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D-allulose, a rare sugar recognized as Generally Recognized as Safe, has emerged as a potential alternative to sucrose. Despite its growing popularity, research on its effects on the human gut microbiota, including pathogens, remains scarce. To address these concerns, we conducted a 12-week randomized, double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled study assessing D-allulose’s safety on gut microbiota in humans. Participants consumed 15 g/day of D-allulose or sucralose (placebo) for 12 weeks. Gut microbiota analysis in stool samples, performed through shotgun metagenomics sequencing before and after the intervention, evaluated microbial diversity, taxonomy of prevalent species, changes in pathogenic bacteria (Clostridium difficile, Helicobacter hepaticus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacteroides fragilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella enterica), and short-chain fatty acid production. Our findings revealed no significant differences in microbial diversity, pathogenic bacteria levels, or short-chain fatty acid production, suggesting that D-allulose consumption is safe and does not adversely affect the gut microbiome or pathogen presence.

Abstract The Berry curvature dipole (BCD) serves as a one of the fundamental contributors to emergence of the nonlinear Hall effect (NLHE). Despite intense interest due to its potential for new technologies reaching beyond the quantum efficiency limit, the interplay between BCD and NLHE has been barely understood yet in the absence of a systematic study on the electronic band structure. Here, we report NLHE realized in NbIrTe4 that persists above room temperature coupled with a sign change in the Hall conductivity at 150 K. First-principles calculations combined with angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements show that BCD tuned by the partial occupancy of spin-orbit split bands via temperature is responsible for the temperature-dependent NLHE. Our findings highlight the correlation between BCD and the electronic band structure, providing a viable route to create and engineer the non-trivial Hall effect by tuning the geometric properties of quasiparticles in transition-metal chalcogen compounds.

Abstract The anomalous Hall conductivity (AHC) in magnetic materials, resulting from inverted band topology, has emerged as a key adjustable function in spin‐torque devices and advanced magnetic sensors. Among systems with near‐half‐metallicity and broken time‐reversal symmetry, cobalt disulfide (CoS2) has proven to be a material capable of significantly enhancing its AHC. In this study, the AHC of CoS2 is empirically assessed by manipulating the chemical potential through Fe‐ (hole) and Ni‐ (electron) doping. The primary mechanism underlying the colossal AHC is identified through the application of density functional theory and tight‐binding analyses. The main source of this substantial AHC is traced to four spin‐polarized massive Dirac dispersions in the kz = 0 plane of the Brillouin zone, located slightly below the Fermi level. In Co0.95Fe0.05S2, the AHC, which is directly proportional to the momentum‐space integral of the Berry curvature (BC), reached a record‐breaking value of 2507 Ω−1cm−1. This is because the BCs of the four Dirac dispersions all exhibit the same sign, a consequence of the d‐wave‐like spin‐orbit coupling among spin‐polarized eg orbitals.

IntroductionThe effects of fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) on atopic dermatitis (AD) have not been determined.MethodsIn a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, children with AD aged 24 months to 17 years received either advanced FOS containing 4.25 g of 1-kestose or a placebo (maltose) for 12 weeks.ResultsThe SCORAD and itching scores were reduced in patients treated with both FOS (all p

Abstract We investigate the voltage control of magnetism in a van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure device consisting of two distinct vdW materials, the ferromagnetic Fe3-x GeTe2 and the ferroelectric In2Se3. It is observed that gate voltages applied to the Fe3-x GeTe2/In2Se3 heterostructure device modulate the magnetic properties of Fe3-x GeTe2 with significant decrease in coercive field for both positive and negative voltages. Raman spectroscopy on the heterostructure device shows voltage-dependent increase in the in-plane In2Se3 and Fe3-x GeTe2 lattice constants for both voltage polarities. Thus, the voltage-dependent decrease in the Fe3-x GeTe2 coercive field, regardless of the gate voltage polarity, can be attributed to the presence of in-plane tensile strain. This is supported by density functional theory calculations showing tensile-strain-induced reduction of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy, which in turn decreases the coercive field. Our results demonstrate an effective method to realize low-power voltage-controlled vdW spintronic devices utilizing the magnetoelectric effect in vdW ferromagnetic/ferroelectric heterostructures.

The bulk-boundary correspondence is a defining feature of non-trivial topological matter and extends from the many topological orders that can exist in these systems. Here, the authors theoretically propose a feature distinct from the conventional bulk-boundary correspondence whereby localised modes exist between two flat-band systems with different geometric characters.

Abstract Materials displaying metal-insulator transitions (MITs) as a function of external parameters such as temperature, pressure, or composition are most intriguing from the fundamental point of view and also hold high promise for applications. Vanadium dioxide (VO2) is one of the most prominent examples of MIT having prospective applications ranging from intelligent coatings, infrared sensing, or imaging, to Mott memory and neuromorphic devices. The key aspects conditioning possible applications are the controllability and reversibility of the transition. Here we present an intriguing MIT in hydrogenated vanadium dioxide, H x VO2. The transition relies on an increase of the electron occupancy through hydrogenation on the transition metal vanadium, driving the system insulating by a hybrid of two distinct MIT mechanisms. The insulating phase observed in HVO2 with a nominal d 2 electronic configuration contrasts with other rutile d 2 systems, most of which are metallic. Using spectroscopic tools and state-of-the-art many-body electronic structure calculations, our investigation reveals a correlation-enhanced Peierls and a Mott transition taking place in an orbital-selective manner cooperate to stabilize an insulating phase. The identification of the hybrid mechanism for MIT controlled by hydrogenation opens the way to radically design strategies for future correlated oxide devices by controlling phase reversibly while maintaining high crystallinity.

The polar chiral texture of the vortex or skyrmion structure in ferroelectric oxide PbTiO3/SrTiO3 superlattice attracts attention. Here, the authors report a theoretical framework to probe emergent chirality of electrical polarization textures.

Previous studies are limited to modulate oxygen octahedral rotation angles within the same pattern, and engineering the pattern remains a challenge. Here, the authors demonstrate a designed nonequilibrium oxygen octahedral rotation pattern leads to room-temperature ferroelectricity in CaTiO3.

Manipulating the electric state of large band gap dielectrics without any damage is quite challenging. Here, the authors demonstrate by mechanically introducing strain gradients that large electric fields are generated via flexoelectric interactions, resulting in a reversible Zener breakdown in SrTiO3, changing the resistivity by 108.

Abstract Background Dermal papilla cells (DPCs) play a key role in hair growth among the various cell types in hair follicles. Especially, DPCs determine the fate of hair follicle such as anagen to telogen transition and play a pivotal role in androgenic alopecia (AGA). This study was performed to elucidate the hair growth promoting effects of Polygonum multiflorum extract (PM extract) in cultured human DPCs and its underlying mechanisms. Methods The effects of PM extract on cultured DPCs were investigated. Cell viability and mitochondrial activity were measured by CCK-8 and JC-1 analysis, respectively. Western blotting, dot blotting, ELISA analysis, immunocytochemistry and real-time PCR analysis were also performed to elucidate the changes in protein and mRNA levels induced by PM extract. 3D cultured DPC spheroids were constructed for mimicking the in vivo DPs. The hair growth stimulatory effect of PM extract was evaluated using human hair follicle organ culture model. Results PM extract increased the viability and mitochondrial activity in cultured human DPCs in a dose dependent manner. The expression of Bcl2, an anti-apoptotic protein expressed dominantly in anagen was significantly increased and that of BAD, a pro-apoptotic protein expressed in early catagen was decreased by PM extract in cultured DPCs and/or 3D DPC spheroid culture. PM extract also decreased the expression of catagen inducing protein, Dkk-1. Growth factors including IGFBP2, PDGF and VEGF were increased by PM extract, revealed by dot blot protein analysis. We also have found that PM extract could reverse the androgenic effects of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the most potent androgen. Finally, PM extract prolonged the anagen of human hair follicles by inhibiting catagen entry in human hair follicle organ culture model. Conclusion Our data strongly suggest that PM extract could promote hair growth by elongating the anagen and/or delaying the catagen induction of hair follicles through activation of DPCs.

Materials that combine metallic behaviour with stable electric polarization are scarce despite being proposed in the 1960s. Here the authors engineer a perovskite heterostructure where 2D polar metallic behavior coexists with built-in electric polarization from the displacement of B-site titanium cations.

We observed a humplike feature in Hall effects of SrRuO_{3} ultrathin films, and systematically investigated it by controlling thicknesses, temperatures and magnetic fields. The humplike feature is extremely stable, even surviving as a magnetic field is tilted by as much as 85^{∘}. Based on the atomic-level structural analysis of a SrRuO_{3} ultrathin film with a theoretical calculation, we reveal that atomic rumplings at the thin-film surface enhance Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, which can generate stable chiral spin textures and a humplike Hall effect. Moreover, temperature dependent resonant x-ray measurements at the Ru L edge under a magnetic field showed that the intensity modulation of unexpected peaks was correlated with the hump region in the Hall effect. We verify that the two-dimensional property of ultrathin films generates stable noncoplanar spin textures having a magnetic order in a ferromagnetic oxide material.

2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) is known to have antibacterial and protein-repellent effects, whereas mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles (MBN) are known to have remineralisation effects. We evaluated the antibacterial and remineralisation effects of mixing MPC and MBN at various ratios with orthodontic bonding agents. MPC and MBN were mixed in the following weight percentages in CharmFil-Flow (CF): CF, 3% MPC, 5% MPC, 3% MPC + 3% MBN, and 3% MPC + 5% MBN. As the content of MPC and MBN increased, the mechanical properties of the resin decreased. At 5% MPC, the mechanical properties decreased significantly with respect to CF (shear bond strength), gelation of MPC occurred, and no significant difference was observed in terms of protein adsorption compared to the control group. Composition 3% MPC + 5% MBN exhibited the lowest protein adsorption because the proportion of hydrophobic resin composite decreased; CF (91.8 ± 4.8 μg/mL), 3% MPC (73.9 ± 2.6 μg/mL), 3% MPC + 3% MBN (69.4 ± 3.6 μg/mL), and 3% MPC + 5% MBN (55.9 ± 1.6 μg/mL). In experiments against S. mutans and E. coli, addition of MPC and MBN resulted in significant antibacterial effects. In another experiment, the anti-demineralisation effect was improved when MPC was added, and when MBN was additionally added, it resulted in a synergetic effect. When MPC and MBN were added at an appropriate ratio to the orthodontic bonding agents, the protein-repellent, antibacterial, and anti-demineralisation effects were improved. This combination could thus be an alternative way of treating white spot lesions.