Publications by authors named "Xu Si"

Article Synopsis
  • This study compares turbo spin echo with intravoxel incoherent motion (TSE-IVIM) to traditional echo-planar imaging (EPI-IVIM) in detecting nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), aiming to identify optimal imaging strategies.
  • TSE-IVIM showed superior qualitative assessments, such as reduced susceptibility artifacts and better image quality in depicting anatomical structures related to NPC compared to EPI-IVIM.
  • Both subjective and quantitative measures highlighted TSE-IVIM's advantages, suggesting it could improve pre-treatment staging MR examinations for NPC patients.
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Against the backdrop of rapid globalisation, Chinese students studying abroad face increasing challenges in foreign language learning and adapting to foreign language environments. This study surveyed 712 Chinese students studying abroad and used AMOS to examine the logical relationships between the use of ChatGPT, foreign language self-efficacy and foreign language enjoyment, as well as the mediating role of foreign language enjoyment in the use of ChatGPT and foreign language self-efficacy. The results indicated that the use of ChatGPT has a significant positive impact on both the foreign language self-efficacy and foreign language enjoyment of Chinese students studying abroad.

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Acute kidney injury (AKI) is characterized by rapid and significant deterioration of renal function over a short duration with high mortality. However, the intricate pathophysiological mechanisms underlying AKI have hindered the development of effective therapeutic strategies. Recent research has highlighted the crucial role of ferroptosis in the pathogenesis of AKI and has identified it as a promising therapeutic target.

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Objective: To evaluate how intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) histogram analysis contribute to assessing complete response (CR) to neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC).

Material And Methods: In this prospective study, participants with LARC, who underwent NAT and subsequent surgery, with adequate MR image quality, were enrolled from November 2021 to March 2023. Conventional MRI (T2WI and DWI), IVIM, and DKI were performed before NAT (pre-NAT) and within two weeks before surgery (post-NAT).

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Background: Crystalloid storage histiocytosis (CSH) is a rare clinical condition characterized by abnormally high numbers of histiocytes with a large accumulation of crystalline immunoglobulins. Due to its relative rarity, clinical diagnosis of it is frequently incomplete or incorrect. We report a case with pulmonary crystal-storing histiocytosis that was mistakenly identified as lung carcinoma.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study examined how oblique sutures impact the gapping resistance in 4-strand flexor tendon repairs using 72 porcine tendons and comparing different suture configurations.
  • - Results showed no significant gap resistance differences with oblique sutures, except for the modified Savage and Adelaide sutures; Kessler-type anchorage was less effective than other anchorage types.
  • - The conclusion indicates that while oblique sutures don't enhance gap resistance with Kessler-type or grasping sutures, they do improve resistance with cross-locking anchorage, like the Adelaide suture.
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Anthocyanin (ACN) has attracted considerable attention due to its wide range of physiological effects. However, challenges such as poor stability and limited bioavailability have hindered its utilization in functional foods. To address these issues, this research utilized milk-derived extracellular vesicles (MEV) as carriers for encapsulating and binding ACN through various techniques, including ultrasonic, electroporation, saponin treatment, incubation, and freeze-thaw cycles.

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Transgenesis in Drosophila is an essential approach to studying gene function at the organism level. Embryo microinjection is a crucial step for the construction of transgenic flies. Microinjection requires some types of equipment, including a microinjector, a micromanipulator, an inverted microscope, and a stereo microscope.

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Article Synopsis
  • Eukaryotic N-linked glycans are formed on a lipid carrier in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), starting with the assembly of a fourteen-sugar oligosaccharide on dolichol pyrophosphate.
  • The process includes the addition of seven sugars to dolichol, resulting in an intermediate called Man5GlcNAc2-PP-Dol, which is then transported into the ER lumen.
  • Research identified the protein Rft1 as essential for this transportation, and new experiments confirm that Rft1 directly facilitates the translocation of Man5GlcNAc2-PP-Dol across the lipid bilayer, resolving a long-standing debate about its role.
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Article Synopsis
  • Functional genomics screening is a method used to investigate gene function, traditionally requiring labor-intensive plasmid library construction, which can be cumbersome.
  • The researchers have developed a new method called CRISPRmass that simplifies and accelerates the process of creating a genome-wide UAS-cDNA/ORF plasmid library through efficient two-step reactions.
  • This new approach involves using CRISPR/Cas9 and is beneficial for gain-of-function screenings in cultured cells and for making transgenic libraries in Drosophila, making it faster, easier, and more cost-effective than traditional methods.
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Methylmercury (MeHg) exposure can cause nerve damage and mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondrial dysfunction is mainly mediated by mitochondrial biogenesis and mitochondrial dynamics disorders. Quercetin (QE) plays an important role in activating silencing information regulator 2 related enzyme 1 (SIRT1), and SIRT1 activates peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor-γ co-activator 1α (PGC-1α), which can regulate mitochondrial biogenesis and mitochondrial dynamics.

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Anthocyanin (AN) has good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory bioactivities, but its poor biocompatibility and low stability limit the application of AN in the food industry. In this study, core-shell structured carriers were constructed by noncovalent interaction using tannic acid (TA) and poloxamer 188 (F68) to improve the biocompatibility, stability and smart response of AN. Under different treatment conditions, TA-F68 and AN were mainly bound by hydrophobic interaction.

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Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of vonoprazan based bismuth-containing quadruple therapy (VBCQ) in eradicating Helicobacter pylori ( Hp ).

Materials And Methods: The VBCQ and the proton pump inhibitor-based bismuth-containing quadruple regimen (PBCQ) were compared by retrieving relevant studies in Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, and Wanfang data. Combined analysis was performed with risk ratio (RR) and 95% CI as effect values.

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The development of oral film with diverse colors and customized nutrition is in line with the innovation of emerging food. In this study, polychromatic system was formed by regulating the ratio of phycocyanin (PC) to blueberry anthocyanin (BA). Further, chondroitin sulfate (CS) was utilized to achieve color-enhanced and homeostatic effects on PC-BA, and κ-carrageenan (KC) - starch complex was exploited as printing ink to construct oral film system.

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Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a crucial role in intercellular communication and have the potential to serve as in vivo carriers for delivering active molecules. The biocompatibility advantages of EVs over artificial nanocarriers create new frontiers for delivering modern active molecules. Milk is a favorable source of EVs because of its high bioavailability, low immunogenicity, and commercial producibility.

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Objective: This study aims to explore the frequency and influencing factors of asymptomatic spinal lesions (ASLs) and their impact on subsequent relapses in patients with AQP4-IgG-positive NMOSD (AQP4-NMOSD) in a real-world setting.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical information and spinal MRI data from AQP4-NMOSD patients who had at least one spinal cord MRI during their follow-ups. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models were employed to ascertain potential predictors of remission ASLs and to investigate factors associated with subsequent relapses.

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Pain involves neuroimmune crosstalk, but the mechanisms of this remain unclear. Here we showed that the splenic T helper 2 (T2) immune cell response is differentially regulated in male mice with acute versus chronic neuropathic pain and that acetylcholinergic neurons in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (ACh) directly innervate the spleen. Combined in vivo recording and immune cell profiling revealed the following two distinct circuits involved in pain-mediated peripheral T2 immune response: glutamatergic neurons in the primary somatosensory cortex (Glu)→ACh→spleen circuit and GABAergic neurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala (GABA)→ACh→spleen circuit.

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As an extremely dangerous environmental contaminant, methylmercury (MeHg) results in detrimental health effects in human brain nervous system, one of its main targets. However, as a developmental toxicant, the brain of offspring is vulnerable to MeHg during pregnancy and lactation exposure. Unfortunately, mechanisms of neurodevelopmental injuries induced by MeHg have not been fully elucidated.

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Cadmium (Cd) is a prevalent heavy metal contaminant that can cause centrosome amplification (CA) and cancer. Since CA can initiate tumorigenesis, it is plausible that cadmium initiates tumorigenesis via CA. The present study investigated the signaling pathways underlying CA by Cd.

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To improve the stability and sustained-release property of anthocyanins (ACNs), casein (CA) - dextran (DEX) glycated conjugates (UGCA) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) were used to prepare ACNs-loaded binary and ternary complexes. The ACNs-loaded binary complexes (ACNs-UGCA) and ternary complexes (ACNs-UGCA-CMC) achieved by 8 min' ultrasonic treatment with 40 % amplitude. The binary and ternary complexes showed spherical structure and good dispersibility, with the average size of 121.

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Fractional calculus research indicates that, within the field of neural networks, fractional-order systems more accurately simulate the temporal memory effects present in the human brain. Therefore, it is worthwhile to conduct an in-depth investigation into the complex dynamics of fractional-order neural networks compared to integer-order models. In this paper, we propose a magnetically controlled, memristor-based, fractional-order chaotic system under electromagnetic radiation, utilizing the Hopfield neural network (HNN) model with four neurons as the foundation.

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Oral film is a novel functional carrier, which can provide a new pathway for the efficient absorption of anthocyanin. However, anthocyanin homeostasis in oral film is a prerequisite for achieving efficient absorption and utilization of anthocyanin. Herein, three sulfated polysaccharides, including chondroitin sulfate (CS), fucoidin (FU) and λ-carrageenan (λ-CG), were complexed with blueberry anthocyanin (BA) to prepare oral film formulations using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) as a film-forming matrix.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the mechanical performance of the double Q suture technique compared to the double modified Kessler suture in tendon repairs during angular motion.
  • Results showed that the double Q suture had a smaller gap size and better resistance to gap formation on the dorsal aspect under curved loading conditions.
  • The findings suggest that the double Q suture technique is a more effective method for preventing gap formation during flexor tendon repairs, highlighting its clinical relevance for better surgical outcomes.
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Methylmercury (MeHg) is a widely distributed environmental pollutant that can easily cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in the brain, thereby damaging the central nervous system. Studies have shown that MeHg-induced mitochondrial damage and apoptosis play a crucial role in its neurotoxic effects. Mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR) is indispensable to maintain mitochondrial protein homeostasis and ensure mitochondrial function, and the ATF4/CHOP axis is one of the signaling pathways to activate UPR.

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Polyphenols have received considerable attention for their promotive effects on colonic health. However, polyphenols are mostly sensitive to harsh gastrointestinal environments, thus, must be protected. It is necessary to design and develop a colon-targeted delivery system to improve the stability, colon-targeting and bioavailability of polyphenols.

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