The clinical translation of stimulator of interferon genes (STING)agonist-based cancer immunotherapy is limited by uncontrolled and sustained STING activation, which leads to immune exhaustion and systemic toxicity. In this forum, we critically analyze recent advances, including stimuli-responsive, biomimetic, pulsatile, intracellular-triggered release, and synergistic systems that enable precise spatiotemporal STING activation, as well as associated gaps in clinical translation. Finally, we present futuristic perspectives on next-generation STING-based cancer immunotherapy strategies.

Targeting methods for repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in patients with depression now include individual functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans to target specific functional connectivity (FC) patterns. Potential biomarkers of rTMS response include target FC with the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (SGC) or the causal depression circuit (CDC), each of which may be candidates for individualized functional targets (iFTs). We retrospectively assessed the relationship of these two approaches to outcomes in secondary analyses of two large rTMS clinical trials.

501 subjects with moderate to severe depression underwent 4-6 weeks of daily rTMS to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), targeted using neuronavigation to an optimized DLPFC-SGC-FC group-based functional target. Baseline resting-state scans were used to retrospectively compute iFTs using either SGC-DLPFC or CDC-DLPFC FC. Proximity (Euclidean distance) of the stimulated target to iFTs were correlated with outcomes. Electric field magnitude at iFTs was computed to capture non-linear stimulation propagation.

Most iFTs were within 2cm of their group-target. Proximity to either an SGC- or CDC-iFT was not associated with better outcomes. Sensitivity analyses accounting for treatment target FC, methodology, data quality, or treatment parameters did not change results. Electric field-based measures were highly similar to Euclidean distance and likewise showed no association with outcomes.

Under the specific fMRI acquisition parameters used, proximity to optimized DLPFC-SGC-iFTs was not associated with better outcomes in patients receiving neuronavigated rTMS to an optimized DLPFC-SGC group-target. Prospective randomized clinical trials definitively assessing the clinical utility of iFTs are warranted. .

Depressive symptoms are highly prevalent among patients with chronic schizophrenia, yet their pathological mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of depressive symptoms in Han Chinese patients with chronic schizophrenia and to investigate their associations with clinical features, metabolic parameters, and inflammatory biomarkers.

A total of 305 patients with chronic schizophrenia and 182 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled. Clinical symptoms were assessed using a series of standardized scales including the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS). Meanwhile, plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and metabolism-related indicators were measured in all participants. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the associations between depressive symptoms and clinical symptoms, CRP, and metabolism-related indicators. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was adopted to evaluate the predictive performance of independent risk factors for depressive symptoms.

The prevalence of depressive symptoms among patients with chronic schizophrenia was 26.2%. The total Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) score, Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) score, and CRP were independent risk factors for depressive symptoms in this patient cohort. Furthermore, ROC curve analysis illustrated that the integration of total PANSS score, ISI score, RSESE total score and CRP (AUC = 0.790, 95% CI = 0.734-0.847, P < 0.001) exhibited superior discriminative capacity for identifying depressive symptoms.

Depressive symptoms affect over one-quarter of Han Chinese patients with chronic-course schizophrenia. Moreover, their occurrence may be significantly associated with psychotic symptoms, insomnia, extrapyramidal side effects, and elevated concentrations of CRP and metabolic biomarkers.

Antidepressants are commonly used during pregnancy, yet data on their potential effects on fetal growth remain limited, particularly from ultrasound-based studies.

We performed a retrospective analysis of routine ultrasound data from electronic medical records. Data from pregnant women with mental illnesses were extracted and grouped according to antidepressant prescription. After stratifying for gestational age, comparisons between groups included ultrasound parameters, decelerated fetal growth, preterm delivery frequency, ponderal index, blood loss volume at birth and Apgar scores were performed.

We included 44 antidepressant-treated and 80 antidepressant-free patients. Groups did not differ regarding age, BMI, psychiatric diagnoses, smoking status, multiparity or benzodiazepine prescription (p > 0.05 for all). We did not detect differences for estimated fetal weight at any time point or for growth deceleration (p > 0.05), except for biparietal diameter (BPD) values at 5-12 weeks (p = 0.046; higher in the antidepressants-treated group) and BPD percentile values at 13-24 weeks (p = 0.04; lower in the antidepressants-treated group). No differences for preterm delivery frequency or for volume of blood loss at birth were observed (p > 0.05). Severe neonatal distress rates were higher in antidepressant-exposed vs. -unexposed newborns at 5 and 10 min after birth, when using an Apgar score threshold of 7 (p = 0.02 and 0.05 respectively), but not for an Apgar threshold of 4 (p > 0.05).

Antidepressant treatment during pregnancy was not associated with differences in fetal growth or major obstetric outcomes. Small variations observed in BPD are of uncertain significance, and the neonatal Apgar findings were consistent with previously reported mild and transient adaptation symptoms.

Postoperative recovery in older adults undergoing cardiac surgery is a complex and multidimensional process associated with clinical, psychological, and nutritional factors; however, these factors are often addressed separately in clinical practice.

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical, psychological, and nutritional factors associated with postoperative recovery in patients aged 65 years and older undergoing cardiac surgery.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 128 elderly patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. Preoperative data included demographic and clinical characteristics, nutritional status (MNA-SF), quality of life (SF-12), and surgery-specific anxiety (ASSQ). Postoperative recovery was assessed before discharge using the Postoperative Recovery Index (PRI). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and multivariable linear regression.

The mean PRI score was 2.59 ± 0.53, indicating moderate to severe recovery difficulty in most patients. Lower MNA-SF score and higher surgery-specific anxiety were significantly associated with greater recovery difficulty. Mental quality of life was negatively associated with recovery difficulty, whereas no significant association was found with physical quality of life. In multivariable analysis, surgery-specific anxiety emerged as the strongest factor associated with recovery difficulty. Higher age, body mass index, presence of chronic disease, longer ICU intubation duration, and longer ICU stay were associated with greater recovery difficulty, whereas higher MNA-SF scores and more frequent mobilization were associated with better recovery outcomes.

Postoperative recovery in older adults is associated with surgery-specific anxiety, nutritional status, and mental well-being. These findings highlight the importance of integrating psychological support, nutritional care, and early mobilization into perioperative nursing practice.

Food insecurity impacts mental and physical health for individuals of all ages. This study evaluates associations between food insecurity and weight status, diet, and mental health, as well as tests a path model to evaluate proposed patterns (i.e., parent BMI, parent distress, and child diet) of food insecurity's relationship with child obesity.

This study includes a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from parent-child dyads enrolled in rural, family-based obesity intervention. Dyads in rural Kansas (N = 148; 25% food insecure; child age 6-10 years) were recruited based on child weight status (i.e., above 85th percentile). Families completed measures pertaining to household food insecurity, mental health, child diet, and standardized height/weight measurement.

Correlational analyses indicated significant positive associations between food insecurity, parent/child BMI(z), and parent anxious, depressive, and somatic symptoms (ps < .05). Additionally, path models indicated the strongest significant indirect effect on the relationship between food insecurity and child BMIz was via parent BMI (βs = 0.10-0.13, ps < .001), such that greater parent BMI partially explained the food insecurity child obesity paradox exhibited in previous literature, while parent distress (βs = -0.06, p < .001), and child diet (β = 0.02, ps < .001), demonstrated smaller mediation effects.

Findings highlight negative associations of food insecurity with physical and mental health of parents, which may then indirectly correspond to child weight status. Results emphasize the need to assess and address food insecurity in family-focused obesity intervention, especially for families living in rural areas.

The ventral striatum (VS) is a promising target for deep brain stimulation (DBS) for the treatment of refractory psychiatric disorders. The therapeutic effects of DBS rely on altering neural activity within specific networks; however, the network-level oscillatory mechanisms underlying VS-DBS remain unclear. Here, in human subjects with DBS electrodes implanted in the VS and anterior limb of the internal capsule, electroencephalography recordings obtained during DBS ON and OFF conditions revealed a global suppression of theta activity. To isolate these effects specific to VS stimulation, we applied direct electrical stimulation to the VS in two rhesus monkeys while simultaneously recording intracranial local field potentials from the reward-network regions. High-frequency stimulation (HFS) of the VS elicited target-specific, current-dependent, state-dependent, and distributed modulation of theta activity, whose magnitude was related to effective connectivity. Overall, VS-HFS exerted state-dependent modulation of a theta-responsive subnetwork. These findings may help to elucidate the therapeutic mechanisms of VS-DBS.

The biological basis of psychopathology outcomes in moderate-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains poorly understood. Previous reviews have found limited convergence in associations between brain regions or functions and specific psychopathology categories (e.g., anxiety, depression). The current systematic review aimed to evaluate MRI-derived features of psychopathology transdiagnostically across available diagnostic categories in moderate-severe TBI. Eligible studies investigated associations between MRI-derived features (macro-, micro-structure, function) and psychopathology in adults with closed-moderate-severe TBI. We searched English literature from Embase, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE via Ovid SP, and the review was last assessed as up to date on 2nd November 2023. Risk of bias was assessed using a customised tool based on the Joanna Brigg's Institute Critical Appraisal Tools. The total number of records screened was 7,777 articles, with 18 meeting eligibility criteria. Studies predominantly investigated hippocampal morphology (n = 7) and depression (n = 9). The average risk of bias fell within the "intermediate" range, associated with sampling, measurement, and statistical bias. Findings were heterogeneous and inconsistent within specific psychopathology categories, yet some morphological features converged transdiagnostically (e.g., hippocampus, thalamus, fronto-temporal regions). Notably, lower hippocampal volume was associated with higher depression (n = 2), anxiety (n = 1), apathy (n = 1), and psychosis (n = 1). No consistent microstructural and functional features converged across studies. This review provides a comprehensive evaluation of the current evidence regarding transdiagnostic MRI-derived features of psychopathology and critiques common limitations across the literature, including the focus on structural MRI, lack of appropriate comparators, and the narrow focus on specific psychopathology categories. We propose that transdiagnostic-dimensional frameworks may help address these gaps and advance the understanding of shared and distinct biological features of psychopathology in moderate-severe TBI.Review Registration: prospectively registered on 6/9/2022 in PROSPERO (CRD42022358358).

Informant discrepancies between parents and adolescents have been increasingly recognized as a meaningful construct with demonstrated implications for treatment outcomes in clinical populations. However, less is known about their relevance to adolescent adjustment in community samples, their domain-specific associations across internalizing and externalizing problems, and the role of family functioning in these associations. This exploratory study examined whether parent-overreporting versus adolescent-overreporting of adolescents' internalizing and externalizing problems was associated with adolescent adjustment, and whether family functioning indicators were involved in these associations. Using dyadic data from 1,696 parent-adolescent dyads in the UK Millennium Cohort Study, Wave 7, structural equation modeling was conducted to examine direct and indirect associations between discrepancy direction and adolescents' mental health problems and substance use behaviors, including smoking, binge drinking, and drug use. Four family functioning indicators were examined: parent-adolescent communication, emotional closeness, parental knowledge, and parental control. Results showed that parent-overreporting, relative to adolescent-overreporting, was associated with more favorable adolescent adjustment, but the pattern differed by discrepancy domain. Internalizing-based parent-overreporting was mainly associated with fewer mental health problems, whereas externalizing-based parent-overreporting was associated with both fewer mental health problems and lower likelihoods of smoking, binge drinking, and drug use. Communication and closeness were more consistently involved in indirect associations with mental health problems across both discrepancy domains, whereas parental knowledge was more clearly involved in indirect associations with substance use outcomes in the externalizing discrepancy model. These findings suggest that discrepancy direction provides adjustment-relevant information in community samples and that its implications depend on the problem domain assessed and the family functioning indicators considered. The study contributes to multi-informant assessment by supporting a domain-specific and relational interpretation of parent-adolescent discrepancies in adolescent psychological difficulties.