Synergistic neurological threat from Сu and wood smoke particulate matter.

Trace metal Cu and carbonaceous airborn particulate matter (PM) are dangerous neuropollutants. Here, the ability of Cu to modulate the neurotoxicity caused by water-suspended wood smoke PM preparations (SPs) and vice versa was examined using presynaptic rat cortex nerve terminals. Interaction of Cu and SPs, changes of particle size and surface properties were shown in the presence of Cu using microscopy, DLS, and IR spectroscopy.

Laser-synthesized plasmonic HfN-based nanoparticles as a novel multifunctional agent for photothermal therapy.

Hafnium nitride nanoparticles (HfN NPs) can offer appealing plasmonic properties at the nanoscale, but the fabrication of stable water-dispersible solutions of non-toxic HfN NPs exhibiting plasmonic features in the window of relative biological transparency presents a great challenge. Here, we demonstrate a solution to this problem by employing ultrashort (femtosecond) laser ablation from a HfN target in organic solutions, followed by a coating of the formed NPs with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and subsequent dispersion in water. We show that the fabricated NPs exhibit plasmonic absorption bands with maxima around 590 nm, 620 nm, and 650 nm, depending on the synthesis environment (ethanol, acetone, and acetonitrile, respectively), which are largely red-shifted compared to what is expected from pure HfN NPs.

Boron Nanoparticle-Enhanced Proton Therapy: Molecular Mechanisms of Tumor Cell Sensitization.

Boron-enhanced proton therapy has recently appeared as a promising approach to increase the efficiency of proton therapy on tumor cells, and this modality can further be improved by the use of boron nanoparticles (B NPs) as local sensitizers to achieve enhanced and targeted therapeutic outcomes. However, the mechanisms of tumor cell elimination under boron-enhanced proton therapy still require clarification. Here, we explore possible molecular mechanisms responsible for the enhancement of therapeutic outcomes under boron NP-enhanced proton therapy.

The Relevance of Hypersexuality and Impulsivity in Different Groups of Treatment-Seekers With and Without (Exclusive) Pedophilia.

Hypersexuality and impulsivity are regarded as risk factors for sexual offending against children. Studies exploring these factors in undetected men who offended or are at risk of offending are rare. This study aims to investigate hypersexuality and impulsivity in treatment-seeking men with and without a diagnosis of (exclusive) pedophilia who committed child sexual abuse (CSA), consumed child sexual abuse images (CSAI), or feel at risk of offending sexually.

Lateral Flow Assay Biotesting by Utilizing Plasmonic Nanoparticles Made of Inexpensive Metals─Replacing Colloidal Gold.

Nanoparticles (NPs) can be conjugated with diverse biomolecules and employed in biosensing to detect target analytes in biological samples. This proven concept was primarily used during the COVID-19 pandemic with gold-NP-based lateral flow assays (LFAs). Considering the gold price and its worldwide depletion, here we show that novel plasmonic NPs based on inexpensive metals, titanium nitride (TiN) and copper covered with a gold shell (Cu@Au), perform comparable to or even better than gold nanoparticles.

Substitution of bridge carbons for sulphur in calix[4]arene-bis-α-hydroxymethylphosphonic acid transformed mobile carrier into ionic channel accompanied with evoked muscle contraction and impaired neurotransmission powered by membrane action of resulting thiocalix[4]arene-bis-α-hydroxymethylphosphonic acid.

The action of calix[4]arenes C-424, C-425 and C-1193 has been investigated on suspended cholesterol/egg phosphatidylcholine lipid bilayer in a voltage-clamp mode. Comparative analysis with the membrane action by calix[4]arene-bis-α-hydroxymethylphosphonic acid (C-99) has shown that the substitution of bridge carbons for sulphur and addition of another methyl group to two alkyl tales in the lower rim of former dipropoxycalix[4]arene C-99 transformed mobile carrier that C-99 created in lipid bilayer (Shatursky et al., 2014) into a transmembrane pore as exposure of the bilayer membrane to sulphur-containing derivative dibutoxythiocalix[4]arene C-1193 resulted in microscopic transmembrane current patterns indicative of a channel-like mode of facilitated diffusion.

Lateral Flow Assays Biotesting by Utilizing Plasmonic Nanoparticles Made of Inexpensive Metals - Replacing Colloidal Gold.

Nanoparticles (NPs) can be conjugated with diverse biomolecules and employed in biosensing to detect target analytes in biological samples. This proven concept was primarily used during the COVID-19 pandemic with gold NPs-based lateral flow assays (LFAs). Considering the gold price and its worldwide depletion, here we show that novel plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) based on inexpensive metals, titanium nitride (TiN) and copper covered with a gold shell (Cu@Au), perform comparable or even better than gold nanoparticles.

Multipollutant reciprocal neurological hazard from smoke particulate matter and heavy metals cadmium and lead in brain nerve terminals.

Heavy metals, Cd and Pb, and carbonaceous air pollution particulate matter are hazardous neurotoxicants. Here, a capability of water-suspended smoke particulate matter preparations obtained from poplar wood (WPs) and polypropylene fibers (medical facemasks) (MPs) to influence Cd/Pb-induced neurotoxicity, and vice versa, was monitored using biological system, i.e.

Mercury-induced excitotoxicity in presynaptic brain nerve terminals: modulatory effects of carbonaceous airborne particulate simulants.

Multipollutant approach is a breakthrough in up-to-date environmental quality and health risk estimation. Both mercury and carbonaceous air particulate are hazardous neurotoxicants. Here, the ability of carbonaceous air particulate simulants, i.

Laser-Synthesized Elemental Boron Nanoparticles for Efficient Boron Neutron Capture Therapy.

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is one of the most appealing radiotherapy modalities, whose localization can be further improved by the employment of boron-containing nanoformulations, but the fabrication of biologically friendly, water-dispersible nanoparticles (NPs) with high boron content and favorable physicochemical characteristics still presents a great challenge. Here, we explore the use of elemental boron (B) NPs (BNPs) fabricated using the methods of pulsed laser ablation in liquids as sensitizers of BNCT. Depending on the conditions of laser-ablative synthesis, the used NPs were amorphous (a-BNPs) or partially crystallized (pc-BNPs) with a mean size of 20 nm or 50 nm, respectively.

Disposable facemask waste combustion emits neuroactive smoke particulate matter.

Tremendous deposits of disposable medical facemask waste after the COVID-19 pandemic require improvement of waste management practice according to WHO report 2022, moreover facemasks are still in use around the world to protect against numerous airborne infections. Here, water-suspended smoke preparations from the combustion of disposable medical facemasks (polypropylene fibers) were collected; size, zeta potential, surface groups of smoke particulate matter were determined by dynamic light scattering, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, and their optical properties were characterized. Neurochemical study using nerve terminals isolated from rat cortex revealed a significant decrease in the initial rate of the uptake/accumulation of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters, L-[C]glutamate and [H]GABA, and exocytotic release, and also an increase in the extracellular level of these neurotransmitters.

When a bank becomes a bank, and a bank is the bank but not the bank: Multistability of homonyms' meaning.

Perceptual multistability is well-known and mostly visually demonstrated: Common examples are Necker's cube or Rubin's face-vase that produce qualitatively different percepts continuously oscillating between the solutions despite physically stable stimuli. We lack knowledge about similar phenomena in other domains, for instance in linguistics, where we are faced with homonyms that create multistability of cognitive semantics, differently assigned meanings of identical words. Our participants listened to repeated presentations of homonyms for which two or even three meanings could be assigned, and they reported the dominant meaning perceived at a certain point in time.

Boron Nanoparticle-Enhanced Proton Therapy for Cancer Treatment.

Proton therapy is one of the promising radiotherapy modalities for the treatment of deep-seated and unresectable tumors, and its efficiency can further be enhanced by using boron-containing substances. Here, we explore the use of elemental boron (B) nanoparticles (NPs) as sensitizers for proton therapy enhancement. Prepared by methods of pulsed laser ablation in water, the used B NPs had a mean size of 50 nm, while a subsequent functionalization of the NPs by polyethylene glycol improved their colloidal stability in buffers.

A comparative multi-level toxicity assessment of carbon-based Gd-free dots and Gd-doped nanohybrids from coffee waste: hematology, biochemistry, histopathology and neurobiology study.

Here, a comparative toxicity assessment of precursor carbon dots from coffee waste (cofCDs) obtained using green chemistry principles and Gd-doped nanohybrids (cofNHs) was performed using hematological, biochemical, histopathological assays in vivo (CD1 mice, intraperitoneal administration, 14 days), and neurochemical approach in vitro (rat cortex nerve terminals, synaptosomes). Serum biochemistry data revealed similar changes in cofCDs and cofNHs-treated groups, i.e.

Impact of Plasmonic Nanoparticles on Poikilocytosis and Microrheological Properties of Erythrocytes.

Plasmonic nanoparticles (NP) possess great potential in photothermal therapy and diagnostics. However, novel NP require a detailed examination for potential toxicity and peculiarities of interaction with cells. Red blood cells (RBC) are important for NP distribution and the development of hybrid RBC-NP delivery systems.

History-dependent changes to distribution of dominance phases in multistable perception.

Multistability - spontaneous switches of perception when viewing a stimulus compatible with several percepts - is often characterized by the distribution of durations of dominance phases. For continuous viewing conditions, these distributions are similar for various multistable displays and share two characteristic features: a Gamma-like distribution shape and dependence of dominance durations on the perceptual history. Both properties depend on a balance between self-adaptation (also conceptualized as a weakening stability prior) and noise.

Reconstructing a disambiguation sequence that forms perceptual memory of multistable displays via reverse correlation method: Bias onset perception but gently.

When multistable displays are presented intermittently with long blank intervals, their onset perception is determined by perceptual memory of multistable displays. We investigated when and how it is formed using a reverse correlation method and bistable kinetic depth effect displays. Each experimental block consisted of interleaved fully ambiguous probe and exogenously disambiguated prime displays.

Microbial Community Structure in Ancient European Arctic Peatlands.

Northern peatlands, which are crucial reservoirs of carbon and nitrogen (415 ± 150 and 10 ± 7 Pg, respectively), are vulnerable to microbial mineralization after permafrost thaw. This study was carried out in four key sites containing northern permafrost peatland, which are located along the southern cryolithozone. The aim of this study is to characterize amino acids and the microbial community composition in peat strata along a climate gradient.

Neuromodulation by selective angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 inhibitors.

Here, neuromodulatory effects of selective angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) inhibitors were investigated. Two different types of small molecule ligands for ACE2 inhibition were selected using chemical genetic approach, they were synthesized using developed chemical method and tested using presynaptic rat brain nerve terminals (synaptosomes). EBC-36032 (1 µM) increased in a dose-dependent manner spontaneous and stimulated ROS generation in nerve terminals that was of non-mitochondrial origin.

Laser-ablative aqueous synthesis and characterization of elemental boron nanoparticles for biomedical applications.

Boron-based nano-formulations look very promising for biomedical applications, including photo- and boron neutron capture therapies, but the fabrication of non-toxic water-dispersible boron nanoparticles (NPs), which contain the highest boron atom concentration, is difficult using currently available chemical and plasma synthesis methods. Here, we demonstrate purely aqueous synthesis of clean boron NPs by methods of femtosecond laser ablation from a solid boron target in water, thus free of any toxic organic solvents, and characterize their properties. We show that despite highly oxidizing water ambience, the laser-ablative synthesis process follows an unusual scenario leading to the formation of boron NPs together with boric acid (HBO) as an oxidation by-product coating the nanoparticles, which acts to stabilize the elemental boron NPs dispersion.

Amphiphilic anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug remdesivir incorporates into the lipid bilayer and nerve terminal membranes influencing excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission.

Remdesivir is a novel antiviral drug, which is active against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Remdesivir is known to accumulate in the brain but it is not clear whether it influences the neurotransmission. Here we report diverse and pronounced effects of remdesivir on transportation and release of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in rat cortex nerve terminals (synaptosomes) in vitro.

Development of permafrost-affected peatlands in the southern limit of the European Russian cryolithozone and their vulnerability to future warming.

Permafrost degradation due to climate warming is currently observed in the northeastern part of European Russia. Peat plateaus underlain by permafrost cover only about 20% of the Russian European cryolithozone but contain almost 50% of soil organic carbon stocks (SOC), which are considered to be vulnerable to microbial mineralization after permafrost thaw. The current study was performed at three key sites of peat plateaus located along the southern permafrost limit.

A comparative study of wood sawdust and plastic smoke particulate matter with a focus on spectroscopic, fluorescent, oxidative, and neuroactive properties.

Here, water-suspended smoke aerosol preparation was synthesized from biomass-based fuel, i.e., a widespread product for residential heating, wood sawdust (WP) (pine, poplar, and birch mixture), and its properties were compared in parallel experiments with the smoke preparation from plastics (PP).

Vulnerability of the Ancient Peat Plateaus in Western Siberia.

Based on the data of the plant macrofossil and palynological composition of the peat deposits, the evolution and current state of polygonal peatlands were analyzed at the southern limit of continuous permafrost in the Pur-Taz interfluve. Paleoreconstruction shows that peat accumulation began in the Early Holocene, about 9814 cal. year BP, in the Late Pre-Boreal (PB-2), at a rate of 1 to 1.