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Background: Systemic immune‐inflammation index (SII) provides convincing evaluation of systemic immune and inflammatory condition in human body. Its correlation with prostate cancer (PCa) risk remains uncharted. The principal objective of this investigation was to elucidate the association between SII and the risk for PCa in middle‐aged and elderly males. Materials and Methods: Analysis entailed multivariate linear and logistic regression, generalized additive model, and smoothing curve fitting using resource from 2007 to 2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). To ascertain robustness and consistency of this association across different demographic strata, we conducted rigorous subgroup analyses and interaction tests. Results: Among 3359 participants, those with elevated SII displayed higher total prostate‐specific antigen (tPSA) levels, higher risk for PCa, and lower free/total PSA (f/t PSA) ratio. Specifically, each unit increase of log2 (SII) was associated with a 0.22 ng/mL increase in tPSA (β: 0.22, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.05–0.38), a 2.22% decline in f/t PSA ratio (β: −2.22, 95% CI −3.20 to −1.23), and a 52% increased odds of being at high risk for PCa (odds ratio [OR]: 1.52, 95% CI 1.13–2.04). People in the top quartile of log2 (SII) exhibited 0.55 ng/mL increased tPSA (β: 0.55, 95% CI 0.19–0.90), 4.39% reduced f/t PSA ratio (β: −4.39, 95% CI −6.50 to −2.27), and 168% increased odds of being at high risk for PCa (OR: 2.68, 95% CI 1.32–5.46) compared to those in the bottom quartile. Conclusion: Systemic immune and inflammatory condition, as represented by SII, is independently and positively associated with tPSA levels and the risk for PCa, as well as independently and negatively associated with f/t PSA ratio among middle‐aged and older US males. These findings may enhance the effectiveness of PCa screening in predicting positive biopsy results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective We aim to investigate the impact of HeiBu Ointment on transforming growth factor- P1 (TGF-β1)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human immortalized epidermal cells (HaCaT) and elucidate the mechanism underlying HeiBu Ointment's efficacy in treating chronic skin ulcers with abnormal fibrosis. Methods We employed a TGF-β1-induced EMT model using HaCaT. HaCaT cells were categorized into five groups: the blank control group, the model group, and the HeiBu Ointment high-, medium-, and low-dose groups. All the groups were cultured in DMEM high-glucose medium (4.00 mmol/L L-glutamine, 4.5 g/L glucose). The model group was treated with TGF-β1 (0. 01 mg/L), while the HeiBu Ointment high-, medium-, and low-dose groups received TGF-β1 (0.01 mg/L) in combination with varying doses of HeiBu Ointment extract (0.5 mg/L, 0.25 mg/L, and 0.125 mg/L). The CCK-8 method was used to detect the effect of HeiBu Ointment on HaCaT cell activity; the effect of HeiBu Ointment on the migration ability of HaCaT cells was determined by scratch test; the effects of HeiBu Ointment on the expression of the epithelial marker protein E-cadherin and the mesenchymal marker proteins N-cadherin and vimentin in HaCaT cells were observed by immuno fluorescence method; the expression of Smad and ERIK signaling pathway-related proteins was detected by Western blotting. Results HeiBu Ointment below 0. 5 mg/L had no effect on HaCaT cell activity. Compared with the model group, HeiBu Ointment significantly inhibited the migration of HaCaT cells after TGF-β1 stimulation (P< 0. 05), promoted the expression of the epithelial marker protein E-cadherin, inhibited the expression of the mesenchymal marker proteins N-cadherin and vimentin, and inhibited TGF-β1-induced phosphorylation of Smad2, Smad3, and ERIK1/2 in HaCaT cells (P < 0.05). Conclusion HeiBu Ointment may promote healing of chronic skin ulcers with abnormal fibrosis by inhibiting excessive trausition of epidermal cells to mesenchymal cells through inhibition of the Smad and ERIK signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored a green and efficient method for cellulose extraction from corn bract. The cellulose extraction by the CHB (CH3COOH/H2O2/Bio-enzyme) method and the N-CHB (NH3·H2O-CH3COOH/H2O2/Bio-enzyme) method were compared and analyzed. The effect of ammonia pretreatment on cellulose extraction by bio-enzymatic methods was discussed. The results showed that ammonia promoted the subsequent bio-enzymatic reaction and had a positive effect on the extraction of cellulose. Sample microstructure images (SEM) showed that the cellulose extracted by this method was in the form of fibrous bundles with smooth surfaces. The effect of different pretreatment times of ammonia on cellulose was further explored, and cellulose was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. The results showed that the N3h-CHB (NH3·H2O 50 °C 3 h, CH3COOH/H2O2 70 °C 11 h, Bio-enzyme 50 °C 4 h) method was the best way to extract cellulose in this study. FTIR showed that most of the lignin and hemicellulose were removed. XRD showed that all the cellulose extracted in this study was type I cellulose. TG analysis showed that the cellulose was significantly more thermally stable, with a maximum degradation temperature of 338.9 °C, close to that of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). This study provides a reference for the utilization of corn bract and offers a new technical route for cellulose extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]