MKG-GC: A multi-task learning-based knowledge graph construction framework with personalized application to gastric cancer

Over the past decade, information for precision disease medicine has accumulated in the form of textual data. To effectively utilize this expanding medical text, we proposed a multi-task learning-based framework based on hard parameter sharing for knowledge graph construction (MKG), and then used it to automatically extract gastric cancer (GC)-related biomedical knowledge from the literature and identify GC drug candidates. In MKG, we designed three separate modules, MT-BGIPN, MT-SGTF and MT-ScBERT, for entity recognition, entity normalization, and relation classification, respectively. To address the challenges posed by the long and irregular naming of medical entities, the MT-BGIPN utilized bidirectional gated recurrent unit and interactive pointer network techniques, significantly improving entity recognition accuracy to an average F1 value of 84.5% across datasets. In MT-SGTF, we employed the term frequency-inverse document frequency and the gated attention unit. These combine both semantic and characteristic features of entities, resulting in an average Hits@ 1 score of 94.5% across five datasets. The MT-ScBERT integrated cross-text, entity, and context features, yielding an average F1 value of 86.9% across 11 relation classification datasets. Based on the MKG, we then developed a specific knowledge graph for GC (MKG-GC), which encompasses a total of 9129 entities and 88,482 triplets. Lastly, the MKG-GC was used to predict potential GC drugs using a pre-trained language model called BioKGE-BERT and a drug-disease discriminant model based on CNN-BiLSTM. Remarkably, nine out of the top ten predicted drugs have been previously reported as effective for gastric cancer treatment. Finally, an online platform was created for exploration and visualization of MKG-GC at https://www.yanglab-mi.org.cn/MKG-GC/.

[Reference values of skeletal muscle mass for children in Nanjing area]

Objective: To establish the reference values and growth curves of skeletal muscle mass among children in the Nanjing area. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with children who underwent physical examination at the Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from 2020 January to 2022 September. Their height, weight, body fat mass and skeletal muscle mass were measured. Body mass index, percentage of body fat mass, percentage of skeletal muscle mass, relative skeletal muscle mass index and the ratio of skeletal muscle to body fat were calculated. The associations between skeletal muscle mass indices and physical measurements index were analyzed through the Spearman correlation test. The Mann-Kendall test was used to assess the trend for skeletal muscle mass. Generalized additive models for location, scale and shape were used to construct percentile reference values and growth curves of male and female skeletal muscle mass indices at different ages. Results: A total of 32 690 children aged 4-14 years were enrolled in this study, including 19 912 boys (60.91%). Skeletal muscle mass, percentage of skeletal muscle mass, relative skeletal muscle mass index and the ratio of skeletal muscle to body fat of boys and girls was 11.10 (8.40, 14.90) and 10.30 (7.90, 13.20) kg, 40.36% (37.01%, 43.13%) and 39.38% (36.43%, 41.88%), 6.70 (6.07, 7.52) and 6.33 (5.79, 7.00), 2.39 (1.46, 3.47) and 2.14 (1.45, 3.00) kg/m2, respectively. Skeletal muscle mass of both boys and girls was all positively associated with weight (r=0.97, 0.96), body mass index (r=0.68, 0.63) and percentage of body fat mass (r=0.40, 0.43) (all P<0.01). The reference values and growth curves showed that the percentage of skeletal muscle mass P50 ranged from 37.75%-44.61% in boys and from 36.22%-40.55% in girls. The relative skeletal muscle mass index P50 ranged from 5.80-9.68 kg/m2 in boys and from 5.57-7.98 kg/m2 in girls. The ratio of skeletal muscle to body fat P50 ranged from 1.86-2.67 in boys and from 1.29-2.41 in girls. There was an increasing trend with age for both boys and girls in the growth of skeletal muscle mass (Z=4.20, 3.75, both Ptrend<0.01), and increased slightly before 9 years of age and then increased rapidly until 14 years of age in both boys and girls. Conclusions: The skeletal muscle mass indices change with age and gender during childhood. Percentile reference values for pediatric skeletal muscle mass indices can be used to evaluate the muscular growth and development in children in the Nanjing area.

Determinants of depressive symptoms at individual, school and province levels: a national survey of 398,520 Chinese children and adolescents

OBJECTIVES

The aims of this study were to describe the national distribution of depressive symptoms in Chinese children and adolescents, to examine the determinants of depressive symptoms at individual, school and province levels and to assess the gender and age differences in the effect of school factors on depressive symptoms.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a national cross-sectional study.

METHODS

A school-based online survey was conducted in mainland China from between December 1, 2021, and January 1, 2022. A total of 398,520 eligible participants were included in the analysis. School-level data were drawn from students, headteachers and Baidu Maps, and province-level data were obtained from the national human development report. The Patient Health Questionnaire-2 was used to measure depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Areas with the highest mean scores for depressive symptoms were in the northeastern, inner central and southwestern regions of China. At the individual level, younger age, male sex, being an only child, Han ethnicity, lower body mass index, more days of exercise, less drinking and smoking behaviours, higher subjective family socio-economic status (SES) and popularity in school were related to fewer depressive symptoms; however, objective family SES and maternal education were not related to fewer depressive symptoms. The school-level variables of public status, psychological activities and psychological courses and province-level variable of higher Human Development Index were associated with fewer depressive symptoms. The effect of psychological courses and activities on depressive symptoms was greater in females.

CONCLUSIONS

The results showed multilevel factors related to depressive symptoms and emphasised the importance of implementing school-based psychological activities to ameliorate depressive symptoms in Chinese children and adolescents across age and gender.

Causal effects of diabetic retinopathy on depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder in the European population: a Mendelian randomization study

PURPOSE

To verify the causal effects of diabetic retinopathy (DR) on depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder (BD).

METHODS

Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed to identify the causal relationships between DR and depression or anxiety or BD via using DR-related GWAS data (14,584 cases and 176,010 controls), depression-related GWAS data (59,851 cases and 113,154 controls), anxiety-related GWAS data (7016 cases and 14,745 controls) and BD-related GWAS data (41,917 cases and 371,549 controls). The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) model was adopted to estimate the causal relationship. The outcome was expressed as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

The MR analysis results presented that DR was causally associated with a significantly increased risk of BD in the European population (IVW, OR = 1.06, 95%CI [1.03, 1.08], P = 2.44 × 10-6), while DR was unable to causally influence the risk of depression (IVW, OR = 1.01, 95%CI [0.99, 1.04], P = 0.32) and anxiety (IVW, OR = 0.97, 95%CI [0.89, 1.06], P = 0.48) in the European population. Subgroup analysis based on BD identified DR causally increased the risk of bipolar I disorder (BD I) but not bipolar II disorder (BD II). Sensitivity analysis results did not show any pleiotropy and heterogeneity in both groups of analyses, indicating that the results were stable and reliable.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the current MR analysis indicated a causal relationship between DR and BD in the European population, while there was no causal connection between DR and depression or anxiety. However, further research is needed to confirm these conclusions.

A SARS-CoV-2 nanoparticle vaccine based on chemical conjugation of loxoribine and SpyCatcher/SpyTag

SARS-CoV-2 is a particularly transmissible virus that renders the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and global severe respiratory distress syndrome. Protein-based vaccines hold great advantages to build the herd immunity for their specificity, effectiveness, and safety. Receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 is an appealing antigen for vaccine development. However, adjuvants and delivery system are necessitated to enhance the immunogenicity of RBD. In the present study, RBD was chemically conjugated with loxoribine and SpyCatcher/SpyTag, followed by assembly to form a nanoparticle vaccine. Loxoribine (a TLR7/8 agonist) acted as an adjuvant, and nanoparticles functioned as delivery system for the antigen and the adjuvant. The nanoparticle vaccine elicited high RBD-specific antibody titers, high neutralizing antibody titer, and strong ACE2-blocking activity. It stimulated high splenic levels of Th1-type cytokines (IFN-γ and IL-2) and Th2-type cytokines (IL-4 and IL-5) in BALB/c mice. It promoted the splenocyte proliferation, enhanced the CD4+ and CD8+ T cell percentage and stimulated the maturation of dendritic cells. The vaccine did not render apparent toxicity to the organs of mice. Thus, the nanoparticle vaccine was of potential to act as a preliminarily safe and effective candidate against SARS-CoV-2.

Identifying Lymph Node Metastasis-Related Factors in Breast Cancer Using Differential Modular and Mutational Structural Analysis

Complex diseases are generally caused by disorders of biological networks and/or mutations in multiple genes. Comparisons of network topologies between different disease states can highlight key factors in their dynamic processes. Here, we propose a differential modular analysis approach that integrates protein-protein interactions with gene expression profiles for modular analysis, and introduces inter-modular edges and date hubs to identify the "core network module" that quantifies the significant phenotypic variation. Then, based on this core network module, key factors, including functional protein-protein interactions, pathways, and driver mutations, are predicted by the topological-functional connection score and structural modeling. We applied this approach to analyze the lymph node metastasis (LNM) process in breast cancer. The functional enrichment analysis showed that both inter-modular edges and date hubs play important roles in cancer metastasis and invasion, and in metastasis hallmarks. The structural mutation analysis suggested that the LNM of breast cancer may be the outcome of the dysfunction of rearranged during transfection (RET) proto-oncogene-related interactions and the non-canonical calcium signaling pathway via an allosteric mutation of RET. We believe that the proposed method can provide new insights into disease progression such as cancer metastasis.

Tests of Light-Lepton Universality in Angular Asymmetries of B^{0}→D^{*-}ℓν Decays

We present the first comprehensive tests of the universality of the light leptons in the angular distributions of semileptonic B^{0}-meson decays to charged spin-1 charmed mesons. We measure five angular-asymmetry observables as functions of the decay recoil that are sensitive to lepton-universality-violating contributions. We use events where one neutral B is fully reconstructed in ϒ(4S)→BB[over ¯] decays in data corresponding to 189  fb^{-1} integrated luminosity from electron-positron collisions collected with the Belle II detector. We find no significant deviation from the standard model expectations.

Precise Measurement of the D_{s}^{+} Lifetime at Belle II

We measure the lifetime of the D_{s}^{+} meson using a data sample of 207  fb^{-1} collected by the Belle II experiment running at the SuperKEKB asymmetric-energy e^{+}e^{-} collider. The lifetime is determined by fitting the decay-time distribution of a sample of 116×10^{3} D_{s}^{+}→ϕπ^{+} decays. Our result is τ_{D_{s}^{+}}=(499.5±1.7±0.9)  fs, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. This result is significantly more precise than previous measurements.

Large-scale ORF screening based on LC-MS to discover novel lncRNA-encoded peptides responding to ionizing radiation and microgravity

In the human genome, 98% of genes can be transcribed into non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), among which lncRNAs and their encoded peptides play important roles in regulating various aspects of cellular processes and may serve as crucial factors in modulating the biological effects induced by ionizing radiation and microgravity. Unfortunately, there are few reports in space radiation biology on lncRNA-encoded peptides below 10kD due to limitations in detection techniques. To fill this gap, we integrated a variety of methods based on genomics and peptidomics, and discovered 22 lncRNA-encoded small peptides that are sensitive to space radiation and microgravity, which have never been reported before. We concurrently validated the transmembrane helix, subcellular localization, and biological function of these small peptides using bioinformatics and molecular biology techniques. More importantly, we found that these small peptides function independently of the lncRNAs that encode them. Our findings have uncovered a previously unknown human proteome encoded by 'non-coding' genes in response to space conditions and elucidated their involvement in biological processes, providing valuable strategies for individual protection mechanisms for astronauts who carry out deep space exploration missions in space radiation environments.

Spatial Proteome Analysis Identifies Lymphocyte CD44 as a Biomarker Associated with SBRT Resistance in Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

To discover and validate spatially-resolved protein markers associated with resistance to SBRT in early-stage NSCLC patients.

MATERIALS/METHODS

We initially evaluated a discovery cohort of 44 early-stage NSCLC patients treated with SBRT as first-line treatment at the Shandong cancer hospital. Using the GeoMx DSP system, 71 proteins were measured in five molecular compartments (tumor, leukocyte, lymphocyte, macrophage, and stroma) on pre-treatment samples. Candidate biomarkers were orthogonally validated with the Gem AQUA method of quantitative immunofluorescence (QIF). For internal independent cohort validation, we assessed pre-treatment samples derived from 150 NSCLC patients who receive radiotherapy. We further analyzed 100 radiotherapy untreated patients with operable NSCLC to address prognostic significance.

RESULTS

Using continuous log-scaled data, we identified CD44 expression in the lymphocyte compartment (CD3+) as a novel predictor of poor progression-free survival (PFS) (multivariate HR = 7.323, p = 0.0079) and overall survival (OS) (multivariate HR = 8.65, p = 0.028) in the discovery set. High CD44 expression in the tumor compartment (pan-cytokeratin, CK+) predicted significantly shorter OS (multivariate HR = 2.208, p = 0.0212), with no significant difference in PFS. We validated by QIF that lymphocyte CD44 levels were associated with resistance to SBRT therapy and prognostic for poor outcomes. Using QIF in an independent radiotherapy treated cohort, we validated that CD44 levels in the lymphocyte compartment were associated with poor PFS and OS. High lymphocyte cell CD44 was not prognostic in non-radiotherapy-treated cohort. Using DSP data, intratumoral regions with elevated lymphocyte cell CD44 expression showed prominent upregulation of CD127, ARG1 and VISTA in the discovery Cohort.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, we identified and validated lymphocyte cell CD44 as a biomarker indicative of resistance to SBRT or radiotherapy in patients with NSCLC. Further evaluation is warranted to address the predictive value of lymphocyte cell CD44 in multi-institutional studies and clinical trials.

HPK1 Inhibition Enhancing HFRT Anti-Tumor Immune Response

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Radiation therapy, as one of the canonical treatments for classic tumors, results in impressive clinical responses. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has been increasingly used as one main therapy in early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). SBRT affords good local tumor control, however, recurrence and metastasis are still the main causes of treatment failure. With the continuous deepening of the relationship between radiotherapy (RT) and immunity, reversing RT induced immunosuppression is considered to be a promising strategy to improve radiotherapy efficacy. Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is mainly expressed in immune cells while rarely expressed in tumor cells. It has been proven to play a negative regulatory role in T cell receptor (TCR) signal. Therefore, we hypothesized that the combination of HPK1 inhibitor with SBRT would boost local and systemic anti-tumor immune responses by potentiating the anti-tumor effects of SBRT.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Using Digital Spatial Profiler (DSP), we analyzed HPK1 expression in the tumor specimens of 39 NSCLC patients treated with SBRT. By establishing mice subcutaneous tumor models, we assessed the combination of a HPK1 inhibitor and local hyper-fractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) on local and systemic tumor control and mouse survival. Using Single-cell RNA sequencing, Flow cytometry and pharmacological treatment, we analyzed and verified Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and excavated the specific mechanism of the HPK1 inhibitor enhancing HFRT -induced anti -tumor immune response.

RESULTS

In the tumor specimens of NSCLC patients treated with SBRT, we found that high expression HPK1 in TILs predicted poor progression-free survival (PFS). Among the C57BL/6 mice model, HFRT combined with a HPK1 inhibitor promoted local response, and improved the survival rate of mice, showing better anti-tumor curative effects. We further showed that HFRT promoted CD8+ T cell cytotoxic activity, and also aggravated CD8+ T cell exhaustion. After the intervention of HPK1 small molecular inhibitors, the proportion of exhaustion CD8+T cells was significantly reduced, while CD8+T cell cytotoxic activity was further enhanced in the later period. Single-cell RNA sequencing and pharmacological inhibition of HPK1 revealed that HPK1 mediated the exhaustion of CD8+T cells by regulating RGS16. In abscopal effects preclinical models, BGB-15025 induced obvious abscopal effect.

CONCLUSION

Thus, we demonstrate that HPK1 mediates HFRT-induced CD8+T cell exhaustion by regulating RGS16, and HPK1 is an attractive drug target for enhancing local and systemic radiotherapy.

The Safety and Efficacy of SCART for Bulky Metastatic or Recurrent Cancer, a Phase I Study

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

We are proposing a new treatment methodology, (called Stereotactic Centralized Ablative Radiation Therapy, (SCART), for bulky or metastatic tumors, which is based on the principles of SFRT, by using SBRT methods to deliver an ablative radiation dose to the central portion of the target while keeping the dose to surrounding normal tissue to a relatively low level. We performed a prospective dose escalation study of SCART for bulky metastatic or recurrent cancer. The purpose of the study was to determine dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) and the Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD) of SCART.

MATERIALS/METHODS

This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0488198, and approved at Foshan Chancheng Hospital. Patients with unresectable solid "bulky" nonhematological malignancies with limited treatment options were enrolled and received SCART with a prescription to the central spot in the tumor with a peripheral dose to the tumor edge at around 20% isodose line of the prescription dose. Five dose levels were proposed. The primary endpoint was the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), defined as the highest dose where zero of three or one of six patients experienced grade 3 dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), scored according to the Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events v. 4.03, up to 6 months after SCART.

RESULTS

A total of 21 patients received SCART and have eligible data for study follow-up. The dose was escalated for two patients to 24 GyX3. No grade 3 toxicity was observed in any of the enrolled patients. The median SCART dose was 18 Gy (range: 15 - 24). Six out of the 18 patients with data for overall survival (OS) died, and the median time to death was 16.29 months (range: 0.99 - 25.58). Three patients out of the 15 patients with available data for local recurrence (LR) were found to have an LR and the median time to LR was 16.01 months (range: 0.99 - 25.58). There appears to be a trend of tumors decreasing from the patient's first visit date, or pre-SCART, to their final volume post-SCART. The mean percent change for tumor shrinkage between first visit volumes and post-SCART volumes was 49.49% (SD: 40.89, p-value:0.009). Of 15 patients with available data for progression free survival, 9 had a local recurrence or were deceased. Estimated median survival (i.e., when survival is 50%) was equal to16.80 months (95% CI = 13.90, NA). The survival rate at 12 months and 24 months were72.22% and 24.07%, respectively. Of 15 patients with available data for time to local recurrence, 3 people had a local recurrence. The percent of patients that were free from local recurrence at one and two years after the beginning of SCART treatment was 85.56% for both.

CONCLUSION

Despite the high dose delivered and the excellent local control achieved; the incidence of Any toxicity was unexpectedly low. Multiple courses of SCART are possible. The optimal dose, volume and timing of SCART still need more study.

Search for a τ^{+}τ^{-} Resonance in e^{+}e^{-}→μ^{+}μ^{-}τ^{+}τ^{-} Events with the Belle II Experiment

We report the first search for a nonstandard-model resonance decaying into τ pairs in e^{+}e^{-}→μ^{+}μ^{-}τ^{+}τ^{-} events in the 3.6-10  GeV/c^{2} mass range. We use a 62.8  fb^{-1} sample of e^{+}e^{-} collisions collected at a center-of-mass energy of 10.58 GeV by the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB collider. The analysis probes three different models predicting a spin-1 particle coupling only to the heavier lepton families, a Higgs-like spin-0 particle that couples preferentially to charged leptons (leptophilic scalar), and an axionlike particle, respectively. We observe no evidence for a signal and set exclusion limits at 90% confidence level on the product of cross section and branching fraction into τ pairs, ranging from 0.7 to 24 fb, and on the couplings of these processes. We obtain world-leading constraints on the couplings for the leptophilic scalar model for masses above 6.5  GeV/c^{2} and for the axionlike particle model over the entire mass range.

Measurement of CP Violation in B^{0}→K_{S}^{0}π^{0} Decays at Belle II

We report a measurement of the CP-violating parameters C and S in B^{0}→K_{S}^{0}π^{0} decays at Belle II using a sample of 387×10^{6}  BB[over ¯] events recorded in e^{+}e^{-} collisions at a center-of-mass energy corresponding to the ϒ(4S) resonance. These parameters are determined by fitting the proper decay-time distribution of a sample of 415 signal events. We obtain C=-0.04_{-0.15}^{+0.14}±0.05 and S=0.75_{-0.23}^{+0.20}±0.04, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic.

Test of Light-Lepton Universality in the Rates of Inclusive Semileptonic B-Meson Decays at Belle II

We present the first measurement of the ratio of branching fractions of inclusive semileptonic B-meson decays, R(X_{e/μ})=B(B→Xeν)/B(B→Xμν), a precision test of electron-muon universality, using data corresponding to 189  fb^{-1} from electron-positron collisions collected with the Belle II detector. In events where the partner B meson is fully reconstructed, we use fits to the lepton momentum spectra above 1.3  GeV/c to obtain R(X_{e/μ})=1.007±0.009(stat)±0.019(syst), which is the most precise lepton-universality test of its kind and agrees with the standard-model expectation.

Mucosal SARS-CoV-2 Nanoparticle Vaccine Based on Mucosal Adjuvants and Its Immune Effectiveness by Intranasal Administration

SARS-CoV-2 is a respiratory virus that causes significant threats to human health. Mucosal immunity provides a first-line defense to prevent the infection of SARS-CoV-2 in the respiratory tract. Because most SARS-CoV-2 vaccines could not stimulate mucosal immunity in the respiratory tract, appropriate mucosal adjuvants or delivery systems are needed for mucosal vaccine development. Mannan, polyarginine, and 2',3'-cGAMP are three mucosal adjuvants that could stimulate mucosal immunity. In the present study, the three adjuvants were assembled with a receptor-binding domain (RBD) by electrostatic interaction to generate a nanoparticle vaccine (RBD-MP-cG). RBD-MP-cG elicited mucosal IgA and IgG response in bronchoalveolar lavage and nasal lavage by intranasal administration. It induced a robust RBD-specific antibody response, high levels of protective neutralizing antibody, and ACE2-blocking activity in the mouse sera. It stimulated the splenic secretion of high levels of Th1-, Th2-, and Th17-type cytokines. Thus, RBD-MP-cG elicited strong mucosal immunity and systematic immunity by intranasal administration. RBD-MP-cG was expected to act as a safe, effective, and easily produced mucosal nanoparticle vaccine to combat the infection of SARS-CoV-2.

First Measurement of the Michel Parameter ξ^{'} in the τ^{-}→μ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{μ}ν_{τ} Decay at Belle

We report the first measurement of the Michel parameter ξ^{'} in the τ^{-}→μ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{μ}ν_{τ} decay with a new method proposed just recently. The measurement is based on the reconstruction of the τ^{-}→μ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{μ}ν_{τ} events with subsequent muon decay in flight in the Belle central drift chamber. The analyzed data sample of 988  fb^{-1} collected by the Belle detector corresponds to approximately 912×10^{6} τ^{+}τ^{-} pairs. We measure ξ^{'}=0.22±0.94(stat)±0.42(syst), which is in agreement with the standard model prediction of ξ^{'}=1. Statistical uncertainty dominates in this study, being a limiting factor, while systematic uncertainty is well under control. Our analysis proved the practicability of this promising method and its prospects for further precise measurement in future experiments.

Search for the Lepton Flavor Violating Decays B^{+}→K^{+}τ^{±}ℓ^{∓} (ℓ=e, μ) at Belle

We present a search for the lepton flavor violating decays B^{+}→K^{+}τ^{±}ℓ^{∓}, with ℓ=(e,μ), using the full data sample of 772×10^{6}  BB[over ¯] pairs recorded by the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e^{+}e^{-} collider. We use events in which one B meson is fully reconstructed in a hadronic decay mode. We find no evidence for B^{±}→K^{±}τℓ decays and set upper limits on their branching fractions at the 90% confidence level in the (1-3)×10^{-5} range. The obtained limits are the world's best results.

Search for an Invisible Z^{'} in a Final State with Two Muons and Missing Energy at Belle II

The L_{μ}-L_{τ} extension of the standard model predicts the existence of a lepton-flavor-universality-violating Z^{'} boson that couples only to the heavier lepton families. We search for such a Z^{'} through its invisible decay in the process e^{+}e^{-}→μ^{+}μ^{-}Z^{'}. We use a sample of electron-positron collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 10.58 GeV collected by the Belle II experiment in 2019-2020, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 79.7  fb^{-1}. We find no excess over the expected standard-model background. We set 90%-confidence-level upper limits on the cross section for this process as well as on the coupling of the model, which ranges from 3×10^{-3} at low Z^{'} masses to 1 at Z^{'} masses of 8  GeV/c^{2}.

Discovery of selective HDAC6 inhibitors based on a multi-layer virtual screening strategy

The abnormal enhancement of histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) has been demonstrated to be closely related to the occurrence and development of various malignant tumors, attracting extensive attention as a promising target for cancer therapy. Currently, only limited selective HDAC6 inhibitors have entered clinical trials, making the rapid discovery of selective HDAC6 inhibitors with safety profiles particularly urgent. In this study, a multi-layer virtual screening workflow was established, and the representative compounds screened were biologically evaluated in combination with enzyme inhibitory and anti-tumor cell proliferation experiments. The experimental results showed that the screened compounds L-25, L-32, L-45 and L-81 exhibited nanomolar inhibitory activity against HDAC6, and exerted a certain degree of anti-proliferative activities against tumor cells, especially the cytotoxicity of L-45 to A375 (IC₅₀ = 11.23 ± 1.27 μM) and the cytotoxicity of L-81 against HCT-116 (IC₅₀ = 12.25 ± 1.13 μM). Additionally, the molecular mechanisms underlying the subtype selective inhibitory activities of the selected compounds were further elucidated using computational approaches, and the hotspot residues on HDAC6 contributing to the ligands' binding were identified. In summary, this study established a multi-layer screening scheme to quickly and effectively screen out hit compounds with enzyme inhibitory activity and anti-tumor cell proliferation, providing novel scaffolds for the subsequent anti-tumor drug design based on HDAC6 target.

First Measurement of the B^{+}→π^{+}π^{0}π^{0} Branching Fraction and CP Asymmetry

We study B^{+}→π^{+}π^{0}π^{0} using 711  fb^{-1} of data collected at the ϒ(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e^{+}e^{-} collider. We measure an inclusive branching fraction of (19.0±1.5±1.4)×10^{-6} and an inclusive CP asymmetry of (9.2±6.8±0.7)%, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic, and a B^{+}→ρ(770)^{+}π^{0} branching fraction of (11.2±1.1±0.9_{-1.6}^{+0.8})×10^{-6}, where the third uncertainty is due to possible interference with B^{+}→ρ(1450)^{+}π^{0}. We present the first observation of a structure around 1  GeV/c^{2} in the π^{0}π^{0} mass spectrum, with a significance of 6.4σ, and measure a branching fraction to be (6.9±0.9±0.6)×10^{-6}. We also report a measurement of local CP asymmetry in this structure.

Search for Lepton-Flavor-Violating τ Decays to a Lepton and an Invisible Boson at Belle II

We search for lepton-flavor-violating τ^{-}→e^{-}α and τ^{-}→μ^{-}α decays, where α is an invisible spin-0 boson. The search uses electron-positron collisions at 10.58 GeV center-of-mass energy with an integrated luminosity of 62.8  fb^{-1}, produced by the SuperKEKB collider and collected with the Belle II detector. We search for an excess in the lepton-energy spectrum of the known τ^{-}→e^{-}ν[over ¯]_{e}ν_{τ} and τ^{-}→μ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{μ}ν_{τ} decays. We report 95% confidence-level upper limits on the branching-fraction ratio B(τ^{-}→e^{-}α)/B(τ^{-}→e^{-}ν[over ¯]_{e}ν_{τ}) in the range (1.1-9.7)×10^{-3} and on B(τ^{-}→μ^{-}α)/B(τ^{-}→μ^{-}ν[over ¯]_{μ}ν_{τ}) in the range (0.7-12.2)×10^{-3} for α masses between 0 and 1.6  GeV/c^{2}. These results provide the most stringent bounds on invisible boson production from τ decays.

First Observation of Λπ^{+} and Λπ^{-} Signals near the K[over ¯]N(I=1) Mass Threshold in Λ_{c}^{+}→Λπ^{+}π^{+}π^{-} Decay

Using the data sample of 980  fb^{-1} collected with the Belle detector operating at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e^{+}e^{-} collider, we present the results of an investigation of the Λπ^{+} and Λπ^{-} invariant mass distributions looking for substructure in the decay Λ_{c}^{+}→Λπ^{+}π^{+}π^{-}. We find a significant signal in each mass distribution. When interpreted as resonances, we find for the Λπ^{+} (Λπ^{-}) combination a mass of 1434.3±0.6(stat)±0.9(syst)  MeV/c^{2} [1438.5±0.9(stat)±2.5(syst)  MeV/c^{2}], an intrinsic width of 11.5±2.8(stat)±5.3(syst)  MeV/c^{2} [33.0±7.5(stat)±23.6(syst)  MeV/c^{2}] with a significance of 7.5σ (6.2σ). As these two signals are very close to the K[over ¯]N threshold, we also investigate the possibility of a K[over ¯]N cusp, and find that we cannot discriminate between these two interpretations due to the limited size of the data sample.

Hydroxyethyl Starch-Bovine Hemoglobin Conjugate as an Effective Oxygen Carrier with the Ability to Expand Plasma

Hemorrhagic shock leads to intravasal volume deficiency, tissue hypoxia, and cellular anaerobic metabolism. Hemoglobin (Hb) could deliver oxygen for hypoxic tissues but is unable to expand plasma. Hydroxyethyl starch (HES) could compensate for the intravasal volume deficiency but cannot deliver oxygen. Thus, bovine Hb (bHb) was conjugated with HES (130 kDa and 200 kDa) to develop an oxygen carrier with the ability to expand plasma. Conjugation with HES increased the hydrodynamic volume, colloidal osmotic pressure, and viscosity of bHb. It slightly perturbed the quaternary structure and heme environment of bHb. The partial oxygen pressures at 50% saturation (P ₅₀) of the two conjugates (bHb-HES130 and bHb-HES200) were 15.1 and 13.9 mmHg, respectively. The two conjugates showed no apparent side effects on the morphology and rigidity, hemolysis, and platelet aggregation of red blood cells of Wistar rats. Thus, bHb-HES130 and bHb-HES200 were expected to function as an effective oxygen carrier with the ability to expand plasma.

Observation of e^{+}e^{-}→ωχ_{bJ}(1P) and Search for X_{b}→ωϒ(1S) at sqrt[s] near 10.75 GeV

We study the processes e^{+}e^{-}→ωχ_{bJ}(1P) (J=0, 1, or 2) using samples at center-of-mass energies sqrt[s]=10.701, 10.745, and 10.805 GeV, corresponding to 1.6, 9.8, and 4.7  fb^{-1} of integrated luminosity, respectively. These data were collected with the Belle II detector during special operations of the SuperKEKB collider above the ϒ(4S) resonance. We report the first observation of ωχ_{bJ}(1P) signals at sqrt[s]=10.745  GeV. By combining Belle II data with Belle results at sqrt[s]=10.867  GeV, we find energy dependencies of the Born cross sections for e^{+}e^{-}→ωχ_{b1,b2}(1P) to be consistent with the shape of the ϒ(10753) state. These data indicate that the internal structures of the ϒ(10753) and ϒ(10860) states may differ. Including data at sqrt[s]=10.653  GeV, we also search for the bottomonium equivalent of the X(3872) state decaying into ωϒ(1S). No significant signal is observed for masses between 10.45 and 10.65  GeV/c^{2}.

MiR-200/183 family-mediated module biomarker for gastric cancer progression: an AI-assisted bioinformatics method with experimental functional survey

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer (GC) is a major cancer burden throughout the world with a high mortality rate. The performance of current predictive and prognostic factors is still limited. Integrated analysis is required for accurate cancer progression predictive biomarker and prognostic biomarkers that help to guide therapy.

METHODS

An AI-assisted bioinformatics method that combines transcriptomic data and microRNA regulations were used to identify a key miRNA-mediated network module in GC progression. To reveal the module's function, we performed the gene expression analysis in 20 clinical samples by qRT-PCR, prognosis analysis by multi-variable Cox regression model, progression prediction by support vector machine, and in vitro studies to elaborate the roles in GC cells migration and invasion.

RESULTS

A robust microRNA regulated network module was identified to characterize GC progression, which consisted of seven miR-200/183 family members, five mRNAs and two long non-coding RNAs H19 and CLLU1. Their expression patterns and expression correlation patterns were consistent in public dataset and our cohort. Our findings suggest a two-fold biological potential of the module: GC patients with high-risk score exhibited a poor prognosis (p-value < 0.05) and the model achieved AUCs of 0.90 to predict GC progression in our cohort. In vitro cellular analyses shown that the module could influence the invasion and migration of GC cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Our strategy which combines AI-assisted bioinformatics method with experimental and clinical validation suggested that the miR-200/183 family-mediated network module as a "pluripotent module", which could be potential marker for GC progression.

Search for a Dark Photon and an Invisible Dark Higgs Boson in μ^{+}μ^{-} and Missing Energy Final States with the Belle II Experiment

The dark photon A^{'} and the dark Higgs boson h^{'} are hypothetical particles predicted in many dark sector models. We search for the simultaneous production of A^{'} and h^{'} in the dark Higgsstrahlung process e^{+}e^{-}→A^{'}h^{'} with A^{'}→μ^{+}μ^{-} and h^{'} invisible in electron-positron collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 10.58 GeV in data collected by the Belle II experiment in 2019. With an integrated luminosity of 8.34  fb^{-1}, we observe no evidence for signal. We obtain exclusion limits at 90% Bayesian credibility in the range of 1.7-5.0 fb on the cross section and in the range of 1.7×10^{-8}-200×10^{-8} on the effective coupling ϵ^{2}×α_{D} for the A^{'} mass in the range of 4.0  GeV/c^{2}<M_{A^{'}}<9.7  GeV/c^{2} and for the h^{'} mass M_{h^{'}}<M_{A^{'}}, where ϵ is the mixing strength between the standard model and the dark photon and α_{D} is the coupling of the dark photon to the dark Higgs boson. Our limits are the first in this mass range.

A Protein Co-Conservation Network Model Characterizes Mutation Effects on SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein

The emergence of numerous variants of SARS-CoV-2 has presented challenges to the global efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic. The major mutation is in the SARS-CoV-2 viral envelope spike protein that is responsible for virus attachment to the host, and is the main target for host antibodies. It is critically important to study the biological effects of the mutations to understand the mechanisms of how mutations alter viral functions. Here, we propose a protein co-conservation weighted network (PCCN) model only based on the protein sequence to characterize the mutation sites by topological features and to investigate the mutation effects on the spike protein from a network view. Frist, we found that the mutation sites on the spike protein had significantly larger centrality than the non-mutation sites. Second, the stability changes and binding free energy changes in the mutation sites were positively significantly correlated with their neighbors' degree and the shortest path length separately. The results indicate that our PCCN model provides new insights into mutations on spike proteins and reflects the mutation effects on protein function alternations.

Integrated multi-dimensional analysis highlights DHCR7 mutations involving in cholesterol biosynthesis and contributing therapy of gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Genetic background plays an important role in the occurrence and development of gastric cancer (GC). With the application of genome-wide association study (GWAS), an increasing number of tumor susceptibility genes in gastric cancer have been discovered. While little of them can be further applicated in clinical diagnosis and treatment due to the lack of in-depth analysis.

METHODS

A GWAS of peripheral blood leukocytes from GC patients was performed to identify and obtain genetic background data. In combination with a clinical investigation, key SNP mutations and mutated genes were screened. Via in vitro and in vivo experiments, the function of the mutated gene was verified in GC. Via a combination of molecular function studies and amino acid network analysis, co-mutations were discovered and further identified as potential therapeutic targets.

RESULTS

At the genetic level, the G allele of rs104886038 in DHCR7 was a protective factor identified by the GWAS. Clinical investigation showed that patients with the rs104886038 A/G genotype, age ≥ 60, smoking ≥ 10 cigarettes/day, heavy drinking and H. pylori infection were independent risk factors for GC, with odds ratios of 12.33 (95% CI, 2.10 ~ 72.54), 20.42 (95% CI, 2.46 ~ 169.83), and 11.39 (95% CI, 1.82 ~ 71.21), respectively. Then molecular function studies indicated that DHCR7 regulated cell proliferation, migration, and invasion as well as apoptosis resistance via cellular cholesterol biosynthesis pathway. Further amino acid network analysis based on the predicted structure of DHCR7 and experimental verification indicated that rs104886035 and rs104886038 co-mutation reduced the stability of DHCR7 and induced its degradation. DHCR7 mutation suppressed the malignant behaviour of GC cells and induced apoptosis via inhibition on cell cholesterol biosynthesis.

CONCLUSION

In this work, we provided a comprehensive multi-dimensional analysis strategy which can be applied to in-depth exploration of GWAS data. DHCR7 and its mutation sites identified by this strategy are potential theratic targets of GC via inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis.

DeepTP: A Deep Learning Model for Thermophilic Protein Prediction

Thermophilic proteins have important value in the fields of biopharmaceuticals and enzyme engineering. Most existing thermophilic protein prediction models are based on traditional machine learning algorithms and do not fully utilize protein sequence information. To solve this problem, a deep learning model based on self-attention and multiple-channel feature fusion was proposed to predict thermophilic proteins, called DeepTP. First, a large new dataset consisting of 20,842 proteins was constructed. Second, a convolutional neural network and bidirectional long short-term memory network were used to extract the hidden features in protein sequences. Different weights were then assigned to features through self-attention, and finally, biological features were integrated to build a prediction model. In a performance comparison with existing methods, DeepTP had better performance and scalability in an independent balanced test set and validation set, with AUC values of 0.944 and 0.801, respectively. In the unbalanced test set, DeepTP had an average precision (AP) of 0.536. The tool is freely available.

Evidence of a New Excited Charmed Baryon Decaying to Σ_{c}(2455)^{0,++}π^{±}

We present the study of B[over ¯]^{0}→Σ_{c}(2455)^{0,++}π^{±}p[over ¯] decays based on 772×10^{6}  BB[over ¯] events collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e^{+}e^{-} collider. The Σ_{c}(2455)^{0,++} candidates are reconstructed via their decay to Λ_{c}^{+}π^{∓} and Λ_{c}^{+} decays to pK^{-}π^{+}, pK_{S}^{0}, and Λπ^{+} final states. The corresponding branching fractions are measured to be B(B[over ¯]^{0}→Σ_{c}(2455)^{0}π^{+}p[over ¯])=(1.09±0.06±0.07)×10^{-4} and B(B[over ¯]^{0}→Σ_{c}(2455)^{++}π^{-}p[over ¯])=(1.84±0.11±0.12)×10^{-4}, which are consistent with the world average values with improved precision. A new structure is found in the M_{Σ_{c}(2455)^{0,++}π^{±}} spectrum with a significance of 4.2σ including systematic uncertainty. The structure is possibly an excited Λ_{c}^{+} and is tentatively named Λ_{c}(2910)^{+}. Its mass and width are measured to be (2913.8±5.6±3.8)  MeV/c^{2} and (51.8±20.0±18.8)  MeV, respectively. The products of branching fractions for the Λ_{c}(2910)^{+} are measured to be B(B[over ¯]^{0}→Λ_{c}(2910)^{+}p[over ¯])×B(Λ_{c}(2910)^{+}→Σ_{c}(2455)^{0}π^{+})=(9.5±3.6±1.6)×10^{-6} and B(B[over ¯]^{0}→Λ_{c}(2910)^{+}p[over ¯])×B(Λ_{c}(2910)^{+}→Σ_{c}(2455)^{++}π^{-})=(1.24±0.35±0.10)×10^{-5}. Here, the first and second uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively.

A comprehensive review on knowledge graphs for complex diseases

In recent years, knowledge graphs (KGs) have gained a great deal of popularity as a tool for storing relationships between entities and for performing higher level reasoning. KGs in biomedicine and clinical practice aim to provide an elegant solution for diagnosing and treating complex diseases more efficiently and flexibly. Here, we provide a systematic review to characterize the state-of-the-art of KGs in the area of complex disease research. We cover the following topics: (1) knowledge sources, (2) entity extraction methods, (3) relation extraction methods and (4) the application of KGs in complex diseases. As a result, we offer a complete picture of the domain. Finally, we discuss the challenges in the field by identifying gaps and opportunities for further research and propose potential research directions of KGs for complex disease diagnosis and treatment.

Next-Generation Sequencing Markup Language (NGSML): A Medium for the Representation and Exchange of NGS Data

With the increasing demand for low-cost high-throughput sequencing of large genomes, next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology has developed rapidly. NGS can not only be used in basic scientific research but also in clinical diagnostics and healthcare. Numerous software systems and tools have been developed to analyze NGS data, and various data formats have been produced to accommodate different sequencing equipment providers or analytical software. However, the data interoperability between these tools brings great challenges to researchers. A generic format that could be shared by most of the software and tools in the NGS field would make data interoperability and sharing easier. In this paper, we defined a general XML-based NGS markup language (NGSML) format for the representation and exchange of NGS data. We also developed a user-friendly GUI tool, NGSMLEditor, for presenting, creating, editing, and converting NGSML files. By using NGSML, various types of NGS data can be saved in one unified format. Compared with the unstructured plain text file, a structured data format based on XML technology solves the incompatibility of various NGS data formats. The NGSML specifications are freely available from http://www.sysbio.org.cn/NGSML. NGSMLEditor is open source under GNU GPL and can be downloaded from the website.

[Analysis of risk factors for readmission of pneumoconiosis patients in Hunan]

Objective: To explore the risk factors of pneumoconiosis patients' re-admission to provide a scientific basis for improving the treatment effect of pneumoconiosis, reducing the rate of re-admission, and reducing the burden of disease. Methods: In June 2020, The clinical data of 470 patients with pneumoconiosis who had hospitalization records from February 8, 2014, to February 8, 2020, in the Hunan Provincial Occupational Disease Prevention and Treatment Institute were retrospectively analyzed. The patients' general data and emotional state at the first admission were collected through questionnaires and telephone follow-ups. The entire group of patients completed at least one follow-up, with readmission as the end event. First, the Kaplan-Meier method was used for univariate analysis. The multivariate COX regression model analysis was performed on meaningful variables to explore the risk factors that affect the patient's re-admission. Results: A total of 470 patients with pneumoconiosis were included in this study, with an average age of 55.88 years (34-81 years old) and all the participants were male. During the first admission, the number of participants diagnosed as stage III pneumoconiosis, with complications of COPD, fatty liver, or severe pulmonary diffusion dysfunction was 215 (45.74%) , 179 (38.09%) , 51 (10.85%) , and 44 (9.36%) , respectively. Six patients (1.28%) have had suicidal tendencies almost every day since they became ill. A total of 345 patients (73.40%) were re-admitted to the hospital. Multivariate Cox regression model analysis showed that compared with the suspected pneumoconiosis group, patients in the first, second, and third-stage pneumoconiosis groups had an increased risk of readmission (OR=2.43, 2.96, 2.35, P=0.000) . Compared with the age of 30-50 years old, 50-70 years old and ≥70 years old have an increased risk of readmission (OR=1.28, 2.32, P<0.05) . Patients with tricuspid regurgitation (OR=1.33, P<0.05) and elevated triglyceride level (>2.26 mmol/L) (OR=1.40, P<0.05) have increased risks of readmission. Compared with the normal group, patients with severe pulmonary diffusion dysfunction in pneumoconiosis have an increased risk of readmission (OR=1.96, P<0.05) . Compared with the normal group, pneumoconiosis patients in the suicidal group had an increased risk of re-admission to the hospital almost every day (OR=2.92, P<0.05) . Conclusion Age of onset, stage of pneumoconiosis, tricuspid regurgitation, high triglycerides, severe diffuse pulmonary dysfunction, and suicidal tendency are independent risk factors that affect the readmission of patients with pneumoconiosis. The management of chronic diseases and mental health of patients with pneumoconiosis should be strengthened to reduce the risk of readmission. Conclusion: Age of onset, stage of pneumoconiosis, tricuspid regurgitation, high triglycerides, severe diffuse pulmonary dysfunction, and suicidal tendency are independent risk factors that affect the readmission of patients with pneumoconiosis. The management of chronic diseases and the mental health of patients with pneumoconiosis should be strengthened to reduce the risk of readmission.

[Study on the consistency of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 of peripheral whole blood and venous serum in children]

This study aimed to explore the consistency of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) by detecting peripheral whole blood and venous serum among children. As a cross-sectional study, children who were aged 0-14 as well as received physical examinations in the Child Healthcare Department of the Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University during January 2022 to April 2022 were enrolled in this study. Meanwhile, both of peripheral whole blood and venous serum samples were collected, and the levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were assayed individually via chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA). Additionally, linear regression equation was used to analyze the correlation of results between two categories of samples, while Inter-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was used to evaluate the consistency of test results among two types of samples. The change trends of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 with age were analyzed at the same time. A total of 203 valid matched samples were collected, including 117 boys and 86 girls. Peripheral whole blood was well correlated with serum IGF-1 (r=0.986, P<0.001) and IGFBP-3 (r=0.974, P<0.001), and the linear regression equation is shown as follows: (IGF-1) _{venous serum} =1.047×(IGF-1) _{peripheral whole blood}-6.840; (IGFBP-3) _{venous serum}=0.924×(IGFBP-3) _{peripheral whole blood}+0.396. The correlation and consistency were still persisted after being stratified by sex and age. ICC of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were 0.983 and 0.967, respectively which provided an excellent strength of agreement. The levels of IGF-1 or IGFBP-3 in boys' and girls' peripheral whole blood and serum showed significant statistical differences among various age groups (all P<0.001), and also increased significantly with age (all P _trend<0.001). In conclusion, the results of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in peripheral whole blood and venous serum had positive comparability that could be mutually recognized. The detection of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in peripheral whole blood had great potential for young age children by providing guidance for nutritional intervention, growth and development assessment.

SLC6A14 facilitates epithelial cell ferroptosis via the C/EBPβ-PAK6 axis in ulcerative colitis

Emerging evidence suggests that ferroptosis is involved in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the key regulator of this process remains uncertain. In this study, we aimed to explore the roles of solute carrier (SLC) family 6 member 14 (SLC6A14) in regulating ferroptosis in UC. The expression of SLC6A14 was significantly increased and positively associated with that of prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) in tissue samples from patients with UC. Moreover, a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that SLC6A14 knockdown markedly suppressed ferroptosis. RNA sequencing revealed that SLC6A14 inhibited the expression of P21 (RAC1)-activated kinase 6 (PAK6) and that PAK6 knockdown abolished the effects of SLC6A14 on RAS-selective lethal 3 (RSL3)-induced ferroptosis in Caco-2 cells. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and Western blot analysis demonstrated that SLC6A14 negatively regulated PAK6 expression in a CCAAT enhancer binding protein beta (C/EBPβ)-dependent manner. Collectively, these findings indicate that SLC6A14 facilitates ferroptosis in UC by promoting C/EBPβ expression and binding activity to inhibit PAK6 expression, suggesting that targeting SLC6A14-C/EBPβ-PAK6 axis-mediated ferroptosis may be a promising therapeutic alternative for UC.

A SARS-CoV-2 vaccine based on conjugation of SARS-CoV-2 RBD with IC28 peptide and mannan

SARS-CoV-2 is a particularly transmissible virus that causes a severe respiratory disease known as COVID-19. Safe and effective vaccines are urgently needed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein elicits most neutralizing antibodies during viral infection and is an ideal antigen for vaccine development. In particular, RBD expressed by E. coli is amenable to low cost and high-yield manufacturability. The adjuvant is necessitated to improve the immunogenicity of RBD. IC28, a TLR5-dependent adjuvant, is a peptide from bacterial flagellin. Mannan is a ligand of TLR-4 or TLR-2 and a polysaccharide adjuvant. Here, IC28 and mannan were both covalently conjugated with RBD from E. coli. The conjugate (RBD-IC28-M) elicited high RBD-specific IgG titers, and a neutralization antibody titer of 201.4. It induced high levels of Th1-type cytokines (IFN-γ) and Th2-type cytokines (IL-5 and IL-10), along with high antigenicity and no apparent toxicity to the organs. The mouse sera of the RBD-IC28-M group competitively interfered with the interaction of RBD and ACE2. Thus, conjugation with IC28 and mannan additively enhanced the humoral and cellular immunity. Our study was expected to provide the feasibility to develop an affordable, easily scalable, effective vaccine SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

Study on the application of the Internet + nursing service in family rehabilitation of common bone and joint diseases in the elderly

OBJECTIVE

To explore the feasibility of the Internet + nursing service mode in family rehabilitation of elderly patients with osteoarthritic diseases.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The control group (n=50) received routine rehabilitation treatment procedures and discharge guidance. For the observation group (n=50), extended nursing rehabilitation service was conducted through the Internet + nursing service platform based on the routine treatment in the control group.

RESULTS

(1) The compliance with follow-up of the patients in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group; (2) The total satisfaction of patients in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group; (3) The VAS (1 month: 4.36±1.15 vs. 5.86±1.61, p<0.05; 3 months 4.36±1.15 vs. 5.86±1.61, p<0.05), SAS (1 month: 37.21±14.16 vs. 49.31±13.45, p<0.05; 3 months 26.73±8.25 vs. 40.33±9.50, p<0.05), SDS (1 month: 32.36±10.15 vs. 46.32±12.61, p<0.05; 3 months 27.11±8.08 vs. 40.62±11.40, p<0.05) and PSQI (1 month: 13.64 ± 1.13 vs. 16.31 ± 3.45, p<0.05; 3 months 11.54 ± 1.87 vs. 15.74 ± 1.36, p<0.05) scores in the observational group were significantly lower than that in control group at one month and three months after discharge. The ADL (1 month: 86.86 ± 4.13 vs. 74.33 ± 3.44, p<0.05; 3 months 90.34 ± 7.87 vs. 78.52 ± 6.36, p<0.05) scores in the observational group were significantly higher than that in control group at one month and three months after discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

The extended rehabilitation nursing management for family rehabilitation of elderly patients with osteoarthritic diseases through the Internet + nursing service is a family rehabilitation model suitable for elderly patients with osteoarthritic diseases in China and has positive significance in developing a diversified medical nursing model.

[Impact of endoscopic endonasal approach on quality of life in patients with anterior skull base intra-extracranial extension meningioma]

Objective: To summarize the experience of endoscopic endonasal approach in the treatment of anterior skull base with intra-extracranial extension meningioma, and to analyze the perioperative quality of life of patients, and to discuss the safety and efficacy of the treatment. Methods: A total of 83 cases of anterior skull base with intra-extracranial extension meningioma admitted to Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University from October 2007 to October 2019, who underwent endoscopic endonasal approach tumor resection, were retrospectively analyzed. The quality of life of the patients were evaluated by Anterior Skull Base Questionnaire (ASBQ) before and after surgery. The surgical techniques, extent of tumor resection, postoperative complications and the changes of patients' quality of life were summarized and analyzed. SPSS 23.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 57 anterior skull base with intra-extracranial extension meningioma patients were enrolled according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, including 23 males and 34 females, aging (48.6±16.6) years. Fifty cases (87.7%) reached or exceeded Simpson gradeⅠ resection, and 7 cases underwent subtotal resection. Symptoms relief was as follows: headache relief in 45/50 (90%), vision improvement in 18/19 (94.7%), olfaction improvement in 6/45 (13.3%), mental symptoms improvement in 3/9 (33.3%), and seizure relief in 5/7 (71.4%). Postoperative complication included mental symptoms in 5 cases, cerebrospinal fluid leakage in 2 cases, epilepsy in 2 cases, frontal lobe hemorrhage in 1 case, and intracranial infection in 1 case. The follow-up period was 38 to 144 months. There were two cases recurring and no death. ASBQ assessment showed significant improvement in general condition, physical function, role function, mood disorder, pain, vision impairment, and sleep disturbance at 1 month postoperatively, with continued improvement thereafter, and reached stable at 6 months postoperatively. Conclusion: Endoscopic endonasal approach surgery is able to achieve safe and effective tumor resection for anterior skull base intra-extracranial extension meningioma, and the quality of life of patients can be improved steadily.

[The correlations of abdominal adipose tissue with anthropometric and metabolic parameters in obese children by magnetic resonance imaging]

Objective: To explore abdominal fat mass distribution and contents among obese children via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and analyze the correlations of abdominal adipose tissue with anthropometric and metabolic parameters. Methods: Cross-sectional study. There were 60 obese children admitted to the Children's Health Care Department and Endocrinology Department at Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from July 2016 to December 2018. Children's gender, age, height, weight, body composition, waist circumference and blood pressure were recorded. The levels of fasting blood glucose, lipids, insulin were measured, and liver ultrasound was performed, and the body mass index Z score (BMI-Z), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were calculated. In addition, contents of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and total abdominal adipose tissue (TAAT) were calculated according to feedback of abdominal MRI scan images. The associations between the contents of abdominal adipose tissue, physical examination status and metabolic disorders among obese children were analyzed through correlation analysis and regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to compare the accuracy of fat mass in different parts of the abdomen in predicting their metabolic disorders. Results: A total of 60 children were enrolled in the study, included 44 boys and 16 girls, with age of (9.2±1.4) years. The contents of SAT, VAT and TAAT among the 60 children were positively associated with BMI-Z (r=0.60, 0.46, 0.59), body fat percentage (r=0.64, 0.67, 0.68) and waist-to-height ratio (r=0.60, 0.57, 0.61) (all P<0.01). Meanwhile, contents of SAT and TAAT were also positively correlated with systolic blood pressure (r=0.47, 0.49), triglyceride (r=0.33, 0.35) and HOMA-IR (r=0.33, 0.28)(all P<0.05). In order to adjust the confounding effects among various variables, regression analysis was applied and the result showed that the body fat percentage (β=0.59, 0.66, 0.65) and waist-to-height ratio (β=0.53, 0.63, 0.59) were most related to abdominal fat contents (all P<0.01), including SAT, VAT and TAAT among obese children. According to ROC, SAT had outstanding evaluation performances for the diagnosis of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, while VAT had excellent evaluation performances for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (area under curve=0.68, 0.69, 0.69, 95%CI 0.54-0.82, 0.55-0.84, 0.53-0.85, P=0.017, 0.014, 0.019). Conclusions: As one of the best indexes, body fat percentage and WHtR can be used to predict the contents of SAT, VAT and TAAT among obese children. With the increase of abdominal SAT or VAT, the risks for insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease would increase. Assessment of abdominal fat and metabolic risks in obese children should combine BMI-Z with waist circumference and body composition analysis.

[The relationship between homocysteine, coagulation dysfunction and breast cancer risk]

Objective: To investigate the correlation of homocysteine (HCY) and coagulation function index with the risk of breast cancer and its clinicopathological characteristics. Methods: The HCY, coagulation function test index, and clinicopathological information of female breast cancer patients (333 cases) treated in Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital from January 2018 to December 2018 were collected, and female patients with benign breast (225 cases) were selected during the same period for the control group. The t-test was used to compare measurement data with normal distribution, D-Dimer data were distributed discreetly and described by median, non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the two groups. The chi-square test was used to compare enumeration data, and the Logistic regression analysis was used for the risk analysis. Results: The levels of HCY, fibrinogen (Fbg), protein C (PC), and median D-Dimer (D-D) in peripheral blood of breast cancer patients group [(13.26±5.24) μmol/L, (2.61±0.83) g/L, (117.55±19.67)%, and 269.68 ng/ml, respectively] were higher than those in the control group [(11.58±0.69) μmol/L, (2.49±0.49) g/L, (113.42±19.82)% and 246.98 ng/ml, respectively, P<0.05]. The prothrombin time (PT), PT(INR), α2-antiplasmin (α2-AP) levels [(10.19±0.63) s, 0.91±0.07 and (110.64±13.93)%, respectively] were lower than those in the control group [(10.58±0.65) s, 0.93±0.01 and (123.81±14.77) %, P<0.05]. The serum levels of PC and median D-D in premenopausal breast cancer patients [(112.57±17.86)% and 242.01 ng/ml, respectively] were higher than those in the control group [(105.31±22.31)% and 214.75 ng/ml, respectively, P<0.05]. The levels of PT(INR), α2-AP [0.91±0.07 and (111.29±12.54)%, respectively] were lower than those of the control group[0.98±0.15 and (120.17±16.35)%, respectively, P<0.05]. The levels of HCY and median D-D in postmenopausal breast cancer patients [(14.25±5.76) μmol/L and 347.53 ng/ml, respectively] were higher than those in the control group [(11.67±2.38) μmol/L and 328.28 ng/ml, P<0.05]. The levels of PT, PT(INR), antithrombin Ⅲ (AT-Ⅲ), α2-AP levels [(10.18±0.66) s, 0.87±0.09, (97.30±12.84)% and (110.13±14.96)%] were lower than those in the control group [(10.38±0.61) s, 0.90±0.08, (102.89±9.12)%, and (127.05±12.38)%, respectively, P<0.05]. The levels of α2-AP and median D-D in T2-4 stage breast cancer patients [(111.69±14.41)% and 289.25 ng/ml, respectively] were higher than those in Tis-1 stage patients [(108.05±12.37)% and 253.49 ng/ml, respectively, P<0.05]. The levels of PT, PT (INR), Fbg, AT-Ⅲ, α2-AP, median D-D [(10.62±0.63) s, 0.95±0.06, (3.04±1.52) g/L, (103.21±9.45)%, (118.72±14.77)% and 331.33 ng/ml, respectively] in breast cancer patients with lymph node metastasis were higher than those of patients without lymph node metastasis [(10.42±0.58) s, 0.93±0.06, (2.52±0.54) g/L, (95.20±13.63)%, (106.91±13.13)% and 263.38 ng/ml, respectively, P<0.05]. In non-menopausal breast cancer patients, the level of HCY [(12.63±4.41) μmol/L] in patients with T2-4 stage was higher than that of patients with Tis-1 stage [(10.70±3.49) μmol/L, P=0.010], and the level of thrombin time [(19.35±0.90) s] of patients with T2-4 stage was lower than that of patients with Tis-1 stage [(19.79±1.23) s, P=0.015]. The levels of PT(INR), Fbg, AT-Ⅲ, α2-AP [0.97±0.56, (3.37±2.34) g/L, (102.38±8.77)% and (120.95±14.06)%] in patients with lymph node metastasis were higher than those of patients without lymph node metastasis [0.94±0.05, (2.36±0.48) g/L, (94.56±14.37)% and (109.51±11.46)%, respectively, P<0.05]. Among postmenopausal breast cancer patients, the levels of AT-Ⅲ and α2-AP in T2-4 stage patients [(98.48±11.80)% and (111.84±15.35)%, respectively] were higher than those in patients with the Tis-1 stage [(94.12±14.98)% and (105.49±12.89)%, respectively, P<0.05]. The levels of AT-Ⅲ and α2-AP in N1-3 stage patients [(103.74±9.94)% and (117.29±15.23)%] were higher than those in N0 stage patients [(95.75±13.01)% and (108.39±14.42)%, P<0.05]. Conclusions: HCY and abnormal coagulation function are related to the risk of breast cancer, T stage and lymph node metastasis in breast cancer patients.

Bone aluminum measured in miners exposed to McIntyre powder

A small pilot study was conducted to test whether the technique of in vivo neutron activation analysis could measure bone aluminum levels in 15 miners who had been exposed to McIntyre Powder over 40 years prior. All miners were over 60 years of age, had worked in mines that used McIntyre Powder, and were sufficiently healthy to travel from northern to southern Ontario for the measurements. Individual aluminum levels were found to be significantly greater than zero with 95% confidence (p < 0.05) in 7 out of the 15 miners. The inverse variance weighted mean of the 15 participants was 21.77 ± 2.27µgAl/gCa. This was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than in a group of 15 non-occupationally exposed subjects of a comparable age from Southern Ontario who had been measured in a previous study. The inverse variance weighted mean bone aluminum content in the non-occupationally exposed group was 3.51 ± 0.85µgAl/gCa. Since the use of McIntyre Powder ceased in 1979, these subjects had not been exposed for more than 40 years. Calculations of potential levels at the cessation of exposure in the 1970s, using a biological half-life of aluminum in bone of 10 to 20 years predicted levels of bone aluminum comparable with studies performed in dialysis patients in the 1970s and 1980s. This pilot study has shown that the neutron activation analysis technique can determine differences in bone aluminum between McIntyre Powder exposed and non-exposed populations even though 40 years have passed since exposure ceased. The technique has potential application as a biomarker of exposure in cross-sectional studies of the health consequences of exposure to McIntyre Powder.

Measurement of Two-Particle Correlations of Hadrons in e^{+}e^{-} Collisions at Belle

The measurement of two-particle angular correlation functions in high-multiplicity e^{+}e^{-} collisions at sqrt[s]=10.52  GeV is reported. In this study, the 89.5  fb^{-1} of hadronic e^{+}e^{-} annihilation data collected by the Belle detector at KEKB are used. Two-particle angular correlation functions are measured in the full relative azimuthal angle (Δϕ) and three units of pseudorapidity (Δη), defined by either the electron beam axis or the event-shape thrust axis, and are studied as a function of charged-particle multiplicity. The measurement in the thrust axis analysis, with mostly outgoing quark pairs determining the reference axis, is sensitive to the region of additional soft gluon emissions. No significant anisotropic collective behavior is observed with either coordinate analyses. Near-side jet correlations appear to be absent in the thrust axis analysis. The measurements are compared to predictions from various event generators and are expected to provide new constraints to the phenomenological models in the low-energy regime.

Search for a Light Higgs Boson in Single-Photon Decays of ϒ(1S) Using ϒ(2S)→π^{+}π^{-}ϒ(1S) Tagging Method

We search for a light Higgs boson (A^{0}) decaying into a τ^{+}τ^{-} or μ^{+}μ^{-} pair in the radiative decays of ϒ(1S). The production of ϒ(1S) mesons is tagged by ϒ(2S)→π^{+}π^{-}ϒ(1S) transitions, using 158×10^{6} ϒ(2S) events accumulated with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric energy electron-positron collider. No significant A^{0} signals in the mass range from the τ^{+}τ^{-} or μ^{+}μ^{-} threshold to 9.2  GeV/c^{2} are observed. We set the upper limits at 90% credibility level (C.L.) on the product branching fractions for ϒ(1S)→γA^{0} and A^{0}→τ^{+}τ^{-} varying from 3.8×10^{-6} to 1.5×10^{-4}. Our results represent an approximately twofold improvement on the current world best upper limits for the ϒ(1S)→γA^{0}(→τ^{+}τ^{-}) production. For A^{0}→μ^{+}μ^{-}, the upper limits on the product branching fractions for ϒ(1S)→γA^{0} and A^{0}→μ^{+}μ^{-} are at the same level as the world average limits, and vary from 3.1×10^{-7} to 1.6×10^{-5}. The upper limits at 90% credibility level on the Yukawa coupling f_{ϒ(1S)} and mixing angle sinθ_{A^{0}} are also given.

Structural Biology Meets Biomolecular Networks: The Post-AlphaFold Era

Background:

Recent progress in protein structure prediction by AlphaFold has opened new avenues to decipher biological functions from the perspective of structural biology based on proteomics level.

Methods:

To meet these challenges, in this perspective, three scales of networks for protein structures, including structural protein-protein network, protein structural networks, and elastic network models were introduced here for high-throughput modeling of protein functional sites and protein dynamics.

Conclusion:

In the post-AlphaFold era, we argue that the integration of biomolecular networks may be leveraged in the future to develop a modeling framework that addresses protein structure-based functions, with the application in drug discovery.