ConoDL: a deep learning framework for rapid generation and prediction of conotoxins.

Conotoxins, being small disulfide-rich and bioactive peptides, manifest notable pharmacological potential and find extensive applications. However, the exploration of conotoxins' vast molecular space using traditional methods is severely limited, necessitating the urgent need of developing novel approaches. Recently, deep learning (DL)-based methods have advanced to the molecular generation of proteins and peptides.

phage ΦPNJ-9 adheres to mucus via a variant Hoc protein.

Phages, as antagonists of bacteria, hold significant promise for combating drug-resistant bacterial infections. Their host specificity allows phages to target pathogenic bacteria without disrupting the gut microbiota, offering distinct advantages in the prevention and control of intestinal pathogens. The interaction between the phage and the gut plays a crucial role in the efficacy of phage-mediated bacterial killing.

In Situ Conversion of Artificial Proton-Rich Shell to Inorganic Maskant Toward Stable Single-Crystal Ni-Rich Cathode.

Single-crystal high-nickel oxide with an integral structure can prevent intergranular cracks and the associated detrimental reactions. Yet, its low surface-to-volume ratio makes surficial degradation a more critical factor in electrochemical performance. Herein, artificial proton-rich (ammonium bicarbonate) shell is successfully introduced on the nickel-rich LiNiCoMnO single crystals for in situ electrochemically conversing into inorganic maskant to enhance stability of cathode.

A Lionfish-Skin-Inspired Intrinsic Antifouling Coating for Full-Ocean-Depth up to 7730 Meters.

As marine equipment advances from shallow to deep-sea environments, the demand for high-performance antifouling materials continues to increase. The lionfish, a species inhabiting both deep-sea and shallow coral reefs, prevents fouling organism adhesion via its smooth, mucus-covered skin, which contains antimicrobial peptides. Inspired by lionfish skin, this work integrates zwitterionic segments with hydration-based fouling-release properties and the furan oxime ester structure with intrinsic antibacterial activity to develop a silicone-based antifouling coating capable of operating from shallow to deep-sea environments.

Current status and perspectives of esophageal cancer: a comprehensive review.

Esophageal cancer (EC) continues to be a significant global health concern, with two main subtypes: esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and esophageal adenocarcinoma. Prevention and changes in etiology, improvements in early detection, and refinements in the treatment have led to remarkable progress in the outcomes of EC patients in the past two decades. This seminar provides an in-depth analysis of advances in the epidemiology, disease biology, screening, diagnosis, and treatment landscape of esophageal cancer, focusing on the ongoing debate surrounding multimodality therapy.

Preparation and Evaluation of Tetrandrine Nanocrystals to Improve Bioavailability.

Background: Tetrandrine (TET) has multiple pharmacological activities, but its water solubility is poor, which is the main reason for its low bioavailability.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to prepare TET nanocrystals (TET-NCs) using a grinding method to enhance the dissolution rate and ultimately improve the bioavailability of TET.

Methods: TET-NCs were synthesized via media milling, employing Poloxam 407 (P407) as surface stabilizer and mannitol as a cryoprotectant during freeze-drying.

Recent advances of bioaerogels in medicine: Preparation, property and application.

Bioaerogels represent a type of three-dimensional porous materials fabricated from natural biopolymers, and show a significant potential for medical application due to their characteristics of extremely low density, high specific surface area, excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. The preparation method and parameters of bioaerogels are focused on, and their influence on the structure and properties of bioaerogels are discussed in detail. Then, to match the properties of bioaerogels with the medical applications, this work emphasizes the main properties (including biocompatibility, degradability, and mechanical properties), structural parameters (such as suitable porosity, pore size and high specific surface area), and further summarizes the influence of single-component and composite bioaerogels on their properties.

A comprehensive review on microbial hyaluronan-degrading enzymes: from virulence factors to biotechnological tools.

Hyaluronan (HA), a natural high molecular weight polysaccharide, has extensive applications in cosmetology and medical treatment. Hyaluronan-degrading enzymes (Hyals) act as molecular scissors that cleave HA by breaking the glucosidic linkage. Hyals are present in diverse organisms, including vertebrates, invertebrates and microorganisms, and play momentous roles in biological processes.

RPO film effectively promotes fruit quality and yield of cucumber through adjusting greenhouse environment and hormone contents.

Light conversion films are crucial for optimizing vegetable crop production in greenhouses, particularly during winter and spring seasons. This study investigated the effects of a europium-based light conversion film (RPO) compared to traditional polyolefin film (PO film, control) on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) cultivation, focusing on handle length, yield, and fruit quality in a randomized complete block design with three replications.

Enhancing nature's palette through the epigenetic breeding of flower color in chrysanthemum.

Flower color is an important character of ornamental plants and one of the main target traits for variety innovation. We previously identified a CmMYB6 epigenetic allele that affects the flower color in chrysanthemum, and changes in flower color are caused by the DNA methylation level of this gene. However, it is still unknown which DNA methyltransferases are involved in modifying the DNA methylation levels of this gene.

Lactylation-driven TNFR2 expression in regulatory T cells promotes the progression of malignant pleural effusion.

Background: Although tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2) has been recognized as an attractive next-generation candidate target for cancer immunotherapy, the factors that regulate the gene expression and their mechanistic effects on tumor-infiltrating regulatory T cells (Treg cells) remain poorly understood.

Methods: Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis was employed to analyze the phenotypic and functional differences between TNFR2 Treg cells and TNFR2 Treg cells. Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) from humans and mouse was used to investigate the potential mechanisms by which lactate regulates TNFR2 expression.

[Characteristics of Cd, As, and Pb Pollution in Farmland Soil and Edible Parts of Chili Pepper and Sweet Potato and Their Health Risk Assessment].

To clarify the characteristics of Cd, As, and Pb concentrations in edible parts of crops and farmland soils, a key farmland survey was conducted on the field scale to investigate the characteristics of Cd, As, and Pb in soil and chili pepper （edible parts in the above-ground section） and sweet potato （edible parts under the ground） and assess the health risk of Cd-As-Pb in edible parts of chili pepper and sweet potato to humans in the typical co-contaminated agricultural soils by Cd, As, and Pb from metal smelting and sewage irrigation in North China. The results showed that the agricultural soil from chili pepper and sweet potato fields was co-contaminated by Cd and As at a moderate pollution level. The combined pollution index （2.

[Carbon Stock Changes and Forecasting in Xinjiang Based on PLUS and InVEST Model Approach].

Land use change is the main cause of carbon stock changes in terrestrial ecosystems. Studying the impact mechanisms of carbon stock changes in different land use types in the arid zone and simulating future changes in land use and carbon stock under different scenarios will help to formulate a scientific land use policy for the arid zone to promote high-quality and sustainable development in the region. Based on the Xinjiang land use data from 2000 to 2020, the coupled PLUS-InVEST model analyzed the spatial and temporal characteristics of land use and carbon stock in Xinjiang from 2000 to 2020 and predicted the changes in land use and carbon stock in Xinjiang in 2030 under the scenarios of natural development （Z1）, economic development （Z2）, sustainable development （Z3）, arable land preservation development （Z4）, and ecological protection development （Z5）.

Microbial community assembly and co-occurrence patterns in Sanmen bay: A comparative analysis before and after nuclear power plant operation.

The limited availability of historical data has resulted in the ongoing debate regarding the short-term effects of thermal discharge from nuclear power plants (NPPs) on microbial communities, including both prokaryotes and microeukaryotes. This study focused on the co-occurrence patterns, assembly processes, and community functions in the eutrophic coastal waters of Sanmen Bay (SMB) before and after NPP operation. Gammaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria were the dominant prokaryotic taxa, while Dinoflagellates consistently maintained their prevalence in SMB.

Tailoring crystal facets of metal-organic frameworks to enhance sensing performance for aromatic vapors detection.

It is well known that metals and metal oxides with different crystal facets exhibit varying sensitivity in gas sensors, but this strategy is rarely used in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Herein, we proved for the first time that Cu metal-organic with high energy crystal facets (Cu-MOF-74-300) shows a much higher sensitivity than the low energy crystal facets (Cu-MOF-74-110), with a up to 2 times response more than Cu-MOF-74-110 and ultra-low limit of detection (LOD) of 68 ppb to toluene vapors. In addition, this strategy was further demonstrated on MOF-14 and HKUST-1, which are also Cu-centered and exhibit clear recognition effects on benzene and xylene, respectively.

The total withanolides from the leaves of Datura stramonium L. Improves Alzheimer's disease pathology by restraining neuroinflammation through NLRP3/IL-1β/IL1R1/TOM 1 pathway.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the deposition of beta-amyloid (Aβ) peptides. Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation is one of the primary contributors to the pathogenesis of AD. Withanolides, the main constituents in the leaves of Datura stramonium L.

The impact of virtual reality applied in nurse education on students' clinical thinking: A systematic review.

Objective: To summarise and compare the applications and effectiveness of virtual reality in cultivating clinical thinking among nursing students and to further analyse the active ingredients of virtual reality applications.

Design: Systematic review.

Review Methods: A systematic and comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, Scopus, Embase, and CINAHL was conducted from the inception until 5th of February 2024.

Reconfigurations of dynamic functional network connectivity after 1HZ repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in insomnia disorder.

Aims: The objective of the current study was to investigate the dynamic functional connectivity among large-scale brain networks in patients with insomnia, and to assess the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatment in these individuals.

Methods: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data from 62 insomnia patients and 69 healthy controls were used to compare differences in dynamic functional connectivity between the two groups. A total of 26 insomnia patients underwent rTMS for four weeks.

Study on the effect of occupational exposure on hypertension of steelworkers based on Lasso-Logistic regression model.

Objectives: This study aimed to use a stable and predictive method: Lasso regression model to analyze hypertension's influencing factors and explore the interactions between occupational exposures.

Study Design: This has been a nested case-control study.

Methods: The case group consisted of 959 patients with high blood pressure found during the study.

OTUD5 Protects Dopaminergic Neurons by Promoting the Degradation of α-Synuclein in Parkinson's Disease Model.

Defective clearance and accumulation of α-synuclein (α-Syn) is the key pathogenic factor in Parkinson's disease (PD). Recent studies emphasize the importance of E3 ligases in regulating the degradation of α-Syn. However, the molecular mechanisms by which deubiquitinases regulate α-Syn degradation are scarcely studied.

Nanoenzymes-Integrated and Microenvironment Self-Adaptive Hydrogel for the Healing of Burn Injury and Post-Burn Depression.

Burn injuries often cause prolonged oxidative stress and inflammatory pain due to an initial increase in inflammatory responses, consequently exacerbating depressive disorders and severely impairing patients' quality of life. The primary function of traditional burn dressings is to prevent infection and facilitate tissue repair. However, these dressings are not intended for the inflammatory pain and depression that often occur during recovery.

PgRNA closely correlates to cytokine profile in HBeAg-positive pregnant women undergoing prophylactic antiviral intervention.

Background: Previous studies primarily focused on the effects of ALT and virology, but there is a lack of research on the correlations of HBcrAg and pgRNA, two novel virologic markers, with immunological parameters in pregnant women with CHB undergoing prophylactic antiviral intervention.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 28 HBeAg-positive pregnant women with CHB undergoing prophylactic antiviral intervention. Clinical data, virological markers (HBV DNA, HBsAg, HBeAg, HBcrAg and pgRNA) and 28 cytokines were detected at three time points: 24-28 weeks gestation (before prophylactic antiviral intervention), near birth and within 3 months postpartum.

Depression of Ca1.2 activation and expression in mast cells ameliorates allergic inflammation diseases.

Allergic inflammation is closely related to the activation of mast cells (MCs), which is regulated by its intracellular Ca level, but the intake and effects of the intracellular Ca remain unclear. The Ca influx is controlled by members of Ca channels, among which calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha1 C (Ca1.2) is the most robust.