Publications by authors named "Zifan Wang"

The treatment of biodegradable plastics through composting has garnered increasing attention. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Biochar FN1 bacteria and ferrous sulfate on nitrogen retention, greenhouse gas emissions, and degradable plastics during composting and to elucidate their synergistic mechanisms on microbial communities. Compared with the control, applying biochar-loaded FN1 bacteria composites combined with Ferrous sulfate (SGC) markedly accelerated organic matter degradation and reduced cumulative CO and NH emissions.

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Background: Associations between early-life menstrual cycle characteristics (MCC) and gestational diabetes (GDM) remain unclear.

Objectives: To evaluate associations between early-life MCCs and GDM in first pregnancy, across pregnancies and its recurrence.

Methods: This analysis included participants from a US-based digital cohort enrolled between 11/2019 and 9/2023 who provided consent, completed relevant surveys, were without diabetes and aged ≥18 at first pregnancy (n = 30,473).

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In this pioneering study, electrostatic spraying (ES) technology with high voltages is proposed to reduce the size of hydrogel microbeads further, aiming to enhance the adsorption rate of cationic methylene blue (MB) dye. The increased voltages, ranging from 0.0 to 13.

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To investigate the effect of extracorporeal shock wave on the treatment of talus bone marrow edema by regulating subchondral bone homeostasis through tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)/hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)/vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathway. A total of 81 patients with talus bone marrow edema admitted to our hospital from May 2019 to May 2021 were studied and divided into control group (n = 40) and extracorporeal shock group (n = 41) according to random number table method. The control group was given conventional treatment, and the extracorporeal shock group was combined with extracorporeal shock wave therapy on the basis of the control group.

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Background: Altered patterns of bile acids (BAs) are frequently present in liver fibrosis, and BAs function as signaling molecules to initiate inflammatory responses. Silybin meglumine (SLB-M) is widely used in treating various liver diseases including liver fibrosis. However, research on its effects on bile acid (BA) metabolism is limited.

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  • A study evaluated the prevalence of androgen excess (AE) symptoms in 24,435 participants from a U.S. digital cohort, focusing on signs like hirsutism, chin hair, hair loss, and acne from November 2019 to December 2022.
  • Results revealed that possible hirsutism was at 6.9%, chin hair at 12.6%, hair loss at 1.7%, and moderate to severe acne at 31.8%, with variations noted across different age groups and demographics.
  • The findings suggest that AE symptoms differ by age, ethnicity, and body mass index, indicating the need for more inclusive health evaluations in diverse populations.
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  • Hydrogels with rapid wound-healing and antimicrobial properties are attracting interest, but creating a multifunctional hydrogel that can self-assemble and self-heal remains challenging.
  • The study developed an innovative hydrogel inspired by silkworm cocoons, utilizing a cross-linking method and incorporating silver nanoparticles to enhance antimicrobial effects.
  • Results showed that the hydrogel not only improved mechanical properties and water absorption but also significantly reduced inflammation and bacterial growth, leading to effective wound healing in test subjects.
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  • The study investigates how different proportions of bovine blood affect the growth and nutrition of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), focusing on weight gain, mortality, and nutrient content.
  • Results show that while BSFL survival is high with less than 60% blood, their weight decreases as blood content increases, with enhanced protein but lower fat levels.
  • The findings suggest that BSFL can effectively convert slaughterhouse waste like bovine blood into valuable animal feed, promoting sustainable waste management practices.
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  • * The study uses CTAB and OTAB as model surfactants to explore how CMC affects their adsorption on sodium alginate/silica microspheres under various conditions like concentration, pH, temperature, and time.
  • * Findings indicate that lower CMC values lead to higher adsorption quantities (q) for surfactants, with CTAB and OTAB showing significant differences in adsorption based on their CMC values, providing insights for improved removal techniques.
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The contractile function of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) typically undergoes significant changes with advancing age, leading to severe vascular aging-related diseases. The precise role and mechanism of stromal interaction molecule-1 (STIM1) in age-mediated Ca signaling and vasocontraction remain unclear. The connection between STIM1 and age-related vascular dysfunction was investigated using a multi-myograph system, immunohistochemical analysis, protein blotting, and SA-β-gal staining.

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  • - Unique heterostructures enhance potassium (K) storage in transition metal selenides by generating internal electric fields that lower charge transfer activation energy.
  • - The researchers created NiTe/MoS@C heterogeneous interfaces, achieving stable heterojunctions that exhibit special electronic properties due to low lattice misfits and strong electric fields.
  • - The NiTe/MoS@C anode showed excellent performance in potassium-ion batteries, with a reversible capacity of 125.8 mAh/g after 1000 cycles and stable capacity even after extensive cycling, proving its strong applicability in energy storage.
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Extending the inventory of two-dimensional (2D) materials remains highly desirable, given their excellent properties and wide applications. Current studies on 2D materials mainly focus on the van der Waals (vdW) materials since the discovery of graphene, where properties of atomically thin layers have been found to be distinct from their bulk counterparts. Beyond vdW materials, there are abundant non-vdW materials that can also be thinned down to 2D forms, which are still in their early stage of exploration.

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Assembling small molecules at liquid/solid interfaces is relatively common and contributes to many unique properties of the interface. However, such an assembling process can be dynamic depending on the concentration of the molecule and the properties of the solid and liquid themselves, which poses serious challenges on the accurate evaluation of the assembling processes. Herein, we report a convenient way for in situ and real-time monitoring of assembling-disassembling of small-molecule surfactants on the surface of microchannels using pulsed streaming potential (SP) measurement based on the variation of surface charge.

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Background: Solasonine has been demonstrated to exert an inhibitory effect on bladder cancer (BC), but the potential mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the association between microRNAs (miRNAs)-mediated regulation and the anti-tumor activities of solasonine in BC.

Methods: MiRNA sequencing was performed to identify the differentially expressed microRNAs (DE-miRNAs) associated with solasonine in BC cells.

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Objective: To evaluate the associations of plasma polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) concentrations in early pregnancy with gestational weight gain (GWG).

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: US-based, multicentre cohort of pregnant women.

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The mechanical response of rubbers has been ubiquitously assumed to be only a function of the imposed strain. Using innovative X-ray measurements capturing the three-dimensional spatial volumetric strain fields, we demonstrate that rubbers and indeed many common engineering polymers undergo significant local volume changes. But remarkably, the overall specimen volume remains constant regardless of the imposed loading.

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Van der Waals (vdW) integration enables clean contacts for low-dimensional electronic devices. The limitation remains; however, that an additional tunneling contact resistance occurs owing to the inherent vdW gap between the metal and the semiconductor. Here, it is demonstrated from theoretical calculations that stronger non-covalent hydrogen-bonding interactions facilitate electron tunneling and significantly reduce the contact resistance; thus, promising to break the limitations of the vdW contact.

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  • Early menarche is linked to negative health outcomes, and trends in the US show it's happening earlier, but more research is needed on how factors like socioeconomic status and BMI impact this.
  • The study aims to analyze trends in age at menarche and how long it takes to achieve regular menstrual cycles while considering early-life BMI's role as a mediator.
  • Data from 71,341 female participants reveal that the average age of menarche decreased over the decades, with a notable increase in cases of early and very early menarche.
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Symmetry-protected band degeneracy, coupled with a magnetic order, is the key to realizing novel magnetoelectric phenomena in topological magnets. While the spin-polarized nodal states have been identified to introduce extremely-sensitive electronic responses to the magnetic states, their possible role in determining magnetic ground states has remained elusive. Here, taking external pressure as a control knob, we show that a metal-insulator transition, a spin-reorientation transition, and a structural modification occur concomitantly when the nodal-line state crosses the Fermi level in a ferrimagnetic semiconductor MnSiTe.

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(TYLCV) is a prominent viral pathogen that adversely affects tomato plants. Effective strategies for mitigating the impact of TYLCV include isolating tomato plants from the whitefly, which is the vector of the virus, and utilizing transgenic lines that are resistant to the virus. In our preliminary investigations, we observed that the use of growth retardants increased the rate of TYLCV infection and intensified the damage to the tomato plants, suggesting a potential involvement of gibberellic acid (GA) in the conferring of resistance to TYLCV.

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Purpose: Pregnancy and the postpartum period are increasingly recognised as sensitive windows for cardiometabolic disease risk. Growing evidence suggests environmental exposures, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), are associated with an increased risk of pregnancy complications that are associated with long-term cardiometabolic risk. However, the impact of perinatal EDC exposure on subsequent cardiometabolic risk post-pregnancy is less understood.

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  • Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition that causes irregular menstrual cycles and is linked to cardiovascular and metabolic issues, but more research is needed on its specific relationships and interventions.
  • The study aimed to analyze how PCOS, time to menstrual regularity from menarche, and irregular cycles impact the occurrence of various cardiometabolic conditions in participants using the Apple Research app.
  • The research involved a large group of US-based individuals, finding that 12.3% had PCOS, with a focus on various cardiovascular and metabolic health outcomes, while also considering how lifestyle factors may influence these associations.
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The massive amount of water-soluble urea used leads to nutrient loss and environmental pollution in both water and soil. The aim of this study was to develop a novel lignin-based slow-release envelope material that has essential nitrogen and sulfur elements for plants. After the amination reaction with a hydrolysate of yak hair keratin, the coating formulation was obtained by adding different loadings (2, 5, 8, 14 wt%) of aminated lignin (AL) to 5% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution.

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