Publications by authors named "Xiao-fang Zhang"

Removing nitrogen limitation is necessary to increase plant productivity in alpine grasslands. A short-term nitrogen addition experiment was conducted to understand the effects of nitrogen addition on the soil physicochemical properties and microbial community structure of perennial alpine cultivated grassland in the region around Qinghai Lake. From June to August 2022, four N application gradients (T0: 0 kg·hm·a, T1: 22.

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Twenty-nine sesquiterpenoids, including pseudoguaiane-type (1-11), eudesmane-type (12-23), and carabrane-type (24-29), have been identified from the plant Carpesium abrotanoides. Of them, compounds 1-4, 12-15, and 24-27, namely carpabrotins A-L, are twelve previously undescribed ones. Compound 3 possessed a pseudoguaiane backbone with a rearrangement modification at C-11, C-12 and C-13, while compound 4 suffered a carbon bond break between the C-4 and C-5 to form a rare 4,5-seco-pseudoguaiane lactone.

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Objective: This study aims to assess the clinical effectiveness of combining mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) with exercise intervention in improving anxiety, depression, sleep quality and mood regulation in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: A total of 60 patients with NSCLC who had not received surgical treatment were selected using convenience sampling and divided into an intervention group and control group, with 30 patients in each group. The control group received conventional psychological nursing care, whereas the intervention group received a combination of MBwSR and exercise therapy.

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This study aimed to investigate the impact of different nitrogen forms on soil physicochemical properties and microbial community structure in perennial alpine cultivated grasslands, in order to provide scientific basis for developing nitrogen addition strategies for perennial alpine cultivated grasslands. In June 2022, a 4-year-old Qinghai grassland mixed with Qinghai and Qinghai was established at the Bakatai Farm in Gonghe County, Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. The study was conducted without fertilization as a control (CK), and three different forms of nitrogen treatments were set up, namely, U:urea (amide nitrogen), A:ammonium sulfate (ammonium nitrogen), and N:calcium nitrate (nitrate nitrogen); the nitrogen application rate for each treatment was 67.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to compare the quality of staining in rapid versus routine hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining for frozen breast tissue sections, involving 120 samples randomly assigned to each method.
  • - Rapid H&E staining took about 3 minutes, while routine staining required approximately 12 minutes; however, the staining quality scores were similar for both methods.
  • - Both staining methods resulted in high quality, with 96.7% of rapid and 98.3% of routine samples classified as excellent or good, suggesting rapid staining is a viable alternative that saves time without compromising quality.
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Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have numerous applications in the field of carbon nanomaterials. However, the associated toxicity concerns have increased significantly because of their widespread use. The inhalation of MWCNTs can lead to nanoparticle deposition in the lung tissue, causing inflammation and health risks.

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  • - Carpesabrolide A (1) is a unique hybrid compound that combines fumaric acid and guaiane sesquiterpenoid structures, extracted from a traditional medicinal plant.
  • - The compound's structure and configuration were determined using advanced techniques like spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction.
  • - Carpesabrolide A (1) demonstrates notable anti-inflammatory properties by significantly inhibiting nitric oxide (NO) production, with an inhibitory concentration (IC) value of 2.7 μM.
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Photothermal therapy (PTT) of nanomaterials is an emerging novel therapeutic strategy for breast cancer. However, there exists an urgent need for appropriate strategies to enhance the antitumor efficacy of PTT and minimize damage to surrounding normal tissues. Piezo1 might be a promising novel photothermal therapeutic target for breast cancer.

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Aim: To explore whether and to what extent, nurse-patient assessment differences mediate the association between nurse-to-patient ratios and readiness for hospital discharge, and examine whether nurse-patient characteristics moderate the indirect and/or direct effect of mediation model.

Design: A cross-sectional study was carried out from March 2021 to December 2022.

Methods: A total of 523 pairs of gastrointestinal cancer patients with PICC and their nurses were recruited.

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Seven previously undescribed cytochalasans, namely, boerechalasins A-G, together with one analogue, were characterized from the solid culture of the fungus Boeremia exigua. Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis as well as electronic circular dichroism calculations. Remarkably, boerechalasin F possessed an unusual sulfoxide moiety that might be derived from methionine, while boerechalasin G had an unusual 5-methylcyclohexane-1,2,3-triol substituent at N-2 position.

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Background: The prognostic role of either forkhead box A1 (FOXA1) or anterior gradient 2 (AGR2) in breast cancer has been found separately. Considering that there were interplays between them depending on ER status, we aimed to assess the statistical interaction between AGR2 and FOXA1 on breast cancer prognosis and examine the prognostic role of the combination of them by ER status.

Methods: AGR2 and FOXA1 expression in tumor tissues were evaluated with tissue microarrays by immunohistochemistry in 915 breast cancer patients with follow up data.

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Background: Results of previous studies about the prognostic roles of histone H4 lysine 16 acetylation (H4K16ac) and histone H4 lysine 20 trimethylation (H4K20me3) in breast cancer were inconsistent. Cellular experiments revealed the interplays between H4K16ac and H4K20me3, but no population study explored the interaction between them on the prognosis.

Methods: H4K16ac and H4K20me3 levels in tumors were evaluated by immunohistochemistry for 958 breast cancer patients.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study in Nantong, China, aimed to investigate how common anisometropia (unequal refractive power between the eyes) is among school-aged children, analyzing factors influencing its prevalence.
  • Researchers examined nearly 9,501 students, finding that the overall prevalence of anisometropia was 25.6%, and identified significant risk factors, including myopia and scoliosis, along with age and gender.
  • The conclusion highlights the importance of myopia prevention and proper posture in reducing anisometropia among children, suggesting that correcting scoliosis may also help.
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Our study aimed to explore the intellectual function of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in China and examine the correlation of full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) with age, mutation locations, mutation class, and dystrophin isoforms. We assessed 64 boys with DMD using The Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children-Fourth Edition and compared intellectual function at enrollment and follow-up in the 15 patients who completed the follow-up. Our findings confirm that boys with DMD may exhibit cognitive impairment, with the Working Memory Index being the most impaired.

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Objectives: Knowledge regarding thymic EBV-related poorly differentiated nonkeratinizing squamous cell carcinoma (PDNKSCC), also known as lymphoepithelial carcinoma (LEC), is extremely limited due to its rarity.

Materials And Methods: This multi-institutional study enrolled 85 patients with thymic PDNKSCC. DNA in situ hybridization was performed to evaluate the EBV status of all 85 cases.

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Background: Hyperuricemia and right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) are both widespread in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) patients. RVD is associated with a poor prognosis in HFpEF. The correlation between serum uric acid (UA) levels and right ventricular function is unclear.

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Peripheral neuropathies, especially those with atypical features, remain a diagnostic challenge. In this case, a 60-year-old patient presented with acute-onset weakness starting in the right hand then sequentially involving the left leg, left hand, and right leg over 5 days. The asymmetric weakness was accompanied by persistent fever and elevated inflammatory markers.

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Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) mainly induce oxidative stress through the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can lead to cytotoxicity. Celastrol, a plant-derived compound, can exert antioxidant effects by reducing ROS production. Our results indicated that exposure to MWCNTs decreased cell viability and increased ROS production.

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  • This study aimed to assess how well CA125, HE4, ROMA, and CPH-I can differentiate primary ovarian cancer from borderline and benign ovarian tumors while finding optimal cutoff values for each marker.
  • The research included 684 patients and analyzed pre-surgery marker levels, revealing that all tested markers were significantly higher in ovarian cancer cases compared to borderline and benign tumors.
  • Results showed ROMA and CPH-I were better at identifying ovarian cancer than individual markers, particularly HE4, with CA125 being more effective for postmenopausal women.
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Background: Cough variant asthma (CVA), also called concealed asthma or allergic asthma, is the most common cause of chronic cough in children. The disorder is mainly characterized by a nonproductive dry cough associated with a high recurrence rate that is conventionally treated with antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medications, cough suppressants, or expectorants. For millennia, Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been used widely in China to treat pediatric CVA cases, although high-quality evidence of CHM efficacy is lacking.

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  • - This study evaluated the effectiveness of PET/CT vs. CT in treating stage IV extracranial oligometastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), specifically looking at the effects of thorax radiotherapy (TRT) on patient survival.
  • - Analysis of 192 patients showed that those who received PET/CT had a median survival time of 16 months, significantly better than the 6 months for those who only had CT.
  • - Patients receiving TRT alongside maintenance chemotherapy after PET/CT had even better outcomes, with a median survival time of 25 months compared to 11 months for chemotherapy alone, highlighting the benefits of PET/CT-guided TRT for this cancer type.
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Non-healing diabetic wounds (DW) are a serious clinical problem that remained poorly understood. We recently found that topical application of growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) accelerated skin wound healing in both Type 1 DM (T1DM) and genetically engineered Type 2 diabetic db/db (T2DM) mice. In the present study, we elucidated the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the action of GDF11 on healing of small skin wound.

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Background: Cellular experiments revealed that a decreased histone H3 lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) level was associated with the upregulation of oncogenes in breast cancer cells. Moreover, the role of H3K9me3 in breast cancer was closely associated with estrogen receptor (ER) status. Therefore, we aimed to examine the prognostic value of H3K9me3 on breast cancer by ER status.

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  • Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are being studied for their potential use in drug delivery and medical imaging, but their impact on blood vessel cells (endothelial cells) hasn't been fully understood.
  • The research revealed that MWCNTs can enter these cells and disrupt their functions, specifically hindering their ability to form new blood vessels (angiogenesis) in both lab and animal studies.
  • The study found that the harmful effects of MWCNTs on endothelial cells are linked to decreased levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), but introducing recombinant VEGF can help restore cell function and promote angiogenesis.
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Psoriasis is characterized by keratinocyte proliferation and immune cell infiltration. M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase (PKM2) was reported to have an important role in cell proliferation, which is a rate-limiting enzyme that regulates the final step of glycolysis. However, how PKM2 regulates cell metabolism and proliferation in psoriatic keratinocytes is still poorly understood.

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