Publications by authors named "P-W Zhang"

Vesicles play critical roles in cellular materials storage and signal transportation, even in the formation of organelles and cells. Natural vesicles are composed of a lipid layer that forms a membrane for the enclosure of substances inside. Here we report a coacervate vesicle formed by the liquid-liquid phase separation of cholesterol-modified DNA and histones.

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Background High-quality translations of radiology reports are essential for optimal patient care. Because of limited availability of human translators with medical expertise, large language models (LLMs) are a promising solution, but their ability to translate radiology reports remains largely unexplored. Purpose To evaluate the accuracy and quality of various LLMs in translating radiology reports across high-resource languages (English, Italian, French, German, and Chinese) and low-resource languages (Swedish, Turkish, Russian, Greek, and Thai).

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Human proteins repurposed as biologics for clinical use have been engineered through in vitro techniques that improve the affinity of the biologics for their ligands. However, the techniques do not select against properties, such as protease sensitivity or self-reactivity, that impair the biologics' clinical efficacy. Here we show that the B-cell receptors of primary murine B cells can be engineered to affinity mature in vivo the human CD4 domains of the HIV-1-entry inhibitor CD4 immunoadhesin (CD4-Ig).

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Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a ubiquitous pathogen, posing a serious threat to human health worldwide. Thus, there is a high demand for antibiotics with distinct targets. Caseinolytic protease P (ClpP) is a promising target for combating staphylococcal infections; however, selectively activating S.

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T cells develop from hematopoietic progenitors in the thymus and protect against pathogens and cancer. However, the emergence of human T cell-competent blood progenitors and their subsequent specification to the T lineage have been challenging to capture in real time. Here, we leveraged a pluripotent stem cell differentiation system to understand the transcriptional dynamics and cell fate restriction events that underlie this critical developmental process.

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Background: Genomic sequencing technology allows for identification of reproductive couples with an increased chance, as compared with that in the general population, of having a child with an autosomal recessive or X-linked genetic condition.

Methods: We investigated the feasibility, acceptability, and outcomes of a nationwide, couple-based genetic carrier screening program in Australia as part of the Mackenzie's Mission project. Health care providers offered screening to persons before pregnancy or early in pregnancy.

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Article Synopsis
  • Dual immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) using CTLA4 and PD-(L)1 inhibitors shows improved anti-tumor effectiveness and immune toxicity compared to PD-(L)1 inhibitors alone in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.
  • Patients with mutations in STK11 and/or KEAP1 genes benefit more from the combination treatment compared to those receiving only PD-(L)1 inhibitors, as shown in the POSEIDON trial.
  • The loss of KEAP1 serves as a strong predictor for the success of dual ICB, as it leads to a more favorable outcome by changing the tumor's immune environment to better engage CD4 and CD8 T cells for anti-tumor activity. *
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Purpose: To develop and test a radiomics nomogram based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinicopathological factors for predicting the axillary pathologic complete response (apCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer patients with axillary lymph node (ALN) metastases.

Materials And Methods: A total of 319 patients who underwent MRI examination and received NAC treatment were enrolled from two centers, and the presence of ALN metastasis was confirmed by biopsy pathology before NAC. The radiomics features were extracted from regions of interest of ALNs before (pre-radiomics) and after (post-radiomics) NAC.

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Solving the challenges faced during the measurement of the cross-interface transfer of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in lakes is crucial for clarifying environmental behaviours of these chemicals and their efficient governance. This study developed a multimedia fugacity model based on the quantitative water-air-sediment interaction (QWASI) covering abiotic/biotic matrices to investigate the cross-interface transfer and fate of PFAAs in Luoma Lake, a typical PFAA-contaminated shallow lake in eastern China. The accuracy and reliability of the established model were confirmed using Percent bias and Monte Carlo simulation, respectively.

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Interindividual variations in the expression and activity of cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) led to lower therapeutic efficacy or adverse drug events. We previously demonstrated that CYPs are regulated by the long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) hepatocyte nuclear factor 1a antisense RNA 1 (HNF1A-AS1) and HNF4A-AS1 via transcription factors (TFs) including hepatocyte nuclear factor 1a (HNF1A), hepatocyte nuclear factor 4a (HNF4A), and pregnane X receptor (PXR). However, the upstream mechanisms regulating HNF1A-AS1 and HNF4A-AS1 are poorly understood.

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  • Scientists wanted a better way to predict how well liver transplants work, so they created a new model that uses information from both donors and recipients.
  • They tested this model with data from 528 patients and found that specific factors, like cold ischemia time (how long the liver was without blood) and a score called MELD, could help predict survival after the transplant.
  • The new model, called the CIT-MELD Index (CMI), was found to be more effective than older methods at predicting outcomes and understanding the risks involved in liver transplants.
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  • The study aimed to better understand how medial meniscal posterior root tears heal in goats, focusing on early-stage histologic healing.
  • Eighteen adult goats were divided into three groups to assess different repair techniques after surgery, with evaluations at 12 and 24 weeks for imaging and biomechanical properties.
  • Results showed that the repair method influenced healing quality, with the transosseous suture group showing better outcomes compared to the root tear group, although all samples had weaknesses at the root-meniscus transitions.
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Purpose: To investigate the progression patterns and risk factors of axial elongation in young adults with nonpathologic high myopia.

Design: Prospective, clinical observational cohort study with 2- to 4-year follow-up.

Methods: A total of 1043 eyes of 563 participants (3515 medical records) aged 18 to 50 years with nonpathologic high myopia (axial length [AL] ≥ 26 mm; myopic maculopathy < diffuse chorioretinal atrophy; without posterior staphyloma) were included from 1546 participants (6318 medical records).

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Background: STIM1 (stromal interaction molecule 1) regulates store-operated calcium entry and is involved in pulmonary artery vasoconstriction and pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation, leading to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Methods: Bioinformatics analysis and a 2-stage matched case-control study were conducted to screen for noncoding variants that may potentially affect transcriptional regulation in 242 patients with idiopathic PAH and 414 healthy controls. Luciferase reporter assay, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blot, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay, and intracellular Ca measurement were performed to study the mechanistic roles of those noncoding variants in PAH.

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  • Despite extensive research on genomic changes in glioblastoma, the survival rate remains under 5% after five years.
  • This study aims to broaden the understanding of high-grade glioma by combining various biological analyses (proteomics, metabolomics, etc.) to identify complex regulatory mechanisms involved in tumor growth and progression.
  • Results from analysis of 228 tumors indicate significant variability in early-stage changes, but they converge on common outcomes affecting protein interactions and modifications, highlighting PTPN11's crucial role in high-grade gliomas.
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Chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) has different epidemiology in Chinese vs. Western patients, but there are few studies of CLL/SLL in large populations of Chinese patients. ALPINE is a global phase 3 trial investigating Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors zanubrutinib vs.

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Single-cell genomics is a powerful tool for studying heterogeneous tissues such as the brain. Yet little is understood about how genetic variants influence cell-level gene expression. Addressing this, we uniformly processed single-nuclei, multiomics datasets into a resource comprising >2.

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  • Cancer immunotherapy using autologous CAR T cells is complicated by manufacturing and patient selection issues, but 'off-the-shelf' options like allogeneic CAR-NKT cells could simplify the process.
  • Researchers developed a new method to produce high-yield IL-15-enhanced CAR-NKT cells that target multiple cancers, showing effectiveness in battling multiple myeloma and removing immunosuppressive cells from tumors.
  • The CAR-NKT cells demonstrated a stable hypoimmunogenic profile, meaning they are less likely to cause harmful immune reactions, making them promising candidates for clinical use without severe side effects like graft versus host disease.
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Background: Although intravenous tranexamic acid is used in cardiac surgery to reduce bleeding and transfusion, topical tranexamic acid results in lower plasma concentrations compared with intravenous tranexamic acid, which may lower the risk of seizures. We aimed to determine whether topical tranexamic acid reduces the risk of in-hospital seizure without increasing the risk of transfusion among cardiac surgery patients.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter, double dummy, blinded, randomized controlled trial of patients recruited by convenience sampling in academic hospitals undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

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  • Human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived sensory neurons are important for modeling human diseases and for applications in drug discovery and regenerative medicine, especially in studying peripheral sensory neuropathies, which can lead to disorders like loss of pain or severe pain.* ! -
  • The study compares two differentiation protocols: the newly developed "Anatomic" protocol, which produces a purer culture of sensory neurons, versus the "Chambers" protocol, which results in a mixed cell type population and predominantly tonic firing neurons.* ! -
  • Results showed that patient-derived nociceptors from both protocols had higher firing frequencies compared to control neurons, with Anatomic demonstrating improved reproducibility and functionality in disease modeling.* !
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  • - Single-cell genomics helps us study diverse brain tissues, revealing how genetic variants affect gene expression at the cell level through an analysis of over 2.8 million nuclei from the prefrontal cortex across 388 individuals.
  • - Researchers identified more than 550,000 specific regulatory elements and over 1.4 million expression-quantitative-trait loci linked to various cell types, allowing them to develop networks that illustrate the impact of aging and neuropsychiatric disorders on cellular changes.
  • - An integrative model was created to predict single-cell gene expression and simulate cellular changes, which identified around 250 genes associated with disease risk and relevant drug targets tied to specific cell types.
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Endometriosis is a chronic, painful disease whose etiology remains unknown. The development of novel therapies and diagnostic tools for endometriosis has been limited due in part to challenges in studying the disease. Recently, a few reports have shown that immunosuppressive cells, such as myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC), may promote the progression of endometriosis.

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Mental disorders are the leading contributors to the globally nonfatal burden of disease. This study was aimed to estimate the burden of mental disorders in Asian countries. Based on GBD 2019, the prevalence and disability-adjusted life of years (DALYs) rates with 95% uncertainty intervals (UI) were estimated in Asian countries.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study focuses on engineering a human protein biologic, specifically a half-life enhanced HIV-1 entry inhibitor, into murine B cells without compromising their natural ability to improve binding affinity over time.
  • - By introducing CD4 domains into the heavy-chain loci of these B cells and transferring them into wild-type mice, the modified cells successfully proliferated and produced antibodies that neutralize HIV-1 more effectively.
  • - The findings suggest that affinity maturation techniques can enhance the therapeutic potential of non-antibody protein biologics, improving their effectiveness without losing important pharmacokinetic qualities.
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