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Phononic crystals (PnCs) and acoustic metamaterials (AMMs) are artificially architected materials endowed with the capabilities of wave manipulation. This review specifically covers the theoretical fundamentals and recent development of PnCs and AMMs at the micro‐ and nanoscales due to their potential significance in modern electronic applications. Similarities and differences in phonon transport at these two scales are discussed. Research gaps between the macro‐ and small‐scale PnC and AMM development are identified from a theoretical point of view. A future outlook is also presented to propose possible applications of micro‐ and nano‐PnCs and AMMs, including advancing quantum information processing technologies, such as quantum computing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and all-cause mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to determine any sex-specific differences in this association. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled patients with T2DM and investigated the annual death data for seven years starting from 2010. All-cause mortality was calculated using Life Tables analysis. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis was performed to identify the association between BMI and mortality. Results: During a mean survey period of 7.33 ± 1.42 years (X± SD), 996 of the 17259 patients enrolled died, resulting in an all-cause mortality rate of 5.77%, with no significant difference between women and men (6.04% vs. 5.56%; x2 = 1.766, P = 0.184). The top three causes of death were ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and chronic kidney failure. A total of 87, 266, 332, and 311 patients with a BMI of <18.5, 18.5–23.99, 24.0–27.99, and ≥28.0 kg/m2, respectively, died, with the corresponding mortality rate calculated at 15.45%, 3.30%, 5.80%, and 10.70%, respectively. The BMI value associated with the highest all-cause mortality was <18.5 kg/m2, but this association was only significant in women aged <50 years (HR: 3.12; 95% CI, 1.62–4.34; P < 0.001). Conclusions: In patients with T2DM, a low BMI in women aged <50 years predicted high all-cause mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive unofficial planting of Bt cotton expressing Cry1Ac toxin has occured for the past two decades in northwestern China, and no mandatory refuge policy has been adopted. The status of Cry1Ac susceptibility of Helicoverpa armigera in this region has not been routinely monitored, nor has the susceptibility to Cry2Ab cotton which has not been released in China. The susceptibility of H. armigera populations to both toxins was assessed in 2014 and 2015 in two contrasting cotton farming systems across the region. Over the 2 years, the response to Cry1Ac of the nine H. armigera field populations sampled ranged from 3.16 to 16.94 μg ml−1 for LC50 and 0.013 to 0.741 μg ml−1 for IC50, and the baseline susceptibility of these strains to Cry2Ab ranged from 3.43 to 19.05 μg ml−1 for LC50 and 0.16 to 3.81 μg ml−1 for IC50. There was no significant difference in susceptibility to either Cry1Ac or Cry2Ab between small-holder and broad-acre farming. The susceptibility to Cry1Ac toxin in northwestern China is higher than that in northern China, while there was no difference for Cry2Ab between northwestern China and northern China. With high levels of adoption of Bt cotton and relatively limited natural refuge for H. armigera, it is important to consider resistance management measures for Bt cotton in northwestern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate theoretically and demonstrate experimentally, the effect of material and geometric periodicity in face sheets on the overall dynamics of sandwich beams. By treating the two face sheets and core as separate entities using the classical beam theory (CBT), in conjunction with Bloch's theorem, and solving the governing equations with the transfer matrix method (TMM) and the generalized differential quadrature method (GDQM), we obtain a low-frequency total bandgap in which both transverse and longitudinal waves are blocked in sandwich beams with glide-reflected (GR) face sheets. On the other hand, only partial bandgaps blocking either transverse or longitudinal waves are present in the ones with mirror-reflected (MR) face sheets. Furthermore, a combination of full-scale finite element method (FEM) simulations and experimental characterization provide unequivocal evidence of these phenomenal wave features, as well as the accuracy of our theoretical results via defining separate displacement fields in comparison with effective periodic Timoshenko beam models. Our study indicates new mechanisms to suppress low-frequency elastic waves by tuning face sheet symmetry. Our explanation of wave behaviors from a structural symmetry point of view also provides a more comprehensive understanding of the symmetry effect on wave propagation in quasi-one-dimensional structures at large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Met is the transmembrane tyrosine kinase cell surface receptor for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and is structurally related to the insulin receptor (INSR) tyrosine kinase. Here we report that the HGF-Met axis regulates metabolism by stimulating hepatic glucose uptake and suppressing hepatic glucose output. We show that Met is essential for an optimal hepatic insulin response by directly engaging INSR to form a Met-INSR hybrid complex, which culminates in a robust signal output. We also found that the HGF-Met system restores insulin responsiveness in a mouse model of insulin refractoriness. These results provide new insights into the molecular basis of hepatic insulin resistance and suggest that HGF may have therapeutic potential for type 2 diabetes in the clinical setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topological insulators hold promises to realize exotic quantum phenomena in electronic, photonic, and phononic systems. Conventionally, topological indices, such as winding numbers, have been used to predict the number of topologically protected domain-wall states (TPDWSs) in topological insulators, a signature of the topological phenomenon called bulk-edge correspondence. Here, we demonstrate theoretically and experimentally that the number of TPDWSs in a mechanical Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model can be higher than the winding number depending on the strengths of beyond-nearest-neighbor interactions, revealing the breakdown of the winding number prediction. Alternatively, we resort to the Berry connection to accurately characterize the number and spatial features of TPDWSs in SSH systems, further confirmed by the Jackiw-Rebbi theory proving that the multiple TPDWSs correspond to the bulk Dirac cones. Our findings deepen the understanding of complex network dynamics and offer a generalized paradigm for precise TPDWS prediction in potential applications involving localized vibrations, such as drug delivery and quantum computing. Topological insulators are bulk insulators with conducting zero-energy edge states conventionally predicted by topological indices, such as winding numbers in one-dimensional lattices. Here, the authors use the Jackiw-Rebbi theory to reveal that the number of topologically protected zero-energy states can be higher than the winding number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rabies is a serious public health issue in China, with over 95% of human infections transmitted by dogs. As part of a routine surveillance carried out in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IMAR) between 2019 and 2021, 80 of 95 suspected rabies cases in domestic animals (dogs, livestock) and wild carnivores (foxes, badgers, a raccoon dog) were confirmed as rabies virus (RABV) positive. Phylogenetic analysis of RABVs of the 80 cases based on complete N genes showed that 97.5% (78/80) of the virus strains belonged to the Cosmopolitan (steppe‐type) clade, with one in each of Arctic‐related (AL2) and Asian (SEA1) clades. The data show that infected foxes have become a major transmission source of rabies in China, second only to dogs, and play a pivotal role in animal rabies epizootics in the north and northwest of the country. The recent spread of fox rabies to other animal species presents an increasing threat to public health and emphasizes the importance of animal rabies surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a diphtheria toxin-based recombinant human CCR4-IL2 bispecific immunotoxin (CCR4-IL2-IT) for targeted therapy of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). CCR4-IL2-IT demonstrated superior efficacy in an immunodeficient mouse CTCL model. Recently, we have compared the in vivo efficacy of CCR4-IL2-IT versus Brentuximab (FDA approved leading drug in CTCL market) in the same immunodeficient mouse CTCL model. The comparison demonstrated that CCR4-IL2-IT was significantly more effective than Brentuximab. In this study, we have performed non-GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) toxicology, pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity studies of CCR4-IL2-IT in both rats and minipigs. CCR4-IL2-IT demonstrated excellent safety profiles in both rats and minipigs. The maximum tolerated dose of CCR4-IL2-IT was determined as 0.4 mg/kg in both rats and minipigs. Complete blood count and chemistry analysis did not show significant difference for all measured parameters between the blood samples of pre-injection versus post-injection from the five-day toxicology studies of CCT4-IL2-IT in both rats and minipigs. Histology analysis did not show difference between the PBS treatment group versus CCR4-IL2-IT treatment group at 50 μg/kg in both rats and minipigs. The half-life of CCR4-IL2-IT was determined as about 45 min in rats and 30 min in minipigs. The antibodies against CCR4-IL2-IT were detected in about two weeks after CCR4-IL2-IT treatment. CCR4-IL2-IT did not induce cytokine release syndrome in a peripheral blood mononuclear cell derived humanized mouse model. The depletion of CCR4+ cell and CD25+ cell (two target cell populations of CCR4-IL2-IT) was observed in minipigs. The excellent safety profile promoted us to further develop CCR4-IL2-IT towards clinical trials. • CCR4-IL2-IT demonstrated excellent safety profiles in both rats and minipigs. • The maximum tolerated dose of CCR4-IL2-IT was determined as 0.4 mg/kg. • Half-life of CCR4-IL2-IT was determined as ∼45 min in rats and ∼30 min in minipigs. • Anti-CCR4-IL2-IT antibody was detected two weeks after CCR4-IL2-IT treatment. • CCR4-IL2-IT did not induce cytokine release syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to explore the effects of BRAF-activated non-protein coding RNA (BANCR) on pancreatic microlymphangiogenesis in pancreatic cancer (PC) and its molecular mechanism under hypoxic conditions. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression of BANCR in SW1990 and PANC-1 PC cell lines under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Subsequently, the expression of BANCR in the PC cells was knocked down using small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Western blotting and RT-qPCR analyses were performed to detect the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α), VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 in the transfected cells. In addition, the transfected PC cells were co-cultured with human lymphatic endothelial cells and the lymphatic microvessel density (MLVD) was detected under normal and hypoxic conditions. Furthermore, HIF-1α expression in the PC cells was knocked down using siRNAs, and VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 mRNA expression in the HIF-1α knockdown cells was detected using RT-qPCR. The results showed that the expression of BANCR in the SW1990 and PANC-1 PC cell lines was significantly higher than that in human pancreatic duct endothelial cells. Additionally, the expression of BANCR was significantly increased in PC cells under hypoxic conditions compared with normoxic conditions. The MLVD of PC cells under hypoxic conditions was significantly higher compared with that under normoxic conditions, and the MLVD in the si-BANCR group was lower than that in the si-NC group, indicating that si-BANCR downregulated MLVD. These results indicate that BANCR positively regulated the expression of HIF-1α in PC cells at the transcriptional and translational levels. Finally, the expression levels of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 in PC cells were significantly reduced when BANCR or HIF-1α expression was knocked down. In conclusion, the results demonstrate that the expression of BANCR in PC cells was significantly increased under hypoxic conditions and suggest that BANCR promoted tumor cell lymphangiogenesis by upregulating the HIF-1α/VEGF-C/VEGFR-3 pathway, which plays an important role in the process of PC lymph node metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]