Safety Assessment of Graphene-Based Materials.

Graphene is the first 2D atomic crystal, and its isolation heralded a new era in materials science with the emergence of several other atomically thin materials displaying multifunctional properties. The safety assessment of new materials is often something of an afterthought, but in the case of graphene, the initial isolation and characterization of the material was soon followed by the assessment of its potential impact on living systems. The Graphene Flagship project addressed the health and environmental aspects of graphene and other 2D materials, providing an instructive lesson in interdisciplinarity - from materials science to biology.

Substrate stiffness modulates extracellular vesicles' release in a triple-negative breast cancer model.

Aim: The microenvironment effect on the tumoral-derived Extracellular Vesicle release, which is of significant interest for biomedical applications, still represents a rather unexplored field. The aim of the present work is to investigate the interrelation between extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness and the release of small EVs from cancer cells. Here, we focus on the interrelation between the ECM and small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), specifically investigating the unexplored aspect of the influence of ECM stiffness on the release of sEVs.

Retinal microvascular phenotypes can track small vessel disease burden and CPAP treatment effectiveness in obstructive sleep apnoea.

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) retinal imaging enables visualization of the retinal microvasculature that is developmentally related to the brain and can offer insight on cerebrovascular health. We investigated retinal phenotypes and neuroimaging markers of small vessel disease (SVD) in individuals with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). We enrolled 44 participants (mean age 50.

Transition Metal-Driven Selectivity in Direct C-H Arylation of Imidazo[2,1-b]Thiazole.

A selective direct arylation of the different Csp2-H bonds of imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole with (hetero) aryl halides can be achieved simply by switching from a palladium catalyst system to the use of stoichiometric amounts of copper. The observed selectivity, also rationalized by DFT calculations, can be explained by a change in the mechanistic pathways between electrophilic palladation and base-promoted C-H metalation.

Extracellular vesicles released by LPS-stimulated spinal organotypic slices spread neuroinflammation into naïve slices through connexin43 hemichannel opening and astrocyte aberrant calcium dynamics.

Introduction: Neuroinflammation is a hallmark of multiple neurodegenerative diseases, shared by all pathological processes which primarily impact on neurons, including Central Nervous System (CNS) injuries. In reactive CNS, activated glia releases extracellular vesicles (EVs), nanosized membranous particles known to play a key role in intercellular communication. EVs mediate neuroinflammatory responses and might exacerbate tissue deterioration, ultimately influencing neurodegenerative disease progression.

Electrochemical Generation of Aryl Radicals from Organoboron Reagents Enabled by Pulsed Electrosynthesis.

Aryl radicals play a pivotal role as reactive intermediates in chemical synthesis, commonly arising from aryl halides and aryl diazo compounds. Expanding the repertoire of sources for aryl radical generation to include abundant and stable organoboron reagents would significantly advance radical chemistry and broaden their reactivity profile. While traditional approaches utilize stoichiometric oxidants or photocatalysis to generate aryl radicals from these reagents, electrochemical conditions have been largely underexplored.

Exploring Ca Dynamics in Myelinating Oligodendrocytes through rAAV-Mediated jGCaMP8s Expression in Developing Spinal Cord Organ Cultures.

Oligodendrocytes, the myelin-producing glial cells of the central nervous system (CNS), crucially contribute to myelination and circuit function. An increasing amount of evidence suggests that intracellular calcium (Ca) dynamics in oligodendrocytes mediates activity-dependent and activity-independent myelination. Unraveling how myelinating oligodendrocytes orchestrate and integrate Ca signals, particularly in relation to axonal firing, is crucial for gaining insights into their role in the CNS development and function, both in health and disease.

MoS 2D materials induce spinal cord neuroinflammation and neurotoxicity affecting locomotor performance in zebrafish.

MoS nanosheets belong to an emerging family of nanomaterials named bidimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDCs). The use of such promising materials, featuring outstanding chemical and physical properties, is expected to increase in several fields of science and technology, with an enhanced risk of environmental dispersion and associated wildlife and human exposures. In this framework, the assessment of MoS nanosheets toxicity is instrumental to safe industrial developments.

Environmental and Health Impacts of Graphene and Other Two-Dimensional Materials: A Graphene Flagship Perspective.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted tremendous interest ever since the isolation of atomically thin sheets of graphene in 2004 due to the specific and versatile properties of these materials. However, the increasing production and use of 2D materials necessitate a thorough evaluation of the potential impact on human health and the environment. Furthermore, harmonized test protocols are needed with which to assess the safety of 2D materials.

Detectability and accuracy of computational measurements of in-silico and physical representations of enlarged perivascular spaces from magnetic resonance images.

Background: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) visible perivascular spaces (PVS) have been associated with age, decline in cognitive abilities, interrupted sleep, and markers of small vessel disease. But the limits of validity of their quantification have not been established.

New Method: We use a purpose-built digital reference object to construct an in-silico phantom for addressing this need, and validate it using a physical phantom.

Delivery of graphene oxide nanosheets modulates glutamate release and normalizes amygdala synaptic plasticity to improve anxiety-related behavior.

Graphene oxide nanosheets (GO) were reported to alter neurobiological processes involving cell membrane dynamics. GO ability to reversibly downregulate specifically glutamatergic synapses underpins their potential in future neurotherapeutic developments. Aberrant glutamate plasticity contributes to stress-related psychopathology and drugs which target dysregulated glutamate represent promising treatments.

Unraveling the Connection: Visceral Adipose Tissue and Vitamin D Levels in Obesity.

Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are widespread on a global scale, with multiple factors playing a role in their development, such as limited exposure to sunlight, inadequate dietary consumption, as well as obesity and abdominal fat accumulation. Abdominal obesity, assessed with waist circumference (WC), is associated with metabolic syndrome and has been linked to low vitamin D levels. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and vitamin D levels, particularly examining the potential threshold for vitamin D storage and sequestration using adipose tissue.

Graphene Oxide Nanosheets Hamper Glutamate Mediated Excitotoxicity and Protect Neuronal Survival In An In vitro Stroke Model.

Small graphene oxide (s-GO) nanosheets reversibly downregulate central nervous system (CNS) excitatory synapses, with potential developments as future therapeutic tools to treat neuro-disorders characterized by altered glutamatergic transmission. Excitotoxicity, namely cell death triggered by exceeding ambient glutamate fueling over-activation of excitatory synapses, is a pathogenic mechanism shared by several neural diseases, from ischemic stroke to neurodegenerative disorders. In this work, CNS cultures were exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) to mimic ischemic stroke in vitro, and it is show that the delivery of s-GO following OGD, during the endogenous build-up of secondary damage and excitotoxicity, improved neuronal survival.

Binuclear Copper(I) Complexes for Near-Infrared Light-Emitting Electrochemical Cells.

Two binuclear heteroleptic Cu complexes, namely Cu-NIR1 and Cu-NIR2, bearing rigid chelating diphosphines and π-conjugated 2,5-di(pyridin-2-yl)thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole as the bis-bidentate ligand are presented. The proposed dinuclearization strategy yields a large bathochromic shift of the emission when compared to the mononuclear counterparts (M1-M2) and enables shifting luminescence into the near-infrared (NIR) region in both solution and solid state, showing emission maximum at ca. 750 and 712 nm, respectively.

Effects of pupil dilation with topical 0.5% tropicamide on retinal vascular parameters assessed by VAMPIRE® software in healthy cats.

Our study investigates the effects of mydriasis obtained with topical 0.5% tropicamide on retinal vascular parameters evaluated in cats using the retinal imaging software: Vascular Assessment and Measurement Platform for Images of the Retina (VAMPIRE®). Forty client-owned healthy adult cats were included in the study.

Impact of Magnetite Nanowires on In Vitro Hippocampal Neural Networks.

Nanomaterials design, synthesis, and characterization are ever-expanding approaches toward developing biodevices or neural interfaces to treat neurological diseases. The ability of nanomaterials features to tune neuronal networks' morphology or functionality is still under study. In this work, we unveil how interfacing mammalian brain cultured neurons and iron oxide nanowires' (NWs) orientation affect neuronal and glial densities and network activity.

Correction to "Bonding of Neuropeptide Y on Graphene Oxide for Drug Delivery Applications to the Central Nervous System".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1021/acsanm.2c03409.

Sleep quality, perivascular spaces and brain health markers in ageing - A longitudinal study in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936.

Background: Sleep is thought to play a major role in brain health and general wellbeing. However, few longitudinal studies have explored the relationship between sleep habits and imaging markers of brain health, particularly markers of brain waste clearance such as perivascular spaces (PVS), of neurodegeneration such as brain atrophy, and of vascular disease, such as white matter hyperintensities (WMH). We explore these associations using data collected over 6 years from a birth cohort of older community-dwelling adults in their 70s.

High-Performance Implantable Sensors based on Anisotropic Magnetoresistive LaSrMnO for Biomedical Applications.

We present the design, fabrication, and characterization of an implantable neural interface based on anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) magnetic-field sensors that combine reduced size and high performance at body temperature. The sensors are based on LaSrMnO (LSMO) as a ferromagnetic material, whose epitaxial growth has been suitably engineered to get uniaxial anisotropy and large AMR output together with low noise even at low frequencies. The performance of LSMO sensors of different film thickness and at different temperatures close to 37 °C has to be explored to find an optimum sensitivity of ∼400%/T (with typical detectivity values of 2 nT·Hz at a frequency of 1 Hz and 0.

Graphene Oxide Nanosheets Reduce Astrocyte Reactivity to Inflammation and Ameliorate Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis.

In neuroinflammation, astrocytes play multifaceted roles that regulate the neuronal environment. Astrocytes sense and respond to pro-inflammatory cytokines (CKs) and, by a repertoire of intracellular Ca signaling, contribute to disease progression. Therapeutic approaches wish to reduce the overactivation in Ca signaling in inflammatory-reactive astrocytes to restore dysregulated cellular changes.

The Effectiveness of NIV and CPAP Training on the Job in COVID-19 Acute Care Wards: A Nurses' Self-Assessment of Skills.

Background: Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in COVID-19 patients outside of intensive care unit (ICU) settings was a feasible support during the pandemic outbreak. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an “on the job” NIV training program provided to 66 nurses working in 3 COVID-19 wards in an Italian university hospital. Methods: A quasi-experimental longitudinal before−after study was designed.

Bonding of Neuropeptide Y on Graphene Oxide for Drug Delivery Applications to the Central Nervous System.

Nanoscale graphene-based materials (GBMs) enable targeting subcellular structures of the nervous system, a feature crucial for the successful engineering of alternative nanocarriers to deliver drugs and to treat neurodisorders. Among GBMs, graphene oxide (GO) nanoflakes, showing good dispersibility in water solution and being rich of functionalizable oxygen groups, are ideal core structures for carrying biological active molecules to the brain, such as the neuropeptide Y (NPY). In addition, when unconjugated, these nanomaterials have been reported to modulate neuronal function .