Microenvironmental modulation breaks intrinsic pH limitations of nanozymes to boost their activities.

Functional nanomaterials with enzyme-mimicking activities, termed as nanozymes, have found wide applications in various fields. However, the deviation between the working and optimal pHs of nanozymes has been limiting their practical applications. Here we develop a strategy to modulate the microenvironmental pHs of metal-organic framework (MOF) nanozymes by confining polyacids or polybases (serving as Brønsted acids or bases).

Aza-[4 + 2]-cycloaddition of benzocyclobutenones into isoquinolinone derivatives enabled by photoinduced regio-specific C-C bond cleavage.

The activation of C-C bond of benzocyclobutenones under mild reaction conditions remains a challenge. We herein report a photoinduced catalyst-free regio-specific C1-C8 bond cleavage of benzocyclobutenones, enabling the generation of versatile ortho-quinoid ketene methides for aza-[4 + 2]-cycloaddition with imines, which offers a facile route to isoquinolinone derivatives, including seven family members of protoberberine alkaloids, gusanlung A, B, D, 8-oxotetrahydroplamatine, tetrahydrothalifendine, tetrahydropalmatine, and xylopinine. Furthermore, the catalytic enantioselective version of this strategy is also realized by merging synergistic photocatalysis and chiral Lewis acid catalysis.

Pattern memory cannot be completely and truly realized in deep neural networks.

The unknown boundary issue, between superior computational capability of deep neural networks (DNNs) and human cognitive ability, has becoming crucial and foundational theoretical problem in AI evolution. Undoubtedly, DNN-empowered AI capability is increasingly surpassing human intelligence in handling general intelligent tasks. However, the absence of DNN's interpretability and recurrent erratic behavior remain incontrovertible facts.

Multivariate stochastic modeling for transcriptional dynamics with cell-specific latent time using SDEvelo.

Recently, RNA velocity has driven a paradigmatic change in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) studies, allowing the reconstruction and prediction of directed trajectories in cell differentiation and state transitions. Most existing methods of dynamic modeling use ordinary differential equations (ODE) for individual genes without applying multivariate approaches. However, this modeling strategy inadequately captures the intrinsically stochastic nature of transcriptional dynamics governed by a cell-specific latent time across multiple genes, potentially leading to erroneous results.

GATD3A-deficiency-induced mitochondrial dysfunction facilitates senescence of fibroblast-like synoviocytes and osteoarthritis progression.

Accumulating evidence indicates that cellular senescence is closely associated with osteoarthritis. However, there is limited research on the mechanisms underlying fibroblast-like synoviocyte senescence and its impact on osteoarthritis progression. Here, we elucidate a positive correlation between fibroblast-like synoviocyte senescence and osteoarthritis progression and reveal that GATD3A deficiency induces fibroblast-like synoviocyte senescence.

Lauric-α-linolenic lipids modulate gut microbiota, preventing obesity, insulin resistance and inflammation in high-fat diet mice.

Medium- and long-chain triacylglycerols (MLCTs) are regarded as healthy premium oils; however, the health benefits of novel MLCTs enriched with lauric and α-linolenic acids are still not fully understood. This study examined the health benefits of lauric-α-linolenic structural lipids (ALSL) and physical mixture (PM) with a similar fatty acid composition in mice with obesity induced by the high-fat diet (HFD). The data indicated that ALSL is more effective than PM in counteracting obesity, insulin resistance, hyperlipidaemia, liver injury, and systemic inflammation in HFD-induced mice.

Total synthesis and target identification of marine cyclopiane diterpenes.

Marine cyclopianes are a family of diterpenoid with novel carbon skeleton and diverse biological activities. Herein, we report our synthetic and chemical proteomics studies of cyclopiane diterpenes which culminate in the asymmetric total synthesis of conidiogenones C, K and 12β-hydroxy conidiogenone C, and identification of Immunity-related GTPase family M protein 1 (IRGM1) as a cellular target. Our asymmetric synthesis commences from Wieland-Miescher ketone and features a sequential intramolecular Pauson-Khand reaction and gold-catalyzed Nazarov cyclization to rapidly construct the 6-5-5-5 tetracyclic skeleton.

Biophysical effects of croplands on land surface temperature.

Converting natural vegetation to croplands alters the local land surface energy budget. Here, we use two decades of satellite data and a physics-based framework to analyse the biophysical mechanisms by which croplands influence daily mean land surface temperature (LST). Globally, 60% of croplands exhibit an annual warming effect, while 40% have a cooling effect compared to their surrounding natural ecosystems.

Reservoir Stochastic Simulation Based on Octave Convolution and Multistage Generative Adversarial Network.

For finely representation of complex reservoir units, higher computing overburden and lower spatial resolution are limited to traditional stochastic simulation. Therefore, based on Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), spatial distribution patterns of regional variables can be reproduced through high-order statistical fitting. However, parameters of GANs cannot be optimized under insufficient training samples.

Optimal CO intake in metastable water film in mesoporous materials.

The feasibility of carbon mineralization relies on the carbonation efficiency of CO-reactive minerals, which is largely governed by the water content and state within material mesopores. Yet, the pivotal role of confined water in regulating carbonation efficiency at the nanoscale is not well understood. Here, we show that the maximum CO intake occurs at an optimal relative humidity (RH) when capillary condensation initiates within the hydrophilic mesopores.

Future increase in compound soil drought-heat extremes exacerbated by vegetation greening.

Compound soil drought and heat extremes are expected to occur more frequently with global warming, causing wide-ranging socio-ecological repercussions. Vegetation modulates air temperature and soil moisture through biophysical processes, thereby influencing the occurrence of such extremes. Global vegetation cover is broadly expected to increase under climate change, but it remains unclear whether vegetation greening will alleviate or aggravate future increases in compound soil drought-heat events.

The expression of CCL17 and potential prognostic value on tumor immunity in thyroid carcinoma based on bioinformatics analysis.

Although CCL17 has been reported to exert a vital role in many cancers, the related studies in the thyroid carcinoma have never reported. As a chemokine, CCL17 plays a positive role by promoting the infiltration of immune cells into the tumor microenviroment (TME) to influence tumor invasion and metastasis. Therefore, this study is aimed to investigate the association of CCL17 level with potential prognostic value on tumor immunity in the thyroid carcinoma (THCA) based on the bioinformatics analysis.

Continuous decoupled redox electrochemical CO capture.

Electrochemical CO capture driven by renewable electricity holds significant potential for efficient decarbonization. However, the widespread adoption of this approach is currently limited by issues such as instability, discontinuity, high energy demand, and challenges in scaling up. In this study, we propose a scalable strategy that addresses these limitations by transforming the conventional single-step electrochemical redox reaction into a stepwise electrochemical-chemical redox process.

Bioinspired origami-based soft prosthetic knees.

Prosthetic knees represent a prevalent solution for above-knee amputation rehabilitation. However, satisfying the ambulation requirements of users while achieving their comfort needs in terms of lightweight, bionic, shock-absorbing, and user-centric, remains out of reach. Soft materials seem to provide alternative solutions as their properties are conducive to the comfort aspect.

Prediction correction modeling of water-conducting fracture zones height due to repeated mining in close distance coal seams.

The height of the water-conducting fracture zones (WCFZ) is crucial for ensuring safe coal mining beneath aquifers, particularly considering the secondary development of the WCFZ in upper seams due to repeated mining in close distance coal seams. Accurately predicting this height is essential for mine safety, groundwater protection, and optimal coal resource use. This study compiles extensive measured data from various mining areas in China to analyze the coupling relationship between the WCFZ development height and six influencing factors: mining thickness, mining depth, coal seam spacing, hard rock lithology ratio, and the slope length of working face.

INSIHGT: an accessible multi-scale, multi-modal 3D spatial biology platform.

Biological systems are complex, encompassing intertwined spatial, molecular and functional features. However, methodological constraints limit the completeness of information that can be extracted. Here, we report the development of INSIHGT, a non-destructive, accessible three-dimensional (3D) spatial biology method utilizing superchaotropes and host-guest chemistry to achieve homogeneous, deep penetration of macromolecular probes up to centimeter scales, providing reliable semi-quantitative signals throughout the tissue volume.

ALCAM is an entry factor for severe community acquired Pneumonia-associated Human adenovirus species B.

Human adenovirus (HAdV) is a widely spread respiratory pathogen that can cause infections in multiple tissues and organs. Previous studies have established an association between HAdV species B (HAdV-B) infection and severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP). However, the connection between SCAP-associated HAdV-B infection and host factor expression profile in patients has not been systematically investigated.

Stress granules sequester autophagy proteins to facilitate plant recovery from heat stress.

The autophagy pathway regulates the degradation of misfolded proteins caused by heat stress (HS) in the cytoplasm, thereby maintaining cellular homeostasis. Although previous studies have established that autophagy (ATG) genes are transcriptionally upregulated in response to HS, the precise regulation of ATG proteins at the subcellular level remains poorly understood. In this study, we provide compelling evidence for the translocation of key autophagy components, including the ATG1/ATG13 kinase complex (ATG1a, ATG13a), PI3K complex (ATG6, VPS34), and ATG8-PE system (ATG5), to HS-induced stress granules (SGs) in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Substrate transport and drug interaction of human thiamine transporters SLC19A2/A3.

Thiamine and pyridoxine are essential B vitamins that serve as enzymatic cofactors in energy metabolism, protein and nucleic acid biosynthesis, and neurotransmitter production. In humans, thiamine transporters SLC19A2 and SLC19A3 primarily regulate cellular uptake of both vitamins. Genetic mutations in these transporters, which cause thiamine and pyridoxine deficiency, have been implicated in severe neurometabolic diseases.

Quantifying the regulatory potential of genetic variants via a hybrid sequence-oriented model with SVEN.

Deciphering how noncoding DNA determines gene expression is critical for decoding the functional genome. Understanding the transcription effects of noncoding genetic variants are still major unsolved problems, which is critical for downstream applications in human genetics and precision medicine. Here, we integrate regulatory-specific neural networks and tissue-specific gradient-boosting trees to build SVEN: a hybrid sequence-oriented architecture that can accurately predict tissue-specific gene expression level and quantify the tissue-specific transcriptomic impacts of structural variants across more than 350 tissues and cell lines.

The FvABF3-FvALKBH10B-FvSEP3 cascade regulates fruit ripening in strawberry.

Fruit ripening is a highly-orchestrated process that requires the fine-tuning and precise control of gene expression, which is mainly governed by phytohormones, epigenetic modifiers, and transcription factors. How these intrinsic regulators coordinately modulate the ripening remains elusive. Here we report the identification and characterization of FvALKBH10B as an N-methyladenosine (mA) RNA demethylase necessary for the normal ripening of strawberry (Fragaria vesca) fruit.

Mammalian SLC39A13 promotes ER/Golgi iron transport and iron homeostasis in multiple compartments.

Iron is a potent biochemical, and accurate homeostatic control is orchestrated by a network of interacting players at multiple levels. Although our understanding of organismal iron homeostasis has advanced, intracellular iron homeostasis is poorly understood, including coordination between organelles and iron export into the ER/Golgi. Here, we show that SLC39A13 (ZIP13), previously identified as a zinc transporter, promotes intracellular iron transport and reduces intracellular iron levels.

Spin-polarized lasing in manganese doped perovskite microcrystals.

Spin-polarized lasers have demonstrated many superiorities over conventional lasers in both performance and functionalities. Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites are emerging spintronic materials with great potential for advancing spin-polarized laser technology. However, the rapid carrier spin relaxation process in hybrid perovskites presents a major bottleneck for spin-polarized lasing.

SEAD reference panel with 22,134 haplotypes boosts rare variant imputation and genome-wide association analysis in Asian populations.

Limited whole genome sequencing (WGS) studies in Asian populations result in a lack of representative reference panels, thus hindering the discovery of ancestry-specific variants. Here, we present the South and East Asian reference Database (SEAD) panel ( https://imputationserver.westlake.

Alleviating batch effects in cell type deconvolution with SCCAF-D.

Cell type deconvolution methods can impute cell proportions from bulk transcriptomics data, revealing changes in disease progression or organ development. But benchmarking studies often use simulated bulk data from the same source as the reference, which limits its application scenarios. This study examines batch effects in deconvolution and introduces SCCAF-D, a computational workflow that ensures a Pearson Correlation Coefficient above 0.