Engineered enzymes for enantioselective nucleophilic aromatic substitutions.

Nucleophilic aromatic substitutions (SAr) are amongst the most widely used processes in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries, allowing convergent assembly of complex molecules through C-C and C-X (X = O, N, S) bond formation. SAr reactions are typically carried out using forcing conditions, involving polar aprotic solvents, stoichiometric bases and elevated temperatures, which do not allow for control over reaction selectivity. Despite the importance of SAr chemistry, there are only a handful of selective catalytic methods reported that rely on small organic hydrogen-bonding or phase-transfer catalysts.

Interplay of swine acute diarrhoea syndrome coronavirus and the host intrinsic and innate immunity.

Swine acute diarrhoea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV), a novel HKU2-related coronavirus of bat origin, is a newly emerged swine enteropathogenic coronavirus that causes severe diarrhoea in piglets. SADS-CoV has a broad cell tropism with the capability to infect a wide variety of cells from human and diverse animals, which implicates its ability to hold high risks of cross-species transmission. The intracellular antiviral immunity, comprised of the intrinsic and innate immunity, represents the first line of host defence against viral infection prior to the onset of adaptive immunity.

Chemerin-9 is neuroprotective in APP/PS1 transgenic mice by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome and promoting microglial clearance of Aβ.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder worldwide, and microglia are thought to play a central role in neuroinflammatory events occurring in AD. Chemerin, an adipokine, has been implicated in inflammatory diseases and central nervous system disorders, yet its precise function on microglial response in AD remains unknown.

Methods: The APP/PS1 mice were treated with different dosages of chemerin-9 (30 and 60 µg/kg), a bioactive nonapeptide derived from chemerin, every other day for 8 weeks consecutively.

Peptide-Scaffolded Detergents for Membrane Protein Studies.

Detergents are essential for preserving the structural integrity and functionality of membrane proteins (MPs) outside the biological membrane or in aqueous solution, and thus ensuring accurate biochemical and structural analyses. Here, we introduce peptide-scaffolded detergents, a novel class of hybrid molecules formed by preassembling detergent monomers with peptides of varying lengths, mediated via Click chemistry. These detergents are characterized by scalable, straightforward synthesis and enhanced solubility.

Comparison of Fecal Microbiota and Metabolites Between Captive and Grazing Male Reindeer.

The reindeer () is a circumpolar member of the Cervidae family, and has adapted to a harsh environment. Summer is a critical period for reindeer, with peak digestibility facilitating body fat accumulation. The gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in nutrient metabolism, and is affected by captivity.

XCL1-secreting CEA CAR-T cells enhance endogenous CD8 T cell responses to tumor neoantigens to confer a long-term antitumor immunity.

Background: Therapeutic efficacy of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells against colorectal cancer (CRC) remains limited due to the unique characteristics and distinct microenvironments of tumor tissues. We modified CEA-specific CAR-T cells, aiming to stimulate endogenous CD8 T cell responses against neoantigens that were derived from CEA-positive tumors destroyed by the CAR T cells.

Methods: In a conventional CEA CAR (reg-CAR), we modified it to express lymphotactin XCL1 and interleukin (IL)-7 genes, constructing a modified 7XCL1-CAR.

Impaired network organization in mild age-related hearing loss.

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is considered one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders in the elderly; however, how it contributes to cognitive decline is poorly understood. With resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging from 66 individuals with ARHL and 54 healthy controls, group spatial independent component analyses, sliding window analyses, graph-theory methods, multilayer networks, and correlation analyses were used to identify ARHL-induced disturbances in static and dynamic functional network connectivity (sFNC/dFNC), alterations in global network switching and their links to cognitive performances. ARHL was associated with decreased sFNC/dFNC within the default mode network (DMN) and increased sFNC/dFNC between the DMN and central executive, salience (SN), and visual networks.

Nucleophilic addition of bulk chemicals with imines using N-functionalized hydroxylamine reagents as precursors.

C-C and C-X bond forming reactions are essential tools in organic synthesis, constantly revolutionizing human life. Among the key methods for constructing new chemical bonds are nucleophilic addition reactions involving imines. However, the inherent challenges in synthesizing and storing imines have stimulated interest in designing stable precursors, which generates imines in situ during the reaction.

Donor-acceptor conjugated porous polymers from truxene and triazine: Effect of connecting units on photocatalytic activity for selective oxidation of amines and sulfides.

Donor-acceptor (D-A) conjugated polymers have been widely reported as promising photocatalysts for organic conversion. However, achieving excellent photocatalytic performance still relies on the rational design of molecular structures and the careful selection of appropriate building blocks. In this study, we designed two D-A type conjugated porous polymers (CPPs) using 2,7,12-tribromo-5,5,10,10,15,15-hexamethyl-10,15-dihydro-5H-diindeno[1,2-a:1',2'-c]fluorene (Tx) as the donor unit and two 1,3,5-triazine-based derivatives, namely 2,4,6-tri(thiophen-2-yl)-1,3,5-triazine (TTT) and 2,4,6-triphenyl-1,3,5-triazine (TPT), as the acceptor units.

Extending Conjugation Lengths of the Linkage Units in Triazine-Based Porous Polymers for Enhanced Photocatalysis.

Three triazine-based conjugated porous polymers (CPPs) are synthesized via a Pd-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction between derivatives of 2,4,6-tri(thiophen-2-yl)-1,3,5-triazine (TTT) and 2,4,6-triphenyl-1,3,5-triazine (TPT). Photocatalysis experiments demonstrate that the hydrogen evolution rate (HER) of ThTh-CPP (homopolymer of TTT) reach an exceptional 46.4 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ without co-catalysts, surpassing ThPh-CPP (8.

Structural Online Damage Identification and Dynamic Reliability Prediction Method Based on Unscented Kalman Filter.

As sensor monitoring technology continues to evolve, structural online monitoring and health management have found numerous applications across various fields. However, challenges remain concerning the real-time diagnosis of structural damage and the accuracy of dynamic reliability predictions. In this paper, a structural online damage identification and dynamic reliability prediction method based on Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) is presented.

Dynamic Response Mechanism of Bedding Slopes with Alternatively Distributed Soft and Hard Rock Layers Under Different Seismic Excitation Directions: Insights from Numerical Simulations.

The issue of slope stability in earthquakes has become increasingly prominent with the construction of many infrastructure projects such as highways, bridges, and tunnels. To explore the dynamic response characteristics of bedding rock slopes in an earthquake, the three-dimensional dynamic finite-difference method (TDD-FDM) in this study is used to establish simplified rock slope models, taking a bedding rock slope with alternatively distributed soft and hard rock layers in Yunnan, China as a prototype. The dynamic response mechanism of layered rock slopes containing different thicknesses, locations, and quantities of soft rock layers was studied under different excitation directions of seismic waves.

Microbiome-Metabolomics Analysis Insight into the Effects of Starvation and Refeeding on Intestinal Integrity in the Juvenile Largemouth Bass ().

The effects of starvation and refeeding on the gut condition of juvenile largemouth bass () remain unclear. Therefore, our research aimed to explore these effects. Amylase and lipase activities were remarkably decreased in the starvation (ST) group, yet prominently increased in the refeeding (RE) group ( < 0.

From waste to wealth: Exploring the effect of particle size on biopolymer harvesting from aerobic granular sludge.

This study aimed to examine the impact of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) sizes on its properties and alginate-like exopolymers (ALE) recovery potential. The AGS was cultivated in a lab-scale bioreactor and categorized into six size classes with 200 μm intervals. There appeared a critical size (400-800 μm) for developing stable AGS structure and excellent ALE recovery.

A novel insight into the antidepressant effect of cannabidiol: possible involvement of the 5-HT1A, CB1, GPR55, and PPARγ receptors.

Background: Depression is a prevalent and disabling disorder that poses serious problems in mental health care, and rapid antidepressants are novel treatments for this disorder. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating phytocannabinoid, is thought to have therapeutic potential due to its important neurological and anti-inflammatory properties. Despite major advances in pharmacotherapy in experimental animals, the exact mechanism of antidepressant-like effects remains to be elucidated.

Medication Changes After Renal Denervation: Current Evidence and Patient Perspectives.

Renal denervation (RDN) is recognized as an adjunct therapy for hypertension management with a favorable and consistent blood pressure-lowering efficacy and safety profile. Alteration in medication burden is another noteworthy outcome of RDN for clinicians and patients. In this review, we summarized current clinical trials and patient perspectives, focusing on the use of antihypertensive medication (AHM) after RDN.

Preparation and properties of β-carotene-loaded sanxan emulsion gel microcapsules.

Sanxan has important application value in the field of bioactive substance delivery. However, the current sanxan emulsion gel method has certain limitations in delivering heat-sensitive lipophilic bioactive substances. In this study, the acid-gelling properties of sanxan were utilized to prepare sanxan emulsion gel microcapsules (SEGMs) by extrusion dripping method.

Sabatier Optimal of Mn-N Single Atom Catalysts for Selective Oxidative Desulfurization.

Understanding the relationship of competitive adsorption between reactants is the prerequisite for high activity and selectivity in heterogeneous catalysis, especially the difference between the adsorption energies (E) of two reactive intermediates in Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) models. Using oxidative dehydrogenation of hydrogen sulfide (HS-ODH) as a probe, we develop various metal single atoms on nitrogen-doped carbon (M-NDC) catalysts for controlling E-HS, E-O and investigating the difference in activity and selectivity. Combining theoretical and experimental results, a Sabatier relationship between the catalytic performance and E-O/E-HS emerges.

A high-water retention, self-healing hydrogel thyroid model for surgical training.

The evaluation of thyroid lesions through Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB) is a common procedure that requires advanced hand manipulation skills. Conventional training models for this procedure lack essential features such as tactile sensation and the ability to repeat punctures similar to those of real organs. To improve the quality of training, we have developed a hydrogel thyroid model that possesses features such as high-water retention and self-healing properties.

The potential of supplementing compound organic trace elements at lower levels in Chinese yellow-feathered broiler diets, Part I: Impacts on plasma biochemical parameters, antioxidant capacity, carcass traits, meat quality, and tissue mineral deposition.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of replacing inorganic trace minerals (ITM) with compound organic trace minerals (OTM) at lower levels on plasma biochemical parameters, antioxidant capacity, carcass traits, meat quality, and tissue mineral deposition in Chinese yellow-feathered broilers. A total of 960 one-day-old male broilers were randomly allocated to six treatment groups. The birds were fed with either the basal diets (negative control, NC), or diets supplemented with 1,000 mg/kg (positive control, PC), 300 mg/kg, and 500 mg/kg ITM or OTM for 53 d, respectively.