The development of polymers with built-in sensors that provide readily perceptible optical warning signs of mechanical events has received considerable interest. A simple and versatile concept to bestow polymers with mechanochromic behavior is the incorporation of dye-filled microcapsules. Such capsules release their cargo when their shell is damaged, and the dye is subsequently activated through a chemical or physical change that causes a chromogenic response. Here, we report the preparation of fluorescent poly(urea-formaldehyde) microcapsules containing solutions of a solvatochromic cyanostilbene dye and their integration in different polymers. When objects made from such composites are damaged, the dye solution is released from the containers, diffuses into the matrix, and the solvent evaporates. As a result, the polarity around the dye molecules changes, and this leads to a change of the fluorescence color. Alternatively, the dye is blended into the polymer matrix, microcapsules are loaded with a solvent, and the release of the latter triggers the color change. Both mechanisms afford ratiometric signals because the capsules that remain intact or dye molecules that are not exposed to the solvent can be used as a built-in reference; therefore, a quantitative assessment of the damage inflicted on the material is a priori possible. © 2020 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.Polymeric single-chain nanoparticles (SCNPs) are soft nano-objects synthesized by intramolecular crosslinking of isolated single polymer chains. Syntheses of such SCNPs usually need to be performed in a dilute solution.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/VX-765.html  In such a condition, the bonding probability of the two active crosslinking units at a short contour distance along the chain backbone is much higher than those which are far away from each other. Such a reaction condition often results in local spheroidization and, therefore, the formation of loosely packed structures. How to inhibit the local spheroidization and improve the compactness of SCNPs is thus a major challenge for the syntheses of SCNPs. In this study, computer simulations are performed and the fact that a precollapse of the polymer chain conformation in a cosolvent condition can largely improve the probability of the crosslinking reactions at large contour distances is demonstrated, favoring the formations of closely packed globular structures. As a result, the formed SCNPs can be more spherical and have higher compactness than those fabricated in ultradilute good solvent solution in a conventional way. It is believed this simulation work can provide a insight into the effective syntheses of SCNPs with spherical conformations and high compactness. © 2020 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.BACKGROUND Sleep deprivation and circadian disruption are associated with decreased insulin sensitivity and hyperglycemia. It is uncertain whether circadian sleep-wake disorder (CRSWD), which relates to both the homeostatic sleep system and the circadian timing system, affects glycemic regulation and insulin secretion. We aimed to examine the associations among sleep duration, sleep architecture or circadian rhythm of the sleep-wake cycle, and glucose metabolism in children, adolescents, and young adults with CRSWD. METHODS This cross-sectional observational study of 124 patients with CRSWD took place at Hyogo Children's Sleep and Development Medical Research Center in Hyogo, Japan. The patients underwent a 3-hour oral glucose tolerance test, anthropometric measurements, sleep-log analyses, and polysomnography. Analysis of covariance models were used to assess the association between sleep architecture or circadian rhythm of sleep-wake cycle and glucose/insulin homeostasis, adjusted for confounding variables such as age, gender, standardized body mass index, and sleep apnea index. RESULTS Impaired glucose tolerance was detected in 25.8% of all patients with CRSWD. After adjustment for confounding variables, we found a negative association between total sleep time (TST) and the 2-hour plasma glucose level. Stage N1 (%TST) was also a significant predictor of 3-hour glucose level. However, we did not detect an association between circadian rhythm of the sleep-wake cycle and glucose/insulin measures. CONCLUSIONS Decreased sleep duration and increased stage N1 (%TST) were associated with hyperglycemia in patients with CRSWD. Further research should elucidate how circadian misalignment in patients with CRSWD is associated with glucose and insulin homeostasis. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.INTRODUCTION Black patients have higher HbA1c than Whites even after adjustment for mean blood glucose (MBG). Decreased iron status has been associated with increased HbA1c independently of glucose. We hypothesized that decreased iron status might account for higher HbA1c in Black patients. METHODS Pediatric patients with T1D in the Diabetes Center at Children's Hospital of New Orleans who self-identified as either Black or White were recruited for the study. At the time of their clinic visit labs were obtained for ferritin (Fer), soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), HbA1c, and CBC. MBG was derived from patient's home glucose meter records over the last 30 days. Total body iron (TBI) and sTfr/log10 Fer (R/lFer) were calculated. RESULTS A total of 80 (35 Blacks/45 Whites; 41 female/39 male) patients were recruited. Unadjusted levels of HbA1c, MBG, sTfR, Fer, RDW-CV, and RDW-SD were all higher in Blacks than Whites. TBI and R/lFer were not different between groups. Fer was correlated with Hb, MBG but not HbA1c. sTfR was correlated with HbA1c, MCV, MCH, and RDW-SD. In multiple variable analysis with HbA1c as the dependent variable, race and MBG were statistically significant in the model. However, measures of iron status Fer, sTfR, R/lFer and TBI were not statistically influential. CONCLUSION After adjustment for race, MBG and RDW-CV, iron indices were not statistically significant independent predictors of HbA1c levels. These observations indicate that factors besides iron status and CBC indices contribute to MBG-independent racial disparity in HbA1c. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.