Publications by authors named "Mengfan Li"

Salt bladders, specialized structures on the surface of quinoa leaves, secrete Na to mitigate the effects of the plant from abiotic stresses, particularly salt exposure. Understanding the development of these structures is crucial for elucidating quinoa's salt tolerance mechanisms. In this study, we employed transmission electron microscopy to detail cellular differentiation across the developmental stages of quinoa salt bladders.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Granulomas are a key pathological feature of tuberculosis (TB), characterized by cell heterogeneity, spatial composition, and cellular interactions, which play crucial roles in granuloma progression and host prognosis. This study aims to analyze the transcriptome profiles of cell populations based on their spatial location and to understand the core transcriptome characteristics of granuloma formation and development. In this study, we collected four clinical biopsy samples including (Mtb) infected lung (MTB-L) and omentum tissues (MTB-O), as well as two lung and omentum biopsies from non-TB patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Traditional treatments for inflammatory skin diseases have poor penetration and side effects, leading researchers to explore metal nanoparticles as a better solution.!
  • A new type of gold nanoparticle, Au-MEA NPs, was developed, showing improved stability and effectiveness in treating conditions like psoriasis and rosacea in animal studies.!
  • Au-MEA NPs work by reducing inflammation in skin cells, making them a promising option for safe topical treatment of inflammatory skin diseases. !
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Extensive applications of bisphenols in industrial products have led to their release into aquatic environments, causing a great threat to human health due to their endocrine-disrupting effects, whereas existing methods are difficult to implement the rapid and high-throughput detection of multiple bisphenols. To circumvent this issue, we constructed a sensor array using two luminescent metal-organic frameworks (LMOFs) (Zr-BUT-12 and Ga-MIL-61) for the rapid discrimination of six bisphenol contaminants (BPA, BPS, BPB, BPF, BPAF, and TBBPA). Wherein, Zr-BUT-12 and Ga-MIL-61 exhibited different fluorescence-emission properties and good luminescent stability.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The current limitations of single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) in deep tissue imaging, primarily due to depth-dependent aberrations caused by refractive index (RI) mismatch, present a significant challenge in achieving high-resolution images at greater depths. To extend the imaging depth, we optimized the imaging buffer of SMLM with the RI matched to that of the objective immersion medium and systematically evaluated five different RI-matched buffers, focusing on their impact on the blinking behavior of red-absorbing dyes and the quality of reconstructed super-resolution images. Particularly, we found that clear unobstructed brain imaging cocktails-based imaging buffer could match the RI of oil and was able to clear the tissue samples.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Predicting protein-ligand binding sites is an integral part of structural biology and drug design. A comprehensive understanding of these binding sites is essential for advancing drug innovation, elucidating mechanisms of biological function, and exploring the nature of disease. However, accurately identifying protein-ligand binding sites remains a challenging task.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: With the arrival of the new generation of artificial intelligence wave, new human-robot interaction technologies continue to emerge. Brain-computer interface (BCI) offers a pathway for state monitoring and interaction control between human and robot. However, the unstable mental state reduce the accuracy of human brain intent decoding, and consequently affects the precision of BCI control.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Nanopore selective sequencing allows the targeted sequencing of DNA of interest using computational approaches rather than experimental methods such as targeted multiplex polymerase chain reaction or hybridization capture. Compared to sequence-alignment strategies, deep learning (DL) models for classifying target and nontarget DNA provide large speed advantages. However, the relatively low accuracy of these DL-based tools hinders their application in nanopore selective sequencing.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Dehydrocorydaline (DHC), an active component of a plant used in traditional medicine, shows promise in treating coronary heart disease due to its protective and pain-relieving effects, though the mechanism is not fully understood.
  • The study aimed to investigate whether DHC can mitigate myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) by affecting the FoxO signaling pathway to reduce cell death (apoptosis).
  • Experimental results demonstrated that DHC improved heart function in a mouse model of MIRI and reduced apoptosis and oxidative stress in heart cells exposed to hypoxia, principally through the FoxO pathway.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Researchers found a way to do a type of chemical reaction using only water, which is better for the environment than using other liquids.
  • They discovered that mixing certain chemicals with water helps control the reaction and keep it from making unwanted products.
  • This method produces a lot of the desired product (up to 90%) and makes it easy to separate and recycle everything, making it a greener option for chemical reactions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The rose fragrance molecule 2-phenylethanol (2-PE) is in high demand across cosmetics, food, and pharmaceutical industries, but current synthesis methods lack efficiency.
  • This study used CRISPR-Cas9 metabolic engineering on the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica to significantly enhance the production of 2-PE, achieving a titer of 2.4 g/L with a yield of 0.06 g/g after optimizing various genetic pathways.
  • The results demonstrate a successful approach for improving the biosynthesis of compounds derived from the shikimate pathway, setting a new standard for yeast-based production methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Early detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) significantly enhances patient outcomes. Conventional CRC screening tools, like endoscopy and stool-based tests, have constraints due to their invasiveness or suboptimal patient adherence. Recently, liquid biopsy employing plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has emerged as a potential noninvasive screening technique for various malignancies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The state-of-the-art triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) technology has numerous advantages and creates new prospects for the rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoT) in marine environments. Here, to accelerate the application process of TENG, an elaborately designed multilayered sleeve-structured hybrid nanogenerator (M-HNG) is developed to efficiently and persistently harvest marine energy. The M-HNG integrates an electromagnetic nanogenerator (EMG) with four coils and a multilayered sleeve-structured TENG (MS-TENG) with three freestanding layer units to increase spatial utilization efficiency.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The way people think about movements can change how well they can control brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) that relate to imagined motions.
  • Researchers studied how the order and complexity of action sequences affect this ability, using tasks with images and videos to help people remember the sequences better.
  • They found that more complicated action sequences, especially in a positive order, help improve brain responses and accuracy in motion imagery, leading to better performance with BCIs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The global incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are gradually increasing. A high-fat diet (HFD) is known to disrupt intestinal homeostasis and aggravate IBD, yet the underlying mechanisms remain largely undefined. Here, a positive correlation between dietary fat intake and disease severity in both IBD patients and murine colitis models is observed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In interferometry with a computer-generated hologram (CGH), the substrate error of the CGH limits its high-precision aspheric measurement application. The propagation form of the substrate error is still ambiguous although 0th-order calibration can partly correct it. We established the ray propagation in a three-dimensional model in order to solve the ambiguity of substrate error propagation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - Bioelectronics combines physiology with electronic devices, focusing on creating bioelectrodes that can effectively convert neural signals into electronic signals and vice versa.
  • - Traditional bioelectrodes often fail to meet key criteria like signal accuracy, charge injection, strain resistance, and multifunctionality, but new strategies are being developed to improve their performance.
  • - The innovative bioelectrodes introduced in this research enhance signal transduction, provide stable charge injection for neuromodulation, and maintain transparency for integration with optoelectronics, potentially advancing the field of multimodal bioelectronics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

An efficient and metal-free method for the synthesis of 3-aryl pyrido[1,2-]indoles from aryne intermediates and 2-pyridinyl-substituted -QMs was successfully developed under ambient conditions. The reaction offered a novel and practical protocol to access some diverse functional molecules in good to excellent yields. The proposed mechanism indicated that the reaction proceeded a formal [3 + 2] cycloaddition step.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Changes in how land is used, like building more houses and businesses, greatly affect the environment around the Yellow River, which is a very important river for the area.
  • Researchers created a model to show different future land use possibilities for the Yellow River Basin from 1990 to 2020, helping to plan for 2030 while keeping the environment in mind.
  • The study found that building more construction sites is harming the land and nature, but protecting grasslands and woodlands can help the environment and keep things balanced in the future.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Over 80% of China's grasslands are damaged, which means they can't hold as much carbon in the soil.
  • This loss affects China's ability to reduce carbon emissions and reach its climate goals.
  • Research showed that degraded grasslands lose a lot of carbon storage, with the most damaged areas losing up to 59% of their soil carbon compared to healthy grasslands.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Hybrid nanogenerators (HNGs) represent a promising avenue for water energy harvesting, yet their commercial viability faces hurdles such as limited power output, poor coupling, and constrained operational lifespans. Here, a highly coupled triboelectric-electromagnetic magnetic-levitation hybrid nanogenerator (ML-HNG) is introduced that shows great potential for water energy harvesting. The ML-HNG fulfills the challenges of high power output, strong coupling, and long operational lifespans.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The parameter setting of functional electrical stimulation (FES) is important for active recovery training since it affects muscle health. Among the FES parameters, current amplitude is the most influential factor. To explore the FES effect on the maximum stimulation time, this study establishes a curve between FES current amplitude and the maximum stimulation time based on muscle fatigue.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Scientists are exploring how our brains can use BCIs (brain-computer interfaces) to detect when we plan to make movements, like pressing buttons.
  • They found that if people get ready to move before they actually do it, their brain signals are clearer and easier to understand.
  • The study showed that preparing to move helps improve accuracy in detecting these brain signals, making BCIs work better overall.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

After more than five decades, Moore's Law for transistors is approaching the end of the international technology roadmap of semiconductors (ITRS). The fate of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) architecture has become increasingly unknown. In this era, 3D transistors in the form of gate-all-around (GAA) transistors are being considered as an excellent solution to scaling down beyond the 5 nm technology node, which solves the difficulties of carrier transport in the channel region which are mainly rooted in short channel effects (SCEs).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF