Publications by authors named "Zhi-wei Lu"

Background: Extralobar pulmonary sequestration (ELS) with torsion is extremely rare, consequently, the diagnosis of ELS with torsion in children presents a challenge for clinicians. Herein, we report four cases of ELS with torsion that presented with abdominal pain, and further review the relevant literature to summarize the clinical features.

Case Summary: Four children presented to our department with abdominal pain.

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Solid-state sodium metal batteries have been extensively investigated because of their potential to improve safety, cost-effectiveness, and energy density. The development of such batteries urgently required a solid-state electrolyte with fast Na-ion conduction and favorable interfacial compatibility. Herein, the progress on developing the NaBH solid-state electrolytes is reported, which show a liquid-like ionic conductivity of 0.

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Injectable hydrogels, providing sustained release as implanted materials, have received tremendous attention. In this study, chitosan-based hydrogels were prepared via Schiff base reaction of the aldehyde groups on Poly(NIPAM-co-FBEMA) and the amine groups on chitosan. Owing to the dynamic covalent linkage, the SC/PNF hydrogels exhibit pH-responsive, reversible sol-gel transition, injectable, and self-healing capacity.

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Sterols have long been associated with diverse fields, such as cancer treatment, drug development, and plant growth; however, their underlying mechanisms and functions remain enigmatic. Here, we unveil a critical role played by a GmNF-YC9-mediated CCAAT-box transcription complex in modulating the steroid metabolism pathway within soybeans. Specifically, this complex directly activates squalene monooxygenase (GmSQE1), which is a rate-limiting enzyme in steroid synthesis.

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Traditional photonuclear reactions primarily excite giant dipole resonances, making the measurement of isovector giant resonances with higher multipolarities a great challenge. In this Letter, the manipulation of collective excitations of different multipole transitions in even-even nuclei via vortex γ photons is investigated. We develop the calculation method for photonuclear cross sections induced by the vortex γ photon beam using the fully self-consistent random-phase approximation plus particle-vibration coupling (RPA+PVC) model based on Skyrme density functional.

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The present study aimed to use bedside ultrasound to evaluate the effects of metoclopramide on gastric motility in patients being treated for trauma in the emergency department. Fifty patients underwent an ultrasound immediately after attending the emergency department of Zhang Zhou Hospital due to trauma. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: a metoclopramide group (group M, n = 25) and a normal saline group (group S, n = 25).

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Article Synopsis
  • Abscisic acid (ABA) receptors play a crucial role in adjusting ABA sensitivity and water usage in plants, impacting their growth and stress response.
  • Overexpression of TaMPK3 in wheat reduces drought tolerance and sensitivity to ABA, resulting in poorer growth and survival rates under drought conditions.
  • The interaction between TaMPK3 and TaPYL4 affects ABA signaling, suggesting that this mechanism serves as a regulatory balance for plant growth during drought stress.
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Background: Ultrasound-guided needle placement has revolutionized the thoracic paravertebral block technique and can be applied in thoracoscopic surgery.

Objective: This study investigated the median effective volume (EV50) of an ultrasound-guided single shot of 0.3% ropivacaine used as a thoracic paravertebral nerve block for the radical thoracoscopic resection of lung cancer.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study compares the effectiveness of two approaches (parasagittal and transverse intercostal) for performing thoracic paravertebral blocks in patients undergoing optional thoracoscopic surgery.
  • It involved 34 patients and measured various factors including catheterization time, success rates, and postoperative pain scores at multiple time intervals.
  • The findings indicate that while both methods offer similar pain relief outcomes, the parasagittal approach was slower and had a slightly higher failure rate for catheter placement compared to the transverse intercostal approach.
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As an inherent feature of vector optical field, the spatial distribution of polarization brings additional degrees of freedom to engineer the optical field and control the interaction between light and matters. Here we focus on the variation of polarization in single vector optical field, which can be defined by the trajectory on the Poincaré sphere. Based on the amplitude-phase-polarization joint modulation method we propose, vector optical field, whose variation of polarization follows arbitrary circular trajectory on the Poincaré sphere, can be generated.

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  • Drought and salt stress significantly hinder soybean production globally, making it hard to enhance valuable traits related to drought resilience due to their complexity.
  • Researchers discovered the NF-YC14 transcription factor, which works with other factors to activate the ABA signaling pathway, crucial for stress tolerance in soybeans.
  • Knockout mutants of GmNF-YC14 were more drought-sensitive, while overexpression of GmNF-YC14 or GmPYR1 improved soybean yield and adaptation, suggesting their potential in enhancing drought tolerance.
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Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide MnSe(2D-MnSe) with Curie temperature approximate to 300 K has a significant spintronic application on thin-film devices. We demonstrate theoretically a tunable magnetic transition of 2D-MnSebetween anti-ferromagnetic (AFM) metal and ferromagnetic (FM) half metal as strain increasing. Mechanism of that transition involves a competition between--through-bond and-direct interaction in 2D-MnSe.

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Ankyrin repeat (ANK) proteins are essential in cell growth, development, and response to hormones and environmental stresses. In the present study, 226 genes were identified and classified into nine subfamilies according to conserved domains in the soybean genome ( L.).

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Introduction: This study aimed to compare the challenge of puncture and catheterization and the effect of postoperative analgesia of ultrasound-guided continuous thoracic paravertebral block and the continuous epidural analgesia in patients receiving thoracoscopic surgery for lung cancer.

Methods: One-hundred and fifty patients received elective unilateral thoracoscopic surgery for lung cancer and were randomized into three groups; test group 1 (T group), test group 2 (P group), and the control group (E group). Both of the test groups received ultrasound-guided continuous thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) while the control group received continuous epidural analgesia.

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Background/aims: A recent study found that dysregulated microRNA-184 (miR-184) is involved in the proliferation and survival of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This study aimed to evaluate the detailed mechanisms of invasion, migration and metastasis of NPC cells.

Methods: Quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were used to confirm the expression levels of miR-184 and Notch2.

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Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is considered a prerequisite for tumor invasion and metastasis in many cancers. However, the mechanisms underlying EMT in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is largely unknown. In this study, we found that transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), which reportedly promotes EMT in multiple cancers, can trigger EMT and increase the invasive and migratory capacities of NPC cells.

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The present study aims to investigate the radiosensitization effect of the migration and invasion inhibitory protein (MIIP) gene on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells. The MIIP gene was transfected into NPC 5-8F and CNE2 cells. The level of MIIP was analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis and western blot.

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Article Synopsis
  • Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-?) is a cytokine that encourages cell growth and migration in various cancers, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).
  • The study found that TGF-? reduces the expression of microRNA-124 (miR-124), which usually inhibits tumor growth; when miR-124 is overexpressed, it counteracts TGF-? effects on NPC cells.
  • Furthermore, miR-124 not only targets the oncogenic lncRNA MALAT1 to regulate ERK/MAPK pathways but also works independently of the SMAD signaling pathway, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target for NPC.
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Background: In recent years, miR-152 has been dysregulated in a variety of tumors and used as a tumor suppressor. Nevertheless, its role in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unidentified.

Materials And Methods: Real-time quantitative PCR (polymerase chain reaction) was performed to analyze the expression of miR-152 in NPC cell lines.

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Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to perform significant roles in cancer development and progression. Our research has found that a novel lncRNA n326322 was higher in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells. Moreover, the gain and loss of functional approaches revealed that the overexpression of lncRNA-n326322 promoted NPC cell proliferation and invasion, whereas the downregulation of lncRNA-n326322 suppressed cell proliferation and invasion.

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Diagnostic ions filter method was used to rapidly detect and identify the phenolic compounds in Rheum palmatum based on ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MSE). The representative authentic standards of phenolic compounds, including gallic acid, (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, (-)-epicatechin-3-O-gallate and procyanidin B2, were subjected to analysis by UPLC-Q-TOF/MSE system with negative ion mode. Fragmentation patterns of each standard were summarized based on assigned fragment ions.

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Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is among the most common squamous cell carcinoma in South China and Southeast Asia. Radiotherapy is the primary treatment for NPC. However, radioresistance acts as a significant factor that limits the efficacy of radiotherapy for NPC patients.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The substrate successfully detected the pigments rhodamine B, sunset yellow, and chrysoidine in various concentrations, both in solutions and in drinks without any pretreatment.
  • * The method delivers reliable results for semi-quantitative analysis of these pigments, making it useful for quality control and monitoring of beverages.
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  • - Cinnabar is used in traditional Chinese and Mongolian medicine for its calming effects, and its powder was analyzed using a portable Raman spectrometer to identify its structural vibrations.
  • - The study detected specific Raman peaks (253, 290, and 343 cm(-1)) for cinnabar, confirming its presence in various Mongolian medicines containing this ingredient, while none were found in those without it.
  • - A semi-quantitative analysis of cinnabar in oral ulcer powder showed a strong correlation (r = 0.9959) between the amount of cinnabar and its Raman signal intensity, demonstrating that this detection method is quick, straightforward, and reliable for medicinal applications.
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A transparent SERS platform was fabricated via the gel-trapping method coupled with a liquid/liquid interface self-assembly technique. We employed gold nanorods as the building blocks for interface self-assembly because of their strong localized surface plasmons upon excitation by infrared radiation. Based on a "top cover" configuration, this transparent SERS platform endows high signal reproducibility for directly detecting liquid samples by confining the sample droplet into a regular shape.

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