Publications by authors named "Cai Zhang"

Radiotherapy (RT) can trigger immunogenic cell death (ICD) in tumor cells and release adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to activate antitumor immunity. However, the formation of immunosuppressive adenosine (ADO) mediated by ectonucleotidases including CD39 and CD73, can exacerbate the immunosuppressive effects. Herein, a radiosensitizer-based metal-organic framework (MOF) composed of bismuth (Bi) and ellagic acid (EA) was synthesized in situ on the surface of Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) to serve as a carrier for the CD39 inhibitor sodium polyoxotungstate (POM-1).

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  • LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP) plays a crucial role in the immune response to invading pathogens, but its activation mechanisms are not fully understood.* -
  • The study identifies programmed cell death 6 (PDCD6) as a negative regulator of LAP; its absence enhances bactericidal activity and LAP formation in mice and macrophages.* -
  • The PDCD6-LDHA-lactate-RUBCN interaction influences innate immunity, suggesting potential therapeutic targets for improving defense against infections.*
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Dynamic real-time detection of dendritic cell (DC) maturation is pivotal for accurately predicting immune system activation, assessing vaccine efficacy, and determining the effectiveness of immunotherapy. The heterogeneity of cells underscores the significance of assessing the maturation status of each individual cell, while achieving real-time monitoring of DC maturation at the single-cell level poses significant challenges. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) holds great potential for providing specific fingerprinting information of DCs to detect biochemical alterations and evaluate their maturation status.

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Depression is characterized by both neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Exosomes (Exo) have been shown to function as inhibitors of inflammation and promoters of neurogenesis. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic acid, can combat depression by increasing levels of docosapentaenoic acid (DPA).

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  • Childhood sleep quality is influenced by factors such as maternal stress during pregnancy and can predict later health outcomes.
  • The study examined data to understand how prenatal stress relates to sleep quality in children aged 4-8, finding that both prenatal and postnatal stress have significant effects.
  • Results indicate that postnatal stress mediates the impact of prenatal stress on sleep issues, highlighting the need for further research on maternal mental health and child sleep disturbances.
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  • The study investigates how achievement motivation influences the development of educational practice abilities among pre-service teachers, based on Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model.
  • A survey involving 1,225 pre-service teachers in Anhui Province, China, was conducted using multiple scales to measure achievement motivation, professional identity, learning engagement, and educational practice ability.
  • Results show that achievement motivation positively predicts educational practice ability and that professional identity and learning engagement mediate this relationship, indicating a chain effect in how motivation impacts teaching capabilities.
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  • Cancer immunotherapy uses the patient’s immune system to fight cancer, but it often suffers from low response rates, limiting its effectiveness.
  • Recent studies focus on metal-based biomaterials that can boost anti-tumor immune responses without causing harmful side effects.
  • The review categorizes different bioactive metals, explores their immune regulatory mechanisms, and discusses their potential to improve cancer immunotherapy outcomes, while also addressing future challenges.
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Poultry meat, an essential source of animal protein, requires stringent safety and quality measures to address public health concerns and growing international attention. This review examines both direct and indirect factors that compromise poultry meat quality in intensive farming systems. It highlights the integration of rapid and micro-testing with traditional methods to assess meat safety.

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Understanding the dynamics of sedimentary organic carbon (SOC) in the productive continental marginal sea surrounding Antarctica is crucial for elucidating the effect of this sea on the global carbon cycle. We analyzed 31 surface sediment samples and eight sediment cores collected from Prydz Bay (PB) and the adjacent basin area. The element and stable isotope compositions, grain size compositions, and biogenic silica and lithogenic minerals of these samples were used to evaluate the spatial variations in the sources, transport mechanisms, and preservation patterns of SOC, with a particular focus on the efficiency of the biological carbon pump (BCP).

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  • This study explores how miR-29 affects lipid metabolism in dairy cows by categorizing 32 cows into groups based on liver triglyceride content: healthy, mild fatty liver, and moderate fatty liver.
  • Dairy cows with moderate fatty liver exhibited increased lipid buildup and elevated liver enzyme levels, while healthy calves had isolated hepatocytes tested with sodium oleate under different conditions.
  • The results indicated that inhibiting miR-29 reduced lipid accumulation and liver enzyme levels, suggesting that miR-29 could be integral to understanding fatty liver disease in dairy cows.
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Recently discovered epigenetic modification lysine lactylation contributes to tumor development and progression in several types of cancer. In addition to the tumor-intrinsic effects, histone lactylation may mediate tumor microenvironment remodeling and immune evasion. In this study, we observed elevated pan-lysine lactylation and histone H3 lysine 18 lactylation (H3K18la) levels in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues, which was positively correlated with poor patient prognosis.

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Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a polyphenol substance contained in many plants, which has good antioxidant activity. This experiment aimed to explore the protective effects of CGA on hydrogen peroxide (HO)-induced inflammatory response, apoptosis, and antioxidant capacity of bovine intestinal epithelial cells (BIECs-21) under oxidative stress and its mechanism. The results showed that compared with cells treated with HO alone, CGA pretreatment could improve the viability of BIECs-21.

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The prevalence of excessive drinking-related alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is rising, yet therapeutic options remain limited. High alcohol consumption and consequent oxidative metabolism by cytochrome P450 (CYP) can lead to extremely high levels of reactive oxygen species, which overwhelm cellular defenses and harm hepatocytes. Our previous investigations showed that inhibiting using RNA interference reduced the incidence of ALD.

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Objective: The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of ultrasound (US)-guided high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in the treatment of breast fibroadenoma in different studies.

Methods: Studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of US-guided HIFU in the treatment of histologically-proven FA with follow-up outcomes of more than 3 months were searched through MEDLINE/PubMed databases. Volume reduction rate (VRR) and side effects were extracted and compared for further analysis.

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The integrity of colonic gland cells is a prerequisite for normal colonic function and maintenance. To evaluate the underlying injury mechanisms in colonic gland cells induced by excessive fluoride (F), forty-eight female Kunming mice were randomly allocated into four groups and treated with different concentrations of NaF (0, 25, 50, and 100 mg F/L) for 70 days. As a result, the integrity of the colonic mucosa and the cell layer was seriously damaged after F treatment, as manifested by atrophy of the colonic glands, colonic cell surface collapse, breakage of microvilli, and mitochondrial vacuolization.

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Background: Adverse intrauterine environment was believed to have deleterious effects on the gonadal function. However, the association between impaired intrauterine growth and fertility in adult males has not been established.

Objectives: To compare the reproductive rates of males born small for gestational age (SGA), with low birth weight (LBW) or very low birth weight (VLBW) with control groups.

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Psychiatric disorders with dysfunction of the lateral habenula (LHb) show sleep disturbance, especially a disinhibition of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in major depression. However, the role of LHb in physiological sleep control and how LHb contributes to sleep disturbance in major depression remain elusive. Here, we found that functional manipulations of LHb glutamatergic neurons bidirectionally modulated both non-REM (NREM) sleep and REM sleep.

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Bismuth (Bi)-based computed tomography (CT) imaging contrast agents (CAs) hold significant promise for diagnosing gastrointestinal diseases due to their cost-effectiveness, heightened sensitivity, and commendable biocompatibility. Nevertheless, substantial challenges persist in achieving an easy synthesis process, remarkable water solubility, and effective targeting ability for the potential clinical transformation of Bi-based CAs. Herein, we show Bi drug-inspired ultra-small dextran coated bismuth oxide nanoparticles (BiO-Dex NPs) for targeted CT imaging of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

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The morphological features of materials significantly influence their interactions with cells, consequently affecting the cellular uptake of these materials. In this study, we examine the cellular uptake behavior of spherical metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and petaloid MOFs, both possessing similar sizes and compositions. In comparison to spherical MOFs, dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages exhibit superior phagocytic uptake of petaloid MOFs.

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  • The study evaluated the impact of supplemental polysaccharide (GCP) on the growth and intestinal health of weaned piglets over 28 days.
  • Piglets were divided into three groups: a control group and two groups receiving different amounts of GCP (500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg).
  • Results showed that the 1000 mg/kg GCP group had better growth performance, improved digestive enzyme activity, enhanced intestinal barrier function, and a more favorable microbial community compared to the control group.
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Purpose Of Review: The incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in children and adolescents has been increased over decades worldwide. Recent studies showed that the trend of T1D incidences were different between developed and underdeveloped countries. This review aimed to summarize the changes of childhood T1D incidences in underdeveloped countries over the past decade.

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Inaccurate or cumbersome clinical pathogen diagnosis between Gram-positive bacteria (G) and Gram-negative (G) bacteria lead to delayed clinical therapeutic interventions. Microelectrode-based electrochemical sensors exhibit the significant advantages of rapid response and minimal sample consumption, but the loading capacity and discrimination precision are weak. Herein, we develop reversible fusion-fission MXene-based fiber microelectrodes for G/G bacteria analysis.

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  • The study examines how parent-child technoference affects children's problematic smartphone use, highlighting the negative impact on family relationships and child development.
  • Participants included over 3000 fourth-grade students, with data analyzed using various software tools to assess correlations and mediation effects.
  • Findings reveal that technoference correlates with negative parenting and problematic smartphone use, with significant gender differences; girls face more relationship disruption while boys tend to experience more smartphone issues.
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A minority of children born small for gestational age (SGA) may experience catch-up growth failure and remain short in adulthood. However, the underlying causes and mechanisms of this phenomenon are not yet fully comprehended. We reviewed the present state of research concerning the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor axis and growth plate in SGA children who fail to achieve catch-up growth.

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