Publications by authors named "Zi-yang Huang"

Information security has gained increasing attention in the past decade, leading to the development of advanced materials for anti-counterfeiting, encryption and instantaneous information display. However, it remains challenging to achieve high information security with simple encryption procedures and low-energy stimuli. Herein, a series of strain/temperature-responsive liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are developed to achieve dual-modal, multi-level information encryption and real-time, rewritable transient information display.

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Polydopamine (PDA) is a good adhesion agent for lots of gels inspired by the mussel, whereas hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (HOIPs) usually exhibit extraordinary optoelectronic performance. Herein, mussel-inspired chemistry has been integrated with two-dimensional HOIPs first, leading to the preparation of new crystal (HDA)PbBr () (DA = dopamine). The organic cation dopamine can be introduced into PDA resulting in a thin film of (HPDA)PbBr ().

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Pneumatic-powered actuators are receiving increasing attention due to their widespread applications. However, their inherent low stiffness makes them incompetent in tasks requiring high load capacity or high force output. On the other hand, soft pneumatic actuators are susceptible to damage caused by over-pressuring or punctures by sharp objects.

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Toxoplasma gondii is a widespread parasitic protozoan causing toxoplasmosis including pulmonary toxoplasmosis. As the first line of host defense, airway epithelial cells play critical roles in orchestrating pulmonary innate immunity. However, the mechanism underlying the airway inflammation induced by the T.

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SARS-CoV-2, the culprit pathogen of COVID-19, elicits prominent immune responses and cytokine storms. Intracellular Cl is a crucial regulator of host defense, whereas the role of Cl signaling pathway in modulating pulmonary inflammation associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection remains unclear. By using human respiratory epithelial cell lines, primary cultured human airway epithelial cells, and murine models of viral structural protein stimulation and SARS-CoV-2 direct challenge, we demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein could interact with Smad3, which downregulated cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) expression via microRNA-145.

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Airway epithelium plays critical roles in regulating airway surface liquid (ASL), the alteration of which causes mucus stasis symptoms. Allicin is a compound released from garlic and harbors the capacity of lung-protection. However, the potential regulatory effects of allicin on airway epithelium remain elusive.

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Article Synopsis
  • G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) is mainly found in the male reproductive system and its role in mouse sperm has been underexplored.
  • Activation of GPER by 17β-estradiol and the agonist G1 boosts intracellular calcium levels in mouse sperm, a process that can be blocked by the GPER antagonist G15.
  • The research shows that GPER activation promotes the acrosome reaction in mouse sperm by increasing calcium concentration through specific signaling pathways and ion channels.
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Article Synopsis
  • Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a hereditary retinal disease that leads to gradual vision loss due to specific genetic mutations, influenced by various risk factors.
  • Factors that may affect RP progression include genetic inheritance, age, gender, lifestyle habits (like smoking), and structural changes in the eye, as well as inflammation markers and oxidative stress.
  • The review aims to consolidate existing research on these risk factors to create reliable predictive models for tracking the progression of RP.
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The maturation of sperms is dependent on the coordinated interactions between sperm and the unique epididymal luminal milieu, which is characterized by high K+ content. This study investigated the involvement of transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) in the K+ secretion of epididymal epithelium. The expression level and cellular localization of TRPV4 and Ca2+-activated K+ channels (KCa) were analyzed via RT-PCR, real-time quantitative PCR, western blot and immunofluorescence.

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Our previous study has shown that knockdown could suppress cell proliferation, adhesion, migration and invasion, and promote apoptosis and the cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs in the B‑lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B‑ALL) cell line SUP‑B15. In this study, we further investigated the molecular mechanism underlying the effects of CD9 on leukemic cell progression and the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents in B‑ALL cells. Using the CD9‑knockdown SUP‑B15 cells, we demonstrated that the silencing of the gene significantly reduced the expression of phosphorylated‑phosphatidylinositol‑3 kinase (p‑PI3K), phosphorylated‑protein kinase B (p‑AKT), P‑glycoprotein (P‑gp), multidrug resistance‑associated protein 1 (MRP1), breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and phosphorylated‑focal adhesion kinase (p‑FAK).

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Background: Peripheral monocytes, a key cell type for innate immunity, have been shown to be associated with survival in various types of hematological malignancies. However, no previous studies regarding the prognostic impact of peripheral absolute monocyte count (AMC) in early relapsed B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) have been reported.

Methods: Forty-nine cases of early relapsed adult B-ALL were reviewed.

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Purpose: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy may decrease the risk of mortality and cardiovascular events in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. However, these benefits are not completely clear.

Methods: We undertook a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials identified in systematic searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database.

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The activation of both the SA and JA/ETsignalling pathways may lead to more efficient general and broad resistance to Pst DC3000 by non-pathogenic rhizobacteria. However, the mechanisms that govern this simultaneous activation are unclear. Using Arabidopsis as a model system, two transcription factors, WRKY11 and WRKY70, were identified as important regulators involved in Induced Systemic Resistance (ISR) triggered by Bacillus cereus AR156.

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To investigate the involvement of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 4 (TIMP-4) in influencing the severity of atrial fibrosis in rheumatic heart disease (RHD) patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The degree of myocardial fibrosis was evaluated using Masson staining. The expression levels of TGF-β1, TIMP-4, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), type I collagen, and type III collagen were estimated by Western blot analysis.

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The UV-Visible absorption spectra and the fluorescence emission spectra of sixteen tetra-substituted metallo-phthalocyanine complexes {R4 PcM, where R = 2-[4-(2-sulfonic ethyl) piperazin-1-] ethoxyl (SPEO--), 2-(piperidin-1-yl) ethoxyl (PEO--); substitution position at alpha-position and beta-position of phthalocyanine ring; M = Zn(II), Ni(II), Co(II) and Cu(II)} were measured. The influence of different central ion, substituted group and its position, as well as different solvent on the Q-band of phthalocyanine complex in its UV-Vis absorption spectra was investigated. The influence of different central ion, substituted group and its position on the fluorescence emission spectra was discussed.

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