A number of articles have heralded the use of artificial intelligence (AI) agents to serve as a replacement for human psychotherapists. Despite the rapid advancements in the use of both rule-based and generative AI programs in the recent past, an overall review shows only small impacts on certain mental health symptoms, particularly depression, and then only in the short-term. Significant strides forward, both in terms of technology and the development of answers to ethical questions regarding...

Pattern recognition receptors are crucial for autoimmune responses. While C-type lectins play important roles in immune responses, their involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) pathogenesis remains less understood. To investigate this, we utilized Gene Expression Omnibus data for bioinformatics analyses and obtained peripheral blood samples from SLE patients to study the expression, functions, and potential mechanisms of macrophage-inducible C-type lectin (Mincle). The results...

Obesity is an established risk factor for invasive breast cancer; however, the specific molecular heterogeneity distinguishing invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) from ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) within the obese tumor microenvironment is not well defined. In the current study, spatially resolved transcriptomics was utilized to profile the epithelial, stromal, and immune compartments of DCIS and IDC lesions stratified by host body mass index, categorized as non-obese (≤29.9 kg/m²) or obese (≥30...

KRAS mutations are commonly found in 90% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cases, making it one of the deadliest cancers. Key oncogenic signaling networks, such as KRAS, TP53-MDM2, EGFR, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR, are frequently altered in this invasive disease. These networks function within a dense desmoplastic tumor environment that inhibits drug delivery and fosters therapeutic resistance. Although KRAS mutations are a primary oncogenic driver and occur in approximately 90% of patients with...

Soil microbiomes are increasingly recognized as valuable indicators in forensic investigations, but microbial dynamics in mass graves remain poorly understood. This study investigates differences in microbial succession between individual graves (IG) and mass graves (MG) with human body donors and evaluates the potential of soil microbiome data to predict post-burial interval (PBI). Using ASV-level assessment, we analysed soil samples collected over time from both grave types in a controlled...