Publications by authors named "Xian-feng Wang"

Apical-basal polarity is maintained by distinct protein complexes that reside in membrane junctions, and polarity loss in monolayered epithelial cells can lead to formation of multilayers, cell extrusion, and/or malignant overgrowth. Yet, how polarity loss cooperates with intrinsic signals to control directional invasion toward neighboring epithelial cells remains elusive. Using the Drosophila ovarian follicular epithelium as a model, we found that posterior follicle cells with loss of lethal giant larvae (lgl) or Discs large (Dlg) accumulate apically toward germline cells, whereas cells with loss of Bazooka (Baz) or atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) expand toward the basal side of wildtype neighbors.

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In proliferating neoplasms, microenvironment-derived selective pressures promote tumor heterogeneity by imparting diverse capacities for growth, differentiation, and invasion. However, what makes a tumor cell respond to signaling cues differently from a normal cell is not well understood. In the Drosophila ovarian follicle cells, apicobasal-polarity loss induces heterogeneous epithelial multilayering.

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Apicobasal cell polarity loss is a founding event in epithelial-mesenchymal transition and epithelial tumorigenesis, yet how pathological polarity loss links to plasticity remains largely unknown. To understand the mechanisms and mediators regulating plasticity upon polarity loss, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing of ovaries, where inducing polarity-gene -knockdown (Lgl-KD) causes invasive multilayering of the follicular epithelia. Analyzing the integrated Lgl-KD and transcriptomes, we discovered the cells specific to the various discernible phenotypes and characterized the underlying gene expression.

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Notch is a conserved developmental signaling pathway that is dysregulated in many cancer types, most often through constitutive activation. Tumor cells with nuclear accumulation of the active Notch receptor, NICD, generally exhibit enhanced survival while patients experience poorer outcomes. To understand the impact of NICD accumulation during tumorigenesis, we developed a tumor model using the ovarian follicular epithelium.

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Polyploidy, a cell status defined as more than two sets of genomic DNA, is a conserved strategy across species that can increase cell size and biosynthetic production, but the functional aspects of polyploidy are nuanced and vary across cell types. Throughout Drosophila developmental stages (embryo, larva, pupa and adult), polyploid cells are present in numerous organs and help orchestrate development while contributing to normal growth, well-being and homeostasis of the organism. Conversely, increasing evidence has shown that polyploid cells are prevalent in Drosophila tumors and play important roles in tumor growth and invasiveness.

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Ploidy variation is a cancer hallmark and is frequently associated with poor prognosis in high-grade cancers. Using a Drosophila solid-tumor model where oncogenic Notch drives tumorigenesis in a transition-zone microenvironment in the salivary gland imaginal ring, we find that the tumor-initiating cells normally undergo endoreplication to become polyploid. Upregulation of Notch signaling, however, induces these polyploid transition-zone cells to re-enter mitosis and undergo tumorigenesis.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the clinical features, treatment, and outcomes of COVID-19 and viral pneumonia in children during the pandemic, noting that COVID-19 infections were less common in children compared to adults.
  • A total of 64 children with COVID-19 and 284 children with pneumonia from other viruses were compared in terms of their clinical and epidemiological data, using various statistical tests to analyze the differences.
  • Results showed that COVID-19 affected older children more, had less severe cases compared to other viral pneumonias, and they experienced fewer symptoms like high fever, highlighting differences in the disease presentation between the two groups.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study compared pediatric and adult patients with COVID-19 to assess differences in clinical characteristics and outcomes.* -
  • Pediatric patients experienced milder symptoms, shorter time from symptom onset to hospitalization, and had a better prognosis than adults.* -
  • Overall, 100% of children were discharged, while only 97.3% of adults were discharged, with pediatric patients also having shorter hospital stays.*
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Controlling the selectivity of detonation initiation reaction to reduce the explosive sensitivity has been a Holy Grail in the field of energetic materials. The effects of the external electric fields on the homolysis of the N-NO bond and initiation reaction dynamics of NHNO∙∙∙HO (i.e.

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Background: Previous studies have demonstrated the benefits of thymosin alpha-1 (Tα1) in anti-virus, immunological enhancement and anti-inflammation. However, it is controversial about the efficacy and safety of entecavir (ETV) plus Tα1 combination therapy versus ETV monotherapy in cirrhotic patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Methods: The systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ETV plus Tα1 combination therapy versus ETV monotherapy in HBV-related patients with cirrhosis.

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Cyclin E is a key factor for S phase entry, and deregulation of Cyclin E results in developmental defects and tumors. Therefore, proper cycling of Cyclin E is crucial for normal growth. Here we found that transcription factors Apontic (Apt) and E2f1 cooperate to induce cyclin E in Drosophila.

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The effects of the oral administration of polysaccharide (RGP-1) on the immunoregulatory properties, antioxidant activity, and resistance against in L. were investigated. The purified RGP-1 (250, 500, and 1,000 μg/mL) was co-cultured with the head kidney cells of the common carp.

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Objective: To study the clinical and epidemiological features of children with asymptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

Methods: The clinical data of 20 children who were diagnosed with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection from January 20 to March 4, 2020 were analyzed.

Results: Among the 20 children, there were 7 boys (35%) and 13 girls (65%), aged 8 months to 14 years (mean 8±5 years).

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Oogenesis is a complex developmental process that involves spatiotemporally regulated coordination between the germline and supporting, somatic cell populations. This process has been modeled extensively using the Drosophila ovary. Although different ovarian cell types have been identified through traditional means, the large-scale expression profiles underlying each cell type remain unknown.

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Under stress conditions, the coactivator Multiprotein bridging factor 1 (Mbf1) translocates from the cytoplasm into the nucleus to induce stress-response genes. However, its role in the cytoplasm, where it is mainly located, has remained elusive. Here, we show that Mbf1 associates with mRNA and protects it from degradation by the exoribonuclease Pacman (Pcm), thereby ensuring Polycomb silencing.

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Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway and Cyclin E are key players in cell proliferation and organ development. Hyperactivation of hh and cyclin E has been linked to several types of cancer. However, coordination of the expression of hh and cyclin E was not well understood.

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Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the etiological factors, clinical features, and prognostic factors in children with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH).

Methods: Fifty-six children with HLH in Wuhan Union Hospital, People's Republic of China, were retrospectively analyzed in recent years. We reviewed the medical records of 56 HLH children hospitalized from 2000 to 2013 to identify the possible prognostic factors.

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Background: Morbid obesity increases the cost of care in critically ill patients. Sepsis is the leading cause of death in noncoronary intensive care units. Circulating cell-endothelial cell interactions in microcirculation are the rate-determining factors in any inflammation; obesity increases these interactions further.

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Wingless (Wg) and Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathways are key players in animal development. However, regulation of the expression of wg and hh are not well understood. Here, we show that Midline (Mid), an evolutionarily conserved transcription factor, expresses in the wing disc of Drosophila and plays a vital role in wing development.

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Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) acts as a negative regulator of NF-E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) by inducing Nrf2 degradation and nuclear export. Our previous study demonstrated that the flavonoid hyperoside elicits cytoprotection against oxidative stress by activating the Keap1-Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway, thus increasing the expression of antioxidant enzymes, such as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase. However, the role of GSK-3β in hyperoside-mediated Nrf2 activation is unclear.

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During Drosophila eye development, differentiation initiates in the posterior region of the eye disk and progresses anteriorly as a wave marked by the morphogenetic furrow (MF), which demarcates the boundary between anterior undifferentiated cells and posterior differentiated photoreceptors. However, the mechanism underlying the regulation of gene expression immediately before the onset of differentiation remains unclear. Here, we show that Apontic (Apt), which is an evolutionarily conserved transcription factor, is expressed in the differentiating cells posterior to the MF.

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The novel influenza A (H7N9) virus can cause severe illness, including pneumonia and acute respiratory disorder syndrome (ARDS), with high rates of intensive care unit admission and death. We report the first case of human infection with avian influenza A (H7N9) virus in Shenzhen, China. The patient was a 38-year-old man.

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B cell activating factor (BAFF) is a cytokine of tumor necrosis factor family mainly produced by monocytes and dendritic cells. BAFF can regulate the proliferation, differentiation, and survival of B lymphocytes by binding with BAFF-R on B cell membrane. Accumulating evidences showed that BAFF played crucial roles and was overexpressed in various autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

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Macrophages can be divided into two groups as M1 and M2 phenotype. Our results and other groups revealed that IFN-γ can up-regulate the IDO expression and differentiate THP-1 cells to M1 phenotype. Therefore we hypothesized that IDO may play potential roles in macrophage differentiation.

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Article Synopsis
  • - From 2009 to 2011, a study in Shenzhen, China, reviewed all cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), revealing 12,132 diagnosed patients, with 24.3% requiring hospitalization.
  • - The peak months for hospital admissions were May and July, with severe cases primarily caused by enterovirus 71 (EV71) in 2009, while 2010 and 2011 saw involvement of Coxsackievirus A16 (CA16).
  • - Despite stringent public health measures, HFMD remains a significant issue, especially among children aged 0-4, necessitating ongoing surveillance due to the potential for severe outcomes and fatalities.
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