Publications by authors named "Nana Xie"
Purpose: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a critical syndrome with a high mortality rate. In clinical practice, some patients with fever of unknown origin (FUO) can develop HLH, further complicating the diagnosis and treatment. However, studies on HLH in adults with FUO are limited.
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- Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss is a key indicator for determining the effectiveness of chronic hepatitis B treatment and this study examines how well HBsAg seroconversion holds up in patients.
- A total of 295 patients who achieved HBsAg loss through a combination of nucleos(t)ide analogues and pegylated interferon alpha were analyzed, with findings showing that maintaining therapy after HBsAg seroconversion leads to lower recurrence rates.
- The study developed a predictive model for HBsAg reversion, demonstrating that ongoing treatment and certain factors can enhance the likelihood of maintaining HBsAg loss, indicating a strong potential for improved patient outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is a technique used to identify pathogens, but traditional methods require separate processing of DNA and RNA, making it time-consuming and resource-intensive.
- The new method, DNA/RNA cosequencing, simplifies this process by using total nucleic acids from samples for simultaneous sequencing of DNA and RNA, improving efficiency in pathogen detection.
- In a study involving 85 cases of severe acute respiratory infections, influenza virus was detected in 13 cases, revealing compatibility and high concordance with existing surveillance, thus enhancing capabilities for monitoring and controlling infectious diseases.
Prediction of compressive comfort of graded compression sleeves based on calf feature classification.
Int J Occup Saf Ergon
June 2024
Article Synopsis
- - The study examined how the design of calf compression sleeves affects the comfort of young women while sitting or standing for long periods.
- - It developed a prediction model by analyzing the relationship between material stretch and comfort pressure, along with simulating different calf characteristics.
- - The findings indicate that calf shape influences pressure distribution and comfort levels, and the sample tested meets both comfort requirements and safety standards effectively.
The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that suddenly emerged at the end of December 2019 and caused coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to afflict humanity, not only seriously affecting healthcare systems but also leading to global social and economic imbalances. As of August 2022, there were approximately 580 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and approximately 6.4 million confirmed deaths due to this disease.
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- The text presents a novel method for colorimetric detection of bisphenol A (BPA) using a combination of catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) and a hybridization chain reaction (HCR) involving DNAzymes.
- The method exploits the binding of BPA to a specific aptamer hairpin, which initiates the formation of Y-shaped DNA structures that can generate multiple fragments and lead to the assembly of longer DNA strands.
- Optimized detection conditions allow this biosensor to achieve high sensitivity in detecting BPA at concentrations as low as 0.2 pM, indicating its potential for ultrasensitive applications.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of F-FDG PET/CT scans in distinguishing lymphoma from other causes in patients experiencing fever of unknown origin (FUO) with swollen lymph nodes.
- Researchers conducted a prospective study involving 163 patients, analyzing PET/CT results alongside other diagnostic methods like lymph-node biopsies to compare lymphoma and benign cases.
- Findings indicated that while PET/CT had moderate sensitivity (81%) and low specificity (48%) for diagnosing lymphoma, a scoring model based on PET/CT readings and clinical factors showed high accuracy, suggesting it could serve as a reliable noninvasive diagnostic tool.
Article Synopsis
- * Among 328 HBV-infected patients, results showed that HBsAg loss rates at Week 24 were higher in the IHC group (39.50%) compared to the CHB group (28.71%), though no significant difference was found after adjusting for patient characteristics using Propensity Score Matching.
- * Additionally, patients with lower baseline HBsAg levels (<100 IU/ml) demonstrated improved clearance
Article Synopsis
- Erosion of valve cores leads to valve failure, prompting the development of a new method to enhance erosion resistance using nanosecond laser ablation and HVOF spraying of WC coating.
- Tests showed that pre-treating the substrate surface with micro-dimples significantly increased the contact area and bonding strength of the coating.
- Results indicated an approximately 31.98% improvement in erosion resistance for substrates with micro-dimple pretreatment compared to traditional polishing methods, confirming the effectiveness of this innovative technique.
Article Synopsis
- This study investigates how F-FDG PET/CT imaging can help distinguish between different causes of fever of unknown origin (FUO) by analyzing the metabolic characteristics and clinical parameters of patients.
- A total of 524 patients were studied, with diagnostic models developed using the data from 369 patients and validated with another 155.
- The study found that combining PET/CT imaging with specific clinical factors significantly improves the ability to identify infections, malignancies, and inflammatory diseases, showing high accuracy in both testing and validation groups.
Article Synopsis
- Streptococcus uberis (S. uberis) is a pathogenic bacterium that primarily causes mastitis, leading to significant economic losses in the dairy industry.
- The study investigates how the enzyme ACE2 may help repair damage to mammary epithelial cells caused by S. uberis by regulating inflammatory responses.
- Overexpression of ACE2 was found to activate protective signaling pathways and improve the integrity of the blood-milk barrier, while silencing ACE2 had the opposite effect.
Article Synopsis
- Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can target injury sites and potentially be enhanced with ACE2 to improve their anti-inflammatory effects against LPS-induced damage in mammary epithelial cells.
- Research showed that MSCs with ACE2 overexpression were more effective in reducing inflammatory markers and promoting cell survival compared to MSCs alone.
- The findings indicate that MSCs overexpressing ACE2 could be a promising treatment strategy for inflammatory conditions like mastitis by aiding in the repair of the blood-milk barrier and enhancing overall tissue recovery.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the occurrence of infection-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (IAHS) in critically ill COVID-19 patients, analyzing data from 268 patients between February 2020 and February 2020.
- It finds that 17 patients (6.3%) met the criteria for secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH), all of whom unfortunately died soon after diagnosis.
- The research highlights the high mortality rate associated with sHLH in COVID-19 patients, suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 may trigger this severe condition and emphasizing the importance of early detection for better patient outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to enhance the effectiveness of F-FDG PET/CT scans for diagnosing fever of unknown origin (FUO) and inflammation of unknown origin (IUO) in Chinese patients by integrating clinical parameters.
- A total of 253 FUO/IUO patients were analyzed, revealing that specific clinical parameters significantly improved the accuracy of diagnoses, particularly in groups with local uptake lesions and non-specific uptake.
- The combination of clinical factors increased diagnostic accuracy for malignancy and infection predictions, showcasing the importance of integrating clinical data with imaging results.
Article Synopsis
- * This study details the biosynthetic steps of MonAzPs in a specific fungus (M7) using gene knockouts and other techniques.
- * It represents the first successful engineering of MonAzPs biosynthesis, offering a framework for future efforts to enhance the production of valuable pigments and for studying fungal azaphilone production.
Article Synopsis
- Monascus pigments (Mps) are metabolites produced by Monascus spp., specifically through a polyketide pathway, which leads to the development of various pigments.
- A mutant strain, ΔMpigJ-R, of Monascus ruber M7 was identified, which lost eight genes from the Mps gene cluster and produced a light yellow pigment identified as M7PKS-1.
- The study demonstrated that M7PKS-1 is an intermediary product in the Mps biosynthesis pathway, and feeding it to mutants ΔMpigA and ΔMpigE restored their ability to produce Mps, shedding light on the biosynthesis mechanism of Monascus pigments.
[Identification of a pigment-polyketide synthase gene deleted mutant of Monascus ruber M7].
Wei Sheng Wu Xue Bao
July 2015
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to understand the role of the pksPT gene in producing Monascus pigments in the fungus Monascus ruber M7.
- Researchers used bioinformatics and genetic engineering to create a mutant strain (ΔpksPT) lacking this gene, and then analyzed its growth and pigment production.
- Findings revealed that pksPT is crucial for Monascus pigment synthesis, as the ΔpksPT strain couldn't produce pigments but had increased growth and citrinin yield, suggesting a trade-off between pigment production and growth.
MpigE, a gene involved in pigment biosynthesis in Monascus ruber M7.
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol
January 2014
Article Synopsis
- * The study found that knocking out MpigE greatly reduced the variety of MPs produced, yielding mostly yellow pigments, whereas restoring or overexpressing MpigE returned the ability to produce a full range of pigments, including red and orange.
- * Interestingly, the alteration of MpigE showed little impact on overall growth but significantly affected citrinin production, suggesting nuanced roles in both pigment biosynthesis and potential toxin regulation in M. ruber.
Article Synopsis
- * In a study, exome sequencing on three individuals with PJS revealed 16 germline variants, including 12 protein-coding and 4 affecting microRNAs, with 7 variants likely having significant functional impacts.
- * The research highlights two novel germline variants found in all tested PJS individuals that do not depend on STK11 mutations, providing insights into the genetic complexity of PJS and potentially leading to the identification of new causative variants.
Deletion of pigR gene in Monascus ruber leads to loss of pigment production.
Biotechnol Lett
September 2013
Article Synopsis
- Monascus pigments are traditional food colorants and dietary supplements, but the genes involved in their production were not well understood.
- Researchers identified a gene named pigR that regulates pigment production by studying an albino strain of Monascus ruber M7.
- Deleting pigR resulted in no pigment production, while reintroducing it significantly increased pigment output, suggesting pigR is essential for enhancing pigment biosynthesis in Monascus ruber M7.