Ningbo University

This study aimed to assess the associations between multidimensional sleep features and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

We conducted a systematic search across the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus databases for observational studies examining the association between nighttime sleep duration, nighttime sleep quality, sleep chronotype, and daytime napping with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), up to October 1, 2024. If I² < 50%, a combined analysis was performed based on a fixed-effects model, and vice versa, using a random-effects model.

Our analysis revealed that a nighttime sleep duration of less than 7 h (odds ratio [OR] = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.13, 1.23) or more than 8 h (OR = 1.13; 95% CI = 1.09, 1.18) significantly increased the risk of T2DM. Additionally, poor sleep quality (OR = 1.50; 95% CI = 1.30, 1.72) and evening chronotype (OR = 1.59; 95% CI = 1.18, 2.13) were associated with a notably greater risk of developing T2DM. Daytime napping lasting more than 30 min augments the risk of T2DM by 7-20%. Interactively, the incidence of T2DM was most significantly elevated among individuals with poor sleep quality and nighttime sleep duration of more than 8 h (OR = 2.15; 95% CI = 1.19, 3.91).

A U-shaped relationship was observed between sleep duration and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), with the lowest risk occurring at a sleep duration of 7 to 8 h. Additionally, poor sleep quality, evening chronotypes, and daytime napping exceeding 30 min emerged as potential risk factors for T2DM. These high-risk sleep characteristics interacted with one another, amplifying the overall risk of developing the disease.

Renewable 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid-based polyesters are one of the most promising materials for achieving plastic replacement in the age of energy and environmental crisis. However, their properties still cannot compete with those of petrochemical-based plastics, owing to insufficient molecular and/or microstructure designs. Herein, we utilize the Ti3C2Tx-based MXene nanosheets for decorating carbon nanotube (CNT) and obtaining the structurally stable and highly dispersed dendritic hetero-structured MXene@CNT, that can act as multi-roles, i.e., polycondensation catalyst, crystal nucleator, and interface enhancer of polyester. The bio-based MXene@CNT/polybutylene furandicarboxylate (PBF) (denoted as MCP) nanocomposites are synthesized by the strategy of “in situ catalytic polymerization and hot-pressing”. Benefiting from the multi-scale interactions (i.e., covalent bonds, hydrogen bonds, and physical interlocks) in hybrid structure, the MCP presents exceptional mechanical strength (≈101 MPa), stiffness (≈3.1 GPa), toughness (≈130 MJ m−3), and barrier properties (e.g., O2 0.0187 barrer, CO2 0.0264 barrer, and H2O 1.57 × 10−14 g cm cm−2 s Pa) that are higher than most reported bio-based materials and engineering plastics. Moreover, it also displays satisfactory multifunctionality with high reprocessability (90% strength retention after 5 recycling), UV resistance (blocking 85% UVA rays), and solvent-resistant properties. As a state-of-art high-performance and multifunctional material, the novel bio-based MCP nanocomposite offers a more sustainable alternative to petrochemical-based plastics in packaging and engineering material fields. More importantly, our catalysis-interfacial strengthening integration strategy opens a door for designing and constructing high-performance bio-based polyester materials in future.

The swimming crab (Portunus trituberculatus) is an important marine economic species, however its artificial breeding yield is relatively low. Currently, the main challenge faced by the swimming crab seed industry is the reliance on wild populations for seed cultivation, which results in unstable yield and quality, affecting the healthy development of the crab farming industry to some extent. The quality of germplasm resources depends on the quality of gametes, and the quality of sperm depends on the orderly genetic regulation process of spermatogenesis. Therefore, elucidating the genetic regulatory mechanisms of spermatogenesis is of great significance for improving the germplasm resources of P. trituberculatus. To gain a deeper understanding of this process, we conducted a comparative transcriptome study on the testis of the swimming crab at different developmental stages. This study aims to identify key genes that regulate testicular development. We performed paraffin section identification on the testicular tissue of male crabs and conducted transcriptome analysis on the testicular tissue at five different developmental stages and somatic cells. Through differential expression analysis, we screened a total of 31,788 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from stages I to VI. Through Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, we found that these DEGs were significantly enriched in 15 pathways, including important functional pathways such as the adrenergic signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, and TGF-β signaling pathway. GO analysis results showed that calcium ion homeostasis and cell skeleton-related activities were significantly enriched in stage II. Further protein-protein interaction network analysis revealed 68 hub genes, including 13 eukaryotic initiation factors, 6 Ras superfamily members, and 6 genes related to cell division. In addition, genes such as Actin, Myosin, and Nup50 consistently showed high expression at all developmental stages, while genes related to calcium ion homeostasis, such as CaM, significantly increased in expression during stage II. Hsp90 and apoptosis-related genes had higher expression in stage IV, while Smad4 had higher expression in stage V. These results suggest that stage II of the swimming crab sperm development may be a critical period for spermatogenesis, and stage IV may be an important period for regulating sperm quality and quantity. This study not only provides a foundation for further research on the molecular mechanisms of testicular development and spermatogenesis in the swimming crab but also offers theoretical support for improving breeding yield, which has significant practical application value.