N-(Naphthalen-1-yl)benzamide

In the title compound, C17H13NO, the N—H and C=O bonds are anti with respect to each other. The dihedral angle between the naphthalene ring system and the phenyl ring is 86.63 (5)°. In the crystal, N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link mol­ecules into chains along [010]

1,2-Dimeth­oxy-3-[(E)-2-nitro­ethen­yl]benzene

The title compound, C10H11NO4, was synthesized via condensation of 2,3-dimeth­oxy­benzaldehyde with nitro­methane using microwave irradiation without solvent. The H atoms of the –CH=CH– group are in a trans configuration. The dihedral angle between the mean planes of the benzene ring and the nitro­alkenyl group is 23.90 (6)°

N-(4-Chloro­benzyl­idene)-1-naphthyl­amine

The title compound, C17H12ClN, represents a trans isomer with respect to the C=N bond; the dihedral angle between the planes of the naphthyl and benzene groups is 66.53 (5)°

3,5-Dinitro-N-(4-nitro­phen­yl)benzamide

In the title mol­ecule, C13H8N4O7, the amide fragment has an anti configuration. The mean planes of the two benzene rings form a dihedral angle of 7.78 (4)°. The mean planes of the three nitro groups are twisted by 6.82 (3), 5.01 (4) and 18.94 (7)° with respect to the benzene rings to which they are attached. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked by weak inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds into chains along [100]

N,N′-Bis(2,5-dichloro­phen­yl)isophthalamide

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C20H12Cl4N2O2, contains one half-mol­ecule with a center of symmetry along a C⋯C axis of the central benzene ring. The two C=O groups adopt an anti orientation and the two amide groups are twisted away from the central benzene ring by 27.38 (3) and 27.62 (4)°. The mean planes of the dichloro-substituted benzene rings are twisted by 7.95 (4)° with respect to the benzene ring. The crystal packing is stabilized by weak inter­molecular N—H⋯O inter­actions

Small-scale fluctuation and scaling law of mixing in three-dimensional rotating turbulent Rayleigh-Taylor instability

The effect of rotation on small-scale characteristics and scaling law in the mixing zone of the three-dimensional turbulent Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI) is investigated by the lattice Boltzmann method at small Atwood number. The mixing zone width h ( t ) , the root mean square of small scale fluctuation, the spectra, and the structure functions are obtained to analyze the rotating effect. We mainly focus on the process of the development of plumes and discuss the physical mechanism in the mixing zone in rotating and nonrotating systems. The variation of kinetic energy spectra E u and temperature energy spectra E θ with the dimensionless rotation Ω τ demonstrate the suppression effect of rotation. Two scaling laws between the mixing layer width h ( t ) and dimensionless time t / τ are obtained at various Coriolis forces( √ h ( t ) ≃ t 0.9 and √ h ( t ) ≃ t 0.35 ). The rotation increasingly suppresses the growth of the mixing layer width h ( t ) . The velocity and temperature fluctuations are also suppressed by the rotation effect. The relation between the Nusselt number (Nu) and the Rayleigh number (Ra) indicates that the heat transfer is suppressed by the rotation effect in the rotating RT system. The width of the inertial subrange increasingly narrows with increasing Ω τ

Glycyrrhizin inhibits the invasion and metastasis of breast cancer cells via upregulation of expressions of miR-200c and e-cadherin

Purpose: To determine the inhibitory effect of glycyrrhizin (GLA) on cell invasion and metastasis in mammary carcinoma cells, and the mechanisms of actions involved.Methods: The effect of GLA at different concentrations on proliferation of breast cancer MDA-MB-231 and BT549 cells was assayed by MTT method. Transwell assay was used to determine the effect of GLA at different concentrations on invasiveness and metastasis of breast cancer MDA-MB-231 and BT549 cells. The influence of LGA on expressions of microRNA-200c and miR-200c was assayed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).Results: There was no statistically significant difference in cell proliferation amongst cells treated with 5 and 20 μM GLA and untreated breast cancer cells. However, the proliferation of cells treated with 40 μM GLA was significantly reduced (p < 0.05). In the cell invasion and migration experiments, cell population transferred to the base of Transwell chamber in the two cell lines treated with GLA was markedly decreased, relative to cells without GLA treatment, while the number of cells decreased with increase in GLA concentration (p < 0.05). Results from image-pro-plus analysis revealed that the population of cells quantitatively crossing the Transwell compartment membrane decreased with increase in GLA concentration (p < 0.05). The expression of e-cadherin was increased by GLA treatment in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, GLA treatment led to significant changes in amounts of miR-200s a, b and c, with changes in miR-200c being the most significant (p < 0.05).Conclusion: GLA suppresses the invasiveness and metastasis of breast cancer MDA-MB-231 and BT549 cells via upregulation of the expressions of miR-200c and e-cadherin. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the development of new breast cancer drugs. Keywords: Glycyrrhiza, GLA, miR-200c, E-cadherin, Inhibition, Breast cancer cells, Invasion, Metastasi

Ginsenoside induces cell death in breast cancer cells via ROS/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

Purpose: To study the influence of ginsenoside on breast carcinoma, and the mechanism of action involved.Methods: Different concentrations of ginsenoside were used to treat MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay, while protein expressions of p-Akt and p-PI3K were determined using Western blotting. The concentrations of reactive oxidative reactants and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were assessed using fluorescence immunoassay and immunofluorescence assay. The mechanism of action involved in ginsenoside-mediated apoptosis was determined based on ROS/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.Results: There was no change in the inhibition of MCF-7 cell proliferation in control cells with time (p > 0.05). However, inhibition of MCF-7 cell proliferation in ginsenoside group was significantly higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05); furthermore, it increased with time and ginsenoside concentration. Apoptosis was markedly and concentration-dependently higher in ginsenoside-treated MCF-7 cells than in controls (p > 0.05). There were lower protein levels of p-PI3K and p-Akt in ginsenoside-exposed MCF-7 cells than in control group; the protein expressions  decreased with increase in ginsenoside concentration (p < 0.05). The expressions of ROS in ginsenoside-treated MCF-7 cells declined, relative to the untreated group; in addition, the expressions decreased with increase in ginsenoside concentration (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Ginsenoside suppresses proliferation of MCF-7 cell line, and exerts apoptotic effect on the cells via inhibition of the ROS/PI3K/Akt signal pathway. This provides a new approach to treat breast cancer. Keywords: Breast cancer cells, Ginsenoside, Apoptosis, ROS/PI3K/Akt signaling pathwa

Sound absorption, structure and mechanical behavior of konjac glucomannan-based aerogels with addition of gelatin and wheat straw

Environment-friendly konjac glucomannan (KGM)-based aerogels with addition of gelatin and wheat straw are produced by freeze-drying method to have promising sound absorption performance, thermal stability and mechanical property. Results show that gelatin addition can significantly improve sound absorption performance at medium and high frequencies, as well as mechanical strength, because of the positive effect on increase of small open pores. Appropriate little addition of wheat straw can improve the sound absorption property due to the dissipation effect of sound energy by the unique multi-cavity structure. Better sound absorption performance is achieved than melamine foam, while the best result is obtained with a noise reduction coefficient of 0.38, and the coefficient reaches 0.88 at 4500 Hz. Wheat straw addition leads to strength reduction firstly but enhancement when the addition is more than 1.00%, where fine wheat straw bars form nest structures for strengthening. For potential loading capacity evaluation, a mechanical model is proposed and confirmed to be effective in predicting compressive stress-strain relationship of KGM-based aerogels with consideration of gelatin and wheat straw addition

Biomaterials delivery strategies to repair degenerated intervertebral discs by regulating the inflammatory microenvironment

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is one of the leading causes of lower back pain. Although IVDD cannot directly cause death, it can cause pain, psychological burdens, and economic burdens to patients. Current conservative treatments for IVDD can relieve pain but cannot reverse the disease. Patients who cannot tolerate pain usually resort to a strategy of surgical resection of the degenerated disc. However, the surgical removal of IVDD can affect the stability of adjacent discs. Furthermore, the probability of the reherniation of the intervertebral disc (IVD) after surgery is as high as 21.2%. Strategies based on tissue engineering to deliver stem cells for the regeneration of nucleus purposes (NP) and annulus fibrosus (AF) have been extensively studied. The developed biomaterials not only locally withstand the pressure of the IVD but also lay the foundation for the survival of stem cells. However, the structure of IVDs does not provide sufficient nutrients for delivered stem cells. The role of immune mechanisms in IVDD has recently become clear. In IVDD, the IVD that was originally in immune privilege prevents the attack of immune cells (mainly effector T cells and macrophages) and aggravates the disease. Immune regulatory and inflammatory factors released by effector T cells, macrophages, and the IVD further aggravate IVDD. Reversing IVDD by regulating the inflammatory microenvironment is a potential approach for the treatment of the disease. However, the biological factors modulating the inflammatory microenvironment easily degrade in vivo. It makes it possible for different biomaterials to modulate the inflammatory microenvironment to repair IVDD. In this review, we have discussed the structures of IVDs and the immune mechanisms underlying IVDD. We have described the immune mechanisms elicited by different biological factors, including tumor necrosis factors, interleukins, transforming growth factors, hypoxia-inducible factors, and reactive oxygen species in IVDs. Finally, we have discussed the biomaterials used to modulate the inflammatory microenvironment to repair IVDD and their development