Highly sensitive and wide linear-response pressure sensors featuring zero standby power consumption under bending conditions

The ability of a flexible pressure sensor to possess zero power consumption in standby mode, high sensitivity, and wide linear-response range is critical in real flexible matrix-based scenes. However, when the conventional flexible pressure sensors are attached on a curved surface, a pseudosignal response is generated because of the normal stress, resulting in a short linear-response range. Here, a flexible piezoresistive pressure sensor with high performance, zero standby power consumption is demonstrated. The flexible pressure sensor is fabricated from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/carbon black (CB), patterned polyimide (PI) spacer layer, and laser-induced graphene (LIG) interdigital electrodes. Benefiting from the hierarchical structure and sufficient roughness of PDMS/CB and LIG interdigital electrodes, the proposed pressure sensors (PDMS/CB/PI/LIG) exhibit high sensitivity (43 kPa-1), large linear-response range (0.4-13.6 kPa), fast response (1800 cycles). The resulting pressure sensor also features zero standby power consumption merit under certain bending conditions (bending angle: 0-5o). Furthermore, the effect of the hole diameter of the PI spacer layer on the performance of the pressure sensors is experimentally and theoretically investigated. As a proof of concept, a bioinspired artificial haptic neuron system has been successfully equipped to modulate the number of lit LED lights. The proposed high-performance pressure sensor has promising potential to be used in flexible and wearable electronics, especially for the applications in actual flexible matrix-based scenes.Ministry of Education (MOE)This work was partially supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2018YFB1500200), Shenzhen Basic Research Grant: JCYJ20180507182431967, JCYJ20170413153246713, Shenzhen Peacock Technology Innovation Project: KQJSCX20170731165602155, the National Nature Science Foundation of China (11804354, 61574157, 61774164). The authors are also grateful for the support of Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 2 (MOE2015-T2-2-010), and Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 1 (MOE2019-T1-001-103)

Au Nanostars Coated with a Thin Film of MIL-100 (Fe) for SERS-Based Sensing of Volatile Organic Compound Indicators in Saliva

Mortality of gastric cancer is the second in cancer-associated deaths due to the lack of specific symptoms at an early stage, and thus, early detection of gastric cancer is receiving more attention. Nowadays, volatile organic compound (VOC) indicators have been found to be helpful for screening a variety of cancers. Meanwhile, hybrid VOC indicators, namely, VOCs derived from both human breath and body fluids, provide more information about health status. Nevertheless, details of VOCs in body fluid (e.g. saliva) are still unclear and tracking of these VOCs remains a challenge. In this research, 10 kinds of VOCs released from the saliva were reported to be potential indicators for gastric cancer prewarning. To track these potential indicators with high specificity, a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor based on a thin layer of MIL-100 (Fe) shell-wrapped Au nanostars (Au-star) was developed, and part of the aforementioned VOC indicators (e.g., 2-butanone, eucalyptol, and isopropanol) were found to be selectively detected by the sensor. These pilot results indicate a bright future for the proposed strategy for disease screening and the design of future high-performance SERS sensors

Hierarchical network enabled flexible textile pressure sensor with ultrabroad response range and high-temperature resistance

Thin, lightweight, and flexible textile pressure sensors with the ability to detect the full range of faint pressure (<100 Pa), low pressure (≈KPa) and high pressure (≈MPa) are in significant demand to meet the requirements for applications in daily activities and more meaningfully in some harsh environments, such as high temperature and high pressure. However, it is still a significant challenge to fulfill these requirements simultaneously in a single pressure sensor. Herein, a high-performance pressure sensor enabled by polyimide fiber fabric with functionalized carbon-nanotube (PI/FCNT) is obtained via a facile electrophoretic deposition (EPD) approach. High-density FCNT is evenly wrapped and chemically bonded to the fiber surface during the EPD process, forming a conductive hierarchical fiber/FCNT matrix. Benefiting from the large compressible region of PI fiber fabric, abundant yet firm contacting points and high elastic modulus of both PI and CNT, the proposed pressure sensor can be customized and modulated to achieve both an ultra-broad sensing range, long-term stability and high-temperature resistance. Thanks to these merits, the proposed pressure sensor could monitor the human physiological information, detect tiny and extremely high pressure, can be integrated into an intelligent mechanical hand to detect the contact force under high-temperature.Ministry of Education (MOE)Nanyang Technological UniversityNational Research Foundation (NRF)Published versionThis work was partially supported by the Shenzhen Basic Research Grant: GJHZ20200731095601004, JCYJ20200109114801744,JCYJ20180507182431967, JCYJ20180507182445460, the National Nature Science Foundation of China (11804354, 61774164, 51903249). This work was supported in part by the Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 2 (MOE2019-T2-2-127), the Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 1 (MOE2019-T1-001-103 and MOE2019-T1-001-111) and the Singapore National Research Foundation Competitive Research Program (NRF-CRP18-2017-02). This work was also supported in part by Nanyang Technological University

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy

In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. A key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process vs. those that measure flux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process); thus, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation needs to be differentiated from stimuli that result in increased autophagic activity, defined as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (in most higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the field understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy

In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. A key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process vs. those that measure flux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process); thus, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation needs to be differentiated from stimuli that result in increased autophagic activity, defined as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (in most higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the field understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy

In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. A key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process vs. those that measure flux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process); thus, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation needs to be differentiated from stimuli that result in increased autophagic activity, defined as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (in most higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the field understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field