High-pressure synthesis and crystal structure analysis of PbTeO, a UV transparent material.

Using the additional parameter pressure (Walker-type multianvil device), the lead(II) oxidotellurate(VI) PbTeO was synthesized at conditions of 8 GPa and 750 °C, and for the first time its crystal structure was determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. PbTeO crystallizes with four formula units in the monoclinic space group 2/ with unit cell parameters = 5.4142(4), = 4.

A Comparative Study of a High-Pressure Polymorph of IO and its Ambient-Pressure Modification.

A hitherto unknown modification of IO was obtained from high-pressure/high-temperature syntheses in a Walker-type multianvil device at 8 GPa and 250 °C. HP-IO crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system with space group P2/c (no. 14) with the unit cell parameters a=12.

Disease-associated mutations in C-terminus of HSP70 interacting protein (CHIP) impair its ability to negatively regulate mitophagy.

C-terminus of HSP70 interacting protein (CHIP) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase and HSP70 cochaperone. Mutations in the CHIP encoding gene are the cause of two neurodegenerative conditions: spinocerebellar ataxia autosomal dominant type 48 (SCA48) and autosomal recessive type 16 (SCAR16). The mechanisms underlying CHIP-associated diseases are currently unknown.

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor as Potential Biomarker for COVID-19 Severity.

Introduction: COVID-19 is characterized by immunological responses to viral replication and coherent with endothelitis, microvascular disturbance of lung vasculature and coagulopathy. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is a proangiogenic mediator regulating endothelial changes. It is induced by proinflammatory signaling and hypoxia.

Polymorphism and polymorph-dependent luminescence properties of the first lithium oxonitridolithosilicate LiSiNO:Eu.

Building on studies of monoclinic LiSiNO, a polymorph, β-LiSiNO, with a previously unknown structure type was synthesized. The β-phase crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group (no. 61) with lattice parameters of = 18.

Theoretical and Al NMR Spectroscopic Investigations of Binary Intermetallic Alkaline-Earth Aluminides.

The binary alkaline-earth aluminides Al ( = Ca and Sr) and Al ( = Ca-Ba) have been synthesized from the elements and investigated via powder X-ray diffraction experiments. CaAl adopts the cubic MgCu-type structure (3̅), while SrAl crystallizes in the orthorhombic KHg-type (). LT-CaAl crystallizes with the monoclinic CaGa-type (2/), while HT-CaAl, SrAl, and BaAl adopt the tetragonal BaAl-type structure (4/).

First ternary tungsten tellurate(IV) WTeO with unique crystal structure type.

At multianvil high-pressure/high-temperature conditions of 10 GPa and 1273 K, the first ternary tungsten tellurate WTeO is formed, starting from a stoichiometric mixture of WO and TeO. The compound crystallizes triclinic in a hitherto unknown crystal structure type with the space group 1̄; (no. 2), and was refined from single-crystal X-ray diffractometer data: = 538.

The crystal structure and luminescence properties of the first lithium oxonitridolithosilicate LiSiNO:Eu.

The compound LiSiNO:Eu was synthesized in high temperature solid-state reactions in weld shut tantalum ampules and the crystal structure of LiSiNO has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. It crystallizes in the monoclinic space group 2/ (no. 15) with the lattice parameters = 1049.

Coronavirus Disease 2019-Related Alterations of Total and Anti-Spike IgG Glycosylation in Relation to Age and Anti-Spike IgG Titer.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been affecting the world since January 2020 and has caused millions of deaths. To gain a better insight into molecular changes underlying the COVID-19 disease, we investigated here the -glycosylation of three immunoglobulin G (IgG) fractions isolated from plasma of 35 severe COVID-19 patients, namely total IgG, total IgG, and anti-Spike IgG, by means of MALDI-TOF-MS. All analyses were performed at the glycopeptide level to assure subclass- and site-specific information.

Association of Genetic Polymorphisms of Fibrinogen, Factor XIII A-Subunit and α-Antiplasmin with Fibrinogen Levels in Pregnant Women.

Fibrinogen synthesis is stimulated by proinflammatory triggers and depends on α-, β- and γ-fibrinogen (, , ) genotypes. Constellations of fibrinogen, factor XIII A-subunit () and α-antiplasmin () genotypes predisposing for dense fibrin gels with high antifibrinolytic capacity (e.g.

Coexistence of Two Different Distorted Octahedral [MnF ] Sites in K [MnF ]: Manifestation in Spectroscopy and Magnetism.

As a consequence of the static Jahn-Teller effect of the E ground state of Mn in cubic structures with octahedral parent geometries, their octahedral coordination spheres become distorted. In the case of six fluorido ligands, [MnF ] anions with two longer and four shorter Mn-F bonds making elongated octahedra are usually observed. Herein, we report the synthesis of the compound K [MnF ] through a high-temperature approach and its crystallization by a high-pressure/high-temperature route.

C-terminus of Hsp70 Interacting Protein (CHIP) and Neurodegeneration: Lessons from the Bench and Bedside.

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the increasing dysfunction and death of neurons, resulting in progressive impairment of a person's mobility and/or cognition. Protein misfolding and aggregation are commonly hypothesized to cause neurotoxicity and, eventually, neuronal degeneration that are associated with these diseases. Emerging experimental evidence, as well as recent findings from human studies, reveal that the C-terminus of Hsp70 Interacting Protein (CHIP), or STIP1 Homology and U-box containing Protein 1 (STUB1), is a quality control protein involved in neurodegeneration.

Conditional Single Vector CRISPR/SaCas9 Viruses for Efficient Mutagenesis in the Adult Mouse Nervous System.

Mice engineered for conditional, cell type-specific gene inactivation have dominated the field of mouse genetics because of the high efficiency of Cre-loxP-mediated recombination. Recent advances in CRISPR/Cas9 technologies have provided alternatives for rapid gene mutagenesis for loss-of-function (LOF) analysis. Whether these strategies can be streamlined for rapid genetic analysis with the efficiencies comparable with those of conventional genetic approaches has yet to be established.

La B O (OH): The First Acentric High-Pressure Borate Displaying Edge-Sharing BO Tetrahedra.

La B O (OH) was obtained by a high-pressure/high-temperature experiment at 6 GPa and 1673 K. The compound crystallizes in the space group P2 (no. 4) with the lattice parameters a=4.

Synergy of Distinct Dopamine Projection Populations in Behavioral Reinforcement.

Dopamine neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) regulate reward association and motivation. It remains unclear whether there are distinct dopamine populations to mediate these functions. Using mouse genetics, we isolated two populations of dopamine-producing VTA neurons with divergent projections to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core and shell.

Hepatitis C Core-Antigen Testing from Dried Blood Spots.

In order to expand hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening, a change in the diagnostic paradigm is warranted to improve accessibility and decrease costs, such as utilizing dried blood spot (DBS) collection. In our study, blood from 68 patients with chronic HCV infection was spotted onto DBS cards and stored at the following temperatures for one week: -80 °C, 4 °C, 21 °C, 37 °C, and alternating 37 °C and 4 °C; to assess whether temperature change during transportation would affect sensitivity. Sample was eluted from the DBS cards and tested for HCV antibodies (HCV-Ab) and HCV core antigen (core-Ag).

Ferroelastic lattice rotation and band-gap engineering in quasi 2D layered-structure PdSe under uniaxial stress.

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have attracted extensive attention in recent years for their novel physical and chemical properties as well as promising applications in the future. In the present paper, based on first-principles simulations, we focused on the bulk of the TMDC material PdSe and provided new insights into its unique structural properties and electronic structures under uniaxial stress. For the first time, we revealed that this orthorhombic PdSe is an intrinsic ferroelastic material with stress-driven 90° lattice rotation in the layer stacking direction.

UF and the High-Pressure Polymorph HP-UF.

A laboratory-scale synthesis of UF is presented that utilizes the reduction of UF with sulfur in anhydrous hydrogen fluoride. An excess of sulfur can be removed by vacuum sublimation, yielding pure UF , as shown by powder X-ray diffraction, micro X-ray fluorescence analysis, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, as well as magnetic measurements. Furthermore, a single-crystalline, high-pressure modification of UF was obtained in a multi-anvil press at elevated temperatures.

Dopamine Neurons Reflect the Uncertainty in Fear Generalization.

Generalized fear is a maladaptive behavior in which non-threatening stimuli elicit a fearful response. Here, we demonstrate that discrimination between predictive and non-predictive threat stimuli is highly sensitive to probabilistic discounting and increasing threat intensity in mice. We find that dopamine neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) encode both the negative valence of threat-predictive cues and the certainty of threat prediction.

LiCoTeO: synthesis, single-crystal structure and physical properties of a new tellurate compound with Co/Co mixed valence and orthogonally oriented Li-ion channels.

A tellurate compound with Co/Co mixed valence states and lithium ions within orthogonally oriented channels was realized in LiCoTeO. The single-crystal structure determination revealed two independent and interpenetrating Li/O and (Co,Te)/O substructures with octahedral oxygen coordination of the metal atoms. In contrast to other mixed oxides, a honeycomb-like ordering of CoO and TeO octahedra was not observed.

Hotspots of missense mutation identify neurodevelopmental disorder genes and functional domains.

Although de novo missense mutations have been predicted to account for more cases of autism than gene-truncating mutations, most research has focused on the latter. We identified the properties of de novo missense mutations in patients with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and highlight 35 genes with excess missense mutations. Additionally, 40 amino acid sites were recurrently mutated in 36 genes, and targeted sequencing of 20 sites in 17,688 patients with NDD identified 21 new patients with identical missense mutations.

Verbeekite, the Long-Unknown Crystal Structure of Monoclinic PdSe.

Verbeekite, a monoclinic polymorph of PdSe, was reported for the first time in 2002 by Roberts et al. The mineral has been discovered in the Musonoi Cu-Co-Mn-U mine, Democratic Republic of Congo, and was named after Dr. Théodore Verbeek, the first geoscientist who studied the palladium mineralization there (1955-1967).