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The article demonstrates a direct experimental measurement of the dynamic band structure in a synthetic space including the frequency axis of light, realized in a ring resonator under near-resonant dynamic modulation. It mentions that perspective for exploring the dynamics in fundamental physics of solid-state and photonic systems.

In the present work, we use β-casein as a model protein to prepare a smart β-casein stabilized Pt nanoparticle (CM-PtNP) with peroxidase mimicking activity and systematically investigate sulfide-mediated switching effect and mechanism of CM-PtNP nanozyme's activity. Sulfide-mediated activity switching effect depends heavily on the physicochemical properties of nanozymes and the identity of substrate. On one hand, the binding of sulfide to a Pt nanozyme surface leads to the transform from Pt2+ to Pt0, resulting in more active sites and the activity "switching on"; on the other hand, the binding of sulfide ions via Pt-S interaction blocks the active sites, resulting in the activity "switching off". For substrates 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine and 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt, the two factors play different decisive roles since the interaction of substrate molecules with nanozyme allows their different distributions on nanozyme surfaces. By virtue of this specific response, excellent sulfide colorimetric sensors with different limits of detection were developed based on CM-PtNP with different substrates. This is the first report about a fundamental understanding of how substrates influence the anion-mediated activity switching effect by illuminating the nature of anion-nanozyme interaction and nanozyme-substrate interaction. This may be useful to rationally predict the environment factors on the activities of the nanozyme and to design an effective signal amplification based on target-induced nanozyme deactivation/activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A perfect lens with unlimited resolution has always posed a challenge to both theoretical and experimental physicists. Recent developments in optical metamaterials promise an attractive approach towards perfect lenses using negative refraction to overcome the diffraction limit, improving resolution. However, those artificially engineered metamaterials are usually accompanied by high losses from metals and are extremely difficult tofabricate. An alternative proposal using negative refraction by four-wave mixing has attracted much interest recently, though most existing experiments still require metals and none of them have been implemented for an optical lens. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a metal-free flat lens for the first time using negative refraction by degenerate four-wave mixing with a thin glass slide. We realize an optical lensing effect utilizing a nonlinear refraction law, which may have potential applications in microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time-reversal symmetry is important to optics. Optical processes can run in a forward or backward direction through time when such symmetry is preserved. In linear optics, a time-reversed process of laser emission can enable total absorption of coherent light fields inside an optical cavity of loss by time-reversing the original gain medium. Nonlinearity, however, can often destroy such symmetry in nonlinear optics, making it difficult to study time-reversal symmetry with nonlinear optical wave mixings. Here we demonstrate time-reversed wave mixings for optical second harmonic generation (SHG) and optical parametric amplification (OPA) by exploring this well-known but underappreciated symmetry in nonlinear optics. This allows us to observe the annihilation of coherent beams. Our study offers new avenues for flexible control in nonlinear optics and has potential applications in efficient wavelength conversion, all-optical computing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exterior whispering-gallery modes (WGMs), whose mode energy is mainly confined outside the microcavity, can achieve large mode overlapping with the ambient environment, as well as a strong electric field and gradient force at the surface. Here, we demonstrate highly localized WGMs in the nanoair gap of a double-layer crystalline microdisk. The geometry is based on a horizontal slot-waveguide structure of two vertically stacked crystalline microdisks made of lithium niobate thin films. The slot WGM possesses a high quality factor in excess of 105 without metallic loss. The absorption and scattering loss is reduced by use of the crystalline nanofilm at sub-nm rms surface roughness. The demonstrated configuration can be highly favored in various applications including optical sensing, nonlinear optics, and optomechanics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the progress of society and the development of science and technology, the development of transportation is particularly important. Therefore, the road-rail bridge has rapidly developed. We searched the relevant literature from 2002 to 2022 in the Web of Science database in order to objectively understand the research status and development trend of road-rail bridges. We use bibliometric analysis methods to analyze the year of publication, number of publications, distribution of academic journals, research institutions, application fields, analysis theories, test methods and influencing factors in the field of road-rail bridges. Using Citespace software, we analyzed 184 research articles related to road-rail bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reports the second-harmonic generation (SHG) in a z-cut thin-film lithium niobate (LN) under nearly normal-incident linearly-polarized pumping. To utilize the largest nonlinear term which is along the out-of-plane direction in the z-cut LN film, the film is patterned with a 2D periodic array to support symmetry-protected bound states in the continuum (BICs) bearing strong out-of-plane electric field component. Enabled by such optical resonances near the BIC condition at the pumping wavelength, significant enhancement in SHG compared to an unpatterned film is observed. This approach, combining transparent thin-film nonlinear materials with tailored BICs, offers prospects for engineering compact coherent light sources in a broad wavelength range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The whispering gallery mode (WGM) lasing in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based microresonator is demonstrated with a convenient and crafty approach. Fabricated by directly brushing dye-doped PDMS solution on an optical fiber, the microresonator is self-formed due to the high surface tension. The size of the resonator can be widely tuned by using different droplet volumes and brushing speeds across the optical fiber. Lasing with a threshold as low as 2.5 μJ/mm² is observed in this kind of fiber-stand PDMS microresonator. We also investigate the dependence of the lasing threshold on the different polarizations of the pump laser and size of the microresonator. This kind of WGM microresonator will find applications in optical sensors and on-chip integrated systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purple sweet potato color (PSPC), a naturally occurring anthocyanin, has a powerful antioxidant activity in vitro and in vivo. This study explores whether PSPC has the neuroprotective effect on the aging mouse brain induced by D-galactose (D-gal). The mice administrated with PSPC (100 mg/kg·day, 4 weeks, from 9th week) via oral gavage showed significantly improved behavior performance in the open field and passive avoidance test compared with D-gal-treated mice (500 mg/kg·day, 8 weeks). We further investigate the mechanism involved in neuroprotective effects of PSPC on mouse brain. Interestingly, we found, PSPC decreased the expression level of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase- 2 (COX-2), inhibited nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB), increased the activity of copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) and catalase (CAT), and reduced the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), respectively. Our data suggested that PSPC attenuated D-gal-induced cognitive impairment partly via enhancing the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent evidence indicates that the inhibition of hepatocyte apoptosis is possible to develop a potential therapeutic strategy for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Our previous work suggested that purple sweet potato color (PSPC), a class of naturally occurring anthocyanins, effectively improved many features of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD. However, whether PSPC ameliorates HFD-induced hepatocyte apoptosis has never been investigated. Objective: Here we investigated the effects of PSPC on HFD-induced hepatic apoptosis and the mechanisms underlying these effects. Design: Mice were divided into four groups: Control group, HFD group, HFD + PSPC group and PSPC group. PSPC was administered by daily oral gavage at doses of 700 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks. EX-527 (a SirT1-selective inhibitor) and Sirt1 siRNA were used to demonstrate the Sirt1 dependence of PSPC-mediated effects on apoptotic and survival signaling pathways in vivo and in vitro. Results: Our results showed that PSPC reduced body weights, hepatic triglyceride contents, histopathological lesions and serum ALT levels in a mouse model of NAFLD induced by HFD. Furthermore, PSPC attenuated HFD-induced hepatocyte apoptosis ratio from 7.27 ± 0.92% to 1.79 ± 0.27% in mouse livers, which is insignificant compared with that of controls. Moreover, PSPC activated Sirt1 by boosting NAD+ level in HFD-treated mouse livers. Furthermore, PSPC promoted Sirt1-dependent suppression of P53-mediated apoptotic signaling and activation of Akt survival signaling pathway in HFD-treated mouse livers, which was confirmed by EX527 treatment. Moreover, Sirt1 knockdown abolished these ameliorative effects of PSPC on apoptosis and P53 acetylation and protein expression in PA-treated L02 cells. Ultimately, PSPC reduced Caspase-3 activation and Bax level, and elevated the Bcl-2 level in HFD-treated mouse livers. Conclusion: PSPC protected against HFD-induced hepatic apoptosis by promoting Sirt1- dependent inhibition of p53-apoptotic pathway and facilitation of Akt survival pathway. This study indicates that PSPC is a candidate for nutritional intervention of NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition of apical progenitors (APs) to basal progenitors (BPs) is an important neurogenic process during cortical expansion. Presenilin enhancer 2 (Pen-2, also named as Psenen) is a key subunit of y-secretase and has been implicated in neurodevelopmental disease. However, it remains unknown how Pen-2 may regulate the maintenance of APs. To address this question, we generated a conditional KO (cKO) mouse in which Pen-2 is specifically inactivated in neural progenitor cells in the telencephalon. Both male and female embryos were used. We show that Pen-2 cKO cortices display remarkable depletion of Aps, but transient increase on BPs, compared with controls. We demonstrate that the proliferation rate of APs or BPs is not changed, but the switch of APs to BPs is dramatically accelerated in Pen-2 cKO cortices. Molecular analyses reveal decreased levels of Hesl and Hes5 but increased levels of Ngn2 and NeuroDl in Pen-2 KO cells. We report that expression of Notch 1 intracellular domain in Pen-2 cKO cortices restores the population of APs and BPs. In summary, these findings highlight a central role of the Notch signaling in Pen-2-dependent maintenance of neural stem cells in the developing neocortex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are a major source of fibrogenesis in the liver, contributing to cirrhosis. When activated, HSCs transdifferentiate into myofibroblasts and undergo profound functional alterations paralleling an overhaul of the transcriptome, the mechanism of which remains largely undefined. We investigated the involvement of the class III deacetylase sirtuin [silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1)] in HSC activation and liver fibrosis. SIRT1 levels were down-regulated in the livers in mouse models of liver fibrosis, in patients with cirrhosis, and in activated HSCs as opposed to quiescent HSCs. SIRT1 activation halted, whereas SIRT1 inhibition promoted, HSC transdifferentiation into myofibroblasts. Liver fibrosis was exacerbated in mice with HSC-specific deletion of SIRT1 [conditional knockout (cKO)], receiving CCl4 (1 mg/kg) injection or subjected to bile duct ligation, compared to wild-type littermates. SIRT1 regulated peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ) transcription by deacetylating enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) in quiescent HSCs. Finally, EZH2 inhibition or PPARγ activation ameliorated fibrogenesis in cKO mice. In summary, our data suggest that SIRT1 plays an essential role guiding the transition of HSC phenotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are a major source of fibrogenesis in the liver, contributing to cirrhosis. When activated, HSCs transdifferentiate into myofibroblasts and undergo profound functional alterations paralleling an overhaul of the transcriptome, the mechanism of which remains largely undefined. We investigated the involvement of the class III deacetylase sirtuin [silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1)] in HSC activation and liver fibrosis. SIRT1 levels were down-regulated in the livers in mouse models of liver fibrosis, in patients with cirrhosis, and in activated HSCs as opposed to quiescent HSCs. SIRT1 activation halted, whereas SIRT1 inhibition promoted, HSC transdifferentiation into myofibroblasts. Liver fibrosis was exacerbated in mice with HSC-specific deletion of SIRT1 [conditional knockout (cKO)], receiving CCl4 (1 mg/kg) injection or subjected to bile duct ligation, compared to wild-type littermates. SIRT1 regulated peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ) transcription by deacetylating enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) in quiescent HSCs. Finally, EZH2 inhibition or PPARγ activation ameliorated fibrogenesis in cKO mice. In summary, our data suggest that SIRT1 plays an essential role guiding the transition of HSC phenotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent evidence suggests that troxerutin, a trihydroxyethylated derivative of natural bioflavonoid rutin, exhibits beneficial effects on diabetes-related symptoms. Here we investigated the effects of troxerutin on the enhancement of hepatic gluconeogenesis in high-fat diet (HFD)-treated mice and the mechanisms underlying these effects. Mice were divided into four groups: Control group, HFD group, HFD + Troxerutin group, and Troxerutin group. Troxerutin was treated by daily oral administration at doses of 150 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) was used to inhibit endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress). Our results showed that troxerutin effectively improved obesity and related metabolic parameters, and liver injuries in HFD-treated mouse. Furthermore, troxerutin significantly attenuated enhancement of hepatic gluconeogenesis in HFD-fed mouse. Moreover, troxerutin notably suppressed nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 transcriptional activation and release of inflammatory cytokines in HFD-treated mouse livers. Mechanismly, troxerutin dramatically decreased Nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD) expression, as well as interaction between NOD1/2 with interacting protein-2 (RIP2), by abating oxidative stress-induced ER stress in HFD-treated mouse livers, which was confirmed by TUDCA treatment. These improvement effects of troxerutin on hepatic glucose disorders might be mediated by its anti-obesity effect. In conclusion, troxerutin markedly diminished HFD-induced enhancement of hepatic gluconeogenesis via its inhibitory effects on ER stress-mediated NOD activation and consequent inflammation, which might be mediated by its anti-obesity effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a chip-scale random lasing action utilizing polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) wrinkles with random periods as disordered medium. Nanoscale wrinkles with long range disorder structures are formed on the oxidized surface of a PDMS slab and confirmed by atomic force microscopy. Light multiply scattered at each PDMS wrinkle-dye interfaces is optically amplified in the presence of pump gain. The shift of laser emission wavelength when pumping at different regions indicates the randomness of the winkle period. In addition, a relatively low threshold of about 27 lJ/mm2 is realized, which is comparable with traditional optofluidic dye laser. This is due to the unique sinusoidal Bragg-grating-like random structure. Contrast to conventional microfluidic dye laser that inevitably requires the accurate design and implementation of microcavity to provide optical feedback, the convenience in both fabrication and operation makes PDMS wrinkle based random laser a promising underlying element in lab-on-a-chip systems and integrated microfluidic networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The BaMgF4 single crystal is grown by Bridgman method. The third-order nonlinear refractive indices along three crystallographic axes are determined by Z-scan technique with femtosecond laser. The largest one that has a value of 2.35×10-18 m2/W is along the c-axis and the corresponding third-order nonlinear susceptibility is 1.24×10-12 esu. This value is compared with LiNbO3 through self-phase modulation effect. Furthermore, the mechanism and the possible applications of the relatively large third-order nonlinear refractive indices are also discussed at last. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]