MALT1 accelerates proatherogenic vascular smooth muscle cell growth, invasion and synthetic phenotype switching via nuclear factor‑κB signaling‑dependent way.

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1 (MALT1) modulates T helper cell differentiation and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway-mediated inflammation and potentially regulates lipid metabolism, which are all critical factors involved in atherosclerosis. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of MALT1 on the cellular functions of proatherogenic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Therefore, to establish a human proatherogenic VSMC model, VSMCs were treated with different doses of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL).

Potential antibacterial ethanol-bridged purine azole hybrids as dual-targeting inhibitors of MRSA.

A new class of antibacterial ethanol-bridged purine azole hybrids as potential dual-targeting inhibitors was developed. Bioactivity evaluation showed that some of the target compounds had prominent antibacterial activity against the tested bacteria, notably, metronidazole hybrid 3a displayed significant inhibitory activity against MRSA (MIC = 6 μM), and had no obvious toxicity on normal mammalian cells (RAW 264.7).

One-Pot Synthesis of 2,4-Diacyl Thiophenes from α-Oxo Ketene Dithioacetals and Propargylic Alcohols.

Although thiophenes having various functionalities are the basic structural units in numerous bioactive compounds and optoelectronic materials, synthetic routes to acylated thiophenes from aliphatic sulfur-containing starting materials are still rare. In particular, there have been no reports concerning the straightforward synthesis of 2,4-diacylthiophenes from alkynes. Herein, we describe a highly efficient and metal-free three-step one-pot synthetic approach to tetrasubstituted 2,4-diacylthiophenes from propargylic alcohols and α-oxo ketene dithioacetals.

Knockdown of long noncoding RNA DLEU1 suppresses the progression of renal cell carcinoma by downregulating the Akt pathway.

Increasing evidence has indicated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in the tumorigenesis and progression of various types of cancer. The lncRNA deleted in lymphocytic leukemia 1 (DLEU1) has been reported to be dysregulated in cancer cells and thus associated with tumor development; however, the role of DLEU1 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains unclear. In the present study, DLEU1 was knocked down using small interfering RNA in the RCC cell lines KETR3 and 786‑O to determine the role of DLEU1.

Direct-Indirect Transition of Pressurized Two-Dimensional Halide Perovskite: Role of Benzene Ring Stack Ordering.

Two-dimensional (2D) hybrid organic-inorganic metal halide perovskites (HOIPs) with considerably hydrophobic phenyl ethylammonium (PEA) organic cations have been used in highly efficient solar cells and LEDs, which are stable and enjoy a long lifetime, even when exposed to moisture. Different from other 2D HOIPs with alkyl amine cations, a benzene ring is present in the PEA cation. Until recently, an understanding of the effects of PEA on the structural, electronic, and optical properties of 2D HOIPs under pressure has remained limited.

Hypoxia induced microRNA-301b-3p overexpression promotes proliferation, migration and invasion of prostate cancer cells by targeting LRP1B.

Prostate cancer is a high burden on society worldwide due to its high morbidity and mortality. Growing evidence has implicated microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) in the occurrence and progression of prostate cancer. The present study was conducted with main emphasis put on the possible effect of hypoxia-induced miR-301b-3p on prostate cancer by targeting low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1B (LRP1B).

Access to Multisubstituted Furan-3-carbothioates via Cascade Annulation of α-Oxo Ketene Dithioacetals with Isoindoline-1,3-dione-Derived Propargyl Alcohols.

A Brønsted acid-promoted, unprecedented formal (3 + 2) annulation strategy for the synthesis of multisubstituted furan-3-carbothioates is reported. This transformation represents the first regioselective annulation of α-oxo ketene dithio-acetals as 1,3-bis-nucleophiles in a cascade manner. The choice of isoindoline-1,3-dione-derived propargyl alcohols is crucial to the uncommon annulation mode between an alkyne-type bis-electrophile and a 1,3-bis-nucleophile under metal-free conditions.

Correlated High-Pressure Phase Sequence of VO under Strong Compression.

Understanding how the structures of a crystal behave under compression is a fundamental issue both for condensed matter physics and for geoscience. Traditional description of a crystal as the stacking of a unit cell with special symmetry has gained much success on the analysis of physical properties. Unfortunately, it is hard to reveal the relationship between the compressed phases.

Metal-free phosphonation of heteroarene N-oxides with trialkyl phosphite at room temperature.

A new protocol is described for the conversion of heteroarene N-oxides to heteroarylphosphonates through in situ activation with bromotrichloromethane. The N-oxides of isoquinoline, quinoline, quinoxaline and 1,10-phenanthroline were fast transformed into the corresponding heteroarylphosphonates in up to 92% yield under mild conditions in the absence of solvent and metal catalysts. The good functional group tolerance, low cost, feasibility of scale up, and wide availability of reagents make this method a prominent complement to the Hirao coupling.

Giant Pressure-Driven Lattice Collapse Coupled with Intermetallic Bonding and Spin-State Transition in Manganese Chalcogenides.

Materials with an abrupt volume collapse of more than 20 % during a pressure-induced phase transition are rarely reported. In such an intriguing phenomenon, the lattice may be coupled with dramatic changes of orbital and/or the spin-state of the transition metal. A combined in situ crystallography and electron spin-state study to probe the mechanism of the pressure-driven lattice collapse in MnS and MnSe is presented.

Unusual Mott transition in multiferroic PbCrO3.

The Mott insulator in correlated electron systems arises from classical Coulomb repulsion between carriers to provide a powerful force for electron localization. Turning such an insulator into a metal, the so-called Mott transition, is commonly achieved by "bandwidth" control or "band filling." However, both mechanisms deviate from the original concept of Mott, which attributes such a transition to the screening of Coulomb potential and associated lattice contraction.

Developments in time-resolved high pressure x-ray diffraction using rapid compression and decompression.

Complementary advances in high pressure research apparatus and techniques make it possible to carry out time-resolved high pressure research using what would customarily be considered static high pressure apparatus. This work specifically explores time-resolved high pressure x-ray diffraction with rapid compression and/or decompression of a sample in a diamond anvil cell. Key aspects of the synchrotron beamline and ancillary equipment are presented, including source considerations, rapid (de)compression apparatus, high frequency imaging detectors, and software suitable for processing large volumes of data.

Nanoarchitectured materials composed of fullerene-like spheroids and disordered graphene layers with tunable mechanical properties.

Type-II glass-like carbon is a widely used material with a unique combination of properties including low density, high strength, extreme impermeability to gas and liquid and resistance to chemical corrosion. It can be considered as a carbon-based nanoarchitectured material, consisting of a disordered multilayer graphene matrix encasing numerous randomly distributed nanosized fullerene-like spheroids. Here we show that under both hydrostatic compression and triaxial deformation, this high-strength material is highly compressible and exhibits a superelastic ability to recover from large strains.

Carbon coated face-centered cubic Ru-C nanoalloys.

Carbon-encapsulated ruthenium-carbon (Ru-C) nanoalloys were synthesized by dynamic shocks. The Ru-C alloy shows a new fcc structure different from the original hcp structure of metal Ru. This fcc phase is assigned to a Ru32C4 solid solution with a lattice parameter of 3.

Novel high-pressure monoclinic metallic phase of V2O3.

Vanadium sesquioxide, V2O3, is a prototypical metal-to-insulator system where, in temperature-dependent studies, the transition always coincides with a corundum-to-monoclinic structural transition. As a function of pressure, V2O3 follows the expected behavior of increased metallicity due to a larger bandwidth for pressures up to 12.5 GPa.

Enhanced electron transport in Nb-doped TiO2 nanoparticles via pressure-induced phase transitions.

Anatase TiO2 is one of the most important energy materials but suffers from poor electrical conductivity. Nb doping has been considered as an effective way to improve its performance in the applications of photocatalysis, solar cells, Li batteries, and transparent conducting oxide films. Here, we report the further enhancement of electron transport in Nb-doped TiO2 nanoparticles via pressure-induced phase transitions.

Pressure-induced amorphization in single-crystal Ta2O5 nanowires: a kinetic mechanism and improved electrical conductivity.

Pressure-induced amorphization (PIA) in single-crystal Ta2O5 nanowires is observed at 19 GPa, and the obtained amorphous Ta2O5 nanowires show significant improvement in electrical conductivity. The phase transition process is unveiled by monitoring structural evolution with in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction, pair distribution function, Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The first principles calculations reveal the phonon modes softening during compression at particular bonds, and the analysis on the electron localization function also shows bond strength weakening at the same positions.

Measurement of the energy dependence of X-ray-induced decomposition of potassium chlorate.

We report the first measurements of the X-ray induced decomposition of KClO3 as a function of energy in two experiments. KClO3 was pressurized to 3.5 GPa and irradiated with monochromatic synchrotron X-rays ranging in energy from 15 to 35 keV in 5 keV increments.

Charge transfer in spinel Co3O4 at high pressures.

Charge transfer in cobalt oxide Co(3)O(4) in the spinel structure is evidenced by experimental results using x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, and Raman scattering at high pressures up to 42.1, 24.6 and 35.

Note: Experiments in hard x-ray chemistry: in situ production of molecular hydrogen and x-ray induced combustion.

We have successfully loaded H(2) into a diamond anvil cell at high pressure using the synchrotron x-ray induced decomposition of NH(3)BH(3). In a second set of studies, radiation-assisted release of O(2) from KCLO(3), H(2) release from NH(3)BH(3), and reaction of these gases in a mixture of the reactants to form liquid water using x-rays at ambient conditions was observed. Similar observations were made using a KCLO(3) and NaBH(4) mixture.

Note: A novel method for in situ loading of gases via x-ray induced chemistry.

We have developed and demonstrated a novel method to load oxygen in a sealed diamond anvil cell via the x-ray induced decomposition of potassium chlorate. By irradiating a pressurized sample of an oxidizer (KClO(3)) with either monochromatic or white beam x-rays from the Advanced Photon Source at ambient temperature and variable pressure, we succeeded in creating a localized region of molecular oxygen surrounded by unreacted sample which was confirmed via Raman spectroscopy. We anticipate that this technique will be useful in loading even more challenging, difficult-to-load gases such as hydrogen and also to load multiple gases.

Exploring intertrimer Cu...Cu interactions and further phosphorescent properties of aryl trimer copper(I) Pyrazolates via substituent changing and external pressure.

To explore the effect of intertrimer Cu...