Arginine vs tryptophan-based β-turn in the β-hairpin antimicrobial peptides: Superior antibacterial properties of the arginine-containing β-turn sequences.

The antimicrobial activity and toxicity of β-hairpin antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) primarily depend on their intramolecular β-sheet structure, which is crucially affected by the β-turn sequence. To determine whether the tryptophan or arginine motifs in the β-turn of β-hairpin AMPs exhibit greater therapeutic efficacy, a library of β-hairpin AMPs was designed based on the simplified template: (WK)X(KW)-NH (X = Trp or Arg; n = 1, 2, 3; m = 1, 2, 3). The results indicate that AMPs containing arginine motifs within the β-turn sequence exhibit superior antibacterial activity and enhanced therapeutic efficacy.

An Ultra-Low Discharge and High Energy Efficiency Li-CO Battery Enabled by Plasmon-Enhanced AuRu-TiO Bifunctional Cathode.

The extremely sluggish kinetics of CO evolution reaction of the lithium-carbon dioxide (Li-CO) batteries lead to a high charging potentials (over 4.0 V) and large over-potentials (over 1.0 V), thus limiting its development.

A Long-Lasting Rechargeable Seawater Zn-Air Battery Enabled by Vacancy-Driven CoO-MoS Bifunctional Cathodes.

The global energy crisis and unsustainable reliance on fossil fuels make it particularly urgent to develop efficient renewable energy storage solutions. Aqueous zinc-air batteries (ZABs) have become extremely promising candidates due to their low cost, abundant surface resources, inherent safety, and high theoretical energy density. This study explores the feasibility of using seawater as an electrolyte for ZABs, with the aim to reduce costs and alleviate competition for limited freshwater resources.

Leucine/Isoleucine Substitution Scanning of Tryptophan Residues to Reduce the Toxicity of β-Hairpin Peptide N2W2.

The unique bactericidal mechanism of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) significantly reduces the likelihood of pathogenic bacteria developing resistance to them. However, AMPs exhibiting high antimicrobial activity are often associated with significant toxicity. In our prior studies, the peptide N2W2 (WKWKWWKWKW-NH) exhibited potent antimicrobial activity but also high toxicity.

Development of New Antimicrobial Peptides by Integrating Structural Motifs from Microbial-Derived Cyclic Lipopeptides.

Microbial-derived cyclic-lipid antimicrobial peptides (CLAMPs) exhibit significant toxicity, which hinders their wide application in clinical practice. However, such AMPs generally possess high antimicrobial activity and high metabolic stability. The superiority of their molecular structures merits summarization and can be utilized in the design of novel AMPs.

Improve the Stability and Activity of Antimicrobial Peptides by the Proline-Based PXXP Hinge Structure.

Developing a simple and effective strategy to enhance the stability of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is critical for successful AMP design. In this study, we leveraged the property of proline to form hinge-like structures and designed a series of repetitive symmetrical sequence AMPs with different proline-based hinge centers (PWWP, PKKP, and PWKP), proposing a template of (KW)PXXP(WK)-NH (where XX = WW, = 1-4 or XX = KK, WK, = 2-4). The corresponding templates without hinge structures, (KW)(WK)-NH ( = 1-4), were used as controls.

Aromatic group-induced self-assembly of short antimicrobial peptides: unveiling exceptionally potent antimicrobial efficacy.

Self-assembled antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have superior antimicrobial properties from their supramolecular nanostructures. A systematic study is needed to determine which AMPs can generate more significant self-assembled structures for antimicrobial activity. In this study, thirty-six self-assembled AMPs were systematically designed by combining six hexapeptide sequences with five aromatic groups, exploring the contributions of different sequences and groups to self-assembly and antimicrobial properties.

The correlation between serum sex hormone levels and clear cell renal cell carcinoma in male patients.

To investigate the correlation between serum sex hormone levels and clear cell renal cell carcinoma(ccRCC). The clinical data of male patients diagnosed with ccRCC and with simple renal cysts in our hospital from 2017 to 2023 were collected. The basic clinical data and serum sex hormone levels, including luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol(E), prolactin (PRL), progesterone(P), and testosterone (T), were compared between patients with ccRCC and patients with simple renal cysts.

Single or double lipid-modified ultra-short antimicrobial peptides for treating infections caused by resistant bacteria.

Unmodified ultra-short antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have difficulty attaining high antimicrobial activity and low toxicity concurrently. Our previous studies have shown that single-site lipid modification can enhance the antimicrobial activity of AMPs. However, research on multi-site modification is scarce.

The novel β-hairpin antimicrobial peptide D-G(RF)3 demonstrates exceptional antibacterial efficacy.

The clinical application of most natural antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is hindered by their lack of a synergistic combination of high antibacterial efficacy, low toxicity, and stability, necessitating frequent complex modifications that incur significant labor and economic costs. Therefore, it is imperative to optimize the antibacterial properties of AMPs using some simplified approach. In this study, we designed a library of β-hairpin AMPs with identical β-turn sequences (-D-Pro-Gly-) and varying repetition units (IR, FR, and WK).

New insight for SS‑31 in treating diabetic cardiomyopathy: Activation of mitoGPX4 and alleviation of mitochondria‑dependent ferroptosis.

SS‑31 is a mitochondria‑targeting antioxidant that exhibits promising therapeutic potential for various diseases; however, its protective effect on diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) remains to be elucidated. At present, SS‑31 is considered not only to mitigate cardiolipin oxidative damage, but also to alleviate ferroptosis. The present study aimed to explore SS‑31 as a potential therapeutic strategy for improving DCM by alleviating mitochondria‑dependent ferroptosis.

A Perovskite Material Screening and Performance Study Based on Asymmetric Convolutional Blocks.

This study introduces an innovative method for identifying high-efficiency perovskite materials using an asymmetric convolution block (ACB). Our approach involves preprocessing extensive data on perovskite oxide materials and developing a precise predictive model. This system is designed to accurately predict key properties such as band gap and stability, thereby eliminating the reliance on traditional feature importance filtering.

Arginine and tryptophan-rich dendritic antimicrobial peptides that disrupt membranes for bacterial infection in vivo.

The potent antibacterial activity and low resistance of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) render them potential candidates for treating multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. Herein, a minimalist design strategy was proposed employing the "golden partner" combination of arginine (R) and tryptophan (W), along with a dendritic structure to design AMPs. By extension, the α/ε-amino group and the carboxyl group of lysine (K) were utilized to link R and W, forming dendritic peptide templates αR(εR)KW-NH and αW(εW)KR-NH, respectively.

Direct Fabrication of Microcantilever Structures with High Shape Accuracy Using Projection-Based Stereolithography.

Microcantilever structures such as microgears play an important role in precision mechanisms, where highly accurate cantilever characteristics guarantee the reliable function of these structures. Projection-based stereolithography (PSL) technology is widely used to fabricate sophisticated microstructures owing to its high precision and remarkable efficiency, and plenty of works have been done to improve the precision of structures with macroscale. However, the shape accuracy of microcantilever structures fabricated through PSL process is always neglected, which severely hinders its application in precision mechanisms.

Three-Dimensional Rock Core-Like Microstructure Fabricated by Additive Manufacturing for Petroleum Engineering.

To improve the recovery rate of oil in the formation, oil recovery technology has been continuously studied. Considering the experimental cost and data measurement in oil recovery research, laboratory oil recovery is the most effective method. The rock core model used in the simulation directly affects whether the research results are credible.

The effect of unilateral adrenalectomy on patients with primary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia.

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term effect of unilateral adrenalectomy (uADX) on patients with primary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (PBMAH).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 29 patients (including 11 men and 18 women) with PBMAH and Cushing's syndrome (CS) between 2005 and 2019 who underwent uADX in our center. Clinical symptoms, serum cortisol (8:00 a.

Performance evaluation of regulatory schemes for retired electric vehicle battery recycling within dual-recycle channels.

As electric vehicles (EVs) are developing at a rapid pace, the foreseeable "scrap tide" of EV batteries poses a severe challenge to ecological protection. This article investigates a dual-recycle channel closed-loop supply chain and provides regulatory solutions to retired EV batteries' recycling. Specifically, we construct four supervision scenarios: S1 no policy intervention, S2 reward-penalty scheme, S3 deposit-refund scheme, and S4 dual scheme combining S2 and S3.

Preparation and Characterization of Electrospun PAN-CuCl Composite Nanofiber Membranes with a Special Net Structure for High-Performance Air Filters.

The growing issue of particulate matter (PM) air pollution has given rise to extensive research into the development of high-performance air filters recently. As the core of air filters, various types of electrospun nanofiber membranes have been fabricated and developed. With the novel poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN)-CuCl composite nanofiber membranes as the filter membranes, we demonstrate the high PM removal efficiency exceeding 99% and can last a long service time.

The Relationship Between Baseline Cortisol Levels and Surgery Method of Primary Bilateral Macronodular Adrenal Hyperplasia.

Aim was to explore the associations between baseline cortisol levels and surgery method of primary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (PBMAH). We retrospectively reviewed the clinical features and management of 30 patients (18 females and 12 males) who were diagnosed with PBMAH in our center between 2005 and 2019. Based on surgery method, we divided the patients into two groups: unilateral adrenalectomy (UA) group; and bilateral adrenalectomy (BA) group.

Knockdown of circ_0011946 targets miR-216a-5p/BCL2L2 axis to regulate proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells.

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are implicated in the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The aim of current research is to elucidate the role and mechanism of circ_0011946 in the functional behaviors of OSCC cells.

Methods: Circ_0011946, microRNA (miR)-216a-5p, B cell lymphoma-2-like 2 protein (BCL2L2) abundances were exposed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) or western blot.

Mulberry leaf attenuates atherosclerotic lesions in patients with coronary heart disease possibly via 1-Deoxynojirimycin: A placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial.

Mulberry leaf tea reduces atherosclerotic lesions and its main component is Deoxynojirimycin (DNJ). We aimed to explore the effects of Mulberry leaf DNJ (MLD) on atherosclerotic lesions in the patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). MLD and serum DNJ was detected by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Quenching of Spin Polarization Switching in Organic Multiferroic Tunnel Junctions by Ferroelectric "Ailing-Channel" in Organic Barrier.

The ferroelectric control of spin-polarization at ferromagnet (FM)/ferroelectric organic (FE-Org) interface by electrically switching the ferroelectric polarization of the FE-Org has been recently realized in the organic multiferroic tunnel junctions (OMFTJs) and gained intensive interests for future multifunctional organic spintronic applications. Here, we report the evidence of ferroelectric "ailing-channel" in the organic barrier, which can effectively pin the ferroelectric domain, resulting in nonswitchable spin polarization at the FM/FE-Org interface. In particular, OMFTJs based on LaSrMnO/P(VDF-TrFE) ( t)/Co/Au structures with different P(VDF-TrFE) thickness ( t) were fabricated.

miR‑138 modulates prostate cancer cell invasion and migration via Wnt/β‑catenin pathway.

The prognosis for prostate cancer patients with distant metastasis is poor, with an average survival rate of 24‑48 months. The exact mechanisms underlying prostate cancer metastasis remain to be elucidated, despite previous research efforts. The present study aimed to reveal the regulatory roles of miR‑138 via Wnt/β‑catenin pathway in prostate cancer cell migration and invasion.

Hydraulic retention time affects stable acetate production from tofu processing wastewater in extreme-thermophilic (70°C) mixed culture fermentation.

Acetate is an important industrial chemical and its production from wastes via mixed culture fermentation (MCF) is economic. In this work, the effect of hydraulic retention time (HRT) on acetate production from tofu processing wastewater (TPW) in extreme-thermophilic (70°C) MCF was first investigated. It was found that long HRT (>3days) could lead to less acetate production while stable acetate production was achieved at short HRT (3days) with the yield of 0.