Publications by authors named "Zefu Chen"

Genome sequencing (GS) refers to a technology that comprehensively and systematically detects the DNA sequences of an individual's nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. It aims to identify genetic variants and investigate their roles in human health and disease progression. As an emerging diagnostic tool, GS offers significant support for clinical diagnosis due to its high throughput, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

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This study explored the role of ferroptosis in intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD), and identified GATA6 as a key regulator of this process. A ferroptosis-related gene risk coefficient model was constructed using differential gene expression analysis of the GSE70362 dataset. The analysis identified GATA6 as a significant factor in IVDD progression.

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Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most serious and common complications in the course of sepsis, known for its poor prognosis and high mortality rate. Recently, ferroptosis, as a newly discovered regulatory cell death, might be closely associated with the progression of AKI. METTL14 is a writer of RNA m6A, an abundant epigenetic modification in transcriptome with broad function.

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Background: Compound inheritance of TBX6 accounts for approximately 10% of sporadic congenital scoliosis (CS) cases. Such cases are called TBX6-associated congenital scoliosis (TACS). TACS has been reported to have certain common clinical phenotypes.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study provides an overview of deep learning algorithms (DLAs) used for automated Cobb angle estimation from X-rays, assessing their limitations and potential improvements.
  • A systematic literature review yielded 120 articles, narrowing down to 50 for the review and 17 for meta-analysis, which revealed a circular mean absolute error (CMAE) of 2.99, with segmentation-based methods demonstrating higher accuracy (CMAE of 2.40) compared to landmark-based methods (CMAE of 3.31).
  • The findings suggest that while DLAs can accurately measure Cobb angles, there’s room for enhancing model design, and adherence to quality guidelines in reporting is crucial for future research.
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  • Hyperlipidemia is a condition where there is an abnormal amount of lipids in the bloodstream, and this study explores how extracts from various medicinal and edible plants can help reduce it.
  • The research utilizes advanced methods like LC-MS and network pharmacology to identify active compounds and targets related to hyperlipidemia, leading to the discovery of 41 compounds and 140 targets.
  • Experimental results demonstrate that a specific combination of plant extracts (AMH:HRE:TME in a ratio of 3:1:2) effectively lowers lipid levels and enhances antioxidant properties, confirming that it influences key signaling pathways related to lipid metabolism.
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Neuritin, also known as candidate plasticity gene 15 (CPG15), was first identified as one of the activity-dependent gene products in the brain. Previous studies have been reported that Neuritin induces neuritogenesis, neurite arborization, neurite outgrowth and synapse formation, which are involved in the development and functions of the central nervous system. However, the role of Neuritin in peripheral nerve injury is still unknown.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Using the Global Burden of Disease Study, researchers tracked trends in incidence, deaths, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for both cancer types, revealing an increase across all age groups, especially in males.
  • * The findings showed changing dietary risk factors over time, with a notable decline in the impact of low-calcium and low-fiber diets, while smoking and inadequate nutrition became more significant, highlighting the need for tailored research and treatment strategies for different age groups.
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A rare autosomal recessive genetic disease is spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress type 1 (SMARD 1; OMIM #604320), which is characterized by progressive distal limb muscle weakness, muscular atrophy, and early onset of respiratory failure. Herein, we report the case of a 4-month-old female infant with SMARD type 1 who was admitted to our hospital owing to unexplained distal limb muscle weakness and early respiratory failure. This report summarizes the characteristics of SMARD type 1 caused by heterozygous variation in the immunoglobulin mu DNA binding protein 2 (IGHMBP2) gene by analyzing its clinical manifestations, genetic variation characteristics, and related examinations, aiming to deepen clinicians' understanding of the disease, assisting pediatricians in providing medical information to parents and improving the decision-making process involved in establishing life support.

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New vertebral compression fractures (NVCF) are common in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF) who have undergone percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP). We sought to develop a nomogram prediction model for better identification and prevention of NVCF within 3 years after PVP in patients with OVCF. The demographic, clinical, and imaging data of patients who underwent PVP for OVCF between January 2010 and December 2019 were reviewed.

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Background: Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF) appear to be more common as the population ages. Previous studies have found that percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) can achieve better short-term clinical outcomes than conservative treatment (CT) for OVCF. However, the long-term outcomes of PVP compared with CT for OVCF has been rare explored.

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Leveraging protein structural information to evaluate pathogenicity has been hindered by the scarcity of experimentally determined 3D protein. With the aid of AlphaFold2 predictions, we developed the structure-informed genetic missense mutation assessor (SIGMA) to predict missense variant pathogenicity. In comparison with existing predictors across labeled variant datasets and experimental datasets, SIGMA demonstrates superior performance in predicting missense variant pathogenicity (AUC = 0.

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Background: () is a short, straight, medium-sized Gram-negative bacterium that mostly exists alone, without a capsule or spores, has more than three flagella at one end, and actively moves. confers high morbidity and mortality, with frequent granulocytopenia in sepsis-related deaths. However, mortality may be related to hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) secondary to infection.

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Importance: Currently, the diagnostic yield of exome sequencing (ES) and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) for short stature cohorts is uncertain. Despite previous studies reporting the widespread use of ES and CMA, a definitive diagnostic yield has not been established.

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic yield of ES and CMA in short stature.

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Study Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of chewing gum on postoperative abdominal pain, nausea, and hospital stays after posterior spinal fusions (PSFs) in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).

Summary Of Background Data: Chewing gum had been extensively reported to improve bowel motility and is recommended to hasten bowel recovery following gastrointestinal surgery.

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The damage of islet cells caused by oxidative stress is closely related to diabetes. The aim of this study is to investigate the protective effect of saponins isolated from polygonatum sibiricum (PSS) on pancreas injury by using in vitro and in vivo models. The oxidative stress model of RIN-m5F cells induced by HO was established.

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Background: In recent years, miRNAs have become a research hotspot, which is related to the occurrence and development of a variety of malignant tumors, but there are few studies in neuroblastoma. In this study, the differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) in neuroblastoma were identified and analyzed using bioinformatics, and their biological functions and related signaling pathways were examined.

Methods: The neuroblastoma miRNA chip GSE121513 was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and the data of 95 neuroblastoma samples and normal fetal adrenal neuroblastoma samples were analyzed to screen the differential miRNAs.

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Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a systemic metabolic disorder characterized by insulin deficiency and insulin resistance. Recently, it has become a significant threat to public health. (PSS) has potential hypoglycemic effects, but its specific mechanism needs further study.

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Purpose: Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKHS) is characterized by congenital absence of the uterus, cervix, and the upper part of the vagina in females. Whole-gene deletion and loss-of-function variants in TBX6 have been identified in association with MRKHS. We aimed to expand the spectrum of TBX6 variants in MRKHS and explore the biological effect of the variant alleles.

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Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, and its precise detection plays a critical role in disease treatment and prognosis prediction. Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and computed tomography, i.e.

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Congenital contractural arachnodactyly (CCA) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder of connective tissue characterized by crumpled ears, arachnodactyly, camptodactyly, large joint contracture, and kyphoscoliosis. The nature course of CCA has not been well-described. We aim to decipher the genetic and phenotypic spectrum of CCA.

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Background & Aims: Genetic factors underlie a substantial proportion of paediatric liver diseases. Hereditary liver diseases have considerable genetic heterogeneity and variable clinical manifestations, which bring great challenges to clinical and molecular diagnoses. In this study, we investigated a group of paediatric patients with varying degrees of liver dysfunction using a hierarchical genetic testing strategy.

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Article Synopsis
  • Pathogenic variants in the MYH3 gene are linked to ultra-rare conditions such as distal arthrogryposis and syndromes characterized by joint contractures and vertebral malformations.
  • This study analyzed 17 patients from 10 families, identifying 12 new pathogenic variants, some inherited in dominant and others in recessive patterns, and noted a significant overlap in clinical features between the different inheritance patterns.
  • The research suggests disturbances in TGF-β signaling pathways contribute to the disorders, expanding the understanding of MYH3-associated skeletal conditions.
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Background: If acute diarrhea in children is not treated promptly and effectively, it can lead to severe dehydration and serious sequelae. Due to the imbalance of intestinal bacteria in children with acute diarrhea, the supplementation with probiotics is important, which can improve the intestinal microenvironment, promote immunity, and enhance resistance. This meta-analysis provides further evidence and discussion of the therapeutic effect of probiotics on acute diarrhea in children.

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In recent years, exome sequencing (ES) has shown great utility in the diagnoses of Mendelian disorders. However, after rigorous filtering, a typical ES analysis still involves the interpretation of hundreds of variants, which greatly hinders the rapid identification of causative genes. Since the interpretations of ES data require comprehensive clinical analyses, taking clinical expertise into consideration can speed the molecular diagnoses of Mendelian disorders.

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