Publications by authors named "Xiaobo Mao"

α-Synucleinopathies constitute a spectrum of neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson's disease (PD), Lewy body dementia (LBD), Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), and Alzheimer's disease concurrent with LBD (AD-LBD). These disorders are unified by a pathological hallmark: aberrant misfolding and accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn). This review delves into the pivotal role of α-syn, the key agent in α-synucleinopathy pathophysiology, and provides a survey of potential therapeutics that target cell-to-cell spread of pathologic α-syn.

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Lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG3) is a key receptor involved in the propagation of pathological proteins in Parkinson's disease (PD). This study investigates the role of neuronal LAG3 in mediating the binding, uptake, and propagation of α-synuclein (αSyn) preformed fibrils (PFFs). Using neuronal LAG3 conditional knockout mice and human induced pluripotent stem cells-derived dopaminergic (DA) neurons, we demonstrate that LAG3 expression is critical for pathogenic αSyn propagation.

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Background: Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are a type of widespread pollutant that can be transmitted through particulate matter, such as dust in the air, and have been associated with various adverse health effects, such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. However, there is limited research on the link between exposure to mixtures of BFRs and depression in the general population.

Methods: To analyze the association between exposure to BFRs and depression in the population, nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES; 2005-2016) were used.

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The bioactive components of chrysanthemum tea are an essential indicator in evaluating its nutritive and commercial values. Combining hyperspectral imaging (HSI) with key wavelength selection and pattern recognition methods, this study developed a novel approach to estimating the content of bioactive components in chrysanthemums, including the total flavonoids (TFs) and chlorogenic acids (TCAs). To determine the informative wavelengths of hyperspectral images, we introduced a variable similarity regularization term into particle swarm optimization (denoted as VSPSO), which can focus on improving the combinatorial performance of key wavelengths and filtering out the features with higher collinearity simultaneously.

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α-Synuclein (α-syn) strains can serve as discriminators between Parkinson's disease (PD) from other α-synucleinopathies. The relationship between α-syn strain dynamics and clinical performance as patients transition from normal cognition (NC) to cognitive impairment (CI) is not known. Here, we show that the biophysical properties and neurotoxicity of α-syn strains change as PD cognitive status transitions from NC to mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI) and dementia (PD-D).

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Moxa wool (MW), derived from the dried leaves of , plays a significant role in traditional Chinese medicine. However, the quality of MW varies with its storage period, impacting its therapeutic efficacy. Traditional methods for quality detection are limited and destructive.

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Background: Rotational atherectomy (RA) remains an integral tool for the treatment of severe coronary calcified lesions despite emergence of newer techniques. We aimed to evaluate the contemporary clinical practices and outcomes of RA in China.

Methods: The Rota China Registry (NCT03806621) was an investigator-initiated, prospective, multicenter registry based on China Rota Elite Group.

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Background: This study aimed to explore the impacts of different middle-ear mucosal conditions on the outcomes of type I tympanoplasty.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 164 patients with chronic otitis media was carried out. The patients were divided into 4 groups according to their mucosal condition.

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Chrysanthemum, a widely favored flower tea, contains numerous phytochemicals for health benefits. Due to the different geographical origins and processing technics, its variety has a direct influence on the phytochemical content and pharmacological effect. Accordingly, an accurate identification for chrysanthemum varieties is significant for quality detection and market supervision.

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Pathologic α-synuclein (α-syn) spreads from cell-to-cell, in part, through binding to the lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (Lag3). Here we report that amyloid β precursor-like protein 1 (Aplp1) interacts with Lag3 that facilitates the binding, internalization, transmission, and toxicity of pathologic α-syn. Deletion of both Aplp1 and Lag3 eliminates the loss of dopaminergic neurons and the accompanying behavioral deficits induced by α-syn preformed fibrils (PFF).

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Key Clinical Message: Atrial fibrillation is closely associated with thrombotic events. In non-valvular atrial fibrillation, 90% of thrombi are formed by the left atrial appendage. Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAC) can effectively prevent the detachment of left atrial appendage thrombus during atrial fibrillation, thereby reducing the risk of long-term disability or death caused by thromboembolic events.

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The spread of prion-like protein aggregates is a common driver of pathogenesis in various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related Tauopathies. Tau pathologies exhibit a clear progressive spreading pattern that correlates with disease severity. Clinical observation combined with complementary experimental studies has shown that Tau preformed fibrils (PFF) are prion-like seeds that propagate pathology by entering cells and templating misfolding and aggregation of endogenous Tau.

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Article Synopsis
  • The global rise in aging populations is linked to a higher incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its socioeconomic impacts, driven largely by abnormal amyloid-β (Aβ) metabolism.
  • Current treatments focusing on Aβ removal have shown limited cognitive benefits, highlighting the complexity of AD's causes, which include a range of factors like tau accumulation, neuroinflammation, and vascular dysfunction.
  • To effectively treat AD, extensive research is needed on neurodegeneration mechanisms, identifying intervention targets, and developing combinatorial treatment strategies, with the overarching goal of reversing cognitive decline through the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroprotection Research Initiative.
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Although the COVID-19 pandemic has officially ended, the persistent challenge of long-COVID or post-acute COVID sequelae (PASC) continues to impact societies globally, highlighting the urgent need for ongoing research into its mechanisms and therapeutic approaches. Our team has recently developed a novel humanized ACE2 mouse model (hACE2ki) designed explicitly for long-COVID/PASC research. This model exhibits human ACE2 expression in tissue and cell-specific patterns akin to mouse Ace2.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aims to identify host anti-viral factors that can help control SARS-CoV-2 infection, which have been overlooked in previous research focused mainly on pro-viral factors.* -
  • Using a genome-wide CRISPR dropout screen, the researchers found several underappreciated host factors, such as components of V-ATPases, ESCRT, and N-glycosylation pathways, which affect viral entry and replication.* -
  • Key findings include the identification of the cohesin complex as an anti-viral pathway and the transcription factor KLF5, which is linked to severe COVID-19 symptoms, shedding light on the genetic and molecular interactions that influence the severity of the disease.*
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Acknowledging the neurological symptoms of COVID-19 and the long-lasting neurological damage even after the epidemic ends are common, necessitating ongoing vigilance. Initial investigations suggest that extracellular vesicles (EVs), which assist in the evasion of the host's immune response and achieve immune evasion in SARS-CoV-2 systemic spreading, contribute to the virus's attack on the central nervous system (CNS). The pro-inflammatory, pro-coagulant, and immunomodulatory properties of EVs contents may directly drive neuroinflammation and cerebral thrombosis in COVID-19.

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Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta with a reduction in dopamine concentration in the striatum. It is a substantial loss of dopaminergic neurons that is responsible for the classic triad of PD symptoms, i.e.

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Interspecies chimeras offer great potential for regenerative medicine and the creation of human disease models. Whether human pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons in an interspecies chimera can differentiate into functional neurons and integrate into host neural circuity is not known. Here, we show, using Engrailed 1 (En1) as a development niche, that human naive-like embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can incorporate into embryonic and adult mouse brains.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Combining deep learning with hyperspectral imaging (HSI) enhances quality control for medicinal and edible plants, but hyperspectral data can have redundant information, complicating sample identification.
  • - An enhanced one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1DCNN) with attention mechanisms improves feature recognition by focusing on relevant data while filtering out irrelevant information.
  • - The study shows that this attention-enhanced model significantly outperforms traditional machine learning methods, achieving up to 99.35% accuracy in classifying plant species, demonstrating its reliability and efficiency in quality control applications.
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  • - Accurate assessment of isoflavone and starch content in Puerariae Thomsonii Radix (PTR) is important for product quality, but traditional measurement methods are often slow and labor-intensive.
  • - This study introduces an innovative approach using hyperspectral imaging (HSI) and deep learning (DL) to efficiently predict the content of isoflavones and starch in PTR, with a focus on developing a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1DCNN).
  • - Results show that the DL model significantly outperforms traditional methods, indicating HSI combined with DL can serve as a reliable and non-destructive tool for quality control in the food industry.
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Article Synopsis
  • Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a severe lung disease caused by oxidative stress, and effective antioxidant treatments are currently lacking.
  • Research highlights the potential of VC nanosheets as a new antioxidant that can combat pulmonary fibrosis by scavenging harmful reactive species and improving antioxidant activity through valence engineering.
  • VC nanosheets exhibit strong antifibrotic properties and enhance biocompatibility, offering a promising strategy for treating pulmonary fibrosis and other diseases linked to oxidative stress.
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ZNF746 was identified as parkin-interacting substrate (PARIS). Investigating its pathophysiological properties, we find that PARIS undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) and amorphous solid formation. The N-terminal low complexity domain 1 (LCD1) of PARIS is required for LLPS, whereas the C-terminal prion-like domain (PrLD) drives the transition from liquid to solid phase.

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Turtle shell () is a prized traditional Chinese dietary therapy, and the growth year of turtle shell has a significant impact on its quality attributes. In this study, a hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technique combined with a proposed deep learning (DL) network algorithm was investigated for the objective determination of the growth year of turtle shells. The acquisition of hyperspectral images was carried out in the near-infrared range (948.

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