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Single-phase multiferroics exhibiting ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism are considered pivotal for advancing next-generation multistate memories, spintronic devices, sensors, and logic devices. In this study, the magnetic and electric characteristics of bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) ceramics were enhanced through compositional design and grain engineering. BiFeO3 ceramic was co-substituted by neodymium (Nd) and niobium (Nb), two non-isovalent elements, via the spark plasma sintering process using phase-pure powder prepared via sol-gel as the precursor. The symmetry of the sintered Nd–Nb co-doped samples changed from R3c to Pnma, accompanied by a decrease in the loss tangent, grain size, and leakage current density. The reduction in the leakage current density of the co-doped samples was ~three orders of magnitude. Moreover, ferroelectric, dielectric, and magnetic properties were substantially improved. The remanent polarization and magnetization values of the optimized Nd–Nb co-doped BiFeO3 sample were 3.12 μC cm−2 and 0.15 emu g−1, respectively. The multiferroic properties were enhanced based on multiple factors such as structural distortion caused by co-doping, grain size reduction, suppression of defect charges via donor doping, space-modulated spin structure disruption, and an increase in magnetic ions. The synergistic approach of composition design and grain engineering sets a paradigm for the advancement of multiferroic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Visceral fat (VF) was proved to be a more precise predictor of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) than body mass index (BMI) itself. Even when the BMI was normal, visceral fat area (VFA) ≥ 90 cm² could raise the ten-year risk of developing ASCVD. Therefore, it was worth evaluating the association of influencing factors with high VF in non-obese T2DM individuals. Methods: This study enrolled 1,409 T2DM participants with T2DM, of whom 538 had a normal BMI. Based on VFA, these subjects were divided into two groups: VF (+) (VFA ≥ 90cm2) (n = 110) and VF (-) (VFA < 90cm2) (n = 428). The measurement of VFA was conducted using an Omron VF measuring device. Anthropometric and metabolic parameters were detected. Novel insulin resistance indices, such as lipid accumulation product (LAP) was calculated. Factors associated with VF were screened using univariate analysis, multifactorial binary logistic regression models and chi-squared automatic interaction detector decision tree model. Results: The VF (+) OB (-) (BMI ≤ 23.9 kg/m2) prevalence were 7.8% in T2DM subjects (n = 1,409) and 20.4% in T2DM subjects with normal BMI (n = 538), respectively. In T2DM subjects with normal BMI, the logistic regression model suggested that neck circumference (NC) had an odds ratio (OR) of 1.891 (95% CI: 1.165–3.069, P = 0.010). The OR for VF gradually increased from the 1st to the 4th in LAP quartile (P < 0.05). LAP emerged as the root node, followed by NC in the decision tree model. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis demonstrated that the area under the curve (AUC) for NC in predicting high VF levels was 0.640 for males and 0.682 for females. Optimal NC cut-off points were 37.75 cm for males and 34.75 cm for females, respectively. Additionally, the AUC values of LAP in predicting high VF levels were 0.745 for males and 0.772 for females, with optimal LAP cut-off points of 22.64 and 26.45 for males and females, respectively. Conclusion: This study identified NC and LAP can be considered predictors of high VF in T2DM subjects with normal BMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Preimplantation embryos in vivo are exposed to various growth factors in the female reproductive tract that are absent in in vitro embryo culture media. Cell-free fat extract exerts antioxidant, anti-ageing, and ovarian function-promoting effects. However, its effects on embryo quality are yet to be investigated. Methods: We assessed the effect of cell-free fat extract supplementation on embryo culture using a naturally ageing mouse model. We assessed the model's efficacy in influencing embryo development and pregnancy rates in older women with in vitro fertilization failure. In addition, we performed immunofluorescence staining, multiplex immunoassay, whole-genome amplification and DNA sequencing, time-lapse embryo monitoring, and in vitro experiments. Results: Cell-free fat extract-supplemented media has a suitable osmolarity and pH and contains high levels of bioactive growth factors. Cell-free fat extract promoted embryo development and implantation in aged mice, probably by increasing embryo growth rate, inhibiting cell apoptosis, and promoting blastocyst adhesion. Clinical results showed that the cell-free fat extract group had significantly higher rates of the day 3 available and high-quality embryos than the control group, and the rate of usable embryos tended to be higher in the cell-free fat extract group. Furthermore, implantation and clinical pregnancy rates improved in the cell-free fat extract group than in the control group. Conclusions: Our study implies that cell-free fat extract supplementation can promote embryo development and clinical outcomes and may serve as a rescue strategy for older women with in vitro fertilization failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are a class of proteins associated with osmotic regulation and plant tolerance to abiotic stress. However, studies on the LEA gene family in the alpine cold-tolerant herb are still limited, and the phylogenetic evolution and biological functions of its family members remain unclear. In this study, we conducted genome-wide identification, phylogenetic evolution, and abiotic stress response analyses of LEA family genes in Notopterygium species, alpine cold-tolerant medicinal herbs in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and adjacent regions. The gene family identification analysis showed that 23, 20, and 20 LEA genes were identified in three Notopterygium species, N. franchetii, N. incisum, and N. forrestii, respectively. All of these genes can be classified into six LEA subfamilies: LEA_1, LEA_2, LEA_5, LEA_6, DHN (Dehydrin), and SMP (seed maturation protein). The LEA proteins in the three Notopterygium species exhibited significant variations in the number of amino acids, physical and chemical properties, subcellular localization, and secondary structure characteristics, primarily demonstrating high hydrophilicity, different stability, and specific subcellular distribution patterns. Meanwhile, we found that the members of the same LEA subfamily shared similar exon–intron structures and conserved motifs. Interestingly, the chromosome distributions of LEA genes in Notopterygium species were scattered. The results of the collinearity analysis indicate that the expansion of the LEA gene family is primarily driven by gene duplication. A Ka/Ks analysis showed that paralogous gene pairs were under negative selection in Notopterygium species. A promoter cis-acting element analysis showed that most LEA genes possessed multiple cis-elements connected to plant growth and development, stress response, and plant hormone signal transduction. An expression pattern analysis demonstrated the species-specific and tissue-specific expression of NinLEAs. Experiments on abiotic stress responses indicated that the NinLEAs play a crucial role in the response to high-temperature and drought stresses in N. franchetii leaves and roots. These results provide novel insights for further understanding the functions of the LEA gene family in the alpine cold-tolerant Notopterygium species and also offer a scientific basis for in-depth research on the abiotic stress response mechanisms and stress-resistant breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) requires effective treatment options. Upadacitinib, a Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) inhibitor, has shown effectiveness in trials for Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). This study evaluates its real-world effectiveness and safety. Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study in tertiary care centers, involving patients treated with upadacitinib from January 2023 to September 2024. The study included adult patients aged 18 years or older, diagnosed with UC or CD, who received at least 8 weeks of upadacitinib therapy. Treatment outcomes were evaluated using established clinical, endoscopic, imaging, histological, and laboratory parameters. Results: A total of 236 IBD patients received upadacitinib treatment. In 80 UC patients at 8 weeks, 64.0% achieved steroid-free remission, 57.6% clinical remission, and 81.8% response. Endoscopic remission was 35.8% (p = 0.039), with 63.3% response and 35.8% mucosal healing. Histological remission reached 29.2% (p = 0.009). For 156 CD patients at 12 weeks, 76.8% achieved steroid-free remission (p < 0.001), 77.8% clinical remission (p < 0.001), and 81.0% response. Mean CDAI decreased from 214.9 to 117.5 (p < 0.001). Endoscopic remission was 19.4%, with 48.9% response and 4.9% mucosal healing. Radiological remission was 9.1% with 85.7% response. Intestinal ultrasound showed 5.7% remission and 56.7% response. Conclusions: Upadacitinib demonstrates significant real-world effectiveness and safety in IBD, particularly in biologic-resistant cases, as evidenced by high rates of steroid-free remission and clinical response. These outcomes are likely due to its targeted JAK1 inhibition, which effectively reduces inflammation and promotes mucosal healing. Future research should focus on long-term safety, comparative effectiveness with other biologics, and its application in diverse patient populations. These findings support the integration of upadacitinib into IBD management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving food sustainability is one of the biggest challenges in the new millennium. Plant factory cultivation systems provide an alternative for food sustainability, while they often suffer from algal blooms. The overuse of conventional algaecides has caused significant environmental pollution and concerns about food security. Here, we design a nanoenabled metal‐organic algaecide that is self‐assembled from natural polyphenols and two functional metal ions for providing shading effects and delivering active ingredients synergistically to suppress algal blooms. Black wattle tannin (BWT) and Fe3+ ions are utilized to develop self‐assembled FeBWT nanoalgaecides with significant shading effects for decreasing light transmission (up to 97 %) and effectively inhibiting algal photosynthesis. Further, the FeBWT is functionalized with Cu2+ ions (bimetallic Cu/FeBWT) to target the algal cells and release Cu2+ ions via phenolic‐mediated cell surface interactions, thus enhancing the inhibition efficiency. Importantly, the biosafety of Cu/FeBWT is demonstrated through toxicity tests on zebrafish and NIH3T3 cells. In our real‐world field test, the Cu/FeBWT demonstrates high algal inhibition performance (>95 %, over 30 days), and enhances the accumulation of food nutrients in model plant lettuces. Collectively, the supramolecular metal‐organic nanoalgaecide provides a promise for nanoagrochemical application and promotes food sustainability and security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is characterised by insulin resistance and a relative shortage of insulin secretion. Tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) plays an important role in insulin resistance by impairing insulin signal transduction. The variants of the TNF‐α promoter region are considered to influence its transcription and are associated with the TNF‐α level. Therefore, it is worth detecting the association of the variants in the TNF‐α gene with the development of T2DM. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of five variants (rs1799964, rs1800630, rs1799724, rs1800629 and rs361525) in the TNF‐α gene promoter region with T2DM in a Chinese Han population. A total of 713 subjects with T2DM and 751 nondiabetic subjects were genotyped using the TaqMan method. The associations of the five variants with the development of T2DM were evaluated. The associations of the five variant genotypes with metabolic traits in nondiabetic subjects were analysed. Our data showed that the A allele of rs1800629 could increase the risk of developing T2DM (p =.002, OR = 1.563; 95% CI: 1.18–2.08). According to inheritance mode analysis, compared with the G/G genotype, the G/A+2A/A genotype of rs1800629 showed a risk effect on T2DM in the log‐additive mode (p =.002, OR = 1.56; 95% CI: 1.17–2.07). The haplotypes analysis identified that the rs1799724‐rs1800629CA was associated with high risk of the development of T2DM (p =.002, OR = 1.559, 95% CI: 1.173–2.072). Conversely, the rs1799724‐rs1800629CG was a protective haplotype of T2DM (p =.001, OR = 0.732, 95% CI: 0.607–0.884). Moreover, compared with the rs1799964 (T/T+C/T) genotype, the rs1799964 C/C genotype was associated with higher glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in nondiabetic subjects (p =.017). Our results revealed that the rs1800629 in the TNF‐α gene promoter region was associated with T2DM in a Chinese Han population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beet webworm, Loxostege sticticalis, is a typical migratory pest. Although miRNAs participate in many physiological functions, little is known about the functions of miRNAs in olfactory regulation. In this study, 1120 (869 known and 251 novel) miRNAs were identified in the antennae of L. sticticalis by using high-throughput sequencing technology. Among the known miRNAs, 189 from 49 families were insect-specific, indicating that these miRNAs might play unique roles in insects. Furthermore, based on the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses, we found that 3647 and 1393 miRNAs were associated with localization and the regulation of localization, respectively, and 80 miRNAs were enriched in the neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction pathway. These miRNAs might be involved in the olfactory system of L. sticticalis. Notably, qRT-PCR showed that most of the tested miRNAs presented similar expression patterns compared with the RNA-seq data and that miR-87-3, novel-miR-78, and novel-miR-142 were significantly differentially expressed in the antennae of males and females. In addition, 21 miRNAs were predicted to target 23 olfactory genes, including 10 odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), 3 chemosensory proteins (CSPs), 4 odorant receptors (ORs), 1 ionotropic receptor (IR), and 5 gustatory receptors (GRs). The olfactory-related miRNAs exhibited low-abundance transcripts, except undef-miR-55 and undef-miR-523, and gender-biased expression was not observed for olfactory-related miRNAs. Our findings provide an overview of the potential miRNAs involved in olfactory regulation, which may provide important information on the function of miRNAs in the insect olfactory system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are differences in the litter quality and decomposition rate of kiwifruit varieties, but it is not clear whether these differences are related to microbial communities. The leaf litters of two kiwifruit varieties (A. chinensis cv 'Hongyang' and A. chinensis cv 'Jinyan') were taken as objects, and the structure, diversity, and succession of the soil microbial communities were analyzed using an in situ decomposition experiment. Moreover, the contents of C, N, P, and K in the litters during decomposition were analyzed. The results show that there were variety differences in community structure at the generic level. Lophotrichus, Acaulium, and Fusarium were relatively more abundant in the microbial community of the 'Hongyang' kiwifruit litter, and Humicola and Tausonia were relatively more abundant in the microbial community of the 'Jinyan' kiwifruit litter. Subgroup_6 and Sphingomonas were the dominant bacteria. The bacterial community diversity of 'Jinyan' kiwifruit was higher than that of the 'Hongyang' kiwifruit litter. The community diversity was higher in the middle and later periods. The contents of C and N in the litters were the main factors affecting microbial communities. The abundances of Humicola and Apiotrichum were negatively correlated with the contents of C and N, and the abundances of Sphingomonas and SC-I-84 were positively correlated with the content of C. There were variety differences in the microbial communities corresponding to the decomposition processes of the 'Hongyang' and 'Jinyan' kiwifruit litters. The mechanisms of the variety differences were related to litter quality and the initial soil microbial community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Huntington's disease (HD), pose significant global health risks and represent a substantial public health concern in the contemporary era. A primary factor in the pathophysiology of these disorders is aberrant accumulation and aggregation of pathogenic proteins within the brain and spinal cord. Recent investigations have identified extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the central nervous system (CNS) as potential carriers for intercellular transport of misfolded proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases. EVs are involved in pathological processes that contribute to various brain disorders including neurodegenerative disorders. Proteins linked to neurodegenerative disorders are secreted and distributed from cell to cell via EVs, serving as a mechanism for direct intercellular communication through the transfer of biomolecules. Astrocytes, as active participants in CNS intercellular communication, release astrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles (ADEVs) that are capable of interacting with diverse target cells. This review primarily focuses on the involvement of ADEVs in the development of neurological disorders and explores their potential dual roles – both advantageous and disadvantageous in the context of neurological disorders. Furthermore, this review examines the current studies investigating ADEVs as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The prospects and challenges associated with the application of ADEVs in clinical settings were also comprehensively reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]