Publications by authors named "Zhi-feng Zhang"

Zein-based nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted considerable attention as potential delivery systems for bioactive compounds. However, their application has been limited by poor stability and redispersibility. In this study, we addressed these challenges by fabricating zein nanocarriers using branching structural fructo-oligosaccharides (P-FOS) and sodium caseinate (NaCas) as costabilizers.

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The Conference 2024 provides a platform to promote the development of an innovative scientific research ecosystem for microbiome and One Health. The four key components - Technology, Research (Biology), Academic journals, and Social media - form a synergistic ecosystem. Advanced technologies drive biological research, which generates novel insights that are disseminated through academic journals.

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Recently, Chen et al. published their breakthrough results on a marine microbial genomic catalog and genetic potentials in bioprospecting in Nature, providing unprecedented opportunities for development and utilization of genetic resources of marine microorganisms. To highlight this article, we summarized and highlighted their breakthroughs seriatim.

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In the context of the digital revolution, 3D printing technology brings innovation to the personalized treatment of cervical spondylosis, a clinically common degenerative disease that severely impacts the quality of life and increases the economic burden of patients. Although traditional surgeries, medications, and physical therapies are somewhat effective, they often fail` to meet individual needs, thus affecting treatment adherence and outcomes. 3D printing, with its customizability, precision, material diversity, and short production cycles, shows tremendous potential in the treatment of cervical spondylosis.

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Article Synopsis
  • Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a significant concern for elderly patients after surgery, impacting their cognitive abilities and overall quality of life due to various factors like aging, surgical methods, and inflammation.* -
  • Strategies to minimize POCD include thorough preoperative assessments, choosing the right anesthetics, using minimally invasive techniques, and implementing early rehab and cognitive training.* -
  • Future research should focus on large-scale trials and studies to better understand POCD and incorporate new findings into healthcare practices, emphasizing the need for continuous education for medical professionals to improve patient outcomes.*
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This study aims to enhance the effectiveness of high resolution manometry (HRM) and pH-impedance monitoring metrics in distinguishing between gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) and non-GERD. A retrospective propensity score matching (PSM) study was conducted on 643 patients with GERD symptoms. PSM matched 134 GERD patients with 134 non-GERD controls.

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Studies have shown that the inhibition of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN)was neuroprotective against ischemia/reperfusion(I/R) injury. Bisperoxovanadium (bpV), a derivative of vanadate, is a well-established inhibitor of PTEN. However, its function islimited due to its general inadequacy in penetrating cell membranes.

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Objective: To investigate the clinical and molecular characteristics of spp. causing bloodstream infections (BSIs) in our hospital.

Methods: We studied 22 clinical isolates from BSIs and 16 from non-BSIs, performing antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) and whole genome sequencing (WGS).

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  • The Microbiome Protocols eBook (MPB) connects researchers by providing essential protocols for microbiome experiments and data analysis.
  • The first edition, released in 2020, included 152 well-organized protocols and received positive feedback from the scientific community.
  • Researchers are now encouraged to contribute their own protocols for the upcoming 2nd edition to help further microbiome research.
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The next generation of high-capacity, multi-task optical informatics requires sophisticated manipulation of multiple degrees of freedom (DoFs) of light, especially when they are coupled in a non-separable way. Vector beam, as a typical non-separable state between the spin and orbital angular momentum DoFs, mathematically akin to entangled qubits, has inspired multifarious theories and applications in both quantum and classical regimes. Although qubit rotation is a vital and ubiquitous operation in quantum informatics, its classical analogue is rarely studied.

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  • - In August 2022, a disease affecting Pachira glabra trees in Xiangtan City, China, led to up to 40% of the surveyed trees exhibiting leaf symptoms, primarily starting as yellow lesions that progressed to large necrotic areas.
  • - Leaf samples were collected and analyzed, revealing eight morphologically similar fungal isolates identified as Diaporthe sp., characterized by distinct types of conidia (α and β).
  • - Molecular techniques were employed to confirm the fungal identity, amplifying several DNA regions to facilitate accurate classification of the isolates.
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Background: Fungi play a crucial role in ecosystems, and they have been widely considered a promising source for natural compounds that are crucial for drug discovery. Fungi have a high diversity, but about 95% of them remain unknown to science. The description rate of fungi is very low, mainly due to the inability of most fungi to grow in artificial media, which could not provide a sufficiently similar environment to their natural habitats.

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Background: Previous studies have investigated the effectiveness and safety of ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca compartment block (UGFICB) compared to quadratus lumborum block (QLB) for pain management in total hip arthroplasty (THA). However, there is currently a lack of a systematic review specifically addressing this issue. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to conduct a comprehensive analysis and comparison of the efficacy and safety of UGFICB versus QLB for pain management in THA.

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Karst caves are distinctive ecosystems that have limited nutrients, darkness, low to moderate temperatures, and high moisture levels, which allow for a diverse range of fungal communities to thrive. Despite their significance, little is understood about the fungi found in karst caves in Thailand. In 2019, we studied the cultured mycobiota from five substrate types (air, water, rock, soil/sediment, and organic debris) in two karst caves (Le Stegodon and Phu Pha Phet Caves) of the Satun UNESCO Global Geopark, southern Thailand.

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As a unique ecosystem, Karst caves harbor an impressive diversity of specific fungi. However, the factors and mechanisms that shape fungal biodiversity in caves remain elusive. In this study, we explored the assembly patterns of fungal communities based on our previous research in eight representative Karst caves in Southwest China.

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Article Synopsis
  • Identifying key microorganisms in food fermentation is essential for understanding how traditional foods like huangjiu are made and their flavor profiles.
  • Metagenomic and other analysis techniques revealed that the bacterium Saccharopolyspora, rather than the traditionally recognized Aspergillus, plays a significant role in wheat qu fermentation, contributing to the production of various important metabolites.
  • The isolate S. hirsuta J2 enhances fermentation efficiency and flavor quality while reducing undesirable biogenic amines in fermented products like huangjiu, sausage, and soy sauce, highlighting its potential as a valuable functional organism in food production.
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Background: Mangrove wetlands are coastal ecosystems with important ecological features and provide habitats for diverse microorganisms with key roles in nutrient and biogeochemical cycling. However, the overall metabolic potentials and ecological roles of microbial community in mangrove sediment are remained unanswered. In current study, the microbial and metabolic profiles of prokaryotic and fungal communities in mangrove sediments were investigated using metagenomic analysis based on PacBio single-molecule real time (SMRT) and Illumina sequencing techniques.

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  • Detecting and classifying foreign fibers in cotton is crucial for ensuring the quality of yarn and textiles, particularly for white and transparent fibers.
  • The current methods face challenges like missing small fibers, low recognition accuracy, and slow detection speeds, prompting the development of a new polarization imaging device and an enhanced detection algorithm based on YOLOv5.
  • The improved YOLOv5 utilizes a streamlined feature extraction network, modifications for better feature mapping, and an attention module to increase accuracy, achieving significant performance improvements in fast and accurate fiber detection for production lines.
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Background: Paeonia veitchii Lynch, a well-known herb from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau south of the Himalayas, can synthesize specific monoterpene glycosides (PMGs) with multiple pharmacological activities, and its rhizome has become an indispensable ingredient in many clinical drugs. However, little is known about the molecular background of P. veitchii, especially the genes involved in the biosynthetic pathway of PMGs.

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Metagenomics constructs genomic libraries by directly extracting DNA from all microorganisms from environmental samples, and studies microbial diversity and functional composition by microbiology and genomics. The metagenomic technology and genome sequencing can be used to discover the unculturable environmental microorganisms and study the natural products in the medicinal materials related to them, which overcome the limitations of microbial isolation and culture technology and is of great significance for the discovery of new genes or genomes. The quality and safety of traditional Chinese medicine materials(TCMMs) have always been a hot topic in the research on TCMMs.

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In the post-COVID-19 era, environmental pollution has been a serious threat to public health. Enterprises are in urgent need of enhancing green technology innovation as the main source of pollutant emissions, and it is necessary for governments to support green innovation of enterprises to reduce pollutant emissions and promote public health. In this context, this paper investigates whether the Ambient Air Quality Standard (AAQS) implemented in 2012 in China contributes to green innovation of enterprises, to provide implications for environmental protection and public health.

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Karst caves are oligotrophic environments that appear to support a high diversity of fungi. Studies of fungi in Thailand's caves are limited. During a 2019 exploration of the mycobiota associated with soil samples from a karst cave, namely, Phu Pha Phet in the Satun UNESCO Global Geopark in Satun Province, southern Thailand, two previously undescribed fungi belonging to (, , ) were studied using a polyphasic approach combining phenotypic and molecular data.

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