The Innovation

Background and Purpose: Ambient air pollution is an established risk factor for incident stroke, but whether post-discharge pollutant exposure influences stroke recurrence remains unknown. We investigated the association between post-discharge exposure to six ambient air pollutants and stroke recurrence in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Methods: We analyzed data from 27,346 patients in the CRCS-K-NIH nationwide multicenter registry of acute ischemic stroke patients (2014-2021) with confirmed ischemic stroke, residential address data, and matched air quality records. The primary exposure was the 3-month post-discharge average concentration of PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, and O2, assessed at the district level using inverse-distance weighted interpolation. The primary outcome was stroke recurrence from 3 to 15 months post-discharge. Cause-specific Cox proportional hazards models accounting for the multilevel data structure were used, with all-cause mortality as a competing risk. Restricted cubic splines assessed nonlinear dose-response relationships. Results: During follow-up (median 364.8 days), 765 patients experienced stroke recurrence and 471 died. Among the six pollutants, only SO2 showed a statistically significant association with recurrence (P for overall association in the restricted cubic spline analysis = 0.024). A potential threshold was identified at approximately 8.2 ppb, above which recurrence risk increased progressively (P for non-linearity = 0.095). The association was numerically stronger among older adults ([≥]75 years; P for interaction = 0.051) and women (P for interaction = 0.062). The highest SO2 concentrations were observed in harbor cities (Incheon, Ulsan, Busan), consistent with maritime shipping emissions. No significant associations were observed for the other five pollutants. Conclusions: Elevated post-discharge SO? exposure is associated with increased stroke recurrence risk, particularly in harbor regions and among older adults and women. These findings support incorporating ambient air quality monitoring into secondary stroke prevention strategies.

Open air burn pits were used extensively during military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, potentially exposing millions of US Veterans to toxic airborne hazards. Many of the airborne toxins released have been shown to induce lung inflammation and lung injury and are mutagenic. This is the first large-scale study of associations between self-reported burn pit exposures and the development of cancer. Using data from the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, we found that Veterans reporting burn pit exposures are associated with a higher odds of developing cancer. However, investigations into the development of specific type of cancer and into a burn pit exposure dose-response effect were inconclusive.

Mainland China experienced multiple waves of COVID-19 pandemic during 2020-2022, driven by emerging variants and changes in public health and social measures (PHSMs). We developed a hypergraph-based Susceptible-Vaccinated-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered-Susceptible (SVEIRS) model to reconstruct epidemic dynamics across 31 provinces, capturing transmission heterogeneity associated with clustered contacts. We assessed key characteristics of transmission at national and provincial levels during four outbreak periods: initial, localized pre-delta, Delta, and widespread Omicron, which accounted for 96.7% of all infections. We found significant diversity in transmission contributions across cluster sizes, with a small fraction of larger clusters responsible for a disproportionate share of infections. Counterfactual analyses showed that reducing cluster-size heterogeneity, while holding overall exposure constant, could have lowered national infections by 11.70-30.79%, with the largest effects during Omicron period. Ascertainment rates increased over time but remained spatially heterogeneous with a range: (14.40, 71.93)%. Population susceptibility declined following mass vaccination (to 42.49% in Aug 2021, nationally) and rebounded (to 89.89% in Nov 2022) due to waning immunity with variations across the provinces. Effective reproduction numbers displayed marked temporal and spatial variability, with higher estimates during Omicron. Overall, these results highlight critical role of group contact heterogeneity in shaping epidemic dynamics.

City parks and other urban green spaces can bring significant benefits to the physical and mental health of city residents. However, there is limited knowledge about the microbial communities inhabiting these urban soils. Here, we applied long-read metagenomic sequencing to 58 urban soil samples from two major cities in China, enabling genome-resolved reconstruction of microbial diversity at unprecedented contiguity. We recovered 7,949 medium- and high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes, comprising 4,171 species-level genome bins, of which over 97% represent previously undescribed species. Long-read assemblies revealed extensive secondary metabolic capacity, including more than 30,000 biosynthetic gene clusters, which were highly contiguous compared with those from fragmented short-read assemblies. Beyond secondary metabolism, we uncovered over 2 million small protein families, including hundreds that are strongly enriched in the neighbourhood of defense systems and mobile genetic elements, highlighting their overlooked role in urban soils. These findings expand our understanding of the functional diversity of urban soil microbiomes and provide new insights with implications for urban public health.

Human papillomavirus 18 (HPV18) preferentially infects cervical stem cell-like cells and is strongly associated with adenocarcinoma. However, the mechanisms underlying differentiation into cervical adenocarcinoma remain unclear due to the lack of appropriate experimental models. We aimed to establish a model of HPV18-associated cervical adenocarcinoma and elucidate its molecular and cellular differentiation mechanisms. HPV18 E6/E7 were introduced into induced pluripotent stem cell-derived reserve cell-like cells (iRCs) to generate tumor models. Spatial transcriptomics and single-cell multi-omics analyses were performed to integrate histological and molecular data. A distinct component (Gland_A) exhibited morphological and immunohistochemical features of cervical adenocarcinoma and was efficiently induced in iRC-18 tumors. Gland_A showed increased chromatin accessibility and elevated expression of FOXA1, FOXA2, and ALDH1A1. Analysis of clinical samples confirmed enrichment of ALDH1A1 in HPV-associated adenocarcinomas. This model recapitulates key features of HPV18-associated cervical adenocarcinoma and provides insights into its differentiation mechanisms.

Wildfire smoke (WFS) events are an important public health concern for communities in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Previous studies of portable air cleaners, including high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration and do-it-yourself (DIY) box fan filters built with MERV 13-rated filters, have indicated that their use in residential settings may be an effective way to reduce indoor exposures to fine particulate matter during WFS episodes. The lower-cost, easy to build instructions and availability of materials of DIY box fan filters have made their distribution by both public health agencies and community groups an attractive approach to improve community preparedness. Here, we describe a low-cost, easy-to-assemble, portable exposure chamber system that can be used to support a variety of community-engaged demonstrations of WFS removal efficiency as well as provide a mechanism to estimate the efficiency of filtration systems in a controlled environment. We conducted experiments using the portable chamber to assess the clean air delivery rate (CADR) of a MERV 13-rated DIY box fan filter, which was found to be 92.2 and 145.2 cfm at low and high fan speeds, respectively. In addition to using the chamber system to evaluate the CADR of DIY box fan filters, we also provide a case-study example, working with a tribal community in Central Washington, who used the tent system for a live demonstration of a DIY box fan filter experiment during their community gathering to promote WFS and air quality intervention knowledge and distribution of box fan filters.

Objective: Neuroendoscopy has emerged as a crucial minimally invasive strategy for the treatment of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). This bibliometric analysis aims to systematically delineate the global research architecture and evolution of neuroendoscopic ICH research over the past two decades. Methods: Relevant publications were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection using a reproducible search strategy. Bibliometric tools were applied to analyze contributions from countries, institutions, authors, publications, keywords and journals, enabling the construction of a comprehensive knowledge map and evolutionary framework of this field. Results: A total of 403 articles were identified, involving 2128 authors from 555 institutions across 43 countries. The publication trajectory exhibited fluctuating growth, reflecting the dynamic interplay between clinical demand and technological maturation. China contributed the highest publications and citation impact, followed by the US, jointly anchoring the global influence of the field. The research keywords have evolved from ?intracerebral hemorrhage? and ?initial conservative treatment? to ?augmented reality.? Thematic evolution analysis revealed a clear progression from early emphasis on operative feasibility, safety, and perioperative outcomes toward more rigorous evidence appraisal and the refinement of context-specific clinical indications, accompanied by continuous technological innovation. Conclusion: These findings collectively position neuroendoscopy as a cornerstone of modern ICH management, reshaping clinical strategies toward precision, minimal invasiveness, and multimodal intervention. Future progress will depend on strengthened international collaboration to generate high-quality evidence that supports patient stratification. The integration of emerging technologies, including advanced endoscopic robotics, is expected to further accelerate the translational and clinical landscape of neuroendoscopic ICH therapy.

Geothermal springs, characterized by extreme physicochemical conditions, represent ecologically and evolutionarily significant habitats that foster unique microbial communities and drive adaptive evolutionary processes. Despite their importance, the complex microbial interactions and underlying mechanisms governing community assembly in these environments remain poorly understood. In this study, we conducted systematic sampling across 49 geothermal springs in Tengchong, Yunnan, over a six-year period (2016-2021), and performed metagenomic sequencing on 152 samples. We successfully reconstructed 12,789 non-redundant microbial genomes, revealing an exceptionally high level of phylogenetic and functional diversity within the spring microbiomes. Our analyses demonstrate that pH and temperature are the primary deterministic drivers shaping both microbial species composition and functional potential, thereby segregating the communities into three distinct groups: acidic, hyperthermal, and thermal. Furthermore, ecological network analysis revealed that extreme environmental conditions significantly alter network topology, resulting in less complex but more efficient microbial interaction networks. Collectively, this study provides a comprehensive resource and mechanistic insights into the microbial diversity, community structure, and species interactions in geothermal spring ecosystems.

Oncolytic virotherapy is an innovative approach to cancer treatment that uses replication-competent viruses to selectively target and destroy cancer cells while leaving healthy tissues largely unaffected. Zika virus (ZIKV), a neurotropic orthoflavivirus, has recently gained attention as a potential oncolytic agent due to its ability to infect neural-derived cells and suppress tumor growth in preclinical models. Although existing studies have examined ZIKVs oncolytic effects, the mechanisms underlying these effects remain largely unexplored. Additionally, the roles of individual ZIKV proteins and their interactions with host factors remain incompletely understood. Here, we used RNA sequencing, affinity purification-mass spectrometry, and functional assays to uncover previously unidentified mechanisms underlying ZIKVs oncolytic activity in pediatric neural tumors. We found that the ZIKV non-structural proteins NS4A and NS5 exert oncolytic effects, reducing tumorsphere size. ZIKV-host protein-protein interaction networks were characterized and showed that integrin 3 (gene: ITGA3), a mediator of cell-matrix adhesion, interacts with ZIKV NS2B and NS4A. Integrin 3 was further shown to be involved in ZIKV- and NS4A-induced tumorsphere size reduction, while ITGA3 knockdown and ZIKV infection additively inhibited 3D invasion. These findings provide critical mechanistic insights that could inform the rational design of ZIKV-based virotherapies and highlight opportunities for combination treatment strategies.

BackgroundAcute ischemic stroke (AIS) remains a significant cause of disability worldwide. Current treatments, primarily intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), are limited by narrow time windows and reperfusion injury, leading to suboptimal outcomes for many patients. Chuanzhi Tongluo (CZTL), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been preliminarily recognized as a novel cerebral protection agent in animal models. ObjectivesThis trial investigates the efficacy and safety of CZTL capsule in patients with AIS who are not eligible for IVT or who experience early neurological deterioration after IVT. Methods and designThe CONCERN trial is an investigator-initiated, prospective, multicenter, double-blind, parallel-control, randomized clinical study in China. An estimated 1,208 eligible participants will be consecutively randomized to receive CZTL capsule therapy or placebo in 1:1 ratio across approximately 70 stroke centers in China. All enrolled patients are orally administered 2 capsules of CZTL or placebo 3 times a day together with antiplatelet agents for 3 months. OutcomesThe primary endpoint is an excellent functional outcome, defined as a score of 0 or 1 on the mRS at 90 days. Lead safety endpoints included 90-day mortality and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage within 48 hours. ConclusionsResults of CONCERN trial will determine the clinical efficacy and safety of the traditional Chinese medicine CZTL capsule in the treatment of AIS patients. Trial registry numberChiCTR2300074147 (www.chictr.org.cn).

Based on the 2023 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database, this study analyzed the global burden of preterm birth from 1990 to 2023 and predicted its development trend by 2050, while exploring the disparities in disease burden across regions with different Socio-demographic Index (SDI) levels, income groups and countries. A retrospective trend analysis was conducted to collect data on preterm birth incidence, prevalence, death and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 204 countries and regions worldwide from 1990 to 2023 from the GBD 2023 database. ARIMA model (p=2,d=1,q=1) and grey prediction model (GM(1,1)) were combined to predict the preterm birth burden from 2023 to 2050. In 2023, preterm birth was the primary cause of the global neonatal disease burden, with its four core indicators significantly higher than other neonatal diseases. From 1990 to 2023, the global incidence, death and DALYs of preterm birth decreased to 0.91, 0.44 and 0.52 times of the 1990 levels respectively, while the prevalence increased to 1.54 times of the baseline. Projection results showed that by 2050, the incidence, death and DALYs of preterm birth would drop to 0.79, 0.08 and 0.32 times of the 2023 levels, and the prevalence would rise to 1.23 times of 2023. Low SDI regions, lower-middle income countries, as well as India and Nigeria, bore the heaviest disease burden. Over the past three decades, the global acute health burden of preterm birth such as death has decreased notably, but the continuous rise in prevalence and severe regional and age disparities remain prominent public health challenges. The 0-6 days and 6-11 months age groups are the key time windows for preterm birth intervention. It is urgent to implement targeted prevention and control measures for low SDI regions and lower-middle income countries to reduce the global burden of preterm birth.

IntroductionMagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is central to neurological care, yet access remains profoundly inequitable in low- and middle-income countries, especially in rural health facilities where high costs and fragile electricity supply limit services. Ultra-low-field (ULF) portable MRI offers a way to expand access, but deployment in weak-grid settings requires robust affordable power. We characterized the power needs of a 0.064T portable ULF MRI system and assessed the feasibility of a solar-powered MRI-capable facility in a rural Zimbabwean clinic, which we believe to be the first of its kind in the world. MethodsWe measured the power draw of an ultra-low-field MRI session from a portable photovoltaic (PV) battery kit in the UK, quantifying scan, standby and energy use. We then monitored a PV-battery micro-grid supplying a protected circuit at an MRI-capable clinic in Shurugwi, Zimbabwe. Inverter telemetry was used to derive PV generation, load, battery state of charge (SoC) and grid import for working days in October-November 2025, spanning the end of the dry season and onset of the rainy season. ResultsIn the portable configuration, a 64-minute MRI session consumed [~]0.21 kWh, with standby demand of [~]1.44 kWh per 24 hours. In clinic, mean PV generation was 9.10 kWh (SD=1.34) and load 9.91 kWh, with zero recorded grid import and minimum daily SoC typically [≥]60%, including during the early rainy season. ConclusionAn affordable PV-battery micro-grid can reliably support ULF MRI and associated research power loads in a rural, weak-grid clinic, offering a reproducible blueprint to narrow diagnostic equity gaps in resource-limited settings.

ObjectivesRising temperatures are a major climate-related hazard for U.S. workers, increasing heat-related illness and a broad range of occupational injuries through indirect pathways often overlooked in economic evaluations. We examined the association between temperature and occupational injury and illness and quantified heat-attributable injuries (including illnesses) and costs in New York State. MethodsWe conducted a time-stratified case-crossover study of 591,257 workers compensation (WC) claims during the warm season (2016-2024). Daily maximum temperature was linked to injury date and county and modeled using natural cubic splines, with effect modification by industry and worker characteristics. ResultsInjury risk increased with temperature, becoming statistically significant at approximately 78{degrees}F. Relative to 65{degrees}F, injury odds increased to 1.06 (95% CI: 1.01-1.10) at 80{degrees}F, 1.12 (1.07-1.18) at 90{degrees}F, and 1.17 (1.11-1.23) at 95{degrees}F. Overall, 5.0% of claims (2,322 annually) were attributable to heat. At temperatures [≥]80{degrees}F, an estimated 1,729 excess injuries occurred annually, generating approximately $46 million in WC costs. An estimated $3.2 million to $36.1 million in medical expenditures were associated with incomplete claims, likely borne outside the WC system. ConclusionsThese findings demonstrate substantial economic costs not fully captured within WC and support workplace heat protections as a cost-containment strategy that can reduce health care spending and strengthen workforce resilience.

The Pamir Plateau is a transboundary water tower whose source lakes serve as critical biogeochemical hubs with implications for downstream freshwater security. However, it remains unclear how environmental shifts in these high-altitude lakes reshape the microbial communities that drive ecosystem functioning and water safety. Here, we conducted a multi-omics survey across 20 lakes spanning Chinese and Tajikistani Pamir. Our results revealed that prokaryotes exhibited lower diversity but higher among-lake connectivity in China, while eukaryotes showed higher diversity but stronger dispersal limitation. These contrasting biogeographic responses triggered profound rewiring of microbial associations. Under intensified anthropogenic pressures, Chinese cross-kingdom networks decoupled from environmental constraints and became more centralized and complex. Conversely, Tajikistani lakes maintained more modular networks governed by hydrochemical filtering. Critically, this rewiring mediated a trade-off between multifunctionality and potential biosafety risk, with higher element cycling abundances in Chinese lakes, whereas Tajikistani lakes harbored larger biosafety burden dominated by virulence, pathogen, and toxic-algae potential. Incorporating network topology also substantially improved the prediction of these ecological consequences. These findings highlight the importance of network-informed monitoring and management strategies to safeguard ecosystem sustainability in transboundary Pamir lakes under global change.

Comprehensive and responsive interventions are increasingly prioritized to address the diverse and evolving health challenges faced by mothers and children during the first 1,000 days of life. However, evidence remains limited on how such interventions can be operationalized in low-resource settings without overstretching frontline health workers. We developed a comprehensive yet flexible community-based intervention, the Healthy Future program, which integrates a stage-based maternal and child health curriculum with mHealth-enabled infrastructure to deliver targeted, stage-based support through home visits in low-resource settings. We evaluated its impact through a cluster-randomized controlled trial across 119 rural townships in China. The program demonstrated improvements across multiple health, behavioral, and intermediate outcomes, including young child feeding practices, caregiving knowledge, maternal mental health, and perceived social support. Overall, this study illustrates a move beyond stand-alone interventions toward a scalable, multidimensional delivery model capable of providing comprehensive, flexible, and timely support to mothers and children in low-resource communities while remaining feasible for large-scale implementation.

Background: Climate mitigation policies can lower air pollutant concentrations and deliver substantial health co-benefits. The French Ecological Transition Agency (ADEME) proposed four contrasting Transitions 2050 net-zero scenarios. We quantified mortality, morbidity, and health-economic co-benefits from projected PM2.5 and NO2 reductions across all four scenarios in continental France. Methods: Emission projections were input to the CHIMERE chemistry-transport model to estimate PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations for 2030 and 2050. Health impacts were assessed using disease-specific cessation-lag assumptions relative to 2019, covering premature mortality, morbidity, DALYs, and economic benefits across nine outcomes (hypertension, lung cancer, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, COPD, type-2 diabetes, acute lower respiratory infections, and asthma in children and adults). Findings: Population exposure is projected to decline by about 40% for PM2.5 and 70% for NO2 by 2050, with health gains remaining substantial and broadly equivalent across all four scenarios and modest differences between sufficiency-oriented and technology-driven pathways. Under delayed-impact assumptions, avoided premature deaths ranged from 21,300 to 22,100 for PM2.5 and 24,500 to 26,200 for NO2. Morbidity and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) reductions, as well as economic savings, spanned similarly; total avoided morbidity cases were 84,000-88,000, direct medical cost reductions were e1.0-1.1 billion/year, and intangible cost savings of e41-43 billion and e36-39 billion, respectively. Interpretation: Health co-benefits are substantial, consistent across contrasting scenarios, and increase markedly from 2030 to 2050. Explicitly incorporating these co-benefits into climate policy appraisals may strengthen the case for ambitious mitigation and improve decision-maker acceptability.

Background Ambient air pollution is a leading global health risk and disproportionately affects populations of Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). In 2021, WHO revised its Air Quality Guidelines (AQG), lowering recommended annual limits for Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2). We estimated the potential health and economic impacts of achieving WHO Interim Target 3 (IT3) and AQG concentrations across LMICs. Methods We conducted a health impact assessment across 136 LMICs to quantify one-year changes in all-cause and cause-specific mortality (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD], ischaemic heart disease [IHD], and stroke) and disease incidence (COPD, dementia, IHD, and stroke) under WHO IT3 and AQG counterfactual scenarios for PM2.5 and NO2. Concentration-response functions were applied at 1km x 1km resolution. Economic welfare impacts of mortality risk reductions were estimated using country-adjusted values of a statistical life (VSL, Int$ PPP-adjusted 2021). Direct medical and productivity-related costs associated with incident cases were estimated using a cost-of-illness (COI) framework. Uncertainty intervals (UI) reflect uncertainty in concentration-response functions. Results Attainment of WHO IT3 and AQG concentrations for PM2.5 was associated with an estimated 16.04% reduction (6.58million, UI: 6.10-7.07million) and 22.97% reduction (9.43million, UI: 8.75-10.11million) in annual deaths, respectively. Corresponding VSL-based estimates of deaths averted were Int$5.5 trillion (7.0% of aggregate LMIC GDP) and Int$8.4 trillion (10.6% of GDP), respectively. For NO2, IT3 and AQG scenarios were associated with estimated reductions of approximately 1.06% (approximately 435,000 deaths, UI: 388,000-483,000) and 2.79% (435,000 deaths; UI: 388,000-483,000), yielding gains of Int$0.6 trillion (0.7% of GDP) and Int$1.5 trillion (1.9% of GDP). Disease-specific mortality reductions were most prominent for IHD and stroke in Asia and Africa. Under the PM2.5 AQG scenario, an estimated 2.82million (1.67-2.97) COPD, 1.10million (0.83-1.37) dementia, 7.3million (6.41-8.19) IHD, and 2.3million (2.19-2.41) stroke cases could be delayed or averted in one year. Associated reductions in direct medical and productivity-related costs were greatest for IHD, COPD, and stroke. NO2-related morbidity reductions were smaller across all outcomes. All estimates represent one-year changes in risk relative to counterfactual exposure and may reflect delayed rather than permanently avoided events. Discussion Achieving both WHO IT3 and AQG values in LMICs could yield substantial reductions in premature mortality and disease incidence, particularly for cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, alongside large, monetised welfare gains from reduced mortality risk. These findings underscore the considerable societal value of air quality improvements and support accelerated action toward meeting WHO guideline levels in regions bearing the highest pollution burden.

Military aviation training noise remains understudied despite its widespread impacts across urban, rural, and wilderness areas. The predominance of low-frequency noise and repetitive training can create pervasive noise pollution, yet past research often fails to capture the full range of health and quality-of-life effects. This study analyzed two complaint datasets related to Whidbey Island Naval Air Station noise: U.S. Navy records (2017-2020) and Quiet Skies Over San Juan County data (2021-2023). We analyzed and mapped sentiment intensity from noise complaints relative to modeled annual noise exposure, developed a typology to classify impacts, and modeled the environmental and operational factors influencing complaints. Findings revealed widespread negative sentiment and anger, often beyond the bounds of estimated noise contours, suggesting that annual cumulative noise models inadequately estimate community impacts. Complaints consistently highlighted sleep disturbance, hearing and health concerns, and compromised home environments due to shaking, vibration, and disruption of daily life. Residents also reported significant social, recreational, and work disruptions, along with feelings of fear, helplessness, and concern for childrens well-being. The number of complaints were strongly associated with training schedules, with late-night sessions being the strongest predictor. A delayed response pattern suggests residents reach a frustration threshold before filing complaints. Overall, our findings demonstrate persistent negative sentiment and diverse impacts from military aviation noise. Results highlight the need for improved noise metrics, modeling and operational adjustments to mitigate the most disruptive effects.

Background: Lung cancer in never-smokers is rising, with a substantial proportion harboring the EGFR mutation. While fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a recognized risk factor, other intervenable pollutants and built environmental factors remain unknown. Objectives: To identify urban characteristics associated with EGFR-mutant (vs. wild-type) lung cancer using high-resolution spatiotemporal data. Methods: We analyzed 2,699 lung cancer patients with documented EGFR status treated at a high-volume academic medical center in New York City. Patient residential addresses were linked to high-resolution (300m x 300m) 5-year cumulative exposures to 3 air pollutants and 26 urban features. We developed Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) models to classify EGFR status, comparing a basic clinical model with established predictors (Asian, female, never-smoking status, and adenocarcinoma histology) to an extended model with additional urban factors. Predictive performance was assessed based on discrimination (AUC). Results: We included 2,699 patients, of whom 54.1% were female and 25.8% self-identified as Asian, 11.2% as Black, and 7.4% as Hispanic; and 29% had EGFR-mutated cancer. The extended model showed modest improvements in discrimination (AUC: 0.775 [95% CI, 0.739-0.809] vs. 0.768 [0.723-0.811]), compared to the clinical model. Newly identified factors for EGFR-mutant status included black carbon (BC), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), proximity to airports, reduced access to public transportation, elevated noise levels, and lead exposure. Conclusions: Traffic-related pollutants (BC, NO2) from diesel engines and motor vehicles, and proximity to airports, were among the novel spatiotemporal features associated with EGFR-mutant lung cancer. These results may inform policy interventions.

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly pathogenic disease caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV) infection, which can affect pigs of all ages and breeds, posing significant threat to the global pig farming industry. The ASFV p30 protein is an early-expressed viral structural protein; however, its function is not fully understood. In this study, the interaction of viral p30 with host TRIM21 was identified. The ectopic TRIM21 inhibited ASFV replication, while knockdown or knockout of TRIM21 promoted ASFV replication. Further, p30 was found to interact with RIG-I-like receptor (RLR) signaling adaptor MAVS, and during ASFV infection, p30-TRIM21-MAVS interacted with each other. Mechanistically, TRIM21 activated the K27 polyubiquitination of MAVS to induce IRF3 mediated type I interferon (IFN) production, whereas p30 counteracted TRIM21 activated MAVS K27 polyubiquitination to evade RLR signaling mediated antiviral IFN induction. In summary, our study revealed a novel function of ASFV p30, and provided new insights into the immune evasion of ASFV.