Lithium Ion Sensors.

The detection and monitoring of lithium in environmental and clinical settings is becoming increasingly important. In this review, sensors incorporating conductive polymers and lithium bronzes are discussed, together with electrochemical and spectroscopic approaches. Ionophore-based methods have been employed extensively, with varying degrees of selectivity and sensitivity, and these are discussed in depth.

Senescence in the aging process.

The accumulation of 'senescent' cells has long been proposed to act as an ageing mechanism. These cells display a radically altered transcriptome and degenerative phenotype compared with their growing counterparts. Tremendous progress has been made in recent years both in understanding the molecular mechanisms controlling entry into the senescent state and in the direct demonstration that senescent cells act as causal agents of mammalian ageing.

Assessment of tissue scaffold degradation using electrochemical techniques.

Degradation of a commercially available collagen-glycosaminoglycan dermal equivalent matrix was studied using electrochemical techniques. Degradation was accelerated by exposure to gamma radiation followed by storage at elevated temperatures or exposure to enzymes. The time-dependent diffusion of a small, electrochemically active, molecular probe, potassium ferrocyanide, through the matrix was monitored via changes in the oxidation peak currents of cyclic voltammograms.