Transformer-based AI technology improves early ovarian cancer diagnosis using cfDNA methylation markers.

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the deadliest women's cancer and has a poor prognosis. Early detection is the key for improving survival (a 5-year survival rate in stage I/II is over 70% compared to that of 25% in stage III/IV) and can be achieved through methylation markers from circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) using a liquid biopsy. In this study, we first identify top 500 EOC markers differentiating EOC from healthy female controls from 3.

Gut microbiota-derived tryptamine and phenethylamine impair insulin sensitivity in metabolic syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome.

The incidence of metabolic syndrome is significantly higher in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but the mechanisms involved remain unclear. Gut microbiota is causatively linked with the development of both metabolic dysfunctions and gastrointestinal disorders, thus gut dysbiosis in IBS may contribute to the development of metabolic syndrome. Here, we show that human gut bacterium Ruminococcus gnavus-derived tryptamine and phenethylamine play a pathogenic role in gut dysbiosis-induced insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes (T2D) and IBS.

Deep-learning-enabled protein-protein interaction analysis for prediction of SARS-CoV-2 infectivity and variant evolution.

Host-pathogen interactions and pathogen evolution are underpinned by protein-protein interactions between viral and host proteins. An understanding of how viral variants affect protein-protein binding is important for predicting viral-host interactions, such as the emergence of new pathogenic SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here we propose an artificial intelligence-based framework called UniBind, in which proteins are represented as a graph at the residue and atom levels.

Ruminococcus gnavus plays a pathogenic role in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome by increasing serotonin biosynthesis.

Diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D), a globally prevalent functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder, is associated with elevated serotonin that increases gut motility. While anecdotal evidence suggests that the gut microbiota contributes to serotonin biosynthesis, mechanistic insights are limited. We determined that the bacterium Ruminococcus gnavus plays a pathogenic role in IBS-D.

The SARS-CoV-2 spike L452R-E484Q variant in the Indian B.1.617 strain showed significant reduction in the neutralization activity of immune sera.

To assess the impact of the key non-synonymous amino acid substitutions in the RBD of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.617.

COVID-19 Delta variants-Current status and implications as of August 2021.

The SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant has evolved as the dominant strain of the current pandemic. Studies have shown that this variant has increased infectivity/viral load, and reduced neutralization by the host antibodies from convalescent patients/vaccinees. Clinically, Delta variant infection has been observed/documented in convalescent patients/vaccinees, although with less incidence of severe diseases, but can serve as reservoir to spread the infection to the unvaccinated.

A novel galactose electrochemical biosensor intended for point-of-care measurement of quantitative liver function using galactose single-point test.

Liver disease has emerged as a healthcare burden because of high hospitalization rates attributed both to steatohepatitis and to severe hepatic toxicity associated with changes of drug exposure. Early detection of hepatic insufficiency is critical to preventing long-term liver damage. The galactose single-point test is recommended by the US FDA as a sensitive means to quantify liver function, yet the conventional method used for quantitation of circulating galactose still relies on the standard colorimetric method, requiring time-consuming and labor-intensive processes, and is confined to the medical laboratory, thus limiting prevalence.

A deep-learning pipeline for the diagnosis and discrimination of viral, non-viral and COVID-19 pneumonia from chest X-ray images.

Common lung diseases are first diagnosed using chest X-rays. Here, we show that a fully automated deep-learning pipeline for the standardization of chest X-ray images, for the visualization of lesions and for disease diagnosis can identify viral pneumonia caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and assess its severity, and can also discriminate between viral pneumonia caused by COVID-19 and other types of pneumonia. The deep-learning system was developed using a heterogeneous multicentre dataset of 145,202 images, and tested retrospectively and prospectively with thousands of additional images across four patient cohorts and multiple countries.

COVID-19 in early 2021: current status and looking forward.

Since the first description of a coronavirus-related pneumonia outbreak in December 2019, the virus SARS-CoV-2 that causes the infection/disease (COVID-19) has evolved into a pandemic, and as of today, >100 million people globally in over 210 countries have been confirmed to have been infected and two million people have died of COVID-19. This brief review summarized what we have hitherto learned in the following areas: epidemiology, virology, and pathogenesis, diagnosis, use of artificial intelligence in assisting diagnosis, treatment, and vaccine development. As there are a number of parallel developments in each of these areas and some of the development and deployment were at unprecedented speed, we also provided some specific dates for certain development and milestones so that the readers can appreciate the timing of some of these critical events.

HM30181A, a potent P-glycoprotein inhibitor, potentiates the absorption and antitumor efficacy of paclitaxel in an orthotopic brain tumor model.

Objective: Delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs to the brain has remained a major obstacle in the treatment of glioma, owing to the presence of the blood-brain barrier and the activity of P-gp, which pumps its substrate back into the systemic circulation. The aim of the present study was to develop an intravenous formulation of HM30181A (HM) to inhibit P-gp in the brain to effectively deliver paclitaxel (PTX) for the treatment of malignant glioma.

Methods: Two formulations of solubilized HM were designed on the basis of different solid dispersion strategies: i) spray-drying [polyvinlypyrrolidone (PVP)-HM] and ii) solvent evaporation [HP-β-cyclodextrin (cyclodextrin)-HM].

Significant reduction of humoral response to SARS-CoV-2 4 months after the diagnosis of COVID-19.

A commentary on "Humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2 in Iceland".

Rational design, engineer, and characterization of a novel pegylated single isomer human arginase for arginine depriving anti-cancer treatment.

Aims: Arginine depleting enzymes are found effective to treat arginine-auxotrophic cancers and therapy-resistant malignancies, alone or in combination with cytotoxic agents or immune checkpoint inhibitors. We aim to select and validate a long-lasting, safe and effective PEGylated and cobalt-chelated arginase conjugated at the selective cysteine residue as a therapeutic agent against cancers.

Main Methods: Exploring pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of the three arginase conjugates with different PEG modality (20 kDa linear as A20L, 20 kDa branched as A20Y, and 40 kDa branched as A40Y) by cell-based and animal studies.

Estimated prevalence and viral transmissibility in subjects with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections in Wuhan, China.

The role of subjects with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in the current pandemic is not well-defined. Based on two different approaches to estimate the culminative attack rate (seroprevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, and a four compartment mathematical model) and the reported number of patients with COVID-19, the ratio of asymptomatic versus symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection was estimated to be 7 (95% CI: 2.8-12.

Author Correction: Seroprevalence of immunoglobulin M and G antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in China.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

A vaccine targeting the RBD of the S protein of SARS-CoV-2 induces protective immunity.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes a respiratory disease called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the spread of which has led to a pandemic. An effective preventive vaccine against this virus is urgently needed. As an essential step during infection, SARS-CoV-2 uses the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein to engage with the receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on host cells.

Personnel protection strategy for healthcare workers in Wuhan during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Objective: To identify the effectiveness of a personnel protection strategy in protection of healthcare workers from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Design: During the COVID-19 pandemic, 943 healthcare staff sent from Guangzhou to Wuhan to care for patients with suspected/confirmed COVID-19 received infection precaution training before their mission and were equipped with Level 2/3 personal protective equipment (PPE), in accordance with guidelines from the National Health Commission of China. We conducted a serological survey on the cumulative attack rate of SARS-CoV-2 among the healthcare workers sent to Wuhan and compared the seropositive rate to that in local healthcare workers from Wuhan and Jingzhou.

A Double-blind, Randomized Phase 2 Controlled Trial of Intradermal Hepatitis B Vaccination With a Topical Toll-like Receptor 7 Agonist Imiquimod, in Patients on Dialysis.

Background: Patients on dialysis are hyporesponsive to the hepatitis B virus vaccines (HBVv). We examined intradermal (ID) HBVv Sci-B-Vac, with topical Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist imiquimod pretreatment in dialysis patients.

Methods: We enrolled and prospectively followed adult patients on dialysis between January 2016 and September 2018.

Seroprevalence of immunoglobulin M and G antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in China.

Detection of asymptomatic or subclinical novel human coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 infection is critical for understanding the overall prevalence and infection potential of COVID-19. To estimate the cumulative prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in China, we evaluated the host serologic response, measured by the levels of immunoglobulins M and G in 17,368 individuals, in the city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in China, and geographic regions in the country, during the period from 9 March 2020 to 10 April 2020. In our cohorts, the seropositivity in Wuhan varied between 3.