Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets enhance the tolerance of Torreya grandis to Pb stress.

As a 2D nanomaterial, MXene (Ti3C2Tx) has shown enormous potential for use in fields such as biomedical and environmental pollution. However, the utilization of MXene materials in plants has received little attention thus far. The efficient use of MXene materials in agriculture and forestry is first highlighted in this study. Phenotypic and physiological analyses indicated that MXene application significantly enhanced the tolerance of Torreya grandis to Pb stress by reducing Pb accumulation. Furthermore, we illustrated two independent mechanisms of MXene material in reducing Pb accumulation in T. grandis: 1) MXene converted the available form of Pb into stable forms via its strong Pb adsorption ability, resulting in a decrease of the available form of Pb in soils, and 2) MXene application obviously increased the cell wall pectin content to restrict more Pb in the cell wall by regulating the expression of pectin synthesis/metabolism-related genes (TgPLL2, TgPLL11, TgPG5, TgPG30, TgGAUT3 and TgGAUT12) in T. grandis roots. Overall, this finding provides insight into the application of MXene material in modern agriculture and forestry, which will facilitate the rapid development of nanotechnology in sustainable agriculture and forestry.

Association between oil tea intake and the risk of type 2 diabetes in adults: A cross-sectional study in Gongcheng, Guangxi, China.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The associations between oil tea and type 2 diabetes (T2D) have been little studied in the population. This study aimed to evaluate whether oil tea intake is related to the reduced risk of T2D in adults. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: A rural-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County, Guangxi, southern China (2018-2019), with a total of 3178 population included in the final analysis. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to analyze the associations between the intake frequency, daily intake of oil tea and the risk of T2D. We further compared the association differences between the daily intake of oil tea and the risk of diabetes under different dietary patterns, which were generated from food frequency intake data using principal factor analysis. RESULTS: The differences in the frequency and daily intake of oil tea in both groups (diabetes group and the non-diabetes group) were statistically significant (p<0.05). After adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, physical activity, body mass index (BMI), compared with non-oil tea drinkers, intake ≥3 times /d had an inverse association with T2D (OR=0.417; 95% CI: 0.205-0.848, p<0.05); while daily intake of more than 600 mL/d but less than 900 mL/d was significantly associated with reduced T2D risk (OR=0.492; 95% CI: 0.284-0.852, p=0.011). In the Chinese traditional dietary and the plant-based dietary model, compared with the non-oil tea drinkers, the fourth intake group had a lower risk of diabetes, with an OR (95%CI) value of 0.500 (0.291-0.854) and 0.505 (0.298-0.855), respectively, but no statistical significance (All p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that oil tea was associated with a reduced risk of T2D aged 30 years or older.