A Glucose-Responsive Cannula for Automated and Electronics-Free Insulin Delivery.

Automated delivery of insulin based on continuous glucose monitoring is revolutionizing the way insulin-dependent diabetes is treated. However, challenges remain for the widespread adoption of these systems, including the requirement of a separate glucose sensor, sophisticated electronics and algorithms, and the need for significant user input to operate these costly therapies. Herein, a user-centric glucose-responsive cannula is reported for electronics-free insulin delivery.

A Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial and Antiviral Membrane Inactivates SARS-CoV-2 in Minutes.

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic, can remain viable and infectious on surfaces for days, posing a potential risk for fomite transmission. Liquid-based disinfectants, such as chlorine-based ones, have played an indispensable role in decontaminating surfaces but they do not provide prolonged protection from recontamination. Here a safe, inexpensive, and scalable membrane with covalently immobilized chlorine, large surface area, and fast wetting that exhibits long-lasting, exceptional killing efficacy against a broad spectrum of bacteria and viruses is reported.

A Zwitterionic Polyurethane Nanoporous Device with Low Foreign-Body Response for Islet Encapsulation.

Encapsulation of insulin-producing cells is a promising strategy for treatment of type 1 diabetes. However, engineering an encapsulation device that is both safe (i.e.

Local Immunomodulatory Strategies to Prevent Allo-Rejection in Transplantation of Insulin-Producing Cells.

Islet transplantation has shown promise as a curative therapy for type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, the side effects of systemic immunosuppression and limited long-term viability of engrafted islets, together with the scarcity of donor organs, highlight an urgent need for the development of new, improved, and safer cell-replacement strategies. Induction of local immunotolerance to prevent allo-rejection against islets and stem cell derived β cells has the potential to improve graft function and broaden the applicability of cellular therapy while minimizing adverse effects of systemic immunosuppression.

Hydrogels in Emerging Technologies for Type 1 Diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes therapies that afford tighter glycemic control in a more manageable and painless manner for patients has remained a central focus of next-generation diabetes therapies. In many of these emerging technologies, namely, self-regulated insulin delivery and cell replacement therapies, hydrogels are employed to mitigate some of the most long-standing challenges. In this Review, we summarize recent developments in the use of hydrogels for both insulin delivery and insulin-producing cell therapies for type 1 diabetes management.

Stimuli-Responsive Insulin Delivery Devices.

The development of new diabetes treatment strategies has garnered much interest given that conventional management therapies for type 1 diabetes fail to provide optimal glycemic control while creating a high burden of self-care to patients. Stimuli-responsive, "closed-loop" systems are particularly attractive due to their ability to mimic dynamic ß cell function by releasing insulin in response to fluctuating glucose levels in real-time and with minimal patient discomfort. In this short review, we focus on stimuli-responsive, reservoir-based insulin delivery devices.

Specialty Tough Hydrogels and Their Biomedical Applications.

Hydrogels have long been explored as attractive materials for biomedical applications given their outstanding biocompatibility, high water content, and versatile fabrication platforms into materials with different physiochemical properties and geometries. Nonetheless, conventional hydrogels suffer from weak mechanical properties, restricting their use in persistent load-bearing applications often required of materials used in medical settings. Thus, the fabrication of mechanically robust hydrogels that can prolong the lifetime of clinically suitable materials under uncompromising in vivo conditions is of great interest.

Theory and reported practice in EFL literacy instruction: EFL teachers' perceptions about classroom practices.

Acquiring literacy in English as a foreign language (EFL) is important for language development. However, many students enter middle school without adequate EFL literacy skills. This may indicate a gap between EFL literacy instruction theory and the classroom practice that is occurring in elementary school classrooms.

Conformal Hydrogel Coatings on Catheters To Reduce Biofouling.

Reducing biofouling while increasing lubricity of inserted medical catheters is highly desirable to improve their comfort, safety, and long-term use. We report here a simple method to create thin (∼30 μm) conformal lubricating hydrogel coatings on catheters. The key to this method is a three-step process including shape-forming, gradient cross-linking, and swell-peeling (we label this method as SGS).