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In this paper, the singular transmission properties of electromagnetic waves in one-dimensional PT-symmetric triangular finite periodic optical waveguide networks are investigated. We find that the transmission properties of electromagnetic waves differ significantly depending on whether the imaginary part of the system’s Bloch phase is zero or non-zero. Based on this, the generalized passbands and bandgaps of the PT-symmetric optical waveguide network are defined, and its generalized band structure is presented. Furthermore, we discover that electromagnetic waves incident within the frequency range of generalized bandgaps, where transmittance approaches zero, exhibit a reciprocal relationship between left and right reflectance. The system can generate interesting phenomena such as bidirectional total reflection, unidirectional super reflection, and unidirectional no reflection at these frequencies. It is also demonstrated that the frequency positions of these phenomena can be flexibly controlled by adjusting the length of the PT-symmetric waveguide and the imaginary part of its refractive index. These research findings offer a scientific basis for developing highly sensitive and multifunctional optical filters and laser reflectors.

Electrospinning is a cost-effective and flexible technology for producing nanofibers with large specific surface areas, functionalized surfaces, and stable structures. In recent years, electrospun nanofibers have attracted more and more attention in electrochemical biosensors due to their excellent morphological and structural properties. This review outlines the principle of electrospinning technology. The strategies of producing nanofibers with different diameters, morphologies, and structures are discussed to understand the regulation rules of nanofiber morphology and structure. The application of electrospun nanofibers in electrochemical biosensors is reviewed in detail. In addition, we look towards the future prospects of electrospinning technology and the challenge of scale production.

ZnO-CeO2 hollow nanospheres have been successfully synthesized via the hard templating method, in which CeO2 is used as the support skeleton to avoid ZnO agglomeration. The synthesized ZnO-CeO2 hollow nanospheres possess a large electrochemically active area and high electron transfer owing to the high specific surface area and synergistic effect of ZnO and CeO2. Due to the above advantages, the resulting ZnO-CeO2 hollow spheres display high sensitivities of 1122.86 μA mM−1 cm−2 and 908.53 μA mM−1 cm−2 under a neutral environment for the selective detection of dopamine and uric acid. The constructed electrochemical sensor shows excellent selectivity, stability and recovery for the selective analysis of dopamine and uric acid in actual samples. This study provides a valuable strategy for the synthesis of ZnO-CeO2 hollow nanospheres via the hard templating method as electrocatalysts for the selective detection of dopamine and uric acid.

Abstract Higher biodiversity is often assumed to be a more desirable scenario for maintaining the functioning of ecosystems, but whether species‐richer communities are also more disturbance‐tolerant remains controversial. In this study, we investigated the bacterial communities based on 472 soil samples from 28 forests across China with associated edaphic and climatic properties. We developed two indexes (i.e., community mean tolerance breadth [CMTB] and community mean response asynchrony [CMRA]) to explore the relationship between diversity and community resistance potential. Moreover, we examined this resistance potential along the climatic and latitudinal gradients. We revealed that CMTB was significantly and negatively related to species richness, resulting from the changes in balance between relative abundances of putative specialists and generalists. In comparison, we found a unimodal relationship between CMRA and richness, suggesting that higher biodiversity might not always lead to higher community resistance. Moreover, our results showed differential local patterns along latitude. In particular, local patterns in the northern region mainly followed general relationships rather than those for the southern forests, which may be attributed to the differences in annual means and annual variations of climate conditions. Our findings highlight that the community resistance potential depends on the composition of diverse species with differential environmental tolerance and responses. This study provides a new, testable evaluation by considering tolerance breadth and response asynchrony at the community level, which will be helpful in assessing the influence of disturbance under rapid shifts in biodiversity and species composition as a result of global environmental change.

In this article, a relationship between the electron beams in a longitudinal constant magnetic field and light beams in a parabolic refractive index distribution medium is revealed and demonstrated analytically. We propose a new method to work out the properties of the singularity in that analytical expression and have a discussion on some universal features of electron beams in a longitudinal constant magnetic field. Based on the theories above, we introduce a new type of structured electron beams, which is the Airy transform of electron Landau states (ATLSs). We not only study the dynamic of ATLSs and the magnetic field analytically and numerically but also carry out the movement of centroid and the dual auto-focusing property of ATLSs. Moreover, we have a discussion on the influence on ATLSs of Airy control parameters and the parameters of electron Landau states.

Effective and economical processes for the advanced treatment of coking wastewater were urgently needed to reduce the persistent organic pollutants of external drainage. In the present work, we investigated the degradation of organic pollutants in coking wastewater through IHC/FO (imping stream hydrodynamic cavitation (IHC) coupled with the Fenton oxidation (FO) process) and IHC alone for their feasibility in the advanced treatment of coking wastewater. To select the optimum parameters, attention was paid to the effects of main operation conditions including inlet fluid pressure, medium temperature, initial pH, reaction time, and initial Fe(II) and initial H2O2 concentrations. The results showed that the effects of conditions that need energy to be maintained (such as initial pH and inlet pressure) on the organic pollutant removal efficiency through IHC/FO were less pronounced than those through IHC alone. Moreover, the application of IHC/FO could remove more organic pollutants from coking wastewater than IHC even at an energy-efficient condition. For example, the highest COD removal efficiency of 12.5% was achieved in the IHC treatment at 0.4 MPa, pH 3, and 60 min for the reaction time. In the case of IHC/FO, the maximum COD removal of 33.2% was obtained at pH 7, 0.1 MPa, 12 mmol/L H2O2, and 3 mmol/L Fe2+ after reacting for 15 min. The ultraviolet and visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis) absorption spectra and gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis further revealed that the kinds and amounts of pollutants (especially those that had benzenes) remaining in water treated through IHC/FO were much fewer and smaller than in water treated through IHC alone. The better performances of IHC/FO than IHC alone were likely related to the more hydroxyl radicals produced through IHC/FO. Taken together, our findings indicate that IHC/FO has great application potential in the advanced treatment of coking wastewater.

Epidemiological studies have spotlighted the intricate relationship between individual oral bacteria and tumor occurrence. Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacteria nucleatum, which are known periodontal pathogens, have emerged as extensively studied participants with potential pathogenic abilities in carcinogenesis. However, the complex dynamics arising from interactions between these two pathogens were less addressed. This narrative review aims to summarize the current knowledge on the prevalence and mechanism implications of P. gingivalis and F. nucleatum in the carcinogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), colorectal cancer (CRC), and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). In particular, it explores the clinical and experimental evidence on the interplay between P. gingivalis and F. nucleatum in affecting oral and gastrointestinal carcinogenesis. P. gingivalis and F. nucleatum, which are recognized as keystone or bridging bacteria, were identified in multiple clinical studies simultaneously. The prevalence of both bacteria species correlated with cancer development progression, emphasizing the potential impact of the collaboration. Regrettably, there was insufficient experimental evidence to demonstrate the synergistic function. We further propose a hypothesis to elucidate the underlying mechanisms, offering a promising avenue for future research in this dynamic and evolving field.

IntroductionAcquisition of germinal vesicle (GV) stage oocytes for fertility preservation (FP) offers several benefits over in vivo matured oocyte cryopreservation following ovarian stimulation, particularly for cancer patients necessitating immediate treatment. Two FP approaches for GV oocytes are available: vitrification before in vitro maturation (IVM) at the GV stage (GV-VI) or post-IVM at the metaphase II (MII) stage (MII-VI). The optimal method remains to be determined.MethodsIn this study, mouse oocytes were collected without hormonal stimulation and vitrified either at the GV stage or the MII stage following IVM; non-vitrified in vitro matured MII oocytes served as the control (CON). The oocyte quality and developmental competence were assessed to obtain a better method for immediate FP.ResultsNo significant differences in IVM and survival rates were observed among the three groups. Nevertheless, GV-VI oocytes exhibited inferior quality, including abnormal spindle arrangement, mitochondrial dysfunction, and early apoptosis, compared to MII-VI and CON oocytes. Oocyte vitrification at the GV stage impacted maternal mRNA degradation during IVM. In addition, the GV-VI group demonstrated significantly lower embryonic developmental competence relative to the MII-VI group. RNA sequencing of 2-cell stage embryos revealed abnormal minor zygotic genome activation in the GV-VI group.ConclusionVitrification at the GV stage compromised oocyte quality and reduced developmental competence. Consequently, compared to the GV stage, oocyte vitrification at the MII stage after IVM is more suitable for patients who require immediate FP.

This paper presents an innovative form of the symmetric and autofocusing beam in theory and experiment. These symmetric Olver beams (SOBs) originate from the spectral symmetry phase of the Olver beams. We find that the properties of these beams are related to the Olver integral’s order. The even-order SOBs have an autofocusing major lobe in the preliminary stage of the propagation and symmetrically split into two symmetric off-axis parabolic lobes after autofocusing. In contrast, the odd-order SOBs do not split after focusing. For the odd-order SOBs, as the order increases, the energy at the focal point becomes higher, and the power gets more concentrated. Additionally, we use optical vortices to manipulate the propagation trajectories of the SOBs. The experimental results show that the symmetric Olver vortex beams have a self-focusing phenomenon, and the center of the beams presents a hollow structure due to the existence of the axial vortex. The orbital angular momentum carried by the vortex structure makes the beam rotate in the initial plane. It is also proved that multiple off-axis vortices can be inserted in the SOBs. More importantly, we experimentally demonstrate the capture capability of the SOBs and the vortex symmetric Olver beams. Therefore, we expect the proposed SOBs and the vortex symmetric Olver beams to provide potential optical communication and manipulation applications.

The oral cavity is an ideal niche for microbial prosperity due to its stable temperature, suitable pH, and continuous nutrient supply [...]

Unlike transition metal oxides and sulfides, transition metal-based selenides display higher electrical conductivity, more electroactive unsaturated edge sites, and better chemical stability, which have found extensive usage in electrocatalysis. In this work, simple hydrothermal and solvothermal procedures were employed to synthesize quaternary (Ni, Co, Cu)Se2 nanosheet arrays on carbon cloth (CC) to measure glucose. The conductivity of the material can be effectively elevated by adding Se element to form selenides, and the synergistic effect between the three selenides can improve the electrocatalytic performance. Consequently, in the ranges of 0.01–600 μM and 600–9000 μM, respectively, the current response of the synthesized material to glucose concentration exhibited linear relationships. The sensor demonstrated excellent sensitivity and a low detection limit of 5.82 nM. Furthermore, the practical applicability of the constructed biosensor was proved by using it to quantify the amount of glucose in human serum.

Abstract Background Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is a rare disease with increasing incidence. The prognosis, pregnancy outcomes and subsequent ovarian function of PABC patients are attracting attention. Methods Sixty-three PABC patients and 126 age-matched non-PABC patients were obtained in Tongji Hospital from January 2011 to September 2019. The clinical characteristics and ovarian function of PABC patients were compared with those of non-PABC patients. The pregnancy outcomes and neonatal outcomes of patients with breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy (BCP) were described. Nonparametric tests, the χ2-test Kaplan–Meier, Cox regression and binomial logistic regression were used for analysis. Results PABC patients were diagnosed with a more advanced tumour stage (II: 47.6% vs. 45.2%, III: 33.3% vs. 19.8%, IV 3.2% vs. 0%, p = 0.003), which caused worse progression-free survival (PFS) (log-rank p = 0.0138) and breast cancer-specific survival (CSS) (log-rank p = 0.0076) than non-PABC patients. Tumour stage (III/IV vs. 0/I/II) (HR 16.017, 95% CI 5.830 ~ 44.006, p

Peri-implantitis are a major problem causing implant failure these days. Accordingly, anti-infection during the early stage and subsequent promotion of osseointegration are two main key factors to solve this issue. Micro-arc oxidation (MAO) treatment is a way to form an oxidation film on the surface of metallic materials. The method shows good osteogenic properties but weak antibacterial effect. Therefore, we developed combined strategies to combat severe peri-implantitis, which included the use of a novel compound, PD, comprising dendrimers poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) loading dimethylaminododecyl methacrylate (DMADDM) as well as MAO treatment. Here, we explored the chemical properties of the novel compound PD, and proved that this compound was successfully synthesized, with the loading efficiency and encapsulation efficiency of 23.91% and 31.42%, respectively. We further report the two-stage double benefits capability of PD + MAO: (1) in the first stage, PD + MAO could decrease the adherence and development of biofilms by releasing DMADDM in the highly infected first stage after implant surgery both in vitro and in vivo; (2) in the second stage, PD + MAO indicated mighty anti-infection and osteoconductive characteristics in a rat model of peri-implantitis in vivo. This study first reports the two-staged, double benefits of PD + MAO, and demonstrates its potential in clinical applications for inhibiting peri-implantitis, especially in patients with severe infection risk.

Chirped Lommel Gaussian vortex beams (LGVBs) propagating in strongly nonlocal nonlinear fractional Schrödinger equation (NFSE) are numerically studied for the first time. We verify that the chirped LGVBs perform autofocusing effects periodically. The propagation trajectory, the focal position and the focal intensity of the chirped LGVBs are deeply influenced by the appropriate selection of the parameters of the initial beams as well as the Lévy index of fractional diffraction effect in the strongly nonlocal NFSE. Moreover, the Poynting vector and the angular momentum of the beams are also researched. The findings demonstrate many interesting properties related to the chirped LGVBs propagating in the strongly nonlocal nonlinear fractional NFSE, which can broaden the research field of the chirped LGVBs.

BackgroundTo investigate human oral health and disease, models are required which represent the interactions between the oral mucosa and microbiome. Our aim was to develop an organotypic model which maintains viability of both host and microbes for an extended period of time.MethodsReconstructed Human Gingiva (RHG) were cultured air-lifted with or without penicillin-streptomycin (PS) and topically exposed to Streptococcus gordonii (commensal) or Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (pathogen) for 72 hours in agar. RHG histology, viability and cytokines (ELISA), and bacterial viability (colony forming units) and location (FISH) were assessed.ResultsThe low concentration of topically applied agar did not influence RHG viability. Topically applied bacteria in agar remained localized and viable for 72 hours and did not spill over to infect RHG culture medium. PS in RHG culture medium killed topically applied bacteria. Co-culture with living bacteria did not influence RHG viability (Ki67 expression, MTT assay) or histology (epithelium differentiation, Keratin10 expression). RHG exposed to S. gordonii (with or without PS) did not influence low level of IL-6, IL-8, CCL2, CCL5, CCL20 or CXCL1 secretion. However, all cytokines increased (except CCL2) when RHG were co-cultured with A. actinomycetemcomitans. The effect was significantly more in the presence of living, rather than dead, A. actinomycetemcomitans. Both bacteria resulted in increased expression of RHG antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) Elafin and HBD-2, with S. gordonii exposure resulting in the most Elafin secretion.ConclusionThis technical advance enables living human oral host–microbe interactions to be investigated during a 72-hour period and shows differences in innate immunology triggered by S. gordonii and A. actinomycetemcomitans.

Methylene blue (MB)- or Curcumin (Cur)-based photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been used as an adjunctive treatment for periodontitis. Its actual clinical efficacy is still in question because the lack of oxygen in a deep periodontal pocket might reduce the PDT efficacy. We aim to investigate the effect of oxygen on PDT efficacy and to examine if the addition of hydrogen peroxide (HP) could improve PDT performance anaerobically. To this end, we cultured 48 h saliva-derived multi-species biofilms and treated the biofilms with 25 µM MB or 40 µM Cur, HP (0.001%, 0.01% and 0.1%), light (L-450 nm or L-660 nm), or combinations thereof under ambient air or strictly anaerobic conditions. MB- and Cur-PDTs significantly reduced biofilm viability in air but not under anaerobic conditions. HP at 0.1% significantly enhanced the killing efficacies of both MB- and Cur-PDTs anaerobically. The killing efficacy of Cur-PDT combined with 0.1% HP was higher anaerobically than in air. However, this was not the case for MB-PDT combined with 0.1% HP. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the biofilm killing efficacies of MB- and Cur-PDTs diminished when there was no oxygen. HP at 0.1% can enhance the efficacy of PDT performed anaerobically, but the level of enhancement is photosensitizer-dependent.

The evolution of the chirped elliptical Pearcey Gaussian vortex (CEPGV) beams in free space is numerically investigated. The optical bottle and multi-consecutive optical bottles can be directly generated from an elliptical Pearcey Gaussian beam with central vortices and the second-order chirp. In particular, the focusing intensity of CEPGV beams will increase when the elliptical structure deflects larger or the ratio of the long axis to the short axis of the ellipse is larger. Furthermore, we can obtain multi-consecutive optical bottles by manipulating elliptical structure parameters and second-order chirp factors. In the meantime, the transverse intensity distributions at foci of CEPGV beams appear like a slit in a fixed direction. Our results show that the focusing intensity, the focal length and the transverse intensity distribution of CEPGV beams during the propagation can be controlled.

In the ABCD optical system, the propagation properties and the radiation forces are obtained by studying the cross spectral density of partially coherent self-shifting cosine-Gaussian beams. A self-shifting phenomenon occurs when the beams propagate in the strongly nonlocal nonlinear medium. The shifting parameters could influence the bend characteristics of the propagation trajectory and the beam center, while the power ratio affects the periods of the parabolic trajectory. Furthermore, the radiation forces on a Rayleigh particle in the focusing optical system are studied, and the obtained force distributions depend on the refractive index, the shifting parameters, and the coherence widths. What we report here has potential applications in optical communication and optical tweezing.

Disease-related biomarkers may serve as indicators of human disease. The clinical diagnosis of diseases may largely benefit from timely and accurate detection of biomarkers, which has been the subject of extensive investigations. Due to the specificity of antibody and antigen recognition, electrochemical immunosensors can accurately detect multiple disease biomarkers, including proteins, antigens, and enzymes. This review deals with the fundamentals and types of electrochemical immunosensors. The electrochemical immunosensors are developed using three different catalysts: redox couples, typical biological enzymes, and nanomimetic enzymes. This review also focuses on the applications of those immunosensors in the detection of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, novel coronavirus pneumonia and other diseases. Finally, the future trends in electrochemical immunosensors are addressed in terms of achieving lower detection limits, improving electrode modification capabilities and developing composite functional materials.

Abstract Background Migraine has been recognized as one of common diseases in the world whose current treatment options are not ideal. Lasmiditan, an oral 5-hydroxytryptamine (HT)1F receptor agonist, appears more promising for the acute treatment of migraine because of considerably better effect profiles with no severe adverse events (AEs). This review aimed to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of lasmiditan from the results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase were searched on lasmiditan for the acute treatment of migraine from inception of the databases to Feb 1, 2020. Pain free and pain relief, global impression (very much/much better), and no/mild disability at 2 h in efficacy; total treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), dizziness, nausea, fatigue, paraesthesia and somnolence in safety were extracted from the included studies. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager Software version 5.3 (RevMan 5.3). Results Four RCTs with a total of 4960 subjects met our inclusion criteria. The overall effect estimate showed that lasmiditan was significantly superior to placebo in terms of pain free (RR 1.71, 95% CI 1.55–1.87), pain relief (RR 1.40, 95% CI 1.33–1.47), global impression (very much/much better) (RR 1.55, 95% CI 1.44–1.67), and no/mild disability (RR 1.15, 95% CI 1.10–1.20) at 2 h. For the safety, significant number of patients experienced TEAEs with lasmiditan than with placebo (RR 2.77, 95% CI 2.53–3.03), most TEAEs were central nervous system (CNS)-related and included dizziness (RR 5.81, 95% CI 4.72–7.14), nausea (RR 2.58, 95% CI 1.87–3.57), fatigue (RR 5.38, 95% CI 3.78–7.66), paraesthesia (RR 4.48, 95% CI 3.33–6.02), and somnolence (RR 2.82, 95% CI 2.18–3.66). Conclusions This meta-analysis suggests that lasmiditan is effective for the acute treatment of migraine with a higher incidence of CNS-related adverse reactions compared with placebo. Long-term, open-label, multi-dose trials are required to verify the current findings.

Abstract Background Regular consumption of xylitol decreases the number of cariogenic streptococci in dental plaque. In vitro biofilm models to study the mechanism of xylitol action have been set-up, but the obtained results are contradictory. Biofilm growth is a dynamic process with time-specific characteristics that may remain undetected in conventional end-point biofilm tests. In this study we used an impedance spectroscopy instrument, xCELLigence Real Time Cell Analyzer (RTCA), that allows label-free, non-invasive real-time monitoring of biofilm formation, to explore effects of xylitol on biofilm formation by Streptococcus mutans. Based on the obtained information of biofilm dynamics, we assessed the number of viable bacteria, the polysaccharide content, and the expression levels of selected genes involved in glucan-mediated biofilm formation in different biofilm stages. Xylitol inhibition was compared with that of erythritol; another polyol suggested to have a positive impact on oral health. Results Our results showed that real-time monitoring provided new information of polyol-induced changes in S. mutans biofilm formation dynamics. The inhibitory effect of polyols was more pronounced in the early stages of biofilm formation but affected also the measured total amount of formed biofilm. Effects seen in the real-time biofilm assay were only partially explained by changes in CFU values and polysaccharide amounts in the biofilms. Both xylitol and erythritol inhibited real-time biofilm formation by all the nine tested S. mutans strains. Sensitivity of the strains to inhibition varied: some were more sensitive to xylitol and some to erythritol. Xylitol also modified the expression levels of gbpB, gtfB, gtfC and gtfD genes that are important in polysaccharide-mediated adherence of S. mutans. Conclusion The erythritol- and xylitol- induced inhibition of biofilm formation was only partly explained by decrease in the number of viable S. mutans cells or the amount of polysaccharides in the biofilm matrix, suggesting that in addition to reduced proliferation also the matrix composition and thereby the surface attachment quality of biofilm matrix may be altered by the polyols.

Optical vortex is a structured beam with a spiral phase wavefront. Different orbital angular momentums (OAM) are orthogonal to each other and multiplexed together without crosstalk. Vortex optical communication (VOC) can obtain good bandwidth and channel number. In this paper, we creatively exchanged the order of the spatial light modulator (SLM) and the optical switch, the communication link from “Vortex after Modulation (VAM)” to “Vortex Modulation (VM)”, which constitutes a new link structure. Compared with the VAM communication link, the VM link has the advantages of higher transmission rate, better signal quality, lower signal error rate and so on. The results show that the VM link is 0.126 Gbit/s faster than the VAM on a single channel link, and 15.5 Gbit/s faster in 16-QAM 8 OAM beams multiplexing. The error rate of the received signal under the same conditions at the transmitting end has an improvement of 2~4 orders of magnitude. The method is simple, convenient to implement, and has a significant improvement in transmission rate. It can provide a wide range of applications in vortex high-capacity communication.

We conduct a research on free space optical (FSO) communication system that is applied for transmission in wireless sensor networks (WSN), which is based on the hybrid pulse position modulation-binary phase shift keying-subcarrier intensity modulation (PPM-BPSK-SIM) undergoes novel Exponentiated Weibull fading channels. When battery-charged sensor transmission nodes with limited energy is transmitted, it is vital to study the performance of the transmission link. We have derived the exact joint probability function of the transmission link when the atmospheric turbulence and pointing errors are considering. On the basis of them, the unconditional average bit error rate (BER) for hybrid PPM-BPSK-SIM is derived, then the closed expression of the outage probability and the average channel capacity are also derived. Research results indicates that increasing the receiver aperture by aperture averaging effect can distinctly improve the performance of the link. Additionally, for any circumstances of atmospheric turbulence and pointing errors, by combining the utilization of hybrid PPM-BPSK-SIM modulation and symbol with average length greater than eight, the average BER performance can be conspicuously enhanced. The outage probability and average channel capacity of the FSO link are jointly affected by atmospheric turbulence and pointing error, and optimization strategies in different scenarios are given by our research.

The atmospheric turbulence (AT) causes distortion of phase fronts of orbital angular momentum (OAM) beams, which hinders the recognition of OAM modes. Convolutional neural network (CNN), a deep learning (DL) technique, can be utilized to realize the effective recognition of OAM modes. In this article, we propose a properly designed six-layer CNN model that can achieve high recognition accuracy (RA) of OAM modes at a reasonable computing complexity. We used intensity images of Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams to train our CNN model and explored the relationship between the RA for different single OAM modes and many factors including the number of training epochs, AT intensity, transmission distance, and the number of single OAM modes. Our CNN model can obtain an RA of 97.1% under moderate turbulence and 80% under strong turbulence, which are better than some CNN models proposed previously. Compared with these previous CNN models, our CNN model can also reduce the time consumption for at most 70%. Our research could contribute in achieving higher data capacity in OAM-based free space optical (FSO) communication systems.

The propagation of a new type of Ince-Gaussian-like beam along a predesigned parabolic trajectory in the free space is investigated numerically and experimentally. The Ince-Gaussian-like beam breaks the characteristic that the shape remains invariant during propagation and it obtains the property of self-focusing that the unmodulated Ince-Gaussian beam has not. The enhancement of the quadratic coefficients Ω of parabolic trajectories increases the focus times but shortens the focal depth. In addition, we also investigate the effect of the parameter of the ellipticity ɛ, which only affects the maximum intensity and the intensity distribution after the focusing. Furthermore, different modes, orders p and degrees m of the Ince-Gaussian-like beam also influence the propagation patterns. Moreover, we investigate the self-healing property of the IGLB by introducing a soft well function. We anticipate that our works have potential value in the laser energy focus and optical transport.

Objective: Curcumin has been used as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal treatment. However, the efficacy of curcumin in the periodontal therapy remained controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory efficacy of curcumin as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal treatment (NPT) by systematic review.Methods: Databases including Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched to identify relevant RCTs on the use of curcumin as an adjunct to NPT for the treatment of periodontal disease from inception to July 21, 2021. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of the included studies. Meta-analysis was then performed using Review Manager 5.3 software.Results: A total of 18 RCTs involving 846 patients/sites were included in this meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis revealed that as compared to NPT alone, curcumin as an adjunct to NPT resulted in significant reduction in gingival index (GI) at the 1-week (mean differences (MD) = −0.15, 95% confidence intervals (CI) −0.26 to −0.05, p = 0.005), 2-week (MD = −0.51, 95%CI −0.74 to −0.28, p < 0.0001), 3-week (MD = −0.34, 95%CI −0.66 to −0.02, p = 0.03), 4-week (MD = −0.25, 95%CI −0.48 to −0.02, p = 0.04) or 6-week (MD = −0.33, 95%CI −0.58 to −0.08, p = 0.01) follow-ups. Similar significant reductions were also observed for sulcus bleeding index (SBI) at 1, 2, 4, and 12 weeks. However, there were no statistically significant differences in reducing bleeding on probing (BOP) between curcumin as an adjunct and NPT alone at 4, 12, and 24 weeks.Conclusion: Based on the current evidence, curcumin demonstrates anti-inflammatory efficacies in terms of reducing GI and SBI compared with NPT alone. Moreover, curcumin is a natural herbal medicine with few side effects, and it is a good candidate as an adjunct treatment for periodontal disease.

Carbon dots (CDs) are widely used in the detection of foodborne contaminants because of their biocompatibility, photoluminescence stability, and ease of chemical modification. In order to solve the interference problem of complexity in food matrices, the development of ratiometric fluorescence sensors shows great prospects. In this review, the progress of ratiometric fluorescence sensors based on CDs in foodborne contaminant detection in recent years will be summarized, focusing on the functionalized modification of CDs, the fluorescence sensing mechanism, the types of ratiometric fluorescence sensors, and the application of portable devices. In addition, the outlook on the development of the field will be presented, with the development of smartphone applications and related software helping to better enable the on-site detection of foodborne contaminants to ensure food safety and human health.

Transition metal oxides have garnered a lot of attention in the field of electrocatalysis along with their unique crystal structure and excellent catalytic properties. In this study, carbon nanofibers (CNFs) decorated with Mn3O4/NiO nanoparticles were made using electrospinning and calcination. The conductive network constructed by CNFs not only facilitates electron transport, but also provides landing sites for nanoparticles, thus reducing nanoparticle aggregation and exposing more active sites. Additionally, the synergistic interaction between Mn3O4 and NiO improved electrocatalytic capacity for glucose oxidation. The Mn3O4/NiO/CNFs modified glassy carbon electrode shows satisfactory results in terms of linear range and anti-interference capability for glucose detection, suggesting that the constructed enzyme-free sensor has a promising application in clinical diagnosis.

A novel electrochemical sensor was developed for selective and sensitive determination of xanthine (XT) and hypoxanthine (HX) based on polyglycine (p-Gly) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). A mixed dispersion of 7 μL of 5 mM glycine and 1 mg/mL GO was dropped on GCE for the fabrication of p-Gly/rGO/GCE, followed by cyclic voltammetric sweeping in 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution within −0.45~1.85 V at a scanning rate of 100 mV·s−1. The morphological and electrochemical features of p-Gly/rGO/GCE were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Under optimal conditions, the linear relationship was acquired for the simultaneous determination of XT and HX in 1–100 μM. The preparation of the electrode was simple and efficient. Additionally, the sensor combined the excellent conductivity of rGO and the polymerization of Gly, demonstrating satisfying simultaneous sensing performance to both XT and HX.

The precondition for the application of light beams is the ability to devise light distribution with high precision. Controlling more dimensions for structured light fields is an effective method to improve the ability to devise light distribution. The Swallowtail beam, due to its rich regulatory parameters, provides the possibility to design a light field with a specific intensity distribution. Utilizing the Swallowtail beam as a foundation, we design its initial phase, polarization, and coherent structure, and propose a partially coherent azimuthally polarized circular vortex Swallowtail Gaussian beam (PCAPCVSGB) in our paper. This beam exhibits an abnormal self-focusing ability and forms an easily adjustable optical potential well at the focal plane, providing another effective tool for achieving optical manipulation. In addition, the PCAPCVSGB also shows an interesting vector property. It possesses a stable polarization singularity even with changes in coherence and topological charges, which exhibits a potential application value in optical communication.

We theoretically derive the expression for the Goos–Hänchen (GH) and Imbert–Fedorov (IF) shifts of the Airy beam in Dirac metamaterial. In this work, the large GH and IF shifts can be found when the Airy beam is reflected near the Dirac and Brewster angles. Compared to the Gaussian beam, the GH shifts of the Airy beam are more obvious in the vicinity of the Brewster angle. Interestingly, it is found that the ability to produce an Airy vortex beam at the Dirac point. In addition, the magnitude and the direction of the GH shifts can be controlled by the rotation angles of the Airy beam. We take advantage of this property to design a reflective optical switch based on the rotation angle-controlled GH shifts of the Dirac metamaterial. Our solutions provide the possibility to implement light-tuned optical switches. Moreover, our model can also be used to describe the GH and IF shifts generated by novel beams in other similar photonic systems.

In this paper, a class of one-dimensional (1D) Fibonacci quasi-periodic multilayers composed of two parity-time-symmetric (PT-symmetric) elements are designed. Their scattering spectra, transparencies, invisibilities, and other singular optical properties are investigated in detail. It is found that three types of new systematic phases, ten types of new unidirectional transparencies, two types of new bidirectional transparencies and one type of new bidirectional invisibility are created by this class of interesting systems, which possess more types compared with the PT-symmetric periodic multilayers and the Thue–Morse multilayers composed of PT-symmetric elements. It can be seen that although the order degree of the Fibonacci multilayers is lower than that of the other two systems, their types of systematic phases, transparencies, and invisibilities are obtained, their types of systematic phases, transparencies, and invisibilities are more abundant. This proves that, as the order degree of the PT-symmetric system decreases, its types of singular optical properties become more abundant. This work sheds some light on the PT-symmetric optical structures and Fibonacci sequence, offering the possibility to widen their application field. Moreover, it provides a theoretical basis to design new optical devices.

To study the effect of structural symmetry on both the quantity and quality of singular optical properties, a one-dimensional parity-time-symmetric (PT-symmetric) Thue–Morse (TM) optical-waveguide networks family is built and investigated. It is shown that this type of optical waveguide networks can produce 15 types of singular optical properties that have not yet been reported. These include 3 types of new systematic phases, 6 types of new unidirectional transparencies and 6 types of new bidirectional transparencies. Compared with a PT-symmetric periodic photonic crystal (structure 1), PT-symmetric periodic optical waveguide networks (structure 2) and PT-symmetric TM optical multilayers (structure 3), this type of optical system has lower symmetry. However, the number of singular optical properties for this system is higher. This strongly suggests that for an optical system, which contains a PT-symmetric substructure, with decreasing symmetry of the PT-symmetric optical system, the quantity and quality of systematic phase, transparency, and invisibility for the system tends to increase. This work deepens not only the understanding of the TM sequence and singular optical properties of PT-symmetric optical systems but also that of the influence of structural symmetry on the singular optical properties of PT-symmetric systems is clarified. In addition, the structure also allows the occurrence of previously-unreported bidirectional invisibility, which has potential applications for the manufacturing of invisibility-generating devices.

A novel one-dimensional parity-time-symmetric periodic ring optical waveguide network (1D PTSPROWN) is constructed using magnesium fluoride (MgF2), by adjusting the length ratio of gain and loss materials in PT-symmetric waveguide and ordinary dielectric material, and by optimizing the program to search for the extremum spontaneous PT-symmetric breaking points. The ultra-strong transmission, reflection, and photonic location are noticed in the proposed 1DPTSPROWN as compared with the other PT-symmetric optical waveguide networks. The maximum and minimum reached 1018 and 10−15, respectively, which is more than 6 orders of magnitude greater and 3 orders of magnitude smaller than the best results reported so far. The ultra-strong transmission and reflection peaks, ultra-weak transmission, and reflection valleys generated by electromagnetic waves in this network were found to have interesting resonance and anti-resonance effects. Furthermore, frequency of periodic cycles and violet or redshift laws were discovered in the 1D PTSPROWN of fixed length ratio of gain and loss material in the PT-symmetric waveguide by adjusting the ratio of the upper and lower arm lengths of waveguides. The proposed optical waveguide network might have potential application in the design of CPA lasers, high-efficiency optical accumulators, and several other devices.

In this paper, we use the rotating elliptical Gaussian beams (REGBs) to impinge the surfaces coated with cross-anisotropic metasurfaces (CMs) to investigate the Goos–Hänchen (GH) and Imbert–Fedorov (IF) shifts. The effect of the CM coating on the reflection coefficient in this system is considered. In particular, we will show that the angle of incidence and the relative permittivity of the weakly absorbing medium have an influence on the GH and the IF shifts. A comparison with the case of surfaces without the CM is also discussed.

In this article, we present a new kind of autofocusing surface plasmonic wave: the Pearcey plasmon. The result shows that the Pearcey plasmon evolves at the silver-air interface in the form of two-dimensional Pearcey plasmon function. And the Pearcey plasmon can be decomposed into two Airy-like plasmons bending in the opposite direction after autofocusing, which leads to dual self-bending behavior of a Pearcey plasmon. We demonstrate the interference patterns of two Airy-like plasmons and find that the self-focusing focus position during propagation is controllable. Also, we find that when a single variable is controlled, both the long wavelength and the large truncation coefficient will reduce the maximum intensity as well as the focal length of the Pearcey plasmon. Furthermore, taking the intensity reduced to 50% of the maximum intensity as a reference, we find that the divergence distance of a Pearcey plasmon is approximately 65 times longer than that of a Gaussian plasmon, which means that under the same intensity, a Pearcey plasmon propagates much farther than a Gaussian plasmon.

Background: Nosocomial meningitis with multidrug-resistant (MDR) or extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Acinetobacter baumannii is a life-threatening complication in neurosurgery. Treatment of these infections is challenging because of poor penetration of the available antibiotics into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Intrathecal (ITH) or intraventricular (IVT) administration of antibiotics is increasingly used as the last treatment option against MDR/XDR Gram-negative bacteria meningitis not responding to intravenous (IV) regimens. However, pertinent data in pediatric patients is scarce.Case Presentation: A 14-year-old male patient developed meningitis from an MDR strain of A. baumannii following endoscopic endonasal resection of craniopharyngioma. Despite a combination therapy involving IV tigecycline, we observed clinical and bacteriologic failure. The patient was then successfully treated with an ITH and IV polymyxin B-based combination. Quantification of tigecycline and polymyxin B in CSF was performed with two-dimensional high-performance liquid chromatography (2D-HPLC) and HDLC coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS), respectively. Adverse drug reactions (neurotoxicity and skin hyperpigmentation), probably induced by polymyxin B, were acceptable and reversible.Conclusions: The case illustrates ITH and IV Polymyxin B-based combination is an optimal therapeutic option against MDR A. baumannii meningitis in this pediatric patient. In the future, real-time PK/PD data obtained from patients during ITH/IVT polymyxin B therapy should be required to optimize polymyxin use with maximal efficacy and minimal adverse effects.

Research on the human microbiome has mainly been restricted to the identification of most abundant microbiota associated with health or disease. Their abundance may reflect their capacity to exploit their niche, however, metabolic functions exerted by low-abundant microrganisms can impact the dysbiotic signature of local microbial habitats. This scoping review aims to map the literature regarding the management of low-abundant microorganisms in studies investigating human microbiome samples. A systematic literature search was performed in 5 electronic databases, as well as grey literature. We selected clinical microbiome studies targeting human participants of any age, from any body site. We also included studies with secondary data which originated from human biofilm samples. All of the papers used next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques in their methodology. A total of 826 manuscripts were retrieved, of which 42 were included in this review and 22 reported low-abundant bacteria (LB) in samples taken from 7 body sites (breast, gut, oral cavity, skin, stomach, upper respiratory tract (URT), and vagina). Four studies reported microbes at abundance levels between 5 and 20%, 8 studies reported between 1 and 5%, and 18 studies reported below 1%. Fifteen papers mentioned fungi and/or archaea, and from those only 4 (fungi) and 2 (archaea) produced data regarding the abundance of these domains. While most studies were directed towards describing the taxonomy, diversity and abundance of the highly abundant species, low-abundant species have largely been overlooked. Indeed, most studies select a cut-off value at

In this paper, we propose a mixed radio frequency (RF)/free space optical (FSO) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communication system, based on modulating retro-reflector (MRR) and reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS), which adopts the hybrid L-ary pulse position modulation-binary phase shift keying-subcarrier intensity modulation (L-PPM-BPSK-SIM). More specifically, the RF channel follows Rayleigh distribution, while the FSO channel obeys Gamma–Gamma distribution that considers atmospheric turbulence and pointing error. For decode-and-forward (DF) relay, the MRR is installed on the UAV to reduce its weight, size, and power consumption. In particular, the RIS is used as user terminal along with the RF signal generator to achieve signal enhancement. Based on this, closed expressions for the outage probability, average bit error rate (BER) and average channel capacity of the end-to-end uplink and downlink are derived. Numerical results confirm that while the relay limitation is solved by MRR, RIS significantly reduces the outage probability and average BER as well as obviously increases the average channel capacity. Furthermore, the hybrid L-PPM-BPSK-SIM with average symbol length greater than eight can effectively improve the average BER performance of the system.

We propose a new class of abruptly autofocusing beams, the chirped annular Bessel Gaussian beams (CABGBs), which are based on the radial Bessel profile. By using the Rayleigh–Sommerfeld diffraction formula, the nonparaxial propagation of the CABGBs is investigated. We find that the initial chirp with negative value tends to intensify the abruptly autofocusing property by shortening the focal length, shrinking the focal spot size, and increasing the peak intensity contrast. The optical trapping effect of the CABGBs acting on a Rayleigh particle is analyzed, and we find that the particle can be stably trapped in three dimensions if the parameters of the CABGBs are appropriate. If the absolute value of the negative chirp increases, the trapping position is shifted toward the input plane, and both the longitudinal and transverse trapping forces rise. A higher magnitude of the radiation forces can be reached if the incident power increases.

Modulated by the spatial phase, Airy-like beams that possess the faster and better self-healing as well as the greater acceleration along the desired arbitrary trajectory are introduced. Airy-like beams have the strong spontaneous-focusing ability and the peak value of the focal plane is 5.4 times that of the initial plane when traveling along the quadratic function trajectory. Besides, the larger quadratic coefficient and the smaller constant term of the quadratic function can enhance the self-healing and the spontaneous-focusing of the beams. When the beams transmit along the snakelike trajectory, the original main lobe separates a new main lobe, and the energy will concentrate on the new main lobe. Airy-like beams, along a hyperbolic-secant trajectory, can remain non-diffraction over long distances. However, when traveling along a hyperbolic trajectory, the evolution process is very similar to that of Airy-Gaussian vortex beams. These excellent properties can be applied to the special beams’ modulation and optimization. Furthermore, it may provide a way for constructing beams along the special trajectory with the desired spontaneous-focusing and self-healing.

This article utilizes the waveguide structure and theory to analyze the electromagnetic wave propagating in periodically multilayered gyromagnetic metamaterials (PMGMs) with the control of external static magnetic field. Based on this, the reflection and transmission characteristics of the PMGMs terahertz (THz) optical switch are further explored. The switchable characteristics shown by the dispersion curves of transverse electric (TE) modes in the three-layered planar gyromagnetic metamaterial waveguides (GMMWs) are analyzed in detail. The numerical results demonstrate that the dispersion curves of GMMWs appear an adjustable bandgap under the external static magnetic field tuning. Furthermore, the full transmission phenomenon appears when the PMGMs THz optical switch presents an ON state, by adjusting the filling ratio and external static magnetic field. The mechanism is analyzed. These properties make it possible for PMGMs to be widely used in the design of photoswitch, phase modulator and so on.

We introduce a theoretical research of the Goos-Hänchen (GH) and Imbert-Fedorov (IF) shifts for the rotating elliptical Gaussian beams (REGBs) incidencing on a weakly absorbing semi-infinite medium. We show that the rotation ellipse parameters a, b and c are related to the occurance of giant spatial GH and IF shifts in the elliptical polarization. A comparison with the IF shift for p-polarization is also discussed. Analytical solutions and numerical simulations almost coincide for the GH and IF shifts.

Worldwide, a mandatory course in Molecular Cell Biology is often part of the (para-) medical curricula. Student audiences are regularly not receptive to such relatively theoretical courses and teachers often struggle to convey the necessary information. Here, positive experience is shared on rigorously embedding a genetic disease that severely affects the movement apparatus, fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), in all aspects of a course for an international group of Research Master Human Movement Sciences students. Various molecular cell biological aspects of FOP were systematically implemented in the course, covering genetics, the biochemical consequences of the mutation, signaling pathways that affect bone formation and lectures on how to clone the mutation or cure the mutation. Students were invited to critically think about how to use the theories learned in the course to analyze a research paper. During the practical part of the course, students assisted in novel, cutting edge research on FOP patient derived or control cells. Research findings were reported in a research paper format. By building a Molecular Cell Biology course around an appealing disease, we managed to increase the general motivation of the students for the course as reflected in two specific questions of the course evaluations (p < 0.05). It convincingly taught the relevance of a course of Molecular Cell Biology to students with a primary background in biomechanics and physiotherapy for their paramedical professional life. This approach of embedding an audience-tailored human disease with a known genetic cause into a course can be implemented to many medical curriculum related courses and will increase students' perception of the relevance of a course.

Hyperoside, isolated from Drosera rotundifolia L., seeds of Cuscuta chinensis Lam., or Hypericum perforatum L., originally showed to possess an antifungal and antibacterial activity, while recently showed the protective effects against oxidative stress-induced liver injury. This study investigated such a protective effect of hyperoside and the underlying molecular mechanisms in vitro and in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-injured rat livers. The data showed that hyperoside was able to prevent the oxidative stress-induced liver morphological changes and CCl4-induced rat liver injury. Hyperoside reversed the decrease of superoxidase dismutase (SOD) level and the increase of malondialdehyde (MDA) level in vivo. Moreover, hyperoside regulated the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase 2 (PHLPP2)-protein kinase B (AKT)-glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) signaling pathway in tert-butylhydroquinone (t-BHP)-treated liver cells, e.g., Hyperoside reduced PHLPP2 expression to activate AKT phosphorylation, induce GSK-3β phosphorylation, and then increased nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) nuclear translocation, reduced nuclear translocation of phosphorylated Fyn, and promoted heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression in vivo and in vitro. In contrast, siRNA-mediated knockdown of PHLPP2 expression enhanced hyperoside-mediated activation of the AKT-GSK-3β kinase pathway in liver cells. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that hyperoside could protect against oxidative stress-induced liver injury by regulating the PHLPP2-AKT-GSK-3β signaling pathway in vivo and in vitro.

Free-space optical communication (FSO) technology has wide prospects in deep space exploration, but it will encounter coronal turbulence during superior solar conjunction, and solar scintillation will seriously affect the communication quality. In this paper, we propose a terrestrial–deep space hybrid radio frequency (RF)/FSO system with the hybrid L-pulse position modulation-binary phase shift keying-subcarrier intensity modulation (L-PPM–BPSK–SIM) scheme, where the RF channel of the satellite-terrestrial relay follows the Rayleigh distribution, and the FSO channel of the relay satellite to the deep space probe adopts Gamma–Gamma distribution. Considering the pointing error, the expression of the bit error rate (BER), the outage probability, and the average channel capacity of the hybrid system are derived. In addition, we evaluated the influence of coronal turbulence parameters on the system through amplitude fluctuations. The simulation results demonstrate that the hybrid RF/FSO system improves the BER performance by 10 to 30 times in a deep space environment, and the use of a hybrid modulation can further reduce the BER. The non-Kolmogorov spectral index, outer scale, solar wind density fluctuation factor, and optical wavelength comprehensively affect the BER through amplitude fluctuations. Our research results have potential application value for evaluating the link performance of future deep space communications.

The in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility of 29 strains of the major periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis and three P. gulae (as an ancestor) to nine antibiotics (amoxicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanate, clindamycin, metronidazole, moxifloxacin, doxycycline, azithromycin, imipenem, and cefoxitin) was evaluated by E-testing of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) according to international standards. The results were compared with 16 international studies reporting MICs from 1993 until recently. In addition, 77 currently available P. gingivalis genomes were screened for antimicrobial resistance genes. E-testing revealed a 100% sensitivity of P. gingivalis and P. gulae to all antibiotics. This was independent of the isolation year (1970 until 2021) or region, including rural areas in Indonesia and Africa. Regarding studies worldwide (675 strains), several method varieties regarding medium, McFarland inoculation standards (0.5–2) and incubation time (48–168 h) were used for MIC-testing. Overall, no resistances have been reported for amoxicillin + clavulanate, cefoxitin, and imipenem. Few strains showed intermediate susceptibility or resistance to amoxicillin and metronidazole, with the latter needing both confirmation and attention. The only antibiotics which might fail in the treatment of P. gingivalis-associated mixed anaerobic infections are clindamycin, macrolides, and tetracyclines, corresponding to the resistance genes erm(B), erm(F), and tet(Q) detected in our study here, as well as fluoroquinolones. Periodical antibiotic susceptibility testing is necessary to determine the efficacy of antimicrobial agents and to optimize antibiotic stewardship.

A novel microcavity structure based on 1-D parity-time (PT) symmetric photonic crystal (PC) is presented to get the embedded monolayer graphene absorption enhanced significantly, which paves a path to achieve ultrastrong, controllable, and anisotropic graphene absorption for incident eigenfrequency wave from near infrared to visible. When oscillation of absorption is at the center of the PT broken phase, because of exact matching usage of gain and loss modulation, and singular strong coupling effects that are induced by the PT symmetric PC behind graphene layer, ultrastrong and nonreciprocal graphene absorption can be obtained, and the maximum could reach the order of 105. This approach offers a way to improve the responsivities of graphene-based optodetectors and even to the design of direction sensitive graphene optical communication components.