Enantioselective Synthesis of Atropisomeric Tri-Axis Naphthalenes via Diels-Alder Reaction and Dehydrative Aromatization of Isobenzofurans.

Atropisomers with multiple stereogenic axes have attracted much attention due to their increasing significance in the fields of natural products, chiral materials, and drug discoveries. However, the catalytic stereoselective construction of axially chiral ring scaffolds with more than two axes on a single benzene ring remains a challenging task. Herein, we present an efficient method for synthesizing triaxially chiral polysubstituted naphthalene scaffolds via sequential Ni(II)-catalyzed Diels-Alder reaction of isobenzofurans and TfOH-promoted dehydrative aromatization reaction.

Associations between moral disengagement and prosocial and antisocial behavior in sport: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to summarize the available evidence on the extent of the association between moral disengagement (MD) and prosocial behavior (PB) and antisocial behavior (AB) in sport.

Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: Seven databases were systematically searched and literature screening.

Constructing artificial gap junctions to mediate intercellular signal and mass transport.

Natural gap junctions are a type of channel protein responsible for intercellular signalling and mass communication. However, the scope of applications for these proteins is limited as they cannot be prepared at a large scale and are unable to spontaneously insert into cell membranes in vitro. The construction of artificial gap junctions may provide an alternative strategy for preparing analogues of the natural proteins and bottom-up building blocks necessary for the synthesis of artificial cells.

Physical activity, problematic smartphone use, and burnout among Chinese college students.

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between physical activity (PA), problematic smartphone use (PSU), and burnout, as well as to identify whether there is a mediating role for PSU. We recruited 823 college students ( = 18.55, = 0.

Enantioselective Synthesis of Inherently Chiral Calix[4]arenes via Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Intramolecular C-H Arylations.

We report herein an efficient approach for the enantioselective synthesis of inherently chiral calix[4]arenes via palladium-catalyzed asymmetric intramolecular C-H arylations. Using a chiral bifunctional phosphine-carboxylate ligand, the inherent chirality on macrocyclic scaffolds was induced successfully, from which a wide range of calix[4]arenes with fluorenone motifs were obtained with good yields and excellent enantioselectivities (up to >99% ee). The synthetic utility of this method was demonstrated by diverse transformations of the products, thus substantially expanding the chemical space of chiral calix[4]arenes.

The relationship between exercise intention and behavior of Chinese college students: A moderated mediation model.

Inconsistency between intention and behavior is very common in daily life. This study explored the intention-behavior relationship in exercise, focusing on the mediating effect of action planning and the moderating effects of habit strength and gender. For the purpose of providing theoretical reference for the implementation of intervention strategies in the volitional phase, a total of 489 college students (M-age = 20.

Methylene-bridge tryptophan fatty acylation regulates PI3K-AKT signaling and glucose uptake.

Protein fatty acylation regulates numerous cell signaling pathways. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) exert a plethora of physiological effects, including cell signaling regulation, with underlying mechanisms to be fully understood. Herein, we report that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) regulate PI3K-AKT signaling by modifying PDK1 and AKT2.

Adsorption-Based Detoxification of Endotoxins by Porous Flexible Organic Frameworks.

Bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS, endotoxins) cause sepsis that is responsible for a huge amount of mortality globally. However, their neutralization or detoxification remains an unmet medical need. We envisaged that cationic organic frameworks with persistent hydrophobic porosity may adsorb and thus neutralize LPS through a combination of cooperative ion-pairing electrostatic attraction and hydrophobicity.

Charged Tubular Supramolecule Boosting Multivalent Interactions for the Drastic Suppression of Aβ Fibrillation.

Anti-Aβ therapy has dominated clinical trials for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, suppressing Aβ aggregation and disintegrating mature fibrils simultaneously remains a great challenge. In this work, we developed a new strategy using a charged tubular supramolecule (CTS) with pillar[5]arene as the backbone and modifying amino and carboxyl groups at the tubular terminals (noted as CTS-A, CTS-A/C, and CTS-C, respectively) to suppress Aβ fibrillation for the first time.

Voltage-Driven Flipping of Zwitterionic Artificial Channels in Lipid Bilayers to Rectify Ion Transport.

We developed a voltage-sensitive artificial transmembrane channel by mimicking the dipolar structure of natural alamethicin channel. The artificial channel featured a zwitterionic structure and could undergo voltage-driven flipping in the lipid bilayers. Importantly, this flipping of the channel could lead to their directional alignment in the bilayers and rectifying behavior for ion transport.

Nuclear dihydroxyacetone phosphate signals nutrient sufficiency and cell cycle phase to global histone acetylation.

Global histone acetylation varies with changes in the nutrient and cell cycle phases; however, the mechanisms connecting these variations are not fully understood. Herein, we report that nutrient-related and cell-cycle-regulated nuclear acetate regulates global histone acetylation. Histone deacetylation-generated acetate accumulates in the nucleus and induces histone hyperacetylation.

High time-resolved characterization of airborne microbial community during a typical haze pollution process.

Variations of bioaerosol characteristics during the process of haze pollution have rarely been explored. In this study, high time-resolved variations of the community structures of bacteria, fungi, and ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms (AOMs) were assessed during a typical haze pollution process. The impacts of meteorological factors, water-soluble inorganic ions (WSII), and organic dicarboxylic acids (DCA) on the airborne microbial community were systematically evaluated.

The source and transport of bioaerosols in the air: A review.

Recent pandemic outbreak of the corona-virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has raised widespread concerns about the importance of the bioaerosols. They are atmospheric aerosol particles of biological origins, mainly including bacteria, fungi, viruses, pollen, and cell debris. Bioaerosols can exert a substantial impact on ecosystems, climate change, air quality, and public health.

Gramicidin A-based unimolecular channel: cancer cell-targeting behavior and ion transport-induced apoptosis.

A series of glycoside-peptide conjugates were prepared by engineering at the N-terminus of the natural peptide gramicidin A. The conjugate containing galactose moiety formed a unimolecular transmembrane channel and mediated ion transport to induce apoptosis of cancer cells. More importantly, it exhibited liver cancer cell-targeting behavior due to the galactose-asialoglycoprotein receptor recognition.

Unimolecular artificial transmembrane channels showing reversible ligand-gating behavior.

A series of peptide-appended bisresorcinarenes were synthesized, which adopted tubular conformation induced by intramolecular hydrogen bonds. The derivatives formed unimolecular artificial transmembrane channels in lipid bilayers to enable selective transport of monovalent cations. Importantly, the channels exhibited reversible ligand-gating behavior in response to alkyl amine and Cu2+.

Vertical variations in the concentration and community structure of airborne microbes in PM.

With the recent rapid development of urbanization, severe air pollution events frequently occur in China. Subsequently, variations of bioaerosols during air pollution events have attracted increasing attention in recent years. However, most published studies on bioaerosols mainly focus on the characteristics of airborne bacteria and fungi at a certain height near the ground surface.

Artificial Aquaporin That Restores Wound Healing of Impaired Cells.

Artificial aquaporins are synthetic molecules that mimic the structure and function of natural aquaporins (AQPs) in cell membranes. The development of artificial aquaporins would provide an alternative strategy for treatment of AQP-related diseases. In this report, an artificial aquaporin has been constructed from an amino-terminated tubular molecule, which operates in a unimolecular mechanism.

Inhibiting MARSs reduces hyperhomocysteinemia-associated neural tube and congenital heart defects.

Hyperhomocysteinemia is a common metabolic disorder that imposes major adverse health consequences. Reducing homocysteine levels, however, is not always effective against hyperhomocysteinemia-associated pathologies. Herein, we report the potential roles of methionyl-tRNA synthetase (MARS)-generated homocysteine signals in neural tube defects (NTDs) and congenital heart defects (CHDs).

Author Correction: Artificial water channels enable fast and selective water permeation through water-wire networks.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Artificial water channels enable fast and selective water permeation through water-wire networks.

Artificial water channels are synthetic molecules that aim to mimic the structural and functional features of biological water channels (aquaporins). Here we report on a cluster-forming organic nanoarchitecture, peptide-appended hybrid[4]arene (PAH[4]), as a new class of artificial water channels. Fluorescence experiments and simulations demonstrated that PAH[4]s can form, through lateral diffusion, clusters in lipid membranes that provide synergistic membrane-spanning paths for a rapid and selective water permeation through water-wire networks.

Targeting the Cell Membrane by Charge-Reversal Amphiphilic Pillar[5]arene for the Selective Killing of Cancer Cells.

A charge-reversal amphiphilic pillar[5]arene, P5NH-DCA, bearing 10 charge-reversal headgroups is reported. It targets the cell membrane of cancer cells and selectively destroys the cancer cells by disrupting the membrane. In the acidic tumor microenvironment, the headgroup charge of P5NH-DCA reversed from negative to positive owing to hydrolysis of the acid-labile amide group.

A synthetic channel that efficiently inserts into mammalian cell membranes and destroys cancer cells.

Despite the fact that a large number of synthetic channels have been developed in the last three decades, few of them can function in mammalian cell membranes because of their weak membrane insertion abilities. This study describes a tubular molecule with terminal positively charged amino groups that displays a strong ability to insert into lipid bilayers composed of phosphatidylcholine and consequently forming unimolecular transmembrane channels. It has been demonstrated that the insertion of the channel into the phosphatidylcholine bilayers was driven by the electrostatic interaction between the positively charged amino groups of the channel molecules and the negatively charged phosphate groups of the lipid molecules.