Biomedical subjects

Zhongwei Zhang

Publications and source records attributed to Zhongwei Zhang.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

Redox Rewiring in Nicotine-Driven Gastric Carcinogenesis: Uncovering ROS-Dependent Oncogenic Circuits.

SIGNIFICANCE: Nicotine from tobacco products, secondhand smoke, and emerging delivery systems remains a major but underappreciated driver of gastric carcinogenesis (GC). Although reactive oxygen species (ROS) have long been implicated in tumor biology, current models incompletely explain how chronic nicotine selectively reprograms gastric epithelial signaling. This review advances the concept of redox rewiring, whereby nicotine establishes a persistent oxidative state that orchestrates multiple oncogenic programs via spatially compartmentalized NOX signaling. RECENT ADVANCES: We synthesize evidence for a unified model wherein nicotine activates nAChR/β-AR signaling, Ca2+ influx, PKC, and compartmentalized NOX-derived ROS to generate distinct oncogenic outputs. Beyond the established NOX/ROS/NF-κB/MAPK-driven IL-8 and MMP-9 axes, we integrate emerging evidence into three interconnected modules governing EMT/metastasis (ABL1/STAT3/COX-2/periostin), survival/chemoresistance (ERK/GLI1/Bcl-2), and invasion/immune evasion (miR-21/PDCD4). Collectively, these circuits suggest that ROS function not merely as damaging byproducts but as spatially organized signaling mediators dictating tumor behavior. CRITICAL ISSUES: A major challenge is distinguishing established mechanisms from incompletely validated models. The three proposed axes are testable hypotheses requiring experimental validation. Most data derive from in vitro studies with nonphysiologic nicotine concentrations, and artifacts from nonspecific ROS probes are common. Compensatory pathway activation and multi-target effects of natural products remain underexplored. FUTURE DIRECTIONS: We outline a precision-redox oncology roadmap linking pathway-specific biomarkers, mechanistically matched natural products, and biomarker-enriched trials. Priorities include genetic validation of the three axes, time-resolved ROS imaging, and pulsed natural product regimens. By reframing nicotine-driven GC as adaptive redox network remodeling, this review provides a framework for prevention, stratification, and next-generation therapy. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 00, 000-000.

gastric cancer↗

PubMed2006

A new texture generation method based on pseudo-DCT coefficients.

In this paper, a new method for generating different texture images is presented. This method involves a simple transform from a certain one-dimensional (1-D) signal to an expected two-dimensional (2-D) image. Unlike traditional methods, the input signal is generated by a simple 1-D function in our work instead of a sample texture. We first transform the 1-D input signal into frequency domain using fast Fourier transform. Based on the sufficient analysis in 2-D discrete cosine transform (DCT) domain, where each of the coefficients expresses a texture feature in a certain direction, the 2-D pseudo-DCT coefficients are then constructed by appropriately rearranging the Fourier coefficients in terms of their frequency components. Finally, the corresponding texture image can be produced by 2-D inverse DCT algorithm. We applied the proposed method to generate several stochastic textures (i.e., cloud, illumination, and sand), and several structural texture images. Experimental results indicate the good performance of the proposed method.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2005

Optimization of integer wavelet transforms based on difference correlation structures.

In this paper, a novel lifting integer wavelet transform based on difference correlation structure (DCCS-LIWT) is proposed. First, we establish a relationship between the performance of a linear predictor and the difference correlations of an image. The obtained results provide a theoretical foundation for the following construction of the optimal lifting filters. Then, the optimal prediction lifting coefficients in the sense of least-square prediction error are derived. DCCS-LIWT puts heavy emphasis on image inherent dependence. A distinct feature of this method is the use of the variance-normalized autocorrelation function of the difference image to construct a linear predictor and adapt the predictor to varying image sources. The proposed scheme also allows respective calculations of the lifting filters for the horizontal and vertical orientations. Experimental evaluation shows that the proposed method produces better results than the other well-known integer transforms for the lossless image compression.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2004

Central neurocytoma: a clinicopathological and neuroradiological study.

Central neurocytoma (CNC) is an uncommon benign tumor of the central nervous system (CNS) occurring in adults and is more likely to be located in the region of the foramina of Monra. Few studies have described the neuroradiological features of CNC, and most are single case reports. Our aim was to analyze the clinicopathological and neuroradiological characteristics of CNC. We retrospectively studied the preoperative CT (n=2) and MRI (n=5) of three men and two women (mean age 45 years, ranging from 30 to 63 years) with pathologically proven CNC. The tumors were primarily located in the region of the foramina of Monra. Two of them occupied the lateral ventricle, appearing to be attached to the septum pellucidum, and the other three tumors arose from the septum pellucidum and extended into the lateral ventricles. The tumors were of mixed density with cystic features and patchy or fine calcification on noncontrast CT scans, and they were of low or isointense signal on T1- and heterogeneously hyperintense signal on T2- and FLAIR weighted images. Contrast enhancement varied greatly from very slight to intense. Immunohistochemical staining showed a positive reaction for synaptophysin (Syn), neuro-specific enclase (NSE), neurofilament protein (NF) in the tumor cells and glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) in the fibrillar zones. CNC should be taken into consideration first if a tumor arises from the region of the foramina of Monra with CNC neuroradiological characteristics and the patient is an adult.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Metal-N-saccharide chemistry: synthesis and structure determination of two Cu(II) complexes containing glycosylamines.

Two new complexes [Cu(N,N',N"-(D-Glc)3-tren)Cl]Cl (1) and [Cu(N,N',N"-(maltose)-tren)]Cl2.H2O (2), have been synthesized and characterized by elementary analysis, and the IR and UV spectra suggest that complex 1 and complex 2 are arranged in trigonal bipyramidal configuration and square-pyramidal configuration, respectively. The crystal structure of complex 1 has been determined by X-ray diffraction as: a = 9.3476(8), b = 17.4236(13), c = 9.7836(8) angstroms, beta = 91.197 degrees, and V = 1593.1(2) Angstroms3, Z = 2, and R = 0.0325, which shows that three secondary amine groups (N-1, N-2, N-3) of the glycosylamine ligand forms the equatorial plane, and the tertiary amine (N-4) and one Cl- are located at the apical positions.

Amines↗