A new miniaturized glucose oxidase based needle-type glucose microsensor has been developed for subcutaneous glucose monitoring. The sensor is equivalent in shape and size to a 26-guage needle (0.45-mm o.d.) and can be implanted with ease without any incision. The novel configuration greatly facilitates the deposition of enzyme and polymer films so that sensors with characteristics suitable for in vivo use (upper limit of linear range greater than 15 mM, response time less than 5 min, and sensitivity yielding a 5:1 signal-to-background ratio at normal basal glucose levels) can be prepared in high yield (greater than 60%). The sensor response is largely independent of oxygen tension in the normal physiological range. It also exhibits good selectivity against common interferences except for the exogenous drug acetaminophen.

Acetaminophen has been one of the most serious electrochemical interferences to oxidase-based amperometric biosensors that measure H2O2. A study was carried out to investigate various polymer materials for their selectivity as the sensor inner membrane. A composite membrane of cellulose acetate and Nafion was found to eliminate acetaminophen and other electrochemical interferences effectively while at the same time maintaining reasonable diffusivity for hydrogen peroxide. The excellent in vivo performance of the sensor was attributed not only to significantly reduced steady-state sensitivity to acetaminophen but also to very slow acetaminophen response. These features, combined with rapid acetaminophen clearance pharmacokinetics, led to the decreased response as demonstrated in the rat.

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Animals with radial symmetry are abundant in the Cambrian Fortunian Stage of South China, but with relatively low diversity: representatives include Olivooides, Quadrapyrgites, carinachitiids, hexangulaconulariids and Pseudooides. Here, we report a new radial animal, Qinscyphus necopinus gen. et sp. nov., from the Fortunian small shelly fauna of southern Shaanxi Province, South China. Qinscyphus necopinus has a cup-shaped profile, with slightly raised annuli and five groups of triangular thickenings in pentaradial symmetry. This organism has a comparable morphology to, and thus a close affinity with, Olivooides and Quadrapyrgites, and is interpreted as a coronate scyphozoan. This discovery adds a new crown-group cnidarian to the Cambrian Explosion.

Deciphering the role of climatic oscillations in species divergence helps us understand the mechanisms that shape global biodiversity. The cold-adapted species may have expanded their distribution with the development of glaciers during glacial period. With retreat of glaciers, these species were discontinuously distributed in the high-altitude mountains and isolated by geographical barriers. However, the study that focus on the speciation process of cold-adapted species is scant. To fill this gap, we combined population genetic data and ecological niche models (ENMs) to explore divergence process of snow partridge (Lerwa lerwa). Lerwa lerwa is a cold-adapted bird that distributed from 4000 m to 5500 m. We found two genetic populations within L. lerwa, and they diverged from each other at about 0.40–0.44 million years ago (inter-glacial period after Zhongliangan glaciation). The ENMs suggested that L. lerwa expanded to the low elevations of Himalayas and Hengduan mountains during glacial period, while it contracted to the high elevations, southern of Himalayas and Hengduan mountains during inter-glacial periods. Effective population size trajectory also suggested that L. lerwa expanded its population size during the glacial period. Consistent with our expectation, the results support that inter-glacial isolation contributed to the divergence of cold-adapted L. lerwa on Qinghai Tibetan Plateau (QTP). The current study deepens our understanding of how climatic oscillations have driven divergence process of cold-adapted Phasianidae species distributed on mountains.

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Furan, a possible carcinogen, is commonly produced by thermal processing in a number of heated foods. The existence of furan levels in foods has attracted considerable attention worldwide. Recent research of furan in food has focused on the possible influences of operating parameters on the furan formation during heat processing. The aim of our study was to investigate the impacts of multiple factors (pH, temperature, heating time, ferric, and glutamic acid) on furan formation using linolenic and linoleic acids-based model systems in which furan was analyzed by headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS). The results revealed that the content of furan increased rapidly when the heating temperature was elevated, with the highest levels of furan in neutral buffer solutions, the furan levels were also found to be related to heating time in all model systems. Ferric promoted furan formation from polyunsaturated fatty acids, conversely glutamic acid with an optimum concentration suppressed the furan formation. The minimal level of furan in foods during thermal treatment could be achieved via adding furan formation suppressors, and/or avoidance of furan forming promoter.

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