Publications by authors named "Xu Xiang"

Background: Flexible ureteroscopy (FURS) is increasingly used as the first-line treatment for urological procedures. Disposable digital (dd-)FURS has been developed to overcome limitations such as durability, degradation, and repair cost of reusable scopes. The diameter of commercially-available models ranges from 7.

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Background: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma(HNSCC) is the sixth most common malignancy worldwide, with more than 890,000 new cases and 450,000 deaths annually. Its major risk factors include smoking, alcohol abuse, aging, and poor oral hygiene. Due to the lack of early and effective detection and screening methods, many patients are diagnosed at advanced stages with a five-year survival rate of less than 50%.

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Recent evidence suggests that ferroptosis plays a crucial role in the occurrence and development of white matter lesions. However, the mechanisms and regulatory pathways involved in ferroptosis within white matter lesions remain unclear. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to influence the occurrence and development of these lesions.

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  • This study investigates the relationship between HLA DR expression on a specific type of immune cell (CD14- CD16+ monocytes) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS), focusing on the role of 1091 blood metabolites as potential mediators.
  • Using data from a large genome-wide association study, researchers applied a two-step Mendelian randomization method to analyze the effect of HLA DR levels on the risk of developing AS.
  • The findings indicated that higher HLA DR levels were linked to a lower incidence of AS, with N6, N6, N6-trimethyllysine (TML) identified as the key mediator in this relationship, demonstrating its significant impact on AS variance.
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Good piezoelectricity and high resistivity are prerequisites for high-temperature acceleration sensors to function correctly in high-temperature environments. Bismuth layered structure ferroelectrics (BLSFs) are promising candidates for piezoelectric ceramics with excellent piezoelectric performance at high temperatures, high electrical resistivity, and high Curie temperatures (). In this study, (LiMn) is substituted for Bi at the A-site, and Ce-doping is performed to replace Ti ions in NaBiTiO, which achieves the desired combination of high piezoelectric coefficients and high resistivity.

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The flame retardant bisphenol AP bis(diphenyl phosphate) (BAPDP) is synthesized from triphenyl phosphate and bisphenol AP via transesterification, producing a polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PC/ABS) with a high flame retardancy and thermal stability. In this study, flame-retardant PC/ABS blends with various BAPDP contents are prepared, and their flame retardancy is studied using the limit oxygen index, vertical combustion, thermogravimetric analysis, and cone calorimeter testing. With a BAPDP content of 20 wt%, the product exhibits a limiting oxygen index of 25.

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High-performance elastomers with exceptional mechanical properties and self-healing capabilities have garnered significant attention due to their wide range of potential applications. However, designing elastomers that strike a balance between self-healing capabilities and mechanical properties remains a considerable challenge. Inspired by biological cartilage, a highly robust, tough, and crack-resistant self-healing elastomer is presented by incorporating hydrogen-bond-rich 2D polyamide (2DPA) into a poly(urethane-urea) matrix.

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Background: Previous studies have indicated that human flora may affect the development of scabies, however, no studies have proven a causal relationship between human flora and scabies, which would be detrimental to future in-depth studies on human flora and scabies.

Methods: Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to analyze the causal effect between human microbiota and scabies, with data on intestinal flora and skin flora from two large published studies and data on scabies from the FinnGen database. Five MR analysis methods were used to increase the reliability of the results, and sensitivity analyses were conducted to increase the robustness of the results.

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  • Ceramic aerogels possess superior characteristics suitable for thermal insulation in extreme conditions but face issues with fracture damage that can cause failure.
  • Researchers designed ultra-stretchable ceramic aerogels using highly buckled nanofibers, which are created through a specialized electrospinning method, resulting in high flexibility and thermal stability.
  • These innovative aerogels maintain effective thermal insulation properties while being able to stretch significantly, highlighting their potential for robust applications in challenging environments.
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The selection optimum endovascular method for the treatment of different cerebral aneurysms has been the main challenge for surgeons. In the present article, the computational technique is used for the hemodynamic evaluation of two main endovascular techniques of stent and coiling for the reduction of the hemorrhage risk of ICA aneurysms. Comprehensive analyses of the blood flow are performed to detect potential regions with high risk at critical stages of the cardiac cycle.

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  • This study investigates how biodegradable microplastics (BMPs) like PLA and PBAT affect the toxicity and bioaccumulation of cadmium (Cd) in lettuce.
  • Results indicate that BMPs can worsen Cd's negative effects on lettuce growth, with certain concentrations boosting or hindering photosynthesis and nutrient content.
  • The presence of BMPs also alters how Cd is stored and transported within the plant, impacting key biological processes and reducing the expression of important transporters and metabolic pathways.
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  • * Saikosaponin A (SSa), a compound from Radix Bupleuri, shows potential in protecting the liver due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, but its impact on ALD is not well-explored.
  • * Research indicates that SSa and its metabolite Saikogenin A (SGA) work through specific liver signaling pathways and can protect liver cells from ethanol damage, positioning SGA as a promising candidate for ALD therapy.
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  • * A total of 68 patients were analyzed, with 28 utilizing MR for enhanced preoperative planning and intraoperative guidance, while 40 followed traditional imaging methods.
  • * Results revealed that the MR group achieved significant reductions in operation time and ischemia time compared to the control group, indicating that MR technology could improve efficiency in complex renal surgeries.
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The choice of suitable materials and effective structural design are crucial in influencing the therapeutic outcomes of bone tissue engineering scaffolds. This study introduces a controllable biodegradable composite scaffold composed of flat silkworm cocoon (FSC) and polylactic acid (PLA) as an innovative strategy for promoting bone healing in complex injuries. We focused on optimizing the scaffold's structural design, mechanical properties, and underlying mechanisms of osteogenesis.

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Background: Lactate was once considered as metabolic waste for a long time. In 2019, Professor Zhao Yingming's team from the University of Chicago found that lactate could also be used as a substrate to induce histone lactylation and regulate gene expression. Since then, researchers have discovered that lactate-mediated lactylation play important regulatory roles in various physiological and pathological processes.

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The study aimed to investigate the feasibility of dynamic glucose-enhanced (DGE) MRI technology in the clinical application of glioma. Twenty patients with glioma were examined using a preoperative DGE-MRI protocol before clinical intervention. A brief hyperglycemic state was achieved by injecting 50 mL of 50% w/w D-glucose intravenously during the DGE imaging.

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Double-atom catalysts (DACs) have opened distinctive paradigms in the field of rapidly developing atomic catalysis owing to their great potential for promoting catalytic performance in various reaction systems. However, increasing the loading and extending the service life of metal active centres represents a considerable challenge for the efficient utilization of DACs. Here, we rationally design asymmetric nitrogen, sulfur-coordinated diatomic iron centres on highly defective nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets (denoted A-FeSN/SNC, A: asymmetric), which possess the atomic configuration of the NSFe-FeN moiety.

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Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly malignant tumor with a dismal prognosis. Gemcitabine-based chemotherapy has emerged as a first-line treatment for PDAC. However, the development of gemcitabine resistance often results in therapeutic failure.

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Pillar[n]arenes (P[n]As, n = 5-10), a new generation of macrocyclic hosts, display interesting properties such as 3D π-electron cavity, host-guest interactions, good stability, and easy functionalization, which make these polymers very promising for separation applications. In particular, extended P[n]As (EP[n]As) show large-sized cavities, structural flexibility, cavity adaptability, and synthetic accessibility. These characteristics have been exploited in this work, which reports for the first time the investigation of two EP[n]As (LP6A-C10 and BpP6A-C10) as stationary phases for gas chromatography (GC).

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Doxorubicin (DOX), a widely used anticancer drug, can induce myocardial damage, and current treatments are limited. Our research identified AMPD3 upregulation in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC), and we hypothesized that AMPD3 may contribute to cardiac injury by regulating mitochondrial dynamics and ferroptosis. We generated AMPD3 knockout (KO) mice and AC16 cell models with AMPD3 knockdown/overexpression, using various methods to explore underlying mechanisms.

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This study aimed to investigate the effect of ultrasound-assisted HO (US/HO) reaction on degradation parameters and kinetics, physicochemical properties and prebiotic activity of longan polysaccharide (LP). Results showed that US/HO had a synergistic effect on the degradation of LP, and its kinetic equation followed to the fist - order model. US/HO degradation did not change the chemical and monosaccharide composition of LP but altered their ratio.

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Cuproptosis is a newly identified form of copper-dependent cell death that differs from other known pathways. This discovery provides a new way to explore copper-based nanomaterial applications in cancer therapy. This study used a layer-by-layer self-assembling method to load CuS nanoparticle (NP) cores with the siRNA of the immune escape-related gene and wrap a silk fibroin (SF) shell to form a multifunctional copper-based SF nanoplatform, denoted as CuS-PEI-siRNA-SFNs.

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