC (OR = 5.174; 95% CI, 1.402-20.810; P = 0.012). This association was both independent of and more pronounced than the correlations between vacA m1 and GC. CONCLUSIONS: CagA proteins possessing CM motif pattern D were more frequently observed in patients with GC (P < 0.01), implying a potentially higher virulence of CM motif pattern D than the other CM motif patterns. Moreover, a strong positive association was identified between the vacA c1 genotype and GC, indicating that the vacA c1 genotype is a robust risk indicator for GC among male patients aged ≥55 years in Shandong.

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Staphylococcus aureus biofilm is a common bio-contaminant source that leads to food cross-contamination and foodborne disease outbreaks. Hence, there is a need for searching novel antibiofilm agents with potential anti-virulence properties to control S. aureus contamination and infections in food systems. In this study, the antibiofilm effects of lactobionic acid (LBA) against S. aureus and its influence on virulence were explored. The minimum inhibition concentration of LBA on S. aureus was 8 mg/mL. Viable count and crystal violet assays revealed that LBA inhibited and inactivated S. aureus biofilms. Microscopic observations further confirmed the antibiofilm activity of LBA on S. aureus that disrupted the biofilm architecture and inactivated the viable cells in biofilms. Moreover, LBA decreased the release of extracellular DNA (eDNA) and extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) in S. aureus biofilms. LBA suppressed biofilm formation by intervening metabolic activity and reduced virulence secretion by repressing the hemolytic activity of S. aureus. Furthermore, LBA altered the expressions of biofilm- and virulence-related genes in S. aureus, further confirming that LBA suppressed biofilm formation and reduced the virulence secretion of S. aureus. The results suggest that LBA might be useful in preventing and controlling biofilm formation and the virulence of S. aureus to ensure food safety.

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The biomedical applications of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have gained increasing attention due to their unique biological, chemical, and magnetic properties such as biocompatibility, chemical stability, and high magnetic susceptibility. However, several critical issues still remain that have significantly halted the clinical translation of these nanomaterials such as the relatively low therapeutic efficacy, hyperthermia resistance, and biosafety concerns. To identify innovative approaches possibly creating synergies with MNPs to resolve or mitigate these problems, we delineated the anti-cancer properties of MNPs and their existing onco-therapeutic portfolios, based on which we proposed cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) to be a possible synergizer of MNPs by enhancing free radical generation, reducing hyperthermia resistance, preventing MNP aggregation, and functioning as an innovative magnetic and light source for magnetothermal- and photo-therapies. Our insights on the possible facilitating role of CAP in translating MNPs for biomedical use may inspire fresh research directions that, once actualized, gain mutual benefits from both.

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OBJECTIVE: To describe the development and validation of a novel patient reported scale, which is a comprehensive assessment of the physical function and health specific for patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). METHODS: This is a multiphase, mixed methods study. Based on opinion collection and discussions of multidisciplinary consensus meetings and patients, an initial item pool covering all of the ranges of functioning was generated. The item optimization, model fit, response category functioning, differential item functioning, reliability, structure validity, and unidimensionality were tested by confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch measurement theory framework. RESULTS: After the consensus meeting and the two rounds of surveys in patients with axSpA, the initial pool of 135 items was reduced to 25 items formed in five dimensions, which exhibited preferable item reliability, item fit, and person fit to the Rasch model. The Five-Dimensional Comprehensive Assessment Scale (5DCAS) had the best reliability and validity (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin was 0.919, and the standardized Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.932). The final version of 5DCAS had good unidimensionality, and the Person Separation Index ranged from 0.77 to 0.85. 5DCAS significantly correlated with ASAS-HI, SF-36, BASFI, and disease activity with p values of < 0.001. CONCLUSION: 5DCAS is a novel patient-reported outcome specific to axSpA, and it forms five dimensions providing a linear sum score of 25 items. 5DCAS comprehensively and significantly represents the physical function and health status of patients with axSpA, although its performance needs further validation in future clinical practices. Key Points • The primary goal in the management of axial spondyloarthritis is to maximize health-related quality of life. Except for the current instruments of ASAS-HI, BASFI, or SF-36, the heterogeneous clinical symptoms and rapid updated treat-to-target concept require a new instrument which can comprehensive and significant evaluate the changes of physical function and health-related quality of life due to disease. • 5DCAS is a novel patient-reported outcome specific to axSpA, and it forms five dimensions providing a linear sum score of 25 items, which contained aspect of pain involvement, spine mobility, global body performance and activity, social participation and environment, and mental health. All of the items were set to a 4-point semantic rating scale measuring severity, frequency, or interference from score 0 to 3. Total 5DCAS score ranges from 0 to 75; higher scores represented greater symptom burden and worse physical function. • 5DCAS is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and convenient disease outcome measurement specific for axSpA. It provides a new evaluation instrument in clinical trial and treat-to-target clinical remission for patients and physicians, and also provides a sensitive and accurate assessment standard for optimized health benefits.

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Nitrous oxide (N2O) is atmospheric trace gas that contributes to climate change and affects stratospheric and ground-level ozone concentrations. Ammonia oxidizers and denitrifiers contribute to N2O emissions in estuarine waters. However, as an important climate factor, how temperature regulates microbial N2O production in estuarine water remains unclear. Here, we have employed stable isotope labeling techniques to demonstrate that the N2O production in estuarine waters exhibited differential thermal response patterns between nearshore and offshore regions. The optimal temperatures (Topt) for N2O production rates (N2OR) were higher at nearshore than offshore sites. 15N-labeled nitrite (15NO2-) experiments revealed that at the nearshore sites dominated by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), the thermal tolerance of 15N-N2OR increases with increasing salinity, suggesting that N2O production by AOB-driven nitrifier denitrification may be co-regulated by temperature and salinity. Metatranscriptomic and metagenomic analyses of enriched water samples revealed that the denitrification pathway of AOB is the primary source of N2O, while clade II N2O-reducers dominated N2O consumption. Temperature regulated the expression patterns of nitrite reductase (nirK) and nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ) genes from different sources, thereby influencing N2O emissions in the system. Our findings contribute to understanding the sources of N2O in estuarine waters and their response to global warming.

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BACKGROUND: Acne is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a highly effective and safe drug-device combination treatment, typically using red and blue light. However, direct comparisons of aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-based PDT using these two light sources are lacking. Therefore, we compared the efficacy and adverse effects of ALA-based 450 nm blue laser-mediated PDT (BL-PDT) and 630 ± 10 nm red light-emitting diode-mediated PDT (RL-PDT) in the treatment of moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris, including analyses of different lesion types. METHODS: Sixteen patients with moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris were recruited. All patients underwent BL-PDT on the left side of the face and RL-PDT on the right side. Treatments were administered thrice at 2-week intervals, and follow-up continued for 2 weeks after the final treatment. The average rates of improvement in inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne lesions, IGA (Investigator's Global Assessment) scales, and IGA success rates were calculated. In addition, adverse effects during and after each treatment were recorded. RESULTS: At the 2-week follow-up after the final treatment, the average rates of improvement in total acne, inflammatory, and non-inflammatory lesions were 48.0%, 63.0%, and 30.0% in the BL-PDT group and 42.2%, 58.1%, and 27.5% in the RL-PDT group, respectively. The IGA scores for the two groups decreased by 1.8 and 1.7 points, respectively, and the IGA success rate was 53.3% in both groups. There were no significant differences between the BL-PDT and RL-PDT groups in any measure of effectiveness. However, the BL-PDT group exhibited more severe adverse effects, especially pain and hyperpigmentation. CONCLUSIONS: BL-PDT and RL-PDT have similar efficacies in moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris and are particularly effective for inflammatory acne lesions. RL-PDT benefits from milder adverse effects than those of BL-PDT.

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Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common non-melanoma skin cancer that has been on the rise in recent times, particularly among older individuals. Cornulin (CRNN) is increasingly recognized as an oncogene involved in developing various types of tumors. However, the precise contribution to cSCC remains unclear. Our study observed a significant increase in CRNN expression in cSCC samples compared to healthy skin. CRNN expression in the SCL-1 cell line derived from cSCC was reduced, leading to a halt in cell growth during the transition from the G1 phase to the S phase. This reduction inhibits cell division, promotes cell death, and decreases cell invasion and migration. CRNN overexpression has been found to enhance cell growth and prevent cells from undergoing natural cell death, and the cancer-promoting effects of CRNN are linked to AKT activation. Using a mouse xenograft model, we demonstrated that the inhibition of CRNN led to a decline in cSCC tumor growth in a living organism, providing evidence of CRNN's involvement in cSCC occurrence and development. This study establishes a foundation for evaluating the effectiveness of CRNN in treating cSCC, enabling further investigation in this area.

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Electrochemical CO2 reduction (ECO2R) to value-added chemicals offers a promising approach to both mitigate CO2 emission and facilitate renewable energy conversion. We demonstrate a solar energy powered ECO2R system operating at a relatively large current density (57 mA cm-2) using In2O3 nanosheets (NSs) as the cathode and a commercial perovskite solar cell as the electricity generator, which achieves the high solar to formate energy conversion efficiency of 6.6 %. The significantly enhanced operative current density with a fair solar energy conversion efficiency on In2O3 NSs can be ascribed to their high activity and selectivity for formate production, as well as the fast kinetics for ECO2R. The Faradic efficiencies (FEs) of formate In2O3 NSs are all above 93 %, with the partial current density of formate ranging from 2.3 to 342 mA cm-2 in a gas diffusion flow cell, which is among the widest for formate production on In-based catalysts. In-situ Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory simulations reveal that the exceptional performances of formate production on In2O3 NSs originates from the presence of abundant low coordinated edge sites, which effectively promote the selective adsorption of *OCHO while inhibiting *H adsorption.

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BACKGROUND: In the era of immunotherapy, neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy (NAIC) for the treatment of locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is used clinically but lacks of high-level clinical evidence. This study aimed to compare the safety and long-term efficacy of NAIC followed by minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) with those of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by MIE. METHODS: A prospective, single-center, open-label, randomized phase III clinical trial was conducted at Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either neoadjuvant toripalimab (240 mg) plus paclitaxel (175 mg/m2) + cisplatin (75 mg/m2) (toripalimab group) or paclitaxel + cisplatin alone (chemotherapy group) every 3 weeks for 2 cycles. After surgery, the toripalimab group received toripalimab (240 mg every 3 weeks for up to 6 months). The primary endpoint was event-free survival (EFS). The pathological complete response (pCR) and overall survival (OS) were key secondary endpoints. Adverse events (AEs) and quality of life were also assessed. RESULTS: Between May 15, 2020 and August 13, 2021, 252 ESCC patients ranging from T1N1-3M0 to T2-3N0-3M0 were enrolled for interim analysis, with 127 in the toripalimab group and 125 in the chemotherapy group. The 1-year EFS rate was 77.9% in the toripalimab group compared to 64.3% in the chemotherapy group (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.39 to 1.00; P = 0.05). The 1-year OS rates were 94.1% and 83.0% in the toripalimab and chemotherapy groups, respectively (HR = 0.48; 95% CI = 0.24 to 0.97; P = 0.037). The patients in the toripalimab group had a higher pCR rate (18.6% vs. 4.6%; P = 0.001). The rates of postoperative Clavien-Dindo grade IIIb or higher morbidity were 9.8% in the toripalimab group and 6.8% in the chemotherapy group, with no significant difference observed (P = 0.460). The rates of grade 3 or 4 treatment-related AEs did not differ between the two groups (12.5% versus 12.4%). CONCLUSIONS: The interim results of this ongoing trial showed that in resectable ESCC, the addition of perioperative toripalimab to NAC is safe, may improve OS and might change the standard treatment in the future.

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PURPOSE: System delay is associated with mortality in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, the influence of patient delay has been relatively overlooked. We aimed to evaluate the influence of patient and system delays on STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI in China. METHODS: STEMI patients registered at the Nationwide Chinese Cardiovascular Association Database-Chest Pain Center from January 2017 to September 2021 were screened. The exposures were total ischemic time (TIT), system delay and patient delay. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Among 458,260 patients from 2,529 centers, median TIT, system delay and patient delay were 4.1, 1.5 and 2.1 hours, respectively. The adjusted odds ratio of in-hospital mortality increased by 2.2% (odds ratio [OR], 1.022, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.017-1.027), 2.3% (1.023, 1.006-1.040) and 2.2% (1.022, 1.017-1.027) for every one-hour increase in TIT, system delay and patient delay, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Patient delay demonstrated a comparable impact to system delay on in-hospital mortality among STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI. Widespread primary PCI-capable center, improved awareness about myocardial infarction and regional transfer system are essential to shorten patient delay.

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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease. Syncytin-1 (Syn), an envelope glycoprotein encoded by the env gene of the human endogenous retrovirus-W family, has been resorted to be highly expressed in biopsies from the muscles from ALS patients; however, the specific regulatory role of Syn during ALS progression remains uncovered. In this study, C57BL/6 mice were injected with adeno-associated virus-overexpressing Syn, with or without Fasudil administration. The Syn expression was assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry analysis. The histological change of anterior tibial muscles was determined by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Qualitative ultrastructural analysis of electron micrographs obtained from lumbar spinal cords was carried out. Serum inflammatory cytokines were assessed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay and motor function was recorded using Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scoring, climbing test and treadmill running test. Immunofluorescence and western blot assays were conducted to examine microglial- and motor neurons-related proteins. Syn overexpression significantly caused systemic inflammatory response, muscle tissue lesions, and motor dysfunction in mice. Meanwhile, Syn overexpression promoted the impairment of motor neuron, evidenced by the damaged structure of the neurons and reduced expression of microtubule-associated protein 2, HB9, neuronal nuclei and neuron-specific enolase in Syn-induced mice. In addition, Syn overexpression greatly promoted the expression of CD16/CD32 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (M1 phenotype markers), and reduced the expression of CD206 and arginase 1 (M2 phenotype markers). Importantly, the above changes caused by Syn overexpression were partly abolished by Fasudil administration. This study provides evidence that Syn-activated microglia plays a pivotal role during the progression of ALS.

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Background: Taste and olfactory dysfunction are commonly associated with neurodegenerative diseases and cardiovascular risk factors, but their specific associations with stroke risk remain uncertain. Objectives: The purpose of this paper was to explore whether perceived taste and olfactory dysfunctions were associated with stroke risk. Methods: Included were 85,656 participants (mean age 51.0 ± 15.3 years) of the Kailuan study. Perceived olfactory and taste dysfunctions were assessed via a questionnaire at baseline (in 2014-2016). Incident stroke cases were confirmed by review of medical records. Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate associations of perceived olfactory and taste dysfunctions with stroke risk, and mediation analysis was used to estimate the mediating effect of chronic disease statuses. Results: We documented 2,198 incident stroke cases during a mean of 5.6 years of follow-up. Perceived taste dysfunction was associated with a doubled risk of developing total stroke (adjusted HR: 2.03; 95% CI: 1.36-3.04; P < 0.001) even with adjustment of lifestyle factors, biomarkers (ie, blood lipids, blood glucose, blood pressure, and uric acid), and other potential confounders. However, perceived olfactory dysfunction (adjusted HR: 1.22; 95% CI: 0.79-1.90; P = 0.34) was not significantly associated with a high risk of total stroke. Similar results of both perceived taste and olfactory dysfunctions were observed for ischemic stroke. Presence of chronic diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and overweight/obesity, mediated 4% to 5% of the association of perceived taste dysfunction with both total stroke and ischemic stroke. Conclusions: In this large cohort study, perceived taste dysfunction was associated with a high risk of developing stroke.

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RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The optimal prognostic assessment for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) remains unclear. This study aimed to propose a novel staging system in comparison with the current staging systems for HCC following DEB-TACE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From four centers, patients with HCC undergoing DEB-TACE as the initial therapy were retrospectively included and classified into training and validation sets. Multivariable regression was used to determine the independent prognostic factors in the training set. A novel staging system incorporating the independent factors was proposed and externally validated in terms of discrimination and calibration compared to other staging systems in both sets. RESULTS: The training and validation sets included 335 and 99 patients, respectively. Multivariable regression revealed independent factors including alpha-fetoprotein level, aspartate aminotransferase to lymphocyte count ratio index, maximum tumor diameter, Child-Pugh class, and portal vein invasion. The novel prognostic staging system, named PADCA, was proposed and outperformed other staging systems with the highest C-index, area under the curve, Wald test value, clinical benefit, and the lowest Akaike information criterion in the training and validation sets. CONCLUSION: The PADCA staging system has a superior prognostic predictive ability compared to the current staging systems. PADCA can assist clinicians in screening out the patients most likely to derive benefit from DEB-TACE and guiding the formulation of therapy and follow-up strategy.

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Macrocycle-to-macrocycle conversion is an effective strategy to construct new macrocyclic arenes with specific structures. Herein, a new class of chiral macrocyclic arene, namely, octopus[5]arenes (Oc5s), cannot be synthesized by the direct approach from the corresponding chiral monomers but can be successfully achieved by a macrocycle-to-macrocycle conversion strategy utilizing racemic pagoda[5]arenes as the starting materials. It was found that enantiomeric Oc5s showed fixed conformations and stable chiral structures and exhibited significant chiral recognition toward chiral diamines.

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BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), and CVD is a major challenge for cancer patients. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and association of MetS and CVD among adult cancer patients. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included cancer patients aged > 18 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007 to 2018. The prevalence of MetS and CVD was calculated using weighted analysis. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between MetS and CVD. RESULTS: The study included 2658 adult cancer patients, of whom 1260 exhibited MetS and 636 had CVD. The weighted prevalence of MetS and CVD in cancer patients was 45.44%, and 19.23%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression showed a 79% increased risk in higher CVD prevalence in cancer patients with MetS, with the OR (95% CI) of 1.79 (1.31, 2.44). Notably, obesity, elevated blood pressure (BP), high glucose, and low high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in the MetS components were significantly associated with higher CVD prevalence after adjusting for covariates. Moreover, the risk of CVD prevalence in cancer patients increased with more MetS components. Notably, MetS was more strongly linked to CVD in patients aged < 65 and women. CONCLUSIONS: Among adult cancer patients, over two-fifths (45.44%) were estimated to have MetS, while about one-fifth (19.23%) were considered to have CVD. Notably, obesity, elevated BP, high glucose, low HDL-C, and higher number of MetS components were found to be significantly associated with higher CVD prevalence among cancer adults. Cancer patients under 65 and women with MetS may be at increased risk of CVD.

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