Publications by authors named "Xiaolei Ma"
This study examines the correlation between nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) abnormalities and pulmonary hypertension (PH) in connective tissue disease (CTD) patients, evaluating its diagnostic and predictive value for microcirculation alterations. A cross-sectional study included 351 CTD patients and 30 non-CTD healthy people, with NVC assessments conducted qualitatively, semi-quantitatively, and quantitatively by two independent physicians. Clinical and laboratory data were analyzed, comparing CTD patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (CTD-PAH) and those without (CTD-non-PAH).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPsoriasis is a prevalent chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by immune cell activation and aberrant keratinocyte proliferation. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) plays a key role in the pathology of psoriasis, positioning it as a promising target for therapeutic strategies. However, current STAT3 inhibitors often lack specificity, leading to adverse effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in the plasma, hydrops articuli, and synovium, and its relationship with laboratory indexes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were determined, for the purpose to reveal the role of MIF on the pathogenesis of RA.
Methods: MIF mRNA expression in PBMCs was detected by qPCR. Plasma MIF was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
The pressing need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and optimize traffic demand underlines the importance of effective travel demand management. Previous studies have explored budget-based and aggregated incentive programs, which diminish a heavy financial burden on governments and tend to be limited in contributing to effective behavior change in practice due to budget issues. This study proposes a personal carbon trading travel incentive (PCTTI) mechanism, to encourage private car commuters using low-carbon travel routes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRandomly moving active particles can be herded into directed motion by asymmetric geometric structures. Although such a rectification process has been extensively studied due to its fundamental, biological, and technological relevance, a comprehensive understanding of active matter rectification based on single particle dynamics remains elusive. Here, by combining experiments, simulations, and theory, we study the directed transport and energetics of swimming bacteria navigating through funnel-shaped obstacles-a paradigmatic model of rectification of living active matter.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiscovery and Optimization of First-in-Class Molecular Glue Degraders of the WIZ Transcription Factor for Fetal Hemoglobin Induction to Treat Sickle Cell Disease.
J Med Chem
November 2024
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a prevalent, life-threatening condition with few treatment options, attributed to a heritable mutation in β-hemoglobin. Therapeutic induction of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) with small molecules has been pursued as a treatment to ameliorate many disease complications but with limited success. Herein, we report the discovery of , a novel, potent, and selective molecular glue degrader of the transcription factor WIZ that robustly induces HbF expression as a potential treatment for SCD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAltitude and ecological factors significantly influence plant growth and the accumulation of secondary metabolites. However, current research on the impact of altitude and ecological factors on the yield and medicinal quality of is limited. This study established sampling sites in wild populations of across seven altitude ranges on Funiu Mountain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSomatic alterations in the oncogenic kinase AKT1 have been identified in a broad spectrum of solid tumours. The most common AKT1 alteration replaces Glu17 with Lys (E17K) in the regulatory pleckstrin homology domain, resulting in constitutive membrane localization and activation of oncogenic signalling. In clinical studies, pan-AKT inhibitors have been found to cause dose-limiting hyperglycaemia, which has motivated the search for mutant-selective inhibitors.
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- The paper explores how to localize groups of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) that deal with random measurement delays while they lack global communication capabilities.
- It introduces a new method called the Cubature Kalman Hybrid Consensus Filter (CKHCF), which allows USVs to share localization data based on distance and angle measurements, improving their overall accuracy.
- The study demonstrates the algorithm's reliability and effectiveness through rigorous mathematical proof and simulation experiments.
Article Synopsis
- - Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a serious inherited condition caused by a mutation in the β-hemoglobin gene, and increasing fetal hemoglobin (HbF) levels can help reduce complications.
- - Researchers discovered two small molecules, dWIZ-1 and dWIZ-2, that act as molecular glue degraders to induce HbF by targeting a previously unrecognized repressor, the WIZ transcription factor.
- - These compounds effectively triggered HbF production in animal models, suggesting that targeting WIZ for degradation offers a promising and accessible new treatment approach for SCD.
Article Synopsis
- Microbial population structures in fecal samples are crucial for gut microbiome research and disease diagnosis, with two main collection methods: fecal loop and litter box.
- A study analyzed fecal samples from 10 cats using both methods, revealing that the fecal loop method had a lower yield of microbial DNA, but no major differences in contamination or microbial diversity between the two.
- The findings suggest that collecting fecal samples from the litter box within 6 hours post-defecation is a reliable and effective method for microbiome studies.
Article Synopsis
- - Memory in dogs is influenced more by non-genetic factors than genetics, making it the least heritable cognitive trait in canines.
- - A study of 27 young dogs showed that memory scores tend to improve with age, but there's also significant variability.
- - The research found a specific bacterial species linked to better memory performance, while traditional factors like sex, litter, and breed had less impact; this suggests exploring gut bacteria could help enhance dog memory and learning.
Article Synopsis
- Vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS) is a chronic skin condition leading to physical and emotional challenges, but its cause is still unclear, with possible links to the microbiomes of the vulvar skin, gut, and vagina.* -
- A study compared the microbiota of six VLS patients with five healthy controls, using sequencing techniques to evaluate differences in bacterial diversity and abundance.* -
- Results showed notable microbiota differences, such as increased specific bacteria in VLS patients’ vulvar skin and gut, while certain beneficial bacteria were reduced, indicating potential microbial alterations linked to the condition.*
Article Synopsis
- The electric solar wind sail (E-sail) is an innovative propulsion system that operates without traditional fuel, but presents challenges for attitude control due to its complex dynamics.
- * A reinforcement learning (RL) control approach, utilizing the Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) algorithm, has been proposed to effectively manage the E-sail's orientation through adjustable tether voltages.
- * Simulation results show that this RL-based method not only achieves the desired attitude quickly and with lower energy use but also outperforms conventional control strategies in terms of computation time while maintaining accuracy.
The impact of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on autoimmune diseases (AID) patients has been an important focus. This study was undertaken to characterize the incidence, clinical manifestations and hospitalization among AID affected by COVID-19 and to analyze the association between immunomodulatory medication and these outcomes. Clinical, demographic, maintenance treatment, symptoms and disease course data and outcomes of AID patients with COVID-19 infection were assessed via an online survey tool and printed copy from 1 January till February 28, 2023.
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- Short-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) and its components, such as sulfate and nitrate, has been linked to increased hospital admissions for threatened and spontaneous abortions (TSAB) in a study conducted in five Chinese cities from 2015 to 2021.
- The analysis showed that for every 10 μg/m³ increase in PM, there were significant relative risks of hospitalization for TSAB, particularly in mothers aged 35 and older and before the implementation of a local environmental Action Plan.
- The findings suggest a concerning relationship between air quality and reproductive health, emphasizing the need for continued monitoring and improved environmental policies to protect vulnerable populations.
Two Cases of Immune Drift Phenomena Caused by Biologic Agents for Treating Psoriasis and Atopic Dermatitis.
Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol
December 2023
Article Synopsis
- Atopic dermatitis and psoriasis are common chronic skin conditions that can greatly impact quality of life, but biologic treatments have led to significant improvements in managing these diseases.
- There's a surprising phenomenon where treatment can cause patients to develop features of the other condition while undergoing biologic therapy.
- The text presents two cases: one where a psoriasis lesion appeared in a patient with atopic dermatitis treated with dupilumab, and another where an eczematoid lesion arose in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis treated with Secukinumab.
Article Synopsis
- The research focuses on designing molecular glues (MGs) that bind to cereblon (CRBN) and selectively recruit desired proteins while avoiding the degradation of SALL4, which is teratogenic.
- Previous findings indicate that SALL4 is degraded by IKZF1 degraders like pomalidomide and CC-220, but the interaction between SALL4 and CRBN is complex.
- Biophysical studies show that specific zinc finger domains (ZF1 and ZF2) of SALL4 interact with different parts of cereblon, affecting the stability and potency of these interactions, and could lead to better therapeutic designs that minimize unwanted effects on SALL4.
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is mainly derived from the exocrine pancreatic ductal epithelial cells, and it is strongly aggressive malignant tumor. Due to its insidious onset and the lack of effective diagnostic biomarkers, PC currently remains one of the main causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Recent studies have found that hsa_circ_0001846 is involved in the progression of multiple cancers and has the potential to become biomarkers, but its function and mechanism in PC remains unclear.
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- - The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of dexmedetomidine (DEX) as a sedative in gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures compared to other sedatives like propofol and midazolam through a systematic review and meta-analysis of 40 trials involving over 2,900 patients.
- - Results indicated that sedation levels with DEX were comparable to other sedatives, showing lower risks of body movements and gagging, as well as reduced need for additional sedatives, while providing higher satisfaction levels among endoscopists.
- - Secondary outcomes suggested that DEX led to a lower risk of hypoxia and cough, with no significant difference noted in hypotension risk, but there was an increased risk of brady
Article Synopsis
- - Corosolic acid (CA) is a plant compound that shows promise in inhibiting bladder cancer without causing notable toxicity in mice, indicating its potential as a cancer treatment.
- - The study discovered that CA affects bladder cancer cells by disrupting their cell cycle and operates through different mechanisms depending on the concentration: low doses hinder DNA synthesis and mitosis, while higher doses induce cell death through mitophagy.
- - This research provides valuable insights into the pharmacological effects of CA on bladder cancer, paving the way for future development of new cancer therapies utilizing this natural compound.
Article Synopsis
- * Researchers sequenced 53 samples from the complex using a DNA technique (RAD-seq) to explore their genetic relationships, identifying 111,938 SNP loci in the process.
- * The findings suggest that the complex is paraphyletic, with some inconsistencies in genetic structure, but overall support previous findings regarding species relationships and long-distance gene flow events among some taxa.
Article Synopsis
- Scientists are trying to create small molecules that help certain proteins stick together, which can change how cells work.
- They made about 1 million special compounds using DNA to find out which ones can connect two chosen proteins, specifically VHL and bromodomains.
- By testing these compounds, they discovered some that could make the bromodomains disappear in cells and even got to see how one of the best compounds interacted with the proteins in a crystal structure.
Article Synopsis
- Berberine (BBR) and silybin (SIY) are natural compounds that help regulate lipid metabolism and protect the liver, making them important for treating liver injuries, especially in combination therapies for complex diseases like nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
- The study compared the effectiveness of a new salt formulation (BSS) of BBR and SIY against a physical mixture (BSP) in treating NAFLD, using various analytical techniques to confirm the formulation and its performance in enhancing drug absorption and distribution.
- Results showed that BSS had improved dissolution and absorption of both compounds compared to BSP, leading to increased bioavailability and more effective lipid production inhibition,
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how localized particle clusters formed by Janus and homogeneous colloids at a fluid interface influence the dynamics and mechanical properties of suspensions.
- It demonstrates that particles within these clusters experience less shear-induced stretching compared to neighboring particles, which affects overall material behavior.
- The research suggests that managing the formation of such clusters could lead to improved mechanical properties in interfacial materials.