Publications by authors named "Chun-Yan Hu"

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  • Phytate is a major phosphorus storage in plants and has limited availability for uptake, but certain plants can use it effectively, especially in its soluble form.
  • The study examined how certain plants cultivated with different types of phytate (Na, Ca, and Fe) affected growth and arsenic (As) accumulation, concluding that insoluble Ca/Fe-phytate was more effective than Na-phytate for supporting plant biomass and enhancing nutrient uptake.
  • It was found that the plants' ability to utilize phytate for nutrients is linked to the activity of specific enzymes (phytases) and the upregulation of genes that help transport and sequester arsenic, making it valuable for remediation efforts in arsenic-contaminated soils.
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  • * Researchers improved upon earlier datasets and created a new one with 120 taxa and 98 exonic markers to construct clearer phylogenies of existing mammalian families.
  • * Findings suggest that placental mammals began diversifying before the Late Cretaceous, with significant diversification occurring after the KPg event due to the emergence of new ecological niches.
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  • The study examines how copper (Cu) affects arsenic (As) accumulation in the As-hyperaccumulator plant Pteris vittata under hydroponic conditions.
  • Results show that when exposed to both 50 µM As and Cu, P. vittata exhibited a 1.4-fold increase in As concentration and a 1.2-fold increase in biomass compared to As alone.
  • The enhanced As uptake is linked to the upregulation of specific genes related to arsenic transport, translocation, and sequestration in the plant, suggesting potential for using P. vittata in cleaning up soils contaminated with both As and Cu.
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  • Metastasis is the main cause of death in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), yet key mechanisms behind it are still not well understood.
  • This study investigated the tetraspanin CD63, which was found to be abnormally altered in HNSCC tissues and linked to patient prognosis.
  • The research indicates that CD63 overexpression can inhibit HNSCC progression and metastasis, and reveals KRT1 as a potential interacting partner that together may help regulate cell cycle arrest in these cancer cells.
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Arsenic-hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata is efficient in taking up arsenate (AsV) and arsenite (AsIII), however, their impacts on P. vittata growth and nutrient uptake remain unclear. The uptake of AsV and AsIII, their influences on nutrient uptake and plant biomass, and As speciation were investigated in P.

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  • - Tylophora yunnanensis Schltr (TYS) is traditionally used in China to treat liver diseases like hepatitis, though its exact mechanism is not well understood.
  • - This study investigates how TYS affects gut microbiota and metabolites in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) rats, aiming to reduce NLRP3 activation, which is linked to inflammation.
  • - Results indicated that TYS improved NASH symptoms by reducing body weight, lipid levels, and inflammation markers, while also enhancing gut microbiota diversity and changing its composition.
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Background: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is among the most common liver diseases in the world. Flavonoids from Scutellaria amoena (SAF) are used in the treatment of hepatopathy in China. However, the effect and mechanism against NASH remain unclear.

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  • * Researchers conducted RNA sequencing and qRT-PCR to compare miR-99a-5p levels in HNSCC tissues and plasma EVs between patients with cancer and those with benign diseases.
  • * Results indicated that plasma EVs miR-99a-5p could effectively differentiate HNSCC from benign conditions, with a notable diagnostic area under the curve (AUC) of 0.7494, suggesting it could be useful for early detection of HNSCC.
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  • Selenate boosts arsenic accumulation in a specific plant type known for absorbing arsenic, but the exact processes behind this effect were previously unclear.
  • A study exposed the plants to different levels of arsenate and selenate in a hydroponic setup, measuring the plants' growth, arsenic, and selenium content, and the expression of key detoxification genes.
  • The findings revealed that selenate is more effective than selenium alone in increasing arsenic levels in the plants, primarily by facilitating the conversion of arsenate to arsenite and enhancing its movement and storage within the plant.
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  • - This study focuses on creating a film from cellulose nanocrystals and β-cyclodextrin to quickly and clearly detect methanol, which is a serious health threat.
  • - The resulting iridescent film shows distinct colors for methanol (red) and ethanol (yellow-green), allowing for easy identification with the naked eye.
  • - The film has been proven to be quick, reversible, and precise in detecting methanol, making it a practical tool for identifying methanol in various industrial applications.
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  • Antimony (Sb) and arsenic (As) behave differently in plants, leading to an experiment that studied Sb uptake in the As-hyperaccumulator species P. cretica using a hydroponic setup.
  • The study found that P. cretica absorbed significantly more SbIII than SbV and accumulated over 97% of Sb in its roots, mainly in the cell walls, indicating a detoxification mechanism.
  • Additionally, higher levels of SbIII reduced dissolved organic carbon in root exudates while promoting phosphorus accumulation in the plant, suggesting potential growth benefits for P. cretica.
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Background: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the main pathological type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Chromobox (CBX) family proteins are classical components of polycomb group (PcG) complexes in many cancer types, resulting in accelerated carcinogenesis. Nevertheless, the prognostic, functional and expression significance of these CBX family members in DLBCL remain unclear and elusive.

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  • * A new process using a salting-out extraction system (SOES) was developed, optimizing a blend of ethanol and phosphate to effectively separate and purify CA from fermentation broth.
  • * The optimized SOES achieved a high recovery yield of 96.8% for CA and removed a significant percentage of cells and proteins, proving to be more efficient and cost-effective than traditional methods like membrane filtration or liquid-liquid extraction.
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  • - The study investigates how the combination of two compounds, paeonol and paeoniflorin, affects heart proteins in rats with myocardial ischemia, aiming to understand the mechanism behind their protective effects.
  • - Researchers created a rat model of acute myocardial infarction by blocking a coronary artery and then administered paeonol and paeoniflorin, collecting cardiac tissue proteins for analysis.
  • - Results indicated that the proteins involved in immune response and various biological pathways were affected by the treatment, suggesting a potential biological basis for the protective effects of the combination against heart injury.
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  • Bowel preparation is crucial for successful colonoscopies, and studies indicate that telephone coaching may enhance this process, especially for older patients.
  • In a study involving 162 outpatients over 65, those who received phone re-education from a nurse two days before their procedure had better bowel preparation outcomes compared to those who were educated only on the day of the appointment.
  • Results showed that 83.1% of the phone group achieved adequate preparation compared to 59.5% of the control group, demonstrating that pre-procedure telephone intervention significantly benefits elderly patients in preparing for colonoscopy.
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Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are used for applications ranging from chemical catalysis to environmental remediation, and generation of smart electronics and biological medicine such as antibacterial agents. To reduce the synthesis cost of AgNPs and environmental pollution, microwave-assisted generation of AgNPs on the CNC surface (AgNPs@CNC) has been found to be useful, because microwave reaction has the advantages of simple reaction conditions, short reaction time and high reaction efficiency. The silver ions (Ag) could be added to the CNC suspension and placed in the microwave reactor for a few minutes to produce AgNPs.

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  • - Epilepsy is a complex disorder affecting people worldwide, and standardized extracts from Phyllanthus amarus (PA) show promise for neuroprotective effects against seizures.
  • - In experimental studies on mice, phyllanthin isolated from PA significantly reduced seizure duration, onset, and mortality rates, while also improving brain chemical imbalances and reducing neuroinflammation markers.
  • - The study concludes that PA’s antiepileptic effects are linked to its ability to balance neurotransmitters and inhibit inflammatory pathways, providing a potential therapeutic approach for epilepsy treatment.
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  • * Results indicated that undiluted extracts from foxtail millet leaves and stems significantly inhibited weed growth, with germination rates and root lengths drastically reduced compared to control groups.
  • * Conversely, diluted extracts (especially at 50-fold) promoted weed growth, suggesting a complex relationship between extract concentration and allelopathic effects on germination and growth parameters.
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  • * Geniposide (GEN), found in certain fruits, shows potential anti-atherosclerotic effects, particularly in reducing the formation of foam cells and inflammatory responses in macrophages.
  • * GEN demonstrates its efficacy by inhibiting the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and proteins related to inflammation and foam cell formation, suggesting it could be a valuable treatment for atherosclerosis.
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  • A study was conducted on over 10,300 middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults to investigate the link between lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] levels and metabolic syndrome (MetS).
  • Results indicated that higher Lp(a) levels were associated with a lower prevalence of MetS, with a notable difference in prevalence rates (30.9% in highest Lp(a) quartile vs. 46.9% in lowest).
  • The research concluded that individuals with higher Lp(a) levels had a decreased risk of MetS, particularly regarding central obesity and high fasting glucose, but not hypertension.
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  • A meta-analysis was conducted to explore the link between GSTM1 and GSTT1 gene polymorphisms and male infertility specifically among Chinese men.
  • The analysis reviewed ten studies focusing on these gene variations, involving thousands of cases and controls, showing that certain null genotypes significantly increase the risk of male infertility.
  • Findings suggest that the GSTT1 null genotype is linked to both nonobstructive azoospermia and oligoasthenozoospermia, while the GSTM1 null genotype is only associated with oligoasthenozoospermia, indicating a potential genetic susceptibility in this population.
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