Publications by authors named "Xuejun Zhu"

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a common hematologic malignancy. Huachansu (HCS) is extracted from the skin of Bufo bufo gargarizans, known for its well-established and multi-target anti-tumor effect. It has been reported to be effective in treating patients with multiple myeloma but its underlying mechanism remains unclear.

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The treatment of pemphigus vulgaris (PV) often requires long-term systemic corticosteroids. Although new biologicals like rituximab are changing the landscape, traditional immunosuppressants still prevail in many underdeveloped areas. One such medication is methotrexate (MTX), which has been widely used in autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases, but its role in treating pemphigus remains somewhat unclear and controversial.

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The aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) are chronically plagued by the inevitable side-reaction and uneven Zn planets stack. Through regulating the water activity and Zn crystal dynamics could effectively relieve those anode/electrolyte interface problems. The (2-hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin (HBCD), characterized by the excluded-volume and mitigating zinc-flux aggregation effect, is chosen as the electrolyte additive to tail the anode/electrolyte interface.

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Article Synopsis
  • Dupilumab is a new treatment for bullous pemphigoid (BP) that targets Th2-mediated inflammation, but there's limited research on how inflammatory biomarkers change during treatment.
  • An exploratory study analyzed serum samples from 40 BP patients, finding that inflammatory profiles could predict disease severity and treatment outcomes after 16 weeks of dupilumab therapy.
  • Results showed two distinct clusters of inflammation, with specific biomarkers like CCL18 and IL-6 effectively distinguishing between disease states and correlating with clinical scores.
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Landfilled metallurgical residues are valuable raw materials for the recovery of strategic vanadium resources. However, efficient separation of vanadium from these residues is challenging due to its strong oxidation resistance and coating within silicate inclusions. To address this issue, this study proposes an enhanced leaching process utilizing the synergistic effect of O-catalyzed ultrasonic field in a low concentration sulfuric acid system.

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Electro-fermentation (EF) was combined with anaerobic fermentation (AF) to promote medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) from sewage sludge. Results showed that EF at acidification process significantly increased short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production of by 0.5 times (82.

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Bacterial cooperation and antagonism mediated by secretion systems are among the ways in which bacteria interact with one another. Here we report the discovery of an antagonistic property of a type IV secretion system (T4SS) sourced from a conjugative plasmid, RP4, using engineering approaches. We scrutinized the genetic determinants and suggested that this antagonistic activity is independent of molecular cargos, while we also elucidated the resistance genes.

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Rationale: Cytokine storm is now considered to be a systemic inflammatory response, but local cytokine storm may exist in systemic diseases of the blood system. Monitoring of regional cytokine storm is an important clue for the diagnosis of systemic diseases.

Patient Concerns: A 72-years-old male presented to our hospital with multiple serosal effusion without solid mass or enlarged lymph nodes.

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Anaerobes dominate the microbiota of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, where a significant portion of small molecules can be degraded or modified. However, the enormous metabolic capacity of gut anaerobes remains largely elusive in contrast to aerobic bacteria, mainly due to the requirement of sophisticated laboratory settings. In this study, we employed an in silico machine learning platform, MoleculeX, to predict the metabolic capacity of a gut anaerobe, Clostridium sporogenes, against small molecules.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA), a rare autoimmune skin condition that occurs infrequently in children, examining 7 pediatric patients aged 16 and under.
  • All patients showed inflammatory EBA, with some displaying symptoms similar to bullous pemphigoid, and unique histopathological features such as specific neutrophil distributions.
  • Treatment involved glucocorticoids and other medications like dapsone, thalidomide, and sulfasalazine, all of which were effective, but relapses often happened when glucocorticoid dosages were reduced or stopped, indicating a need for tailored treatment and follow-up for children with this condition.
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The evaluation of the elastic modulus of recycled concrete is one of the focuses of civil engineering and structural engineering, which is not only related to the stability of building structures but also related to the resource utilization of concrete. Therefore, based on the IRSM method in mesoscale, a novel model for predicting the elastic modulus of recycled concrete is proposed which has the advantages of being low-cost and high-precision, amongst others, compared to theoretical and experimental methods. Then, the influence of coarse aggregate, contact surface, gelling material, and air bubbles on the elastic modulus of recycled concrete is studied.

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Short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (SDRs) are one of the most prevalent enzyme families distributed among the sequenced microorganisms. Despite the presence of a conserved catalytic tetrad and high structural similarity, these enzymes exhibit different substrate specificities. The insufficient knowledge regarding the amino acids underlying substrate specificity hinders the understanding of the SDRs' roles in diverse and significant biological processes.

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Immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV), also known as Henoch-Schönlein purpura, has complex etiology and pathogenesis which have not been fully clarified. The latest research shows that SARS-CoV-2 and related vaccines, human papilloma vaccine, and certain biological agents can also induce IgAV. Most studies believe that the formation of galactose-deficient IgA1 (Gd-IgA1) and Gd-IgA1-containing immune complex plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of IgAV.

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Article Synopsis
  • Unicentric Castleman disease (UCD) is a rare blood disorder linked with paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP), which complicates its prognosis.
  • This study involved whole-exome sequencing of tumor and normal tissues to explore the genomic landscape of PNP-associated UCD in Chinese patients, identifying key mutations and their clinical implications.
  • Findings revealed 61 somatic mutant genes, with IL6ST and PDGFRB being the most common, and established that IL6ST variants correlate with poorer survival outcomes, leading to the classification of PNP-associated UCD into four genomic subgroups.
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Polyethylene (PE) is the most widely produced synthetic polymer and the most abundant plastic waste worldwide due to its recalcitrance to biodegradation and low recycle rate. Microbial degradation of PE has been reported, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we isolated a strain A34 from 609 day enriched cultures derived from naturally weathered plastic waste and identified the potential key PE degradation enzymes.

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Importance: Dupilumab is a theoretically novel therapy for bullous pemphigoid (BP). However, its effectiveness and safety have yet to be confirmed in a large-scale study.

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of dupilumab in patients with BP and evaluate factors that potentially affect short-term and long-term outcomes.

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Fenthion and parathion are two representative kinds of organophosphorus pesticides and widely used in agriculture. They are directly or indirectly released into the atmosphere by spraying or volatilization processes. However, their heterogeneous reactivity toward OH radicals has not yet been well understood.

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Introduction: Atopic dermatitis (AD) exhibits difference in immune polarization between Caucasians and Asian races due to which an evaluation of the efficacy and safety of Pimecrolimus (PIM) in Asian population is called for. The current study addresses the need a sub-group analysis of the PETITE study (NCT00120523) to evaluate the safety and efficacy of PIM in Chinese infants.

Materials And Methods: Patients with AD (≥3 months-<12 months of age) were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either PIM 1% cream or topical corticosteroids (TCS).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to explore how Cinobufotalin affects inflammation in monocytes and activated macrophages, investigating its molecular mechanisms.* -
  • THP-1 cells were used to create macrophage activation models, and Cinobufotalin treatment showed a significant reduction in cell proliferation and increased apoptosis, especially in activated macrophages.* -
  • Cinobufotalin's anti-inflammatory effects were linked to the inhibition of the TLR4/MYD88/P-IκBa signaling pathway, suggesting its potential for treating diseases related to excessive inflammation.*
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Therapy discontinuation of systemic glucocorticoid treatment for pemphigus remains uncertain at the clinical end point of complete remission. The objective of this study was to identify the factors associated with achieving complete remission off therapy (CROT) and analyze the occurrence of relapse after therapy discontinuation. A retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Department of Dermatology of Peking University First Hospital.

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Objective: The leukemia cells from patients with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) were inoculated into NCG mice to establish a stable human T-ALL leukemia animal model.

Methods: Leukemia cells from bone marrow of newly diagnosed T-ALL patients were isolated, and the leukemia cells were inoculated into NCG mice via tail vein. The proportion of hCD45 positive cells in peripheral blood of the mice was detected regularly by flow cytometry, and the infiltration of leukemia cells in bone marrow, liver, spleen and other organs of the mice was detected by pathology and immunohistochemistry.

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Background: Mendelian disorders of cornification (MeDOC) are a group of heterogeneous genodermatoses with different genetic bases. The pathogenesis of a substantial group of MeDOC remains to be elucidated.

Objectives: To identify a new causative gene and the pathogenesis of a previously undescribed autosomal-dominant cornification disorder.

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