The mangrove plant Acanthus ilicifolius and its relative, A. mollis, have been previously proved to possess diverse pharmacological effects. Therefore, evaluating the differentially expressed proteins of these species under tidal flooding stress is essential to fully exploit and benefit from their medicinal values. The roots of A. ilicifolius and A. mollis were exposed to 6 h of flooding stress per day for 10 days. The dry weight, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content, anatomical characteristics, carbon and energy levels, and two-dimensional electrophoresis coupled with MALDI-TOF/TOF MS technology were used to reveal the divergent flooding resistant strategies. A. ilicifolius performed better under tidal flooding stress, which was reflected in the integrity of the morphological structure, more efficient use of carbon and energy, and a higher percentage of up-regulated proteins associated with carbon and energy metabolism. A. mollis could not survive in flooding conditions for a long time, as revealed by incomplete cell structures of the roots, less efficient use of carbon and energy, and a higher percentage of down-regulated proteins associated with carbon and energy metabolism. Energy provision and flux balance played a role in the flooding tolerance of A. ilicifolius and A. mollis.

For esophageal cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT), restaging using F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography computed tomography (PET-CT) following nCRT can detect interval metastases, including liver metastases, in almost 10% of patients. However, in clinical practice, focal FDG liver uptake, unrelated to liver metastases, is observed after chemoradiotherapy. This radiation-induced liver injury (RILI) can potentially lead to overstaging. Liver radiation damage is also a concern during distal esophageal cancer radiotherapy due to proximity to the left liver lobe, typically included in the radiation field. Post-CRT, if FDG activity appears in the left or caudate liver lobes, thorough investigation is needed to confirm or rule out distant metastases. The increased FDG uptake in liver lobes post-CRT often presents a diagnostic dilemma. Distinguishing between radiation-induced liver disease and metastasis is vital for appropriate patient management, necessitating a combination of imaging techniques and an understanding of the factors influencing radiation response. Diagnosis involves identifying new foci of hepatic FDG avidity on PET/CT scans. Geographic regions of hypoattenuation on CT and well-demarcated regions with specific enhancement patterns on contrast-enhanced CT scan and MRI are characteristic of radiation-induced liver disease (RILD). Lack of mass effect on all three modalities (CT, MRI, PET) indicates RILD. Resolution of abnormalities on subsequent examinations also helps in diagnosing RILD. Moreover, it can also help to rule out occult metastases, thereby excluding those patients from further surgery who will not benefit from esophagectomy with curative intent.

As a dominant mangrove species, Kandelia obovata is distributed in an intertidal marsh with an active H₂S release. Whether H₂S participates in the salt tolerance of mangrove plant is still ambiguous although increasing evidence have demonstrated that H₂S functions in plant responses to multiple abiotic stresses. In this study, as an H₂S donor, NaHS was used to investigate the regulatory mechanism of H₂S on salt tolerance of K. obovata seedlings using a combined physiological and proteomic analysis. The results showed that the reduction in photosynthesis (Pn) caused by 400 mM NaCl was recovered by the addition of NaHS (200 μM). Furthermore, the application of H₂S enhanced the quantum efficiency of PSII and the membrane lipid stability, implying that H₂S is beneficial to the survival of K. obovata seedlings under high salinity. We further identified 37 differentially expressed proteins by proteomic approaches under salinity and NaHS treatment. Among them, the proteins related to photosynthesis, primary metabolism, stress response and hormone biosynthesis were primarily enriched. The physiological and proteomic results highlighted that exogenous H₂S up-regulated photosynthesis and energy metabolism to help K. obovata to cope with high salinity. Specifically, H₂S increased photosynthetic electron transfer, chlorophyll biosynthesis and carbon fixation in K. obovata leaves under salt stress. Furthermore, the abundances of other proteins related to metabolic pathway, such as antioxidation (APX, CSD2, PDX1), protein synthesis (HSP, Cpn 20), nitrogen metabolism (GS2, GS1:1), glycolysis (PGK, TPI), AsA-GSH cycle were increased by H₂S under high salinity. These findings provide new insights into the roles of H₂S in the adaptations of mangrove plant K. obovata to high salinity environment.

Hetero-nanomaterials constructed by plasmonic metals and functional semiconductors show enormous potential in photocatalytic applications, such as water splitting, hydrogen production, CO₂ reduction, pollutants treatment. Their photocatalytic performances can be better regulated through adjusting structure, ingredient, and components arrangement. Therefore, the reasonable design and synthesis of metal/semiconductor hetero-nanostructures is of vital significance. In this article, we briefly review the recent progress in efficiently establishing metal/semiconductor nanomaterials for improved photocatalysis. The defined photocatalysts mainly include traditional binary hybrids, ternary multi-metals/semiconductor and metal/multi-semiconductors heterojunctions. The underlying physical mechanism for the improved photocatalytic activity of the established photocatalysts are highlighted. At the end of this article, a brief summary and possible future perspectives for further development in this field are demonstrated.

Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is a key pathological feature of several of the leading causes of vision loss including neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Here we show that a calreticulin anti-angiogenic domain (CAD)-like peptide 27, CAD27, inhibited in vitro angiogenic activities, including tube formation and migration of endothelial cells, and suppressed vascular sprouting from rat aortic ring explants. In rat model of laser-induced CNV, we demonstrate that intravitreal injection of CAD27 significantly attenuated the formation of CNV lesions as measured via fundus fluorescein angiography and choroid flat-mounts (19.5% and 22.4% reductions at 10μg and 20μg of CAD27 injected, respectively). Similarly, the reduction of CNV lesions was observed in the groups of rats that had received topical applications of CAD27 (choroid flat-mounts: 17.9% and 32.5% reductions at 10μg/mL and 20μg/mL of CAD27 installed, respectively). Retinal function was unaffected, as measured using electroretinography in both groups received interareal injection or topical applications of CAD27 at least for 9 days. These findings show that CAD27 can be used as a potential therapeutic alternative for targeting CNV in the diseases such as neovascular age-related macular degeneration.