Chemotherapy in synergy with innate immune agonists enhances T cell priming for checkpoint inhibitor treatment in pancreatic cancer.

Background: The combination of conventional chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has been unsuccessful for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Administration of maximum tolerated dose of chemotherapy drugs may have immunosuppressive effects.

Methods: We thus tested, by using the preclinical model of PDACs including the genetically engineered mouse KPC spontaneous pancreatic tumor model and the pancreatic KPC tumor orthotopic implant model, the combinations of synthetic innate immune agonists including STING and NLRP3 agonist, respectively, and ICIs with or without chemotherapy.

Association between interpregnancy interval and adverse perinatal outcomes according to maternal age in the context of China's two-child policy.

Background: Since the implementation of China's comprehensive two-child policy, the prevalence of long interpregnancy intervals (IPI) and advanced maternal age has increased. However, previous studies in China have mostly focused on the relationship between short IPIs and adverse perinatal outcomes, while neglecting maternal age as a potential confounder.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 23,899 pregnant women who delivered between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2019 at Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital and West China Second Hospital of Sichuan University.

Antibiotic susceptibility and molecular characterization based on whole-genome sequencing of Staphylococcus aureus causing invasive infection in children and women living in Southwest China during 2018-2023.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common pathogens that colonizes human skin/mucous membranes, where it causes local infection that can progress to invasive infection, resulting in high morbidity and mortality worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the antibiotic susceptibility and molecular characteristics of invasive S. aureus in children and women in Southwest China from 2018 to 2023 to provide novel insights helpful in preventing and treating S.

Stratified Impact of Therapies on Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Outcomes in the Pre-Gene-Targeted Therapy Era.

Background: Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a highly lethal disease, often diagnosed with advanced locoregional and distant metastases, resulting in a median survival of just 3-5 months. This study determines the stratified effectiveness of baseline treatments in all combinations, enabling precise prognoses prediction and establishing benchmarks for advanced therapeutic options.

Methods: The study extracted a cohort of pathologically confirmed ATC patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program.

Targeting p38γ synergistically enhances sorafenib-induced cytotoxicity in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Sorafenib (Sora) is a first-line treatment for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It can significantly improve the survival rate of patients with advanced HCC, but it is prone to drug resistance during treatment, so the therapeutic effect is extremely limited. Here, we demonstrate that an elevated expression of protein kinase p38γ in hepatocellular carcinoma cells diminishes the tumor cells' sensitivity to Sora.

Relationship between intraoperative blood pressure variability and postoperative acute kidney injury in pediatric cardiac surgery.

Background: Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI) is a notably common complication in pediatrics, with an incidence rate ranging from 15 to 64%. This rate is significantly higher than that observed in adults. Currently, there is a lack of substantial evidence regarding the association between intraoperative blood pressure variability (BPV) during cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and the development of AKI in pediatric patients.

Association between sleep quality and serum biomarkers among long-term hot spring bathers: a cross-sectional study.

Previous studies investigating the influence of hot spring bathing on sleep quality have predominantly focused on the short-term effects through questionnaire surveys without blood collection for biochemical tests. Here, we undertook a comprehensive investigation of the long-term health effects of hot spring bathing among the residents of Hot Spring Village. A total of 140 participants were enrolled, and their demographic characteristics and the patterns of hot spring bathing were obtained via face-to-face interview, and sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).

Plasma membrane-associated ARAF condensates fuel RAS-related cancer drug resistance.

RAF protein kinases are major RAS effectors that function by phosphorylating MEK. Although all three RAF isoforms share a conserved RAS binding domain and bind to GTP-loaded RAS, only ARAF uniquely enhances RAS activity. Here we uncovered the molecular basis of ARAF in regulating RAS activation.

Signaling pathway mechanisms of circadian clock gene Bmal1 regulating bone and cartilage metabolism: a review.

Circadian rhythm is ubiquitous in nature. Circadian clock genes such as Bmal1 and Clock form a multi-level transcription-translation feedback network, and regulate a variety of physiological and pathological processes, including bone and cartilage metabolism. Deletion of the core clock gene Bmal1 leads to pathological bone alterations, while the phenotypes are not consistent.

Recombinant XBB.1.5 boosters induce robust neutralization against KP.2- and KP.3-included JN.1 sublineages.

The newly emerged variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) demonstrate resistance to present therapeutic antibodies as well as the capability to evade vaccination-elicited antibodies. JN.1 sublineages were demonstrated as one of the most immune-evasive variants, showing higher neutralization resistance compared to XBB.

Machine Learning Model for Risk Stratification of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Based on Radiopathomics.

Rationale And Objectives: This study aims to develop a radiopathomics model based on preoperative ultrasound and fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) images to enable accurate, non-invasive preoperative risk stratification for patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). The model seeks to enhance clinical decision-making by optimizing preoperative treatment strategies.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on data from PTC patients who underwent thyroidectomy between October 2022 and May 2024 across six centers.

The combined immunization of cervical cancer therapeutic vaccine based on Listeria balanced lethal system has a significant therapeutic effect on tumor model mice.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in women. Effective treatment of cervical cancer is urgently needed. Tumor therapeutic vaccine is a research hotspot in tumor immunotherapy, and the tumor therapeutic vaccine based on attenuated live bacteria carrier has clinical application prospect because of its clear action site and high safety.

Clinical value of aortic arch morphology in transfemoral TAVR: artificial intelligence evaluation.

Background: The impact of aortic arch (AA) morphology on the management of the procedural details and the clinical outcomes of the transfemoral artery (TF)-transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has not been evaluated. The goal of this study was to evaluate the AA morphology of patients who had TF-TAVR using an artificial intelligence algorithm and then to evaluate its predictive value for clinical outcomes.

Materials And Methods: A total of 1480 consecutive patients undergoing TF-TAVR using a new-generation transcatheter heart valve at 12 institutes were included in this retrospective study.

Comparison of short-and long-term outcomes between endovascular and open repair for descending thoracic aortic aneurysm: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate and compare the efficacy of endovascular versus open repair for the treatment of patients with descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (DTAA).

Methods: A systematic search of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases for relevant studies was performed. Outcome data, including postoperative mortality and morbidity, operative details, all-cause survival, freedom from aortic-related survival and freedom from aortic-related re-intervention, were independently extracted by two authors in a standardized way.

HER2 regulates autophagy and promotes migration in gastric cancer cells through the cGAS-STING pathway.

In gastric cancer, the relationship between human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of the interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway, and autophagy remains unclear. This study examines whether HER2 regulates autophagy in gastric cancer cells via the cGAS-STING signaling pathway, influencing key processes such as cell proliferation and migration. Understanding this relationship could uncover new molecular targets for diagnosis and treatment.

To describe the subsets of malignant epithelial cells in gastric cancer, their developmental trajectories and drug resistance characteristics.

Gastric cancer is an aggressive malignancy characterized by significant clinical heterogeneity arising from complex genetic and environmental interactions. This study employed single-cell RNA sequencing, using the 10 × Genomics platform, to analyze 262,532 cells from gastric cancer samples, identifying 32 distinct clusters and 10 major cell types, including immune cells (e.g.

Prediction of Pharmacoresistance in Drug-Naïve Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Using Ictal EEGs Based on Convolutional Neural Network.

Approximately 30%-40% of epilepsy patients do not respond well to adequate anti-seizure medications (ASMs), a condition known as pharmacoresistant epilepsy. The management of pharmacoresistant epilepsy remains an intractable issue in the clinic. Its early prediction is important for prevention and diagnosis.

Neuroregulation during Bone Formation and Regeneration: Mechanisms and Strategies.

The skeleton is highly innervated by numerous nerve fibers. These nerve fibers, in addition to transmitting information within the bone and mediating bone sensations, play a crucial role in regulating bone tissue formation and regeneration. Traditional bone tissue engineering (BTE) often fails to achieve satisfactory outcomes when dealing with large-scale bone defects, which is frequently related to the lack of effective reconstruction of the neurovascular network.

Top-down curing to construct self-retaining and moisture-pumping double-layered dressing with enhanced antibacterial, hemostatic, and wound healing performances.

Continuous microenvironment modulation is an ongoing challenge in wound dressing, which includes excessive exudate absorption, oxygen delivery, bacterial inhibition and angiogenesis. Herein, we developed an construction strategy to fabricate a self-retaining double-layered wound dressing, where the top layer precursor was composed of Ca-containing polyvinyl butyral (PVB) solution dispersed with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) particles, and the bottom one consisted of sodium alginate (Alg) solution blended with Ag-doped mesoporous bioactive glass powders (Ag-MBG). When in use, both precursors were simultaneously squeezed out from the twin nozzles connected to the individual chambers of a twin-chambered syringe, whereby Ca in the top layer rapidly migrated downwards to crosslink Alg in the bottom layer, leading to the formation of an Alg/Ag-MBG (AA) functional hydrogel for filling an irregular wound.

Prognosis after one- and two-stage revision surgery for periprosthetic joint infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Revision surgeries for periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) in arthroplasty can follow either one- or two-stage treatment protocols. Previous studies have reported similar reinfection rates and reductions in complication rates for both treatment options. However, the literature on the selection of one protocol is still controversial.

Aberrant Structural-Functional Coupling of Large-scale Brain Networks in Older Women with Subthreshold Depression.

Objectives: Subthreshold depression (SD) is common in the older population, more so in females than males, and can lead to serious physical and mental ill-health. However, the underlying neurobiology remains unclear. This study used multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate the topological organization and coupling of the structural and functional brain networks in older women with SD.

Structure-Guided Optimization and Preclinical Evaluation of 6--Benzylguanine-Based Pin1 Inhibitor for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer-related deaths globally, and the need for effective systemic therapies for HCC is urgent. Our previous work reveals that Pin1 is a potential anti-HCC target, which regulates miRNA biogenesis and identifies as a novel Pin1 inhibitor to suppresses HCC. However, a great demand in HCC therapy as well as the limited chemical stability and pharmacokinetic feature of motivated us to find improved Pin1 inhibitors.

Retinal biomarkers for the risk of Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia.

Purpose: Differentiating between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) can be challenging due to overlapping cognitive and behavioral manifestations. Evidence regarding non-invasive and early-stage biomarkers remains limited. Our aim was to identify retinal biomarkers for the risk of AD and FTD in populations without dementia and explore underlying brain structural mechanisms.

Case report: Intradural-extramedullary cervical spine clear cell meningioma mimicking a schwannoma in a child.

Clear cell meningioma (CCM) is an exceedingly rare subtype of meningioma, with spinal occurrences being even more uncommon. It predominantly affects children and is characterized by a high recurrence rate and poor prognosis, posing significant challenges for clinical treatment. Currently, gross total resection (GTR) is the best approach to reduce recurrence and improve prognosis in these patients.

The Role of Severe Vitamin D Deficiency in Predicting the Risk of Severe Exacerbation in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: This study aims to investigate the association between vitamin D levels and the risk of severe acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD).

Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study with 636 COPD patients admitted for exacerbations between January 2021 and December 2022. Patients were categorized based on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels: severe deficiency (<10 ng/mL), deficiency (10-20 ng/mL), insufficiency (20-30 ng/mL), or sufficiency (>30 ng/mL).