Publications by authors named "Ze-Cong Ma"

Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3 (VEGFR-3) plays an indispensable role in lymphangiogenesis. Previous findings suggest that blocking the VEGFR-3 signaling pathway can inhibit lymph node metastasis effectively, thus reducing the incidence of distant metastasis. The development of new VEGFR-3-targeting drugs for early detection and effective treatments is, therefore, urgently required.

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Radiosensitivity is critical for clinical outcomes and overall survival of prostate cancer patients treated with irradiation. Ribociclib and NU7026 have been reported as radiosensitizers in cancer cells, but which are inadequately understood in prostate cancer cells. The present study was performed to investigate the effects of ribociclib, NU7026, and their combination on the radiosensitivity of prostate cancer cells.

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Nonstructural protein 3C, a master protease of Picornaviridae, plays a critical role in viral replication by directly cleaving the viral precursor polyprotein to form the viral capsid protein and antagonizing the host antiviral response. Additionally, 3C protease, as a tool enzyme, is involved in regulating polyprotein expression. Here, the 3C mutant gene (3Cm), fused with a small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) tag at the N-terminal and featuring a mutation at position 127, was inserted into the cold-shock plasmid pCold of Escherichia coli for expression.

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The pine wood nematode (PWN), , is one of the most serious invasive forest pests, responsible for pine wilt disease (PWD). Currently, there are no effective, environmentally friendly control methods available. RNA interference (RNAi) technology has been extensively utilized to screen functional genes in eukaryotes and to explore sustainable pest management approaches through genetic engineering.

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Aim: We aimed to investigate whether α-ketoglutarate (AKG) can promote autophagic activity under a peri-implant condition to enhance the osseointegration of dental implant in rats with osteoporosis (OP).

Methods: Con, Model and AKG groups were established for the random allocation of thirty rats ( = 10). Their bone metabolism indicators were measured.

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Lower-limb exoskeletons have become increasingly popular in rehabilitation to help patients with disabilities regain mobility and independence. Brain-computer interface (BCI) offers a natural control method for these exoskeletons, allowing users to operate them through their electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. However, the limited EEG decoding performance of the BCI system restricts its application for lower limb exoskeletons.

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Ultra-intense short-pulse lasers interacting with matter are capable of generating exceptionally bright secondary radiation sources. The short pulse duration (picoseconds to nanoseconds), small source size (sub-mm), and comparable high peak flux to conventional single particle sources make them an attractive source for radiography using a combination of particle species, known as multimodal imaging. Simultaneous x-ray and MeV neutron imaging of multi-material objects can yield unique advantages for material segmentation and identification within the full sample.

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Purpose: To evaluate the long-term effects of implantable collamer lens (ICL) V4c on the biomechanical and morphological properties of crystalline lenses in Chinese adults with high myopia using Brillouin microscopy (BM).

Methods: In this case-control study, 102 highly myopic eyes from 102 patients (18-48 years, preoperative spherical equivalent (SE): -6.00--21.

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Fluctuations in energy status are critical physiological factors influencing postharvest fruit quality. However, the role of autophagy, a stress-resistant biological process, in regulating postharvest fruit energy status remains unclear. In this study, we treated strawberry fruit with the autophagy inhibitor hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to investigate the role of autophagy in maintaining energy status.

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Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a natural antioxidant, plays a vital role in modulating sperm function, yet its protective impact on boar spermatozoa during liquid preservation at 4 °C remains elusive. This study aimed to investigate the beneficial effects of EGCG on boar semen preservation, and elucidate the potential mechanism. Multiple parameters including sperm quality, anti-oxidative status, protein phosphorylation levels, membrane receptor and cyclic adenosine monophosphate/protein kinase A (cAMP/PKA) signaling pathways were analyzed using computer-assisted semen analysis system, Western blot and molecular docking techniques.

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Memristors and magnetic tunnel junctions are showing great potential in data storage and computing applications. A magnetoelectrically coupled memristor utilizing electron spin and electric field-induced ion migration can facilitate their operation, uncover new phenomena, and expand applications. In this study, devices consisting of Pt/(LaCoO/SrTiO)/LaCoO/Nb:SrTiO (Pt/(LCO/STO)/LCO/NSTO) are engineered using pulsed laser deposition to form the LCO/STO superlattice layer, with Pt and NSTO serving as the top and bottom electrodes, respectively.

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Providing mechanically adaptive performance to surfaces is significant in preserving materials from damage in variable environments, however, it has rarely been studied. Inspired by the mechanically adaptive behaviors of the surface microstructure on the carapace of desert scorpions and bark of desert tamarisks, a self-wrinkled mechanically adaptive patterned surface (SWMAPS) using one-step UV-curing and self-wrinkling technique is reported. Because of the fluorinated polyurethane photo-initiator formed by self-assembly at the top surface, UV-induced photo-crosslinking can spontaneously generate a gradient-crosslinked structure and wrinkled patterns with different morphology.

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The crosstalk between the tumour immune microenvironment (TIME) and tumour cells promote immune evasion and resistance to immunotherapy in gastrointestinal (GI) tumours. Post-transcriptional regulation of genes is pivotal to GI tumours progression, and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) serve as key regulators via their RNA-binding domains. RBPs may exhibit either anti-tumour or pro-tumour functions by influencing the TIME through the modulation of mRNAs and non-coding RNAs expression, as well as post-transcriptional modifications, primarily N6-methyladenosine (mA).

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Maize ( L.) is a major food and feed crop and an important raw material for energy, chemicals, and livestock. The NF-Y family of transcription factors in maize plays a crucial role in the regulation of plant development and response to environmental stress.

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Background: The tumor immune microenvironment, including neutrophils and tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs), is pivotal for HCC prognosis assessment. Tumor-associated neutrophils exhibit plasticity, adopting either an antitumorigenic N1 (MPO+ CD206-) or a pro-tumorigenic N2 (MPO+ CD206+) phenotype. We explored the prognostic value of neutrophil plasticity and TLS maturity in HCC in both tumor and peritumoral tissues and addressed their interaction.

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Nitrous oxide (NO) is generally detected by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) which has become a popular method in current research and applications. However, NO and CO have the same molecular mass and comparable physical characteristics, posing significant challenges to complete separation and accurate detection of NO. For this purpose, a simple and effective method for detecting nitrous oxide using alkaline washing and GC-MS was proposed.

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O-linked-N-acetylglucosaminylation (O-GlcNAcylation), one of the protein post-translational modifications, is the process of adding O-linked-β-D-N-acetylglucosaminylation (O-GlcNAc) to serine and threonine residues of proteins. O-GlcNAcylation regulates various fundamental cell biological processes, including gene transcription, signal transduction, and cellular metabolism. The role of dysregulated O-GlcNAcylation in tumorigenesis has been recognized, but its role in cancer therapy tolerance has not been elucidated.

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Objective: To retrospectively investigate the efficacy of phloroglucinol administration after freeze-thawed embryo transfer in patients experiencing recurrent implantation failure (RIF).

Materials And Methods: A total of 139 infertile couples who experienced RIF undergoing in vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer were divided into the control (n = 66) and the phloroglucinol (n = 73) groups. Women in the phloroglucinol group received 80 mg phloroglucinol 30 min after transfer, then once daily up to day 3 after the embryo transfer.

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Breast cancer (BC) is a complex and heterogeneous disease, and its onset and progression involve the interplay of multiple molecular mechanisms. Chemokines and their receptors are key regulators of cell migration and immune responses and contribute significantly to the pathophysiology of BC. This article reviews the classification, functions, and mechanisms of chemokines and their receptors in the proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis of BC cells.

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An analytical method for identifying the chemical constituents in the Chinese herbal combination Jiuwei decoction was established using capillary electrophoresis coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Nine herbs were extracted with a 60:40 (v/v) ethanol/water solution to prepare the Jiuwei decoction. Electrophoretic separation was carried out using a 50 µm i.

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Background And Objectives: This study aims to report the clinical, biological, and imaging features of cross-sectional study of neurosyphilis patients with leptomeningeal enhancement of spinal cord. Here, 51 neurosyphilis patients with leptomeningeal enhancement of spinal cord positivity are described, offering a promise in terms of early diagnosis, thereby enabling timely detection and treatment.

Methods: We retrospectively included all neurosyphilis patients enrolled in this study from December 2019 to January 2024.

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Background: Skeletal muscle atrophy significantly affects quality of life and has socio-economic and health implications. This study evaluates the effects of entacapone (ENT) on skeletal muscle atrophy linked with oxidative stress and proteolysis.

Methods: C2C12 cells were treated with dexamethasone (Dex) to simulate muscle atrophy.

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Metabolomics is a science that takes small molecular metabolites in organisms as the research object and determines the dynamic changes of metabolites at the overall level through a variety of modern analytical techniques. At present, metabolomics technology has been widely used in biological significance interpretation, food safety and quality, breeding, disease diagnosis, functional compound identification, and other fields. Its application in poultry science has also become the focus of widespread attention.

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Certain litchi varieties, such as "Nuomici", are highly susceptible to preharvest fruit drop, which leads to significant losses in fruit yield and economic value. However, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying this issue are not yet fully understood. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the signaling pathways that facilitate preharvest fruit drop in litchi, using "Nuomici" and "Huaizhi" cultivars as examples, which demonstrate high and low preharvest fruit drop rates, respectively.

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