Exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics causes anxiety and depressive-like behavior and down-regulates EAAT2 expression in mice.

Microplastics exposure can induce brain dysfunction like cognitive impairment, Parkinson's disease, and autism spectrum disorders. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of Polystyrene nanoplastics (NPS) on anxiety and depression in mice. First, Polystyrene nanoplastics (NPS) (10 mg/kg) were administered orally daily for two months starting at PND 21.

Associations of the levels of adipokines and cytokines in individual follicles with in vitro fertilization outcomes in women with different ovarian reserves.

Background: To a large extent, the ovarian reserve determines a woman's reproductive potential. The etiological and pathological mechanisms of diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) remain unclear, and no reliable treatment is currently available for DOR. Adipokines and cytokines in follicular fluid (FF) play pivotal roles in follicular development and maturation.

Risk factors associated with pregnancy outcomes in patients with recurrent pregnancy loss after treatment.

Background: The treatment for recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) has been addressed in international guidelines. However, limited studies have investigated the risk factors associated with pregnancy and live birth outcomes in patients with RPL after treatment. The objective of this study was to offer a comprehensive assessment of the risk factors for pregnancy loss in patients with a history of RPL following therapeutic interventions.

Circadian tumor infiltration and function of CD8 T cells dictate immunotherapy efficacy.

The quality and quantity of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, particularly CD8 T cells, are important parameters for the control of tumor growth and response to immunotherapy. Here, we show in murine and human cancers that these parameters exhibit circadian oscillations, driven by both the endogenous circadian clock of leukocytes and rhythmic leukocyte infiltration, which depends on the circadian clock of endothelial cells in the tumor microenvironment. To harness these rhythms therapeutically, we demonstrate that efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy and immune checkpoint blockade can be improved by adjusting the time of treatment during the day.

Dynamic single-cell regulomes characterize human peripheral blood innate lymphoid cell subpopulations.

Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are plastic immune cells divided into 3 main subsets, characterized by distinct phenotypic and functional profiles. Using single cell approaches, heightened heterogeneity of mouse ILCs has been appreciated, imprinted by tissue signals that shape their transcriptome and epigenome. Intra-subset diversity has also been observed in human ILCs.

Lsd1 safeguards T-cell development via suppressing endogenous retroelements and interferon responses.

The histone demethylase Lsd1 has been shown to play multiple essential roles in mammalian biology. However, its physiological functions in thymocyte development remain elusive. We observed that the specific deletion of Lsd1 in thymocytes caused significant thymic atrophy and reduced peripheral T cell populations with impaired proliferation capacity.

A Quantitative Approach to Determine Hydrophobe Content of Associating Polyacrylamide Using a Fluorescent Probe.

Hydrophobically associating polymers have found widespread applications in many domains due to their unique rheological behavior, which is primarily dictated by the hydrophobe content. However, the low fraction of hydrophobic monomers in polymers makes this parameter's precise and straightforward measurement difficult. Herein, a variety of hydrophobically associating polyacrylamides (HAPAM) with different alkyl chain lengths () and hydrophobic contents ([]) were prepared by post-modification and accurately characterized by H NMR spectroscopy.

Single-Cell Sequencing Reveals the Novel Role of Ezh2 in NK Cell Maturation and Function.

Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes primarily involved in innate immunity and exhibit important functional properties in antimicrobial and antitumoral responses. Our previous work indicated that the enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (Ezh2) is a negative regulator of early NK cell differentiation and function through trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3). Here, we deleted Ezh2 from immature NK cells and downstream progeny to explore its role in NK cell maturation by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq).

Histone methyltransferase Ezh2 negatively regulates NK cell terminal maturation and function.

NK cells are innate lymphoid cells that play important roles in tumor eradication and viral clearance. We previously found that deletion or inhibition of the histone methyltransferase Ezh2 (enhancer of zeste homolog 2) in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) from both mice and humans enhanced the commitment and cytotoxicity of NK cells to tumor cells. This study tested the hypothesis that inhibiting Ezh2, especially in NK lineage cells, could also affect NK cell development and function.

Synthesis of 1, 2, 4-triazole benzoyl arylamine derivatives and their high antifungal activities.

Two series of novel 1, 2, 4-triazole benzoyl arylamine derivatives were prepared and screened for their activities against three pathogens of Gaeumannomyces graminis var.tritici, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Fusarium graminearum using the mycelium growth inhibition method in vitro. The results indicated that most of the synthesized derivatives displayed antifungal activities.

Acid-base interactions in amorphous solid dispersions of lumefantrine prepared by spray-drying and hot-melt extrusion using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

This study investigates drug-excipient interactions in amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) of the model basic compound lumefantrine (LMN), with five acidic polymers. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to measure the extent of the protonation of the tertiary amine in LMN by the five acidic polymers. The extent/efficiency of protonation of the ASDs was assessed a function of polymer type, manufacturing process (hot-melt extrusion vs.

Acid-Base Interactions of Polystyrene Sulfonic Acid in Amorphous Solid Dispersions Using a Combined UV/FTIR/XPS/ssNMR Study.

This study investigates the potential drug-excipient interactions of polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSSA) and two weakly basic anticancer drugs, lapatinib (LB) and gefitinib (GB), in amorphous solid dispersions. Based on the strong acidity of the sulfonic acid functional group, PSSA was hypothesized to exhibit specific intermolecular acid-base interactions with both model basic drugs. Ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy identified red shifts, which correlated well with the color change observed in lapatinib-PSSA solutions.

Crystalline, liquid crystalline, and isotropic phases of sodium deoxycholate in water.

Sodium deoxycholate (NaDC) is an important example of bile salts, representing systems with complex phase behavior involving both crystalline and mesophase structures. In this study, properties of NaDC-water mixtures were evaluated as a function of composition and temperature via X-ray diffraction with synchrotron (sXRD) and laboratory radiation sources, water sorption, polarized light, hot-stage microscopy, and freezing-point osmometry. Several phases were detected depending on the composition and temperature, including isotropic solution phase, liquid crystalline (LC) phase, crystalline hydrate, and ice.