Publications by authors named "X-Z Chen"

Protein catalysis and allostery require the atomic-level orchestration and motion of residues and ligand, solvent and protein effector molecules. However, the ability to design protein activity through precise protein-solvent cooperative interactions has not yet been demonstrated. Here we report the design of 14 membrane receptors that catalyse G protein nucleotide exchange through diverse engineered allosteric pathways mediated by cooperative networks of intraprotein, protein-ligand and -solvent molecule interactions.

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Rationale And Objectives: Inflammation and immune biomarkers can promote angiogenesis and proliferation and metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The degree of pathological grade reflects the tumor heterogeneity of ESCC. The purpose is to develop and validate a nomogram based on enhanced CT multidimensional radiomics combined with inflammatory immune score (IIS) for predicting poorly differentiated ESCC.

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Background: Although the information on the validation status of electronic sphygmomanometer (ES) devices in use in health care institutions and households is much more clinically relevant than that of ES models available on the market, it remains insufficient.

Methods: A national survey was conducted across all administrative regions of mainland China to assess the validation status of ESs. Fifty-eight cities were selected with stratification by municipality, provincial capital, and other cities, and health care institutions and households in each city were chosen by convenience to identify ES devices in use according to the study protocol.

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A balance between stem cell self-renewal and differentiation is required to maintain concurrent proliferation and cellular diversification in organoids; however, this has proven difficult in homogeneous cultures devoid of in vivo spatial niche gradients for adult stem cell-derived organoids. In this study, we leverage a combination of small molecule pathway modulators to enhance the stemness of organoid stem cells, thereby amplifying their differentiation potential and subsequently increasing cellular diversity within human intestinal organoids without the need for artificial spatial or temporal signaling gradients. Moreover, we demonstrate that this balance between self-renewal and differentiation can be effectively and reversibly shifted from secretory cell differentiation to the enterocyte lineage with enhanced proliferation using BET inhibitors, or unidirectional differentiation towards specific intestinal cell types by manipulating in vivo niche signals such as Wnt, Notch, and BMP.

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Background: Whether it is effective and safe to extend the time window of intravenous thrombolysis up to 24 hours after the last known well is unknown. We aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of tenecteplase in Chinese patients with acute ischemic stroke due to large/medium vessel occlusion within an extended time window.

Methods: Patients with ischemic stroke presenting 4.

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Rationale And Objectives: Comprehensive data on the use of ventilation-perfusion single-photo emission computed tomography/computed tomography (V/Q SPECT/CT), an established diagnostic tool for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, in identifying pulmonary hypertension secondary to fibrinous mediastinitis (PH-FM) is scarce. This study aimed to assess its diagnostic efficacy for PH-FM.

Materials And Methods: Patients with PH due to pulmonary artery stenosis were assessed using V/Q SPECT/CT, computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA), and digital subtraction pulmonary angiography (PAG).

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Background: The surface regularity index (SRI) reflects hematoma surface regularity in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Studies had reported an association between hematoma surface irregularity and hematoma expansion (HE). However, research on the correlation between the SRI and clinical outcomes in ICH patients following minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is limited.

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Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a progressive metabolic disease characterized by obesity and multiple metabolic disorders. Tryptophan (Trp) is an essential amino acid, and its metabolism is linked to numerous physiological functions and diseases. However, the mechanisms by which Trp affects MS are not fully understood.

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Infections caused by coronaviruses are persistent threats to human health in recent decades, necessitating the development of innovative anti-coronaviral therapies. RNA interference (RNAi) is a conserved cell-intrinsic antiviral mechanism in diverse eukaryotic organisms, including mammals. To counteract, many viruses encode viral suppressors of RNAi (VSRs) to evade antiviral RNAi, implying that targeting VSRs could be a promising strategy to develop antiviral therapies.

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Rationale And Objectives: To evaluate the performance of virtual MR elastography (vMRE) for predicting microvascular invasion (MVI) in Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage A (≤ 5.0 cm) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to construct a combined nomogram based on vMRE, multi-b-value DWI models, and clinical-radiological (CR) features.

Methods: Consecutive patients with suspected HCC who underwent multi-b-value DWI examinations were prospectively collected.

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Background: Pulsed field ablation (PFA) has gained attention in cardiac electrophysiology, but data on its application to paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia are limited. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and safety of PFA and its combination with radiofrequency ablation for treating paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.

Methods: A prospective, multicenter, single-arm study was conducted across 8 centers in China.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Menopause is a natural part of aging marked by the end of menstruation and decreased reproductive function, yet it's often overlooked in women's health discussions.
  • - The gut and oral microbiota play crucial roles in maintaining health and could significantly impact the aging experience for menopausal women, highlighting the need for more research in this area.
  • - The study examines how the microbiome interacts with sex hormones and related diseases, suggesting that targeting the microbiome could lead to new treatments that improve menopausal symptoms and overall quality of life for women.
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Background: Mitochondrial dysfunction emerges as an early pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential and the elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production are pivotal in the initiation of neuronal cell apoptosis. Pedunculoside(Ped), a novel triterpene saponin derived from the dried barks of Ilex rotunda Thunb, exhibits a potent anti-inflammatory effect.

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  • Unipotent basal and luminal stem cells are essential for maintaining prostate health, with a newly identified intermediate population (Basal-B) emerging during inflammation or cancer.
  • Basal-B cells show increased organoid formation capabilities and are considered a temporary basal stem cell state influenced by androgen levels and JAK/STAT signaling.
  • The study highlights that inflammation promotes the transition of Basal-B cells to luminal cells, while inhibiting JAK/STAT signaling can lessen this transition and potentially impacts prostate disease development like neoplasia.
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Rationale And Objectives: Clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) is a threatening complication in body and/or tail pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) receiving distal pancreatectomy (DP) and is difficult to predict preoperatively. We aimed to identify the role of baseline CT-based body composition analysis and extracellular volume (ECV) map in predicting the risk of CR-POPF preoperatively.

Materials And Methods: A total of 329 resectable PDAC patients were enrolled and underwent multiphasic contrast-enhanced CT.

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  • The study focuses on improving nanovaccines for COVID-19 by using icosahedral DNA origami particles to closely mimic the size and shape of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
  • By varying the arrangement and quantity of receptor binding domain (RBD) antigens on the DNA origami surface, researchers found that these modifications significantly enhance B cell activation.
  • The optimized nanovaccines not only induce stronger and longer-lasting immune responses in female mouse models but also provide broader protection against various virus mutations compared to traditional mRNA vaccines.
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To achieve high selectivity in photocatalytic CO reduction to C products, increasing the number of CO adsorption sites and lowering the energy barriers for key intermediates are critical. A ZnInS (ZIS)/MoO (Z-M) photocatalyst is presented, in which plasmonic MoO generates hot electrons, creating a multielectron environment in ZIS that facilitates efficient C─C coupling reactions. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that MoO reduces the formation energy of sulfur vacancies (S) in ZIS, thereby enhancing CO adsorption and activation.

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  • Metastatic disease is a major cause of cancer-related deaths, yet its tumor microenvironment is not well understood due to technical challenges in studying it.
  • This research created a comprehensive map of 67 tumor biopsies from 60 metastatic breast cancer patients, using advanced techniques like single-cell RNA sequencing and various spatial expression assays to analyze tumor characteristics.
  • Key findings included identifying different macrophage spatial patterns, three phenotypes of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and gene expression linked to T cell presence or absence, highlighting the study's potential for clinical insights.
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  • Rosuvastatin and atorvastatin are commonly used statins, and this study aims to evaluate their effectiveness and safety in real-world settings, focusing on all-cause mortality and other health outcomes.
  • The analysis involved nearly 286,000 adults and showed that rosuvastatin was associated with lower 6-year all-cause mortality compared to atorvastatin in both the China Renal Data System and UK Biobank databases.
  • Although rosuvastatin showed advantages in certain outcomes, like lower risks for cardiovascular and liver issues, it may have a slightly higher risk of type 2 diabetes, and further research is necessary to validate these findings for clinical practice.
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  • Coronary MR angiography (CMRA) at 5 T potentially outperforms 3 T due to better image quality and sensitivity in detecting coronary artery disease (CAD).
  • The study included 79 patients and 8 volunteers, comparing 5-T and 3-T imaging techniques, with 5 T showing higher per-segment sensitivity for coronary artery calcium and better consistency with coronary CT angiography (CCTA).
  • Overall, 5-T noncontrast CMRA could be a promising clinical tool for diagnosing CAD, though the specific diagnostic performance metrics varied between 5 T and 3 T.
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  • The RATIONALE-301 study compared the cancer treatments tislelizumab and sorafenib in adults with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, finding tislelizumab met the goal of noninferiority in overall survival.
  • The research utilized various health-related quality of life (HRQOL) assessments and revealed that patients on tislelizumab reported better HRQOL outcomes, particularly in aspects of fatigue and physical functioning, compared to those on sorafenib.
  • Overall, tislelizumab not only showed better quality of life results but also had a favorable safety profile, marking it as a promising first-line treatment option for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Background And Purpose: Previous studies have reported metal accumulation and microstructure changes in deep gray nuclei (DGN) in Wilson disease (WD). However, there are limited studies that investigate whether there is metal accumulation and microstructure changes in DGN of patients with WD with normal-appearing routine MRI. This study aimed to evaluate multiparametric changes in DGN of WD and whether the findings correlate with clinical severity in patients with WD.

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  • Scientists studied how a special type of MRI, called time-dependent diffusion MRI, can tell us about changes in the liver as it gets worse from fibrosis (a buildup of scar tissue) to cirrhosis (severe liver damage).
  • They ran tests on 60 rats with liver fibrosis and compared their results to five rats that were healthy, using advanced imaging techniques.
  • The MRI helped measure things like cell size and how much space the cells take up, showing that as liver fibrosis got worse, cells got smaller and more crowded, and these results matched well with direct measurements taken under a microscope.
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Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of severe illness in infants, with no effective treatment. Results of a phase 2 trial suggested that ziresovir may have efficacy in the treatment of infants hospitalized with RSV infection.

Methods: In a phase 3, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial conducted in China, we enrolled participants 1 to 24 months of age who were hospitalized with RSV infection.

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