Publications by authors named "Hua Feng Zhang"

Background & Aims: The liver is the main organ of ketogenesis, while ketones are mainly metabolized in peripheral tissues via the critical enzyme 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase 1 (OXCT1). We previously found that ketolysis is reactivated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells through OXCT1 expression to promote tumor progression; however, whether OXCT1 regulates antitumor immunity remains unclear.

Methods: To investigate the expression pattern of OXCT1 in HCC in vivo, we conducted multiplex immunohistochemistry experiments on human HCC specimens.

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Objective: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-associated death worldwide. As a first-line drug for advanced HCC treatment, lenvatinib faces a significant hurdle due to the development of both intrinsic and acquired resistance among patients, and the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. The present study aims to identify the pivotal gene responsible for lenvatinib resistance in HCC, explore the potential molecular mechanism, and propose combinatorial therapeutic targets for HCC management.

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Alcohol use accounts for a large variety of diseases, among which alcoholic liver injury (ALI) poses a serious threat to human health. In order to overcome the limitations of chemotherapeutic agents, some natural constituents, especially polysaccharides from edible medicinal plants (PEMPs), have been applied for the prevention and treatment of ALI. In this review, the protective effects of PEMPs on acute, subacute, subchronic, and chronic ALI are summarized.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focused on extracting leaf polysaccharides (LLP) using a technique called ultrasound-microwave combined extraction (UMCE) and optimized the extraction conditions using response surface methodology (RSM).
  • Three different polysaccharide fractions with varying molecular weights were obtained through gradient ethanol precipitation.
  • The polysaccharide samples exhibited effective antioxidant properties and were able to inhibit enzymes linked to carbohydrate digestion, indicating the potential of LLP as a nutraceutical or phytopharmaceutical for managing hyperglycemia or diabetes.
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Chrysanthemum morifolium is a well-known edible medicinal plant in Asia and some other regions. Content of selenium in Se-enriched C. morifolium (SeCM) is significantly higher than that in traditional C.

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Objective: To investigate the association between the structural deformity and foot pain in hallux valgus (HV) patients using a multi-variate pattern analysis (MVPA) approach.

Methods: Plain radiographic metrics were calculated from 36 painful and 36 pain-free HV feet. In analysis 1, univariate analyses were performed to investigate the clinical and radiographic differences between painful and pain-free HV.

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  • Cancer isn't just about the abnormal growth of cancer cells; it also involves significant changes in the surrounding environment and metabolic processes that support those cells' rapid growth and survival under stress.
  • These metabolic changes, influenced by genetic mutations and signaling pathways, allow cancer cells to thrive even when oxygen is available, a concept initially identified by Otto Warburg.
  • New research highlights how metabolites can regulate cell signaling and contribute to cancer development, including the role of immune cells in the cancer microenvironment, which is crucial for creating strategies to combat cancer effectively.
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Selenium polysaccharides (Se-polysaccharides) are one of important forms of organic Se, in which selenium (Se) and polysaccharides are joined by covalent bonds. In the present review, recent progress in chemical structure and hypoglycemic activity of Se-polysaccharides is summarized. In particular, the mechanism underlying hypoglycemic capacity of Se-polysaccharides is discussed, and the relationship between hypoglycemic activity and chemical structure is analyzed.

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Objective: To investigate the effect and mechanism of Glucocorticoids (GCs) induced oxidative stress and apoptosis on necrosis of the femoral head in patients and rats.

Methods: Eight patients with steroid-induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head (SINFH) and eight patients with developmental dysplasia of the hips (DDH) were enrolled in our study. In animal model, twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups (SINFH group and NS group).

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Dehydrins (DHNs) play an important role in abiotic stress tolerance in a large number of plants, but very little is known about the function of DHNs in pepper plants. Here, we isolated a YSK-type DHN gene "" from pepper. To authenticate the function of in salt and drought stresses, it was overexpressed in Arabidopsis and silenced in pepper through virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS).

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Background: Cases of obturator nerve impingement (ONI) caused by osteophytes resulting from bone hyperplasia on the sacroiliac articular surface have never been reported. This paper presents such a case in a patient in whom severe lower limb pain was caused by osteophyte compression of the sacroiliac joint on the obturator nerve.

Case Summary: A 65-year-old Asian man presented with severe pain and numbness in his left lower limb, which became aggravated during walking and showed intermittent claudication.

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Article Synopsis
  • Osteochondroma is the most common benign bone tumor, often leading to rare urogenital symptoms that can result in misdiagnosis, such as in the case of a 70-year-old woman who was initially thought to have a bladder tumor due to hematuria.
  • Upon further examination via cystoscopy, the tumor was determined not to resemble a bladder tumor, prompting a multidisciplinary analysis that revealed it was actually an osteochondroma.
  • Following open surgical removal and confirmation of the diagnosis through histology, the patient remained asymptomatic during a 6-month follow-up, highlighting the need for clinicians to consider osteochondroma when diagnosing causes of hematuria.
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To investigate the inhibitory effects of two xanthone compounds, 1-hydroxy-2,3,4,8-4 methoxy xanthone(here in after referred to as Fr15) and 1-hydroxy-2,3,4,6-4 methoxy xanthone(here in after referred to as Fr17), on the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells HepG2, and to further investigate their mechanism in combination with transcriptomics. Cell counting was used to detect the effects of two kinds of xanthone compounds Fr15 and Fr17(0, 0.03, 0.

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Objective: To investigate the association of the grades of histologic prostatic inflammation (HPI) with prostate cancer in biopsy specimens for male patients with total serum PSA (tPSA) of 4-10 μg/L.

Methods: We performed prostate biopsy for 200 patients with tPSA of 4-10 μg/L from January 2015 to December 2017. We determined the location, extent and intensity of HPI and analyzed the correlation of the grades of HPI with the risk of prostate cancer.

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NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2 and CUC2) proteins are plant-specific transcription factors (TFs) that are important in plant abiotic stress responses. In this study we isolated a NAC gene from Capsicum annuum leaves, designated as CaNAC064. We characterized the amino acid sequence of CaNAC064 and found that it contain conserved domains of the NAC family, including a highly conserved N-terminus domain and a highly variable C-terminus domain.

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Dehydrins play an important role in improving plant resistance to abiotic stresses. In this study, we isolated a dehydrin gene from pepper ( L.) leaves, designated as Sub-cellular localization of was to be found in the nucleus and membrane.

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Oxidative stress induced by long-term glucocorticoid (GC) use weakens the repair capacity of bone tissue. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, reduced form (NADPH) oxidase (NOX) is a superoxide-generating enzyme that plays an important role in regulating bone metabolism. To clarify the role of nonphagocytic NOX isoforms in osteoblast reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and apoptosis, dexamethasone was used to establish a high-dose GC environment .

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The excellent conductive surface electronic states of topological insulators make them suitable candidates for the next generation optoelectronic devices. Moreover, their unique semiconducting properties are favorable for building heterojunctions with other semiconductors. Here, we fabricated a low cost and broadband self-powered photodetector based on SbTe and Si.

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  • Soil pollution, particularly from heavy metals, has become a significant concern, with a focus on its impacts on human health and environmental sustainability.
  • A study conducted in Lin'an, China, involved the collection and analysis of 188 soil samples to assess heavy metal concentrations using various spatial analysis methods, revealing concerning levels of cadmium (Cd) and copper (Cu).
  • Results showed that Cd and Cu levels exceeded safe background values in several samples, indicating pollution risk, with cadmium being identified as the most problematic contaminant in the area.
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The typical natural secondary shrub community was chosen in Lin'an of Zhejiang Pro-vince to discover its possibility of restoration to arbor forest with three kinds of forest management models being taken, i.e., no care as control, closed forest management and target tree tending.

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Purpose: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and hyaluronic acid (HA) have been increasingly used in recent years to treat knee osteoarthritis (OA). However, whether PRP is superior to HA is controversial.

Methods: We conducted an electronic search of PubMed, Embase, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane library.

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Toxic heavy metal contamination in Chinese edible herbs has raised a worldwide concern. In this study, heavy metals in Epimedii Folium, an edible medicinal plant in China, were quantitatively analyzed. Variations of heavy metals in different species, in various organs (i.

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Objective: To explore the clinical effect of testicular artery-sparing microscopic varicocelectomy (MV) in combination with Qilin Pills (QL) in the treatment of bilateral varicocele-induced oligoasthenospermia.

Methods: Sixty patients with bilateral varicocele-induced oligoasthenospermia were randomly assigned to receive MV (n=30) or MV+QL (n=30), those in the latter group treated with oral QL for 12 weeks postoperatively. At 4, 8, and 12 weeks after operation, we compared the semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility, the levels of serum Inh B, luteinizing hormone (LH) and total testosterone (TT), and the testosterone secretion index (TSI) between the two groups.

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Background: Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been applied in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) for an extended period of time without definitive consensus on its effectiveness. This meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of low-level laser in the treatment of mild to moderate CTS using a Cochrane systematic review.

Methods: We conducted electronic searches of PubMed (1966-2015.

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Quantitative analysis for biological single molecules in Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus and identification method by chemometrics was established by using high-performance liquid chromatography. Amino acids, nucleosides, and nucleobases were quantitatively analyzed, and 11 peaks were selected for species identification. A Common pattern was established for chemometrics, and then similarity analysis, principal component analysis, and hierarchical cluster analysis heatmap were applied, and the results indicated that species were ideally identified from the adulterants as Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus.

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