MNS

Wounds infected with bacteria, if left untreated, have the potential to escalate into life-threatening conditions, such as sepsis, which is characterized by widespread inflammation and organ damage. A comprehensive approach to treating bacterial-infected wounds, encompassing the control of bacterial infection, biofilm eradication, and inflammation regulation, holds significant importance. Herein, a microneedle (MN) patch ( FM@ST MN ) has been developed, with silk fibroin (SF) and tannic acid-based hydrogel serving as the matrix...

Non-metallic inclusions in steel have great influence on the continuity of the steel matrix and the mechanical properties of steel. The precipitation sequence of Ce inclusions in molten steel is predicted by thermodynamic calculations. The results show that Ce content will affect the precipitation sequence of rare earth inclusions in molten steel, and the formation of CeO2 , Ce2 O3 and CeAlO3 will be inhibited with the increase in Ce content. Our laboratory smelted the test steel without rare earth additive and the test steel with rare earth Ce additive (0...

Transdermal drug delivery of macromolecule drugs has attracted significant attention due to the advantage of convenience and biocompatibility. However, the practical usage of it is limited by the low delivery efficiency and poor drug absorption. To develop an efficient, safe, and controllable transdermal delivery method, the near-infrared (NIR) triggered calcium sulfate and gelatin biodegradable composite microneedle (MN) patches have been developed. The MN patches were fabricated by polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) molds, and the structure data could be adjusted by changing the molds...

A hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) in C9orf72 is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). However, patients with the HRE exhibit a wide disparity in clinical presentation and age of symptom onset suggesting an interplay between genetic background and environmental stressors. Neurotrauma as a result of traumatic brain or spinal cord injury has been shown to increase the risk of ALS/FTD in epidemiological studies. Here, we combine patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) with a custom-built device to deliver biofidelic stretch trauma to C9orf72 patient and isogenic control motor neurons (MNs) in vitro ...

Altered neuronal excitability and synaptic inputs to motoneurons are part of the pathophysiology of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. The cAMP/PKA pathway regulates both of them but therapeutic interventions at this level are limited by the lack of knowledge about suitable pharmacological entry points. Here we used transcriptomics on microdissected and in situ motoneurons to reveal the modulation of PKA-coupled receptorome in SOD1(G93A) ALS mice, vs WT, demonstrating the dysregulation of multiple PKA-coupled GPCRs, in particular on vulnerable MNs, and the relative sparing of β-adrenergic receptors...

Minoxidil (MIN) is used topically to treat alopecia. However, its low absorption limits its use, warranting a new strategy to enhance its delivery into skin layers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the dermal delivery of MIN by utilizing dissolved microneedles (MNs) loaded with MIN nanosuspension (MIN-NS) for hair regrowth. MIN-NS was prepared by the solvent-antisolvent precipitation technique. The particle size of MIN-NS was 226.7 ± 9.3 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.29 ± 0.17 and a zeta potential of -29...

Efficient real-time diagnostics and on-demand drug delivery are essential components in modern healthcare, especially for managing chronic diseases. The lack of a rapid and effective sensing and therapeutic system can result in analyte level deviations, leading to severe complications. Minimally invasive microneedle (MN)-based patches integrating nanostructures (NSs) in their volume or on their surface have emerged as a biocompatible technology for delay-free analyte sensing and therapy. However, a quantitative relationship for the signal response in NS-assisted reactions remains elusive...

Infected wound healing remains a challenging task in clinical practice due to several factors: (I) drug-resistant infections caused by various pathogens, (II) persistent inflammation that hinders tissue regeneration and (III) the ability of pathogens to persist intracellularly and evade antibiotic treatment. Microneedle patches (MNs), recognized for their effecacious and painless subcutaneous drug delivery, could greatly enhance wound healing if integrated with antibacterial functionality and tissue regenerative potential...

Information seeking, such as standing on tiptoes to look around in humans, is observed across animals and helps survival. Its rodent analog - unsupported rearing on hind legs - was a classic model in deciphering neural signals of cognition, and is of intense renewed interest in preclinical modeling of neuropsychiatric states. Neural signals and circuits controlling this dedicated decision to seek information remain largely unknown. While studying sub-second timing of spontaneous behavioral acts and activity of MCH neurons (MNs) in behaving male and female mice, we observed large MN activity spikes that aligned to unsupported rears...

Microneedle (MN)-assisted drug delivery technology has gained increasing attention over the past two decades. Its advantages of self-management and being minimally invasive could allow this technology to be an alternative to hypodermic needles. MNs can penetrate the stratum corneum and deliver active ingredients to the body through the dermal tissue in a controlled and sustained release. Long-acting polymeric MNs can reduce administration frequency to improve patient compliance and therapeutic outcomes, especially in the management of chronic diseases...

BACKGROUND: A global move toward consumption of diets from sustainable sources is required to protect planetary health. As this dietary transition will result in greater reliance on plant-based protein sources, the impact on micronutrient (MN) intakes and status is unknown. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the evidence of effects on intakes and status of selected MNs resulting from changes in dietary intakes to reduce environmental impact. Selected MNs of public health concern were vitamins A, D, and B12, folate, calcium, iron, iodine, and zinc...

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common immune disease characterized mainly by erosive arthritis with extensive clinical sequelae. Resveratrol (Res) has pharmacological effects in the treatment of RA, but it has not been widely used in the clinic due to its poor water solubility and low bioavailability. In this study, a drug delivery system (Res-NC MNs) of dissolved microneedles (MNs) loaded with Res nanocrystals (NC) was designed for the treatment of RA. Res-NC MNs can improve the drawbacks of long-term oral drug delivery with toxic side effects and low compliance associated with intra-articular drug delivery...

Oral ulceration is the most common oral mucosal disease. Oral mucosal ulcers are extremely painful, may interfere with eating and speaking, and potentially complicate systemic symptoms in severe cases. The humid and highly dynamic environment of the oral cavity makes local drug administration for treating oral mucosal ulcers challenging. To overcome these challenges, we designed and prepared a novel dissolving microneedle (MN) patch containing multiple drugs in a core-shell to promote oral ulcer healing. The MNs contained a methacrylate gelatin shell layer of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), a hyaluronic acid (HA) core loaded with dexamethasone (DXMS), and zeolite imidazoline framework-8 (ZIF-8) encapsulated in the HA-based backplane...

Motor neuron (MN) demise is a hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Post-transcriptional gene regulation can control RNA's fate, and defects in RNA processing are critical determinants of MN degeneration. N6 -methyladenosine (m6 A) is a post-transcriptional RNA modification that controls diverse aspects of RNA metabolism. To assess the m6 A requirement in MNs, we depleted the m6 A methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) in cells and mice. METTL3 depletion in embryonic stem cell-derived MNs has profound and selective effects on survival and neurite outgrowth...

Collaborative cooperation (CC) and division of labor cooperation (DLC) are two prevalent forms of cooperative problem-solving approaches in daily life. Despite extensive research on the neural mechanisms underlying cooperative problem-solving approaches, a notable gap exists between the neural processes that support CC and DLC. The present study utilized a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning technique along with a classic cooperative tangram puzzle task to investigate the neural mechanisms engaged by both friends and stranger dyads during CC versus DLC...

In this study, we discuss the tunability of valley splitting using first-principles calculations with a monolayer MoTe2 and layered ferromagnetic MnS2 heterostructure as an example. We observe that, due to the magnetic proximity effect (MPE) at the interface, a monolayer of MoTe2 can exhibit a significant valley splitting of 55.2 meV. The production of the interlayer dipoles with spin-adapted configuration could be the origin of MPE at the interface. Furthermore, the valley splitting can be regulated continuously by the perpendicular electric field and biaxial strain...

Recently, several clinical studies have been conducted using microneedles (MNs), and various devices have been developed. This study aimed to propose and confirm the feasibility of a placebo control for activating MN clinical research. A 0.5 mm MN stamp with 42 needles was used as a treatment intervention, and a placebo stamp with four acupressure-type needles that did not penetrate was proposed and designed as a control for comparison. First, to check whether the placebo stamp did not invade the skin and to set an appropriate level of pressure to be provided during skin stimulation, two participants were stimulated with five different forces on the forearm, and then the skin was dyed...

Microneedles (MNs), renowned for their painless and minimally invasive qualities, exhibit significant potential for facilitating effective drug delivery, vaccination, and targeted sample extraction. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), serving as cargo for MNs, are naturally occurring nanovesicles secreted by cells and characterized by novel biomarkers, low immunogenicity, and cell-source-specific traits. MNs prove instrumental in extracting EVs from the sample fluid, thereby facilitating a promising diagnostic and prognostic tool...

Key developmental pathways and gene networks underlie the formation of sensory cell types and structures involved in chemosensation, vision and mechanosensation, and of the efferents these sensory inputs can activate. We describe similarities and differences in these pathways and gene networks in selected species of the three main chordate groups, lancelets, tunicates, and vertebrates, leading to divergent development of olfactory receptors, eyes, hair cells and motoneurons. The lack of appropriately posited expression of certain transcription factors in lancelets and tunicates prevents them from developing vertebrate-like olfactory receptors and eyes, although they generate alternative structures for chemosensation and vision...

Controlling the electrochemical properties of non-metallic inclusions is of substantial interest in the design of corrosion-resistant alloys. To the best of our knowledge, the dissolution and pitting corrosion behavior of selenide inclusions in stainless steels and the improvement of the pitting corrosion resistance of type 304 stainless steels via Se microalloying have not been investigated. In this study, stainless steel specimens containing artificial MnS and MnSe inclusions were fabricated via spark plasma sintering to systematically investigate their electrochemical properties...