Publications by authors named "Zhiquan Liu"

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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Background: Real-world data on the clinical benefit of vericiguat are currently limited. This multicenter, real-world study was conducted to evaluate the clinical characteristics and therapeutic effects of vericiguat in real-world settings.

Methods: This study analyzed heart failure (HF) patients who initiated vericiguat treatment from September 2022 to August 2023 across nine hospitals in the Anhui Province, China.

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Background: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of panvascular disease (PVD) on quality of life (QOL), exercise capacity, and clinical outcomes, in patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Methods: We performed a post hoc analysis of the Heart Failure: A Controlled Trial Investigating Outcomes of Exercise Training (HF-ACTION; NCT00047437). Patients with PVD were defined as those having coronary heart disease, stroke, or peripheral vascular disease at baseline.

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Microplastic pollution has emerged as the second most significant scientific issue in environmental science and ecology. Similarly, the biological effects of tire wear particles (TWPs) have garnered considerable research attention; however, studies on chronic TWP leachate toxicity at environmentally relevant concentrations remain sparse. Here, we investigated the effects of TWP leachate at environmentally relevant concentrations (0.

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Here, we present a protocol for conditional mutagenesis in zebrafish germ cells using Tol2 transposon and a CRISPR-Cas9-based plasmid system. We describe steps for conditional mutagenesis plasmid construction, zebrafish embryo microinjection, and screening for green fluorescence in the heart. This protocol is simple to execute, time efficient, and multifunctional, enabling the disruption of genes in zebrafish germ cells to be conducted with ease.

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Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is characterized by degeneration of rod and cone photoreceptors that progresses to irreversible blindness. Now, there are no mutation-agnostic approaches to treat RP. Here, we utilized a single adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based CRISPR activation system to activate phosphodiesterase 6B (Pde6b) to mitigate the severe degeneration in mice.

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Heart failure (HF) with improved ejection fraction (HFimpEF) has gradually attracted widespread attention in recent years for its better clinical prognosis. In this study, we attempted to investigate the relationship between subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) and HFimpEF. This study retrospectively collected clinical data on patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) hospitalized at the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC from March 2015 to September 2023, and divided into two groups as euthyroidism or SCH according to the baseline thyroid function.

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With the advancement of high-integration and high-density interconnection in chip manufacturing and packaging, Cu bumping technology in wafer- and panel- level packaging is developed to micrometer-sized structures and pitches to accommodate increased I/O numbers on high-end integrated circuits. Driven by this industrial demand, significant efforts have been dedicated to Cu electroplating techniques for improved pillar shape control and solder joint reliability, which substantially depend on additive formulations and electroplating parameters that regulate the growth morphology, crystal structure, and impurity incorporation in the process of electrodeposition. It is necessary to investigate the effect of an additive on Cu pillar electrodeposition, and to explore the Kirkendall voids formed during the reflowing process, which may result from the additive-induced impurity in the electrodeposited Cu pillars.

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Human brain development is a complex process that requires intricate coordination of multiple cellular and developmental events. Dysfunction of lipid metabolism can lead to neurodevelopmental disorders. Lowe syndrome (LS) is a recessive X-linked disorder associated with proximal tubular renal disease, congenital cataracts and glaucoma, and central nervous system developmental delays.

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The CMA-ChemRA (China Regional Weakly Coupled Chemical-Weather Reanalysis System) was developped using China's first-generation global atmospheric reanalysis product (CRA-40) as initial fields and boundary conditions, coupled with the WRF-Chem atmospheric chemical model and the WRFDA/3DVar assimilation system. By constructing a joint background error covariance matrix, CMA-ChemRA achieves weak coupling between atmospheric chemistry and meteorological variables, enabling simultaneous assimilation of diverse data sources, including hourly observations from ground stations, wind profilers, upper-air soundings, aircraft reports, and atmospheric composition measurements. To extend the dataset to periods before 2013 when China lacked PM observations, the system incorporates a reconstructed PM dataset derived by AI from visibility inversion alongside various emission inventories.

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Aquatic environments are generally contaminated with N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD) and its oxidation product 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-Q). Recently, 6PPD-Q was found lethally toxic to some specific species, especially salmonid silverfish. This study investigated male black-spotted frogs (Pelophylax nigromaculatus) exposed to 6PPD and 6PPD-Q with different environmental concentrations (0, 1, and 10 μg/L) for 21 days, after which biochemical, metabolomic, gene expression analyses, and molecular docking were conducted.

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Article Synopsis
  • Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) shows promise as a bioenergy source for bioethanol production in China, particularly on marginal lands, but more research is needed on its potential yield and industrial models.
  • The study revealed that about 32.23 million hectares of marginal land in China could support sweet sorghum cultivation, producing around 130 million tonnes of ethanol and potentially generating 1425.49 billion CNY while reducing CO emissions by 4.68 million tonnes.
  • Utilizing high-resolution GIS data and the DSSAT model, this research suggests scalable industrial approaches for sweet sorghum that could be beneficial not only for China but also globally.
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  • Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a genetic eye disease that leads to the loss of photoreceptor cells and eventual blindness, with specific mutations, like in the Pde6a gene, linked to autosomal recessive RP.
  • Researchers used a compact CRISPR/SaCas9 system, delivered via an adeno-associated virus (AAV), to target and inactivate the Nrl gene in a mouse model with the Pde6anmf363 mutation.
  • The study found that this gene inactivation improved the survival of photoreceptor cells and restored retinal function in the mice, suggesting potential for future RP treatments that do not depend on the specific gene mutation.
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  • The study aims to explore the distribution of fibrosis in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and identify possible treatment targets.
  • Researchers analyzed liver tissues from healthy individuals and patients with MASH using advanced techniques like spatial transcriptomics and single-cell RNA sequencing.
  • The findings highlighted specific genes associated with fibrosis and identified cellular changes that lead to inflammation and the progression of liver fibrosis, suggesting these genes as potential targets for therapy.
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  • Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a genetic condition that causes progressive vision loss due to the degeneration of photoreceptor cells, with mutations in the PDE6A gene being significant in a specific type known as RP43.
  • Currently, there is no effective treatment for this form of RP, but advancements in genome editing techniques like base editing (BE) and prime editing (PE) show potential for targeted gene therapy.
  • In a study using a mouse model, the optimized PE system successfully corrected a specific mutation in the Pde6a gene, restoring protein function and preserving retinal health, suggesting a promising new approach for treating Pde6a-related retinal degeneration.
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(111)-oriented nanotwinned Cu ((111)nt-Cu) has shown its high surface diffusion rate and better oxidation resistance over common polycrystalline Cu (C-Cu). The application of (111)nt-Cu as an interface metallization layer in Ag-sintered technology under the role of oxygen was investigated in this work, and its connecting behavior was further clarified by comparing it with C-Cu. As the sintering temperature decreasing from 300 to 200 °C, the shear strength on the (111)nt-Cu substrate was still greater than 55 MPa after sintering for 10 min.

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To objectively quantify changes in steroid hormones in organisms caused by adverse environmental loads, we developed a simple and sensitive UPLC-MS/MS (ultra-performance liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry) method for the simultaneous determination of 18 steroid hormones on the HPG axis. This analytical method was based on liquid extraction and a multimode electrospray and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (ESCi) source, which was optimized by mass spectrometry, liquid phase and pretreatment for the quantification of cholesterol (CH), aldosterone (A), cortisone (E), hydrocortisone (F), 21-deoxycortisol (21-DF), corticosterone (B), 11-deoxycortisol (11-DF), androstenedione (A), estradiol (E), estrone (E), 2-methoxyestradiol (2-MeE), 21-hydroxyprogesterone (21-OHP), 17-α hydroxyprogesterone (17α-OHP), testosterone (T), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), progesterone (P), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and pregnenolone (P). The method exhibits linearity in the analyte-concentration range 0.

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The widespread occurrence and accumulation of N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD) and its quinone metabolite, 6PPD quinone (6PPD-Q), have been globally recognized as a critical environmental issue. However, knowledge on the adverse effects of 6PPD and 6PPD-Q on freshwater invertebrates is limited. This study investigated the effects of 6PPD and its oxidative byproduct, 6PPD-Q, on the growth and reproduction of Daphnia pulex.

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The use of human and veterinary drugs has led to the accumulation of pharmaceuticals in various aquatic environments at progressively increasing levels, exhibiting strong ecological risks. Metformin is widely used as a first-line prescription drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus as well as a livestock drug. Unlike other drugs, metformin is not metabolized in the body, and almost all of its intake is excreted and released into the aquatic environment via urine and feces, causing adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems.

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Mitochondria-related neurodegenerative diseases have been implicated in the disruption of primary cilia function. Mutation in an intrinsic mitochondrial complex I component NDUFAF2 has been identified in Leigh syndrome, a severe inherited mitochondriopathy. Mutations in ARMC9, which encodes a basal body protein, cause Joubert syndrome, a ciliopathy with defects in the brain, kidney, and eye.

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Cyanobacterial blooms have emerged as a significant environmental issue worldwide in recent decades. However, the toxic effects of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) on aquatic organisms, such as frogs, have remained poorly understood. In this study, frogs (Pelophylax nigromaculatus) were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of MC-LR (0, 1, and 10 μg/L) for 21 days.

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Article Synopsis
  • The continuous miniaturization of integrated circuits pushes the need for smaller sizes but introduces challenges like high current density and Joule heating, which can lead to reliability issues due to electromigration.
  • Sn-based solders are favored in the industry for their performance, but high melting points of common variants (like SAC305) can hinder sophisticated applications; adding Bi lowers the melting point but raises electromigration concerns.
  • The article reviews how SnBi solder joints interact with Cu substrates under current flow, discussing issues like whisker formation and voids, and explores ways to enhance solder reliability through various additives and modifications without altering composition.
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Background: The detailed clinical phenotype of patients carrying the α-galactosidase gene ()   / () variant in Fabry disease (FD) has not been thoroughly documented in the existing literature.

Methods: This paper offers a meticulous overview of the clinical phenotype and relevant auxiliary examination results of nine confirmed FD patients with the gene variant from two families. Pedigree analysis was conducted on two male patients with the gene variant, followed by biochemical and genetic screening of all high-risk relatives.

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Antibiotics release into the water environment through sewage discharge is a significant environmental concern. In the present study, we investigated the removal of ciprofloxacin (CIP) in simulated sewage by biological aeration filter (BAF) equipped with FeO-modified zeolite (FeO@ZF). FeO@ZF were prepared with impregnation method, and the FeO particles were successfully deposited on the surface of ZF in an amorphous form according to the results of XPS and XRD analysis.

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Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes are crucial for the detoxification of xenobiotics, cellular metabolism, and homeostasis. This study investigated the molecular characterization of CYP enzymes in the black-spotted frog, , and examined the regulation of CYP expression in response to chronic exposure to the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (SMX) at various environmental concentrations (0, 1, 10, and 100 μg/L). The full-length cDNA of Pn-CYP26B1 was identified.

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