The roles of macrophages and monocytes in COVID-19 Severe Respiratory Syndrome.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the pivotal role of the immune system in the development of severe respiratory symptoms, termed COVID-19 Severe Respiratory Syndrome (COVID-19-SR). This review aims to dissect the involvement of lung macrophages and monocytes in orchestrating immune responses to SARS-CoV-2, influencing disease severity and outcomes. Initially, we provide an overview of SARS-CoV-2's invasion process and the body's primary immune defense mechanisms, including the antibody complement system and cytokine production.

STAT5-c-Myc-axis regulates B cell metabolism in vaccinated individuals and COVID-19 recovered patients.

SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination both trigger immune responses. The former leads to naturally acquired immunity, while the latter induces active immunity through artificial means. However, the distinct immune effects of vaccination and infection, as well as their underlying mechanisms, require further clarification.

MXenoids: Generalization of MXene-Inspired Covalent Surface Modifications Across Two-Dimensional Materials.

The ability to perform versatile covalent surface modifications in two-dimensional (2D) inorganic materials marks a significant advance in the functionalization of this broad family of materials. One particularly successful example of 2D materials with chemically modifiable surfaces are 2D transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes). MXenes' strong in-plane metal-carbon bonds and labile surface metal-halide bonds create altogether unprecedented opportunities for versatile postsynthetic modifications and assembling complex materials, including various organic-inorganic hybrids.

Structure and Synthesizability of Iron-Sulfur Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Sulfur-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and coordination polymers (CPs) are an emerging class of hybrid materials that have received growing attention due to their magnetic, conductive, and catalytic properties with potential applications in electrocatalysis and energy storage. In this work, we report a high-throughput virtual screening protocol to predict the synthesizability of candidate metal-sulfur MOFs/CPs by computing the thermodynamically stable structures resulting from a particular combination of metal cluster, linker, cation, and synthetic conditions. Free energies are computed by using all-atom classical mechanical thermodynamic integration.

Highly Efficient Synthesis of Spiro[1-azabicyclo[3.2.0]heptane] Frameworks via [3+2]-Cycloaddition.

An efficient one-pot three-component [3 + 2]-cycloaddition reaction of azomethine ylides, generated in situ from isatins and azetidine-2-carboxylic acid, with different maleimides and itaconimides has been investigated. These reactions afford the corresponding spiro and dispiro[1-azabicyclo[3.2.

Surface engineering of Pt nanocatalysts with transition metal oleates for selective catalysis: a case study on the hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes.

Selective and active catalysts enable effective use of feedstocks, reduced energy consumption and waste generation. Tuning the electronic structure of heterogeneous metal nanocatalysts their surface modifications is a promising strategy to design highly selective and active catalysts for the synthesis of harder to make and more cost-efficient products. We introduce transition metal oleates as a new class of ligands to engineer the catalytically active and very selective surface in organic solvents.

The function of T cells in immune thrombocytopenia.

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disease, characterized by increased bleeding due to a reduced platelet count. The pathogenesis of ITP is very complex and involves autoantibody production and T-cell-mediated immune abnormalities. An imbalance of effector and regulatory CD4 T cells and the breach of tolerance primarily cause ITP, leading to the dysfunctional development of autoreactive Th cells (including Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells) and Tregs.

Antibody Avidity Maturation Following Booster Vaccination with an Intranasal Adenovirus Salnavac Vaccine.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the rapid development of new vaccines and methods of testing vaccine-induced immunity. Despite the extensive research that has been conducted on the level of specific antibodies, less attention has been paid to studying the avidity of these antibodies. The avidity of serum antibodies is associated with a vaccine showing high effectiveness and reflects the process of affinity maturation.

Unlocking Mesoscopic Disorder in Graphitic Carbon with Spectroelectrochemistry.

Intrinsic structural and oxidic defects activate graphitic carbon electrodes towards electrochemical reactions underpinning energy conversion and storage technologies. Yet, these defects can also disrupt the long-range and periodic arrangement of carbon atoms, thus, the characterization of graphitic carbon electrodes necessitates in-situ atomistic differentiation of graphitic regions from mesoscopic bulk disorder. Here, we leverage the combined techniques of in-situ attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy and first-principles calculations to reveal that graphitic carbon electrodes exhibit electric-field dependent infrared activity that is sensitive to the bulk mesoscopic intrinsic disorder.

Processable Coordination Polymer Inks for Highly Conductive and Robust Coatings.

The unique properties and processability of conducting and semiconducting organic materials have fascinated scientists since their discovery. Of this broad class of materials, conductive coordination polymers are of immense recent interest due to their innate modularity and tunability. However, these materials are typically generated as powders and, in some cases, single crystals which significantly limits possible processing and many applications.

Photoinduced Isomerization of [N] in a Bimetallic Lutetium Complex.

The first lanthanide dinitrogen photoswitch [(CMeH)(THF)Lu](μ-η:η-N), , is reported. is a unique example of controlled isomerization between side-on and end-on coordination modes of [N] in a bimetallic lutetium dinitrogen complex that results in photochromism. Near-infrared light (NIR) was used to promote this effect, as evidenced by single X-ray diffraction (XRD) connectivity and Raman data, generating the [N] end-on bound isomer, [(CMeH)(THF)Lu](μ-η:η-N), .

The function of serine/threonine-specific protein kinases in B cells.

The serine/threonine-specific protein kinases (STKs) are important for cell survival, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. In B cells, these kinases play indispensable roles in regulating important cellular functions. Multiple studies on human and other animal cells have shown that multiple STKs are involved in different stages of B cell development and antibody production.

Isolation and Crystallographic Characterization of an Octavalent CoO Diamond Core.

High-valent cobalt oxides play a pivotal role in alternative energy technology as catalysts for water splitting and as cathodes in lithium-ion batteries. Despite this importance, the properties governing the stability of high-valent cobalt oxides and specifically possible oxygen evolution pathways are not clear. One root of this limited understanding is the scarcity of high-valent Co(IV)-containing model complexes; there are no reports of stable, well-defined complexes with multiple Co(IV) centers.

Lymphocyte Phosphatase-Associated Phosphoprotein (LPAP) as a CD45 Protein Stability Regulator.

Lymphocyte phosphatase-associated phosphoprotein (LPAP) is a binding partner of the phosphatase CD45, but its function remains poorly understood. Its close interaction with CD45 suggests that LPAP may potentially regulate CD45, but direct biochemical evidence for this has not yet been obtained. We found that in the Jurkat lymphoid cells the levels of LPAP and CD45 proteins are interrelated and well correlated with each other.

Antigenic Cartography of SARS-CoV-2.

Antigenic cartography is a tool for interpreting and visualizing antigenic differences between virus variants based on virus neutralization data. This approach has been successfully used in the selection of influenza vaccine seed strains. With the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants escaping vaccine-induced antibody response, adjusting COVID-19 vaccines has become essential.

Variable Peripheral Ligand Donation Tunes Electronic Structure and NIR II Emission in Tetrathiafulvalene Tetrathiolate Diradicaloids.

Near-infrared (NIR) lumiphores are promising candidates for numerous imaging, communication, and sensing applications, but they typically require large, conjugated scaffolds to achieve emission in this low-energy region. Due to the extended conjugation and synthetic complexity required, it is extremely difficult to tune the photophysical properties of these systems for desired applications. Here, we report facile tuning of deep NIR-emitting diradicaloid complexes through simple modification of peripheral ligands.

Catalytic, Spectroscopic, and Theoretical Studies of FeS-Based Coordination Polymers as Heterogenous Coupled Proton-Electron Transfer Mediators for Electrocatalysis.

Iron-sulfur clusters play essential roles in biological systems, and thus synthetic [FeS] clusters have been an area of active research. Recent studies have demonstrated that soluble [FeS] clusters can serve as net H atom transfer mediators, improving the activity and selectivity of a homogeneous Mn CO reduction catalyst. Here, we demonstrate that incorporating these [FeS] clusters into a coordination polymer enables heterogeneous H atom transfer from an electrode surface to a Mn complex dissolved in solution.

Detecting PTP Protein-Protein Interactions by Fluorescent Immunoprecipitation Analysis (FIPA).

Identifying protein-protein interactions is crucial for revealing protein functions and characterizing cellular processes. Manipulating PPIs has become widespread in treating human diseases such as cancer, autoimmunity, and infections. It has been recently applied to the regulation of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) previously considered undruggable.

Combining Donor Strength and Oxidative Stability in Scorpionates: A Strongly Donating Fluorinated Mesoionic Tris(imidazol-5-ylidene)borate Ligand.

Strongly donating scorpionate ligands support the study of high-valent transition metal chemistry; however, their use is frequently limited by oxidative degradation. To address this concern, we report the synthesis of a tris(imidazol-5-ylidene)borate ligand featuring trifluoromethyl groups surrounding its coordination pocket. This ligand represents the first example of a chelating poly(imidazol-5-ylidene) mesoionic carbene ligand, a scaffold that is expected to be extremely donating.

The characterization of CD8 T-cell responses in COVID-19.

This review gives an overview of the protective role of CD8 T cells in SARS-CoV-2 infection. The cross-reactive responses intermediated by CD8 T cells in unexposed cohorts are described. Additionally, the relevance of resident CD8 T cells in the upper and lower airway during infection and CD8 T-cell responses following vaccination are discussed, including recent worrisome breakthrough infections and variants of concerns (VOCs).

Humoral Immune Responses in Patients with Severe COVID-19: A Comparative Pilot Study between Individuals Infected by SARS-CoV-2 during the Wild-Type and the Delta Periods.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, humanity has experienced the spread and circulation of several SARS-CoV-2 variants that differed in transmissibility, contagiousness, and the ability to escape from vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies. However, issues related to the differences in the variant-specific immune responses remain insufficiently studied. The aim of this study was to compare the parameters of the humoral immune responses in two groups of patients with acute COVID-19 who were infected during the circulation period of the D614G and the Delta variants of SARS-CoV-2.

Hybrid organic-inorganic two-dimensional metal carbide MXenes with amido- and imido-terminated surfaces.

Two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) combine the electronic and mechanical properties of 2D inorganic crystals with chemically modifiable surfaces, which provides an ideal platform for both fundamental and applied studies of interfaces. Good progress has been achieved in the functionalization of MXenes with small inorganic ligands, but relatively little work has been reported on the covalent bonding of various organic groups to MXene surfaces. Here we synthesize a family of hybrid MXenes (h-MXenes) that incorporate amido- and imido-bonding between organic and inorganic parts by reacting halogen-terminated MXenes with deprotonated organic amines.

Multi-functional Single-Source Molecular Precursors for Carbon-Coated Mixed-Metal Phosphates.

We introduce a new synthetic concept that can be broadly adopted for the low-temperature preparation of mixed-metal energy storage materials, such as phosphates, silicates, fluorides, fluorophosphates, and fluorosulfates that exhibit intrinsic low electronic conductivity and thus require a carbon modulation. The development of novel low-temperature approaches for assembling energy-related materials with a complex core-shell microstructure is of great importance for expanding their application scope. The traditional definition of single-source precursors refers to their ability to yield a phase-pure material upon thermal decomposition.

Antigenic Cartography Indicates That the Omicron BA.1 and BA.4/BA.5 Variants Remain Antigenically Distant to Ancestral SARS-CoV-2 after Sputnik V Vaccination Followed by Homologous (Sputnik V) or Heterologous (Comirnaty) Revaccination.

The rapid emergence of evasive SARS-CoV-2 variants is an ongoing challenge for COVID-19 vaccinology. Traditional virus neutralization tests provide detailed datasets of neutralization titers against the viral variants. Such datasets are difficult to interpret and do not immediately inform of the sufficiency of the breadth of the antibody response.

The role of regulatory T cells and follicular T helper cells in HBV infection.

Hepatitis B has become one of the major global health threats, especially in developing countries and regions. Hepatitis B virus infection greatly increases the risk for liver diseases such as cirrhosis and cancer. However, treatment for hepatitis B is limited when considering the huge base of infected people.