Publications by authors named "ZiYu Zhang"

Malaria, caused by the Plasmodium parasites, has always been one of the worst infectious diseases that threaten human health, making it necessary for us to study the genetic function and physiological mechanisms of Plasmodium parasites from the molecular level to find more effective ways of addressing the increasingly pressing threat. The CRISPR (Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)-Cas (CRISPR-associated protein) is an RNA-guided adaptive immune system, which has been extensively developed and used as a genome editing tool in many organisms, including Plasmodium parasites. However, due to the physiological characteristics and special genomic characteristics of Plasmodium parasites, most of the tools currently used for genome editing of Plasmodium parasites have not met expectations.

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A biosensor based on solid-state nanochannels of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane for both electrochemical and naked-eye detection of microRNA-31 (MiR-31) is proposed. For this purpose, MoS nanosheets, which possess different adsorption capabilities to single-stranded and double-stranded nucleic acids, are deposited onto the top surface of the AAO membrane. Moreover, multi-functional DNA nanostructure have been designed by linking a G-rich sequence for folding to a G-quadruplex at three vertices and a complementary sequence of MiR-31 at the other one vertex of a DNA tetrahedron.

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Lenvatinib is the standard first-line therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but drug resistance significantly hampers its efficacy. Increasing evidence has shown that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play critical roles in HCC pathogenesis. However, the underlying mechanisms of lenvatinib sensitivity regulated by circRNAs remain largely unclear.

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Pesticides are essential in contemporary agriculture, as they improve crop yields and quality while safeguarding against pests. However, long-term heavy use of traditional pesticides has led to increased pest resistance, while these pesticides are often toxic and less selective, and may also have adverse effects on the environment and nontarget organisms. To solve this problem, it is important to find new targets for pesticide to develop more effective and environmentally friendly alternatives.

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The recently emerged remote epitaxy technique, utilizing 2D materials (mostly graphene) as interlayers between the epilayer and the substrate, enables the exfoliation of crystalline nanomembranes from the substrate, expanding the range of potential device applications. However, remote epitaxy has been so far applied to a limited range of material systems, owing to the need of stringent growth conditions to avoid graphene damaging, and has therefore remained challenging for the synthesis of oxide nanomembranes. Here, we demonstrate the remote epitaxial growth of an oxide nanomembrane (vanadium dioxide, VO) with a sub-nanometer thick amorphous interlayer, which can withstand potential sputtering-induced damage and oxidation.

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  • A. chinense is historically used in traditional medicine by the Miao people for treating rheumatic pain, but it has potential toxic effects that need further investigation.
  • This study utilizes serum metabolomics and network pharmacology to identify toxic components and mechanisms associated with A. chinense.
  • Research findings showed that A. chinense elevated liver enzyme levels in rats, indicating possible hepatotoxicity, and detailed examinations analyzed the plant's effects and underlying toxic pathways.
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  • Inner ear hair cell damage is permanent in mammals, but supporting cells can potentially turn into hair cells, with a serine protease inhibitor suggested to aid this regeneration.
  • In the study, researchers used a specific virus vector to enhance supporting cell growth and facilitate hair cell differentiation, resulting in organoid expansion.
  • The findings indicate that overexpressing this factor not only helps in regenerating hair cells but also improves hearing in mice that experienced hearing loss due to neomycin damage, suggesting a new approach for hearing restoration.
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It is challenging to reconfigure devices at molecular length scales. Here we report molecular junctions based on molecular switches that toggle stably and reliably between multiple operations to reconfigure electronic devices at molecular length scales. Rather than static on/off switches that always revert to the same state, our voltage-driven molecular device dynamically switches between high and low conduction states during six consecutive proton-coupled electron transfer steps.

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Objective: To explore any correlation between serum urate (SU) level or insulin resistance (IR) and metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in patients with metabolic syndrome (MS).

Methods: Data from all MASLD patients, diagnosed by liver biopsy, were enrolled and divided into MASLD alone group and MASLD with MS group. They were subdivided into hyperuricemia group and normal SU group to find correlation between SU/IR and MASLD in patients with MS and independent risk factors for MASLD.

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Background: Pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS) is a rare disorder, often characterized by delayed growth and development, short stature, and hypogonadism as the main clinical manifestations. It is not clear whether PSIS can lead to liver cirrhosis.

Case Summary: This paper reported a case of liver cirrhosis of unknown origin.

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In recent years, complex interactions between intratumoral bacteria and neutrophils have been identified as significant factors in tumor occurrence and development. This commentary synthesizes findings from the past five years to explore these interactions. It is observed that during tumor progression, intratumoral bacteria promote neutrophil infiltration and the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which in turn drive tumor development and metastasis.

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  • - The text discusses the need for advanced light receivers to improve visible light communication but highlights challenges with current device structures and complexities.
  • - A new graphene-readout silicon-based microtube photodetector is proposed, offering quick response times (75 ns) and high sensitivity (responsivity of 6803 A/W), making it suitable for high-speed communication.
  • - This photodetector enables omnidirectional light-trapping and high data rates (up to 778 Mbps), with a wide field of view (140°) and capabilities for encrypted communication, which could enhance future developments in IoT and data security.
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Purpose: To investigate the progression rates of axial length (AXL) among school-age children with baseline astigmatism and spherical ametropia.

Methods: Annual vision screenings were conducted at seven schools in Tianjin, China, from 2018 to 2022. Ocular biometry and non-cycloplegic autorefraction were collected.

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Purpose: Cervical cancer (CC), a significant global health threat, necessitates comprehensive understanding for improved therapeutic interventions. Many research indicates that dysregulation of the Hippo-YAP1 pathway leads to uncontrolled proliferation and invasion of tumor cells, promoting the progression of various cancers. This article aims to elucidate the role of RNF6 in CC and its regulation of the Hippo-YAP1 signaling pathway.

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  • * Researchers developed a new method using the fluorescent molecule esculin to measure sucrose phloem loading rates, showing its effectiveness in dicot plants.
  • * The findings connect phytohormones like auxin and cytokinin to changes in phloem loading, revealing the underlying genetic mechanisms and offering a faster, simpler alternative to existing measurement techniques.
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  • Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is linked to a high incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), especially in China, where around 92.05% of liver cancer patients are infected with HBV.
  • The immune environment around tumors (TME) changes due to HBV, allowing cancer cells to escape immune detection, often with the help of proteins like CTLA-4 and PD-1/PD-L1 that suppress T cell activity.
  • Recent advancements in immunotherapy, including treatments with interferons and PD-1/L1 inhibitors, show promise for HBV-related HCC patients, raising questions about their efficacy for Chinese patients with distinct disease characteristics.
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Natural products are known to have distinct roles in the treatment of various diseases. However, the potential role of ginsenoside Rg1 (GRg1) in the context of scald injuries remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of GRg1 on scald wound healing by utilizing a mouse scald wound model and administering varying concentrations of GRg1 orally.

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Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection poses a challenge to global public health. Persistent liver infection with HBV is associated with an increased risk of developing severe liver disease. The complex interaction between the virus and the host is the reason for the persistent presence of HBV and the risk of tumor development.

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Protein elicitors can induce plant systemic resistance to pathogens. The recognition of a potential elicitor activates intracellular signaling events, leading to plant resistance against pathogens. In this study, a novel protein elicitor was isolated from the culture filtrate of and named PeVn1, which can induce cell death in several plant species.

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Selaginella tamariscina extracts (STS), total flavonoids of Selaginella tamariscina (TFST) and the main active component amentoflavone (AMT) have hypoglycaemic-mitigating effects, but their efficacy and mechanism of action in db/db mice are unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the hypoglycaemic effects of Selaginella tamariscina and its extracts in db/db diabetic mice and explore their mechanisms through gut microbiota modulation and metabolomics. Sixty male db/db mice were divided into model (db/db), STS (1.

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Non-natural chiral α,α-disubstituted α-amino acids (α,α-AAs) constitute an attractive α-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) replacement for improving bioavailability of linear peptides as therapeutics due to the ability of these amino acids to induce the peptides to form helical structures. Enantioselective β-C(sp)-H arylation of Aib could potentially provide a versatile one-step strategy for accessing diverse α,α-AAs, but the installation and removal of external directing groups was found in our previously reported work to reduce the efficiency of this approach. Herein we report a Pd(ii)-catalyzed enantioselective C-H arylation of -phthalyl-protected Aib enabled by a -2,6-difluorobenzoyl aminoethyl phenyl thioether (MPAThio) ligand, affording α,α-AAs with up to 72% yield and 98% ee.

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To develop new types of dynamic molecular devices with atomic-scale control over electronic function, new types of molecular switches are needed with time-dependent switching probabilities. We report such a molecular switch based on proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reaction with giant hysteric negative differential resistance (NDR) with peak-to-valley ratios of 120 ± 6.6 and memory on/off ratios of (2.

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  • Metformin, a common medication, is found in water ecosystems, but its effects on aquatic life, especially at low concentrations, are not well understood.
  • The study showed that metformin exposure in zebrafish led to major disruptions in metabolic processes and energy balance, revealing significant impacts on their development and health.
  • Findings indicated that these disruptive effects on the zebrafish continued into adulthood, raising concerns about the environmental risks of metformin to non-target aquatic species.
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