Publications by authors named "Liwei Zhu"

Article Synopsis
  • The study examines how the area of the bracket base removed (RBA) affects the accuracy of digital surface reconstruction during virtual bracket removal (VBR) for orthodontic retainers.
  • Researchers tested 196 teeth, comparing surface deviations (RMS values) of reconstructed teeth to original ones, revealing that increased RBA leads to higher RMS values, especially in molars.
  • The findings suggest that maintaining the RBA below 80% of the maximal base area ensures adequate accuracy for effective retainer fabrication.
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Transpiration is a key process that couples the land-atmosphere exchange of water and carbon, and its maximum water transport ability affects plant productivity. Functional traits significantly influence the maximum transpiration rate; however, which factor plays the dominant role remains unknown. SAPFLUXNET dataset, which includes sap flux density of diverse species worldwide, provides fundamental data to test the importance of photosynthetic and hydraulic traits on maximum tree-level sap flux density (J).

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The positive correlation between diversity and production has been extensively documented. Given the intrinsic relationship between production and plant water consumption, it was anticipated that mixed forests would exhibit different water use compared to pure forests. In this study, the responses of water use to vapour pressure deficit were analyzed by monitoring the sap flow of Schima superba in both pure and mixed forests, as well as Castanopsis chinensis in mixed forest.

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Starch is the main component that determines the yield and quality of Tartary buckwheat. As a quantitative trait, using quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping to excavate genes associated with starch-related traits is crucial for understanding the genetic mechanisms involved in starch synthesis and molecular breeding of Tartary buckwheat varieties with high-quality starch. Employing a recombinant inbred line population as research material, this study used QTL mapping to investigate the amylose, amylopectin, and total starch contents across four distinct environments.

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Anthocyanin is one important nutrition composition in Tartary buckwheat () sprouts, a component missing in its seeds. Although anthocyanin biosynthesis requires light, the mechanism of light-induced anthocyanin accumulation in Tartary buckwheat is unclear. Here, comparative transcriptome analysis of Tartary buckwheat sprouts under light and dark treatments and biochemical approaches were performed to identify the roles of one B-box protein BBX22 and ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5).

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Due to the requirements for quality testing and breeding Tartary buckwheat ( Gaerth), it is necessary to find a method for the rapid detection of starch content in Tartary buckwheat. To obtain samples with a continuously distributed chemical value, stable Tartary buckwheat recombinant inbred lines were used. After scanning the near-infrared spectra of whole grains, we employed conventional methods to analyze the contents of Tartary buckwheat.

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The vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) is a receptor tyrosine kinase that is regarded as an emerging target for abnormal angiogenesis diseases. In this study, novel naphthalene imidazo[1,2-b]pyridazine hybrids as VEGFR selective inhibitors were designed and synthesized using a scaffold hopping strategy based on ponatinib, a multitarget kinase inhibitor. Among the evaluated compounds, derivative 9k (WS-011) demonstrated the most potent inhibitory potency against VEGFR-2 (IC = 8.

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The leaf economics spectrum (LES) describes the covariation of traits relevant for carbon and nutrient economy in different plant species. However, much less is known about the correlation of LES with leaf water economy, not only because some woody species do not follow the rules, but also because they are rarely tested on the widespread, non-native, fast-growing trees. We hypothesized that fast-growing exotic species that spread on the fast side of the LES coordinate their water-use strategies (WUS) to maintain rapid growth, and that the pattern of coordination differs between evergreen and deciduous forests.

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Dissipative self-assembly plays a vital role in fabricating intelligent and transient materials. The selection and design of the molecular structure is critical, and the introduction of valuable stimuli-responsive motifs into building blocks would bring about a novel perspective on the fuel driven nonequilibrium assemblies. For redox-responsive surfactants, novel methods of catalytic oxidation are very important for their activation/deactivation process through designing fuel input/energy dissipation.

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Objectives: This study aimed to propose a standardized protocol for the fabrication of three-dimensionally (3D)-printed curvature-adaptive splints (CASs) and assess the precision of CASs on dentitions with different depths of the curve of Spee (COS).

Methods: 76 lower dental resin models, each exhibiting one of the four types of COS (0-, 2-, 4-, and 6-mm deep), were selected and digitally scanned. CASs were designed, 3D printed, and grouped into C0, C2, C4, and C6, corresponding to the four types of COS depths.

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Tantalum and porous tantalum are ideal materials for making orthopedic implants due to their stable chemical properties and excellent biocompatibility. However, their utilization is still affected by loosening, infection, and peripheral inflammatory reactions, which sometimes ultimately lead to implant removal. An ideal bone implant should have exceptional biological activity, which can improve the surrounding biological microenvironment to enhance bone repair.

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The Gleditsia sinensis Lam. pods (GSP) are consistently discarded as waste after saponin extraction due to a lack of industrial or high-value utilization. Herein, the hemicelluloses were extracted from two varieties of GSP and subjected to comprehensive characterization.

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Multifaceted nanoplatforms integrating fluorescence imaging and chemotherapy have garnered acknowledgment for their potential potency in cancer diagnosis and simultaneous therapy. However, some drawbacks remain for traditional organic photosensitizers, such as poor photostability, short excitation wavelength, and shallow penetration depth, which will greatly lower the chemotherapy treatment efficiency. Herein, we present lipid-encapsulated two-photon active aggregation-induced emission (AIE) luminogen and paclitaxel (PTX) nanoparticles (AIE@PTX NPs) with bright red fluorescence emission, excellent photostability, and good biocompatibility.

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Due to the higher and more rapid consumption of carbohydrates by cancer cells compared to normal cells, carbohydrates can be effectively employed as a targeted therapeutic strategy for tumor treatment. Here, we present a protocol for synthesizing sequence-controlled glycooligomers using both solution-phase and solid-phase systems. We outline detailed procedures for evaluating the safety and tumor-targeting properties of the sequence-controlled glycooligomers in vivo.

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Background: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of diabetic complications, which has become the leading cause of end-stage kidney disease. In addition to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin II receptor blocker(ACEI/ARB) and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2i), traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an effective alternative treatment for DKD. In this study, the effect of Qufeng Tongluo (QFTL) decoction in decreasing proteinuria has been observed and its mechanism has been explored based on autophagy regulation in podocyte.

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The urgent need for antimicrobial agents to combat infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria facilitates the exploration of alternative strategies such as photosensitizer (PS)-mediated photoinactivation. However, increasing studies have discovered uncorrelated bactericidal activities among PSs possessing similar photodynamic and pathogen-targeted properties. To optimize the photodynamic therapy (PDT) against infections, we investigated three type-I PSs of D-π-A AIEgens TI, TBI, and TTI.

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Li-O batteries are considered a highly promising energy storage solution. However, their practical implementation is hindered by the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen reduction (ORR) and oxygen evolution (OER) reactions at cathodes during discharging and charging, respectively. In this work, we investigated the catalytic performance of WC and WCO MXenes (n = 1, 2, and 3) as cathodes for Li-O batteries using first principles calculations.

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Background: Previous reports revealed that patients with acquired paralytic strabismus caused by central nervous system diseases are primarily affected by the etiology and treatment of the condition. Strabismus correction for these acquired paralytic strabismus should be performed as soon as the primary disease has been stabilized for 6 months in order to archive a favorable surgical outcome.

Case: We followed an infrequent case of longer-lasting supranuclear ophthalmoplegia secondary to brain stem cavernoma.

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Stomata are pivotal in modulating water and carbon processes within plants. However, our understanding of the temporal dynamics of water- and carbon-related traits, as influenced by stomatal behavior, remains limited. Here, we explore how stomatal regulation behavior and water- and carbon-related traits vary with changing environments by examining the seasonal variations in these traits of the native tree species Schima superba in low subtropical China.

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Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L) galactomannan play an important role in the food and pharmaceutical sectors due to its attractive physicochemical properties. In this study, the changes of structure, properties and biological activity of fenugreek galactomannan (FG) during germination are analyzed by the activity and mechanism of endogenous enzymes (α-D-galactosidase and β-D-mannanase). The enzymes generally increased during germination and synergistically altered the structure of GM by cutting down the main chains and removing partial side residues.

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Camellia oleifera cake is a by-product, which is rich in functional chemical components. However, it is typically used as animal feed with no commercial value. The purpose of this study was to isolate and identify compounds from Camellia oleifera cake using a combination of foam fractionation and high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) and to investigate their biological activities.

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The physicochemical and foam properties of non-purified water extracts (WE) and purified tea saponins (TS) from Camellia oleifera cake (byproduct) were compared. WE showed different fluid properties at equal saponin concentrations (1.0 wt%) compared to TS.

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Tartary buckwheat () is an important plant, utilized for both medicine and food. It has become a current research hotspot due to its rich content of flavonoids, which are beneficial for human health. Anthocyanins (ATs) and proanthocyanidins (PAs) are the two main kinds of flavonoid compounds in Tartary buckwheat, which participate in the pigmentation of some tissue as well as rendering resistance to many biotic and abiotic stresses.

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Biodegradable liquid mulch is considered a promising alternative to plastic mulch for sustainable agriculture. This work proposed a xyloglucan-based liquid mulch with multi-function using a combination of chemical modification and blending methods. The esterification product of tamarind xyloglucan (TXG) from forestry wastes was synthesized with benzoic anhydride (BA).

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Photodynamic therapy based on fluorescence illumination of subcellular organelles and bursts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been recognized as a promising strategy for cancer theranostics. However, the short life of ROS and unclarified anticancer mechanism seriously restrict the application. Herein, we rationally designed and facilely synthesized a 2,6-dimethylpyridine-based triphenylamine (TPA) derivative TPA-DMPy with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) features and production of type-I ROS.

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