The Effect of Virtual Reality Technology in Table Tennis Teaching: A Multi-Center Controlled Study.

This study investigated the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) technology in table tennis education compared to traditional training methods. A 12-week randomized controlled trial was conducted with 120 participants divided equally between VR and traditional training groups. Performance metrics, learning motivation, and satisfaction were assessed at regular intervals.

Controllable transformation of UCST and LCST behaviors in polyampholyte hydrogels enabled by an association-disassociation theory-based switch mechanism.

The potential temperature-sensitive characteristics of polyampholyte hydrogels have not been explored yet, despite their excellent mechanical properties and universality as supramolecular materials. Here, polyampholyte hydrogels were prepared with anionic and cationic monomers at high concentrations and their thermosensitive behaviors were investigated systematically. The results of this study break through the traditional understanding that hydrogels prepared from zwitterionic copolymers could only exhibit UCST characteristics.

A highly effective curcumin-based fluorescent probe with single-wavelength excitation for simultaneous detection and bioimaging of Cys, Hcy and GSH.

Cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy) and glutathione (GSH) act as significant roles in many physiological processes, and their abnormal proliferation will cause multiple diseases including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, and soft tissue damage. However, It is challenging work to develop a efficient method for differentiating and detecting GSH, Cys and Hcy because of their significant similarity in structures and functions. In this work, a smart fluorescent probe FBCN based on curcumin was rationally devised and developed by etherifying the phenol hydroxyl group on FBC with NBD-Cl, which emitted strong green at 516 nm.

Near-infrared-responsive Prussian blue nanocages loaded with 5-fluorouracil for combined chemotherapy and photothermal therapy in tumor treatment.

Nanodrug delivery systems (NDDS) have been proposed to improve the targeting and bioavailability of chemotherapy drugs. The approach of drug loading physical adsorption is facile to operate; however, there exists a risk of premature leakage. Coupling the drug molecules with the carrier through chemical reactions can guarantee the stability of the drug delivery process, yet the preparation procedure is relatively intricate.

Efficient leather spreading operations by dual-arm robotic systems.

To achieve precise grasping and spreading of irregular sheet-like soft objects (such as leather) by robots, this study addresses several challenges, including the irregularity of leather edges and the ambiguity of feature recognition points. To tackle these issues, this paper proposes an innovative method that involves alternately grasping the lowest point twice and using planar techniques to effectively spread the leather. We improved the YOLOV8 algorithm by incorporating the BIFPN network structure and the WIOU loss function, and trained a dedicated dataset for the lowest grasping points and planar grasping points, thereby achieving high-precision recognition.

Textbook outcome of laparoscopic hepatectomy in the context of precision surgery: A single center experience.

Objective: Laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) has become a common surgery for the treatment of liver tumor. To evaluate the surgical quality of laparoscopic hepatectomy under the context of precision surgery with Textbook outcome (TO), a comprehensive and holistic assessment approach.

Methods: A total of 1056 patients who underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy from May 2016 and December 2022 were enrolled in the study.

A Novel Method of Improving the Mechanical Properties of Propellant Using Energetic Thermoplastic Elastomers with Bonding Groups.

The relatively poor mechanical properties of extruded modified double base (EMDB) propellants limit their range of applications. To overcome these drawbacks, a novel method was proposed to introduce glycidyl azide polymer-based energetic thermoplastic elastomers (GAP-ETPE) with bonding groups into the propellant adhesive. The influence of the molecular structure of three kinds of elastomers on the mechanical properties of the resultant propellant was analyzed.

Computational design and engineering of self-assembling multivalent microproteins with therapeutic potential against SARS-CoV-2.

Multivalent drugs targeting homo-oligomeric viral surface proteins, such as the SARS-CoV-2 trimeric spike (S) protein, have the potential to elicit more potent and broad-spectrum therapeutic responses than monovalent drugs by synergistically engaging multiple binding sites on viral targets. However, rational design and engineering of nanoscale multivalent protein drugs are still lacking. Here, we developed a computational approach to engineer self-assembling trivalent microproteins that simultaneously bind to the three receptor binding domains (RBDs) of the S protein.

Discovery of a PROTAC degrader for METTL3-METTL14 complex.

N-methyladenosine (mA) methylation is the most abundant type of RNA modification that is mainly catalyzed by the METTL3-METTL14 methyltransferase complex. This complex has been linked to multiple cancers and is considered a promising therapeutic target for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, only a few METTL3 inhibitors targeting the catalytic activity were developed recently.

Rational design and comparison of three curcumin-based fluorescent probes for viscosity detection in living cells and zebrafish.

Viscosity is a crucial indicator of the cellular microenvironment, which can affect the normal level of cellular metabolism. Aberrant levels of viscosity can result in the emergence of a variety of physiological problems including diabetes, Parkinson's disease, inflammation, . Therefore, it is crucial to exploit effective assays that can detect viscosity levels in living cells and organisms.

L. Extract Relieved High Stocking Density-Induced Stress in Crucian Carp ().

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of extract (SDE) on stress induced by high stocking density and Cu and trichlorfon exposure in crucian carp (). The results showed that these stressors exerted detrimental effects in fish, such as inhibition of growth performance, reduced feed intake, and interruption of fish locomotion. Under high stocking density, dietary SDE supplementation increased the content of reduced glutathione (GSH) and the activities of amylase, catalase (CAT), and glutathione reductase (GR) and decreased the content of malonaldehyde (MDA) in the intestine of crucian carp.

Preparation and Properties of Hydrophobic Polyurethane Based on Silane Modification.

Waterborne coatings have obtained more and more attention from researchers with increasing concerns in environmental protection, and have the advantages of being green, environmentally friendly and safe. However, the introduction of hydrophilic groups leads to lower hydrophobicity and it is difficult to meet the requirements of complex application environments. Herein, we proposed an optimization approach of waterborne polyurethane (WPU) with vinyl tris(β-methoxyethoxy) silane (A172), and it was found that the surface roughness, mechanical properties, thermal stability and water resistance of WPU will be increased to a certain extent with the addition of A172.

A highly effective "naked eye" colorimetric and fluorimetric curcumin-based fluorescent sensor for specific and sensitive detection of HO and .

Hydrogen peroxide (HO) is involved in many important tasks in normal cell metabolism and signaling. However, abnormal levels of HO are associated with the occurrence of several diseases. Therefore, it is important to develop a new method for the detection of HO and .

Full-Length Model of SaCas9-sgRNA-DNA Complex in Cleavage State.

Cas9 (SaCas9) is a widely used genome editing tool. Understanding its molecular mechanisms of DNA cleavage could effectively guide the engineering optimization of this system. Here, we determined the first cryo-electron microscopy structure of the SaCas9-sgRNA-DNA ternary complex.

Truxene-Centered Electron Acceptors for Non-Fullerene Solar Cells: Alkyl Chain and Branched Arm Engineering.

A series of symmetrical truxene-centered and 3-ethylrhodanine end-capped electron acceptors with high absorption coefficient, namely Tr(Hex)-3RD, Tr(Dec)-3RD, and Tr(Hex)-6RD, were prepared and constructed for non-fullerene solar cells. To satisfy solution-processability, multiple energy levels, and suitable morphology, these three acceptors were comparatively studied through alkyl chain (hexyl/decyl) and branched-arm engineering (three/six branched arms). The six-bladed propeller acceptor of Tr(Hex)-6RD recorded the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 1.

Single-Disulfide Conopeptide Czon1107, an Allosteric Antagonist of the Human α3β4 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor.

Conopeptides are peptides in the venom of marine cone snails that are used for capturing prey or as a defense against predators. A new cysteine-poor conopeptide, Czon1107, has exhibited non-competitive inhibition with an undefined allosteric mechanism in the human (h) α3β4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). In this study, the binding mode of Czon1107 to hα3β4 nAChR was investigated using molecular dynamics simulations coupled with mutagenesis studies of the peptide and electrophysiology studies on heterologous hα3β4 nAChRs.

Strong and Flexible High-Performance Anion Exchange Membranes with Long-Distance Interconnected Ion Transport Channels for Alkaline Fuel Cells.

Anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs), which operate on a variety of green fuels, can achieve high power without emitting greenhouse gases. However, the lack of high ionic conductivity and long-term durability of anion-exchange membranes (AEMs) as their key components is a major obstacle hindering the commercial application of AEMFCs. Here, a series of homogeneous semi-interpenetrating network (semi-IPN) AEMs formed by cross-linking a copolymer of styrene (St) and 4-vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC) with branched polyethylenimine (BPEI) were designed.

Discovery of a potent and selective proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) degrader of NSD3 histone methyltransferase.

Nuclear receptor binding SET domain protein 3 (NSD3) is an attractive potential target in the therapy for human cancers. Herein, we report the discovery of a series of small-molecule NSD3 degraders based on the proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) strategy. The represented compound 8 induces NSD3 degradation with DC values of 1.

Sodium alginate crosslinker engineered UCST hydrogel towards superior mechanical properties and controllable dye removal.

Smart hydrogels that can adsorb both anionic and cationic dyes and have excellent mechanical properties have not been reported yet, despite bright prospect in dye adsorption. The emergence of polyampholyte made it possible for the preparation of novel hydrogels. PMAD (copolymer of AM, AA and DMC) is a novel thermo-responsive hydrogel based on polyampholyte, whereas poor mechanical properties limit its application.

Metabolomic and transcriptomic responses of mouse testis to the dextran sulfate sodium induced colitis.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis, are widespread in developed countries and gradually increasing in developing countries. Evidences showed that man with CD has a decrease of serum testosterone, but how IBD take effects on testicular testosterone synthesis is not well elucidated. To investigate the effects of IBD on testis, we analyzed testicular metabolome and transcriptome data of the dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) induced IBD mice.

Mechanical behavior in the interior and boundary of magnesium aluminate spinel (MgAlO) grain under nanoindentation.

The understanding of mechanical behavior in magnesium aluminate spinel () at the nanoscale lays a foundation for its material removal mechanism in ultraprecision machining. Nanoindentation tests are carried out in the interior and boundary of spinel grain with different loads. An obvious indentation size effect exhibits in both of these areas.

Active-Site Models of Cas9 in DNA Cleavage State.

CRISPR-Cas9 is a powerful tool for target genome editing in living cells. Significant advances have been made to understand how this system cleaves target DNA. HNH is a nuclease domain, which shares structural similarity with the HNH endonuclease characterzied by a beta-beta-alpha-metal fold.