MAPKs are highly abundant but do not contribute to α1-adrenergic contraction of rat saphenous arteries in the early postnatal period

Previously, the abundance of p42/44 and p38 MAPK proteins had been shown to be higher in arteries of 1- to 2-week-old compared to 2- to 3-month-old rats. However, the role of MAPKs in vascular tone regulation in early ontogenesis remains largely unexplored. We tested the hypothesis that the contribution of p42/44 and p38 MAPKs to the contraction of peripheral arteries is higher in the early postnatal period compared to adulthood. Saphenous arteries of 1- to 2-week-old and 2- to 3-month-old rats were studied using wire myography and western blotting. The α(1)-adrenoceptor agonist methoxamine did not increase the phosphorylation level of p38 MAPK in either 1- to 2-week-old or 2- to 3-month-old rats. Accordingly, inhibition of p38 MAPK did not affect arterial contraction to methoxamine in either age group. Methoxamine increased the phosphorylation level of p42/44 MAPKs in arteries of 2- to 3-month-old and of p44 MAPK in 1- to 2-week-old rats. Inhibition of p42/44 MAPKs reduced methoxamine-induced contractions in arteries of 2- to 3-month-old, but not 1- to 2-week-old rats. Thus, despite a high abundance in arterial tissue, p38 and p42/44 MAPKs do not regulate contraction of the saphenous artery in the early postnatal period. However, p42/44 MAPK activity contributes to arterial contractions in adult rats

Water-soluble hybrid materials based on {Mo₆X₈}⁴⁺ (X = Cl, Br, I) cluster complexes and sodium polystyrene sulfonate

Development of water-soluble forms of octahedral molybdenum clusters {Mo₆X₈}⁴⁺ (X = Cl, Br, I) is strongly motivated by the tremendous potential that these complexes have for biological applications, namely as agents for bioimaging and photodynamic therapy. In these work we report the first water-soluble hybrid materials, which represent sodium polystyrene sulfonate doped by molybdenum clusters, and evaluation of their photophysical and biological properties (dark and photoinduced cytotoxicity and cellular uptake) with the use of cervical cancer (HeLa) and human epidermoid larynx carcinoma (Hep-2) cell-lines as models

Cellular internalisation, bioimaging and dark and photodynamic cytotoxicity of silica nanoparticles doped by {Mo₆I₈}⁴⁺ metal clusters

Silica nanoparticles (SNPs) doped by hexanuclear molybdenum cluster complexes [{Mo₆X₈}L₆]n (X = Cl, Br, or I; L = various inorganic or organic ligands) have been recently suggested as materials with a high potential for biomedical applications due to both the outstanding photoluminescent properties and the ability to efficiently generate singlet oxygen upon photoirradiation. However, no studies were undertaken so far to prove this concept. Therefore, here we examined the potential of photoluminescent SNPs doped by {Mo₆I₈}⁴⁺ for such applications as bioimaging and photodynamic therapy using human epidermoid larynx carcinoma (Hep-2) cell line as a model. Our results demonstrated both: (i) significant luminescence from cells with internalised molybdenum cluster doped SNPs combined with the low cytotoxicity of particles in the darkness and (ii) significant cytotoxicity of the particles upon photoirradiation. Thus, this research provides strong experimental evidence for high potential of molybdenum cluster doped materials in such biomedical applications as optical bioimaging, biolabeling and photodynamic therapy

Impact of Atherosclerosis- and Diabetes-Related Dicarbonyls on Vascular Endothelial Permeability: A Comparative Assessment

Background. Malondialdehyde (MDA), glyoxal (GO), and methylglyoxal (MGO) levels increase in atherosclerosis and diabetes patients. Recent reports demonstrate that GO and MGO cause vascular endothelial barrier dysfunction whereas no evidence is available for MDA. Methods. To compare the effects of MDA, GO, or MGO on endothelial permeability, we used human EA.hy926 endothelial cells as a standard model. To study cortical cytoplasm motility and cytoskeletal organization in endothelial cells, we utilized time-lapse microscopy and fluorescent microscopy. To compare dicarbonyl-modified protein band profiles in these cells, we applied Western blotting with antibodies against MDA- or MGO-labelled proteins. Results. MDA (150–250 μM) irreversibly suppressed the endothelial cell barrier, reduced lamellipodial activity, and prevented intercellular contact formation. The motile deficiency of MDA-challenged cells was accompanied by alterations in microtubule and microfilament organization. These detrimental effects were not observed after GO or MGO (250 μM) administration regardless of confirmed modification of cellular proteins by MGO. Conclusions. Our comparative study demonstrates that MDA is more damaging to the endothelial barrier than GO or MGO. Considering that MDA endogenous levels exceed those of GO or MGO and tend to increase further during lipoperoxidation, it appears important to reduce oxidative stress and, in particular, MDA levels in order to prevent sustained vascular hyperpermeability in atherosclerosis and diabetes patients

Octahedral molybdenum cluster as a photoactive antimicrobial additive to a fluoroplastic

Finding methods that fight bacterial infection or contamination, while minimising our reliance on antibiotics is one of the most pressing needs of this century. Although the utilisation of UV-C light and strong oxidising agents, such as bleach, are still efficacious methods for eliminating bacterial surface contamination, both methods present severe health and/or environmental hazards. Materials with intrinsic photodynamic activity (i.e. a material's ability upon photoexcitation to convert molecular oxygen into reactive oxygen species such as singlet oxygen), which work with light within the visible photomagnetic spectrum could offer a significantly safer alternative. Here we present a new, bespoke molybdenum cluster (Bu4N)2[Mo6I8(n-C7F15COO)6], which is both efficient in the generation of singlet oxygen upon photoirradiation and compatible with the fluoropolymer (F23-L) known for its good oxygen permeability. Thus, (Bu4N)2[Mo6I8(n-C7F15COO)6]/F23-L mixtures have been solution-processed to give homogenous films of smooth and fibrous morphologies and which displayed high photoinduced antibacterial activity against four common pathogens under visible light irradiation. These materials thus have potential in applications ranging from antibacterial coatings to filtration membranes and air conditioners to prevent spread of bacterial infections

Search for massive resonances decaying in to WW,WZ or ZZ bosons in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

Peer reviewe

Search for anomalous Wtb couplings and flavour-changing neutral currents in t-channel single top quark production in pp collisions at root s=7 and 8 TeV

Peer reviewe

Measurement of prompt and nonprompt J/psi production in pp and pPb collisions at root s(NN)=5.02 TeV

Peer reviewe

Search for single production of a vector-like T quark decaying to a top quark and a Z boson in the final state with jets and missing transverse momentum at s \sqrt{s} = 13 TeV

A search is presented for single production of a vector-like T quark with charge 2/3 e, in the decay channel featuring a top quark and a Z boson, with the top quark decaying hadronically and the Z boson decaying to neutrinos. The search uses data collected by the CMS experiment in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb−1 recorded at the CERN LHC in 2016–2018. The search is sensitive to a T quark mass between 0.6 and 1.8 TeV with decay widths ranging from negligibly small up to 30% of the T quark mass. Reconstruction strategies for the top quark are based on the degree of Lorentz boosting of its final state. At 95% confidence level, the upper limit on the product of the cross section and branching fraction for a T quark of small decay width varies between 15 and 602 fb, depending on its mass. For a T quark with decay widths between 10 and 30% of its mass, this upper limit ranges between 16 and 836 fb. For most of the studied range, the results provide the best limits to date. This is the first search for single T quark production based on the full Run 2 data set of the LHC

Search for new physics in high-mass diphoton events from proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV

Results are presented from a search for new physics in high-mass diphoton events from proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 13 TeV. The data set was collected in 2016–2018 with the CMS detector at the LHC and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb−1 . Events with a diphoton invariant mass greater than 500 GeV are considered. Two diferent techniques are used to predict the standard model backgrounds: parametric fts to the smoothly-falling background and a frst-principles calculation of the standard model diphoton spectrum at next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics calculations. The frst technique is sensitive to resonant excesses while the second technique can identify broad diferences in the invariant mass shape. The data are used to constrain the production of heavy Higgs bosons, Randall-Sundrum gravitons, the large extra dimensions model of Arkani-Hamed, Dimopoulos, and Dvali (ADD), and the continuum clockwork mechanism. No statistically signifcant excess is observed. The present results are the strongest limits to date on ADD extra dimensions and RS gravitons with a coupling parameter greater than 0.1