Publications by authors named "Zhidong Zhang"

Objective: To investigate whether cardiac mast cells (MCs) participate in pressure overload-induced myocardial hypertrophy through the regulation of transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4).

Methods: Pressure overload-induced myocardial hypertrophy was induced via abdominal aortic constriction (AAC). Myocardial hypertrophy was evaluated by measuring the heart weight index (HW/BW), lung weight index (LW/BW), ratio of heart weight to tibia length (HW/TL), ratio of lung weight to tibia length (LW/TL), and cross-sectional area of myocardial cells.

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In this study, we developed novel Agriophyllum squarrosum starch nanoparticles (ASSNPs) for the encapsulation of lycopene (LYC), aiming to enhance its stability and bioactivity under adverse environmental and digestive conditions. The small-granule starch extracted from A. squarrosum seeds was processed using ionic liquids (ILs) as an effective "green" solvent, followed by a systematic treatment involving ultrasonication and pullulanase to prepare the ASSNPs.

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Introduction: Monkeypox virus (MPXV) hosts are of multiple species, with a risk of cross-species transmission. This phenomenon poses a threat to unreported affected domestic animals and increases the risk to human public health. Clinical diagnostics continue to face challenges regarding specificity among poxviruses.

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  • - The study presents a gas measurement technique using angle-dependent Fabry-Perot (F-P) correlated spectroscopy, specifically targeting methane (CH) by aligning F-P interference peaks with CH absorption peaks for accurate measurements.
  • - An angle-scanning measurement system was created, showing distinct absorption signals at critical angles, which allowed for a linear relationship between absorbance and CH concentration, achieving a low detection limit of 720 ppm.
  • - The research includes simulations to analyze the effects of beam angles on transmittance and demonstrates the method's robustness against cross-interference, suggesting potential applications for high-sensitivity gas sensors and imaging.
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  • Wood-feeding termites, particularly Globitermes sulphureus, are known for their efficient lignocellulose degradation and play a key decomposer role in various Southeast Asian regions, but their gut microbiome and enzyme diversity were previously underexplored.* -
  • Analysis showed dominant gut microbiota in G. sulphureus included Spirochaetota, Firmicutes, and Fibrobacterota, with distinct differences from another termite species, Coptotermes formosanus, particularly in the levels of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota.* -
  • While glycoside hydrolase enzymes essential for cellulose breakdown were similar in both termites, G. sulphureus exhibited higher xylanase
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  • Hefei, a major city in the Yangtze River Delta, is facing changing air pollution sources due to rapid economic growth and urban expansion, but recent research on these changes is limited.
  • The study used the Mobile-DOAS instrument for roadside observations from June 2021 to May 2022, finding that air pollutant levels varied seasonally and were linked to traffic patterns and local heating practices.
  • Significant improvements were seen with road policy changes, leading to a 95.4% increase in vehicle speed and a 54.4% drop in NO concentration, while emissions data revealed pronounced seasonal and spatial trends that can inform future pollution control strategies.
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  • Serratia rubidaea XU1 is a red bacterium from radiation-contaminated soil in Xinjiang, China, with a genome comprising about 4.97 million base pairs, containing 4707 genes.
  • The study identified and analyzed a prodigiosin biosynthesis gene cluster, showing up to 96% similarity with other Serratia rubidaea strains.
  • Optimized conditions allowed XU1 to produce 574 units/cell of prodigiosin, which effectively inhibited several bacterial strains, highlighting the potential for further research on prodigiosin synthesis mechanisms.
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: This study investigates whether there is an increased propensity to systemic conditions in patients with both age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and glaucoma in order to provide greater insight into patients' overall health and response to physiologic stress. : A large retrospective dataset review was conducted between April 2004 and June 2018, distinguishing four groups based on international classification of diseases (ICD) codes: glaucoma only, AMD only, glaucoma and AMD, and cataracts only (as an age-matched control). The systemic disease prevalence of each group was calculated, and a Friedman analysis was used to compare the prevalence between the groups.

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Background: Investigation into the immune heterogeneity linked with atherosclerosis remains understudied. This knowledge gap hinders the creation of a robust theoretical framework essential for devising personalized immunotherapies aimed at combating this disease.

Methods: Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis was employed to delineate the immune cell-type landscape within atherosclerotic plaques, followed by assessments of cell-cell interactions and phenotype characteristics using scRNA-seq datasets.

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  • - Maintaining indoor humidity between 40-60% improves comfort and health, but traditional methods like dehumidifiers increase energy use, complicating sustainability efforts in buildings.
  • - A new composite material made from wood and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) passively controls indoor humidity by naturally absorbing and releasing moisture, eliminating the need for external energy sources.
  • - This innovative MOF/wood composite not only keeps humidity levels around 45% in line with recommendations but also shows superior strength and stability, making it a promising solution for environmentally-friendly building practices.
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  • - Retroperitoneal liposarcoma is a rare tumor that develops in mesenchymal tissues, typically presenting with abdominal mass, bloating, and pain in its later stages, making early detection challenging.
  • - A 54-year-old woman was diagnosed with retroperitoneal liposarcoma after experiencing abdominal distension and left-side back pain, confirmed through imaging and pathology tests.
  • - The patient underwent successful surgery to remove the tumor, and follow-up care revealed no recurrence seven months post-operation, emphasizing the need for ongoing monitoring due to the tumor's high likelihood of returning.
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Background: Gastric cancer (GC) stands as a prevalent and challenging malignancy within the gastrointestinal tract. The potential of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in oncology has garnered immense research interest. This study aims to elucidate the relevance, biological roles, and mechanistic pathways of LncRNA HAGLR in the context of GC.

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The mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR) is triggered through eIF2α phosphorylation in mammals. However, the mechanisms of UPR activation and the influence of eIF2α phosphorylation on mitochondrial protein translation remain unclear. In this study, we confirmed that the UPR is a rapid and specific stress response that occurs through pharmacological induction of eIF2α phosphorylation, along with the phosphorylation of eIF2α, ATF4, and CHOP.

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With climate change and anthropic influence on the coastal ecosystems, mangrove ecosystems are disappearing at an alarming rate. Accordingly, it becomes important to track, study, record and store the mangrove microbial community considering their ecological importance and potential for biotechnological applications. Here, we provide information on mangrove fungal community composition and diversity in mangrove ecosystems with different plant species and from various locations differing in relation to anthropic influences.

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The Eastern Pamir, distinguished with high altitude, extremely arid and cold climate, limited nutrients and sparse vegetation, is a unique ecological reservoir. Microbial communities play a central role in maintaining Eastern Pamir's ecosystem functioning. Despite the ecological significance, due to the difficulty of sample collection and microbial isolation, the microbial diversity and its functionality at the Pamir Plateau have been rarely documented.

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  • - The survival of bacteria in extreme environments is largely due to their unique pigments, particularly carotenoids, which help them withstand harsh conditions like high radiation and dryness.
  • - Limited natural pigment production in these bacteria restricts their industrial use, but advances in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology can boost pigment yields and broaden applications.
  • - Key findings indicate that bacterial pigments, especially deinoxanthin, play important roles in antioxidant activity and radiation resistance, with potential future uses in the food industry, drug production, and space exploration for astronaut health protection.
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Classifying individuals with neurological disorders and healthy subjects using EEG is a crucial area of research. The current feature extraction approach focuses on the frequency domain features in each of the EEG frequency bands and functional brain networks. In recent years, researchers have discovered and extensively studied stability differences in the electroencephalograms (EEG) of patients with neurological disorders.

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High-concentration ozone pollution pose threats to ecosystems and human health. However, there is limited research on the impact of the alternating evolution of synoptic weather patterns (SWPs) on the multi-scale transport processes and sources of ozone. From June 14 to 18, 2018, a rare consecutive ozone pollution plagued in Hefei and broader Yangtze River Delta region (YRD).

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Constructing microstructures to improve the sensitivity of flexible pressure sensors is an effective approach. However, the preparation of microstructures usually involves inverted molds or subtractive manufacturing methods, which are difficult in large-scale (e.g.

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Altitude and ultraviolet (UV) radiation may affect the community composition and distribution of microorganisms in soil ecosystems. In this study, 49 soil samples from 10 locations were collected from different elevations on the eastern Pamir Plateau and analyzed for soil microbial community structure and function using high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that soil samples from different elevations of the eastern Pamir Plateau contained 6834 OTUs in 26 phyla and 399 genera.

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Background: Carbon nanoparticle suspension injection (CNSI) and indocyanine green (ICG) have both been applied intraoperatively to facilitate lymphatic mapping and postoperatively to sort lymph nodes (LNs) in gastric cancer patients. However, no study has compared the two tracers in gastric cancer patients.

Materials And Methods: This prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted from January 2022 to March 2023.

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  • - The study aimed to create nomogram models that can predict overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) for patients with gastric cancer liver metastasis (GCLM) using data from over 5,000 patients.
  • - Researchers analyzed patient data from the SEER database and identified eight key factors that influence survival, leading to the development of two nomogram models, which were rigorously validated through several methods.
  • - The findings revealed that these nomogram models significantly outperformed the traditional AJCC TNM staging system in predicting survival outcomes for GCLM patients, enhancing accuracy for clinical decision-making.
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Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) is a morbillivirus that causes the acute and highly pathogenic infectious disease peste des petits ruminants (PPR) in small ruminants and poses a major threat to the goat and sheep industries. Currently, there is no effective treatment for PPRV infection. Here, we propose Carboplatin, a platinum-based regimen designed to treat a range of malignancies, as a potential antiviral agent.

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Background: Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) is a world organization for animal health (WOAH) notifiable and economically important transboundary, highly communicable viral disease of small ruminants. PPR virus (PPRV) belongs to the genus Morbillivirus of the family Paramyxoviridae.

Aim: The present cross-sectional epidemiological investigation was accomplished to estimate the apparent prevalence and identify the risk factors linked with peste des petits ruminants (PPR) in the previously neglected northern border regions of Pakistan.

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