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Skyrmions with stable vector field configurations have produced various derivatives with various topological textures, such as the Néel type, Bloch type, anti-type, and higher-order Néel type. Here, we theoretically and experimentally demonstrate that the vector field configuration of Néel-type skyrmionic modes can be locally manipulated using gradient grooves in a deep-subwavelength three-dimensional multilayer cylindrical structure. We experimentally observe that the skyrmionic modes can be contracted or expanded to manipulate the distribution of the velocity vectors by tuning the groove depth gradient along the structural radius, which is robust against structural deformations and defects. This type of controllable acoustic skyrmion provides new dimensions for advanced sound information processing, transportation, and data storage in compact structures.

Supplemental Figure 1

Supplementary Tables

GD2 expression levels

Permission letter regarding inclusion of information of CHLA-255 C-Myc over-expression

Purpose:We determined whether elimination of CD105+ cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) with anti-CD105 antibodies enhanced anti-disialoganglioside (GD2) antibody dinutuximab therapy of neuroblastoma when combined with activated natural killer (aNK) cells.Experimental Design:The effect of MSCs and monocytes on antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) mediated by dinutuximab with aNK cells against neuroblastoma cells was determined in vitro. ADCC with anti-CD105 mAb TRC105 and aNK cells against MSCs, monocytes, and endothelial cells, which express CD105, was evaluated. Anti-neuroblastoma activity in immunodeficient NSG mice of dinutuximab with aNK cells without or with anti-CD105 mAbs was determined using neuroblastoma cell lines and a patient-derived xenograft.Results:ADCC mediated by dinutuximab with aNK cells against neuroblastoma cells in vitro was suppressed by addition of MSCs and monocytes, and dinutuximab with aNK cells was less effective against neuroblastomas formed with coinjected MSCs and monocytes in NSG mice than against those formed by tumor cells alone. Anti-CD105 antibody TRC105 with aNK cells mediated ADCC against MSCs, monocytes, and endothelial cells. Neuroblastomas formed in NSG mice by two neuroblastoma cell lines or a patient-derived xenograft coinjected with MSCs and monocytes were most effectively treated with dinutuximab and aNK cells when anti-human (TRC105) and anti-mouse (M1043) CD105 antibodies were added, which depleted human MSCs and murine endothelial cells and macrophages from the TME.Conclusions:Immunotherapy of neuroblastoma with anti-GD2 antibody dinutuximab and aNK cells is suppressed by CD105+ cells in the TME, but suppression is overcome by adding anti-CD105 antibodies to eliminate CD105+ cells.

Targeting CD105+ Microenvironment cells enhances immunotherpy of Dinutuxmab with aNK cells against neuroblastoma

PDF file - 1549K, Supplemental Figure 1. Cytokine and chemokine release from K562 Clone 9.mbIL21 aAPC-expanded effector cells after 24-hour incubation with neuroblastoma cell line CHLA-255-Fluc alone or with anti-GD2 antibody ch14.18. Supplemental Figure 2. Anti-tumor activity of K562 Clone 9.mbIL21 aAPC-expanded and cryopreserved effector cells from a normal donor PBMC that were thawed and cultured for 3 days or thawed and immediately injected intravenously into NOD/SCID mice beginning 7 days after they had received 106 CHLA-255-Fluc neuroblastoma cells intravenously. Supplemental Figure 3. Anti-tumor activity of dose-dense treatment with K562 Clone 9.mbIL21 aAPC-expanded and cryopreserved aNK cells derived from a patient�s PBMC. Supplemental Figure 4. Anti-tumor activity of K562 Clone 9.mbIL21 aAPC-expanded and cryopreserved aNK cells derived from a patient�s PBMC when treatment was begun 21 days (late treatment) after tumor cell injection.

Purpose: Adoptive transfer of natural killer (NK) cells combined with tumor-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAb) has therapeutic potential for malignancies. We determined if large numbers of activated NK (aNK) cells can be grown ex vivo from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of children with high-risk neuroblastoma using artificial antigen-presenting cells (aAPC).Experimental Design: Irradiated K562-derived Clone 9.mbIL21 aAPC were cocultured with PBMC, and propagated NK cells were characterized with flow cytometry, cytotoxicity assays, Luminex multicytokine assays, and a nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient (NOD/SCID) mouse model of disseminated neuroblastoma.Results: Coculturing patient PBMC with aAPC for 14 days induced 2,363- ± 443-fold expansion of CD56+CD3−CD14− NK cells with 83% ± 3% purity (n = 10). Results were similar to PBMC from normal donors (n = 5). Expression of DNAM-1, NKG2D, FcγRIII/CD16, and CD56 increased 6- ± 3-, 10- ± 2-, 21- ± 20-, and 18- ± 3-fold, respectively, on day 14 compared with day 0, showing activation of NK cells. In vitro, aNK cells were highly cytotoxic against neuroblastoma cell lines and killing was enhanced with GD2-specific mAb ch14.18. When mediating cytotoxicity with ch14.18, release of TNF-α, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, IFN-γ, sCD40L, CCL2/MCP-1, CXCL9/MIG, and CXCL11/I-TAC by aNK cells increased 4-, 5-, 6-, 15-, 265-, 917-, and 363-fold (151–9,121 pg/mL), respectively, compared with aNK cells alone. Survival of NOD/SCID mice bearing disseminated neuroblastoma improved when treated with thawed and immediately intravenously infused cryopreserved aNK cells compared with untreated mice and was further improved when ch14.18 was added.Conclusion: Propagation of large numbers of aNK cells that maintain potent antineuroblastoma activities when cryopreserved supports clinical testing of adoptive cell therapy with ch14.18. Clin Cancer Res; 19(8); 2132–43. ©2013 AACR.

Purpose:Immunotherapy of neuroblastoma that remains after myeloablative chemotherapy with anti-GD2 antibody dinutuximab has increased the two-year event-free and overall survival of high-risk neuroblastoma patients; however, 40% of patients develop recurrent disease during or after this treatment. To determine the potential of such antibody-based immunotherapy earlier in treatment, a mouse model was developed in which surgical resection of the primary tumor was followed by therapy of residual disease with dinutuximab combined with ex vivo–activated human natural killer (aNK) cells.Experimental Design:The effect of combining dinutuximab with human aNK cells was determined in vitro with cellular cytotoxicity and Matrigel invasion assays. The in vivo efficacy of dinutuximab and aNK cells against neuroblastoma was assessed following resection of primary tumors formed by two cell lines or a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) in immunodeficient NOD-scid gamma mice.Results:In vitro, the combination of aNK cells and dinutuximab caused cytotoxicity and decreased invasiveness of three human neuroblastoma cell lines. Treatment of mice with dinutuximab combined with aNK cells after surgical resection of primary intrarenal tumors formed by two cell lines or a PDX decreased tumor cells in liver and bone marrow as evaluated by histopathology and bioluminescence imaging. Survival of mice after resection of these tumors was most significantly increased by treatment with dinutuximab combined with aNK cells compared with that of untreated mice.Conclusions:The combination of dinutuximab and adoptively transferred human aNK cells following surgical resection of primary neuroblastomas significantly improves survival of immunodeficient mice.

PDF file - 89K, Supplemental Table 1. List of antibodies used in this study. Supplemental table 2. Cytokines/chemokines excluded from the Luminex� panels.

Xiaoer Fupi Granules, a refined version of the classical prescription Shenling Baizhu Powder, has the effect of invigora-ting spleen, replenishing Qi, harmonizing stomach and resolving accumulation and is commonly used to treat Qi deficiency in spleen and stomach, disordered transportation and transformation, and indigestion of children. However, its medicinal constituents and mechanism remain unclear. We studied the main active constituents and action mechanism of Xiaoer Fupi Granules by integrating network pharmacology and prototype constituent analysis in vivo. This study will help to increase the reliability of database analysis results and lay a foundation for precise medication and mining of quality control markers. On the basis of Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine(BATMAN-TCM), thequot;key chemical constituents-targetquot; network was constructed. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with linear ion trap-orbitrap mass spectrometry(UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS) was employed to analyze the absorbed constituents in rat urine and plasma, so as to validate the network. Further, we used BATMAN-TCM to construct thequot;absorbed constituents-target-pathwayquot; network and explore the functioning mechanism of Xiaoer Fupi Granules. A total of 86 chemical constituents of Xiaoer Fupi Granules were predicted via BATMAN-TCM, among which only 18.6% were detected in rat plasma and urine. Accor-ding to thequot;absorbed constituents-target-pathwayquot; network, 8 chemical constituents such as stearic acid and caprylic acid capable of regulating gastric acid and insulin secretion may be the critical constituents of Xiaoer Fupi Granules in invigorating spleen and harmonizing stomach. This study identified the critical active constituents and predicted the action mechanism of Xiaoer Fupi Granules, providing the reference for the research on the material basis of Xiaoer Fupi Granules.

Background Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors originally developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes are clinically very effective drugs halting chronic kidney disease progression. The underlying mechanisms are, however, not fully understood. Methods We generated single-cell transcriptomes of kidneys from rats with 5/6 nephrectomy before and after SGLT2 inhibitors treatment by single-cell RNA sequencing. Findings Empagliflozin treatment decreased BUN, creatinine and urinary albumin excretion compared to placebo by 39.8%, 34.1%, and 55%, respectively (p < 0.01 in all cases). Renal interstitial fibrosis and glomerulosclerosis was likewise decreased by 51% and 66.8%; respectively (p < 0.05 in all cases). 14 distinct kidney cell clusters could be identified by scRNA-seq. The polarization of M2 macrophages from state 1 (CD206-CD68- M2 macrophages) to state 5 (CD206+CD68+ M2 macrophages) was the main pro-fibrotic process, as CD206+CD68+ M2 macrophages highly expressed fibrosis-promoting genes and can convert into fibrocytes. Empagliflozin remarkably inhibited the expression of fibrosis-promoting (IFG1 and TREM2) and polarization-associated genes (GPNMB, LGALS3, PRDX5, and CTSB) in CD206+CD68+ M2 macrophages and attenuated inflammatory signals from CD8+ effector T cells. The inhibitory effect of empagliflozin on CD206+CD68+ M2 macrophages polarization was mainly achieved by affecting mitophagy and mTOR pathways. Interpretation We propose that the beneficial effects of empagliflozin on kidney function and morphology in 5/6 nephrectomyiced rats with established CKD are at least partially due to an inhibition of CD206+CD68+ M2 macrophage polarization by targeting mTOR and mitophagy pathways and attenuating inflammatory signals from CD8+ effector T cells. Fundings A full list of funding bodies that contributed to this study can be found in the Acknowledgements section.

In the present work, an efficient four-step strategy to fabricate the Fe-Co-P porous nanowire arrays in situ grown on a self-supported carbon cloth (denoted as Fe-Co-P/CC) for developing excellent HER activity is reported. The four steps include the preparation of the CoFeZn-precursor by a hydrothermal reaction, the formation of pore-forming agent (ZnO) after annealing treatment, the alkaline etching of ZnO, and phosphorization. Particularly, the alkaline-etched porous Fe-Co-P nanowire-arrays contribute to enhancing the catalytic activity by the exposure of more electrochemical active sites. The as-prepared Fe-Co-P/CC which was prepared by the rational Co-Fe molar ratio, as a binder-free electrocatalyst, shows a high-performance HER with a small overpotential of 121 mV in 1 M KOH and 124 mV in 0.5 M H2SO4 at a current density of 10 mA·cm−2, as well as a good Tafel slope value of 118 mV/dec and 85 mV/dec in alkaline and acid media, respectively, owing to the well-optimized pore-structures and active sites. Additionally, the catalyst almost maintains its electrochemical activity for about 24 and 16 h under alkaline and acidic conditions, respectively. This work provides a new idea for the synthesis of high-efficiency, binder-free electrodes for high-purity hydrogen production.

The utilization of pharmacy services in response to the threat of COVID-19 infection remains unclear in areas suffering from air pollution, and little is known regarding the effects of knowledge and attitude (KA) toward COVID-19 on this preventive behavior. This study aimed to explore how the residents perceived and reacted to the new threats of the epidemic and how KA may affect the correlation. Based on the health belief model (HBM), this research took the pharmacy service utilization (PSU) as an example to explain the preventive behavior. The samples were 375 respondents recruited from five districts near the industrial parks. T-test, ANOVA, and regression analyses of SPSS 22.0 were used to analyze the data. Test results show that self-efficacy was the strongest predictor, followed by the net perceived benefit. KA moderated the association of perceived threat and PSU intention. The levels of air pollution of a district may not be a good predictor for the preventive behavior against COVID-19.

With reference to the production process documented in Chinese Pharmacopoeia, this paper prepared the calibrator samples of Xiaochaihu Granules from multiple batches and established a method for fingerprint analysis and content determination that could be used to evaluate Xiaochaihu Granules available in market. Multiple batches of Chinese herbal pieces contained in Xiaochaihu Granules were collected for preparing the calibrator samples according to the process in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Following the establishment of fingerprints for calibrator samples by UHPLC, the method for determining the contents of saikosaponin B2, saikosaponin B1, baicalin, wogonoside, baicalein, liquiritin, glycyrrhizin G2 and glycyrrhizic acid in Xiaochaihu Granules was established. The experimental results showed that the fingerprints of calibrator samples had 26 common peaks, covering the chemical compounds of main herbs Bupleuri Radix, Scutellariae Radix, Changii Radix, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, and Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens. The similarity of fingerprints for 47 batches of Xiaochaihu Granules from 31 companies with the calibrator sample fingerprint ranged from 0.74 to 0.99, indicating good applicability of the established fingerprint. The contents of main components baicalin, saikosaponin B2, and glycyrrhizic acid in Xiaochaihu Granules were within the ranges of 22.917-49.108 mg per bag(RSD 19%), 0.28-2.19 mg per bag(RSD 62%), and 0.897-6.541 mg per bag(RSD 41%), respectively. The quality difference in saikosaponin B2, and glycyrrhizic acid among different manufacturers was significant. The fingerprint analysis and content determination method for calibrator samples of Xiaochaihu Granules prepared according to the production process in Chinese Pharmacopoeia has been proved suitable for evaluating the quality of Xiaochaihu Granules from different manufacturers. Saikosaponin B2, glycyrrhizic acid, and liquiritin should be added as content control indicators for Xiaochaihu Granules, aiming to further improve the product quality.

Space−time modulated metamaterials support extraordinary rich applications, such as parametric amplification, frequency conversion, and non-reciprocal transmission. The non-Hermitian space−time varying systems combining non-Hermiticity and space−time varying capability, have been proposed to realize wave control like unidirectional amplification, while its experimental realization still remains a challenge. Here, based on metamaterials with software-defined impulse responses, we experimentally demonstrate non-Hermitian space−time varying metamaterials in which the material gain and loss can be dynamically controlled and balanced in the time domain instead of spatial domain, allowing us to suppress scattering at the incident frequency and to increase the efficiency of frequency conversion at the same time. An additional modulation phase delay between different meta-atoms results in unidirectional amplification in frequency conversion. The realization of non-Hermitian space−time varying metamaterials will offer further opportunities in studying non-Hermitian topological physics in dynamic and nonreciprocal systems.

An UPLC-MS/MS method was developed to simultaneously determine complanatoside A and complanatoside B in rat plasma with rutin as the internal standard and applied to examine the effect of salt-processing on pharmacokinetics of these two flavonoid glycosides. The pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated using DAS 3.2.6 and subjected to independent sample t-test with SPSS 23.0. No significant difference in T_(max) of complanatoside B was observed between the raw and processed groups; however, in the processed group, C_(max) and AUC_(0-12 h) of complanatoside B increased obviously(Plt;0.05), while MRT_(0-12 h) decreased from(3.34±0.44) h to(1.81±0.36) h(Plt;0.05). C_(max) [(14.72±11.13) μg·L~(-1)] and MRT_(0-24) [(3.93±0.26) h] of complanatoside A in the raw group were statistically different from those [(35.64±21.99) μg·L~(-1),(1.43±0.24) h] in the processed group(Plt;0.05). As a result, salt-processing can facilitate the in vivo adsorption and accelerate the excretion of complanatoside A and complanatoside B.

This Radix study cum aims Melle to explore(HRPM)the on efficacy spleen differences deficiency between syndrome.modeling Astragali A Radix of Praeparata110cum rats Melle were(ARPM)randomized fatigue),and into rats Hedysari a Praeparata(n qi total irregular HRPM male diet,SD diarrhea,control were(n Yiqi=10)the=100).Pill group fied and model a modeling group,group Buzhong After(BYP)(through ARPM and the HRPM-H),classimedium-dose into(ARPM-M raised group,and high-dose(ARPM-H each and Rats BYP and under HRPM-M),normal and low-dose and(ARPM-L in and group HRPM-L)were groups,continuously10rats induced.were in group.the in group the were18.9,control given group were g·kg~(-1)conditions while those the the model Rats respectively in18.912.6,BYP kg~(-1)water extract,decoction those in ARPM/HRPM-H,the-M,dosage lasted and of-L groups treated the with control and model6.3group g·rewere motilin determined m L·kg~(-1)·day~(-1).days.of dose Spleen ARPM/HRPM of in water.morning,The at the10Rats spleen in index group thymus and index ceived equal calculated.(MTL),distilled tissue administration to15observe Then the and Routine of each group D-xylose,were was(IL-2),the subjected HE stainingγ(IFN-γ),lower to the pathological changes.(IgA),blood gastric indexes,mucosa index,interleukin-2group.interferon group immunoglobulin of A and spleen pepsin index,of in Ig A,IL-2spleen IFN-γ,control each MTL,levels Rats pepsin the in model(Plt;0.01),had higher levels routine(Plt;0.01),blood and indexes,more thymus lesions D-xylose,the and in index,level decreased HRPM-L of IL-2severe compared spleen with than the those model in group.thymus group.that(Plt;0.05group,Plt;0.01)index administration thymus groups Ig A or spleen as that and in spleen routine Except index,spleen the Ig A,index,group and were in in ARPM-M model group,group,index,indexes,Plt;0.01)and thymus MTL index,those in ARPM-L insignificantly Ig A,different pepsin from other those in the the blood index,compared IFN-γ,group,(Plt;0.05The D-xylose,model MTL,spleen and lesions high-dose in each administration administration groups group increased relieved.blood or comparison as of with HRPM in as the folARPM and the effect in and were white and result than ARPM and is of lows:(P strongerlt;0.05),of medium-dose high-dose HRPM HRPM on IL-2cell high-dose of(WBC)and count medium-dose the HRPM and corresponding doses than IFN-γmore ARPM the obvious effect(Plt;0.05of on evident(Plt;0.05of impact Plt;0.01),on low-dose between the on corresponD-xylose Plt;0.01),doses ding MTL doses than Meanwhile,in of or more high-dose,and medium-dose,difference HRPM the and indexes.corresponding there of ARPM in or IL-2no levels in the HRPM-L effect and two groups,on but conclusion,other the both functions IFN-γwas group no was difference more the than recovery that of the and ARPM-H between(IL-2,Plt;0.01;ARPM-L recovery HRPM the IFN-γ,Plt;0.05).HRPM-H and obvious therapeutic in rats group qi In ARPM dose have are certain equivalent,effects on with spleen function deficiency.the Specifically,is the better difference immunomodulatory of two at g·low kg~(-1).and but the promote immunomodulatory the of former rats significantly ARPM.than that between of the later two at in the dosegt;18.9HRPM promotion can of better digestion digestion absorption and may absorption due of than The immunoregulation and be to the difference in clinical medication.

Recently, acoustic skyrmions have been explored by tailoring velocity vectorial near-field distributions based on the interference of multiple spoof surface acoustic waves, providing new dimensions for advanced sound information processing, transport, and data storage. Here, we theoretically investigate and experimentally demonstrate that a deep-subwavelength spiral metastructure can also generate the acoustic skyrmion configuration. Analyzing the resonant response of the metastructure and observing the spatial profile of the velocity field, we find that the localized skyrmionic modes correspond to eigenmodes of the spiral structure. Thus, the skyrmionic modes do not require carefully tailored external excitation condition and they have multiple resonating frequencies unlike the single skyrmionic mode realized by the interference of multiple waves. We also demonstrate that the topological protected skyrmions supported by the subwavelength metastructure is robust against structure deformations and existence of structure defects. The real-space acoustic skyrmion topology may open new avenues for designing ultra-compact and robust acoustic devices, such as acoustic sensors, acoustic tweezers, and acoustic antennas.

Duzhi Wan (DZW) has been extensively used in the prevention and treatment of ischemic stroke, but the mechanisms underlying its effects remain unclear. In this study, a combination of transcriptomics, metabolomics and network analysis was applied to identify the preventive mechanism of DZW in middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)-induced ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury.The mice were divided into five groups: the sham group, I/R group, I/R + Ginaton group, I/R+DZW-L group, and I/R+DZW-H group. Neurological deficit scores and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Nissl staining results were evaluated. Transcriptomics analysis and metabolomics analysis were applied to identify the key genes and metabolites, and qRT-PCR, ELISA, and immunofluorescence were applied to verify the key targets.DZW significantly decreased the infarction size and neurological deficit scores, increased the rCBF percentage and neuronal number and improved neuronal morphology after MCAO. Transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis revealed that C3 and C5ar1 were core targets of DZW and indirectly regulated downstream purine metabolism, the pentose phosphate pathway, and glycerophospholipid metabolism-associated pathways via inflammatory cells. Moreover, ELISA, qRT-PCR, and immunofluorescence further confirmed that DZW significantly decreased the expression of C3, C5ar1, C5 and downstream inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, IL-1β and MMP-9, at the gene and protein levels, suggesting that DZW decreased neuroinflammation and inhibited related metabolic pathways.C3 and C5 play important roles in the neuroprotective and antineuroinflammatory effects of DZW in protecting against cerebral I/R. This study provides novel insights into the neuroprotective effects of DZW and its clinical application.

Background Invasion and metastasis of synovial sarcoma is the leading cause of death in patients. Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) accelerates tumor cell invasion and metastasis. MiR-9 promotes tumor metastasis by inducing EMT. However, the role of miR-9 in synovial sarcoma is still not clear. Methods Overexpression or knockdown of miR-9 in human synovial sarcoma (HSS) cell lines was carried out by miR-9 mimics or miR-9 inhibitors transfection. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion were detected using MTS and colony formation assays, flow cytometry, wound healing and transwell assays, respectively. Luciferase reporter assay was applied to study the interaction between miR-9 and CDH1. Nude mice xenograft model was established, and immunohistochemistry staining assessed Ki-67 level. The related mRNA and protein expression levels were evaluated by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Results The bioinformatics analyses and luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-9 can target CDH1 3′-UTR. Moreover, miR-9 could induce EMT of HSS cells via targeting CDH1. The negative regulation of miR-9 on CDH1 expression was also confirmed in a mouse xenograft model of synovial sarcoma. Furthermore, miR-9 was observed to induce HSS cell proliferation, migration and invasion and inhibit apoptosis. MAPK/ERK and Wnt/β-catenin signal pathways were activated by the miR-9 overexpression in HSS cells, and then further enhancing tumorigenesis of HSS, which was further confirmed in the mouse model. Conclusion MiR-9 induces EMT by targeting CDH1, and activates MAPK/ERK and Wnt/β-catenin signal pathways, thus promoting HSS tumorigenesis.

Here, we experimentally demonstrate a novel strategy for broadband acoustic insulation of an arbitrary shaped region by arranging a localized rainbow trapped metastructure at a deep subwavelength scale. The metastructure constitutes radial gradient grooves along the azimuth direction and can help realize localized acoustic rainbow trapping. We show that such metastructures can be used to construct a region with arbitrary geometry for sound insulation and keep high ventilation simultaneously, thus, denoted as an acoustic metacage. Based on the numerical simulations and experimental observations, the results indicate that the broadband soundproof effect of the metacage is robust against the location of the acoustic source. Finally, we discuss the relationship between the soundproof efficiency and the ventilated ratio of the metacage and find that the ventilation window can still achieve a rate of 55% when the transmittance loss is above 10 dB. The proposed acoustic metacage could open up an avenue for realizing broadband sound insulation with high ventilation and an arbitrary shaped area.

Astragali Radix is one of the most commonly used medicinal materials. In recent years, its cultivated varieties and a variety of adulterants have flooded the market, which makes its quality uneven, and the development of quality control methods has become a research hotspot. Therefore, figuring out the quality markers of Astragali Radix is of great significance for its comprehensive evaluation. In this study, the fingerprints of 15 batches of Astragali Radix were established by HPLC, and the main components causing intergroup differences were screened out by PLS-DA. On the basis of literature review and network pharmacology analysis, the targets and pathways of active ingredients were obtained from SwissTargetPrediction, PubChem Compound and other databases, and then thequot;component-target-pathwayquot; network was constructed with Cytoscape 3.7.1 for the prediction of potential quality markers. Twenty-eight common peaks were identified in the established fingerprint, and three differential components were selected as potential quality markers for Astragali Radix, which were astragaloside Ⅳ, calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside and ononin. The proposed method based on HPLC fingerprint of Astragali Radix is convenient and feasible, facilitating the improvement in its quality control.

Rechargeable Zn-air batteries are considered as a promising energy storage device due to their high energy density. Nevertheless, the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction/oxygen evolution reaction (ORR/OER) involved in the Zn-air batteries seriously hinders their practical application. Hence, in this work, a novel and effective method is developed to synthesize ultrafine cobalt nanoparticles (about 35 nm in diameter) embedded in nitrogen-doped carbon spheres (labeled as Co/NDC). Benefiting from the uniform distribution of the ultrafine cobalt nanoparticles, the prepared Co/NDC catalyst owns a large specific surface area and abundant active sites. As shown in the electrochemical test, the Co/NDC bifunctional electrocatalyst prepared in this article exhibits advanced electrochemical performance. The Co/NDC electrocatalyst displays superior electrochemical activities with a half-wave potential of 0.76 V (vs. RHE) for ORR and a low overpotential of 460 mV at the current density of 10 mA·cm−2 for OER. More significantly, the integrated rechargeable liquid-state Zn-air battery (ZAB) using Co/NDC electrocatalyst as air cathode shows a peak power density up to 149 mA·cm−2, an open-circuit voltage (OCV) of 1.428 V and a long-term cycle stability for more than 50 h. In addition, the self-made flexible rechargeable ZABs also display excellent performance even under different bending and twisting conditions. Therefore, Co/NDC catalyst can effectively serve as a promising candidate for bifunctional electrocatalyst.

In this paper, we propose a subwavelength closed surface consisting of radial gradient grooves for achieving localized acoustic rainbow trapping. Similar to conventional rainbow trapping based on a plane structured surface, we demonstrate that rainbow trapping can also be realized by a closed surface in the deep-subwavelength scale. In particular, the trapped spatial positions on the closed surface can be freely tuned by changing the structural parameters. Based on the advantages of the multiband response and subwavelength dimension of this structure, we propose an acoustic barrier consisting of an array of closed surfaces to achieve multiband sound insulation and high ventilation simultaneously. Investigated results indicate that this kind of acoustic barrier possesses the features of subwavelength scale, and multiband and omnidirectional responses for blocking incident acoustic waves, yet has high ventilation. Finally, we discuss the influence of the channel width on the magnitude and bandwidth of the transmission loss spectrum. The experimental results agree with our theoretical prediction that the material losses can broaden the response bandwidth, and form broadband sound insulation. The acoustic barrier consisting of localized rainbow trapping structures may have many applications in infrastructure requiring air-permeability and sound-proofing.

Wave plates based on metasurfaces have attracted intensive attention over the past decade owing to their compactness and design flexibility. Although various wave plates have been designed, their working wavelengths are fixed once they are made. Here we present a study on tunable wave plates based on phase-change metasurfaces made of Ge2Sb2Te5 nanopillar structures. The Ge2Sb2Te5 nanopillars can work as a high-efficiency transmissive half- or quarter-wave plate depending on their structural parameters. The working wavelength of wave plate can be tuned via the phase transition of Ge2Sb2Te5. Moreover, the polarization state of the transmitted light at a fixed wavelength can be modified by changing the crystallinity of Ge2Sb2Te5. The features suggest that tunable wave plates may have applications in optical modulators, molecular detection, and polarimetric imaging.