Electroredox N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Catalyzed Enantioselective (3 + 3) Annulation of Enals with 2-Naphthols.

Developing asymmetric transformations using electroredox and N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed radical pathways is still desirable and challenging. Herein, we report an iodide-promoted β-carbon activation (LUMO-lowering process) of enals via electroredox carbene catalysis coupled with a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). This strategy offers an environmentally friendly and sustainable route for rapidly assembling synthetically useful chiral naphthopyran-3-one in good to excellent yield and enantioselectivity using traceless electrons as inexpensive and greener oxidants.

Extracellular vesicles as standard-of-care therapy: will fast-tracking the regulatory processes help achieve the goal?

Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) became a focus of clinical research when experimental and pre-clinical studies showed that they mimic their parent cells' regenerative and therapeutic effects and their cargo carries disease-specific diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Since the publication of data forms an endpoint of the study, this review specifically focused on the done with EVs. For brevity, this review was restricted to the last 10 years.

An Ultrastable Aqueous Ammonium-Ion Battery Using a Covalent Organic Framework Anode.

Aqueous ammonium ion batteries have garnered significant research interest due to their safety and sustainability advantages. However, the development of reliable ammonium-based full batteries with consistent electrochemical performance, particularly in terms of cycling stability, remains challenging. A primary issue stems from the lack of suitable anode materials, as the relatively large NH ions can cause structural damage and material dissolution during battery operation.

Expression of CD45 in non-hematopoietic cells: implications in regenerative medicine and disease management.

CD45 plays a crucial role in the regulation of hematopoiesis. However, a comprehensive understanding of its role in cells is lacking. Several tissue precursors express CD45, indicating its crucial role in tissue regeneration.

Selenium-enriched hollow NiCoO/NiO heterostructured nanocages as an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction.

Finding clean, sustainable, and environmentally friendly technologies is especially crucial in addressing both energy and environmental challenges. To accelerate the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and to overcome the obstacle of high energy consumption, exploring high-performance electrocatalysts is imperative to maximize the practical applicability of water splitting. Developing electrocatalyst through strategic surface modifications represents a significant approach for the construction of active catalytic centers.

Alpha-glucans from bacterial necromass indicate an intra-population loop within the marine carbon cycle.

Phytoplankton blooms provoke bacterioplankton blooms, from which bacterial biomass (necromass) is released via increased zooplankton grazing and viral lysis. While bacterial consumption of algal biomass during blooms is well-studied, little is known about the concurrent recycling of these substantial amounts of bacterial necromass. We demonstrate that bacterial biomass, such as bacterial alpha-glucan storage polysaccharides, generated from the consumption of algal organic matter, is reused and thus itself a major bacterial carbon source in vitro and during a diatom-dominated bloom.

Bimetallic Metal Sites in Metal-Organic Frameworks Facilitate the Production of 1-Butene from Electrosynthesized Ethylene.

Converting CO to synthetic hydrocarbon fuels is of increasing interest. In light of progress in electrified CO to ethylene, we explored routes to dimerize to 1-butene, an olefin that can serve as a building block to ethylene longer-chain alkanes. With goal of selective and active dimerization, we investigate a series of metal-organic frameworks having bimetallic catalytic sites.

Points to consider regarding the use and implementation of virtual controls in nonclinical general toxicology studies.

The replacement of a proportion of concurrent controls by virtual controls in nonclinical safety studies has gained traction over the last few years. This is supported by foundational work, encouraged by regulators, and aligned with societal expectations regarding the use of animals in research. This paper provides an overview of the points to consider for any institution on the verge of implementing this concept, with emphasis given on database creation, risks, and discipline-specific perspectives.

Cloning and Characterization of a Novel -Acetyl-D-galactosamine-4--sulfate Sulfatase, SulA1, from a Marine Strain.

Sulfation is gaining increased interest due to the role of sulfate in the bioactivity of many polysaccharides of marine origin. Hence, sulfatases, enzymes that control the degree of sulfation, are being more extensively researched. In this work, a novel sulfatase (SulA1) encoded by the gene was characterized.

Signal transduction pathways alter the molecular cargo of extracellular vesicles: implications in regenerative medicine.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) possess regenerative properties and are also considered as future vaccines. All types of cells secrete EVs; however, the amount of EVs secreted by the cells varies under various physiological as well as pathological states. Several articles have reviewed the molecular composition and potential therapeutic applications of EVs.

Polysaccharide-based hydrogels for medical devices, implants and tissue engineering: A review.

Hydrogels are highly biocompatible biomaterials composed of crosslinked three-dimensional networks of hydrophilic polymers. Owing to their natural origin, polysaccharide-based hydrogels (PBHs) possess low toxicity, high biocompatibility and demonstrate in vivo biodegradability, making them great candidates for use in various biomedical devices, implants, and tissue engineering. In addition, many polysaccharides also show additional biological activities such as antimicrobial, anticoagulant, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hemostatic, and anti-inflammatory, which can provide additional therapeutic benefits.

The symbiotic effect of osteoinductive extracellular vesicles and mineralized microenvironment on osteogenesis.

The increasing prevalence of bone-related diseases has raised concern about the need for an osteoinductive and mechanically stronger scaffold-based bone tissue engineering (BTE) alternative. A mineralized microenvironment, similar to the native bone microenvironment, is required in the scaffold to recruit and differentiate local mesenchymal stem cells at the bone defect site. Further, extracellular vesicles (EVs), pre-osteoblasts' secretome, contain osteoinductive cargo and have recently been exploited in bone regeneration.

Characterization of Anticancer Effects of the Analogs of DJ4, a Novel Selective Inhibitor of ROCK and MRCK Kinases.

The Rho associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase (ROCK1 and ROCK2) and myotonic dystrophy-related Cdc-42 binding kinases (MRCKα and MRCKβ) are critical regulators of cell proliferation and cell plasticity, a process intimately involved in cancer cell migration and invasion. Previously, we reported the discovery of a novel small molecule (DJ4) selective multi-kinase inhibitor of ROCK1/2 and MRCKα/β. Herein, we further characterized the anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of DJ4 in non-small cell lung cancer and triple-negative breast cancer cells.

Beyond animal models: revolutionizing neurodegenerative disease modeling using 3D in vitro organoids, microfluidic chips, and bioprinting.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are characterized by uncontrolled loss of neuronal cells leading to a progressive deterioration of brain functions. The transition rate of numerous neuroprotective drugs against Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington's disease, leading to FDA approval, is only 8-14% in the last two decades. Thus, in spite of encouraging preclinical results, these drugs have failed in human clinical trials, demonstrating that traditional cell cultures and animal models cannot accurately replicate human pathophysiology.

A comprehensive analysis of cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous regulation of myeloid leukemic cells: The prospect of developing novel niche-targeting therapies.

Leukemic cells (LCs) arise from the hematopoietic stem/and progenitor cells (HSCs/HSPCs) and utilize cues from the bone marrow microenvironment (BMM) for their regulation in the same way as their normal HSC counterparts. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), a vital component of the BMM promote leukemogenesis by creating a protective and immune-tolerant microenvironment that can support the survival of LCs, helping them escape chemotherapy, thereby resulting in the relapse of leukemia. Conversely, MSCs also induce apoptosis in the LCs and inhibit their proliferation by interfering with their self-renewal potential.

Optimized Charge Storage in Aza-Based Covalent Organic Frameworks by Tuning Electrolyte Proton Activity.

Proton activity in electrolytes plays a crucial role in deciding the electrochemical performance of aqueous batteries. On the one hand, it can influence the capacity and rate performance of host materials because of the high redox activity of protons. On the other hand, it can also cause a severe hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) when the protons are aggregated near the electrode/electrolyte interface.

Road tunnel noise: monitoring, prediction and evaluation of noise-induced hearing loss.

Incessant increases in vehicles and massive road networks lead to traffic-related problems and noise pollution. Road tunnels are considered a more feasible and effective solution for solving traffic problems. Compared to other traffic noise abatement strategies, road tunnels also offer enormous benefits to urban mass transit systems.

Cell-Instructive Mineralized Microenvironment Regulates Osteogenesis: A Growing SYMBIOSIS of Cell Biology and Biomaterials Engineering in Bone Tissue Regeneration.

One of the objectives of bone tissue engineering is to produce scaffolds that are biocompatible, osteoinductive, and mechanically equivalent to the natural extracellular matrix of bone in terms of structure and function. Reconstructing the osteoconductive bone microenvironment into a scaffold can attract native mesenchymal stem cells and differentiate them into osteoblasts at the defect site. The symbiotic relationship between cell biology and biomaterial engineering could result in composite polymers containing the necessary signals to recreate tissue- and organ-specific differentiation.

Decoration of boron nanoparticles on a graphene sheet for ammonia production from nitrate.

Clean water and sanitation are two of the most important challenges worldwide and the main source for freshwater is groundwater. Nowadays, water is polluted by human activities. Concern about the presence of nitrates (NO) in groundwater is increasing day-by-day due to the intensive use of fertilizers and other anthropogenic sources, such as sewage or industrial wastewater discharge.

Dexamethasone release pattern via a three-dimensional system for effective bone regeneration.

For over a decade, dexamethasone (DEX) has been used for bone regenerative and anti-inflammatory purposes. It has also shown promise for inducing bone regeneration by using it as component of osteoinductive differentiation medium, particularly forculture models. Despite its osteoinductive properties, its use is limited due to its associated cytotoxicity, particularly when used at higher concentrations.

Priming mesenchymal stromal cells with neurotrophic factors boosts the neuro-regenerative potential of their secretome.

To explore the neuroprotective potential of the secretome (conditioned medium, CM) derived from neurotrophic factors-primed mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs; primed CM) using an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced model system. Establishment of ER-stressed model, immunofluorescence microscopy, real-time PCR, western blot. Exposure of ER-stressed Neuro-2a cells to the primed-CM significantly restored the neurite outgrowth parameters and improved the expression of neuronal markers like and in them compared with the naive CM.

A Tailored COF for Visible-Light Photosynthesis of 2,3-Dihydrobenzofurans.

Heterogeneous photocatalysis is considered as an ecofriendly and sustainable approach for addressing energy and environmental persisting issues. Recently, heterogeneous photocatalysts based on covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have gained considerable attention due to their remarkable performance and recyclability in photocatalytic organic transformations, offering a prospective alternative to homogeneous photocatalysts based on precious metal/organic dyes. Herein, we report as a metal-free, visible-light-activated, and reusable heterogeneous photocatalyst for the synthesis of 2,3-dihydrobenzofurans, as a pharmaceutically relevant structural motif, via the selective oxidative [3+2] cycloaddition of phenols with olefins.

Behavioral and Proteomic Studies Reveal Methylglyoxal Activate Pathways Associated with Alzheimer's Disease.

Diabetes is one of the major risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD) development. The role of elevated levels of glucose, methylglyoxal (MGO), and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in the pathogenesis of AD is not well understood. In this pursuit, we studied the role of methylglyoxal in the pathogenesis of AD in rat models.

MGnify: the microbiome sequence data analysis resource in 2023.

The MGnify platform (https://www.ebi.ac.

Secretome of Young Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Rejuvenates Aged Mesenchymal Stromal Cells by Normalizing Their Phenotype and Restoring Their Differentiation Profile.

During aging, the proliferation and differentiation ability of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) gets affected, and hence, aged MSCs are not preferred for regenerative purposes. Rapid identification of aging-associated changes within MSCs and the mechanistic pathways involved are necessary to determine optimal cell sources to treat musculoskeletal disorders in older patients. In the present study, we have identified a set of phenotypic markers, namely downregulated expression of CD90 and upregulated expression of CD45, as age-defining markers for the bone marrow-derived MSCs.