Optogenetics promises spatiotemporal precise control of neural processes using light. However, the spatial extent of illumination within the brain is difficult to control and cannot be adjusted using standard fiber optics. We demonstrate that optical fibers with tapered tips can be used to illuminate either spatially restricted or large brain volumes. Remotely adjusting the light input angle to the fiber varies the light-emitting portion of the taper over several millimeters without movement of the implant. We use this mode to activate dorsal versus ventral striatum of individual mice and reveal different effects of each manipulation on motor behavior. Conversely, injecting light over the full numerical aperture of the fiber results in light emission from the entire taper surface, achieving broader and more efficient optogenetic activation of neurons when compared to the standard flat-faced fiber stimulation. Thus, tapered fibers permit focal or broad illumination that can be precisely and dynamically matched to experimental needs.

A variety of voltammetric methods have been carried out for determination of brexpiprazole (BRX) using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and two different type anodic stripping methods; differential pulse (AS-DP) and square wave (AS-SWV) at modified carbon paste electrode with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs-CPEs). Additionally, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique has been utilized for characterization of the different electrodes. Electrochemical oxidation behavior of BRX shows an irreversible anodic peak at 0.88 V versus Ag/AgCl, in Britton-Robinson buffer (BR) at pH 4.0, 50s preconcentration time and −0.5 deposition potential. Rectilinear relationship between the peak current versus concentration was obtained over the ranges of 1.32 × 10 −6 -6.45 × 10 −6 and 1.32 × 10 −7 -6.45 × 10 −7 mol L −1 for AS-DP and AS-SWV respectively. The lowest concentration that can be detected for both for AS-DP and AS-SWV was 3.99 × 10 −7 and 3.32 × 10 −8 mol L −1 respectively; the utilized methods have been devoted adequately for the estimation of BRX in its pure and dosage form.

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Optogenetics sets new experimental paradigms that can reveal cell type-specific contributions on the neural basis of behavior. Since most of the available systems for this purpose are based on approaches that tether animals to a set of cables, recent research activities have been focused on minimizing external factors that can alter animal movements. Current wireless optogenetic systems are based on waveguide-coupled LED and implanted LEDs. However, each configuration separately suffers from significant limitations, such as low coupling efficiency, penetration depth and invasiveness of waveguide-coupled LED, and local heat generated by implanted LEDs. This work presents a novel wireless head-mountable stimulating system for a widevolume light delivery. The device couples the output of a semiconductor laser diode (LD) to a tapered optical fiber (TF) on a wireless platform. The LD-TF coupling was engineered by setting up far-field analysis, which allows a full exploitation of mode division demultiplexing properties of TFs. The output delivered light along the tapered segment is capable of stimulating structures of depths up to ~2mm. TFs are tapered to a gradual taper angle (Ψ~2° to Ψ~10°) that ends with a sharp tip (~500 nm) for smooth insertion and less invasiveness. Thus, the proposed system extends the capabilities of wireless optogenetic by offering a novel solution for wide volume light delivery in deep brain regions.

A spectrofluorimetric method was developed for the determination of albendazole (ALB) through charge transfer (CT) complex formation with 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ). TCNQ was found to react with ALB to produce a stable complex, and the fluorescence intensity of the complex was enhanced to 25 times higher than that of the studied drug itself. Different experimental parameters that affect the fluorescence intensity were carefully studied, at optimum reaction conditions, the drug-TCNQ complex showed an excitation maxima at 295 nm and an emission maxima at 476 nm. A rectilinear calibration graph was obtained in the concentration range of 100-800 ng ml À1 . Thermodynamics parameters were calculated as: association constant KC of 7.28 Â 10 3 mol À1 dm 3 and a Gibbs free energy DG of À4.66 kJ mol À1 . The developed method was applied successfully to the determination of the studied drug in its pharmaceutical dosage form with good precision and accuracy compared to official and reported methods as revealed by tand F-tests.

Optogenetics promises spatiotemporal precise control of neural processes using light. However, the spatial extent of illumination within the brain is difficult to control and cannot be adjusted using standard fiber optics. We demonstrate that optical fibers with tapered tips can be used to illuminate either large brain volumes or dynamically selectable subregions.Remotely adjusting the light input angle to the fiber varies the light-emitting portion of the taper over several millimeters without movement of the implant. We use this mode to activate dorsal versus ventral striatum of individual mice and reveal different effects of each manipulation on motor behavior. Conversely injecting light over the full numerical aperture of the fiber results in light emission from the entire taper surface, achieving broader and more efficient optogenetic activation of neurons when compared to the standard flat-faced fiber stimulation. Thus, tapered fibers permit focal or broad illumination that can be precisely and dynamically matched to experimental needs.

A sequential spectrophotometric resolution technique (SSRT) was developed in this study without the use of systematic separation procedures to determine drug of a quaternary combination; caffeine (CAF), pseudoephedrine (PSE), doxylamine succinate (DOX), and paracetamol (PAR). Their presence in a tablet with a gap ratio of 3:3:1:150, respectively, and their overlapping spectra with low absorptivities make their resolution and determination impossible without prior separation. successive ratio subtraction technique (SRST) and constant multiplication method were used to solve these problems. Furthermore, an in-lab sample enrichment technique was applied to increase minor components concentration and consequently their absorbanses (CAF, PSE, and DOX). The D0 absorption spectra were generated by successive ratios followed by subtraction and multiplication of the constants. The maximum absorbances of the drugs tested, namely (CAF, PSE, DOX and PAR) were measured at wavelengths of 272.0, 257.0, 260.0, and 248.0 nm, respectively. The limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) were 0.021, 0.124, 0.186, 0.137 and 0.070, 0.414, 0.621, 0.456 (µg/mL), respectively. The linearitiy ranges (µg/mL) were 1.0–22.0, 1.0–24.0, 10.0–90.0 and 1.0–15.0 for CAF, PSE, DOX, and PAR, respectively. The International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines were applied for method validation, and the results obtained were within the limited parameters. The finding results were compared to official and/or published analytical methods to determine the procedure's reliability. It was noted that there was no actual difference in accuracy and precision between both meyhods. The proposed technique is sensitive, selective and economic;so it can be applied to the simultaneous analysis of these drugs in their commercial tablets and/or in quality-control laboratories.

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