Microarrow sensor array with enhanced skin adhesion for transdermal continuous monitoring of glucose and reactive oxygen species

Conventional blood sampling for glucose detection is prone to cause pain and fails to continuously record glucose fluctuations in vivo.Continuous glucose monitoring based on implantable electrodes could induce pain and potential tissue inflammation,and the presence of reactive oxygen species(ROS)due to inflammationmay affect glucose detection.Microneedle technology is less invasive,yet microneedle adhesion with skin tissue is limited.In this work,we developed a microarrow sensor array(MASA),which provided enhanced skin surface adhesion and enabled simultaneous detection of glucose and H_(2)O_(2)(representative of ROS)in interstitial fluid in vivo.The microarrows fabricated via laser micromachining were modified with functional coating and integrated into a patch of a three-dimensional(3D)microneedle array.Due to the arrow tip mechanically interlocking with the tissue,the microarrow array could better adhere to the skin surface after penetration into skin.The MASA was demonstrated to provide continuous in vivo monitoring of glucose and H_(2)O_(2) concentrations,with the detection of H_(2)O_(2) providing a valuable reference for assessing the inflammation state.Finally,the MASA was integrated into a monitoring system using custom circuitry.This work provides a promising tool for the stable and reliable monitoring of blood glucose in diabetic patients.

Improving the assessment method of seed vigor in Cunninghamia lanceolata and Pinus massoniana based on oxygen sensing technology

Oxygen sensing technology was employed to study the rapid methods for seed vigor assessment of Chinese fir （Cunninghamia lanceolata） and Masson pine （Pinus massoniana）. Firstly, seeds of five lots were performed using accelerated aging （AA） into three vigor levels. Then, four oxygen sensing indices, including increased metabolism time （IMT）, oxygen metabolism rate （OMR）, critical oxygen pressure （COP）, relative germination time （RGT） and the control indiees such as labora- tory germination indices, dehydrogenase activity （DA）, and electrical conductivity （EC） were analyzed by the tests of 15 samples. The results of correlation analysis between these indices and field emergence per- formances based on two-year and two-spot data showed that RGT and OMR should be indicated as the optimal oxygen sensing indices to rap- idly and automatically evaluate seed vigor of Chinese fir and Masson pine, respectively. On the basis, one-variable linear regression equations were built to forecast their field emergence performances by the two oxygen sensing indices.

Structure and Oxygen Sensing Properties of TiO_2 Porous Semiconductor Thin Films

Semiconductor-type TiO2 oxygen sensing thin films were synthesized using tetrabutyl titanate （Ti （OBu）4） as precursor and diethanolamine （DEA） as complexing agent by the sol-get process. The porous and oxygen sensing TiO2 films were obtained by the addition of polyethylene glycol （PEG）. The micrographs of scanning electron microscope （SEM） show that the pores of the sample about 400-600 nm in size with PEG（2 000 g/mol） are larger than those about 300 nm in size with PEG（ 1 000 g/mol）, while the density of pores is lower. The results also indicate that increasing the content of PEG properly is beneficial to the formation of porous structure. With the increasing content of PEG from 0 g to 2.5 g, the oxygen sensitivity increases from 330 to more than 1 000 at 800 ℃, from 170 to more than 1 000 at 900℃, and the response time to O2 and H2 are about 1.5 s and less than 1s, respectively.

Heme:a versatile signaling molecule controlling the activities of diverse regulators ranging from transcription factors to MAP kinases

Heme （iron protoporphyrin IX） is an essential molecule for numerous living organisms. Not only does it serve as a prosthetic group in enzymes, it also acts as a signaling molecule that controls diverse molecular and cellular processes ranging from signal transduction to protein complex assembly. Deficient heme synthesis or function impacts the hematopoietic, hepatic and nervous systems in humans. Recent studies have revealed a series ofheme-regulated transcription factors and signal transducers including Hap 1, a heme-activated transcription factor that mediates the effects of oxygen on gene transcription in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Bachl, a transcriptional repressor that is negatively regulated by heme in mammalian cells; IRR, an iron regulatory protein that mediates the iron-dependant regulation of heme synthesis in the bacterium Bradyrhizobiumjaponicum; and heme-regulated inhibitor, an eucaryotic initiation factor 2α kinase that coordinates protein synthesis with heme availability in reticulocytes. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about how heme controls the activity of these transcriptional regulators and signal transducers, and discuss diseases associated with defective heme synthesis, degradation and function.

The 2016 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award: Oxygen sensing—a mysterious process essential for survival

The 2016 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award honors three physician-scientists： William G. Kaelin, Jr. from Harvard Medical School, Peter J. Ratcliffe from Uni- versity of Oxford and Gregg L. Semenza, from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, for their discovery of the pathway by which cells from human and most animals sense and adapt to changes in oxygen availability, a process essential for survival. The Lasker Award is widely considered as America＇s mosLt prestigious honor in the biomedical field. For 71 years,

320-fold luminescence enhancement of [Ru(dpp)3]Cl2 dispersed on PMMA opal photonic crystals and highly improved oxygen sensing performance

Ru complexes([Ru(dpp)3]Cl2)were spin coated on poly(methyl methacrylate)(PMMA)opal photonic crystals(PhCs),and a,320-fold luminescence enhancement was observed compared to that on glass,which is the largest luminescence enhancement of dye molecules by the modulation of three-dimensional(3D)PhCs reported until now.The enhancement mechanism was carefully examined and it was shown that the luminescence of[Ru(dpp)3]Cl2 depended on the molecule concentration and temperature.It can be concluded that the suppressed non-radiative relaxation among the molecules and the field enhancement both contribute significantly to the luminescence enhancement.The PMMA PhC/Ru complex composites were then tested for their intracellular oxygen sensing and cell imaging properties;these composites effectively improved the limit of detection(LOD)and the brightness of the cell images.

General principles of developing novel radioprotective agents for nuclear emergency

With the rapid application of nuclear energy and radiological technology in national economy and military field,the risk of nuclear accidents increases as well.Exposure to irradiation causes severe damages to the human body,and radioprotective agents are required for medical protection.To find the safe and effective radioprotective agents is the key for nuclear emergency.Recently,Toll like receptors(TLRs)and PHD-HIF oxygen sensing signal pathway have been extensively studied for radioprotection.Great progress has been made in this field and a number of radioprotective agents have been found.In this review,we have summarized recent findings of radioprotective roles of TLRs signaling pathway and PHD-HIF signaling pathway and discussed the general principles of developing novel radioprotective agents.These findings will provide opportunities for developing new strategies to prevent IR-induced injuries in public health events.