Publications by authors named "Weixuan Chen"

Background: The sinoatrial node (SN) generates the heart rate (HR). Its spontaneous activity is regulated by a complex interplay between the modulation by the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and intrinsic factors including ion channels in SN cells. However, the systemic and intrinsic regulatory mechanisms are still poorly understood.

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Introduction: Though wrist-worn photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors play an important role in long-term and continuous heart rhythm monitoring, signals measured at the wrist are contaminated by more intense motion artifacts compared to other body locations. Machine learning (ML)-based algorithms can improve long-term pulse rate (PR) tracking but are associated with more stringent regulatory requirements when intended for clinical use. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of a digital health technology using wrist-worn PPG sensors and an ML-based algorithm to measure PR continuously.

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The Ebola virus is a deadly pathogen that has been threatening public health for decades. Recent studies have revealed alternative viral invasion routes where Ebola virus approaches cells via interactions among phosphatidylserine (PS), PS binding ligands such as Gas6, and TAM family receptors such as Axl. In this study, we investigate the interactions among phosphatidylserine on the Ebola viral-like particle (VLP) membrane, human Gas6, and human Axl using atomic force microscope-based single molecule force spectroscopy to compare their binding strength and affinity from a biomechanical perspective.

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Article Synopsis
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common reproductive disorder in women that often results in irregular ovulation and impacts reproductive health.
  • The study highlights that levels of interleukin-22 (IL-22), an immune factor, are lower in PCOS patients and positively influence follicle development and oocyte quality.
  • Findings suggest that IL-22 works through its receptor and the STAT3 signaling pathway to enhance follicle growth and ovulation, indicating its potential as a new treatment approach for PCOS.
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(1) Background: The sinus node (SN) is the main pacemaker of the heart. It is characterized by pacemaker cells that lack mitochondria and contractile elements. We investigated the possibility that transcription factors (TFs) and microRNAs (miRs) present in the SN can regulate gene expression that affects SN morphology and function.

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  • This study evaluated if seizure patterns seen in previous research were also detectable using wristband data combined with AI technology and patient self-reports for tonic-clonic seizures (TCS).
  • Over 137,000 TCS occurrences from over 3,000 patients were analyzed, revealing consistent monthly frequency distributions and various seizure cycles like daily and weekly patterns.
  • The findings suggest that wearable devices effectively track TCS occurrences non-invasively and over the long term, but highlight the need for better patient engagement with alerts and validation of detection methods.
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  • This study reports on the initial experience of one-stage flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy (FURL) using specific ureteral access sheaths and digital flexible ureteroscopes for treating upper ureteral and renal stones in 900 adult patients.
  • The results show that the procedure was successful for the majority, with a stone-free rate of nearly 90% one month post-surgery, while only a small percentage experienced complications like fever or pain.
  • The study concludes that FURL is a practical, safe, and effective treatment option for most adults with upper urinary tract stones, without the need for stenting prior to the procedure.
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Xinhui Chenpi (XHCP) is a well-known type of Chenpi (CP) widely used as both a Chinese herb and a food ingredient. While previous studies have explored how the quality of CP changes over time, there has been limited research specifically on XHCP. This study aims to assess the chemical components and quality of XHCP based on total flavonoid content (TF), antioxidant activity (AA), and color value (CV) at two stages: freshly harvested (XHCP-0Y) and after 3 years of storage (XHCP-3Y).

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Silicon (Si) shows great potential as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. However, it experiences significant expansion in volume as it undergoes the charging and discharging cycles, presenting challenges for practical implementation. Nanostructured Si has emerged as a viable solution to address these challenges.

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Introduction: The sinus node (SN) is the main pacemaker site of the heart, located in the upper right atrium at the junction of the superior vena cava and right atrium. The precise morphology of the SN in the human heart remains relatively unclear especially the SN microscopical anatomy in the hearts of aged and obese individuals. In this study, the histology of the SN with surrounding right atrial (RA) muscle was analyzed from young non-obese, aged non-obese, aged obese and young obese individuals.

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In the honey bee, the queen's death severely threatens the survival of the colony. In an emergency, new queens are reared from young worker larvae, where nepotism is thought to influence the choice of queen candidates by the workers. This article simulates the emergency queen-rearing process in a colony under natural conditions and records the results of colony selection (without nepotism).

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Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a severe type of the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NASH is a growing global health concern due to its increasing morbidity, lack of well-defined biomarkers and lack of clinically effective treatments. Using metabolomic analysis, the most significantly changed active lipid sphingosine d18:1 [So(d18:1)] is selected from NASH patients.

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Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a reproductive endocrine disorder with multiple metabolic abnormalities. Most PCOS patients have concomitant metabolic syndromes such as insulin resistance and obesity, which often lead to the development of type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease with serious consequences. Current treatment of PCOS with symptomatic treatments such as hormone replacement, which has many side effects.

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Soft bioelectronic devices exhibit motion-adaptive properties for neural interfaces to investigate complex neural circuits. Here, we develop a fabrication approach through the control of metamorphic polymers' amorphous-crystalline transition to miniaturize and integrate multiple components into hydrogel bioelectronics. We attain an about 80% diameter reduction in chemically cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel fibers in a fully hydrated state.

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The allele is the strongest genetic determinant for Alzheimer's disease (AD), while obesity is a strong environmental risk for AD. The modulatory effect of the ApoE genotype on aging-related cognitive function in tandem with a high-fat diet (HFD) remains uncertain. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of ApoE3/ApoE4 genotypes in aged mice exposed to a HFD, and the benefits of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) from fish oil.

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Introduction: Respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, and COVID-19 may cause a decrease in arterial oxygen saturation (SaO). The continuous monitoring of oxygen levels may be beneficial for the early detection of hypoxemia and timely intervention. Wearable non-invasive pulse oximetry devices measuring peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO) have been garnering increasing popularity.

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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a complex neurodevelopmental disorder marked by social communication deficits and repetitive behaviors, may see symptom amelioration through gut microbiota modulation. This study investigates the effects of a synbiotic - specifically a probiotic amplified by prebiotic supplementation - on ASD-like mouse model's social deficiencies. This model was established valproic acid injection into pregnant females.

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We develop soft and stretchable fatigue-resistant hydrogel optical fibers that enable optogenetic modulation of peripheral nerves in naturally behaving animals during persistent locomotion. The formation of polymeric nanocrystalline domains within the hydrogels yields fibers with low optical losses of 1.07 dB cm, Young's modulus of 1.

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The ICT service industry has become a burgeoning industry at a high and stable speed. Their equitable distribution can improve national and global positive peace. This paper aimed to verify the characteristics of spatio-temporal evolution and its influencing factors in the ICT service industry.

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Bioelectronic devices made of soft elastic materials exhibit motion-adaptive properties suitable for brain-machine interfaces and for investigating complex neural circuits. While two-dimensional microfabrication strategies enable miniaturizing devices to access delicate nerve structures, creating 3D architecture for expansive implementation requires more accessible and scalable manufacturing approaches. Here we present a fabrication strategy through the control of metamorphic polymers' amorphous-crystalline transition (COMPACT), for hydrogel bioelectronics with miniaturized fiber shape and multifunctional interrogation of neural circuits.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Photodynamic therapy (PDT) using Er:YAG laser and ALA improves treatment effectiveness, as demonstrated in a case of severe epithelial dysplasia with complete remission achieved in 1 year and enhanced immune response.
  • * This study highlights the potential of Er:YAG laser assisted PDT as a minimally invasive and effective treatment for severe epithelial dysplasia in OPMDs.
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A submetric spatial resolution Raman optical time-domain reflectometry (ROTDR) temperature sensor assisted by the Wiener deconvolution postprocessing algorithm has been proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Without modifying the typical configuration of the ROTDR sensor and the adopted pump pulse width, the Wiener demodulation algorithm is able to recover temperature perturbations of a smaller spatial scale by deconvoluting the acquired Stokes and anti-Stokes signals. Numerical simulations have been conducted to analyze the spatial resolution achieved by the algorithm.

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Pyroptosis is associated with the biological behavior of the tumor and with tumor immunity. We investigated the effect of pyroptosis on the tumor microenvironment and tumor immunity in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). RNA sequencing data and clinical information of HNSCC were downloaded from TCGA.

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Polyphenols from peanut skin have been reported to possess many beneficial functions for human health, including anti-oxidative, antibacterial, anticancer, and other activities. To date, however, its anti-inflammatory effect and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. In this study, the anti-inflammatory effect of peanut skin procyanidins extract (PSPE) and peanut skin procyanidins (PSPc) were investigated by a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model.

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The cycloaddition reaction of carbon dioxide (CO) is a highly economic solution to becoming carbon-neutral. Herein, we have designed and synthesized a robust zinc(II)-organic framework (Zn-Ade-TCPE) by a function-directed strategy. Zn-Ade-TCPE possesses uncommon hexagonal cages with Lewis acid-base bifunctional sites and displays a high adsorption capacity for CO.

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