Publications by authors named "P-S Fan"

Chip scale DNA synthesis offers a high-throughput and cost-effective method for large-scale DNA-based information storage. Nevertheless, unbiased information retrieval from low-copy-number sequences remains a barricade that largely arises from the indispensable DNA amplification. Here, we devise a simulation-guided quantitative primer-template hybridization strategy to realize massively parallel homogeneous amplification of chip-scale DNA for DNA information storage (MPHAC-DIS).

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The bifunctional mechanism, involving multiactive compositions to simultaneously dissociate water molecules and optimize intermediate adsorption, has been widely used in the design of catalysts to boost water electrolysis for sustainable hydrogen energy production but remains debatable due to difficulties in accurately identifying the reaction process. Here, we proposed the concept of well-defined Lewis pairs in single-atom catalysts, with a unique acid-base nature, to comprehensively understand the exact role of multiactive compositions in an alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction. By facilely adjusting active moieties, the induced synergistic effect between Lewis pairs (M-P/S/Cr pairs, M = Ru, Ir, Pt) can significantly facilitate the cleavage of the H-OH bond and accelerate the removal of intermediates, thereby switching the rate-determining step from the Volmer step to the Heyrovsky step.

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Phytophthora root and stem rot caused by () is a globally prevalent oomycete disease. The use of resistant cultivars is an effective and environmentally friendly strategy to manage this disease. It is important to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the response of (soybean) to infection.

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Data generated using single-cell RNA-sequencing has the potential to transform understanding of the cerebral circulation and advance clinical care. However, the high volume of data, sometimes generated and presented without proper pathophysiological context, can be difficult to interpret and integrate into current understanding of the cerebral circulation and its disorders. Furthermore, heterogeneity in the representation of brain regions and vascular segments makes it difficult to compare results across studies.

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Mammalian genomes contain millions of regulatory elements that control the complex patterns of gene expression. Previously, The ENCODE consortium mapped biochemical signals across many cell types and tissues and integrated these data to develop a Registry of 0.9 million human and 300 thousand mouse candidate cis-Regulatory Elements (cCREs) annotated with potential functions.

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Herbivore insects deploy salivary effectors to manipulate the defense of their host plants. However, it remains unclear whether small RNAs from insects function as effectors in regulating plant-insect interactions. Here, we report that a microRNA (miR29-b) found in the saliva of phloem-feeding whitefly (Bemisa tabaci) can transfer into the host plant phloem during feeding and fine-tune the defense response of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum).

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Salicylic acid (SA) is a prominent defense hormone whose basal level, organ-specific accumulation, and physiological role vary widely among plant species. Of the 2 known pathways of plant SA biosynthesis, the phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) pathway is more ancient and universal but its biosynthetic and physiological roles in diverse plant species remain unclear. Studies in which the PAL pathway is specifically or completely inhibited, as well as a direct comparison of diverse species and different organs within the same species, are needed.

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Article Synopsis
  • Bacterial wilt (BW), caused by Ralstonia solanacearum, negatively affects peanut yield and quality, with the ABA signaling pathway playing a crucial role in peanut resistance, although its molecular mechanisms are not well understood.
  • Researchers identified 18 ABA receptor genes in the peanut genome, focusing on AhPYL6 and AhPYL16, which were significantly activated by stress signals and R. solanacearum infection.
  • The study further revealed that overexpression of AhPYL6 enhances resistance to the bacteria by increasing the expression of defense-related genes, indicating a vital role for PYL ABA receptors in plant defense mechanisms.
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The abundance of monoterpenoids and phenolic compounds determines the medicinal quality and anti-insect properties of Agastache rugosa, which can be compromised by biotic stress such as herbivore attacks. The traditional use of chemical pesticides to mitigate herbivore interference is increasingly incompatible with sustainable agriculture. In response, nanotechnology-based biostimulants, which can activate metabolic processes to enhance plant growth and stress resistance, offer a more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly alternative.

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Article Synopsis
  • The text discusses the economic and ecological importance of certain plant species that are affected by phytoplasma infections, specifically witches' broom (PaWB), which hampers industry development.
  • Salicylic acid (SA) is highlighted as a key player in plant disease resistance, showing potential to control PaWB; the study investigates its effects on PaWB-infected plants.
  • Results indicate that a 0.1 mmol/L concentration of SA is optimal for inhibiting axillary bud germination and enhances resistance indicators, while also revealing significant changes in gene expression and protein levels related to disease defense.
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Simultaneously dispersing phosphide crystallites and multiple heteroatoms in hollow carbon is a significant yet challenging task for achieving high-performance oxygen electrocatalysts of zinc-air batteries. Herein, a simple wrapping-pyrolysis strategy is proposed to prepare CoP/CoP embedded in N, P, S triply-doped hollow carbon (CoP/CoP@NPS-HC). CoP/CoP@NPS-HC composite features hollow polyhedral structure populated with numerous catalytically active CoP/CoP nanoparticles and N, P, S heteroatoms.

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Article Synopsis
  • Some special crystals called thiophosphates are important for electronics but have not been studied much before.*
  • Researchers created three new types of these crystals (α-RbInPS, β-RbInPS, and CsInPS) that show a lot of difference in how light travels through them.*
  • This difference in light behavior, called birefringence, is higher than in regular materials, thanks to how the bonds in the crystals are arranged and the addition of some metals.*
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  • Scientists studied how a special type of MRI, called time-dependent diffusion MRI, can tell us about changes in the liver as it gets worse from fibrosis (a buildup of scar tissue) to cirrhosis (severe liver damage).
  • They ran tests on 60 rats with liver fibrosis and compared their results to five rats that were healthy, using advanced imaging techniques.
  • The MRI helped measure things like cell size and how much space the cells take up, showing that as liver fibrosis got worse, cells got smaller and more crowded, and these results matched well with direct measurements taken under a microscope.
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In contrast to the high efficiency of room temperature phosphorescence in crystal states, the generally utilized nanoparticles of organic materials in bioimaging demonstrated sharply decreased performance by orders of magnitude under physiological conditions, badly limiting the realization of their unique advantages. This case, especially for organic red/near-infrared (NIR) phosphorescence materials, is not only the challenge present in reality but more importantly, for the theoretical problem of deeply understanding and avoiding the quenching effect by oxygen and water toward excited triplet states. Herein, thanks to the intelligent molecular design by the introduction of abundant hydrophobic chains and highly-branched structures, bright and persistent red/NIR phosphorescence under physiological conditions has been realized, which demonstrated the shielding effect towards oxygen, and the strengthened intermolecular interactions to suppress the non-radiative transitions.

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In this paper, heterogeneous cobalt phosphosulfide (CoS/CoP) nanocrystals anchoring on few-layered MXene nanosheets (MXene@CoS/CoP) were prepared by growth and the subsequent high-temperature phosphorization/sulfidation processes. Thanks to the synergistic effect and the abundant phase interfaces of CoS, CoP, and MXene, the electron transfer and Na diffusion processes were greatly accelerated. Meanwhile, the high electrical conductivity of MXene nanosheets and the heterogeneous structure of CoS/CoP effectively avoided the MXene restacking and the agglomeration of phosphosulfide particles, thus mitigating volumetric expansion during charging and discharging.

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Article Synopsis
  • Transitional metal sulfides are identified as promising anode materials for sodium and potassium batteries, offering high capacity and numerous reaction sites, but face challenges with maintaining structural integrity and cycle life.
  • A new CoS@NPSC@MoS nano-spindle heterostructure was developed, utilizing a combination of advanced fabrication techniques to enhance reaction kinetics and reduce diffusion distances for improved performance.
  • This innovative anode material achieved impressive reversible capacity metrics after extensive cycling, demonstrating its potential for effective energy storage solutions in sodium and potassium battery systems.
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An integral part of plant immunity is transcription reprogramming by concerted action of specific transcription factors that activate or repress genes through recruitment or release of RNA polymerase II (Pol II). Pol II is assembled into Pol II holoenzyme at the promoters through association with a group of general transcription factors including transcription factor IIB (TFIIB) to activate transcription. Unlike other eukaryotic organisms, plants have a large family of TFIIB-related proteins with 15 members in Arabidopsis including several plant-specific TFIIB-related proteins (BRPs).

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Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is a common metalloproteinase in plants with important roles in plant responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. There is evidence that PPOs contribute to stress responses in . In this study, PPO gene family members in were comprehensively identified and characterized using bioinformatics methods as well as analyses of phylogenetic relationships, gene and protein structure, codon usage bias, and gene expression in response to stress.

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() causes destructive bacterial wilt across a broad range of host plants by delivering a repertoire of type III effectors. In the present study, we determined that the deletion of the type III effector RipAF1 resulted in increased virulence on , , and plants. RipAF1 showed ADP-ribosylation activity and .

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Objective: Tangbi capsule (TBC) is a traditional Chinese medicine prescription, which has the potential to improve the vascular insufficiency of lower extremities and limb numbness in diabetes. However, the potential mechanism remains unknown. This study aims to investigate the pharmacological effects and mechanism of TBC on rats with diabetic lower extremities arterial disease (LEAD).

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Unlike traditional photoluminescence (PL), mechanoluminescence (ML) achieved under mechanical excitation demonstrates unique characteristics such as high penetrability, spatial resolution, and signal-to-background ratio (SBR) for bioimaging applications. However, bioimaging with organic mechanoluminescent materials remains challenging because of the shallow penetration depth of ML with short emission wavelengths and the absence of a suitable mechanical force to generate ML in vivo. To resolve these issues, the present paper reports the achievement of ultrasound (US)-excited fluorescence and phosphorescence from purely organic luminogens for the first time with emission wavelengths extending to the red/NIR region, with the penetrability of the US-excited emission being considerably higher than that of PL.

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WRKY transcription factors are essential for coping with various biotic stresses. Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa)-induced kiwifruit canker is a major problem restricting kiwifruit yield.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study analyzes 63 Response Regulators (RRs) from Zanthoxylum armatum, highlighting their roles in plant development and responses to environmental stresses.
  • Findings reveal that different RR subfamilies (A-type, B-type, C-type, and pseudo-RRs) are involved in various functions, such as growth, reproductive processes, and responses to abiotic stresses like drought and cold.
  • Ectopic expression of the C-type RR, ZaRR24, was found to inhibit growth and induce early flowering in Arabidopsis, demonstrating the influence of RRs on gene expression and potential applications in woody plant signal transduction studies.
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Unlabelled: is a crucial cash crop in the southern region of China. Timely flowering is a crucial characteristic for maximizing crop productivity. Nevertheless, the cold temperature and wet weather throughout the fall and winter seasons in South China impact the timing of flowering and the yield produced by .

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Background: Cowpea wilt is a harmful disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum, leading to substantial losses in cowpea production. Melatonin reportedly regulates plant immunity to pathogens; however the specific regulatory mechanism underlying the protective effect of melatonin pretreated of cowpea against Fusarium oxysporum remains known. Accordingly, the study sought to evaluate changes in the physiological and biochemical indices of cowpea following melatonin treated to facilitate Fusarium oxysporum resistance and elucidate the associated molecular mechanism using a weighted gene coexpression network.

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