Publications by authors named "Hui-min Ma"

Article Synopsis
  • Schistosomiasis, affecting over 250 million globally, relies heavily on praziquantel (PZQ) for treatment, but this method is unsustainable, leading to a push for new drug candidates.
  • A study identified curcumin as the most effective inhibitor against Schistosoma japonicum, with notable impacts on both juvenile and adult parasites, while two other inhibitors had limited effects.
  • Both curcumin and a PZQ derivative (DW-3-15) significantly reduced the expression of a key protein (SjHAT), suggesting that SjHAT could be a promising target for innovative antischistosomal treatments.
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Evidence regarding the link between long-term ambient ozone (O) exposure and childhood sleep disorders is little. This study aims to examine the associations between long-term exposure to O and sleep disorders in children. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional survey, including 185,428 children aged 6-18 years in 173 schools across 14 Chinese cities during 2012 and 2018.

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Background: Colon cancer (CC) stem cells can self-renew as well as expand, thereby promoting tumor progression and conferring resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. The acetyltransferase NAT10 mediates N4-acetylcytidine (acC) modification, which in turn drives tumorigenesis, metastasis, stemness properties maintenance, and cell fate decisions. Nonetheless, the specific involvement of acC modification mediated by NAT10 in regulating stemness and chemosensitivity in CC remains undetermined.

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Objective: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the Magnetic Scope Guide Assist (ScopeGuide) in enhancing the procedural competence of endoscopists and reducing patient discomfort during colonoscopy.

Methods: This was a retrospective study with 88 trainee participants. The study participants were trained on patients who underwent colonoscopy without anesthesia.

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Anthropogenic heat has been reported to have significant health impacts, but research on its association with childhood adiposity is still lacking. In this study, we matched the 2008-2012 average anthropogenic heat flux, as simulated by a grid estimation model using inventory methods, with questionnaire and measurement data of 49,938 children randomly recruited from seven cities in Northeast China in 2012. After adjusting for social demographic and behavioral factors, we used generalized linear mixed-effect models to assess the association between anthropogenic heat flux and adiposity among children.

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Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) are important toxic organic components in fine particulate matter (PM), whereas the links between PM toxicity and associated PACs in ambient air are poorly understood. This study investigated the spatial-temporal variations of PACs in PM collected from 11 sampling sites across a Chinese megacity and characterized the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and cytotoxicity induced by organic extracts of PM based on cellular assays. The extra trees regression model based on machine learning and ridge regression were used to identify the key toxicants among complex PAC mixtures.

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Background/purpose: Alveolar bone fenestration and dehiscence is common in untreated patients and potentially harmful. This study was to evaluate the effect of augmented corticotomy (AC) on the prevention and treatment of alveolar bone defects in skeletal class III high-angle patients during presurgical orthodontic treatment (POT).

Materials And Methods: Fifty patients with skeletal Class III high-angle malocclusion were enrolled, of whom 25 patients (G1) underwent traditional POT and 25 patients (G2) received AC during POT.

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We develop a general method to study ultrafast laser induced charge migration in molecules, which includes both electronic and nuclear dynamics. The method can be applied to relatively large systems. A detailed analysis of charge migration in pyrene is performed.

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The neurotoxic effects of prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on offspring animals are well-documented. However, epidemiological evidence for legacy PFAS is inconclusive, and for alternative PFAS, it is little known. In this investigation, we selected 718 mother-child pairs from the Chinese Maoming Birth Cohort Study and measured 17 legacy and alternative PFAS in the third-trimester serum.

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Objective: The inhibiting effect of Norcantharidin (NCTD) on IL-6 (interleukin-6) and STAT3 and the involvement of the IL-6/STAT3 pathway in hepcidin expression prompted us to speculate that NCTD could affect iron metabolism.

Unlabelled: We examined the effects of NCTD on serum iron (SI) and transferrin (Tf) saturation, iron and ferritin light chain (FTL), transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1), divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1), ferroportin 1 (Fpn1), iron regulatory protein 1 (IRP1) and hepcidin, as well as IL-6 and STAT3 in the liver, spleen and duodenum of mice treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vivo, using RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunofluorescence analysis.

Unlabelled: NCTD could increase SI and Tf saturation and reduce tissue iron and FTL content by affecting expression of cell-iron transport proteins TfR1, DMT1 and Fpn1.

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The role of iron in atherosclerosis is still a controversial and unsolved issue. Here, we investigated serum iron, expression of iron regulatory, transport and storage proteins, pro-inflammatory chemokines and cytokines in ApoE mice. We demonstrated that ApoE induced atherosclerosis and an increase in iron contents, expression of transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1), iron regulatory proteins (IRPs), heme oxygenase 1 (HO1), cellular adhesion molecules and pro-inflammatory cytokines, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and a reduction in expression of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase enzyme in aortic tissues.

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Previous studies have indicated that outdoor light at night (LAN) is associated with a higher prevalence of overweight or obesity in adults. However, the association of LAN levels with overweight or obesity in children is still unknown. This study utilized data from the Seven Northeastern Cities study, which included 47,990 school-aged children and adolescents (ages 6-18 years).

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Aim: To establish a fast, sensitive and accurate high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method for determining the monosaccharide content of Qingzhuan Dark Tea polysaccharides in different years (2 years, 5 years and 11 years).

Methods: The optimised chromatographic conditions were achieved on a C18 column (5.0 μm, 250 mm × 4.

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Objectives: Although the potential serious threat of anthropogenic heat on human health was receiving considerable attention worldwide, its long-term health effect on blood pressure (BP) remained unknown. We aimed to evaluate the associations of long-term anthropogenic heat exposure with different components of BP and hypertension.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study (Liaoning province, China) conducted in 2009, we included a total of 24,845 Chinese adults (18-74 years).

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Background: Previous studies have revealed that current secondhand smoke exposure showed highly suggestive evidence for increased risk of simultaneous sleep problems in children. Data on the associations between early-life exposure to SHS with subsequent sleep problems in children were scarce. We aimed to evaluate the associations of early-life SHS exposure with sleep problems in children.

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Background: Portal venous thromboembolism caused by malignant pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor metastasis, as the initial presentation of portal hypertension and upper gastrointestinal bleeding, is a rare entity. To our knowledge, there are no reports of this entity in pregnant women. We describe a case of pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma during pregnancy with hematemesis and hematochezia as the initial presentation and review the literature to analyze the demographic, clinical, and pathological features to provide a reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the link between secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and ADHD symptoms in children, assessing different exposure periods (prenatal, early postnatal, current).
  • Conducted in Liaoning province, China, the study involved over 45,000 children aged 6 to 18, collecting data from parents via questionnaires administered by teachers.
  • Results indicate that children exposed to SHS have significantly higher odds of developing ADHD symptoms, with those consistently exposed from pregnancy through childhood at the greatest risk.
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Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are ubiquitous contaminants in the environment, whereas their atmospheric processes and fate are poorly understood. The present study revealed the spatial heterogeneity and seasonal variations of traditional and novel OPEs in PM (particulate matter with diameters < 2.5 μm) across a megacity (including residential areas and potential source sites) in South China.

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Association of both iron/hepcidin and apolipoprotein E (ApoE) with development of Alzheimer disease (AD) and atherosclerosis led us to hypothesize that ApoE might be required for body iron homeostasis. Here, we demonstrated that ApoE knock-out (KO) induced a progressive accumulation of iron with age in the liver and spleen of mice. Subsequent investigations showed that the increased iron in the liver and spleen was due to phosphorylated extracellular regulated protein kinases (pERK) mediated up-regulation of transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1), and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor-2 (Nrf2)-dependent down-regulation of ferroportin 1.

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Evidence concerning effects of ambient air pollution on homocysteine (HCY) metabolism is scarce. We aimed to explore the associations between ambient particulate matter (PM) exposure and the HCY metabolism markers and to evaluate effect modifications by folate, vitamin B, and methylenetetrahyfrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T gene polymorphism. Between December 1, 2017 and January 5, 2018, we conducted a panel study in 88 young college students in Guangzhou, China, and received 5 rounds of health examinations.

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Background: The spondin-2 (SPON2) gene is overexpressed in multiple malignant tumors and may promote tumor aggressiveness. However, its expression profile and functional roles in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) are still unclear.

Methods: SPON2 expression in ccRCC was evaluated using expression data from TCGA and GEO databases, then confirmed by local patient population (94 patients).

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Background: Although the overall incidence of tuberculosis in underdeveloped areas has increased in recent years, esophageal tuberculosis (ET) is still rare. Intestinal tuberculosis (ITB) is relatively more common, but there are few reports of ET complicated with ITB. We report a case of secondary ET complicated with ITB in a previously healthy patient.

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Introduction: The function of the C6orf120 gene, which encodes an N-glycosylated protein, remains unknown. The study was performed to characterize the utility of the C6orf120 gene in carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury and to elucidate the potential underlying mechanisms by establishing a C6orf120 gene-knockout (C6orf120) rat model.

Material And Methods: C6orf120 and wild-type (WT) rats were intraperitoneally administered with CCl (1 : 1 v/v in olive oil, 2 µl/g).

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Background And Aims: COL5A1 has been identified to be involved in metastasis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) by bioinformatic analysis. This study aimed to investigate COL5A1 expression and its clinical significance in ccRCC. The function of COL5A1 in ccRCC was further investigated.

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Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a prevalent head and neck tumor which has a high mortality rate in Southeast Asia, especially in Southern China. Cancer susceptibility candidate 2 (CASC2) is a newly identified long non‑coding RNA (lncRNA) that has been found to play a suppressive role in several types of tumors. However, the expression and functional role of CASC2 in NPC are still unclear.

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