Pan-cancer proteogenomics characterization of tumor immunity

Despite the successes of immunotherapy in cancer treatment over recent decades, less than <10%-20% cancer cases have demonstrated durable responses from immune checkpoint blockade. To enhance the efficacy of immunotherapies, combination therapies suppressing multiple immune evasion mechanisms are increasingly contemplated. To better understand immune cell surveillance and diverse immune evasion responses in tumor tissues, we comprehensively characterized the immune landscape of more than 1,000 tumors across ten different cancers using CPTAC pan-cancer proteogenomic data. We identified seven distinct immune subtypes based on integrative learning of cell type compositions and pathway activities. We then thoroughly categorized unique genomic, epigenetic, transcriptomic, and proteomic changes associated with each subtype. Further leveraging the deep phosphoproteomic data, we studied kinase activities in different immune subtypes, which revealed potential subtype-specific therapeutic targets. Insights from this work will facilitate the development of future immunotherapy strategies and enhance precision targeting with existing agents.

Organization of microtubule plus-end dynamics by phase separation in mitosis

In eukaryotes, microtubule polymers are essential for cellular plasticity and fate decisions. End-binding (EB) proteins serve as scaffolds for orchestrating microtubule polymer dynamics and are essential for cellular dynamics and chromosome segregation in mitosis. Here, we show that EB1 forms molecular condensates with TIP150 and MCAK through liquid-liquid phase separation to compartmentalize the kinetochore-microtubule plus-end machinery, ensuring accurate kinetochore-microtubule interactions during chromosome segregation in mitosis. Perturbation of EB1-TIP150 polymer formation by a competing peptide prevents phase separation of the EB1-mediated complex and chromosome alignment at the metaphase equator in both cultured cells and Drosophila embryos. Lys220 of EB1 is dynamically acetylated by p300/CBP-associated factor in early mitosis, and persistent acetylation at Lys220 attenuates the phase separation of the EB1-mediated complex, dissolves droplets in vitro, and harnesses accurate chromosome segregation. Our data suggest a novel framework for understanding the organization and regulation of eukaryotic spindle for accurate chromosome segregation in mitosis.

The Simons Observatory: Cryogenic half wave plate rotation mechanism for the small aperture telescopes

We present the requirements, design, and evaluation of the cryogenic continuously rotating half-wave plate (CHWP) for the Simons Observatory (SO). SO is a cosmic microwave background polarization experiment at Parque Astronómico de Atacama in northern Chile that covers a wide range of angular scales using both small (⌀0.42 m) and large (⌀6 m) aperture telescopes. In particular, the small aperture telescopes (SATs) focus on large angular scales for primordial B-mode polarization. To this end, the SATs employ a CHWP to modulate the polarization of the incident light at 8 Hz, suppressing atmospheric 1/f noise and mitigating systematic uncertainties that would otherwise arise due to the differential response of detectors sensitive to orthogonal polarizations. The CHWP consists of a 505 mm diameter achromatic sapphire HWP and a cryogenic rotation mechanism, both of which are cooled down to ∼50 K to reduce detector thermal loading. Under normal operation, the HWP is suspended by a superconducting magnetic bearing and rotates with a constant 2 Hz frequency, controlled by an electromagnetic synchronous motor. We find that the number of superconductors and the number of magnets that make up the superconducting magnetic bearing are important design parameters, especially for the rotation mechanism's vibration performance. The rotation angle is detected through an angular encoder with a noise level of 0.07 μrad s. During a cooldown process, the rotor is held in place by a grip-and-release mechanism that serves as both an alignment device and a thermal path. In this paper, we provide an overview of the SO SAT CHWP: its requirements, hardware design, and laboratory performance.

Pericoronary adipose tissue attenuation predicts outcome of percutaneous intervention for chronic total occlusion

AIM

To investigate the association between pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) attenuation (PCATA) and outcomes of chronic total occlusion (CTO) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and to establish a clinical model that can be easily generalised to predict the outcomes of PCI-CTO.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between September 2015 and September 2019, patients from two centres were enrolled retrospectively. The primary endpoint was a procedural success (defined as achieving residual stenosis of <30% and a grade 3 thrombolysis in myocardial infarction [TIMI] flow). The new predictive model was generated by factors that were determined by multivariate analysis. The PCATA of CTO (PCATA-CTO) score was developed by assigning 1 point for each independent predictor, and then summing all points accrued. In addition, the predictive efficacy and interobserver and intraobserver agreement of PCATA-CTO and other scoring systems based on coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) were compared.

RESULTS

A total of 201 patients (mean age 58.9 ± 10.8 years, 85% male) were enrolled. The PCI success was achieved in 76% of the lesions. PCAT was higher in the PCI success group (-72.44 ± 10.45HU versus -76.76 ± 10.54 HU, p<0.05). Multivariable analysis yielded severe calcification, lesion length ≥15 mm, and perivascular fat attenuation index (FAI) ≤-69.5HU as independent negative predictors for procedural success. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the PCATA-CTO score was 0.72. Comparing the PCATA-CTO score with other predictive scores, the PCATA-CTO score showed the highest interobserver (kappa = 0.74) and intraobserver agreement (kappa = 0.90, all p<0.01).

CONCLUSION

FAI ≤-69.5HU is an independent negative predictor of procedural success. The PCATA-CTO score improved the reliability of the prediction model. Its potential for clinical implementation requires evaluation.

RECCIPE: A new framework assessing localized cell-cell interaction on gene expression in multicellular ST data

Cell-cell interaction (CCI) plays a pivotal role in cellular communication within the tissue microenvironment. The recent development of spatial transcriptomics (ST) technology and associated data analysis methods has empowered researchers to systematically investigate CCI. However, existing methods are tailored to single-cell resolution datasets, whereas the majority of ST platforms lack such resolution. Additionally, the detection of CCI through association screening based on ST data, which has complicated dependence structure, necessitates proper control of false discovery rates due to the multiple hypothesis testing issue in high dimensional spaces. To address these challenges, we introduce RECCIPE, a novel method designed for identifying cell signaling interactions across multiple cell types in spatial transcriptomic data. RECCIPE integrates gene expression data, spatial information and cell type composition in a multivariate regression framework, enabling genome-wide screening for changes in gene expression levels attributed to CCIs. We show that RECCIPE not only achieves high accuracy in simulated datasets but also provides new biological insights from real data obtained from a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Overall, our framework provides a useful tool for studying impact of cell-cell interactions on gene expression in multicellular systems.

KNSTRN Is a Prognostic Biomarker That Is Correlated with Immune Infiltration in Breast Cancer and Promotes Cell Cycle and Proliferation

Kinetochore-localized astrin/SPAG5-binding protein (KNSTRN) promotes the progression of bladder cancer and lung adenocarcinoma. However, its expression and biological function in breast cancer remain largely unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze KNSTRN expression, prognoses, correlation with immune infiltration, expression-associated genes, and regulated signaling pathways to characterize its role in regulating the cell cycle using both bioinformatics and in vitro functional experiments. Analyses of The Cancer Genome Atlas, Gene Expression Omnibus, TIMER, and The Human Protein Atlas databases revealed a significant upregulation of KNSTRN transcript and protein levels in breast cancer. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses demonstrated a significant association between high expression of KNSTRN and poor overall survival, relapse-free survival, post-progression survival, and distant metastases-free survival in patients with breast cancer. Furthermore, multivariate Cox regression analyses confirmed that KNSTRN is an independent prognostic factor for breast cancer. Immune infiltration analysis indicated a positive correlation between KNSTRN expression and T regulatory cell infiltration while showing a negative correlation with Tgd and natural killer cell infiltration. Gene set enrichment analysis along with single-cell transcriptome data analysis suggested that KNSTRN promoted cell cycle progression by regulating the expression of key cell cycle proteins. The overexpression and silencing of KNSTRN in vitro, respectively, promoted and inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer cells. The overexpression of KNSTRN enhanced the expression of key cell cycle regulators, including CDK4, CDK6, and cyclin D3, thereby accelerating the G1/S phase transition and leading to aberrant proliferation of breast cancer cells. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that KNSTRN functions as an oncogene in breast cancer by regulating immune response, promoting G1/S transition, and facilitating breast cancer cell proliferation. Moreover, KNSTRN has potential as a molecular biomarker for diagnostic and prognostic prediction in breast cancer.

[Analysis on the use of HIV post-exposure prophylaxis and related factors in men who have sex with men in Qingdao]

Objective: To understand the use of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and analyze related factors among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Qingdao, and provide a reference for the AIDS prevention and control in this population. Methods: A cross-sectional survey conducted from April 2022 to February 2023. Relying on MSM social groups in Qingdao, a snowball sampling method was applied to recruit research subjects who met the inclusion criteria of age ≥18 years old, having had homosexual anal or oral sex in the past six months, and HIV-negative or infection status unknown. The sample size was estimated at 566. Data on demographic characteristics, sexual behavior characteristics, PEP use, and others of the research subjects was collected through on-site questionnaires. The logistic regression model was used to analyze the factors associated with using PEP. Results: A total of 811 participants were recruited, mainly aged 25-34 (53.6%, 435/811), unmarried (74.7%, 606/811), with an average monthly income of ≥5 000 yuan (52.2%, 423/811), and having lived in Qingdao for ≥10 years (75.6%, 613/811). The proportion of those who knew the HIV status of their sexual partners in the last six months was 67.1% (544/811), and those with HIV-positive partners were 3.6% (29/811). In the last six months, the proportion of participants who had group sex (86.4%, 701/811), unprotected anal sex (98.2%, 796/811), and use of club drugs (80.3%, 651/811) was high. Moreover, 28.4% (230/811) had used PEP. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the factors related to the use of PEP included divorced or widowed (aOR=5.46,95%CI:1.96-15.17), average monthly income ≥5 000 yuan (aOR=2.04,95%CI:1.44-2.89), same-sex sexual orientation (aOR=0.40,95%CI:0.22-0.71), having HIV-positive sexual partners in the last six months (aOR=2.54,95%CI:1.13-5.71) and having been tested for HIV ≥3 times in the last six months (aOR=1.46,95%CI:1.04-2.06). Conclusions: The prevalence of risk behaviors among MSM in Qingdao was high, and the use of PEP was low. In the future, it is essential to increase HIV/AIDS prevention education among MSM, promote MSM to know the HIV status of their sexual partners, and reduce the prevalence of risk behaviors among this population. Additionally, explore medical insurance reimbursement plans for PEP to reduce utilization costs and promote the use of PEP by MSM after HIV exposure occurs as soon as possible.

Aurora B promotes the CENP-T-CENP-W interaction to guide accurate chromosome segregation in mitosis

Accurate chromosome segregation in mitosis depends on kinetochores that connect centromeric chromatin to spindle microtubules. Centromeres are captured by individual microtubules via a kinetochore constitutive centromere-associated network (CCAN) during chromosome segregation. CCAN contains 16 subunits, including CENP-W and CENP-T. However, the molecular recognition and mitotic regulation of the CCAN assembly remain elusive. Here, we revealed that CENP-W binds to the histone fold domain and an uncharacterized N-terminal region of CENP-T. Aurora B phosphorylates CENP-W at Thr60, which enhances the interaction between CENP-W and CENP-T to ensure robust metaphase chromosome alignment and accurate chromosome segregation in mitosis. These findings delineate a conserved signaling cascade that integrates protein phosphorylation with CCAN integrity for the maintenance of genomic stability.

Effects of empagliflozin on progression of chronic kidney disease: a prespecified secondary analysis from the empa-kidney trial

BACKGROUND

Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors reduce progression of chronic kidney disease and the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in a wide range of patients. However, their effects on kidney disease progression in some patients with chronic kidney disease are unclear because few clinical kidney outcomes occurred among such patients in the completed trials. In particular, some guidelines stratify their level of recommendation about who should be treated with SGLT2 inhibitors based on diabetes status and albuminuria. We aimed to assess the effects of empagliflozin on progression of chronic kidney disease both overall and among specific types of participants in the EMPA-KIDNEY trial.

METHODS

EMPA-KIDNEY, a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial, was conducted at 241 centres in eight countries (Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the UK, and the USA), and included individuals aged 18 years or older with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 20 to less than 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or with an eGFR of 45 to less than 90 mL/min per 1·73 m2 with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) of 200 mg/g or higher. We explored the effects of 10 mg oral empagliflozin once daily versus placebo on the annualised rate of change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR slope), a tertiary outcome. We studied the acute slope (from randomisation to 2 months) and chronic slope (from 2 months onwards) separately, using shared parameter models to estimate the latter. Analyses were done in all randomly assigned participants by intention to treat. EMPA-KIDNEY is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03594110.

FINDINGS

Between May 15, 2019, and April 16, 2021, 6609 participants were randomly assigned and then followed up for a median of 2·0 years (IQR 1·5-2·4). Prespecified subgroups of eGFR included 2282 (34·5%) participants with an eGFR of less than 30 mL/min per 1·73 m2, 2928 (44·3%) with an eGFR of 30 to less than 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2, and 1399 (21·2%) with an eGFR 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2 or higher. Prespecified subgroups of uACR included 1328 (20·1%) with a uACR of less than 30 mg/g, 1864 (28·2%) with a uACR of 30 to 300 mg/g, and 3417 (51·7%) with a uACR of more than 300 mg/g. Overall, allocation to empagliflozin caused an acute 2·12 mL/min per 1·73 m2 (95% CI 1·83-2·41) reduction in eGFR, equivalent to a 6% (5-6) dip in the first 2 months. After this, it halved the chronic slope from -2·75 to -1·37 mL/min per 1·73 m2 per year (relative difference 50%, 95% CI 42-58). The absolute and relative benefits of empagliflozin on the magnitude of the chronic slope varied significantly depending on diabetes status and baseline levels of eGFR and uACR. In particular, the absolute difference in chronic slopes was lower in patients with lower baseline uACR, but because this group progressed more slowly than those with higher uACR, this translated to a larger relative difference in chronic slopes in this group (86% [36-136] reduction in the chronic slope among those with baseline uACR <30 mg/g compared with a 29% [19-38] reduction for those with baseline uACR ≥2000 mg/g; ptrend<0·0001).

INTERPRETATION

Empagliflozin slowed the rate of progression of chronic kidney disease among all types of participant in the EMPA-KIDNEY trial, including those with little albuminuria. Albuminuria alone should not be used to determine whether to treat with an SGLT2 inhibitor.

FUNDING

Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly.

Regulated secretion of mutant p53 negatively affects T lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment

Several studies have demonstrated the role of the oncogenic mutant p53 in promoting tumor progression; however, there is limited information on the effects of secreted oncogenic mutant p53 on the tumor microenvironment and tumor immune escape. In this study, we found that secretion of mutant p53, determined by exosome content, is dependent on its N-terminal dileucine motif via its binding to β-adaptin, and inhibited by the CHK2-mediated-Ser 20 phosphorylation. Moreover, we observed that the mutant p53 caused downregulation and dysfunction of CD4+ T lymphocytes in vivo and downregulated the levels and activities of rate-limiting glycolytic enzymes in vitro. Furthermore, inhibition of mutant p53 secretion by knocking down AP1B1 or mutation of dileucine motif could reverse the quantity and function of CD4+ T lymphocytes and restrain the tumor growth. Our study demonstrates that the tumor-derived exosome-mediated secretion of oncogenic mutant p53 inhibits glycolysis to alter the immune microenvironment via functional suppression of CD4+ T cells, which may be the underlying mechanism for tumor immune escape. Therefore, targeting TDE-mediated p53 secretion may serve as a potential therapeutic target for cancer treatment.

Plasma serotonin precursors and metabolite are correlated with bone mineral density and bone turnover markers in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis

BACKGROUND

Serotonin (5-HT) precursors regulate bone remodeling. This study aims to investigate the correlation of plasma 5-HT precursors and metabolite with bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers in postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) patients.

METHODS

The age, body mass index (BMI), and years since menopause (YSM) were documented for 348 postmenopausal women in normal/osteopenia/osteoporosis (OP) groups, with lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD measured. Serum bone turnover markers (PINP/β-CTX) and plasma 5-HT, 5-HT precursors (Trp/5-HTP) and metabolite (5-HIAA) were measured by ELISA. OP patients were allocated to high/low expression groups following ROC analysis of 5-HT/Trp/5-HTP/5-HIAA. The relationship of plasma 5-HT/Trp/5-HTP/5-HIAA, BMD, and bone turnover markers with PMOP was analyzed using logistic regression analysis. The correlation of plasma 5-HT/Trp/5-HTP/5-HIAA with BMD and bone turnover markers was analyzed using Pearson's correlation analysis, followed by logistic regression analysis of the relationship between plasma 5-HT/Trp/5-HTP/5-HIAA and BMD, bone turnover markers and PMOP.

RESULTS

BMI, YSM, BMD and PINP, and β-CTX levels differed among groups. Levels of plasma 5-HT precursors/metabolite were increased in OP patients. Individuals with high 5-HT precursors/metabolite levels had low BMD and high PINP/β-CTX levels. The 5-HT precursors/metabolite negatively-correlated with BMD and positively-correlated with PINP/β-CTX. BMI, YSM, BMD, and PINP/β-CTX/Trp/5-HTP/5-HT related to PMOP and were independent risk factors for OP.

CONCLUSION

Plasma 5-HT precursors and metabolite negatively-correlate with BMD and positively-correlate with PINP/β-CTX in PMOP patients. Peripheral 5-HT precursors and metabolite level may be a new direction of treatment of PMOP and bone metabolism-related disorders.

Identification of aberrant luminal progenitors and mTORC1 as a potential breast cancer prevention target in BRCA2 mutation carriers

Inheritance of a BRCA2 pathogenic variant conveys a substantial life-time risk of breast cancer. Identification of the cell(s)-of-origin of BRCA2-mutant breast cancer and targetable perturbations that contribute to transformation remains an unmet need for these individuals who frequently undergo prophylactic mastectomy. Using preneoplastic specimens from age-matched, premenopausal females, here we show broad dysregulation across the luminal compartment in BRCA2mut/+ tissue, including expansion of aberrant ERBB3lo luminal progenitor and mature cells, and the presence of atypical oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive lesions. Transcriptional profiling and functional assays revealed perturbed proteostasis and translation in ERBB3lo progenitors in BRCA2mut/+ breast tissue, independent of ageing. Similar molecular perturbations marked tumours bearing BRCA2-truncating mutations. ERBB3lo progenitors could generate both ER+ and ER- cells, potentially serving as cells-of-origin for ER-positive or triple-negative cancers. Short-term treatment with an mTORC1 inhibitor substantially curtailed tumorigenesis in a preclinical model of BRCA2-deficient breast cancer, thus uncovering a potential prevention strategy for BRCA2 mutation carriers.

Impact of primary kidney disease on the effects of empagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease: secondary analyses of the EMPA-KIDNEY trial

BACKGROUND

The EMPA-KIDNEY trial showed that empagliflozin reduced the risk of the primary composite outcome of kidney disease progression or cardiovascular death in patients with chronic kidney disease mainly through slowing progression. We aimed to assess how effects of empagliflozin might differ by primary kidney disease across its broad population.

METHODS

EMPA-KIDNEY, a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial, was conducted at 241 centres in eight countries (Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the UK, and the USA). Patients were eligible if their estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 20 to less than 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or 45 to less than 90 mL/min per 1·73 m2 with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) of 200 mg/g or higher at screening. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to 10 mg oral empagliflozin once daily or matching placebo. Effects on kidney disease progression (defined as a sustained ≥40% eGFR decline from randomisation, end-stage kidney disease, a sustained eGFR below 10 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or death from kidney failure) were assessed using prespecified Cox models, and eGFR slope analyses used shared parameter models. Subgroup comparisons were performed by including relevant interaction terms in models. EMPA-KIDNEY is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03594110.

FINDINGS

Between May 15, 2019, and April 16, 2021, 6609 participants were randomly assigned and followed up for a median of 2·0 years (IQR 1·5-2·4). Prespecified subgroupings by primary kidney disease included 2057 (31·1%) participants with diabetic kidney disease, 1669 (25·3%) with glomerular disease, 1445 (21·9%) with hypertensive or renovascular disease, and 1438 (21·8%) with other or unknown causes. Kidney disease progression occurred in 384 (11·6%) of 3304 patients in the empagliflozin group and 504 (15·2%) of 3305 patients in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·71 [95% CI 0·62-0·81]), with no evidence that the relative effect size varied significantly by primary kidney disease (pheterogeneity=0·62). The between-group difference in chronic eGFR slopes (ie, from 2 months to final follow-up) was 1·37 mL/min per 1·73 m2 per year (95% CI 1·16-1·59), representing a 50% (42-58) reduction in the rate of chronic eGFR decline. This relative effect of empagliflozin on chronic eGFR slope was similar in analyses by different primary kidney diseases, including in explorations by type of glomerular disease and diabetes (p values for heterogeneity all >0·1).

INTERPRETATION

In a broad range of patients with chronic kidney disease at risk of progression, including a wide range of non-diabetic causes of chronic kidney disease, empagliflozin reduced risk of kidney disease progression. Relative effect sizes were broadly similar irrespective of the cause of primary kidney disease, suggesting that SGLT2 inhibitors should be part of a standard of care to minimise risk of kidney failure in chronic kidney disease.

FUNDING

Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, and UK Medical Research Council.

Exploring the Role of Desmoplastic Physical Stroma in Pancreatic Cancer Progression Using a Three-Dimensional Collagen Matrix Model

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a refractory tumor with a poor prognosis, and its complex microenvironment is characterized by a fibrous interstitial matrix surrounding PDAC cells. Type I collagen is a major component of this interstitial matrix. Abundant type I collagen promotes its deposition and cross-linking to form a rigid and dense physical barrier, which limits drug penetration and immune cell infiltration and provides drug resistance and metabolic adaptations. In this study, to identify the physical effect of the stroma, type I collagen was used as a 3D matrix to culture Capan-1 cells and generate a 3D PDAC model. Using transcriptome analysis, a link between type I collagen-induced physical effects and the promotion of Capan-1 cell proliferation and migration was determined. Moreover, metabolomic analysis revealed that the physical effect caused a shift in metabolism toward a glycolytic phenotype. In particular, the high expression of proline in the metabolites suggests the ability to maintain Capan-1 cell proliferation under hypoxic and nutrient-depleted conditions. In conclusion, we identified type I collagen-induced physical effects in promoting Capan-1 cells, which cause PDAC progression, providing support for the role of dense stroma in the PDAC microenvironment and identifying a fundamental method for modeling the complex PDAC microenvironment.

[A cohort study of HIV infection in club drug abusers among men who have sex with men in Qingdao]

Objective: To understand and analyze the incidence of HIV infection in club drug abusers among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Qingdao and provide a reference for the prevention and intervention of this population. Methods: From March 2017 to July 2022, club drug abusers among MSM who are HIV-negative were recruited by snowball sampling of MSM social organizations in Qingdao, a prospective cohort was established, and a follow-up survey was conducted every six months, with the sample size estimated to be 436. The survey contents included demographic characteristics, sexual characteristics, AIDS knowledge awareness, club drug abuse, HIV testing, and other information. HIV infection was the outcome-dependent variable, and the interval between the recruitment into the cohort and the HIV infection was the time-dependent variable. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was conducted to identify the related factors for HIV infection. Results: A total of 987 participants of club drug abusers among MSM were recruited during the baseline survey and 826 eligible participants were enrolled in this cohort. A total of 46 HIV infection cases were found, and the cumulative follow-up time was 1 960.68 person-years. The incidence of HIV infection was 2.35/100 person-years. The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that <30 (aHR=3.04, 95%CI: 1.62-5.71) non-Shandong residents (aHR=2.29,95%CI:1.20-4.39) found their partners through offline (aHR=4.62,95%CI:2.05-10.41), homosexual sexual partners >4 (aHR=3.06,95%CI:1.59-5.88), condom broken during sex (aHR=2.24,95%CI:1.21-4.17) and hemorrhage sexual intercourse (aHR=2.56,95%CI:1.31-5.03) were significantly associated with HIV infection in this cohort. Conclusions: The incidence of HIV infection in club drug abusers among MSM in Qingdao is generally low, but knowledge and practice have separated, and the risk of HIV infection is high. The related factors of HIV infection included younger age, non-Shandong residents, finding their partners offline, multiple sexual partners, condom break during sex, and hemorrhage sexual intercourse; HIV-related behavioral intervention should be strengthened.

QuadST: A Powerful and Robust Approach for Identifying Cell-Cell Interaction-Changed Genes on Spatially Resolved Transcriptomics

Spatially resolved transcriptomics (SRT) have enabled profiling spatial organization of cells and their transcriptome in situ. Various analytical methods have been developed to uncover cell-cell interaction processes using SRT data. To improve upon existing efforts, we developed a novel statistical framework called QuadST for the robust and powerful identification of interaction-changed genes (ICGs) for cell-type-pair specific interactions on a single-cell SRT dataset. QuadST is motivated by the idea that in the presence of cell-cell interaction, gene expression level can vary with cell-cell distance between cell type pairs, which can be particularly pronounced within and in the vicinity of cell-cell interaction distance. Specifically, QuadST infers ICGs in a specific cell type pair's interaction based on a quantile regression model, which allows us to assess the strength of distance-expression association across entire distance quantiles conditioned on gene expression level. To identify ICGs, QuadST performs a hypothesis testing with an empirically estimated FDR, whose upper bound is determined by the ratio of cumulative associations at symmetrically smaller and larger distance quantiles simultaneously across all genes. Simulation studies illustrate that QuadST provides consistent FDR control and better power performance than other compared methods. Its application on SRT datasets profiled from mouse brains demonstrates that QuadST can identify ICGs presumed to play a role in specific cell type pair interactions (e.g., synaptic pathway genes among excitatory neuron cell interactions). These results suggest that QuadST can be a useful tool to discover genes and regulatory processes involved in specific cell type pair interactions.

An underwater stable and durable gelatin composite hydrogel coating for biomedical applications

Developing underwater stable and durable hydrogel coatings with drag-reducing, drug release, and antibacterial properties is essential for lots of biomedical applications. However, most hydrogel coatings cannot meet the requirement of underwater stability and versatility, which severely limits their widespread use. In this work, an underwater stable, durable and substrate-independent gelatin composite hydrogel (GMP) coating is developed through covalent crosslinks, where a silane coupling agent with an unsaturated double bond is grafted onto a substrate of co-deposited polydopamine and polyethylenimine. GMP coating can be easily coated onto various medical device surfaces, such as artificial joints, catheters, tracheal tubes and titanium alloys, showing excellent structural stability and mechanical tunability under extreme conditions of ultrasonic treatment for 1 h (400 W of ultrasonic power) or underwater shearing for 14 days (400 rpm). Besides, friction experiment reveals that GMP coating exhibits good lubrication properties (coefficient of friction < 0.003). The drug-loading and bacterial inhibition ring tests show that the GMP coating has a tunable drug release ability with the final releasing ratios of 70-95% by changing the content of poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate. This work offers a scalable approach of fabricating bio-functional and stable hydrogel coatings, which can be potentially used in biomedical applications.

Research progress of intramuscular fat formation based on co-culture

Intramuscular fat (IMF) is closely related to the meat quality of livestock and poultry. As a new cell culture technique in vitro, cell co-culture has been gradually applied to the related research of IMF formation because it can simulate the changes of microenvironment in vivo during the process of IMF cell formation. In the co-culture model, in addition to studying the effects of skeletal muscle cells on the proliferation and differentiation of IMF, we can also consider the role of many secretion factors in the formation of IMF, thus making the cell research in vitro closer to the real level in vivo. This paper reviewed the generation and origin of IMF, summarized the existing co-culture methods and systems, and discussed the advantages and disadvantages of each method as well as the challenges faced in the establishment of the system, with emphasis on the current status of research on the formation of IMF for human and animal based on co-culture technology.

Digital economy impact on inclusive green growth: intermediary and spatial spillover effects in China

As a new economic form that has emerged from the technological and digital revolution, the digital economy has great benefits to the green development of the economy, protection of the ecological environment, and improvement in social well-being. This study examines whether the digital economy affects the inclusive green growth (IGG). Measurement index system for the digital economy and IGG from 2013 to 2020 in China was constructed and the entropy evaluation method and super-efficiency epsilon-based measure (Super-EBM) model was used to evaluate them. We examined the direct effect, mediation effect, and spatial spillover effect of the digital economy on IGG using the basic regression model, mediating effect model, and the spatial Durbin model. Our results revealed that the development of the digital economy has clear regional differences. The role of digital economy on IGG has positive direct effects and positive spatial spillover effects. The digital economy affects IGG through industrial structure upgrading, so industrial structure upgrading has a significant intermediary effect. By comparing the coefficients, we found that the spatial spillover effects are stronger than the direct effects. Absorbing the spillover of the digital economy in surrounding areas is particularly important for promoting IGG. Heterogeneity analysis revealed that the digital economy is better for IGG and releases more digital dividends in eastern China. Finally, the research conclusions of this paper provide reference for the Chinese government to formulate relevant policies to deepen the integration of digital information technology and IGG, and promote the coordinated development of regional digital economy and IGG.

ATM-CHK2-TRIM32 axis regulates ATG7 ubiquitination to initiate autophagy under oxidative stress

Oxidative stress-induced autophagy helps to prevent cellular damage and to maintain homeostasis. However, the regulatory pathway that initiates autophagy remains unclear. We previously showed that reactive oxygen species (ROS) function as signaling molecules to activate the ATM-CHK2 pathway and promote autophagy. Here, we find that the E3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM32 functions downstream of ATM-CHK2 to regulate ATG7 ubiquitination. Under metabolic stress, ROS induce ATM phosphorylation at S1981, which in turn phosphorylates CHK2 at T68. We show that CHK2 binds and phosphorylates TRIM32 at the S55 site, which then mediates K63-linked ubiquitination of ATG7 at the K45 site to initiate autophagy. In addition, Chk2-/- mice show an aggravated infarction phenotype and reduced phosphorylation of TRIM32 and ubiquitination of ATG7 in a stroke model. We propose a molecular mechanism for autophagy initiation by ROS via the ATM-CHK2-TRIM32-ATG7 axis to maintain intracellular homeostasis and to protect cells exposed to pathological conditions from stress-induced tissue damage.

Application of the positive and negative affect scale in Chinese children with intellectual disability

The purpose is to test the applicability of the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) to Chinese children with intellectual disabilities. The study was done by distributing the questionnaire to the parents through teachers online. Asked the parents to fill out the scale based on their observations of their children's daily life. The correlation coefficients between each item and the total score of the corresponding dimension ranged from 0.52 to 0.77. Factor analysis confirmed the establishment of the PA-NA two-factor structure of affect. A significant positive correlation existed between the NA and the challenging behavior. The Cronbach's α coefficient and split-half reliability of the PA scale were 0.87 and 0.85, and the Cronbach's α coefficient and split-half reliability of the NA scale were 0.85 and 0.83, respectively, higher than 0.80. It was concluded that PANAS has good applicability in Chinese children with intellectual disabilities.

Ag-Coated Ternary Layered Double Hydroxide as a High-Performance SERS Sensor for Aldehydes

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are common environmental pollutants and important biomarkers for early diagnosis of lung cancer. However, aldehydes are difficult to detect directly due to their small Raman scattering cross-section and gaseous phase. Here, a Ag-coated ternary layered double hydroxide (LDH) was designed for the detection and identification of various aldehydes. The specific surface area of CoNi-LDH was increased by doping Fe3+, which provides abundant active sites to capture gas molecules. Furthermore, the energy band gap (Eg) was decreased due to the local amorphous FeCoNi-LDH with an extended band tail, promoting the excitonic transition of Fe0.07(CoNi)0.93-LDH. In addition, the Fermi level of Ag prevented the recombination of electron-hole pairs of Fe0.07(CoNi)0.93-LDH, providing a new bridge for charge transfer between the substrate and the molecule. Ag/Fe0.07(CoNi)0.93-LDH presented excellent surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) performance for aldehyde VOCs by modification with 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) to capture aldehydes and realized the detection of benzaldehyde (BZA) at 10 ppb. The enhancement and Raman shift of the b2 mode indicated the contribution of chemical enhancement to the SERS system, so the substrate presented good uniformity. The recycling of the SERS substrate is realized based on the reversibility of the Schiff base reaction. These results manifested that Ag/FeCoNi-LDH has a wide prospect in the application in the trace detection of aldehydes.