Physicochemical aspects of inorganic nanoparticles stabilized in N-vinyl caprolactam based microgels for various applications

The vinyl caprolactam (VCL) based microgel system has become the center of great attention due to its versatile properties. Copolymerization of VCL with an ionic monomer imparts pH responsive properties into the microgel system in addition to thermo-sensitivity. Stimuli responsive behavior of VCL-based microgels makes them prospective and appealing candidates for practical applications covering the fields of drug delivery, catalysis and optical devices. In the last few years, VCL-based microgels have been used as microreactors and stabilizers for the synthesis and stabilization of inorganic nanoparticles to obtain hybrid microgels. The present review article provides a summary of the present-day progress of fabrication, stabilization, categorization and analysis of VCL-based microgels and their hybrids with different morphologies. The stimuli responsive properties and applications of VCL-based hybrid microgels have been reviewed critically. The remaining problems which need to be addressed have been pointed out for further advancement in this field.

The present review provides recent research progress of fabrication, stabilization, characterization and applications of N-vinyl caprolactam based microgels loaded with inorganic nanoparticles.     

The Disclosure Process and its Impact on South Asian Families with a Child with Severe Intellectual Disabilities

Background Although several research studies have investigated parental experiences of the disclosure process in White families with a child with severe disabilities, little work has focused on the experiences of South Asian families. Materials and methods This study aimed to provide a rich picture of the disclosure experiences of South Asian parents of a child with severe intellectual disabilities, using semi‐structured qualitative interviews with 26 parents over two time points, and structured quantitative interviews with 136 parents. Results Parents reported variable experiences of the disclosure process, with many parents experiencing disclosure in the wrong language for them and most parents reporting little post‐disclosure support. Parents identified good practice in disclosure as prompt disclosure in the appropriate language, with the partner present (where possible), with emotional support as part of the process, with clear and practical information, and linked to post‐disclosure support from a keyworker. Conclusions Good practice in disclosure was also associated with parental understanding of their child, and parents being more likely to mobilize informal and formal supports. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

Influence of acute stress on response inhibition in healthy men: An ERP study

The current study investigated the influence of acute stress and the resulting cortisol increase on response inhibition and its underlying cortical processes, using EEG. Before and after an acute stressor or a control condition, 39 healthy men performed a go/no‐go task while ERPs (N2, P3), reaction times, errors, and salivary cortisol were measured. Acute stress impaired neither accuracy nor reaction times, but differentially affected the neural correlates of response inhibition; namely, stress led to enhanced amplitudes of the N2 difference waves (N2d, no‐go minus go), indicating enhanced response inhibition and conflict monitoring. Moreover, participants responding to the stressor with an acute substantial rise in cortisol (high cortisol responders) showed reduced amplitudes of the P3 of the difference waves (P3d, no‐go minus go) after the stressor, indicating an impaired evaluation and finalization of the inhibitory process. Our findings indicate that stress leads to a reallocation of cognitive resources to the neural subprocesses of inhibitory control, strengthening premotor response inhibition and the detection of response conflict, while concurrently diminishing the subsequent finalization process within the stream of processing.