Combining immune checkpoint inhibitors with thoracic radiotherapy enhances outcomes in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: a real-world study.

Background: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in real-world clinical settings and identify predictive subgroups that may benefit most from this approach.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with advanced NSCLC who were treated with ICIs at West China Hospital from January 2015 to May 2022.

Results: A total of 302 patients with advanced NSCLC were included in this study.

Understanding the Impact of AI Doctors' Information Quality on Patients' Intentions to Adopt AI for Independent Diagnosis: Scenario-Based Experimental Study.

Background: The development of artificial intelligence (AI) systems capable of independent diagnosis offers a promising solution for optimizing medical resource allocation, especially as their diagnostic accuracy can exceed that of some primary medical staff. However, despite these advancements, many patients exhibit hesitancy toward accepting AI technology, particularly for autonomous diagnostic roles. The mechanisms through which the information quality presented by AI doctors influences patients' intention to adopt them for independent diagnosis remain unclear.

Distinct features of humoral and cellular immunity against Omicron breakthrough infection among chronic liver disease patients: An experience from a follow-up cohort.

Immunity response following vaccination and infection toward the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant remains limited in chronic liver disease (CLD) population. This study aims to investigate humoral and cell-mediate immunity to Omicron BA.4/5 among CLD patients with/without breakthrough infections (BI).

Multi-ancestry polygenic risk scores for the prediction of type 2 diabetes and complications in diverse ancestries.

Background: Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) improve type 2 diabetes (T2D) prediction beyond clinical risk factors but perform poorly in non-European populations, where T2D burden is often higher, undermining their global clinical utility.

Methods: We conducted the largest global effort to date to harmonize T2D genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analyses across five ancestries-European (EUR), African/African American (AFR), Admixed American (AMR), South Asian (SAS), and East Asian (EAS)-including 360,000 T2D cases and 1·8 million controls (41% non-EUR). We constructed ancestry-specific and multi-ancestry PRSs in training datasets including 11,000 T2D cases and 32,000 controls, and validated their performance in independent datasets including 39,000 T2D cases and 126,000 controls of diverse ancestries.

Artificial Intelligence in Traditional Chinese Medicine: Multimodal Fusion and Machine Learning for Enhanced Diagnosis and Treatment Efficacy.

Artificial intelligence (AI) serves as a key technology in global industrial transformation and technological restructuring and as the core driver of the fourth industrial revolution. Currently, deep learning techniques, such as convolutional neural networks, enable intelligent information collection in fields such as tongue and pulse diagnosis owing to their robust feature-processing capabilities. Natural language processing models, including long short-term memory and transformers, have been applied to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for diagnosis, syndrome differentiation, and prescription generation.

Molecular testing, treatment patterns, and outcomes in EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer: the PISCES study.

Background: This study investigated molecular testing, treatment patterns, and prognosis in Chinese patients who progressed from first-line (1 L), epidermal growth factor receptor -tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) therapy, highlighting limited real-world data on clinical practice.

Methods: Consecutive eligible patients were prospectively enrolled in 16-centers in China. The primary endpoints were second-line (2 L) treatment patterns and clinical outcomes, including median progression-free survival (mPFS) and median overall survival (mOS) from 2 L treatment.

ZBTB16 exerts anti-angiogenic effects in rheumatoid arthritis by regulating HIF-1α pathway.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one complex chronic autoimmune disease, resulting body pain and badly affect the health of RA patients. Zinc finger and BTB domain containing 16 (ZBTB16) has been reported to participate into many diseases including osteoarthritis and osteoporosis.

Objective: To verify the regulatory functions of ZBTB16 in RA progression keep dimness.

Racial and ethnic differences in epigenetic aging: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2002.

Background: Accelerated biological aging due to differences in socially patterned exposures has been proposed as a mechanism underlying racial and ethnic disparities in morbidity and mortality. Research exploring this hypothesis has been limited by a lack of consensus regarding the measurement of biological aging.

Objective: The goal of this study is to examine self-reported race and ethnicity as a predictor of 13 measures of epigenetic aging.

DNA Methylation Signatures of Cardiovascular Health Provide Insights Into Diseases.

Background: The association of overall cardiovascular health (CVH) with changes in DNA methylation (DNAm) has not been well characterized.

Methods: We calculated the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 score to reflect CVH in 5 cohorts with diverse backgrounds (mean age 54 years, 55% women, and enrollment year ranging from 1989 to 2012). Epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) for Life's Essential 8 score were conducted, followed by bioinformatic analyses.

Autoantibody profiling using microarray identifies biomarkers associated with chemoimmunotherapy efficacy and immune-related adverse events in lung cancer patients.

Autoimmune disease associated autoantibodies have been implicated in both immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and chemoimmunotherapy responses; however, current biomarkers lack sufficient predictive power, especially for irAEs severity. Here, we developed an autoimmune disease (AID) autoantigen microarray (AID microarray) capable of detecting 125 autoantibodies associated with over 30 autoimmune diseases. The AID microarray demonstrated excellent reproducibility (intra-batch correlation: 0.

Autoantibody reactome analysis reveals diagnostic biomarkers and molecular classification for relapsing polychondritis.

Objectives: The lack of effective biomarkers for relapsing polychondritis (RP) poses a significant challenge in its early diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to identify novel autoantibodies and elucidate the pathogenesis and molecular heterogeneity of RP.

Methods: Plasma samples from 467 RP patients, 164 healthy controls (HCs), and 186 disease controls (DCs) were analysed using 2 sequential microarrays and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to sequentially discover, validate, and verify new autoantibodies.

Happiness training effect on primary school teachers' academic burnout and teaching effectiveness: narratives from teachers.

Background: Teacher burnout has become a critical issue in education, significantly affecting teaching effectiveness and student outcomes. Positive psychological interventions, such as happiness training, have the potential to mitigate burnout and enhance teachers' well-being. However, empirical evidence on the effectiveness of such interventions in educational settings remains limited.

Mitochondrial mass and mitochondrial membrane potential of peripheral lymphocytes: promising biomarkers of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Background: Mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Single-cell mitochondrial mass (SCMM), low mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP-Low) in lymphocytes, and circulating mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) can reflect mitochondrial impairment and may serve as potential novel biomarkers for SLE.

Purpose: We investigated the diagnostic utility of MMP-Low and SCMM in lymphocytes, as well as circulating mtDNA levels, in patients with SLE and examined their correlation with disease activity.

Multi-ancestry genome-wide association analyses incorporating SNP-by-psychosocial interactions identify novel loci for serum lipids.

Serum lipid levels, which are influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, are key determinants of cardiometabolic health and are influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Improving our understanding of their underlying biological mechanisms can have important public health and therapeutic implications. Although psychosocial factors, including depression, anxiety, and perceived social support, are associated with serum lipid levels, it is unknown if they modify the effect of genetic loci that influence lipids.

Omic Risk Scores are Associated with COPD-related Traits Across Three Cohorts.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exhibits marked heterogeneity in lung function decline, mortality, exacerbations, and other disease-related outcomes. Omic risk scores (ORS) estimate the cumulative contribution of omics, such as the transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome, to a particular trait. This study evaluates the predictive value of ORS for COPD-related traits in both smoking-enriched and general population cohorts.

Epigenetic mechanisms underlying variation of IL-6, a well-established inflammation biomarker and risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Background And Aims: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms remain less understood. Chronic low-grade inflammation is a complex immune response contributing to the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease. This response is signaled in part by interleukin-6 (IL-6), a pleiotropic, pro-inflammatory cytokine.

Progressive Adaptation of Subtype H6N1 Avian Influenza Virus in Taiwan Enhances Mammalian Infectivity, Pathogenicity, and Transmissibility.

The interspecies transmission of avian influenza viruses remains a significant public health concern. H6 viruses have gained attention following the first human infection by a chicken-origin H6N1 virus (A/Taiwan/02/2013, Hu/13), highlighting their zoonotic potential. To understand the evolutionary trajectory and mammalian adaptation of this Taiwan lineage, we compared two avian isolates (A/Chicken/Taiwan/CF19/2009, Ck/09; A/Chicken/Taiwan/2267/2012, Ck/12) and Hu/13 in vitro and in vivo.

Mass Cytometry Analysis of High-Dimensional Single-Cell Immune Profiles in ZF2001-Vaccinated Patients Infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) by the WHO. ZF2001, a protein subunit vaccine targeting the RBD, was utilized to evaluate its impact on the immune system of COVID-19 patients. This study aimed to investigate peripheral cell profiles one year after three doses of ZF2001 vaccine using single cell mass spectrometry flow cytometry (CyTOF), a technique that allows detailed characterization of the immune response against SARS-COV-2 infection and further evaluation of ZF2001 mechanisms as a prophylactic against chronic disease and reducing mortality.

Identifying Neurological Autoantibodies in COVID-19: mGluR2 as a Marker of Immune Dysregulation During the Omicron Outbreak in China.

Aimed to comprehensively investigate the presence of neural autoantibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma of COVID-19 patients experiencing neurological complications during the Omicron wave in China. Forty consecutive COVID-19 patients with severe neurological complications and 15 disease controls (DC) were enrolled. Neural autoantibodies were detected using both the indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) on mouse brain tissue and the Brain-neuronal-antigen microarray.

Epigenetic biomarkers of socioeconomic status are associated with age-related chronic diseases and mortality in older adults.

Later-life health is patterned by socioeconomic influences across the lifecourse. However, the pathways underlying the biological embedding of socioeconomic status (SES) and its consequences on downstream morbidity and mortality are not fully understood. Epigenetic markers like DNA methylation (DNAm) may be promising surrogates of underlying biological processes that can enhance our understanding of how SES shapes population health.

Elucidating SARS-CoV-2 neurotropism: a comprehensive Mendelian randomization study on cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers and their relevance to COVID-19 neurological manifestations.

A mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted to investigate whether SARS-CoV-2 invaded the human nervous system. This was confirmed by an increase in biomarkers found in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma of COVID-19 patients. To confirm the neuroinvasive properties of SARS-CoV-2, a series of analyses were conducted utilizing accessible datasets by MR.

Kaili sour soup in alleviation of hepatic steatosis in rats via lycopene route: an experimental study.

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most prevalent chronic liver diseases, with a range of manifestations, such as hepatic steatosis. Our previous study showed that Kaili Sour Soup (KSS) significantly attenuated hepatic steatosis in rats. This study explored the main components of KSS and the mechanisms by which it exerts its protective effects against NAFLD.

COVID-19 inactivated booster vaccines elicit strong protection against SARS-CoV-2 wild-type and Omicron variant in patients with breast cancer.

Background: Patients with breast cancer are at an increased risk of severe COVID-19 and related mortality. However, the ability of inactivated vaccine-induced antibodies to neutralize both SARS-CoV-2 and its Omicron variant following a third SARS-CoV-2 vaccine dose remains unclear in these patients.

Methods: Blood samples from 211 breast cancer patients and 155 healthy controls were analyzed after one, two, or three doses of the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

Potential bidirectional regulatory effects of botanical drug metabolites on tumors and cardiovascular diseases based on the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Pharmacological interventions targeting the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) signaling pathway are predominantly employed as anticancer therapies, yet they are frequently associated with significant cardiac toxicity. Additionally, the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway plays a crucial role in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, highlighting its dual significance in both oncology and cardiology. Therefore, the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway has become an ideal signaling pathway for studying cardioprotection, anticancer effects, and their associated cardiac toxicity.