Sex-related association between smoke exposure and gallstones in a US population: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Cholelithiasis are a condition that creates an economic and medical burden on society, and women are more susceptible to gallbladder stones. However, the effect of smoking on the development of gallstones remains controversial. No studies, to our knowledge, have discussed the association between smoke exposure and gallstones separately in men and women.

Trends and Clinical Implications of Pediatric Pulmonary Function After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Systematic Review.

Background And Aims: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a key therapeutic approach for pediatric patients with hematologic and non-hematologic disorders. However, post-transplant pulmonary complications remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs) are essential for the early detection of pulmonary dysfunction, yet their application in pediatric HSCT recipients has yielded inconsistent results.

Clioquinol 3% Cream Improves Clinical Symptoms and Restores the Skin Microbiome in Interdigital Tinea Pedis.

Background: Interdigital tinea pedis is a common type of tinea pedis that occurs between toes and is easy to recur. Recently, the skin microbiome analysis of interdigital tinea pedis showed changes in bacterial microbiome in addition to fungal infection.

Objectives: To investigate the efficacy and safety of clioquinol 3% cream in treating interdigital tinea pedis as well as characterize changes in the skin microbiome during treatment.

Deep learning-based anterior segment identification and parameter assessment of primary angle closure disease in ultrasound biomicroscopy images.

Purpose: To develop an artificial intelligence algorithm to automatically identify the anterior segment structures and assess multiple parameters of primary angle closure disease (PACD) in ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) images.

Design: Development and validation of an artificial intelligence algorithm for UBM images.

Methods: 2339 UBM images from 592 subjects were collected for algorithm development.

Health-related quality of life analysis from ENTER, a randomized, controlled phase III trial of whole-brain radiotherapy with and without concurrent erlotinib in NSCLC with brain metastases.

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is critical for patients with lung cancer due to poor prognosis. We presented patient-reported outcomes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) brain metastases (BM) who received whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) in combination with erlotinib or WBRT alone in the phase 3 ENTER study.

Methods: The patients' HRQoL was assessed by using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer 30-item Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30).

Characterization of the genomic landscape in liver oligometastatic NSCLC.

Objectives: Emerging data have shown that local treatment could provide clinical benefit for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with oligometastasis. Liver metastases have the worst prognosis in advanced NSCLC, but the genomic characteristics of liver oligometastasis remain unclear. The aim of our study was to elucidate the molecular features of liver oligometastatic NSCLC.

Zero-Waste Polyanion and Prussian Blue Composites toward Practical Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Closed-loop transformation of raw materials into high-value-added products is highly desired for the sustainable development of the society but is seldom achieved. Here, a low-cost, solvent-free and "zero-waste" mechanochemical protocol is reported for the large-scale preparation of cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). This process ensures full utilization of raw materials, effectively reduces water consumption, and simplifies the operating process.

Light-Enabled Reversible Hydrogen Storage of Borohydrides Activated by Photogenerated Vacancies.

Borohydrides, known for ultrahigh hydrogen density, are promising hydrogen storage materials but typically require high operating temperatures due to their strong thermodynamic stability. Here we introduce a novel light-induced destabilization mechanism for hydrogen storage reaction of borohydrides under ambient conditions photogenerated vacancies in LiH. These vacancies thermodynamically destabilize B-H bonds through the spontaneous "strong adsorption" of BH groups, which trigger an asymmetric redistribution of electrons, enabling hydrogen release at near room temperature, approximately 300 °C lower than the corresponding thermal process.

Inhibition of ASIC1a reduces ferroptosis in rheumatoid arthritis articular chondrocytes via the p53/NRF2/SLC7A11 pathway.

The activation of acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) in response to extracellular acidification leads to an increase in extracellular calcium influx, thereby exacerbating the degeneration of articular chondrocytes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It has been suggested that the inhibition of extracellular calcium influx could potentially impede chondrocyte ferroptosis. The cystine transporter, solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), is recognized as a key regulator of ferroptosis.

Effect of BMI and symptoms at celiac disease diagnosis on serology normalization after 2 years of a gluten-free diet in children.

Objectives: To determine if after 2 years of consuming a gluten-free diet post celiac disease diagnosis, pediatric patients who were overweight or obese at diagnosis are less likely to normalize celiac disease serologies as compared with those who were normal weight or underweight at diagnosis. Secondary aims include characterizing how initial symptoms at presentation predict body mass index (BMI) change and serology improvement over the first 2 years of being on a gluten-free diet following diagnosis of celiac disease.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed that included all biopsy-proven celiac disease patients followed at Stony Brook Children's Hospital's Celiac Disease Center diagnosed between the years 2007-2022.

Causal association between bone mineral density and the risk of joint replacement in patients with osteoarthritis: a Mendelian randomization study.

Population-based studies have been inconsistent in terms of the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and the progression of osteoarthritis. This study aimed to evaluate the causal relationship between BMD and the risk of joint replacement in patients with osteoarthritis. We performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to determine the association of BMD of the total body, femoral neck, and lumbar spine with the risk of hip and knee replacements.

Disease burden of cancers attributable to high fasting plasma glucose from 1990 to 2021 and projections until 2031 in China.

Background: High fasting plasma glucose (HFPG) has been indicated as one of the important risk factors for cancers. This study aimed to estimate the disease burden of cancers attributable to HFPG in China from 1990 to 2021 and predict the burden until 2031.

Methods: The data of cancers attributable to HFPG were extracted from Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 project.

Genomic characteristics of PD-L1-Induced resistance to EGFR-TKIs in lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: The co-occurrence of PD-L1 positivity and EGFR mutations in advanced NSCLC often limits EGFR-TKIs effectiveness, with unclear mechanisms.

Methods: We analyzed 103 treatment-naive EGFR-mutant LUAD patients from three centers, assessing PD-L1 expression and performing NGS analysis.

Results: SMO mutations and MET amplification were significantly higher in the PD-L1 ≥ 1% group versus PD-L1 < 1% group (SMO: 8% vs.

A Novel Scoring System to Predict Acute Radiation Enteritis Recovery in Cervical Cancer Patients Undergoing Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy: A Southwest China Cohort Study.

Purpose: To establish a pragmatic and effective predictive model for monitoring the recovery of radiation enteritis (RE) in cervical cancer patients undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).

Methods: This study included 105 cervical cancer patients undergoing CCRT. We assessed baseline clinicopathologic characteristics, evaluated the effects of CCRT on circulating immune cells, tumor biomarkers, and inflammatory cytokines, and developed a predictive scoring system, the Immune-Tumor-Score (ITS), using the LASSO-Cox regression model.

Should releasing risk of sulfamethoxazole in bound-residual fraction of biochar-soil systems be neglected?

Bound residual (BR) fraction typically represents the "endpoint" of soil pollution risk assessment and remediation. However, it remains unclear whether the BR fraction of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) still presents a release risk after immobilized by biochar. Therefore, the SMX migration rate in different fractions were quantified.

Comparative Analysis of Stent-Assisted Versus Non-Stent-Assisted Coiling in the Management of Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To systematically evaluate the safety and efficacy of SAC compared to non-SAC in the treatment of RIA, integrating evidence from high-quality studies to guide clinical practice.

Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted to compare SAC with coiling alone and BAC in the treatment of RIA. Primary outcomes were immediate and follow-up aneurysm occlusion rates, along with perioperative hemorrhagic and ischemic complication rates.

Violence as an obstacle to HIV medication adherence and viral suppression: A daily diary investigation among adolescent boys.

For the 1.6 million adolescents currently living with HIV, adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is vitally important for reducing HIV-associated morbidity and mortality, and for preventing onward HIV transmission. Unfortunately, ART adherence is particularly low among adolescents.

Engineering a nano-drug delivery system to regulate m6A modification and enhance immunotherapy in gastric cancer.

Cancer cell membrane-derived nanoparticle drug delivery system enables precise drug delivery to tumor tissues and is a new effective way to treat solid tumors. The aim of this study is to develop a safe and effective cancer cell membrane-derived nano-delivery system targeting gastric cancer. We previously reported that EPH receptor A2 (EphA2) is an important target for gastric cancer.

Chitin Translocation Is Functionally Coupled with Synthesis in Chitin Synthase.

Chitin, an extracellular polysaccharide, is synthesized by membrane-embedded chitin synthase (CHS) utilizing intracellular substrates. The mechanism of the translocation of synthesized chitin across the membrane to extracellular locations remains unresolved. We prove that the chitin synthase from (CHS) is a processive glycosyltransferase, which can rapidly produce and tightly bind with the highly polymerized chitin.

Predicting radiation pneumonitis in lung cancer using machine learning and multimodal features: a systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy.

Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of machine learning models incorporating multimodal features for predicting radiation pneumonitis in lung cancer through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: Relevant studies were identified through a systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from October 2003 to December 2023. Additional studies were located by reviewing bibliographies and relevant websites.

Isolation and characterization of spike S2-specific monoclonal antibodies with reactivity to pan-coronaviruses.

• Five broad-spectrum mAbs identified from COVID-19 convalescents and vaccinees possessed the ability to recognize spike S2 of pan-coronaviruses. • Five mAbs targeted distinct but conserved epitopes on spike S2 of pan-coronaviruses. • Three of these five mAbs were competitively bound to the fusion peptide epitopes of coronavirus spike protein.

C/EBPα-mediated ACSL4-dependent ferroptosis exacerbates tubular injury in diabetic kidney disease.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a prevalent and debilitating complication of diabetes characterized by progressive renal function decline and a lack of effective treatment options. Here, we investigated the role of the transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPα) in DKD pathogenesis. Analysis of renal biopsy samples revealed increased C/EBPα expression in patients with DKD.

Broad cross neutralizing antibodies against sarbecoviruses generated by SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination in humans.

The outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-1), Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and SARS-CoV-2 highlight the need for countermeasures to prevent future coronavirus pandemics. Given the unpredictable nature of spillover events, preparing antibodies with broad coronavirus-neutralizing activity is an ideal proactive strategy. Here, we investigated whether SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination could provide cross-neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) against zoonotic sarbecoviruses.

IL-17A's role in exacerbating radiation-induced lung injury: Autophagy impairment via the PP2A-mTOR pathway.

Objective: Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) is a serious complication of radiotherapy, and the role of IL-17A in this process is not well understood. While IL-17A has been shown to modulate autophagy, conflicting reports exist regarding its activation or inhibition of autophagy. This study investigates the role of IL-17A in RILI and its effects on autophagy via the PP2A-mTOR pathway, with a focus on the PP2A B56α subunit.