A digital twin of the infant microbiome to predict neurodevelopmental deficits.

Despite the recognized gut-brain axis link, natural variations in microbial profiles between patients hinder definition of normal abundance ranges, confounding the impact of dysbiosis on infant neurodevelopment. We infer a digital twin of the infant microbiome, forecasting ecosystem trajectories from a few initial observations. Using 16S ribosomal RNA profiles from 88 preterm infants (398 fecal samples and 32,942 abundance estimates for 91 microbial classes), the model (Q-net) predicts abundance dynamics with R2 = 0.69. Contrasting the fit to Q-nets of typical versus suboptimal development, we can reliably estimate individual deficit risk (Mδ) and identify infants achieving poor future head circumference growth with ≈76% area under the receiver operator characteristic curve, 95% ± 1.8% positive predictive value at 98% specificity at 30 weeks postmenstrual age. We find that early transplantation might mitigate risk for ≈45.2% of the cohort, with potentially negative effects from incorrect supplementation. Q-nets are generative artificial intelligence models for ecosystem dynamics, with broad potential applications.

Stereoselection in Intramolecular Diels-Alder Reactions of 2-Cyano-1-azadienes: Indolizidine and Quinolizidine Synthesis.

Progress toward understanding the scope and diastereoselectivity of intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions using 2-cyano-1-azadienes is described herein. The resulting cyanoenamine products are underutilized intermediates in organic synthesis. Assembly of the Diels-Alder precursors was achieved using an improved imine condensation/oxidative cyanation protocol. By this method, several highly substituted indolizidine and quinolizidine architectures were constructed. Quantum mechanical DFT calculations at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d) level of theory were performed for these cyclizations and provide insights into the origins of the observed diastereoselectivities.

Studies toward the synthesis of palhinine lycopodium alkaloids: a Morita-Baylis-Hillman/intramolecular Diels-Alder approach.

A synthetic route to the isotwistane core of palhinine lycopodium alkaloids is described. A Morita-Baylis-Hillman/intramolecular Diels-Alder (IMDA) strategy sets the vicinal all-carbon quaternary centers present in this family of natural products. The regioselectivity of the IMDA reaction is dictated by the conditions employed for silyl enol ether formation, with one set of conditions providing the core of cardionine and alternate conditions generating the desired isotwistane core of isopalhinine.

Origins of regio- and stereochemistry in type 2 intramolecular N-acylnitroso Diels-Alder reactions: a computational study of tether length and substituent effects.

Quantum mechanical calculations have been used to investigate type 2 intramolecular N-acylnitroso Diels-Alder reactions. Experimentally observed regioselectivities and diastereoselectivities of these reactions have been reproduced using B3LYP/6-31+G(d) DFT calculations. The factors that govern selectivity (i.e., tether length, tether substitution and diene substitution) were systematically investigated. Tethers less than 6 carbon atoms lead to 1,3-regioisomers due to conformational restrictions. Substituents on the tether lead to diastereoselective outcomes dictated by transannular interactions in the transition states. The modest diastereoselectivity of diene-substituted substrates is rationalized as arising from reduction of eclipsing interactions in the flattened diene transition states. This method should prove valuable for planning syntheses involving type 2 intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions.