Publications by authors named "Ao Xu"

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are emerging as promising next-generation energy storage systems due to their inherent safety, environmental sustainability, and cost-effectiveness. However, their widespread application is hindered by challenges such as dendritic Zn growth, hydrogen evolution, and corrosion-induced passivation, which compromise performance and scalability. To overcome these obstacles, we developed a novel dual-interface modified zinc anode by integrating a zinc fluoride (ZnF)-silicon (Si) interface using fluorine-doped silicon nanoparticles encapsulated within hollow mesoporous carbon nanospheres (F-Si@HMCS).

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Objectives: Despite the implementation of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programs in many regions worldwide over the past few decades, the cost-effectiveness of these programs has been questioned owing to their acceptance rates. In this study, we evaluated the cost-effectiveness of screening strategies, quantified the impact of colonoscopy acceptance rates, and analyzed the underlying factors driving individual preferences.

Methods: The cost-effectiveness of three strategies-no screening, sequential two-step screening (fecal immunochemical test and risk assessment, followed by colonoscopy), and colonoscopy screening-was evaluated from a societal perspective.

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Over the past decades, significant importance has been attached to municipal wastewater treatment in China. But wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) still grapple with operation inefficiencies due to low influent concentrations. This study comprehensively provides a portrait of Chinese municipal wastewater from the national and province levels, drawing on official data available.

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Increasingly severe soil salinization in alkaline wetland due to elevated water evaporation under climate warming affected biogeochemical cycling processes, further threatening ecosystem imbalance and global greenhouse gas (GHG) budget. To reveal the underlying relationship between microbial dynamics, nitrous oxide (NO) and carbon dioxide (CO) characteristics under salinity stress in alkaline wetland, a 40-day microcosm experiment was conducted using soil collected from Zhalong wetland in northern China. The physiochemical properties, bacterial community, NO and CO emissions were observed in responses to different salinity gradients (0%, 0.

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In the integrated circuit manufacturing process, reverse osmosis (RO) membranes are widely used for wastewater reclamation. However, fouling by typical surfactants significantly reduces membrane efficiency and lifespan. This study investigates the fouling mechanisms of typical surfactants-cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB, cationic), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS, anionic), and polyoxyethylene octyl phenyl ether (TX, nonionic)-on RO membranes.

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Currently, there is a lack of standardized diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), making it a subject of ongoing debate. The optimal diagnostic method and screening strategy for GDM remain contentious. In this review, we summarize the criteria and methods for diagnosing GDM, and perform a comparison between universal and selective screening strategies.

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Background: Increased cardiac troponin (cTn) concentrations occur in acute myocardial injury and chronic diseases. Characterization of cTn composition in the circulation may assist in differentiating etiologies of myocardial injury. Our goal was to study cTn composition and kinetics in patients following type 1 myocardial infraction (T1MI), cardiac procedures, and chronic heart diseases to establish the relationship between cTn composition and clinical diagnosis.

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Background: Current studies suggest that cardiac troponin (cTn) forms in the circulation may vary in different clinical scenarios. Our aim was to design a combination of cTn assays specific to the main cTn forms and to evaluate their analytical performance.

Methods: We developed immunoassays specific for measuring (1) long-cTnT cTnI-cTnT-TnC (ITC) ternary complex, with cTnT in long form without cleavage at the C-terminal amino acids residue 189-223, designated "long-cTnT ITC complex assay;" (2) both the long-cTnT ITC complex plus short-cTnT ITC complex, designated "hs-total ITC complex assay;" (3) the central part of cTnT of both the long-cTnT ITC complex and free cTnT, designated "hs-cTnT assay.

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Article Synopsis
  • Leflunomide is an immunosuppressant used to treat conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus nephritis but has been linked to serious side effects such as weight loss and liver injury.
  • In a mouse study, leflunomide administration resulted in significant weight loss and altered liver metabolism, particularly affecting aromatic amino acids like phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan.
  • The drug was found to disrupt gut microbiota metabolism and induce liver stress through the PERK pathway, potentially explaining the weight loss and liver damage observed in patients.
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Magnesium-ion batteries are considered the next-generation promising large-scale energy storage devices owing to the low-cost and nondendritic features of metallic Mg anode. Nevertheless, such strong electrostatic interaction between bivalent Mg and crystalline cathode materials will lead to low capacity and poor diffusion kinetics, which seriously hinders the further development of magnesium-ion batteries. Herein, amorphization and anion-rich strategies are employed to prepare well-designed cathode materials with MoS anchored on hollow carbon nanospheres (a-MoS/HCS).

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Aims: Electroacupuncture (EA) at Shuigou (GV26) and Baihui (GV20) has shown therapeutic benefits for stroke patients. Given that natural killer (NK) cell infiltration into the brain significantly contributes to the exacerbation of cerebral ischemic injury, this study investigated the impact of EA at Shuigou (GV26) and Baihui (GV20) on post-ischemic brain infiltration and activation of NK cells.

Methods: Neurological deficit score, rotarod test, adhesive removal test, and TTC staining were used to evaluate the beneficial effects of EA in middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mice.

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In this study, hybrid constructed wetlands (HCW) with functional substrates (vermiculite-tourmaline modified polyurethane) were constructed to investigate nitrogen removal efficiency and metabolic cooperation mechanisms for treating rural contaminated surface water with natural temperature fluctuations. The results show that within a natural temperature fluctuation range of 9-25 °C, the HCW achieved an average nitrate nitrogen removal efficiency of 98 % and a total nitrogen removal efficiency of 76 %, with effluent total nitrogen less than 5 mg/L. The rational secretion of extracellular polymeric substance and the analysis of microbial community structure revealed that functional substrate favors biofilm formation, increases the activity of Candidatus_Brocadia and Thauera, and enhances ammonia and nitrate reduction.

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Symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) in legume-rhizobia serves as a sustainable source of nitrogen (N) in agriculture. However, the addition of inorganic N fertilizers significantly inhibits SNF, and the underlying mechanisms remain not-well understood. Here, we report that inorganic N disrupts iron (Fe) homeostasis in soybean nodules, leading to a decrease in SNF efficiency.

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Simultaneously investigating the influence of multiple early temperament dimensions on children's eating behaviors through infant and young child feeding practices may be essential for developing optimal intervention strategies. This longitudinal study gathered data at two assessment points: Time 1, evaluation of infant and young child feeding practices and children's temperament when they were between 6 and 12 months, and Time 2, assessment of children's eating behaviors at age 2. This study included sociodemographic characteristics, the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire for Toddlers (CEBQ-T), the short form of Children Behavior Questionnaire (Revised IBQ-RSF), and the Infant Feeding Style Questionnaire (IFSQ) in eastern China.

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The catastrophic dendrite hyperplasia and parasitic reactions severely impede the future deployment of aqueous Zn-ion batteries. Controlling zinc orientation growth is considered to be an effective method to overcome the aforementioned concerns, especially for regulating the (002) plane of deposited Zn. Unfortunately, Zn (002) texture is difficult to obtain stable cycling under high deposition capacity resulting from its large lattice distortion and nonuniform distribution in electric field.

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Urban flooding threatens residents and their property, necessitating timely and accurate flood simulations to enhance prevention measures. However, as a megacity, Shanghai presents a complex underlying surface that proves challenging to assess accurately in existing studies. To simulate the dynamic flooding caused by Typhoon In-Fa in Shanghai from July 23rd to 28th 2021, we employed the LISFLOOD hydrodynamic model with multi-source data and validated the flooded area using the S1FLOOD deep learning model with Sentinel-1 satellite imagery.

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Copper, a vital trace element, is indispensable for the maintenance of physiological functioning, particularly in the cardiac system. Unlike other forms of cell death such as iron death and apoptosis, copper‑induced cell death has gained increasing recognition as a significant process influencing the development of cardiovascular diseases. The present review highlights the significance of maintaining copper homeostasis in addressing cardiovascular diseases.

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Chronic itch is a maladaptive and debilitating symptom in patients with allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), adversely affecting their quality of life. There is a lack of effective treatments for ACD-associated uncontrollable itch. In this study, we explored the antipruritic effects of baicalein (BE), a bioactive flavonoid extracted from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, and the underlying mechanisms in alleviating chronic itch triggered by diphenylcyclopropenone (DCP) in a mouse model of ACD.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study aimed to investigate the link between the 'weekend warrior' physical activity pattern and all-cause mortality in adults with type 2 diabetes was conducted using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
  • The research included over 6,000 participants and found that both weekend warriors and regularly active individuals had lower mortality rates compared to those who were inactive.
  • The results suggest that the weekend warrior activity pattern could effectively reduce all-cause mortality in adults with type 2 diabetes, similar to more regular exercise routines.
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NaV(PO)(NVP), as a representative sodium superionic conductor with a stable polyanion framework, is considered a cathode candidate for aqueous zinc-ion batteries attributed to their high discharge platform and open 3D structure. Nevertheless, the structural stability of NVP and the cathode-electrolyte interphase (CEI) layer formed on NVP can be deteriorated by the aqueous electrolyte to a certain extent, which will result in slow Zn migration. To solve these problems, doping Si elements to NVP and adding sodium acetate (NaAc) to the electrolyte are utilized as a synergistic regulation route to enable a highly stable  CEI with rapid Zn migration.

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Sophisticated structure design and multi-step manufacturing processes for balancing spectra-selective optical property and the necessary applicable performance for human thermal-wet regulation, is the major limitation in wide application of radiative cooling materials. Herein, we proposed a biomass confinement strategy to a gradient porous Janus cellulose film for enhanced optical performance without compromising thermal-wet comfortable. The bacterial cellulose confined grow in the micro-nano pores between PP nonwoven fabric and SiO achieving the cross-scale gradient porous Janus structure.

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Article Synopsis
  • Membranous nephropathy (MN) is a serious kidney problem in adults that can lead to kidney failure, and finding it early is really important for better health.
  • Right now, doctors mostly use kidney biopsies and traditional tests, but these methods have some problems and aren't always helpful.
  • Exosomes, tiny bubbles that help cells talk to each other, might be a new way to diagnose and treat MN without needing invasive procedures, but there is still a lot to learn about how to use them effectively.
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Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a common complication and cause of death in dialysis patients. Although several clinical guidelines and expert consensus on heart failure (HF) in the general population have been issued in China and abroad, due to abnormal renal function or even no residual renal function (RRF) in dialysis patients, the high number of chronic complications, as well as the specificity, variability, and limitations of hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) treatments, there are significant differences between dialysis patients and the general population in terms of the treatment and management of HF. The current studies are not relevant to all dialysis-combined HF populations, and there is an urgent need for high-quality studies on managing HF in dialysis patients to guide and standardize treatment.

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Background: Many studies have reported that prenatal exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) can disrupt immune function. However, little is known about the effects of PFASs on immune molecules. The study analyzed the association between prenatal exposure to mixed and single PFASs and plasma immune molecules in three-year-old children.

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Deep eutectic electrolytes (DEEs) are regarded as one of the next-generation electrolytes to promote the development of lithium metal batteries (LMBs) due to their unparalleled advantages compared to both liquid electrolytes and solid electrolytes. However, its application in LMBs is limited by electrode interface compatibility. Here, we introduce a novel solid dimethylmalononitrile (DMMN)-based DEE induced by N coordination to dissociate LiTFSI.

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