Publications by authors named "Zhong Z"

Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the distribution and resistance characteristics of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in a general hospital to improve diagnosis and treatment.
  • From September 2020 to July 2023, out of 314 mycobacterial isolates, 147 (46.8%) were identified as NTM, predominantly from respiratory specimens, especially in females aged 40 and older.
  • High antibiotic resistance rates were noted among clinical NTM strains, particularly to clarithromycin, with some strains exhibiting mutations linked to drug resistance, although the exact mechanisms remain unclear.
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Introduction: The most common factor leading to renal failure or death is renal IR (ischemia-reperfusion). Studies have shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their exosomes have potential therapeutic effects for IR injury by inhibiting M1 macrophage polarization and inflammation. In this study, the protective effect and anti-inflammatory mechanism of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (ADMSC-Exos) after renal IR were investigated.

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  • The text discusses the importance of targeting immune activation in specific areas for effective vaccine delivery and cancer treatment without causing unwanted immune reactions throughout the body.
  • It introduces cholesterol-based polymers that respond to pH changes, providing a way to control the release of immunoactivating substances specifically at lymph nodes.
  • The results showed that these pH-sensitive polymers could enhance the number of fully matured immune cells in the lymph nodes after being injected, making them a promising option for delivering immune drugs effectively.
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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe nurses' experiences of caring for patients with colorectal cancer who underwent surgery to create a spontaneously closed defunctioning tube ileostomy after low anterior resection.

Design: Exploratory, descriptive study.

Subjects And Settings: Data were collected from 6 registered nurses specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence Care (WOC nurses).

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  • Japonica rice has higher quality compared to indica rice, but the reasons for this are not well understood.
  • A gene called LCG1 plays a crucial role in rice quality by impacting grain characteristics like chalkiness and taste through its interaction with the OsBP5 protein and the amylose synthesis gene Waxy (Wx).
  • Variations in the promoter region of LCG1 boost its expression in japonica rice, which may lead to improved quality, presenting potential for enhancing indica rice as well.
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The elementally matched Co (t=17.53 h, I=77 %)/Co (t=9.10 h, internal conversion=100 %) radioisotope pair is of interest for development of paired diagnostic/therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals.

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Study Question: Does exposure to a mixture of ambient air pollutants during specific exposure periods influence clinical pregnancy rates in women undergoing IVF/ICSI-embryo transfer (ET) cycles?

Summary Answer: The specific exposure period from ET to the serum hCG test was identified as a critical exposure window as exposure to sulfur dioxide (SO) or a combination of air pollutants was associated with a decreased likelihood of clinical pregnancy.

What Is Known Already: Exposure to a single pollutant may impact pregnancy outcomes in women undergoing ART. However, in daily life, individuals often encounter mixed pollution, and limited research exists on the effects of mixed air pollutants and the specific exposure periods.

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Fritillariae thunbergii Bulbus (FTB) is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been widely cultivated for its expectorant, antitussive, antiasthmatic, antiviral, and anticancer properties. The yield and quality of F. thunbergii are influenced by cultivation conditions, such as the use of fertilizers.

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Visible-light-driven direct asymmetric α-C(sp)-H bond functionalization of glycinate provides a direct and efficient route for the synthesis of diverse optically enriched α-amino acid derivatives. However, asymmetric coupling between glycinate radical species and ketones faces significant challenges, including competitive pathways, mutable intermediates, as well as congested stereogenic centers. Herein, we disclose the first example for the asymmetric photocatalytic synthesis of a diverse array of β-diaryl-β-hydroxy-α-amino acetate derivatives from glycinates and heteroaryl ketones through the synergistic catalysis of achiral iridium photoredox catalyst and chiral lanthanide Lewis acid catalysts.

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Copy number variation (CNV) is a crucial component of genetic diversity in the genome, serving as the foundation for the genetic architecture and phenotypic variability of complex traits. In this study, we examined CNVs in the Danzhou (DZ) chicken, an indigenous breed exclusive to Hainan Province, China. By employing whole-genome resequencing data from 200 DZ chickens, we conducted a comprehensive genome-wide analysis of CNVs using CNVpytor and performed CNV-based genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on 6 body size traits, including body slope length (BSL), keel length (KeL), tibial length (TiL), tibial circumference (TiC), chest width (ChW), and chest depth (ChD) utilizing linear mixed model methods considering a genomic relationship matrix.

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Hierarchical porous hypercrosslinked monoliths (PolyHIPE-HCP) with ultrahigh specific surface areas are prepared via a solvent knitting strategy. Compared to previous work, the solvent knitting strategy is carried out in a relatively low air-controlled atmosphere with gradient heating starting from low temperature while using DCM (Dichloromethane) as both a solvent and a cross-linker, allowing for a slow and controlled cross-linking process, thereby achieving a BET surface area ranging from 514 to 728 m g. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows that the knitting process does not affect the presence of macroporous structure in the PolyHIPE.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study examined how Flavonoid Additives (FAD) affect the corrosion caused by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in welded joints of pipelines when in anaerobic conditions.
  • - Results indicated that the corrosion thickness was less in the heat affected zone (HAZ) compared to the base metal (BM) and welded zone (WZ), with FAD promoting more microbial growth on the joints.
  • - Local corrosion was notably worse in the BM and WZ areas, and FAD made corrosion more severe across all areas, particularly impacting the WZ due to its unique structure and the behavior of the bacteria.
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The strategic engagement of innate immunity is a promising avenue for cancer treatment. Antibody-recruiting molecules (ARMs) direct endogenous antibodies to target tumor sites, eliciting innate immune effector killing responses. In this study, we report the synthesis of ARMs by employing solid-phase peptoid synthesis to construct three libraries of antibody-recruiting oligomers.

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Background: Natural killer (NK) cells are proposed to participate in coronary artery disease (CAD) development. However, little is known about how CAD patients' NK cells respond to different stimulatory factors in terms of proliferation capability.

Methods And Results: Twenty-nine CAD patients' peripheral blood NK cells were isolated and individually treated with IL-2, IL-12, IL-15, IL-18, IL-21, cortisone acetate, hydrocortisone, or ascorbic acid for 36 hours, followed by cell cycle analysis using flow cytometry.

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Sleep-wake disorder is one of the most common nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). Melatonin has the potential to improve sleep-wake disorder, but its mechanism of action is still unclear. Our data showed that melatonin only improved the motor and sleep-wake behavior of a zebrafish PD model when melatonin receptor 1 was present.

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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Anti-NMDAR encephalitis is one of the most common types of autoimmune encephalitis, primarily presenting with prodromal symptoms, such as fever and headache, followed by a range of neurological and psychiatric symptoms. Chaihu Guizhi Decoction (CGD), a traditional Chinese medicine formulated by Zhang Zhongjing in the Eastern Han Dynasty, has been effectively used in clinical practice to treat the symptoms of Taiyang and Shaoyang disorders, including fever, headache, and psychiatric disorders.

Aim Of The Study: To demonstrate the protective effects of CGD in an animal model of anti-NMDAR encephalitis and explore the potential mechanisms involved.

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A sub-kHz-linewidth broadband-swept fiber laser using Rayleigh scattering-based Brillouin random lasing oscillation is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Benefiting from Brillouin-involved acoustic damping and arbitrary-wavelength distributed Rayleigh feedback, leveraging instantaneously tuning Brillouin gain spectrum induced by a frequency-sweeping pump, a highly coherent random lasing emission with cavity mode elimination as well as frequency noise suppression is achieved in a sweeping manner. Results show that the proposed sweeping Stokes laser with a two-order-magnitude compressed linewidth of 840 Hz and 20 dB frequency noise suppression can unprecedentedly operate over the maximum wavelength range of 16 nm.

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This study aimed to investigate the interaction between Lactobacillus helveticus H9 (H9) and Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis Probio-M8 (M8) through metabolomics analysis, focusing on understanding how co-culturing these strains can enhance bacterial growth and metabolism, thereby shortening the fermentation cycle and improving efficiency. The H9 and M8 strains were cultured individually and in combination (1:1 ratio) in milk.

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Tactile sensors play a key role in human-machine interfaces (HMIs) for augmented and virtual reality, point-of-care devices, and human-robot collaboration, which show the promise of revolutionizing our ways of life. Here, we present a sensor (EMTS) that utilizes the magnetoelastic effect in a soft metamaterial to convert mechanical pressure into electrical signals. With this unique mechanism, the proposed EMTS simultaneously possesses self-powering, waterproof, and compliant features.

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Objective: The objective of our research is to conduct a comprehensive review that aims to systematically map, describe, and summarize the current utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) in the recruitment and retention of participants in clinical trials.

Materials And Methods: A comprehensive electronic search was conducted using the search strategy developed by the authors. The search encompassed research published in English, without any time limitations, which utilizes AI in the recruitment process of clinical trials.

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Article Synopsis
  • Early life stress negatively impacts gut microbiota and heightens the risk of neuropsychiatric disorders such as anxiety and social deficits.
  • Research on maternally separated (MS) mice reveals that lower levels of amino acid transporters lead to decreased glutamine levels, which disrupts synaptic function in the brain's medial prefrontal cortex.
  • Supplementing with certain gut commensal bacteria can improve neurobehavioral issues in MS mice by enhancing amino acid transport and restoring synaptic transmission.
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Background: In adult females, mycoplasma infection is common and challenging to diagnose. This study aimed to use retrospective laboratory data to construct a nomogram for predicting the mycoplasma infection of individuals with probable urogenital tract mycoplasma infection.

Methods: A total of 2,859 patients with suspected urogenital tract mycoplasma infection were retrospectively enrolled in this study.

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Plate fixation is a common treatment option for radial head fractures (RHFs). Due to the benefits of less invasiveness and fewer complications of internal fixation, the application of small-diameter headless compression screws (HCSs) to treat RHFs has become a new trend. This study aimed to compare the mechanical stability of four distinct internal fixation protocols for transversely unstable RHFs via finite element analysis.

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Growing trend of interests for contributions of cultivation of kelp to carbon sequestration have been driven globally. Saccharina japonica is an important cultivated seaweed, with erosion phenomenon usually occurs at the distal part of the frond in S. japonica throughout the growth cycle.

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