Publications by authors named "Cui A"

To facilitate on-site detection by nonspecialists, there is a demand for the development of portable "sample-to-answer" devices capable of executing all procedures in an automated or easy-to-operate manner. Here, we developed an automated detection device that integrated a magnetofluidic manipulation system and a signal acquisition system. Both systems were controllable via a smartphone.

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Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, with their superior energy densities, are emerging as promising successors to conventional lithium-ion batteries. However, their widespread adoption is hindered by challenges such as the shuttle effect of polysulfides, which affects discharge capacity and cycling stability. This study explores the transformative potential of atomic layer deposition (ALD) of AlO on commercial PP/PE/PP separators (Celgard), combined with the use of UV ozone exposure to enhance ALD nucleation on the separator surface, to address these challenges.

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Background: Adrenaline and glucose are essential biomarkers in human body for maintaining metabolic balance. Abnormal levels of adrenaline and glucose are associated with various diseases. Therefore, it is important to design portable, on-site devices for rapid adrenaline and glucose analysis to safeguard health.

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The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen leader protein (EBNALP) is essential for the immortalization of naive B lymphocytes (NBLs). However, the mechanisms remain elusive. To understand EBNALP's role in B-cell transformation, we compare NBLs infected with wild-type EBV and an EBNALP-null mutant EBV using multi-omics techniques.

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Compelling concerns about antimicrobial resistance and the emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens call for novel strategies to address these challenges. Nanoparticles show promising antimicrobial activities; however, their actions are hindered primarily by the bacterial hydrophilic-hydrophobic barrier. To overcome this, we developed a method of electrochemically anchoring sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) coatings onto silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), resulting in improved antimicrobial potency.

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Hard structural planes mainly exist in rock slopes and their creep characteristics largely determine slope stability. Traditional models have some shortcomings in describing the creep characteristics of hard structural planes, such as poor adaptability and unclear physical meaning of parameters. In order to overcome these shortcomings, based on the creep failure mechanism of hard structural planes, an element combination model is adopted in the study.

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Aberrant upregulation of hepatic lipogenesis induced by chronic and excessive alcohol consumption is a critical driver of the progression of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD), however, no effective approaches inhibiting lipogenesis are currently available for treating ALD patients. Moreover, little is known about whether and how nonethanol ingredients in alcoholic beverages regulate the pathogenesis of ALD. Here the discovery of a small molecule that activates the production and secretion of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is reported.

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Background: Seroprevalence studies across various countries can contribute to achieving the elimination target for measles and rubella. However, in the Mainland of China, the concept of herd immunity remains unclear due to the lack of a nationwide serosurvey.

Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted by retrieving literature reporting the seroprevalence of measles and rubella published between 2012 and 2023.

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Keloid is the result of abnormal wound healing, puzzled by the invasive growth and high recurrence rate attributed to its complex pathogenic mechanism. Syndecan1 (SDC1) contributes to regulating cell migration and invasion by activating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in tumor and fibrotic disease. Herein, using western blot analysis, the authors assessed the role of SDC1 on EMT in keloid and its underlying mechanism.

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To explore the effectiveness and safety of direct oral anticoagulant rivaroxaban and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) in the treatment of tumor patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE). A retrospective analysis was conducted on 296 patients diagnosed with tumor associated VTE in the Shanghai Pulmonary Thromboembolism Database from December 2020 to September 2022. Patients were grouped according to the prescription of anticoagulant drugs.

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To explore a method to identify the sensory and motor fascicles of the peripheral nerve to achieve accurate peripheral nerve functional fascicle suture. The peripheral nerve Sunderland V injury model, muscle branch of the femoral nerve and saphenous nerve were established in the bilateral femoral nerves of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. The specific samples were grouped as follows: the main trunk of the femoral nerve was exposed bilaterally and cut with microscopic scissors in the main trunk of the femoral nerve to prepare a model of Sunderland V injury in the mixed fascicle of peripheral nerves; the muscle branch of the femoral nerve was exposed bilaterally and cut in the middle section of the muscle branch of the femoral nerve to prepare a model of Sunderland V injury in the motor fascicle of peripheral nerves; the saphenous nerve was exposed bilaterally and cut at 1 cm below the patella to prepare a model of Sunderland V injury to the sensory fascicle of the peripheral nerves.

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Article Synopsis
  • Spexin (SPX1) is a 14-amino acid neuropeptide important for various physiological functions, acting through receptors GALR2 and GALR3.
  • The study found that SPX1 increases certain cellular activities (CRE-luc, SRE-luc, NFAT-RE-luc) in COS-7 cells via multiple signaling pathways, including PKA, PKC, and calcium routes, depending on which GALR receptor is activated.
  • These findings suggest that SPX1 can lead to diverse biological actions by interacting with different galanin receptors in yellowtail kingfish, highlighting the complexity of its signaling mechanisms.
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  • The study evaluated the use of copy number variation (CNV) origin analysis in non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) to enhance its clinical application, involving over 35,000 patients from January 2019 to March 2023.
  • Out of the pregnancies tested, 109 showed significant CNV results, with a majority being maternal/foetal CNVs; findings indicated that many of these abnormalities were small and had low penetrance.
  • The diagnostic accuracy differed significantly between prenatal diagnoses for foetal CNVs compared to maternal/foetal CNVs, highlighting the potential effectiveness of NIPT in identifying genetic abnormalities in pregnancies.
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Steroidal saponins are a type of natural product that have been widely used in Chinese herbal medicine, with a variety of pharmacological activities, such as antitumor, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects. Cancer has become a growing global health problem, and drug therapy is currently the most important clinical antitumor treatment. However, drug resistance is a major obstacle to the effectiveness of chemotherapy, resulting in >90% of deaths of patients with cancer receiving conventional chemotherapy.

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Poly (ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG) inhibitors are currently under clinical development for the treatment of DNA repair-deficient cancers; however, their precise mechanism of action is still unclear. Here, we report that PARG inhibition leads to excessive PARylated poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) reducing the ability of PARP1 to properly localize to sites of DNA damage. Strikingly, the mis-localized PARP1 accumulates as aggregates throughout the nucleus.

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Growing research has suggested an association between chronic inflammation and Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD), but whether there is a causal effect remains unknown. This study adopted two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to explore the etiological role of chronic inflammation in IVDD risk. Here, summary statistics for C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-1 , IL-1 , IL-6 expression and IVDD were obtained from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of European ancestry.

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Article Synopsis
  • Polymyxins are critical for treating multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria, but their use is limited by kidney toxicity, prompting the need for a safer derivative.
  • Researchers synthesized 25 polymyxin derivatives, focusing on modifying hydrophobicity and positive charge, ultimately identifying compound 12 with enhanced antibacterial efficacy and reduced nephrotoxicity.
  • Compound 12 not only maintained strong activity against both sensitive and resistant bacteria but also improved treatment outcomes when combined with rifampicin, disrupting bacterial cell membranes effectively.
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Dendritic cells (DCs) are uniquely capable of transporting tumor antigens to tumor-draining lymph nodes (tdLNs) and interact with effector T cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) itself, mediating both natural antitumor immunity and the response to checkpoint blockade immunotherapy. Using LIPSTIC (Labeling Immune Partnerships by SorTagging Intercellular Contacts)-based single-cell transcriptomics, we identified individual DCs capable of presenting antigen to CD4 T cells in both the tdLN and TME. Our findings revealed that DCs with similar hyperactivated transcriptional phenotypes interact with helper T cells both in tumors and in the tdLN and that checkpoint blockade drugs enhance these interactions.

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The processing of auditory stimuli which are structured in time is thought to involve the arcuate fasciculus, the white matter tract which connects the temporal cortex and the inferior frontal gyrus. Research has indicated effects of both musical and language experience on the structural characteristics of the arcuate fasciculus. Here, we investigated in a sample of n = 84 young adults whether continuous conceptualizations of musical and multilingual experience related to structural characteristics of the arcuate fasciculus, measured using diffusion tensor imaging.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The research investigates the link between copper intake and bone mineral density (BMD) in children and adolescents (ages 8-19) using data from the NHANES 2011-2016 survey.
  • - In a sample of 6,965 participants, higher copper intake was associated with increased total, subtotal, and spine BMD, particularly among older males and certain racial groups.
  • - The study concludes that copper intake positively affects bone health in youth, highlighting the need for further research to confirm these findings and understand the underlying mechanisms.
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Itch is a protective sensation that drives scratching. Although specific cell types have been proposed to underlie itch, the neural basis for itch remains unclear. Here, we used two-photon Ca imaging of the dorsal horn to visualize neuronal populations that are activated by itch-inducing agents.

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With economic and social development, there is a growing focus on menstrual hygiene, and traditional sanitary napkins are no longer sufficient to meet women's needs. In this study, quercetin (QC) was efficiently and uniformly ultrasonic sprayed on thermally bonded chitosan nonwovens (CS) to prepare a multifunctional surface layer of sanitary napkins (QC@CS). CS sprayed with 3 layers of QC (QC@CS) exhibits excellent mechanical properties and high antibacterial rates against Escherichia coli (99.

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In the context of global warming, comprehending the dynamics of terrestrial water storage (TWS) and its responses to natural and anthropogenic factors is paramount for hydrological research and the management of water resources in China. This study utilized GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment)/GRACE-Follow On (GRACE-FO) satellite data to analyze terrestrial water storage across nine basins in China from 2005 to 2020 at multiple temporal and spatial scales. Subsequently, employing a Geographic detector model, potential influencing factors were identified, and an enhanced Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) method was proposed for attributing changes in TWS in China.

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Temperature-responsive yeast cell-imprinted sensors (CIPs/AuNPs/TiCT/AuNPs/Au) were prepared based on fluorescein isothiocyanate labeled yeast cells (FITC-yeast) metal-free visible-light-induced atom transfer radical polymerization (MVL ATRP). Here, -isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAM) was used as a temperature-responsive functional monomer, α-methacrylic acid (MAA) was chosen as an auxiliary functional monomer, ,'-methylene bisacrylamide (MBA) was used as a cross-linker, and FITC-yeast was selected as both a template and photocatalyst. Under the optimal conditions, the detection range of the yeast cell-imprinted sensor toward yeast cells was 1.

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