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Bistable liquid crystal (LC) shutters have attracted much interest due to their low energy consumption and fast response time. In this paper, we demonstrate an electrically tunable/switchable biostable LC light shutter in biological optics through a three–step easy–assembly, inexpensive, multi–channel shutter. The liquid crystal exhibits tunable transparency (100% to 10% compared to the initial light intensity) under different voltages (0 V to 90 V), indicating its tunable potential. By using biomedical images, the response time, resolution, and light intensity changes of the LC under different voltages in three common fluorescence wavelengths are displayed intuitively. Particularly, the shutter’s performance in tumor images under the near–infrared band shows its application potential in biomedical imaging fields. 

Integrative neural interfaces combining neurophysiology and optogenetics with neural imaging provide numerous opportunities for neuroscientists to study the structure and function of neural circuits in the brain. Such a comprehensive interface demands miniature electrode arrays with high transparency, mechanical flexibility, electrical conductivity, and biocompatibility. Conventional transparent microelectrodes made of a single material, such as indium tin oxide (ITO), ultrathin metals, graphene and poly-(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), hardly possess the desired combination of those properties. Herein, ultra-flexible, highly conductive and fully transparent microscale electrocorticogram (μECoG) electrode arrays made of a PEDOT:PSS–ITO–Ag–ITO assembly are constructed on thin parylene C films. The PEDOT:PSS–ITO–Ag–ITO assembly achieves a maximum ∼14% enhancement in light transmission over a broad spectrum (350–650 nm), a significant reduction in electrochemical impedance by 91.25%, and an increase in charge storage capacitance by 1229.78 μC cm −2 . Peeling, bending, and Young's modulus tests verify the enhanced mechanical flexibility and robustness of the multilayer assembly. The μECoG electrodes enable electrical recordings with high signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) (∼35–36 dB) under different color photostimulations, suggesting that the electrodes are resilient to photon-induced artifacts. In vivo animal experiments confirm that our array can successfully record light-evoked ECoG oscillations from the primary visual cortex (V1) of an anesthetized rat. 

Abstract This review summarizes published findings of the beneficial and harmful effects on the heart, lungs, immune system, kidney, liver, and central nervous system of 47 drugs that have been proposed to treat COVID-19. Many of the repurposed drugs were chosen for their benefits to the pulmonary system, as well as immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory effects. However, these drugs have mixed effects on the heart, liver, kidney, and central nervous system. Drug treatments are critical in the fight against COVID-19, along with vaccines and public health protocols. Drug treatments are particularly needed as variants of the SARS-Cov-2 virus emerge with some mutations that could diminish the efficacy of the vaccines. Patients with comorbidities are more likely to require hospitalization and greater interventions. The combination of treating severe COVID-19 symptoms in the presence of comorbidities underscores the importance of understanding the effects of potential COVID-19 treatments on other organs.