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Metformin has a long history of clinical application and has been shown to have outstanding ability in lowering glucose. Recent advances have further revealed its broad modulatory ability beyond glucose-lowering, expanding the scope of metformin applications. Metformin has now been applied as a viable lipid-lowering strategy in non-hyperglycemic obese patients. However, the benefits and underlying pharmacological mechanisms of metformin administration in non-hyperglycemic populations remain to be explained. Our study aimed to systematically investigate the differences in the lipid-lowering function and pharmacological mechanisms of metformin in high- and low-sugar conditions to facilitate the development of individualized metformin use regimens for different clinical patients. We constructed macrophage-derived foam cell models in vitro for subsequent analysis. ORO results showed that metformin significantly reduced lipid accumulation in macrophages in both high and low glucose environments, but the lipid decline was higher in the high glucose environment. By mutual validation and joint analysis of transcriptomics and metabolomics, significant differences in metformin transcriptional and metabolic patterns existed among high and normal glucose environments. The significant alterations of genes such as DGKA, LPL, DGAT2 and lipid metabolites such as LysPA and LysPC partially explained the glucose-dependent pharmacological function of metformin. In conclusion, our study confirmed that the lipid-lowering effect of metformin depends on the extracellular glucose concentration, and systematically studied the molecular mechanism of metformin in different glycemic environments, which provides a certain reference value for the subsequent in-depth study and clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This investigation sought to validate the clinical precision and practical applicability of AI-enhanced three-dimensional sonographic imaging for the identification of anterior urethral stricture. Methods: The study enrolled 63 male patients with diagnosed anterior urethral strictures alongside 10 healthy volunteers to serve as controls. The imaging protocol utilized a high-frequency 3D ultrasound system combined with a linear stepper motor, which enabled precise and rapid image acquisition. For image analysis, an advanced AI-based segmentation process using a modified U-net algorithm was implemented to perform real-time, high-resolution segmentation and three-dimensional reconstruction of the urethra. A comparative analysis was performed against the surgically measured stricture lengths. Spearman's correlation analysis was executed to assess the findings. Results: The AI model completed the entire processing sequence, encompassing recognition, segmentation, and reconstruction, within approximately 5 min. The mean intraoperative length of urethral stricture was determined to be 14.4 ± 8.4 mm. Notably, the mean lengths of the urethral strictures reconstructed by manual and AI models were 13.1 ± 7.5 mm and 13.4 ± 7.2 mm, respectively. Interestingly, no statistically significant disparity in urethral stricture length between manually reconstructed and AI-reconstructed images was observed. Spearman's correlation analysis underscored a more robust association of AI-reconstructed images with intraoperative urethral stricture length than manually reconstructed 3D images (0.870 vs. 0.820). Furthermore, AI-reconstructed images provided detailed views of the corpus spongiosum fibrosis from multiple perspectives. Conclusions: The research heralds the inception of an innovative, efficient AI-driven sonographic approach for three-dimensional visualization of urethral strictures, substantiating its viability and superiority in clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Beam shaping and polarization manipulation are of great importance for the design of microcavity lasers. Recently, topological photonic cavities have emerged as excellent platforms for surface-emitting lasers. In this class of lasers, beam engineering has not thus far been extensively studied. Here, we demonstrate how to achieve an intrinsic lateral shift of the beam emitted by a topological laser. This is achieved by designing a Kekulé-modulated topological bulk cavity, in which the continuous Kekulé modulation partially lifts a set of fourfold-degenerate Dirac cones into two twofold degeneracies. The resulting photonic cavity supports a range of interesting beam emission profiles, including vector beams with polarization winding, and laterally-shifted linearly-polarized Gaussian beams. It is possible to achieve lateral beam shifts in opposite directions and orthogonal polarizations for the degenerate photonic p-/d-orbitals, a feature that may be useful for photonic sensing applications. Topological phenomena in photonics have been found of great importance in realizing advanced semiconductor laser. Here the authors demonstrate the manipulation of the light emission profiles from a Kekulé-modulated topological bulk cavity in a topological-protection manner, where the achieved lateral beam shifts in light polarizations could be useful for the laser design and photonic sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertension is a globally prevalent disease, but the pathogenesis remains largely unclear. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a nutrition-sensitive signal of cellular energy metabolism, which has a certain influence on the development of hypertension. Previously, we found a down-regulation of the phosphorylated (p-) form of AMPK, and the up-regulation of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1-R) and that of p-ERK1/2 in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of hypertensive rats. However, the exact mechanism underlying the relationship between AMPK and AT1-R in the PVN during hypertension remains unclear. Thus, we hypothesized that AMPK modulates AT1-R through the ERK1/2-NF-κB pathway in the PVN, thereby inhibiting sympathetic nerve activity and improving hypertension. To examine this hypothesis, we employed a renovascular hypertensive animal model developed via two-kidney, one-clip (2K1C) and sham-operated (SHAM). Artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF), used as vehicle, or 5-amino-1-β-d-ribofuranosyl-imidazole-4-carboxamide (AICAR, an AMPK activator, 60 μg/day) was microinjected bilaterally in the PVN of these rats for 4 weeks. In 2K1C rats, there an increase in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and circulating norepinephrine (NE). Also, the hypertensive rats had lowered expression of p-AMPK and p-AMPK/AMPK, elevated expression of p-ERK1/2, p-ERK1/2/ERK1/2 and AT1-R, increased NF-κB p65 activity in the PVN compared with the levels of these biomarkers in SHAM rats. Four weeks of bilateral PVN injection of AMPK activator AICAR, attenuated the NE level and SBP, increased the expression of p-AMPK and p-AMPK/AMPK, lessened the NF-κB p65 activity, decreased the expression of p-ERK1/2, p-ERK1/2/ERK1/2 and AT1-R in the PVN of 2K1C rats. Data from this study imply that the activation of AMPK within the PVN suppressed AT1-R expression through inhibiting the ERK1/2-NF-κB pathway, decreased the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, improved hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis (AS) is one of the most common causes of death from cardiovascular disease, and low folic acid (FA) levels have been reported to be strongly associated with an increased risk of AS. We aimed to obtain causal estimates of the association between FA and AS and to quantify the mediating role of known modifiable risk factors. Based on the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) from the IEU Open GWAS Project for all human studies, we conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study of genetically predicted FA and AS. A two-step MR design was then used to assess the causal mediating effect of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides (TG) on the relationship between FA and AS. This MR analysis showed that genetically determined FA levels [IVW: Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.623, 95% CI 0.421–0.924, P = 0.018] were associated with a reduced risk of AS. Inverse variance weighted (IVW) MR analysis also showed that genetically predicted FA was positively correlated with HDL-C levels (OR = 1.358, 95% CI 1.029–1.792, P = 0.031) and negatively correlated with LDL-C (OR = 0.956, 95% CI 0.920–0.994, P = 0.023) and TG levels (OR = 0.929, 95% CI 0.886–0.974, P = 0.003). LDL-C, HDL-C, and TG mediate 3.00%, 6.80%, and 4.40%, respectively, of the total impact of FA on AS. The combined effect of these three factors accounts for 13.04% of the total effect. Sensitivity analysis verifies the stability and reliability of the results. These results support a potential causal protective effect of FA on AS, with considerable mediation through many modifiable risk factors. Thus, interventions on levels of LDL-C, HDL-C, and TG have the potential to substantially reduce the burden of AS caused by low FA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkene hydrosilylation is one of the most concise and atom-economical methods to synthesize organosilicon molecules. Herein, we reported the precise immobilization of metal single atoms (M-SAs; M = Ru, Rh, Ir, Pd, Pt, and Au) into a porphyrinic metal-organic framework (MOF) of PCN-222 (PCN = porous coordination network), and then applied the resultant MOF composites of M-SAs@PCN-222 to alkene hydrosilylation. Under solvent-free conditions, Pt-SAs@PCN-222 displayed an especially high catalytic efficiency with the turnover frequency up to 119 s−1 and the maximum turnover number of 906,250 at room temperature. Experimental and theoretical studies revealed that there existed strong interactions between Pt-SAs@PCN-222 and the substrates, which helped to condense the substrates in the cavities of the porous catalysts. Further density functional theory calculations and molecular dynamics simulations disclosed that PCN-222 could transfer electrons to Pt-SAs to enhance the silane oxidative addition and drive the reaction to proceed smoothly via Chalk–Harrod pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structured vortex light with orbital angular momentum (OAM) shows great promise for high-bandwidth optical communications, quantum information and computing, optical tweezers, microscopy, astronomy, among others. Generating, controlling, and detecting of vortex light by all-electrical means is at the heart of next generation nanophotonic platforms. However, on-chip electrical photodetection of structured vortex light remains challenging. Here, we propose an on-chip photodetector based on 2D broadband thermoelectric material (PdSe2) with a well-designed spin-Hall couplers to directly characterize angular momentum modes of vortex structured light. Photothermoelectric responses in the PdSe2 nanoflake, excited by the focusing surface plasmons, show a magnitude proportional to the total angular momentum modes of the infrared vortex beams, thereby achieving direct detection of spin and orbital angular momentum, as well as the chirality and ellipticity of scalar vortex lights. Our works provide a promising strategy for developing on-chip angular momentum optoelectronic devices, which play a key role in the next-generation high-capacity optical communications, quantum information and computing, imaging, and other photonic systems. Structured vortex light with orbital angular momentum (OAM) holds promise for various optical applications, but its on-chip electrical detection remains challenging. Here, the authors report the realization of photothermoelectric OAM detectors based on 2D PdSe2 and spin-Hall surface plasmonic polariton couplers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving effective manipulation of perpendicular exchange bias effect remains an intricate endeavor, yet it stands a significance for the evolution of ultra-high capacity and energy-efficient magnetic memory and logic devices. A persistent impediment to its practical applications is the reliance on external magnetic fields during the current-induced switching of exchange bias in perpendicularly magnetized structures. This study elucidates the achievement of a full electrical manipulation of the perpendicular exchange bias in the multilayers with an ultrathin antiferromagnetic layer. Owing to the anisotropic epitaxial strain in the 2-nm-thick IrMn3 layer, the considerable exchange bias effect is clearly achieved at room temperature. Concomitantly, a specific global uncompensated magnetization manifests in the IrMn3 layer, facilitating the switching of the irreversible portion of the uncompensated magnetization. Consequently, the perpendicular exchange bias can be manipulated by only applying pulsed current, notably independent of the presence of any external magnetic fields. Manipulating exchange bias is crucial for advancing spintronic devices. Here, the authors demonstrate full electrical switching of perpendicular exchange bias in multilayers featuring an antiferromagnetic layer with anisotropic epitaxial strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human hippocampal organoids (hHOs) derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have emerged as promising models for investigating neurodegenerative disorders, such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease. However, obtaining the electrical information of these free-floating organoids in a noninvasive manner remains a challenge using commercial multi-electrode arrays (MEAs). The three-dimensional (3D) MEAs developed recently acquired only a few neural signals due to limited channel numbers. Here, we report a hippocampal cyborg organoid (cyb-organoid) platform coupling a liquid metal-polymer conductor (MPC)-based mesh neuro-interface with hHOs. The mesh MPC (mMPC) integrates 128-channel multielectrode arrays distributed on a small surface area (~2*2 mm). Stretchability (up to 500%) and flexibility of the mMPC enable its attachment to hHOs. Furthermore, we show that under Wnt3a and SHH activator induction, hHOs produce HOPX+ and PAX6+ progenitors and ZBTB20+PROX1+ dentate gyrus (DG) granule neurons. The transcriptomic signatures of hHOs reveal high similarity to the developing human hippocampus. We successfully detect neural activities from hHOs via the mMPC from this cyb-organoid. Compared with traditional planar devices, our non-invasive coupling offers an adaptor for recording neural signals from 3D models. Providing a suitable multi-electrode array (MEA) for free-floating neural organoids is a great challenge. Here, authors present a mesh soft stretchable MEA for recording neural signals in human hippocampal organoids derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Van der Waals semiconductors exemplified by two-dimensional transitionmetal dichalcogenides have promised next-generation atomically thin optoelectronics. Boosting their interaction with light is vital for practical applications, especially in the quantum regime where ultrastrong coupling is highly demanded but not yet realized. Here we report ultrastrong exciton-plasmon coupling at room temperature in tungsten disulfide (WS2) layers loaded with a random multi-singular plasmonic metasurface deposited on a flexible polymer substrate. Different from seeking perfect metals or high-quality resonators, we create a unique type of metasurface with a dense array of singularities that can support nanometre-sized plasmonic hotspots to which several WS2 excitons coherently interact. The associated normalized coupling strength is 0.12 for monolayer WS2 and can be up to 0.164 for quadrilayers, showcasing the ultrastrong exciton-plasmon coupling that is important for practical optoelectronic devices based on low-dimensional semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) has evolved viviparous reproduction mode. Different from the oviparous fishes, the spermatozoa of black rockfish are stored on the surface of ovarian follicle for over four months until the egg mature in ovary, while the adaptive evolution of fertilization-related genes remains to be studied. In the present study, based on the genome and transcriptome information of black rockfish, a total of 10 hyaluronidase genes were identified by phylogenetic and sequence analyses, including hyal1, hyal2, hyal3, hyal4, hyal6 and spam1a, spam1b, spam1c and spam1d. The spam1 subfamilies, including spam1a, spam1b, spam1c and spam1d, were significantly expanded compared to other species. The adaptive evolution of hyaluronidase was further investigated by selection pressure analysis of branch model and branch site model. The results showed that only spam1 subfamily was positively selected with a large number of positive selection sites, and the evolution rate was significantly higher thanthose of other teleosts. Two positively selected sites, LYS-171 and GLY-164, were located in the neutral hyaluronidase activity domain, which was pivotal for SPAM1 to participate in enzymatic hydrolysis of the extracellular hyaluronic acid matrix and mediate acrosome reaction in mammals. Furthermore, spam1 was mainly expressed in spermatocytes, secondary spermatocytes, and spermatids of testis, whereas it was not found in metamorphic sperm and mature sperm based on the spatiotemporal expression analysis. All results indicated that spam1 might originate from the testis and might be an adaptation of viviparous trait in black rockfish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steroid-based drugs are now mainly produced by the microbial transformation of phytosterol, and a two-step bioprocess is adopted to reach high space–time yields, but byproducts are frequently observed during the bioprocessing. In this study, the catabolic switch between the C19- and C22-steroidal subpathways was investigated in resting cells of Mycobacterium neoaurum NRRL B-3805, and a dose-dependent transcriptional response toward the induction of phytosterol with increased concentrations was found in the putative node enzymes including ChoM2, KstD1, OpccR, Sal, and Hsd4A. Aldolase Sal presented a dominant role in the C22 steroidal side-chain cleavage, and the byproduct was eliminated after sequential deletion of opccR and sal. Meanwhile, the molar yield of androst-1,4-diene-3,17-dione (ADD) was increased from 59.4 to 71.3%. With the regard of insufficient activity of rate-limiting enzymes may also cause byproduct accumulation, a chromosomal integration platform for target gene overexpression was established supported by a strong promoter L2 combined with site-specific recombination in the engineered cell. Rate-limiting steps of ADD bioconversion were further characterized and overcome. Overexpression of the kstD1 gene further strengthened the bioconversion from AD to ADD. After subsequential optimization of the bioconversion system, the directed biotransformation route was developed and allowed up to 82.0% molar yield with a space–time yield of 4.22 g·L−1·day−1. The catabolic diversion elements and the genetic overexpression tools as confirmed and developed in present study offer new ideas of M. neoaurum cell factory development for directed biotransformation for C19- and C22-steroidal drug intermediates from phytosterol. Key points: • Resting cells exhibited a catabolic switch between the C19- and C22-steroidal subpathways. • The C22-steroidal byproduct was eliminated after sequential deletion of opccR and sal. • Rate-limiting steps were overcome by promoter engineering and chromosomal integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accuracy assessment of land cover data is of significant value to accurately monitor and objectively reproduce spatio-temporal dynamic changes to land surface landscapes. In this study, the interpretation and applicability of CCI, MCD, and CGLS long time-series land cover data products for China were evaluated via consistency analysis and a confusion matrix system using NLUD-C periodic products as reference data. The results showed that CGLS had the highest overall accuracy, Kappa coefficient, and area consistency in the continuous time-series evaluation, followed by MCD, whereas CCI had the worst performance. For the accuracy assessment of subdivided land cover types, the three products could accurately describe the distribution of forest land in China with a high recognition level, but their recognition ability for water body and construction land was poor. Among the other types, CCI could better identify cropland, MCD for grassland, and CGLS for unused land. Based on these evaluation results and characteristics of the data products, we developed suitable selection schemes for users with different requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Verticillium dahliae is a soil-borne hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen that threatens cotton production worldwide. In this study, we assemble the genomes of two V. dahliae isolates: the more virulence and defoliating isolate V991 and nondefoliating isolate 1cd3-2. Transcriptome and comparative genomics analyses show that genes associated with pathogen virulence are mostly induced at the late stage of infection (Stage II), accompanied by a burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS), with upregulation of more genes involved in defense response in cotton. We identify the V991-specific virulence gene SP3 that is highly expressed during the infection Stage II. V. dahliae SP3 knock-out strain shows attenuated virulence and triggers less ROS production in cotton plants. To control the disease, we employ polyethyleneimine-coated MXene quantum dots (PEI-MQDs) that possess the ability to remove ROS. Cotton seedlings treated with PEI-MQDs are capable of maintaining ROS homeostasis with enhanced peroxidase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities and exhibit improved tolerance to V. dahliae. These results suggest that V. dahliae trigger ROS production to promote infection and scavenging ROS is an effective way to manage this disease. This study reveals a virulence mechanism of V. dahliae and provides a means for V. dahliae resistance that benefits cotton production. Verticillum wilt is an important cotton disease caused by fungal pathogen Verticillium dahiae. Here, the authors assemble the genomes of defoliating and non-defoliating isolates of the pathogen, identify virulence gene SP3, and develop a disease control strategy using polyethyleneimine-coated MXene quantum dots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The realization of compact and efficient broadband mid-infrared (MIR) lasers has enormous impacts in promoting MIR spectroscopy for various important applications. A number of well-designed waveguide platforms have been demonstrated for MIR supercontinuum and frequency comb generations based on cubic nonlinearities, but unfortunately third-order nonlinear response is inherently weak. Here, we propose and demonstrate for the first time a χ(2) micrometer waveguide platform based on birefringence phase matching for long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) laser generation with a high quantum efficiency. In a ZnGeP2-based waveguide platform, an octave-spanning spectrum covering 5–11 μm is generated through optical parametric generation (OPG). A quantum conversion efficiency of 74% as a new record in LWIR single-pass parametric processes is achieved. The threshold energy is measured as ~616 pJ, reduced by more than 1-order of magnitude as compared to those of MIR OPGs in bulk media. Our prototype micro-waveguide platform could be extended to other χ(2) birefringence crystals and trigger new frontiers of MIR integrated nonlinear photonics. A χ(2) nonlinear micro-waveguide platform is demonstrated based on the birefringence phase matching for simple and efficient long-wavelength infrared generation, which could trigger new frontiers of MIR integrated nonlinear photonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface electromyography (sEMG) can provide multiplexed information about muscle performance. If current sEMG electrodes are stretchable, arrayed, and able to be used multiple times, they would offer adequate high-quality data for continuous monitoring. The lack of these properties delays the widespread use of sEMG in clinics and in everyday life. Here, we address these constraints by design of an adhesive dry electrode using tannic acid, polyvinyl alcohol, and PEDOT:PSS (TPP). The TPP electrode offers superior stretchability (~200%) and adhesiveness (0.58 N/cm) compared to current electrodes, ensuring stable and long-term contact with the skin for recording (>20 dB; >5 days). In addition, we developed a metal-polymer electrode array patch (MEAP) comprising liquid metal (LM) circuits and TPP electrodes. The MEAP demonstrated better conformability than commercial arrays, resulting in higher signal-to-noise ratio and more stable recordings during muscle movements. Manufactured using scalable screen-printing, these MEAPs feature a completely stretchable material and array architecture, enabling real-time monitoring of muscle stress, fatigue, and tendon displacement. Their potential to reduce muscle and tendon injuries and enhance performance in daily exercise and professional sports holds great promise. Stretchable surface electromyography electrodes with high signal-to-noise ratios and stable recordings are challenging to develop. Here, Yang et al. design a gel-free metal-polymer electrode array patch for long-term continuous monitoring of tendon displacement and muscle stress for injury prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ultra-low pump intensity and high photon flux have been long pursuits of high harmonic generation (HHG) in solids. However, there is lack of a criterion to identify a pristine solid material exhibiting such characteristics. Here, we report systematic investigation into HHG from a cadmium telluride (CdTe) bulk crystal with a flat band dispersion near the Fermi level which leads to a large density of states. The measured pump intensity for the 31st harmonics (229 nm) is only 75 GW/cm2, one order of magnitude lower than that of other pristine crystals including two-dimensional materials reported so far. A comparative measurement shows CdTe has two-to-three orders of magnitude stronger HHG than silicon does, and high HHG yields in the ultraviolet region compared to GaSe. A high photon flux of ~ 6 × 1012 photons/s (5th−8th) with a robust long-time sustainability is obtained. This work offers a route towards compact vacuum ultraviolet laser sources. Efficient high harmonic generation (HHG) in solids is instrumental for devising applications in XUV spectroscopy, attosecond science and coherent diffraction imaging. Through a systematic experimental comparison, the authors individuate CdTe as the ideal candidate for generating high harmonics with ultra-low pump intensity and high photon flux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: From 61 QTL mapped, a stable QTL cluster of 992 kb was discovered on chromosome 5 for folate content and a putative candidate gene, Glyma.05G237500, was identified. Folate (vitamin B9) is one of the most essential micronutrients whose deficiencies lead to various health defects in humans. Herein, we mapped the quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying seed folate content in soybean using recombinant inbred lines developed from cultivars, ZH35 and ZH13, across four environments. We identified 61 QTL on 12 chromosomes through composite interval mapping, with phenotypic variance values ranging from 1.68 to 24.68%. A major-effect QTL cluster (qFo-05) was found on chromosome 5, spanning 992 kb and containing 134 genes. Through gene annotation and single-locus haplotyping analysis of qFo-05 in a natural soybean population, we identified seven candidate genes significantly associated with 5MTHF and total folate content in multiple environments. RNA-seq analysis showed a unique expression pattern of a hemerythrin RING zinc finger gene, Glyma.05G237500, between both parental cultivars during seed development, which suggest the gene might regulate folate content in soybean. This is the first study to investigate QTL underlying folate content in soybean and provides new insight for molecular breeding to improve folate content in soybean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Filter-free miniaturized polarization-sensitive photodetectors have important applications in the next-generation on-chip polarimeters. However, their polarization sensitivity is thus far limited by the intrinsic low diattenuation and inefficient photon-to-electron conversion. Here, we implement experimentally a miniaturized detector based on one-dimensional tellurium nanoribbon, which can significantly improve the photothermoelectric responses by translating the polarization-sensitive absorption into a large temperature gradient together with the finite-size effect of a perfect plasmonic absorber. Our devices exhibit a zero-bias responsivity of 410 V/W and an ultrahigh polarization ratio (2.5 × 104), as well as a peak polarization angle sensitivity of 7.10 V/W•degree, which is one order of magnitude higher than those reported in the literature. Full linear polarimetry detection is also achieved with the proposed device in a simple geometrical configuration. Polarization-coded communication and optical strain measurement are demonstrated showing the great potential of the proposed devices. Our work presents a feasible solution for miniaturized room-temperature infrared photodetectors with ultrahigh polarization sensitivity. Infrared polarization-sensitive photodetectors are attractive owing to their widespread applications. Here, the authors report a long-wave infrared photodetector with an ultrahigh polarization sensitivity by leveraging the 1D geometry of Tellurium nanoribbon and the finite-size effect of a perfect plasmonic absorber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the potential of graphene for building a variety of quantum photonic devices, its centrosymmetric nature forbids the observation of second harmonic generation (SHG) for developing second-order nonlinear devices. To activate SHG in graphene, extensive research efforts have been directed towards disrupting graphene’s inversion symmetry using external stimuli like electric fields. However, these methods fail to engineer graphene’s lattice symmetry, which is the root cause of the forbidden SHG. Here, we harness strain engineering to directly manipulate graphene’s lattice arrangement and induce sublattice polarization to activate SHG. Surprisingly, the SHG signal is boosted 50-fold at low temperatures, which can be explained by resonant transitions between strain-induced pseudo-Landau levels. The second-order susceptibility of strained graphene is found to be larger than that of hexagonal boron nitride with intrinsic broken inversion symmetry. Our demonstration of strong SHG in strained graphene offers promising possibilities for developing high-efficiency nonlinear devices for integrated quantum circuits.Nanostructured platforms for efficient nonlinear optics are the building block of next generation integrated photonic devices. Here the authors provide a straightforward method to engineer the lattice symmetry of monolayer graphene, boosting the SHG signal at low temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronary heart disease is a cardiovascular disease with high morbidity and mortality. Although great progress has been made in treatment, the prognosis is still very poor. Therefore, this project aims to screen potential diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets related to the progression of coronary heart disease. A total of 94 overlapping differentially expressed mRNAs and 70 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified from GSE20681, GSE12288, GSE49823, and GSE105449. Through a series of bioinformatics methods and experiment, we obtained 5 core miRNA-mRNA regulatory pairs, and selected miR-338-3p/RPS23 for functional analysis. Moreover, we found that RPS23 directly targets miR-338-3p by dual luciferase assay, western, and qPCR. And the expression of miR-338-3p and RPS23 is negatively correlated. The AUC value of miR-338-3p is 0.847. Downregulation of miR-338-3p can significantly inhibit the proliferation and migration of HUVEC. On the contrary, overexpression of miR-338-3p promoted the proliferation and migration of HUVEC. In addition, the interference of RPS23 expression can reverse the regulation of miR-338-3p on HUVEC proliferation. In conclusion, miR-338-3p/RPS23 may be involved in the progression of coronary heart disease, and miR-338-3p may be a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for coronary heart disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerotic morbidity is significantly higher in the diabetic population. Hyperglycemia, a typical feature of diabetes, has been proven to accelerate foam cell formation. However, the molecular mechanisms behind this process remain unclear. In this study, LPS and IFN-γ were used to convert THP-1-derived macrophages into M1 macrophages, which were then activated with ox-LDL in either high glucose or normal condition. We identified lipids within macrophages by Oil red O staining and total cholesterol detection. The genes involved in lipid absorption, efflux, inflammation, and metabolism were analyzed using qRT-PCR. The mechanisms of high glucose-induced foam cell formation were further investigated through metabolomics and transcriptomics analysis. We discovered that high glucose speed up lipid accumulation in macrophages (both lipid droplets and total cholesterol increased), diminished lipid efflux (ABCG1 down-regulation), and aggravated inflammation (IL1B and TNF up-regulation). Following multi-omics analysis, it was determined that glucose altered the metabolic and transcriptional profiles of macrophages, identifying 392 differently expressed metabolites and 293 differentially expressed genes, respectively. Joint pathway analysis suggested that glucose predominantly disrupted the glycerolipid, glycerophospholipid, and arachidonic acid metabolic pathways in macrophages. High glucose in the glyceride metabolic pathway, for instance, suppressed the transcription of triglyceride hydrolase (LIPG and LPL), causing cells to deposit excess triglycerides into lipid droplets and encouraging foam cell formation. More importantly, high glucose triggered the accumulation of pro-atherosclerotic lipids (7-ketocholesterol, lysophosphatidylcholine, and glycerophosphatidylcholine). In conclusion, this work elucidated mechanisms of glucose-induced foam cell formation via a multi-omics approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topological cavities, whose modes are protected against perturbations, are promising candidates for novel semiconductor laser devices. To date, there have been several demonstrations of topological lasers (TLs) exhibiting robust lasing modes. The possibility of achieving nontrivial beam profiles in TLs has recently been explored in the form of vortex wavefront emissions enabled by a structured optical pump or strong magnetic field, which are inconvenient for device applications. Electrically pumped TLs, by contrast, have attracted attention for their compact footprint and easy on-chip integration with photonic circuits. Here, we experimentally demonstrate an electrically pumped TL based on photonic analogue of a Majorana zero mode (MZM), implemented monolithically on a quantum cascade chip. We show that the MZM emits a cylindrical vector (CV) beam, with a topologically nontrivial polarization profile from a terahertz (THz) semiconductor laser. THz integrate light sources represent an important building blocks for various applications. Here the authors report an electrically driven topological laser based on photonic Majorana zero mode that can convert electricity directly into THz single-mode laser with topologically nontrivial beams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: We identified four hub genes for isoflavone biosynthesis based on BSA-seq and WGCNA methods and validated that GmIE3-1 positively contribute to isoflavone accumulation in soybean. Soybean isoflavones are secondary metabolites of great interest owing to their beneficial impact on human health. Herein, we profiled the seed isoflavone content by HPLC in 1551 soybean accessions grown in two locations for two years and constructed two extreme pools with high (4065.1 µg g−1) and low (1427.23 µg g−1) isoflavone contents to identify candidate genes involved in isoflavone biosynthesis pathways using bulk segregant analysis sequencing (BSA-seq) approach. The results showed that the average sequencing depths were 50.3× and 65.7× in high and low pools, respectively. A total of 23,626 polymorphic SNPs and 5299 InDels were detected between both pools and 1492 genes with different variations were identified. Based on differential genes in BSA-seq and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), four hub genes, Glyma.06G290400 (designated as GmIE3-1), Glyma.01G239200, Glyma.01G241500, Glyma.13G256100 were identified, encoding E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase, arm repeat protein interacting with ABF2, zinc metallopeptidase EGY3, and dynamin-related protein 3A, respectively. The allelic variation in GmIE3-1 showed a significant influence on isoflavone accumulation. The virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) and RNAi hairy root transformation of GmIE3-1 revealed partial suppression of this gene could cause a significant decrease (P < 0.0001) of total isoflavone content, suggesting GmIE3-1 is a positive regulator for isoflavones. The present study demonstrated that the BSA-seq approach combined with WGCNA, VIGS and hairy root transformation can efficiently identify isoflavone candidate genes in soybean natural population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wide-spectrum pulsed magnetic field (WSPMF) was obtained by adjusting the number of current pulses and the pulse interval between adjacent pulses. The effect of WSPMF on the grain refinement of pure aluminium was studied. The distribution of electromagnetic force and flow field in the melt under the WSPMF was simulated to reveal the grain refining mechanism. Results show that the grain refinement is attributed to the combined effect of the melt flow and oscillation under a WSPMF. When the pulse interval is 5 ms, the extreme value of electromagnetic force is the highest, and the size of the crystal nucleus is 0.35 mm. In the case of similar flow rates, the grain size gradually decreases as the pulse interval increases. The range of the harmonic frequency of the magnetic field gradually expands with the increase of the pulse interval, which can provide more energy for nucleation at the solid-liquid interface and promote nucleation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the chemical constituents of fruits of wild species of Crataegus scabrifolia and their lipid-lowering activities. The compounds were isolated and purified by various column chromatography, and their structures were identified based on the comprehensive analyses of the physicochemical properties and spectroscopic data. The lipid-lowering activities of isolated compounds were evaluated by a cellular model of HepG2 in vitro. Ten triterpenoids were obtained from the 95% ethanol extract of the fruits of wild species of C. scabrifolia and identified as α-amyrin (I), ursolic acid (II), pomolic acid (III), tormentic acid (IV), euscaphic acid (V), 2α,19α-dihydroxy-3-oxo-urs-12-en-28-oic acid (VI), fupenzic acid (VII), oleanolic acid (VIII), β-amyrin (IX), and 3-epifriedelinol (X). Compounds (I), (IX), and (X) were isolated from the genus Crataegus for the first time, and compounds (III−VIII) were isolated from the C. scabrifolia for the first time. Compounds (V‒VII) showed significant lipid-lowering activities in vitro with lipid-lowering rates of 8.9 ± 4.3%, 12.0 ± 4.6%, and 6.5 ± 5.5% at a concentration of 200 μmol/L. Molecular docking results suggested that the ACC may be a target of lipid-lowering activity for Crataegus triterpenoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertension caused by a high-salt (HS) diet is one of the major causes of cardiovascular diseases. Underlining pathology includes oxidative stress and inflammation in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). This study investigates genistein's (Gen) role in HS-induced hypertension and the underlying molecular mechanism. We placed male Wistar rats on HS (8% NaCl) or normal salt diet (0.3% NaCl). Then, we injected bilateral PVN in rats with Gen, vehicle, or nicotinamide (NAM) for 4 weeks. Tail cuff was used weekly to assess the systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, and mean arterial pressure (MAP). Cardiac hypertrophy was analyzed by heart weight/body weight ratio and wheat germ agglutinin staining. ELISA kits, Western blot, or dihydroethidium staining determined the levels of inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress markers. Western blot measured protein levels of Sirt1, Ac-FOXO1, Nrf2, NQO-1, HO-1, and gp91phox. Our result showed that PVN infusion of Gen significantly reduced the increase of systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, and MAP induced by an HS diet. Additionally, there was a decrease in cardiac hypertrophy and the levels of inflammatory cytokines in PVN and plasma. Meanwhile, PVN infusion of Gen notably inhibited the levels of oxidized glutathione and superoxide dismutase and improved the glutathione level and total antioxidant capacities and superoxide dismutase activities. It also decreased the level of reactive oxygen species and gp91phox expression in PVN. Furthermore, Gen infusion markedly increases the Sirt1, Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO-1 levels and decreases the Ac-FOXO1 level. However, PVN infusion of NAM could significantly block these changes induced by Gen in HS diet rats. Our results demonstrated that PVN infusion of Gen could inhibit the progression of hypertension induced by an HS diet by activating the Sirt1/Nrf2 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectral conversion of mid-infrared (MIR) radiation to visible (VIS) and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths is a fundamental technology for spectroscopy and imaging; however, current MIR-to-VIS/NIR conversion technology is limited to nonlinear optics with bulky crystals or resonant nanocavities. Here we report lanthanide-based MIR-to-NIR nanotransducers that enable broadband MIR sensing at room temperature by harnessing ratiometric luminescence changes. The ratiometric luminescence of lanthanide nanotransducers in the NIR region can be incoherently modulated by MIR radiation in the 4.5–10.8 µm wavelength range. Ratiometric modulation of luminescence enables a detection limit of ~0.3 nW × µm−2 with an internal quantum efficiency on the order of 3 × 10−3. The ratiometric sensor based on lanthanide nanotransducers does not require cryogenic cooling, polarization control, phase matching or nanoantenna design for light confinement. We also developed a camera with lanthanide nanotransducers, which enable room-temperature MIR imaging. We anticipate that these lanthanide nanotransducers can be extended to MIR light manipulation at the microscale for chip-integrated device applications. Lanthanide nanotransducers are developed to detect broadband incoherent mid-infrared radiation in the 4–11 μm spectral window by ratiometric luminescence measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An aging method assisted by electric current was applied to a Fe-18Mn-9Al-1C (wt.%) low-density steel. It improves the microstructure and therefore significantly increases both the yield strength and ductility of the steel. This current-assisted aging method can increase the yield strength by 178 MPa and elongation by 1.16 times in only 0.5 min at 450 °C. However, the yield strength is increased only 90 MPa by the traditional aging method (heat conduction) at 450 °C for 180 min, and the elongation is even decreased from 42.0% to 31.6%. The obvious improvement in yield strength by the current-assisted aging for a short time is resulted from the fact that the current-assisted aging promotes a rapid precipitation of nano-scale κ-carbides in γ-austenite by reducing the thermodynamic barrier and accelerating the atomic diffusion. This work demonstrates that this current-assisted aging method is significantly time saving and cost-effective for low-density steels, with potential for various industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Miniaturized spectrometers are of considerable interest for their portability. Most designs to date employ a photodetector array with distinct spectral responses or require elaborated integration of micro & nano optic modules, typically with a centimeter-scale footprint. Here, we report a design of a micron-sized near-infrared ultra-miniaturized spectrometer based on two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructure (2D-vdWH). By introducing heavy metal atoms with delocalized electronic orbitals between 2D-vdWHs, we greatly enhance the interlayer coupling and realize electrically tunable infrared photoresponse (1.15 to 1.47 μm). Combining the gate-tunable photoresponse and regression algorithm, we achieve spectral reconstruction and spectral imaging in a device with an active footprint < 10 μm. Considering the ultra-small footprint and simple fabrication process, the 2D-vdWHs with designable bandgap energy and enhanced photoresponse offer an attractive solution for on-chip infrared spectroscopy. Miniaturized infrared spectrometers are required for imaging and remote sensing applications, but they are usually characterized by a cm-scale footprint. Here, the authors report the realization of near-infrared spectrometers based on Au-atom-intercalated ReS2/WSe2 heterostructures with an active footprint < 10 μm and electrically tunable photoresponse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On-chip polarimeters are highly desirable for the next-generation ultra-compact optical and optoelectronic systems. Polarization-sensitive photodetectors relying on anisotropic absorption of natural/artificial materials have emerged as a promising candidate for on-chip polarimeters owing to their filterless configurations. However, these photodetectors can only be applied for detection of either linearly or circularly polarized light, not applicable for full-Stokes detection. Here, we propose and demonstrate three-ports polarimeters comprising on-chip chiral plasmonic metamaterial-mediated mid-infrared photodetectors for full-Stokes detection. By manipulating the spatial distribution of chiral metamaterials, we could convert polarization-resolved absorptions to corresponding polarization-resolved photovoltages of three ports through the photothermoelectric effect. We utilize the developed polarimeter in an imaging demonstration showing reliable ability for polarization reconstruction. Our work provides an alternative strategy for developing polarization-resolved photodetectors with a bandgap-independent operation range in the mid-infrared. Mid-infrared polarization-sensitive photodetectors are desired for several applications, such as chemical analysis and biomedical diagnosis. Here, the authors report on-chip polarimeters based on the combination of plasmonic chiral metamaterials and 2D thermoelectric materials, showing tunable full-Stokes detection of linearly and circularly polarized light at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the evolution of energy consumption and efficiency in China would contribute to assessing the effectiveness of the government's energy policies and the feasibility of meeting its international commitments. However, sub-national energy consumption and efficiency data have not been published for China, hindering the identification of drivers of differences in energy consumption and efficiency, and implementation of differentiated energy policies between cities and counties. This study estimated the energy consumption of 336 cities and 2,735 counties in China by combining Defense Meteorological Satellite Program/Operational Line-scan System (DMSP/OLS) and Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership/Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (NPP/VIIRS) satellite nighttime light data using particle swarm optimization-back propagation (PSO-BP). The energy efficiency of these cities and counties was measured using energy consumption per unit GDP and data envelopment analysis (DEA). These data can facilitate further research on energy consumption and efficiency issues at the city and county levels in China. The developed estimation methods can also be used in other developing countries and regions where official energy statistics are limited. Measurement(s) fossil fuel Technology Type(s) machine learning [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]