Electrolytes in Organic Batteries.

Organic batteries using redox-active polymers and small organic compounds have become promising candidates for next-generation energy storage devices due to the abundance, environmental benignity, and diverse nature of organic resources. To date, tremendous research efforts have been devoted to developing advanced organic electrode materials and understanding the material structure-performance correlation in organic batteries. In contrast, less attention was paid to the correlation between electrolyte structure and battery performance, despite the critical roles of electrolytes for the dissolution of organic electrode materials, the formation of the electrode-electrolyte interphase, and the solvation/desolvation of charge carriers. In this review, we discuss the prospects and challenges of organic batteries with an emphasis on electrolytes. The differences between organic and inorganic batteries in terms of electrolyte property requirements and charge storage mechanisms are elucidated. To provide a comprehensive and thorough overview of the electrolyte development in organic batteries, the electrolytes are divided into four categories including organic liquid electrolytes, aqueous electrolytes, inorganic solid electrolytes, and polymer-based electrolytes, to introduce different components, concentrations, additives, and applications in various organic batteries with different charge carriers, interphases, and separators. The perspectives and outlook for the future development of advanced electrolytes are also discussed to provide a guidance for the electrolyte design and optimization in organic batteries. We believe that this review will stimulate an in-depth study of electrolytes and accelerate the commercialization of organic batteries.

A nitroaromatic cathode with an ultrahigh energy density based on six-electron reaction per nitro group for lithium batteries.

Organic electrode materials have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional inorganic materials because of their structural diversity and environmental friendliness feature. However, their low energy densities, limited by the single-electron reaction per active group, have plagued the practical applications. Here, we report a nitroaromatic cathode that performs a six-electron reaction per nitro group, drastically improving the specific capacity and energy density compared with the organic electrodes based on single-electron reactions. Based on such a reaction mechanism, the organic cathode of 1,5-dinitronaphthalene demonstrates an ultrahigh specific capacity of 1,338 mAh⋅g-1 and energy density of 3,273 Wh⋅kg-1, which surpass all existing organic cathodes. The reaction path was verified as a conversion from nitro to amino groups. Our findings open up a pathway, in terms of battery chemistry, for ultrahigh-energy-density Li-organic batteries.

Laser capture microdissection transcriptome (LCM RNA-seq) reveals BcDFR is a key gene in anthocyanin synthesis of non-heading Chinese cabbage.

BACKGROUND: Purple non-heading Chinese cabbage [Brassica campestris (syn. Brassica rapa) ssp. chinensis] has become popular because of its richness in anthocyanin. However, anthocyanin only accumulates in the upper epidermis of leaves. Further studies are needed to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the specific accumulation of it. RESULTS: In this study, we used the laser capture frozen section method (LCM) to divide purple (ZBC) and green (LBC) non-heading Chinese cabbage leaves into upper and lower epidermis parts (Pup represents the purple upper epidermis, Plow represents the purple lower epidermis, Gup represents the green upper epidermis, Glow represents the green lower epidermis). Through transcriptome sequencing, we found that the DIHYDROFLAVONOL 4-REDUCTASE-encoding gene BcDFR, is strongly expressed in Pup but hardly in others (Plow, Gup, Glow). Further, a deletion and insertion in the promoter of BcDFR in LBC were found, which may interfere with BcDFR expression. Subsequent analysis of gene structure and conserved structural domains showed that BcDFR is highly conserved in Brassica species. The predicted protein-protein interaction network of BcDFR suggests that it interacts with almost all functional proteins in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. Finally, the results of the tobacco transient expression also demonstrated that BcDFR promotes the synthesis and accumulation of anthocyanin. CONCLUSIONS: BcDFR is specifically highly expressed on the upper epidermis of purple non-heading Chinese cabbage leaves and regulates anthocyanin biosynthesis and accumulation. Our study provides new insights into the functional analysis and transcriptional regulatory network of anthocyanin-related genes in purple non-heading Chinese cabbage.

Nano-Confined Effect and Heterojunction Promoted Exciton Separation for Light-Boosted Osmotic Energy Conversion.

The osmotic energy conversion properties of biomimetic light-stimulated nanochannels have aroused great interest. However, the power output performance is limited by the low light-induced current and energy conversion efficiency. Here, nanochannel arrays with simultaneous modification of ZnO and di-tetrabutylammonium cis-bis(isothiocyanato)bis(2,20-bipyridyl-4,40-dicarboxylato) ruthenium (II) (N719) onto anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) to combine the nano-confined effect and heterojunction is designed, which demonstrate rectified ion transport behavior due to the asymmetric composition, structure and charge. High cation selectivity and ion flux contribute to the high power density of ≈7.33 W m-2 by mixing artificial seawater and river water. Under light irradiation, heterojunction promoted the production and separation of exciton, enhanced cation selectivity, and improved the utilization efficiency of osmotic energy, providing a remarkable power density of ≈18.49 W m-2 with an increase of 252% and total energy conversion efficiency of 30.43%. The work opens new insights into the biomimetic nanochannels for high-performance energy conversion.

Sterile soil mitigates the intergenerational loss of gut microbial diversity and anxiety-like behavior induced by antibiotics in mice.

The decline in gut microbial diversity in modern humans is closely associated with the rising prevalence of various diseases. It is imperative to investigate the underlying causes of gut microbial loss and restoring methods. Although the impact of non-perinatal antibiotic use on gut microbiota has been recognized, its intergenerational effects remain unexplored. Our previous research has highlighted soil in the farm environment as a key factor for gut microbiome health by restoring gut microbial diversity and balance. In this study, we investigated the intergenerational consequences of antibiotic exposure and the therapeutic potential of sterile soil. We treated C57BL/6 mice with vancomycin and streptomycin for 2 weeks continuously, followed by a 4-8 week withdrawal period before breeding. The process was repeated across 3 generations. Half of the mice in each generation received an oral sterile soil intervention. We assessed gut microbial diversity, anxiety behavior, microglial reactivity, and gut barrier integrity across generations. Antibiotic exposure led to a decrease in gut microbial diversity over generations, along with aggravated anxiety behavior, microgliosis, and altered intestinal tight junction protein expression. Oral sterile soil intervention restored gut microbial diversity in adult mice across generations, concomitantly rescuing abnormalities in behavior, microgliosis, and intestinal barrier integrity. In conclusion, this study simulated an important process of the progressive loss of gut microbiota diversity in modern humans and demonstrated the potential of sterile soil to reverse this process. This study provides a theoretical and experimental basis for research and interventions targeting multiple modern chronic diseases related to intestinal microorganisms.

Self-Healing and Wide Temperature-Tolerant Cellulose-Based Eutectogels for Reversible Humidity Detection.

A kind of ionic conductive gel (also named eutectogel) is developed from an inorganic salt (ZnCl2)-based deep eutectic solvent (DES). The ternary DES consists of ZnCl2, acrylic acid, and water, and cotton linter cellulose is introduced into the DES system to tailor its mechanical and conductive properties. Enabled by the extensive hydrogen bonds and ion-dipole interactions, the obtained eutectogel displays superior ionic conductivity (0.33 S/m), high stretchability (up to 2050%), large tensile strength (1.82 MPa), and wide temperature tolerance (-40 to 60 °C). In particular, the water-induced coordination interactions can tune the strength of hydrogen/ionic bonds in the eutectogels, imparting them with appealing humidity sensing ability in complex and extreme conditions.

GGC repeat expansion in NOTCH2NLC induces dysfunction in ribosome biogenesis and translation.

GGC repeat expansion in the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of NOTCH2NLC is associated with a broad spectrum of neurological disorders, especially neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID). Studies have found that GGC repeat expansion in NOTCH2NLC induces the formation of polyglycine (polyG)-containing protein, which is involved in the formation of neuronal intranuclear inclusions. However, the mechanism of neurotoxicity induced by NOTCH2NLC GGC repeats is unclear. Here, we used NIID patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived 3D cerebral organoids (3DCOs) and cellular models to investigate the pathophysiological mechanisms of NOTCH2NLC GGC repeat expansion. IPSC-derived 3DCOs and cellular models showed the deposition of polyG-containing intranuclear inclusions. The NOTCH2NLC GGC repeats could induce the upregulation of autophagic flux, enhance integrated stress response and activate EIF2α phosphorylation. Bulk RNA sequencing for iPSC-derived neurons and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) for iPSC-derived 3DCOs revealed that NOTCH2NLC GGC repeats may be associated with dysfunctions in ribosome biogenesis and translation. Moreover, NOTCH2NLC GGC repeats could induce the NPM1 nucleoplasm translocation, increase nucleolar stress, impair ribosome biogenesis and induce ribosomal RNA sequestration, suggesting dysfunction of membraneless organelles in the NIID cellular model. Dysfunctions in ribosome biogenesis and phosphorylated EIF2α and the resulting increase in the formation of G3BP1-positive stress granules may together lead to whole-cell translational inhibition, which may eventually cause cell death. Interestingly, scRNA-seq revealed that NOTCH2NLC GGC repeats may be associated with a significantly decreased proportion of immature neurons while 3DCOs were developing. Together, our results underscore the value of patient-specific iPSC-derived 3DCOs in investigating the mechanisms of polyG diseases, especially those caused by repeats in human-specific genes.

Prevalence and associated factors of depression in postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a prevalent mental health problem in postmenopausal women. Given its significant impact on the quality of life and overall well-being of postmenopausal women, there is need for a comprehensive review and meta-analysis of the existing research globally. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the global prevalence of depression and potential associated factors in postmenopausal women. METHODS: The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO databases were systematically searched from inception to March 22, 2023. The meta-analysis used the random-effects model to calculate the prevalence of depression rates and associated factors. In addition, subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were performed. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots, Egger's test, and nonparametric trim-and-fill tests. RESULTS: The meta-analysis included 50 studies that involved 385,092 postmenopausal women. The prevalence of depression in postmenopausal women was 28.00% (95% CI, 25.80-30.10). Among the factors relevant to depression among postmenopausal women, marital status (OR: 2.03, 95%CI: 1.33-3.11), history of mental illness (OR: 2.31, 95%CI: 1.50-3.57), chronic disease (OR: 3.13, 95%CI: 2.20-4.44), menstrual cycle (OR: 1.42, 95%CI: 1.17-1.72), abortion numbers (OR: 1.59, 95%CI: 1.40-1.80), menopausal symptoms (OR: 2.10, 95%CI: 1.52-2.90), and hormone replacement therapy (OR: 1.76, 95%CI: 1.31-2.35) were risk factors, while physical activity (OR: 0.56, 95%CI: 0.53-0.59), number of breastfed infants (OR: 0.43, 95%CI: 0.19-0.97), menopause age (OR: 0.44, 95%CI: 0.37-0.51) were preventive factors. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that the prevalence of postmenopausal depression is high, and some risk factors and protective factors associated with it have been identified. It is necessary to improve screening and management and optimize prevention and intervention strategies to reduce the harmful effects of postmenopausal depression.

New insights into nanotherapeutics for periodontitis: a triple concerto of antimicrobial activity, immunomodulation and periodontium regeneration.

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by the local microbiome and the host immune response, resulting in periodontal structure damage and even tooth loss. Scaling and root planning combined with antibiotics are the conventional means of nonsurgical treatment of periodontitis, but they are insufficient to fully heal periodontitis due to intractable bacterial attachment and drug resistance. Novel and effective therapeutic options in clinical drug therapy remain scarce. Nanotherapeutics achieve stable cell targeting, oral retention and smart release by great flexibility in changing the chemical composition or physical characteristics of nanoparticles. Meanwhile, the protectiveness and high surface area to volume ratio of nanoparticles enable high drug loading, ensuring a remarkable therapeutic efficacy. Currently, the combination of advanced nanoparticles and novel therapeutic strategies is the most active research area in periodontitis treatment. In this review, we first introduce the pathogenesis of periodontitis, and then summarize the state-of-the-art nanotherapeutic strategies based on the triple concerto of antibacterial activity, immunomodulation and periodontium regeneration, particularly focusing on the therapeutic mechanism and ingenious design of nanomedicines. Finally, the challenges and prospects of nano therapy for periodontitis are discussed from the perspective of current treatment problems and future development trends.

The effect of continuous positive airway pressure on obstructive sleep apnea in children with syndromic craniosynostosis.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common in children with syndromic craniosynostosis (SC). However, objective data on the treatment of OSA in children with SC remain inadequate. This study aimed to explore the efficacy of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in the management of OSA in children with SC. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed in children with SC and OSA diagnosed by polysomnography (PSG), which was defined as an apnea hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 1. Patients were included if they were treated with CPAP and had baseline PSG and follow-up sleep studies. Clinical and demographic data were collected from all enrolled subjects. RESULTS: A total of 45 children with SC and OSA were identified, with an average age of 6.8 ± 4.7 years. Among them, 36 cases had moderate to severe OSA (22 with severe OSA) and received CPAP therapy followed by post-treatment sleep studies. Notably, there was a significant reduction in the AHI observed after CPAP treatment (3.0 [IQR: 1.7, 4.6] versus 38.6 [IQR: 18.2, 53.3] events/h; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: CPAP is effective and acceptable in treating severe OSA in children with SC.

Study of the Structure and Bioactivity of Polysaccharides from Different Parts of Stemona tuberosa Lour.

The polysaccharides from Stemona tuberosa Lour, a kind of plant used in Chinese herbal medicine, have various pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However, the effects of the extraction methods and the activity of polysaccharides from different parts are still unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of different extraction methods on the yields, chemical compositions, and bioactivity of polysaccharides extracted from different parts of Stemona tuberosa Lour. Six polysaccharides were extracted from the leaves, roots, and stems of Stemona tuberosa Lour through the use of hot water (i.e., SPS-L1, SPS-R1, and SPS-S1) and an ultrasound-assisted method (i.e., SPS-L2, SPS-R2, and SPS-S2). The results showed that the physicochemical properties, structural properties, and biological activity of the polysaccharides varied with the extraction methods and parts. SPS-R1 and SPS-R2 had higher extraction yields and total sugar contents than those of the other SPSs (SPS-L1, SPS-L2, SPS-S1, and SPS-S2). SPS-L1 had favorable antioxidant activity and the ability to downregulate MUC5AC expression. An investigation of the anti-inflammatory properties showed that SPS-R1 and SPS-R2 had greater anti-inflammatory activities, while SPS-R2 demonstrated the strongest anti-inflammatory potential. The results of this study indicated that SPS-L1 and SPS-L2, which were extracted from non-medicinal parts, may serve as potent natural antioxidants, but further study is necessary to explore their potential applications in the treatment of diseases. The positive anti-inflammatory effects of SPS-R1 and SPS-R2 in the roots may be further exploited in drugs for the treatment of inflammation.

Molecular Wiring of Electrocatalytic Nitrate reduction to Ammonia and Water Oxidation by Iron-Coordinated Macroporous Conductive Networks.

Developing stable electrocatalysts with accessible isolated sites is desirable but highly challenging due to metal agglomeration and low surface stability of host materials. Here we report a general approach for synthesis of single-site Fe electrocatalysts by integrating a solvated Fe complex in conductive macroporous organic networks through redox-active coordination linkages. Electrochemical activation of the electrode exposes high-density coordinately unsaturated Fe sites for efficient adsorption and conversion of reaction substrates such as NO3 - and H2O. Using the electrode with isolated active Fe sites, electrocatalytic NO3 - reduction and H2O oxidation can be coupled in a single cell to produce NH3 and O2 at Faradaic efficiencies of 97 % and 100 %, respectively. The electrode exhibits excellent robustness in electrocatalysis for 200 hours with small decrease in catalytic efficiencies. Both the maximized Fe-site efficiency and the microscopic localization effect of the conductive organic matrix contribute to the high catalytic performances, which provides new understandings in tuning the efficiencies of metal catalysts for high-performance electrocatalytic cells.

Molecular Self-Assembly in Conductive Covalent Networks for Selective Nitrate Electroreduction to Ammonia.

Electrochemical nitrate (NO3-) reduction in aqueous media provides a useful approach for ammonia (NH3) synthesis. While efforts are focused on developing catalysts, the local microenvironment surrounding the catalyst centers is of great importance for controlling electrocatalytic performance. Here, we demonstrate that a self-assembled molecular iron catalyst integrated in a free-standing conductive hydrogel is capable of selective production of NH3 from NO3- at efficiencies approaching unity. With the electrocatalytic hydrogel, the NH3 selectivity is consistently high under a range of negative biases, which results from the hydrophobicity increase of the polycarbazole-based electrode substrate. In mildly acidic media, proton reduction is suppressed by electro-dewetting of the hydrogel electrode, enhancing the selectivity of NO3- reduction. The electrocatalytic hydrogel is capable of continuous production of NH3 for at least 100 h with NH3 selectivity of ∼89 to 98% at high current densities. Our results highlight the role of constructing an internal hydrophobic surface for electrocatalysts in controlling selectivity in aqueous media.

Methylammonium Chloride as a Double-Edged Sword for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells.

The additive engineering strategy promotes the efficiency of solution-processed perovskite solar cells (PSCs) over 25%. However, compositional heterogeneity and structural disorders occur in perovskite films with the addition of specific additives, making it imperative to understand the detrimental impact of additives on film quality and device performance. In this work, the double-edged sword effects of the methylammonium chloride (MACl) additive on the properties of methylammonium lead mixed-halide perovskite (MAPbI3-x Clx ) films and PSCs are demonstrated. MAPbI3-x Clx films suffer from undesirable morphology transition during annealing, and its impacts on the film quality including morphology, optical properties, structure, and defect evolution are systematically investigated, as well as the power conversion efficiency (PCE) evolution for related PSCs. The FAX (FA = formamidinium, X = I, Br, and Ac) post-treatment strategy is developed to inhibit the morphology transition and suppress defects by compensating for the loss of the organic components, a champion PCE of 21.49% with an impressive open-circuit voltage of 1.17 V is obtained, and remains over 95% of the initial efficiency after storing over 1200 hours. This study elucidates that understanding the additive-induced detrimental effects in halide perovskites is critical to achieve the efficient and stable PSCs.

GIPC1 CGG Repeat Expansion Is Associated with Movement Disorders.

OBJECTIVE: CGG/GGC repeat expansion in FMR1 and NOTCH2NLC is reportedly associated with movement disorders; therefore, we hypothesized that the CGG repeat expansion in LRP12, NUTM2B-AS1, and GIPC1, which was previously identified in myopathy, might also be associated with movement-disorder phenotypes. Here, we investigated whether CGG repeat expansion in LRP12, NUTM2B-AS1, and GIPC1 presents in a cohort of patients with movement disorders. METHODS: We screened for the CGG repeat expansion in LRP12, NUTM2B-AS1, and GIPC1 in 1,346 movement-disorder patients and 1,451 matched healthy controls. RESULTS: No patients or controls harbored expanded CGG repeats in LRP12 or NUTM2B-AS1, whereas 16 patients harbored >40 CGG repeats in GIPC1, with 11 of these patients harboring >60 CGG repeats. One control individual harbored an expanded GIPC1 allele (83 CGG units), suggesting that approximately 1% of patients affected by movement disorders in our population might harbor GIPC1 CGG repeat expansion, with this likely extremely rare in healthy controls (<0.001). The clinical phenotypes of the GIPC1 CGG repeat-positive patients strongly resembled those in patients displaying NOTCH2NLC GGC repeat-positive movement disorders. Additionally, the GIPC1 CGG repeat-positive patients presented white-matter hyperintensities but without typical NOTCH2NLC-related high-intensity signals in the corticomedullary junction. Furthermore, 44% of the GIPC1 CGG repeat-positive patients showed a cognitive deficit, and skin biopsies in 2 patients revealed deposition of intranuclear inclusions. INTERPRETATION: The CGG repeat expansion in GIPC1 might be associated with movement-disorder phenotypes and lead to diseases related to intranuclear inclusions. ANN NEUROL 2022;91:704-715.

Shared Genetic Architecture between Parkinson's Disease and Brain Structural Phenotypes.

BACKGROUND: Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have consistently demonstrated brain structure abnormalities, indicating the presence of shared etiological and pathological processes between PD and brain structures; however, the genetic relationship remains poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of shared genetic architecture between PD and brain structural phenotypes (BSPs) and to identify shared genomic loci. METHODS: We used the summary statistics from genome-wide association studies to conduct MiXeR and conditional/conjunctional false discovery rate analyses to investigate the shared genetic signatures between PD and BSPs. Subsequent expression quantitative trait loci mapping in the human brain and enrichment analyses were also performed. RESULTS: MiXeR analysis identified genetic overlap between PD and various BSPs, including total cortical surface area, average cortical thickness, and specific brain volumetric structures. Further analysis using conditional false discovery rate (FDR) identified 21 novel PD risk loci on associations with BSPs at conditional FDR < 0.01, and the conjunctional FDR analysis demonstrated that PD shared several genomic loci with certain BSPs at conjunctional FDR < 0.05. Among the shared loci, 16 credible mapped genes showed high expression in the brain tissues and were primarily associated with immune function-related biological processes. CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed the polygenic overlap with mixed directions of allelic effects between PD and BSPs and identified multiple shared genomic loci and risk genes, which are likely related to immune-related biological processes. These findings provide insight into the complex genetic architecture associated with PD. © 2023 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Ectopic odorant receptors responding to flavor compounds in skin health and disease: Current insights and future perspectives.

Skin, the largest organ of human body, acts as a barrier to protect body from the external environment and is exposed to a myriad of flavor compounds, especially food- and plant essential oil-derived odorant compounds. Skin cells are known to express various chemosensory receptors, such as transient potential receptors, adenosine triphosphate receptors, taste receptors, and odorant receptors (ORs). We aim to provide a review of this rapidly developing field and discuss latest discoveries related to the skin ORs activated by flavor compounds, their impacts on skin health and disease, odorant ligands interacting with ORs exerting specific biological effects, and the mechanisms involved. ORs are recently found to be expressed in skin tissue and cells, such as keratinocytes, melanocytes, and fibroblasts. To date, several ectopic skin ORs responding to flavor compounds, are involved in different skin biological processes, such as wound healing, hair growth, melanin regulation, pressure stress, skin barrier function, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis. The recognition of physiological role of skin ORs, combined with the fact that ORs belong to a highly druggable protein family (G protein-coupled receptors), underscores the potential of skin ORs responding to flavor compounds as a novel regulating strategy for skin health and disease.

The gut odorant receptor and taste receptor make sense of dietary components: A focus on gut hormone secretion.

Odorant receptors (ORs) and taste receptors (TRs) are expressed primarily in the nose and tongue in which they transduce electrical signals to the brain. Advances in deciphering the dietary component-sensing mechanisms in the nose and tongue prompted research on the role of gut chemosensory cells. Acting as the pivotal interface between the body and dietary cues, gut cells "smell" and "taste" dietary components and metabolites by taking advantage of chemoreceptors-ORs and TRs, to maintain physiological homeostasis. Here, we reviewed this novel field, highlighting the latest discoveries pertinent to gut ORs and TRs responding to dietary components, their impacts on gut hormone secretion, and the mechanisms involved. Recent studies indicate that gut cells sense dietary components including fatty acid, carbohydrate, and phytochemical by activating relevant ORs, thereby modulating GLP-1, PYY, CCK, and 5-HT secretion. Similarly, gut sweet, umami, and bitter receptors can regulate the gut hormone secretion and maintain homeostasis in response to dietary components. A deeper understanding of the favorable influence of dietary components on gut hormone secretion via gut ORs and TRs, coupled with the facts that gut hormones are involved in diverse physiological or pathophysiological phenomena, may ultimately lead to a promising treatment for various human diseases.

Understanding the mechanism underlying the anti-diabetic effect of dietary component: a focus on gut microbiota.

Diabetes has become one of the biggest non-communicable diseases and threatens human health worldwide. The management of diabetes is a complex and multifaceted process including drug therapy and lifestyle interventions. Dietary components are essential for both diabetes management and health and survival of trillions of the gut microbiota (GM). Herein, we will discuss the relationship between diets and GM, the mechanism linking diabetes and gut dysbiosis, and the effects of dietary components (nutrients, phytochemicals, probiotics, food additives, etc.) on diabetes from the perspective of modulating GM. The GM of diabetic patients differs from that of health individuals and GM disorder contributes to the onset and maintenance of diabetes. Studies in humans and animal models consolidate that dietary component is a key regulator of diabetes and increasing evidence suggests that the alteration of GM plays a salient role in dietary interventions for diabetes. Given that diabetes is a major public health issue, especially that diabetes is linked with a high risk of mortality from COVID-19, this review provides compelling evidence for that targeting GM by dietary components is a promising strategy, and offers new insights into potential preventive or therapeutic approaches (dietary and pharmacological intervention) for the clinical management of diabetes.

A study of the Rashba effect in two-dimensional ternary compounds ABC monolayers (A = Sb, Bi; B = Se, Te; C = Br; I).

The structure and electronic and spintronic properties of two-dimensional (2D) ternary compounds ABC (A = Sb, Bi; B = Se, Te; C = Br; I) monolayers are investigated using the first-principles method. The ABC monolayers possess typical Janus structures with a considerable potential gradient normal to the surface, inducing intrinsic Rashba spin splitting (RSS) at the conduction band minimum near the Γ point. Among them, the splitting strength of the BiSeI monolayer is the largest and its Rashba coefficient can reach 1.84 eV Å. The projected energy band of the BiSeI monolayer suggests that the RSS state is mainly rooted in the Bi-pz orbital. The RSS strength can be modulated by applying the in-plane strain. The tensile strain can improve the RSS strength, which is ascribed to the increase of the potential gradient normal to the surface. These results indicate that these 2D ternary compounds have great potential for application in tunable spintronic devices.