Publications by authors named "Qingxia Ma"

Broad-range thermal receptor 1 (BRTNaC1), activated by heat at low extracellular pH, was recently identified in myriapods. Although the overexpression of BRTNaC1 leads to robust heat-activated current with a cation selectivity profile, the structure of this receptor and how it is gated by proton and heat remain to be investigated. Here we determine cryogenic electron microscopy structures of BRTNaC1 in the apo, proton-induced and heated states.

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Despite significant improvements in air quality during and after COVID-19 restrictions, haze continued to occur in Zhengzhou afterwards. This paper compares ionic compositions and sources of PM before (2019), during (2020), and after (2021) the restrictions to explore the reasons for the haze. The average concentration of PM decreased by 28.

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  • Cancer cells primarily use a process called aerobic glycolysis for energy and growth, a phenomenon linked to the Warburg effect, but how glycolytic enzymes like PFKFB3 are regulated through posttranslational modifications like SUMOylation is not well understood.
  • The study found that PFKFB3, a crucial enzyme in glycolysis, interacts with the SUMO-conjugating enzyme UBC9, leading to its SUMOylation and increased stability, particularly when EGFR signaling is activated.
  • Experimentation showed that reducing PFKFB3 levels resulted in decreased lactate production and glioblastoma cell growth, and this can be reversed by restoring normal PFKFB3 levels, emphasizing the role of SUMOyl
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  • Base editing shows promise for treating diseases caused by mutated genes, specifically in the context of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which has not been well-studied before.
  • Researchers used adenine base editors (ABEs) to correct a common mutation in the TERT promoter associated with various cancers, leading to a reduction in telomerase activity and cancer cell proliferation.
  • The study reveals that delivering the base editor can effectively inhibit liver tumor growth linked to TERT promoter mutations, showcasing a potential new treatment strategy for HCC.
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  • Brucellosis is a major zoonotic disease affecting sheep, causing significant economic losses worldwide, with a highlighted seroprevalence of 6.2% across major regions from studies conducted between 2010 and 2021.
  • In Africa, sheep show the highest seroprevalence at 8.5%, while the Americas report the lowest at 1.9%, with adult sheep and those that experienced abortions having notably higher infection rates.
  • To combat the spread, it's crucial to monitor the disease effectively and improve farming and grazing practices, particularly in larger herds and mixed grazing systems.
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Aberrantly upregulated choline phospholipid metabolism is a novel emerging hallmark of cancer, and choline kinase α (CHKα), a key enzyme for phosphatidylcholine production, is overexpressed in many types of human cancer through undefined mechanisms. Here, we demonstrate that the expression levels of the glycolytic enzyme enolase-1 (ENO1) are positively correlated with CHKα expression levels in human glioblastoma specimens and that ENO1 tightly governs CHKα expression via posttranslational regulation. Mechanistically, we reveal that both ENO1 and the ubiquitin E3 ligase TRIM25 are associated with CHKα.

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  • Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) is a significant issue in animal farming, leading to economic losses, and despite eradication efforts, it remains common globally.
  • A meta-analysis reviewing studies from 2010 to 2021 found an overall BVDV antigen prevalence of 15.74% and antibody prevalence of 42.77%, highlighting variations based on factors like region and animal breed.
  • The study emphasizes the need for improved management practices in cattle herds and stronger government policies to effectively control and prevent the spread of BVDV.
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Leptospirosis is an acute infectious disease caused by pathogenic bacteria from the genus . The disease is widely distributed throughout China, causing harm to human and animal health. Murine may naturally carry a variety of pathogenic , thus being important sources of infection by humans and livestock.

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The formation of secondary aerosol species, including nitrate and sulfate, induces severe haze in the North China Plain. However, despite substantial reductions in anthropogenic pollutants due to severe restriction of residential and industrial activities in 2020 to stop the spread of COVID-19, haze still formed in Zhengzhou. We compared ionic compositions of PM during the period of the restriction with that immediately before the restriction and in the comparison period in 2019 to investigate the processes that caused the haze.

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Haze occurred in Zhengzhou, a megacity in the northern China, with the PM as high as 254 μg m on 25 December 2019, despite the emergency response measure of restriction on the emission of anthropogenic pollutants which was implemented on December 19 for suppressing local air pollution. Air pollutant concentrations, chemical compositions, and the origins of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter smaller than 2.5 µm (PM) between 5-26 December were investigated to explore the reasons for the haze occurrence.

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Severe haze occurrence in the north of the North China Plain (NCP) is recognized as a consequence of the regional transport of pollutants initially from the south and then the rapid formation of secondary pollutants in the local air. However, the origin of pollutants causing haze in the southern NCP has not yet been elucidated even through careful data observation. Based on the contents of water-soluble inorganic ions in PM samples collected during two severe haze episodes in Zhengzhou, a mega city located on the southern edge of the NCP, we estimated the contributions of local primary emissions and secondary pollutants to haze occurrence.

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Plant height is an important agronomic trait that is closely related to biomass yield and crop production. Despite legumes comprise one of the largest monophyletic families that are second only to grasses in terms of economic and nutritional values, due to an ancient genome duplication event, most legume plants have complex genomes, thus the molecular mechanisms that determine plant height are less known in legumes. Here, we report the identification and characterization of (), which is required for the plant height in the model legume .

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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) lacks effective treatment, and the patients rapidly develop the acquired resistance to sorafenib with less defined mechanisms. Here, we demonstrate that transcriptional factor myocyte enhancer factor 2D (MEF2D) overexpression is detected in sorafenib-resistant HCC specimens and HCC cell lines and predicts poor prognosis of sorafenib-treated HCC patients. Mechanistically, MEF2D in complex with histone deacetylase HDAC4 directly binds to the SPRY4 promoter regions and suppresses the transcriptional expression of SPRY4, which is a negative regulator of MAPK/ERK signaling pathway.

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Background: A vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 for children and adolescents will play an important role in curbing the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we aimed to assess the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of a candidate COVID-19 vaccine, CoronaVac, containing inactivated SARS-CoV-2, in children and adolescents aged 3-17 years.

Methods: We did a double-blind, randomised, controlled, phase 1/2 clinical trial of CoronaVac in healthy children and adolescents aged 3-17 years old at Hebei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Zanhuang (Hebei, China).

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MUC1, a type I transmembrane glycoprotein, mediates tumor growth and cellular differentiation in various types of cancers. However, the mechanism of MUCI in ovarian cancer has not been fully clarified. In our study, we have observed that MUC1 can play a crucial role in the development and progression of ovarian cancer and act as a predictive marker.

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The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) has claimed many lives worldwide. Wearing medical masks (MMs) or N95 masks ([N95Ms] namely N95 respirators) can slow the virus spread and reduce the infection risk. Reuse of these masks can minimize waste, protect the environment, and help solve the current imminent shortage of masks.

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Article Synopsis
  • The COVID-19 pandemic has put immense pressure on medical systems globally, and while mask-wearing and handwashing are effective in slowing the virus, there are shortages and difficulties in implementation.
  • This study tested the effectiveness of various masks and instant hand wiping techniques using the avian influenza virus as a stand-in for SARS-CoV-2, revealing that certain hand-wiping methods can remove up to 99.98% of the virus from hands, while different types of masks can block significant percentages of the virus in the air.
  • The research advocates for a combined strategy of mask-wearing and instant hand hygiene (MIH) to help curb the spread of COVID-19, based on data, literature reviews, and the experiences
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The dependence of aerosol optical properties on the chemical composition and size of particles in haze in Beijing was studied. We measured the scattering coefficient of dehydrated PM aerosols (σ) and analyzed the chemical composition of PM. We also monitored the size distribution of particles in the range of ~10-700 nm to observe the particle growth (PG).

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Objective: Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide, and for resectable tumors, the most effective treatment is surgery with chemotherapy in neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting. However, the majority of patients fail to achieve the ideal initial response and/or develop resistance to chemotherapy. It was reported that long noncoding RNA regulator of reprogramming (ROR) is highly associated with the progression of gastric cancer.

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Organ size is a major agronomic trait that determines grain yield and biomass production in crops. However, the molecular mechanisms controlling organ size, especially in legumes, are poorly understood. Using forward genetic approaches in a Tnt1 insertion mutant population of the model legume Medicago truncatula, we identified SMALL LEAF AND BUSHY1 (SLB1), which is required for the control of organ size and lateral branching.

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Background: Growth factor receptor bound protein 2 (Grb2) is known to be an adaptor protein that provides a critical link between cell surface growth factor receptors and the MAPK signaling. It was shown that high expression of Grb2 enhances cancer cells proliferation, invasion and malignant transformation.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to systemically understand the function of Grb2 in cancer.

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Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, mainly because it is usually in the advanced stage at the time of diagnosis. Although great progress has been made in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer in the past 25 years, the prognosis of lung cancer patients remains unsatisfactory. Agents targeting immune checkpoints have shown potential to improve therapeutic outcomes in patients with lung cancer.

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This study was performed to investigate whether sevoflurane has an anti-depressive effect and to elucidate its underlying mechanism. Unpredictable chronic mild stress (uCMS)-treated rats were used for inducing depressive-like behavior and subsequently treated with sevoflurane. A forced swimming test was conducted with the rats.

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