Using Constellation Pharmacology to Characterize a Novel α-Conotoxin from .

The venom of cone snails has been proven to be a rich source of bioactive peptides that target a variety of ion channels and receptors. α-Conotoxins (αCtx) interact with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and are powerful tools for investigating the structure and function of the various nAChR subtypes. By studying how conotoxins interact with nAChRs, we can improve our understanding of these receptors, leading to new insights into neurological diseases associated with nAChRs.

A Lower Dose of Infection Generates a Better Long-Term Immune Response against Toxoplasma gondii.

Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular pathogen, induces a strong immune response in the infected host. In the encephalitis model of infection, long-term protective immunity is mediated by CD8 T cells, with the CD4 T cell population providing important help. Most of the immune studies have used a 10- to 20-cyst dose of T.

Modulating the Optical Band Gap of Small Semiconducting Two-Dimensional Materials by Conjugated Polymers.

Ultra-high-resolution optical microscopic techniques are used to measure the reflectance and photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of individual monolayered MoS of dimensions below 200 × 200 nm, while placed on top of a thin film conjugated polymer (CP). p-type and n-type CPs such as poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), respectively, modified the optical band gap of the MoS sheet differently. However, the optical band gap is decreased after integration with P3HT, while it is increased after being combined with PCBM.

Modifying the Band Gap of Semiconducting Two-Dimensional Materials by Polymer Assembly into Different Structures.

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) assembled on the surface of two-dimensional tungsten disulfide (WS) into a limited number of nanoislands (NIs), nanoshells (NSs), and granular nanoparticulates (GNPs) depending on its chain length. NI assemblies showed a nonmeasurable shift of photoluminescence (PL) and the A and B absorption peaks of WS. This confirmed that the electronic doping by thiol is not effective.