Publications by authors named "Zhi-wei Zhang"

We report herein that three facile rearrangements of epoxy ketones can be employed for the efficient and practical synthesis of cephalotaxine, the parent member of the family of alkaloids. The Meinwald rearrangement of epoxy ketone (90%) was used for the preparation of the dense functional groups in the cyclopentane ring of cephalotaxine. A novel acid-catalyzed umpolung S2' rearrangement and the Wharton transposition reaction of epoxy ketones were also developed to synthesize the Mori intermediate via the key azaspiro allylic alcohols in a stereodivergent manner.

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  • The NOTCH2NLC gene is linked to several neurological disorders through expansions of GGC repeats in its 5' untranslated region, which can lead to conditions like Parkinson's, dementia, and tremors.
  • The study used cellular models and CRISPR-Cas9 engineered mice with specific GGC repeat variations to investigate the effects of these repeats, particularly focusing on those with serine insertions.
  • Results showed that a specific intermediate repeat with serine insertion caused mitochondrial dysfunction and neurotoxicity, leading to PD-like symptoms in mice, including neuronal loss and behavioral impairments.
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  • Electroacupuncture (EA) is effective and safe for knee osteoarthritis (KOA), but the best current intensity for pain relief hasn't been clear, prompting a comparison of high vs. low-intensity EA.
  • The meta-analysis included three randomized controlled trials with 472 participants and found that high-intensity EA significantly reduces pain compared to low-intensity EA, though both had similar functional improvement scores (WOMAC).
  • High-intensity EA also had a greater positive effect on emotional well-being than low-intensity EA, suggesting it may be the better choice for patients with KOA.
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  • Ampullary cancer is a rare but increasingly diagnosed malignant tumor with unclear biological characteristics, especially concerning its different subtypes and the effectiveness of adjuvant therapy.
  • A study examined 356 patients to analyze clinicopathological features between two subtypes: ampulla of Vater cancer (AVC) and duodenal papilla cancer (DPC), measuring factors that influence overall survival (OS).
  • Results revealed that DPC patients had a longer OS (58.90 months) than AVC patients (44.31 months), with different independent risk factors affecting survival for each subtype, highlighting the importance of preoperative health metrics and treatment approaches.
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In this study, hollow nanoflower spherical CuS and CuS/FeO@BC with adsorption and antibacterial properties was prepared by coprecipitation and solvothermal method, respectively. The adsorption results showed that the CuS exhibited excellent adsorption performance on sulfonamide antibiotics (SAs), especially for sulfamethoxazole (SMZ). The optimal addition amount of CuS is 0.

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  • Chemotherapy is an effective treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) but often leads to myelosuppression and poor recovery of blood cell production.
  • Dysfunction in bone marrow endothelial cells (ECs) is observed in AML patients, particularly those with inadequate hematopoietic reconstitution post-transplantation, making it essential to understand the mechanisms behind this dysfunction.
  • Elevated TGF-β signaling in ECs from AML patients causes damage that impairs hematopoiesis, but using TGF-β inhibitors has shown promise in restoring EC function and normal blood cell production without worsening AML.
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In recent years, the increasing frequency of climate change and extreme weather events has significantly elevated the risk of levee breaches, potentially triggering large-scale floods that threaten surrounding environments and public safety. Rapid and accurate measurement of river surface velocities is crucial for developing effective emergency response plans. Video image velocimetry has emerged as a powerful new approach due to its non-invasive nature, ease of operation, and low cost.

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  • * Advances in occlusion devices and transcatheter techniques have made percutaneous closure a popular treatment option for both ASD and PFO.
  • * This review highlights the progress in biodegradable occlusion devices, discussing their design, materials, benefits, challenges, and future research directions for better treatment of these heart defects.
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Background: Radiation esophagitis (RE) is one of the most common clinical symptoms of regi-onal lymph node radiotherapy for breast cancer. However, there are fewer studies focusing on RE caused by hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT).

Aim: To analyze the clinical and dosimetric factors that contribute to the development of RE in patients with breast cancer treated with HFRT of regional lymph nodes.

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  • SIRT6 is an important protein that helps control energy use, stress response, and the immune system in living things.
  • Researchers studied SIRT6 in the Chinese perch fish and found it was active in many fish tissues, especially when the fish were infected by a virus.
  • When SIRT6 levels were increased, it boosted the fish's ability to fight off the virus and prevented the virus from spreading, which could help improve fish farming practices.
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NOD1 and NOD2 as two representative members of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor (NLR) family play important roles in antimicrobial immunity. However, transcription mechanism of and and their signal circle are less understood in teleost fish. In this study, with the cloning of and in Chinese perch, the interaction between NOD1, NOD2, and CARD9 and RIPK2 were revealed through coimmunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence assays.

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  • Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common type of hair loss and currently lacks effective treatments due to poor blood vessel formation in the scalp.
  • Researchers developed a new treatment method using a hyaluronic acid-based microneedle system (V-R-MNs) that delivers vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the hair loss drug Ritlecitinib through a minimally invasive process.
  • In tests, V-R-MNs showed improved hair growth in mice compared to the usual drug minoxidil, promoting quicker hair regrowth and better hair quality, paving the way for safer and more effective treatments for AGA and similar conditions.
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Background: Adequate evaluation of degrees of liver cirrhosis is essential in surgical treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. The impact of the degrees of cirrhosis on prediction of post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) remains poorly defined. This study aimed to construct and validate a combined pre- and intra-operative nomogram based on the degrees of cirrhosis in predicting PHLF in HCC patients using prospective multi-center's data.

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Background: To successfully replicate within the host cell, Toxoplasma gondii employs several mechanisms to overcome the host cell defenses and mitigate the harmful effects of the free radicals resulting from its own metabolic processes using effectors such as thioredoxin proteins. In this study, we characterize the location and functions of a newly identified thioredoxin in T. gondii, which was named Trx4.

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  • * Researchers created a gene knockout strain (RHΔ) to study the role of the HAD2a gene, finding that it is crucial for the parasite's replication and virulence.
  • * Vaccination with the RHΔ strain showed promising results in mice, providing partial to strong protection against various strains of the disease, indicating its potential as a candidate for developing more effective vaccines.
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  • * A study involving 60 patients showed a slight decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction after treatment, yet cardiac biomarkers remained normal; however, the rate of abnormal ECGs rose significantly, particularly with fragmented QRS and prolonged QT dispersion.
  • * The findings suggest that while cardiac health indicators are mostly stable, patients need regular ECG monitoring to identify potential long-term cardiotoxic effects from their treatment.
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Sexual development in Toxoplasma gondii is a multistep process that culminates in the production of oocysts, constituting approximately 50% of human infections. However, the molecular mechanisms governing sexual commitment in this parasite remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that the transcription factors AP2XI-2 and AP2XII-1 act as negative regulators, suppressing merozoite-primed pre-sexual commitment during asexual development.

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Background: There is a lack of robust prognostic markers for upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract cancers, including esophageal, gastric, and esophagogastric junction cancers. T cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing-3 (TIM3) plays a key immunomodulatory role and is linked to the prognosis of various cancers. However, the significance of TIM3 in upper GI tract tumors is still uncertain.

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Protein phosphatases are post-translational regulators of Toxoplasma gondii proliferation, tachyzoite-bradyzoite differentiation and pathogenesis. Here, we identify the putative protein phosphatase 6 (TgPP6) subunits of T. gondii and elucidate their role in the parasite lytic cycle.

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  • This study compared the effectiveness of budesonide inhalation suspension delivered through a vibrating mesh nebulizer versus a jet nebulizer for treating premature infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) on high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV).
  • Researchers analyzed medical records of 36 preterm infants, examining outcomes like mechanical ventilation duration, NICU stay, and respiratory metrics.
  • Results showed no significant differences in most areas, but the vibrating mesh nebulizer group had better oxygenation and lower carbon dioxide levels after 2 weeks, suggesting it might be a more effective treatment option.
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Carrier phase measurements currently play a crucial role in achieving rapid and highly accurate positioning of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). Resolving the integer ambiguity correctly is one of the key steps in this process. To address the inefficiency and slow search problem during ambiguity solving, we propose a single-frequency GNSS integer ambiguity solving based on an adaptive genetic particle swarm optimization (AGPSO) algorithm.

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Background: Portal vein system thrombosis (PVST) is a potentially fatal complication after splenectomy with esophagogastric devascularization (SED) in cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension. However, the impact of portal vein velocity (PVV) on PVST after SED remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to explore this issue.

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Chiggers are common ectoparasites and the exclusive vector of scrub typhus. Based on previous investigations from a unique geographical area in Yunnan Province of southwest China, the Three Parallel Rivers Area, we retrospectively studied the species diversity and related ecology of chiggers on rodents and other small mammals. A very high species diversity of 120 chigger species was identified.

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Pathogenicity of the zoonotic pathogen Toxoplasma gondii largely depends on the secretion of effector proteins into the extracellular milieu and host cell cytosol, including the dense granule proteins (GRAs). The protein-encoding gene TGME49_299780 was previously identified as a contributor to parasite fitness. However, its involvement in parasite growth, virulence and infectivity in vitro and in vivo remains unknown.

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Background: Uncontrolled proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) contributes to the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). In this work, we defined the precise part of circ_0068481 in PASMC proliferation and migration induced by hypoxia. We hypothesized that circ_0068481 enhanced hypoxia-induced PASMC proliferation, invasion, and migration through the microRNA (miR)-361-3p/Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) pathway.

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