Tong Tang

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide. At present, however, there are no established biomarkers that have been validated for diagnosing and treating MDD. This study sought to assess the diagnostic and predictive potential of the differences in serum amino acid concentration levels between MDD patients and healthy controls (HCs), integrating them into interpretable machine learning models. Methods: In total, 70 MDD patients and 70 HCs matched in age, gender, and ethnicity were recruited for the study...

As the global cancer burden escalates, the search for alternative therapies becomes increasingly vital. Natural products, particularly plant-derived compounds, have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional cancer treatments due to their diverse bioactivities and favorable biosafety profiles. Here, we investigate Paucatalinone A, a newly discovered geranylated flavanone derived from the fruit of Paulownia Catalpifolia Gong Tong, notable for its significant anti-cancer properties. We revealed the capability of Paucatalinone A to induce apoptosis in osteosarcoma cells and deciphered its underlying mechanisms...

In China, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) vaccines are widely used. These vaccines, which contain inactivated and live attenuated vaccines (LAVs), are produced by MARC-145 cells derived from the monkey kidney cell line. However, some PRRSV strains in MARC-145 cells have a low yield. Here, we used two type 2 PRRSV strains (CH-1R and HuN4) to identify the genes responsible for virus yield in MARC-145 cells. Our findings indicate that the two viruses have different spread patterns, which ultimately determine their yield...

A facile and efficient radical tandem vinylogous aldol and intramolecular [2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction for direct synthesis of cyclobutane-containing benzocyclobutenes (BCBs) under extremely mild conditions without using any photocatalysts is reported. This approach exhibited definite compatibility with functional groups and afforded new BCBs with excellent regioselectivity and high yields. Moreover, detailed mechanism studies were carried out both experimentally and theoretically. The readily accessible, low-cost, and ecofriendly nature of the developed strategy will endow it with attractive applications in organic and medicinal chemistry...

Bian-Se-Tong mixture (BSTM) is an optimized formulation based on the classical prescription "Zhizhu pill", which is widely used in the clinical treatment of slow-transit constipation (STC). The potential molecular mechanism of BSTM therapy for STC was investigated by network pharmacology prediction combined with animal experiments. The active components of BSTM were screened via the TCMSP platform. The GeneCards, OMIM and DrugBank databases were used to search for STC targets. With the help of the Biogenet tool, a protein interaction network between drugs and disease targets was constructed, and the intersection network of the two was extracted to obtain the key targets of BSTM in the treatment of STC...

BACKGROUND: Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) inhibitors can induce various adverse reactions associated with immunity, of which cardiotoxicity is a serious complication. Limited research exists on the link between PD-1 inhibitor use and pericardial effusion (PE) occurrence and outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from 2017 to 2019, comparing cancer patients who developed PE within 2 years after PD-1 inhibitor therapy to those who did not...

BACKGROUND: Immunological non-responders (INRs) among people living with HIV have inherently higher mortality and morbidity rates. The underlying immunological mechanisms whereby failure of immune reconstitution occurs in INRs require elucidation. METHOD: HIV DNA and HIV cell-associated RNA (CA-HIV RNA) quantifications were conducted via RT-qPCR. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq), bioinformatics, and biological verifications were performed to discern the crosstalk between host and viral factors...

Our recent multi-omics studies have revealed rich sources of novel bioactive proteins and polypeptides from marine organisms including cnidarians. In the present study, we initially conducted a transcriptomic analysis to review the composition profile of polypeptides from Zoanthus sociatus. Then, a newly discovered NPY-like polypeptide-ZoaNPY was selected for further in silico structural, binding and virtually pharmacological studies. To evaluate the pro-angiogenic effects of ZoaNPY, we employed an in vitro HUVECs model and an in vivo zebrafish model...

BACKGROUND: The bone remodeling during orthodontic treatment for malocclusion often requires a long duration of around two to three years, which also may lead to some complications such as alveolar bone resorption or tooth root resorption. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS), a noninvasive physical therapy, has been shown to promote bone fracture healing. It is also reported that LIPUS could reduce the duration of orthodontic treatment; however, how LIPUS regulates the bone metabolism during the orthodontic treatment process is still unclear...

Gastric peroral endoscopic myotomy (G-POME) is an emerging minimally invasive endoscopic technique involving the establishment of a submucosal tunnel around the pyloric sphincter. In 2013, Khashab et al used G-POME for the first time in the treatment of gastroparesis with enhanced therapeutic efficacy, providing a new direction for the treatment of gastroparesis. With the recent and rapid development of G-POME therapy technology, progress has been made in the treatment of gastroparesis and other upper digestive tract diseases, such as congenital hypertrophic pyloric stenosis and gastric sleeve stricture, with G-POME...

The blood-brain barrier (BBB)/blood-tumor barrier (BTB) impedes brain entry of most brain-targeted drugs, whether they are water-soluble or hydrophobic. Endothelial WNT signaling and neoplastic pericytes maintain BTB low permeability by regulating tight junctions. Here, we proposed nitazoxanide (NTZ) and ibrutinib (IBR) co-loaded ICAM-1-targeting nanoparticles (NI@I-NPs) to disrupt the BTB in a time-dependent, reversible, and size-selective manner by targeting specific ICAM-1, inactivating WNT signaling and depleting pericytes in tumor-associated blood vessels in breast cancer brain metastases...

Resistance to glucocorticoids (GCs), the common agents for remission induction in pediatric B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL), poses a significant therapeutic hurdle. Therefore, dissecting the mechanisms shaping GC resistance could lead to new treatment modalities. Here, we showed that CD9- BCP-ALL cells were preferentially resistant to prednisone and dexamethasone over other standard cytotoxic agents. Concordantly, we identified significantly more poor responders to the prednisone prephase among BCP-ALL patients with a CD9- phenotype, especially for those with adverse presenting features including older age, higher white cell count and BCR-ABL1...

In recent years, the rotational Doppler effect (RDE) has been widely used in rotational motion measurement. However, the performance of existing detection systems based on the RDE are generally limited by the drastic reduction of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) due to the influence of atmospheric turbulence, partial obscuration of the vortex beam (VB) during propagation, and misalignment between the optical axis of VB and the rotational axis of the object, which poses a challenge for practical applications. In this paper, we proposed a coherent detection method of the RDE measurement based on triple Fourier transform...

OBJECTIVES: To investigate how core competency and self-efficacy of newly graduated nurses affect their experience of transition shock, and to determine the relationship between these factors. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: 262 newly graduated nurses participated in a cross-sectional study by using demographic data, the transition shock scale, the competency inventory for registered nurses scale and the self-efficacy scale. RESULTS: Among newly graduated nurses, the score of transition shock was 77...

BACKGROUND: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a serious complication in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), which still lacks adequate therapy. Irisin, a cleavage peptide off fibronectin type III domain-containing 5, has been shown to preserve cardiac function in cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury. Whether or not irisin plays a cardioprotective role in DCM is not known. METHODS AND RESULTS: T1DM was induced by multiple low-dose intraperitoneal injections of streptozotocin (STZ)...

Fluoropyrimidine-based combination chemotherapy plus targeted therapy is the standard initial treatment for unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), but the prognosis remains poor. This phase 3 trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03950154) assessed the efficacy and adverse events (AEs) of the combination of PD-1 blockade-activated DC-CIK (PD1-T) cells with XELOX plus bevacizumab as a first-line therapy in patients with mCRC. A total of 202 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either first-line XELOX plus bevacizumab (the control group, n = 102) or the same regimen plus autologous PD1-T cell immunotherapy (the immunotherapy group, n = 100) every 21 days for up to 6 cycles, followed by maintenance treatment with capecitabine and bevacizumab...

INTRODUCTION: Bimetallic nanoparticles, specifically Zinc oxide (ZnO) and Silver (Ag), continue to much outperform other nanoparticles investigated for a variety of biological uses in the field of cancer therapy. This study introduces biosynthesis of bimetallic silver/zinc oxide nanocomposites (Ag@ZnO NCs) using the Crocus sativus extract and evaluates their anti-cancer properties against cervical cancer. METHODS: The process of generating bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs), namely Ag@ZnO NCs, through the utilization of Crocus sativus extract proved to be uncomplicated and eco-friendly...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Cortex fraxini (also known as Qinpi), the bark of Fraxinus rhynchophylla Hance and Fraxinus stylosa Lingelsh, constitutes a crucial component in several traditional Chinese formulas (e.g., Baitouweng Tang, Jinxiao Formula, etc.) and has demonstrated efficacy in alleviating intestinal carbuncle and managing diarrhea. Cortex fraxini has demonstrated commendable anticancer activity in the realm of Chinese ethnopharmacology; nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms against colorectal cancer (CRC) remain elusive...

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a biomarker for heart failure, a serious and prevalent disease that requires rapid and accurate diagnosis. In this study, we developed a novel electrochemical biosensor for BNP detection based on CRISPR/Cas13a and chain substitution reaction. The biosensor consists of a DNA aptamer that specifically binds to BNP, a T7 RNA polymerase that amplifies the signal, a CRISPR/Cas13a system that cleaves the target RNA, and a two-dimensional DNA nanoprobe that generates an electrochemical signal...

Long-term deposition of atmospheric radioactive iodine-129 (129 I) is important for assessing the impact of human nuclear activities (HNAs), but still not well understood in East Asia. In this study, we quantitatively reconstructed the deposition history of airborne 129 I using varved sediment from Sihailongwan Maar Lake (SHLW) in northeast China. Our results revealed significant increases in 129 I concentrations and 129 I/127 I atomic ratios since the 1950s, indicating the influence of HNAs on the environment and marking the onset of the Anthropocene...