Unraveling boron-organic template interactions in [B, Al]-ZSM-5 zeolite using solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

Organic structure directing agents (OSDAs), such as tetrapropylammonium (TPA) cations, serve as crucial templates for the formation of zeolite frameworks. These organic molecules interact with inorganic species, guiding the assembly of the zeolite structure. In this study, we investigate the complex interplay between boron species and TPA cations during the crystallization of [B, Al]-ZSM-5 zeolites.

Discovery of 2-(Pyrazol-4-yl)-quinazolin-4(3)-one Derivatives as Subnanomolar BRD4 BD2 Inhibitors with High Selectivity via a Bioisosterism Approach.

BRD4, a bromodomain-containing protein, has emerged as an attractive therapeutic target for various diseases. Selective inhibition of the bromodomain is gaining traction as a promising strategy for targeted drug discovery. Based on bioisosterism-guided optimization of RVX-OH (), a pan-BET inhibitor, we designed and synthesized a series of novel quinazolin-4(3)-one derivatives as potent BRD4 inhibitors.

Ultralow Content of Chromium Species in Zeolite for Efficient Catalytic Propane Dehydrogenation.

Supported chromia catalysts have been commercially used in propane dehydrogenation, which relies on Cr loading at weight fractions of up to 20 wt %. This leads to problems in managing spent catalysts with a high content of toxic chromium species. These catalysts also rapidly deactivate within 10-15 min, requiring frequent regeneration in each cycle.

SELENBP1 protects against kidney fibrosis in chronic kidney disease as a methanethiol oxidase.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health concern characterized by a gradual decline in kidney function. Despite advancements in screening and diagnostic markers for CKD, there remains an urgent need to identify patients in the early stages. In this study, we analyzed human blood and kidney samples and found that selenium-binding protein 1 (SELENBP1) is downregulated in CKD patients, with its levels positively correlating with the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).

One-Step Solvent-Assisted Cation Exchange Approach to Hollow Metal-Organic Frameworks Nanoreactors with Orderly Distributed Active Sites for Tandem Catalysis.

Biological membrane-enclosed organelles, in which cascade reactions promoted by multiple enzymes occur, have inspired widespread interest in the design of spatially confined nanoreactors for tandem catalytic transformations. Because of their accessible compartmentalized environments and large framework diversity, hollow metal-organic frameworks (H-MOFs) are ideal platforms for the development of new multi-functionalized nanoreactors. However, simple methodologies for fabrication of hollow MOFs, which possess functionalities that are precisely localized and encapsulated of active sites like those found in biological membrane-enclosed organelles, is a considerable challenge.

Fluorinated C20-epi-Deoxysalinomycin Derivatives: Synthesis and Evaluation of Anticancer Activities.

Salinomycin exhibits potent cytotoxic activity against various cancer types. Leveraging the advantages of fluorination in drug development, we efficiently synthesized 17 fluorinated C20-epi-deoxysalinomycin derivatives through a streamlined 4-5 step synthetic route. Key transformations, including room-temperature azidation, copper-catalyzed click reactions, and amide condensation, were performed under mild conditions with satisfactory yields.

Highly Selective Dual-Modal Probe for Photoacoustic and Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Labile Cu Pool in the Liver.

Copper ions (Cu) play vital roles in human physiology, and their dyshomeostasis is associated with diseases such as hepatocellular carcinoma, Alzheimer's disease, and Wilson's disease. Cu imaging technologies facilitate the investigation of Cu dynamics in biological systems. However, developing highly selective and sensitive Cu probes that can overcome interference from physiologically abundant Zn remains a key challenge.

Fluorinated albumin nanoplatform for F MRI-guided synergistic chemo-chemodynamic therapy and immune activation in breast cancer.

Developing nanomedicines from natural sources with synergistic effects to activate effective antitumor immune response remains a significant challenge. Here, we present a fluorinated bovine serum albumin (BSA)-based self-assembling nanoplatform that integrates chemotherapy (Chemo) and chemodynamic therapy (CDT) to induce immunogenic cell death (ICD) of breast cancer. This nanoplatform efficiently encapsulates doxorubicin (DOX) and fluorine-19 magnetic resonance imaging (F MRI)-sensitive F-oil in its core, with gallic acid (GA)-stabilized Fe on its surface.

Esketamine modulates cerebral function variations between S1 and BLA in rats with chronic pain and anxiety.

Background: The comorbidity of chronic pain and anxiety exerts a profound impact on neurological functions. This study aims to investigate the alterations in brain metabolism and functional connectivity that arise from the interaction between chronic pain and anxiety in rats. Furthermore, the potential therapeutic effects of esketamine on these alterations are examined.

Multivariate metal-organic frameworks enable chemical shift-encoded MRI with femtomolar sensitivity for biological systems.

Fluorescent molecules with specific target moieties are essential for histopathological analysis, but their limited tissue penetration depth makes in vivo, in situ color encoding analysis challenging. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers deep tissue penetration. When combined with chemical shift-encoded MRI reporters, it enables in vivo chemical shift encoding for biotarget imaging and analysis.

Pressure-Assisted Fast Synthesis of Zeolitic Materials.

Zeolites are widely utilized in various industrial applications, such as ion exchangers, catalysts, and adsorbents. However, traditional zeolite crystallization is time-intensive, requiring hours to weeks under autogenous pressure in autoclaves. In this study, we developed a novel and universal pressure-assisted method for the rapid synthesis of diverse zeolites, including MFI, CHA, FAU, MOR, *BEA, LTA, and AFI, as well as zeolite-encaged ultrasmall metal clusters and atoms, using batch reactors supercharged with controlled amounts of gases.

AlphaFold 3-Assisted Deciphering of the DNA Recognition by DREB1 Transcription Factors in Rice.

Rice genome encodes ten OsDREB1 proteins that regulate tolerance to abiotic stresses such as cold and drought. OsDREB1s can bind to the C-repeat (CRT) element, dehydration response element (DRE), and GCC-box in gene promoters for transcription regulation. However, the recognition mechanism of OsDREB1s to these DNA elements remains unclear.

Enabling F MRI and Boosting Phototherapy Through Facile Counterion Pairing of Photosensitizers.

Self-oxygenated phototherapy systems integrating near-infrared fluorescence imaging (NIR FLI) and fluorine-19 magnetic resonance imaging (F MRI) hold great promise for imaging-guided therapy of deep-seated hypoxic tumors. However, such systems are rare and often suffer from complex synthesis, suboptimal imaging and therapeutic performance. Here, a convenient and effective counterion pairing strategy is introduced to construct FNP, a dual-modal phototherapy nanoemulsion that integrates NIR FLI, F MRI, self-oxygenated photodynamic therapy, and photothermal therapy.

Towards complete suppression of diagonal peaks in solid-state MAS NMR homonuclear chemical shift correlation spectra.

The feasibility of applying the spin-echo based diagonal peak suppression method in solid-state MAS NMR homonuclear chemical shift correlation experiments is demonstrated. A complete phase cycling is designed to generate sine- and cosine-modulations of the chemical shift difference between the spin-diffused signals, enabling the quadrature detection in the indirect dimension. Meanwhile, all signals not involved in polarization transfer are refocused at the center of the indirect dimension.

Dual adeno-associated virus system for selective and sparse labeling of astrocytes.

Astrocytes are the most abundant glial cells in the central nervous system. They perform a diverse array of functions, with a critical role in structural integrity, synapse formation, and neurotransmission. These cells exhibit substantial regional heterogeneity and display variable responses to different neurological diseases.

Hierarchical ZSM-5 with tunable structure and enhanced mass diffusion.

Hierarchical zeolites offer improved mass transfer and catalytic performance, yet their controlled synthesis remains challenging. We report a one-pot synthesis of size-tunable, rod-shaped aligned ZSM-5 (RA-ZSM-5) using tetraethylammonium and tetrabutylammonium hydroxides. The crystallization mechanism and improved mass diffusion associated with the hierarchical structure are elucidated.

A Bimodal MRI-Traceable Nanozyme with Immune-Activated Capability for Immunotherapy of Lung Metastases.

The therapeutic efficacy of cancer is greatly hampered by hypoxia, overexpressed glutathione (GSH) in the tumor microenvironment (TME), and the high propensity for tumor metastasis. Developing advanced diagnostic and therapeutic strategies capable of destroying tumors holds great promise. Herein, multifunctional manganese-based nanoparticles (FMBI NPs) with multiple nanozyme activities and GSH-depleting capabilities were designed to enhance cancer therapy by remodeling the TME.

H NMR Reveals Predictive Metabolic Signatures of Response to RMP1-14 Treatment in the Plasma of Tumor-Bearing Mice.

Understanding and predicting individual responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are of great importance for advancing precise cancer immunotherapy. This study utilizes H NMR-based plasma phenotyping to reveal the metabolic characteristics and predictive signatures of tumor-bearing mice that are sensitive and nonsensitive to the PD-1 inhibitor RMP1-14. Metabolite set enrichment analysis showed that the high-sensitivity (HS) group may exhibit a more robust immune profile by upregulating sphingolipid metabolism and lactose metabolism before treatment, while the enrichment of branched-chain amino acids and disorder of glucose and lipid metabolism in the low-sensitivity (LS) group may facilitate tumor growth and immune escape.

Advancements and Applications of Hyperpolarized Xenon MRI for COPD Assessment in China.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in China, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis and ongoing monitoring for effective management. In recent years, hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI technology has gained significant clinical attention due to its ability to non-invasively and visually assess lung ventilation, microstructure, and gas exchange function. Its recent clinical approval in China, the United States and several European countries, represents a significant advancement in pulmonary imaging.

Mass-Singularity-Induced Phase Jump in High-Harmonic Generation from Symmetry-Breaking Crystals.

Symmetry plays a central role in fundamental physics. Here we identify a phase-jump phenomenon in high-order harmonic generation in symmetry-breaking crystals. This phenomenon originates from the singularity in the effective mass of electron-hole pairs at nonzero-distance collisions, a factor usually ignored in the literature.

Structural insights into the binding of human TGIF1 with SMAD2 MH2 domain.

Homeobox protein TGIF1 plays crucial roles in human development and body functions, partly by functioning as a corepressor in TGFβ signaling pathway. TGIF1 interacts with the MH2 domain of SMAD2 and is subsequently recruited to SMAD-binding elements to repress TGFβ-responsive gene expression. Here, through NMR titration, HDX-MS, and AlphaFold3 modeling, we reveal that a vertebrate-conserved short motif (I302-L310) of TGIF1 binds to a groove on the surface of SMAD2-MH2.

Observation of Water-Induced Synergistic Acidic Site from NMR-Invisible Al in Zeolite via Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy.

Zeolites are highly sensitive to water, which significantly affects their acidity─a key factor in catalytic reactions. This study investigates the dynamic interactions between water and often overlooked active sites, specifically the "NMR-invisible" aluminum species (tricoordinated framework Al─FAL and cationic extra-framework Al─EFAL) in ultrastable Y (USY) zeolite under ambient conditions. Using solid-state NMR spectroscopy combined with theoretical calculations, we demonstrate that water readily undergoes dissociative adsorption on these "NMR-invisible" Al sites.

Microfluidics-Based High-Throughput Single-Cell Analysis of Reactive Oxygen Species and T Cell Exhaustion.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a significant role in cellular signaling and oxidative stress, with elevated levels often linked to T cell exhaustion in various pathological conditions, including cancer. However, the relationship between ROS and T cell exhaustion in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains unexplored. To address this, we developed a high-throughput single-cell platform─T cell exhaustion and reactive oxygen species analyzer (TEROSA).

Subnanometric MoO clusters limit overoxidation during photocatalytic CH conversion to oxygenates over TiO.

Direct photocatalytic oxidation of methane to high-value-added oxygenated products remains a great challenge due to the unavoidable overoxidation of target products. Here, we report an efficient and highly selective TiO photocatalyst anchored with subnanometric MoO clusters for photocatalytic methane oxidation to organic oxygenates by oxygen. A high organic oxygenates yield of 3.