Natural malaria infection elicits rare but potent neutralizing antibodies to the blood-stage antigen RH5.

Plasmodium falciparum reticulocyte-binding protein homolog 5 (RH5) is the most advanced blood-stage malaria vaccine candidate and is being evaluated for efficacy in endemic regions, emphasizing the need to study the underlying antibody response to RH5 during natural infection, which could augment or counteract responses to vaccination. Here, we found that RH5-reactive B cells were rare, and circulating immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses to RH5 were short-lived in malaria-exposed Malian individuals, despite repeated infections over multiple years. RH5-specific monoclonal antibodies isolated from eight malaria-exposed individuals mostly targeted non-neutralizing epitopes, in contrast to antibodies isolated from five RH5-vaccinated, malaria-naive UK individuals. However, MAD8-151 and MAD8-502, isolated from two malaria-exposed Malian individuals, were among the most potent neutralizers out of 186 antibodies from both cohorts and targeted the same epitopes as the most potent vaccine-induced antibodies. These results suggest that natural malaria infection may boost RH5-vaccine-induced responses and provide a clear strategy for the development of next-generation RH5 vaccines.

Analysis of the diverse antigenic landscape of the malaria protein RH5 identifies a potent vaccine-induced human public antibody clonotype.

The highly conserved and essential Plasmodium falciparum reticulocyte-binding protein homolog 5 (PfRH5) has emerged as the leading target for vaccines against the disease-causing blood stage of malaria. However, the features of the human vaccine-induced antibody response that confer highly potent inhibition of malaria parasite invasion into red blood cells are not well defined. Here, we characterize 236 human IgG monoclonal antibodies, derived from 15 donors, induced by the most advanced PfRH5 vaccine. We define the antigenic landscape of this molecule and establish that epitope specificity, antibody association rate, and intra-PfRH5 antibody interactions are key determinants of functional anti-parasitic potency. In addition, we identify a germline IgG gene combination that results in an exceptionally potent class of antibody and demonstrate its prophylactic potential to protect against P. falciparum parasite challenge in vivo. This comprehensive dataset provides a framework to guide rational design of next-generation vaccines and prophylactic antibodies to protect against blood-stage malaria.

Porous isoreticular non-metal organic frameworks.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are useful synthetic materials that are built by the programmed assembly of metal nodes and organic linkers1. The success of MOFs results from the isoreticular principle2, which allows families of structurally analogous frameworks to be built in a predictable way. This relies on directional coordinate covalent bonding to define the framework geometry. However, isoreticular strategies do not translate to other common crystalline solids, such as organic salts3-5, in which the intermolecular ionic bonding is less directional. Here we show that chemical knowledge can be combined with computational crystal-structure prediction6 (CSP) to design porous organic ammonium halide salts that contain no metals. The nodes in these salt frameworks are tightly packed ionic clusters that direct the materials to crystallize in specific ways, as demonstrated by the presence of well-defined spikes of low-energy, low-density isoreticular structures on the predicted lattice energy landscapes7,8. These energy landscapes allow us to select combinations of cations and anions that will form thermodynamically stable, porous salt frameworks with channel sizes, functionalities and geometries that can be predicted a priori. Some of these porous salts adsorb molecular guests such as iodine in quantities that exceed those of most MOFs, and this could be useful for applications such as radio-iodine capture9-12. More generally, the synthesis of these salts is scalable, involving simple acid-base neutralization, and the strategy makes it possible to create a family of non-metal organic frameworks that combine high ionic charge density with permanent porosity.

Reconstructed covalent organic frameworks.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are distinguished from other organic polymers by their crystallinity1-3, but it remains challenging to obtain robust, highly crystalline COFs because the framework-forming reactions are poorly reversible4,5. More reversible chemistry can improve crystallinity6-9, but this typically yields COFs with poor physicochemical stability and limited application scope5. Here we report a general and scalable protocol to prepare robust, highly crystalline imine COFs, based on an unexpected framework reconstruction. In contrast to standard approaches in which monomers are initially randomly aligned, our method involves the pre-organization of monomers using a reversible and removable covalent tether, followed by confined polymerization. This reconstruction route produces reconstructed COFs with greatly enhanced crystallinity and much higher porosity by means of a simple vacuum-free synthetic procedure. The increased crystallinity in the reconstructed COFs improves charge carrier transport, leading to sacrificial photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rates of up to 27.98 mmol h-1 g-1. This nanoconfinement-assisted reconstruction strategy is a step towards programming function in organic materials through atomistic structural control.

Deep sequencing of Phox2a nuclei reveals five classes of anterolateral system neurons.

The anterolateral system (ALS) is a major ascending pathway from the spinal cord that projects to multiple brain areas and underlies the perception of pain, itch, and skin temperature. Despite its importance, our understanding of this system has been hampered by the considerable functional and molecular diversity of its constituent cells. Here, we use fluorescence-activated cell sorting to isolate ALS neurons belonging to the Phox2a-lineage for single-nucleus RNA sequencing. We reveal five distinct clusters of ALS neurons (ALS1-5) and document their laminar distribution in the spinal cord using in situ hybridization. We identify three clusters of neurons located predominantly in laminae I-III of the dorsal horn (ALS1-3) and two clusters with cell bodies located in deeper laminae (ALS4 and ALS5). Our findings reveal the transcriptional logic that underlies ALS neuronal diversity in the adult mouse and uncover the molecular identity of two previously identified classes of projection neurons. We also show that these molecular signatures can be used to target groups of ALS neurons using retrograde viral tracing. Overall, our findings provide a valuable resource for studying somatosensory biology and targeting subclasses of ALS neurons.

A mobile robotic chemist.

Technologies such as batteries, biomaterials and heterogeneous catalysts have functions that are defined by mixtures of molecular and mesoscale components. As yet, this multi-length-scale complexity cannot be fully captured by atomistic simulations, and the design of such materials from first principles is still rare1-5. Likewise, experimental complexity scales exponentially with the number of variables, restricting most searches to narrow areas of materials space. Robots can assist in experimental searches6-14 but their widespread adoption in materials research is challenging because of the diversity of sample types, operations, instruments and measurements required. Here we use a mobile robot to search for improved photocatalysts for hydrogen production from water15. The robot operated autonomously over eight days, performing 688 experiments within a ten-variable experimental space, driven by a batched Bayesian search algorithm16-18. This autonomous search identified photocatalyst mixtures that were six times more active than the initial formulations, selecting beneficial components and deselecting negative ones. Our strategy uses a dexterous19,20 free-roaming robot21-24, automating the researcher rather than the instruments. This modular approach could be deployed in conventional laboratories for a range of research problems beyond photocatalysis.

Self-Assembly of Chiral Porous Metal-Organic Polyhedra from Trianglsalen Macrocycles.

Metal-organic polyhedra (MOPs) can exhibit tunable porosity and functionality, suggesting potential for applications such as molecular separations. MOPs are typically constructed by the bottom-up multicomponent self-assembly of organic ligands and metal ions, and the final functionality can be hard to program. Here, we used trianglsalen macrocycles as preorganized building blocks to assemble octahedral-shaped MOPs. The resultant MOPs inherit most of the preorganized properties of the macrocyclic ligands, including their well-defined cavities and chirality. As a result, the porosity in the MOPs could be tuned by modifying the structure of the macrocycle building blocks. Using this strategy, we could systematically enlarge the size of the MOPs from 26.3 to 32.1 Å by increasing the macrocycle size. The family of MOPs shows experimental surface areas of up to 820 m2/g, and they are stable in water. One of these MOPs can efficiently separate the rare gases Xe from Kr because the prefabricated macrocyclic windows of MOPs can be modified to sit at the Xe/Kr size cutoff range.

2D to 3D Reconstruction of Boron-Linked Covalent-Organic Frameworks.

The transformation of two-dimensional (2D) covalent-organic frameworks (COFs) into three-dimensions (3D) is synthetically challenging, and it is typically addressed through interlayer cross-linking of alkene or alkyne bonds. Here, we report the first example of the chemical reconstruction of a 2D COF to a 3D COF with a complete lattice rearrangement facilitated by base-triggered boron hybridization. This chemical reconstruction involves the conversion of trigonal boronate ester linkages to tetrahedral anionic spiroborate linkages. This transformation reticulates the coplanar, closely stacked square cobalt(II) phthalocyanine (PcCo) units into a 3D perpendicular arrangement. As a result, the pore size of COFs expands from 2.45 nm for the initial 2D square lattice (sql) to 3.02 nm in the 3D noninterpenetrated network (nbo). Mechanistic studies reveal a base-catalyzed boronate ester protodeboronation pathway for the formation of the spiroborate structure.

Photoresponsive Organic Cages─Computationally Inspired Discovery of Azobenzene-Derived Organic Cages.

The incorporation of photoresponsive groups into porous materials is attractive as it offers potential advantages in controlling the pore size and selectivity to guest molecules. A combination of computational modeling and experiment resulted in the synthesis of two azobenzene-derived organic cages based on building blocks identified in a computational screen. Both cages incorporate three azobenzene moieties, and are therefore capable of 3-fold isomerization, using either ditopic or tetratopic aldehydes containing diazene functionality. The ditopic aldehyde forms a Tri2Di3 cage via a 6-fold imine condensation and the tritopic aldehyde forms a Tet3Di6 cage via a 12-fold imine condensation. The relative energies and corresponding intrinsic cavities of each isomeric state were computed, and the photoswitching behavior of both cages was studied by UV-Vis and 1H NMR spectroscopy, including a detailed kinetic analysis of the thermal isomerization for each of the EEZ, EZZ and ZZZ metastable isomers of the Tet3Di6 cage. Both cages underwent photoisomerization, where a photostationary state of up to 77% of the cis-isomer and overall thermal half-life of 110 h was identified for the Tet3Di6 species. Overall, this work demonstrates the potential of computational modeling to inform the design of photoresponsive materials and highlights the contrasting effects on the photoswitching properties of the azobenzene moieties on incorporation into the different cage species.

Parametric interaction of laser cavity-solitons with an external CW pump.

We study the interaction of a laser cavity-soliton microcomb with an externally coupled, co-propagating tunable CW pump, observing parametric Kerr interactions which lead to the formation of both a cross-phase modulation and a four-wave mixing replica of the laser cavity-soliton. We compare and explain the dependence of the microcomb spectra from both the cavity-soliton and pump parameters, demonstrating the ability to adjust the microcomb externally without breaking or interfering with the soliton state. The parametric nature of the process agrees with numerical simulations. The parametric extended state maintains the typical robustness of laser-cavity solitons.

Association Between ICD-10 Codes for Social Needs and Subsequent Emergency and Inpatient Use.

BACKGROUND: International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision Z codes capture social needs related to health care encounters and may identify elevated risk of acute care use. OBJECTIVES: To examine associations between Z code assignment and subsequent acute care use and explore associations between social need category and acute care use. RESEARCH DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SUBJECTS: Adults continuously enrolled in a commercial or Medicare Advantage plan for ≥15 months (12-month baseline, 3-48 month follow-up). OUTCOMES: All-cause emergency department (ED) visits and inpatient admissions during study follow-up. RESULTS: There were 352,280 patients with any assigned Z codes and 704,560 sampled controls with no Z codes. Among patients with commercial plans, Z code assignment was associated with a 26% higher rate of ED visits [adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR) 1.26, 95% CI: 1.25-1.27] and 42% higher rate of inpatient admissions (aIRR 1.42, 95% CI: 1.39-1.44) during follow-up. Among patients with Medicare Advantage plans, Z code assignment was associated with 42% (aIRR 1.42, 95% CI: 1.40-1.43) and 28% (aIRR 1.28, 95% CI: 1.26-1.30) higher rates of ED visits and inpatient admissions, respectively. Within the Z code group, relative to community/social codes, socioeconomic Z codes were associated with higher rates of inpatient admissions (commercial: aIRR 1.10, 95% CI: 1.06-1.14; Medicare Advantage: aIRR 1.24, 95% CI 1.20-1.27), and environmental Z codes were associated with lower rates of both primary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Z code assignment was independently associated with higher subsequent emergency and inpatient utilization. Findings suggest Z codes' potential utility for risk prediction and efforts targeting avoidable utilization.

Screening potential dye sensitizers for water splitting photocatalysts using a genetic algorithm.

Addressing the global fossil energy crisis necessitates the efficient utilization of sustainable energy sources. Hydrogen, a green fuel, can be generated using sunlight, water, and a photocatalyst. Employing sensitizers holds promise for enhancing photocatalyst performance, enabling high rates of hydrogen evolution through increased visible light absorption. However, sifting through millions of diverse molecules to identify suitable dyes for specific photocatalysts poses a significant challenge. In this study, we integrate genetic algorithm and geometry-frequency-noncovalent extended tight binding methods to efficiently screen 2.6 million potential sensitizers with a D-π-A-π-AA structure within a short timeframe. Subsequently, these optimized sensitizers are rigorously reassessed by using DFT/TDDFT methods, elucidating why they may serve as superior dyes compared to the reference dye WS5F, particularly in terms of light absorption, driving force, binding energy, etc. Additionally, our methodology uncovers molecular motifs of particular interest, including the furan π-bridge and the double cyano anchoring acceptor, which are prevalent in the most promising set of molecules. The developed genetic algorithm workflow and dye design principles can be extended to various compelling projects, such as dye-sensitized solar cells, organic photovoltaics, photo-induced redox reactions, pharmaceuticals, and beyond.

Mixed-Linker Strategy for the Construction of Sulfone-Containing D-A-A Covalent Organic Frameworks for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Peroxide Production.

The solar-driven photocatalytic production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) from water and oxygen using semiconductor catalysts offers a promising approach for converting solar energy into storable chemical energy. However, the efficiency of photocatalytic H2O2 production is often restricted by the low photo-generated charge separation, slow surface reactions and inadequate stability. Here, we developed a mixed-linker strategy to build a donor-acceptor-acceptor (D-A-A) type covalent organic framework (COF) photocatalyst, FS-OHOMe-COF. The FS-OHOMe-COF structure features extended π-π conjugation that improves charge mobility, while the introduction of sulfone units not only as active sites facilitates surface reactions with water but also bolsters stability through increased interlayer forces. The resulting FS-OHOMe-COF has a low exciton binding energy, long excited-state lifetime and high photo-stability that leads to high performance for photocatalytic H2O2 production (up to 1.0 mM h-1) with an H2O2 output of 19 mM after 72 hours of irradiation. Furthermore, the catalyst demonstrates high stability, which sustained activity over 192 hours of photocatalytic experiment.

Postsurgical Latent Pain Sensitization Is Driven by Descending Serotonergic Facilitation and Masked by µ-Opioid Receptor Constitutive Activity in the Rostral Ventromedial Medulla.

Following tissue injury, latent sensitization (LS) of nociceptive signaling can persist indefinitely, kept in remission by compensatory µ-opioid receptor constitutive activity (MORCA) in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. To demonstrate LS, we conducted plantar incision in mice and then waited 3-4 weeks for hypersensitivity to resolve. At this time (remission), systemic administration of the opioid receptor antagonist/inverse agonist naltrexone reinstated mechanical and heat hypersensitivity. We first tested the hypothesis that LS extends to serotonergic neurons in the rostral ventral medulla (RVM) that convey pronociceptive input to the spinal cord. We report that in male and female mice, hypersensitivity was accompanied by increased Fos expression in serotonergic neurons of the RVM, abolished on chemogenetic inhibition of RVM 5-HT neurons, and blocked by intrathecal injection of the 5-HT3R antagonist ondansetron; the 5-HT2AR antagonist MDL-11 939 had no effect. Second, to test for MORCA, we microinjected the MOR inverse agonist d-Phe-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Arg-Thr-Pen-Thr-NH2 (CTAP) and/or neutral opioid receptor antagonist 6ß-naltrexol. Intra-RVM CTAP produced mechanical hypersensitivity at both hindpaws; 6ß-naltrexol had no effect by itself, but blocked CTAP-induced hypersensitivity. This indicates that MORCA, rather than an opioid ligand-dependent mechanism, maintains LS in remission. We conclude that incision establishes LS in descending RVM 5-HT neurons that drives pronociceptive 5-HT3R signaling in the dorsal horn, and this LS is tonically opposed by MORCA in the RVM. The 5-HT3 receptor is a promising therapeutic target for the development of drugs to prevent the transition from acute to chronic postsurgical pain.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Surgery leads to latent pain sensitization and a compensatory state of endogenous pain control that is maintained long after tissue healing. Here, we show that either chemogenetic inhibition of serotonergic neuron activity in the RVM or pharmacological inhibition of 5-HT3 receptor signaling at the spinal cord blocks behavioral signs of postsurgical latent sensitization. We conclude that MORCA in the RVM opposes descending serotonergic facilitation of LS and that the 5-HT3 receptor is a promising therapeutic target for the development of drugs to prevent the transition from acute to chronic postsurgical pain.

Machine Learning Accelerated Exploration of Ternary Organic Heterojunction Photocatalysts for Sacrificial Hydrogen Evolution.

Donor-acceptor heterojunctions in organic photocatalysts can provide enhanced exciton dissociation and charge separation, thereby improving the photocatalytic activity. However, the wide choice of possible donors and acceptors poses a challenge for the rational design of organic heterojunction photocatalysts, particularly for large ternary phase spaces. We accelerated the exploration of ternary organic heterojunction photocatalysts (TOHP) by using a combination of machine learning and high-throughput experimental screening. This involved 736 experiments in all, out of possible 4320 ternary combinations. The top ten most active TOHPs discovered using this strategy showed outstanding sacrificial hydrogen production rates of more than 500 mmol g-1 h-1, with the most active ternary material reaching a rate of 749.8 mmol g-1 h-1 under 1 sun illumination. These rates of photocatalytic hydrogen generation are among the highest reported for organic photocatalysts in the literature.

Soft Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Frameworks Constructed Using a Flexible Organic Cage Hinge.

Soft porous crystals combine flexibility and porosity, allowing them to respond structurally to external physical and chemical environments. However, striking the right balance between flexibility and sufficient rigidity for porosity is challenging, particularly for molecular crystals formed by using weak intermolecular interactions. Here, we report a flexible oxygen-bridged prismatic organic cage molecule, Cage-6-COOH, which has three pillars that exhibit "hinge-like" rotational motion in the solid state. Cage-6-COOH can form a range of hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) where the "hinge" can accommodate a remarkable 67° dihedral angle range between neighboring units. This stems both from flexibility in the noncovalent hydrogen-bonding motifs in the HOFs and the molecular flexibility in the oxygen-linked cage hinge itself. The range of structures for Cage-6-COOH includes two topologically complex interpenetrated HOFs, CageHOF-2α and CageHOF-2ß. CageHOF-2α is nonporous, while CageHOF-2ß has permanent porosity and a surface area of 458 m2 g-1. The flexibility of Cage-6-COOH allows this molecule to rapidly transform from a low-crystallinity solid into the two crystalline interpenetrated HOFs, CageHOF-2α and CageHOF-2ß, under mild conditions simply by using acetonitrile or ethanol vapor, respectively. This self-healing behavior was selective, with the CageHOF-2ß structure exhibiting structural memory behavior.

A smart and responsive crystalline porous organic cage membrane with switchable pore apertures for graded molecular sieving.

Membranes with high selectivity offer an attractive route to molecular separations, where technologies such as distillation and chromatography are energy intensive. However, it remains challenging to fine tune the structure and porosity in membranes, particularly to separate molecules of similar size. Here, we report a process for producing composite membranes that comprise crystalline porous organic cage films fabricated by interfacial synthesis on a polyacrylonitrile support. These membranes exhibit ultrafast solvent permeance and high rejection of organic dyes with molecular weights over 600 g mol-1. The crystalline cage film is dynamic, and its pore aperture can be switched in methanol to generate larger pores that provide increased methanol permeance and higher molecular weight cut-offs (1,400 g mol-1). By varying the water/methanol ratio, the film can be switched between two phases that have different selectivities, such that a single, 'smart' crystalline membrane can perform graded molecular sieving. We exemplify this by separating three organic dyes in a single-stage, single-membrane process.

Photoresponsive Type III Porous Liquids.

Porous materials are the subject of extensive research because of potential applications in areas such as gas adsorption and molecular separations. Until recently, most porous materials were solids, but there is now an emerging class of materials known as porous liquids. The incorporation of intrinsic porosity or cavities in a liquid can result in free-flowing materials that are capable of gas uptakes that are significantly higher than conventional non-porous liquids. A handful of porous liquids have also been investigated for gas separations. Until now, the release of gas from porous liquids has relied on molecular displacement (e.g., by adding small solvent molecules), pressure or temperature swings, or sonication. Here, we explore a new method of gas release which involves photoisomerisable porous liquids comprising a photoresponsive MOF dispersed in an ionic liquid. This results in the selective uptake of CO2 over CH4 and allows gas release to be controlled by using UV light.

Controlling the Crystallisation and Hydration State of Crystalline Porous Organic Salts.

Crystalline porous organic salts (CPOS) are a subclass of molecular crystals. The low solubility of CPOS and their building blocks limits the choice of crystallisation solvents to water or polar alcohols, hindering the isolation, scale-up, and scope of the porous material. In this work, high throughput screening was used to expand the solvent scope, resulting in the identification of a new porous salt, CPOS-7, formed from tetrakis(4-sulfophenyl)methane (TSPM) and tetrakis(4-aminophenyl)methane (TAPM). CPOS-7 does not form with standard solvents for CPOS, rather a hydrated phase (Hydrate2920) previously reported is isolated. Initial attempts to translate the crystallisation to batch led to challenges with loss of crystallinity and Hydrate2920 forming favorably in the presence of excess water. Using acetic acid as a dehydrating agent hindered formation of Hydrate2920 and furthermore allowed for direct conversion to CPOS-7. To allow for direct formation of CPOS-7 in high crystallinity flow chemistry was used for the first time to circumvent the issues found in batch. CPOS-7 and Hydrate2920 were shown to have promise for water and CO2 capture, with CPOS-7 having a CO2 uptake of 4.3 mmol/g at 195 K, making it one of the most porous CPOS reported to date.

HbA1c trajectories over 3 years in people with type 2 diabetes starting second-line glucose-lowering therapy: The prospective global DISCOVER study.

AIM: To identify distinct HbA1c trajectories in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) starting second-line glucose-lowering therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: DISCOVER was a 3-year observational study of individuals with T2D beginning second-line glucose-lowering therapy. Data were collected at initiation of second-line treatment (baseline) and at 6, 12, 24 and 36 months. Latent class growth modelling was used to identify groups with distinct HbA1c trajectories. RESULTS: After exclusions, 9295 participants were assessed. Four distinct HbA1c trajectories were identified. Mean HbA1c levels decreased between baseline and 6 months in all groups; 72.4% of participants showed stable good levels of glycaemic control over the remainder of follow-up, 18.0% showed stable moderate levels of glycaemic control and 2.9% showed stable poor levels of glycaemic control. Only 6.7% of participants showed highly improved glycaemic control at month 6 and stable control over the rest of follow-up. For all groups, dual oral therapy use decreased over time, compensated for by the increasing use of other treatment regimens. Use of injectable agents increased over time in groups with moderate and poor glycaemic control. Logistic regression models suggested that participants from high-income countries were more probable to be in the stable good trajectory group. CONCLUSIONS: Most people receiving second-line glucose-lowering treatment in this global cohort achieved stable good or highly improved long-term glycaemic control. One-fifth of participants showed moderate or poor glycaemic control during follow-up. Further large-scale studies are required to characterize possible factors associated with patterns of glycaemic control to inform personalized diabetes treatment.