Browse Articles

Conjugated aptamer against PCSK9 lowers ANGPTL3 and elevates LPL via ChREBP gene upregulation

Multidimensional Exploration of Platinum Complexes for Cancer Therapy

ABSTRACT Platinum complexes play an important role in contemporary cancer therapy. The rational design of modern anticancer platinum complexes is largely based on the hallmarks of cancers, such as resistance to cell death, reprogramming of energy metabolism, angiogenesis, metastasis, and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Platinum complexes are evolving from DNA‐targeted pure chemotherapeutics to multitarget multifunctional anticancer drugs. Diverse platinum complexes with distinct cellular or molecular targets intervene in cancerous or immune cells through different mechanisms, displaying potent anticancer activities and clinical translation potential. Multimodal platinum complexes that integrate chemotherapy, immunotherapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT), sonodynamic therapy (SDT), or radiotherapy in one molecule provide new options for precise cancer treatment via synergy. This review summarizes a variety of platinum complexes designed according to different mechanisms aiming to improve therapeutic efficacy and minimize side effects of existing platinum drugs. The information is mainly extracted from representative literature published since 2020. These complexes represent the diversified development of platinum anticancer drugs in the present era.

Protection against diet-induced weight gain by a single-point mutation in Kir2.1 channels

Conformation‐Guided Disulfide Pairing Enables Efficient Folding of Disulfide‐Rich Peptides

ABSTRACT Disulfide bond formation is critical for the structural integrity and biological functions of peptides and proteins. For disulfide‐rich peptides (DRPs), particularly those containing ≥ 3 disulfide bonds, this process remains challenging due to misfolding and kinetic traps. Here, we report a conformation‐guided “1 + 2” disulfide pairing strategy that enables rational control of oxidative folding in DRPs. Conformational sampling and statistical analysis identify a folding‐promoting disulfide bond, whose early formation pre‐organizes the peptide into a native‐like conformation, thereby directing the efficient and selective closure of the remaining disulfide bonds. This principle is translated into a sequential, one‐pot oxidative folding workflow that affords native disulfide connectivity across structurally and pharmacologically representative DRPs, with 57%–93% HPLC conversion. By reducing reliance on largely empirical solvent optimization and complex stepwise protocols, this approach addresses a key bottleneck in the synthesis of disulfide‐rich peptide architectures.

The mediating role of loneliness in the relationship between resilience and well-being among university students in Northwestern Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

Electrocatalytic C–C Coupled Oligomerization From Biomass Molecules Through Pd Single‐Atom Interfacial Regulation

ABSTRACT Fossil‐derived diesel raises sustainability and air‐quality concerns, motivating biomass‐based alternatives; however, current biodiesel routes suffer from food–fuel competition, poor fuel properties, and energy‐intensive upgrading. Electrocatalytic C─C coupling of biomass molecules followed by hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) offers a cleaner pathway, yet has been limited to dimer formation. Here, we successfully resolved this longstanding bottleneck through construction of Pd 1 Cu single‐atom alloy electrocatalyst, a trimer of 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural is obtained with 44.7% selectivity. The combined oligomer (dimer and trimer) selectivity reaches 95.0% with 93.2% Faradaic efficiency, production rate achieves a record high of ∼50 g g cat −1 h −1 . Subsequent HDO converts the oligomers into heteroatom‐free n‐dodecane and n‐octadecane diesel blendstocks. Operando spectroscopy reveals a surface‐confined ketyl‐radical pathway in which isolated Pd atoms regulate hydrogen‐atom supply and substrate adsorption, favoring C─C coupling over hydrogenation. This work establishes an electricity‐driven route for controlled carbon‐chain growth from biomass platforms.

Correction: Impact of skin tone and cupping on erythema and thermal imaging measurements

Unsaturated Copper Sites for Selective Electroreduction of CO to Alcohol

ABSTRACT Electrochemical reduction reaction of carbon monoxide (CORR) has been extensively studied due to its high selectivity for producing multi‐carbon (C 2+ ) products. However, the selective production of alcohol‐an highly valuable class of chemical feedstock‐remains unsatisfactory, hindered by poor selectivity and low energy efficiency. Here, we report that low coordination (unsaturated) Cu sites generated through the reduction of Cu 2 O catalysts with ammonia increases the binding energy of CO and enable the pre‐protonation of *CO to *CHO, as opposed to CO–CO coupling. This modification enables a shift from symmetric *CO‐*CO post‐protonation coupling to asymmetric *CO‐*CHO coupling, thereby promoting alcohol formation. The Faradaic efficiency for alcohol production reaches up to 64.5% (51.5% for ethanol and 13% for 1‐propanol) at 500 mA cm −2 , with a full‐cell alcohol energy efficiency of ∼27.1% and over 120 h of stable operation in a membrane electrode assembly. In situ spectroscopy and theory calculation reveal the preferential formation of key intermediates (*CHO, *COCHO, and *OC 2 H 5 ) along the alcohol production pathway on the unsaturated Cu sites. This strategy of tuning intermediate pre‐protonation offers a promising direction for catalyst design aimed at converting carbon emissions into value‐added products.

A One Health model evaluating the role of a wild carnivore in mitigating multi-host anthrax outbreaks

Adsorbate‐Induced Reversible Changes in Zeolite ZEO‐5 Attributed to Its Triple‐Four‐Silicate‐Rings

ABSTRACT Extra‐large pore zeolites exhibit structural features distinct from those of classical zeolites, with potential consequences in their use as adsorbents and catalysts. A low‐framework‐density zeolite, ZEO‐5, was synthesized via interchain expansion, forming unprecedented triple four‐ring (t4r) units, creating a fully connected framework with 20‐membered‐ring pores. Here, we report that ZEO‐5 exhibits unique water adsorption behavior. Initially hydrophobic, it undergoes a sharp increase in water uptake within a narrow range of relative pressure, transitioning into a hydrophilic status, with a pronounced desorption hysteresis. Characterization by synchrotron powder x‐ray diffraction, porosimetry, in situ infrared spectroscopy, and solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance reveals structural degradation via Si─O─Si bond cleavage within the highly strained t4r unit. Remarkably, upon recalcination, the original structure of ZEO‐5, including its t4r units, is fully restored, establishing a reversible adsorption‐induced order–disorder structural transformation. Similar behavior occurs with other polar molecules, including ammonia and alcohols, underscoring the broader implications of this ZEO‐5 feature for adsorptive separations and for pore functionalization. At 423K, ZEO‐5 exhibits high ammonia working capacity between 11 and 1.1 bar adsorption and desorption pressures, respectively, surpassing the corresponding performance of commercial aluminosilicate zeolites. Structure models, consistent with experimental observations, and molecular simulation are used to explain this phenomenon.

Deformation properties and erosion resistance of loess treated via enzyme-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (EICP) and wool fiber reinforcement (WFR)

A General Design of Compact “Zero‐On” NIR‐II Photoacoustic Dyes for High‐Fidelity Imaging

ABSTRACT Near‐infrared‐II (1000–1700 nm) photoacoustic imaging enables deep‐tissue visualization with high spatial precision but lacks organic probes integrating general design, reduced molecular complexity, and high‐fidelity in vivo signal output. Herein, we present a general building‐block design for ultralow‐molecular‐weight “zero‐on” near‐infrared‐II photoacoustic dyes for in vivo high‐fidelity imaging. Constructed around a dimethyl‐dihydroacridine scaffold and synthesized in three steps, these dyes incorporate biomarker‐responsive blocks for targeted activation and absorption‐expanded blocks for near‐infrared‐II absorption tuning, while maintaining a molecular weight <500 Da. This general building‐block design enables tailored applications. Ultralow molecular weight improves solubility, tissue penetration and clearance. Notably, biomarker activation drives nonconjugated‐to‐conjugated structural transition, inducing >700 nm absorption redshift and boosting near‐infrared‐II photoacoustic signals at 1064 nm from levels statistically indistinguishable from water ( p > 0.05, defining “zero” probe background) to an 89.8‐fold enhancement in “on” state. “Zero” background minimizes false positives from misinterpreting probe background accumulation signals in diseased tissues as biomarker activation, even in high‐uptake organs like the liver. In a blinded study, our “zero‐on” probes identified early‑stage hepatotoxicity in mice with 100% accuracy, outperforming 85% accuracy of traditional non‐zero background “off–on” probes. This work enables a general design to achieve ultralow‐molecular‐weight near‐infrared‐II photoacoustic dyes for high‐fidelity signal output in vivo.

Resting-state neural correlates of aggressive behavior in professional soccer players

Efficient Utilization of Solar Energy Mediated by Singlet Fission Passage to Boost Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

ABSTRACT Building efficient channels for capturing and utilizing light energy is the key to achieving sustainable utilization of solar energy, so as to enhance the photocatalytic activity. However, one of the biggest challenges at present is that when a material absorbs a photon, it only generates a pair of electron–holes, with excess energy heating loss. The singlet fission (SF) process could achieve the effect of exciton multiplication to break this limitation. Based on this, a heterojunction structure was constructed consisting of polythiophene‐derived carbon dots (CDs) and a carboxyl‐functionalized fullerene derivative, tetra[4‐(carboxyl) piperidin‐1‐yl]C 60 epoxide (TCPC). The intrinsic SF activity of the CDs was experimentally confirmed, demonstrating a remarkably high triplet quantum yield of 191%. Crucially, integration with TCPC facilitates the efficient dissociation of triplet excitons into long‐lived charge carriers with lifetimes exceeding 100 µs. Then the photogenerated carriers are efficiently utilized by the catalytic center and enables an apparent quantum yield of 27.4% at 420 nm and a hydrogen evolution rate of 116.97 mmol·g −1 ·h −1 . This creates a brand‐new channel for enhancing the efficiency of solar energy conversion. It not only broadens the application scope of SF‐active materials but also provides an exceptional strategy for achieving sustainable and high‐efficiency solar‐to‐hydrogen conversion.

Parameter identification of LPDS linear induction motors using a hybrid reinforcement learning and evolutionary strategy approach

Abstract Accurate parameter identification of long-primary double-sided linear induction motors (LPDS-LIMs) plays a crucial role in improving control performance, thrust estimation, and overall operational efficiency. In this study, a hybrid framework based on Reinforcement Learning (RL) and Evolution Strategies (ES) is proposed for the precise estimation of key motor parameters, including stator resistance, leakage inductance, and the end-effect coefficient. The proposed approach leverages the fast convergence capability of RL together with the global search ability of ES in order to enhance estimation accuracy and improve robustness against disturbances. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the standalone RL and ES approaches. Specifically, the proposed hybrid method reduces the root mean square error (RMSE) to approximately $$3.8\times {10}^{-4}$$ , achieving about 4.5 times better accuracy than RL and nearly 3 times better performance than ES. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm converges within approximately 50 episodes, indicating a significant improvement in convergence speed compared with the benchmark methods. To further validate the effectiveness of the identified parameters, a high-fidelity electromagnetic model of the LPDS-LIM was developed using the Finite Element Method (FEM). Detailed electromagnetic analyses, including magnetic flux distribution, flux density, and thrust force characteristics, were conducted. The comparison between the parameters obtained through the proposed method and the FEM-based simulation results shows strong agreement, confirming the accuracy and physical consistency of the identified parameters. Additionally, robustness analysis under noise conditions up to a level of 0.05 demonstrates the stability and reliability of the proposed approach.

On‐Demand Deconstructable Thermosets Through Cleavable Comonomer and Thermolatent Base Synergy

ABSTRACT Thermosets provide superior chemical and mechanical properties critical for high‐performance applications, but their permanent crosslinked networks severely limit recyclability and end‐of‐life (EOL) management. Traditional approaches relying on cleavable comonomers enable degradation only through slow diffusion of acidic or basic solutions, hindering practical implementation. Here, on‐demand deconstructable thermosets are developed by incorporating stimuli‐responsive thermolatent bases alongside cleavable comonomers prior to polymerization. These latent species remain inert during thermal or photoinitiated curing, including vat photopolymerization 3D printing, preserving classical thermoset performance. Upon near‐infrared photothermal or thermal activation (>100°C), rapid network deconstruction yields soluble branched oligomers, enabling efficient chemical recycling without aggressive solvents during service life. This strategy is demonstrated using thermolatent 1,5,7‐triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec‐5‐ene derivatives with radical copolymerization of dibenzo[ c , e ]oxepine‐5‐thione with styrene/acrylic monomers, as well as ring‐opening metathesis polymerization of dicyclopentadiene with silyl ether‐containing cyclic olefins. The approach offers programmable degradation for sustainable high‐performance thermosets.

Deep learning-based automatic detection of pediatric non-high-density tracheobronchial foreign bodies using chest computed tomography

Abstract Foreign body aspiration (FBA) of non-high-density objects (NHDFBs) in children is a critical pediatric emergency, posing risks of airway obstruction and requiring prompt diagnosis, which currently relies on clinician experience with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT). This study aimed to develop and validate a deep learning (DL) model for the automated detection of tracheobronchial NHDFBs in pediatric LDCT scans. A retrospective, multicenter cohort of 600 children with suspected FBA was utilized, with bronchoscopic confirmation as the gold standard. A ResUnet-based model was trained and evaluated on internal and external validation sets, with its performance systematically compared against junior and senior radiologists. The DL model achieved foreign body detection rates comparable to senior radiologists across training, internal test and external validation cohorts without significant intergroup differences, whereas both outperformed junior radiologists significantly (all p  < 0.05). The DL model exhibited drastically shorter reading time (17.5 ± 2.4 s) than senior radiologists (80.2 ± 13.1 s) and junior radiologists (109.3 ± 16.8 s, all p  < 0.05). The model maintained stable high diagnostic performance in all cohorts. Its sensitivity was significantly higher than junior radiologists in both validation sets (all p  < 0.05), while sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV showed no statistical disparities between the DL model and senior radiologists. The DL model yielded AUC values of 0.93, 0.89 and 0.85 in the three cohorts, which were statistically equivalent to those of senior radiologists (0.94, 0.95, 0.90), and substantially superior to junior radiologists (0.82, 0.83, 0.79). The developed DL model achieves expert-level accuracy with superior efficiency for detecting pediatric NHDFBs on LDCT, demonstrating strong potential as a rapid, objective decision-support tool to enhance diagnostic workflows, particularly in settings with limited specialist availability.

Bioorthogonal Tools for Ethanolamine Lipids and Protein Conjugates

ABSTRACT Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) is the second most abundant class of phospholipids in eukaryotic membranes, as well as a precursor for essential posttranslational protein modifications, such as PE conjugates of ubiquitin and ATG8/LC3 that play key roles in autophagy, and glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors of numerous cell surface proteins. Bioorthogonal chemistry has revolutionized how phospholipid biosynthesis, transport, and turnover are studied, with clickable metabolic precursors now available for several phospholipid classes. Yet no metabolic bioorthogonal probe for labeling endogenous PE and PE‐derived protein modifications has been developed. Here, we introduce an alkyne‐tagged ethanolamine analog (AlkEA) that is incorporated into PE via the Kennedy pathway and can be derivatized by copper‐catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) for visualization and affinity enrichment. Confocal microscopy revealed the subcellular distribution of AlkEA‐labeled PE in the ER, Golgi, mitochondria, and autophagosomes, while lipidomic analysis demonstrated AlkEA incorporation across diverse PE species. AlkEA labeling also allowed affinity isolation of PE‐conjugated LC3 and ubiquitin, as well as that of a prototypical GPI‐anchored protein. AlkEA is thus a minimally perturbing tool broadly applicable to dissecting PE metabolism and PE‐dependent protein modifications.

A novel probiotic bacterium Bacillus paralicheniformis TATVAM-FAB17 isolated from goat rumen increases milk yield in dairy cattle

Decoupling TM–O Antibonding via Targeted Orbital Engineering Enables High‐Voltage and Long‐Life Sodium Polyanionic Cathodes

ABSTRACT Polyanionic cathode materials based on Mn/V redox couples offer high‐voltage plateaux and high theoretical energy density for sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs). However, they suffer from severe degradation in rate capability and cycling stability under high‐voltage, whose microscopic origin remains elusive on the electronic‐level. Herein, we reveal the strong coupling between Mn/V–O antibonding orbitals at elevated voltages induces significant lattice strain, leading to kinetic hysteresis. Thus, we propose a targeted orbital engineering regulation strategy aiming to disentangle the strong coupling among (TM–O)* orbitals. By introducing Ti 4+ (3d 0 ) and Fe 3+ (3d 5 ) as the stable electronic configurations, and electron‐donating Si, we modulate (TM–O)* orbital occupancy at the electronic level, markedly alleviating structural stress and stabilizing Na + diffusion pathways. The optimized Na 4 Mn 0.7 V 0.7 Ti 0.4 Fe 0.2 (PO 4 ) 2.9 (SiO 4 ) 0.1 cathode delivers high energy density (415.03 Wh/kg) and exceptional long‐cycle performance, retaining 80.3% capacity after 8,000 cycles at 20 C. This strategy demonstrates a feasible orbital engineering approach to develop stable high‐energy‐density cathodes for SIBs.