The increasing prevalence of infectious diseases in recent decades has posed a serious threat to public health. Routes of transmission differ, but the respiratory droplet or airborne route has the greatest potential to disrupt social intercourse, while being amenable to prevention by the humble face mask. Different types of masks give different levels of protection to the user. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has even resulted in a global shortage of face masks and the raw materials that go into them, driving individuals to self-produce masks from household items. At the same time, research has been accelerated towards improving the quality and performance of face masks, e.g., by introducing properties such as antimicrobial activity and superhydrophobicity. This review will cover mask-wearing from the public health perspective, the technical details of commercial and home-made masks, and recent advances in mask engineering, disinfection, and materials and discuss the sustainability of mask-wearing and mask production into the future.

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Exciting advances in the last decade regarding the applications of molecular gel sorbent materials for removal of pollutants from wastewater are reviewed, with emphasis on molecular design of the materials and practical considerations.

Two enantioselective total syntheses of the nortriterpenoid natural product rubriflordilactone A are described, which use palladium- or cobalt-catalyzed cyclizations to form the CDE rings, and converge on a late-stage synthetic intermediate. These key processes are set up through the convergent coupling of a common diyne component with appropriate AB-ring aldehydes, a strategy that sets the stage for the synthetic exploration of other members of this family of natural products.

Molecular sensors respond to target molecules in their surroundings to detect and sometimes even quantify their concentrations. Traditionally comprised of small organic molecules or metal complexes, these technologies have been essential to biomedical and environmental monitoring, ensuring human health, safety, and general well-being. In the past two decades, analyte-responsive hydrogels have been an emerging technology receiving vast research attention worldwide. Hydrogels capable of detecting a vast array of analytes, including inorganic ions, carbohydrates, thiols, gases, biomolecules (nucleic acids and proteins), and even microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses, have been developed. With the added advantages of bottom-up design at the molecular level and biocompatibility, molecular detection using hydrogel sensors is typically simple to perform, and hydrogels can be integrated with electronic devices to enhance detection sensitivity, or with biomedical devices for in vitro and in vivo studies. Herein, we discuss a range of innovative strategies that have been developed for engineering hydrogel molecular sensors, with emphasis on "bottom-up" molecular engineering to achieve analyte selectivity and sensitivity.

CHEE FANG SUM, MBBS1 OBJECTIVE -Subjects with type 2 diabetes are at risk for vascular injury. Several vasoactive factors (e.g., angiotensin) have been implicated. We hypothesize that adrenomedullin, a novel vascoactive factor, is deranged in subjects with type 2 diabetes.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS -Using a new immunoluminometric method, plasma midregional proadrenomedullin (MR-proADM) was measured in four groups of Chinese subjects: healthy (n ϭ 100, fasting plasma glucose [FPG] Ͻ5.6 mmol/l), impaired fasting glucose (IFG) (n ϭ 60, FPG 5.6 -6.9 mmol/l), and diabetic subjects with (n ϭ 100) and without (n ϭ 100) nephropathy. Resting forearm cutaneous microcirculatory perfusion (RCMP) was quantified in vivo using 2-dimensional laser Doppler flowmetry. We investigated the relationship between plasma MR-proADM concentrations, multiple metabolic factors, and vascular function.RESULTS -We observed a stepwise increase in MR-proADM among the groups: healthy group mean Ϯ SD 0.27 Ϯ 0.09, IFG group 0.29 Ϯ 0.13, diabetic group 0.42 Ϯ 0.13, and diabetic nephropathy group 0.81 Ϯ 0.54 nmol/l (diabetic vs. healthy and IFG groups, P ϭ 0.04; and diabetic nephropathy group vs. all, P Ͻ 0.01). Statistical adjustment for sex, age, BMI, and blood pressure did not affect the conclusions. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that highly sensitive C-reactive protein (␤ ϭ 0.11; P ϭ 0.01), insulin resistance index (␤ ϭ 0.20; P ϭ 0.001), LDL cholesterol (␤ ϭ 0.31; P Ͻ 0.001), and adiponectin (␤ ϭ 0.33; P Ͻ 0.001) were significant predictors of plasma MR-proADM concentrations among nondiabetic individuals. Among subjects with diabetes, plasma MR-proADM concentrations correlated significantly with RCMP (r ϭ 0.43, P ϭ 0.002).CONCLUSIONS -Plasma MR-proADM concentration was elevated in subjects with type 2 diabetes. This was further accentuated when nephropathy set in. MR-proADM was related to multiple metabolic factors and basal microcirculatory perfusion. Adrenomedullin might play a role in the pathogenesis of diabetic vasculopathy. Diabetes Care 30:1513-1519, 2007I ndividuals with type 2 diabetes are at risk for vascular injury. Although major advances have been made in uncovering the mechanism of diabetic vasculopathy, the exact pathophysiology remains incompletely understood (1). In recent years, the importance of endothelial dysfunction has taken central stage (2). By secreting a repertoire of finely regulated vasoactive factors with opposing functions working in autocrine and paracrine fashion, the endothelium is pivotal in maintaining vascular homeostasis (3). Numerous vascoactive factors have been described. Among these factors, adrenomedullin, a 52-amino acid peptide, has been intensively investigated due to its vascular protective properties (e.g., vasodilatory and antiproliferative) and promising potential as a therapeutic target (4). However, understanding of the pathobiology of adrenomedullin in diabetic vasculopathy has only just begun.In healthy states, adrenomedullin circulates at low picomolar concentration, which i...

The change in CoQ(10) with increasing FPG concentration suggests an increase in oxidative burden, already evident in the prediabetic IFG individuals. This increase in oxidative stress might contribute to the increased risk of vascular disease.

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