Publications by authors named "Lihong Cheng"

Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors are widely used to inhibit inflammatory cytokine signaling in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, but their effect on regulatory T cells (Tregs) is poorly characterized. We investigated the effect of a JAK inhibitor, upadacitinib, on human Treg differentiation and phenotype in comparison to BMS-986202, a selective Tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor. Both upadacitinib and BMS-986202 blocked naive CD4 T cell differentiation into Th1/17 cells, but only BMS-986202 and a related TYK2 inhibitor, deucravacitinib, spared interleukin-2 (IL-2) signaling and Treg induction.

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The advancement of phosphors with multiple capabilities has garnered significant interest, especially for applications in optical thermometry and dynamic anticounterfeiting technologies. In this work, we successfully synthesized a series of color-tunable Pr single-doped CaInTaO (CITO:Pr) persistent luminescence (PersL) materials by using a high-temperature solid-state method. The crystal structure of the obtained CITO:Pr phosphor was characterized by X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement.

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ZnAlO spinel is widely used as a support in various reactions due to its thermal stability. Investigating the interaction between CO and ZnAlO is essential for understanding the surface reaction mechanisms. In the present work, density functional theory (DFT) and atomistic thermodynamics were employed to investigate the adsorption of CO on perfect and O-defective ZnAlO surfaces at varying CO coverages.

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Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by infection with (). Due to its atypical symptoms and the absence of specific detection methods, Q fever is underdiagnosed commonly. Herein, we report a case of Q fever confirmed by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in March 2024 in Guangdong Province, China.

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Deep molecular phenotyping of cells at transcriptomic and proteomic levels is an essential first step to understanding cellular contributions to development, aging, injury, and disease. Since proteome and transcriptome level abundances only modestly correlate with each other, complementary profiling of both is needed. We report a novel method called simultaneous protein and RNA -omics (SPARO) to capture the cell type-specific transcriptome and proteome simultaneously from both in vitro and in vivo experimental model systems.

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Research on multifunctional luminous materials has garnered a lot of interest in the fields of optical sensing, biological imaging, white light-emitting diodes illumination, etc. A novel multifunctional phosphor of Pr-doped BiMoO (BMO: Pr), created via the solid-state method, was investigated in this work. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectra, and fluorescence decay curves were employed to analyze the produced phosphors.

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In a series of studies on blood-brain barrier transportable peptides, a soybean dipeptide, Tyr-Pro, penetrated the mouse brain parenchyma after oral intake and improved short and long memory impairment in acute Alzheimer's model mice. Here, we aimed to clarify the anti-dementia effects of this peptide administered to SAMP8 mice prior to dementia onset. At the end of the 25-week protocol in 16-week-old SAMP8 mice, Tyr-Pro (10 mg/kg/day) significantly improved the reduced spatial learning ability compared with that in the control and amino acid (Tyr + Pro) groups as indicated by the results of Morris water maze tests conducted for five consecutive days.

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Article Synopsis
  • Translational medicine aids in discovering new drugs and predicting side effects by examining the selectivity of drugs that target specific pathways like the JAK-STAT signaling pathway.
  • Deucravacitinib is highlighted as a first-in-class drug that selectively inhibits TYK2, unlike traditional JAK inhibitors that target multiple JAK family members, potentially leading to broader side effects.
  • Clinical trials indicate that deucravacitinib has a different safety profile from JAK1,2,3 inhibitors, as it does not suppress certain blood cell production processes (thrombopoiesis, erythropoiesis, and myelopoiesis) that the JAK inhibitors affect.
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Recent studies have reported the benefits of food-derived peptides for memory dysfunction. Beyond the physiological effects of peptides, their bioavailability to the brain still remains unclear since the blood-brain barrier (BBB) strictly controls the transportation of compounds to the brain. Here, updated transportation studies on BBB transportable peptides are introduced and evaluated using in vitro BBB models, in situ perfusion, and in vivo mouse experiments.

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Article Synopsis
  • Chlamydia psittaci is a zoonotic pathogen found in birds that can cause severe respiratory diseases in humans, particularly affecting those working in or living near poultry farms.
  • * In a study across three cities in China, researchers collected and tested fecal samples from various poultry species and swab and serum samples from poultry farm and zoo workers to assess the prevalence and genotypes of C. psittaci.
  • * The results showed that 3.13% of poultry samples and a higher percentage of human serum samples tested positive for the pathogen, with the identified strains indicating that human infections likely originated from poultry, while a new strain was found in peacocks.
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In this study, a novel mitovirus, tentatively designated as "Alternaria alternata mitovirus 2" (AaMV2), was isolated from the fungus Alternaria alternata f. sp. mali causing apple leaf blotch disease.

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Mycoviruses have been found in various fungal species across different taxonomic groups, while no viruses have been reported yet in the fungus In this study, a novel orfanplasmovirus, namely Exserohilum rostratum orfanplasmovirus 1 (ErOrfV1), was identified in the strain JZ1 from maize leaf. The complete genome of ErOrfV1 consists of two positive single-stranded RNA segments, encoding an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and a hypothetical protein with unknown function, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that ErOrfV1 clusters with other orfanplasmoviruses, forming a distinct phyletic clade.

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In this study, the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of Ti6Al4V titanium alloy welded joints subjected to ultrasonic assisted laser welding were scrutinized, while numerical simulations were employed to explicate the grain refinement mechanism. The simulations indicate that the ultrasonic vibration significantly improves the overall fluidity and temperature of the molten pool. Under the identical condition of laser power and welding speed (1500 W, 1.

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Dysfunction in fast-spiking parvalbumin interneurons (PV-INs) may represent an early pathophysiological perturbation in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Defining early proteomic alterations in PV-INs can provide key biological and translationally-relevant insights. We used cell-type-specific in-vivo biotinylation of proteins (CIBOP) coupled with mass spectrometry to obtain native-state PV-IN proteomes.

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The dipeptide Tyr-Pro has physiological potential for intact transportability into the brain parenchyma, prevention of cognitive impairment, and an adiponectin receptor 1 (AdipoR1) agonistic effect. The present study aimed to understand the effect of Tyr-Pro on the acetylcholine (ACh) nervous system and its underlying mechanism in NE-4C nerve cells. Concentration-dependent ACh production was induced by stimulation with Tyr-Pro and AdipoRon (an AdipoR1 agonist), along with the expression of AdipoR1 and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in NE-4C cells.

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Raising photoelectric conversion efficiency and enhancing heat management are two critical concerns for silicon-based solar cells. In this work, efficient Yb infrared emissions from both quantum cutting and upconversion were demonstrated by adjusting Er and Yb concentrations, and thermo-manage-applicable temperature sensing based on the luminescence intensity ratio of two super-low thermal quenching levels was discovered in an Er/Yb co-doped tungstate system. The quantum cutting mechanism was clearly decrypted as a two-step energy transfer process from Er to Yb.

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Novel and high-security anti-counterfeiting technology has always been the focus of attention and research. This work proposes a nanocomposite combination of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and perovskite quantum dots (PeQDs) to achieve color-adjustable dual-mode luminescence anti-counterfeiting. Firstly, a series of NaGdF: Yb/Tm UCNPs with different sizes were synthesized, and their thermal-enhanced upconversion luminescence performances were investigated.

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The transport and accumulation of orally administered functional food-derived peptides in the brain was not fully explored. Thus, in the present study, we aimed to provide critical evidence regarding brain accumulation of a memory-improving soy dipeptide, Tyr-Pro, following oral administration. Stable isotope-labeled Tyr-Pro (Tyr-[C,N]Pro) was orally administered to male ICR mice at 10 or 100 mg/kg.

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Article Synopsis
  • Acupuncture and moxibustion, traditional Chinese therapies, have been used for centuries, but there's limited research comparing their effects on treating cerebral infarction.
  • In this study, 80 rats were divided into five groups to assess the impact of these treatments on various neurological and cellular markers after inducing a stroke-like condition.
  • Results showed both acupuncture and moxibustion effectively reduced nerve signaling associated with injury and improved neurological function, indicating that they have similar therapeutic effects in this context.
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Efforts directed at improving potency and preparing structurally different TYK2 JH2 inhibitors from the first generation of compounds such as 1a led to the SAR study of new central pyridyl based analogs 2-4. The current SAR study resulted in the identification of 4h as a potent and selective TYK2 JH2 inhibitor with distinct structural differences from 1a. In this manuscript, the in vitro and in vivo profiles of 4h are described.

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One of the earliest pathophysiological perturbations in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) may arise from dysfunction of fast-spiking parvalbumin (PV) interneurons (PV-INs). Defining early protein-level (proteomic) alterations in PV-INs can provide key biological and translationally relevant insights. Here, we use cell-type-specific in vivo biotinylation of proteins (CIBOP) coupled with mass spectrometry to obtain native-state proteomes of PV interneurons.

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Objective: To investigated the effects of suspended moxibustion stimulating Shenshu (BL23) and Guanyuan (CV4) acupoints on the amygdala and HPA axis in our rat model and elucidated the possible molecular mechanisms of moxibustion on kidney- deficiency symptom pattern (KYDS).

Methods: Sixty male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group ( 12) and an experimental group ( 48). Rats in the experimental group were given intramuscular injections of hydrocortisone to establish a KYDS model.

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Purpose: Warm acupuncture (WA) therapy has been applied to treat spinal cord injury (SCI), but the underlying mechanism is unclear. The current study attempted to explore the WA therapy on neuronal apoptosis of SCI and the relationship with the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway.

Methods: The rat SCI models were established by the impact method.

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Objective: To observe the effect of moxibustion treatment on the expression of Nogo-A, Nogo receptor (NgR), neurotrophin receptor p75 (p75NTR) and leucine rich repeat and Ig domain containing 1 (Lingo-1) in brain tissue of rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CI/RI), so as to analyze its mechanism underlying improvement of CI/RI.

Methods: Male SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group (16 rats), model group (17 rats), NEP1-40 (extracellular peptide residues 1-40, a blocker targeting NgR) group (model+blocker, 17 rats) and moxibustion group (model+moxibustion, 17 rats). The CI/RI model was established by occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery (MCAO).

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Proteomic profiling of brain cell types using isolation-based strategies pose limitations in resolving cellular phenotypes representative of their native state. We describe a mouse line for cell type-specific expression of biotin ligase TurboID, for in vivo biotinylation of proteins. Using adenoviral and transgenic approaches to label neurons, we show robust protein biotinylation in neuronal soma and axons throughout the brain, allowing quantitation of over 2000 neuron-derived proteins spanning synaptic proteins, transporters, ion channels and disease-relevant druggable targets.

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