Antoine Dechêne, Michel Delville (dir.), Le thriller métaphysique d’Edgar Allan Poe à nos jours

Les Presses Universitaires de Liège publient dans la collection « Clinamen » Le Thriller métaphysique, d’Edgar Allan Poe à nos jours, sous la direction d’Antoine Dechêne et de Michel Delville. Dans leur introduction, les deux universitaires s’attachent à définir le genre du thriller métaphysique, en mettant en avant sa diversité et sa complexité. Pour cela, ils prennent appui sur l’ouvrage anglais de Patricia Merivale et Susan Elizabeth Swenney, Detecting Texts: The Metaphysical Detective Sto..

Application of infrared waves in cancer therapy

Phototherapy techniques refer to light-activated medical treatments in which incident lights with specific wavelengths are used for therapeutic applications. The two most commonly used forms of phototherapy are photodynamic therapy and photothermal therapy, which are based on localized chemical and thermal damage to lesion sites, respectively. These two methods have gained considerable attention over the past decades as noninvasive and safe therapeutic modalities. However, numerous efforts have been made to increase the efficiency of these approaches and attain higher tumor specificity with fewer side effects for their practical clinical use. The phenomenon that has made this path more hopeful for researchers is the emergence of nanotechnology, which has undeniably played a critical role in overcoming the associated key challenges in this regard. Various nanomaterials with well-established sizes, shapes, chemical compositions, and surface functionalities have been exploited for photothermal applications. Great strides have been made in developing more efficient therapeutic agents, especially for cancer theranostics. In the present chapter, we first introduce photodynamic and photothermal therapy methods with a detailed discussion of their mechanisms of action. We then focus on the role of nanoparticle-based therapeutic approaches in overcoming the limitations of these two methods as well as in the development of more efficacious combinatorial cancer therapy strategies.</p

Preparation and Characterization of Pistacia khinjuk Gum Nanoparticles Using Response Surface Method: Evaluation of Its Anti-Bacterial Performance and Cytotoxicity

Purpose: This study aims to prepare a novel, natural nanoparticle (NP) as a drug carrier, which also has inherent therapeutic effects. Methods: Pistacia khinjuk gum NPs were prepared and Response surface methodology (RSM) was used for statistical analysis of data and optimizing the size of NPs. Results: NPs were in the range of 75.85–241.3 nm. The optimization study was carried out, and an optimized size (70.86nm) was obtained using DMSO as a solvent. The volume of the organic phase was 111.25µl, and the concentration of gum was 1% w/v. The cell viability assay was performed on the pure gum and NPs toward β-TC3, MCF7, and HT29 cell lines. It was observed that NPs have higher cytotoxic activity in comparison with pure gum, and that the IC50value was achieved at 1% of NPs in β-TC3 cells. The obtained NPs demonstrated antibacterial activity against two bacterial strains (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus). Conclusion: Altogether, according to the obtained results, these NPs with inherent cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity are an attractive carrier for drug delivery