Publications by authors named "W-B Zhang"

The periderm provides a protective barrier in many seed plant species. The development of the suberized phellem, which forms the outermost layer of this important tissue, has become a trait of interest for enhancing both plant resilience to stresses and plant-mediated CO sequestration in soils. Despite its importance, very few genes driving phellem development are known.

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Root depth is a major determinant of plant performance during drought and a key trait for strategies to improve soil carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change. While the model Arabidopsis thaliana offers numerous advantages for studies of root system architecture and root depth, its small and fragile roots severely limit the use of the methods and techniques currently available for such studies in soils. To overcome this, we have developed ClearDepth, a conceptually simple, non-destructive, sensitive, and low-cost method to estimate the root depth of Arabidopsis in relatively small pots that are amenable to mid- and large-scale studies.

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The genus is renowned for its remarkably diverse floral morphology, exhibiting a high level of disparity compared to most genera within Gesneriaceae. In this study, we present a detailed description and illustration of T. Ding & B.

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  • The study focuses on enhancing microbial chassis cells, particularly the bacterium Zymomonas mobilis, for better performance in the circular economy.
  • Researchers improved the genome-scale metabolic model of Z. mobilis to overcome limitations in producing valuable biochemicals like D-lactate by introducing a new production pathway.
  • The findings also highlight the potential for commercialization and environmental benefits of using lignocellulosic materials for D-lactate production, paving the way for advancing biorefinery techniques.
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Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a ubiquitous pathogen, posing a serious threat to human health worldwide. Thus, there is a high demand for antibiotics with distinct targets. Caseinolytic protease P (ClpP) is a promising target for combating staphylococcal infections; however, selectively activating S.

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Background: Obecabtagene autoleucel (obe-cel) is an autologous 41BB-ζ anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy which uses an intermediate-affinity CAR to reduce toxic effects and improve persistence.

Methods: We conducted a phase 1b-2 multicenter study of obe-cel in adults (≥18 years of age) with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The main cohort, cohort 2A, included patients with morphologic disease; patients in cohort 2B had measurable residual disease.

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Wasted produce is a pertinent issue in agriculture, with billions of tons of produce going to waste even before it hits markets. Specifically, in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), nearly half of all produce is lost before market. To combat this, the Agricycle passive solar drier was designed to provide a cost-effective method of drying fruit for preservation.

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Expanding the protein fold space beyond linear chains is of fundamental significance, yet remains largely unexplored. Herein, we report the creation of seven topological isoforms (i.e.

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Pickering high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) show promise for solid fat replacement and nutrient delivery, but the availability of safe and easily accessible food-borne particulate emulsifiers is a bottleneck limiting their practical application. In this study, the feasibility of using sesame meal as an emulsifier for the construction of sunflower oil-based Pickering HIPEs was evaluated. These HIPEs were then characterized in terms of their microstructural and mechanical properties, and utilized as a substitute for butter in cake production.

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The vast high entropy alloy (HEA) composition space is promising for discovery of new material phases with unique properties. This study explores the potential to achieve rare-earth-free high magnetic anisotropy materials in single-phase HEA thin films. Thin films of FeCoNiMnCu sputtered on thermally oxidized Si/SiO substrates at room temperature are magnetically soft, with a coercivity on the order of 10 Oe.

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  • Nonsurgical treatments like the levonorgestrel intrauterine device (LIUD) are being explored for managing endometrial atypical hyperplasia (AH) and endometrioid endometrial cancer (EEC), highlighting a need for long-term efficacy data.
  • In a study of 43 patients initially responding to LIUD, 39% relapsed, with significant factors for shorter duration of response including younger age and lack of response at the 6-month mark.
  • Molecular analysis during the study revealed changes in immune cell populations and pathways involved in relapse, suggesting immune mechanisms play a crucial role in the treatment's effectiveness.
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Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction is a major global public health problem, while effective risk stratification tools are still lacking. We sought to construct a multi-mRNA signature to predict 1-year all-cause death.

Methods: We selected 30 patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction who died during 1-year follow-up and 30 who survived in the discovery set.

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Drawing inspiration from cohesive integration of skeletal muscles and sensory skins in vertebrate animals, we present a design strategy of soft robots, primarily consisting of an electronic skin (e-skin) and an artificial muscle. These robots integrate multifunctional sensing and on-demand actuation into a biocompatible platform using an in-situ solution-based method. They feature biomimetic designs that enable adaptive motions and stress-free contact with tissues, supported by a battery-free wireless module for untethered operation.

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The effects of steel slag (SS) and fly ash (FA) on hydration heat, fluidity, setting time and rheological properties of alkali-activated slag (AAS) pastes with different silicate modulus (Ms) values were comparatively investigated. The results show that the incorporation of SS shortens the induction period, increases the cumulative hydration heat, improves the initial fluidity and decreases the setting time at low Ms, but the opposite trend is found at high Ms. FA significantly retards the reaction, reduces the hydration heat, increases the fluidity and prolongs the setting time.

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Objective: We aimed to analyze the aneurysm wall enhancement (AWE) characteristics of a single unruptured intracranial aneurysm (UIA) and observe the relationship between the symptoms of a single UIA and the aneurysm wall.

Methods: In our hospital, 85 patients diagnosed with a single UIA using computed tomography angiography (CTA) were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into symptomatic and asymptomatic groups, including 46 asymptomatic and 39 symptomatic aneurysms.

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  • Magnesium phosphate cement (MPC) is an effective repair material for slab track issues, and its early properties were enhanced using a central composite design approach based on response surface methodology.
  • Through analysis of variance, it was determined that the water-to-binder ratio impacts fluidity, while the magnesia-to-phosphate and borax-to-magnesia ratios influence setting time, with specific interactions affecting early compressive strength.
  • The optimal mixing ratio leads to a strong network structure in MPC, where factors like water-to-binder and borax affect both strength and setting time, demonstrating its potential for real-world applications through strength testing.
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The periderm is a vital protective tissue found in the roots, stems, and woody elements of diverse plant species. It plays an important function in these plants by assuming the role of the epidermis as the outermost layer. Despite its critical role for protecting plants from environmental stresses and pathogens, research on root periderm development has been limited due to its late formation during root development, its presence only in mature root regions, and its impermeability.

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Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) causes infectious mononucleosis and is associated with B cell lymphomas. EBV glycoprotein 42 (gp42) binds HLA class II and activates membrane fusion with B cells. We isolated gp42-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), A10 and 4C12, which use distinct mechanisms to neutralize virus infection.

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  • Iptacopan, an oral factor B inhibitor, shows promise in treating paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria patients suffering from persistent hemolytic anemia, especially those not responding to anti-C5 therapy.
  • In two phase 3 trials, iptacopan significantly improved hemoglobin levels in patients with low baseline hemoglobin (under 10 g/dL), with many experiencing increases of at least 2 g/dL without needing blood transfusions.
  • The results revealed that 85% of patients in the first trial and nearly all in the second trial experienced a notable increase in hemoglobin levels, leading to reduced fatigue and dependency on transfusions.
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The lateral root angle or gravitropic set-point angle (GSA) is an important trait for root system architecture (RSA) that determines the radial expansion of the root system. The GSA therefore plays a crucial role for the ability of plants to access nutrients and water in the soil. Only a few regulatory pathways and mechanisms that determine GSA are known.

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Phenotype-guided gene prioritizers have proved a highly efficient approach to identifying causal genes for Mendelian diseases. In our previous study, we preliminarily evaluated the performance of ten prioritizers. However, all the selected software was run based on default settings and singleton mode.

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The bulbil expansion of P. ternata is a key period for its yield formation, and the process of bulbil expansion is often subjected to short-term heavy precipitation. It is not clear whether the short-term waterlogging can affect bulbil expansion.

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Generating ion-photon entanglement is a crucial step for scalable trapped-ion quantum networks. To avoid the crosstalk on memory qubits carrying quantum information, it is common to use a different ion species for ion-photon entanglement generation such that the scattered photons are far off-resonant for the memory qubits. However, such a dual-species scheme can be subject to inefficient sympathetic cooling due to the mass mismatch of the ions.

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  • The study evaluated outcomes for high-risk PCI patients who required pLVAD support, focusing on their LV ejection fraction (LVEF).
  • Patients were categorized based on LVEF levels and assessed for major complications and mortality rates after the procedure.
  • Results showed that complications were low across all LVEF groups, but higher LVEF correlated with better outcomes at 90 days and 1 year post-procedure.
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The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the main permafrost area in China. Concrete structures constructed on permafrost are affected by the early negative-temperature environment. In particular, the negative-temperature environment seriously affects the strength growth process and the frost resistance of concrete (FRC).

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