Feng Zhang

Bio: Feng Zhang is an academic researcher from Fudan University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Medicine & Materials science. The author has an hindex of 172, co-authored 1278 publications receiving 181865 citations. Previous affiliations of Feng Zhang include Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center & Nanjing Medical University.

Integrative analysis of genome-wide association studies and gene expression profiles identified candidate genes for osteoporosis in Kashin-Beck disease patients

Abstract: The molecular mechanism of osteoporosis (OP) in Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) patients was unclear. Our results suggest that KBD and OP shared some common causal genes, functionally involved in skeletal growth and development and chronic inflammation. Our results provide novel clues for clarifying the molecular mechanism of OP in KBD patients. KBD is a chronic skeletal disorder with osteopenia and OP. The pathogenesis of OP in KBD patients remains elusive. A total of 1717 subjects participated in this study. KBD was diagnosed according to the clinical diagnosis criteria of China (GB16395-1996). The bone mineral density (BMD) and bone areas of the ulna and radius, hip, and lumbar (L1–L4) were measured with a Hologic 4500 W dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanner. Genotyping was conducted using Affymetrix SNP Array 6.0. Gene expression profiling of peripheral blood mononuclear cells of KBD and OP patients were compared using Affymetrix HG-U133 plus 2.0 arrays and Agilent Human 1A arrays, respectively. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were conducted by PLINK. SCEA and DAVID were applied for pleiotropy and functional enrichment analysis, respectively. SCEA analysis observed significant pleiotropic effects between KBD and the ulna and radius BMD (P value = 5.99 × 10−3). GWAS meta-analysis identified six candidate genes with pleiotropic effects, including PDGFD, SOX5, DPYD, CTR9, SPP1, and COL4A1. GO analysis identified 16 significant GO shared by KBD and the ulna and radius BMD, involved in cell morphogenesis and apoptosis. Pathway enrichment analysis detected two common pathways for KBD and the ulna and radius BMD, including calcium signaling pathway and vascular smooth muscle contraction pathway. Gene expression analysis detected three up-regulated inflammation-related genes for KBD and OP, including IL1B, IL8, and CCL1. This study reported several candidate genes involved in the development of OP in KBD patients.

Fe Oxides on Ag Surfaces : Structure and Reactivity

Abstract: One layer thick iron oxide films are attractive from both applied and fundamental science perspectives. The structural and chemical properties of these systems can be tuned by changing the substrate, making them promising materials for heterogeneous catalysis. In the present work, we investigate the structure of FeO(111) monolayer films grown on Ag(100) and Ag(111) substrates by means of microscopy and diffraction techniques and compare it with the structure of FeO(111) grown on other substrates reported in literature. We also study the NO adsorption properties of FeO(111)/Ag(100) and FeO(111)/Ag(111) systems utilizing different spectroscopic techniques. We discuss similarities and differences in the data obtained from adsorption experiments and compare it with previous results for FeO(111)/Pt(111).

Selectivity in the initial C-H bond cleavage of n-butane on PdO(101).

Abstract: We used temperature programmed reaction spectroscopy (TPRS) and molecular beam reflectivity measurements to investigate the initial dissociation of n-butane isotopologues on PdO(101) and determine kinetic parameters governing the selectivity of initial C–H(D) bond cleavage. We observe differences in the reactivity of the n-butane isotopologues on PdO(101) due to kinetic isotope effects, and find that the initial dissociation probability decreases with increasing surface temperature for each isotopologue. We performed an analysis of the dissociation kinetics using a model that is based on a precursor-mediated mechanism for n-butane dissociation and enables quantification of kinetic parameters for selective C–H bond cleavage by considering differences in the reactivity among the n-butane isotopologues. From the analysis, we estimate that 49% of the n-butane molecules which react during TPRS do so through 1° C–H bond cleavage when the initial coverage of n-butane lies between ∼40% and 100% of the saturation coverage of the molecular precursor state. For dissociation in the limit of zero coverage, we estimate that the conditional probability for 1° C–H bond cleavage is equal to ∼87% and varies only weakly with surface temperature from 300 K to 400 K. Analysis of the temperature dependent rate data further predicts that the barrier for 1° C–H bond cleavage is 3.5 kJ mol−1 lower than that for 2° C–H bond cleavage for n-butane dissociation on PdO(101) in the limit of zero coverage. Our results provide evidence that the selectivity for 1° C–H bond cleavage on PdO(101) increases as the n-butane coverage decreases below ∼40% of the saturation value. We speculate that intermolecular interactions among the n-butane species are responsible for the apparent coverage dependence of the C–H bond selectivity for n-butane dissociation on PdO(101).

DS-ADMM++: A Novel Distributed Quantized ADMM to Speed up Differentially Private Matrix Factorization

Abstract: Matrix factorization is a powerful method to implement collaborative filtering recommender systems. This article addresses two major challenges, privacy and efficiency, which matrix factorization is facing. We based our work on DS-ADMM, a distributed matrix factorization algorithm with decent efficiency, to achieve the following two pieces of work: (1) Integrated local differential privacy paradigm into DS-ADMM to provide the privacy-preserving property; (2) Introduced a stochastic quantized function to reduce transmission overheads in ADMM to further improve efficiency. We named our work DS-ADMM++, in which one ’+’ refers to differential privacy, and the other ’+’ refers to quantized techniques. DS-ADMM++ is the first to perform efficient and private matrix factorization under the scenarios of differential privacy and DS-ADMM. We conducted experiments with benchmark data sets to demonstrate that our approach provides differential privacy and excellent scalability with a decent loss of accuracy.

Size of coronary artery in a myocardial bridge compared with adjacent nontunneled left anterior descending coronary artery.

Abstract: Patients with myocardial bridging (MB) may experience myocardial ischemia. Coronary stenting was reported to serve as an effective interventional approach to improve symptoms in selected patients with MB, but is related to high risk of coronary perforation. The aim of this study is to investigate vessel area in the myocardial bridge segment in comparison to that of adjacent segments proximal and distal to MB using intravascular ultrasound. A total of 81 myocardial bridge segments, characterized by a half-moon–shaped echolucent zone surrounding the intramural artery, were found in 78 patients using intravascular ultrasound. The cross-sectional area within the external elastic membrane and minimum and maximum diameters in the myocardial bridge segment and adjacent reference vessel segments were measured. Diastolic cross-sectional area within the external elastic membrane in the myocardial bridge segment was significantly smaller than that in adjacent segments both proximal and distal to MB (5.48 ± 2.59 vs 9.40 ± 3.48 and 7.22 ± 2.87 mm 2 , respectively, both p

疟原虫var基因转换速率变化导致抗原变异[英]／Paul H, Robert P, Christodoulou Z, et al//Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Abstract: 抗原变异可使得多种致病微生物易于逃避宿主免疫应答。表达在感染红细胞表面的恶性疟原虫红细胞表面蛋白1（PfPMP1）与感染红细胞、内皮细胞、树突状细胞以及胎盘的单个或多个受体作用，在黏附及免疫逃避中起关键的作用。每个单倍体基因组var基因家族编码约60种成员，通过启动转录不同的var基因变异体为抗原变异提供了分子基础。

2013 ESH/ESC Guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension: The Task Force for the management of arterial hypertension of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

Abstract: ABCD : Appropriate Blood pressure Control in Diabetes ABI : ankle–brachial index ABPM : ambulatory blood pressure monitoring ACCESS : Acute Candesartan Cilexetil Therapy in Stroke Survival ACCOMPLISH : Avoiding Cardiovascular Events in Combination Therapy in Patients Living with Systolic Hypertension ACCORD : Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes ACE : angiotensin-converting enzyme ACTIVE I : Atrial Fibrillation Clopidogrel Trial with Irbesartan for Prevention of Vascular Events ADVANCE : Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: Preterax and Diamicron-MR Controlled Evaluation AHEAD : Action for HEAlth in Diabetes ALLHAT : Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart ATtack ALTITUDE : ALiskiren Trial In Type 2 Diabetes Using Cardio-renal Endpoints ANTIPAF : ANgioTensin II Antagonist In Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation APOLLO : A Randomized Controlled Trial of Aliskiren in the Prevention of Major Cardiovascular Events in Elderly People ARB : angiotensin receptor blocker ARIC : Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities ARR : aldosterone renin ratio ASCOT : Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial ASCOT-LLA : Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial—Lipid Lowering Arm ASTRAL : Angioplasty and STenting for Renal Artery Lesions A-V : atrioventricular BB : beta-blocker BMI : body mass index BP : blood pressure BSA : body surface area CA : calcium antagonist CABG : coronary artery bypass graft CAPPP : CAPtopril Prevention Project CAPRAF : CAndesartan in the Prevention of Relapsing Atrial Fibrillation CHD : coronary heart disease CHHIPS : Controlling Hypertension and Hypertension Immediately Post-Stroke CKD : chronic kidney disease CKD-EPI : Chronic Kidney Disease—EPIdemiology collaboration CONVINCE : Controlled ONset Verapamil INvestigation of CV Endpoints CT : computed tomography CV : cardiovascular CVD : cardiovascular disease D : diuretic DASH : Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension DBP : diastolic blood pressure DCCT : Diabetes Control and Complications Study DIRECT : DIabetic REtinopathy Candesartan Trials DM : diabetes mellitus DPP-4 : dipeptidyl peptidase 4 EAS : European Atherosclerosis Society EASD : European Association for the Study of Diabetes ECG : electrocardiogram EF : ejection fraction eGFR : estimated glomerular filtration rate ELSA : European Lacidipine Study on Atherosclerosis ESC : European Society of Cardiology ESH : European Society of Hypertension ESRD : end-stage renal disease EXPLOR : Amlodipine–Valsartan Combination Decreases Central Systolic Blood Pressure more Effectively than the Amlodipine–Atenolol Combination FDA : U.S. Food and Drug Administration FEVER : Felodipine EVent Reduction study GISSI-AF : Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell'Infarto Miocardico-Atrial Fibrillation HbA1c : glycated haemoglobin HBPM : home blood pressure monitoring HOPE : Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation HOT : Hypertension Optimal Treatment HRT : hormone replacement therapy HT : hypertension HYVET : HYpertension in the Very Elderly Trial IMT : intima-media thickness I-PRESERVE : Irbesartan in Heart Failure with Preserved Systolic Function INTERHEART : Effect of Potentially Modifiable Risk Factors associated with Myocardial Infarction in 52 Countries INVEST : INternational VErapamil SR/T Trandolapril ISH : Isolated systolic hypertension JNC : Joint National Committee JUPITER : Justification for the Use of Statins in Primary Prevention: an Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin LAVi : left atrial volume index LIFE : Losartan Intervention For Endpoint Reduction in Hypertensives LV : left ventricle/left ventricular LVH : left ventricular hypertrophy LVM : left ventricular mass MDRD : Modification of Diet in Renal Disease MRFIT : Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial MRI : magnetic resonance imaging NORDIL : The Nordic Diltiazem Intervention study OC : oral contraceptive OD : organ damage ONTARGET : ONgoing Telmisartan Alone and in Combination with Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial PAD : peripheral artery disease PATHS : Prevention And Treatment of Hypertension Study PCI : percutaneous coronary intervention PPAR : peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor PREVEND : Prevention of REnal and Vascular ENdstage Disease PROFESS : Prevention Regimen for Effectively Avoiding Secondary Strokes PROGRESS : Perindopril Protection Against Recurrent Stroke Study PWV : pulse wave velocity QALY : Quality adjusted life years RAA : renin-angiotensin-aldosterone RAS : renin-angiotensin system RCT : randomized controlled trials RF : risk factor ROADMAP : Randomized Olmesartan And Diabetes MicroAlbuminuria Prevention SBP : systolic blood pressure SCAST : Angiotensin-Receptor Blocker Candesartan for Treatment of Acute STroke SCOPE : Study on COgnition and Prognosis in the Elderly SCORE : Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation SHEP : Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program STOP : Swedish Trials in Old Patients with Hypertension STOP-2 : The second Swedish Trial in Old Patients with Hypertension SYSTCHINA : SYSTolic Hypertension in the Elderly: Chinese trial SYSTEUR : SYSTolic Hypertension in Europe TIA : transient ischaemic attack TOHP : Trials Of Hypertension Prevention TRANSCEND : Telmisartan Randomised AssessmeNt Study in ACE iNtolerant subjects with cardiovascular Disease UKPDS : United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study VADT : Veterans' Affairs Diabetes Trial VALUE : Valsartan Antihypertensive Long-term Use Evaluation WHO : World Health Organization ### 1.1 Principles The 2013 guidelines on hypertension of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and the European Society of Cardiology …

A programmable dual-RNA-guided DNA endonuclease in adaptive bacterial immunity.

Abstract: Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) systems provide bacteria and archaea with adaptive immunity against viruses and plasmids by using CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) to guide the silencing of invading nucleic acids. We show here that in a subset of these systems, the mature crRNA that is base-paired to trans-activating crRNA (tracrRNA) forms a two-RNA structure that directs the CRISPR-associated protein Cas9 to introduce double-stranded (ds) breaks in target DNA. At sites complementary to the crRNA-guide sequence, the Cas9 HNH nuclease domain cleaves the complementary strand, whereas the Cas9 RuvC-like domain cleaves the noncomplementary strand. The dual-tracrRNA:crRNA, when engineered as a single RNA chimera, also directs sequence-specific Cas9 dsDNA cleavage. Our study reveals a family of endonucleases that use dual-RNAs for site-specific DNA cleavage and highlights the potential to exploit the system for RNA-programmable genome editing.