Publications by authors named "Liu Zhiwei"

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) results from prolonged exposure to intense noise, causing damage to sensory outer hair cells (OHCs) and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). The blood labyrinth barrier (BLB) hinders systemic drug delivery to the inner ear. This study applied a retro-auricular round window membrane (RWM) method to bypass the BLB, enabling the transport of macromolecular proteins into the inner ear.

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Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a cornerstone of medical diagnostics, providing high-quality soft tissue contrast through non-invasive methods. However, MRI technology faces critical limitations in imaging speed and resolution. Prolonged scan times not only increase patient discomfort but also contribute to motion artifacts, further compromising image quality.

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Aqueous zinc-ion batteries are an appealing electrochemical energy storage solution due to their affordability and safety. Significant attention has been focused on vanadium oxide cathode materials for ZIBs, owing to their high specific capacity, unique layered or tunnel structures, and low cost. Compared to traditional methods for preparing and assembling electrode materials, direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering allows direct synthesis and uniform deposition on current collectors, offering advantages such as simplicity, mild reaction conditions, and strong film adhesion.

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Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) materials have developed rapidly in recent years due to their wide application prospects in fields like 3D displays and anti-counterfeiting. Utilizing energy transfer processes to transfer chirality has been proven as an efficient way to obtain CPL materials. However, the physics behind energy-transfer induced CPL is still not clear.

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Immunotherapy is a cornerstone in cancer treatment, celebrated for its precision, ability to eliminate residual cancer cells, and potential to avert tumor recurrence. Nonetheless, its effectiveness is frequently undermined by the immunosuppressive milieu created by tumors. This study presents a novel nanogel-based drug delivery system, DOX-4PI@CpG@Lipo@Gel (DPCLG), engineered to respond to Matrix Metallopeptidase-2 (MMP-2)-a protease abundant in the tumor microenvironment (TME).

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Plant sesterterpenoids are an extremely rare family of natural products that generally possess novel chemical structures and diverse biological activities. Herein, we report the discovery of an unprecedented group of minor plant sesterterpenoids, gracilisoids B-E (2-5), which feature two types of highly functionalized bicyclo[3.2.

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Introduction: Gastric cancer (GC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with delayed diagnosis often limiting effective treatment options. This study introduces a novel, noninvasive radiomics-based approach using [18F] FDG PET/CT (fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography) to predict vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) status and survival in patients with GC. The ability to noninvasively assess these parameters can significantly influence therapeutic decisions and outcomes.

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Researchers have reported that Bacillus megaterium BM18-2 reduces Cd toxicity in Hybrid Pennisetum, but understanding the interaction between plants and associated endophytes is crucial for understanding phytoremediation strategies under heavy metal stress. The current study aims to monitor the colonization patterns of GFP-labeled endophytic bacteria BM18-2 on Hybrid Pennisetum grass. Additionally, it will monitor Cd's effect on plant bacterial colonization.

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The electrochemical two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e ORR) offers a sustainable pathway for the production of HO; however, the development of electrocatalysts with exceptional activity, selectivity, and long-term stability remains a challenging task. Herein, a novel approach is presented to addressing this challenge by synthesizing hierarchical hollow SmPO nanospheres with open channels via a two-step hydrothermal treatment. The produced compound demonstrates remarkable 2e selectivity, exceeding 93% across a wide potential range of 0.

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Assisted reproductive technology (ART) pregnancies present a higher risk of singleton preterm birth than natural pregnancies, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains largely unknown. RNA mA modification is a key epigenetic mechanism regulating cellular function, but the role of mA modification, especially its "reader" YTHDC1, in preterm delivery remains undefined. To delineate the role and epigenetic mechanism of mA modification in ART preterm delivery, the effects of YTHDC1 on trophoblastic function were evaluated by CCK-8, EdU, Transwell, and flow cytometry analyses post its overexpression or knockdown.

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Article Synopsis
  • Delayed healing in diabetic wounds is primarily due to a dysfunctional microenvironment caused by high blood sugar and ongoing inflammation.
  • Topical microenvironment modulation, particularly using microneedles, offers a promising solution to enhance healing by delivering therapeutic agents directly to the wound's surface.
  • A hybrid microneedle has been developed incorporating carvacrol, cyclodextrin, mesoporous ceria nanoparticles, and hyaluronate, which improves healing by providing antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects to accelerate tissue reconstruction processes like cell proliferation and angiogenesis.
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The phosphorus (P) cycle plays a crucial role in the biogeochemical cycling of mangrove sediments. However, the diversity of microbially-driven P-cycling and its coupling with nitrogen (N)-cycling remain poorly understood. In this study, we used metagenomic approaches to investigate microbial P-cycling and its potential interactions with N-cycling in mangrove sediments.

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Carbon fiber (CF)-reinforced polyimide (PI) resin matrix composites have great application potential in areas such as rail transport, medical devices, and aerospace due to their excellent thermal stability, dielectric properties, solvent resistance, and mechanical properties. However, the epoxy sizing agent used for traditional carbon fiber cannot withstand the processing temperature of polyimide resin, of up to 350 °C, resulting in the formation of pores or defects at the interface between the fiber and the resin matrix, leading to the degradation of the overall composite properties. To overcome this problem, in this study, a low-molecular-weight thermosetting polyimide sizing agent was prepared and the processability of the sized carbon fiber was optimized by a thermoplastic polyimide.

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Environmental phenols are a group of typical endocrine disruptors, and widely detectable in human breast milk and infant formulas. However, exposures data are scarce in early infancy, a particularly sensitive period to environmental pollutants exposures. We aimed to prospectively assess urinary concentrations of eighteen environmental phenols in infants from birth to 6 months of age and their associations with feeding patterns (breastfeeding, formula and mixed-feeding).

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Phenols and parabens, as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), are prevalent in daily consumer products and industrial applications. Folate, a vital vitamin, plays a crucial role in numerous metabolic processes. The interaction between EDCs and folate is not well understood and warrants investigation.

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A new species of gall wasp, Andricus wugangensis Zeng, Liu, & Zhu sp. nov. is described and illustrated herein from Hunan Province, China.

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Rationale And Objectives: Patients with Hypopharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HSCC) exhibiting lymphovascular invasion (LVI) frequently demonstrate a poor prognosis. We aim to determine whether contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT)-derived intratumoral and peritumoral radiomic features could predict the LVI status of HSCC patients.

Materials And Methods: 166 patients with pathologically confirmed HSCC were included in this study, 47 of whom were LVI positive.

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Objective: Compared the dosimetric characteristics of half-field-based VMAT and half-field-based IMRT for left breast cancer patients combined with deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) and free breathing (FB) techniques.

Methods: Twenty-one left breast cancer patients were included. Each patient underwent DIBH and FB CT scans, IMRT and VMAT plans in half-field beam mode for both breathing techniques, resulting in four plans: FB-IMRT (F-IMRT), FB-VMAT (F-VMAT), DIBH-IMRT (D-IMRT) and DIBH-VMAT (D-VMAT).

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Purpose: This study utilized a group-based dual-trajectory model to identify distinct dyadic quality of life (QoL) trajectories among young to middle-aged stroke couples and to analyze the predictive factors influencing these trajectories.

Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted with 168 young to middle-aged stroke couples. Assessments at baseline and at 1, 3, and 6 months post-discharge included patients' functional recovery (modified Rankin Scale) and stroke couples' depression, anxiety, stress, benefit finding, social support, couple relationship, and QoL (12-item short-form health scale).

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Background: Existing literature indicates that benefit finding and social support play protective roles against depressive symptoms. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding the interplay between benefit finding, social support, and depressive symptoms within the dyadic context of stroke survivor-spousal caregiver relationships.

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the relationships among benefit finding, social support, and depressive symptoms in young and middle-aged stroke survivors and their spouse caregivers.

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Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), but the existence of NPC protective antibody against EBV-associated antigens remains inconclusive.

Methods: NPC cases and matched controls were identified from prospective cohorts comprising 75,481 participants in southern China. ELISA and conditional logistic regression were applied to assess effects of gp42-IgG on NPC.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The catalyst uses a synergistic effect that enhances its selectivity for a single product, achieving an impressive Faradaic Efficiency (FE) value of 29.03 at a specific potential.
  • * Additionally, the research combines experimental measurements with theoretical models to explain how the catalyst's electronic structure is tuned to improve CO reduction while minimizing hydrogen production, contributing to better design strategies for future electrocatalysts.
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Background: Digoxin is a commonly used cardiac glycoside drug in clinical practice, primarily transported by P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and susceptible to the influence of P-gp inhibitors/inducers. Concurrent administration of ritonavir and digoxin may significantly increase the plasma concentration of digoxin. Due to the narrow therapeutic window of digoxin, combined use may lead to severe toxic effects.

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