Neoadjuvant chemoradiation with or without PD-1 blockade in locally advanced rectal cancer: a randomized phase 2 trial.

Radiotherapy displays unique antitumor synergism with immune checkpoint inhibitors, which is indicated by high pathological complete response (pCR) rates from single-arm trials of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Here we test the efficacy and safety of the radiation-immune checkpoint inhibitor combination in patients with LARC in a phase 2, randomized trial conducted in eight major colorectal cancer centers in Beijing. In total, 186 eligible all-comer (proficient mismatch repair and deficient mismatch repair) participants were enrolled.

Unraveling the causal impact of smoking and its DNA methylation signatures on cardiovascular disease: Mendelian randomization and colocalization analysis.

Background: To explore the mechanisms linking smoking to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) from an epigenetic perspective.

Methods: Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis was performed to assess the causal effects of smoking behavior and DNA methylation levels at smoking-related CpG sites on nine CVDs, including aortic aneurysm, atrial fibrillation, coronary atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, heart failure, intracerebral hemorrhage, ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, subarachnoid hemorrhage. Colocalization analysis was used to further identify key smoking-related CpG sites from the MR causal estimates.

Determination of four forms of plasma thiol amino acids in individuals with chronic kidney disease by UPLC-MS/MS.

The study introduces a robust analytical method based on UPLC-MS/MS for quantifying thiol amino acids, including cysteine (Cys), cysteinylglycine (CG), homocysteine (Hcy), and glutathione (GSH), in their total and total free forms within human plasma. An optimized blank matrix was employed for accurate quantification of endogenous compounds. The method exhibited excellent linearity, precision, accuracy, recovery, and stability, making it highly suitable for plasma analysis.

Ultra-Stiff yet Super-Elastic Graphene Aerogels by Topological Cellular Hierarchy.

Lightweight cellular materials with high stiffness and excellent recoverability are critically important in structural engineering applications, but the intrinsic conflict between these two properties presents a significant challenge. Here, a topological cellular hierarchy is presented, designed to fabricate ultra-stiff (>10 MPa modulus) yet super-elastic (>90% recoverable strain) graphene aerogels. This topological cellular hierarchy, composed of massive corrugated pores and nanowalls, is designed to carry high loads through predominantly reversible buckling within the honeycomb framework.