Publications by authors named "T-R Zhang"

Background: Fluticasone propionate is a synthetic trifluoro-substituted glucocorticoid, a highly selective glucocorticoid receptor agonist. Fluticasone propionate nebuliser suspensions is an inhaled corticosteroid with the low systemic bioavailability which provides a low risk (benefit outcome without the adverse effects that accompany systemically administered corticosteroids), referred as a first-line preventive agent for patients with persistent asthma. China has become one of the countries with the highest asthma mortality rate in the world in the past years.

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The MISSE-Seed project was designed to investigate the effects of space exposure on seed quality and storage. The project tested the Multipurpose Materials International Space Station Experiment-Flight Facility (MISSE-FF) hardware as a platform for exposing biological samples to the space environment outside the International Space Station (ISS). Furthermore, it evaluated the capability of a newly designed passive sample containment canister as a suitable exposure unit for biological samples for preserving their vigor while exposing to the space environment to study multi-stressor effects.

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Interleukin-10 (IL-10)-producing group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) regulate inflammatory immune responses, yet their therapeutic potential remains largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that cell therapy with human ILC2 inhibits pathogenic T cell responses in humanized mouse models of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), resulting in reduced GVHD severity and improved overall survival without limiting the graft-versus-leukemia effect. ILC2 conferred superior protection from GVHD than IL-10 ILC2s, and blocking IL-10 and IL-4 abrogated ILC2 protective effects, indicating that these cytokines are important for the protective effects of ILC2.

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Background: Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a globally important oilseed and cash crop. Web blotch is one of the most important peanut foliar diseases, causing severe yield losses worldwide.

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The complete blood count (CBC) is an important screening tool for healthy adults and a common test at periodic exams. However, results are usually interpreted relative to one-size-fits-all reference intervals, undermining the precision medicine goal to tailor care for patients on the basis of their unique characteristics. Here we study thousands of diverse patients at an academic medical centre and show that routine CBC indices fluctuate around stable values or setpoints, and setpoints are patient-specific, with the typical healthy adult's nine CBC setpoints distinguishable as a group from those of 98% of other healthy adults, and setpoint differences persist for at least 20 years.

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Neuroinflammation in the central nervous system (CNS), driven largely by resident phagocytes, has been proposed as a significant contributor to disability accumulation in multiple sclerosis (MS) but has not been addressed therapeutically. Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) is expressed in both B-lymphocytes and innate immune cells, including microglia, where its role is poorly understood. BTK inhibition may provide therapeutic benefit within the CNS by targeting adaptive and innate immunity-mediated disease progression in MS.

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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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The emergence of ice formation and accretion presents significant challenges, catalyzing an urgent need for clean and efficient anti-icing solutions. Solar energy, a powerful and sustainable resource, can be integrated with the micronano-structured superhydrophobic surface to enhance anti-icing and deicing performance through the solar photothermal effect, overcoming the limitations of a traditional superhydrophobic surface. Herein, inspired by bamboo and lotus leaves, a synergetic photothermal anti-icing superhydrophobic surface (PASS) has been developed.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Key features of apomixis include the formation of female gametes, fertilization-independent embryos, and functional endosperm, all of which contribute to the successful development of clonal seeds.
  • * The study aims to explore the classification, regulation, and molecular mechanisms of apomixis, providing insights that could revolutionize plant genetic breeding and agricultural practices.
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Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) increases the risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to endothelial cell (EC) barrier dysfunction. However, the specific role of mitochondrial N-formyl peptides (mtNFPs) in ARDS following CPB remains unexplored. Here, we investigated the differential expression of circulating mtNFPs in patients after CPB, focusing on the novel role of FPR2 in ECs.

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The levels of fasting-state serum bile acids (BAs) in individuals with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) differ from those of control subjects. However, there is a lack of research on the BAs profile in lean women with PCOS and whether these changes are linked to the host metabolism. Therefore, our objective was to investigate the synthesis and metabolism of serum BAs in lean women with PCOS and assess the correlation between BAs and clinical characteristics.

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Wildfire-specific particulate matter with diameters ≤ 2.5 µm (PM) is the key component of wildfire smoke, with potentially higher toxicity than PM from other sources. In this nationwide population-based cohort study, we included 22,163,195 births from Brazil during 20102019.

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A randomized, open-label, 2-period, 2-sequence crossover study was conducted to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and bioequivalence of 2 oral formulations of vildagliptin tablets under both fasting and fed conditions in healthy Chinese subjects. A total of 56 healthy subjects were randomized to receive a single 50-mg dose of either a generic vildagliptin tablet (T) or the reference formulation (R). The washout period was 3 days.

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  • Basal cells (BCs) maintain the tracheal epithelium's integrity, and mitochondrial pyruvate carriers (MPCs) are crucial for determining BC fate.
  • Inhibiting MPCs allows BCs from both mice and humans to expand long-term, with genetic changes in mice showing issues in cell differentiation and regeneration.
  • The study suggests that manipulating pyruvate-citrate metabolism could correct abnormal BC behavior in lung diseases, including chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD).
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  • Drought stress is severely impacting flue-cured tobacco growth and quality, prompting the need to identify varieties that can withstand dry conditions.
  • Four tobacco varieties (Qinyan 96, Zhongyan 101, Yunyan 87, and Yunyan 116) were tested under varying levels of drought stress to assess their agronomic and physiological responses.
  • Results indicated that Qinyan 96 had the best drought resistance, showing minimal growth decrease, while Yunyan 116 was the most affected, with adverse effects on photosynthesis and increased reactive oxygen species under severe drought.
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Article Synopsis
  • - SARS-CoV-2 has evolved to evade current monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), emphasizing the need for more resilient treatments that can neutralize various viral strains.
  • - A new human mAb called VIR-7229 has shown the ability to effectively neutralize multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 and other related viruses, due to its unique targeting of a critical viral region known as the receptor-binding motif (RBM).
  • - VIR-7229 demonstrates a high resistance to the emergence of virus escape mutants, making it a promising candidate for future therapies against evolving coronaviruses.
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Purpose: To compare the myelin water fraction (MWF) measurements between 3 T and 7 T and between in vivo and ex vivo human brains, and to investigate the relationship between multi-echo gradient-echo (mGRE)-based 3D MWF and myelin content using histological staining, which has not been validated in the human brain.

Methods: In this study, we performed 3D mGRE-based MWF measurements on five ex vivo human brain hemispheres and five healthy volunteers at 3 T and 7 T with 1 mm isotropic resolution. The data were fitted with the based on a three compartment complex-valued model to estimate MWF.

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  • Researchers developed a microbiome-based diagnostic test for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by analyzing 5,979 fecal samples, identifying significant bacterial alterations related to IBD.* ! * The study created diagnostic models using ten bacterial species for ulcerative colitis and nine for Crohn's disease, achieving high accuracy (areas under the curve >0.90) in distinguishing IBD from healthy controls.* ! * A new multiplex droplet digital PCR test was also developed, which outperformed the standard fecal calprotectin test, indicating the potential for a noninvasive multibacteria biomarker panel in IBD diagnosis.* !
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De novo peptide sequencing is one of the most fundamental research areas in mass spectrometry-based proteomics. Many methods have often been evaluated using a couple of simple metrics that do not fully reflect their overall performance. Moreover, there has not been an established method to estimate the false discovery rate (FDR) of de novo peptide-spectrum matches.

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  • Cervical artery dissection (CeAD) is a leading cause of ischemic strokes in young adults, and this study explored the effects of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) on patients with CeAD and stroke symptoms.
  • Analyzed data from the STOP-CAD study, it found that IVT significantly improved functional independence after 90 days in patients without increasing the risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage.
  • The results suggest that IVT is a beneficial treatment for eligible patients with CeAD, aligning with current medical guidelines on its use.
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Upregulation of genes involved in DNA damage repair and sperm cell differentiation leads to restoration of pollen viability in synthetic allotetraploid B. carinata after chromosome doubling. Apart from the well-known contribution of polyploidy to crop improvement, polyploids can also be induced for other purposes, such as to restore the viability of sterile hybrids.

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This single-center, randomized, open, two-preparation, single-dose, two-period, self-crossover trial aimed to assess the bioequivalence and safety of the test (T) preparation compared to the reference (R) preparation following intravenous injection in healthy subjects under fasting conditions. Twenty-four healthy subjects were enrolled in the study and subjects were randomly divided into two groups at a 1:1 ratio and were administered once per period, with an 8-day washout period. During each period, serum drug concentrations were detected for pharmacokinetic analysis and adverse events were recorded for safety analysis.

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Heterosis is a crucial factor in enhancing crop yield, particularly in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor ). This research utilised six sorghum restorer lines, six sorghum sterile lines, and 36 hybrid combinations created through the NCII incomplete double-row hybridisation method. We evaluated the performance of F1 generation hybrids for leaf photosynthesis-related parameters, carbon metabolism-related enzymes, and their correlation with yield traits during the flowering stage.

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