Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts reports that a phenol-rich, low-molecular lignin fraction (F3) obtained by simple ethanol fractionation of kraft black liquor cuts diabetic fasting blood glucose 66 %, surpasses rosiglitazone in intraperitoneal glucose tolerance, boosts hepatic GLUT4 expression 189 %, reactivates IRS1/PI3K/AKT and AMPK signaling, restores mitochondrial ATP, reduces inflammatory cytokines and triglycerides, reshapes gut microbiota toward short-chain-fatty-acid producers, and exhibits no organ toxicity in rats, thereby positioning woody biomass as a scalable, renewable and safe source for oral or injectable antidiabetic therapeutics.

Pulmonary fibroblasts coordinate the progression of airway inflammation through multiple pathways. However, the role and underlying mechanisms of its subtype, bronchial fibroblasts, under TNF-α induction remain unclear. This study found that TNF-α was highly expressed in the airway with asthma patients. Gene sequencing found that a large number of inflammatory cytokines were expressed in TNF-α induced human bronchial fibroblasts, such as IL-6, IL-1β, IL-15, TNF, CX3CL1, DAPK2, TSLP, CCL2, CCL5, CCL7, CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL3, CXCL5, and CXCL6, which are closely related to eosinophil or neutrophil inflammation. GO enrichment pathways based on the background of the upregulated DEGs showed that TNF-α-induced bronchial fibroblasts are closely associated with the programmed cell necrosis signaling, Th2 cytokines production, eosinophils, neutrophils and so on. Then, western blot showed that the expression levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in TNF-α-induced bronchial fibroblasts considerably increased, and the expression levels of fibronectin, COL1A1, and TGFβ1 were substantially decreased. ELISA results showed that CCL2, CCL5, CCL7, TSLP, CXCL1, CXCL2, IL-6, and IL-1β levels were considerably increased under TNF-α-induced bronchial fibroblasts supernatant. In conclusion, our study results indicate that TNF-α-induced bronchial fibroblasts play an important role in airway inflammation.

Although numerous observational studies have revealed a correlation between leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and female reproductive system diseases (RSDs), the findings of these studies have tended to be consistent. In this study, we accordingly sought to clarify the causal relationships between LTL and RSDs.

In this study, we aimed to identify trends in anticoagulant usage among patients with recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA), assess the appropriateness of these prescriptions, and provide recommendations for future clinical practice.

The rapid rise of commercial compact fusion devices has triggered fast-growing demand for high-temperature superconducting tapes, creating a major opportunity for the high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tape industry. Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) has been extensively applied for fabrication of heteroepitaxial HTS wires or tapes based on REBCO-type superconductor, also referred to as, coated conductors (CCs). A combination of multi-plume, multi-turn deposition technique and use of high-power excimer lasers has enabled and accelerated the industrialization of REBCO coated conductors. Currently, the annual production of top-tier PLD-based, HTS-wire manufacturers exceeds 3,000 km-12 mm, contributing to over half of the total global HTS wire production. PLD-REBCO tapes have demonstrated excellent in-field performance (I_c> 200 A-4 mm @20K, 20T, B//c) and competitive pricing (~$20/m). PLD technology continues to evolve, demonstrating strong competitive advantages. However, challenges remain in further cost reduction, process stability, and increasing efficiency of raw material utilization. AI-based data mining and tackling emerging fundamental issues are seen as potential solutions to further improve stability and performance.

YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ high-temperature superconductors (HTS) exhibit remarkable passive levitation over permanent magnet guideways (PMG), but the strong nonlinearity poses significant challenges for developing analytical models for HTS maglev systems. This paper presents a refined analytical method for calculating the electromagnetic force in such systems. The method incorporates critical factors, including the complex properties of the superconductors, the Halbach PMG geometry, and various operation conditions. The derived analytical expressions explicitly reveal the interplay between system parameters and levitation performance. Experimental and numerical validation confirms the model’s high prediction accuracy in magnetic fields, levitation and guidance forces. A sensitivity analysis further identifies the most influential parameters such as thickness of the magnet, levitation height, Halbach wavelength. Moreover, this paper calculates and provides the recommended structural parameters for both rare-earth and rare-earth-free PMG. The potential of HTS maglev systems for heavy-haul applications is explored, demonstrating the capability to achieve significant levitation force (about 50 ton/m) under constrained geometric conditions. This work provides critical insights for minimizing permanent magnet consumption in HTS maglev systems and circumventing rare-earth material constraints.

Microneedles (MNs) have been extensively investigated for transdermal delivery of large-sized drugs, including proteins, nucleic acids, and even extracellular vesicles (EVs). However, for their sufficient skin penetration, conventional MNs employ long needles (≥ 600 μm), leading to pain and skin irritation. Moreover, it is critical to stably apply MNs against complex skin surfaces for uniform nanoscale drug delivery. Herein, a dually amplified transdermal patch (MN@EV/SC) is developed as the stem cell-derived EV delivery platform by hierarchically integrating an octopus-inspired suction cup (SC) with short MNs (≤ 300 μm). While leveraging the suction effect to induce nanoscale deformation of the stratum corneum, MN@EV/SC minimizes skin damage and enhances the adhesion of MNs, allowing EV to penetrate deeper into the dermis. When MNs of various lengths are applied to mouse skin, the short MNs can elicit comparable corticosterone release to chemical adhesives, whereas long MNs induce a prompt stress response. MN@EV/SC can achieve a remarkable penetration depth (290 µm) for EV, compared to that of MN alone (111 µm). Consequently, MN@EV/SC facilitates the revitalization of fibroblasts and enhances collagen synthesis in middle-aged mice. Overall, MN@EV/SC exhibits the potential for skin regeneration by modulating the dermal microenvironment and ensuring patient comfort.

Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) have achieved remarkable progress, with laboratory-scale single-junction devices now demonstrating power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) exceeding 20%. However, these efficiencies are highly dependent on the thickness of the photoactive layer, which is typically around 100 nm. This sensitivity poses a challenge for industrial-scale fabrication. Achieving high PCEs in thick-film OPVs is therefore essential. This review systematically examines recent advancements in thick-film OPVs, focusing on the fundamental mechanisms that lead to efficiency loss and strategies to enhance performance. We provide a comprehensive analysis spanning the complete photovoltaic process chain: from initial exciton generation and diffusion dynamics, through dissociation mechanisms, to subsequent charge-carrier transport, balance optimization, and final collection efficiency. Particular emphasis is placed on cutting-edge solutions in molecular engineering and device architecture optimization. By synthesizing these interdisciplinary approaches and investigating the potential contributions in stability, cost, and machine learning aspects, this work establishes comprehensive guidelines for designing high-performance OPVs devices with minimal thickness dependence, ultimately aiming to bridge the gap between laboratory achievements and industrial manufacturing requirements.

A research team from the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has developed FastTrack, a new machine learning-based framework dedicated  to evaluate ion migration barriers in crystalline solids. By combining machine learning force field (MLFFs) with three-dimensional potential energy surface (PES) sampling and interpolation, FastTrack enables accurate prediction of atomic migration barriers within mere minutes. Unlike traditional methods such as density functional theory (DFT) and nudged elastic band (NEB), which can take hours or days per calculation. FastTrack offers a speedup of over 100 times without sacrificing accuracy, closely matching experimental and quantum-mechanical benchmarks. This powerful tool automatically identifies diffusion pathways, visualizes energy landscapes, and provides detailed microscopic insights into ion migration mechanisms, crucial for designing more efficient batteries, fuel cells, and other energy storage and conversion devices.

In September, 2019, Department of Health and Social Care of UK released UK Physical Activity Guidelines nationwide, which is broken down by age group: under 1, 1-4, 5-18, 19-64  and older adults aged >65 years, respectively. To date, the impact of adherence to physical activity guidelines by older adults on cardiorespiratory fitness and skeletal muscle mass, which are both key parameters of intrinsic capacity, is poorly understood. Therefore, the team from Centre of Metabolism, Ageing & Physiology (COMAP) from University of Nottingham recruited 14 older adults (age: 66-80 years) completed a 4-week intervention in which they adhered to UK Physical Activity Guidelines via a combination of supervised and home-based exercise, aiming to assess the impact upon parameters related to intrinsic capacity in older adults.