Publications by authors named "Ma Xiaofeng"

The risks associated with wound infections are significant, making a snug-fitting hydrogel dressing an optimal choice for wound management. For it, we employed the self-cross-linking method of oxidized sodium alginate (SCSA), incorporating clarithromycin (Cla) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) to formulate a rapidly forming, bacteriostatic, and wound-healing hydrogel (SCSA@C/b). Bacteriostatic and cytocompatibility assays demonstrated that SCSA@C/b exhibits exceptional antibacterial activity alongside strong biocompatibility.

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  • The probiotic E. coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) was studied for its effects on atherosclerosis in mice fed a high-fat diet, revealing its potential to alleviate disease progression.
  • EcN treatment reduced atherosclerotic plaque formation, improved cholesterol levels, and inhibited the expression of pyroptosis-related proteins linked to inflammation.
  • Further analysis showed that EcN regulated gut microbiota and metabolite levels, suggesting a mechanism for its beneficial effects, although antibiotics partially reversed these outcomes.
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Deep eutectic solvent (DES)-based eutectogels show significant promise for flexible sensors due to their high ionic conductivity, non-volatility, biocompatibility, and cost-effectiveness. However, achieving tough and stretchable eutectogels is challenging, as the highly polar DES tends to screen noncovalent bonds, such as hydrogen and ionic bonds, between polymer chains, limiting their mechanical strength. In this work, this issue is addressed by leveraging the limited solubility of zwitterionic polymers in a specific DES to induce phase separation, promoting dipole-dipole interactions between polymer chains.

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  • The study investigated the relationship between the Endothelial Activation and Stress Index (EASIX) and 30-day mortality risk in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
  • Researchers analyzed data from 1,036 AMI patients using information from the MIMIC-IV database, finding that higher EASIX scores correlated with a significantly increased risk of death within 30 days (HR: 1.70).
  • The results indicate that EASIX could be a useful tool for predicting mortality risk and guiding treatment strategies for AMI patients.
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Degeneration of the cochlear spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) is one of the major causes of sensorineural hearing loss and significantly impacts the outcomes of cochlear implantation. Functional regeneration of SGNs holds great promise for treating sensorineural hearing loss. In this study, we systematically screened 33 transcriptional regulators implicated in neuronal and SGN fate.

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  • Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the liver (PSCCL) is a rare type of liver cancer that is hard to diagnose early due to non-specific symptoms and imaging challenges.
  • A case study highlighted a patient who showed cholecystitis symptoms but was wrongly diagnosed with a different cancer (cholangiocarcinoma).
  • The study suggests that monitoring carcinoembryonic antigen levels and using imaging studies could improve the diagnosis and management of PSCCL and help differentiate it from other cancers.
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C-Glycosides are essential for the study of biological processes and the development of carbohydrate-based drugs. Despite the tremendous hurdles, glycochemists have often fantasized about the efficient, highly stereoselective synthesis of C-glycosides with the shortest steps under mild conditions. Herein, we report a desulfurative radical protocol to synthesize C-alkyl glycosides and coumarin C-glycosides under visible-light induced conditions without the need of an extra photocatalyst, in which stable and readily available glycosyl thiols that could be readily obtained from native sugars are activated in situ by pentafluoropyridine.

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Background: Identifying mediators between obesity-related traits and lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) would inform preventive and therapeutic strategies to reduce the burden of LRITs. We aimed to recognize whether lung function and inflammatory factors mediate their associations.

Methods: We conducted a two-step, two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

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The formin protein Diaph3 is an actin nucleator that regulates numerous cytoskeleton-dependent cellular processes through the activation of actin polymerization. Expression and activity of Diaph3 is tightly regulated: lack of Diaph3 results in developmental defects and embryonic lethality in mice, while overexpression of Diaph3 causes auditory neuropathy. It is known that Diaph3 homophilic interactions include the intramolecular interaction of its Dia-inhibitory domain (DID)-diaphanous autoregulatory domain (DAD) domains and the intermolecular interactions of DD-DD domains or FH2-FH2 domains.

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Infected wounds produce pus and heal slowly. To address this issue, we developed a rapid-setting SP/SA@BP-C hydrogel by combining sodium alginate (SA) and soy protein (SP) with black phosphorus (BP) grafted with clarithromycin (Cla) and incorporating Ca for chelation. This hydrogel dressing exhibits excellent photothermal (PT) and photodynamic (PD) bacteriostatic effects without biotoxicity, making it suitable for treating infected wounds.

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Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a common vascular disease, and pulmonary vascular remodeling is a pivotal pathophysiological mechanism of PAH. Major pathological changes of pulmonary arterial remodeling, including proliferation, hypertrophy and enhanced secretory activity, can occur in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). Multiple active factors and cytokines play important roles in PAH.

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  • Mucinous tubular and spindle cell carcinoma (MTSCC) is a rare subtype of renal cancer, with this report focusing on a case where the patient underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy but later faced rapid disease progression and multiple metastases.
  • Despite being generally considered low-grade and treatable, some MTSCC cases can show aggressive behavior, leading to postoperative recurrence and metastasis.
  • The report discusses the clinical features, treatment options, and prognosis of MTSCC, emphasizing the need for aggressive management and individualized treatment strategies even in cases with distant metastasis.
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Background: Inflammatory cytokines play a major role in the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction (MI). Although information on the importance of interleukin 13 (IL13) in human MI is limited, it has been well documented in the mouse model. Genetic variation in the IL13 gene has been associated with the structure and expression of the IL13.

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Background: Cognitive deficits in patients with schizophrenia have drawn widespread attention. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can modulate cognitive processes by altering neuronal excitability. Previous studies have found that interim testing can enhance spatial route learning and memory in patients with schizophrenia.

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Macrophage lipid accumulation indicates a pathological change in atherosclerosis. Ilexgenin A (IA), a pentacyclic triterpenoid compound, plays a role in preventing inflammation, bacterial infection, and fatty liver and induces a potential anti-atherogenic effect. However, the anti-atherosclerotic mechanism remains unclear.

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Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide. NLR Family CARD Domain Containing 5 (NLRC5) plays an important role in tumorigenesis. However, its effect and mechanism in CC remains unclear.

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Tripartite-motif protein family member 65 (TRIM65) belongs to the tripartite motif (TRIM) protein family. Its typical structure consists of the RING, B-Box motif, and coiled-coil domains, which are highly conserved at the N-terminus and the variable SPRY domain at the C-terminus. TRIM65 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that participates in physiological and pathological processes through the ubiquitination pathway, including intracellular signal transduction, protein degradation, cell proliferation, apoptosis, carcinogenesis, autophagy, and phenotypic transformation.

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Background: Air pollutants are important exogenous stimulants to eye diseases, but knowledge of associations between long-term exposure to air pollutants and the risk of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is limited. This study aimed to determine whether long-term exposure to air pollutants, genetic susceptibility, and their joint effects lead to an elevated risk of incident POAG.

Methods: This is a population-based prospective cohort study from UK Biobank participants with complete measures of air pollution exposure and polygenetic risk scores.

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Over 35% of reproductive-age women in the USA have obesity, putting them at increased risk for numerous obstetric complications due to abnormal labor. While the association between maternal obesity and abnormal labor has been well documented, the mechanisms responsible for this remain understudied. The uterine smooth muscle, myometrium, has high energy needs in order to fuel regular uterine contractions during parturition.

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At the end of pregnancy, the uterus transitions from a quiescent to a highly contractile state. This is partly due to depolarization of the resting membrane potential in uterine (myometrial) smooth muscle cells (MSMCs). Experiments with human MSMCs showed that the membrane potential is regulated by a functional complex between the sodium (Na)-activated potassium (K) channel SLO2.

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Cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs) assume a pivotal role in the regulation of blood flow, and their impairment precipitates a spectrum of pathological transformations. Our previous study unveiled a notable mitigation of CMECs dysfunction through the intervention of integrin subunit alpha 5 (ITGA5), a member of the integrin protein family. This study delves into the effect of ITGA5 on the mitochondrial function in CMECs and reveals the regulation pathway.

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Objectives: Elastic band resistance training in elderly individuals can improve physical fitness and promote mental health in addition to other benefits. This systematic review aimed to review, summarize, and evaluate quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methodological studies on the use of elastic band resistance training in elderly individuals, and to investigate the influence of elastic band resistance training on the physical and mental health of elderly individuals, as well as their preferences and obstacles in training.

Methods: A convergent separation approach was used to synthesize and integrate the results, specifically the mixed systematic review approach recommended by the Joanna Briggs Institute.

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Precise and selective modification of carbohydrates is a critical strategy in producing diverse carbohydrate derivatives for exploiting their functions. We disclosed a simple, efficient, and highly regioselective and stereoselective protocol to controllable amination of 2-nitroglycals under mild conditions in 5 min. A range of 3-amino-carbohydrates including 3-arylamino-2-nitro-glycals and 1,3-di-amino-carbohydrate derivatives were obtained in good to excellent yield with excellent stereoselectivity.

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  • Selective modification of carbohydrates is crucial for creating unnatural analogues used in drug discovery, particularly focusing on C3-functionalization and C1,C3-difunctionalization processes, which have been less explored compared to C1 and C1,C2 modifications.
  • The study demonstrates that using trifluoroethanol (TFE) allows for efficient and stereoselective 1,3-bis-indolylation/pyrrolylation of 2-nitroglycals, yielding high quantities of modified carbohydrates at room temperature.
  • Furthermore, the research shows that utilizing a bifunctional amino thiourea catalyst can lead to various monosubstituted and difunctionalized sugar derivatives, with significant biological activity against certain
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The retrieval of information from long-term memory is a fundamental cognitive ability, crucial for most aspects of successful human functioning. Whether and how long-term memory retrieval (LTMR) can be improved with training has clear societal importance but also theoretical value for furthering our understanding of underlying mechanisms. Here, we provide electrophysiological evidence for the plasticity of semantic LTMR.

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