Biomedical subjects

Xin Zhao

Publications and source records attributed to Xin Zhao.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

An Aspergillus luchuensis isolated from a patient with hemoptysis insights from a comprehensive genome-based analysis: Case report.

RATIONALE: Asp luchuensis, a member of the A niger group, is widely used in food fermentation and rarely causes invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in humans. Clinical cases of IPA induced by this strain are extremely scarce, and its genomic characteristics, virulence profiles, and pathogenic mechanisms remain poorly understood, resulting in insufficient clinical recognition of its invasive infection potential. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 57-year-old immunocompetent non-neutropenic male patient with a long-term smoking and drinking history presented with unexplained severe cough and massive hemoptysis (approximately100 mL) without other typical infectious symptoms. DIAGNOSES: Combined with chest computed tomography (CT) inflammatory lesions, positive galactomannan test, fungal PCR and metagenomic next-generation sequencing results, the patient was definitively diagnosed with probable A luchuensis-induced IPA. Genomic and transcriptomic analyses confirmed the pathogen as a variant A luchuensis strain with 3 key hypervirulence genes, highly active mitochondrial energy metabolism, and no specific antifungal resistance genes. INTERVENTIONS: The patient received standardized intravenous antifungal combination therapy with voriconazole and amphotericin B after confirmed diagnosis. OUTCOMES: The patient's cough and hemoptysis were significantly relieved after 10 days of treatment, with stable vital signs and no adverse drug reactions or disease progression. LESSONS: A luchuensis possesses strong invasive pathogenicity and can trigger IPA even in non-neutropenic immunocompetent individuals. Negative conventional microbial tests cannot exclude its infection, and mNGS is a reliable diagnostic tool. This strain is susceptible to routine antifungal drugs, and clinicians should raise awareness of atypical Asp species-induced invasive pulmonary infections.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Identification of the R2R3-MYB gene family in wild jujube (Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa) and analysis of its expression under drought stress.

BACKGROUND: R2R3-MYB gene family serves as a pivotal regulatory factor in plant growth, development, and responses to environmental stresses. To investigate its function in the drought stress response of wild jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa), a typical eco-economic forest species, this study performed genome-wide identification and relevant analyses of R2R3-MYB genes. RESULTS: A total of 91 R2R3-MYB genes (designated as ZjMYB1 to ZjMYB91) were identified, which were unevenly distributed across 12 chromosomes. These genes mainly encode hydrophilic and unstable proteins, 97.8% of which are localized in the nucleus. Phylogenetic analysis classified these genes into 25 clades, showing evolutionary conservation and species-specific divergence with the R2R3-MYB protein family. The expansion of the ZjMYB family is mainly characterized by segmental duplication, and all duplicated gene pairs have undergone purifying selection. ZjMYBs are widely involved in plant growth and development as well as abiotic stress responses, with the highest expression level particularly in leaf tissues; a total of 13 genes were specifically annotated as water deficit response-related genes in drought stress and abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathways. Integrating the above analyses together with transcriptome data and qRT-PCR validation results revealed that ZjMYB5, ZjMYB53, ZjMYB57 and ZjMYB85 function as core drought-responsive genes, which display both tissue-specific and time-dependent expression patterns under drought stress. CONCLUSIONS: This study systematically elucidated the functional characteristics and regulatory network of the R2R3-MYB gene family in wild jujube, providing critical genetic resources and a theoretical basis for dissecting the molecular mechanisms underlying drought tolerance in wild jujube and breeding drought-resistant cultivars.

Ziziphus↗

PubMed2026

The Dual Role of Executive Functioning in the Association Between Family Socioeconomic Status and Children's Problem Behaviors.

Although prior research suggests that executive functioning may either mediate or moderate the association between family socioeconomic status (SES) and children's problem behaviors, examining these roles separately provides an incomplete account: mediation models may understate individual differences that are not attributable to the environment, whereas moderation models may understate the role of the environment in shaping personal characteristics. To integrate these perspectives, the present longitudinal study examined whether executive functioning simultaneously mediates and moderates the association between family SES and children's internalizing and externalizing problems. A total of 308 children in the early years of elementary school (MageT1 = 7.34 years; 138 girls) were assessed and followed up 39 months later. After controlling for children's gender, age, and grade, lower family SES at T1 significantly predicted higher levels of both internalizing and externalizing problems at T2. Executive functioning at T1 partially mediated these associations, indicating that differences in children's executive functioning partly accounted for socioeconomic disparities in problem behaviors. Executive functioning also moderated both associations: SES was negatively associated with problem behaviors among children with lower executive functioning but not among those with higher executive functioning. These findings highlight the dual role of executive functioning in the longitudinal association between SES and children's problem behaviors and suggest that executive functioning may be a promising target for efforts to reduce mental health disparities associated with socioeconomic disadvantage.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Cefiderocol susceptibility rates in carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria in a comparative, multicenter surveillance study in China.

BACKGROUND: Cefiderocol is a siderophore cephalosporin with potent, broad spectrum of activity against carbapenem-resistant (CR) Gram-negative bacteria. The objective of this surveillance study was to assess cefiderocol susceptibility in molecularly characterized CR Gram-negative pathogens collected from hospitalized patients across China. METHODS: Susceptibility testing was performed by the broth microdilution method according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines, using pre-prepared frozen 96-well microtiter Thermo Fisher plates. Susceptibilities to cefiderocol and most comparators were determined by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute breakpoints, to tigecycline by US Food and Drug Administration breakpoints, and to colistin by European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing criteria. Carbapenemases were identified by whole-genome sequencing and polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Of 149 CR Klebsiella pneumoniae, 95.3% were susceptible to cefiderocol (OXA-48-positive 100% [n = 15]; IMP-positive 100% [n = 9]; KPC-positive 95.4% [n = 108]; NDM-positive 88.2% [n = 17]) and against 103 NDM-positive CR Escherichia coli, cefiderocol susceptibility was 45.6%. Among comparator antibiotics, ceftazidime-avibactam was only active against K. pneumoniae carbapenemase-positive and OXA-48-positive K. pneumoniae isolates. Susceptibilities to tigecycline and colistin were between 22.2% and 97.1% and between 88.2% and 100% across CR Enterobacterales with different carbapenemases, respectively. High cefiderocol susceptibility rates were found for CR Pseudomonas aeruginosa (98.4%), CR Acinetobacter baumannii (99.6%), and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (99.6%). Among comparator antibiotics, only colistin showed high activity against CR P. aeruginosa (99.2%) and CR A. baumannii (99.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Cefiderocol susceptibility rates were ≥88% against a collection of carbapenemase-positive CR Gram-negative isolates, except for lower susceptibility in NDM-positive CR E. coli isolates. Continuous monitoring of cefiderocol susceptibility is warranted.

Cefiderocol↗

PubMed2026

Increased precipitation decelerates temporal succession of grassland soil microbial communities.

Global precipitation regimes have been shifted in recent decades, imposing significant consequences in water-limited grassland ecosystems. However, the effects of increased precipitation on the succession of soil microbial communities remain unclear, mainly due to the scarcity of long-term experiments with time-series data. Here, we examined temporal succession of grassland soil microbial communities in a long-term increased precipitation experiment. Both soil microbial taxonomic and functional structures were significantly altered by increased precipitation. Increased precipitation significantly decelerated the succession rates of soil microbial functional structure (i.e. time-decay relationships). Consistent with the increased microbial decomposition and heterotrophic respiration, the abundances of soil microbial carbon decomposition genes were markedly enhanced by increased precipitation. Furthermore, increased precipitation stimulated genes involved in nutrient cycling processes, potentially promoting plant growth. Collectively, the contributions of stochastic processes in shaping microbial communities were increased under increased precipitation, suggesting that microbial successional trajectories may shift toward multiple alternative states characterized by greater stochasticity under future altered precipitation regimes.

Soil Microbiology↗

PubMed2025

Improving Community-Based Care for Adolescents with ADHD: a Randomized Controlled Trial of Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Fidelity Supports.

Cognitive-behavioral treatments (CBTs) for adolescents with ADHD demonstrate promise of long-term effects on outcome. However, their implementation in routine care community clinics faces barriers that impact quantity, efficiency, and quality of delivery, as well as client outcomes. This study is a randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the impact of an AI-assisted service delivery model on therapist implementation of Supporting Teens' Autonomy Daily (STAND), a CBT blended with Motivational Interviewing (MI) for adolescents with ADHD. Adolescents with ADHD (N = 51), who were clients at three community mental health agencies, received treatment from 23 therapists. There was randomization of adolescents and therapists to AI-assisted or standard implementation supports. In addition to standard supports (i.e., training, standard facilitation resources, technical assistance, case supervision), AI-assisted support package included digitized facilitation resources housed in a clinical dashboard (Care4), feedback on content fidelity, and AI-generated feedback on MI implementation quality. The AI-assisted group was associated with more efficient treatment delivery and lower number of appointments attended by the adolescent. There was also a significant decrement in MI quality over time in the AI-assisted group compared to the standard support group. Feedback in focus groups indicated that therapists perceived a task-oriented mindset to be associated with receipt of the AI-assisted support package, leading therapists to prioritize efficiency over relational aspects of therapy. Following the results of this trial, a future, larger RCT should examine the impact of the AI-assisted implementation model on mental health outcomes and cost savings to organizations, third party payers, and clients. Trial registration number: NCT05135065; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Registered September 2021.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Modulation of the tumor microenvironment by the ubiquitin-proteasome system in colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with the tumor microenvironment (TME) playing a pivotal role in its progression and therapeutic resistance. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), a central regulator of intracellular protein degradation, is increasingly recognized for its involvement in cancer pathogenesis, though its specific role in modulating the CRC TME remains to be fully elucidated. This review aims to systematically summarize current evidence on how the UPS influences the immunosuppressive network within the CRC TME and to evaluate its potential as a therapeutic target. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive literature search in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases for original research articles and reviews published between January 2010 and August 2025, using keywords including "ubiquitin-proteasome system," "colorectal cancer," "tumor microenvironment,""immune escape,"and "targeted therapy." Studies were selected based on their relevance to UPS-mediated regulatory mechanisms in CRC TME remodeling, immune cell function, and treatment response. RESULTS: Our analysis of preclinical and clinical evidence reveals that the UPS critically regulates immune evasion in CRC through multiple mechanisms: (1) USP14 stabilizes indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), enhancing tryptophan catabolism and kynurenine accumulation, which suppresses T-cell activity; (2) E3 ligases including SPOP, C-Cbl, KLHL22, and FBW7 modulate PD-L1/PD-1 protein stability via ubiquitination, thereby influencing immune checkpoint signaling; and (3) ZFP91 facilitates K63-linked ubiquitination of PP2Ac, impairing mTORC1-mediated glycolysis in T cells and reinforcing regulatory T-cell immunosuppression. Additionally, the UPS intersects with key oncogenic pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin, NF-κB, and p53, further shaping the immunosuppressive landscape of CRC. CONCLUSIONS: Targeting the UPS represents a promising strategy to reverse immunosuppression and overcome therapy resistance in CRC. The primary advantage of this approach lies in its ability to simultaneously disrupt multiple immunosuppressive pathways within the TME, offering a potential solution to the limitations of single-target therapies. Current approaches include proteasome inhibitors, E3 ligase modulators, and deubiquitinating enzyme inhibitors, with combination regimens-such as UPS inhibitors with immune checkpoint blockade-showing synergistic efficacy in preclinical models. Future efforts should focus on enhancing the selectivity of UPS-targeting agents, minimizing off-target effects, and integrating genomic profiling to guide personalized treatment. While current evidence strongly supports the therapeutic potential of UPS targeting, its establishment as a reliable alternative therapy in the clinic will depend on overcoming these challenges and validating efficacy in human trials. This review underscores the UPS as a central regulator of the CRC TME and provides a rational basis for novel therapeutic development.

Humans↗