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Background: Congenital contractural arachnodactyly (CCA) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder caused by pathogenic variants of Fibrillin-2 (FBN2) gene. This study aimed to investigate the variants in three Chinese families with CCA. Methods: Next-generation sequencing analysis and Sanger sequencing of exons 24–35 of FBN2 (NM_001999.4) were performed on the three CCA pedigrees. The pathogenicity of the variants was assessed using ACMG criteria and predicted using an in-silico program. Results: A novel heterozygous substitution (NM_001999.4: c.3230G > A; NP_001990.2 p. Cys1077Tyr) was identified in all patients from pedigree A, but not in healthy family members. The variant was found to be pathogenic. Additionally, in pedigree B (NM_001999.4: c.4222G > A; NP_001990.2: p.Asp1408Asn) and C (NM_001999.4: c.3170G > A; NP_001990.2: p.Gly1057Asp), and the previously reported variants were detected. Variants affecting cysteine residues may disrupt disulfide bridging, leading to a weakened microfibril scaffold, resulting in CCA phenotypes. High phenotypic heterogeneity was observed among different families, and there was little correlation between the genotype and phenotype. Conclusion: This study describes three large families with CCA caused by missense variants in the FBN2 gene. Phenotypic variations were observed among different pedigree groups, and further research is needed to investigate the underlying reasons for these variations.

Abstract Objectives To determine the imaging details and diagnostic information of the treatment response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) of rectal adenocarcinoma at 9.4T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by ex vivo. Methods Fifteen cases with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) followed by radical surgery after nCRT between September 2022 and February 2023 were recruited. Resected specimens were fixed in a perfluoropolyether‐filled test tube and scanned with a 3.0T and 9.4T MRI system ex vivo. The residual tumor depth and MRI‐based tumor regression grade (TRG) were subjectively assessed and then compared with the pathological findings. Results The ex vivo 9.4T T2WI without fat suppression clearly differentiated tumor tissue, fibrosis and normal rectal wall, which clearly corresponded to the pathologic tissues of the rectal specimens. The TRG could be accurately assessed on ex vivo 9.4T images in 13/15 specimens (86.7%), while in 11/15 specimens (73.3%) on ex vivo 3.0T images. Conclusion Ex vivo 9.4T MR imaging clearly displayed the components of rectal wall and proved excellent diagnostic performance for evaluating the treatment response to nCRT, which allow radiologists to understand and then assess more accurately the TRG of LARC after nCRT.

Abstract Parity-time (PT) symmetry has been unveiling new photonic regimes in non-Hermitian systems, with opportunities for lasing, sensing and enhanced light-matter interactions. The most exotic responses emerge at the exceptional point (EP) and in the broken PT-symmetry phase, yet in conventional PT-symmetric systems these regimes require large levels of gain and loss, posing remarkable challenges in practical settings. Floquet PT-symmetry, which may be realized by periodically flipping the effective gain/loss distribution in time, can relax these requirements and tailor the EP and PT-symmetry phases through the modulation period. Here, we explore Floquet PT-symmetry in an integrated photonic waveguide platform, in which the role of time is replaced by the propagation direction. We experimentally demonstrate spontaneous PT-symmetry breaking at small gain/loss levels and efficient control of amplification and suppression through the excitation ports. Our work introduces the advantages of Floquet PT-symmetry in a practical integrated photonic setting, enabling a powerful platform to observe PT-symmetric phenomena and leverage their extreme features, with applications in nanophotonics, coherent control of nanoscale light amplification and routing.

Abstract Topological phases of matter have attracted significant attention in recent years, due to the unusual robustness of their response to defects and disorder. Various research efforts have been exploring classical and quantum topological wave phenomena in engineered materials, in which different degrees of freedom (DoFs) – for the most part based on broken crystal symmetries associated with pseudo-spins – induce synthetic gauge fields that support topological phases and unveil distinct forms of wave propagation. However, spin is not the only viable option to induce topological effects. Intrinsic orbital DoFs in spinless systems may offer a powerful alternative platform, mostly unexplored to date. Here we reveal orbital-selective wave-matter interactions in acoustic systems supporting multiple orbital DoFs, and report the experimental demonstration of disorder-immune orbital-induced topological edge states in a zigzag acoustic 1D spinless lattice. This work expands the study of topological phases based on orbitals, paving the way to explore other orbital-dependent phenomena in spinless systems.

Abstract Structural anisotropy in crystals is crucial for controlling light propagation, particularly in the infrared spectral regime where optical frequencies overlap with crystalline lattice resonances, enabling light-matter coupled quasiparticles called phonon polaritons (PhPs). Exploring PhPs in anisotropic materials like hBN and MoO3 has led to advancements in light confinement and manipulation. In a recent study, PhPs in the monoclinic crystal β-Ga2O3 (bGO) were shown to exhibit strongly asymmetric propagation with a frequency dispersive optical axis. Here, using scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM), we directly image the symmetry-broken propagation of hyperbolic shear polaritons in bGO. Further, we demonstrate the control and enhancement of shear-induced propagation asymmetry by varying the incident laser orientation and polariton momentum using different sizes of nano-antennas. Finally, we observe significant rotation of the hyperbola axis by changing the frequency of incident light. Our findings lay the groundwork for the widespread utilization and implementation of polaritons in low-symmetry crystals.

Infertility affects approximately 10–15% of couples worldwide who are attempting to conceive, with male infertility accounting for 50% of infertility cases. Male infertility is related to various factors such as hormone imbalance, urogenital diseases, environmental factors, and genetic factors. Owing to its relationship with genetic factors, male infertility cannot be diagnosed through routine examination in most cases, and is clinically called ‘idiopathic male infertility.’ Recent studies have provided evidence that microRNAs (miRNAs) are expressed in a cell-or stage-specific manner during spermatogenesis. This review focuses on the role of miRNAs in male infertility and spermatogenesis. Data were collected from published studies that investigated the effects of miRNAs on spermatogenesis, sperm quality and quantity, fertilization, embryo development, and assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes. Based on the findings of these studies, we summarize the targets of miRNAs and the resulting functional effects that occur due to changes in miRNA expression at various stages of spermatogenesis, including undifferentiated and differentiating spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids, and Sertoli cells (SCs). In addition, we discuss potential markers for diagnosing male infertility and predicting the varicocele grade, surgical outcomes, ART outcomes, and sperm retrieval rates in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA).

Abstract Extreme anisotropy in some polaritonic materials enables light propagation with a hyperbolic dispersion, leading to enhanced light-matter interactions and directional transport. However, these features are typically associated with large momenta that make them sensitive to loss and poorly accessible from far-field, being bound to the material interface or volume-confined in thin films. Here, we demonstrate a new form of directional polaritons, leaky in nature and featuring lenticular dispersion contours that are neither elliptical nor hyperbolic. We show that these interface modes are strongly hybridized with propagating bulk states, sustaining directional, long-range, sub-diffractive propagation at the interface. We observe these features using polariton spectroscopy, far-field probing and near-field imaging, revealing their peculiar dispersion, and – despite their leaky nature – long modal lifetime. Our leaky polaritons (LPs) nontrivially merge sub-diffractive polaritonics with diffractive photonics onto a unified platform, unveiling opportunities that stem from the interplay of extreme anisotropic responses and radiation leakage.

Achilles tendon (AT) injury is one of the most common tendon injuries, especially in athletes, the elderly, and working-age people. In AT injury, the biomechanical properties of the tendon are severely affected, leading to abnormal function. In recent years, many efforts have been underway to develop effective treatments for AT injuries to enable patients to return to sports faster. For instance, several new techniques for tissue-engineered biological augmentation for tendon healing, growth factors (GFs), gene therapy, and mesenchymal stem cells were introduced. Increasing evidence has suggested that GFs can reduce inflammation, promote extracellular matrix production, and accelerate AT repair. In this review, we highlighted some recent investigations regarding the role of GFs, such as transforming GF-β(TGF-β), bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP), fibroblast GF (FGF), vascular endothelial GF (VEGF), platelet-derived GF (PDGF), and insulin-like GF (IGF), in tendon healing. In addition, we summarized the clinical trials and animal experiments on the efficacy of GFs in AT repair. We also highlighted the advantages and disadvantages of the different isoforms of TGF-β and BMPs, including GFs combined with stem cells, scaffolds, or other GFs. The strategies discussed in this review are currently in the early stages of development. It is noteworthy that although these emerging technologies may potentially develop into substantial clinical treatment options for AT injury, definitive conclusions on the use of these techniques for routine management of tendon ailments could not be drawn due to the lack of data.

Introduction: Poly(1,3-trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) is a flexible amorphous polymer with good degradability and biocompatibility. The degradation of PTMC is critical for its application as a degradable polymer, more convenient and easy-to-control cross-linking strategies for preparing PTMC are required.Methods: The blends of poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) and cross-linked poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) were prepared by mixing photoactive PEGDA and PTMC and subsequently photopolymerizing the mixture with uv light. The physical properties and in vitro enzymatic degradation of the resultant PTMC/cross-linked PEGDA blends were investigated.Results: The results showed that the gel fraction of PTMC/cross-linked PEGDA blends increased while the swelling degree decreased with the content of PEGDA dosage. The results of in vitro enzymatic degradation confirmed that the degradation of PTMC/cross-linked PEGDA blends in the lipase solution occurred under the surface erosion mechanism, and the introduction of the uv cross-linked PEGDA significantly improved the resistance to lipase erosion of PTMC; the higher the cross-linking degree, the lower the mass loss.Discussion: The results indicated that the blends/cross-linking via PEGDA is a simple and effective strategy to tailor the degradation rate of PTMC.

Controlling emission and propagation of acoustic waves offers new design opportunities for acoustic devices. Here the authors demonstrate such controls thanks to the emergence of a synthetic pseudo-spin in two-dimensional acoustic metamaterial.

Introduction: Smart grid financial market forecasting is an important topic in deep learning. The traditional LSTM network is widely used in time series forecasting because of its ability to model and forecast time series data. However, in long-term time series forecasting, the lack of historical data may lead to a decline in forecasting performance. This is a difficult problem for traditional LSTM networks to overcome.Methods: In this paper, we propose a new deep-learning model to address this problem. This WOA-CNN-BiLSTM model combines bidirectional long short-term memory network BiLSTM and convolution Advantages of Neural Network CNN. We replace the traditional LSTM network with a bidirectional long short-term memory network, BiLSTM, to exploit its ability in capturing long-term dependencies. It can capture long-term dependencies in time series and is bidirectional modelling. At the same time, we use a convolutional neural network (CNN) to extract features of time series data to better represent and capture patterns and regularity in the data. This method combining BiLSTM and CNN can learn the characteristics of time series data more comprehensively, thus improving the accuracy of prediction. Then,to further improve the performance of the CNN-BiLSTM model, we optimize the model using the whale algorithm WOA. This algorithm is a new optimization algorithm, which has good global search ability and convergence speed, and can complete the optimization of the model in a short time.Results: Optimizing the CNN-BiLSTM model through the WOA algorithm can reduce its calculation and training speed, improve the prediction accuracy of the smart grid financial market, and improve the prediction ability of the smart grid financial market. Experimental results show that our proposed CNN-BiLSTM model has better prediction accuracy than other models and can effectively deal with the problem of missing historical data in long-term sequence forecasting.Discussion: This provides necessary help for the development of smart grid financial markets and risk management services, and can promote the development and growth of the smart grid industry. Our research results are of great significance in deep learning, and provide an effective method and idea for solving the financial market forecasting problem of smart grid.

Fluorescent probes are useful tools for the detection of sulfane sulfurs in biological systems. In this work, we report the development of SSP4, a widely used probe generated in our laboratory. We describe its evolution, preparation, and physical/chemical properties. Fluorescence analyses of SSP4 determined its high selectivity and sensitivity to sulfane sulfurs, even with the interfering presence of other species, such as amino acids and metal ions. Protocols for using SSP4 in a relatively quick and simple manner for the detection of persulfidated proteins, including papain, BSA, and GAPDH were developed. The method was then applied to human protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), leading to the discovery that persulfidation can occur at PDI's non-active site cysteines, and that PDI reductase activity is affected by sulfane sulfur treatment. Protocols for using SSP4 for the bioimaging of exogenous and endogenous sulfane sulfurs in different -cell lines were also established. These results should guide further applications of SSP4.

Abstract Background Milroy disease (MD) is a rare, autosomal-dominant disorder. Variants in the Fms-related tyrosine kinase 4 (FLT4/VEGFR3) gene cause the symptoms of this disease. In this report, we investigated the variant in a large Chinese family with MD. Methods We conducted Sanger sequencing of exons 17–26 of FLT4/VEGFR3 (NM_182925.4). We assessed its pathogenicity based on the ACMG criteria and predicted it with an in silico program. Results A heterozygous substitution (NM_182925.4 (FLT4/VEGFR3):c.2774 T>A, p. (Val925Glu)) was detected in all patients with MD but not in any healthy controls. The variant was evaluated as pathogenic according to the ACMG criteria and was predicted to be pathogenic using an in silico program. Conclusions In this report, we described a large family with MD caused by a missense variant in FLT4/VEGFR3 (NM_182925.4 (FLT4/VEGFR3_v001):c.2774 T>A, p. (Val925Glu)). There are phenotypic heterogeneities among family members, and further research should be conducted to explore the possible reasons.

AK111 is an innovative IL-17A antibody, presenting high affinity to IL-17A and showing similar pharmacokinetic (PK) characteristics to those of typical immunoglobulin (Ig) G1 antibodies. To optimize the dosage regimen for phase 2/3 clinical trials, PK and pharmacodynamics (PD) of AK111 were first characterized in Chinese moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis patients in a phase 1b study. AK111 PK serum sample and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score data were collected from 48 moderate-to-severe psoriasis patients in this study. Non-linear mixed-effects modeling was used for the population PK/PD analysis. A one-compartment model with a first-order absorption and a first-order elimination best described the PK behavior of AK111. The apparent systemic clearance was 0.182 L/day, and the central volume was 6.65 L. The exposure–response relationship was characterized using an indirect response model. The pharmacological effect of AK111 was described in the form of inhibiting the formation of psoriatic plaque, whereas placebo was quantified in the form of promoting the degradation of psoriatic skin lesions. The maximum effect of drug effect (Imax) and placebo effect (PLBmax) was 1 and 0.429, respectively. The rate constant for psoriatic plaque production (Kin) was 0.474 PASI/day and psoriatic plaque loss (Kout) was 0.024 day−1. The body surface area (BSA) affected by psoriasis was identified as a significant covariate on Kout. The simulation results confirmed that all of the predicted PASI90 response rates at week 12 were higher than 60% at 150 and 300 mg dose levels with different regimens and could reach higher than 80% at week 24. We hope this first PK/PD study of AK111 in Chinese moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis patients will be of help in the further clinical development of AK111 and provide a reference to the dosage optimization for similar antibodies with a long half-life.

SM2RAIN is a well-established methodology for estimating precipitation from satellite or observed soil moisture and it has been applied as a complementary approach to conventional precipitation monitoring methods. However, satellite soil moisture retrievals are usually subject to various biases and limited number of retrievals (and therefore large intervals) in remote areas, such as the Tibetan Plateau (TP), and little is known about their potential impacts on precipitation estimation. This study seeks to quantify the uncertainties in Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP) soil moisture estimated precipitation through the commonly used SM2RAIN by referring to in situ soil moisture observations from the central Tibetan Plateau soil moisture network. The estimated precipitation is evaluated against rain gauge observations. Additional attention is paid to different orbits of the SMAP retrievals. Results show that the original SM2RAIN algorithm tends to underestimate the precipitation amount in the central TP when using SMAP soil moisture retrievals as input. The retrieval accuracy and sampling interval of SMAP soil moisture from ascending (descending) orbits each count for 1.04 mm/5 d (−0.18 mm/5 d) and 1.67 mm/5 d (0.72 mm/5 d) of estimated precipitation uncertainties as represented by root mean square error. Besides, the descending product of SMAP with a relatively less sampling interval and higher retrieval accuracy outperforms the ascending one in estimating precipitation, and the combination of both two orbits does add value to the overall SM2RAIN estimation. This study is expected to provide guidance for future applications of SM2RAIN-derived precipitation. Meanwhile, more reliable SM2RAIN precipitation estimations are desired when using higher quality satellite soil moisture products with better retrieval accuracy and smaller intervals.

Although multipole topological insulators have been theoretically described and experimentally observed in 2D, third-order topological insulators in 3D have not been observed yet. Here, the authors realize for the first time a quantized octupole 3D topological state in an acoustic metamaterial.

Abstract The Lightning Mapping Imager (LMI) onboard Fengyun‐4A (FY‐4A) is the first Chinese lightning detection sensor in geostationary orbit. This study presents the lightning characteristics observed by the FY‐4A LMI in its first year, and then observations from the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) onboard the International Space Station (ISS) are used to validate the performance of the LMI sensor. LMI lightning events are defined by the pixel's luminosity exceeding the threshold radiance. During the first year of operation, LMI events revealed a reasonable geographical distribution. The diurnal cycles of LMI event/background/threshold radiance are in general agreement with the later afternoon peaks in previous findings. However, the LMI events that occurred around the LIS flash time and in the LMI observation field‐of‐view show a slightly delayed peak at around 1900 LST. This peak can be shifted closer to LIS's results after removing LMI events with event radiance lower than 300 μJsr−1m−2μm−1, suggesting that a larger threshold radiance value is needed to qualify some of these LMI events. Finally, LIS lightning groups were matched with LMI lightning events using different temporal and spatial collocation criteria. The detection efficiency is defined by the fraction of LIS groups detected by LMI to assess LMI's performance. The LMI detection efficiency relative to LIS was found to be regionally dependent and lower in the daytime than at nighttime. These results contribute to applications of LMI lightning observations in storm research and provide suggestions for further algorithm improvement.

Classical bosonic systems may be tailored to support topological order and unidirectional edge transport exploiting gauge fields. Here, we theoretically explore how synthetic gauge fields may be used to induce higher-order topological phases and zero-energy boundary states. We demonstrate these principles in two types of three-dimensional topolectrical circuits with synthetic gauge fields threading through their reduced two-dimensional lattices, leading to a half-quantized quadrupole charge within a region of the momentum space. We theoretically show the emergence of nodal line rings and Weyl points in the bulk dispersion, whose projected surfaces and hinges support surface Fermi arcs and flat hinge Fermi arcs emanating from the nodal line ring and Weyl points, representing the spectral signature of higher-order topological semimetals. These analogs of higher-order semimetals realized in electric circuits using synthetic gauge fields may be extended to various photonic platforms and find applications in photonic crystals, nano-optics, and cold atom research.

Abstract Objective This study aimed to identify the disease‐causing mutation of congenital cataract disease in a large northeastern Chinese family. Materials and Methods The subjects’ peripheral blood was collected, their genomic DNA was extracted, mutation screening of candidate genes was performed using polymerase chain reaction, and the amplified products were sequenced. Recombinant C‐terminal enhanced green fluorescent protein‐tagged wild‐type or mutant CRYGD was expressed in HEK293T cells, and the expression pattern was observed under a fluorescence microscope. The CRYGD protein mutation was analyzed via bioinformatics analysis. Results c.475delG, a novel frameshift mutation in CRYGD, was identified in the affected family members. This mutation causes premature termination of the polypeptide, resulting in truncated p.(Ala159ProfsTer9). According to the bioinformatics analysis results, compared with wild‐type CRYGD, p.(Ala159ProfsTer9) exhibits significantly decreased hydrophilicity. Fluorescence microscopy revealed that p.(Ala159ProfsTer9) aggregates in the cell in the form of granular deposits. Conclusion In this study, the novel frameshift mutation c.475delG, p.(Ala159ProfsTer9) in CRYGD was identified to cause congenital cataracts in a large Chinese family; increased hydrophobicity of p.(Ala159ProfsTer9) protein may be the underlying mechanism.

Metabolic reprogramming is a cancer hallmark. Although the reprogramming of central carbon has been well documented, the role of sulfur metabolism has been largely overlooked. Additionally, the effects of sulfur are sometimes contradictory in tumorigenesis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the gene expression profile in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the effects of reactive sulfur species (RSS) on HCC tumor cells. Furthermore, the cell imaging technology was applied to discover some potential anti-cancer compounds. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) of Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset (GSE102083) revealed that sulfur amino acid-related metabolism and vitamin B6 binding activity in HCC tissues were downregulated. Calculation of the interaction network identified nine hub genes, among which eight were validated by differential expression and survival analysis in the TCGA_LIHC cohort, and two (CSE and CBS) had the highest enrichment degree. The metabolomics analysis suggested that the hub genes were associated with RSS metabolism including H2S, H2S2, cystine, cysteine, homocysteine, cystathionine, and methionine. The cell viability assay demonstrated that H2S2 had significant anti-cancer effects in HCC SNU398 tumor cells. The cell imaging assay showed that treatment with H2S2 remarkably increased intracellular sulfane sulfur content. On this basis, the anti-cancer activity of some other sulfane sulfur compounds, such as DATS and DADS, was further verified. Lastly, according to the fact that HCC tumor cells preferentially take in cystine due to high expression of SLC7A11 (a cystine/glutamate transporter), persulfided cysteine precursor (PSCP) was tested for its sulfane sulfur release capability and found to selectively inhibit HCC tumor cell viability. Collectively, this study uncovered sulfur metabolism in HCC was reprogrammed, and provided a potential therapeutic strategy for HCC by donating sulfane sulfur.

Valleys in the photonic band structure provide an additional degree of freedom to engineer topological photonic structures and devices. Here, Kang et al. demonstrate that inter-valley scattering is inhibited at a Y-junction between three sections with different valley topology.

Topological modes in photonics systems are not completely confined to the structure but can leak into free space. Here, Gorlach et al. exploit these leaky modes to probe the topological properties of a dielectric metasurface from far-field scattering measurements.

Abstract Background Primary pulmonary meningioma (PPM) is an extremely rare benign tumor. Previous reports indicated that CT features of PPM are single, solid, well-demarcated, homogeneous mass. In this study, we report a case of PPM with atypical CT features. Case presentation A 65-year-old female presents to clinic with 1-week acute upper respiratory tract infection. Her chest CT scan revealed a 25–29 mm, round-like, heterogeneous lobulated solitary pulmonary nodule in the right lower lobe. Based on the microscopic features and a wide range of immunohistochemical examinations including vimentine, progesterone receptor (PR), CD34 and S100, the mass was diagnosed as PPM after surgery. Conclusion PPM is a rare disease, CT features of PPM could be heterogeneous and lobulated. Expression of vimentine, PR, CD34 and S100 helps to diagnosis of PPM.

Recent studies have identified CD49a+Eomes− and CD49a+Eomes+ subsets of tissue-resident NK (trNK) cells in different organs of the mouse. However, the characteristics of CD49a+Eomes−/+ NK cell development and the regulation of Eomes expression in NK cells remain unclear. Here, we established an in vitro cytokine-based feeder-free system in which bone marrow progenitor cells differentiate into CD49a+ NK cells. IL-15 was identified as being the key cytokine in this system that supported the development and maintenance of CD49a+ NK cells. The CD49a+ NK cells generated were Eomes−CD49b− and shared the same phenotype as hepatic trNK cells. IL-4 induced the expression of Eomes in generated NK cells and converted them into CD49a+Eomes+ cells, which were phenotypically and functionally similar to uterine trNK cells. Moreover, the IL-4/STAT6 axis was identified as being important in the generation of CD49a+Eomes+ induced NK cells. Collectively, these studies describe an approach to generate CD49a+Eomes−/+ subsets of NK cells and demonstrate important roles for IL-15 and IL-4 in the differentiation of these cells. These findings have potential for developmental research underlying the generation of different subsets of NK cells and the application of adoptive NK cell transfer therapies.

The epithelium of the intestine functions as the primary “frontline” physical barrier for protection from enteric microbiota. Intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) distributed along the intestinal epithelium are predominantly CD8+ T cells, among which CD8αβ+ IELs are a large population. In this investigation, the proportion and absolute number of CD8αβ+ IELs decreased significantly in antibiotic-treated and germ-free mice. Moreover, the number of CD8αβ+ IELs was correlated closely with the load of commensal microbes, and induced by specific members of commensal bacteria. Microarray analysis revealed that CD8αβ+ IELs expressed a series of genes encoding potent antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), whereas CD8αβ+ splenocytes did not. The antimicrobial activity of CD8αβ+ IELs was confirmed by an antimicrobial-activity assay. In conclusion, microbicidal CD8αβ+ IELs are regulated by commensal bacteria which, in turn, secrete AMPs that have a vital role in maintaining the homeostasis of the small intestine.

We demonstrate that an acoustic Kagome lattice formed by an array of interconnected resonant cavities exhibits a new class of topological states protected by C _3 symmetry, and it is characterised by a topological invariant in the form of a winding number in Pauli vector space. This acoustic topological metamaterial can be considered as the two-dimensional analogue of the Su–Schrieffer–Heeger model, exhibiting a topological transition when a detuning is introduced between the inter-cell and intra-cell hopping amplitudes. The topological transition caused by such detuning is accompanied by the opening of a complete topological band gap, which may host edge states. The edge states emerge on either truncated ends of the lattice terminated by a cladding layer or at the domain walls between topologically nontrivial and trivial domains. First-principles simulations based on full-wave finite element method are used to design the lattice and confirm our analytical predictions.

Abstract Background Human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (HTSE), or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), is a group of rare and fatal diseases in central nervous system. Since outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and variant CJD, a worldwide CJD surveillance network has been established under the proposition of WHO. In China, a national CJD surveillance system has started since 2002. The data of CJD surveillance from 2006 to 2007 was analyzed. Methods Total 12 provinces are included in CJD surveillance system. The surveillance unit in each province consists of one or two sentinel hospitals and the provincial CDC. All suspected CJD cases reported from CJD surveillance were diagnosed and subtyped based on the diagnostic criteria for CJD issued by WHO. Results Total 192 suspected CJD cases were reported and 5 genetic CJD, 51 probable and 30 possible sporadic CJD (sCJD) cases were diagnosed. The collected sCJD cases distribute sporadically without geographical clustering and seasonal relativity and the highest incidences in both probable and possible sCJD cases appeared in the group of 60–69 year. The most common three foremost symptoms were progressive dementia, cerebellum and mental-related symptoms. The probable sCJD patients owning both typical EEG alteration and CSF protein 14-3-3 positive have more characteristic clinical syndromes than the ones having only one positive. The polymorphisms of codon 129 of all tested reported cases shows typical patterns of Han Chinese as previous reports, that M129M are predominant whereas M129V are seldom. Conclusion Chinese CJD patients possessed similar epidemiological and clinical characteristics as worldwide.