Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are byproducts of normal cellular metabolism and play important roles in cell signaling and immune defense. However, when their production exceeds the cell’s antioxidant capacity, ROS accumulation leads to oxidative stress, damaging proteins, lipids, and DNA. In the brain, this oxidative imbalance has been closely linked to the development and progression of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Under normal conditions, superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes play a key role in protecting cells by breaking down harmful superoxide radicals. Yet, reduced SOD activity and impaired regulation have been consistently observed in patients with neurodegeneration, including Alzheimer’s disease. Small-molecule mimics of SOD, therefore, represent a promising therapeutic approach. In this study, we evaluate an expanded library of tetra-aza macrocyclic ligands chelating either copper or manganese metals. Mechanistic analysis reveals how structural modifications to the macrocyclic ring, particularly R-group substitutions that alter steric environment and electronic properties, directly influence catalytic reactivity and stability. Evaluation of Cu- and Mn-based complexes highlights distinct trends in activity and identifies structural motifs that enhance SOD-like function. These findings provide design principles for developing antioxidant therapeutics targeting oxidative stress.

“Superfrog Science: Experiments for at Home and in the Classroom” is a creative endeavor that encourages young scientists to get curious about science and help learn a variety of chemistry concepts. This book is a visual representation of the importance of exploring the bounds of creativity in science. Join Superfrog as he goes on a learning adventure conducting science experiments and using the scientific method to deepen his knowledge about chemistry, making it easy to learn by conducting each experiment with easy-to-follow comic panels. This book strives to make science experiments accessible, affordable, and fun. It is perfect for encouraging hands-on learning, with in-depth explanations of the “how” and “why” of these experiments. Superfrog asks discussion questions and provides variations of the experiments to get his students to think about cause-and-effect and variable manipulation when it comes to the scientific process, as well as encourage collaboration with his peers. The educational activities featured are made for scientific discovery inside and outside the classroom. Make chemistry fun and easy with Superfrog!

Riboswitches are structured RNA elements that regulate gene expression through ligand-induced conformational changes and provide a platform for engineering cell-based biosensors. By coupling aptamers to reporter genes, synthetic riboswitches enable small-molecule–dependent detection of clinically relevant metabolites. This study focuses on sarcosine, associated with prostate cancer progression, and urate, linked to gout. Two sarcosine-responsive candidates were evaluated in E. coli using β-galactosidase and GFP reporter systems. Although construct integrity was confirmed, neither candidate demonstrated ligand-dependent activation in CDR or minimal media, suggesting insufficient regulatory activity under tested conditions. In parallel, a urate-responsive riboswitch library underwent dual selection with chloramphenicol resistance for positive selection and 5-fluorouracil counterselection for negative selection. After multiple selection rounds and screening of 192 colonies, no urate-specific variants were identified. Increasing chloramphenicol concentration to strengthen positive selection similarly yielded no hits. Future work will focus on further increasing both positive and negative selection intensity to enhance enrichment of functional variants and improve development of RNA-based biosensors for accessible metabolite detection. Additionally, future efforts will explore the adenine riboswitch library as a potential platform for developing novel biomarker detection systems.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a gaseous free-radical 2° messenger with a physiological half-life of 3-5 seconds. Overexpression of the cytoprotective NO can lead to high concentrations of cytotoxic peroxynitrite (OONO^-), causing nitroxidative stress. Studies have shown that nitroxidative stress can be implicated as an etiology of several inflammatory diseases, such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) or Parkinson’s Disease (PD). A solution to counter nitroxidative stress is the biomimicry of the enzyme Nitric Oxide Dioxygenase (NOD). The enzymic activity of NOD relies on a heme active site, where excess NO is scavenged to produce nitrate (NO_3^-), a less potent oxidant. Several groups have successfully mimicked this activity; however, it has been restricted to water-insoluble, large molecules (porphyrin rings). While other antioxidant enzymes such as Superoxide Dismutase and Catalase have been successfully mimicked with water-soluble, metal-centered, non-heme scaffolds, to date, there have been no reports of water-soluble non-heme mimics of NOD activity. It is the Green Group’s goal to explore the possibility of developing a molecule capable of NOD enzymic activity. Therefore, theoretical feasibility of this reaction was explored using Density Functional Theory (DFT) as well as Conformer-Rotamer Ensemble Sampling Tool (CREST). Current data shows that based on an energy screening of several simple-to-complex tetra-aza small molecules, the reaction is successful both in gas phase and in water (implicit and explicit solvation). Additionally, computational intermediate spin states have, so far, matched those reported experimentally. Energy diagrams were then proposed based on the most stable ground state energies of structural intermediates. This data provides, for the first time, a new perspective on the possibility of the successful biomimicry of NOD with non-heme, water-soluble, tetra-aza small molecules.

Interactive Querying and Visualization of Solar Events

Author: Thu My Banh, Cathy Nguyen, Pandey Chetraj

Access to structured solar flare event data is essential for space weather (SWx) research, operational analysis, and machine learning applications. While the solar flare event archive maintained by the Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory (LMSAL) provides a widely used curated record of flare activity, the archive is primarily accessible through static web interfaces rather than a programmable query system. This makes automated filtering, dataset generation, and large-scale analysis difficult for researchers. To address this limitation, we developed a full-stack web application that provides programmatic access to LMSAL solar flare event records through a queryable API. A Python-based data ingestion pipeline retrieves and deduplicates event information from LMSAL’s rolling snapshot archive and stores it in a structured format. A FastAPI backend exposes endpoints that allow users to filter events by date range and GOES flare classification, enabling rapid dataset generation for analysis workflows. The frontend, implemented in React, allows users to query the event catalog, visualize results in a structured table, and export filtered datasets as CSV or JSON files. To improve data reliability and context, the system cross-references LMSAL event records with NOAA solar flare catalogs, allowing users to compare event metadata across independent data sources. Additionally, the application integrates with the Helioviewer API to display solar imagery corresponding to each event, with derived heliographic positions overlaid onto the solar disk to provide spatial context. The resulting system provides a lightweight platform for exploring, querying, and exporting solar flare event data, lowering the barrier to accessing operational flare records and facilitating dataset generation for space weather analysis and predictive modeling.