Xiu Lin

Background: Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) often coexists with anxiety and depression. This study assessed whether adding psychological intervention (PI) to standard pharmacotherapy improves patient outcomes. Methods: One hundred sixty eight adult patients diagnosed with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) were recruited for this study. They were randomly divided into control and PI groups. All patients in both groups received a 30-day standard prostatitis pharmacotherapy regimen with levofloxacin and tamsulosin. Additionally, the 84 patients in the PI group received PIs, unlike those in the control group. The self-rating depression scale and self-rating anxiety scale were employed to assess the psychological symptoms before and 3 months after the therapeutic treatments. Results: Following treatment, the PI group exhibited significantly better recovery from symptoms of anxiety, depression, and prostatitis compared to the control group. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that patients with longer disease durations had higher self-rating anxiety scale, self-rating depression scale, and National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index Scale scores. The study demonstrated that PI has positive early effects on patients with CP/CPPS. However, its efficacy decreases as the duration of the disease progresses. Conclusion: The combination of PI and conventional antibiotics is effective for CP/CPPS patients with longer disease course and more severe symptoms. Early PI is recommended to achieve better therapeutic results.

To evaluate the effect of Fuzi Lizhong decoction on intestinal flora, serum inflammatory factors, and hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in patients with colorectal cancer associated with spleen and kidney Yang deficiency. A total of 100 patients diagnosed with advanced colorectal cancer were randomly divided into two groups: a control group (CON, 50) and a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) group (n = 50). The control group received treatment with the Capecitabine + Oxaliplatin (CAPEOX) regimen, while the TCM group received the same regimen along with Fuzi Lizhong decoction for six weeks. Changes in intestinal flora were assessed before and after six weeks in both groups. Serum markers, including HIF-1α, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Adverse reactions, clinical efficacy, and TCM syndrome efficacy were also monitored. After six weeks, the levels of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium were significantly higher, while the levels of Enterobacter and Enterococcus were significantly lower in the TCM group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Serum levels of HIF-1α, VEGF, IL-6, and TNF-α were also significantly reduced in the TCM group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Additionally, the incidence of adverse reactions was lower, and the clinical efficacy was higher in the TCM group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Fuzi Lizhong decoction effectively improves intestinal microbiota composition, reduces inflammatory factors and HIF-1α expression, alleviates chemotherapy-related adverse reactions, enhances clinical efficacy, and may inhibit tumor growth in patients with colorectal cancer.

Cancer incidence is increasingly seen in younger individuals. Molecular distinctions between young and elderly patients at onset are understudied. This study used public databases to explore genomic, transcriptomic, and immune-related features across age groups in cervical cancer. Additionally, it aims to create a prognostic model applicable across diverse age cohorts, enabling precise patient stratification, and personalized therapies. Gene mutations, expression data, and clinicopathological information were obtained from 317 cervical cancer patients. These patients were divided into a young group and an old group based on the median age of onset. The characteristics of differential gene mutation, gene expression, and immune cells analysis were analyzed by R software. Finally, the prognostic model was constructed by univariate Cox, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and multivariate Cox regression analyses of angiogenic and immune gene sets. Its validity was further confirmed using an additional 300 cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma tissues. Cervical cancer patients at elderly onset age exhibit a significantly higher frequency of NOTCH1 and TP53 driver mutations compared to young patients, along with a notably higher tumor mutational burden. However, there were no significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of genomic instability and age-related mutational signatures. Differential gene expression analysis revealed that the young group significantly upregulated interferon-alpha and gamma responses and exhibited significantly higher activity in multiple metabolic pathways. Immune microenvironment analysis indicated enrichment of dendritic cells and natural killer cells in the young group, while transforming growth factor-β signature was enriched in the elderly group, indicating a higher degree of immune exclusion. A multigene prognostic model based on angiogenesis and T cell immune gene sets showed excellent prognostic performance independent of clinical factors such as age. High-risk groups identified by the model exhibit significant activation of tumor-promoting processes, such as metastasis and angiogenesis. Our study reveals distinct patterns in cancer-driving mechanisms, biological processes, and immune system status between young and elderly patients at onset with cervical cancer. These findings shed light on the age-specific underlying mechanisms of carcinogenesis. Furthermore, an independent molecular prognostic model is constructed to provide valuable references for patient stratification and the development of potential drug targets.

Herein, novel visible light active graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄)/sepiolite fiber (CN/SS) composites were fabricated via a facile calcination route, exploiting melamine and thiourea as precursors, and sepiolite fiber as support, for efficient degradation of organic dye methylene blue (MB). The as-prepared CN/SS composites were characterized by various characterization techniques based on structural and microstructural analyses. The effects of CN loading amount, catalyst dosage and initial concentration of dye on the removal rate of dye under visible light were systematically studied. The removal rate of MB was as high as 99.5%, 99.6% and 99.6% over the composites when the CN loading amount, catalyst dosage and initial concentration of dye were 20% (mass percent), 0.1 g, and 15 mg/L in 120 min, respectively. The active species scavenging experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurement indicated that the holes (h⁺), hydroxyl radical (·OH) and superoxide radicals (·O₂⁻) were the main active species. This study provides for the design of low-cost, environmentally friendly and highly efficient catalysts for the removal of organic dye.