Cropformer: An Interpretable Deep Learning Framework for Crop Genome Prediction.

Machine learning and deep learning have been employed in genomic selection (GS) to expedite the identification of superior genotypes and accelerate breeding cycles. However, a significant challenge for current data-driven deep learning models in GS is their low robustness and interpretability. To address this challenge, we developed Cropformer, a deep learning framework for predicting crop phenotypes and exploring downstream tasks.

Disulfide-Directed Multicyclic Peptides with N-Terminally Extendable α-Helices for Recognition and Activation of G Protein-Coupled Receptors.

Many peptide hormones adopt long α-helical structures upon interacting with their cognate receptors but often exhibit flexible conformations when unbound. Strategies that can stabilize long α-helices without disrupting their binding to receptors are still lacking, which hinders progress in their biological applications and drug development. Here, we present an approach that combines rational design with library screening to create and identify a unique disulfide-directed multicyclic peptide (DDMP) scaffold, which could effectively stabilize N-terminally extendable α-helices while displaying exceptional efficiency in disulfide pairing and oxidative folding.

Antimicrobial Mixture Based on Micronized Kaolinite and Ziziphora Essential Oil as a Promising Formulation for the Management of Infected Wounds.

Kaolinite stands out as a promising natural geomaterial for developing new therapeutic systems aimed at addressing global health challenges, such as multidrug-resistant infections. In this study, we report on the formulation and biological activity of a therapeutic mixture composed of white micronized kaolinite (KAO) and Ziziphora essential oil (ZEO), intended for topical application on infected wounds. GC-MS analysis revealed that the primary component of ZEO is pulegone, constituting 72.

Growth, Quality, and Nitrogen Metabolism of Under Continuous Light from Red-Blue-Green LEDs Responded Better to High Nitrogen Concentrations than Under Red-Blue LEDs.

Alfalfa is a widely grown forage with a high crude protein content. Clarifying the interactions between light quality and nitrogen level on yield and nitrogen metabolism can purposely improve alfalfa productivity in plant factories with artificial light (PFAL). In this study, the growth, quality, and nitrogen metabolism of alfalfa grown in PFAL were investigated using three nitrate-nitrogen concentrations (10, 15, and 20 mM, labeled as N, N, and N) and continuous light (CL) with two light qualities (red-blue and red-blue-green light, labeled as RB-C and RBG-C).

Synergetic Effect of Potassium, Biochar and Cattle Manure on the Growth and Yield of Maize, and Soil Physio-Chemical Characteristics.

Biochar (BC) and cattle manure (CM) are carbon-nutrient-rich organic substances and have long been used to improve crop yield and soil fertility. Nevertheless, their combined effect with potassium (K) fertilizer remains unknown. Against the previous context, a 2-year (2021-2022) field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of K fertilization coupled with BC and CM on the growth and yield of maize and soil physio-chemical characteristics.

The Molecular Mechanism of Farnesoid X Receptor Alleviating Glucose Intolerance in Turbot ().

To explore the molecular targets for regulating glucose metabolism in carnivorous fish, the turbot () was selected as the research object to study. Farnesoid X receptor (FXR; NR1H4), as a ligand-activated transcription factor, plays an important role in glucose metabolism in mammals. However, the mechanisms controlling glucose metabolism mediated by FXR in fish are not understood.

Structural evolution and nanodomain formation in blend films of a block copolymer and homopolymer.

This study explores the concurrent formation of surface perforations, parallel cylinders, and double gyroids in symmetric PS--PMMA/hPS blend films during isothermal annealing at 205 and 240 °C. By controlling the weight fraction ratio of PS--PMMA to hPS at 75/25, we systematically examined the impact of film thickness and annealing temperature on nanodomain development. Using GISAXS and SEM, we observed that thin films rapidly formed surface perforations and underlying parallel cylinders at both annealing temperatures.

QF-LCA dataset: Quantum Field Lens Coding Algorithm for system state simulation and strong predictions.

Quantum field lens coding algorithm (QF-LCA) dataset is useful for simulating systems and predict system events with high probability. This is achieved by computing QF lens distance-based variables associated to event probabilities from the dataset produced by field lenses that encode system states on a quantum level. The probability of a state transition (ST), doubles in prediction values at the decoding step, e.

Causal effects of thyroid volume change on thyroid disease: a Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Observational studies have suggested an association between thyroid volume changes and thyroid disease, but the causal relationship and direction of these effects remain unclear. This study employs a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to assess the effect of thyroid volume on clinically common benign and malignant thyroid diseases.

Methods: Summary data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were utilized for secondary data analysis to investigate the link between thyroid volume and disease.

Discordance in biomarker expression between primary breast cancers and loco-regional recurrences: a comprehensive analysis of 112 cases.

Background: Breast cancer is a complex disease encompassing multiple phenotypic and genetic subtypes. The biomarker status of primary and recurrent lesions may be dissimilar, and changes in biomarker status may inform clinical decision-making. The expression of biomarkers between primary breast cancers and loco-regional recurrences lacked large sample studies.

Intratumoral and peritumoral radiomics based on ultrasound for the differentiation of follicular thyroid neoplasm.

Background: Although ultrasound (US) has been widely adopted as the preferred imaging modality for thyroid nodule evaluation, its reliability in distinguishing follicular adenomas from adenocarcinomas based on US features has been a subject of debate. The primary objective of our study was to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy of US-derived intratumoral and peritumoral radiomics in preoperatively differentiating follicular thyroid adenomas from adenocarcinomas, thereby contributing to the ongoing discussion regarding this challenging distinction.

Methods: In total, 195 patients who were pathologically diagnosed with thyroid follicular neoplasm were retrospectively enrolled in this study.

PSA-HWT: handwritten font generation based on pyramid squeeze attention.

The generator, which combines convolutional neural network (CNN) and Transformer as its core modules, serves as the primary model for the handwriting font generation network and demonstrates effective performance. However, there are still problems with insufficient feature extraction in the overall structure of the font, the thickness of strokes, and the curvature of strokes, resulting in subpar detail in the generated fonts. To solve the problems, we propose a method for constructing a handwritten font generation model based on Pyramid Squeeze Attention, called PSA-HWT.

Atmospheric one-pot fractionation and catalytic conversion of lignocellulose in multifunctional deep eutectic solvent system.

This study developed a "one-pot" three-stage process using a "multifunctional" deep eutectic solvent (DES) containing choline chloride (ChCl), ethylene glycol (EG), and protonic acids for the production of phenolic monomers, furfural, and glucose. In the first stage, the DES effectively dissolved over 70 % of lignin and 78 % of hemicellulose while preserving aryl ether bonds in lignin due to the grafting of EG onto the aryl ether bonds. Concurrently, the retention of a near-quantitative amount of cellulose led to a glucose yield of >80 % after enzymatic saccharification.

Lead regulation of electronic properties and local structure of palladium (111) facet for enhanced direct hydrogen peroxide synthesis.

Direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide (DSHP) from oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H) offers a promising alternative to anthraquinone oxidation for hydrogen peroxide (HO) production, yet challenges remain in achieving high selectivity and productivity. In this study, palladium octahedral nanoparticles (Pd ONPs) exposing Pd(111) facets were first synthesized, followed by the introduction of lead (Pb) atoms onto these facets to construct Pb-Pd(111) surface alloy structures (Pd@Pd-Pbx ONPs) for efficient DSHP. Characterization results indicated that the introduction of Pb atoms increased the electron density of Pd atoms and significantly reduced the number of low-coordinated Pd atoms.

Targeting peptide antigens using a multiallelic MHC I-binding system.

Identifying highly specific T cell receptors (TCRs) or antibodies against epitopic peptides presented by class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC I) proteins remains a bottleneck in the development of targeted therapeutics. Here, we introduce targeted recognition of antigen-MHC complex reporter for MHC I (TRACeR-I), a generalizable platform for targeting peptides on polymorphic HLA-A*, HLA-B* and HLA-C* allotypes while overcoming the cross-reactivity challenges of TCRs. Our TRACeR-MHC I co-crystal structure reveals a unique antigen recognition mechanism, with TRACeR forming extensive contacts across the entire peptide length to confer single-residue specificity at the accessible positions.

Characterization of nanosilver antibacterial bacterial cellulose composite membranes coated with montmorillonite and their potential application in food packaging.

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a natural, renewable polymer material with an ultrafine nanonetwork structure. However, BC has limited applications in food packaging and medical materials because of its lack of antibacterial properties. To expand the applications of BC, a new BC composite membrane was synthesized via an ex situ method.

Exploring diabetes through the lens of AI and computer vision: Methods and future prospects.

Early diagnosis and timely initiation of treatment plans for diabetes are crucial for ensuring individuals' well-being. Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision are highly regarded for their ability to enhance the accessibility of large datasets for dynamic training and deliver efficient real-time intelligent technologies and predictable models. The application of AI and computer vision techniques to enhance the analysis of clinical data is referred to as eHealth solutions that employ advanced approaches to aid medical applications.

Hamstring activation deficits during Double-Leg Jump-Landing tasks in athletes with hamstring strain injuries using EMG Time-Frequency analysis.

This study aimed to investigate the hamstring activation in athletes with hamstring strain injuries in vertical jump tasks using an EMG time-frequency analysis. Fifteen injured athletes and 15 matched controls were recruited. The EMG signals of the lateral hamstring (LH) and medial hamstring (MH) were assessed during countermovement, squat, and drop vertical jump tasks.

Marcks and Marcks-like 1 proteins promote spinal cord development and regeneration in .

Marcks and Marcksl1 are abundant proteins that shuttle between the cytoplasm and membrane to modulate multiple cellular processes, including cytoskeletal dynamics, proliferation, and secretion. Here, we performed loss- and gain-of-function experiments in to reveal the novel roles of these proteins in spinal cord development and regeneration. We show that Marcks and Marcksl1 have partly redundant functions and are required for normal neurite formation and proliferation of neuro-glial progenitors during embryonic spinal cord development and for its regeneration during tadpole stages.

Supplementation of Yupingfeng polysaccharides in low fishmeal diets enhances intestinal health through influencing the intestinal barrier, immunity, and microflora in .

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the effects of a low-fishmeal diet (LF, substituting soybean meal for 40% fish meal) and the supplementation of 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg Yu Ping Feng (YPF) polysaccharides on the growth performance, antioxidant enzyme activities, intestinal ultrastructure, non-specific immunity, and microbiota of .

Methods: The study involved the administration of different diets to M. rosenbergii, including a control diet, a low-fishmeal diet (LF), and LF diets supplemented with 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg YPF polysaccharides.

Realizing real-time optical molecular imaging in peripheral nerve tissue via Rhodamine B.

Background: Iatrogenic nerve injury is a consequential complication during surgery. Thus, real-time imaging of peripheral nerve (PN) possesses significant clinical implications. In recent years, the rapid advancements in optical molecular imaging (OMI) technology have provided essential technical foundations for the implementation of PN fluorescence imaging.

A novel anion replaced gemini surfactant: Investigation on the primary interaction between gemini surfactant and BSA.

Gemini surfactants (GS) could serve as the drug carrier agents for the delivery of macromolecules due to the excellent properties and tuneable structures. Little attention has been paid to the impact of counterion change on GS and the interaction between GS and protein. In this work, ibuprofen (Ibu) replaced quaternary ammonium ion GS (GS-Ibu) with the hydrophobic chain length of 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 carbon atoms were prepared for the first-time using extraction technology.