Publications by authors named "Simin Zhao"

Recent studies have demonstrated that chronic stress can enhance the development of multiple human diseases, including cancer. However, the role of chronic stress in esophageal carcinogenesis and its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study uncovered that dysregulated cholesterol metabolism significantly promotes esophageal carcinogenesis under chronic stress conditions.

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Meltable metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offer significant accessibility to chemistry and moldability for developing carbon-based materials. However, the scarcity of low melting point MOFs poses challenges for related design. Here, we propose a MOFs melt-foaming strategy toward Ni single atoms/quantum dots-functionalized carbon foams (NiSA/QD@CFs).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on the role of a specific macrophage subset, known as Macro-IDO1, in creating an immunosuppressive environment during the development of oral cancers, especially oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its precursors.
  • Researchers built a detailed single-cell transcriptome atlas from patients with OSCC, precancerous leukoplakia, and nearby healthy tissue, revealing distinct immune cell profiles that contribute to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.
  • The findings suggest that increased levels of Macro-IDO1 in precancerous lesions are linked to immune suppression, impacting T cell function and promoting cancer progression, with a potential therapeutic target identified in the IDO1 inhibitor to reduce cancer development in animal
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Resistance to paclitaxel poses a major obstacle in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treatment. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying paclitaxel resistance could help identify prognostic biomarkers and improved therapeutic strategies. In this study, we established a patient-derived xenograft model of acquired paclitaxel resistance and used RNA sequencing to identify galectin-1, encoded by LGALS1, as a key mediator of resistance.

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  • - The study analyzed the chemical composition and oxidative potential of particulate matter (PM) in Xiamen, China, comparing data from 2017/2018 and 2022. While PM mass concentration decreased by 55%, the volume-normalized oxidative potential (DTT) only decreased by 38%, but mass-normalized DTT increased by 44%.
  • - Seasonal trends showed higher PM levels in winter, but not for DTT; also, a significant drop in DTT activity was observed after adding EDTA, indicating that water-soluble metals were key contributors to DTT in the area.
  • - Various sources of PM affected the DTT levels differently: vehicle emissions, coal and biomass burning, and ship emissions
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The differential responses of methanogenesis and methanotrophy to elevated carbon dioxide concentrations ([CO]) (e[CO]) and elevated temperature ([T]) (e[T]) may lead to dramatic changes in the response of CH emissions from rice paddies to global warming. In this study, we systematically investigated the responses and mechanisms of CH flux from rice paddies to e[CO] and e[T] based on the production and oxidation of CH. The CH flux, soil properties, and soil methanogenesis and methanotrophy were observed under CK (ambient [CO] + ambient [T]), EC (e[CO] by 200 μmol mol + ambient [T]), ET (ambient [CO] + e[T] by 2 °C), and ECT (e[CO] by 200 μmol mol + e[T] by 2 °C) treatments.

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MCM8 has emerged as a core gene in reproductive aging and is crucial for meiotic homologous recombination repair. It also safeguards genome stability by coordinating the replication stress response during mitosis, but its function in mitotic germ cells remains elusive. Here we found that disabling MCM8 in mice resulted in proliferation defects of primordial germ cells (PGCs) and ultimately impaired fertility.

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Global efforts to build a net-zero economy and the irreplaceable roles of rare-earth elements (REEs) in low-carbon technologies urge the understanding of REE occurrence in natural deposits, discovery of alternative REE resources, and development of green extraction technologies. Advancement in these directions requires comprehensive knowledge on geochemical behaviors of REEs in the presence of naturally prevalent organic ligands, yet much remains unknown about organic ligand-mediated REE mobilization/fractionation and related mechanisms. Herein, we investigated REE mobilization from representative host minerals induced by three representative organic ligands: oxalate, citrate, and the siderophore desferrioxamine B (DFOB).

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Cisplatin (DDP)-based combined chemotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy is the mainstay treatment for advanced-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), but needs improvement due to its severe side effects. Capsaicin (CAP) can enhance the anti-tumor activity of cytotoxic drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-metastasis activity of CAP in combination with DDP in NPC.

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In diabetic patients, concomitant cardiovascular disease is the main factor contributing to their morbidity and mortality. Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a form of cardiovascular disease associated with diabetes that can result in heart failure. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) isoforms play a crucial role in heart remodeling and repair and are elevated and activated in myocardial disorders.

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Article Synopsis
  • Oxidative potential (OP) measures how particulate matter (PM) can create harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS) and varies by particle size, which affects health risks.
  • A study conducted in Xiamen, China, from August 2020 to September 2021 analyzed size-segregated PM, revealing seasonal variations in OP, with the highest levels in spring and the lowest in summer, driven by interactions of transition metals and organics.
  • The research found that the respiratory tract deposition model showed that a significant percentage of OP and toxic elements deposited in the airways pose health risks, indicating a need for attention on coarse particles from non-exhaust emissions.
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Background: Although sulforaphene has potential anticancer effects, little is known about its effect on oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) invasiveness.

Methods: To investigate whether sulforaphene inhibits the growth of oesophageal cancer cells, MTT and anchorage-independent cell growth assays were performed. Global changes in the proteome and phosphoproteome of oesophageal cancer cells after sulforaphene treatment were analysed by mass spectrometry (MS), and the underlying molecular mechanism was further verified by in vivo and in vitro experiments.

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The identification of carbonate reservoirs is a critical task in oil and gas exploration. Chaotic weak reflection is an important type of reflection characteristic in carbonate reservoirs. Widespread distribution of chaotic weak reflection has been observed in the Ordovician Yijianfang Formation in the Tahe area.

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Background: The maintenance of genome stability in primordial germ cells (PGCs) is crucial for the faithful transmission of genetic information and the establishment of reproductive reserve. Numerous studies in recent decades have linked the Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway with fertility, particularly PGC development. However, the role of FAAP100, an essential component of the FA core complex, in germ cell development is unexplored.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Esophageal squamous precancerous lesions (ESPL) are early forms of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), but it's unclear which lesions will progress to cancer due to a lack of molecular indicators.
  • - A study using spatial whole-transcriptome analysis found that TAGLN2 increases and CRNN decreases during the progression of ESPL to ESCC, indicating potential roles in cancer progression and inhibition, respectively.
  • - The findings suggest that TAGLN2 and CRNN could serve as important biomarkers for predicting the risk of ESCC in patients with ESPL.
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Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a common malignancy worldwide with a low survival rate due to a lack of therapeutic targets. Here, our results showed that nuclear mitotic apparatus protein 1 (NUMA1) transcript and protein levels are significantly upregulated in ESCC patient samples and its high expression predicated poor prognosis. Knock-down of NUMA1 promoted cell apoptosis and suppressed cell proliferation and colony formation.

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The CD24 protein is a heat-stable protein with a small core that undergoes extensive glycosylation. It is expressed on the surface of various normal cells, including lymphocytes, epithelial cells, and inflammatory cells. CD24 exerts its function by binding to different ligands.

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Lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation (Khib) is a novel protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) observed in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Recent studies suggested that this novel PTM has the potential to regulate different proteins in various pathways. Khib is regulated by lysine acyltransferases and deacylases.

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Here, we reported the complete profiling of the crotonylation proteome in common wheat. Through a combination of crotonylation and multi-omics analysis, we identified a TaPGK associated with wheat cold stress. Then, we confirmed the positive role of TaPGK-modulating wheat cold tolerance.

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Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is a member of the insulin receptor protein-tyrosine kinase superfamily and was first discovered in anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL). ALK alterations, including fusions, over-expression and mutations, are highly associated with cancer initiation and progression. This kinase plays an important role in different cancers, from very rare to the more prevalent non-small cell lung cancers.

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Due to the growing demands of rare earth elements (REEs) and the vulnerability of REEs to potential supply disruption, there have been increasing interests in recovering REEs from waste streams such as coal fly ash (CFA). Meanwhile, CFA as a large industrial waste stream in the United States (U.S.

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The proper development of primordial germ cells (PGCs) is an essential prerequisite for gametogenesis and mammalian fertility. The Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway functions in maintaining the development of PGCs. FANCT/UBE2T serves as an E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme that ubiquitylates the FANCD2-FANCI complex to activate the FA pathway, but its role in the development of PGCs is not clear.

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Article Synopsis
  • Scientists studied a gene called TP63 and how its mutations can cause problems in women's ovaries, leading to a condition called premature ovarian insufficiency (POI).
  • They found six specific mutations in a group of 1,030 Chinese patients with POI that messed up a part of the TP63 protein, causing it to work in a harmful way.
  • By testing mice with these mutations, they discovered that the faulty TP63 protein caused eggs to die faster, which might help develop new ways to diagnose and treat fertility issues in women.
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When DNA interstrand crosslink lesions occur, a core complex of Fanconi anemia proteins promotes the ubiquitination of FANCD2 and FANCI, which recruit downstream factors to repair the lesion. However, FANCD2 maintains genome stability not only through its ubiquitination-dependent but also its ubiquitination-independent functions in various DNA damage response pathways. Increasing evidence suggests that FANCD2 is essential for fertility, but its ubiquitination-dependent and ubiquitination-independent roles during germ cell development are not well characterized.

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Background: Ubiquitination plays an essential role in many biological processes, including viral infection, and can be reversed by deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs). Although some studies discovered that DUBs inhibit or enhance viral infection by various mechanisms, there is lack of information on the role of DUBs in virus regulation, which needs to be further investigated.

Methods: Immunoblotting, real-time polymerase chain reaction, in vivo / in vitro deubiquitination, protein immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, and co-localization biological techniques were employed to examine the effect of ubiquitin-specific protease 3 (USP3) on APOBEC3G (A3G) stability and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication.

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