Publications by authors named "Mengmeng Niu"

In this study, we explore the substrate-mediated control of self-assembly behavior in diboron molecules (CHBO, BCat) using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The structural transformation of BCat molecules from one-dimensional (1D) molecular chains to two-dimensional (2D) molecular arrays was achieved by changing the substrate from Au(111) to bilayer graphene (BLG), highlighting the key role of substrate interactions in determining the assembly structure. Notably, the B-B bond in the molecular arrays on BLG is distinctly pronounced, reflecting a more refined molecular resolution with distinct electronic states than that on Au(111).

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Ovalbumin (OVA)-induced intestinal injury is a recurrent and potentially fatal condition. Previous studies have highlighted the roles of exopolysaccharides, particularly a mannose-rich (89.59 %) exopolysaccharide-1 (EPS-1) with a molecular weight of 39.

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In this study, the adsorption of starburst molecules (CHN, SBM) deposited on Au(111) was investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). SBM molecules selectively adsorb on the face-centered-cubic regions of Au(111) in quasi one-dimensional chains. Compared with the SBM structure on hBN/Rh(111), the assembly structure of SBM on Au(111) can be clearly confirmed to be molecular chains in the "plug-in" configuration.

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Article Synopsis
  • Winlevi (clascoterone) topical cream was FDA-approved for treating acne in patients aged 12 and older, but clascoterone's instability complicates its study in vitro.
  • The study aimed to create an in vitro skin permeation test (IVPT) to accurately measure clascoterone levels while reducing hydrolyzation to cortexolone.
  • Two IVPT methods were compared, revealing that flow-through cells significantly reduced degradation of clascoterone, highlighting the necessity of optimizing testing methods during product development.
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Article Synopsis
  • This study talks about a special protein called plantaricin EvF, which is really good at fighting germs.
  • Unlike other similar proteins, it has a unique shape because it doesn't have a common structure called an α-helix.
  • The researchers found that certain parts of the protein help keep it strong and stable, which is important for its ability to work against bacteria.
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In recent years, there has been a growing focus on the toxicity and mortality induced by nanoplastics (NPs) in aquatic organisms. However, studies investigating mechanisms underlying oxidative stress (OS), apoptosis, and inflammation induced by NPs in fish remain limited. This study observed that polystyrene NPs (PS-NPs) were accumulated into zebrafish larvae and zebrafish embryonic fibroblast (ZF4 cells), accompanied by the occurrence of pathological damage both at the cellular and tissue-organ level.

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In the realm of condensed matter physics and materials science, charge density waves (CDWs) have emerged as a captivating way to modulate correlated electronic phases and electron oscillations in quantum materials. However, collectively and efficiently tuning CDW order is a formidable challenge. Herein, we introduced a novel way to modulate the CDW order in 1T-TaS via stacking engineering.

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In this study, a comprehensive characterization was conducted on a chiral starburst molecule (CHN, SBM) using scanning tunneling microscopy. When adsorbed onto the hBN/Rh(111) nanomesh, these molecules demonstrate homochiral recognition, leading to a selective formation of homochiral dimers. Further tip manipulation experiments reveal that the chiral dimers are stable and primarily controlled by strong intermolecular interactions.

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Hypoxia is a hallmark of cancer development. However, the molecular mechanisms by which hypoxia promotes tumor metastasis are not fully understood. In this study, we demonstrate that hypoxia promotes breast cancer metastasis through suppression of ΔNp63α in a HIF1α-independent manner.

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For proportionally formulated intermediate strengths of a topical product, the relationship of drug release across multiple strengths of a given product is not always well understood. The current study aims to assess the proportionality of tretinoin release rates across multiple strengths of tretinoin topical gels when manufactured using two different methods to understand the impact of formulation design on drug product microstructure and tretinoin release rate. Two groups of tretinoin gels of 0.

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Tumor metastasis is the major cause of breast cancer morbidity and mortality. It has been reported that the F-box protein FBXO3 functions as an E3 ubiquitin ligase in regulating various biological processes, including host autoimmune, antiviral innate immunity, and inflammatory response. However, the role of FBXO3 in tumor metastasis remains elusive.

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In this study, a novel homogeneous mannose-rich polysaccharide named EPS-1 from the fermentation broth of H4-2 was isolated and purified by anion exchange column chromatography and gel column chromatography. The primary structure of EPS-1 was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance. The results indicated that EPS-1 had typical functional groups of polysaccharides.

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Tumor growth requires elevated ribosome biogenesis. Targeting ribosomes is an important strategy for cancer therapy. The ribosome inhibitor, homoharringtonine (HHT), is used for the clinical treatment of leukemia, yet it is ineffective for the treatment of solid tumors, the reasons for which remain unclear.

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Background: ASXL2 encodes proteins involved in epigenetic regulation and the assembly of transcription factors at specific genomic loci. Germline de novo truncating variants in ASXL2 have been implicated in Shashi-Pena syndrome, which results in features of developmental delay (DD), glabellar nevus flammeus, hypotonia, and cardiac disorders. However, the variants are rare, and the clinical spectrum may be incomplete.

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Objective: This study was conducted to compare the efficacy, tolerability and safety of the modified Atkins diet (MAD) and the classic ketogenic diet (KD) in Chinese children with infantile epileptic spasms syndrome.

Methods: We retrospectively recruited and analyzed 56 children with infantile epileptic spasms syndrome started on the MAD (n = 21) and classic KD (n = 35) at our institution from June 2016 to July 2022.

Results: The MAD group had exhibited comparable rates of spasm reduction (>50%) as the classic KD group at the time point of 3 months (66.

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"Through space" palladium/hydrogen shift is an efficient strategy to achieve selective functionalization of a specific remote C-H bond. Compared with relatively extensive exploited 1,4-palladium migration process, the relevant 1,5-Pd/H shift was far less investigated. We herein report a novel 1,5-Pd/H shift pattern between a vinyl and an acyl group.

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Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide. Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) is a conserved transcriptional factor that plays a critical role in maintaining cellular proteostasis. However, the role of HSF1 in HNSCC development remains largely unclear.

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Central nervous system (CNS) infections can cause significant morbidity and mortality, especially in children. Rapid and accurate pathogenic detection in suspected CNS infections is essential for disease control at the early stage of infection. To evaluate the performance of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in pediatric patients, we retrospectively analyzed the efficiency of cfDNA mNGS in children with CNS infections ( = 257) or noninfectious neurological disorders ( = 81).

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Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer with a high risk of metastasis and recurrence. Although chemotherapy has greatly improved the clinical outcome of TNBC patients, acquired drug resistance remains a huge challenge for TNBC treatment. Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) play a critical role in breast cancer development, metastasis, recurrence, and chemotherapy resistance.

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Background: To date, the repeated breakout of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic across many regions in China has caused continuous physical and mental harm to health care workers. This study investigates the psychological burden of the pandemic and its associated risk factors among Chinese healthcare workers (HCWs) during a single wave of COVID-19.

Methods: For this cross-sectional web-based survey conducted from January 16, 2022 to February 5, 2022, a total of 412 HCWs from Northwestern China were recruited.

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There is growing concern about the environmental impact of chemicals and the long-term effects of mechanical weeding, which inhibits weed regrowth. Mechanical-chemical synergy has become an alternative weeding practice. In this paper, the effects of reduced chemical application by mechanical-chemical synergetic weeding on maize growth and yield are studied synergistic weeding experiments.

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This study was designed to explore the different intestinal barrier repair mechanisms of () H4-2 and H9-3 with different exopolysaccharide (EPS) production in mice with colitis. The lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced IEC-6 cell inflammation model and dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced mice colitis model were used. Histopathological changes, epithelial barrier integrity, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) content, cytokine levels, NF-κB expression level, and intestinal flora were analyzed to evaluate the role of in alleviating colitis.

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