Publications by authors named "MingJun Zhang"

Cotton is an important crop for fiber production, but the genetic basis underlying key agronomic traits, such as fiber quality and flowering days, remains complex. While machine learning (ML) has shown great potential in uncovering the genetic architecture of complex traits in other crops, its application in cotton has been limited. Here, we applied five machine learning models-AdaBoost, Gradient Boosting Regressor, LightGBM, Random Forest, and XGBoost-to identify loci associated with fiber quality and flowering days in cotton.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Prosocial behaviors are advantageous to social species, but the neural mechanism(s) through which others receive benefit remain unknown. Here, we found that bystander mice display rescue-like behavior (tongue dragging) toward anesthetized cagemates and found that this tongue dragging promotes arousal from anesthesia through a direct tongue-brain circuit. We found that a direct circuit from the tongue → glutamatergic neurons in the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus (MTN) → noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) drives rapid arousal in the anesthetized mice that receive the rescue-like behavior from bystanders.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Silicon carbide-based titanium silicon carbide (SiC-TiSiC) composites with low free alloy content and varying TiSiC contents are fabricated by two-step reactive melt infiltration (RMI) thorough complete reactions between carbon and TiSi alloy in SiC-C preforms obtained. The densities of SiC-C preform are tailored by the carbon morphology and volumetric shrinkage of slurry during the gel-casting process, and pure composites with variable TiSiC volume contents are successfully fabricated with different carbon contents of the preforms. Due to the increased TiSiC content in the obtained composites, both electrical conductivity and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness improved progressively, while skin depth exhibited decreased consistently.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A novel proposal is introduced with an unlabeled electrochemical immunosensor for the detection of tumor broad-spectrum biomarker vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF165) Copper-based metal organic frameworks (Cu MOFs)-carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were employed as its substrates, functionalized with methylene blue (MB) for signal enhancement. Cu-MOFs-MWCNTs nanocomposites were synthesized successfully via a solvothermal method and were then deposited on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE), with the addition of methylene blue to amplify the signal. Due to the expansive specific surface area provided by the carbon nanotubes and the amino groups facilitated by the metal-organic framework nanomaterials, the anti-VEGF165 monoclonal antibody was immobilized on the electrochemical immunosensor through covalent bonding, which could bind specifically to VEGF165, thereby causing a detectable change in the current.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Clinically, infectious bone defects represent a significant threat, leading to osteonecrosis, severely compromising patient prognosis, and prolonging hospital stays. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop a bone graft substitute that combines broad-spectrum antibacterial efficacy and bone-inductive properties, providing an effective treatment option for infectious bone defects. In this study, the precision of digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing technology was utilized to construct a scaffold, incorporating zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) modified barium titanate (BT) with hydroxyapatite (HA), resulting in a piezoelectric ceramic scaffold designed for the repair of infected bone defects.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) patients frequently experience sleep disturbances, significantly impacting their quality of life. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is considered the first-line treatment but is often complex, costly, and requires highly trained therapists. Behavioral activation (BA), derived from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), offers a flexible, simple, and cost-effective alternative.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Mixed formulation of fosrolapitant and palonosetron (PALO), HR20013, is a novel fixed-dose intravenous antiemetic combination that could simultaneously antagonize neurokinin-1 and 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 receptors. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HR20013 plus dexamethasone (DEX) versus fosaprepitant (FAPR) plus PALO + DEX for preventing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC).

Methods: This is a noninferiority study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Platinum-based chemotherapy is one of the main treatments for lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, the toxic side effects and drug resistance of chemotherapeutic drugs on normal cells are still a thorny problem in clinical treatment. Dendrobium is one of the three largest genera of Orchidaceous family, which has ornamental and medicinal value.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Allylic amide moieties are commonly encountered in natural products and are privileged structures in pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. Moreover, because allylic amide can be to converted into an array of high-value motifs, they have been widely employed in organic synthesis. However, the development of catalytic systems for intermolecular allylic amidation of olefins, particularly branched α-olefins, has proven to be challenging.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • This study investigated the impact of behavioral activation (BA) on reducing stigma and improving quality of life (QoL) in patients with advanced esophageal and gastric cancers.
  • A total of 153 patients were randomly assigned to either a BA plus usual care group or a usual care group, with assessments conducted before and after the intervention.
  • Results showed that BA significantly reduced stigma and enhanced various aspects of QoL, suggesting that this psychosocial intervention could be beneficial for cancer patients facing stigma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Importance: Patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) have poor prognoses and unmet medical needs.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of toripalimab plus etoposide and platinum-based chemotherapy (EP) vs placebo plus EP as a first-line treatment for patients with ES-SCLC.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 randomized clinical trial (EXTENTORCH study) enrolled patients from September 26, 2019, to May 20, 2021, and was conducted at 49 sites in China.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Hepatitis B is one of the public health priorities worldwide, especially in the Southwest China. Our study aimed to investigate the relationship between genotypes and drug resistance mutations among HBV patients in Southwest China, with the objective of providing guidance for clinical antiviral treatment. A total of 4266 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients treated in the Qianjiang Hospital of Chongqing University were included in our study from 2014 to 2020.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Exosomes have grown as promising carriers for noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) in the treatment of inflammation, particularly in conditions like ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction. These ncRNAs, which include microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), play a crucial role in regulating inflammatory pathways, presenting new therapeutic opportunities. In both ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction, inflammation significantly influences disease progression and severity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This paper addresses robust fault detection observer design for a class of discrete-time Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy systems with finite-frequency specifications. A novel design method is presented based on finite-frequency H/H indices and peak-to-peak analysis. The finite-frequency H and H indices are utilized to characterize fault sensitivity and disturbance robustness, respectively.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the efficacy of behavioral activation (BA), a novel psychological intervention, in ameliorating psychological distress and anxiety symptoms among patients diagnosed with esophageal and gastric cancer, as well as the mediating role of self-efficacy between BA and psychological distress.

Methods: A total of 139 patients diagnosed with esophageal and gastric cancer were recruited in China from March 2023 to October 2023 and randomly assigned to either the BA plus care as usual group (BA+CAU group) or the care as usual group (CAU group). Pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, including the Psychological Distress Thermometer (DT), Generalized anxiety disorder 7-item (GAD-7) Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) and the activation subscale of Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale (BADS-A), were administered.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Hemorrhage after tonsil surgery in children poses serious risks, leading to a study aimed at creating a risk warning model for predicting bleeding post-surgery.
  • The study analyzed data from 8,854 children who underwent tonsillectomy, ultimately focusing on 2,724 cases, to distinguish between those who experienced bleeding and those who did not.
  • Using a random forest algorithm, the model achieved a high prediction accuracy of 98.72% for postoperative bleeding, demonstrating potential for improving clinical decision-making despite needing to enhance the recall rate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * There are significant gaps in understanding how NBA-related diseases develop and the cellular mechanisms involved in the communication between the nose and brain.
  • * This review seeks to clarify the importance of NBA in various diseases and aims to enhance research in this area to improve clinical applications and understanding.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates cellular senescence and its impact on aging and disease, focusing on the roles of different cell types, particularly in the context of liver injury and repair.
  • Researchers created a set of genetic tools to trace and manipulate p16 cell types in vivo, revealing that macrophages and endothelial cells (ECs) have unique roles and outcomes in liver fibrosis and regeneration.
  • Findings show that removing senescent macrophages helps reduce liver damage, while clearing senescent ECs worsens it; additionally, enhancing EC function through a specific gene reduces fibrosis, suggesting potential strategies for targeted therapies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Lavender essential oil (LEO) has been shown to relieve pain in humans, but the underlying neural mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we found that inhalation exposure to 0.1% LEO confers antinociceptive effects in mice with complete Freund adjuvant (CFA)-induced inflammatory pain through activation of projections from the anterior piriform cortex (aPir) to the insular cortex (IC).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Liposomal irinotecan (HR070803) combined with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin shows enhanced overall survival in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer previously treated with gemcitabine-based therapies, as demonstrated in a phase 3 study.
  • The trial involved 298 patients, showing a median overall survival of 7.4 months for the HR070803 group compared to 5.0 months for the placebo group, with statistically significant results.
  • While there were some adverse events, such as increased liver enzyme levels and decreased white blood cell counts, the safety profile was manageable, with no treatment-related deaths in the HR070803 group, highlighting its potential as a second-line treatment option for this patient
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Methoxychlor (MXC) is a widely used organochlorine pesticide primarily targeting pests. However, MXC has been found to negatively impact the reproductive system of both humans and animals, triggering oxidative stress and apoptosis. Melatonin (MLT), an endogenous hormone, possesses various benefits, including circadian rhythm regulation and anti-inflammatory and antioxidative stress effects.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The current evidence for the use of nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-PTX) for adjuvant breast cancer chemotherapy is insufficient. The present study aimed to assess the efficacy and toxicity of nab-PTX in comparison with solvent-based paclitaxel (sb-PTX) in postoperative adjuvant breast cancer treatment. A total of 345 patients were included in the study and separated into nab-PTX (n=289) and sb-PTX (n=56) groups based on the type of taxane used in the adjuvant chemotherapy regimen.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Grifola frondosa polysaccharide (GFP) is a consumable fungus recognized for its potential health advantages. The present study aimed to investigate the development and potential etiologies of ulcerative colitis (UC) utilizing oxazolone (OXZ) as an inducer in mice, along with assessing the therapeutic effects of GFP at varying doses in UC mice, with sulfasalazine (SASP) serving as the positive control. The obtained results indicated that OXZ intervention in mice induced numerous physical manifestations of UC, including increased disease activity index (DAI), decreased goblet cell division, enhanced fibrosis, reduced expression of Claudin1 and Zona encludens protein1 (ZO-1), decreased proliferative activity of colonic mucosal epithelial cells, disturbed oxidation balance, and alterations in intestinal flora.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF