We established near-infrared (NIR)-light-triggered transdermal delivery systems by encapsulating NIR absorbers, silica-coated lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6@SiO2) nanostructures and the cargo molecule to be released in biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) microneedles. Acting as a local heat source when exposed to an NIR laser, these nanostructures cause a phase transition of the microneedles, thereby increasing the mobility of the polymer chains and triggering drug release from the microneedles. On IR thermal images, the light-triggered melting behavior of the LaB6@SiO2-loaded microneedles was observed. By adjusting the irradiation time and the laser on/off cycles, the amount of molecules released was controlled accurately. Drug release was switched on and off for at least three cycles, and a consistent dose was delivered in each cycle with high reproducibility. The designed microneedles were remotely triggered by laser irradiation for the controlled release of a chemotherapeutic drug, doxorubicin hydrochloride, in vivo. This system would enable dosages to be adjusted accurately to achieve a desired effect, feature a low off-state drug leakage to minimize basal effects and can increase the flexibility of pharmacotherapy performed to treat various medical conditions.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2014.11.040 | DOI Listing |
Front Psychol
December 2024
Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, Padua, Italy.
Background: The present study investigated whether semantic processing of word and object primes can bias visual attention using top-down influences, even within an exogenous cueing framework. We hypothesized that real words and familiar objects would more effectively bias attentional engagement and target detection than pseudowords or pseudo-objects, as they can trigger prior knowledge to influence attention orienting and target detection.
Methods: To examine this, we conducted two web-based eye-tracking experiments that ensured participants maintained central fixation on the screen during remote data collection.
J Colloid Interface Sci
December 2024
Georgia Southern Univ, Dept Chem & Biochem, POB 8064, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA.
Great attentions have been paid to anticorrosion coatings with self-healing performances to enhance its reliability and protection period, but massive challenges still remain for developing a coating with selectively triggered and accurately controllable self-healing behaviors. Herein, by integrating lamellar graphene oxide (GO) into a polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofiber loaded with 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQ) corrosion inhibitors, a composite coating with precisely controllable self-healing capabilities is developed. The coating defects can be remotely and accurately repaired under near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation within a very short time.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiagn Microbiol Infect Dis
December 2024
Pasteur Institute, Directorate of Health Services (Research etc.), Lawmali, Shillong 793001, Meghalaya, India.
The Covid-19 pandemic uncovered several lacunae in healthcare systems exposing global unpreparedness and triggering unprecedented challenges worldwide- necessitating a shift towards mitigation and robust surveillance strategies. Here, we report the use of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) to detect SARS-CoV-2 variants in clinical samples of Meghalaya, India, using Oxford Nanopore Technology. SARS-CoV-2 positive samples collected from various districts of Meghalaya from August 2021 to May 2023 were subjected to WGS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
December 2024
Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Previous research indicates that African savanna elephants change their movements preceding or coincident with local rainfall and it has been suggested that they respond to thunder in remote storms-perhaps reading seismic cues. We therefore aimed to test if elephants in Northern Kenya adhere to distinct daytime movement states between the wet and dry periods, and whether their abrupt movement changes precede local wet periods in response to lightning strikes from a specific compass heading. In our study site, lightning to the North and East often preceded local rainfall and could possibly be used to anticipate local wet periods, but local rainfall appears a more likely trigger of behavioural change.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol
December 2024
Laboratory for Early Markers of Neurodegeneration (LEMON), Center for the Study of Movement, Cognition, and Mobility (CMCM), Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Neurological Institute, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Switching, a critical executive function, can manifest as task switching (TS) or response switching (RS). Although TS impairments in Parkinson's disease (PD) are well-studied, RS, especially in contexts requiring adaptive behavior to external or internal cues, is less explored. This study evaluated the impact of PD on RS under exogenous and endogenous cueing.
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